FAQ
How have you been losing weight and when did you start?
I’ve lost a bit of weight before (1-2 yrs ago I lost 7kg/15lb) from eating 1200 calories a day but gave up and put it back on so I started properly in January this year. I started by cutting out sugar from my diet and I lost a couple in kilos in just a week or two. I then lost a few more kilos from reducing carbs a lot and eating paleo but I’ve taken lots of breaks so that’s why I haven’t lost much weight yet but this time I’m going to put a lot more effort into sticking to it because it really does work and it makes you feel more energetic as well.
What sort of food do you eat?
I usually eat stuff like eggs, fish, vegetables, nuts (including almond butter and almond flour), meat and sometimes low sugar fruit like kiwifruit and berries. I also make things like cake and cookies with almond flour instead of wheat flour and Natvia instead of sugar but I’m trying to cut down on sweeteners. I’m also trying to limit dairy but I still eat cheese, butter and sometimes Greek yogurt.
How many calories do you eat per day?
I don’t generally count calories because I don’t overeat if I’m eating healthy clean foods but sometimes if I’m being strict with myself I work it out in my head because I know how many calories are in basically everything now and it usually works out to be anywhere between 600-1400 calories but sometimes more if I make cookies or something that you eat just because it tastes good, or less if I’m being obsessive and purposely restricting.
What exercise do you do?
I do lots of dumbbell exercises with 2kg weights and I do sit ups, push ups, squats, walking, and I go for a jog occasionally. Sometimes I go for a couple of weeks without doing much exercise but other weeks I exercise nearly everyday. It just depends on how motivated I am at the time.
Do you/have you ever had an eating disorder?
I haven’t had an actual eating disorder but I do go through phases of having anorexic thoughts and I can get very obsessive sometimes. There have been lots of times that I’ve starved myself either as a punishment for eating too much or just because the thought of food going into my body and turning into fat made me feel sick. I can also get triggered easily but usually just when I’m depressed.
Do you fast?
Yes, I like intermittent fasting. The way I’m doing it at the moment is by skipping breakfast and eating lunch at around 3-4 and then finishing dinner before 8. It sounds unhealthy by conventional standards but it’s actually very good for you because it helps you retain muscle mass while you lose weight, it helps you be alert and focused (after 12-16 hrs) and it’s also good if you have trouble eating small meals. I don’t have any problem fasting but as soon as I eat something it’s hard to just have a little bit, so this works well for me. All that stuff people say about your metabolism slowing down if you don’t eat every 3 hours is total bullshit. It actually takes at least 60 hours of fasting before your metabolism begins to slow down and even then it’s only by 8%. Humans didn’t evolve to eat every 3 hours and it’s unhealthy to have constant high insulin levels.
