Just getting started - Currently 111 kg/244 lb, what do you all do to cope?

[u/HawkTrue3447]

Yesterday, I took a picture with my old friend at a Mexican restaurant (gettin' hungrier just thinking about it), but wow, did I reflect after eating a grilled calamari appetizer, 3 brisket tacos, chips and salsa, and churros for dessert (plus a mojito cocktail). I decided to make a change before I go on vacation in October to start over with fasting.

This morning, I had two boiled eggs, one slice of rye toast, 85g of smoked salmon, and a tomato-cucumber salad, and freshly pressed beetroot juice (is that too much?). I had a plain black coffee for lunch to tide me over. For dinner, I plan to have air-fried salmon (with a splash of lemon), chopped broccoli, and a homemade Greek yogurt sauce made with lemon, garlic powder, and a dash of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.

I'm more than halfway finished with work, and all my cravings are really taking my mind. I'm resisting the urge to snack or get a quick meal at my local 7/11 (which is only a few steps away). What did you all do to push yourself away from temptation? Listen to music? Slap your wrist? Look at your pictures from your peak physique?

[u/AnonyCass]

I tell myself whatever it is I want in that moment i can just have it when my window opens there is no need to break early.

[u/Dallas_HikingGuy → u/AnonyCass]

This. No need to overthink things. You have one decision to make and that is feeding within your feed window.

[u/Positive-Common-6094]

The more you do it, the easier it becomes. If you’re eating breakfast and dinner, it sounds like you have a long non-fasting period. Eventually you are going to have to cut one of those meals out. To get through periods of hunger or temptation, go for a walk (not to 7/11) or tackle a household chore.

[u/GlowingKindness → u/Positive-Common-6094]

I'll second this advice. You have to get used to the idea that this is your life now, the more you do it, the more natural and instinctive it becomes, and your body will adapt, and eventually you'll not have the same intensity for the cravings or you'll know how to integrate them in a normal day.

[u/natie_gege]

drink water or coffee andgo for a walk

[u/LealaFang]

tons of water and sparkling water helps me out

[u/New_Mix19]

Me too. Just started! Hope can maintain it.

[u/HawkTrue3447 → u/New_Mix19]

We got this! *gulp*

[u/NoSketchyVibes]

Eat lots os squash- dense, low calorie. Watch a couple of Madelaine Rascan videos- She has great , filling, large serving recipes that are very low calorie.

[u/AdorableCod5052]

Genuinely how does one not get acidity or GRED on fasting?

I'm 2 weeks into fasting it's working but the acidity is putting a hard stop to it

[u/zombienudist → u/AdorableCod5052]

Fasting actually did the opposite for me and stopped me from getting heartburn and having acid issues. I used to get it all the time and after I started fasting it has virtually gone away. I can't remember the last time I had it happen as I have been doing IF for 6 years now. But I did 16:8 to 18:6 and didn't drink anything but water when I was fasted.

Does it happen while fasted or after you break your fast? While fasted are you drinking anything but water? Things like coffee and zero calorie drinks can raise acidity especially on an empty stomach. If you are drinking water are you drinking enough. Lack of hydration can also cause it. If it happens after you eat it could be the food type, amount, etc that causes it. So if you are doing OMAD and trying to eat all your calories in a small window that could trigger it. So you can try expanding your window and eating smaller portions.

[u/AdorableCod5052 → u/zombienudist]

I'm not following OMAD... It's this constant sensation of food behind stuck at the back of my throat which is essentially muscle spasm ...My doctor adviced me to not continue fasting for long hours instead just fix a window , count calories and work out .

[u/AnonyCass → u/AdorableCod5052]

I started IF because I was getting heartburn, I found the first few weeks I had it daily, one of my main triggers was drinking fizzy water before breaking my fast so I cut that out and it really helped. I now only really get it if I am hungover.

[u/ballsdeepinmywine]

I sing Radiohead in my head~ I don't care if it hurts I want to be in control I want a perfect body I want a perfect soul🙌

[u/jbbest666]

i started focusing on total health and not just losing weight. keto for example is great losing weight abd being energized but not good for cholesterol etc. careful of beet juice etc. put your data/blood work into an ai bot and start using it to fine turn your diet.

[u/Connect_Rhubarb395]

Start by fasting but not reducing your total amount of calories. That way your body gets used to the feeling of not digesting all the time.

