Intermittent Fasting Stories

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Nikki Mott Jan 21, 2021

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Nikki Mott. Nikki is a stay-at-home mom of two young girls, and her family lives in Huntsville, AL.

This episode is brought to you by Green Chef: The #1 Meal Kit for Eating Well. Go to GreenChef.com/ifstories90 and use code ifstories90 to get $90 off including free shipping!

Nikki shares that she began dieting in junior high when her entire family went on a diet program together. Looking back over life, Nikki realizes, “I was always either on or off a diet.”

In 2018, she found IF through carb cycling. She dabbled in it, but was't consistent. She read Delay, Don't Deny in 2019. In May of 2020, after her second pregnancy, Nikki went back to IF. She has lost 20 pounds, has a ton of energy and improved mental clarity, is more active, and no longer needs her afternoon latte!

The advice Nikki would give to new IFers: "Be patient. The weight loss may not happen right away. Don't overthink it. It's a lifestyle, not a diet."

Get Gin’s books at http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html, including her New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books!

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

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Suzanne Stone Jan 14, 2021

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Suzanne Stone from Tarzana, CA.

This episode is brought to you by Ritual. You deserve to know what’s in your multivitamin. That’s why Ritual is offering my listeners 10% off during your first 3 months. Visit ritual.com/IFSTORIES to start your Ritual today!

Suzanne shares that she began her first diet at age ten. Her father, worried she would be overweight as an adult, put her on a low carb diet. Suzanne recalls, "My father made me do 500 fast jump ropes every day. He would sit there and count every one of them." Years of diet plans, counting calories, and diet pills followed. She would lose, then eventually gain everything back.

Suzanne was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2012 and put on thyroid medication. Her thyroid needed to be removed, but before surgery, her doctor gave her an iodine treatment. She was also taken off her thyroid medication for six weeks. This whole process was done twice, causing a 20-pound weight gain each time, along with severe lethargy and major inflammation. After a long recovery, she tried various diets to lose the weight, but struggled to go back to the diets that were once successful.

In March of 2019, her friend Fred (also a DDD Facebook group moderator) shared about intermittent fasting on Facebook. She had heard about IF from another friend, but thought it sounded crazy! Desperate for something to help with her severe allergies, Suzanne decided to give IF a try. She read Delay, Don't Deny and The Obesity Code, and began with a 16:8 protocol.

Almost two years later, Suzanne has lost 45 pounds. She's gone from a size 14 to a size 6. Her health has greatly improved. She takes very little allergy and thyroid medication now, and no longer needs her inhaler. She has mental clarity, feels more confident, and craves healthier foods. Suzanne started a Facebook group called A Valley Girl's Guide to Intermittent Fasting.

The advice she'd give to new IFers: Learn patience. Diet mentality takes a lot of time to change. You have to really work hard to get past it. Weight loss won't be fast. It is a lifestyle, not a diet. When you change the way you look at it, then you're not as worried when it doesn't happen fast!

Get Gin’s books at http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html, including her New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books!

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

Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens

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Visit Gin’s website at ginstephens.com

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Kelly Llewellyn Jan 07, 2021

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Kelly Llewellyn, a registered nurse from Williamsport, MD.

This episode is brought to you by Green Chef! Go to GreenChef.com/ifstories90 and use code ifstories90 to get $90 off including free shipping.

Kelly found Intermittent Fasting through her mother-in-law in March of 2018. Not knowing anything about IF, she watched a video and said,“I can do this!”

Her very first day of 16:8, a co-worker shared that he was also an intermittent faster. This encouraged Kelly.

She found the Delay, Don't Deny Facebook group, and listened to the Intermittent Fasting Podcast on the way to work. She also read Gin's latest book, Fast Feast Repeat. As a nurse, Kelly is fascinated with the science of autophagy.

Kelly's health improvements since IF: her blood pressure came down, she rarely has migraines, her skin is clear, and her labs have normalized. Her biggest motivation with living an IF lifestyle are the incredible health benefits. She follows an 18:6 protocol, with some days that are OMAD (One Meal A Day) and has lost 15 pounds. She shares IF with everyone.

Kelly's advice to new IFers: "Join the DDD Facebook groups to learn more about IF and for the support. Listen to the IF Podcasts and read Fast Feast Repeat. There is so much information out there! Gain as much knowledge as possible."

Get Gin’s books, including her New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html

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

Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens

Follow Gin on Instagram @GinStephens

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.

Jess Berry Dec 31, 2020

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Jess Berry from Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Gin says, “I fast clean, and so it's become important for me to clean up other areas of my life. But, I don't have time to read labels on every product I want to buy or memorize what's safe and what's not. Honestly, it can get confusing. That's why I rely on Beautycounter. They have done the work for me, and I can be confident that every product I buy is safe for me and the environment.” When you shop with Gin at beautycounter.com/ginstephens, you are helping to support the Intermittent Fasting Stories podcast with every purchase.

