Hello and welcome to the Intermittent Fasting Gems with Jen Podcast.

I'm your host Jen, a middle-aged Michigan mama, wife, and teacher who

in 2021 stumbled upon this crazy cool thing called intermittent fasting.

And before I knew it.

I've lost 46 pounds in four months and gained an incredible lifestyle

filled with complete food freedom.

If you're hungry for unique, no nonsense fasting tips that actually

work, you're in the right place.

So whether you're walking the dog, folding that last load of laundry or cruising to

your nine to five, let's start fasting.

Our way to freedom together.

Hey there, fabulous fasting friends.

I'm hoping all is going fantastic with your intermittent fasting

journey if you're a new listener, thanks so much for being here.

I'd like to welcome you and for those of you who have been loyal listeners

to this podcast that I started almost eight months ago now, you are the best

and I simply can't thank you enough.

So.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

Alright.

Today I am so excited to talk about one of my very favorite things to do in life,

and that is to go on a cruise vacation.

It all started for me.

Back in 1998, I was 23 years old.

I had just graduated from college with my teaching degree.

I was in my very first year of teaching third grade when my

boyfriend now husband, Barry's uncle.

Uh, generously took his entire family and significant others, which was what

I was at the time, on a week long, all expense paid Norwegian cruise.

Yep.

I felt so blessed, so lucky.

And on that first cruise I had.

A total blast.

And Barry proposed to me on the second night of that cruise.

We had the best week ever.

And from that time on, Barry, my husband of 25 years now, and I have

been absolutely hooked on cruising.

So we did a few cruises early on in our marriage.

Uh, but then when our kids were about ages six and nine, we sat them both

down and said, Hey, do you guys want a bunch of Christmas presents every year?

Or would you rather forego all the stuff and go on a family

cruise every year instead?

And even at that young age, neither one of them hesitated for

a second when they answered, they just said, let's go cruising.

And that is exactly what we did with our kids every year, and I

wouldn't change it for the world.

We have made so many amazing memories together on cruise ships.

We really, really have.

And now that our kids are adults at 20 and 23 years old.

Most of the cruises that we go on now, it's just my husband and I,

and as a matter of fact, as I'm recording this, I will start my

spring break from teaching tomorrow, and my husband and I will be jumping

on another cruise in just two days.

I can't wait.

Alright, so since I love cruising so much, when I reached my weight loss goals

with intermittent fasting in 2021, I started to get a little worried at first.

And I knew that I knew needed to figure out real fast how to incorporate my new

if f lifestyle into my cruise vacation lifestyle and find a good balance.

And so that is exactly what I have done.

I. Since hitting my goal weight in 2021, I've gone on eight

cruises, post goal weight, and no, we are absolutely not rich.

I am a teacher.

Remember, and honestly, almost every cruise that we have

gone on in the last few years.

Has been free, number one, because we went so much with our kids

as they were, um, growing up.

But mostly, uh, it's because I figured out a few years ago how to take

$400 and make it last throughout the week in the casino hopping from slot

machine to slot machine and getting enough points to earn free cruises.

And then my husband figured out the strategy too.

And so.

Anyways, that information is for a totally different podcast, but since I love

cruising so much, when I reached my weight loss goals with fasting again, I knew I

had to figure something out real fast.

Um, as far as I, I wanted to make sure that since cruising involves so much

indulging, I definitely didn't wanna ruin all of the progress that I had made.

So.

That's what I did.

I figured it out.

And with the eight post goal weight cruises I have been on, I've been

able to maintain my weight loss after returning from each of them.

So that is such a freeing thing, um, to know that you can go on vacation

and, you know, just make a few little tweaks here and there and know that

you're gonna be right back to your pre vacation wait and no time at all.

So in this episode, I'm gonna share with you the exact intermittent

fasting schedule and cruise control diet strategies that I use to

maintain my weight loss, while still very much enjoying every

single second of my cruise vacation.

So first off, just simply practicing a form of intermittent fasting while on

a cruise vacation can be a total game changer for maintaining your weight while

still having a blast on your vacation.

Alright, so let's go ahead and dive into three huge benefits

of fasting while cruising.

First, intermittent fasting gives you the opportunity to manage your weight

while still indulging and enjoying pizza and ice cream and all the

other yummy treats without the guilt.

By choosing specific eating windows, you can enjoy the delicious.

And I mean delicious cruise cuisine without overindulging.

Next fasting improves digestion, which can help reduce bloating

and discomfort, which often occurs when trying new foods on vacation.

And finally, intermittent fasting.

