Hey all!
I've been doing IF on and off for years now - built up to a comfortable 14:10 naturally (i.e. I can't eat breakfast anymore) and oscillating between 16:8 and 20:4 when tracking/committing to IF. I lost about 12 kg - from around 84kg to 72kg (34F, 170cm). I still want to shed some fat, however, I'm stuck in a loop: I get impatient with weight loss results, I pile on different strategies and I burn out.
I know what I have/want to do but it's so hard to resist going on that loop - I'm writing this post also as some accountability to catch myself going there again.
It goes like this: start with a reasonable plan (let's say IF) and then within a very short window: add another thing (let's say 10k steps), then another (let's say weight lifting), then another (let's say protein goals), then another (let's say low carb), then another... you see the picture. I end up seeing results but being miserable, failing at maintaining my strategy (duh!) and burning out.
I think what pushes me there is a mix of impatience, need for more control, boredom with the simple yet effective strategy, etc.
It ends up making me a bit hopeless, scared that I can never get to my goal and maintain it, and fuels the narrative that weight loss is hard (it's not that hard, I just make it that hard!). I also drive my partner a bit nuts because I can become controlling when I'm in my 'piling up strategies' phase (he's on a similar journey, but more chill about it).
I really want to have a sustainable approach and commit to something I can stick with for a long time, all the way to making it a lifestyle. I want to take one habit at a time and solidify it, then slowly tweak it, then start another one, and hopefully having a complete and manageable strategy / lifestyle running over 4-6 months - or more if needed. I don't want to be 'on a diet' - I just want to make the choices that keeps me lean, healthy and fit *because it makes me feel good to be that person on a consistent basis*.
Have you dealt with that? What helped? Anyone else stuck in that same loop?
Advice and encouragement welcome :)
Answer
KISS method…. Just keep it simple. Start a 12 week year or just get a calendar and mark off every day you’ve completed your fasting goal… that’s it. Everything else is a bonus, don’t track anything else. Once the fasting is a habit, in 60 days, add the eating regimen such as low carb. And another 60 days… then add something else. Make yourself wait those 60 days in between, and it won’t be overwhelming.
Answer
I think you stated it…sustainable.
You don’t have to stick with any one diet or routine forever…but I think ot is healthy to look at whatever you take on as a lifestyle…not short term. If you are adding something, think of it longterm. That could be a mentality of a few months…a few years…..life. so if you are changing your diet or adding exercise, really ask yourself if you see it fitting that.
For me…this was huge. Like I started low carb…liked it. De used I would try keto for a few months…discovered i loved eating that way and it stuck. If I hated food…it’s not a longterm answer and I’d move along I decided to try IF and eventually realized that I saw omad and 2mad as a realistic thing long term for me…I preferred it. Certain workouts, I looked at and was like…hey, I just can’t see me doing that long term at all…what’s the next option.
Really process new things you are considering taking on. You’ve already recognized the issue…that’s huge.
Answer
I understand & I had similar issues for a long time. And I have a simple strategy/workaround that has been working fine for me since few months.
I have written about my current approach in a couple of posts here on this sub.
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Approach: https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/comments/zw7f7u/comment/j1tcio6/
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Results so far: https://www.reddit.com/r/intermittentfasting/comments/101z2jh/if_cico_is_working/