Hi all. I started fasting almost three years ago. I eat between 4-9. I eat a big dinner then a dessert. I lost almost 20 pounds doing this. Recently I gained almost all the weight back. It has been a little discouraging so I have kinda been breaking my fast recently.
I don’t know why I gained this weight back! I have been eating the same dang foods at the same time for quite a while. The only thing I can think of is that I sometimes eat peanut butter crackers or an apple in addition to the above meals. But those are pretty low calories so I don’t know.
Why is this?
Are you tracking calories?
Because eating the same foods and the same amount or more will lead to either staying the same weight or gaining weight.
Fasting works because we usually eat less during our window and less calories means loosing weight.
So a large dinner and dessert may be over at at the amount of calories you need. Check your TDEE with a calculator, when you loose weight you need less calories.
Your body adjusts. What you are doing (time restricted eating) is mostly useful for controlling your insulin. This is good for losing weight, but you still have to have the metabolism going to burn the calories. Your weight is still a result of the number of calories you eat and the number you burn. Doesn’t really matter so much when you eat the calories.
So your body is adapting to your eating program and probably slowing your metabolism so you aren’t burning as much. Or, perhaps your enthusiasm has waned and you are eating more calorie dense foods. In any case, this is a common thing and it’s hard to keep the health kicks going. I didn’t hear you mention anything about exercise. If you aren’t exercising, your body is happy to slow the metabolism.
Peanut butter crackers is not similar to an apple, and I wouldn’t call it a low calorie snack. If fat is your concern, you have to think about glycemic index. In other words, how much do your foods increase your blood sugar? When your blood sugar spikes from carbs, your body stores fat. Pb crackers has sugar. Apples have fructose but the high fiber content evens it out so the sugar release doesn’t spike.
Has your activity level changed? If you are eating the same amount you always have but used to exercise and now don’t or used to walk a lot for work and now sit at a computer, that could be your explanation.
Probably deceiving yourself into thinking your consuming the same amount of calories when you’re more than likely eating more. Keep a journal. If you are keeping to the diet and gaining weight you should go to the doctor. People can develop thyroid problems.
Are you listening to your body signals. Eating foods that make you feel your best, stopping when you had enough but aren’t full? Do you put your food down between bites? Listen to your body.
Also when losing you can try tightening your window to 22:2
What time do you go to bed? If it was me in this situation I’d push the eating window earlier and probably try to shoot for 1500 calories a day especially if not working out. Lower carbs, higher lean protein, tons of water, and no candy/junk food etc. I’m just saying this cause idk what your diet is like. Hopefully you find something that works for you, it’s never easy that’s for sure!
Stress can also have a major effect on weight retention/gain. If you’ve been going through some stuff, have a lot of anxiety, or you’re not getting enough sleep, it can change your metabolic equation. What caused you to lose weight before could result in weight gain under stressful conditions. Ironically, even overly restricted eating CAN be enough of a source of stress that is causes your body to slow down your burn rate.