100 Reader Comments

1. Jay
   

   Mike;

   Great writing, good stuff.
   I’m posting at my work place.

   Jay

   [Reply]
2. Mike OD
   

   Jay – Right on….what might also work well is a megaphone and hide out near the break room, then yell “you are not going to burn fat for the next 3 hours if you eat that donut!”. I am not responsible if you get fired however. Funny how work encourages sugar consumption…yet if you maintain stable blood sugar with better choices, your mental clarity is dramatically improved. If I had a business I’d be putting fish oil in the water cooler for DHA improved brain function….but that is for another post.

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3. Ben Moskowitz
   

   What if you are really pleasantly happy in the gym and taking your time? Where does the cortisol weigh in there?

   [Reply]
4. Mike OD
   

   Ben – Are you talking about weight lifting sessions that last for hours? It all depends on what kind of training you are doing. Is it short bursts of lifting like Oly Training or 2 hours of lifting weights and cardio? If it is the first one, cortisol shouldn’t be an issue as you are most likely getting plenty of rest (3-5) between lifts and they are more short bursts of energy (vs constant aerobic states). If you are doing #2, then you are wasting alot of valuable time. You can get plenty of hypertrophy based training in 30-40min…anything more isn’t giving you much in return. (that and maximum GH and Test response comes from high intensity/short rest type of training) If you are doing a sport that requires over 45-60min of exercise (such as I play ice hockey and games last for 2 hours), you can eat/drink a mix of protein and carbs/fat as that will keep cortisol at bay. All depends on the training and event.

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5. Ben Moskowitz
   

   gotcha.
   I’m training with O-lifters, but we’re in a hypertrophy phase. So far the training is like
   5×10 big lift (squat)
   4×10 secondary (press)
   3×10 accessory (pullups)
   …
   more accesories, like 3 or 4, in the 10-25 rep range, i.e. lunges, abs, pushups, etc.

   It’s a boatload of work!
   I guess one day I really took my time…but today was more “let’s get on with it” and I finished in like 1:20:00ish I’m still taking rests between sets, and getting my stretching done when resting on the later accessory stuff.
   Maybe I should bring my PWO meal to the gym and eat it around accessory time.

   When we start doing O-lifting, it’ll mostly just be technique and not going heavy for me.

   My press is down since last week… +fat? I’ve been sleeping pretty good.

   and…..
   what would be your verdict on PWO milk? I know it’s insulin spiking…but I can put it in a nalgene.
   What do you do for calcium?

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6. Chris
   

   Another excellent post MOD, quality of the blog has been superb so far. Will recommend the blog to my friends on Greader. WOuld be cool to see an article on Mass Gain, as well as some ideas for workouts/cardio on days off (Play Days, when sport is not available) Also Any nutrition articles would be really cool. Thanks again and keep up the A* blogging!!

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7. Scott Kustes
   

   MOD,
   Nice post. Keep up the good work. And I prefer the entire post to go into the reader rather than using a .

   Cheers
   Scott

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8. Scott Kustes
   

   That should say using a “break”.

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9. Marc
   

   Just new to your blog.
   WOW, what a great post.
   It is al ready being forwarded to my sister.
   It also helped my girlfriend understand all the “jumble” I’ve been trying to tell her.

   I will put your blog on my site.
   Thanks again.

   Marc

   [Reply]
10. Mike OD
    

    Thanks for the feedback. My main goal is to keep the quality high and not get diluted with too many posts, so expect to see about on average 3 a week (Mon-Wed-Fri most likely). I also enjoy spending more time with comments and feedback vs more posts. Hopefully all posts will be a good tool for anyone from beginners to more advanced as we can all remember to master the basics and just keep things simple for maximum results. (too much info and confusion out there as it is providing little to no results)

    Chris – We will be hitting mass gain approaches as well, because it is possible with an IF protocol. You will see the importance of nutrient timing and also the benefits to cycling high and low protein days (as well as carbs). As for “play” cardio days, I am huge believer in getting outside to do something vs treadmill in a gym (just seems more liberating as well). Something like mountain biking, running trails, pickup game of basketball/flag football, anything that has built in “intervals” of high effort and recovery, not a fan of steady state cardio (although for beginners it may be neccessary until they can move into more streneous interval based training).