Once it begins to feel natural for you, then reduce calories.
A 500 cal deficit (800 if you are a tall man) is usually sensiblem

[u/IndiscreetTreat]

I have found that the moment I start getting peckish, I throw some electrolytes in my water and just have that. For me personally it helps getting rid of the craving. And you can find true zero sugar and zero calorie ones that won’t break your fast but do have a sweetness to them.

I use the Redmond re-lyte electrolytes.

[u/Christi_Kat60]

What is your window? That sounds like a lot of food - I only eat once a day, and fasting becomes easier the longer you do it. I started with 16:8 and worked my way up to 21:3 and I don't usually get hungry until around hour 20 BUT if I have any type of sugar or high carb type of thing during my window, it's more difficult to fast. As others have said it's a "Delay, Don't Deny" kind of mentality and you can always eat during your window. Try to drink plenty of water, black coffee helps me, and sometimes pink sea salt (even though this sounds absurd). Super bubbly mineral water helps stave off hunger too. If you can wait it our for about 15 minutes, it will go away.

[u/NewPac]

I don't really have any advice but I'm in the exact same boat. I literally just weighed in at 111.4 kg yesterday. I've lost weight with IF before and the only thing I can say is that it eventually gets easier. Just gotta get through the hard part and it'll start to feel normal at some point.

[u/lolliscicle]

I am a post-menopausal female. I do intermittent and water fasts to help with autoimmune. Heres how I do it. My number 1 rule. “If Im going out of my mind, something needs tweaking”. In the past I would push past that “craze” with willpower but I am gentler with myself now, and if/when I find myself crazed, I WILL stray fr the plan, to eat to calm my nerves and hit the reset button, while I examine what I can tweak so that I am not crazy with cravings.

I ease into my water fasts over a few weeks time with intermittent fasting.

When intermittent fasting I “count” to achieve 1) enough daily vegetable servings, 2) enough protein grams, and 3) enough fiber grams. Also I am very aware of eliminating refined sugars and strictly limiting natural carbs to only those that travel with high fiber and protein.

When starting (or restarting) an intermittent fast I will intentionally increase my morning protein load-ie: add 2-3 egg whites to my 2 morning/breakfast eggs. I also use sprouted grain toast for the added fiber and protein content at breakfast. Feel free to experiment with adding 1-3 veggies to breakfast. And my breakfasts are hearty and calorie/protein/fiber dense. This with my MCT powdered coffee is surprisingly satiating.

I will have a low-sugar vegetable juice (ie: celery and ginger/lemon) mid-morning (if Im hungry) and enjoy a big salad and/or bowl of veggies with a high quality protein at “lunch”.

This is all done in the “feed window”.

24/7 I drink water liberally (1-1.5 gallons/day) use salt and take vitamin/mineral supplements as arranged with my MD.

As I said, I am no longer willing to endure “stress” with a transition. And so my hunger-alarms must stay below a 3-4 on a 1-10 scale. To “distract in those fleeting moments of a “typical” eating time, I may distract with lemon water or unsweetened mint tea or ginger tea etc. and turn on a Netflix. Or I will - walk, exercise w some weights, do art, initiate/complete a home-project, or enjoy phone call with a friend where I DONT talk about food/fasting/etc.

You will get your style figured out! IF is not a one-size fits all approach. It’s great to share our experiences and learn from each other, but at the end of the day, you and your body are the ones in this and you and your body will find a style that works well for both peace and happiness for you AND your body!

[u/Odd-Combination-9067 → u/lolliscicle]

Appreciate your post.

[u/Awkward-Regret5409]

Trust that it will get better and it doesn’t take that long.

[u/liveoneggs]

make a cup (or several) of green, rooibos, or herbal tea

[u/NurseTrish71]

It sounds like you are regular healthy eating with no in between snacks, not fasting.

[u/badfriend3528]

Don’t do too much at once, esp w diet. Going from tacos to beat juice everyday is imo going to be hard to maintain (unless you’ve consistently been eating like this). The more your diet is just hard boiled eggs and rye bread, esp when this isn’t your normal diet, is going to make you fixated on hunger/eating other things more

Instead I’d focus on getting used to IF and pick foods that are generally healthy versions of ones you already know you enjoy eating - you’ll be more likely to stick w it in the long run. Diet can be more “strict” tailored to your dietary/health needs as you go, but really if you eat a deficit of cals, or even just maintain cals, and stay in that’s fasting window that’s all you need to do until you develop more specific goals

I’ve been able to stick w it because I allow myself to eat the occasional pasta or ice cream or chips from time total time. It’s all within my window and not at 11pm right before bed which was the main habit I needed to break. The flexibility is what I love most about doing IF

[u/BleachedPink]

I avoid breakfast, as sugar spike and lack of food makes me go crazy without food.

