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My Story
At the end of January 2024 I visited my doctor for my annual check up. As usual, I was sad about weighing 240 pounds, and I expressed to her my frustration and desire to find a path that would work for me that did not involve taking drugs. I am proud of many of my friends who have lost weight in the past year with the GLP-1 medications – they can be life-changing, but I never felt that would be my path.
My doctor agreed and instead recommended I read a relatively new book by Dr. Mindy Pelz entitled Fast Like a Girl. I ordered it as I continued my conversation with her and concluded my check-up and went about my day.
Most of you know I’m a “read-aholic,” so when the book arrived two days later I hit it like a fly on honey! Let me warn you – the first two-thirds of that book are science lessons, and then the good stuff unfolds. Being a research geek made the learning fun for me, and the journey began.
Let me back up to 2023 and the joy of reading The Secret of a Happy Christian Life by Hannah Whitall-Smith. This is a section from the book:
“There was a lady who had an habitual sin which her emotions dearly loved, but which, in her will, she hated. Believing herself to be under the control of her emotions, she thought she was unable to conquer it – unless her emotions changed first. But she learned the secret concerning the will and prayed “Lord, you see that I love this sin emotionally, but in my real central self, I hate it! Until now my emotions have had the mastery. But now I will put my Will into your hands and give it up to your Working. I will never again consent in my will to yield to this sin. Take possession of my will, and work in Me to Will and to do your good pleasure.”
My sin was gluttony, and although learning more about the science of weight gain (and loss) in this season of my life makes my “hunger” somewhat more understandable, still I know that for myself, I ate for every emotion and to satisfy myself without regard to God’s Word that says my body is a temple, and that taking care of that temple makes me more available for His purpose for my life.
I’ve always loved the Lord, but I have withdrawn from and missed opportunities that may have been His desire for me while I satisfied (or rather “tried to satisfy”) myself my own way – yielding to choices that I knew were unhealthy and damaging to my body and my self-esteem. Sometimes I did it in celebration, sometimes in disappointment and hurts, and sometimes simply in selfishness. I ate happy, sad, mad, or glad, but now I see joy in the flavors and benefits of converting my “usual fare” to a healthy keto version and in trying new things almost daily!
I’m thankful that even at 68 years old He is still drawing me and teaching me His ways. Keto/Intermittent Fasting may not be your path, but hundreds of thousands of us feel better, look better and are regaining our health this way. My heart is to share the journey. You pray and let the Holy Spirit Guide and strengthen you!
For me, it was truly providential to have my doctor point me to this path. There’s no doubt in my mind that it was the right time, the right place, the right information, and the power of the Holy Spirit that has allowed me to learn and grow and lose almost 100 pounds in 11 months!
I hope the resources here help you! I’ll keep digging and sharing!
~Sandy
What is Ketosis?
Ketosis is your body’s state when you are burning fat for energy. To reach this fat-burning state, most people have to restrict carbs for at least 72 hours. Once you reach ketosis, you will usually see several pounds lost within your first week. You will certainly feel less hungry. Another advantage is that you do not lose muscle, a common problem with most medications and calorie-restrictive diet plans. Muscle burns fat, and after all, your heart is a muscle! Preserving muscle mass as you lose weight is a great advantage as you get healthier. You won’t just look better and more toned, you’ll have the strength to tackle tasks you wouldn’t reach for in the metabolic state you lived before.
Ketosis and the ketones it produces provide the brain fuel that no other enzyme/hormone can. When we live our lives with glucose/fructose as a “sugar burner” for our body’s primary fuel, we deny the brain the ability to use healthy receptors for fuel. The low-fat craze of the late 1980’s certainly did not prove healthier or a factor in weight loss as promised. Your brain is 60% fat. Scientists now wonder whether removing fats from our diet may have caused the increase we see in dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Leptin (the “satiety” factor) and Ghrelin (the “hungry” factor) are disrupted, and once Ghrelin is activated (usually by consuming carbs), it becomes a self-perpetuating driver of our carb addiction/behavior.
A Keto/IF eating plan brings balance to your brain and your gut – your body’s 2nd brain!
Why Keto and Intermittent Fasting?
Most of us gain weight because of over consumption of sugars/carbohydrates, and after a while, our bodies cannot process all the “sugars,“ and we become insulin resistant. The pancreas is overworked trying to lower the glucose spike caused by bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, cookies, candy, cakes, etc., and the seed oils used to make and bake most of what we commonly eat, which causes inflammation to overwhelm our bodies.
When you switch from “sugar-burning” to “fat-burning” your body produces ketones in the liver that are like a primer to an engine, and your body begins to burn its stored fat for energy. Your brain prefers to run on ketones, and you won’t just feel better or look healthier – you will be more alert, and you’ll recognize that your brain is getting the fuel it so desperately needs. There are valid studies showing a direct link between ketone production and a lessening of symptoms of dementia and Parkinson’s, as well as several other brain disorders.
Carbs are used for quick energy as fuel for the body, but excess carbs are stored as fat-most as visceral fat around your internal organs. When we remove unhealthy carbs from your diet, your body will begin to use its own stored fat for energy, especially visceral fat – the most deadly fat.
