Shortly after my brother visited me in September 2018, I decided to lose weight. I could blame it on his comment that I looked young in the face or I could take responsibility for the pounds I had packed on over the years. Taking responsibility for my weight gain made me accountable for losing weight. After intense web-searching, I chose intermittent fasting as my pathway to success.
Day One
September 14, 2018, was day one of my journey to weight loss. I spent a lot of web-searching to come up with ways to rid myself of years of neglect. Meat became one of the first foods to go. I was never a die-hard carnivore, but I enjoyed a burger from time to time. Letting go of chicken was a completely different loss. I loved chicken baked, fried, and grilled. Chick-Fil-A was an obsession I had to let go of.
I started a spreadsheet titled, “Weight Loss Tracker” and a Word document titled, “Weight Loss Journey.” On the spreadsheet, I input my weight daily and my measurements monthly while I tracked what I ate on the Word document.
Getting on the scales and staring down at my weight left me in disbelief. I couldn’t believe that I had gained as much weight as I had. For over twenty years, I wore the same pants size. It’s strange how weight can distribute itself all over your body without you realizing the extra baggage. To get to a normal weight BMI, I had to lose 65 pounds. I inhaled and exhaled knowing that I had a tough road ahead of me.
If you’d like to download a copy of the “Weight Loss Tracker”, click here.
Intermittent Fasting
I dabbled with either going vegan or vegetarian. Getting rid of chicken was one thing but giving up cheese was another hurdle for me. I wasn’t ready to give it up so I kept it as a part of my dietary intake. By default, I became a lacto-ovo-vegetarian. I made a grocery list and embarked on my journey of reading food labels and avoiding junk food.
I was never one to eat three meals a day and two snacks. Usually, I ate once or twice a day. However, it was the foods that I ate that packed on the pounds. From fast food to frozen dinners, I was consuming all the wrong things. I didn’t pay attention to fat intake or the calories I consumed.
Weight loss shakes and fad diets didn’t interest me. If I was going to lose weight, it had to be effortlessly. Enter intermittent fasting.
I chose the 16/8 method which involved me eating within an 8-hour window and not eating for 16 hours. The key to success with this eating pattern is consuming foods that make you full. I’ve learned that certain foods make me hungrier and avoided them like the plague.
Day 14
On day 14, I had only lost 2.8 pounds. Yes, I was disappointed. However, it was less weight on the scales. I probably would’ve lost more weight if I had incorporated exercise as part of my regimen. I’m embarrassed to admit I was too lazy to sweat the weight away.
October 14, 2018
I lost 7 pounds in one month. It wasn’t much of a weight loss. However, it was a safe amount of pounds to lose. Consuming the Oreos and adding sugar to my green tea probably didn’t help my efforts. Also, I was eating flavored oatmeal instead of the no-frills type. I prided myself on actually buying dried beans and cooking them as opposed to the canned variety.
March 14, 2019
At the 6-month mark, I found myself at an 18.2-pound weight loss. That’s an average of 3 pounds per month. Again, it could’ve been more. However, I didn’t have the energy to exercise. I know this isn’t something to be proud of but I’m lazy when it comes to exercising. Besides, I live in a two-story house. My bedroom is upstairs. I get plenty of exercise walking up and down the stairs.
September 14, 2019
On my one year anniversary, I weighed 28.6 pounds less than the previous year. I was 37.2 pounds from my 65-pound goal. However, I averaged a 2.4-pound monthly weight loss. In my mind, these pounds weren’t coming back. They were obliterated.
Even though I had lost weight, I was disappointed I hadn’t lost more weight. At this point, I decided to not add sugar to my green tea. The sugarless green tea became an acquired taste. Oreos had been eliminated from my diet months ago. I introduced chicken 4 or fewer times a month because I encountered meat cravings. Now, I was a flexitarian. From my research, I think my body was telling me I needed more protein in my diet. So, I started eating eggs every day. I cut down my pasta intake to once or twice a month and drank green tea three to four times a day along with several cups of water.
If you’d like to download a copy of the “Weight Loss Journey”, click here.
Present Day
Today, I’m 40.2 pounds lighter than I was on September 14, 2018. I’m still not at my goal. However, I’m proud of myself. I have 25.6 pounds to go. The thing about intermittent fasting is that once you’re used to the eating pattern you can have days where you may overconsume and quickly get back on track. With everything, it’s best to practice moderation.
Surprisingly, I don’t have a lot of flabby skin to contend with. However, I’m working on toning my body. Yes, I’m doing light weight lifting and exercising. I’m happy to say that I can get into a pair of jeans I was never able to wear prior to my weight loss. Yay me. Also, it doesn’t hurt my eyes to look at myself in the mirror. Seeing the weight loss on the scales and taking body measurements helped me embrace the new me and encourages me to become an even better me. I’m no longer in the Obesity BMI range.
Bottom Line
Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone and may pose a health risk for certain people. Before considering fasting, you should consult with a medical professional. However, it’s working for me and has changed my life. For the first time in a long time, I embrace my body and no longer hide under oversized clothes.
