There are several different ways to intermittent fast. Many people follow a time restricted eating (TRE) approach. These are the 16/8, 18/6, 19/5, 20/4 approaches where the first number is the number of fasting hours and the second number is the number of hours of feasting.

Yep, we call it feasting, because as you go along you will find that you will gravitate toward higher quality foods. We call the feasting time our "window". Another common term in the IF community is "window worthy". You'll start to look at food differently and rate it on if it is "window worthy" and if not, you'll find it is super easy to just not eat it.

I used to think Chinese food would always be window worthy. But the last time I ordered from my normal restaurant I was so disappointed. And here's the thing. The food was the same it has always been. But I'm different, and what tastes good to me now has drastically changed.

The biggest change - I used to love flavored coffee creamers in my coffee. Now they taste exactly like what they are - liquid chemicals.

Don't worry if this hasn't happened for you yet. Every body is different, and when you notice changes may be different than when I noticed changes.

Just keep with it. The results in the long run will be well worth it.

Haven't started an intermittent fasting lifestyle yet?  Do you need more information?  Check out these two books that literally changed my life: Delay, Don't Deny and Fast. Feast. Repeat.

I also have a coaching practice where I walk with you every step of the way to help you.  Book a Discovery Call with me today and let's find out if this way of life is right for you.  

The past few years I have been in a funk. I'm generally a happy person but I spent my life raising my children while going to school to better our lives and then moving into the work force. And I did it. I got two degrees while raising two young children. I worked through the ups and downs that come from being a single parent. And there were lots of ups and downs, let me tell you. I got a job and worked hard to continue to move up the ladder and I did well and got promotions.

I raised the kids to be functioning adults while working through some serious stuff with each of them. Things that I thought would literally kill them and likely break me. But we all three made it out the other side. And then the kids did what I raised them to do. They became independent and moved on. And left me to wonder, “Now What?”

Yes, I am a searcher, always searching for the next thing. Some call it ‘shiny object syndrome’ and let me tell you – I have it BAD!!! And this was no different.  So, I took a chance and moved to a new job in a new state thinking that would be just the ticket to jumpstart this new season in my life. And it worked...for a bit.... But like most things, external changes can only take you so far.  Dammit, you've got to change internally if you want it to really stick.

And then, a year in to my new ‘shiny object life’, in my new 'shiny object job', in my new 'shiny object state' we have a global pandemic and go into lockdown!!! Now I’m really thinking, “Now What?” To be honest, I was actually thinking, “What the ever-loving F&%K do I do now?!” I mean I had just started to make some friends.

So, for the first part of the pandemic, I did what everyone else did. I sat at home alone (remember the kids have moved on the little brats) and was depressed and ate too much and watched my already obese body get even more obese. And then in July I decided I had damn well had enough of all of this. And I did something about it. I tried another weight loss thing – yep, I’ve tried many over the years (shiny object syndrome, remember) but still my hopeful self was just that, hopeful, that this time would be different.

And guess what? It FREAKING WAS!!!! And it freaking IS!!!! It’s been 9 months, and it didn’t just change my weight, it has changed my entire life. It freed me up in a way I never imagined. It allowed me to reignite my passion again. The passion I kind of lost along the way while parenting, getting an education, getting a job, and just being in survival mode. all. the. damn. time!

Now, it’s turned in to not only a passion project, but a way for me to help others in the same situation to find their way out to the other side. In a less than a year, my entire life has changed. And all I see now are possibilities ahead of me.

Are you looking to change your outlook on life and find your passion again?  I'd love to help you. Reach out to me and let's see what we can do together.  You've got it in you, too - I know it.  

Check out some of the blog posts I've done about my weight journey:
Foray into Fasting
What is Fasting?
Fasting Works - Who Knew?

Hello friend. You might have seen a blog post I did several months ago titled "My Foray in to the World of Intermittent Fasting and Hypnosis - Oh My!" where I explained that I had jumped in to the intermittent fasting world and was going to see where things went.

Well, here I am, 9+ months later and it is going great!!!! Like I seriously could not be happier with my results. To date I have released 58.2 pounds, and a combined 33 inches in my hips (7.5"), waist (8.5"), bust (8.5"), thighs (5"), calves (2"), and arms (1.5").

And I’m not done yet. I have a bit of weight left to release before my daughter’s wedding next April and I have no doubt I’ll hit my goal and be confident in my mother-of-the-bride dress!!!  Here's a great comparison photo with today on the left and my before photo on the right.  Can you see a difference?  Maybe I should have measured my face!!!!! :-) 

And I did this without giving up the foods I love and without buying any bottles of pills or supplements, gross shakes and pink drinks, expensive pre-packaged Frankenfoods (you know the ones that really cannot be called "real" food), and no crazy exercise regimens (in fact I just barely started exercising again), and I actually saved money in the process!

And the non-scale victories have been amazing. My acne is not an issue for the first time since puberty (I'm 50), my energy levels are off the charts, my brain fog is gone, my joints no longer hurt, and my knees no longer sound like Rice Krispies when I walk. In fact, the joint pain and crackling knees got better within about 2 weeks of starting.

It has literally been the best thing I have ever done, and it is so F&$%ing easy. It is a lifestyle that I will never stop because it works, and I feel so much better than I ever thought I would.

