On this week’s episode of The Girlfriend Doctor, I had a conversation with Gin Stephens, a former elementary school teacher who turned to fasting as a way to lose weight after becoming obese. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Fast Feast Repeat as well as Cleanish and other books.
Fasting is not about what you eat, but when you eat. It’s become a healthy way to lose unwanted pounds and maintain optimal weight and health. Generally, intermittent fasting means not eating for 16 hours between dinner and breakfast, and then eating regularly for those other 8 hours. The hours may vary per person.
When you first take on intermittent fasting, you have to allow your body to get “fat-adapted” and then you can tailor your fasting so it’s easy. It’s all about learning to listen to the body and what rhythm feels good, and practice “intuitive eating.”
Intermittent fasting will not cause a lot of weight loss fast, in fact, in most cases, not for the first 28 days. But from that point forward, you can expect to see steady weight loss and better overall energy and health.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[4:57] Gin’s story of obesity
[12:24] Going through the adaptation period
[14:24] Figuring out how many fasting hours work for your body
[29:26] How fasting helps to identify intolerant foods
[37:10] Choosing what to eat while fasting