For those new here! Welcome! For those of you who followed along on my 40 Day Intermittent Fasting earlier this year (begin in January)…I owe you a recap and an update from the past 2 months! For those just joining, read below…for those that followed along before, you may want to jump in after the second photo below, where I share about life after that 40 days and the time since then staying at home! Glad you’re here and let's get talking…
What Motivated A Health Change?
I think before starting any lifestyle change, you’ve got to ask yourself why you’re doing it. If it’s a diet for others, or is motivated simply by the pounds on the scale, I think you can quickly find yourself discouraged and quit, or easily find yourself on a slippery slope of unhealthy obsessions. So, while I’m fully transparent with you about the pounds on my body and therefore the number on my scale, please be reminded that the number is not what it’s all about. Again, healthy is the new skinny! That said, last fall I found myself weighing in and fluctuating around 175-180. The same weight I was just nine months before, when I was 9 months pregnant with baby B. But even more important than that, I found myself once again in a place where my health was in choas! I was extremely sluggish and tired. My thyroid was acting up again, and my PCOS symptoms were out of control. None of my clothes fit, my self esteem was suffering and for the first time in my life I crossed over to ‘obese’ on the BMI scale. And all of these factors are what motivated me to get serious about making some major lifestyle changes. I once again gave up dairy, (which always clears up my eczema), made better choices at home and the grocery store…more leafy greens, less processed foods. And over a couple months lost about 5 pounds and found myself fluctuating around 170-175lbs. Not bad for some minor changes, but frankly, I still wasn’t feeling good health wise. And my PCOS symptoms were still running a muck. That’s when just before Christmas I started seriously considering intermittent fasting.
Why Intermittent Fasting?
For me, the decision came from a lot more than just “losing weight”. While I’m clearly no doctor or expert, and I hands down don’t believe in one size fits all diagnosing, after speaking with my doctors and doing my own research I found the following very compelling…and before you make any diet or lifestyle changes yourself, I encourage you to also partner with your doctor and do your own research. Here’s what I found: Fasting can reduce inflammation (hello PCOS), improve digestion, reduce bloating, lower sugar cravings and result in better sleep. ALL things I desperately need in my life! Fasting can also improve blood sugar control, which could be especially useful for those at risk of diabetes (hello PCOS!). Decreasing insulin resistance can increase your body’s sensitivity to insulin, allowing it to transport glucose from your bloodstream to your cells more efficiently. Which in return causes our bodies to tap into fat stores for energy. This fuels fat loss, specifically in the abdomen (hello PCOS!) and around major organs. Low insulin levels also improve mental clarity! And lastly, what I found most compelling, is that fasting promotes autophagy. Autophagy is an important process for cellular and tissue rejuvenation and prevention or delay of neurodegenerative diseases. After losing my mom to cancer, it was a no brainer for me to consider something that could possibly alter my genetic course.
So after weighing all of this, and finding myself once again in a place where my PCOS and health was in chaos, I felt motivated and encouraged to give intermittent fasting a go for a 40 day trial.
Why The 40 Day Challenge?
The real reason 40 days was decided on is because simply put, at least for me, it takes my mind and my body 30 days to really adjust to new changes and routines. In the past when taking things out of my diet to see effects….dairy being the most beneficial for me…30 days is typically the turning point of “is this working”, “are there positive benefits?”. Sometimes that first month the changes are minor, and for me it’s the 3 month mark when I really start to see the true, can’t-be-denied effects. So for us, 40 days seemed like a good place to start. Enough time to really give it a good try, and 40 days seemed like a fair and realistic goal. Setting too long of a “restriction” and I easily get discouraged or quit. 40 days is my personal sweet spot!
Fasting Windows, What We Ate & What We Learned
When it comes to intermittent fasting, there’s a lot of discretion on what fasting windows are best and how to fast. Some people change their windows daily…some people fast for entire days throughout the week…and some people stick to strict “windows” of time. I chose the latter, mainly because that’s what worked best for me, my family and our schedules.
WEEK 1 :
Michelle Fasted from 6pm-10am (16 hour fast), Brian Fasted from 6pm-8am (14 hour fast)
Ate whatever and whenever…obviously trying to make healthy choices, but not putting any restrictions on our food other than not eating during fasting time.
WEEK 2 :
Both Fasted from 5pm-9am (16 hour fast)
I ate normally throughout the day, then made dinner and ate with the kids around 4:30/5. By eating dinner before Brian got home from work, it took the added pressure and stress of having to cook a late night dinner (or let’s be real, the bad habit of late night takeout) off the table.
Brian chose to eat all his meals at work in order to stick to his windows. He took normal breakfasts and lunches (he brought a lunch box vs. eating out) and then “drank” his dinner by 5pm at work. For a long time he had wanted to try Ka-chava - essentially it’s a meal replacement shake that’s touted as a “blend of organic superfoods and plant based protein. He really enjoyed the taste and he ended up going with this for his weeknight meals throughout our challenge and beyond. During the weekends, he would skip the shake and partake in dinner with me and the kids around 4/5pm. Another hidden benefit of this timeline is that family meal time during the weekends became a lot more enjoyable and fun!
