In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Melissa Allison from Jerseyville, IL.

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 senior director of managed care operations. She struggled with her weight from childhood, and learned about intermittent fasting when her doctor introduced the concept to her in 2019. Despite only losing 12 pounds over 18 months, she felt better. Gin highlights that not everyone experiences rapid weight loss.

Melissa recounts significant life events, including pregnancy loss and the loss of her parents, and how these experiences impacted both her weight and health journey. She speaks candidly about her body's struggles with weight gain. During challenging periods, such as the loss of her parents, she found intermittent fasting to be a stabilizing force in her life. It provided her not just with physical benefits but also with a sense of control amidst chaos.

Discussing her current fasting practices, Melissa explains how she's recently experienced a 30-pound weight loss and continues to aim for improved health and strength rather than a specific number on the scale. Melissa shares that her intermittent fasting journey helped alleviate both inflammation and arthritis pain. She highlights the importance of adjusting the eating window rather than solely focusing on the fasting duration. This approach has made intermittent fasting a sustainable lifestyle that she plans to continue indefinitely. Her story also touches on overcoming the desire to "break the rules" and finding what works best for her individual needs.

Melissa leaves listeners with this essential advice: focus on the length of your eating window rather than the length of your fast to find greater flexibility. She emphasizes the value of listening to your body and adjusting accordingly while remembering that the goal is to feel healthy and strong, not just to meet a specific weight target. Despite life's difficulties, intermittent fasting can be a lifelong, beneficial practice that helps bring clarity, control, and improved well-being.

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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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 Shoshana Grinstein from Israel.

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. 

Shoshana teaches English to kindergarteners. She grew up in Canada, and remembers being an emotional eater and having a negative relationship with her body image due to comments that were made about her size. She grew up without her mother, and took comfort in eating. She moved to Israel when she was 19, joining other family members there. Then, she started her own family. After having her third child, she had a miscarriage and went through a difficult grieving process. Fortunately, she found a counselor who helped her learn a lot about herself, and she also learned to speak to herself with love, which changed everything.

Shoshana and her husband joyfully welcomed their fourth child in December of 2019, and then the world shut down for Covid. She recognized that amidst negativity, she wanted to raise her family in a positive home, and she began to listen to parenting podcasts, which led her to other uplifting podcasts. She heard intermittent fasting mentioned over and over, and it also began popping up on her Instagram feed, so she searched for a fasting podcast and found Intermittent Fasting Stories. She began immediately, and found herself easily doing a 16:8 in her first week. Eventually, she settled into a 20:4 as her sweet spot, though she is not overly strict about it and has learned to listen to her body.

Shoshana lost 20 kg, or 44 pounds, in her first year, and even though she is not yet at her goal weight, she knows she will continue with intermittent fasting forever because of how great she feels.

The conversation concludes with Shoshana sharing the joy and confidence that come from feeling great in her body, reflecting on how this has positively impacted her personal relationships. Shoshana’s final advice is to be mentally prepared for intermittent fasting or any lifestyle change and to approach such transitions with a relaxed attitude. She stresses the importance of having the right tools and support, thereby ensuring a journey to better health and important self-discovery.

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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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 Lisa Pinchback from Charlottesville, VA.

Lisa is a solo real estate attorney. Lisa shares her journey with intermittent fasting, which began in April 2023 after a recommendation from a friend during a real estate closing. She downloaded the podcast and bought Fast Feast Repeat immediately and decided to give fasting a try. Despite her lifelong struggle with weight and previous attempts with various diets and weight-loss methods, she found that intermittent fasting brought a sense of control and balance to her life, ultimately helping her reduce her weight from 157 to 137 pounds by November 2023.

Lisa's story is filled with emotional highs and lows. She reflects on how her weight impacted her self-image from a young age, influencing her emotional eating habits and weight gain. Lisa also expresses regret about body shaming herself in front of her daughters and the potential impact it had on them. 

Throughout the conversation, Gin and Lisa touch on the broader implications of diet culture and societal pressures. They discuss Lisa's various weight-loss attempts over the decades, ranging from the Susan Powter low-fat diet to Weight Watchers and even medically supervised programs. Despite spending significant money—approximately $15,000 over the years—on consultations, exercise equipment, and various diets, Lisa found intermittent fasting to be the most sustainable approach she every tried. Both Gin and Lisa highlight the concept of "delay, don't deny," allowing occasional treats within moderation, and the empowerment and confidence that intermittent fasting brings.

