Are You an IFer?

I posted the following on my personal Facebook page on Monday and wanted to share with you all here. Here's what I posted:

So, you may have noticed that I've been posting about Intermittent Fasting. There's a reason for this. I have struggled with my weight most of my life. I've been on just about every diet known to mankind. I've done extremes and I've been all or nothing the entire time. I've had great successes, but they always end in failure. I once ate so extreme that I created an issue with food allergies in my body (I don't know for sure if that's why it happened, but it makes sense to me). I finally took some time off of worrying about my weight and what others thought of me. I took almost 2 years off....it wasn't a fun ride, but I can tell you I actually found myself during that time and decided that I would let my body tell me what I needed to do.

I have fasted in the past and actually enjoyed it. After taking so much time off I decided to get back on track. I knew that I didn't want to focus on WHAT I ate. I wanted to focus on WHEN I ate. There is so much appeal to not worrying so much about what to eat. Of course my choices will make a difference in my overall health and I know this.

I can't tell you how much better I feel. Cravings are GONE. Energy is UP. I'm HAPPIER. I feel more in CONTROL with food. It's been 3 weeks and I'm happy with the way the scale is going. Fasting is one of the easiest things you can do and it's FREE!!!

I do pay close attention to my nutrition/vitamin intake and yes, I still take Thrive every single day. I have for 8 years. My body craves those nutrients and the pre/probiotics really help my digestion and immunity. Not to mention there's nothing simpler out there that does this much for your body.

As I continue on this journey I will be sharing things that I learn and information on fasting. If you are a women around my age...this is the ticket to feeling like your old self.

CLEAN FASTING is imperative during your fast. The only thing I consume is water, black coffee, and green or black tea. Gin Stephens explains in Delay Don't Deny what happens when you consume anything that is sweet (even sugar free stuff). Your insulin doesn't know the difference. Think stored fat on your body...

I started slow with my fasting routine (which is a good way to go for anyone starting). I worked myself up to 20:4, which means I fast for 20 hours and eat for 4. This was a bit too much for me so now I've settled with 19:5. I'm loving it! There are several books I've read over the years that have helped me a lot. They are:

Delay Don't Deny

Fast Feast Repeat

The Obesity Code

The Fast-5 Diet

I have several friends on here who are IFers too (yay)! If you are interested in getting started I'm here to chat. I would like to use this Health Coaching certification I have in one way or another. Again, it costs nothing and you pretty much eat what you want. Here are a few works from The Fast-5 Diet that will hopefully explain a bit more about the philosophy behind intermittent fasting:

"During the Active Loss step, you eat what you want in the five-hour period after you break-fast. Is this license to eat candy and ice cream for dinner every night? No, but doing that once in a while is not a problem. The unlimited variety and flexibility of personal choices within the Fast-5 diet make it a diet you can maintain indefinitely."

I'm looking forward to celebrating my 50th birthday in July in the best shape and health I've ever been in. I also plan to continue this lifestyle indefinitely. It makes sense to me and I feel so much better than I did a month ago it's not even funny.

Just felt like explaining a bit more as I've heard the "you're starving yourself" words before...

If what you read is intriguing to you and you want to know more let's be friends on FB if we aren't already! And if you are already an IFer let's chat. By no means am I an expert, but I love surrounding myself with positive people on a similar journey. Here's where you can find me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/CheyenneGladeWilson/

Together we can do more. Let's do this!