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What if taking a pause is exactly what God is asking you to do? In this final Delay & Pray Podcast episode of 2026, Beth shares why she is stepping away from podcasting for three months to pray, study, and discern the future direction of Delay & Pray. After six years of teaching spiritual fasting, she has come to believe more strongly than ever that this work is about far more than food or weight loss. Beth explores what it means to become a lifelong student of spiritual fasting through the body, brain, and soul. She reflects on Eat, Fast, Feast, the difference between consumption and communion, metabolic health, virtue, Our Lady, spiritual warfare, and why the ultimate purpose of fasting is greater freedom to love Jesus Christ. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

We made it to Episode 200! In this special celebration episode of the Delay and Pray Podcast, I look back on four years of spiritual fasting, Catholic coaching, prayer, sacrifice, weight loss, victories, failures, miracles, and lessons God has used to shape this mission. Two hundred episodes later, one message has become clearer than ever: Choose Christ before sugar. To celebrate this milestone, I share the five greatest truths I have learned, including why weight loss is only part of the real goal, how fasting reveals what food may be covering up, why we must love our bodies and souls into health, and why permanent change requires more than another food plan. We also celebrate the Catholic tradition of Wednesday and Friday fasting, the freedom of Nunc Coepi—“Now I begin again”—and the incredible things God can do when we offer Him our ordinary hunger. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if sugar is doing more than making you crave another cookie—what if it is making it harder to hear your God-given appetite at all? In Part 2 of How Sugar Steals Our God-Given Appetite, we explore the fascinating idea that fructose may activate an ancient survival or “foraging” response designed to help us seek food and store energy when food was scarce. The problem is that today the food never disappears, and sugar, flour, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods are available everywhere. We look at Dr. Richard Johnson and Dr. Robert Lustig's discussion of fructose, insulin and leptin resistance, cellular energy, food seeking, and the emerging research connecting metabolic dysfunction with brain health and Alzheimer’s disease. Most importantly, we bring it back to Delay and Pray® and how spiritual fasting can help us create space between desire and action, retrain our appetites, strengthen the will, and learn once again to choose Christ before sugar. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if your cravings aren't proof that you're hungry—but evidence that your appetite has become confused? God created our appetite to serve us, yet sugar, constant eating, habits, emotions, and modern processed foods can make it increasingly difficult to recognize genuine hunger. In this episode, I begin unpacking how we can restore order to this beautifully designed system. In Part 1 of The Battle for Your Appetite, we explore the Catholic understanding of the sensitive appetite, the difference between hunger and reward-driven eating, and the roles insulin and leptin play in appetite regulation. We also examine research on sugar and fructose and discover why the Delay and Pray® practice of pausing, fasting, and choosing Christ before sugar may be doing far more for our bodies, brains, and souls than we ever realized. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if learning to pause could change the way you eat, think, and respond to the people around you? In this episode, I talk with Delay and Pray® clients Kathy and Coleen about the real-life changes they have experienced through spiritual fasting, the Thought Model, and learning to slow down instead of immediately reacting to cravings and emotions. We talk about sugar addiction, food protocols, marriage, and what happens when you no longer want to eat the same foods your husband does. Kathy and Coleen also share the changes they have seen in their husbands and children—and Coleen gives us the perfect reminder: “Super size your faith instead of your meal!” Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

