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This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack
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This Simple, Effective Ab Workout Will Shred Your Six-Pack

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'I Blended Keto And Intermittent Fasting And Lost 33kg'

'I Blended Keto And Intermittent Fasting And Lost 33kg'

'Portion Control Helped Me Lose 54kg In 11 Months'

'Portion Control Helped Me Lose 54kg In 11 Months'

'The Eating And Exercise Regime That Helped Me Lose 10.25kg And 8.2% Body Fat In 8 Weeks'

'The Eating And Exercise Regime That Helped Me Lose 10.25kg And 8.2% Body Fat In 8 Weeks'

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'The Keto Diet And Intermittent Fasting Helped Me Lose 40kgs In A Year'

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‘This Simple Strategy Helped Me Lose 34kg And Maintain It For 7 Years’

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7 Women Reveal Exactly What They Ate to Lose 25+ Kilos

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'I Tried Alternate Day Fasting And Lost 48kg In A Year'

"Intermittent fasting was a*lot* easier than I thought it would be." - by Emily Shiffer
  • 18 Oct 2019
'I Tried Alternate Day Fasting And Lost 48kg In A Year'
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My name is Rachel Sharp. I am 26 years old and am the mortgage operations assistant at a local Credit Union. I finally found a weight-loss strategy that works for me and dropped over 48kg in a year.

I had been overweight ever since I was a little girl. I was badly bullied for it all through school. My weight made me shy and prevented me from making friends. I lacked confidence and self-esteem.

After graduating from high school, I tried multiple methods to lose weight. I counted calories, I worked out, and at one point I was even on a prescription weight-loss pill from my doctor. It was frustrating and sank me deep into depression. I was also in an abusive relationship from the ages of 18 to 21. After that relationship ended badly, I felt even more lost than ever, and the weight seemed to pile on even more. Before I knew it, I was at my heaviest: 107kg.

My turning point came two years ago, when my new boyfriend (and now fiancé!) and I went on a short hike.

It was only two km long, but I could barely keep up even a km in. My feet hurt, my knees ached, and I was struggling to breathe. It was embarrassing, and I was so ashamed of myself. Something had to change.

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"So do you tuck? (Asking if I TUCKED in something I assuredly don't have) "She has an okay face but her body is... 😬" "You're so worried about your stomach, I hope it explodes!" "She is like a 6 out of 10" . These hurtful comments make me want to cry. They are the ones that stand out in my mind more vividly than the rest. They are all comments about me and to me about my body or the way I looked. I never understand why people can be so hurtful and judgmental to someone they hardly know, or even someone they know really well. I try to let these things go, they happened YEARS ago, but it seems like everything comes full circle and I seem to remember how awful these people were to me... Be kind and smile to a stranger today. Tell someone you like their hair or their outfit. Ask them about their day and ACTUAL listen. You never know what kind of day someone may be having and your kindness may turn it around. ❤️ . SW: 236 CW: fluctuating between 137-142 HT: 5'4 Add me on Snapchat 👻 : Rachellynn1993 Follow my weight loss journey on YouTube 🎥. Link in the bio! Recipe blog? 🥘 Link in the bio! WEBSITE?! 💻 Link in my bio!! . . #throwbackthursday #Beforeandduring #findingselflove #loveyourself #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthy #happy #doingthisforme #intermittentfasting #alternatedayfasting #ADF #IF #fasting #fitnessmotivation #fitspo #fitnessinspiration #lifestylechange #weightlossjourney #naturalweightloss #weightloss #weightlossmotivation #dedication #bodytransformation #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #fitnesstransformation #fattofit #100poundsdown

That’s when I sought out more info about intermittent fasting.

My boyfriend was doing the 16:8 method for his own health reasons, and we had briefly talked about it. I was sceptical at first. But after finding an inspiring first-person article by someone who had success using intermittent fasting, I figured maybe it might work for me.

The woman whose article interested me followed the 4:3 method of alternate-day fasting, where she fasts for three days and eats for four, along with counting calories. It was then (on September 5th, 2017) that I decided while munching on a snack of mixed nuts that I would commit to IF.

