The Fasting Highway

Dana last appeared on the podcast in Episode 263 in March 2025, where she shared her IF story. She started IF on September 5, 2023, after learning about it on a podcast focusing on Alzheimer's and dementia prevention and mitigation—a topic close to her heart after losing both of her parents-in-law to the disease. At 5'2" and 55 years old, Dana spent most of her adult life weighing between 128 and 140 pounds, but now comfortably maintains between 113 and 116 pounds. Within just one week of starting IF, she remembers saying out loud to her husband, “I feel fantastic. I don’t think I’ll ever want to stop doing this.” She never looked back and has been thrilled that the journey continues to bring her so many non-scale victories (NSVs) that she can't imagine ever not fasting daily. It has truly become part of her identity, and she is deeply grateful. Even through the hardest times, fasting is the one thing that gives her a positive sense of control over her health and happiness. Although she still struggles with emotional eating at times—and occasionally too much sugar—she holds fast to the 80/20 rule and feels confident she can maintain this lifestyle forever. She completely flipped the script on her diet: she used to eat sugar and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) 80% of the time and nutritious foods only 20% of the time, but now that ratio is fully reversed! Her mental health is better, her motivation is higher, her nutrition is improved, her sleep is better, and her mood is brighter... the benefits don't stop there! So many positive changes have happened simply because she gave her digestive system the rest it needs.Dana attributes much of her progress to staying active and informed. She relies on the ZOE app to select healthier foods with confidence and ease, and draws daily inspiration from James Clear's Atomic Habits. Her routine includes lifting weights 3 to 4 times a week, fitting in two HIIT workouts, prioritising rest days, and walking after meals or hopping on her vibration plate. A retired English teacher, current theatre director, wedding officiant, and part-time nanny, she keeps active and on her feet three days a week nannying in a large house.Dana is super grateful for fasting mentors like Graeme, Gin, and Dr Fung—all of whom she listens to regularly and is inspired by. She encourages anyone and everyone to try fasting and loves talking about it. Given her deep passion for its health benefits, she is even considering pursuing a coaching certification to help guide others on their own journeys!Graeme's Links to connect with me directly. Come and Join Our Patreon Community At the Link Belowwww.patreon.com/thefastinghighway.Come for a month or stay for a year, check it out, and get all the content. Your first step to excellent support and accountability is available in our Patreon community, and I highly encourage you to join.

Bonnie is 64 and lives with her husband in beautiful southern Oregon in the western United States. She enjoys her full-time office work. She has a great life with her husband and their little sausage dog, and she likes to visit her grown children who live out of the area whenever she can. After being thin throughout childhood, Bonnie first felt the need to lose weight in her mid-twenties. This was followed by decades of yo-yo dieting, as she was unable to maintain for very long any success she achieved. She discovered intermittent fasting in 2017 and dabbled in it for a few years without reaching its full potential. In January 2025, Bonnie turned the corner in her pursuit of health through a committed daily practice of intermittent fasting that she has continued to this day. She lost 50 pounds in about 8 months to reach her healthy weight range and has maintained her loss for about a year. Her “why” for IF as a life practice is the continued pursuit of health to do all she can to avoid very serious health problems suffered by her family. She considers her weight just one indicator of that pursuit. Bonnie sees maintenance as its own journey. She practices IF daily with a little added flexibility to accommodate and enjoy life events. She feels maintenance is the “real game” for her, and weight loss was the “pre-game” warm-up. Before IF, she couldn't keep her weight in a healthy range, but with IF, she's finding success. She believes IF will always be part of her life.In this discussion, she shares some of the guardrails she uses to stay focused on her pursuit of health. She mentions challenges in crossing the bridge from “knowing” what to do to “doing” what is best for her. She speaks of the hope she feels now as she does whatever she can to help her healthspan last as long as her lifespan. Maintenance has given her the opportunity to explore broader health topics like gut health, enjoy new creativity in nutrition, and discover the health effects of various food choices. She tries to make each meal worthy of the fasting time she invested to get to it. Bonnie enjoys the fasting community. She loves learning from and sharing ideas and encouragement with fellow travellers on the IF journey. Graeme's Links to connect with me directly. Come and Join Our Patreon Community At the Link Belowwww.patreon.com/thefastinghighway.Come for a month or stay for a year, check it out, and get all the content. Your first step to excellent support and accountability is available in our Patreon community, and I highly encourage you to join.

