The Fasting Highway

I’m 66, and I live in Rugby. I was born here, left when I was 18 to go to university in Portsmouth, and then did my postgraduate studies and a master's in education.
I moved to London and worked in North London as a class teacher in the Primary phase. I became a head teacher, or a school principal, by the age of 32, and then I became one of the head teachers in Britain who were sent into failing schools. 
So I was the headteacher of several very large schools, and at 56, I retired. Like most people, I did not make caring for myself a priority. We were placed in some very scary situations, but as professionals, we have to deal with them and accept all the responsibilities. I slept badly, I worried about everything and everyone, and I ate erratically. I could go all day without eating, then eat everything.
Yet each day arrive at 6.30 am with a smile on my face and get ready for a new day!!
  I had no control, and buffets were a nightmare. I can’t have one biscuit!! I can stand and toast white bread until the cows come home.I can eat 5 doughnuts in 10 bites.
I was 120 kilos with a belly and a round face, and I hated myself.  I did all the diets and lost weight that always returned, plus more.
Finally, I read Dr Fung's book, then Glenn Livingston's book on bingeing, then Gin Stephen’s and then you, and it’s changed my life.
But I feel we underestimate the power of fake food and chemicals. With hindsight, walking away from recreational drugs, from smoking 40cigarettes a day, was easier than the pull of ultra-processed fake foods. 
 
I am back in Rugby because my Mum is 89 and housebound, and I can’t, in good conscience, not be around. So I’ve slipped into being a caregiver, which wasn’t the plan. I live with my partner, Juan, and we have been together for ten years.
 IF has helped me in so many other ways. I love the mental clarity, I feel positive and happy, every day feels like an education, and I’m learning about myself and finally putting my own needs first. If I want to be the best life partner or most helpful child to my Mum, then I need to take care. 
How to connect with Graeme
Join Graeme's Patreon and get accountability and support.
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To buy the book The Fasting Highway your local Amazon store, or any good online book seller.

Disclaimer -The views in this podcast are those of the guest and host only and should not be taken as direct medical advice. Please consult your health professional before beginning any health plan.

Bio by Rick Olson

I’m an author, TEDx speaker, Distinguished Toastmaster, award-winning humorous speaker, and Salesforce Certified Professional. 
I’ve been married to the same wonderful woman for 35 years, and we’ve been through thick and thin together, literally and figuratively. My struggle with weight started early. My first diet was in 3rd grade, and by 6th grade, I was on NutriSystem at 200 pounds. That cycle of losing and regaining followed me into adulthood. About 10 years ago, everything came to a head when I landed in the ICU with a saddle embolism. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea, and left the hospital weighing 360 pounds.
Since then, I have had some success with low-carb, keto, intermittent fasting, and ADF. I’d lose and get down to 280 or so, but I would end up gaining it back. I kept asking myself: I know what to do, so why can’t I do it? Everything began to shift in October 2024 when I attended a workshop called The Stories We Live By. It helped me see how deeply my identity was shaped by the story of “being fat.” For the first time, I approached change with curiosity instead of criticism. Istarted studying my own patterns. What worked, what didn’t. When did I have motivation, when did I lose it. Instead of following someone else’s plan, I built a system around how I’m wired. One key realisation: I thrive on external accountability. So instead of fighting that, I leaned into it and started documenting my journey publicly on my YouTube channel, @justbelessfat. Since launching in November 2025, I’ve lost about 50 pounds. More importantly, I’ve shifted from shame and frustration to a sense of daily progress.
I still face challenges, but thanks to the lens of self-curiosity, I learn and adjust.
 

Join Graeme's Patreon and get accountability and support.
www.patreon.com/thefastinghighway
Website to book a one-on-one call.
www.thefastinghighway.com.
To buy the book The Fasting Highway your local Amazon store, or any good online book seller.

Disclaimer -The views in this podcast are those of the guest and host only and should not be taken as direct medical advice. Please consult your health professional before beginning any health plan.

As we take a mid-season break this week, we revisit a Q&A episode from Episode 253, in which I answer listeners' questions about all things IF.
See you next week when we resume our normal guest lineup.

Graeme's Links to connect with me directly.

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Disclaimer - All views are those of the host and guest and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before starting any health plan.