RELATED: Intermittent Fasting Is Most Likely to Benefit These 5 Types of People

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There is a 2 year difference between these two pictures. 108 pounds, 8 dress sizes, a lot of sweat, a lot of tears, and a lot of willpower. But I did it and I did it for me. . . #transformationtuesday . . SW: 236 CW: fluctuating between 137-142 Add me on Snapchat 👻 : Rachellynn1993 Follow my weight loss journey on YouTube 🎥. Link in the bio! Recipe blog? 🥘 Link in the bio! WEBSITE?! 💻 Link in my bio!! . #beforeandduring #findingselflove #loveyourself #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthy #happy #doingthisforme #intermittentfasting #alternatedayfasting #ADF #IF #fasting #fitnessmotivation #fitspo #fitnessinspiration #lifestylechange #weightlossjourney #naturalweightloss #weightloss #weightlossmotivation #dedication #bodytransformation #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #fitnesstransformation #fattofit #100poundsdown

I decided to start my own method of complete intermittent, alternate-day fasting (ADF), where I would go every other day (or 36 to 40 hours) without eating, also counting my calories as I went.

When I first started ADF I calculated what my calorie needs would be for my body using a total daily energy expenditure calculator. During my first week of fasting, I allowed myself up to 500 calories on my fasting day to wean myself into going 40 hours without food. In reality, I didn’t change much of what I was eating, besides just watching the number calories I was taking in. The second week of fasting, I was able to go the whole fasting day without intaking any calories. Intermittent fasting was a *lot* easier than I thought it would be.

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Listen... I'm not gonna tell you that I don't still see flaws in the girl on the right, but what I can tell you, is it's the first picture of a half dozen I took trying to find the right angle. I guess I'm trying to teach myself not to care anymore because I've come a long way from the girl on the left and I need to start being proud of who she has become 👸🏻 . . SW: 236 CW: fluctuating between 137-144 Add me on Snapchat 👻 : Rachellynn1993 Follow my weight loss journey on YouTube 🎥. Link in the bio! Recipe blog? 🥘 Link in the bio! WEBSITE?! 💻 Link in my bio!! . #beforeandduring #endomorph #findingselflove #loveyourself #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthy #happy #doingthisforme #intermittentfasting #alternatedayfasting #ADF #IF #fasting #fitnessmotivation #fitspo #fitnessinspiration #lifestylechange #weightlossjourney #naturalweightloss #weightloss #weightlossmotivation #dedication #bodytransformation #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #fitnesstransformation #fattofit #100poundsdown

Once I got used to this eating schedule, I started swapping out less nutritious meals for healthier options.

For example, I changed little things, like my 2 per cent milk to almond milk, or started measuring out my pasta per serving instead of just using the whole box. The small changes can really add up to a whole lot of success. Within my first month of ADF I lost 7.2kg. I was elated that I had finally found something that worked for me.

Here’s what I typically eat in a day now:

Breakfast: Overnight oats or banana oatmeal

Lunch: Cauliflower rice with lemon pepper shrimp or braised beef, or spinach with a sweet potato, hard-boiled egg and salsa

Snacks: Mixed nuts, or a protein bar, or I also make my own tortilla chips with high-fibre, low-carb Xtreme Wellness tortillas

Dinner: Two-ingredient dough pizzas or baked chicken with veggies

Dessert: Breyers Low-Carb Vanilla Ice Cream with cookie butter mixed in, or frozen fruit blended in a food processor (healthy sorbet!)

RELATED: The Eating Regime That Helped This Aussie Mum Achieve Her Dream Body

rachellsharp93 View Profile
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#transformationtuesday #weightlosstransformation . . SW: 236 CW: fluctuating between 137-144 Add me on Snapchat 👻 : Rachellynn1993 Follow my weight loss journey on YouTube 🎥. Link in the bio! Recipe blog? 🥘 Link in the bio! WEBSITE?! 💻 Link in my bio!! . #findingselflove #loveyourself #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthy #happy #doingthisforme #intermittentfasting #alternatedayfasting #ADF #IF #fasting #fitnessmotivation #fitspo #fitnessinspiration #lifestylechange #weightlossjourney #naturalweightloss #weightloss #weightlossmotivation #dedication #bodytransformation #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #fitnesstransformation #fattofit #100poundsdown

After seven months of intermittent fasting and down 28kg, I decided that I wanted to start adding physical activity into my life.

