Intermittent Fasting Stories

Intermittent Fasting Stories

In this episode, Gin speaks to Pam Merriam from McKinney, Texas, who shares her IF journey. After learning about IF in a low-carb group in 2020, she lost 50 lbs but later experienced weight regain. Despite this, she continued using IF as it improved her overall health. Faced with personal loss, Pam decided to focus on fitness and healthy eating, incorporating ADF and daily walking into her routine. Since spring 2024, she has lost 8 inches around her waist.

January 16, 2025

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Gin interviews Deborah Ventrice, an interior designer and business owner who struggled with lymphedema as a child and turned to bodybuilding as a means of social acceptance. After 9/11, she experienced PTSD which she eventually recognized and worked through. In her later years, she gained weight due to menopause and adopted intermittent fasting in January 2021. Deborah found success when she switched to clean fasting and regained a healthy weight.

January 09, 2025

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Gin interviews Dr. Pete Patitsas, author of The Athos Diet, discussing the health benefits of intermittent fasting, historical cycles of feast and famine, and the role of cultural practices. They emphasize mental and physical well-being gains beyond weight loss.

January 02, 2025

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Mom of three Noelle Frazier shares her intermittent fasting journey from initial failure in 2016 to success in 2022, and highlights how it has improved her anxiety, work endurance, mental clarity, and body image. The conversation with Gin also touches on self-acceptance and body image.

December 26, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Podcast guest Mara Hallisey shares her intermittent fasting journey, from initial struggles to discovering Dr. Mary Claire Haver's Galveston diet and Gin's Delay, Don't Deny approach. She discusses menopause challenges, hypnotherapy, weight goal achievement, and the importance of personal solutions in her health transformation.

December 19, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

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 membershipGet 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/communityDo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.comVisit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.htmlSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

December 12, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Gin interviews Angela Eckhart, a forensic evidence technician, writer, and professional editor who uses intermittent fasting as part of her proactive health strategy. Angela discusses her journey with IF, emphasizing its benefits for long-term maintenance and the importance of community support.

December 05, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Julie Linville from Bonney Lake, WA shares her journey of weight loss and improved health through intermittent fasting after developing Graves’ Disease and hormonal changes in her 50s. She found Gin's book 'Fast. Feast. Repeat.' and started the clean fast with her husband, experiencing relief from brain fog and pain within days. Now a size 6/S and feeling great, Julie emphasizes the health benefits and encourages new intermittent fasters to stick with it.

November 28, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Carter Willmann shares his journey from college weight gain to a 260-pound peak and ultimately finding success through intermittent fasting after reading Gin's book Delay, Don’t Deny. After quitting drinking, he started IF in 2023 and has since lost weight, improved posture, energy levels, and reduced ear infections. His family members have also joined him.

November 21, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Gin interviews Binay Curtis, a fitness expert and nutritionist from San Francisco who discovered intermittent fasting 6 years ago. She found support in Gin's community (Delay, Don’t Deny) and promotes personalized health and real foods. Binay shares her experience with the clean fast, maintaining strength without weightlifting, nutrition work for children with allergies, and her 'Body by Binay' app.

November 14, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

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/communityDo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.comVisit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.htmlSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

November 07, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

In the podcast episode, Gin interviews Helen Blicharz from Detroit, sharing her inspiring journey of losing 120 pounds through intermittent fasting and lifestyle changes, despite being diagnosed with type two diabetes in 2018. Helen emphasizes sustainability and offers advice to fellow listeners.

October 31, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

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/communityDo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.comVisit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.htmlSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

October 24, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Teacher Tara McKinney shares her personal journey with intermittent fasting over three years, starting in 2021, and highlights the emotional and physical benefits she's experienced. She discusses her online supportive community, reconnecting with her body signals instead of toxic diet culture, and suggests finding a resonant community like Delay, Don’t Deny.

