Intermittent Fasting Stories

Latest Episodes:

Episode 420: Cyrus Khambatta Jun 27, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Cyrus Khambatta who lives in Florida. Cyrus is the co-author of New York Times bestseller Mastering Diabetes, cohost of the Mastering Diabetes podcast, and also manages a coaching community that helps people reverse insulin resistance permanently through dietary and lifestyle changes, including intermittent fasting.

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.

Cyrus has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and worked for NASA before returning to school to earn a PhD in nutritional biochemistry. Cyrus shares his personal journey that led him from battling multiple autoimmune disorders—including a type 1 diabetes diagnosis— to exploring the science of nutrition, ultimately achieving a remarkable tenfold increase in insulin sensitivity through dietary changes.

In Cyrus’s first year of managing his diabetes, he found that his insulin needs kept going up, even though he was following the low carb approach his doctors had recommended. He was introduced to the concept of a whole food plant-based diet, and since he was frustrated by his experiences managing his blood glucose, he was willing to try anything. He was shocked to discover that within one week, he went from requiring 42 units of insulin per day to only 24 units per day. He knew he wanted to understand what was happening in his own body, and was inspired to go back to school to learn more.

Cyrus explains the science of how whole food, low-fat plant-based diets are conducive to both improved blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity, despite common misconceptions to the contrary. Cyrus delves into the scientific research, which underscores the negative impact of high-fat diets on insulin sensitivity. Diving deeper into the science, Cyrus and Gin discuss Cyrus's experiments on calorie restriction and intermittent fasting with laboratory animals, showcasing the significant reversal of insulin resistance.

Cyrus wraps up the episode with advice for listeners who may be grappling with similar health issues or seeking healthier lifestyles. He underscores the essentials: belief in the process, openness to new information, and embracing the robust scientific evidence supporting plant-based diets combined with intermittent fasting. Encouraging personal research and understanding, Cyrus leaves listeners with a powerful parting message – to approach one’s health journey with curiosity, to avoid being swayed by prevalent dietary myths, and to seek empowerment through knowledge, concluding with an invitation to explore the wealth of resources available, such as his Mastering Diabetes program, for anyone ready to take control of their health and well-being. You can connect with Cyrus and his team through https://www.masteringdiabetes.org/.

Get Gin’s books at: http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html, including her latest bestseller 28-Day Fast Start Day-By-Day, the Ultimate Guide to Starting (or Restarting) Your Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle so it Sticks, New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., and Cleanish, available wherever you buy books! Delay, Don’t Deny is available on Amazon.

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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.

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Episode 419: Becca Jun 20, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Becca who lives in Dorset in England.

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.

Becca works for a local company that makes candles and other lifestyle products. She first heard of fasting about 10 years ago from a friend, as she was interested in losing a little weight before her wedding. The original 5:2 program by Dr. Michael Moseley was popular at that time, and she gave it a try, but it was very difficult for her to stick to.

A few years later, Becca found herself with a bit of weight to lose, and she found Dr. Moseley’s new program, which was marketed as “fasting” but actually was a very low-calorie diet where you eat 800 calories a day for up to 12 weeks, followed by a switch to the Mediterranean diet. Becca lost weight very quickly, but found herself caught up in a cycle of over restricting, binging in response to the over restriction, and then regaining the weight just as quickly. This cycle lasted for about a year.

In 2021, Becca faced mysterious pelvic pain that her doctors couldn’t diagnose. The pain was intense and in desperation, she searched for a way to heal her body naturally. She learned that fasting could help with excess inflammation, and she found Fast Feast Repeat and read it, beginning her intermittent fasting lifestyle the next day.

Becca’s family has a history of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so she is motivated to live an intermittent fasting lifestyle for her health. She has settled into an intermittent fasting routine that feels easy, and she knows this will be her forever lifestyle. With a long-term, sustainable approach, Becca opts for an adaptable fasting schedule with a 18-19 hour fast most days, and does not confine herself to strict eating windows.

