I have struggled with weight and hunger issues since childhood. I always believed that there was something wrong with my body, or that I had a “slow metabolism,” or I was just “big-boned.” Although I didn’t like being overweight, I never felt there was much I could do about it. I could never stick to any kind of diet without giving into my voracious appetite.
My senior year of high school I hit my heaviest weight of 230+ pounds and was a very uncomfortable size 20. At that point, I figured I was destined to be obese my whole life and learned to live with it. Fortunately, I discovered intermittent fasting (IF) purely by accident, which allowed me to lose weight, but kept me feeling ashamed of my eating. That unnecessary shame spiraled me into years of searching for the “perfect diet” that would cure my overwhelming hunger and keep my weight down.
I finally rediscovered IF in my late 30’s, but had to overcome numerous physical and mental barriers before I could successfully implement it. After researching and learning about the various biological processes that contribute to weight gain and hunger, I developed a simple process for adapting IF into my personal lifestyle, without sacrificing my personal values.
I also began challenging the long-held beliefs I had around food, culture, and body image that were keeping me stuck physically and mentally Once IF and asking myself “What IF?” became a normal part of my daily routine, my life improved exponentially!
I hope that by sharing my story, I can help others discover the power of IF and shifting our mindset. Never in a thousand years did I think that I would be writing a diet book, but I am so incredibly passionate about IF and mindset, that I knew I had to do my small part to get the word out. Asking myself “What IF?” and adopting an intermittent fasting lifestyle has changed my life completely, and I know that it can change yours for the better too.
At my heaviest in Summer 1999…230+ pounds and a size 20 
May 2000 after discovering IF by accident and practicing it secretly for several months. 185lbs, size 12/14, and clear skin. Still low on confidence though. 
December 2000 in college. I had started exercising and toning up by this point, but after one semester of eating “regularly” my skin started flaring up and it got harder to maintain my weight loss. 170lbs and a size 8/10 
Summer of 2000, I’d gained the “Freshman 15” and was (clearly) miserable. My skin was inflamed and my confidence plummeted. I honestly don’t know how much I weighed, but I remember starting the Atkins diet around this time. 
Spring 2001, 135lbs and a size 6. I ate like a trucker on the Volumetrics diet, but was successful in keeping my weight down. Although I was also running several miles and weightlifting daily, as well as working part-time. My skin was still inflamed, but improved. 
2004 during my second round of “IF’ing in error.” I was a happy 140lbs and a size 6 with glowing skin! My new job as a kennel technician required me start work at 6am, so it was easy to skip breakfast without anyone noticing. I was also not exercising madly like I used to, although my job kept me very active.