First off, thanks to everyone of you out there who contributes to this forum. There is loads of helpful information that has been invaluable to me before actually devising my first post here. So I suppose a little background is in order so here goes:
I am no stranger to the weight loss game. I used to weigh over 300 pounds back in 2017. At that point I got serious, started logging everything into MFP, and weight loss pretty much became the defining characteristic of my life. I got down to 180 pounds over about a 20-22 month period and was on a roll. I managed to maintain that for the longest time by my change in lifestyle. Then COVID happened, I began working from my basement like so many others, and got lazy. I woke up one morning and was back up to 235. I immediately said "f-this" and went right back to my old reliable. So MFP, severe caloric restriction, weighing all my food, etc. etc.
Then at work back in December I had a severe change to my workload. My employer acquired another firm which merged with us and suddenly I had a ton of work on my plate each day. 50-60 hours per week became the norm. I was so busy that finding time to eat and maintain my sanity became a challenge. It seemed like I would come downstairs to work and in the blink of an eye it was after 5 and time to be done for the day. Without food for an entire day, I decided to have what would normally be a cheat meal for my entire days worth of calories to log into MFP. I logged it like normal and went to bed that evening feeling satisfied from my mondo "cheat meal". Then the next day I wondered to myself "what is stopping me from doing that again?" I guess nothing. And that was the initial stages of what has become my diet. So I discovered the one meal a day regimen quite organically as opposed to deliberate and intentionally.
There was some growing pains for the first few weeks. Around the 2PM mark I would start to become ravenous. Becoming even more so on days I had a long run. I powered through this by sheer force of will (and the thought of a double and fries from 5 Guys later on in the night). Eventually the afternoon hunger irritation subsided as my body adjusted, but I would be lying if I said that this transition was easy. It sucked, and it still sucks occasionally depending on what I have going on any given day.
The next big change happened about 5 weeks ago. I stopped logging into MFP and tracking my calories entirely. It became abundantly clear that I would have to be very intentional in stuffing myself for me to wind up in a caloric surplus for the day. So I finally cut the umbilical cord of my old reliable and went totally rogue with my OMAD. I do still track my weight once per week of course, and just last Sunday I dipped under 200 pounds again and am back to wearing my size 34 pants. Clothing really is the unsung hero of weight loss in many respects. All my pricey suits and such that had been collecting dust now fit again, and I do not mind saying that I look dynamite rocking them. My wife practically attacks me sexually when I lace up the swagger gear.
Really the only downside of my regimen is I almost feel a little guilty. I eat with the reckless abandon of a teenager. Guilt is another reason I started to get away from the social side of MFP. All the people on my friends list would see my dairy filled with entries like a double Whopper with cheese meal from Burger King complete with large fries and wash it down with a large vanilla shake. This was met with disdain from many of my long time MFP friends and I feel I might of even been derailing their own progress by staying engaged. For example, last night I had 3 double decker taco supremes from Taco Bell, a chicken chalupa and a baja blast mountain dew. The day before my wife made buttermilk battered chicken strips with American fries and corn on the cob. I polished off a pretty large plate. Try posting something like that in a fitness social media site and see the reaction you receive.
Other than that I love the freedom this new way of eating has given me. I partake of meals on the regular I could only dream about in the not so distant past, I feel like a million bucks, and the weight continues to melt away with almost zero effort on my part. I doubt that this will be something I do forever, but for the time being it is what is working for me so I am rolling with the punches.
I am no stranger to the weight loss game. I used to weigh over 300 pounds back in 2017. At that point I got serious, started logging everything into MFP, and weight loss pretty much became the defining characteristic of my life. I got down to 180 pounds over about a 20-22 month period and was on a roll. I managed to maintain that for the longest time by my change in lifestyle. Then COVID happened, I began working from my basement like so many others, and got lazy. I woke up one morning and was back up to 235. I immediately said "f-this" and went right back to my old reliable. So MFP, severe caloric restriction, weighing all my food, etc. etc.
Then at work back in December I had a severe change to my workload. My employer acquired another firm which merged with us and suddenly I had a ton of work on my plate each day. 50-60 hours per week became the norm. I was so busy that finding time to eat and maintain my sanity became a challenge. It seemed like I would come downstairs to work and in the blink of an eye it was after 5 and time to be done for the day. Without food for an entire day, I decided to have what would normally be a cheat meal for my entire days worth of calories to log into MFP. I logged it like normal and went to bed that evening feeling satisfied from my mondo "cheat meal". Then the next day I wondered to myself "what is stopping me from doing that again?" I guess nothing. And that was the initial stages of what has become my diet. So I discovered the one meal a day regimen quite organically as opposed to deliberate and intentionally.
There was some growing pains for the first few weeks. Around the 2PM mark I would start to become ravenous. Becoming even more so on days I had a long run. I powered through this by sheer force of will (and the thought of a double and fries from 5 Guys later on in the night). Eventually the afternoon hunger irritation subsided as my body adjusted, but I would be lying if I said that this transition was easy. It sucked, and it still sucks occasionally depending on what I have going on any given day.
The next big change happened about 5 weeks ago. I stopped logging into MFP and tracking my calories entirely. It became abundantly clear that I would have to be very intentional in stuffing myself for me to wind up in a caloric surplus for the day. So I finally cut the umbilical cord of my old reliable and went totally rogue with my OMAD. I do still track my weight once per week of course, and just last Sunday I dipped under 200 pounds again and am back to wearing my size 34 pants. Clothing really is the unsung hero of weight loss in many respects. All my pricey suits and such that had been collecting dust now fit again, and I do not mind saying that I look dynamite rocking them. My wife practically attacks me sexually when I lace up the swagger gear.
Really the only downside of my regimen is I almost feel a little guilty. I eat with the reckless abandon of a teenager. Guilt is another reason I started to get away from the social side of MFP. All the people on my friends list would see my dairy filled with entries like a double Whopper with cheese meal from Burger King complete with large fries and wash it down with a large vanilla shake. This was met with disdain from many of my long time MFP friends and I feel I might of even been derailing their own progress by staying engaged. For example, last night I had 3 double decker taco supremes from Taco Bell, a chicken chalupa and a baja blast mountain dew. The day before my wife made buttermilk battered chicken strips with American fries and corn on the cob. I polished off a pretty large plate. Try posting something like that in a fitness social media site and see the reaction you receive.
Other than that I love the freedom this new way of eating has given me. I partake of meals on the regular I could only dream about in the not so distant past, I feel like a million bucks, and the weight continues to melt away with almost zero effort on my part. I doubt that this will be something I do forever, but for the time being it is what is working for me so I am rolling with the punches.
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