As the conversation draws to a close, Becca shares the lessons she's learned on her fasting journey. She advises newcomers to intermittent fasting to approach it steadily and avoid overdoing it. Becca emphasizes the importance of integrating weight-bearing exercises and Gin and Becca emphasize self-kindness in both self-talk and dietary choices.

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Episode 418: Suzanne Jun 13, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Suzanne from Howard County, MD.

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.

Suzanne is a management consultant. She learned about IF through a random ad that popped up on Facebook, and she found Fast Feast Repeat two weeks later, at which time she implemented the clean fast. She immediately felt less bloating, and knew that fasting was going to be right for her as a lifestyle.

Suzanne struggled with hormonal balance after several traumatic pregnancy losses, and she was able to find a functional medicine practitioner near her to help her get her hormones back in balance. She also learned that she has a dairy allergy, and changing the foods she eats, coupled with intermittent fasting, has made a great deal of difference in how her digestive system functions.

Suzanne shares her genetic risk of type two diabetes and is relieved that she has both excellent blood work and weight loss as tangible evidence of her health improvements since starting fasting. Both Gin and Suzanne share their experiences with the impacts of both food choices and alcohol on sleep quality and how their bodies feel, emphasizing the importance of listening to one's body, especially through life’s hormonal changes.

As the episode draws to a close, Suzanne shares impactful non-scale victories, like her waist size reduction and enhanced flexibility, and talks proudly of her daughter, who has also adopted intermittent fasting for maintaining her health and simplicity as she goes off to college. In her final advice to the listeners, Suzanne tells listeners to just start. She suggests beginning with a simple twelve-hour fast if you need to, urging listeners to engage with the wealth of resources available on intermittent fasting, especially Gin’s book, Fast Feast Repeat.

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

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.

Episode 417: Stefanie Hartung Jun 06, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Stefanie Hartung from Santa Clarita, CA.

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.

Stefanie is a homemaker and a mom of seven. She shares the turning point that led to her embracing the intermittent fasting lifestyle after her weight crept up in her 40s, including unsuccessful attempts with other dieting strategies like Weight Watchers and the 21-day fix program. Inspired by her cousin's Facebook post and armed with resources her cousin shared with her, such as Gin’s book Fast. Feast. Repeat., Stefanie began her fasting journey on November 14, 2022.

Throughout the conversation, Stefanie highlights the significant emotional and physical changes she has experienced since adopting intermittent fasting as a lifestyle. From experiencing an “appetite reset” that led to a healthier relationship with food, to enjoying softer skin and reduced discomfort from sore lymph nodes and sciatic nerve pain, she enthusiastically describes the multitude of benefits IF has brought to her. The discussion delves deep into the emotional empowerment and sense of life simplification Stefanie has gained, contrasting her life now to the times when other diets left her feeling restricted and less confident.

Gin and Stefanie connect over their similar intermittent fasting schedules and the flexibility IF offers, revealing how their eating windows of four and five hours respectively have become a natural part of their lifestyle. They touch on the broader discussions around aging, societal pressures for women, and the balance between looking good and feeling good as they mature. Not shying away from the challenging aspects of intermittent fasting, they share personal insights into past dieting experiences, highlighting the need to pay attention to hunger and satiety cues.

Ending the episode with sound advice for newcomers, Stefanie encourages listeners to treat intermittent fasting as an adventure rather than a chore. Emphasizing patience and the importance of tuning into one’s body, she reflects on her own fasting journey and how it has led to a more intuitive relationship with food and her well-being.

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

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

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Episode 416: Ashley Izzo May 30, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Ashley Izzo from Marietta, GA.

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.

Ashley is lead instructor at a Spenga studio and a mom of two boys. Ashley openly shares her turbulent relationship with food and body image that dates back to her childhood, discussing how she navigated weight struggles from middle school into adulthood. After a bout of salmonella poisoning, health remained at the forefront of her concerns. Her journey with food took dramatic turns as she experimented with a variety of diets, including experiences with both the master cleanse protocol and a lengthy juice fast to prepare for her wedding. Despite these programs and diets, Ashley was unable to maintain her weight loss, and her weight always went back up.