Towards the end of the episode, Lisa reflects on finding joy in new activities. Lisa’s final advice to listeners is to embrace self-awareness and responsibility in food choices, be patient during periods of struggle, and enjoy the feeling of fitting into your clothes comfortably. She emphasizes the importance of having a supportive community and the benefits of intermittent fasting, which extends beyond weight loss to overall well-being, empowerment, and confidence.

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 Erika Delco from Charlotte, NC.

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. 

Erika is a therapist and health coach. When Erika first heard about intermittent fasting, she was skeptical. Her skepticism shifted in 2018 after reading Gin’s book, Delay, Don't Deny, and Dr. Jason Fung's The Obesity Code. She shares her long history with dieting, starting from Weight Watchers in the ninth grade, and her eventual freedom from food obsession through adopting intermittent fasting.

Erika initially experienced about 5 pounds of weight loss but hit a plateau and didn’t lose any more weight for three years, despite still having weight to lose. She loved the freedom IF brought to her, but her weight was stuck. She began incorporating berberine, which led to a dramatic weight loss of 30 pounds between March and October of 2021.

Throughout the conversation, Erika highlights the importance of listening to your body and finding a fasting routine that fits one’s lifestyle. She emphasizes the health benefits she’s experienced over the years, noting how intermittent fasting helped her reduce instances of illness and manage her weight despite frequent travel. Gin and Erika discuss the mental aspects of fasting and food freedom, stressing the need for empowered choices over restrictive eating.

The discussion transitions to Erika's work as a health coach. She has developed a program called Finding Food Freedom Fast, combining fasting principles with strategies for building habits and managing emotional eating.

Erika concludes with final advice for new IFers: start gradually and be patient. She encourages them to find a routine that fits their lifestyle and to stay motivated by hearing others' stories and struggles. Importantly, Erika stresses that intermittent fasting should be approached as a long-term lifestyle change with an emphasis on the health benefits rather than just weight loss. She underscores the importance of consistency in one’s health regimen, listening to the body’s needs, and finding food freedom through empowered choices.

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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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 Shanna Baritot from Rochester, NY.

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. 

Shanna is a national account manager for a pharmaceutical company, an author, and a repeat guest. She first came on the podcast for episode 298 in April of 2023.

Shanna and her husband realized they needed to work on their personal finances when they stumbled upon a book about money. That book totally changed their lives. Shanna wished she could come across a book that would change her relationship with food the same way that she had changed her relationship with finances.

Then, in October of 2020, she found Delay, Don’t Deny. While she was listening to the audiobook, she became excited about what she was learning and she started intermittent fasting that very day. In the years since, she has not missed on day of fasting and is an intermittent faster for life. 

Intermittent fasting allowed Shanna to go from 170 pounds to around 135-139, and she is now living her goal lifestyle. Still, she recognizes that she has a bit more fat on her body that she would like to lose, so in her own personal study of one, she is doing some ADF. She is also paying attention to her food quality. Both Gin and Shanna talk about the power of making food swaps that are enjoyable, but more likely to help you reach your health and wellness goals. 

Throughout the episode, Gin and Shanna delve into the significance of listening to one’s body and tweaking meal timing and strategies over time. They touch on Shanna’s use of different fasting strategies like the two different types of down days that you can choose with an ADF protocol, and Shanna shares that she dislikes the calorie counting that goes along with the 500-calorie down day option. Gin suggests creating set down day meal options that are satisfying and that you enjoy to simplify the process.

Both Gin and Shanna encourage listeners to embrace flexibility and make practical adjustments in their fasting routines. Shanna’s final advice to listeners is to stay open to different strategies, listen to their bodies, and make small, sustainable adjustments for long-term success.

Look for Shanna’s book The Debt Diet if you want to learn more about how she got completely out of debt and changed her financial life forever.

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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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 Bonnie Henderson from Pueblo, CO.

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. 

Bonnie is a licensed clinical social worker. She unintentionally started skipping dinner five years ago while her spouse was away, which a medical professional later identified to her as intermittent fasting. Excited to learn that it came with health benefits, she began researching. Bonnie found Gin's book Fast Feast Repeat and adopted the clean fast, which resulted in gradual but sustainable weight loss.

Bonnie discusses the challenges and adjustments she faced when her husband retired and began preparing dinners each night, and she stopped fasting for two years. This led to weight regain, finding her at her highest weight of 165. Resuming an intentional intermittent fasting regimen, she committed to a 19:5 schedule from Monday to Thursday, and a more flexible eating pattern on weekends. This approach allowed her to regain control over her weight and enjoy the benefits of intermittent fasting, such as reduced inflammation and relief from various other symptoms.

