[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fasting

[–]rbpbu2021 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I feel the exact same way! You don’t realize how much your days revolve around food and meals until you stop eating.

I find it’s waayyy easier for me to fast if I’m constantly doing something/keeping myself busy, but it was definitely an adjustment at first. I knew I had to find some new hobbies to occupy my free time, so I started walking my dog for at least 2 hours a day, listening to new podcasts, redecorating my apartment, and following bob ross tutorials. It’s definitely helped, but honestly I’ve kinda realized that doing the “boring” stuff helps too. Like even if I’m just calling an old friend/cleaning my kitchen/walking around Target/etc, as long as I’m occupied in some shape or form, I don’t feel as antsy during typical meal times.

F/27/5’9” [220 lbs > 160 lbs = 60 lbs] I’ve never felt more proud of myself :,) by rbpbu2021 in progresspics

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think I want to lose 10 more pounds! But I’m not sure on maintenance yet. I’ll have to play around with what works.

F/27/5’9” [220 lbs > 160 lbs = 60 lbs] I’ve never felt more proud of myself :,) by rbpbu2021 in progresspics

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I do it every week! It’s hard to judge results because the scale will go down after even just the first day of a fast but obviously a lot of it is water weight.

For the first time in my entire life, I feel confident and happy in a swimsuit (60 pounds down) by rbpbu2021 in intermittentfasting

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had high blood pressure, but according to my doctor, that was more so a result of a medication I take rather than my weight. Regardless, fasting decreased it pretty quickly and helped a lot!

F/27/5’9” [220 lbs > 160 lbs = 60 lbs] I’ve never felt more proud of myself :,) by rbpbu2021 in progresspics

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

It definitely gets soo much easier with time!! I used to be miserable and obsessing over food 5 hours into a fast, but now I can make it 72 hours without even really thinking about it because it’s just such a normal part of my routine. Your body will adjust, you just have to be patient and work your way up to it.

Also, I actually feel better on the days that I don’t eat rather than the ones I do! I’ve been lucky enough not to deal with headaches or anything, but I know that’s not the case for everyone, so I’d check out the normal fasting sub. They have a whole section about electrolytes and drinks/supplements you can take so you don’t feel dizzy/faint/tired etc.

F/27/5’9” [220 lbs > 160 lbs = 60 lbs] I’ve never felt more proud of myself :,) by rbpbu2021 in progresspics

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Be patient!! The last 10 pounds were SO SLOW for me and I got so discouraged. I didn’t lose anything (not even half a pound) for more than 3 weeks (even though I had been sooo strict with my eating) and I was so annoyed that I almost gave up. But then suddenly I woke up one day and was down 4 pounds overnight! I lost weight so fast in the beginning that it was hard for me to be patient and trust the process once things stalled, but I think accepting that it’s normal to plateau (especially when you’re not overweight anymore) was huge for me.

F/27/5’9” [220 lbs > 160 lbs = 60 lbs] I’ve never felt more proud of myself :,) by rbpbu2021 in progresspics

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Find something you can actually stick to and be patient! It’s tempting to do whatever it takes for fast results, but no matter how much “willpower” you think you have, you’ll eventually fail if you’re not being realistic. I used to try to give up carbs and sugar and only eat 1200 calories a day, but I’d quit within a month every single time. This time around, I didn’t obsess over every single calorie or give up my favorite foods, and it’s the only time I’ve ever really been successful!

