Intermittent Fasting - Week 8

I wanted to share some before/after photos (though it isn't really "after" - I still have a ways to go). 

I've been taking photos every couple of weeks, after my weigh-in, and I wanted to show the difference the past 8 weeks have made in my body. Remember, with my "baby steps" plan, I have not actually changed anything except how I am eating. I haven't changed what I'm eating, how much activity I'm doing, or anything else. I just am not eating 3 days a week (or really, eating a lot less 3 days a week, since many of my fast days I still eat dinner).

It's not a huge change, but it's noticeable. Old clothes are starting to fit better - after almost two months, I am down 16.6 pounds. I still have a ways I want to go. I am at 168 pounds as of today, but I think I would like to be around 155. I say "I think," because I don't have a "goal weight." I have a weight at which I remember feeling good about my body. But I also want to add in strength training and yoga to get more muscle, tone, and definition, which could increase that weight. The weight isn't what I care most about - it's how my body looks and feels. But if I keep steady with my ~2 pounds per week, I should hit the 155 range in about 6 more weeks, around Thanksgiving. Here is a chart of my progress since I started in August:

Challenges

Though I have some challenges, as I said in my last post, the great thing about this program is that I can "fail" and still be successful. It's easy to start back up again. I recently (in week 7) went to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, in northern Minnesota. I started on a Wednesday (a fast day), and went through Saturday. I completely threw everything out the window as soon as I was on the road. On Wednesday I had road snacks and ate at a restaurant, and then Thursday-Saturday, ate what everyone else had. We were canoeing, hiking, and camping, and ate the food we brought in.

I did not fast on Friday (or all of Wednesday), and ate three meals a day plus snacks the whole time we were out. I weighed myself on Wednesday before leaving, and Sunday when I was back home, and had remained weight-neutral. Even though I was eating more food more often, I was also expending a lot more energy, so it was not entirely unexpected, but was still a relief. Overall in Week 7, I gained 0.2 pounds.

Another challenge was at the end of week 5 and beginning of week 6. For 6 days in a row, I weighed in within about 0.2 pounds of the same weight every day. I was worried that I had hit a plateau, and wouldn't be able to lose more weight. But on day 6 of the same weight, I fasted all day (didn't even do a small dinner like I tend to), and was back on track the next day, with slow and steady weight loss. I'm not sure why it happened, but plateaus are fairly common with lots of fitness, diet, and lifestyle changes. You usually just need to make some adjustments to start making progress again.

Week 8 Reflection

Overall, things are going well. I am still loving this lifestyle change. I love that I am losing weight and am feeling better about myself. I like how it's not been up and down, but has been fairly consistent. At this point, I am at a weight I haven't been in about seven years, and it's feeling pretty good. On to Week 9!