    Ben – Milk has shown to be a good pwo drink for those that can tolerate it. Personally I have too many issues with it and I feel better when not drinking it. If you “cycle” it with your workouts then it may not have such a negative effect (as I now get exercise induced asthma and mucus from too much dairy….and I used to drink a ton of milk as a kid, funny what happens when you clean out the system and then reintroduce something).

    Scott – Yeah I tested the break for making it look nice on the main site, but I understand how it now comes in the RSS and email, so will go with the long posts. (although I would still like to be able to encourage people to come and comment…and I don’t think you can see it through the RSS or email feeds)

    Marc – Thanks for the add. I like to keep things technical enough to make sense….but present it in a simple and easy way. Because all the science in the world is no good if no one puts it into action. Simplicity at it’s best (although I don’t want to call it something like “fat loss for dummies”…because I don’t think any of us are dummies! )

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11. Jeff
    

    Mike – saw this linked from Crossfit forums – great stuff! One minor nitpick though, you say “Maximum Glucagon (which is directly inversely proportional to insulin levels)” but “directly inversely proportional” is a contradiction. I assume from context you meant simply “…which is inversely proportional…”?

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12. Mike OD
    

    Jeff – Yes that is what I was implying. I never claimed I was an English major, but me try real well! Insulin goes up….Glucagon goes down. Simple is good!

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13. Chris
    

    Fantastic post

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14. Drew
    

    Mike OD — great post and blog, you are in my reader from now on alongside old man Eades, the well-coiffed Sisson, and the Ultimate ADV (his pro wrestling name, known outside the steel cage as Art De Vany).

    One question — post-workout meals. You mention in the post that this is the one exception where you can kinda spike up your food intake to build muscle (Fred Hahn asserts the same thing). ADV is pretty strict about not eating post-workout for an hour or so:
    http://www.arthurdevany.com/2005/10/protein_replent.html

    Am I misinterpreting your statement, or are you guys in different camps on this? Could you elaborate on your position?

    Thanks again for a great blog.

    [Reply]
15. Mike OD
    

    Drew – Good question. The PWO window is probably one of the most widely arguemented theories out there. Many say use it to spike insulin as you are primed for amino acid uptake into the muscle, others say don’t eat 60min pwo to keep GH levels high. Of course it does depend on your training frequency, what your goals are and what kind of exercises are you doing. Athletes who train everyday at high intensity daily may benefit and recover quicker from a quick small carb/amino shake pwo and then larger meal later. Those training only a couple times a week and want more fat loss would do better to refrain from eating 30-60min and eat a whole food carb/protein mix in the pwo window (which can go from anywhere of 30min-3 hours). Also I have seen where amino acid supplementation pre-wo may be better than any carb/protein supplement immediate pwo for max muscle building. Interesting stuff and I am sure you will see ongoing research into it.

    In the end I would for say for maximum muscle, amino acids (pre or even pwo) may be the best course of action. Then a whole meal of real food based carbs (fruits or “paleo” type) and whole food proteins for that steady stream of aminos over the next few hours. That pwo window of increased sensitivity is still going on for hours after the workout. The rest of the day could be just protein+fat+veggies. I think you will only also see and increased insulin sensitivty pwo with a whole day of lower carbs around it as well (and IF protocols). Granted this is not going to make a huge bodybuilder, but more a lean physique with plenty of muscle. (which I think is what most people here are after anyways)

    In the future soon I will go over some “mass gain” strategies to use for IF. So for now for those training a few times a week (and not at the intensity level of like a professional athlete), I still believe that there is enough real world evidence to show the pwo window up to 3 hours is the key time to use the majority of your daily carb intake (in whole food form of course) to replenish lost muscle glycogen and also help increase amino acid uptake into the muscle. Smaller more frequent meals may also be the way to go there as well.

    [Reply]
16. Drew
    

    Mike — thanks for the response. I’ve been IF’/Paleo for about a year now and love what it has done for me. I experimented with both the Fast 5 and full-on 24 hours fasts, but I settle on some combo, always varying it based on my work week. One thing I notice is that my overall calorie consumption has gone down. At first I was worried that I wasn’t getting the “1g protein per day” and that I’d lose muscle. But I don’t think that’s happening — I seem to have plateaued.

    One thing I hope you touch on is how to incorporate IF into routines to 1) build muscle, and 2) burn fat. (these may not be the same routine). ADV swears that IF is essential to building muscle, which sounds counter-intuitive but apparently isn’t. If I’m going for building muscle, should I be downing tons of protein on my non-fasting days? I assume you’ll have plenty of posts on this in the future and I look forward to reading them.

