I have heard of intermittent fasting before. I never really thought about doing it until now. After reviewing this Reddit and looking into the science behind intermittent fasting, I feel very motivated to do it.
A little about me, for the longest time (about 10 years) I was proscribed sleeping medicine which increased my appetite to the roof. For an example, I would eat dinner, take the medicine before bed, then feel like I was hungry for another dinner size meal. I have recently tapered off the medicine and no longer have the extreme appetite before bed.
Unfortunately, I have gained a lot of weight. And since Covid, I have hit the highest weight I have ever weighed. I am 6’2” and weigh 305 pounds; 29 years old. I was very depressed when I realized I hit 300. My clothes are all tight on me, and I really can’t afford new ones. My blood pressure is boarder line high, almost need to go on medicine for it.
I am motivated to fast and eat in moderation during the feed cycle. Thank you for reading! Your stories and successes inspire me!
Firstly, kudos to you for taking the most important step, that is to decide to do something about it.
This is how I started and is what I suggest to anyone new to IF. Begin with charting your current eating window, the first meal or drink you have in the morning and the last meal/snack you have before you sleep. This is your starting point. Then start targeting the 16:8 by beginning by narrowing your current eating window. You needn’t skip any meals to start with, just eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner in a shorter window until you get to the desired eating window. I wouldn’t suggest reducing what you eat within the window to begin with, let me explain why. Once your body is adjusted to the 8 hour eating window, you will slowly notice feeling less hungry and as a result feel like eating less. This is how most people slowly stop eating one meal, so they do only two meals in the 8 hour window. Depending on what your goals are, you can then modify what you eat in these two meals to maximize the benefits. You could even slowly transition to an OMAD, if you are keen on trying that.
The most important thing is to listen to your body. If at anytime you don’t feel okay, take a step back. If you feel great, take a step forward. I would suggest you ensure you get enough sleep everyday. You need sleep for your body to adjust to the changes + not sleeping enough will make you feel bloated and increase acidity as well which will make you pretty uncomfortable in the fasting window.
Congrats on taking your first steps! If it helps, I’m 6’2” as well and I started my own journey at 312. I found IF last summer after losing a bit of that highest weight and it really clicked with me, especially for curbing my snacking. I’m down to 220 and still going strong. My suggestion, find some positive improvement goals to work towards besides just weight loss. Flipping the script on actually wanting to improve, not just feeling you need to, was really a game-changer for me to keep my motivation going.