Episode 400: Zoraida

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Zoraida from Southern California.

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.

Zoraida is a director of accounting. She started exploring intermittent fasting as a way to find a sustainable solution after having her children. She had experimented with various diets but nothing seemed to provide lasting results. Everything changed when she picked up Gin's book Delay, Don't Deny, prompting her to start her own IF journey on April 19, 2020.

Zoraida shares the numerous health benefits she's experienced since starting intermittent fasting. She was pre-diabetic with high insulin levels. Following her IF lifestyle, she's seen improvements in her insulin markers, reduced inflammation, she gained mobility, and even began fitting into her old clothes again. These victories extended beyond the scale, contributing to her overall well-being and confidence.

Zoraida discusses the impact her intermittent fasting journey has had on her family. Her children have followed suit in adopting healthier eating habits, and though her son was initially skeptical about fasting, he has become more curious about its benefits. Both Zoraida and Gin highlight the importance of having support from their families as they navigated through their dietary changes.

During the episode, we hear about lifestyle shifts and dietary changes like Zoraida transitioning from adding creamer to her coffee to enjoying it black. We also dive into the struggles Gin and Zoraida faced with food, especially processed foods that are engineered to be irresistible. Zoraida admits her challenges with sweets, while Gin speaks about her weakness for cheesy, crunchy snacks. Both emphasize the importance of finding a balance and the power of self-awareness regarding food choices.

As the episode concludes, Zoraida offers heartfelt advice for anyone at the beginning of their intermittent fasting path: Give yourself grace and be patient with yourself. Intermittent fasting is a lifestyle, not a quick fix, and it's important to expect and accept changes as part of the process.

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.

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

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