There are three things that could screw you up when doing intermittent fasting. First, when you realized you just blew your diet for the day. This happened to me yesterday because of an honest mistake. While looking for what to have for lunch, I noticed that I still have plenty of room in my calorie budget. So I decided to splurge a little and ordered a KFC delivery.
My research showed that the total calories of two pieces of fried chicken had just enough calories to close my budget. This is a mistake on two levels: one, it’s fried chicken. Hello? Two, I forgot what I had for a snack in the morning. Yes, two servings of cashew nuts and two servings of pineapple-filled cookie sandwiches. I spent over one-third of my calorie budget just on snacks.
The other thing that can mess with your head is when there is delicious food in your home and it’s already past your eating window. I usually close my window between 3 PM to 4 PM. This evening my wife came home with a bag full of tarts, mini pies, peanuts, and fritters. There was another time when everybody ordered pizza for dinner at 8 PM. Duh. It’s a real struggle to stay true to your fasting. Sometimes I was tempted to move back my window so I could join the fun.
Oh, I nearly forgot to report my results. On June 28, 2022, my result was 83.3 kg (183.64 lbs). These are my results today.
| Item | Measurement, July 5, 2022 | Measurement, January 24, 2022 | Healthy Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight1 | 82.7 kg (182.32 lbs) | 98.7 Kg (217.6 lbs) | 55.3-68.0 kg (121.9-149.9 lbs) |
| BMI2 | 30.3 (Obese) | 36.2 (Obese) | 18.5-24.9 |
| Waist (circumference)3 | 105 cm (41.33 in) | 122 cm (48.03 in) | < 102 cm (40 in) |
| Hip (circumference)3 | 109 cm (42.91 in) | 120 cm (47.24 in) | |
| Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) | 0.96 | 1.01 | < 0.9 |
| Blood Pressure4 (Systolic/Diastolic) | 114 mmHg/ 83 mmHg | 137mmHg/ 95 mmHg | 110/70 mmHg- 145/90 mmHg |
Here are the additional measurements:
| Item | Measurement, July 5, 2022 | Measurement, February 5, 2022 | Healthy Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body Fat | 30.9% | 36% | 17.5%-20.6% (Good)4 |
| Visceral Fat Level | 15 | 17 | <13 |
The third thing is when you get on the scale and the number is bad. You spent the last 16 hours in hunger, and you expect to see some encouraging results. But instead, the scale insisted that either you only lost a few grams, or you were on the same weight as the day before, or, this is the worst, you gained weight! Even after a dozen repeats.
In those moments, I use the magic word that has been keeping me in the program. I would say to myself, “Tomorrow.”
Yes, today was tough. I failed, I missed my target, and I felt left out. But tomorrow is another day.
Yes, I could not have that delicious pie today. But I promised myself that tomorrow I could have a piece. Yes, I blew my calorie budget today. But tomorrow is a clean slate with a new budget. Yes, today the scale disappointed me. But that doesn’t mean my effort the day before was in vain. If I don’t stop, the result will come.
Always give yourself hope.
Life At Slow-Mo 
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