On February 6, 2017 I weighed 230 lbs, was on hypertension medication, was addicted to daily doses of sugars/carbs, and felt just plain old. I was nursing a litany of physical ailments (shoulder, knee, etc) and was getting very little exercise.

Today, my weight is 200 lbs and my blood pressure is normal without using medication. My carb addiction is under control, but remains a constant challenge. My physical activity is way up compared to last year – I completed a half marathon two weeks ago and set a new lifetime PR by more than 5 minutes (1:53); I also do body weight strength workouts 3-4 times per week. And I am doing martial arts 2x per week w/my son.

As added background, I am a 58 year old male living in Missouri and have been on thyroid medication for 20 years.

I started by doing 5:2 on this date in 2017 and it turned my life around. The first 4-5 months were devoted to learning to fast and getting my weight under control. I shifted to 6:1 to maintain in July. This date marks the longest period I have successfully maintained a weight loss.

IF has been the most useful tool I have ever used to influence my health. It’s very empowering to know I have control over my food intake and that I won’t die if I miss a meal 😎.

The forums have been very helpful for learning more about IF and staying motivated along the way. Thank you to all the posters for sharing your experiences!

If you are new to 5:2, stick with it! It will be very hard at times but if you treat it like learning a new skill you will get better at it over time. Be kind to yourself when you have a setback and simply try again. The benefits are spectacular!