Before intermittent fasting, I never worked out. Now that I had lost some weight, I didn’t feel as heavy and thought I would actually be able to really push myself and help my body grow even stronger and healthier. I started using a couch-to-5k running app and took my time, not exactly following the program, but it helped tremendously. I went from hardly being able to jog for two minutes, to running for 20 to 28 minutes without stopping.

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Curse of the food bloat! I'm always so insecure after eating a meal. Poking and prodding at my stomach wishing for the bloat to go away after a delicious meal. I'm glad I'm finally able to listen to my body though and STOP when I'm full, knowing I don't need to eat to make myself miserable just to make it to the next meal. It's taken some time to get used to this though. This past week I haven't been the absolute best I could be after finding out my Dexa Scan results, but I plan on getting back on track this week! The purpose of this post is just to tell my insecure self that bloat happens. It doesn't mean I've gained back weight. It means I'm full and just had some BOMB homemade wings, sweet potato fries and pretzel bites. I just love food 😍 What's your favorite?! . Side note, I could pick apart every part of my body in this picture, but what's the point? Yesterday I was admiring my body in the mirror. I don't want to let go of that feeling today! . . #normalizenormalbodies #realbodies . . SW: 236 CW: fluctuating between 137-142 Add me on Snapchat 👻 : Rachellynn1993 Follow my weight loss journey on YouTube 🎥. Link in the bio! Recipe blog? 🥘 Link in the bio! WEBSITE?! 💻 Link in my bio!! . #findingselflove #loveyourself #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthy #happy #doingthisforme #intermittentfasting #alternatedayfasting #ADF #IF #fasting #fitnessmotivation #fitspo #fitnessinspiration #lifestylechange #weightlossjourney #naturalweightloss #weightloss #weightlossmotivation #dedication #bodytransformation #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #fitnesstransformation #fattofit #100poundsdown

Eventually, after a year of ADF, running every eat day, and losing 44.5kg, I also introduced weight lifting into my life with the help of my boyfriend. I worked my way up to my current exercise routine. I run on every fasting day and try to walk two miles on my breaks at work. I lift on the days I am not fasting. I’ve found this is the perfect balance for me.

So, I run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and weight lift on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. I rest on Sundays.

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I guess you can say there have been some changes since October... not a whole lot... but some 💪🏻💪🏻 . . SW: 236 CW: fluctuating between 137-144 Add me on Snapchat 👻 : Rachellynn1993 Follow my weight loss journey on YouTube 🎥. Link in the bio! Recipe blog? 🥘 Link in the bio! WEBSITE?! 💻 Link in my bio!! . #girlswholift #findingselflove #loveyourself #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthy #happy #doingthisforme #intermittentfasting #alternatedayfasting #ADF #IF #fasting #fitnessmotivation #fitspo #fitnessinspiration #lifestylechange #weightlossjourney #naturalweightloss #weightloss #weightlossmotivation #dedication #bodytransformation #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #fitnesstransformation #fattofit #100poundsdown

Whenever I feel discouraged or unmotivated, I remember why I started.

There have been times when I just wanted to give up and not care anymore. IF is not easy; it takes time and patience. Going without eating can be difficult. But it has had so many more health benefits for me other than weight loss.