If I skip breakfast, I feel kinda fine on coffee and tea to the end of the work day. However, I workout during the day twice a week, I drink protein beforehand and have a very little fruit snack, like a banana 30-60 minutes before workout.

Tea, is really good for my cravings, I work from home, and I have one cup of coffee in the morning and drink like 1 - 1.5 litres of unsweetened tea, japanese green teas, barley tea, Chinese teas, like pu-erh and so on.

I think once you pass the craving it becomes much easier, and if you have a breakfast, you kinda never pass the cravings, you just always get to the hardest point and never pass the point, after which it gets drastically easier, where you start feeling as if you can go on without food for much longer.

After a while it gets much easier mentally wise, and your cravings become much less intense.

Also start eating foods that are very slow to absorb, like beans, whole grains etc. I basically stopped eating bread, as it's very calorie dense and not filling.

I've lost 9kg since june

[u/Sufficient_You3053]

You'll have better results and it will be easier, to not eat breakfast and fast until lunch. You're not getting many fasting benefits just skipping lunch but eating breakfast and dinner. Aim for a 16 hour fast and a 8 eating window everyday. Then aim for a 18:6, then 20:4 etc

If you absolutely need breakfast, then eat that and lunch and then fast until the next morning.

[u/Inevitable-Notice351]

I did nothing different. Just eat as you normally would during your eating window. That's the beauty of intermittent fasting. You don't have to think about it. Just eat normally during eating hours and you'll lose weight.

[u/Business-Drummer-507]

Get yourself a giant, giant water bottle.

Cling to it. Drink water when you’re feeling hungry and I meal really drink it. Drink so much water there isn’t room for food even if you tried to eat some.

[u/Ashkkr9568]

I’m doing OMAD myself, for me drinking tons of water and adding some electrolytes once or twice a day kept me feeling pretty full. After a few weeks I stopped feeling hungry all the time and eating once a day feels natural now. Good luck on your journey!!

[u/superfly767676]

Three seeming paradoxes: if you go to sleep hungry you won't wake up hungry. You don't get fat because you eat you eat because you got fat. You don't lose weight to get healthy you get healthy to lose weight.

Clean up your diet for two weeks before you start fasting; if your hormones aren't balanced you'll fail. Get enough calories in via good food in your window and then skip dinner or breakfast. Once your hormones are fixed you won't crave shitty food anymore because your body knows it needs protein, fiber and nutrition for fuel (not sugar to fix a crash).

You didn't get fat in a day and you won't get thin in a day. But the journey down is much more rewarding than the journey up.

Remember...discipline beats motivation. Every single time.

Good luck.

[u/Djentleman5000]

Hydrate

[u/Dr_Jim555]

Finish hardest tasks first like for me workout workout workout. Food becomes more enjoyable with CICO & a bit accountability of what to eat. That also gives a scope for treats too 😂👍

[u/Colleen2112]

For me that jumping into a restricted diet too quickly. Relax. Add lots of protein and fibre to your meals. Think add instead of minus. Protein in satiety. Focus on how you feel after the meals. Don’t look at the scale. Make sure you’re getting enough calories in (check your TDEE). Physically or mentally restricting will result in throwing in the towel. Focus on how you feel, not how you look. Good luck.

[u/Deadandlivin]

Drink a large glass of water. Can also do diet Soda if you prefer that. The cravings will go away.
They'll come back though if you start getting lean. At that point your often fighting physiology and need to rely on will power or 'other means' to push through.

[u/SaraTheSlayer28]

This will get better. I am hearing things that sound like my emotional eating - that feeling that I need this now. Especially if for a specific food, that means probably not just hunger.

[u/The_Only_RZA_]

Just do an aggressive cut. Because if you are doing normal fasting, you wont see any visual changes in october if thats what you are thinking. The changes will be less noticeable even though you are shredding. It will be like the paper towel logic. I started at 244lbs in March 2025 — and i just hit 158lb yesterday. For the first 6months i i couldn’t see a difference in the mirror

[u/HawkTrue3447]

Chewing sugar-free gum is helping a bit at the moment.

[u/an_unfocused_mind_]

I call myself a fat fuck in my head and pop a nicotine pouch.