I didn’t just let the big 5-0 come and go without trying—don’t get me wrong. At 48, I got engaged. At 49, I got married. And through it all, I was determined to shed a few pounds and feel comfortable in my wedding dress.
To stay on track, I hired a personal trainer, adding structured workouts to my already active routine. I was no stranger to exercise, but I figured training 2–3 times a week would help me finally lose those last 5–8 pounds. That summer, I even started a mini-boot camp in my neighborhood—an hour of water aerobics followed by five-mile walks, three times a week, on top of my personal training sessions.
I considered myself a “healthy” eater—at least compared to what was available. I stayed away from fried food, fast food, and convenience foods. But I also gave myself permission to indulge at parties, knowing I’d jump right back on the healthy-eating bandwagon come Monday.
I’d love to say I lost all the weight I wanted and that my wedding dress fit exactly as I had envisioned. But despite all my efforts, that wasn’t the case. Sure, I got stronger and more toned. The scale may have budged a few pounds. But the number I had fixated on? It never quite materialized.
And the truth is, no one around me knew how much that number meant to me. I didn’t talk about it. It was an obsession I carried quietly.
Then, I got married. We honeymooned. And out of nowhere, Covid hit like a tornado. Suddenly, we couldn’t even leave the house to buy groceries. Socializing with friends and family was replaced by puzzles, Zoom happy hours, and online wine tastings. Life changed overnight, and with it, so did my perspective.
Then, once it became clear that Covid wasn’t going to pass quickly, I did what everyone else seemed to be doing—Intermittent Fasting. But I took it to the extreme.
I followed a 20/4 schedule, fasting for 20 hours with only water or tea, then breaking my fast with a handful of almonds, eating dinner, drinking wine… and stopping again until the next day.
It worked—at least in the sense that I didn’t gain weight. But I didn’t lose any either.
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Annie is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and Functional Nutrition Alliance Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (CFNC). She is not a registered dietitian or licensed nutritionist, and her coaching doesn't diagnose, treat or prescribe. This post is for education and coaching support, not medical advice. Always check with your own clinician for personal health decisions.