Shana Hussin, RDN, is a metabolic health expert focused on reversing insulin resistance, the root cause behind weight struggles, blood sugar issues, and chronic disease.With 25+ years of experience in the wellness space, she developed a 3-step system using targeted nutraceuticals, lifestyle education, and group support to help people heal their sluggish metabolism at the cellular levelThrough her 90-Day Insulin Reset, she’s helping clients achieve powerful results—including improved blood sugar, optimal cholesterol & triglycerides levels, weight loss, and fatty liver reversal.She hosts the Optimal Metabolism podcast, whereShe breaks down complex health topics into simple, actionable strategies. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shana.hussin.rdn/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasttohealnutritiontherapyWebsite: https://shanahussinwellness.comPodcast: Optimal Metabolism https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fast-to-heal-stories/id1532328889 How to connect with Graeme Join Graeme's Patreon and get accountability and support.www.patreon.com/thefastinghighwayWebsite to book a one-on-one call.www.thefastinghighway.com.To buy the book The Fasting Highway your local Amazon store, or any good online book seller. Disclaimer -The views in this podcast are those of the guest and host only and should not be taken as direct medical advice. Please consult your health professional before beginning any health plan.

Bio by Rick OlsonI’m an author, TEDx speaker, Distinguished Toastmaster, award-winning humorous speaker, and Salesforce Certified Professional. I’ve been married to the same wonderful woman for 35 years, and we’ve been through thick and thin together, literally and figuratively. My struggle with weight started early. My first diet was in 3rd grade, and by 6th grade, I was on NutriSystem at 200 pounds. That cycle of losing and regaining followed me into adulthood. About 10 years ago, everything came to a head when I landed in the ICU with a saddle embolism. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea, and left the hospital weighing 360 pounds.Since then, I have had some success with low-carb, keto, intermittent fasting, and ADF. I’d lose and get down to 280 or so, but I would end up gaining it back. I kept asking myself: I know what to do, so why can’t I do it? Everything began to shift in October 2024 when I attended a workshop called The Stories We Live By. It helped me see how deeply my identity was shaped by the story of “being fat.” For the first time, I approached change with curiosity instead of criticism. Istarted studying my own patterns. What worked, what didn’t. When did I have motivation, when did I lose it. Instead of following someone else’s plan, I built a system around how I’m wired. One key realisation: I thrive on external accountability. So instead of fighting that, I leaned into it and started documenting my journey publicly on my YouTube channel, @justbelessfat. Since launching in November 2025, I’ve lost about 50 pounds. More importantly, I’ve shifted from shame and frustration to a sense of daily progress.I still face challenges, but thanks to the lens of self-curiosity, I learn and adjust. Join Graeme's Patreon and get accountability and support.www.patreon.com/thefastinghighwayWebsite to book a one-on-one call.www.thefastinghighway.com.To buy the book The Fasting Highway your local Amazon store, or any good online book seller. Disclaimer -The views in this podcast are those of the guest and host only and should not be taken as direct medical advice. Please consult your health professional before beginning any health plan.

Keith McDonald lives in Armstrong, British Columbia, Canada, with his beautiful partner, Bobbi, and is making his fourth appearance on The Fasting Highway. He began his fasting journey in 2018, leading to an impressive 100-plus-pound weight loss. weight loss. After a significant setback in 2021 due to sciatica and herniated discs, he spent nearly three years rebuilding his health. Now, Keith champions strength training three to four times a week, flexible 14-18 hour fasting, and a focus on whole foods. His current philosophy prioritises sustainable fat loss and overall well-being over just chasing numbers. Keith shares valuable experience and how keeping it simple after overcomplicating his fasting has given him a sense of calm, making him more flexible in the maintenance phase.Join Graeme's Patreon and stay accountable. www.patreon.com/thefastinghighwayWebsite to book a one-on-one call.www.thefastinghighway.com.Disclaimer -The views in this podcast are those of the guest and host only and should not be taken as direct medical advice. Please consult your health professional before beginning any health plan.

