After just three weeks, this woman saw incredible changes to her skin health from Intermittent Fasting. Here’s what you need to know.
Tell us about yourself!!
My name is Xiomara Dost. I am Puerto Rican & have been living in Michigan for the last 15 years. Currently, I’m an engineer in the automotive industry!
How did you hear about the 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge?
On Instagram. I’ve been following you since you were still part of the TIU HQ and have read nearly every blog post since you started Autumn Elle Nutrition.
What was your goal with the 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Challenge?
My goal with the 21 day IF challenge was to find hormonal balance, eliminate the bloat, stop having mid afternoon crashes and foggy mornings, and to lose weight.
Tap into fat burning
The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program
The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program provides step-by-step strategies to help you use Intermittent Fasting with delicious, protein-packed meals to support fat loss, reduce hunger, and boost gut health.
Did you have any hesitations before starting?
I did. The mere idea of fasting sounded scary and the thought of purposefully not eating for hours after waking up made me nervous. After all, it’s been engraved in my head that I should eat within 90 minutes of waking up to rev up the metabolism. My foodie, snacker self didn’t think I could make it without eating every couple of hours all day long.
What’s the most important thing you learned about yourself during the journey?
Nutrient timing DOES matter for me! I do not need that many carbs at breakfast. Fat is a key component to stabilize my glucose. I do not need to cut out crazy amounts of calories in order to feel light and energized.
What were the biggest changes you experienced?
🔹There is so much energy that I’ve been missing out on! I even told someone the day I started the program that I probably wouldn’t experience a whole lot of energy increase because I was already an energetic person. I was so very wrong.
🔹No mental fog or mid afternoon crashes. A nearly daily occurrence, specially on work days. I assumed this was just part of life.
🔹No bloating. I used to get so bloated all the time and it was very painful & embarrassing. I don’t remember the last time I went 3 weeks without getting bloated.
🔹My mom & husband both have told me that I look & feel thinner. Major non scale victories, specially from my mother.
🔹Regular, normal bowel movement. This was unexpected but certainly welcomed. Being regular is something that isn’t normal for me so I was pretty excited to see this happen.
🔹A good menstrual cycle finally. FINALLY. After getting my cycle back, I’ve been experiencing the most painful cramps. This cycle was pain free for the first time in 16 months!
🔹I lost 4lbs. Thanks to my hormonal imbalance, I have not been able to lose weight at all in over one year. Due to the low testosterone, my weight has been steadily on the rise since 2016.
🔹I lost almost 4″ all over total, 1 inch being directly from my waist!
🔹My sex drive is perking back up.
🔹My skin is looking brighter than ever! My acne is clearing up slowly but it is amazing how much radiant my skin looks.
What was your favorite meal?
All of them! All so good, hard to pick one. The Blueberry Hemp Smoothie and the Chinese Chicken Salad were my go-to meals.
Did you have a #nutritionnerd moment while reading the Program? (or is that just me?!)
Haha, yes!!! I appreciate science backed structures so much. I am so glad you not only told us what to do but you told us why we needed to do it this way. Our bodies are amazing, complex creations and you’ve helped me understand it better… I was amazed to learn about growth hormones and mitochondria’s important role. Also cortisol levels. I cannot believe how much stress impacts our bodies. This is something that needs to be talked about more. Thanks to your guidance earlier this year, I have been meditating almost every day using headspace for 10-15 minutes a day and it has allowed me to truly clear my mind and relax.
Are you a Keto Coffee or Keto Matcha lover?
Keto coffee runs through my veins 😉
Is there anything else you want to share about yourself or your experience?
I just want to say thank you one more time. I know I’ve told you this via Instagram several times but these 3 weeks were life changing. It literally feels like a switch was flipped and my body is beginning to run normal again. I plan on continuing with this program and see where it takes me.
