In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Mara Hallisey from Weathersfield, CT.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Mara is a licensed marriage and family therapist  She first found fasting in 2019, and tried extended fasting, but had limited success.  Her frustration eventually led her to try the Galveston diet by Dr. Mary Claire Haver in June of 2019, which not only helped her shed pounds but also introduced her to the benefits of fasting.  She started out with macro tracking, which helped her adopt a more balanced approach to eating which has stuck with her. However, the initial weight loss journey had its ups and downs, especially during menopause.

Mara experienced a mental funk by January of 2020 due to the weight gain of menopause, and planned a yoga retreat for self-care, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to cancel the retreat. Despite the challenges, the lockdown brought precious family bonding time as her daughters returned home from college. This period, which Mara describes as "stolen time," allowed for unexpected moments of joy and indulgence. During the lockdown, Mara also explored hypnotherapy for weight loss, unearthing deeper emotional issues related to self-imposed guilt, and learning the importance of forgiveness and implementing personal rules that provided the discipline she needed.

Mara achieved her weight goal of 145 pounds in six months. In 2021, she discovered Gin’s work and delved deeper into intermittent fasting. Initially hesitant to change her habits, Mara eventually embraced a clean fast with positive results. Gin and Mara also discuss Dr. Mary Claire Haver's insights on perimenopause and the importance of proper education in women's health, as well as Mara’s and Gin’s positive experiences with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).

Mara shares her personal triumphs over insomnia, brain fog, and the incredible feeling of restful sleep after starting BHRT. She has also experienced powerful mindset transformations along the way. In closing, Mara emphasizes the importance of finding personal solutions that work for you, highlighting the necessity of balancing discipline with freedom. Her final advice to listeners is to trust the process and also learn to trust your body again.

Check out our sponsor Zoe at ZOE.com, use code IFSTORIES10 to get 10% off your membership.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news!  The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook.  This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF.  It’s been updated to include the clean fast, an easier to understand and more thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section.  When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has a 2024 publication date.  The audiobook for the second edition is available now!  

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Lucy Marsden from Leicestershire in the UK.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Lucy is a repeat guest, and she first appeared on episode 134.  She began living the intermittent fasting lifestyle in 2017, after learning about Dr. Michael Moseley’s 5:2 approach.  She went to Facebook to find a group about intermittent fasting, and ended up in Gin’s original Facebook group where she soon became an active member and later a moderator.  

Lucy’s preference for a balanced, nutritious diet aligned with her job as a cookery teacher, making it more practical for her to eat less frequently throughout the day. Over time, she adapted to a relaxed one meal a day approach, which is the lifestyle she lives today.  Gin and Lucy talk about how they both define “one meal a day” as a multi-course meal that spans several hours, rather than one plate of food in a short period of time.  

Lucy discusses the significant dietary changes she made based on her Zoe test results, eliminating foods like white rice, pasta, and bread that didn't work well for her body. She found delicious swaps such as barley and pulses such as lentils and beans, which she incorporates into weekly meal preparations. Lucy’s meal prep routine involves making weekly pulse mixtures and mega salads composed of various sprouts, herbs, and whatever ingredients she has on hand, optimizing her efficiency in the kitchen. She emphasizes the practical approach of batching and freezing meal components for quick and healthy eating options throughout the week. Her dietary adjustments have not only boosted her nutrition but have also introduced her into the world of easy ferments, leading her to work on a new book that simplifies the fermenting process with recipes like pineapple kraut.

Lucy and Gin reflect on their mutual experiences going through the Zoe program, which encourages you to work with your unique body to find the foods that work best for you. Despite initial disappointing results, Lucy has seen significant improvements in her health and microbiome scores by focusing on probiotic foods and transitioning to healthier fats like olive oil. A particular highlight is Lucy’s fondness for creating versatile, flavorful meals without strict measurements, featuring fresh, nutritious ingredients. Her latest cookbook, I'll Have What Lucy's Having, is designed to be user-friendly, providing tips on batch cooking, freezing, and growing sprouts, targeting everyday convenience rather than complex, time-consuming recipes.  

Throughout the episode, both Gin and Lucy underscore the transformative benefits of intermittent fasting, particularly for gut health and overall well-being. Lucy's personal anecdotes reveal how fasting has become a sustainable lifestyle that doesn’t feel at all like a restrictive diet, allowing her to enjoy foods like cheese and avocados freely. She advises newcomers to gradually delay meals and reduce eating frequencies, insisting the practice will become easier with time and adaptation. Lucy’s final advice is clear: the journey to adopting intermittent fasting should be simplified, emphasizing real, high-quality foods eaten within restricted time windows to enhance health without overcomplicating the process. You can find Lucy at https://fresherbites.co.uk/.

