Tell us a little about yourself and why you decided to make a change to your health?
Hello, My name is Tony and I just turned 48 years old. My biggest reasons for making a change is of course my physical health, my mental health, and my family. My whole life I have been fairly active participating in fitness and have trained in Judo for the last 15 years. I have been overweight all of my life and always hid in loose type clothing. I have always been uncomfortable in my own skin and since discovering intermittent fasting my life has changed for the better!
What goals did you achieve since adding fasting into your life?
I built a home gym in my garage during 2020 and lifted weights for a year to get in shape again during the pandemic. During that year I became strong, but again I still carried a bit of excess weight that I could not get rid of. I had tried almost every program I could find out there and even had a personal trainer, but it seems I was just throwing my money away.
Then I discovered Intermittent fasting but thought, “there is no was I can go without eating.” But low and behold I gave it a shot and have been doing it consistently this last year. During this last year my body changed like into something I had always envisioned and my fitness goals were becoming a reality!
Top 3 recommendations:
1. Start with a base fasting time frame such as 16:8 and allow your body to adjust. Then slowly build up if you choose to fast longer periods.
2. Get yourself an app on your phone so you can set reminders of when to start fasting and when to stop, track water intake, your weight, measurements, etc.
3. Only weigh yourself periodically. The body weight loss vs fat loss is a big difference. The scale can be very deceiving if you allow it. The best tool I had in recognizing the difference was taking pics all throughout my journey, pictures tell the story. Also measurements if you want to be more detailed. These are the best references I could share regarding non scale victories.
What is your favorite healthy food to eat? What is the recipe?
My favorite food typically is shrimp and vegetables and steak with veggies. My ultimate meal goals are high protein and low carb dishes. How did you manage to integrate this healthy lifestyle into your life?
Honestly intermittent fasting is the most simple lifestyle I’ve ever integrated and enjoy it so much.
The simplicity of preparing my lunches are favorable as I use my my air fryer and takes about 15 minutes each evening. Plus the fact that I’m consuming so much less food means the less money I spend and food I need to prepare. What motivates you to continue with this lifestyle?
What motivates me to continue is how amazing I feel. I have never felt so good in all my years. What motivates me to continue is my family and being here healthy enjoying life, and setting good examples regarding fitness and healthy eating habits.
What is your best piece of advice for those just starting to fast?
My best piece of advice is to be consistent and do not give up. You have to retrain your mindset and be able to overcome sudden cravings and impulses. Also patience. Intermittent is a lifelong way of eating and being healthy. Treat it as a marathon and enjoy the process
Anything else you would like to share?
I would just like to share that I know many can relate to trauma we have suffered for years of being overweight and uncomfortable in our own skin. Let me just remind you that intermittent fasting is a cure all medicine, and cures your body decreasing prescribed medicines and illness. But also remember, it cures us mentally in giving us back the hope, and confidence in being able to do anything we choose to do because we are healthy able bodied human beings.
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