Shannon Lost 85 Pounds in 10 Months With 16:8 Intermittent Fasting and Barely Any Exercise

Like many people, Shannon had tried many diet plans, and although she sometimes saw short-term success, as soon as she stopped the diet, she'd gain all the weight back and more.

She played sports in high school and worked out in college but hadn't done it consistently. She shared, "Nothing really stuck with me, and it was so difficult. Weight was always a sensitive topic for me and such a struggle to maintain."

On Jan. 2, 2019, at age 28 and 235 pounds, Shannon wanted to start the new year with healthier habits. She was motivated by her brother after spending time with him over the holidays — he'd lost a lot of weight through intermittent fasting. "I noticed a real change in him, so I called and asked him how I can do it," Shannon said.

Shannon started 16:8 intermittent fasting and said, "I thought it would be very hard and was nervous about starting, but it's been the easiest thing I've ever done to lose weight!" She ate between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. each day and used the LIFE Fasting Tracker to keep track of her fasts.

Aside from doing 16:8 intermittent fasting, Shannon also cut out all processed foods and alcohol. She counted calories at first but eventually stopped and would just eat until she was full.

For lunch, she'd have a couple hard-boiled eggs, a handful of cashews or nuts, and some fruit to indulge her sweet tooth. An easy meal she'd make for dinner was ground turkey meat with taco seasoning with half an avocado topped with chili powder and sea salt. In 10 months, she lost 85 pounds and got down to 150 pounds.

Exercise didn't play a huge role in Shannon's weight loss. She said, "I honestly didn't have a continuous workout program. I went on a couple bouts of going to Zumba class and would go once or twice a week, but it was only for maybe two months in the middle of my weight-loss journey."

Shannon shared, "My goal was to fit into a favorite dress of mine from college. By the summertime, I could wear any of my old college clothes, and now they are way too big!"

To stay motivated, Shannon weighed herself daily and said that seeing the movement on the scale helped her know what worked for her body. "When I see great results, it motivates me to keep it up," she said, and during slower times, it kept her motivated to reach her next goal. She also set smaller incremental goals so she could feel the progress along the way, which helped her feel like her goal was within reach.

Shannon said if you're thinking about trying intermittent fasting or making a healthy lifestyle change, just start! That's often the hardest part, but if you surround yourself with support and others on a similar journey, it'll be much easier.

It's been so helpful that her family and boyfriend have also been intermittent fasting. They keep each other on track and can text each other in moments of weakness. They're also sensitive about not bringing tempting food in the house.

Shannon said, "You just have to decide you are ready to make the change and want it for yourself. Just set your mind to it, and you can do it, too!"