I’m new to the weight loss journey and I need help find the right fasting method. I am 320 M 18 YO and I tried the 16:8 but I only stuck with it for a few days then I feel off due to lack of motivation. Does anyone have any tips or recommendations?
Well good on you for taking the first steps. It might sound a bit cliché, but it really is a journey and there’s going to be some bumpy roads at times. Just keep at it!
While you can certainly try working up to 16:8 or another method, it sounds like your issue is motivational. What are you goals? Something that really helped me after failing a few times was centering my process on positive goals. Just wanting to lose weight wasn’t enough to motivate me because it was ultimately negative driven, and that drive would only last me so long. I would eventually want my old habits more than I wanted to change.
Once I had goals that made me want to engage with the process not just the outcome that was a big game changer.
16:8 is the most vanilla version. If you can’t stick with that it will be harder to stick with anything more difficult. Perhaps try easing into it by doing 12:12 and increasing fasting time each week.
At 320 weight should start dropping quickly. If the scale doesn’t motivate for you, you’ll have to find out what does. Can you set small goals and reward yourself with non-food celebrations? Are there new clothes you want to fit into along your journey? I had a friend that was motivated by each time he had to tighten his belt one hole and never stepped on the scale. What makes you happy and can you find a way to integrate it into your lifestyle change in a positive way?
Try out your circadian rhythm fast maybe? I am pretty sure that is 13:11 which is probably the easiest fast to do. I would also recommend counting your calories and considering your weight and age (I don’t know how tall you are though so take this with a grain of salt) you could eat around 2,000-2,500kcal a day and still lose weight. Eventually as you would lose weight you would lower your calories down to match up with your new weight! I would do a TDEE calculator and go from there but, don’t take everything online to heart. No one knows your body like you do. Start slow with cutting out unhealthy things, you could first cut out soda/fruit juices/sweetened teas to replace them with water or zero calorie alternatives. (If soda is your vice, diet is also okay!) Then start getting takeout less and maybe introducing healthier options to try and see what you like! I also recommend to count your calories in a journal or I use an app called MyFitnessPal because you can easily scan barcodes on food to keep track. You are 18 so, if you live at home where food gets cooked regularly, ask whoever cooks for the recipe and you can enter the ingredients into MyFitnessPal to make sure you are eating the right portion size. I would also highly recommend a food scale eventually if it seems like too much for now.
Listen, losing weight is hard but consistency is the only thing that will bring you results. We all try and fail on our weight loss/health journey’s. Don’t let one mistake or even more get you down about how you are doing. Everyone’s story is different and this isn’t a race.
Good luck, honey! I hope this could help a little. Just trial and error it. You are young so, you could focus more on portion control and eating less calories for now to get the weight loss started then worry about healthier eating habits a bit later on. But, don’t take my word on anything! Find what works for you! 💜