Delay, Don't Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle

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The changes in what I eat have carried over to other parts of my life, as well. These days, I make more natural choices when it comes to cleaning products, wine, and even things like deodorant, skincare, and makeup. It took 8 weeks for me to notice a difference in my body. I never weighed, so I had no known starting weight. But my clothes suddenly became less tight. And then in more time they became loose. If you normally eat every 3–4 hours and then suddenly shrink your eating period to an 8-hour window, you’ll likely feel hungry all the time and discouraged. “Some people quit if they start out by fasting for too many hours without an adjustment period from a previous eating style,” says Krista Varady, PhD, associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago and author of “The Every-Other-Day Diet.” It may take 10 days to two weeks until you stop feeling hungry when you’re fasting.

Also, and most importantly: it won’t be a place you are visiting every 10 minutes. You go once (or maybe twice) a day to catch up, get inspired, or find support.I've spent most of my adult life in a size 12/14 weighing a little more than I do now give or take. I started IF wearing size 10 jeans. This past summer I bought all new clothes in a size 8. Now they are all too big. I had to buy smaller underwear for the first time in my adult life. Large t-shirts are too big on me for the first time in my adult life. That string bikini I bought as a joke...well, it's too big. I've run several races over the past few years and all my running shorts/shirts are too big. I'm just about ready to commit to size 6 jeans...but not yet. I'm no longer the girl who is "large" everything. I weigh less than what is on my driver's license...and we all know that was a lie from the start. I am no longer the "biggest" person when in a group of people. If you have been this person without fail, you know how painful that is. IF has healed some of the autoimmune aspects of my hypothyroidism. I really do look younger! THIS is why we don't quit. THIS is why we trust the process. And then we found fasting. One year later, we decided to re-create our photo shoot to celebrate the twenty-first anniversary of our wedding and the first anniversary of our lifesaving health transformation. That’s the same scarlet dress, which my seamstress took in by twelve inches to fit my current body. Following the advice of Dr. Jason Fung and the supportive community led by Gin Stephens, we've lost a combined 232 pounds so far and watched all those health problems disappear. I did it!!!! Today marks my 365th day of IF and the first time in my life I've had the willpower to focus on my own health and happiness.

I was a slightly chubby kid, though not overly so, and became conscious of my weight by my teens. It didn’t help that I stopped growing at 5’3” and felt dumpy. The savoury dishes of Indian home cooking are usually drizzled over with ghee but I began to cut fat from my diet early on. That’s about when my granny gently berated me at the table.In the Summer of 2017 I made a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond and on a whim, I decided to step on one of their operating scales. Before I did, I guessed that at 5’ 7.5” that my weight would be in the 160-pound range. I knew that wasn’t great, but in my mind, I could justify it. So, I stepped on the scale and it said 188.8 pounds. I stood in the store in front of two other women and wept. We both feel so good going into this next phase of her treatment! You won't find two sisters who support and feel about each other the way she and I do. I "retired" last year so that I can be there for her every step of the way through this cancer. I live in Cleveland now (moved from Richmond, VA 3 years ago) and she is in Columbus. I am so grateful for the 2 hours drive since it used to be 7 hours from Richmond. I think my car could actually drive itself there.