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17. Mike OD
    

    Drew – Since I will be doing my own modified IF mass gain (injuries need to heal first) I will be getting into that. As for protein, well it’s not the amount you eat that counts but rather the amount that your body utilizes (and that could be from improved gut health and improved protein/insulin sensitivity). You can see this from people who do the “zone” which is low calorie and lower protein intake but yet still gain muscle and lose fat. It is possible (although I don’t do the zone and believe IF to be healthier long term with the same if not better results). You want to get more bang for your buck in nutrition and IF and high/low cycles of carb/protein will do that. Plus eating less overall means increased lifespan! (when you look at all the CR studies and longer lifespan results). So eat less, gain muscle and lose fat? Sounds like my kind of program!

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18. Joe Matasic
    

    Great Site!

    Kept seeing you post on Sisson’s MDA site. Had to spend some time checking it out. Will go back and read the other post when time allows.

    My goal is fat loss right now. Of course I’m not opposed to gaining muscle. I eat pretty strict low-carb. Just veggies and some berries. I’m pretty sure my diet is good as are my supplements (good multi, krill oil, magnesium, CoQ10, D3). I’m 6′4 270 (gained 20 pounds over the holidays, though scale says 5-7 is muscle since began lifting). Scale say 185-190 lbs muscle, anywhere from 24-27+%fat. I’ve been drinking a protein shake with sugar or berries (if convenient) right afterwards. Then eat a huge salad, no proteins just fats and veggies say 30-45 minutes and then a normal meal (lots of meat, fat and veggies) another 45 minutes to an hour after that (normally close to 8pm). Just having trouble dropping the weight now that I don’t ride so much and went off diet a while.

    Questions.

    1) When your stating pwo window (30min – 3hr), do you mean its variable with respect to the individual somewhere in that amount of time or do you mean that’s the time frame of the window. Sorry for the beginner question.

    2) For fat loss, should I avoid the shake immediately pwo? Maybe move to pwo window? I’m worried about getting enough protein.

    3) I’ve recently (New Years) gone from riding 100 miles/week (4 or 5 days) to riding once or twice (20-30/ride) and lifting once a week now. In fact, I’m probably ready to move to lifting twice and riding once or maybe twice (throwing sprints in and the rest relaxed). My lifting is 3×10s. Order is overhead press, bench press, snatch (at least what I think is snatch), and squat. Should I basically be reversing that order to make it more effective at release of hormones?

    4) I’m also gathering that my one real remaining vice, Jack Daniels and diet ginger ale as my nightly drink (a double anywhere within 1:30 of going to bed) is probably the worst time for it or did I misread something between the two 101 posts. Might have to cut that out during the week.

    That’s for any advice.

    [Reply]
19. Mike OD
    

    Joe – Holy cow…I’m going to start charging by the word for responses! lol. Anyways…here’s some quick bullet point answers…although alot is already in the Fat Loss 101 (and the new Muscle Building 101 article).
    - pwo window is about insulin sensitivity (and the ability to use carbs to replenish muscle glycogen and shuttle in amino acids). It is highest right after and starts to go down up to 3 hours later. If you have any daily non veg-carbs, this is the window it really should be in.
    - skip the pwo shake if fat loss is your main goal. Wait an hour and eat a whole meal of protein and some whole food carbs (no sugar). The rest of the day stick with the protein+veg+fat. If you are not losing the weight, tone down on the fats…as that is the variable for getting the calories to match you activity level (and if you are not that active, then you don’t need a ton).
    - Have protein with every meal (not just veg + fat)
    - I’d say start with the squat, move to the snatch, then OH press and bench. (The squat will probably warm you up for the snatch, or you can play with rotating those 2 depending on the weight and rep scheme you are doing). Squat and Deadlift is definitely first to get the hormones going.
    - Dump all sugars at night as it is messing with your GH production during sleep. (ginger ale)
    - Do more higher intensity training (in a fasted state is ideal) and that will spike your GH production and keep you burning more fat all day (as fat burning is an all day event)
    - You can check out something like crossfit if you want some ideas on some intense short workouts. You don’t have to follow their schedule daily, you can also just pick a few of their “metcon” workouts to do if you want. Or do your regular lifting with short rests (30 sec) 2-3x a week. Or just go do some sprint intervals in the AM. Or do 8 min of tabata intervals (20 sec on, 10 sec rest) using your bodyweight for burpees, squats, pushups, pullups, lunges, jumprope, shadow boxing, anything….It’s up to you. But intensity is the key, not duration. Building more fast twitch II fibers will help you keep the fat off long term, the type I slow twitch do not.
    - Eat enough whole food proteins during the day, get max GH during sleep, and have enough dietary fats (including fish oil) and losing muscle should not be a concern. The Zone diet has proven that people can lower calories with moderate protein intake and still gain muscle and lose fat. (see the building muscle article for more info on fats and nitrogen retention).

