PDA Weightloss Journey, Month 2

Trigger warning for anyone struggling with body image or eating disorders: My personal weakness is comfort eating and eating to stim flavors when stressed, so please be aware that that’s the direction I’m coming from as I try to heal my relationship with food.

Also I mention weightloss apps and programs in this post, none of which compensated me for sharing my experiences.

Link to my month 1 blog post:
https://nopressurepda.com/pda-weightloss-journey-month-1/

I finished my second month of using HealthyWage and made my goal again! My goal this month was to reach 192 and I reached 191 for my weigh-in. This brings me to a total of 17 pounds lost from my highest weight in a two month period.

I shared in last month’s post how I had positive experiences using another competitive weightloss app years ago that motivated me to make positive lifestyle changes, but that program only lets you use it once in a lifetime. Because the last two years were loaded with unexpected stresses that caused me to lean on food again for self soothing and regain the weight plus some, I once again needed something to kick-start me into making changes but didn’t trigger my PDA.

HealthyWage has worked well for me because it breaks the goals up into a month by month basis, and with my ADHD that likes to wait until the last minute to make substantial efforts it keeps me from bunching all my efforts into the very last month. Investing my own money in the contest taps into my competitive streak, making it less about sacrifice and more about winning something.

This month I want to share some tips that worked for me in making major changes while navigating neurodivergent struggles, focusing on how I utilize intermittent fasting and portion sizes to lean into what are typically my weak areas.

When I first got serious about losing weight I read a lot of advice that suggested eating heaviest early in the day and tapering from there. I tried this technique and I found myself absolutely miserable. By the end of each day I was both hungry AND angry that the time of day I had to unwind and relax I was spending fantasizing about something I could not have. This especially triggered my PDA by making me feel like I ended the day on a “no”.

After some trial and error I eventually discovered that for me what was best was to use periodic fasting and wait to have my high protein breakfast at noon. This also works in conjunction with my delayed sleep schedule and sleep inertia where I’m not very engaged or energetic about my day until close to 1 p.m. anyway. Not eating during this period doesn’t feel like neglect to me, and doesn’t effect how I function through my more peak periods of energy.

Essentially I reversed what works for “most” people and ended my day with my heaviest meal. I also do best if I keep my first meal lighter in calories and heavier on protein. Most of the time I kept this meal the same thing (piece of toast and egg) but everyone once in awhile I ate something different that was still high in protein, again leaning into my need for variety and not feeling boxed in.

By fasting first thing in the morning (or drinking a little coffee with cream and sugar) I didn’t feel like I was denying myself. My stomach felt smaller as well so by the time I ate my larger meal at the end I didn’t need to eat as much to feel satisfied. I felt like I was ending my day with a food celebration, and enjoying my meals is extremely important to me.

Next month I plan to share my relationship to calories and how I shifted into eating for nourishment and variety. My ultimate goal is to get to a weight that works for me in terms of energy and enjoyment, and to heal from leaning on food to sustain me in ways it isn’t intended.

Feel free to leave comments sharing your own experiences with periodic fasting, or losing or gaining weight to feel better overall.