For Family Meals : We loved making this Sheet Pan Salmon & Sheet Pan Fajitas. And this was the week I started making healthy swaps, like lettuce wraps over tortillas!
Other things to note with Week 2 : I came to terms with the fact that I’m An Emotional Eater and for the first time in my life, I understood what Inflammation was really like for me living with PCOS! I found myself Craving Healthy Foods and How A No Spend Month Gave Me Permission To Say No To Bad Food Choices.
You can read all about those details in this post here.
WEEK 3 :
Fasted from 5pm-9am (16 hour fast)
I don’t want to say Week 3 was hard, per-say…if anything I was extra motivated during my eating window to fuel my body with healthy, satisfying foods and continued eating what felt good vs what ‘sounded’ good - hello Rosemary Lemon Chicken and Three Ingredient Guacamole! But the “newness” of intermittent fasting wore off a bit and for whatever reason, some of those late night mental cravings crept back in. Truth be told, I think they were driven hormonally as well. And come 8 pm, alllllllllll I could think about was a Cheeseburger and Fries. Which is a little weird considering I had given up red meat prior to being pregnant with baby #3. Now, to clarify, in no way did I limit myself from eating any specific foods, so any time at night (or during my fasting time), I’d promise myself I could have it as soon as my eating window began. In this case, late night cravings…hold off, but I could eat that burger & fries the next day. Well, low and behold, by the next morning, I didn’t crave, want or need that burger & fries. After a few days of this mental ping pong of emotions, I frankly got really frustrated. It was starting to drive me bananas and I honestly was tired of a burger consuming my evening thoughts. So, I did what felt right and Brian and I planned for a late night (at home) date night. We planned for Friday night to get the kiddos off to bed, then cook together and indulge in our cravings. Brian made a frozen Pizza and salad, and me, motivated by our No Spend Month Challenge, decided to forgo my favorite take out burger and also opted not to run to the grocery store again (I’ve committed to once a week grocery shopping for our No Spend as well as no take-out/restaurants)…so, I made myself a black bean burger with feta cheese and chose a lettuce wrap instead of a bun (mainly because those were the ingredients I had on hand). I also roasted a sweet potato to satisfy my fries craving. And you know what?! IT WAS SO GOOD AND SO SATISFYING!!! And by giving ourselves one night off from fasting, while also making some healthy compromises ~ hello made-from-scratch black bean burger!…those pesky late night cravings ceased. Again, this is where I think moderation, being intentional, and at times giving yourself a break, can help motivate you to continue making progress.
Other things I shared : The Real Risk & Concern of Intermittent Fasting, The Shocking Thing All Women Need To Know, and The Surprise I Got At My Doctors Appointment. You can read all those details in this post here.
WEEK 4 :
Fasted from 5pm-9am (16 hour fast), with a few 18 hour fasts mixed in (fast from 5pm-11am). The 18 hour fasts were done pretty much organically…had a few busy mornings (hello parenthood) and surprisingly extending the fast never felt hard. Again, during my eating windows, I ate what felt good, eating when hungry and stopping when full. It’s amazing how in Week 4, after losing a lot of inflammation (hello PCOS), I was fully aware of the cues of my body!
In Week 4 I also shared how all the Details On Our Coffee Consumption…Did We Drink It? Black Only? and I also discussed how The Longer I Did This, The More I Crave Healthy Foods. And How a No-Spend Month Gave Me Permission To Say No To Bad Choices + Surprisingly Gave Me More Free Time. You can read all of that here.
40 Day Challenge The Results:
After 40 days…and just shy of 6 weeks, I lost a total of 18 lbs, weighing in at 152. And Brian lost a total of 19 lbs! Isn’t that just bananas?! And while losing more than 1 lb a week is absolutely not advised for healthy weight loss, I’ll acknowledge that the majority of this stemmed from water weight and excessive bloat. Again, one of the many challenges that face those with PCOS. And like I shared in previous weeks and want to emphasize again, while I’m fully transparent with you about the pounds on my body and therefore the number on my scale, please be reminded that the number is not what it’s all about. Again, healthy is the new skinny! And positive change for mind, body and spirit is what the real goal is. Everyone’s body is different, and therefore results will vary. Have pride in your journey, celebrate the victories and give yourself grace during the challenges. If you want to see individual weeks weight loss totals, you can see those here : WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4
Also to note, while we chose specific window times for our 40 day challenge…we also decided we’d be flexible should something arise. Our kids bring us breakfast in bed…of course we’re not going to decline because “mommy & daddy are fasting”…and when things did arise, we pushed back our windows accordingly ~ but truth be told, rarely needed to during our 40 days. (Disclaimer : In case it’s not obviously clear, our children absolutely never fasted with us or were committed to our fasting windows. Their eating schedules and snack times stayed the same.)
What Was Week 1 Really Like? And the teas & vitamins i now use daily!