Ashley's story takes a poignant turn as she delves into her pregnancy loss, highlighting how grief and then motherhood affected her body and her approach to nutrition. Choosing to adopt intermittent fasting, she recounts her initial hesitation and the accidental discovery of its benefits while juggling the demands of a toddler and a newborn.

Throughout their conversation, Gin and Ashley bond over their shared experiences with dietary struggles and the realization that the path to well-being is unique for each person. The discussion ventures into the mental and physical benefits both women have observed from intermittent fasting. They also explore the societal pressures around eating and the freedom they have found in making personal food choices without the burden of judgment.

Concluding the episode, Ashley emphasizes the importance of pursuing health without attaching guilt to food choices, encouraging listeners to take control of their own well-being journey. She underscores the significance of prioritizing how one feels over a number on the scale and advocates for body recomposition and strength-building as markers of fitness success. Her parting advice for the audience is to drop the shame around past struggles and embrace a flexible, information-empowered approach to intermittent fasting, leading to a healthier and more harmonious lifestyle.

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

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

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Episode 415: Christina Murphy May 23, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Christina Murphy. Christina is from Marietta, GA and now lives in Wicklow, Ireland.

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.

Christina is a zookeeper, and she also appears on a TV show called The Zoo. In 2022, Christina discovered she had hip dysplasia, and she could no longer run. Doctors told her that she would probably need a hip replacement in about 10 years, and that was hard for a 36-year-old to hear. They also let her know that if she lost weight, she would find some relief. So, Christina started searching, and found intermittent fasting.

Christina decided to start with 16:8, and she shares the challenges of her very first day fasting, which involved the physical task of catching 100 flamingos for bird flu vaccines.

During the conversation, the pair delve into the differences in animal and human eating habits, with Christina drawing parallels from her job as a zookeeper, culminating in humorous stories about her work with animals, including penguins, and her previous experience at the Georgia Aquarium. Christina and Gin discuss the importance of finding an eating schedule compatible with one's lifestyle and discuss how Christina and her husband, who also adopted intermittent fasting, have gained freedom and time for personal development.

They touch on the significance of not obsessing over the scale, utilizing "honesty pants" as a gauge instead, and engaging in new physical activities like sea swimming, which also contributes to Christina's well-being.

Christina concludes with valuable advice for listeners, urging them not to get lost in the extremities of dieting and to maintain a sustainable and flexible approach to intermittent fasting. She emphasizes the importance of being gentle with oneself, embracing a fasting method that adapts to life events, and not being overly restrictive. Christina's parting wisdom encapsulates the spirit of her story—fast clean, and find a balance that allows you to maintain a healthy weight and active lifestyle without compromising life's joys.

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

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.

Episode 414: Andrea Walton May 21, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Andrea Walton from Woodbury, GA.

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.

Andrea is a medical transcriptionist who works for an internal medicine practice. Andrea spent years battling with her weight, trying various diets from Atkins to Weight Watchers in an on-again, off-again struggle that felt endless. Despite avoiding more extreme measures like weight loss injections, she remained entangled in the relentless yo-yo cycle of dieting. At the age of 45, a significant shift in perspective came when she started working at a doctor's office. It was here that she encountered numerous patients much younger than herself, already suffering from health issues typically associated with an older population. This was a powerful wake-up call for Andrea. Determined not to fall into the same trap, she decided to not only take control of her weight but also to maintain a healthier lifestyle to ensure her future years would be vibrant and robust. She started intermittent fasting in July of 2020 after hearing a doctor in her practice recommend The Obesity Code to his patients.

Andrea found initial success with intermittent fasting, but window creep happened over the years, and in January of 2023, she tightened her window back up. She has gotten to a very healthy range for her body, feeling relaxed about her weight for the first time ever. At the age of 57, Andrea loves and appreciates her body and is no longer interested in stressing out about the scale number.

As the podcast concludes, Andrea offers sound advice to those new to intermittent fasting, advising patience and starting slow to integrate this lifestyle change smoothly. She stresses the importance of self-compassion and accepting one's body.

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

Share your intermittent fasting stories with Gin: gin@intermittentfastingstories.com

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com

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Episode 413: Clover Yordanova May 16, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Clover Yordanova from Austin, 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.