Keith McDonald lives in Armstrong, British Columbia, Canada, with his beautiful partner, Bobbi, and is making his fourth appearance on The Fasting Highway. He began his fasting journey in 2018, leading to an impressive 100-plus-pound weight loss. weight loss. After a significant setback in 2021 due to sciatica and herniated discs, he spent nearly three years rebuilding his health. Now, Keith champions strength training three to four times a week, flexible 14-18 hour fasting, and a focus on whole foods. His current philosophy prioritises sustainable fat loss and overall well-being over just chasing numbers. Keith shares valuable experience and how keeping it simple after overcomplicating his fasting has given him a sense of calm, making him more flexible in the maintenance phase.

Join Graeme's Patreon and stay accountable.
www.patreon.com/thefastinghighway
Website to book a one-on-one call.
www.thefastinghighway.com.

Disclaimer -The views in this podcast are those of the guest and host only and should not be taken as direct medical advice. Please consult your health professional before beginning any health plan.

My story- I am a 44-year-old mom of 2 boys (ages 8&11) and wife to my wonderful husband for 14 years. We live in Lake Mary, FL (a suburb of Orlando). At the moment, I am a part-time Trainer at my gym. From 2022-2024, I had a podcast (Fast & Fabulous) & coached others to become Intermittent Fasters as well (still dabble in this from time to time)! Before having kids I was Paralegal for 15 years. I started yo-yo dieting around age 16. Since then, I have struggled with my weight. In college, instead of the “freshman 15”, I gained about 40lbs….When I graduated, I lost it by working out 7 days a week, calorie counting and depriving myself constantly. I didn’t eat meat, carbs, or sugar, and honestly, I was miserable. Before having kids, I was a paralegal for 15 years. I maintained (not so effortlessly) a healthy weight for about 4 years until I got married at age 30. This is when the weight started to pile on. I finally found comfort in a man who loved me for me, the comfort of marriage set in, and before I knew it, I put on about 20lbs. Then I became pregnant with our first son in 2014 and gained a good 60lbs, lost it all rather quickly after giving birth but this time by joining a weight loss MLM (so embarrassed of this!) and using supplements and body wraps…hundreds of dollars a month to sustain, and I lost only around 10lbs over the next THREE years! Fast forward to 2016-17 – I was pregnant now with my second son. I was gaining just like the first time, but at 28 weeks, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Because I had to follow an extremely strict diet to control my blood sugar, I didn’t end up gaining as much. It was what came in the next 2 years that was the worst. I tried to go back to work (I am NOT the stay-at-home type) when my youngest was 7 months old. It was an absolute disaster. My husband got a big promotion 9 months later, and I was forced to quit my job and stay home with an infant and a 3-year-old in a town we had just moved to. I fell into a horrible depression and developed a pretty nasty sugar addiction...you know the kind, when you’re eating an entire bag of candy in hiding, trying to cover up the wrappers in the trash. I ate ultra-processed food constantly… fast food, cheeseburgers, and fries were at least a weekly occurrence. Over those 2 years, I gained another 25(ish) lbs. I am 5’3” and my highest weight was around 200lbs...although I’m not 100% as I never weighed myself.I remember weighing 191 at a doctor's appointment in January 2020 (right before I started fasting). So many health issues started piling up at this point...I lived at the doctor’s office, but none could give me any answers....and not ONE mentioned weight loss, diet or lifestyle. I tried everything to lose this weight...I would lose 5-6lbs then it would come right back. This went on for a while before I accepted that this is who I was now and that I would be unhealthy and miserable. An old friend of mine had been telling me about IF for about a year at this point. I thought he was NUTS. How could anyone not eat for 16-20 hours?! I was someone who carried snacks in my purse long before I had kids because I was taught to keep your metabolism going, you should eat 6 times a day! Fast forward to January 2020...I’m getting my hair done and overhear the client next to me chatting about how she lost 30lbs doing IF. I went home that day and began researching. A friend of mine invited me to Gin Stephen’s Delay Don’t Deny FB support group, where I lingered for about a week before deciding to start 1/24/20 and have been clean fasting every day since. I LOVE sharing this freedom and occasionally still take clients, so the links for my socials are below ☺ h ps://www.instagram.com/mrs_shellee81?igsh=dGR5bTN0dzRvZmlo&utm_source=qr www. ktok,com/@mrsshelle0?

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