The first three days were hands down the hardest. Truth be told, Brian and I had gotten so accustomed to eating late night dinners…hello takeout!… that those first three nights were extremely hard mentally. I had gotten so accustomed to eating dinner after 9pm, that by 9:30, all I could think about was food. To combat the ‘mental hunger’, I invested in some great decaffeinated herbal teas that I could sip throughout the evenings. (And I stuck with this routine for the entire challenge, it was so helpful and I think really contributed to my overall health!) Each evening I alternated between different ones with these being some of my favorites (I also, just picked up good looking ones from my grocery store) : I loved this one to help with water weight (but note use very sparingly). This lemon everyday detox tea. And this, my all time favorite nightime lavender tea. These were a life saver and something I’m permanently implementing. Also to note: supposedly, you can consume under 50 calories during your fasting window without breaking your fast. So, for me, a glass or two of tea at night and coffee in the morning works with that. In addition to that, I also put vitamins back into my daily diet. Last fall I found this multivitamin brand and love how easy they are to consume…gotta love gummies! Don’t love the sugar content, BUT at least I know take these daily, so for me worth the trade off. I also added their probiotic vitamin to the mix and have learned that a daily Probiotic is key for my body to actually absorb the nutrients I am consuming. And after doing a lot more PCOS research, I found some compelling information about Myo-inositol. And while I am not trying to get pregnant, found this supplement (which other PCOSers seem to rave about it because in addition to myo-inositol it also contains 100% daily value of vitamin B12)… and again, while I’m no doctor, I can now (after 3 months of use, say I’m a big believer in the benefits that Myo-Inositol is giving to my physical, mental and cycle health!!!
What Happened After Our 40 Day Challenge?
So we wrapped our 40 Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge around mid-February and the next few weeks kept to our schedules, however did allow some takeout dinners to make their way back into our life. We both lost another 5lbs each during that time and were about to make some more healthy changes when all the Pandemic things started to hit…around mid-March. And like all of you, that changed a lot of what “normal” life had looked like.
Have We Stuck With Intermittent Fasting During Stay At Home?
So, the last 60 days have frankly been a bit of a blur. We have our health and that is most important and for that we’re grateful!!! Very early on, my grocery store routine (as was for everyone) was understandably very different from before. Way more processed (boxed and canned goods) made their way into our pantry in addition to a lot more pasta than we typically consume. (If I’m confessing up here : I had a month long love affair with oreos and cheeto puffs). But, early on, I made the conscious decision that absolutely none of this would be an unnecessary stress! If we could stick with fasting great! If not, no big deal! I think like so many, it was about adapting and making the best out of a situation. I continued to commit to myself and my family that I would feed us the healthiest food available. And as, most if not all of you have also learned, is that availability and income have absolutely affected some of those choices. So…some weeks were healthier than others. Some weeks we kept to our fasting windows…some not at all. We both gained about 3-5 pounds back…it fluctuates from week to week, and truth most weeks we don’t weigh in. BUT for the most part we’ve maintained! And I think that’s what’s been important during this time. Now, am I feeling as good as I was in February / Early March? NO! And therefore why, I think I’m ready to get back to healthy again, and really be intentional on what it is I’m putting in my body! But more on that next week :)
The BIZARRE and Weird And wonderful Correlation I’ve Personally Found Between My Garden & My Body
The past 2 months, I’ve been humbled, grateful and inspired by the community I have on Instagram. If you’re new here or have yet to join me over there, we’ve been growing together. Mainly gardens, sharing and learning, and really just having a lot of fun! I think what I’ve learned through fasting (and I’m sure there’s still so much more to learn) is that by fasting regularly and really giving my body a break from processing food and more intake, it allows my body to REST! Catch UP! Just BE! And being hands on in gardening all of that makes a lot of since to me. As I’ve gotten older my body is combating a lot more things. Health issues, PCOS, an aging system, a mental capacity that is always going at full speed, in parenthood, life and work. A constant mental game of balance, and stress and if I really stop and think about it, that’s a whole lot for me to expect my body to do. Especially on a 24/7 basis. By fasting, I’m taking a major task off my body’s plate. By not having to digest, process and organize food for a 16 - 18 hour period, my body is given the time and space it needs to catch up, rest, nourish and frankly just be at peace!
For me that has meant more energy (no more naps needed)…better mental clarity and creativity. Hormone levels have leveled out and stay more consistent. My blood pressure is no longer considered HIGH!!! My stress levels are down. I’m happier, I’m more at peace!
The thing I’m constantly witnessing in my garden is that when I give it enough time, space and healthy nutrition, my garden thrives!!!
So, why on earth would I not give that same thought, grace and love to my own body and mental health?!
For me this has been one of the greatest Ah-Ha moments that my garden and intermittent fasting has taught me! What I put in has a direct correlation with what I receive, and for me that has been the link I was missing for peace of Mind, Body & Spirit!
Like always, I’m so grateful that you’re here! Wishing you all good health and good days!!! Love, Michelle