Dear Kayla,
I’ve been walking an average of 7 miles a day if not more for almost a month, but I’m gaining weight. Most days I’m fasting 18 hours, some under that, some over that! How long did it take you to lose weight? How much did you lose the first month?
-Dhara
Dhara,
First let me say, I understand from experience how frustrating it is to be working so hard, only to see that the scale is going up. There are a few moving parts, so let’s break it down. The first and most important thing to remember about weight loss is that if your weight is consistently trending up over time, it means that you are consuming more than you’re burning. You can walk ten miles a day and be perfectly consistent with an 18:6, and still gain weight if you’re eating too much.
Here are a few things to focus on:
- Remember: You can’t outrun your fork. It’s tempting to start thinking that you’ve burned a lot of calories, and therefore you can eat a lot and still lose weight. The truth is, calories still count, and they add up fast. Plus, exercise can make your appetite increase, so you may not even feel like you’re eating more. When you’re eating, try to completely forget about the fact that you’re walking 7 miles a day.
- Get consistent with your fasting window. Pick a window that you can live with, and stick with it for 6 weeks. The idea is that you limit your variables, so that you can get a clear picture of what’s working and what’s not.
- When you’re eating, get rid of all distractions. Until the scale starts moving down, eliminate all distraction while you’re eating. Put your phone away, turn off the TV, and don’t do anything else at all. This can help you understand exactly how much you’re consuming.
Now, how long did it take me to lose weight? I had my “I’ve had enough” moment in March of 2014, but I didn’t stick with anything that first year. The next year, 2015, I started experimenting inconsistently with intermittent fasting while doing a lot of powerlifting and HIIT. I went to the gym every single day and worked out hard. The first month I lost 3 pounds. When it was all said and done, I lost a total of 15 pounds that year, but my biggest mistake was that I was trying to outrun my fork. Alas, it was only when I started focusing on the eating side of the equation (intermittent fasting) that I started to see results.
In 2016, I got consistent with my simple intermittent fasting plan (intermittent fasting 6 days a week, coffee with half and half whenever I want it in the fasting window, walk six miles a day, and take Sundays completely off from fasting.) I lost 50 pounds that year. I maintained that 65 pound weight loss for about a year before I decided to lose 15 more. That was much slower. It took almost a year.
I hope that helps you! Just don’t quit. You can do this.
Sincerely,
Kayla
Originally published May 2, 2023
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