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

First, I have read all of the science-y books: Gary Taubes', Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why We Get Fat, Jason Fung's, The Obesity Code, The Diabetes Code, The Complete Guide to Fasting, Jimmy Moore's and Dr. Eric Westman's, Keto Clarity, Joel Fuhrman's Fasting and Eating for Health and Super Immunity, Jeff Volek's and Stephen Phinney's The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living, David Perlmutter's, Grain Brain, Randi Frederick's, Fasting: An Exceptional Human Experience, Johnny Bowden's, The Great Cholesterol Myth, Valter Longo's, The Longevity Diet, Dan Buettner's, The Blue Zones: Nine Lessons for Living Longer... I also am a member of dietdoctor.com for the last two years, which has a plethora of information on keto and low carb diets, and fasting. Dr. Fung is a regular on this website, along with Gary Taubes and other major and minor luminaries in the weight loss world based on keto and low carb principals, and fasting. My credentials: I am not a scientist, but an elementary school teacher for 21 years. I have a degree in English, and a masters in Educational Administration, so not a ding-dong either. Anyway, the point of the super long intro is that I had read all of that and still was struggling with fasting even though it had worked really well for me! My highest non-pregnant weight before I began fasting was 187 lbs. (I'm 5'7"), and I managed to get down to 163 lbs. I maintained this loss for about two years. Well, I'm sure that you asking why didn't I keep it up. Well, it was hard, because I wasn't clean fasting, and simply put the CLEAN FASTING approach that Gin Stephen's promotes in her book is the key. I should be clear. I have been fasting on and off since 2012, starting with Michael Mosley's, The 5:3 Fast Diet. I have done 3 day fasts, 4 day fasts, 5 day fasts, and one 7 day fast, and Alternate Daily Fasting. I could do these fasts even when I hated it or felt uncomfortable or even weak. I'm one of those people, who can will myself to complete arduous self-imposed tasks. I can assure you, it sometimes is an awful way to live! Anyway, the point of this post, is to tell you that I always fasted with heavy cream in my coffee, bullet proof coffee, and sometimes homemade bone broth, which unbeknownst to me made my fasts extremely difficult. A few weeks ago, at the end of March 2019, I had been fasting for 9 weeks straight on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 36 to 42 hours with my creamy coffee and bone broth in order to get back down to 163 from my weight of 174 due to my regain over the past year. Note, I wasn't fasting as often, and was eating way too much sugar. Was I losing weight? Yes! Was I starting to feel like some dark force was draining the energy from my body- YES!!! When I came across Gin's book I learned the term CLEAN FASTING, which simply means fasting with only flavorless or nearly flavorless liquids such as black coffee, green or black tea, and water. That's it! Sounds so simple, and yet it made all of the difference in the world! Gin also promotes a daily eating window, some people do OMAD (One Meal a Day) and others have longer eating windows, but usually not more than 8 hours because the point it to give the body a break and to keep insulin levels low. By the way, there are no precise rules on how any one person should fast or eat. Why? Because we are all different. A person with 10 or 20 pounds to lose and who is not insulin resistant will not have to restrict as much as a person who has a 100 or more pounds to lose and who is pre-diabetic or even diabetic. I now fast daily, and have about a 4 hour eating window in the evening because I like to eat with my family. The best thing now is that my daily fasts are a breeze. I drink coffee and water with pink Himalayan salt added (your body tends to lose salt when you fast), and I feel fabulous. I can think more clearly and don't get easily stressed. Plus, I'm saving money on food, and I have extra time in my day! Last thing, did Dr. Fung talk about fasting without the heavy cream and bone broth? Yes, he did, but I never applied it. Gin doesn't claim to have invented this way of eating, but she has certainly but it into a format that it easy and entertaining to read. She also gives credit, where credit is due to other authors, such as Dr. Jason Fung. She is a down to earth person, who wants to help people escape the tyranny of diets and food deprivation! She also has two pod casts. Intermittent Fasting Stories, which I just adore! It is so inspirational, and The Intermittent Fasting Podcast with Melanie Avalon. There is also a super supportive Facebook group, and I don't even like Facebook! If you are even just thinking that this might be the answer that you were looking for, then please buy this book! Oh and I'm back down to 163 lbs. and all of my size 10 clothes fit again. I'm not buying anything new though, because, I am continuing to effortlessly lose weight and my body is reshaping itself, so I'm waiting a couple of months until things are getting baggy on me. Oh, do I exercise? Yes, I was an athlete when I was younger, and have exercised when I was fat or thin because I love exercising! Buy this book, now!

