I’ve gotten this inquiry several times in the last few months. For brief context, I am 18F/5’3, my start weight was 230 pounds. I’m roughly 140 pounds now, depending on my fluctuation and time of the month. Finally hit a normal BMI a couple weeks ago when I walked/ran 20 miles in a week.
I accomplished this in 13 months of doing intermittent fasting and “dieting.” However, I don’t like calling it a diet, because I feel like diets are short-term solutions to a long-term problem therefore they do not work. I like to call it a lifestyle change, because in order to keep this body, I have to do this forever. What I eat is just what I eat; it’s not a fad or popular/trendy diet. It’s not keto or low-carb or any other specific type of diet. I eat pretty much the same things every day and stay in a 1200-1300 calorie deficit during my eating period. I eat all types of foods, but I love making homemade vegan wheat pancakes with sugar-free syrup and Reddi Wip. I don’t shy away from ice cream either. I get these 200-something calorie pints from Kroger and eat 2 or 3 a week, mostly when I come home from work on Wednesday. I’ll plop in front of the TV and eat one while watching AHS. I do watch what I consume (haven’t had fast food in a year) and keep my meals low in sodium because it gives me major headaches. I still have one day out of the week where I go to a restaurant and just eat whatever, typically something fried. As long as I stay on track the other 6 days, I’m good.
I started working for one of the largest companies (who shall not yet be named in case I need to rant) in the world a couple weeks ago, in a fulfillment center. I work from 7:30 am to 6 pm, 4 days a week. I was worried because my eating window is 1 pm to 6 pm. Luckily I have a break at 3 pm and can eat then, but I typically wait until I get home to shovel it in.
My first break is at 11 am. On my first day of work, I went to lunch with my coworkers who were hired the same time and made friends with me. The break room has a lot of “food” (junk) you can purchase there, or you can bring your own food. I brought a sunflower butter sandwich and crackers. I was getting weak from walking around all morning so I decided to eat with them right then. The next day, I decided to fast all day long until I got home. I wasn’t hungry or feeling weak. However, I do keep healthy snacks in my locker just in case. When my coworkers asked why I wasn’t eating after I declined their offering me junk food and cookies, I explained to them what IF is.
“Why would you do that? You’re SKINNY!”
My coworkers were confused why I eat so healthy and fast for the time I do. I was actually taken aback that they called me “skinny.” I do get called “thin” or “slim” but not really “skinny.” Despite being a little shocked that I was actually called skinny, I told them I wasn’t always skinny; I told them that I lost 90 pounds by eating right and fasting. They didn’t believe me. I showed them my progress pics and their jaws dropped.
Later on, my trainer asked me why I didn’t eat at my first lunch. Again, I explained that I fast.
Her response was, “But...you don’t need to do that. You’re skinny.”
I can’t tell if I’m frustrated or happy. It’s nice to know that I can pass as skinny, but it’s so frustrating to tell people that I WAS NOT LIKE THIS AND I DID NOT GET THIS WAY BY DOING NOTHING. I worked hard for my body and I need to maintain it. It’s so damn frustrating to repeat myself over and over and explain that fasting and eating healthy are NOT short-term solutions! They are permanent changes. If I go back to how I was eating when I was obese, guess what’ll happen? I’ll be obese!
One of my coworkers just snacks on junk all day long and told me she gained a lot of weight. This week, she told my trainer (who said I don’t need to fast) “You should see what she (pointing to me) eats! FOUR CRACKERS!”
Wrong. I take a pack of organic cheezit type crackers and eat it on my 3 pm break. Sometimes I’ll eat that and an apple with a crap ton of water because my job is very physical and draining. Sometimes I’ll bring 300 calories worth of food. They can see that I eat. I would never not bring food to eat if I need something. My job is physically demanding and takes a toll on the body, so I NEED to have something around to eat when I feel tired. If I NEED to break my fast early, I will.
I’ve had a lot of people say that I don’t need to eat healthy or fast anymore because I’m thin. It’s annoying, really. I can understand them saying that I need to stop fasting when I feel tired or drained, but telling me to stop for good and just eat whatever because I’m skinny now is annoying. You don’t succeed without determination and discipline. I’ve mastered it now, why would I let it go and let myself get out of control? Fasting used to be a tool for weight loss for me, now it’s a tool for self-control. If I know I can snack at any time, I will. But knowing that I can’t, I won’t. I have a lot of discipline and my mind is very focused on maintaining my body that I’ve worked so hard to achieve. This is not a diet; it is my life. I eat and live this way to maintain being skinny. I’m sure some people can eat whatever and remain skinny, but I cannot. I have to have structure to stay this way.
Normally I don’t allow people’s comments and “suggestions” get to me, but they’re starting to accumulate now that I’m around a lot of people all the time. I just needed to vent.
Reminder: you didn’t lose weight by doing nothing. Why would you maintain by doing nothing? No success is free.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a pint of chocolate ice cream calling my name.
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