Combining a ketogenic diet with a schedule of intermittent fasting brings correction to the metabolic needs your body has. Change or Die is the title of an old book about how even when we are told our choices of food, drink, and lifestyle will shorten our lives we will most often return to our bad habits after the “fear wears off” of the diagnosis or relationship change, etc. Keto/IF is a choice to live healthier, clearer, cleaner and at a more ideal fitness level. Choose to change!
Keto/IF brings rapid results in most people, and testimonies prove that when followed, a person can lose twice the amount of weight as the average patient on GLP-1’s. It happened for me. Most GLP-1 meds average 25 pounds lost in six months according to their websites. Keto/IF doubled that for me and many others,. You’ll see this when you dig into the real life stories of people just like me.
The statistics also indicate that 80% of the people that use GLP-1’s will gain the weight back within one year. People that commit to making Keto/IF a lifestyle, maintain their weight loss and report many, many other wonderful physical results. The use of GLP-1’s under a physicians care coupled with a ketogenic lifestyle can be effective. There is a place for medicine and a place for food as medicine. My hope is that you choose to investigate further for yourself and aren’t dependent on medication unnecessarily for a lifetime.
Intermittent Fasting COMBINED with KETO: A super-healing combo
Overall, as a culture, we have been conditioned to believe we need three meals per day, plus most Americans are prone to “snacking” or “grazing” between meals.
Science now proves that breakfast is not the most important meal of the day, but thanks to the cereal industry’s growth (grain market) from the early 20th century, we’ve been led to believe that oatmeal and other grains are the way to begin our day. This is a morning launch of a carb/glucose spike that will keep your ghrelin (hunger hormone) bouncing all throughout the day.
If you must eat an early meal because of a work schedule or a medical requirement, it should always be a savory one – never a sweet/cereal/fruit/bread meal. Keeping your blood sugar steady throughout the day to allow your body to process your food without having your pancreas repeatedly flood your bloodstream with insulin will bring weight loss, better cognition and lower inflammation.
Fasting can be a miraculous tool for healing, and beginning with a simple 16/8 fasting schedule will help you adapt to the concept easily. The goal of eating all you consume within an eight-hour window and “fasting” 16 hours of the day/night will prove to help you lose weight and feel better – even if the keto lifestyle doesn’t fit your needs at the moment.
You’ll quickly find that you can extend the “fasting window“ to an even more optimal level of 18/6 where you can cause your body to experience the benefits of autophagy – the metabolic process of “self-eating” during which time your system destroys free-radicals, damaged cells (including damaged mitochondria), and fat cells. Science says that at around 17-18 hours your body can begin to heal itself and reduce inflammation.
Understand that these “fasting windows“ are important. It’s best to plan ahead based on you and your family’s schedule/lifestyle which length of fast you commit to daily for a week in advance. For instance, if you know, Saturday is an “at home/family day“ you may want to make that a 15/9 or a 16/8 day, but Monday may be an easy day to do an 18/6, etc. Just be sure to make a plan and stick to it! First bite of the day to last bite of the day must remain inside that eating window.
A piece of chocolate ☹ or a piece of bacon ☺ – it doesn’t matter what you’ve done – just stay within the eating window, and you’ll see benefits quickly. Ketogenic eating will stop hunger, so it’s far easier to fast when in Keto than when your food choices still cause cravings.
Dr. Mindy Pelz who wrote Fast Like A Girl recommends several different fasting schedules but for most people her recommendation is simple: five days of a rotating schedule of 16/8, 18/6, 20/4, 15/9, and at least one full 24-hour fast in a seven day week.
This is my personal schedule which has proven successful for me:
Monday 18/6
Tuesday 18/6
Wednesday 20/4
Thursday 16/8
Friday 18/6
Saturday 15/9 (Plus I treat myself to an additional 10 or so grams of carbs if I choose.)
Sunday 24-hour fast
I have a great lunch after church on Sunday, and then I don’t eat again until lunch on Monday. I don’t miss having a Sunday evening meal or Monday morning breakfast because I make fat and protein my priority at Sunday lunch. Filling and fat burning! I’m free to change out the “window“ if necessary, but I know every morning that I’ve committed to follow this schedule, and it has allowed me to consistently lose weight and retain muscle – plus because of autophagy – I have far less loose skin that most who have lost close to 100 pounds. Lots of great videos on YouTube regarding autophagy…
It is extremely beneficial to extend your fast at least once a month to 36-72 hours Extended fasts will amaze you, and those of us who choose them can tell you how wonderful it feels! Always check with your physician before embarking on a longer fast. Medication and pre-existing conditions do matter. Be sure to check the Tip & Tricks page!
Side Note: Women who are still of childbearing age need a slightly different eating plan when fasting. About 10 days before your period, you should up your “good carb” intake from 20 to 25 net grams of carbs to around 50 grams. More carbs are needed as your body is preparing to “shed“ when your period begins. You can, of course, maintain your fasting schedule, but add in additional healthy carbs to promote the creation of estrovens, progesterone and estrogen that your body really needs leading up to your period.
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