Everyday I try and everyday I fail. I don’t even know how people do OMAD. I’m gaining weight and feeling like such a loser. I try to eat 2 meals a day separated by 8 hours, then fast for 16 (IF 16/8).
Then don’t do that. Try something else.
Just remember that it’s the calories that count. (The three important parts to weight loss are diet, getting good sleep, and working on any chronic stress issues you have.)
While doing 16:8, you don’t need to eat two meals 8 hours apart. You could eat 3 or 4 small meals within that window. If you can do the 16, try eating 3 meals within that window. Or try doing 14 hours with 3 meals and then gradually move towards 16. Then see if you can start dropping a meal or reduce portion sizes.
You just have to figure out what works for you!
You can do this!!!
16:8 TMAD was rough for me as well. I jumped straight into it without doing any other kind of fasting to start, I was probably eating 4-5 times per day beforehand. I was hungry everyday, for 3 days, until my appetite normalized. Those were the absolute hardest days I had, but I’m glad I powered through them. I did 16:8 for 25 days, then accidentally skipped a meal one busy day, and figured out I could do OMAD, but like you, long before I started any fasting I was in the category of people who thought OMAD was starvation/insanity. It’s been my main IF tool now since I’ve started over 90 days ago. I even completed my first 72 hour fast, and it was actually easier than my first 3 days of 16:8 was. It takes time, power through it and don’t give up!
Fasting takes practice. It is very much like a workout. The more you practice the better you get at it. Do not expect fast weight loss, do this in a manner that works for you. If you need to eat then eat.
some tips:
I hope this helps.
Keep in mind the scale may not show the whole picture on your body’s losing fat. At times even for OMAD you can plateau weight loss but the fat mass is less and the lean mass is more. I measure my waist right under my rib cage and also measure at the level of your belly button and keep a log. I also buy a pair of pants one size smaller to try on. You can lose fat and have lean mass go up. When I do OMAD i eat healthy fats first Nuts/Avocado before eating the rest of my meal to get the satiated or else I will be hungry all day. Dr. Fung is a great source for IF . https://youtu.be/r6vkEIeBj_E “Don’t do this when fasting”
Try to be kinder and more patient with yourself. There are countless ways to tackle IF and you will find a regimen that works for you. It’s important to remember that starting slow (for example, eliminating snacking to create a true 12-hour fast, then working your way up to 16 hours) can make a huge difference. Almost everyone says it gets easier, and that’s true for me. At first I struggled 3-4 hours after my last meal. Now there are days I have to force myself to eat after 16-18 hours. It took a while for my body to get used to it. I’d recommend not worrying about the scale yet. Just focus on getting your body used to fasting so that it becomes easier. Besides starting slow, another tip for that is to try to eat a bit more fats and a bit fewer carbs. And I try to remember: thoughts are things. Be as kind to yourself as you would be to a friend who was in your situation. Tell yourself: I will give my body time to adjust to fasting and I will find a regimen that feels comfortable for me. Best wishes!
Most important thing to work on is the self loathing bit. Been there and done that for years. When you think yourself as a loser or trash or whatever poison you think of you give yourself every reason to fail and quit. You expect it and your brain will make it so. If you want to succeed you need to believe in yourself and this will get you there. I recommend a book called the Magic of thinking big. It is a classic and will help you change your mindset and be ready for growth. Do not quit, you have too much good things left to do for the world.
Do whatever works for you. I do omad now but took a few months to get yo this point. Started with eliminating breakfast, only mid morning snack, then cut that. Then cut late night snacks. Then just to either a small lunch big dinner, or vice versa. Now just one big ass lunch daily.
Don’t get down if you fail one day or a week, just get back at it. Not a sprint you have years to do it.
I found it got easier when I moved from 16:8 to 20:4. With 16:8 I felt I got way more cravings outside the window. With 20:4, I only seem to get them right as I get close to the 20 hour mark, and even then it’s not all the time, most of the time I have to remind myself to eat at my 20h mark.
Eating a ketogenic diet really helped me.
Once I was settled into a keto diet, those carb and sugar cravings can decrease, making fasting a lot easier.
Don’t feel like a failure. Keep trying and experimenting until you find the diet and weightless plan that works for you.
Just focus on what you are eating and drinking first. If you do that, then the intermittent fasting portion will start happening all on its own, as a byproduct of your new food and drink choices.
Do you want guaranteed weight loss and to transition into naturally wanting to eat 2MAD or OMAD, without forcing it?
Then eat just meat and veggies, with plenty of healthy fats like lard, tallow, ghee, or extra virgin olive, avocado, or coconut oils.
Absolutely avoid all grains, rice, and potatoes.
Absolutely avoid all artificial sweeteners.
Just eat single-ingredient food.
Be generous with the salt, preferably (imho) Redmond Real Salt, which has lots of minerals in it and none of the micro plastics.
Challenge yourself to do this for 30 days, and you will be stunned with the results.
You absolutely can do it!!!