The conversation delves into the broader health benefits of intermittent fasting and touches on various lifestyle factors contributing to overall wellness, including sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Bonnie also shares how she integrates insights about the benefits of intermittent fasting into her therapy sessions. Gin and Bonnie underscore the significance of individualized fasting plans and the unpredictability of weight loss rates, emphasizing patience and persistence.

Bonnie concludes the episode by reflecting on how intermittent fasting has given her a renewed lease on life, initially adopting the lifestyle without the goal of weight loss, but experiencing numerous unexpected health benefits. She advises listeners to maintain patience and perseverance, understanding that individualized approaches are crucial. Gin encourages leveraging resources like podcasts and books to deepen understanding and confidently share the lifestyle's benefits, even if faced with skepticism. Through her own experience, Bonnie's final advice is to embrace intermittent fasting as a sustainable, healthy lifestyle choice that can positively impact overall well-being.

Check out our sponsor Zoe at ZOE.com, and use the promo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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 Jaimie Lawson from Greenwood, IN.

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. 

Jaimie works in corporate finance for a large company. On the day that Gin and Jaimie recorded the episode, it was 18 months to the day from when Jaimie began IF, and also the day that Jaimie hit one-derland (weighing below 200 pounds) for the first time in over 40 years.

Jaimie candidly discusses her past experiences, including her weight loss journey, the personal losses that shaped her, and her commitment to intermittent fasting. She recounts struggling with weight issues since childhood, going to Weight Watchers with her mom at age 12, and experiencing significant weight fluctuations over the years.

Jaimie shares the emotional and psychological challenges she faced, including divorce, and the grief after the loss of a partner and two sisters. Despite these hurdles, she felt a spiritual presence guiding her through hard times. She speaks fondly of reconnecting with her now-husband, David, drawing strength from their shared past and mutual support. Jaimie recounts her life-changing experiences working with disabled children in India, which deepened her understanding of love and care, further influencing her approach to family and health.

Throughout the episode, Jaimie emphasizes the importance of a supportive community and the small, achievable goals that helped her stay motivated. She discusses her dietary habits, focusing on incorporating a variety of plant foods to improve her health. Jaimie also highlights her positive health outcomes, including stopping multiple medications, enhanced mobility, and emotional well-being. She attributes much of her success to the knowledge gained from the intermittent fasting community, podcasts, and books, and recounts sharing these practices with friends and family, many of whom have also embraced intermittent fasting with positive results.

As the episode concludes, Jaimie offers heartfelt advice to listeners: stay motivated, be patient with oneself, and celebrate the small victories along the way. She encourages everyone to view intermittent fasting not just as a weight loss tool but as a lifestyle that brings holistic benefits. Jaimie's journey underscores the importance of adjusting goals to make them achievable and finding joy in the process of personal growth and health improvement.

Check out our sponsor Zoe at ZOE.com, and use the promo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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 Tanja Brown from Waldorf, MD.

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. 

Tanja is the Chief People Officer for Tactical Air Support, a defense contractor. She never had a weight issue growing up, but suddenly started gaining weight in her mid to late 20s. She did her first diet when she was 26, and lost 75 pounds with Weight Watchers. Over the years, she would yo-yo back up, and then take the weight back off with Weight Watchers. After her daughter was born, she tried WW one more time, but was tired of counting and tracking.

In 2021, Tanja began struggling with intense shoulder pain. All her doctors could suggest was to take anti-inflammatory medication to alleviate the pain. She remembered that she had heard somewhere that intermittent fasting helped with inflammation. So, on February 28th, she decided that she would begin immediately. On March 1st she got started, and she began researching intermittent fasting.

Her research led her to Gin’s podcasts, and it wasn’t long before Tanja was fasting clean. She started with a 16:8, but shifted quickly to a 20:4, which is the protocol she uses most days, even in maintenance.

Tanja had remarkable results—dropping 30 pounds in her first month, which isn’t typical, but reflects her body letting go of a lot of inflammation. Her shoulder pain was 50% resolved after just two weeks. She went on to lose over 100 pounds, going from 260 to her current maintenance range of 150-155 pounds. At 5’ 11”, Tanja feels great in her body. 

Tonja's transition from structured diet plans like Weight Watchers to finding freedom with fasting highlights a significant shift, enabling her to focus on wellness without the need for special products or extensive tracking.

Tonja emphasizes consistency and persistence, employing the hashtag "Consistency is Key" to inspire others. Her journey showcases significant lifestyle changes, with her orthopedic surgeon noting her impressive progress and advocating for fasting as an alternative to surgical interventions.

