Episode 417: Stefanie Hartung

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Stefanie Hartung from Santa Clarita, CA.

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. 

Stefanie is a homemaker and a mom of seven.  She shares the turning point that led to her embracing the intermittent fasting lifestyle after her weight crept up in her 40s, including unsuccessful attempts with other dieting strategies like Weight Watchers and the 21-day fix program. Inspired by her cousin's Facebook post and armed with resources her cousin shared with her, such as Gin’s book Fast. Feast. Repeat., Stefanie began her fasting journey on November 14, 2022.

Throughout the conversation, Stefanie highlights the significant emotional and physical changes she has experienced since adopting intermittent fasting as a lifestyle. From experiencing an “appetite reset” that led to a healthier relationship with food, to enjoying softer skin and reduced discomfort from sore lymph nodes and sciatic nerve pain, she enthusiastically describes the multitude of benefits IF has brought to her. The discussion delves deep into the emotional empowerment and sense of life simplification Stefanie has gained, contrasting her life now to the times when other diets left her feeling restricted and less confident.

Gin and Stefanie connect over their similar intermittent fasting schedules and the flexibility IF offers, revealing how their eating windows of four and five hours respectively have become a natural part of their lifestyle. They touch on the broader discussions around aging, societal pressures for women, and the balance between looking good and feeling good as they mature. Not shying away from the challenging aspects of intermittent fasting, they share personal insights into past dieting experiences, highlighting the need to pay attention to hunger and satiety cues.

Ending the episode with sound advice for newcomers, Stefanie encourages listeners to treat intermittent fasting as an adventure rather than a chore. Emphasizing patience and the importance of tuning into one’s body, she reflects on her own fasting journey and how it has led to a more intuitive relationship with food and her well-being.

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: [email protected]

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