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20. Alicia Zhuang
    

    Mike, thanks for explanining in such simple language how glucagon, insulin and GH interact and what we can do to change their levels. I’m learning a lot as well from your responses to the comments!

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21. Joe Matasic
    

    Thanks Mike OD.

    I understood about the pwo window and insulin, it was just whether the 30min-3hr was a range of time for everyone or a fixed time length variable to the individual. You answered it indirectly though.

    Something I’ve always wondered. What would be good choices for whole food carbs? I assume your not talking about veggies eaten on low carb.

    The ginger ale was diet but if I’m not drinking the JD, I’m certainly not going to drink the diet soda. Any opinion on zero glycemic index sweeteners like oligofructose? Just wondering about low-carb dark chocolate before bed. Of course, none with maltitol and the like.

    I’ve looked at the crossfit before and also the “slow burn”, which I had been thinking of trying on my next lifting cycle. I’ll have to rethink that now.

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22. Mike OD
    

    Alicia – I like to keep it simple….as that is all we really need to know what is going on and what steps we can take.

    Joe – FYI, PWO eating will be a separate post in the near future. The window is there for everyone with insulin sensitivity decreasing as time goes on (supposedly back to baseline around 3 hours or so). If you eat additional carbs (not counting veggies during the day), this is the time to do it. Whole food carbs would be things that were available a long time ago (like yams and even fruit…not breads and cereals, aka eating “Paleo”). Not a huge fan on artificial sweeteners. Some have shown to illicit insulin responses, and just from the health aspect of not wanting a foreign chemical in our body. I know people who get major headaches from drinking diet sodas all the time. You can google aspartame and the others for more info on some of the dangers. Of course best bet is always water. Workouts should be fun and enjoyable, so pick the one that you like to do and still gets you results. Personally I never did slow burn, did CF in the past, and now kind of do my own blend from all the things I like to do with bodyweight exercises and lifting heavier weights.

    [Reply]
23. The IF Life - Intermittent Fasting and Instant Freedom » More on Muscle Building - Reader Q&A
    [...] Posts: See Fat Loss 101 post for more info on important hormones like GH and Cortisol that also play into muscle building. [...]
24. patrick
    

    Hi Mike,

    Thanks for a really simple article with plenty of info to consider.

    I was just wondering if the KIND of sugar you ingest matters in your simplified equation. The words “I don’t feel like burning fat for the next 3-4 hours” are definitely not what I want to be thinking, so what if I eat a banana instead of a brownie?

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25. Mike OD
    

    Patrick – If weight loss is your primary goal then really all forms of sugar need to go for a while. Most common with being overweight is insulin resistance (your body builds up a resistance due to constantly high insulin levels in response to continual high blood glucose). So the best way to help reverse that is give your body a break from high insulin, aka get the sugar out of your diet….sodas…snacks….desserts…..processed foods….breads…pastas….etc. Think of it this way….the more sugar you put into your body, the less it needs to ever get around to burning fat. So create an energy deficiency and make it pull from fat stores. Fruits is something in moderation and it does matter what kind you should eat. Things like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, apples are better choices as they are lower in sugar and higher in fiber and water….a banana is not the best choice as it is too much sugar. Without getting complicated, there’s ways around it like doing the zone way and balancing protein/fat/carbs every meal. Personally I say keep it realistic and manageable. You don’t need those deserts, but once in a while you can add it back in to help keep your sanity…and portion size does matter. IF can work if you eat healthy, most anything can work if you make your meals protein/veg/healthy fats 85% of the time. Try to keep strict M-F and then maybe enjoy a nicer meal on Sat. Keep in mind, losing weight doesn’t have to be hard and think of it as you should eat what is healthy for you. Most of it is emotional based and people think they need their sweets….when in fact once you realize those sweets are killing you slowly by increasing all risks for diabetes, heart disease and cancer….it suddenly doesn’t look so appealing. (I plan on doing some sort of small and simple ebook soon on more detailed approaches…but this is the free advice version )

