In 2019, I stalked this page, envious of all the people who’ve tried, and successfully completed, intermittent fasting. Even seeing all the hope of people who were just starting out was making me envious. It got to the point where I decided to try. I could do it, I was sure of it. And I’d show all you amazing people my progress and it’d all end happy.
So, in January 2020, my New Years resolution was to start intermittent fasting. Through January and February, I fasted, as well as worked out every other day or so and counted my calories. And over the course of those two months, I lost almost 20 pounds. I told no one. I wanted people to notice the difference and I didn’t want to jinx my progress, so I kept quiet.
However, March 2020 happened. As everyone knows, the country started quarantine. My gym closed and we stopped going grocery shopping as much. I tried working out at home, but it was hard in a small apartment and I quickly stopped. Then, I stopped counting calories. After fast food meal after fast food meal, I became incredibly discouraged looking at my counting apps and seeing myself thousands of calories above my daily limit.
Around June 2020, I had gained all the weight back, plus about 20 more pounds.
This leads to today. Around two years since I made great progress and then lost it all. And I’m so scared to try again. Maybe it’s because I know if i lose 20 pounds, I’ll be at the point I started last time and that’s super discouraging. Or maybe I’m worried if I start again and make good progress, something will happen to cause me to gain it all back and more. I’m not sure. All I know is I did it once, I could do it again. I just don’t know how to get past this mental block. I’m sorry, I just wanted to rant.
In my experience of 40 years obese- counting calories leads to weight gain once calorie counting is stopped. The solution is to change your lifestyle, not go on a diet. IF is a long term investment, not day trading. That is, you must commit from the get go that you’ll continue to IF FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE in some fashion before you start. I’ve lost 265 lbs and am just a few pounds away from no longer being “obese”. The many health benefits from IF beyond weight loss are so much more important that I’ll always use one or two 36 hour fasts a week- for life.
I had lost 31 + pounds and was kicking ass with IF going into March of 2020. All the time at home started catching up eventually. My dang pants are all tight now. About 3 weeks ago I was close to have putting in all back on. I literally am on day 10 of IF and am quickly remembering important milestones I learned. C’mon along. You can do it again.
Edit: The mental block, ah yes. That is the hardest step. I got 2 days in last month I remember, failed and stopped. I guess it just wasn’t right.
You can have a do-over : )
I’ve been losing baby weight for literally like six years over two kids. It’s been a long slog. I’ve had periods on and periods off. Since I had my daughter over 3 years ago, I’m down 55 pounds. It’s taken me 3 years though to do that.
First, be kind to yourself. The last few years have been really challenging, and you hung in there. Everyone had coping mechanisms and it was what it was. Just be easy on yourself.
Second, whenever I was in a period where I was struggling to get back on the horse, I’d think to myself, the time will pass. If I start today, maybe in two months I’ll have lost a few pounds. If I don’t start today, the two months will still go by, but I’ll just be the same or fatter. Don’t think of the end goal right now. Just think about the next month or two. They’re going by regardless - wouldn’t it be cool to be a bit healthier and a bit closer to where you want to be?
You could just give up, and get fatter, and fatter, and fatter. Maybe get T2 diabetes and lose your eye sight or lose a leg down the road.
This is your life. Do you want to be uncomfortable now, while doing the necessary steps to fix yourself? Or do you want to be chronically uncomfortable and unhappy with your lifestyle as an obese person?
Both fitness and being obese takes hard work. What one would you rather do?
You get to choose: be uncomfortable and change your lifestyle to form a life you like…or be uncomfortable with a life where you never live up to your potential. Pick your uncomfortable. There is no life that is comfortable.
I think continuing to reach out to other people like this forum would be helpful and just start slow. 5 mins a day of workout, fasting an hour. Chisel away one day at a time. It sounds the big picture is overwhelming you so again just start small.