Well, I have been intermittent fasting for just over 13 weeks now. It honestly feels like I only just started. Actually it doesn’t really feel like anything because it is SO EASY! I honestly can’t believe how easy it has been. This is my new normal, it is just life and I couldn’t be happier. I have officially lost over 10kgs!!! If you missed my first post about how I got started and how you can too go back and read THIS post.
Now I haven’t lost the whole 10kgs through fasting, at the beginning of the year I was denying myself all of the yummy foods, I was on diet shakes, low carbs and basically struggling and miserable. I have lost 6.75kgs in the past 13 weeks through IF and I have never been happier.
I started sharing my intermittent fasting with my friend Ed on our Wild Spark podcast and she would laugh at me but it seems that there are many of you out there like me. I am so excited that so many of you have joined me with IF and are also having success and finding it super easy. I also love that people are tweaking it to suit them. One lady said that she was struggling with the evening eating window, her tummy hurt and she wasn’t sleeping properly. So she switched to a lunch time window and bam – she feels great. She loves that she can eat lunch with everyone when she is feeling hungry. It is all about making it work for you, that is what I love the most about IF – you adapt it to fit your life and you can still live your life – guilt free.
I used to think the only way I could drop the weight was limit what I was eating, deny myself all of the food and wine I love and jog everyday. I must say since starting IF I haven’t really exercised. If I do I go for a walk which I really enjoy because I WANT to not because I HAVE to. I have also ditched the buggy and walk everywhere on the station rather than driving back and forwards to the kitchen. So although I don’t really exercise as such I am very active everyday.
At the beginning of the year I had reached my all time personal best weight. I knew I needed to do something but I really couldn’t ever see myself getting back to what I used to be. For years I have said I would love to get back to 63kgs. But at the beginning of the year I was thinking 65kg might be a more attainable goal weight. So I went through all of those skinny clothes I had been holding onto and threw them all out – so many bags of skinny clothes went to Vinnies and one bag was saved for my skinny sister. Thankfully I never did send that bag of clothes to her because…. drum roll please – I now fit into them. There was this one pair of skinny jeans in that bag, they cost me an absolute fortune and I remember how good I used to feel in them but knew I would never fit into them again so was happy to send them to Tones (my sister). Well… sorry Tones… you are definitely not getting them because they fit me now!!! I can even tuck a top into them and actually need to wear a belt with them. Who even am I? Tucking tops in for goodness sake!!!!
I spent last week in town for a School of the Air week. Now normally after a week in town I would come home feeling fat, bloated and frumpy. But last week I continued with my fasting each day – opening my window in the afternoon and enjoying all of the food around dinner time. I even opened my window early one day so I could enjoy a lovely lunch out with my good friend Karen. That is what IF is all about – making it work in with your life and I sure as hell wasn’t going to say “no sorry Karen, I can’t meet you for lunch I am fasting”… no way known!!! But you know what els, I was definitely also going to eat dinner that day because I thought I would be starving by then… but I wasn’t so I didn’t eat dinner, I just had a lunch time window that day and then had a bit of an extended fast the next day – did my first 25 hour fast… and it was the easiest thing ever, I didn’t it without even realising. I kid you not!!! Now if you haven’t fasted before you are probably sitting there saying “nope, there is no way I could go without food for that long” but trust me, you totally can. Start small and ease in.
I started with 16:8, then eased into more of an 18:6, then a 19:5 and then onto a 20:4. These days I am sitting around the 19:5 or 18:6. Oh and guess what – after returning from my week in town I wasn’t going to get on the scales because I thought for sure I would have put on weight, but I did because going to town is all a part of life and so be it if I had put on weight, that is all a part of it and no guilt will be attached. So I jumped on the scales and was shocked to see that I had actually LOST WEIGHT during my week in town. I honestly couldn’t believe it. This is just SO EASY!!!
So in conclusion… I have definitely reached my original goal weight of 65kg. So my new goal was 63kg which I have met, now my new goal is 60kg. When I returned from town I was 61.75kg – seeing 61 on the scales is just so unbelievable but not really because I just know this is it for me now and this is how I will live my life. I can’t believe I am about to say this but I wouldn’t be surprised if I even crack into 50’s territory. I used to say my happy weight was 58kg but I never in a million years would have ever thought I could get back to that until now.
I know I am totally oversharing but who cares, I only tell you all of this because maybe it will inspire one person to give it a crack. One person who never thought they could ever do it and has tried every stupid diet under the sun – like me. But guess what – you CAN do it. Just one day at a time, no guilt, just start the clean fast and take it from there. Maybe try and fast until 10:30am, then the next day try for 11am… then before you know it you will be doing a 16:8, then maybe an 18:6. You can totally do this. Like I said at the beginning of this post, to find out all of the details of how I started read THIS post.
