I've Been Doing Intermittent Fasting for a Few Months and Haven’t Lost a Pound - Can You Help?

Hey JJ Here. Every year around this time, I get the urge to make my home feel a little extra special. A space that feels just like the holidays. And Wayfair is my go to for that. Think cozy textures, twinkly decor, warm lighting, and all those little touches that make you want to curl up with a good book and a blanket. You'll usually find my books stacked on a great little end table I got from Wayfair, proof that function and style can coexist. Now, whether you're adding last minute hosting essentials, picking out gifts for loved ones, or refreshing your decor for the season, Wayfair makes it easy with beautiful finds, great prices and fast delivery. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Plus, with free shipping for any order over $35, that's fast delivery and a total peace of mind. It's the perfect mix of joy and order, bringing the holiday spirit in, then storing it all with ease. If you're ready to make your home feel as good as it looks, get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair Every style, every home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R.com hey, it's JJ here.

You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on your first order.

Ray Ban Meta Glasses come with open ear audio so you can listen to your favorite music without blocking out the world around you.

Hey Meta, play Gorgeous.

Here's Gorgeous by Doja Cat.

You can also ask Meta AI questions.

Hey Meta, when's Doja Cat's next concert?

Doja Cat is playing at the Los Angeles Theater next Tuesday.

Sweet Ray Ban Meta Glasses available at Ray Ban stores and other authorized retailers.

I've been doing intermittent fasting and I haven't lost a pound.

Can you help?

This is JJ Virgin, four time New York Times best selling author, celebrity nutrition expert and Fitness hall of Famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the toughest health questions, and now I'm sharing what I found with you. Welcome to Ask the Health Expert. Haley B. From Facebook asks, I've been doing intermittent fasting for a few months now and I haven't lost a pound.

Can you help?

Hey, it's JJ and I've got the problem. Perfect expert to answer this question, meet nurse practitioner, nutrition and intermittent fasting expert Cynthia Thurlow. Her TEDx talk on intermittent fasting has been viewed over 5 million times. She's a former varsity field hockey player.

Who'S been known to read four to.

Five books at a time. We'll be right back with the answer.

Hey, it's J.J. here.

Now, let's be honest.

The holidays are basically a financial ambush. Travel, hosting gifts, surprise holiday school things. Suddenly you're wondering how December turned into a spending spree. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface on your laptop or your phone. What really grabbed my attention is how fast those little holiday expenses pile up with Monarch. Seeing everything in one place makes it a lot harder to accidentally overspend. And honestly, I appreciate anything that keeps me from starting January with a money hangover. You'll love exploring the holiday spending category. Imagine how good it will feel to actually see what's happening before your credit card statement does that whole dramatic reveal thing. Monarch basically shows you exactly where the money is going in real time, and that level of clarity could change everything, right? Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use the code virgin@monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with Code Virgin.

This episode is brought to you by McAfee.

I got a message that our flight was canceled, but they can put us on another flight and we just need to confirm our credit credit card info.

Wait, I got a security alert from McAfee. It flagged that message as a scam.

McAfee's scam detector automatically spots and alerts you to suspicious texts, emails and deep fake videos. Learn more@mcafee.com online protection.

Well, Haley, this is one of the more common questions I am asked about intermittent fasting when people are feeling either their weight loss efforts have stalled or they are non existent. And there are many contributing factors to why weight loss can be elusive with this strategy. First and foremost, it's really critical that we get your sleep dialed in. So it's really important to be sleeping in a cold, dark room off electronics one to two hours prior to bedtime, wearing blue blockers at night and creating some degree of sleep hygiene. I always suggest that women in particular really remain attuned to this, especially as we get closer to perimenopause the five to seven years preceding menopause. Menopause when so many people start developing sleep issues, either falling or staying asleep. So having a sleep ritual is really critical. Next, it's important for people to understand that there is an association. If you're getting less than six hours a night of sleep, there is an association with a heightened degree of insulin resistance or difficulty controlling your blood sugar, which can fuel and influence cortisol in the body and make it far more challenging to lose sleep. So sleep is number one. Number two is making sure that your stress is dialed in. It's really, really important that we are managing our stress. And I don't know any woman that is not dealing with stress on a daily basis, but how we perceive, how our body perceives our response to stress is really, really critical. And so things like meditation, gratitude, journaling, connecting with nature, grounding, work, exercise, but not the kind of exercise that gets you amped up, the kind of exercise that quiets your body. So yoga, pilates, things like that can really be very, very beneficial. Next, underlying food sensitivities. And I know this is something that JJ is really influenced by and interested in as well, but underlying food sensitivities can make it really challenging to lose weight. And the big ones that I think about as women are entering this stage in their lives are things like dairy, gluten, grains, obviously sugar, processed sugars, and alcohol can be hugely problematic as well as soy. And soy unfortunately is proliferative in the processed food industry, so definitely something that you want to be dialed in on. And then lastly, another area where I see this can be an issue is imbalanced hormones. And I mean, that sounds easier said than done, but we talked about a couple of these already. Cortisol, insulin. We know our sex hormones, as we're getting closer to menopause, can also be problematic. Imbalances in progesterone, estrogen and testosterone and then thyroid hormones. So very, very important that you're working with the healthcare provider that can get you some of the testing, diagnostic testing, like the Dutch in particular, that can provide additional insights and information as well as a full thyroid panel to be able to really deep dive into what's going on. Thanks for your question, Haley.

This is JJ with Ask the Health Expert. I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetoj.com.

Hello listeners, this is Anne Boeckle, author, blogger and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week, I take all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years, and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment. Whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change, or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything, you'll learn something about yourself as a reader and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and Visit our website whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com to find out more.