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.

Clover is an educational diagnostician and a special ed facilitator at a high school.

Clover recounts her five-year intermittent fasting journey, beginning with her discovery of Delay, Don't Deny in 2019. She describes the successful weight loss she achieved within six weeks through eating one meal a day and calorie counting, though she was able to release the need to count calories quickly as she developed confidence in her ability to listen to her body.

Clover shares how intermittent fasting allowed her to maintain her weight, even in the face of emotional eating during pandemic-induced stress. Adjusting her eating window to align with work schedules and finding balance during life's upheavals, Clover opens up about the adjustments she's made to maintain her flexible yet consistent intermittent fasting routine.

Clover leaves listeners with an empowering takeaway, emphasizing the flexibility inherent in the practice of intermittent fasting: you cannot fail unless you give up. Her parting advice emphasizes the importance of perseverance in the intermittent fasting journey, inspiring others to keep going and adapt the lifestyle to suit their individual needs and circumstances. The episode wraps up with a nod to the personal growth and understanding of one’s body that can evolve from these experiences, reminding us all of the power of commitment and the continuous path toward better health and happiness.

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

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.

Episode 412: Carter Solomon May 14, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Carter Solomon, a college student from Snowflake, AZ.

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.

Reflecting on his family’s health history, Carter shares his father’s weight struggles and successful weight loss surgery, which instilled in him a resolve to manage his own weight proactively. Carter's story is a unique one, navigating the pressures of fluctuating weight categories through football and wrestling seasons. He struggled with his weight since childhood and observed extreme weight loss measures among his wrestling peers, underscoring the mental and physical challenges faced by young athletes. He candidly recounts his attempts with various diets before finding success through intermittent fasting. Transitioning from initial struggles to a sustainable lifestyle, Carter lost around 130 pounds and feels like IF is something he can keep doing indefinitely.

Despite facing judgment from others, Carter emphasizes that finding a fasting window that works for you is key and advises to not let societal norms or others' opinions derail your health journey.

Now, pursuing a biomedical degree and planning for a career in dentistry, Carter is fascinated by the science behind nutrition and health. His personal growth has extended beyond physical health, as he now enjoys endurance activities and experiences increased social confidence.

Ending the episode, Carter leaves listeners with an insightful piece of advice: approach intermittent fasting with an open mind, giving your body time to adjust to this new lifestyle. Eventually, it will feel normal.

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

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

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Episode 411: Nikki Crocker May 09, 2024

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Nikki Crocker from Liberty Lake, WA.

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.

Nikki is a personal trainer, and she and her husband own a gym. Nikki first learned about intermittent fasting in 2021 when her book club read Fast. Feast. Repeat. Since then, Nikki has accumulated 983 days of fasting and experienced numerous health benefits, including losing 15 to 17 pounds to return to her preferred maintenance weight range.

Gin and Nikki discuss incorporating fasting with training, debunking myths and emphasizing the importance of finding a personalized fasting schedule that complements your individual activity levels and goals.

Providing a powerful narrative of perseverance and positivity, Nikki stresses the importance of having a powerful why as a driving force behind lifestyle changes, sharing her own story of triumph over grief and becoming a resilient single parent. Nikki shares her experiences of navigating weight gain from a young age and tackling postpartum depression, and she discusses past approaches to losing weight through conventional diet programs. The conversation touches upon the synergistic role of nutrition and mindset in sustainable weight management, with real foods taking center stage in fostering a healthier relationship with eating.

Nikki highlights her significant struggles with severe health issues like IBS and digestive problems, underscoring the transformative impact of both dietary changes and fasting.

She and her husband have embraced the teachings of clean fasting within their professional practice, witnessing success stories in the improved health and well-being of their clients.

As the episode wraps up, Nikki tells us that it is fun to do intermittent fasting with other people. Her closing advice to listeners highlights the significance of starting each day with a positive outlook and she and Gin encourage others to experience intermittent fasting's profound benefits by committing to it for the first 28 days, and then for a whole year.

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

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.