Absolutely.

As many of you know, if you are fasting, uh, on a consistent basis,

it enhances your energy levels.

And when you feel like you don't need a mid-afternoon nap in your state

room, you'll have more time and energy to enjoy all of the fun activities

on the cruise ship, like dancing and swimming and playing bingo, or

exploring new ports off of the ship.

Alright, so let's chat about your cruise fasting window.

When you're choosing a fasting window on a cruise, I would suggest trying

to think about your preferred daily vacation schedule and the meals you

want to enjoy throughout the day.

I think the easiest way to do this is to first choose the one meal

that you'd like to skip each day.

I don't particularly enjoy breakfast, and since it backs up to eight hours of fasted

sleep, I find that skipping breakfast each day is the easiest fasting schedule for

me, both at home and on a cruise Actually.

While I'm on a cruise vacation, I simply stick to a 16 eight intermittent

fasting schedule and eating plan.

And honestly, I usually take my first bite of food between

one and 2:00 PM each day.

Then I am able to fully enjoy a long eight hour window of time filled

with delicious food and drinks.

Finally, around 9:00 PM I close my eight hour window feeling very satisfied, and

I simply begin my next fasting period.

It really is as easy as that

so what do I consume during my fasting hours?

I. Well, during my cruising fasting periods, I keep it clean just like I do

when I follow my regular OMA or one meal a day, intermittent fasting schedule at

home, I stay comfortable and hydrated by sticking to the four best clean,

intermittent fasting drinks, including just black coffee, water, plain sparkling

mineral water, and unflavored tea.

It's really important to stick to these four drinks only during your fasting

windows so that you don't spike your insulin levels and possibly disrupt

the incredible, uh, weight loss, autophagy, health benefits, all that

good stuff, uh, that are connected.

To fasting Clean.

Alright, now let's talk about the good stuff because I totally

believe cruise vacations are.

Meant for indulging, which is why that is exactly what I do when I'm on a cruise.

I don't count calories.

I don't worry about being in a calorie deficit, and I never

deny or deprive myself if I want

the peanut butter pie or the double chocolate fudge mousse or a slice of

the royal cheesecake 'cause that is seriously the best dessert you will

find on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Just, just saying I have it, I, will have absolutely all of those

things if that's what I want.

I truly do eat and drink whatever I am in the mood for during my eating window.

Of course.

Now it is important to note that although I allow myself to splurge

when I'm cruising, I most definitely also practice intuitive eating.

I am very aware that certain foods and drinks make my body

feel much better than others.

Therefore, although I don't stress about it, I definitely

am more mindful about what I do choose to consume while cruising.

I try to choose mostly nutrient-dense foods that are high in protein,

lower in carbs and desserts that include healthy, good fats.

These healthy food options absolutely help control my sugar cravings while

still keeping my energy levels high.

These types of foods help me to feel more comfortable and satisfied as I

sail through my 16 hours of fasting.

Now food is one thing, but you might be wondering, Hey Jen, can I still

enjoy a glass or two of wine in the fancy dining room at dinner or a

few fruity cocktails by the pool?

And I am here to assure you that there absolutely is a way to make

intermittent fasting and alcohol work while you're on vacation.

Now I am definitely not suggesting that you go balls to the wall with the drink

package and chug anything and everything you want just because you're on vacation.

If you do that, there will be a price to pay and there definitely

will be some serious consequences, both health and weight related, but.

Should you choose to consume alcohol on your vacation like many of us do,

it is important to be smart about it.

Um, I'm gonna go ahead and give you six quick tips for drinking

alcohol while trying to avoid unwanted vacation weight gain.

I. Number one, choose lower calorie options like wine, light, beer, or

clear spirits with calorie free mixers.

Two, practice moderation, and of course, portion control.

Set a limit on the number of drinks you're going to have.

To avoid excessive calorie intake.

Three, avoid sugary mixer drinks.

So instead opt for club soda, sparkling water, um, with a splash of lime

instead of those drinks with all of the sugary mixes and all that stuff.

Four, be mindful of portion sizes, so stick to the standard

servings and avoid the oversized or the extra strong cocktails.

Um, number five, alternate with water.

Drink water between alcoholic beverages to stay hydrated and

to control your consumption.

And last but certainly not least, tip number six, do not.

Do not, do not break your fast with alcohol because oh my goodness,

this is a real recipe for disaster.

Uh, just trust me on this one.

Um, if you're, you know, you've been, you're fasting for 16 hours

straight, and then the first thing that you consume is alcohol.

Um, uh, whew.