Check out our sponsor Zoe at ZOE.com, use code IFSTORIES10 to get 10% off your membership

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news!  The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook.  This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF.  It’s been updated to include the clean fast, an easier to understand and more thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section.  When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has a 2024 publication date.  The audiobook for the second edition is available now!  

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Angela Eckhart from Danielsville, PA.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Angela is a forensic evidence technician, and she is also a writer and a professional editor. Angela began researching intermittent fasting in April 2022 as she approached menopause, aiming to prevent and manage potential weight gain. Angela is unlike many guests in that she never needed to lose weight and has maintained within a healthy weight range, which she credits to her genetics. But she knew that it was important to be proactive as she aged. 

Angela found intermittent fasting in April of 2022, and became convinced of the health benefits. She began with an 8-hour window, though she now tends to have a 4-5 hour daily eating window most days. She has maintained her weight within a healthy range for her body throughout her IF journey.

Both Angela and Gin reflect on the health benefits of intermittent fasting, with Angela sharing that her parents saw significant improvements in their A1C levels after both becoming intermittent fasters.

Their discussion turns to the modern food landscape, and how reading Ultraprocessed People was a real eye opener. Angela elaborates on her preference for fresh ingredients and healthier options, and the importance of reading labels while shopping. She also reflects on her past snacking habits and the shift towards more nutrient-dense choices, attributing many positive health changes to intermittent fasting.

Ending the episode, Angela advises beginners in intermittent fasting to read foundational books like Fast Feast Repeat or Delay, Don't Deny, and to engage with the fasting community for support and motivation. She emphasizes the importance of clean fasting for better health outcomes and encourages listeners to embrace the journey towards healthier living.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, an easier to understand and more thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has a 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is available now! 

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Julie Linville from Bonney Lake, WA.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Julie is an administrative assistant in a school district in the special education department. As she went through her 50s, she experienced the hormonal changes related to surgical menopause and then developed Graves’ Disease, and she felt awful. After getting the Graves’ Disease under control, she began gaining weight. As an adult, she had always maintained between 142-148, so when she got on the scale and saw 164, she knew that something had to change. But she also had the thought, “this is just who I am now,” figuring that both the weight gain and sluggishness are simply what happens as we age.

Fortunately, she found a YouTube video in January of 2023 that explained intermittent fasting and recommended Gin’s book Fast. Feast. Repeat. She downloaded the book and got started right away, and a couple of weeks later, her husband joined her. 

Within 2-3 days, Julie felt better. The brain fog she had been living with lifted, and pain she had been living with resolved. By the time her birthday rolled around in April of that year, she was down to 150, and she kept going, eventually getting back down to her goal range. She had been a size 8/M her entire adult life, but now finds herself wearing a size 6/S. 

Julie is motivated to continue living the intermittent fasting lifestyle forever, because she wants to avoid the dementia that her parents faced as they aged. She also wants to remain strong and capable as she ages, and she loves the way she feels as an intermittent faster. 

As the episode closes, Julie recommends that new intermittent fasters focus on the health benefits and how much better you are feeling. She emphasizes that you should stick with it, and don’t put so much emphasis on the scale. Know that everyone is different, but that wonderful things are happening in your body.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, an easier to understand and more thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has a 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is available now! 

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Carter Willmann from Huntington Beach, CA.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Carter is a musician and a music teacher. He was a kid of the 90s and early 2000s, and grew up with lots of processed foods always around. He remembers always being self-conscious about his weight and his stomach. When he went off to college, his weight began to go up even more, until he eventually found himself at 280 pounds. In 2015 while he was working on his Masters degree, Carter decided it was time to take control of his weight. He was able to get below 200 pounds through a great deal of hard work. His routine included extensive meal planning, heavy workouts, and yoga, but eventually, this intense lifestyle became unsustainable. Meeting his husband in 2017 added significant changes to his life, including a reduction in his commitment to workouts, leading to weight gain.

During the pandemic, Carter experienced the same shifts many did—losing access to yoga classes and transitioning to virtual teaching. Despite these challenges, he adapted and maintained work continuity. Eventually, he found himself back up to around 260 pounds. He had a wake-up call that led to him quitting drinking permanently, and that also began his quest to better health. He felt he needed to “cleanse” his body, and that led him down a YouTube rabbit hole that took him to the concept of autophagy and fasting. 