Jay: After a diagnosis of Stage III kidney disease in 2018, I committed to a whole-food, plant-predominant diet, which includes seafood two to three times a week. The results were encouraging, as my kidney function and lipid profile improved dramatically. The switch also resulted in a 25-pound weight loss. When Rondi began intermittent fasting in 2020, I saw her positive results and began eating in an 18-6 or 19-5 window. I lost another 10 pounds and experienced an improvement in my HbA1c; I was no longer pre-diabetic. Three years ago, I transitioned to a one-meal-a-day regimen to get our eating schedules more in synch. Unless dining out with friends, we eat once each day at about 4 pm. My kidney filtration rate and creatinine reading have actually improved, which surprised my primary care doctor at my most recent annual physical. My nephrologist, who is also an IF devotee, took me off high blood pressure medicine six months ago, another very positive step. Intermittent fasting has improved my health in numerous measurable ways, and I will keep this eating pattern for the rest of my life. Rondi: In 2020, after a lifetime of working hard to keep my weight within the normal range, I discovered intermittent fasting. I quickly transitioned into a one-meal-a-day lifestyle. That meal normally consists of seafood, green vegetables, and usually a small dessert. Gradually, over several years, my weight came down to 135 pounds. My heaviest weight was 192, so my total weight loss was 57 pounds. I still have to watch my carb intake. Intermittent fasting changed my life, and I will be an OMAD-er for the rest of my life. Graeme's Links to connect with me directly.Please Come and Join Our Patreon Community At the Link Belowwww.patreon.com/thefastinghighway.Sign up for a month or stay for a year, check it out, and get all the content. Your first step to excellent support and accountability is right here. I don't know of any hands-on support online for the cost that's as good as our Patreon members' community, and I urge you to check it out. All it's going to cost you is five dollars to access our whole library, including a free copy of my audiobook The Fasting Highway, join our Zoom talk with me directly, and meet other fasters sharing the same wins and struggles as you.To Book a Zoom Call With Graeme One-on-One, Please Go Here www.thefastinghighway.com Click on Get help, get coaching to work with me one-on-one.To Read My Book, The Fasting Highway, go to Amazon or any good book seller. To Listen to My Audio Book Apple Books or many Audio Book Platforms Free on Joining The Patreon Community To be a guest on the show, please go to www.thefastinghighway.com, click on listen to the podcast, and follow the "how to be a guest" prompt.To find everything in one place go to the website www.thefastinghighway.comDisclaimer - All views are those of the host and guest and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before starting any health plan.

For me, intermittent fasting is a time travel machine. I started my weight loss journey (in the modern era) a few years ago. I’ve been overweight since I finished college in the mid 90’s, and though I used to run marathons, I did not run for about 20 years and gradually got heavier andHeavier through 2019, when I used the advice of a dietician to briefly lose about 20 pounds from 240 to 220, but then went back up when I couldn’t maintain my food habits. I got to be my heaviest soon after, when I ballooned all the way up to 257, which is the highest I ever remember being on the scale. I was extremely uncomfortable and not enjoying how my clothes fit– ’cause they didn’t. Though the exact timing is foggy to me, I chose to begin running again in early 2023, when I had gotten back down to 242. It was also around this time that I fully transitioned into a newcareer. My last career, though exciting, was not conducive to establishing a daily routine—a daily routine is very important for establishing a fitness routine and reducing friction in healthyhabits. My new career is as a carpenter, which I’ve been doing since 2020. My old career was as an ice sculptor–yes, I am that guy. Both careers allowed lots of physical activity, butmy new career was not seasonal–thus daily routine became possible. Therefore, a fitness journey became a reality. Running helped my state of mind and helped me lose weight—I steadily lost weight all the way down to 209-213 and then hit a plateau I could not get past. On October 13th of 2025, I had my annual Doctor’s appointment, where my Doc usually tells me my cholesterol is high, my A1C is high, and I’m pre-diabetic–only this time he didn’t say any of that. My cholesterol was fine, and my A1C wasn’t outrageous–maybe 6. This was the first Doctor’s appointment I remember where one of those wasn’t too high. He said to keep doing whatI was doing, but I said I can’t get past 209, so I’m thinking of trying Intermittent Fasting. He was supportive of the idea, saying he had to change the routine whenever he hit aplateau, so I thought to myself, I can try this (for 30 days). I can do anything for 30 days, so I started that day. Four days later, I said to myself–I feel so good, I think I can do this for the restof my life! Also, during that time, I fully immersed myself in all IF podcasts and YouTube videos. I listened to a lot of Gin Stevens’ podcasts, and that’s where I heard about your podcast and then listened to yours for a while–(which I appreciate as a man). The IF journey is individual for allof us, but I really wanted to hear about the experience of men since I cannot relate to anything related to menopause. I also watched a lot of Jason Fung on YouTube. I stopped eating breakfast–I just drank black coffee and went to work. At lunch time, I ate the lunch my wife had made for me, and at 5 pm, I went home and ate dinner—then I did it all over againthe next day and the next. I started losing weight again right away–I was at 213 on October 13 and lost 2 pounds per weekfor the next month…Around December, I got to around 199, but December is filled with culinary delightsand hazards–I still fasted every day, but I ate richer and sweeter foods, making it throughthe holidays, maintaining my weight instead of gaining (which is what I’d do every other year). In January, when my food became more routine again, I started losing again. I got down to 193 at theend of January, and now I am at 191. I say IF is like a time travel machine because every week I am lighter than the week before, I have to look further back in time to find the last time I was that weight. I am encroaching upon 1996 when I was working my first job out of college. The weight loss is not quick on 16:8, 17:7, or 18:6, but it is fairly steady, with some weeks showing gains and a big loss, and some weeks showing little to no change. More in the episode.