I started intermittent fasting in June of 2019, working my way up gradually from 16 hours fasts to one meal a day (OMAD). I lost 35 lbs in the first six months and 45 overall. It’s been extremely easy to maintain both my new weight and the lifestyle. My body adjusted so I rarely experience hunger pangs outside of my usual mealtime.

I eat whatever and as much as I want during my eating window. I rarely want “junk” because I feel better when I eat healthy whole foods, but absolutely nothing is off the table. I can also be flexible with timing to accommodate a normal social life. Casual friends don’t even know I’m an intermittent faster.

My relationship with food is excellent now. I don’t experience guilt or deprivation. The amount of time I experience the sensation of hunger is dramatically less than when I was eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day. Food no longer rules my day and I save time, labor and money by not having to eat all day long.

I want from a size 12 to a 4. The best part is I did all this as a middle-aged menopausal woman with hypothyroidism and spinal nerve damage that precludes intense exercise. My thyroid medicine was cut in half, my rheumatoid arthritis symptoms disappeared, my wicked hypoglycemic episodes stopped.

I know this lifestyle doesn’t work for everyone and is not a panacea. But it has changed my life and health for the better in more ways than I can count.