He started intermittent fasting seriously after reading Dr. Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code and Gin’s book, Delay, Don’t Deny, both of which profoundly influenced him. His 2023 New Year’s Resolution was to incorporate a daily eating window, which has led to slow and steady weight loss ever since. He is down to 185 pounds and wears size 32/30 pants these days. Carter's personal gains from intermittent fasting have included improved posture, fewer ear infections, increased energy levels, and a revived passion for gardening. His mother has joined him in intermittent fasting, shedding approximately 40 pounds, and his husband also adopted an intermittent fasting lifestyle, losing about 20 pounds.

Carter discussed the importance of setting a good example rather than persuading others to try intermittent fasting. His journey emphasized finding sustainable routines by integrating fasting with other pillars of health like exercise, sleep, and mental well-being.

Closing the episode, Carter shares advice for beginners, suggesting they start with a manageable eating window. He emphasizes the importance of patience and gradual improvements over time. He encourages listeners to view fasting as an essential but previously overlooked component of health that, when balanced with diet, exercise, and sleep, can create a positive feedback loop leading to overall well-being. Carter’s story underlines that making gradual, sustainable changes can pave the way for long-lasting health improvements.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, an easier to understand and more thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has a 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is available now! 

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Binay Curtis from the San Francisco, CA area.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Binay is a fitness expert and nutritionist, and she discovered intermittent fasting by accident about 6 years ago, when she realized that she felt better when she delayed eating until after she had worked out for the day. She was very excited to find that what she was doing has a name—intermittent fasting—and that it’s actually a healthy lifestyle. Since that time, she hasn’t looked back.

Binay credits Gin's podcast with helping her adapt to clean fasting, which she now openly shares with her nutrition clients. She highlights the importance of listening to your body, overcoming traditional dietary advice that may not be the right fit for you, and focusing on real, nutritious foods.

Both Gin and Binay emphasize the profound benefits they've experienced through intermittent fasting, such as increased strength, muscle visibility, improved sleep, and increased energy. They address common misconceptions about fasting, particularly for women, and stress the importance of personal experience over external advice. Binay discusses exercising in a fasted state and how she maintains and builds strength without traditional weightlifting.

Additionally, the episode touches on family dynamics and healthy role modeling, with both Gin and Binay sharing anecdotes about their children and their conscious food choices. Binay discusses her work as a nutritionist, focusing on the challenges of identifying suitable foods for children with allergies and sensitivities. She recently launched the "Body by Binay" app to provide a supportive community for individuals worldwide, emphasizing the importance of accountability and engagement. Her virtual HIIT classes offer varied and engaging workouts that prevent boredom and maintain high participation levels. And she does them all in the fasted state. 

The episode concludes with practical advice from Binay, stressing the significance of nourishing the body with nutrient-dense foods during a specific eating window and recognizing the body's hunger and satiety signals. She highlights the importance of maintaining a balanced approach to health and fitness that aligns with personal lifestyles and preferences. Binay's final advice encourages listeners to start where they feel comfortable with intermittent fasting, make small tweaks along the way, and always pay attention to how they feel from the inside out for sustained success. You can connect with Binay through her website: https://www.bodybybinay.com/.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, an easier to understand and more thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has a 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is available now! 

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Amanda Hutchens from Tyler, TX.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Amanda is a neonatologist who works in the NICU. Amanda shares the struggles with body image that she has had since high school, including disordered eating behaviors that led to weight loss success but were not healthy for her body or sustainable for the long term. During her college and medical training years, and the early years of parenthood, she faced weight fluctuations, anxiety, and postpartum depression. Despite trying various diets throughout the years, Amanda gave up when those approaches were not sustainable, and she reached her highest weight of 306.2 pounds in 2023. 

Her parents had been successful with IF, following Dr. Jason Fung’s approach, and they recommend IF to Amanda. Though she wasn’t ready the first time she heard about it, when she started in 2023, she found intermittent fasting to be the natural and effective solution she needed. After reading Gin's book Fast. Feast. Repeat. and Dr. Jason Fung's The Obesity Code, she was ready to start fasting. Within a year, she lost 130 pounds and experienced a dramatic improvement in her health, no longer needing medications for reflux, blood pressure, depression, or anxiety.

Amanda discusses the importance of focusing on long-term health rather than falling for fad diets and restrictive eating plans. She highlights the value of consistency, self-compassion, and patience in her journey. Both Gin and Amanda reflect on the simplicity and natural effectiveness of intermittent fasting compared to other marketed weight loss programs. They emphasize the importance of not reverting to old habits and maintaining a lifestyle that supports long-term health and well-being.