I have also noticed that I don’t crave all of the foods I used to. I see the tea cake sitting on the bench and I know I CAN eat it during my window if I want to, but I don’t usually really want it. I have started opening my window – or breaking my fast – with Blend 11. I heard Lisa Wilkinson recommend this on the You Beauty podcast. She said it helps keep her regular and she has been having it everyday for years. I ordered some online but then also found some at Pharmacy First in Mt Isa.
Their tagline is: “Best poos ever guaranteed” – um yes please… shut up and take my money! I definitely needed this in my life. I have struggled with constipation since I had my first child – nearly 16 years ago. So for the past week I have been having this in the afternoon with natural greek yogurt, blueberries and a granola, that I made myself. I made the granola using macadamia nuts, cashews, pistachios, shredded coconut, chai seeds, coconut oil and maple syrup – roast and store in a container. It is all so yummy mixed together. The blend 11 isn’t the yummiest of things without the granola but it all tastes so good together and I can confirm that I don’t not need my money back and their guarantee is safe. Best poos ever! Guaranteed!!!!!!
So there you have it – a pretty thorough update on how I have been going. I still can’t believe I have only been doing this for 13 weeks. Forget a quick fix my friends – they never work – join us for the long game and a new way of life with Intermittent Fasting.
Have you joined us already? I would love to hear from you. How are you going. What is your approach? Do you have an evening window or maybe a morning or lunch time window? How do you feel? I think my favourite thing is that I am not bloated anymore, it feels so good.
If you have any questions at all I would be more than happy to chat to you, feel free to email me hello@misschardy.com
Of course – remember I am definitely not a doctor and if you have any health concerns you should consult your doctor before dramatically changing anything in your life.
Thank you so much Dan. I’m into week 3 and struggling. Still on the 16/8 window I started with. I did have bad bronchitis which required antibiotics so that killed the clean fast but I still maintained the fast with exception of the medication. I’m not experiencing the increased energy levels that you mention which I was really hoping for. I’m hoping that now I’m all better things might get easier. I weighed myself at the 2 week mark and my weight was exactly the same to the gram as the day I started so that was disappointing. I keep hearing your words. “Trust the process”. I keep repeating this like a mantra.
I’m so happy it’s worked for you. Fingers crossed it works for me too. Thanks for writing this down. It is much appreciated xx
Hi Dan!
Wow I’m so impressed with your journey! I started 3 weeks ago and must admit things are fitting better but no change on the scales….where am I going wrong? Got it down to a 18:6 system but not seeing much change! I haven’t given up the milk in my cuppa, reckon that might be it? Or am I just eating too much haha
Thanks for taking us along for the journey and being so open! x
Sounds like you are doing well! If your clothes are fitting better something must be happening… sometimes the scales don’t tell the whole story – be sure to measure as well. I would definitely encourage you to try giving up the milk and try the true “clean fast” to see if that helps. 18:6 is fantastic, if you don’t see any changed maybe try and push to a 19:5 or 20:4 – you just need to keep tweaking until you figure out what works best for you and gives you results. I find I definitely eat too much if I have a longer window, it is like permission to eat all of the bad foods that I really probably shouldn’t. Let me know how you go. Heres to black coffee and a clean fast!
Awesome thanks so much- really appreciate your support!!
No worries, how did you go? Have you adopted the true clean fast and ditched the milk? Hope you are doing well.
I think you’ve inspired me!! I’ve looked up all your recommended resources and I’m listening to episode #2 right now. I’d love to fit into those skinny jeans I’m still holding on to!
I completed day one today, no sweat. Starting with 16:8.
Yay, I am so excited to hear this Fiona! Hold onto those jeans. I am now wearing skinny jeans with a belt and a shirt TUCKED IN – get out of town. They were in a bag to send to my sister, when I started I couldn’t even pull them over my thighs, now I am wearing them with a belt and a shirt tucked in – it is crazy! Feels so good. Stick with it and you will be in your skinny jeans in no time.
I was totally going to reply to our Facebook Messaging but this reminded me! I have been IF for about 2 weeks 19:5 and I’m finding it so easy! For years I have struggled and made promises to myself that I’d take action to control my weight but I have finally found something that works! And pretty much literally everyone that I talk to is either doing it, or has tried it successfully. I have lost 3kg already so very easy to keep going! Thanks Dan, you’ve got me inspired!
Go Dimity! That is so fantastic, I am just so excited for everyone who is joining the IF wagon – and having success! Good on you and yes – it is just so easy and do-able.
