So I’m day 4 into an OMAD run. I’ve tried 18:6 and 16:8, but I always slip back into my old routine. So even after 4 days, I’m feeling amazing. Already more alert and got a pep in my step. My problem isn’t that I can’t “resist” food or that I’m actually hungry. It’s that my routine of eating lunch has become so ingrained, that I feel like I don’t know what to do with much of my time during the day. I try to stay productive at work (office job), but with the sedentary nature of my work, I find myself literally not knowing how to fill this void in my life that food took up. My old routine was a breakfast at my desk and going out to lunch…so i’ve got a good 1-2 hours that is just blank now. How do you guys make the transition to a lifestyle where food is like 30 mins of your day?
Remove emotion from your thinking about hunger and food as much as you can. It’s not easy, but if you can reduce your thinking to an emotionless “It’s time to eat” or “It’s time to fast” and view each on equal terms of, “no big deal” then making it through your fast is much easier. Don’t make the end of a fast a big emotional reward. The more you watch the clock and the more relief you allow yourself to feel at the end of a fast, the more difficult the next one is.
It takes some work, but I feel like I’m pretty good at it now. It especially helps me to keep from over-loading in my last meal before a fast if I’m not thinking about how long it will be until I eat again. (I do 36:12, so I fast for longer periods)
I also know when my worst hunger waves will usually hit. I plan out engaging activities to coincide with those periods. Be it doing a small repair job on the house, exercising, or something similar, it can help me not think about hunger.
OMAD is difficult. I have tried a number of different IF regimens and OMAD was toughest for me. I do 36:12 rolling ADF now and it is honestly much easier (for me). OMAD sure is effective though if you can make it work.
I actually cook for my husband and research new recipes lol. I like to test my willpower. Sometimes I ask myself WTF am I doing this???? 😂 but I know there is an end to the window and I get to feast! Napping is also very helpful or take a walk. You can do it. Just keep reminding yourself how great you feel!
Butter coffee first thing in the morning than my OMAD before I go to work mid afternoon, then I take a litre and half of water with me to drink if I feel hungry as it feels me up. I may get a coffee later on but that just depends on my day. Just work through your lunch and go home earlier if you can😉