To wrap up, Amanda shares numerous non-scale victories she achieved, such as better physical comfort on airplanes, increased mobility, and a sense of strength through exercise. Her final advice to those starting their intermittent fasting journey is to read Fast. Feast. Repeat. and understand the science behind fasting. Amanda emphasizes the significance of consistency, self-compassion, and patience, encouraging listeners to be kind to themselves as they embrace this new lifestyle for improved health and well-being.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, an easier to understand and more thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has a 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is available now! 

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Helen Blicharz from Detroit.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Helen is a mother of three who has had many careers over the years. She shares her inspiring journey of losing 120 pounds through intermittent fasting and lifestyle changes—and her journey isn’t over yet.

Helen was diagnosed with type two diabetes in 2018, which led her to explore various eating patterns, starting with the ketogenic diet and eventually transitioning to intermittent fasting in 2019. Throughout the episode, Helen emphasizes the importance of finding a sustainable approach to fasting that works for one's individual needs and preferences. She details her own journey, starting with a 12-hour fast and progressively increasing to a 16:8 method before settling on one meal a day within a three-hour window most days.

Helen's family has embraced the intermittent fasting lifestyle, as have coworkers. She highlights the importance of listening to one's body and making long-term, sustainable changes. Helen shares her current diet, which focuses on vegetables and protein while being mindful of her diabetes. She also discusses her love of monthly challenges, which have included challenges such as no sweeteners, no meat, and consistent exercise.

As the conversation concludes, Helen reflects on her journey and offers advice to her former self, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing health over societal ideals of beauty. She encourages listeners to focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes, be patient with the process, and appreciate the journey of self-discovery and transformation that comes with intermittent fasting.

Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and in audio. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, a thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has an August of 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is available now! 

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Alison Pizanie from Medford, NJ.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Alison is an elementary special education teacher, and the author of The Regain Remedy.

Alison shares her lifelong battle with weight problems and emotional eating. Alison describes how anxiety and shyness led her to use food for comfort from childhood, perpetuating a cycle of emotional eating, dieting, and weight fluctuation. She recounts her experience with various diets and weight loss methods, from Weight Watchers to the cabbage soup diet, and she ultimately opted for weight loss surgery in 2016. Despite initial weight loss success, losing 90 pounds in the first year, Alison faced numerous challenges post-surgery, including physiological side effects and eventual weight regain. Her turning point came when she discovered the book Delay, Don't Deny, which introduced her to intermittent fasting and transformed her approach to weight management.

Alison notes how adopting intermittent fasting helped prevent further weight gain and soon she began to see her weight trending back down. She was delighted with ten pounds of loss the first year, which turned into twenty, getting her back to her lowest post-surgery weight. At that point she realized she still had fat to lose, and decided to focus on consistent fasting windows, particularly on weekends, and has gone on to lose seven more pounds, and she is still slowly losing.

While telling her story, Alison provides insight into the physiological aspects of weight regain post-surgery, such as stomach stretching and calorie intake through liquids and slider foods. Since approximately 75% of patients experience “considerable” weight regain within 6 years, she wants to provide hope to this large community that there is a solution, which motivated her to write her book, The Regain Remedy, available on Amazon.

Gin and Alison discuss the importance of finding the right eating window for your body. They highlight mindful eating and celebrate non-scale victories, such as increased confidence, energy levels, and reduced clothing sizes.

The episode concludes with a reflection on the tangible success Alison has achieved through intermittent fasting. Alison finishes by offering her final advice: embrace intermittent fasting with a slow and conservative approach, understand the science behind it, trust the process, and consult with your doctor to tailor the lifestyle to your individual needs. She emphasizes that the magic is in the repeat.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, and hardback. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, a thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has an August of 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is coming soon, so if you listen to the first edition audiobook, you’ll also want a copy of the ebook or a paper copy to see the updates.

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Tara McKinney from Weyburn, Saskatchewan.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Tara is a grade 1 teacher. She began intermittent fasting in 2021, committing to 28 days even though she thought there was no way it was going to work for her. 3 ½ years later, she is an intermittent faster for life. Tara reflects on her weight fluctuation struggles over the years, influenced by health issues and the toxic diet culture presented in society and through magazines. She tried so many things over the years, including Weight Watchers, MyFitnessPal, Beachbody, and intermittent fasting finally became a sustainable solution for her. Tara has noticed significant positive health changes despite her initial doubts. Tara's perseverance shines through as she recounts stopping food tracking after 27 years and trusting her body to guide her.