There, here's your warning.

So just make sure to eat a little food at least, uh, before

you begin your happy hour.

If you want way more info on how to make intermittent fasting and alcohol work for

you in general, head on back and listen to episode number 16 of this podcast titled.

Alcohol and intermittent fasting, how to make it work for you.

Alright, let's move into some more tips that will help you stay fit while

sailing the Seas Pack a reusable water bottle that you can easily refill

and carry with you around the ship.

It's also a great idea to pack plenty of nutritious on the go.

Weight loss snacks when you're in need of an afternoon snack.

Delicious, uh, keto Crisp, or, I really like the Think Keto Protein bars.

They are perfect choices.

I will leave the link to those in the show notes below.

Next, don't forget to pack your workout clothes so you can take advantage of

your cruise Ships fitness center plan on setting aside 30 minutes each day to

squeeze in a short workout routine or an easy walk or jog on the treadmill.

You'll be so.

Glad you did it will make you feel so much better.

Um, I often bring this super cool travel water kettlebell, um, when

I cruise or go on a vacation.

It's awesome because it's super easy to pack.

And it's a great way to burn some extra calories fast.

It's really, really cool.

You just fill it up.

Like I said, you take all the water out, pack it flat, and then when you

need it, you can just fill it up with water and, um, it's just instantly

turns into a travel kettlebell.

It's, it's amazing.

I'll leave the link to that below if you wanna check it out.

Be sure to stay active around the ship with plenty of non-food fun activities.

I always use my trustee Apple watch to track my activity, and

I play a little game with myself.

I set a 400 by four goal um, every day.

So what I mean by that is, I try to burn.

I make sure that I burn 400 calories by 4:00 PM each day that I'm cruising.

Also, if you opt for taking the stairs on the ship instead of the crowded elevators,

you will get to that 400 calorie mark before 4:00 PM before you know it.

It really does help so, so much.

Um, and you don't have to get in the elevator with all of the crazy people

that they try to pack in there, so, okay.

A lot of people find also that using an intermittent fasting app that

maybe connects to your watch or your phone is helpful for tracking

your fasting hours each day.

I have recently been using the free version of the Fast, easy

App, and it really works great.

Next, you know how I am crazy strict about my a CV, so don't forget

to bring some brag travel sized apple cider vinegar and take one

to two diluted tablespoons of a CV.

Right when you're ready to break your fast for the day on the cruise.

Um, Amazon has these tiny little travel bottles of a CV that work amazing.

You just pop them in your purse or your carry-on bag and you're good to go.

A link to these Lifesavers will be in the show notes below.

Another big tip for your last meal of the day on the ship.

Try to eat something that includes some protein and healthy fats.

Making this the last thing that you eat can really help make your

upcoming fast into the next day.

Much, much easier.

All right.

Now this brings us to probably my biggest tip of all.

Absolutely.

No matter what you do, do yourself a big giant favor and do not weigh

yourself for two whole weeks after returning back home from your cruise.

It's almost like.

Weighing yourself on a Monday.

I don't know why anyone would do that after a weekend where we all indulge more.

Don't do that.

So when you get back from the cruise, stay away from the scale.

If you get on the day you get back, you are gonna be so upset.

You're just gonna go into a crying fit.

I've done it.

It's, it's crazy 'cause the scale is gonna, it's going to terrify you.

So, but that's not really how much weight you gained.

Um, so.

You're gonna be fine.

You just simply get back on track with your regular intermittent fasting, pre

vacation schedule or routine once you get back home and you'll be back in the

fat burning zone and your pre vacation.

Wait before you know it for sure.

I, like I said, it's happened.

Like eight times now.

It really, really works.

So just follow these tips.

Alright, so I'm gonna talk now about a typical cruise day.

Like what does a typical cruise day look like for me as far as.

Fasting as far as what I eat, when I eat it, all that good stuff.

All right, so I wake up around eight 30 or nine, then I drink a nice big glass

of ice water, head to the gym, walk on the treadmill for about 30 minutes while

overlooking the beautiful ocean water.

I usually then will head back to the room, take a quick shower, grab some

black coffee from the Windjammer Cafe, and then I head up to the Flow Rider

simulator to watch my husband do some surfing on the back of the cruise ship.

He is so good at it.

Um, I've tried it before.

I used to be pretty good back in the day, but, um, since I'll be 50 this

year and I teach pe, I, uh, I'm, I'm.

I feel like I don't have anything to prove to anybody, so I, I don't

want, I know my limits and, uh, I don't want to kill myself on a cruise.

