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.