The last time I was able to successfully fast long-term was when I rolled food poisoning into a 30 lb weight loss but I was single and came home to a empty house with no one asking about dinner or why I wasn’t eating.
We all know the first rule about fasting is we don’t talk about fasting - I’ve tried that in the past and know that’s not an option.
I did many many days of IF at my last job because I was just plain too busy to eat until I got home. Somehow that didn’t translate into much weight loss at all, probably because the stress led to binge eating and lots of beer.
I’ve lost all willpower. I have no accountability. I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been. I find that “not eating” works so much better for me in terms of loss AND sustainability (if I eat a little I just want more and my hunger is triggered) than eating less or doing keto. But I can’t figure out a way to actually fast for more than a day or two when I have a husband and son who expect me to cook (and I’m fine with that, they cook for themselves too) and will ask why I’m not eating if I don’t have a plate as well. That’s when I try to just eat a little or eat low carb versions of what they eat but then I just spiral into a full meal and eat whatever again.
Can I maroon myself on a desert island for a month or something?
How do any of you coupled or family people manage fasting?
For me it was “easier” because I had health issues to deal with and food in general makes me sick. At the end of the day, I have to stand my ground and do what’s best for me, no matter what my husband or children think or say otherwise I’m no good for anyone.
I have 2 kids that seem to need food constantly (one of them autistic too so I have to at least be around if she attempts to cook on her own). I have a husband who will eat anything and everything, and if he wasn’t so busy at work, at all times as well. I’ve been doing OMAD for years and some extended fasts here and there and he still makes a huge fuss when he sees me not eating for a good amount of hours and even insists that I eat by putting temptations on my face (thankfully, I’ve managed to “ban” anything with processed sugars from this household, as my autistic one gets really sick from it).
So it’s all about discipline for me and have a constant reminder on why I’m doing this and a whole list of what will happen if I don’t. I know this probably doesn’t help much, but I just want to say you’re not alone, and I definitely know your struggles. Just remember to put your health first. We can’t be a spouse and a parent if we’re sick.
I hear you! I have a spouse and three children. I watched a video about fasting with my husband, which allowed him to see some of the benefits that people experience… It may have been “Eat, Fast & Live Longer BBC Documentary” that’s on YouTube. That gave him a baseline understanding of fasting and its benefits, which has allowed him to be supportive rather than skeptical. He’s naturally skinny and his hands shake if his blood sugar dips, so it’s not something he plans to ever try. After watching the video he’s a little jealous because the potential autophagy benefits appeal to him. I also recently shared the highlights of this study: Effects of 10-Day Complete Fasting.
My kids have taken my fasting in stride. I’m doing rolling fasts right now, and they just ask if I’m eating. They’d prefer if I eat with them, but they’re otherwise cool. Sometimes I hang at the table and nurse a cup of tea or water, and sometimes I read in the other room.
I make dinner some days, but I have also taken to purchasing some pre-made meals at the supermarket or Costco. My husband would prefer not to whip up a whole meal, especially sandwiched between work and kids’ evening activities, but heating something that’s pre-made works pretty well. Recent meals have been a salad kit plus a rotisserie chicken and some sides, stew with a baguette, lasagne and broccoli, peas with sausage and pasta, and frozen pizza.
Best of luck finding the solution that works for you and your family!
Thank you for the suggestions and support! It’s helpful. Seems like a lot of the success stories are coming from people who are able to remove themselves from the family part of it a bit more and it made me jealous of my single self’s fasting abilities.
I have to figure out a way to do this. I have to get healthy. This is the first time I’ve ever really begun to fell unwell from my weight. I’m on BP meds (wow never ever had an issue) and I was squatting at the beach fishing this weekend and my legs felt so swollen like balloons that wanted to pop.