This is a very well written and comprehensive book about how and why intermittent fasting (IF) works coupled with practical real-world advice as to how to fit it into a healthy lifestyle. The author, Gin Stephens, describes IF as a health plan with a side effect of weight loss. I have personally been following the author's advice for ten months and have found this to be true. Simply by condensing the amount of time that I eat each day and not worrying about cutting or counting calories or carbs, I have slowly but easily lost inches. I have not restricted any type of food and now enjoy eating the same meals as the rest of my family. I have also found that IF has helped me listen to my body and I am actually making healthier food choices and eating much less sugar and processed foods even though I no longer "forbid" them. Freeing myself of a diet mentality through IF has brought me to a lean weight while still enjoying all the food I love and more importantly, not stressing about it. That is life changing! I am also saving both time and money. IF also has many great health benefits increases process in your body called autophagy which helps the body heal and reduces inflammation. I healed my plantar fasciitis and frequent heartburn after a few months of practicing this lifestyle. As a cancer survivor, I am also very interested in autophagy's effects on cellular health (google it, research on autophagy won a Nobel prize in 2016). Amazing stuff. One thing to note, for some people losing weight with IF can be slow as it increases human growth hormone. That is a very good thing as that increases both bone density and muscle mass, so a lot of people lose a lot of fat and inches that are not necessarily reflected on the scale. The author, Gin Stephens does a great job of explaining all of this and explains how to modify your IF protocol based on your individual needs and how to fit it in so it works with your lifestyle, not against it. Personally I have only lost 15 pounds of post menopausal weight but went from a size 8 to a size 4 losing 6.5 inches off my waist. The last time I was comfortably in a size 4 my weight was probably at least ten pounds lower. A friend of mine tried IF and quit after a couple of weeks as she said it "did not work for her". Fortunately, she decided to try it again and six months later she is thrilled and looks amazing. This isn't like most conventional weight loss methods, but it works. Slow and steady wins the race. I highly recommend buying this book and following Gin's advice, as well as joining the Delay, Don't Deny Facebook page which has thousands of members. The site is incredibly positive and supportive and there are countless photos and personal stories of people who have IF success stories. The amazing thing about the site is most people not only look slimmer, but also look much younger and healthier. I also highly recommend the book, The Obesity Code, by Dr. Jason Fung (as well as his other books) which does a great job of explaining the science behind IF (it's about regulating hormones, not counting calories.) Dr. Fung also has a lot of great information on his web site and on YouTube. Gin's other book, Feast Without Fear is also excellent. I applaud her for helping so many people live healthier lifestyles.

Gin has a wonderful way of describing things. The book is divided into chapters that slowly lead you to being able to practice the intermittent fasting lifestyle. Lots of examples, and very clear explanations. Couldn't be better. Highly recommend.

I am fairly new to intermittent fasting and was getting a bit fed up with all the suggestions and resources that suggest fasting and keto / low carb only. I wanted to enjoy the benefits of fasting but also eat normal healthy food with a few indulgences so it fits with my family / social life. I am currently doing 16/8 with a view to extending this gradually a bit at a time. This book was an easy read and covered so many questions that I had. Yes - other books probably cover the science of it more thoroughly but this has enough info about the benefits for me. Also has the bonus of a FB support group which I have joined as well should I need the extra support in the future.

Sto adesso seguendo questo modo di mangiare e questo libro mi aiuta tantissimo e sopratutto il gruppo di facebook dello stesso nome provvede grande sopporto per chi comincia e non sa ancora come fare.Lo consiglio tantissimo.

This book and "The Obesity Code" by Dr Fung are the must-have books about intermittent fasting. I'm practising IF for five month, I've lost lot of weight and my health has improved.

I read this book in a single day. It was very interesting and writing style was appealing to me as it was casual. It was like we were actually having a conversation with the author. The theories and concepts were easy to understand and digest. This book opened a new world for me and I look forward to my journey.