I've also found that if I am busy on my fasting days, I am much more likely to stick with it. But if you need to, you can eat up to 500 calories without it disrupting anything. You have listen to the signs of your body. But if it nags at you, just eat. It’s definitely okay.

rachellsharp93 View Profile
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#transformationtuesday I haven't posted a comparison in a while, so expect a double dosage of my progress. I haven't felt the best about myself the past couple of days. It's been mentally exhausting and frustrating that I can't jump over this mental hurdle. So I figured, a couple of comparisons may help me realize and recognize the amount I've changed in the past two years. September 5th will mark my 2 years of a healthier lifestyle and I'm so glad I finally made the choice to change my life for the better. I have been able to experience so much more than I ever imagined. I have Intermittent Fasting to thank for that. . . SW: 236 CW: fluctuating between 137-144 Add me on Snapchat 👻 : Rachellynn1993 Follow my weight loss journey on YouTube 🎥. Link in the bio! Recipe blog? 🥘 Link in the bio! WEBSITE?! 💻 Link in my bio!! . . #beforeandduringweightloss #findingselflove #loveyourself #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthy #happy #doingthisforme #intermittentfasting #alternatedayfasting #ADF #IF #fasting #fitnessmotivation #fitspo #fitnessinspiration #lifestylechange #weightlossjourney #naturalweightloss #weightloss #weightlossmotivation #dedication #bodytransformation #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #fitnesstransformation #fattofit #100poundsdown

I am not the same girl I was before this journey.

My weight-loss experience has revealed the true me, and I don’t ever want to go back to the girl I used to be. I wish I knew I had this type of willpower and strength in me all along because I have overcome so many obstacles since starting that I never thought I would achieve. 

rachellsharp93 View Profile
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I totally stole this from another post, but it's good advice to follow ❤️ 10 Facts Every Woman Should Know: 1. Everyone has rolls when they bend over. 2. When someone tells you that you're beautiful, believe them. They aren't lying. 3. Sometimes we all wake up with breath that could kill a goat. 4. For every woman unhappy with her stretch marks is another woman who wishes she had them. 5. You should definitely have more confidence. And if you saw yourself the way others see you, you would. 6. Don't look for a man to save you. Be able to save yourself. 7. It's okay to not love every part of your body....but you should. 8. We all have that one friend who seems to have it all together. That woman with the seemingly perfect life. Well, you might be that woman to someone else. 9. You should be a priority. Not an option, a last resort, or a backup plan. 10. You're a woman. That alone makes you pretty damn remarkable. 💕 . . #realbodies #normalizenormalbodies . . SW: 236 CW: fluctuating between 137-144 Add me on Snapchat 👻 : Rachellynn1993 Follow my weight loss journey on YouTube 🎥. Link in the bio! Recipe blog? 🥘 Link in the bio! WEBSITE?! 💻 Link in my bio!! . . #findingselflove #loveyourself #fitness #healthylifestyle #healthy #happy #doingthisforme #intermittentfasting #alternatedayfasting #ADF #IF #fasting #fitnessmotivation #fitspo #fitnessinspiration #lifestylechange #weightlossjourney #naturalweightloss #weightloss #weightlossmotivation #dedication #bodytransformation #extremeweightloss #weightlosstransformation #fitnessjourney #fitnesstransformation #fattofit #100poundsdown

And I also wish I knew there would be people who still criticised me after losing weight. Now, the criticisms I get are not so much about my size, but about my method. People tend to discourage what they don’t understand or don't agree with, and I find that IF is one of those prickly topics. (Note: A fasting plan might not be right for everyone, and there are pros and cons to consider, so talk to your doctor or a dietitian first! This is just what worked for me, and I like to be totally honest with people and my social media followers about my approach.)

When you find what works for you, as long as you're in a good place physically and mentally while you do it, that's great. You just have to ignore them and trust the process. No one can control your life except you.

Since starting ADF, I have lost 48.9kg over one year and two months. I am gaining muscle and my body is still changing every day. 

Rachel Sharp, as told to Emily Shiffer. This article originally appeared on Women's Health US.

RELATED: ‘Alternate Day Fasting’ Is Just As Beneficial For Weight Loss As Going Low-Cal

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Emily Shiffer
Emily Shiffer
Emily Shiffer is a former digital web producer for Men’s Health and Prevention US, and is currently a freelancer writer specialising in health, weight loss and fitness.

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