Thanks for the encouragement @Cindy!! It’s taking me a lot of time and effort to figure out how to reset my automatic eating behavior, but I definitely feel like it’s the key skill that I’m missing right now.
Riallyst Daily Journal
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I got a little voice that cuts in and tries to tell me to stop. And then old bad programming kicks in and tells me not to waste anything and it all needs to be consumed before it goes bad. It’s partly why I’ve been getting so much into the preservation tools.
Added stress of silly pandemic too - still. Flipping TP and papertowels wiped off the shelves this last week with the talk of upswings due to the holiday and so many were traveling. I just can’t bother with the news for a few weeks.
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Media fasts are just as important as food fasts!
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@Miramar Yes! I definitely have the same junk programming too! Always clean my plate, don’t throw away food, use everything up before it goes bad, on and on and on…
I’m always want dessert after a meal too!
I had to convince myself that it was ok to fast even though there was a lot of programming around that. I figure it’s going to take a lot of convincing that it’s alright to toss a bite or two of food away if I have had enough.
Unfortunately right now when I try to limit my portions or throw away food, I get upset and then want to eat even more!! It’s a vicious cycle.
I love that you share your creative ideas with the rest of us. It is so inspiring!! 
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I’m a little over 25 hours into today’s fast. Today was insanely chaotic so I have decided to just continue fasting until lunchtime tomorrow (42 hours).
The excess weight due to all the salty and high carb food I ate over Thanksgiving seems to be dropping off at a decent pace.
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I broke my fast after 39 hours because today was so busy. I rushed through a small meal in the morning but didn’t have any time to eat again until late in the afternoon.
To be honest, that huge second meal was not based on hunger. I really just felt like I needed a break/reward after such a busy morning. I didn’t try to stop myself from overeating, but I did try to pay attention to what I was doing and why.
I didn’t like the idea of alternate day fasting when I first learned about it, but fasting like this has taken care of all the Thanksgiving weight gain. I’m going to keep at it for now and see if I will stay at my current plateau or if I will continue to lose weight.
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I am 19 hours into my 42 hour fast. I’m not hungry, but cravings have been bugging me repeatedly. I’m never hungry in the morning, but I eat breakfast for the first time in forever and suddenly my brain is expecting a meal way before my normal eating window, smh.
Having a giant mug of hot tea helped a lot and journaling is getting me through this current wave. If I do break my fast early, I’m going to do it slowly and mindfully with a cup of broth first and be sure to observe myself closely. I want to make sure I’m choosing portion sizes that satisfy me without making me feel stuffed.
I’m going to relax and stay focused on my goals. I’ve got tens of thousands of excess calories stored in my body that I want to use up! And I will be proud of myself for not using my body as an over-capacity fat storage facility. 
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You’re doing a great job journaling about being mindful and relaxed! I definitely need to work on that! 
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I love the idea of it but it’s currently easier for me to fast several days than trying to pace every other day if that makes sense.
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@Miramar I 100% agree! For me, it just seems like a terrible approach for losing weight, especially when longer fasts are so much easier and straight-forward. The logistics alone are very daunting for me since I don’t like being in the kitchen. Before the pandemic, I just lived on takeout 
Now that my fasting muscle has gotten stronger, my refeeds seem like the weak link.
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Thanks @Cindy! I love your enthusiasm and positive energy. Your meticulous journals have encouraged me to be more analytical about solving my weight loss issues.
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I finished yesterday’s fast after 44 hours. I ran into some stomach issues yesterday, so eating was actually kind of difficult and I did not get a lot of sleep.
Today’s goal was to fast 40 hours and break my fast on Monday, but I will end today’s fast once I have rested and my stomach feels settled.
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Fasted for only 15 hours yesterday. Today I am up to 20 hours. I would like to fast for the rest of today and break my fast tomorrow around lunchtime (44 hours).
The fasting part will be easy. I know I could fast up to 5 days without any issues cropping up physically. Doing a refeed without overeating is the real challenge. I have a good high protein brunch meal planned in portions that I know will be large enough to be satisfying. Full on keto is not sustainable for me at this point, but I definitely wish to be as low carb as my body will go without creating a backlash of massive uncontrollable cravings.
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I decided to break my fast early after 27 hours and see if I could eat a healthy meal without overeating. I think I did a pretty good job. I’m not stuffed, but I did clean my plate and eat a banana right after I had finished what I had originally planned to eat. I was hoping to wait at least 30 minutes after my meal before going back into the kitchen for more food. It’s been several hours since my meal and I’m not hungry at all.
I did some calculations and if I am able to eat in a healthy way without overeating I would automatically get to my goal weight in 92 weeks. That seems like an incredibly long time, but at this point, being able to stop after only an extra banana feels like a big deal.
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Fasted 22 hours today and actually managed to stop eating even though I still had a few bites of food remaining.
I’ve been thinking a lot about food and memory. I saw a picture of a chocolate cupcake today and I was amazed at how vividly I could imagine all of these appetizing details about the taste, smell and texture of chocolate frosting with absolute crystal clarity.
Meanwhile, I have had many so many terrible, disappointing cupcakes that I should have equally strong memories of, but I don’t. It is VERY hard for me to clearly remember the ones that were frozen, waxy, too sweet, stale, greasy, dry, soggy, burned, undercooked, dense, gross filling, weird toppings, unpleasant flavors/ingredients, etc. Plus, all the times that I got indigestion or stomach upset from eating too many are just very vague and cloudy. When it comes to food, my memories are very inaccurate and distorted. It’s a bit disturbing to realize that I have been making eating choices based on distorted, edited information and deceptively filtered emotions.
I’m going to continue training myself to do intermittent fasting without overeating or grazing. Just one or two distinct meals per day within a 6 hour window. I don’t want Christmas or New Years to be a repeat of Thanksgiving. I plan to be more balanced and enjoy holiday foods without digestive system misery.
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I fasted for 20 hours today, but didn’t feel like preparing lunch, so I just had some hot cereal, boiled eggs, and fruit. I’m feeling very out of sorts. I think it’s hormonal. I don’t feel hungry at all, but I want to eat to escape this blah feeling.
One of the solutions to my problem with overeating/food addiction is to eliminate sugar and other sweeteners from my diet. This time of the month will be a great time for me to test out some strategies.
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Ugh, my mood is terrible and so is my eating. I only fasted 15 hours, slept poorly, muscles aches, didn’t drink enough water, and definitely ate far too many carbs.
I see where things start to fall into a downward spiral with emotional eating. Just at the point when I need to be kind and gentle with myself and increase my levels of self-care, I’m cranky, impatient and unmotivated. All of the tricks, tips and practical solutions just seem really annoying right now. I’m going to keep observing for now and come up with things to lock in place before I start to feel blah for next time.
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It’s a rough time of year for me with holidays and all.
I’ve resolved to just maintaining my current clothing size atm until I can muster up another good long fasting.
Don’t beat yourself up too much. 
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Managed to do a 20 hour fast and a 6ish hour eating window. Was not low carb however. I’m trying to maintain some kind of consistency and not just completely abandon all of my good habits.
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Last couple of days have not been going well. I have had zero desire to cook anything.
I really had this fantasy in my mind that since I’m stuck at home, I would be spending all of this time learning how to roast winter vegetables, slow cook meats, make soups from scratch, and generally eating whole, unprocessed food.
I have everything I need, but the horrible reality is that I hate to cook. Ouch, it hurts to type that, but it’s true. I’m a firm believer that acknowledging the issue is the first step in fixing it. I’m going to let my brain work on this and I’m sure some creative solutions will come to me with time.
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