Jess is the president of a small business. She was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimoto's, Fibromyalgia, and as pre-diabetic. After gaining 80 pounds following taking steroids and prescription medications, Jess tried various diets. In March of 2018, she learned about Delay, Don't Deny from a friend who had shared it on Facebook.

Jess then recalled the times in her life where she had been at an ideal weight. It was when she was too busy to eat, and would only eat dinner. She realized she had been intermittent fasting! But eventually, she had always listened to everyone around her who told her it was unhealthy. Jess would go back to eating all day, then gain the weight back. Once she learned there was science supporting the health benefits of IF, it was easy for her to transition back into that lifestyle with confidence.

Jess keeps 20-22 hour daily fasts, and has lost 27 pounds. She has experienced a great deal of body recomposition. She feels great!

Her health benefits with IF: Jess is in clinical remission for Rheumatoid Arthritis, she's off all steroids, she has more energy, she sleeps better, her skin is glowing, she has mental clarity, and she is no longer pre-diabetic! Her overall inflammation has also gone down.

Her advice to new IFers: "Patience is key. IF is not a quick fix. Don't give up! Don't punish yourself, cutting out entire food groups, you body knows what to do. Enjoy your life!"

Get Gin’s books, including her latest New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html

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

Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens

Follow Gin on Instagram @GinStephens

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Rebecca Dec 24, 2020

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Rebecca from Boston, MA.

This episode is brought to you by Green Chef! Green Chef is the #1 meal kit for eating well, and the first USDA-certified organic meal kit company. Go to GreenChef.com/ifstories90 and use code ifstories90 to get $90 off including free shipping!

Rebecca was athletic and swam competitively for many years, and was always “body conscious.” When her high school boyfriend told her she needed to lose weight, Rebecca says, "From then on, I became extremely weight-obsessed. It hurt deeply." After college in 2015, she went through another emotional breakup that sent her into deep depression. This traumatic event was the trigger for obsessive thoughts about food, and Rebecca was diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder. She felt like a failure. Desperate to succeed with weight loss, Rebecca began to count calories and track macros, still struggling with binge eating.

In 2017, Rebecca broke her foot, and then lost her mom, using food as comfort. As a result, she rapidly gained 20 pounds. By March of 2019, Rebecca's doctor prescribed antidepressants, which helped her to gain another 40 pounds by November of that same year. At this point, Rebecca weighed 212 pounds and felt awful.

One day while online, she stumbled across some Dr. Jason Fung YouTube videos on calories and body fat storage. She then came across the Intermittent Fasting Podcast.

Rebecca began IF with 16:8, but found it was not enough for her. After learning about other IF protocols on the Intermittent Fasting Podcast, she switched to a OMAD approach. She loves that IF is a flexible lifestyle.

Rebecca has experienced many health benefits, such as her skin tags fell off. And most importantly, she hasn't binged in a year! She no longer thinks about food constantly. Rebecca feels mentally better, and is much more productive during the day. She has lost 64 pounds, going from 212 to 148 pounds.

Advice to new IFers: "What works for one, might not work for you! Be kind to your body, stick to it, and the results will come."

Get Gin’s books, including her latest New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html

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

Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens

Follow Gin on Instagram @GinStephens

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

Michelle Williams Dec 17, 2020

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Michelle Williams from St. Louis, MO.

This episode is supported by Beautycounter! Gin says, “I fast clean, and so it's become important for me to clean up other areas of my life. But, I don't have time to read labels on every product I want to buy or memorize what's safe and what's not. Honestly, it can get confusing. That's why I rely on Beautycounter. They have done the work for me, and I can be confident that every product I buy is safe for me and the environment.” When you shop with Gin at beautycounter.com/ginstephens, you are helping to support the Intermittent Fasting Stories podcast with every purchase.

In today’s episode, Michelle shares that she, "backed into intermittent fasting." As a teenager, she remembers feeling better when she skipped breakfast, because she wasn't ever hungry for it. But her mother always made a huge feast, and Michelle was not allowed to throw away food...so, she ate breakfast anyway. She was a healthy weight in high school and college, and very active in sports.

After three children and then a divorce, however, Michelle struggled with her weight. She tried countless diets, cleanses and detoxes. By 2013, she asked herself: "What can I do to lose weight?" Recalling how great she felt as teenager by skipping breakfast and only eating dinner, she returned to this way of eating. At the time, Michelle did not know she was doing intermittent fasting. She dropped 40 pounds, but her family worried she was starving herself. Without the scientific knowledge behind IF, Michelle went back to eating all day long, gaining everything back (plus more). Six long years of more diets, cleanses, and detoxes followed.

