'I Lost 60 Pounds With Intermittent Fasting and Running'

Daniel Johns lost 60 pounds with the help of intermittent fasting, running and a whole lot of discipline.
Image Credit: Daniel Johns/LIVESTRONG.com Creative

Ask Daniel Johns, 36, and he'll tell you that intermittent fasting coupled with intense cardio helped him lose 60 pounds — and keep off the weight — since he began a get-healthy regimen in January 2018.

Advertisement

Now that he's on the path to wellness, this father of a son with special needs says he finally feels like the person he's always wanted to be. Read on as this music teacher shares his story.

Video of the Day

'I Made a Decision to Become the Best Version of Myself Possible'

Ever since I was a child, I had always been overweight. My health continued to deteriorate into my 30s because I was binge eating, smoking and drinking. I was completely inactive and I kept gaining weight each year.

Advertisement

In May 2016, my son was born with Fragile X syndrome, one of the leading causes of intellectual disabilities. I had a very difficult time meeting the demands of my teaching career and fatherhood, and I was always sluggish and lethargic.

In early 2018, I tipped the scales at 200 pounds. It was then that I made a decision to become the best version of myself possible, not only for my family, but for myself as well.

Advertisement

Related Reading

How I Lost the Weight

During the first year, I did nothing but intensive cardio. But I started slow. I started jogging two days a week and added more with time. Ultimately, I got up to about 6 to 8 miles four to five times a week.

Running started tearing up my knees, so in 2019, I started strength training four times a week. This was the turning point for me because while cardio made the scale drop, lifting weights completely changed the shape of my body. I can't stress enough how important lifting weight has been for me. Running was the jumping-off point, but lifting weights has become the cornerstone of my health and fitness.

Advertisement

As for my eating habits, I started practicing intermittent fasting, which for me is the 16:8 approach, which means I fast for 16 hours each day and eat my meals during the other eight hours. This means I skip breakfast, eat lunch at noon (I usually eat a grilled chicken breast, rice and broccoli), snack on fruit and a protein bar and make dinner the biggest meal of the day.

For dinner, I'll eat a wide variety of foods — anything from pork loin with sweet potatoes and green beans to pizza to steak and potatoes.

Advertisement

Advertisement

I am human, by the way, so every now and then I'll have some chocolate. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my Achilles heel, but my go-to dessert is peanut butter spread on a whole-wheat tortilla, lightly drizzled with honey and raisins. It's delicious!

I chose intermittent fasting because I'm an all-or-nothing person. Moderation is very difficult for me. This also fits my schedule because I rarely have time for breakfast. The first two weeks were very difficult but my body adjusted over that time.

Advertisement

I also practice mindful eating and I track what I eat. I focus on overall calories and protein. I don't get too caught up in carbs and fat.

Related Reading

Fasted Workouts and Family Support Have Helped Me Succeed

Daniel's family inspired him to get healthy after decades of being overweight and inactive.
Image Credit: Daniel Johns/LIVESTRONG.com Creative

Making time to work out has been the greatest challenge. I work two jobs — I'm a public school music teacher during the day and a private guitar teacher in the evening. I work a lot of 12-hour days and sometimes even weekends.

Advertisement

Now, I wake up at 3 a.m. to work out. All of my workouts are fasted, meaning I don't eat beforehand. No matter what, I don't have my first meal until noon. That's how I've made it work.

Discipline is crucial, but this diet and exercise regimen fits my home life perfectly. I only have to worry about two meals and a snack, and I do meal prep on Sunday nights. This is a seven-day-a-week regimen — I don't take breaks!

Advertisement

My family is the one thing that has really helped me overall. My wife, Emma, cooks delicious and healthy meals for dinner. She allows me to be obsessive about my health and fitness and never judges me.

Related Reading

'Fall in Love With the Process and Find a Workout You Really Love'

Be patient. Making these changes will not always be fun. I always say: Don't get too high on yourself and don't get too low, either. It's a marathon.

For me, lifting weights was the total game-changer. I've come to realize that running was only the spark that lit the fire. What I enjoy most about lifting weights is trying to be better than you were the workout before, focusing on progressive overload and adding weight to the bar. So my best advice is to fall in love with the process and find a workout you really love.

Ready to Challenge Yourself?

Join the LIVESTRONG.com Challenge Group on Facebook to learn about the latest 30-day challenges and get support and encouragement from other members along the way!

Advertisement

Advertisement

Report an Issue

screenshot of the current page

Screenshot loading...