“I lost half my size!”
As they walked through the amusement park, Annie Giddens’ sons begged her to go on the rides with them. But since she exceeded the weight limit, all she could do was wait for them by the exit of each ride. Annie hated missing out—not only because she loves roller coasters but because she couldn’t share the experience with them. Thinking about how her own father had passed away due to weight-related diseases when he was just 42, Annie began to sob.
I need to make changes. My kids need me!
Excess weight had caused Annie’s health to spiral downward. She had already been diagnosed with prediabetes and was taking Metformin to control her blood sugar. Most alarming was her diagnosis of intracranial
hypertension, a neurological disorder that causes fluid pressure in the skull. As a result, Annie suffered from headaches and hemorrhages, and the swelling in her eyes affected her vision. “My doctors said I might have to have a shunt implanted to drain the fluid.”
Desperate to improve her health, Annie signed up for Weight Watchers and worked with a personal trainer. She shed 150 pounds— but then her weight loss stalled and she actually regained 55 pounds. Instead of giving up, Annie joined CrossFit, and one of the coaches told her about intermittent fasting. She decided to try it.
Every day, Annie fasted for about 17 hours, drinking coffee with coconut oil to tide her over. During her eating window, Annie ate plenty and never felt deprived. The weight melted off, her prediabetes reversed and she was no longer plagued by intracranial hypertension. “I felt amazing! I was even able to start competing in
CrossFit events!”
Today, 219 pounds lighter,
Annie is healthy and present for her kids. “We work out together now,” she cheers. “And when we took a trip to an amusement park, I went on all the rides with my kids. Now we can do so much together and I feel so much closer to them!”