Episode 487: Sonja Zanders

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks with Sonja Zanders from Houston, TX.

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. Sonja is a substitute teacher and tennis player from Houston, Texas. She shares her journey from being a strong athlete growing up to her struggles with weight that began during a two-year missions trip in South America, and continued as she experienced post-pregnancy weight gain. Sonja began intermittent fasting in 2020, and had initial success, losing 20 pounds, but the challenges that arose during a family crisis led her to stop fasting consistently for a significant period of time. Finally, in early 2025, she felt ready to resume the IF lifestyle.

Sonja talks about the benefits she experienced with intermittent fasting, such as having more energy, fewer UTIs, and improved dental health. Despite the setbacks, when Sonja found her way back to intermittent fasting in early 2025, she rediscovered the numerous non-scale victories that her body greatly enjoyed. She emphasizes how Alternate Day Fasting (ADF) helped her break through a weight loss plateau, offering her greater flexibility and satisfaction by accommodating her social life better.

For new intermittent fasters, Sonja advises tapping into resources like Gin’s podcasts and books to stay informed and motivated. She highlights the importance of experimenting with different fasting methods to find what fits both physically and emotionally. Most importantly, she encourages listeners to be kind and gracious with themselves during challenging times, knowing that intermittent fasting is a sustainable and flexible lifestyle change that can always be resumed when they're ready.

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

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