Hey all
Quick backstory
Dr has recommended if I can drop to 200 by end of year I can potentially avoid my knee replacement surgery and at the minimum, it’ll be a LOT less weight to put on said knee while I rehab. (If I end up needing surgery still)
I’m not new to this dance, I’ve gone from 280 - 220, and 270-220 from Keto/IF, but being a depression eater, I’d gain it back from eating away said depression.
I’ve tried 20:4, 18:6 and OMAD. I also did Keto (Turns out Keto + IF is superpowers) I also looked in to ADF and that seems sustainable, especially since I can go a day or two without eating with no issues. I do have gluten intolerance, so I have to avoid gluten and such. I’m wondering if maybe I should just go back on KETO after all.
According to MFP my daily intake is 1900-2000 cal.
Just curious on what you think is the most optimal choice
Thank you!
I think the proof is in the pudding - you lose weight but bounce right back once off keto. It’s not a sustainable diet and has many drawbacks people don’t talk about enough (high fat and cholesterol). Talk to your doctor about what diets they recommend and set up a plan to start chipping away for good
I think the best thing for you to do will be to ease into a diet you’re excited about and commit to that - for life. Work with your doctor/therapist to treat your depression and prevent yourself from bouncing back again. I’m going through this myself as well. 31 and tired of floating between fat and fit. We can do this! Right now I’m doing 16 hour fasts and though I’m still waiting on my scale to ship, I feel much better than I did before I started two weeks ago. Listen to your body and seek guidance from your doctor and I’m confident you’ll make the gains you need in no time
The most optimal choice is the one you can stick with.
I mostly do OMAD, with my meal being an early-ish dinner, usually between 3:30 and 4:30. Sometimes I snack before dinner, and sometimes I drink iced coffee shortly after dinner, but once I finish that I’m done consuming calories until whenever I’m going to eat my next meal.
Sometimes I will have lunch instead, and skip dinner that day. I don’t worry if the “schedule” gets off and one day I only fast for 18 hours and then turn around and have a 30 hour fast. I just try to stick to the one meal, plus time to drink an iced coffee. This works really well for me, but might not be the best for you. Some people like more rigid schedules, but for me, the flexibility works great.
82 pounds by end-of-year is aggressive, but doable. You’re a young guy and if you can stay away from surgery for a good while longer you’ll be far better off. Also, getting to a better place healthwise while you’re still young is going to help you in the long run.
Assume March 1 by the time you get going on an IF routine that is sustainable.
That gives you about 300 days to drop 82 pounds. That’s a target of around 0.3 pounds per day or around 2 pounds per week. This translates to a calorie deficit of around 1,000 to 1,200 per day.
This is the path I’m currently on with rolling ADF. I sustain a little over 0.3 pounds per day. If you can handle ADF, it’s the best way to lose substantial weight fairly fast like you need to. I run an average of a 40% calorie deficit. When I fast for 36 hours and then eat a little above normally for 12, I can handle that. It doesn’t feel like a daily 40% calorie deficit.
It’s clear from your post, losing weight isn’t nearly the problem keeping it off is. I too was lower once and gained it back. I’m really planning on maintenance this time and I believe you need to also. In addition, some therapy to help break the “food = comfort” equation could help you as well to avoid depressive eating and going back to the old ways. Most folks who lose on IF and maintain for a year or more continue some form of IF. I plan to.
A word on your keto diet. Let’s throw that word out. Keto means so many different things to different people. I don’t think zero carbs is sustainable. I eat low carb / complex carb with no more than 20% of my calories coming from those carbs. I cannot eat simple carbs ever. They will spike my insulin and my insulin resistance means I’m done with weight loss for several days until I can again reset my insulin to low levels. Some days I may go to 30% on carbs. But never more than that. I believe that’s sustainable and healthy when combined with quality protein and fat calories. I have found that carbs aren’t necessarily bad, but rather the characteristics of carbs makes the difference. I go by glycemic index and keep everything I eat under a GI of 50.
Best wishes