In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Layla Rysavy, a correctional counselor from Fort Dodge, Iowa.

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Layla shares that she has lost 100 pounds-- twice. The first time she lost it with Weight Watchers and exercise, and the second time she lost it with restrictive calorie counting and intense workouts. A fitness instructor at the time, Layla was in the gym 4-5 hours a day! But the weight came right back on when she stopped working out.

By 2019, Layla had reached her highest weight of 275 pounds. She was depressed, highly inflamed, and had trouble moving due to severe Plantar Fasciitis. She shares: "I was the biggest I'd ever been, and had resigned myself to eating whatever I wanted, and to get as fat as I had to, and die." She did not want to track or count another macro nor calorie ever again. 

During a hair appointment, her hairdresser (and dear friend) shared intermittent fasting with her. Layla listened to The IF Podcast, and was instantly hooked! She immediately began IF,and has been fasting ever since. 

Layla began with 16:8, gradually increased to 18:6, and eventually settled into 20:4. To get past a plateau, she did ADF(Alternate Day Fasting), and found 4:3 helped her lose an additional 8 pounds. She has gone from around 280 pounds to 198 pounds! 

The health benefits Layla has experienced are incredible! Her psoriasis and plantar fasciitis are both gone, her psoriatic arthritis is greatly reduced, and her phlebitis, (vein inflammation) and sleep apnea have vanished. Her recent blood work showed all of the the inflammatory markers that were extremely high before IF are now on the low side of normal. Layla exclaims: "It's as if the inflammation never existed!" She feels more in control, joyful, empowered, and positive.

The advice Layla would give new IFers: "Saturday is not a special occasion. Hunger is not an emergency. Show yourself some love and grace. Consistency over time is what matters. Settle in and let it be a lifestyle. Remain calm!"

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