I am one of those people who loves to share what I am doing with the world and this is no different. In fact, after friends were commenting and asking what I was doing I decided I could benefit others by sharing what I did and helping others break free from the yo-yo dieting world too. So, I created a course and a coaching program to do just that.  We have a private Facebook group and group and one-on-one coaching where you get lifetime access.  Yep, you pay once and I'll be your coach forever.  

So friend, are you ready to finally get off the diet rollercoaster, cut the strings on yo-yo dieting once and for all, and take back your L*IF*E? I sure hope so.  

Book a call with me today and let’s see if this is right for you.  

Book Now

I also have a free Facebook group where I share tips and tricks on how to live a life of balance, growth, and purpose while still being a real person.  We call it Oatmeal, Not Quite Granola - because hey, we can't all be perfect.  Check it out HERE!  

Check out this post explaining the basics of intermittent fasting: https://cathrynknock.com/blog/17932/what-is-fasting-

What Is Fasting?
There are quite a few different reasons why you may be considering a fast. Often our first step into fasting is ordered by the doctor for a particular test or medical procedure. Or maybe you’ve read about the health and spiritual benefits of fasting and are interested in giving it a try.

By definition fasting is willing abstinence from food and drink. Different people fast differently. Some will take a little food or nutrition in the form of juice; others will stick to only water, black or green tea, or black coffee during for the duration of their fast. I personally do what is considered a "clean fast" meaning I only have water, black coffee or green tea, and nothing else during my fasting window.  Because you are either fasting or you are not.  

Fasting for Spiritual Reasons

Fasting has a long tradition in all major world religions. The idea is that the removal of food and with it the worrying about food preparation helps you turn inward. Fasting is used as a way to meditate, pray and get closer to a higher being based on your faith.

In Christian faith, fasting is used as a tool to atone for sins and bring us closer to God. Quite a few Christians will fast for 40 days during lent (the 40 days leading up to Easter). In other faiths - Native American and yogic traditions come to mind; fasting allows the person to reach a higher level of spiritual awareness and is used to gain visions. No matter what your faith, your soul and mind can benefit from a fast.

Fasting for Health

There’s been a lot of talk in the alternative health industry about the benefits of fasting. The basic idea is that if we abstain from food for a period of time, our bodies move energy from processing the food we eat to maintenance mode. The idea is that when food is scarce, our body does everything it can to keep us in good shape to go out and hunt and gather.

Without food in your system, your body shifts to burning fat for energy, resulting in fat loss. This shift away from burning sugar for energy also helps with insulin levels and certain types of fasting (in a controlled environment under the supervision of your doctor) can help reverse diabetes. In addition, fasting has been shown to lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels. There is even healing on a cellular level going on.  It's called autophagy, and we will discuss this in future posts.  

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a particular type of fasting where you go for long periods of the day without food, but end up having one or two meals. In essence you’re extending the period of time you usually go without food (while you’re sleeping) by several hours to give your body a chance to switch into fasting mode with all its health benefits.

Unlike traditional fasts where you go without food and most drink for three or more days, intermittent fasting still allows you to eat during a smaller window in your day. Other forms of intermittent fasting have you fast for one or two days per week, eating normally the rest of the time. Either method is a good alternative to traditional fasting and often easier to do and maintain will going on with our everyday life.

Next time we will learn more about some of the different ways to fast (and I'll share more about my favorite).  

Check out this blog on how I got started as an intermittent faster and my first experience with hypnotism. 

Ready to learn more and see if how intermittent fasting can improve your overall health, help you reach and maintain a healthy weight, and increase your energy?  Book a Discovery Call today!!!

Tell Me MORE!

When I was a young child I wanted to live in a two-story house more than anything.

Maybe it was because I grew up relatively poor and it seemed like people on TV, like the Brady's or the Bradford's, were this ideal family and the two-story house was just this pinnacle of finally having the good life.

You know - money, a functional family without alcoholism and co-dependency, enough food, and a family that truly cared for each other. And let's be honest, a housekeeper like Alice on the Brady Bunch as a bonus family member wouldn't hurt.

It's funny the things we pick as an ideal in our youth and how those change as we grow older and more wise.

I've lived in a couple of two-story houses since my childhood. The reality is, it didn't change a thing in my life. Because those things are just that...things.

I've accomplished a lot in my life. Most of it, on my own.

I singlehandedly raised my children to be independent and to think for themselves.  And they grew up to do just that. And they are both amazing individuals who I'm so proud of. We didn't always have money, in fact, we rarely had money, but we were together and we survived and succeeded.

I worked hard after I graduated and moved up in my career. Not the accounting career I envisioned, because my kids came first, but one I'm good at. I've finally reached the level I've been striving for - a Director-level position. To get there, I had to leave all I knew, move to a new state, and start over.

But that is what I do. I reimagine my life and I make the change. I did it when I got divorced, I did it when I moved to go to school, I did it again when I moved for a new job.

And what I've learned as I've gotten older, and hopefully wiser, is that ideals and dreams change, and we can change with them, or we can get stuck in what we think is ideal, without ever doing anything about it.

I'm back in a two-story house right now. It's a rental, because at this point I can't yet afford to buy again, but that's OK. It's just a step on my road to the next thing. But after spending 30 minutes vacuuming the stairs this morning I do still want a housekeeper!  And actually,I never want another two-story house again, ifI can help i. 😂

So, what are your dreams from childhood?  Are they different now that you are an adult?  It doesn't matter, either way, as long as you keep growing. 

And if you ever want to come vacuum my stairs, just let me know! 🤣