Happy New Year everyone!!! If, like eleventy billion other people, you have decided that this is the new year that you are going to get healthy, look after yourself and get into shape then I am here for you. We have all tried 50 gazillion fad diets but stick with me my friends because I have the answer you have all been looking for and the best news: it is FREE! It will actually save you money. It is called Intermittent Fasting and you can totally do this!!!

So I am guessing there are lots of people out there who really wanted to get in shape before Christmas. Maybe you wanted to drop a few kg’s before holidays and feel good about yourself. Maybe your clothes were feeling a little snug and you thought if you could just lose a little weight before Christmas you would be off to a good start. And then that didn’t happen, so you just ate all of the food, drank all of the wine and said “screw it I will just start next year – a New Years resolution”… it is a story as old as time and I am totally hearing you my friends because, well, this has been me for about the past 10 years, maybe 15.

After I started having children I would put on a bit of weight, then I would lose it but eventually put it back on plus some… and it was a vicious cycle. It felt like all year I would try to get healthy and fit back into those clothes that were a little (or a lot) tight, I always knew where I felt good and I could never seem to get there. But that all changed this year when I found Intermittent Fasting. Laugh if you will but it has truly changed my life.

I have tried most things over the years… Weight Watchers, the dreaded cabbage soup diet, Atkins, miracle pills ordered from overseas because Dr Oz said I should, Weight Watchers again… and then again. Then there was that January that I decided to start Keto…I was all in, low carb high fat and I You Tubed the shit out of that diet, I was so there Jackie O… of course it didn’t work and holy cow that diet took some work – I was either counting macros, making special meals or sleeping. Then came January 2020. This was it my friends… this was the January that I was really going to change things. I returned from holidays at my all time personal best weight and things had to change. I felt terrible. Nothing fit me and I tossed all of my clothes out that were too small, because I didn’t think I would ever fit into them again. I decided to eat healthy and limit my calorie intake and of course I thought I needed some shakes. So I called up the Tennant Creek Pharmacy to see what they could send out that week on the mail plane because I don’t like to wait for anything. I had ordered a heap of The Lady Shakes but needed something in the mean time.

So there I was, limiting my eating and drinking shakes that tasted like shit… but I thought they were the business. Now look… this is my third update so if you are new to this story you can read about the start of my journey in these posts:

Intermittent Fasting: A health plan with the side effect of weight loss
Intermittent Fasting Update #1

Ok, so you should be all caught up now and know the ins and outs of Intermittent Fasting. I just wanted to give you an update on how I am going with it. I can’t believe this, but I am here to tell you that I am going great guns and this is definitely it for me. For the first time in about 15 years I went into the Christmas festive season feeling the best I have ever felt. My clothes fit and I felt happy and healthy. I have Never once felt like I was missing out on anything over the past 6 months. I have eaten all of the yummy foods. I can’t even tell you how good it feels. I now LOVE to spend my days cooking for everyone else and planning a yummy dinner that I will enjoy every mouthful of. It usually also involves some homemade fresh bread of some sort, baking bread has become my new obsession! My whole relationship with food has changed for the better. I no longer feel guilty about anything that I eat. If I go to town and have longer eating windows and enjoy time with my friends I know that once I get home and back into my normal routine all will be ok. Before, when I was say on Weight Watchers and I went off track well that would be it… I reckon it used to take me about 4 weeks to get back into some sort of routine. Now I actually look forward to going back to my usual IF (Intermittent Fasting) eating window. For me these days it is usually about a 20:4 or a 21:3 – where I fast for 20 hours and eat in a 4 hour window – usually a dinner window.

Now for the first 5 months or so that I was doing Intermittent Fasting I didn’t exercise. Nothing. My exercise was walking to and from the station kitchen and being on my feet most of the day… but no set exercise. If I did go for a walk it was because I wanted to not because I thought I HAD to to lose weight. God it felt good! No pressure!!! I have just recently started exercising because I want to. Now that I have basically reached my goal weight I would really like to tone up – a strong core is really helpful as we age so that is what I am focussing on now. Because it is too hot outside to go for a walk I have been doing Kick Boxing workouts on You Tube. I found the coolest chick – her name is Christa diPaolo and her workouts are SO MUCH FUN! Before you know it you have finished and are sweating. I only just started these about 3 weeks ago and feel SO GOOD already! This is one of my favourite workouts…

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z1LeHynYZLk

I thought that during the festive season I would be eating quite a bit, I definitely could have and was not going to feel guilting about any of it. But I didn’t really want to. I definitely popped together some yummy platters and ate a little bit but not nearly as much as I used to. I was happy to just see others enjoying it. I just don’t want to eat as much as I used to, I only want to eat yummy good food and if it isn’t “window worthy” I’m not interested.

