"Wow, you look great! What are you doing?"
“Thank you! I fast.” Followed by, “Oh, I could never do that.” Funny thing is, I had said the same thing.
Late 2017: I was working out daily, and eating what I thought was relatively healthy. Though every time I ate, it felt like I was gaining weight. So what did I do? I do what a lot of us do…I Googled. However, before I read myself into a rabbit hole about all of the potential issues, I scheduled an appointment with my doctor.
January 2018: As I was called to the exam room for my OB appointment I asked to not be weighed because let’s face it…it can be depressing. I expressed to my OB what was going on and that I wanted the gamut of blood work – thyroid, cortisol, iron and hormones to rule out any major causes that might prevent me from losing weight.
February 2018: My OB ran more than just those tests – it tuns out that I was significantly low in vitamin D (most of us are). During the hour consult my OB suggested I try intermittent fasting at which point I responded, “Oh I could never do that.” She encouraged me to try it and sent me on my way with prescription for vitamin D, suggested I take a probiotic, fish oil and pick up the book Making the Cut.
Equipped with vitamins and suggested reading material I wasn’t quite ready to embark on the fasting journey. Instead, I did A LOT of research which included purchasing, Eat Right for your Blood Type, Making the Cut, Master Your Metabolism and The Plant Paradox. Each of these books provided insights to how certain foods may be impacting my body. When my research was completed, it was time to experiment. I found that when I didn’t eat fruits and veggies with lectin daily the inflammation went away. In addition, I made even more of an effort to remove all gluten, processed foods, various gums, anything with high fructose syrup or artificial sugar, items with carrageenan and juices. As with anything sometimes you can’t avoid these ingredients entirely, but you can make the effort to do your best to eliminate them. This was a step in the right direction.
September 2018: It wasn’t until September that I got really serious about losing weight. With the support and encouragement from a friend who also fasted, I finally gave it a go. I started by fasting on the weekends as I would wake up later in the day. This made it easier to hold the fast. My morning would begin with a cup of bone broth to keep my sodium levels up and to not feel hungry, followed by black coffee with half and half. At about noon I would have my first meal of the day. Dinner would be at about 5:30/6:00 and end no later than 7:00 at which point my fast would begin again. I also made it a point to never eat after 8 PM unless it truly couldn’t be avoided. Within the first few weeks I started to see results – not just pounds but inches. I could literally feel my body changing so I amped up my game by adding a day of fasting during the week. As I continued to see results fasting became a daily routine. Along with fasting, I continued to take vitamin D (with binding K vitamin) as a part of my vitamin regiment which consists of vitamins B, B12, turmeric, fish oil, CoQ10, a probiotic, multi vitamin and magnesium. By Thanksgiving the results were really starting to show.
December 2018: I was down 25 pounds with a goal to hit 30 by my birthday in January. I was no longer killing myself in the gym…in fact I was barely ever in the gym. Instead, I was outdoors walking, in the dance studio or doing body pump in my living room about 3 or 4 times a week vs the 6 times a week before I started fasting.
January 2019: I met my 30 pound goal…but I wasn’t done yet. At this point I was feeling really healthy, making good choices and also not restricting myself from foods that I love – yes including pizza and ice cream, as moderation is key.
September 2019: Since I started this journey I have lost 38 pounds, have dropped 3 pant sizes, am down 4 inches (hips, waist and bust) and continue to strengthen and tone. It astonishes me that I am two pounds away from having lost 40 pounds and feeling stronger than ever.
Some might say that fasting isn’t a long term solution to maintain – I disagree. Though, I will say that fasting isn’t for everyone and you have to find what works for you. I am not a health care professional and my journey is not a one size fits everyone. I do hope though, that you are inspired to be your best advocate when it comes to doing the research, seeking answers from a health care professional, finding what works best for you and STARTING your journey.