I started IT about 11 months ago. Last September I was 13 kg heavier than I am now. Every thing you mentioned in this post I totally can relate to. I was at an all time heaviest I had ever been last September on 68 kgs. Now I am between 52 and 55 kgs. I was so pleased to get back into skinny clothes and it feels fantastic to enjoy eating And drinking breakouts when I do without guilt. Totally relate to loosing weight when you actually think you would have gained it. Life is good. Spent years thinking it was impossible to ever loose weight but yes my story is the same as yours.
Kerry I just love hearing these stories. I have been feeling so unmotivated the past few days (and shoving ice cream and ice magic into my mouth like a crazy person – but guilt free) so these stories have really given me a lift and I think I am feeling some motivation return!!! I just love your story and it has given me hope for the first time in about 15 years that I reckon I really will crack back into the 50’s again. When I started my goal was 65kg, then it moved to 63kg, now it has moved to 60kg (and I am nearly there) but I reckon I could get to 58kg without even trying!!! It is just so easy and do-able. Thanks so much for your message and good on you – congratulations on your loss.
Hey it’s ok t tuck into the ie cream and and ice magic every now and then…just don’t make it a staple..lol. I never in my wildest dreams believed that I would ever be in the 50’s kg range again which I haven’t been since school days about a hundred years ago but it has happened to me now thanks to discovering IT. And once you get there you won’t want to go back so that becomes motivation in itself. Go girl! You got this!
Oh I just love hearing this Kerrie! Seriously. I had a couple of weeks feeling flat but I am back into the swing of things, It was because I was having longer fasts and they definitely don’t agree with me, I find the 20:4 approach works for me and I need to stick with it. You are doing so well and I am so excited for you.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I started after I read your first post about it & ive been going for about 5 weeks now. I’ve lost about 4.5kg so far, but overall I just feel really good & like you – I can’t believe how easy it is to stick to! I followed all of your list on what to do to get started, I’ve been listening to the podcasts & ive joined Gin’s Facebook group & ive been reading all the books. I love that there’s such good science behind it as it sounds like something ridiculous but it’s really not.
Jacquie I am so happy to hear from you and like I keep saying all of these comments just make me so happy. Well done to you – what an amazing effort!!!! You are totally smashing it. Yes it is just so easy and I am so excited you have found IF! Go you!!!
So 1 week in and 1 kg down. I’m still struggling with hunger in waves throughout the mornings though. When will this ease? When did you start to extend your fasts? Thanks so much for the inspiration 😊
So excited to hear this and WELL DONE TO YOU!!!! That is so wonderful!!! Now you really have only just started so just keep easing in. I probably started to extend my fasts after about the 2nd week, I started with 16:8 but definitely soon moved to 18:6 then 19:5 and now I find my sweet spot is a 20:4 approach. But also don’t forget that everyone is very different. Do you drink coffee? Are you doing the clean fast? I find coffee definitely helped me esp in the earlier weeks. When I would feel hungry I would have a black coffee or a tea and keep busy! I got so much done, ha ha ha. Remember what Gin Stephens says – “Hunger is not an emergency”. Happy fasting!!!
I had success with the 5:2 diet, losing 13kg over 7months & it is a lifestyle 6 years on. So basically I clean fast for 18hrs (for medicinal benefits) then have a huge salad full of greens, tomatoes, carrot, celery, capsi, cauliflower some avo, basically any veg excluding the starchy ones like spuds, so as to keep the calories down. So no starchy carbs like rice/pasta either, and then a portion of salmon. A small amount of olive oil/apple cider vinegar/lemon juice/cumin seed dressing with the salad. The idea is to have a total of 500 calories twice a week, so I keep those calories as pure unprocessed foods. Any cravings I tell myself I can have tomorrow, but next day I feel so good I’m craving healthy food. My bowels work better, the bloating settles down, more alert, more energy, joints are better & the list goes on. High cholesterol is my main issue but that reduced only slightly, probably ‘cos mine is familial & not dietary. I find it is so easy to stick to ‘cos I don’t have to spend tedious hrs planning menus like other diets. When you don’t eat, there’s nothing to plan. Easy!
Well done Lindy and so great to hear it is your lifestyle 6 years on. I love this!!! Just so much easier than everything else we have tried in the past. I am so glad you have had success.
Very glad you are having wonderful success. I must say your story has spurred me on to try & lose the remaining 10kg which will take a bit more effort. I plateaued at 13kg loss & stayed put. I do have weeks where comfort eating (chocky- far too much, & cake) take over during stressful times & moments of weakness, & 5:2 goes out the window, but you’ve inspired me again. Thankyou, all the best on reaching your goal, & love your posts.