I’ll be 57 next week. Who would have ever thought I would not be dreading another birthday? Certainly not me. For the past decade, I’ve watched my health, weight, and energy plunge into a negative spiral. I told myself it was the stress of going back to school to become a nurse practitioner later in life. I told myself it was some weird hex I had put on myself from working the night shift in the busiest emergency room in the state. I told myself it was inevitable that I would feel tired, gain weight, and feel lousy because “that’s just what happens when you age.”
Being a nurse practitioner, I had the knowledge to get my labs checked, and sure enough, I was hypothyroid and needing some thyroid supplementation. That helped. But not enough. I tried every diet, from keto to vegan, and would lose a little weight initially and then proceed to gain it right back. I wasn’t what most people would call heavy. In fact, my friends and family told me how “great “I looked. But I was a good 15 pounds ( or more ) heavier than I was when I had felt my most vibrant, and it became a mission, an obsession almost —- to get rid of it. I didn’t go to the extremes that some do, extreme fasting or excessive water drinking. I knew better.
But one day, about 6 months ago, I stumbled on something on FB — one of your videos, and I instantly became intrigued. Intermittent fasting was something I had heard of but never tried. I started doing the 16/8 right away. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. I immediately started to feel some benefits — much faster than I could have imagined! My energy and focus were improved, and I was sleeping better. My skin looked fresher. My energy was improved. When I added the dietary changes, that took it to a new level.
Giving up sugar was one of the most difficult, most painful things I have ever done, and I’m honestly embarrassed to admit that. I lost my mother to pancreatic cancer a few years ago, and knowing how important diet is and the effects of disease, it was still like giving birth without an epidural! Maybe harder ?! Lol. I was just throwing in a little OB / GYN humor.
Of note, I am a mother of four children, one of whom is an anesthesiology resident at Harvard and another in her third year of medical school. They both have looked at your program with enormous respect and appreciation as well. We are all trying to incorporate the principles into our daily lives because we HAVE to give our best, and we WANT to feel our best. I am thrilled to tell you that I am now back to my original size 2-4 dress size, wake up at 5 am each day ready for a long day of clinic, and even moonlight in the ER at night like the young residents and fellows.
Who would have thought I could do that at my age? I’m single, self-supporting, and thanks to you and your program, I have learned how to harness the energy I need to look and feel my best. That’s a lot. Actually, it’s more than a lot. That’s a miracle !! 57? Bring. It. On !!!! Love you to the moon and back! You’re the BEST!!
