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M37, mix between 16/8 and 20/4 for a month - plateaued

I have been doing a mix of 16/8 and 20/4 for a little over a month now, and my weight has virtually remained unchanged. I am ashamed of writing it here, so I'll just say that it's high, very high. I have stuck to the program, but I've allowed myself to eat good food on Fridays. I've been tracking my caloric intake, and as far as I know, I should use more energy than I take in. However, like I said my weight basically hasn't change, and today I felt my heart sink. I was incredibly discouraged and I'm afraid that I'll give up. Is this normal, and should I stick to it? I hope that I can keep my Fridays, it's for my own sanity. I need something to look forward to.

Answer

It’s very easy to undo a week’s deficit in one day. If you aren’t losing then you are not taking in less energy than you burn. Weight loss is not linear but you should be seeing a downward tend over time.

I’d take a closer look at your tracking. I also recommend working on your feelings around food. Thinking of food as treats doesn’t encourage healthy eating habits and people who think this way are more likely to binge and less likely to keep the weight off long term.

If you have a lot of fat it’s very easy to lose large amounts with minimal effort, especially in the beginning. There so so much accessible information out there about nutrition, weight loss, psychology and how your brain and body work. I highly recommend digging in.

Answer

Have you read the book “intermittent fasting made easy” by Thomas Delauer?

He talks about the proper way to break the fast and what to eat when. One thing he says is don’t mix carbs/fats when you break a fast because cells are so receptive to whatever is coming in at that time. Break it with some lean protein with a mini-meal. Then about 60-90 mins later you can eat as you normally would.

How have you been breaking your fasts?