By January of 2020, Michelle felt hopeless. "I've got to find something," she told herself. While searching online for the next diet, she came across Delay, Don't Deny and ordered it. The book made so much sense to her, and Michelle held tight to three gems of wisdom, referring to these as Gin's Gems.

The health benefits Michelle has experienced are clearer skin, a brightness in her eyes, alertness, and mental clarity. Prior to IF, her blood work showed pre-hypertension and high glucose, both of which are now in the normal range. Her cholesterol is down 30 points and her plantar fasciitis is gone! Michelle has lost 50 pounds, going from 245 pounds to 195 pounds.

The advice Michelle would give new IFers: "Educate yourself on IF. Know what's happening in your body if you don't see it at first. Trust and enjoy the process! Health is your greatest wealth."

Get Gin’s books, including her latest New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html

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

Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens

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Connect with Gin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GinStephens

Listen to Gin on the Intermittent Fasting Stories podcast: Intermittent Fasting Stories on iTunes

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

Roxi Dec 10, 2020

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Roxi. Roxi is a speech-language pathologist from McAllen, TX, which is known as the most obese city in the US.

This episode is brought to you by Ritual Essential for Women, Ritual Essential for Men, and now: Ritual Essential for Kids and Teens. Ritual leaves out mystery additives, synthetic fillers, and shady extras that can be found in some traditional multivitamins. All of Ritual’s ingredients are obsessively-researched and science-backed. Go to ritual.com/ifstories to save 10% per month for your first three months!

Roxi shares that after college and pregnancy, she reached her highest weight of 214 pounds, but was always able to get into the 190s through diets and rigorous exercise. She trained for marathons which also helped, but the weight loss was very difficult to maintain.

In February of 2019, Roxi found IF through a friend from work. She had never heard of IF, and thought: "That doesn't sound healthy!" But her friend convinced her to read Delay, Don't Deny, and Roxi read it between patients that very day! She tried her first fast of 16:8, and found it was easy. She then dove into her own IF research, watching Dr. Jason Fung's videos on IF. The scientific research behind IF was thrilling to Roxi, and she was so hopeful to find this new lifestyle.

Roxi quickly went from a 16:8 protocol to 20:4, then found 22:2 was her "sweet spot" for weight loss. She lost 20 pounds in her first year of IF, her health greatly improving. She reversed her fatty liver, and her fasting glucose went from 127 to 88. Her A1C went from 6.1 to 4.7, which meant she was no longer pre-diabetic! "Delay, Don't Deny changed my life, and it will always have a very special place in my life," she shares.

Roxi has lost 32 pounds so far, going from 194 pounds to 162 pounds, and from a size 20W to a size 10.

In May of 2020, Roxi read Gin's latest book, Fast Feast Repeat. Shelearned about ADF (Alternate Day Fasting) and decided to switch up her IF routine. She then created and currently leads "Meal-less Monday" for the DDD Facebook group, where she is a moderator. Members who participate fast through the day, and cheer one another on as they do!

The advice Roxi would give new IFers: "Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Where has comfort gotten you to this point? Don't be afraid to be uncomfortable at first. Embrace it!"

Get Gin’s books, including her latest New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html

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

Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens

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Listen to Gin on the Intermittent Fasting Stories podcast: Intermittent Fasting Stories on iTunes

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Autumn Kumlien Dec 03, 2020

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Autumn Kumlien, a Registered Dietician and Nutritionist from Milton, Wisconsin.

This episode is brought to you by Audible! Audible is the leading provider of spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks, including bestsellers like Gin’s latest book Fast. Feast. Repeat. Visit audible.com/ifstories to start exploring Audible with a 30-day free trial.

Autumn shares that from third grade on, she was the tallest and biggest of all of her friends. No one made a big deal about her weight, but suddenly, "I thought I better do something about it." She began portioning out her food. Autumn's mother began dieting around this time, and she did the same. By eighth grade, Autumn had dieted her way to 205 pounds, her father calling her "Amazon Girl." By college, Autumn had leaned out some, and decided to join her mother on Weight Watchers. She easily lost more weight, but maintaining it was very difficult, and she gained back all the weight she had lost. After a long journey with trying to get pregnant, and then pregnancy itself, Autumn was not able to lose the weight she had gained. Being a dietician, she felt as though she knew what to do to lose weight, but nothing worked!

