PHOTO: Gin Stephens, bestselling author and intermittent fasting advocate, inspiring readers with her transformative journey and dedication to community support.
Finding Balance Through Fasting And Community
Gin Stephens reflects on her personal journey with intermittent fasting, the evolution of her bestselling books, and the importance of community, balance, and authenticity in achieving long-term lifestyle change.
Gin Stephens has become one of the most recognisable voices in the world of intermittent fasting, but her story begins not with instant success, rather with years of trial, error, and persistence. In 2014, after many failed attempts at dieting, she embraced intermittent fasting as a lifestyle rather than a temporary fix, and the transformation that followed was profound. More than a method of weight loss, fasting became for her a path towards balance, vitality, and long-term wellbeing.
Her bestselling works, from Delay, Don’t Deny to Fast. Feast. Repeat. and Clean(ish), have opened doors for countless readers seeking freedom from the endless cycle of diets. With candour and clarity, she dismantles the myths of perfection and offers instead a compassionate framework that makes change sustainable. Her words remind us that discipline can coexist with grace, and that progress need not be derailed by imperfection.
Beyond the page, Stephens has fostered a vibrant sense of community. Through her podcasts and online groups, she has connected with people across the globe, amplifying stories of renewal that are at once surprising and deeply human. These voices, woven into her own journey, affirm the power of shared experience and mutual encouragement.
As an author, teacher, and guide, she continues to inspire not by prescribing a single formula, but by encouraging each individual to “tweak it till it works.” In doing so, she underscores an essential truth—that lasting change comes not from rigid rules but from living a life shaped by resilience, authenticity, and hope.
What first inspired you to try intermittent fasting, and what made you decide to share your journey with others?
I first heard about intermittent fasting in 2009, but back then I thought of it as a short-term diet so I could never make it stick. After a family cruise in 2014, I had reached my highest weight ever. I was officially obese, and I knew I had to make a change in what I was doing. I wish I could say that was the day I started IF, but I made one last ditch effort to follow a (very unstainable) crash diet plan—which of course didn’t work, since they never do. Then I tried changing what I was eating—keto was all the rage, but I didn’t lose a single pound. Finally, in August of 2014, I remembered intermittent fasting, and started right away with a daily 5 hour eating window. I have fasted every day since then. Over 11 years in, I am down about 80 pounds from my heaviest weight, and intermittent fasting is such a natural part of my life that I can’t imagine not living the lifestyle.
How has your understanding of intermittent fasting evolved since you wrote your first book in 2016?
More than anything, I have become even more convinced of the health benefits associated with intermittent fasting and the clean fast, which is a term that I coined. I have also worked with hundreds of thousands of intermittent fasters which allowed me to become an expert in helping IFers create the IF lifestyle that works for them long term. IF is not one-size-fits-all, and I always want to empower people to experiment. We “tweak it till it’s easy” and we also “tweak it till it works”.
What role do community and support groups play in helping people succeed with intermittent fasting?
Community is priceless. I started back in 2015 with one little Facebook support group, which grew to several groups with just under 500K combined members before I left Facebook professionally in 2021. Community off of Facebook has been amazing, as we are able to keep all of the social media drama out of our spaces. We have members from all over the world, and we keep it real—we celebrate successes together, but we also embrace honesty and share challenges. No matter what someone is going through, someone else in the community has been there and can relate—and offer a listening ear as well as support. Community also offers the accountability component many need, as they might not know anyone in their real life who supports/understands what they are doing.
In Clean(ish), you encourage balance rather than perfection. How important is that mindset in making lifestyle changes sustainable?
Perfection is unsustainable, and trying to be perfect often gives you what I like to call “diet brain”. We can also get so obsessed with perfection that we develop disordered eating habits. Instead, I choose to live life in the “-ish”, which is why I wrote Clean(ish). We don’t have to be obsessed, but instead we make the best decisions for the moment. It takes a lot of the pressure off.
What have been some of the most surprising or inspiring stories shared with you through your podcasts or readers?
I just recorded episode 495 of Intermittent Fasting Stories, and episodes of that podcast have been downloaded more than 23 million times. As you can imagine, there are many amazing stories from guests over the years. One of the most incredible stories came from Karl Metz, who appeared on episode 271 with his wife Susan. Karl shared how he had limited mobility in one of his arms from an injury some years prior. His muscle had atrophied, and he didn’t have a full range of motion. He began intermittent fasting, and as time went on, he regained his range of motion and full use of his arm. It sounds unbelievable, but this is just one example of the kinds of stories my guests share.
How do you balance writing, podcasting, and community engagement while maintaining your own fasting lifestyle?
Intermittent fasting is my superpower which allows me to be productive! I can’t imagine trying to do all of this if I were NOT an intermittent faster, in fact. I also like to joke that since I was an elementary school teacher for 28 years, and I was in a classroom with 25ish little humans all day who needed my constant attention, what I do now feels like I am on a vacation every day. It helps that I love the work I do.
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions people still have about intermittent fasting?
There are many, but one of the biggest is that IF is unsustainable long term. Prior to IF, nothing else I ever did was something I could keep up forever—but with IF, I never want to stop.
What advice would you give to other authors who want to inspire readers with their own personal journeys?
Simply start. I self-published my first two books before I got my first traditional book deal, and there are lots of resources available for aspiring authors. Once again, perfection is not required—but communicating your story in a way that resonates with readers is. Be authentic and remember your goal is to inspire change in your readers.
