Welcome to the Sweet Spot!

Your weekly dose of practical tips, real talk, and encouragement to help you lower your blood sugar and feel better in your body, one simple step at a time.

Hi there Reader ,

We've spent two weeks talking about fasting differently than what usually shows up in your feed. Not as a test of willpower, and not as punishment for what you ate yesterday. A few of you wrote in with the same safety questions we covered last week, the ones about insulin, sulfonylureas, and knowing when to stop and treat a low. If that was you, this issue is the next step.

Here's the myth I want to put to rest. As a Diabetic you can fast! I had a friend reach out one day when I posted how long I had been fasting (36 hours! 😅) and she said " I didn't know Diabetics can fast."

Yes, we can fast. The difference is thinking through those questions I mentioned last week. They are important, especially if you are on medication. It is important that you start slow and then monitor as you go. The biggest threat is hypoglycemia.

What is fasting?

Fasting is not eating within a specified time frame. Many people think that fasting is a form of starvation. But this not an accurate assessment. If you think about it, most people fast at least for 12-16 hours every night, depending on when they stopped eating the night before. This is why we eat break-fast, because this breaks the fast.

How long should you fast?

Everyone is different. Just like an eating plan varies, fasting will vary. Some people respond well to 16:8 and 18:6 fasting schedule. This means you do not eat in a 16 hour period and feed during 8 hours only and so on. Part of the fun is finding which window works for you. Playing around with time frames and amount of hours helps you really become attuned to your body and blood sugar.

A thoughtful fasting approach does not require you to already be consistent, already off certain medications, or already comfortable with your numbers before you start learning about it. That belief keeps a lot of people waiting for a version of themselves that never quite shows up. The real approach starts wherever you are right now, with your current medications, your current schedule, and your current relationship with food, and it builds from there using real information instead of guesswork.

That is what I built the Diabetes Maven Fasting Challenge to do, starting October 15. Inside, we'll separate fasting hype from a realistic meal timing approach, learn to read your own eating rhythm without shame, build meals that support steadier energy, use your glucose readings or CGM as feedback instead of a scorecard, and settle the safety questions with your prescriber before you change anything. This isn't extreme fasting, and it isn't a substitute for your own medical care. It's a guided space to learn the parts nobody explained to you the first time around.

I want to invite my readers first to get first dibs. This is an asynchronous fasting challenge where I provide you a few extra emails and videos and support via my skool community.

Before you register, finish this sentence honestly: the fasting or meal timing question I most want answered is _. Whatever you wrote down is a good sign of whether this challenge is your next right step.

​Join the Diabetes Maven Fasting Challenge, starting October 15 (add your name to the waitlist)​

I built this because fasting was the first step I took when I took my health seriously. It moved the needle more than anything else. There's no reason to keep carrying those alone.

If you use insulin or a medication that can cause lows, please talk with the clinician who prescribes it before changing your eating routine too drastically. Nothing in this challenge should lead you to adjust a medication dose on your own.

What's the one fasting question you most want this challenge to answer? Reply and I'll make sure we cover it.

With you,
Stephanie
Diabetes Maven

P.S. If today isn't the right moment for you to join, that's alright. I'll be back next week with one more myth I want to clear up before the doors close.