    [Reply]
26. The IF Life - Intermittent Fasting and Instant Freedom » Building Muscle 101: Master the Basics
    [...] like was discussed in Fat Loss 101, building muscle is basically a hormonal event. Hormones such as testosterone, insulin, growth [...]
27. Steve Ericson
    

    Mike,

    Great Article first off!
    I am haveing trouble grasping one phrase that you consistently use, “decrease insulin resistance” what do you mean by that?

    Thanks, Steve

    [Reply]
28. Mike OD
    

    Steve – Insulin resistance is when your cells do not respond well to insulin (the build up a resistance due to having too much already in the blood stream on a constant basis from a bad diet of sugars and proccessed carbs). Insulin is used to shuttle amino acids/glycogen into the cells (such as muscle)….and also into fat cells (which makes more body fat). If your muscle cells are resistant….then blood glucose levels remain high (not being absorbed into the muscle) and the body will start pumping out more insulin to take care of high blood glucose levels…which leads to fat storage (not muscle storage). Pretty soon with chronic high insulin levels (due to increasing resistance) you run down the road of diabetes, inflammation…etc..etc. From a weight loss point of view, the more “sensitive” you can make your cells to insulin (or receiving glycogen to transport amino acids inside), then the less your body will pump out in response. High insulin = ongoing fat storage. So things like short term fasting, low carb days, resistance training (glycogen based) are able to let your body reverse the resistance and make your cells more sensitive. Now you are able to effectively burn more fat (as insulin goes down, glucagon goes up…and releases fat for burning). So again….fasting short term, lower carb (and absolutely no sugar) days and resistance training are your friends in the battle of insulin resistance…..which is probably the #1 health problem everyone faces (as that leads to inflammation which is the #1 trigger for all things disease and illness). Hope that helps clear it up in a nice simple way!

    You can also think of it like listening to loud music all the time (high insulin levels)…pretty soon you build up a resistance…but at the cost of your hearing…only way to get your hearing back to normal is shutting off the music. The body can heal and repair itself if we give it a chance. Keep those insulin levels low and things will go in a positive direction for health and weight loss.

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29. Steve Ericson
    

    Great reply Mike, and the music analogy helped drive home the concept through this thick Swedish head.

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30. Antiques
    

    The n umber one enemy really is sugar. It is in everything that comes pre packaged. It is the main reason for America’s obesity epodemic.

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31. James
    

    This was linked on the CrossFit message board. Great post. I will use the “don’t want to burn fat for the next 3-4hrs” quote and explanation against those who insist that I try their home-made desert moments after asking me how to get more fit/lose weight!

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32. Mike OD
    

    James – I hear you….people need those little realistic reminders…because everyone out there knows what they shouldn’t do, but they still do it! So have to give them a different way to look at it…and know that they are sabataging their own progress. Self realization is the best way.

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33. Catherine
    

    Great posts!!! Very informative…but, I’m a little confused…don’t longer and steadier work outs, like walking and running, burn more fat? You’re saying that – “…intensity is the key, not duration. Building more fast twitch II fibers will help you keep the fat off long term, the type I slow twitch do not.” – I agree that fast twitch II fibers will burn more fat, but does that outweigh the fat burning during longer runs or would it be a matter of your own interest…you being the muscle builder me being the marathon runner? (ok, ok “half-marathon” runner – lol)

    In short, I’m just asking if someone can burn more fat in a target heart range of 75%max than someone pumping iron at intervals of 85-95%, or will it amount to; the body builder and his fast twitch fibers are going to keep burning more fat? And the runner is going to burn more fat for the duration of the run and maybe a little more for an hour or two, but then that’s it? So then it’s really up to preference and what kind of working out you do, right? Or am I totally off?

