I’ve been doing intermittent fasting for 70 days. If you ask me, “How do you feel?” I’d reply, “Hungry.” Boyscout, cross-my-heart honest. Some might want to hear, “I feel great! I feel like I can take a slap or two.” Nope. Imagine going to bed hungry. Not pleasant, right? You might find it difficult to sleep. You feel like you want to go to the kitchen and eat any leftovers in the fridge. Now imagine going to bed hungry for 70 nights in a row. Uh-huh. Now you see what I mean. Not fun.
Two things get me through this. One is the result. If have been following this blog for the last couple of months, you can see that I have dropped some serious weight. Last week I was 91.55 kg (201.83 lbs) which was already 7 kilograms (15.4 lbs) lighter than I was at the beginning of my weight loss journey. Here are my measurements this morning:
| Item | Measurement, April 4, 2022 | Measurement, January 24, 2022 | Healthy Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight1 | 90.60 kg (199.73 lbs) | 98.7 Kg (217.6 lbs) | 55.3-68.0 kg (121.9-149.9 lbs) |
| BMI2 | 33.2 (Obese) | 36.2 (Obese) | 18.5-24.9 |
| Waist (circumference)3 | 113.5 cm (44.68 in) | 122 cm (48.03 in) | < 102 cm (40 in) |
| Hip (circumference)3 | 113.5 cm (44.68 in) | 120 cm (47.24 in) | |
| Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) | 1.00 | 1.01 | < 0.9 |
| Blood Pressure4 (Systolic/Diastolic) | 122 mmHg/ 92 mmHg | 137mmHg/ 95 mmHg | 110/70 mmHg- 145/90 mmHg |
Here are the additional measurements:
| Item | Measurement, April 4, 2022 | Measurement, February 5, 2022 | Healthy Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Fat | 34.2% | 36% | 17.5%-20.6% (Good)4 |
| Visceral Fat Level | 16 | 17 | <13 |
The other thing that helps me get going is the knowledge that no matter how hungry I am tonight, I will be able to eat anything I like tomorrow. Yes, that’s right! I only need to wait until tomorrow to get my reward!
In my previous weight loss program, I had to pay very close attention to what I ate. I was only allowed boiled or steamed or sauteed food. Anything else was off-limits. Just today, I was scrolling through my Facebook memory and found this post that I made in 2018 when I was in the middle of the program:
I was miserable and I made that promise to psych myself to keep with the program. Thanks to a combination of clean eating, hunger-curbing drugs, and fat-melting shots, I lost weight faster then than I am doing now. But back then, after waiting three months before I was allowed to eat normally, I returned to my usual diet with a vengeance. Hence the regain of all the weight I lost in only 2 years.
Right now, there are three major changes in my eating behavior.
- I am more aware of what and how much I eat, instead of eating anything I want with no regard for the consequences.
- I am better at prioritizing what I need to eat now and what can wait for later. I don’t have to eat everything now. I don’t have to eat whenever I am hungry.
- I am listening to my body. When I feel full, I stop eating.
I hope I can maintain this behavior forever.
Life At Slow-Mo 
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