On Boxing Day we were playing cards and I really got stuck into some chocolates and lollies. I ate way too much and ended up feeling quite sick and had a bit of a sugar headache I think. It is so strange to me to feel this way because in years gone by I would have gorged myself day in and day out over Christmas with all of the “bad” food and then felt even worse about myself. This year I didn’t feel bloated once, not even after I ate way too much. After eating all of those chocolates and lollies I actually had to go and have a sleep – my body needed to digest all of that sugar and it made me so tired. I seriously had about a 2 hour sleep, I think. It really does still blow my mind how my relationship with food has changed, I would not believe it if if wasn’t happening to me.

I am so grateful to Gin Stephens. I found Intermittent Fasting after typing it into my Podcast app… I was keen to learn about it and found The Intermittent Fasting Podcast with Gin Stephens & Melanie Avalon.

I went right back and listened from the beginning and I truly believe this gave me the best start, I learnt about the CLEAN FAST and how to do it right from the very beginning.

I then started listening to Gin’s other podcast: Intermittent Fasting Stories and have never looked back. I listened to these day in and day out for about 3 weeks straight, it was like my very own support crew and really helped keep me on track and gave me a great start.

Now, when I am feeling a little off track I go back and re-listen to the stories – I have listened to some of them 2 or 3 times. It really makes you feel like you are not alone because all of the stories are all of our stories too! We are all the same and have the same struggles. Each person has a different IF approach and it is so great to listen to how everyone else does it. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for another but you will find your sweet spot. You just have to be patient.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_EiRov-17ig

So it is the start of a new year, and like so many people maybe you think “this is the time… I am going to change my ways and get healthy”… well my friend the good news is you can totally do this. It is definitely not a “quick fix” it is a lifestyle. Slow and steady wins the race. Don’t expect instant results. Sometimes you need to heal on the inside before you notice changes on the outside.

Trust in the process and don’t give up. There is no downside to this – it is fee, you are going to feel great, it will actually save you money and you don’t need to sign up to anything. You can start right now! Here is my quick start guide to help you out…

BUY “FAST FEAST REPEAT” IN PAPERBACK OR KINDLE BY CLICKING THE IMAGE BELOW:

 

 

LISTEN TO DELAY DON’T DENY THROUGH AUDIBLE BY CLICKING THE IMAGE BELOW:

 

 

I know there are some people who are not that into podcasts or think they just don’t have the time to listen but I can’t recommend Intermittent Fasting Stories highly enough. Put on your joggers and go for a walk and just listen. Or plug in the vacuum cleaner and start vacuuming while listening… you will be surprised how much more fun those mindless jobs are when you have a podcast to listen to. Cleaning, mowing, decluttering. your wardrobe, making beds, mopping, the list goes on. Just start listening and you will soon realise how easy it is to adopt an intermittent fasting way of life. Gin’s book “Delay Don’t Deny” is a great starter – It is on Audible and is only about 4 hours long.

If you need more evidence that this is a healthy way of life just type in “Dr Jason Fung” to You Tube. He gives a more scientific approach and has also written quite a few books. The Obesity Code & The Diabetes Code.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIhhrYjVhOk

OTHER BOOKS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO YOU:

 

 

 

 

OTHER AUDIOBOOKS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST:

 

Well if you have made it all the way down here then congratulations and thank you! I reckon you are definitely keen to change things for the better. You can do this my friend. You really can. All you have to do is start – right now.

Baby steps. You didn’t get to where you are overnight, this is not a quick fix, just take it one day at a time. Gin has a great Facebook group that I would recommend joining – they answer all of your questions: Delay, Don’t Deny: Intermittent Fasting Support.

I have also started a private Facebook group: Intermittent Fasting with Miss Chardy. This is a supportive group where we can encourage each other and ask questions without judgment.

Are you with me? Of course you know I love to overshare and I love to tell anyone who will listen about the joys of IF – and I am so happy to say that lots of people have started IF with me and I am also happy to say that 99% of them have stuck with it… I truly can’t believe it. That is how easy it is my friends. You just have to keep going. Sure there may be some days where you have a “longer window” or even “set fasting aside for the day” but you don’t fall off a wagon. There is no beating yourself up because tomorrow is a new fast. Now if you don’t mind I am off to make myself a black coffee and fast on.

I would love to hear from you if you have started IF or even if you have any questions or just need a pep talk. Feel free to message me on Facebook or even send me an email hello@misschardy.com

Welcome to the new healthy you! Hello 2021!!!