Delay and Pray Podcast

Episode #5: 

Resetting Your Health in Both Body & Soul with Jenay Franco

“If you’re really opposed to (spiritual fasting), still take that chance. If anything, it might be a sign that it’s something that God really, really wants for you to be able to detach, to prune in the vineyard.” -Jenay Franco

Welcome to the fifth episode of the Delay and Pray Podcast! Today, Beth is interviewing Jenay Franco, a certified Catholic coach who helps driven Catholic moms let go of perfectionism. In this interview, Beth is asking Jenay about her journey into spiritual fasting, from the initial resistance to the many benefits she has experienced over the past several months. 

Resistance

Following a very difficult summer, Jenay felt the call to dive into spiritual fasting but experienced resistance towards it. She explains that she didn’t want to “add any more suffering to her life,” admitting that she didn’t believe it when Beth told her that she could actually experience joy in this process. 

The Experience

Beth and Jenay discuss the various components of the Delay and Pray program, such as:

• The mindset shifts that help unravel the interior knots around fasting
• The biological as well as neurological shifts of trading short-term dopamine hits for the more meaningful, long-term joy that comes with delayed gratification
• The spiritual shifts of sacrificing for the benefit of souls
• The experience of long-term stability and peace over short-term comfort

Beth also explains how to train your brain as you transition into this delayed way of dealing with food, so as not to lead your brain into a devastating feeling of deprivation.

The Results

Spiritually, Jenay realized that her choice to fast for her husband, her marriage, and her kids revealed many more opportunities for sacrifices in her daily life. She and Beth discuss how learning to fast helps you to sacrifice for others while making the task at hand easier. Physically, Jenay is feeling more balanced, her anxiety has decreased, and she has lost nearly thirty pounds.

The Scale

Beth and Jenay talk about how the scale is simply data: an objective measurement of progress. Checking every day helps you to divorce your self-worth from the number on the scale, and to become curious about why that data fluctuates. It helps pinpoint variations in sleeping and eating patterns, and is a reminder that this is not a diet: it’s a regimen of Eat, Fast, Feast that helps you experiment with what is best for your body. 

Failing Forward

Jenay and Beth discuss the concept of failure while incorporating the Delay and Pray regimen. Jenay suggests that Christ would avoid the shaming speech that we inflict on ourselves, and would speak to us with mercy and compassion. She also mentions that the word “fail” feels heavy, and Beth suggests replacing the word “failing” with “learning.” 

The Sacraments

Jenay shares a beautiful testimony of the power of frequenting the Sacraments during the Delay and Pray program: she describes a day of fasting when her hunger disappeared after receiving the Eucharist. Beth talks about how the health benefits of spiritual fasting become a side benefit as the spiritual benefits grow. She points out that you can get enough of food, but you can never get enough of Jesus.

Conclusion

Don’t wait until January 1st or Lent: start fasting now! It benefits you and teaches your children virtuous habits. Jenay encourages everyone listening, whether they’re hesitant or downright opposed, to still take a chance on spiritual fasting. She promises that you will not recognize yourself by the end of the journey. 

Links

The Group Coaching Experience

Jenay’s website

Jenay’s instagram