Episode 254 -Tara Mckinney Four years living an Intermittent Fasting lifestyle losing and gaining in the past.

Hello, I’m Tara, and I’m from Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. I will have been fasting for four years on January 17, 2025. 

 I am a 48-year-old mother of four children, ages eleven to twenty-two. Even with university and starting their first jobs, even the older ones are often home, and family life continues to be as busy as ever. 

 Over the past 33 years, I have gained and lost weight with a 97lb range. (44kg) I battled with my weight on and off in my teens, starting around age thirteen and escalating when I left home for university.   Before my first pregnancy, I lost 65lbs; I then gained and lost 40-60lbs with each pregnancy. 

My goal is to be healthy and active for many years . My youngest is only eleven, and I hope to be able to fully enjoy the time we have left with him at home. I also hope to have grandbabies to play with in the future. 

 Professionally, I am an elementary teacher. I’ve taught kindergarten to grade twelve. For the past 15 years, I’ve taught grade one. Fasting gives me the energy to be active with my students all day. Intermittent fasting is an excellent fit for school life, as there is rarely time to sit down and eat. 

 Exercise has been an essential part of my journey. I benefit physically from exercise, but it is also a vital outlet for my mental health. The more I fast and move my body, the more energy I have. 

 One of my favourite things about IF is that we never have to start over. We may shorten or lengthen our fasting lengths or eating windows, but we are always fasting!  

 My current battles involve perimenopause symptoms and issues with different migraine medicines. I am hopeful that IF will be a tool that will help me make it through perimenopause and menopause. 

 One of the key elements of my success has been surrounding myself with like-minded people focused on weight loss and health. I have a fantastic group of friends on Facebook who have been together for about 12 years. We all have different nutritional and fitness approaches but we understand the struggle and support each other daily.   I have a wonderful Snapchat group of IF friends who discuss protocols, fitness, and nutrition. I’m a part of the fantastic Fasting Highway FB group and the DDD online community. I don’t post a lot in those groups, but I learn a lot from the experiences shared by others.