Laura's First Fast

[Ali_Ali]

Hey guys,

I’m glad I found this forum, there isn’t really anyone I can talk to about this sort of thing. I have decided from today to start my very first fast - I haven’t really got a set amount of days in mind, I’d really like to make 20, but as it’s my first time, I want to see how I feel in myself.

I currently weigh 207lbs, the heaviest I’ve ever been, due to a combination of starting work from home (I have a job where I could just lay in bed all day and that’s both awesome and awful), not really taking care of myself and just general laziness. I am lucky in that, since I work from home, I feel like I can really focus on this and that not having a job that’s very physical will benefit me in this time.

My biggest problem, and I think what will be my biggest hurdle in this challenge, is that I often eat out of sheer boredom. When I think about it, I actually don’t feel that hungry very often, I eat just to have something to do. So that’s something I really need to keep in check!

My long-term goal is to reach around 125lbs. I have been lighter than that, but I feel like that’s a weight I tend to feel good at. My short-term goal in this fast would be a weight loss of 15lbs. So, let’s see how it goes.

I feel like I should’ve started this earlier, lockdown and all, but hey ho! Today is day 1

Thanks for reading.

[schmidtsmia]

Welcome Laura! I had many of the same thoughts about myself…I have been a habitual eater out of boredom, or stress. I have felt too lazy to do anything about my situation; and I thought, when I finally started my fast 17 days ago, that I should have started at the beginning of the shut-down. Well, I did not. I was 93 kg. at the beginning of this fast, and really the first 5 days needed an enormous amount of willpower. It does get easier, I promise, but first it is tough. I also was confronted with my habitual negative thoughts I entertained about myself. I have been changing some behavior, in order to stop the old pattern. Longer fasts go deeper than the shorter fasts. I wish you all the success you can imagine for yourself,and the strength, determination and willpower to carry you through the tough times in this fasting journey. You will learn a lot about yourself. Bye for now.

[Compdude]

Welcome to our fasting community!

Technical note: to keep future entries on this single thread, either click on REPLY to address.a post on this thread from another member or REPLY in the lower right hand corner to make a general post.

FYI: Since this is your 1st time doing an extended fast I recommend first doing 24 hours, check how you are doing and then extend another 24 hours. By its nature fastng s stressful on the body and you need to build that fasting muscle up.

Personally, I did 11 days of Intermittent Fasting before going for extended fasts and then I did a 4, 5, 7 and then I challenged myself with completing a 40-day water fast.

[Krista_Groskaufmane]

Welcome, Laura, I would agree to take it slow at the beginning and see how you feel.
For the boredom eating, have to replace it whit other things you would love to do. Not eating makes you have extra time for something else, could it be catching up on some movies or tv shows, some arts and crafts or reading. I have done some bit of colouring mandalas, listening to audiobooks and rewatching Wizards of Waverly Place on Disney+