I have been Intermittent Fasting for 18 months. It started as a way to lose weight, but it has turned into so much more! I’ve not only lost nearly 40lbs, I’ve had significant positive health changes.

Starting Stats

In June 2020, I am not quite sure where I started, but I know it was at minimum 181 lbs. I am 5’10” tall and none of my pants were fitting, so I can’t quite say what size I was either. I was in denial and knew I needed to make a change.

Like so many times before, I took before pictures. I never believed I would be sharing these on a blog or YouTube channel… so obviously I didn’t consider the style or quality of the photos.

What changes I made?

After reading “Fast. Feast. Repeat.” (affiliate link) I immediately decided to try an 18:6 approach to intermittent fasting. This means I fast 18 hours with a 6 hour eating window. In a normal eating window, I do not limit what I have to eat. I allow myself the ability to eat anything (unless intentionally having a down day or short term exclusion…. more to share on those in future posts).

Removing restrictions relieves the diet mentality. I won’t obsess about a donut if I’m free to eat a donut. But if I were to say sweets were off limits, guess what I would want…. a donut. (Your girl loves donuts!)

Adjustments to Intermittent Fasting Protocol

Though I started with a goal of implementing an 18:6 schedule, my fasting protocol has changed and varies nearly day to day. The only consistencies are 1) I do fast daily and 2) I aim for a minimum of 18 hours fasted daily. This means some fasts are longer and not all eating windows are 6 hours long. The varied schedule allows for flexibility and easy implementation into daily life. This flexibility will be a topic often discussed and explored much greater detail.

My Results

Here I am in January 2022 down roughly 40 lbs (30 of which came off by December 2020). In future posts I will share about non-weight benefits, but pictures sure do illustrate progress! Intermittent Fasting is a lifestyle I plan to live forever. I feel better mentally, physically and emotionally. My posts and YouTube channel are dedicated to sharing my experience and enthusiasm with Intermittent Fasting. This was a broad overview, though I look forward to sharing many details in the future.

Community

Fasting is a hard topic to understand if you’re new to it. Others in your life may feel like your starving yourself, that it’s an impossible or cruel decision, or that your energy will not sustain you. I’ve heard all of this (& much more!) over the last 18 months. However, seeking others who intermittent fast will give you a cheer section and community who gets it! So let’s fast on together!

Want to Get Started?

Check out these book recommendations if you’re interested in getting your own intermittent fasting results.  

Thank you for reading and joining! Chow Down and Ciao!