Intermittent Fasting Stories

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Janet Divin from College Station, TX.
Join Gin in the Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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.
Janet is the office manager at an architect firm. Janet’s story is a reminder that real change often happens in layers, not all at once. She first discovered intermittent fasting four years ago through a friend who recommended Gin’s book Delay, Don’t Deny. She started during Lent and quickly proved to herself that she could do it, but like many people with a dieting background, she struggled when the “challenge” was over and old patterns crept back in. What finally shifted things for her was not another reset, but a deeper mindset change sparked by a photo of herself and a decision to stop treating each healthy streak like a temporary project.That shift was strengthened by community, accountability, and a more flexible approach to fasting. Janet moved from time-restricted eating into alternate day fasting, eventually settling into a rhythm that works for her life: down days on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, up days on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and a more intentional eating window on Sunday. Along the way, she began focusing less on arbitrary scale numbers and more on the habits she could control, while also paying closer attention to food quality, ingredients, and how different meals made her feel. She shared her encouraging health changes too, including improved blood work, lower insulin resistance, better sleep, and a fast-healing skin cancer surgery scar.The bigger takeaway from Janet’s episode is that fasting became sustainable once it stopped being about restriction and started being about freedom, support, and learning to trust her body. She talks candidly about emotional eating, fear of “success,” and the pull of free food or social pressure, but she also shows how powerful it is to replace those habits with community, journaling, and a more grown-up way of eating. She has a powerful accountability circle of friends, and they encourage one another daily, which has made a tremendous difference for all of them.
Janet’s advice for new intermittent fasters is simple and grounded: relax into the process, don’t expect perfection, stay plugged into a supportive community, and trust that your body will know what to do.
Join Gin in the Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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
Subscribe to Gin’s YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_frGNiTEoJ88rZOwvuG2CA

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 Jenny Plummer from Midlothian, VA.
Join Gin in the Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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.
Jenny is a cardiac nurse. She shares how her relationship with fasting began years before intermittent fasting ever entered the picture, starting with church fasts and later expanding as her husband became interested in longer healing fasts. But it wasn’t until the stress of COVID-19, a demanding night-shift nursing schedule, and a growing sense that her body and habits were out of alignment that she turned to intermittent fasting in a way that truly worked for her. Starting with an 18-hour window and eventually finding her rhythm in a 20-to-22-hour daily fast, Jenny experienced not just weight loss, but a powerful sense of energy, control, and food freedom.
Her story also goes much deeper than weight. Jenny talks honestly about the food struggles that began in her teens, when hurtful comments and a need for approval shaped the way she saw her body, leading to an eating disorder that she eventually sought help for on her own. That healing work became a foundation for the healthier choices she later made as an adult, even though major life stressors—COVID, grief, her dad’s death, her son’s surgery, and her husband’s unexpected heart condition—pulled her off track at times.
Through it all, intermittent fasting remained the one approach that felt sane, sustainable, and mentally peaceful.Now, after getting back on track and losing weight again, Jenny is focused on consistency, hormone support, better sleep, and making choices that help her feel strong as she approaches fifty and the empty-nest season of life. She and Gin discuss the importance of not letting the scale dictate emotion, the value of flexibility on special occasions, and the benefits of building a lifestyle that supports both health and sanity. Her advice for new intermittent fasters is simple: start with 16 hours and keep your fast clean—then slowly build from there and pay attention to how much better you feel.
Join Gin in the new Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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
Subscribe to Gin’s YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_frGNiTEoJ88rZOwvuG2CA

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 Sheryl Cadic who lives in Brest, in western France.
Join Gin in the Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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.
Sheryl Cadic is a stay-at-home mom who now lives in France, but is originally from the Philippines. She shares her transformative journey with intermittent fasting. Her story is deeply intertwined with her cultural background and personal health challenges. Growing up in rural Philippines, Sheryl developed early health habits that later influenced her approach to fasting. Her journey led her to discover the healing power of fasting, which she learned about through a TV documentary. Sheryl emphasizes the importance of gradual changes and listening to her body, exploring various fasting methods like 16:8 and alternate-day fasting.
Throughout the episode, Sheryl discusses how fasting has improved her health, particularly in reducing inflammation and aiding in the healing of her fistula. She highlights the cultural perspectives on food and fasting, noting the impact of ultra-processed foods on health. Sheryl's approach to fasting is holistic, considering mental health, taste preferences, and her family’s schedule. She shares insights into managing fasting alongside family life and cultural foods, maintaining a balanced relationship with food, and dealing with health setbacks and stress.
For new intermittent fasters, Sheryl offers practical advice: be patient, trust the process, and stay motivated. She stresses the importance of listening to your body and making incremental changes for sustainable health improvements. Sheryl's story is a testament to fasting as a gentle, healing lifestyle rather than a race, encouraging listeners to celebrate progress and embrace fasting's power to reset taste and promote overall well-being.
Join Gin in the Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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
Subscribe to Gin’s YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_frGNiTEoJ88rZOwvuG2CA

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 Helen Hitchcock from the Midlands in the UK.
Join Gin in the Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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.
Helen is a lawyer. She shares her transformative journey with intermittent fasting, detailing how it helped her overcome decades of disordered eating and body image struggles. Her story reveals the complexities behind adopting new habits and the freedom she found in fasting. Helen's experience underscores the importance of self-acceptance and the impact of mindful eating on her life.
Throughout the episode, Helen discusses how a chance encounter in 2022 sparked her interest in fasting. She reflects on her past challenges with calorie restriction and the resulting binge eating. By embracing fasting, Helen was able to quiet the relentless food noise, improve her confidence, and model strength for her daughters. She shares practical tips on navigating food labels, recipes, and social settings, emphasizing the benefits of fasting, such as improved sleep, mood, and digestion.
For new intermittent fasters, Helen advises personalizing fasting windows and embracing flexibility. She highlights the importance of patience, self-compassion, and experimentation in finding what works best for each individual. Helen encourages beginners to share their journey and remain open to learning and adapting along the way.
Join Gin in the Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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
Subscribe to Gin’s YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_frGNiTEoJ88rZOwvuG2CA

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 Barnhart from Butler, PA.
Join Gin in the new Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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 salon operations specialist and host of The Pause and Fast podcast. Erika's journey into intermittent fasting began with skepticism but quickly transformed into a life-changing experience. She discovered fasting in March of 2023. Over three years, Erika experienced significant improvements in her mental clarity, confidence, and physical health. Her story highlights the power of fasting to improve overall wellbeing.
Throughout the episode, Erika emphasizes the importance of listening to one's body and maintaining flexibility with fasting schedules. Erika's approach to social situations, travel, and consistency in fasting routines showcases the positive ripple effects on relationships, work, and self-image. Her health improvements, including better cholesterol levels and weight loss, underscore the benefits of fasting.
For new intermittent fasters, Erika advises starting with grace and patience. She encourages embracing the natural rhythm of fasting and trusting the body's signals. By letting go of obsession with metrics and embracing intuitive fasting, newcomers can enjoy the journey and experience the cumulative health benefits over time.
Join Gin in the new Fast Feast Repeat app for The Grown-Up Year: 52 Weeks to Listen, Play, and Nourish, as well as a growing collection of intermittent fasting resources. Go to app.fastfeastrepeat.com to join us or go to the App Store and download the Fast Feast Repeat app, available for both iPhone and Android.
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
Subscribe to Gin’s YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_frGNiTEoJ88rZOwvuG2CA

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