If I could go back in time to to March 2020, I do not think that my old self would recognize me as I am now. Back then I felt slow and tired every single day. I thought this was normal for someone who has a family with 2 young children and a full-time job. I would commute to work (2.5 hours round trip), come home after a long day, eat dinner, play with the kids, help put them to bed. On some days, I would go to bed almost at the same time as the kids due to exhaustion. I also suffered from migraines 2-3 times each week.
All of this changed about 6 months ago. I went for my annual check-up and found out that I had high cholesterol (about 3 times higher than normal). This came as a shock. My doctor recommended more exercise. The interesting thing was that I was exercising a lot more during the shutdown but I actually felt worse and gained weight in the process.
Then I began researching ways to lower my cholesterol and found a lecture by Dr. Jason Fung who was giving a lecture on intermittent fasting. He mainly focused on the benefits for people with type 2 diabetes and how in many cases, his patients were able to lose a ton of weight and come off their medications in a matter of months and essentially be cured of their diabetes.
I found this intriguing so
I started doing what is known as the 16/8 fast. This is where you eat all of your meals in an 8 hour window and fast for 16 hours each day. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was easier than I thought. My wife told me afterward, that she knew I could do it because when I set my mind on something I fully commit to it.
Over the next 3-4 months I continued this fasting routine and began to see dramatic changes. First, I noticed that I had more energy during the day and at night. I also found that my focus and concentration were greatly improved at work. I didn’t feel exhausted at the end of the day which helped me be present with the family at night. Also, my migraines disappeared (I haven’t had one migraine in the past 6 months).
Of course I lost weight, a lot of weight. In May 2021 I was close to 200 pounds. A year later in May 2022, I am down to 150 pounds (basically my high school weight). I was no longer slow and tired. I now felt “lean and mean”. All of this combined has led me to have a confidence that I never knew that I would ever have.
This transformation has provided me with a new lease on life, one that I did not know I needed. While it’s been great so far, I know that this is just the beginning. Things that I never thought I could do before, now seem within reach. I’m not afraid to try new things that I’ve never attempted or even imagined (like web development). This is the exciting part, thinking about the possibilities ahead!