By the time Autumn was about to turn forty, with her weight climbing, her husband heard about IF through a podcast. She began IF in November of 2018 with a window of between 7-11 hours. In January of 2019, Autumn found the IF Stories podcast, listening each day on her way to work. She also read Delay, Don't Deny and The Obesity Code. She gradually increased her fasting hours, and currently follows a 20:4 protocol. Autumn has gone from 175 pounds to 140 pounds. Her husband joined her with IF, losing 87 pounds himself.

The advice Autumn would give new IFers: "Trust the process. Don't go by just the scale because it's just data! Enjoy the process."

Get Gin’s books, including her latest New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html

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

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Listen to Gin on the Intermittent Fasting Stories podcast: Intermittent Fasting Stories on iTunes

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Jason Boetcher Nov 26, 2020

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In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Jason Boetcher. Jason is a pastor from Kansas City, KS.

This episode is brought to you by Green Chef! Green Chef is a USDA certified organic company that makes eating well easy and affordable with plans to fit every lifestyle. Gin’s favorite? The Balanced Living plan. Go to greenchef.com/ifstories90 and use promo code ifstories90 to get $90 off.

Jason is a Lutheran pastor. He tried many diets over the years, losing 20 pounds with each one. He first heard about IF on the Dr. Oz Show, though he was already familiar with spiritual fasts. Through some research, Jason found Delay, Don't Deny, and the IF Stories Podcast. In January of 2019, he began with a 20:4 protocol, but found he ate too much, and so he switched to 23:1. By the fall of that same year, he had lost 50 pounds, weighing 180 pounds.

But life was about to change.

Jason had a persistent cold that would not go away, and one day he found himself unable to breathe while playing soccer. After having a chest x-ray and CT scan, his doctor found an aggressive tumor growing near his esophagus. He was put on steroids and began chemotherapy, which caused Jason to lose his sense of taste for everything...but sugar. He began to eat all day long, which led to a weight gain of 45 pounds.

In March of 2020, the treatments were completed and the tumor was gone! Jason was desperate to get back to IF, but after experiencing some fainting spells, he needed to wait.

By May of 2020, Jason was able to fast again. He is currently 180 pounds, and his ultimate goal is 165 pounds. Jason has cut out sugar and soda, and is following an ADF (Alternate Day Fasting) protocol.

Jason's advice for new IFers: "Be patient and kind to yourself in the beginning. Try longer fasts. The process will work. You might not lose as fast as you'd like, but it will happen."

Get Gin’s books, including her latest New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html

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

Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens

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Connect with Gin on Facebook:

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Listen to Gin on the Intermittent Fasting Stories podcast: Intermittent Fasting Stories on iTunes

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

Nicole Poirier Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Nicole Poirier, a chef and author from San Francisco. Her specialty is personal transformation and nutritional healing.

This episode is brought to you by Ritual. Now, in addition to Ritual Essential for Women and Essential for Men, they are offering Ritual Essential for Kids. Visit ritual.com/ifstories to save 10% for your first 3 months.

In 2016, Nicole began Keto and lost 40 pounds. But with almost three years of family tragedies, her weight loss stalled. In 2018, she came across Dr. Jason Fung's book, The Complete Guide to Fasting. This began her IF research, and next she found Delay, Don't Deny and Gin's DDD Facebook groups. Nicole began IF with 16:8, and immediately had more energy. She shares: "I didn't know I could feel better, and then I did!" Everything felt instantly clearer to Nicole, as a "new layer had been removed" in her life.

Nicole has a gluten allergy and eats fairly low carb to feel her best. Because "food is my job," a 16:8 protocol allows Nicole to taste the beautiful dishes she makes for her clients. She has gone from 225 pounds to 200 pounds, and from a size 12 to a size 8. Instead of a goal weight, Nicole has a goal body fat percentage. Through her IF journey, she has done a great deal of inner work, healing old beliefs she held true about her weight and acceptance. She also uses daily meditation.

Nicole's book Intermittent Fasting Cookbook is now available. It is a celebration of food, different methods of IF, finding the right foods for your body, eating the most nutrient dense foods, and more than 80 delicious recipes!

The advice Nicole would give new IFers: "IF is going to change your life, you're just going to need to give it a little bit of time. Trust the process. Enjoy the process. Start slow. You don't have to do everything right all at once."

You may find Nicole Poirier at: mindbodyketo.com and Instagram: @mind_body_keto

Get Gin’s books, including her latest New York Times Bestseller, Fast. Feast. Repeat., available wherever you buy books! http://www.ginstephens.com/get-the-books.html

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

Follow Gin on Twitter @gin_stephens

Follow Gin on Instagram @GinStephens

Connect with Gin on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Gin-Stephens-370557866639779

Listen to Gin on the Intermittent Fasting Stories podcast: Intermittent Fasting Stories on iTunes

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