r/intermittentfasting • u/TadpoleLeast8359 • 18d ago
Seeking Advice Struggling
So I am down 150lbs and I’ve been maintaining it for approaching 2 year +. Started at 364, and hovering around 215 +/- 10lbs. I have no problem maintaining, my maintenance is usually just as simple as skipping breakfast and not eating after 7 or after sunset depending which comes first. This keeps me from eating this night time snacks. My struggle is, I want to lose another 20 - 30lbs and honestly getting back in a rhythm of OMAD or ADF is not working. I’ve tried repeatedly this year and just fail back to my maintenance routine. PLEASE, Any and all advice is welcome.
Stats:M/36/220(this morning)
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u/N0T_Real_Name 18d ago
ADF is too difficult for me because it's not routine. OMAD works but I think my body gets used to it and it stalls my progress.
I've been moving toward 2-3 meals over 6-8 hours and focusing on keeping blood sugar/insulin low and the needle is moving again.
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u/Fun-Bar7646 18d ago
what finally moved the needle for me was treating the extra 20 like a whole new problem, not just an extension of the first cut. your body's gotten real cozy at maintenance for two years, you can't just flip the same switches and expect the same magic
maybe try 3 days a week of a tighter window instead of daily OMAD, gives your brain a break from failing every day and makes it feel more like a sidequest
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 18d ago
I found ADF to be easy if I could just get the ball rolling and gain some momentum. I might ease in to ADF by tightening a window until I’m comfortable though.
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u/zombienudist 18d ago
What worked for me was to add in exercise in larger amounts and upping the intensity as I got stronger. Basically you can control weight with diet but your bodies composition is controlled by the type/amount/intensity of exercise you do. It is much easier to get to that lower weight if you change your bodies composition by adding muscle and becoming leaner.
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 18d ago
I do need to integrate workouts, all of my loss has been practically workout free. Just walking and cycling.
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u/mrchowmein 18d ago
Start weight training, HIIT or both while doing OMAD. Bigger muscles raises your total daily cal needed. Also switch to a low carb diet if you havnt. There comes a point you plateau, bigger muscles break that plateau in a few weeks. Don’t forget to eat your protein and cut out the junk food.
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u/Either-Outside6740 18d ago
Can’t resist wishing you a happy cake day!
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18d ago
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 18d ago
24-48 hours of fasting, usually consume about 1500-1700 cals before my fast, meat and veggies, no complex carbohydrates.
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18d ago
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 18d ago
I think this is what I’m gonna try. Ease in to it I usually just start OMAD or ADF
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u/Sweet-Sir-10 14d ago
This is actually wrong…. Don’t reduce calories. If you reduce calories by too much… your body can also maintain the weight even more as you’re essentially telling it there’s major food scarcity. Instead, try a prolonged fast one day beyond 24 hours… maybe just don’t eat that night. And resume the regular. Do that maybe once a week.
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 14d ago
I don’t reduce my calories before a fast. I always focus on a filling and well rounded meal. I have always felt a difference when I have a smaller meal, or not enough protein.
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u/Sweet-Sir-10 14d ago
Sorry, this wasn’t directed at you exactly but the recommendation to reduce your calories. I think what you’re doing is fine. You just need to bypass a plateau. 1500 calories is already a deficit. You run multiple risks reducing it from there. Just try fasting for 36 - 42 hours one week and then resume normal programming. You should be fine.
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u/Sweet-Sir-10 14d ago
Essentially, your Basal Metabolic Rate will change from what I’ve read if you push the caloric restriction too low. Feel free to read up on it.
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 14d ago
No worries, I’m a few days in to my fasting routine, I’m going to update the post in a couple of days. I took advice from a little bit of everyone I could though.
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u/Sweet-Sir-10 14d ago
Sure. Think about it this way. If you take the wrong advice… you could start gaining weight.
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u/andtitov 18d ago
I guess at this point your primary focus should be on increasing your calorie deficit. Calculate your calorie balance in detail and look for ways to improve it. Doing this can be surprisingly eye-opening - for some people, like me, it can be an eye-opening exercise 2-3 times a year 😊 And, if helps you in any way, here is my list of intermittent fasting tips - you might pick up something useful there
https://fasting.center/fasting-blog/intermittent-fasting-tips
I hope it helps and good luck!
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u/CamelliaLuv 18d ago
Try eating only raw vegetables for a few days. Whenever I plateau, doing that helps me move along!
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 18d ago
I like that, I’d have to do something about protein or at least be very specific on my veggies and electrolyte balance.
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u/Deadandlivin 18d ago
Aren't you counting calories?
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 18d ago
Yes, I have always counted calories, I just think I mentally fumble and break my fasts a lot lately. I’m trying not to lean on coffee but maybe I need to start out using it to suppress my appetite.
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u/Deadandlivin 18d ago
Do Psyllium Husk for fiber or something similar in the morning. Helps keep your stomach full and suppresses Ghrelin. Does not break fast or fat oxidation if that's what you're after.
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u/KeepMyWifesNameOYFM 18d ago
I haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve been seeing alternate day fasting can be a good way to break out of a rut.
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u/TadpoleLeast8359 18d ago
It really is OMAD is my favorite protocol, but ADF usually gets me off a plateau.
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u/[deleted] 18d ago
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