So I'm okay with being a very good spectator for my end supporter.

I'm his biggest cheerleader when he's doing his thing out on the wave.

It's, it's, it is a really cool, um, activity that they have on the cruise.

If you've never tried it, it's, I highly recommend it.

Um, but yeah, so all right then, uh, I had to get a refill on my black coffee

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00 AM Lounge around the pool, reading my True Crime book for a bit.

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Take a swim in the pool.

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Um, I. You know, that's always fun.

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You always meet such fun people in the pool there.

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And then I usually grab a mug of green tea, um, and sip on that and maybe

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swing by the casino and play a few of my favorite slot machine games in the casino.

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Uh, some dancing drums.

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Or Momum.

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Those are my favorite slot machine games.

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Um, then I meet up with my husband for a nice lunch around one or 2:00 PM So this

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is my first bite of food for the day.

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Um, I usually break my fast with a. Giant salad topped with grilled

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chicken and drenched in ranch dressing, or maybe some grilled

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fish or I might have a little soup.

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Um, then we usually grab a cookie or two and then a twist from the soft serve ice

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cream machine on our walk back from lunch.

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And then at around four 30 or five, we head back to our room to start

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getting ready for dinner and I have a nice glass of wine while I'm getting

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dressed and ready to go, uh, head to dinner and have a yummy three

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to four course meal with dessert.

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Ordering, whatever sounds delicious.

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And finally, another cocktail or glass of wine with the show or the whatever

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the entertainment is for that night.

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And I usually close my eating window at about 9:00 PM a few hours before I

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had to bed at night and get ready to wake up and then do it all over again.

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And it works.

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Magically, it's, it's really, really awesome.

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So there you have it.

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Intermittent fasting on a cruise really can be an incredible way to enjoy your

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vacation while staying on track with your health and your weight loss goals.

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And by choosing a fasting window and making smart food and drink

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choices and, staying active, you can savor all of the delicious meals

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and treats without any of the guilt.

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So go ahead, pack that bikini, grab your favorite sunglasses, and go

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get ready to have a total blast on your next adventure at sea.

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Happy cruising my fasting friends.

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And if you're someone out there who's never been on a cruise or you're like,

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I am like not even gonna, I'm not even open to trying a cruise, I am

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just telling you, you are missing out.

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It is amazing.

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'cause you can be as busy or as lazy.

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As you want to be.

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And, uh, it, it's just to please, please, please give it a try.

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You know, it's, it's, it's amazing.

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Alright, I'd actually like to end this episode with a huge shout out

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and thank you to Lisa McGill, who was my intermittent fasting success

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story guest for the month of March.

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If you did not get a chance to listen to her episode, which was episode number

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34, you are definitely gonna wanna go back and give it a quick listen.

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She shares so many incredible tips and tricks related to how

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she does intermittent fasting on the go as she travels the country

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with her family homeschooling her three daughters, along the way.

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Yes, she just, they just a few years back, they up in, uh, sold everything

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and decided to go on this cross ca.

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Country adventure for the last few years, and she's been doing

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intermittent fasting right along with all of these, awesome adventures.

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So, she also talks about how she uses a DF or alternate day fasting

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to drop a few pounds quickly when she needs to, or to bust through

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a stubborn weight loss plateau.

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So, lots of good stuff there.

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So I can't thank Lisa enough for all that she shared with us.

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Uh, such an awesome interview.

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I'll write my fasting friends.

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That is all for today.

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Um, I am off to pack for my upcoming cruise in just two days, may you

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have the absolute best day ever

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hey, thank you so much for choosing to spend part of your day listening

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to this episode of the Intermittent Fasting Gems with Jen podcast.

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If you think these tips could help a friend or a family member, please

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consider sharing this episode with them.

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And if you really enjoyed the show, taking a minute or two

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to leave a positive review.

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Would be so appreciated.

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Tune in for new 15 to 25 minute episodes released on the 10th,

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20th, and 30th of each month.

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Episodes will feature solo shows filled with if F hacks that

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have worked for me, as well as episodes where I get to chat with.

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Fun folks of all ages who've experienced incredible success

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with intermittent fasting.

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If you have questions or want more unique intermittent fasting health and

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weight loss tips, tricks and recipes, please visit my website and blog at.

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So what if with jen.com?

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Finally, we'd love to welcome you into our free intermittent.

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Fasting Facebook support group.

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So what if with Jen?

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Find all of these links in the show notes below.

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And as always, I hope you spend your day loving without fear and

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laughing until your cheeks hurt.