Intermittent Fasting Stories

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Vicki Gwin from north of Atlanta, Georgia.
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.
Vicki is a music teacher and children's book author. She began fasting after a friend introduced her to the book Fast Feast Repeat during a gathering in Alabama. Inspired by the book, Vicki started her fasting journey the very next day and has since completed 780 clean fasts. Her story is one of transformation, as she navigated through menopause and weight gain, finding a lifestyle that made her feel good in her body again.
Throughout the episode, Vicki discusses her past struggles with weight and health issues, including hormone imbalances and post-viral disease. She recounts her experiences with various diets and the impact of stress on her weight. Vicki emphasizes the clarity and energy she gained through intermittent fasting, which not only improved her physical health but also her mental well-being. Her journey is marked by personal growth and a newfound compassion for others struggling with similar challenges.
Vicki offers advice to new intermittent fasters, highlighting the importance of patience and consistency. She wishes she had known that maintenance wouldn't be easy for her and stresses the need for a solid plan to handle stress and life changes. Her key takeaway is to keep the fasting routine consistent, even during challenging times, and to listen to one's body. Vicki's story is a testament to the power of intermittent fasting in achieving a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle.
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 Missy Forlani from Las Vegas, NV.
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.
Missy is an executive coach for Teamalytics and the author of the book TGIM. Most people think weight loss is about willpower alone — until they discover intermittent fasting. Missy Forlani’s five-year journey proves that freedom from constant dieting is possible. She shares how ditching endless calorie counting and obsessing over food helped her lose 9 pounds in five months, banished cravings, and restored her relationship with her body — all while vastly improving her mental clarity and energy.
Missy’s story highlights the importance of listening to YOUR body instead of following cookie-cutter rules, making this essential listening for anyone frustrated with dieting’s cycle of yo-yo weight.
In this empowering conversation, you'll learn how IF offers a liberating alternative rooted in self-trust. Missy shares her journey from extreme calorie restriction and obsessive exercise to enjoying food again, feeling strong, and aging gracefully—with research on longevity and brain health backing her experience. Whether you’re new to fasting or a seasoned faster, this episode will inspire you to embrace a sustainable lifestyle that nourishes your body, mind, and soul. At the end of the episode, Missy encourages listeners to just do it. Surround yourself with community and find the approach that is sustainable for you.
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 Belle from the Adirondacks of NY.
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.
Belle is a retired professional meeting planner and butler. Since discovering intermittent fasting in 2020 through a WW community message board, she's reclaimed her health, shed 20 pounds, and found freedom from sugar addiction that haunted her for decades. Despite multiple attempts and setbacks, Belle’s journey reveals a powerful truth: the key to lasting change is understanding your own body and making honest, sustainable choices
In this episode, Belle shares how intermittent fasting transformed her relationship with food and her body. She discusses her long history with weight struggles, from childhood dieting to lap band surgery, and how fasting and giving up sugar finally broke her cycle. You'll discover how she navigates special occasions like cruises, manages cravings, and uses simple tricks—like parking further away or tracking her progress—to stay aligned with her health goals. Belle emphasizes the importance of tuning in to your body's signals, avoiding diet obsession, and crafting a personalized approach that works for YOU.
Gin and Belle break down practical insights including her experiment of one—trying different strategies until she found what truly sticks—and how the "quietness" of fasting creates space for self-awareness and honest self-talk. If you’ve ever felt trapped in the cycle of dieting, or overwhelmed by how to finally get control over sugar cravings, this episode offers hope, clarity, and a reminder: your body’s resilience is greater than you think. Belle’s advice to new intermittent fasters is to be patient, listen to your body, and trust the process, as reclaiming your health isn’t about perfection—it's about patience, listening, and gentle tweaks.
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 Mary-Hannah Stenberg from western Montana.
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.
Mary-Hannah is a busy mom of three young boys. She discusses her initial motivations and how she discovered intermittent fasting, along with her journey through pregnancy, motherhood, and corresponding weight changes. Mary-Hannah highlights the psychological and physical benefits of fasting beyond weight loss, and Gin offers strategies for overcoming plateaus and managing food choices.
Mary-Hannah emphasizes the importance of compassion and understanding one's body and history, providing a nuanced perspective on health and wellness.Throughout the episode, Mary-Hannah reflects on her childhood attitudes toward body image and shares family experiences that shaped her relationship with food. She candidly discusses the impact of trauma and stress on her eating habits, as well as the challenges of pregnancy and weight gain over the years. Mary-Hannah shares her NSVs, including health improvements from fasting, such as better skin and increased energy. She also addresses managing food quality, cravings, and emotional eating, ultimately finding freedom and mental peace through fasting.
Mary-Hannah concludes the episode with heartfelt advice for new intermittent fasters: stick with it and embrace the process. Her story is a testament to the transformative power of intermittent fasting, offering hope and guidance to anyone considering or continuing their own health journey.
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 to Richard Flores from Abilene, TX.
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.
Richard is an architect. He shares how a Christmas trip and a growing awareness of his health concerns pushed him to make a change at the start of 2024. What began as a few days of fasting in solidarity with his daughter’s medical prep eventually led him to Gin Stephens’ books, then into intermittent fasting. He began on Labor Day of 2024 with the 28-day Fast Start Day by Day book. He explains that the early days were hard, but having a day-by-day roadmap helped him stay committed when his old habits and fears about hunger tried to pull him back.
As Richard kept going, he lost weight, moved through plateaus, and started uncovering the deeper reasons he had used food for comfort, celebration, and convenience. He talks openly about a lifelong pattern of oversized portions, family food traditions, and the mental tug of wanting to “finish what’s on the plate,” and how fasting has helped him break that cycle. A CGM also gave him a powerful wake-up call, showing him how certain breads, buns, and sugary drinks spiked his glucose and left him crashing, while simpler meals with protein and vegetables kept him satisfied much longer.
Richard’s story becomes especially encouraging in the way fasting has changed how he lives, not just how he eats. He’s stronger, walking more, running in short bursts again, and even planning hikes and more joyful movement like dancing, because he wants fitness to feel fun rather than punishing. He closes with the advice that new intermittent fasters should jump in and start now, because waiting for the “perfect” time only delays the change they want.
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.