Covid really threw me for a loop and I put on a lot of weight - to the point where last spring my Doctor gave me a very stern lecture about my health and weight. Although it took another month or two to get my butt in gear, I was able to shake off the cobwebs and get back on my program.
Today, I hit 25.0 BMI on the ol' scale. 9 months about 40lbs after I started using IF and HIIT. . .I am in the home stretch of making my initial goal of 24.0 BMI which puts me at my historic lean "fighting weight" right between 150 and 155. I say initial goal because once I get there, I'll reassess, and decide whether I need to bulk or lean to get to the BF% than I want. . .but that's for another day.
I used primarily 16:8, but some 18:6 and OMAD thrown in. Very strict in my non-fed window - I don't think I've broken a fast once in 9 months (oh wait, there was one time. . .but other than that. . .). But during my feed window, I eat - whatever, and however much I want. No restrictions - nothing off limits. I never counted a single calorie, I don't pay any attention whatsoever to macros (other than I try to get enough protein).
So - progress has been. . .slow and intermittent. But sustainable. Never felt deprived this way.
But now at the "end" I don't want to stall out here for a while. So. . .with 1 mere BMI point to go - 6 lbs on the ol' scale. . .I was thinking of picking it up a notch. Nothing too extreme I don't think - but like:
Instead of 16:8, just go OMAD. On non-workout days, work in an extended 36 hour fast once or twice a week. Maybe, for the duration of last level here, I will be a bit more mindful of what I am eating during the feed window.
The idea is. . .just, tap the accelerator right at the time a lot of people get frustrated (the last 5 or 10 lbs always seems the hardest). So, take what could be a 2 month process to like. . .1 month - and then I can move onto the next phase?
What do y'all think? Stay the course? Tap the accelerator?
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I Might tap the accelerator by eating better in the window, myself. It doesn’t have to feel incredibly restrictive, but knowing what your calorie deficit is, and dropping back the carbs a bit might get you there pretty fast.
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Continue to make sure youre getting adequate protein like youre doing, I do reccomend using a food log tool like myfitnesspal or myplate so you could see what your macros are of what youre currently eating and then you could dial in that diet even more. At night I like to build my meals for the day ahead so that I could have a plan and stay on track. Doesnt take much time.
Bodybuilders use the macros measurments and stuff like that to make sure they get an exact tune of their diets. Dial in the macros, possibly do some fasted exercise in the mornings while the body production of human growth hormone is high and you’ll increase the effectiveness of your workouts. Can’t beat a bad diet.
The fasted training is something Im doing in the mornings before work and then about a handful of hours later at 12pm I break my fast and its black unsweetened coffee till that time comes. Stop eating at 6pm and thats the day.
Im 5’6”, starting weight was 176 pounds on 2/3/23 and last Sunday was 167.8 pounds. Five out of seven days this week Ive been able to stick to a slight calorie deficit and hoping to see some more weight loss.
Hope this response wasnt too much. I’d stay the course