Exploring the Role of Willpower and Mindset in Weight Loss and Healthy Living

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Susanne Muller who lives in New Zealand.

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. 

Susanne is a retired medical writer. Susanne shares her past struggles with weight gain following college, her numerous attempts at different diets leading to a cycle of loss and regain, and her discovery of IF which introduced a new chapter of health and wellness into her life.

Susanne describes her earlier days trying various diets like Weight Watchers and low-carb, each providing temporary success but ultimately failing due to constant cravings and an unenjoyable restriction. It wasn't until 2018, upon reading The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, that Susanne decided to try IF, quickly finding her stride with the Delay, Don't Deny approach and the clean fast.

Susanne has settled into a hybrid approach, with one down day each week. Her down day routine includes black coffee in the morning and water for the day, while her up days are more relaxed. She prefers the full fast down day option because she doesn’t want to count calories, something she admits she is triggered by.

Gin points out the essential nature of personalizing IF to suit individual preferences and lifestyles, affirming that there isn't one universally superior fasting method. We each get to tweak it till it’s easy!

Susanne has returned to her college clothing size and has managed to maintain her weight through a combination of discipline and a joyful approach to IF, highlighting the importance of enjoyment over willpower. 

Susanne‘s advice: Susanne emphasizes the power of mindset and self-talk in achieving success as an intermittent faster. She underscores how important it is to enjoy the process and make the lifestyle both sustainable and pleasurable. Her parting advice is for others to be patient, stay positive, and find joy in the journey, advocating for a gentle approach when sharing IF with the curious, reinforcing that it's all about helping those who are ready to embrace the change.

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

Visit Gin’s website at: ginstephens.com 

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