Technology is advancing faster than our virtue—and that should concern us. We live in a culture that can satisfy almost every appetite instantly, from food and entertainment to shopping, screens and endless information, but the Catholic life was never meant to be a life devoted to comfort. The question we need to recover is not simply, "What do I want?" but "Who am I becoming?" In this episode, I unpack the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, while examining how gluttony and sloth have quietly become normalized in modern life. We also talk about smartphones, AI, food, medicine, suffering, spiritual buffering and why prayer, fasting, the sacraments and learning to "waste time with Jesus" may be exactly what we need to become free again. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if the miracle you're praying for is closer than you think? If you've ever wondered whether God hears your prayers while you're waiting, this episode will renew your hope and remind you that He is always working—even when you can't see it. Through one family's incredible story, you'll discover the beauty of trusting God's perfect timing. In this episode, Beth interviews Celeste about her journey through infertility, adoption, and an unexpected pregnancy after six years of waiting. Together they discuss how prayer and spiritual fasting prepared her heart to surrender to God's plan, the miracle of adopting baby Dominic, and the surprising blessing that followed. It's a conversation filled with hope, faith, and the unmistakable fingerprints of God's providence. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if the greatest miracle wasn't losing weight—but becoming the person God was calling you to be? In this episode, I share the deeply personal story of how preparing for my daughter's wedding led me to discover OM²AD—One Meal and One Mass a Day. What began as a physical goal quickly became a spiritual transformation that brought greater peace, mental clarity, energy, and a renewed relationship with Christ. Join me as I explain how I combined intermittent fasting, daily Mass, prayer, exercise, and a simple routine to simplify my life during one of the busiest seasons I've ever experienced. I'll also share what I learned about OMAD, why I recommend it only a few days each week for post-menopausal women, and how God used this journey to remind me that choosing Christ before sugar changes everything. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if your parish had everything it needed to begin a life-changing spiritual fasting program—for just $10? In this episode, Beth sits down with Kathy and Christine to share how the Delay and Pray® Book Bundle is helping Catholics build community, deepen their faith, and experience lasting freedom through spiritual fasting. If you've ever wanted to start a parish or home study but didn't know where to begin, this conversation will give you the confidence to take the first step. Together, they discuss how easy it is to launch a Delay and Pray® book study using the ready-made resources included in the bundle, why pastors and parishioners are responding so enthusiastically, and how accountability, community, and the sacraments become the foundation for lasting transformation. Whether you're looking to lead a small group or simply invite a few friends to journey with you, this episode will show you how simple it is to get started. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if protecting your brain starts with the choices you make today? In Part 2 of this series, Beth Bubik explores the fascinating science behind brain health while offering practical hope rooted in faith, stewardship, and the principles of Delay and Pray®. You'll discover that lasting health isn't about fear—it's about faithfully caring for the body and mind God has entrusted to you. In this episode, Beth explains insulin resistance, metabolic flexibility, ketones, processed foods, obesogens, and the importance of reducing chronic inflammation through simple daily habits. She also shares how fasting, prayer, and whole foods work together to renew both body and soul, helping us remain mentally sharp and spiritually prepared to fulfill God's purpose throughout every season of life. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if protecting your brain begins long before memory loss ever appears? In this powerful first installment of a two-part series, Beth Bubik explores the growing concerns surrounding dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and the everyday choices that may influence long-term brain health. Through personal stories and practical encouragement, she reminds us that caring for our minds is part of faithfully living the mission God has given us. In this episode, Beth discusses the connection between sugar, processed foods, metabolic health, fasting, ketosis, and metabolic flexibility while sharing the inspiring story of a husband who helped his wife pursue healing after an early Alzheimer's diagnosis. You'll walk away with hope, practical insights, and a renewed desire to protect your body, mind, and soul as you continue choosing Christ before sugar. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

What if your hunger is lying to you? Many people assume every urge to eat is physical hunger, but often it's something else entirely. Stress, boredom, fatigue, loneliness, and even procrastination can masquerade as hunger and keep us stuck in cycles of overeating. In this episode, Beth shares how to distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger using The Hunger Scale. You'll learn how to investigate your urges, invite prayer into moments of discomfort, and use spiritual fasting to grow in freedom, self-awareness, and self-control while pursuing permanent weight loss and deeper faith. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

The 4th of July doesn't have to derail your health goals. If you've ever felt torn between enjoying holiday celebrations and staying faithful to your fasting routine, this episode will show you a better way. Learn how to celebrate with family and friends without guilt, regret, or the feeling that you've fallen "off the wagon." In this episode, Beth explains the concept of metabolic flexibility with God and how it allows you to move gracefully between seasons of fasting and feasting. She shares practical strategies for maintaining prayer, managing food choices, staying active, and keeping your body and soul aligned during holidays, vacations, and other celebratory seasons of life. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

For decades, Diet Coke has been promoted as the guilt-free alternative to regular soda, but what if that familiar can is doing more harm than good? If you've ever struggled with cravings, overeating, stubborn weight loss, or feeling attached to certain foods and drinks, this episode may change the way you think about diet soda and artificial sweeteners. In this episode, I share my personal experience with Diet Coke addiction and unpack five major concerns researchers have identified about diet soda consumption. We discuss the potential impact on weight loss, appetite, metabolism, brain health, heart health, and overall wellness, while exploring how small daily habits can become attachments that keep us from the freedom God desires for us. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn

A daughter's wedding may be one of life's happiest occasions, so why do so many mothers experience unexpected sadness after it's over? In this heartfelt episode, Beth opens up about the emotional journey she experienced following her youngest daughter's wedding and the surprising mix of gratitude, joy, grief, and reflection that followed. If you've ever struggled with the emotions that accompany major life transitions, this conversation will remind you that you're not alone. Beth shares behind-the-scenes stories from the wedding weekend, explores the "mother of the bride blues," and explains how prayer, fasting, journaling, and the Thought Model helped her process her emotions. She also reflects on the changing role of motherhood, the beauty of letting go with love, and the grace available when life doesn't unfold perfectly. Help Beth reach her goal of bringing 1 Million Catholics back to the Church: Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! Delay and Pray® Links: $1000 Delay and Pray Group Coaching Experience $10 Delay and Pray® Book Bundle The Catholic Fasting Coach Instagram Facebook LinkedIn