Gin and Tara discuss the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, not just for immediate benefits but for long-term well-being, to stay active for their children and future grandchildren. Tara shares how eating habits have changed over time, from cutting back on sugar to finding healthier options like homemade protein balls to close her eating window. The conversation touches on the challenges of cravings and making nutritious choices within your eating window, emphasizing the significance of selecting high-quality, satisfying foods.

The episode also spotlights the emotional and physical benefits Tara has experienced through intermittent fasting. Tara shares about her supportive online community, where she engages with friends daily to provide mutual encouragement and advice. Gin and Tara discuss the pressures and unrealistic expectations perpetuated by toxic diet culture, appreciating the empowerment that intermittent fasting offers by reconnecting individuals with their natural body signals.

Tara concludes by offering her final advice: Listen to the stories of others, but remember that we are all unique. Trust the journey of intermittent fasting, and find a supportive community that shares your goals and understands your challenges. She emphasizes that regaining trust in one's body is crucial for long-term success and health.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, and hardback. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, a thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has an August of 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is coming soon, so if you listen to the first edition audiobook, you’ll also want a copy of the ebook or a paper copy to see the updates.

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of "Intermittent Fasting Stories," Gin talks to Melissa Nishimoto from Orting, WA.

Are you ready to take your intermittent fasting lifestyle to the next level? There’s nothing better than community to help with that. In the Delay, Don’t Deny community we all embrace the clean fast, and there’s just the right support for you as you live your intermittent fasting lifestyle. 

You can connect directly with Gin in the Ask Gin group, and she will answer all of your questions personally. If you’re new to intermittent fasting or recommitting to the IF lifestyle, join the 28-Day FAST Start group. After your fast start, join us for support in The 1st Year group. Need tips for long term maintenance? We have a place for that! There are many more useful spaces beyond these, and you can interact in as many as you like. 

Visit ginstephens.com/community to join us. An annual membership costs just over a dollar a week when you do the math. If you aren’t ready to fully commit for a year, join for a month and you can cancel at any time. If you know you’ll want to stay forever, we also have a lifetime membership option available.  

IF is free. You don’t need to join our community to fast. But if you’re looking for support from a community of like-minded IFers, we are here for you at ginstephens.com/community. 

Melissa is a stay-at-home mom of four, and her kids range in age from 1 ½ to 10 ½.  Melissa started intermittent fasting in May of 2020. She was 14 months postpartum, and needed to tackle pregnancy weight gain. A friend of hers had just learned about the 5:2 approach, which Melissa thought sounded hard, but they soon learned about the daily eating window approach and decided to give it a try. When Melissa had questions about the fast, she searched and found Gin's book, Delay, Don't Deny. She began with a 16:8 fasting pattern but quickly moved to 20:4, which felt natural despite needing to make meals and snacks for her kids throughout the day. Melissa saw her weight drop from 135 pounds to a low of 109 pounds.

Then, in December of 2021, Melissa became pregnant with her 4th child. She stopped intermittent fasting until she was done with both pregnancy and nursing and found that her weight didn’t go down as quickly this time, but she eventually got back down to the weight range that feels good, and is currently maintaining somewhere around 113 pounds. She feels good in her body, she is actively building muscle, and she models living a healthy and active lifestyle for her kids. She balances fasting with morning workouts and a diet rich in vegetables and protein while also enjoying sweets. Melissa emphasizes the non-scale victories of fasting, such as improved sleep, energy, and overall health, underscoring the larger benefits of metabolic flexibility and a stronger immune system.

Toward the end of their discussion, Melissa reflects on how her parents' balanced diet practices influenced her. Closing the episode, Melissa offers advice to new intermittent fasters: persevere and stick with fasting despite initial challenges. She stresses the importance of focusing on overall health rather than solely on weight loss, finding joy in small victories, and being patient with oneself in the journey towards better health.

Get Gin’s books at: https://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html. Good news! The second edition of Delay, Don’t Deny is now available in ebook, paperback, and hardback. This is the book that you’ll want to start with or share with others, as it is a simple introduction to IF. It’s been updated to include the clean fast, a thorough description of ADF and all of your ADF options, and an all new success stories section. When shopping, make sure to get the second edition, which has an August of 2024 publication date. The audiobook for the second edition is coming soon, so if you listen to the first edition audiobook, you’ll also want a copy of the ebook or a paper copy to see the updates.

Join Gin’s community! Go to: ginstephens.com/community

Do you enjoy Intermittent Fasting Stories? You’ll probably also like Gin’s other podcast with cohost Sheri Bullock: Fast. Feast. Repeat. Intermittent Fasting for Life. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: [email protected]

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.html

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.