Delay, Don't Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle

Product Information

In 2020, during the Coronavirus Pandemic, I, like so many others, became depressed and even more overweight. I was sitting at home all day trying to teach kindergarten students remotely. At the end of the 2020 school year I knew I needed to make some serious life changes. I applied and was granted a part-time position teaching elementary physical education. I also did some research and started teaching English to the children in China from the comfort of my basement wearing my comfy pajama bottoms. At the start of the 2020-2021 school year as the new Elementary P.E. teacher, I was loving my job but felt like a bit of a hypocrite. How could I be teaching young children about the importance of exercise and eating healthy foods and be overweight myself? I will never forget the date: January 5, 2021. I was afraid to step on the scale for many months prior because I just wasn't ready to face the truth of it all. When I did step on the scale that day I was blown away! 174.6 pounds!!! What??? I had never in my life been in the 170's. That day was absolutely eye-opening. I cried for about two hours straight, curled up in the fetal position eating a box of Milk Duds and then I decided it was time to end my pity party and get to work. The fix: “ Gradually change your diet along with your eating schedule by incorporating healthier foods slowly,” suggests Stephens. This prevents you from trying to overhaul everything at once, which is more sustainable. All of the success stories and research couldn't be wrong about fasting. I eased into 16:8 over a couple of days and by the 10th day on 16:8 I had lost 4 lbs. But more than that, I felt good. More energy, less bloating, and the heart burn I'd started getting most days had gone. In the next few weeks I read Gin's other books, as well as a few others including The Obesity Code by Jason Fung. I have always felt that knowledge is power and all of this information was so awesome. I could barely contain my excitement.

Everything You Need To Know About Intermittent Fasting

It's now September 2017. I wobble between 146-148, but my body looks completely different. I'm wearing anywhere from 4s to 8s in clothes. I'm sleeping well, my skin looks better, and I have tons of energy. I had a physical recently and the doctor said all my lab tests look great - my HDL was so high it offset my high LDL. That’s when I FINALLY found out about IF. A diabetic friend had started fasting, so I looked into it. I read “The Obesity Code” and ran across “Delay, Don’t Deny” shortly after. Gin’s book advice sounded rational and doable...no need to alter what I felt was the healthiest diet for me. It took a couple months of trial and error before my body accepted what was going on. In the early days, I’d feel lightheaded and unable to continue. Several days later, I’d try again. I believe my third attempt was the charm, and my official start date was June, 2017.Monica struggled with her weight beginning in elementary school. She began to diet and use diet pills in high school. By the end of 2018, Monica found herself at her highest weight of 248 pounds. Desperate, she found yet another diet program and stumbled upon IF through the program. I generally use a 4 hour eating window but have had some longer ones when something comes up. I don't restrict because that would make me obsess. No journaling, because that would also make me crazy. With 5/2 j can feel it working - and going into ketosis- bad breath, cold etc with 18:6 I never did actually feel that hungry so maybe I have a slow metabolism:(

The Stages of Intermittent Fasting - Gin Stephens, author and The Stages of Intermittent Fasting - Gin Stephens, author and

By the end of March of 2022, Leah reached her highest weight. A close friend gave her Fast Feast Repeat, and Leah began her IF journey that very day! She has lost 50 pounds, her skin and nails improved, and Leah felt her very best. I quit weighing myself about a month ago (July 2017) and was down about 40 lbs. at that point. I currently am wearing a 38 waist jean and they are getting looser! I haven't felt this good since my 20s, seriously. I am no longer easily winded when I ride and have cut 5 minutes off of my bike commute to work! OMAD has been a miracle to me, allowing me to enjoy food (which I do) without guilt. No calorie, fat grams, or carb grams to count. If there was, I wouldn't do it. Period. I tend to be the kid who would be up the tree he was told to stay away from 5 minutes ago, and that inner rebel has persisted into middle age. Tell me I can't eat it and I will shove it into my pie hole while looking you right in the face, lol.Morbid obesity plagued me for 15 plus years. I used every excuse I could to justify eating: celebrate, happy, sad, holidays, even the death of my mom. I even told myself I’m fat and happy. That was one of the many lies I told myself about my weight. I had read Melanie Avalon's first version of What When Wine and found Gin's podcast with her. I have a 4 hour drive to work each week and started listening. I was hooked by the time I made it to work. I wanted to jump in with both feet. I was a slightly chubby kid, though not overly so, and became conscious of my weight by my teens. It didn’t help that I stopped growing at 5’3” and felt dumpy. The savoury dishes of Indian home cooking are usually drizzled over with ghee but I began to cut fat from my diet early on. That’s about when my granny gently berated me at the table. Would you do the 16:8 every day to lose the 1.5 stone or just 5 days a week. I like a glass of wine at the weekend which throws the fasting off. I also eat breakfast with dcs so it is more like 14:10 5 days a week. I am 49. In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to April Pinto, who lives north of Dallas, TX.