Episode Details

In this episode of Intermittent Fasting Stories, Gin talks to Tatsiana Bender from Fort Worth, TX.

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Tatsiana is a CPA, and she moved to the Texas from Belarus when she was 20. Tatsiana shares her unique and humorous entry into intermittent fasting—prompted by wanting to match her stated weight on a life insurance application after a festive Fourth of July. She recounts her quick initial weight loss, how a serendipitous YouTube video introduced her to Gin’s book Fast Feast Repeat, and her realization that a “clean fast” made a difference. Tatsiana describes that, although she never struggled significantly with her weight growing up in Belarus, moving to America exposed her to a drastically different food culture and led to weight fluctuations, especially after having children.

Tatsiana reminisces about her childhood in Belarus with seasonal, simple foods, and homemade sweets being the norm. She contrasts this experience with her first exposure to America’s abundance of processed foods and shares how returning home helped her effortlessly lose the weight she’d gained during her stay. The conversation naturally moves to food traditions—like gardening and preserving homegrown vegetables at her family's summer house (dacha)—and reflects on how these habits cultivated appreciation for natural, unprocessed foods. Tatsiana finds it amusing that what was once a necessity is now recognized as the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

Her health journey gained depth when she started to focus on what foods make her feel best and support her long-term well-being. Tatsiana opens up about testing various diet strategies like Whole30, experimenting with plant-based cooking inspired by Dr. Fuhrman, and participating in Zoe’s program to learn more about her body. She shares insights from wearing a continuous glucose monitor, revealing how her body handles sugar and fats, and describes small but significant lifestyle upgrades, such as switching to cleaner water and crowding out processed snacks with vegetables. Tatsiana explains that intermittent fasting, once started for weight loss, gradually led her to a sustainable pattern of eating that emphasizes health a