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34. Mike OD
    

    Catherine – Simply fast twitch muscle fibers are more active than endurance muscle fibers. Lifting weights will build muscles that will help keep your metabolism strong. You can burn fat with additional aerobic activities as well, but alot will have to do with the hormones and diet too. Nothing guarantees any fat is being burned with an activity, as you can just burn muscle glycogen too. High intensity training does not burn any fat while you do it (much like weight training), but you can create an environment of elevated metabolism that lets you more fat after the workout is over (what is known as EPOC). The mentality of “how many calories do I burn doing this” is not the right way to look at fat loss…as you can burn fat all day long and want to exercise to get the hormonal expressions to tell your body to do that (along with having the right diet too). What people do is up to them, but a program of lifting 2-3x a week for 30min and then doing other aerobic based activity/lifestyle for 30-45 min a day is a pretty good lifestyle and should get positive results. It’s when people do too much thinking “more is better…more will burn more fat” is when people go wrong and then lose muscle and end up putting on more weight. You may be interested in this good read from Mark over at MDA who did long aerobic training for a long time, and now does more intervals and weights at 54yrs young and 8%BF….not too shabby! Exercise smart and eat right, and anything is possible.

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35. rae
    

    Alright…so, a question I’m rather curious about…do calories matter? To count, or not to count? Or rather, keep track of.

    I tend to follow the daily IF … eating around 3pm, 6pm, and 8pm, somewhere like that. Usually 3 meals, sometimes more, sometimes less.

    I don’t want to jack up my metabolism or anything like that, you know, been a little conditioned about the very low calorie thing.

    I lift 3x a week and do … activities (; (not cardio) about 4-5x a week, in case that’s any help to you.

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36. JC
    

    Hi Mike,

    I am IF’ing Mon-Fri 10pm-2pm, i was thinking of adding in some lemon juice or ginger with water, do you think these extra (few) calories matter? how important is it in your opinion to maintain a low (zero?) calorie intake during the fasting period? if calories are consumed presumably the fast is then broken but what is the effect? is the aim only to keep insulin/blood sugar low? if that is the case would a piece of chicken matter (zero carbs)? or do you think this is based more on a stress response (for repair etc) that would be stopped should food be consumed, just wanted to really get an understanding of the details.

    Thanks in advance & for your time & advise, your site (and articles) are really inspiring & informative. JC

    [Reply]
37. Mike OD
    

    Rae – Calories will matter…as the old equation of calories in/out will always play into whether you are losing weight or gaining weight. The benefit of eating whole foods and in a limited window is it’s harder to really go over too many calories, that will only happen when the processed foods start sneaking in. I’m little confused about your not wanting to jack up the metabolism…is that from a longevity aspect or other point of view? I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Also total calories will depend on your goals of fat loss/muscle gain. Learn to listen to your body and eat for your real hunger/recovery….I am sure you will be fine.

    JC – Is that 10am-2pm as in 4 hours? That seems like a small small window. But to answer your question, you do not want to do 2 things on a fast….have a large insulin response (sugar) and turn on digestion/enzymes….lemon juice (from real lemons) is fine, it will be absorbed quickly and is a good health practice anyways. Fasting should be used to help reverse insulin resistance and allow enzymes and other digestive energies to go to work in other parts of the body for healing and cleansing. Food like chicken will stimulate digestion (as protein is a huge strain to break down in the gut)…so that would break a fast. You can always play around with adding fruit to break a fast too…as that can be digested rather quickly and may also be important for liver health and replenising liver glycogen.

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38. JC
    

    it’s 22:00-14:00 (16 hrs), i’ve found it quite easy & effective but am looking to get it to a workable healthy level where i can use it long term, i like the idea of some supportive nutrition but want to keep the calories low & keep the digestive enzymes switched off lemon juice is alkalising as well as providing some vit C, what do you think about a green veg juice, would that no longer be a fast do you think? what is your protocol? apologies if i’m getting overly picky, maybe there is no right way, just what works for the individual.

    [Reply]
39. Mike OD
    

    JC – “maybe there is no right way, just what works for the individual.” Bingo!!! Couldn’t say it better myself. Find what works for you and gets you the health and performance you are looking for….then you have found your lifestyle! Veg Juices (unless they are fresh and contain no sugar) should be avoided….unless they are fresh and contain no sugar…but that usually makes them taste worse…so anything commercial will most likely be loaded with sugar. You can also try lighter whole meals of just fruits/veg as those taste great too and dont stress digestion too much. Meat is the hardest thing to digest….which is good because it means when you eat it you should have many hours of slow releasing amino acids into your bloodstream for use by your muscles to repair and rebuild (which is key to long term health too). My protocol varies as I learn to just listen to my body and eat for recovery and to prepare for what I have to do coming up….so nothing exact.

