My initial reason for trying intermittent fasting in February 2017 was to lose a little weight around my belly that I had gained after having two kids. My youngest was 3-and-a-half by then, and running, CrossFit, and eating a healthy diet wasn't working, and I just felt self-conscious.
After three months of IF, aside from looking leaner, I also experienced far greater benefits that were even more exciting to me than losing weight. Probably the greatest benefit was finally experiencing freedom from dieting — I could eat what I wanted, as long as it was in my feeding window, and I never felt deprived. I also had mental clarity, more energy for vigorous workouts and playing with my kids, better sleep, and, this is a big one: relief from the constant bloating and digestive issues I had suffered from for the past 20 years.
Intermittent fasting has become my way of life because it makes me feel so damn good. I've taken breaks from it and haven't felt great, so I always remember my "why" when I'm faced with the opportunity to nosh outside my eating window. I remind myself how it feels to be bloated, foggy-headed, have low energy and poor sleep, and to not feel my best, and that's truly my main motivation.