Towards the end, Tonja discusses the balance between maintaining a healthy lifestyle and enjoying life's pleasures without striving for the lowest possible weight. She encourages listeners to focus on feeling better and to remain consistent with intermittent fasting. Tonja’s final advice is to persist in the journey, emphasizing that small, consistent steps lead to transformative results, and to remember that celebrating health is more important than adhering to rigid dietary rules.

Check out our sponsor Zoe at ZOE.com, and use the promo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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 Nicki Torossian from London, Ontario in Canada.

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. 

Nicki is a sales representative for a Belgian bra and swimwear company. She remembers always struggling with her weight as a child, and she accompanied her mother to Weight Watchers meetings at the age of 10. By the time she was 13, she was 175 pounds, and at 5’ 4”, she was overweight and felt self-conscious about her size. At the age of 16, she went on Nutrisystem and found success, losing 50 pounds and getting down to 133. She recalls taking one of their diet pizza meals to Christmas dinner, because she was afraid to eat real food. 

Nicki’s family moved before her senior year of high school, and she started school at her new weight. No one knew she had been overweight, and she felt amazing. Unfortunately, she slowly began regaining the weight, and when she went to college, she got up to 185. She gave up trying to lose weight, and after college she found herself over 200 pounds for the first time

That is when the real struggles began. She married a chef, and continued to gain weight, ending up at her highest weight of 272 pounds. Desperate, she crossed the border into the US and had gastric bypass surgery. Her surgeon explained that the surgery was just one tool, and that it was going to be up to her to change how she ate long term to see success.

After the surgery, Nicki got down to 135 pounds and felt amazing. She and her husband divorced, and she found herself in a new relationship. That began a period of slow regain, where she regained about 40 pounds.

Around that time, she began exploring a plant based diet. While she didn’t lose any weight, she ended up finding intermittent fasting in March of 2019. She got started, and after about a year, she was able to re-lose 35 pounds. She has maintained in her goal range for the past 6 years. Even better, she surpassed her size goal. She hoped to be a size 14 for life, but she finds herself wearing clothing sizes she never dreamed of, and is happiest in a comfortable size 8.

Nicki’s relationship with food and eating has been transformed, and she credits that to her changed hormones and also her understanding of the power of real food. She has soft skin, an improved mood and a sense of calm, and she doesn’t get sick. She also loves the energy she has while fasting.

At the end of the episode, Nicki tells listeners that it’s physically possible to go for longer periods without hunger, something she would not have believed before starting IF. Thanks to IF, she is living a life where she can enjoy food without guilt, and it doesn’t get any better than that.

Check out our sponsor Zoe at ZOE.com, and use the promo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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 Robinson from Lubbock, 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. 

Angela is a retired elementary math teacher. She first heard of intermittent fasting in September of 2021. She noticed that a Facebook friend of hers looked great, and she messaged her to find out what she was doing. Her friend told her about Delay, Don’t Deny, and Angela not only loved the sound of it, she started the next day.

Like so many guests on the podcast, Angela’s struggles spanned back to childhood. She dieted for decades, getting heavier and heavier over the years. Finally, in 2015, she found herself at a high of 280 pounds. Desperate, she turned to weight loss surgery. She lost 80 pounds in the first year, but gradually began regaining weight, finding herself back up to about 228.

When she begin IF in 2021, she immediately found intermittent fasting to be a sustainable and empowering lifestyle change, reducing guilt and freeing her from constant food struggles. Still, she didn’t lose any weight for the first couple of years of her IF journey. Finally, she began to see weight loss, and she has gotten below her lowest post-surgery weight, settling in the range of around 184-189.

Gin and Angela discuss the numerous benefits of intermittent fasting beyond weight loss. Angela highlights significant improvements in her skin, reduced brain fog, and enhanced mood. Angela's typical routine involves eating between 2 and 6 pm, focusing on fruits and veggies, and enjoying the flexibility and empowerment that come from having control over her food choices. Angela also notes that her journey with intermittent fasting has positively influenced her family, with her sons adopting healthier habits.

Gin and Angela discuss the psychological freedom and lack of restriction that intermittent fasting provides. Angela emphasizes that she continued fasting even during periods when her weight did not decrease simply because of how great she felt overall.

As the episode wraps up, Angela advises newcomers to intermittent fasting to stick with it, stressing that substantial results may take time. She underscores the importance of patience, consistency, and a positive mindset, reminding listeners that intermittent fasting is not just about weight loss but about overall well-being and freedom. Through shared experiences and support, both Gin and Angela encourage listeners to embrace intermittent fasting for its holistic benefits, setting a positive example for those around them.

Check out our sponsor Zoe at ZOE.com, and use the promo 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: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

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.