I already posted here the other day asking for advice on how to start IF. I’m trying a 16:8 regime with just lunch, a snack and possible dinner, but after starting I already broke my fast twice and had only one successful one. Right now I am doing another which ends at 12 am tomorrow.
I feel awful about failing already because I just begun and if I already start breaking rules, I don’t think I’ll be able to ever abide to them.
I also found myself today constantly checking the calories on everything I was eating up until I broke my fast in the afternoon and had bubble tea. Calorie counting shouldn’t be part of IF from what I’ve gathered, and it worries me that I’m already calorie counting as I fear it might spiral into an eating disorder. My relationship with food is already pretty unhealthy, as I have never been able to choose what to eat until I moved out three years ago, so I still tend to go wild and eat unhealthy foods or gorge myself on fries and make myself junk food whenever I feel sad or angry, because now nobody is here to check on what I eat (I live with a parent but we only eat together once a day max) and firmly tell me “no you can’t eat that now”.
I’m hoping trying IF will help me fix that relationship and start eating healthier or at least eating less, but I feel discouraged already and being discouraged makes me wanna eat my sadness away. Yay.
Hey, I just want to say I think it’s awesome you’re trying to change your habits for better health! 😊 I think you may be a little too hard on yourself! Changing habits is always a struggle, and many people opt to not try at all! But you are trying! I know it might seem frustrating you weren’t able to change your habits in a day, but these things will always take time.
Instead of focusing on what you did wrong, try to think about all the little victories! Maybe you broke your fast early, but you didn’t eat breakfast! I bet there’s a kinds of little things you can find, especially since you’re being mindful about it!
As for not obsessing about calories, this one was rough for me as well. I don’t know your situation, but I can tell by your post you’re aware that you’re thinking about calories. Perhaps when you become aware that you’re obsessing, you could try to do something specific that isn’t eating. Taking a walk, cleaning the house, anything!And it doesn’t matter if you succeed every time; being mindful of your behavior is an awesome first step!
I wish you luck! You got this! 😁
I counted calories the whole time I was losing, and a couple years maintaining, I still loosely count/keep track of. The only way to lose weight is to burn more than you take in, IF just makes it easier cause you’re cutting out a meal and snacking. BUT…..its still easy to eat above your TDEE in your window, a friend tried, assumed she didn’t need to count and quickly gained 10lbs.
As far as not sticking to your fast, it might take some time, especially if you’re used to eating every few hours, or every time you feel hungry. I’d start with a smaller window, like 12/12 or 14/10 and every few days add 30-60 minutes till you’re where you want to be. Also pay attention to what you’re eating, it was some trial & error for me, but I found I need to limit carbs (I never did low carb though, but like one piece of toast with dinner rather than 2) and get enough protein & fat (a biggie for me) with my final meal to keep me satiated. If I don’t, I’m snacky feeling in the evening, and wake up ravenous in the morning. As long as I stick to that though, I’m fine.
You may find it easier to meal plan, so everything is worked out ahead of time, and you don’t need to stress during your day?
Over all, aim to do 80% better than you are now. You’ll make yourself crazy if you try and do 100%, thats just not reasonable. You’re wanting to make lifestyle changes that stick even after you’ve lost the weight.
Last thing, I know a lot of people look down on this, but what really worked for me was eating lower cals Sun-Thur, higher Fri/Sat. If I crave fries say on a Tuesday night, I just tell myself “3 more days and you can have them!” I do that with a ton of food all week, come Friday I don’t want most of it anymore. But I have the extra cals there to have take out/chips/wine/whatever without blowing me week
Good luck….take it slow, you got this :)
A little tip that’s helping me greatly: observe your thoughts, don’t engage with them.
I have the same problem with breaking my fasts prematurely because I would have thoughts about eating as soon as I feel hungry or even just bored. Food has always been comforting to me, so when I fast, I am left without that source of comfort.
I initially thought finding an alternative would be the solution, but I realized the best way to deal with it is to recognize that those thoughts that tell me to break my fast by showing me images of my favorite food and inducing cravings are just that: thoughts. Over the years, I developed a habit of eating whenever I was faced with any sort of discomfort, and those thoughts are simply manifestations of that habit.
I highly recommend learning even just a bit about mindfulness and how to observe your thoughts without judgment and not engage with them. I especially like the sky and river metaphors used to describe this process. Your mind is the sky, your thoughts are simply clouds. Your mind is a river, your thoughts are the water that flows in it, ever-changing.
Once you learn to sit through the discomfort of being hungry, or experiencing cravings, things could really change for you. Only when I don’t engage with automatic, habitual thoughts do I succeed in fasting for extended periods. I hope this helps even just a little. Good luck!
If you’re goal is weight loss then you should absolutely be tracking your calories. Especially if you aren’t good at choosing healthy foods and controlling your portions then you REALLY need to keep an eye on them.
Instead of 16:8 try to not eat after dinner… (7pm?) Then just eat a later breakfast and you already nearly there… get used to that… and then try and postpone your breakfast till 16hours has passed…
And yes, I do count calories and try eat less junk and more whole foods…
As a new faster just focus on your fasting. Once you have that down, then you can focus on what your eating. Not the calories, but the quality. I have never counted calories in my whole life. My focus is on what I’m eating.
I spent hours scouring the internet for before and after photos, listening to hours of videos of Jason Fung, Eric Berg, etc. to motivate my start. It helped to really get myself motivated to make a change. Also, keep posting and keep reading other posts to keep yourself motivated and to get encouragement. Hang on for that first 5lbs.
Definitely agree with previous posters - don’t try to do 16:8 right off the bat. Work your way there comfortably. Also, if you try to get processed food and sugary stuff out of your diet and just eat 1 ingredient foods, it will help enormously. You can do it! Just do it on your own timetable.
Drinking water with electrolytes helps me avoid cravings and I just feel better when I use them during fasting times.