Disclaimers: I’m not selling you anything unless you opt to purchase Gin Stephens’ book. Actually I’m hoping I’m saving you money. If you use the link I provide, I might get a few cents for you order, but it’ll cost you no more than it would if you just went to Amazon or Target on your own. Using my links means I get to keep posting content so thanks in advance for choosing to purchase using the link I provide in this post. Also I’m not a doctor and am in no way qualified to give you medical advice. I’m just sharing my story in hopes that it gives you a place to start a conversation with your medical professionals and maybe change your life too.

I’ve lost over 30 pounds in the last year and 20 pounds of it was in the first 2 months.

I’m the smallest I’ve ever been in my adult life and my body feels like I’ve done it the biggest favor. I sleep better than before children, my gut health is 1000 times better than it used to be, my body is way less inflamed, and I’m more productive because I have more time. It kind of sounds too good to be true for a mom of two, right? How, you ask?

intermittent fasting. Yes, I know you like to eat. Me too, which is why this works so hear me out.

I really do like to eat and I like to eat yummy food (carbs and cheese and things). The great thing about Intermittent Fasting is you’re changing your eating window, not what you’re eating (I mean, you can change what you’re eating, but one thing at a time). This means you can see real change and not have to give up all the yummy stuff. Diets didn’t work for me because they all required me to eliminate what I love to a level of it just not being realistic for me personally. Also figuring out intermittent fasting has given me a much healthier relationship with food. You won’t starve (even if you feel like it in the beginning) and once your body adjusts, it’ll thank you.

Oh and no supplements, memberships, or special food required!

Finally something that’ll actually save your money or at least allow you a budget for a new wardrobe because if you’re like me, you’ll need it. I do currently take Magnesium and Collagen, but I wasn’t taking those things during my weight loss phase and they are in no way required to live an intermittent fasting lifestyle.

My Story

It all started with this picture (the one on the left below) and a number on the scale I’d never seen before (except for when I was pregnant). I took this pic because it was July 2020 (deep in the thick of Covid) and my hair and make up were actually done. It was a rare 2020 moment.

July 2020 vs. May 2021 (Over 30 pounds gone and way less puffy)

I almost deleted it, but something in me said not to right before hitting the little trash can button on my phone. I mean, it was a nice picture of me and my daughter. The problem was I didn’t really recognize myself in it and I didn’t like seeing it in my phone. This puffy version of me was newish. This wasn’t the same face in every other selfie photo on my phone because I’d been avoiding them, but I kept it anyway because I was tired of not being in photos with my kids. In some ways it felt like me giving up and being okay with the version of me that didn’t feel like me, but instead I used it as the jumping off point for choosing the version of me that I wanted to see in pictures with my kids.

I kept seeing different sponsored posts talking about intermittent fasting in my social media feeds. I’d never really given them the time of day and just brushed them off. After this picture I paid more attention. I googled it. I read what information was readily available and decided it probably wasn’t bad for me and I jumped right in. What did I have to lose besides the weight anyway? I started with 16 hours of fasting with an 8 hour eating window (16:8) and quickly worked my way into one meal a day or 20 hours of fasting and a 4 hour eating window depending on the day.

I had a goal to not have to buy new jeans for an upcoming trip (our trip to Tennessee last October). I just wanted to fit back into the ones I already had. Even 5 or 10 pounds would get the job done.

Spoiler Alert: I still had to buy new jeans because my old ones were suddenly too big.

June 2012 (pre motherhood) vs. November 2, 2020 (PS those green shorts are too big now)

I started listening to podcasts by Gin Stephens (the author of several intermittent fasting books) and constantly watching everyone’s progress in her Facebook group. I gave in pretty quickly to reading Fast, Feast, Repeat by Gin Stephens, which was truly life changing and I highly recommend it. The more I learned, the more powerful I felt and the more I tweaked what I was doing to make fasting more effective for my body.

I don’t cook anything special. I don’t order a salad at a restaurant unless it’s a place I already did that at because I just so happened to love that salad (the ones that include bacon and cheese and buttery delicious croutons or sour cream and guacamole). I don’t exercise like I should. I literally changed nothing except the hours in which I eat and made sure I was fasting clean when my window was closed (black coffee, tea, and water only). Well that’s not totally true. I really like a glass or two of wine each night, but it’s the thing I chose to drastically cut back on during the beginning part of the process to get me closer to where I wanted to be. Gin says delay, don’t deny so that was my delay thing.

The Science from not a scientist

I’m not a scientist or a health professional, but when you intermittent fast you are depleting your glycogen stores. Sometimes is takes a bit to get through this stage and some people won’t actually see weight loss in the first month or two (that was not my experience). Once they’re depleted, your body can now enter into Ketosis (without being on a Keto diet) and this thing called autophagy (cell self eating) happens. The Ketosis allows you to burn fat and the autophagy starts healing your body from the inside out (dark spots on my face are now lighter because of this process). Your goal is to not spike your insulin during your fast so that all of this can actually happen. You’d be amazed at what all can spike insulin. This is a super simplified explanation of what is happening and I suggest reading Gin’s book for a more in depth description (and it’s in layman’s terms). I just wanted to include something that would maybe help some of this make sense. Gin calls it a health plan with a side effect of weight loss. Based on how much better my body feels, I agree.

The one downside for me is it can kind of mess with your hormone levels.

This wasn’t so awful in my case except I did lose hair for a bit in the same way I lost hair after birthing my children. It’s growing back now, but I have that awkward regrowth thing going on like I did after having kids. For me it’s still totally worth it. In my case, the pros outweigh the cons without question, but don’t say I didn’t tell you to consult your doctor, if you have health things to consider. Definitely do that.

Literally the only thing you need to change your life is this book right here

No membership required. No supplements required. No special food required. A new wardrobe might be required.

These are affiliate links. If you use them I do make a few cents. Like just a few, but you pay what you would have anyway. My life is changed because of this book. I wouldn’t recommend it to you otherwise.

Get it from amazon

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So some takeaways…

You have to read Gin’s book (or books). I recommend Fast, Feast, Repeat.
If you’ve tried everything to lose weight and nothing seems to have been your thing, maybe this is worth a shot.
This is a lifestyle, not a diet so change your mindset and settle in.
You can be a better version of you without diet pills or even a diet really and you can save money doing it.
Intermittent Fasting is actually really good for your body. Don’t believe those who haven’t done the research or tried it. In fact, tell them to read Fast, Feast, Repeat and then come talk to you about it. The conversation will look way different, I’m sure.
If you can get through the first couple of weeks, it’s actually really easy. Those first couple weeks really suck though so expect it and embrace it.
I have more shorts than jeans for the first time ever in my whole life and I wear them confidently.

I could honestly keep talking about this forever. Just ask my husband who is probably tired of hearing it (although I’m sure he appreciates the view). This seems like a good bit of information to start with, but feel free to ask me more about my journey and definitely read Gin’s book. I wish I would have known what this intermittent fasting could do for me years ago.

-Monica