Backstory: 34 male who has spent most of my life being active, and would be described as athletic. Covid destroyed my work life balance, and it started to level out this past year. In July and August I got back to running almost every day until I got a big leg tattoo. Since the leg tattoo I went back to being lazy, and excessively drinking.
Body facts: I am 6’2”, I spent the majority of high school and college (played soccer at both levels) between 174-186 lbs (dependent on muscle mass). At the height of my laziness I was 215 lbs, but I had brought that down 199 lbs.
Fasting: 2 weeks ago I started fasting as I had been interested for years. I thought I’d go 16:8 to start with and build as I learn more. I found that 16hours was rather easy, and I just kept pushing out those hours and essentially went straight into OMAD. I don’t schedule out my fasting plan for the next day until I finish eating, which is usually a two hour window on weekdays, and on weekends I mostly want to hit 13 hrs each day.
The thing about a habit is you have to keep it, for some that is a strict routine, but for me if I fall off a strict routine I have trouble getting back on. Instead I decided I would always hit 16 hours, but I’m willing to go longer if it isn’t bothering me. Having a routine that flexes with my schedule is easier for me to manage.
An example: Last week Monday 19, Tuesday 20, Wednesday 16, Thursday 20, Friday 21, Saturday 11, Sunday 13. During fast time I drink coffee, water, and inhale THC. I eat enough calories, and I do 30-60min of mixed workouts everyday. I didn’t want to be strict as strict on the weekends.
Curious does anyone else make fasting work for them, rather than trying to adjust their life to work with fasting?
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Yep I think once I figured that out everything fell into place. I started similar to you, similar background too. And I landed on extended fasts twice a week and every other day eating etc whatever works for the week/ my body and social life. Losing 10 lbs a month minimal strength loss
Answer
It sounds like a good thing you’ve gotten started, and you’re obviously very pleased with yourself. You’ve included a lot of details that aren’t necessarily relevant.
To answer your question (and please don’t tell us any more about your big leg tattoo or how you smoke dope or any of that)…. yes, this is a malleable plan and people make it work with their lives. Not everybody goes on a rigid routine.
But rigid routine helps when you’re getting started. It helps to start with structure because structure builds routine and routine builds the habit.
You do your thing though.