October 17, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Stay-at-home mom Melissa from Orting, WA shares her intermittent fasting journey of 14 months postpartum weight loss, pregnancy pauses, and return to a healthy weight range with fitness integrations. Emphasizing non-scale benefits like improved sleep, energy, overall health, and modeled wellness for her kids.

October 10, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Adam and Katie Bergdahl from New Richmond, WI.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. Adam is in the lawn care industry and Katie is a scheduler at a clinic. Adam always felt he was “too small” as an athlete in high school and couldn’t seem to gain weight, but all of that reversed after he played football in college and gained weight over time, ending up at an uncomfortable 270 pounds. He dabbled with various weight loss approaches such as keto, but didn’t enjoy eating feeling like a math problem. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get below 250 and would yo-yo back up to 270. Then, in 2022, he heard a jiu-jitsu martial artist on the Joe Rogan podcast who explained intermittent fasting. Intrigued, Adam began researching, and was even more excited when he discovered some IFers in the crossfit community who shared how IF helped them gain muscle. He started that day, with a gentle 12:12 that he gradually increased to 16:8. Now, he flexes his IF approach from day to day as it fits his schedule.His wife Katie watched what he was doing for a few weeks and then joined him. She started with 14:10, which she gradually expanded to 16:8 and then 18:6. She finally began to see weight loss at 18:6, and now has settled into a 20:4 pattern most days. She talks about the psychological challenge of focusing on numbers and the importance of shifting the mindset to celebrating non-scale victories, such as reduced inflammation and transitioning to black coffee.They both find themselves gravitating towards healthier options like fruits and vegetables, while still allowing themselves occasional sweets without guilt. The discussion addresses the societal shame associated with certain foods and how intermittent fasting has shifted their perspective, promoting a healthier relationship with food. Adam admits to his ongoing struggle with temptation but finds reassurance in ultimately making healthier choices.As the episode continues, they discuss the significant psychological and emotional aspects of weight management. Katie shares her eventual decision to stop daily weigh-ins, finding both freedom and trust in her body through intermittent fasting. Adam and Katie also talk about how fasting has positively impacted their relationship and self-confidence, and Katie opens up about the difficulties of finding wholesome food during hectic times.Wrapping up, Adam emphasizes the importance of flexibility in intermittent fasting, discussing how rigid approaches can lead to plateaus. They both encourage beginners to start slow, enjoy the journey, and focus on non-scale victories. Adam advises paying attention to body composition, while Katie recommends taking before-and-after pictures and seeking educational resources. Together, they underscore the strength found in community and learning from others' experiences.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/communityDo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.comVisit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com Check out Gin’s Favorite Things at http://www.ginstephens.com/gins-favorite-things.htmlSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

October 03, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Gin talks to Danielle Doyle from Australia about her intermittent fasting journey during the COVID pandemic. She began with Michael Mosley's 'Fast 800', transitioned to the clean fast, and now finds it sustainable for her busy lifestyle as a cook on a cattle station.

September 26, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Gin interviews Tangie Callahan from Virginia Beach about her Intermittent Fasting journey, which began in 2022 to prepare for her daughter's wedding. Tangie shares insights on personalized nutrition, her struggles with the keto diet, body dysphoria, and negative self-talk. Tips include tailoring your fasting schedule to individual needs, using goal clothing instead of scales, and incorporating positive affirmations into daily routine.

September 19, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Gin interviews Marie Jenshaug, a teacher from Norway who discovered intermittent fasting to cope with health issues and chronic pain. After experimenting with the clean fast, Marie saw improvements in her health and has adopted IF as a sustainable lifestyle. If you're new to intermittent fasting or seeking support, join Gin's community at [Join Link Here]

September 12, 2024

Intermittent Fasting Stories

Two friends, Ros (a teacher aid) and Chelsea (who runs a building company with her brother), share their intermittent fasting journeys on Gin's podcast. Ros lost 37 pounds after struggling with her weight and considering bariatric surgery. Chelsea, a former sugar addict, was inspired by Ros and successfully overcame her struggles with gestational diabetes and emotional eating.

September 05, 2024