We're closing in on the last few days of the Impromptu Intermittent Fasting Challenge! It's been so incredible to follow along hundreds of #AENpeeps over the last three weeks and see their lives transform!
Today, I want to share a story of a very special lady who I've been following since October of 2018. Meet Sierra! Sierra is living in Paris and following the healing principles within The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program. I've been actively following her journey on Instagram through her stories and (amazing food) posts. Sierra has successfully merged her foodie lifestyle with Intermittent Fasting and proper Nutrient Timing principles in order to feel AMAZING.
Check out Sierra's story below!
Tell us about yourself!
Hello and bonjour from Paris! My name is Sierra and I am a 29 year old expat, currently residing in Paris with my fiancé. While immigrating (an entirely different testimonial LOL) I am taking a little break from being a classroom teacher for the last six years and nannying part time. Needless to say, this was the year of CHANGE and GROWTH for myself. With a whole new sense of identity, sense of belonging, new language and finally living in the same place as my fiancé after 4 1/2 years apart! Yet, the one thing I have carried with me since I was teenager and into adulthood has been my interest and passion for fitness and nutrition. This also goes along with just a straight up love for food. I have always enjoyed working out, used to be a Zumba instructor and even thought about being a nutritionist in college! I fed my interest of health and nutrition with more intention the last 5 years as well as attempting to marry this lifestyle with the “foodie” part of my soul.
Have you tried anything in the past to achieve your wellness goals?
EVERYTHING, to sum it up! Since I was in high school I have latched onto fads, just being honest. This includes Atkins, calorie counting, macro counting, Candida diet, eating five times a day, high carb, low carb, the “French” way, haha, you name it I have probably tried it. It’s been a long journey, but all necessary to be where I am today with using Autumn’s Intermittent Fasting guidelines.
Which Program are you utilizing?
I started this last October 2018 with The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program.
What was your main wellness goal with The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program?
I honestly felt stuck. Emotionally, physically and mentally stuck when I moved across the ocean. I had always worked out as it’s something I really enjoy but I just wanted to see that hard work pay off as well as feel satisfied. I was in a space where I constantly felt bloated and hungry and sleeping poorly. I knew there was something I needed to change on a deeper level with my health as well as find a lifestyle that I could live consistently in a culture where food (including dairy, bread and wine) are staples. I wanted to truly FEEL GOOD and show all my hard work in the process.
Did you have any hesitations before starting The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program?
OF COURSE! I had been following primarily TIU for almost 5 years, it was scary to totally rethink my way of eating. I also have a tendency to become hypoglycemic, AKA very low blood sugar and then I faint (those who have been there to witness, I am sorry haha). I was thinking how am I going to fast for 15-16 hours and workout and not faint?! I was so surprised in how my body adjusted for the better and what I learned about myself…
What was your biggest wellness win that you experienced with The 21 Day Intermittent Fasting Program?
The biggest wellness win I experienced was finding a program that I could stay consistently satisfied with while pushing myself during my workouts. I felt like I was eating more and working out less and finally seeing results. I also realized through a little experiment of having a higher sugar break-fast one day that my blood sugar immediately plummeted only 30 minutes later and I had a small hyperglycemic episode. I made the connection of how important my morning Keto coffee and fats were to my body as the first meal of the day. It was something in all my years I had never realized about my body! Also, QUALITY SLEEP. Since my body wasn’t constantly digesting all the time and through the timing of eating more carbs, I was finally sleeping through the night, which made for such a better workout in the AM.
What was your favorite meal from the Program?
So hard to choose! Can I say three?! Blueberry Hemp Smoothie, Chinese Chicken Salad and LA Street Style Tacos (that’s also a win for the fiancé). Cooking my own beans has been LIFE altering. I’m talking no bloat, no gas and easy on the tummy.
Did you have a Nutrition Nerd moment?!🤓
A lot along the way (and still!) but I would say my biggest one was learning that my body doesn’t need to be constantly digesting food all the time…3 hours and 45 minutes to be exact between each meal so my body can go through the “cell-clean out” process, to put it in simplistic terms haha.
Keto Coffee or Keto Tea?!☕️🍵
I am a Keto-Coffee lady! It is incredibly satiating and perfect for pre or post workout during your fasting window. I also like the turmeric Keto coffee latte from the Autumn’s detox program!
Is there anything else you want to share?
Through this program I have been able to not just find a lifestyle I can stay consistent with (as well as incorporate into my new European lifestyle) , but I have LEARNED so much about my body and how it responds naturally to what I feed it and how I treat it. Understanding when I am full, listening to my body when it really just needs a walk as well as real rest days and seeing the amazing hormone balance I have achieved naturally by letting my body properly digest food with the intentional timing of nutrients. I would say I have gained such a deeper understanding of what my body needs to naturally continue my fitness journey, while still enjoying food for all that it means, especially in the French culture from what I have experienced. I am so excited to continue to learn and grow with my fellow AEN peeps and can’t thank Autumn enough for her approachable, sincere and science-based program!
What's your Instagram handle?
Eat AMAZING food, tap into your fat burning mechanisms and feel GOOD again with The Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle! You'll gain access to tools, meals, workouts and strategies that thousands of #AENpeeps around the WORLD (like Sierra!) are utilizing to achieve your wellness dreams!
Get started HERE!
I can't WAIT to be part of your journey!
Your Nutritionist,
Autumn
Autumn Elle Nutrition