'I Started Fasting Until Noon Every Day And Noticed A Difference In My Body And Energy After 3 Days'
My name is Charmaine Atkins (@charmaine_atkins_). I'm 30 years old and I live in St. Louis, Missouri. I'm currently working as a collection assistant for a distribution company. By following a Beachbody nutrition and at-home workout program, along with intermittent fasting, I have lost 85 pounds.
Before my weight loss journey, I was always tired. I would be out of breath just from showering and getting ready. I wasn't able to be as active as I wanted to be with my daughter when she was younger because of my weight.
There were times we went to Six Flags amusement park and I would have to take multiple breaks because walking took a lot out of me. I was so ashamed. Another time during a family outing I found myself in tears because I simply just couldn't keep up. I felt sorry for my daughter because I felt I was keeping her from truly having fun.
My weight also caused lower back problems and knee problems, as well as more serious health issues like high blood pressure, depression, and prediabetes.
I will never forget the day I realized I needed to make a change, when I fainted in my kitchen.
In March 2016, I was in the kitchen washing dishes while my family was in the living room watching television. All of a sudden, I started to feel lightheaded and dizzy. I asked my husband to bring me a chair. Before he could get to me, I passed out on the kitchen floor. Later, I found out that my blood pressure was so high that it had caused me to faint.
At 27 years old, I was at my heaviest weight of 257 pounds. I knew then that I had to make a change. If I didn't, my husband wouldn't have a wife and my kids wouldn’t have a mother.
I had tried to lose weight in the past but really wasn’t successful. There were times I would lose the weight (not in the healthiest ways), and gain it all back plus more. I knew this time I had to make it work and stick with a routine.
I decided to try a nutrition plan and home fitness program from Beachbody.
I love the nutrition plan because it’s centered around portion control. In the past, I always found myself overeating or under-eating. This has truly helped me take control of that. I’m also able to still enjoy the foods that I love without depriving myself. It has made going out to family gatherings much easier because I don’t have to focus so much on what I can’t have.
I also implemented intermittent fasting. I started intermittent fasting because I found myself waking up very bloated some days. I wasn’t informed about it until I heard a personal trainer talking about it on Instagram. He talked about how he used to constantly wake up bloated, and when he implemented intermittent fasting, it helped the issue. So I looked more into it and decided to give it a try myself.
After three days of doing intermittent fasting, I noticed that I was no longer waking up bloated and had more energy. I’ve been doing it for a year now and haven’t had any stomach issues for a while.
Here’s what I eat in a day.
Breakfast: Fast until noon
Lunch: Veggie sheet pan with chicken sausage and cauliflower rice
Snacks: Superfood shake with yogurt and protein bar
Dinner: Steak, steamed veggies, sweet potato
Dessert: Avocado brownie
I started exercising right away. I was embarrassed to join a gym, so I also started my fitness journey with Beachbody.
After losing my first 30 pounds with the program, I decided to get a gym membership, but still didn't feel comfortable going to a gym. I had no clue what I was doing and didn’t want to hire a personal trainer. (I had done so in the past, but it became too expensive.) Also, getting to the gym became a task with my husband's work schedule, which caused me to miss out on days I really wanted to go.
That’s when I decided to bring the gym home for good. Beachbody’s home fitness program just works for me—so I kept at it.
Depending on what Beachbody program I'm doing, I work out four to six days a week, for 30 to 60 minutes a day.
I love it because I never find myself getting bored. There are so many different styles of workouts to choose from. Not only that, but I’m doing it with a community of women who help push me, so I’m never alone. Community, accountability, and support are what have truly helped me see success.
These three changes have made the biggest impact on my overall weight loss.
Change one: I stopped using the scale to measure my progress. There are other ways to measure progress besides the scale. I started paying more attention to how I felt, how my clothes fit, progress photos, and my progression during my workouts.
Change two: I worked on my personal development. My health journey is about more than just weight loss. It’s also been about creating a positive mindset. I read or listen to an uplifting podcast for about 30 minutes a day. I also do daily devotions because I am very dedicated to my faith, and it's what keeps me going.
Change three: I had fun! I think one reason I gave up so easily in the past was because I was not enjoying working on me. This journey is meant to be enjoyed, so find something that truly sets your soul on fire.
I’ve lost 85 pounds in almost two years, doing mostly home fitness workouts.
I had to learn to let go of all expectations. This journey is not going to be perfect. There are so many times where I’ve messed up, but I had to acknowledge that’s okay. I’m allowed to mess up. It’s not about being perfect—it's about making progress.
This journey is about becoming a better version of myself the best I know how, and knowing that my best is good enough. Show yourself some grace and compassion along the way. Know that every effort you put towards creating a better you is changing you from the inside out.
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