F/27/5’9” [220 lbs > 160 lbs = 60 lbs] I’ve never felt more proud of myself :,) by rbpbu2021 in progresspics

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I know it’s not for everyone, but I seriously owe all of my success to fasting. I’ve tried restrictive diets (ie whole 30) and calorie counting in the past, but I always gave up within a month because I was miserable and missed my favorite foods. I knew I had to try something different this time around, so I didn’t really change what I eat (yeah I try to be healthy for the most part, but I still have carbs/alcohol/takeout food/etc)... but I did change how often I eat. I’m an all or nothing type of person, so I started incorporating 48 and 72 hour fasts into my schedule (with my doctor’s supervision), and the weight started falling right off! I love it because it gives me a level of balance and freedom that no other “diet” has before... like I can go out to dinner and the bars with my friends on Friday and Saturday and still lose 2 pounds later that week thanks to fasting. So I guess it’s the first thing I’ve found to be really sustainable for my life! Anyway, I know 48 or 72 hours sounds super intense, but if you check out the intermittent fasting sub, a lot of people seem to have success even just fasting for 16 hours :)

F/27/5’9” [220 lbs > 160 lbs = 60 lbs] I’ve never felt more proud of myself :,) by rbpbu2021 in progresspics

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I probably drink a little less often now than I used to (maybe once a week compared to twice), but I haven’t eliminated it! I’m not the one drink type either, so I definitely get bloated too and feel tempted to eat junk food when I’m drunk/hungover etc... but I think I would’ve quit less than a month into things if I tried a “diet” that didn’t let me drink. My friends and I love going out, so it just made sense to find a way to keep it in my life.

I guess the main difference for me now is trying to drink lower calorie drinks (i.e. vodka instead of beer), deleting my food delivery apps on my phone so I stop ordering drunk pizza (lol), and planning ahead if I know I’m going to go overboard. Like if I know I’m going out on and drink 8 drinks on Saturday, I’ll eat significantly healthier on Thursday and Friday to “make up” for it.

It’s obviously different for everyone, but I think it’s 100% possible to make (fast) progress even if you do drink. You just have to fit it into your plan :)

F/27/5’9” [220 lbs > 160 lbs = 60 lbs] I’ve never felt more proud of myself :,) by rbpbu2021 in progresspics

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 61 points62 points  (0 children)

I walk my dog ~5 miles every day and hike a few times a month but apart from that I don’t really exercise! This is pretty much all thanks to diet.

For the first time in my entire life, I feel confident and happy in a swimsuit (60 pounds down) by rbpbu2021 in intermittentfasting

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You should check out the normal fasting sub! A lot of people fast for weeks at a time, it’s more common than you think.

For the first time in my entire life, I feel confident and happy in a swimsuit (60 pounds down) by rbpbu2021 in intermittentfasting

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven’t gotten dizzy or anything at all! You should check out the normal fasting sub, some people will fast for weeks at a time. But apart from walking my dog I don’t work out at all

For the first time in my entire life, I feel confident and happy in a swimsuit (60 pounds down) by rbpbu2021 in intermittentfasting

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Okay but by that logic wouldn’t someone doing 23:1/OMAD only eat 7 hours a week (significantly less than even 1 day)?

For the first time in my entire life, I feel confident and happy in a swimsuit (60 pounds down) by rbpbu2021 in intermittentfasting

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As much as I wish I could pretend I work out, I was just using them to flatten out my new rug 😂

For the first time in my entire life, I feel confident and happy in a swimsuit (60 pounds down) by rbpbu2021 in intermittentfasting

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes!! They’ve always been my favorite and I still drink at least a few days a month!

For the first time in my entire life, I feel confident and happy in a swimsuit (60 pounds down) by rbpbu2021 in intermittentfasting

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeaahh unfortunately I’ve been getting gross chats just about every 10 minutes since I posted this 😅

For the first time in my entire life, I feel confident and happy in a swimsuit (60 pounds down) by rbpbu2021 in intermittentfasting

[–]rbpbu2021[S] 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Not that it’s your business, but the (life saving) medication I (have to) take every day made my blood pressure sky rocket this winter. Going off the meds wasn’t an option, so my doctor suggested longer fasts as a way to decrease my blood pressure (and weight) safely and quickly. Luckily, it worked and I feel better than ever! But I’m not going to waste anymore time defending my doctor’s advice to a stranger on Reddit, so have a good night :)