I Quit Fasting, Here's Why

Extended fasting can and does cause muscle loss, here's why I stopped.

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-----------------------------------------Show Notes--------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------Show Notes--------------------------------------

0:00 Intro
0:30 Fasting is counterproductive to preserving and building muscle.
0:40 Extended fasting may have metabolic health benefits for people who are morbidly obese or sedentary.
1:30 Insulin helps build and preserve muscle.
5:00 If you have little body fat, excessive fasting may impact lean muscle mass.
6:00 The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be.
7:12 If you feel weaker, try decreasing your fasting and increase your exercise.
8:00 Muscle mass is inversely correlated with all-cause mortality.
8:30 Quick weight loss can include loss of lean muscle tissue.
10:45 If you are fasting, you may want to increase your protein intake.

[rawbacon]

Mike's not afraid to change if something isn't many get caught up in beliefs and can't admit they are wrong.

[deflo]

I used extended fasting as a tool initially for weight loss. Then when cancer was found I used it strategically during my chemotherapy and organ removals. Now at 67, in a build back muscle phase with a stable weight, I’m in a very comfortable 10 hour eating window. I concentrate on good protein and fat to sate. I have been doing resistance exercises after walking for a few months now. Our bodies are truly amazing!

[HemiBurns]

Too much of anything is usually problematic, and we are all different to responding to diets.
Figure out what works FOR YOU. 
I intermittent fast 16-8, but I do 3 protein rich meals a day. I weight train also and am strong, lean and muscular at 60 years old, and feel great!!

[NapoleonPicard]

Muscle mass is important, but fasting for autophagy and insulin sensitivity is undoubtedly important as well. I'd say you should do a period in your life when you fast to clean your cells, but not necessarily continue fasting for the rest of your life.

[mcgaugh]

16-8 daily fasting, 80# lost at 66 years old and gone forever. Will always do it

[chasingshangrila]

Simple circadian rhythm eating. It could be anywhere from 13-16 hours fast. I don’t eat after sundown. I found that it was better for my restorative sleep.

[fritz]

I went Carnivore in 2021. I lost 35 lbs of fat and my weight dropped to 190 from 235 at 6' and age 71. I weight train and was fasting 16 hrs with 2 meals a day. Then about 2 months ago my weight dropped to 178 and i was getting weak and drawn looking. I wasn't getting enough food to support my weight training . I added in an avocado, and some berriers with full fat greek yogurt and cottage cheese, and grain free granola and ate until i was very full. I eat 2 lbs of beef and 3 -4 eggs a day. My weight started to climb, and i started filling out and felt strong again. I'm now 192 and feel good again. Sleep better and less anxiety. Watch cutting back and fasting too much.

[Justobserving]

If you’re a BIG FATTY then fast till 15-20%. You need to use fasting to get rid of your body fat!! Once you’ve lost the body fat then worry about and work to gain muscle. Excessive body fat kills in many ways.

[ee]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:00 💪 Extended fasting can lead to muscle loss, which is counterproductive for preserving and building muscle mass, essential for longevity and strength.
01:52 🧬 Insulin has anti-catabolic properties that prevent muscle protein breakdown, making extremely low insulin levels counterproductive for muscle health.
04:38 🏋️‍♂️ Intermittent fasting may not be the best strategy for optimizing muscle mass and quality, especially when fasting excessively.
06:13 🤔 Excessive fasting, particularly for those with little body fat, may lead to muscle loss over time, affecting long-term weight maintenance and health.
10:48 🥩 Increasing protein intake on fasting days can help stimulate muscle protein synthesis and prevent muscle protein breakdown, supporting muscle preservation during fasting.

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[LindsayTrottierAcupuncture]

There is a lot of good discussion about fasting here, but I’m not hearing you speak about re-feeding, which, in my opinion, is just as important. What you do before/after your fast is incredibly important for health maintenance. Often, what I find, is people think we have to be static in our weight and body fat, but it’s more realistic to see yourself within a healthy range. To your prompt, after 2 years of consistent weekly long fasts (22-36 hours), I took about 6 months off of regular fasting, because I didn’t feel like I was getting as much benefit, and I wanted to put on more muscle. Now, I’m cycling back to regular fasting because I felt some old symptoms of inflammation creep back into my life, and I want to hit the reset button again.

[SarrouTube]

16 hours fasting and 2 good low carb meals a day and a lot of exercise … that’s what I do….

[NoPronoun]

I just want you to know that when you talk fast, I am not irritated. You are, in fact, one of the few podcasters where I don’t adjust the speed on the playback. Love your content, BTW.

[almightysauerkraut]

You are absolutely right. Prolonged Fasting is great when your obese, but sometimes counter productive when you are already in a healthy bmi. Learned that the hard way this year 😊 now I eat normal meals at a slight calorie deficit, work out 3 times a week and throw in some high calorie cheat days. I find this works best for me for my new toning up phases

[SarrouTube]

Actually nobody knows !! The body is a multi complex machine!! I like your videos!!!

[JYAN]

I stopped doing extended fasting for this very reason and have now switched to higher protein diet. I not only lost body fat but lean muscle

[craigsips]

I have been training my entire life 14 to 52. For the past 5 years I have only been eating in the evening and dropped my protein intake from 170g to 120g. I am stronger now than ever.
Big surprise, didn’t expect that.

[LRabbit]

I have not had a problem with fasting. I eat 3 protein rich meals a day between 9 and 6, I do a 24 hour fast once per week and an occasional 3-5 day fast. No muscle problems or feeling tired or any other negative side effect. I lift weights every other day, kickbox, walk and hike. I'm 70 and have excellent muscle tone. I love letting my digestive system have a break, breaking down food is a big job.

[billyhughes]

I am naturally thin/lean so extended fasting is not really a strategy I use. I do like to 16-18 hours in-between meals 3 or 4 times a week max as it does feel good, and gives my digestive system a break. All the info in the vid makes perfect sense -- fasting, diet, exercise, how you lose weight, etc, is never a one size fits all. Best to test proven strategies, modify as necessary and pick what's right for you.

[dalebasista]

i've never been obese and fasting was miraculous when i first discovered it at becoming thin and chiseled. however doing it for prolonged periods of time i noticed i was becoming nutrient deficient in a lot of areas as my 1 meal a day was not satiating me, and it eventually backfired, as i would over-indulge during dinner and started gaining "panic fat" and losing muscle mass. fasting is definitely not a good strategy to be on for your entire life. plan to use it intermittently as a tool but don't build a lifestyle around it.

[julieolson]

YES! I have intuitively moved in the direction of most of what you're saying, with improvement in muscle and decreased BRAIN FOG. I'm no spring chick, so I never fasted over 24 hrs. However, I was afraid to relinquish fasting because of how it saved me from diet induced autoimmune disease. But, I have to admit that inability to maintain muscle mass and return of brain definitely signals hitting the wall!
Thanks for what you do, Mike!