Dear Kayla,
How much of your success is from walking, and how much is from fasting? Have you ever reduced your walking, and noted the results? I am about 40 lbs overweight. I gained 20 of that after sitting 8 hours or more a day at a computer. I also think I am going to give up nuts. Even though I measure 1 oz, the weight is stubborn to come off. I do not drink sweet drinks, either. I try to do OMAD, but often cave while working with pork rinds, nuts, or a beef stick. I have your book and enjoy the testimonies from everyone. Itās hard to get in even 9000 steps. I was walking at 5:30 am, my foot slipped on a stick, ended up with surgery on my right elbow for a torn ligament! Thanks!
-Luwanna
Luwanna,
First of all, Iām sorry to hear about your injury! Kudos to you for continuing on the weight loss journey, even though youāre in pain. And thanks for buying my book! I hope you find it helpful.
Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? The idea is that 80% of your results come from 20% of the effort you put forth. Vilfredo Pareto discovered this principle when he saw that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Interestingly, worldwide, 80% of the wealth is owned by 20% of the people. Microsoft found fixing 20% of the most reported bugs fixed 80% of computer crashes. The big question is, can you apply the 80/20 rule to weight loss? Yes.
If I had to break it down, I would say intermittent fasting was responsible for 80% of my weight loss results. The other 20% I attribute to walking 6 miles a day. It gave me an alternative to stress eating. But even if walking and all other forms of exercise had been impossible, I still could have lost the weight. Some things that could have done the job instead:
- Talking my stress out with my husband
- Journaling
- Taking needed action
- Taking up a hobby that kept my hands busy
I donāt think the one ounce of nuts youāre eating is the problem. It sounds like OMAD is a bit too aggressive at this point, and thatās the problem. You mentioned ācavingā with pork rinds and other foods. On the weight loss journey, the way you talk to yourself matters. In the future, if you decide to eat, remind yourself that you are choosing to eat at that time. You are in control of when and what you eat. Choosing to eat is not caving.
The general principle is that you do everything you do on purpose. You pick your plan on purpose. And if you decide on a certain day that plan will not work, you choose to eat early on purpose. Here are some alternatives to OMAD you could try:
- OMAD plus one snack
- 2MAD
- 20:4
- 18:6
The options are almost endless. Pick the thing that fits best in your life. Regardless of what you choose, make sure of two things:
- Be consistent with your chosen plan.
- When youāre eating, eat. Donāt try to multitask. Stop your work, put away your phone, turn off the tv, and eat. When youāre finished eating, put away the food, and get back to work.
I hope that helps!
Sincerely, Kayla
PS: You asked if Iāve ever reduced my walking. Yes, I have. In 2016, I walked 6 miles, 7 days a week. Once I started my first maintenance period, I walked whenever I felt like it. I found that I was a happier camper if I walked 6 miles a day. I did that until 2019 or so, when I decided to try 6 miles, 6 days a week, which is what I continue to do. I also take major holidays off and cut myself some slack if needed due to life circumstances.
Originally published May 9, 2023.
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