Life doesn't always follow our fasting schedule—and that's okay.

In this episode of The Pause and Fast Podcast, I’m talking about one of the things I think is so important for long-term success with intermittent fasting: flexibility.

I’m sharing a little behind-the-scenes look at my own week, including what I ate on two particularly busy days, what worked well, what I might have done differently, and how I adjusted when things didn't go exactly according to plan.

We’ll also talk about “diet brain”—that all-or-nothing thinking that can make one meal feel like a failure or convince us that we need to compensate for what we ate. I’ll share some practical ways to step away from that mindset, give yourself some grace, and remember that one meal or one day doesn't define your journey.

Fasting doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful. Sometimes the most sustainable approach is simply learning how to make it work alongside your actual life.

If you're a faster, fasting creator, or someone with a story or perspective you'd like to share, I'd love to have you join me for a conversation on the podcast! Reach out and let's talk.

And don't forget to follow The Pause and Fast Podcast on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook for more conversations about fasting, self-care, mindset, and finding a little more pause in everyday life.

Fasting without all the drama. Life with a little more pause.

What happens when something you thought you would need for the rest of your life suddenly doesn’t seem to fit anymore?

In this solo episode of The Pause and Fast Podcast, I’m sharing the somewhat sad, somewhat funny story of my CPAP journey—and one of the most unexpected non-scale victories I’ve experienced since starting intermittent fasting.

I had been a lifelong snorer, but as an adult, my snoring became more than an annoyance. I was experiencing extreme daytime sleepiness, falling asleep while driving, and struggling to stay awake even when I was trying to get up and get moving. My husband's sleep was being affected too, and eventually my family staged an intervention of sorts!

A sleep study revealed that I was having more than 300 breathing events in one hour. Suddenly, my exhaustion made a lot more sense. I started using a CPAP with a full-face mask, and it truly changed my life. For years, I wore it every night and assumed it would always be part of my routine.

Then, in 2023, I started intermittent fasting.

As I lost weight and my body changed, I noticed something unexpected: my CPAP mask started feeling too big and uncomfortable. It was slipping around, and I began taking it off during the night. At the same time, my husband started telling me that I wasn't snoring anymore.

After talking with my doctor, I eventually tried sleeping without my CPAP—and the results surprised me.

Today, I haven't used my CPAP in nearly two years. I still have it tucked away in my closet “just in case,” but I definitely don't miss cleaning it, packing it for travel, or wearing it every night!

For me, this has become one of my biggest non-scale victories. Not because I stopped using a machine, but because I sleep well, wake up rested, and have a little more freedom in my everyday life.

⚠️ Important: This episode is about my personal experience and is not medical advice. Sleep apnea is a serious condition, and anyone considering changing or stopping CPAP therapy should talk with their healthcare provider and have their treatment appropriately reassessed.

If you enjoy conversations about intermittent fasting, self-care, mindset, wellness, and the unexpected ways fasting can change your life, make sure to subscribe to The Pause and Fast Podcast!

💚 Connect with me:
📧 Email: [email protected]
🎙️ Podcast: The Pause and Fast Podcast

#IntermittentFasting #CPAP #SleepApnea #NonScaleVictory #WeightLoss #FastingJourney #SelfCare #ThePauseAndFastPodcast

I’m Back! Erika Barnhart & Charity Wade on Fasting, Sobriety, & Finding What Works

I’m back! 🎙️ And I couldn’t think of a better conversation to come back with.

After a little break, The Pause and Fast Podcast is back—and this episode is all about transformation, finding what works for you, and building a healthier life one habit at a time.

In this episode, Erika Barnhart sits down with Charity Wade to talk about her journey through sobriety, intermittent fasting, yoga, self-care, and personal growth. Charity shares how sobriety became a foundation for changing her relationship with her health, how fasting brought more clarity and routine into her life, and why yoga has become a form of moving meditation.

They also dive into alternate-day fasting, managing hunger, emotional eating, autophagy and cellular health, staying active, the power of community, and the importance of celebrating progress along the way.

Most importantly, this conversation is a reminder that there isn't one perfect path to better health. Find what makes you feel good—and do it.

If you've been wondering where The Pause and Fast Podcast has been… I’m back, and we're getting right back into the conversation. ❤️

🎧 In this episode, we talk about:

• Charity's intermittent fasting journey
• Sobriety as a foundation for a healthier lifestyle
• Yoga, movement, and mental clarity
• Building sustainable routines and habits
• Autophagy and cellular health
• Emotional eating and changing your relationship with food
• Community, self-care, and personal growth
• Finding what works for YOU

If you're new here, welcome. If you've been here since the beginning, thank you for coming back. Let's pause, fast, and figure this out together.

#IntermittentFasting #FastingJourney #Sobriety #Yoga #Wellness #HealthyLifestyle #MentalClarity #SelfCare #Autophagy #ThePauseAndFastPodcast

Rachel Elmore lost 40 pounds with intermittent fasting—and gained so much more. In this episode, she shares how clean fasting, mindful eating, and sustainable lifestyle changes transformed her health, improved her mental clarity, and shifted her focus from weight loss to lifelong wellness.

Whether you're new to intermittent fasting or looking for motivation to stay the course, Rachel offers practical advice, honest insights, and encouragement to help you create healthy habits that last.

In this episode of The Pause and Fast Podcast, Rachel and I discuss:

• Breaking free from sugar cravings
• Exercising while fasting and recovering from injury
• Menopause and hormone replacement therapy
• Why longevity—not just weight loss—is her biggest motivation
• The mental health benefits of fasting
• Tips for anyone just getting started

If you're looking for a sustainable approach to health without restrictive dieting, this conversation is for you.

👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and Share it with someone who could use a little encouragement on their intermittent fasting journey. New episodes of The Pause and Fast Podcast are released every other week!

https://youtu.be/ml8xvMzd5Cg

In this solo summer episode, Erika shares her approach to staying consistent with intermittent fasting while enjoying vacations and special experiences. From cruises and island adventures to unexpected pizza nights and memorable moments with friends, she explores how flexibility can be an important part of a sustainable fasting lifestyle. Learn how to create a vacation fasting plan, identify what's truly "window worthy," and enjoy your travels without guilt or all-or-nothing thinking.

Have you ever struggled to fast on vacation? Tune in and join the conversation about balancing health goals with life's special moments.

https://youtu.be/P55aip7lLhI

“There’s so much freedom in the perceived restriction” — in Episode 22, Roxi Ruiz explains why it can actually become one of the most freeing and empowering tools for better health.

After being diagnosed with prediabetes and fatty liver disease, Roxi began intermittent fasting in 2019 and completely transformed her health. In just 10 months, she reversed her medical markers through consistent fasting and lifestyle changes — and seven years later, she continues to maintain her results while helping others do the same.

In this conversation, Roxi shares how fasting helped her break free from constant food obsession, improve her emotional resilience, and create lasting habits that support longevity and vitality. She also opens up about growing up in one of the most obese cities in America and navigating the cultural and emotional ties many people have with food.

You’ll hear practical advice on:
• How to get started with fasting
• Why the “clean fast” matters
• Building consistency without perfection
• OMAD and alternate-day fasting
• The power of community support like Meal-less Mondays
• How fasting naturally changes movement, mindset, and food choices

Whether you’re brand new to fasting or looking to deepen your journey, this episode offers real-life encouragement, practical wisdom, and a refreshing perspective on what it truly means to live well.

https://youtu.be/E2OfTmJ-LJ8

In this episode of The Pause and Fast Podcast, Erika Barnhart talks with Jackie Moravek, social media creator behind The Intermittent Fasting Foodie and Grocery Addict, about building a sustainable fasting lifestyle without guilt, restriction, or food obsession.

Jackie shares how her journey with intermittent fasting evolved from a strict, scarcity mindset into a flexible lifestyle centered around freedom, family, and enjoying food. As a stay-at-home mom from Kalamazoo, she explains how she balances fasting with busy family life while still embracing spontaneous moments, favorite foods, and meaningful meals with loved ones.

This conversation explores intuitive eating, flexible fasting windows, OMAD, mindset shifts, and how removing rigid food rules can create a healthier relationship with food—for both adults and children.

✨ “When I don’t have these rules that make me feel restricted, I feel flexible.”

• Intermittent fasting and food freedom
• Flexible fasting and OMAD
• Mindset shifts around dieting and restriction
• Family meals and intuitive eating
• Creating a sustainable fasting lifestyle

Jackiemoravek.com

intermittentfastingfoodie.com

Watch on YouTube! - https://youtu.be/PorGyX5pLDo

In this special episode, Erika Barnhart sits down with two experienced voices in the fasting community — Laurie Lewis and Jalene Weigand — for a powerful and honest conversation about what it really takes to maintain intermittent fasting for life.

This isn’t about quick results. It’s about becoming the kind of person who can live this lifestyle long-term.

Together, they explore:

• How motivation evolves over time (and why it matters less than you think)
• The surprising power of “being boring” with your habits
• What “effortless effort” actually looks like in real life
• How to feel confident living differently than the people around you
• Other ways we can “pause” in life beyond food

You’ll also hear personal stories, mindset shifts, and practical tools that can help both beginners and experienced fasters stay consistent — without burnout.

If you’ve ever wondered “How do I make this stick forever?” — this episode is for you.

We referenced - The Hunger Habit - Judson Brewer, MD

In this episode of The Pause and Fast Podcast, Erika Barnhart talks with Alison Pizanie, a board-certified bariatric educator and author, about her journey through bariatric surgery, weight loss, and finding long-term success with intermittent fasting.

Alison shares why bariatric surgery is a powerful tool—but not a complete solution—and how intermittent fasting helped her manage weight regain, improve her relationship with food, and build a sustainable lifestyle.

They also discuss the importance of mindset, emotional health, proper nutrition, and community support for lasting results.

In this episode:
• Bariatric surgery and long-term weight management
• Intermittent fasting after surgery
• Mindset and emotional health
• Nutrition and protein intake
• Building sustainable habits

✨ “Fasting is a lifestyle, not a diet.”

https://youtu.be/SsPvl98ppsU

What if the simplest health shift is the one that actually sticks?

In this powerful, no-nonsense conversation, Laurie Lewis shares her 9-year journey with intermittent fasting—and how it transformed her energy, mindset, and overall health when nothing else worked.

This episode cuts through the noise. You’ll learn what a clean fast really is, how to find your ideal eating window, and why fasting is about so much more than weight loss.

If you’re looking for a sustainable, realistic approach to better health, this is it.

In this episode:
• What actually makes intermittent fasting work
• How to start (and stick with it)
• The mindset shift that changes everything
• Why “pausing” might be the missing piece

Simple. Practical. Transformational.

Resources:
Fast Forward Wellness: https://fastforwardwellness.com
The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Zero Fasting App

Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/uBJpbodKpLs