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40. dingas
    

    Great post and great responses.
    But I just don’t get one thing from previous comment.
    Ain’t lemon juice breaking the fast? Or it ain’t the same way coffee doesn’t? And how come they don’t break it?

    By the way, I have a tendency to hypoglycemic. Does IF helps with it? I’m fasting from 21pm to 14pm but I’m feeling that I can close my eating window a little more, but sometimes at the end of the fast I feel a little weak and dizzy. It must be the tendency for hypoglycemic. So can it be dangerous to prolong the fast?

    And another quick question. I know sugar is bad. It’s just a doubt. Does it makes a difference to fat gain to consume the same amount of sugar all at ounce or throughout the day? Or the same question with bread. Eating a full bread now or half now and half later.

    Sorry for all this questions.
    I’m just happy to discover this knowledge and still learning a lot. And questioning it’s a part of learning I guess =)
    Thanks for your time!

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41. JC
    

    Mike there is something i have never quite understood maybe you can help? fat loss is about calories in/out & hormonal responses. If you cut calories below maintenance (say 500 calorie deficet) you will lose weight right? If however you only ate sugar you would have constantly high blood glucose & insulin levels, that being the case what would happen? do you lose fat with the defecit? or do you burn muscle instead? ‘cos something has got to be burnt right? conversly if you are in an energy surplus (consuming 500 more calories than required a day) but on a low carb diet would the extra calories more likely convert into muscle rather than fat? or would it be just the same as a 500 calorie surplus on a high carb/sugar diet?

    My current understanding is that -

    1. calories in/out affects weight only (not fat), consume more get heavier, consume less lose weight.

    2. That low carb or high carb affect body composition ie. low carb/glucose/insulin will promote fat loss in a calorie defecit or muscle gain in a calorie surplus (given resistance training/hiit etc), higher carb/glucose/insulin will promote fat gain in a surplus but will restrict fat loss in a calorie defecit & promote muscle (protein) loss.

    [Reply]
42. Mike OD
    

    Dingas – Lemon juice and coffee will not promote an insulin response, so they are not “technically” breaking the fast. Hypoglycemics do well on low carb (low insulin responses) diets and you want to help improve your insulin sensitivity. Also fasting does that. When in doubt start SLOW….and you can extend your fasts as you see good energy. You can do 16hr fast one day and judge your energy levels. Remember there are not real set rules, just what you can apply to your lifestyle and for your level of health. If your goal is weight loss, your carbs should not be in all one setting…as they are digested too quickly and will just get stored in fat. Again you would do well to limit your carbs/sugars to help improve your hypoglycemic (Google hypoglycemia and low carb…I am sure you will see plenty of studies). You can have small servings (fruit is more ideal) of carbs for energy, but you don’t need alot and too much will just store fat and not help with your condition.

    JC – Yes you are right. To sum up quickly (at the same cal level) a diet of high carb/low fat will actually make you gain fat unless you are an athlete and have high energy requirements (and can burn all that excess sugar). Best way for the average person to eat is more Moderate/Lower carb intake with moderate/higher fat (assuming protein is also moderate). You will still need to be in calorie deficit through diet and activity level but you also need low insulin levels for real fat loss, maintain muscle and to have health (as insulin resistance is at the heart of most major diseases and inflammation issues)

    [Reply]
43. George Heckert
    

    Hey Mike,

    Great Blog. I have been trying IF for a few weeks now and I really like it. I have been on a starting strength cycle since June 2 and will continue for the remainder of the month. my question is while on this programming, will I need to drastically increase my intake in order to see significant strength gains, or will a normal 3-5 meals in my eating window be enough? Can I lose bodyfat while on this program, or does a slight fat gain come with the territory of strength gain? I currently fast for 15-17 hours daily, throwing in a no fast day every now and then. Macro nutrients are close to zone but higher on the protein/fat end. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

    -George

    [Reply]
44. Mike OD
    

    George – 3 meals is plenty especially if you are eating good amounts of protein (to build those strong muscles). That’s the advantage of real foods…such as protein…because it will take hours and hours to digest and give you a nice steady stream of aminos. If you are looking to gain lbs, you increase your total calorie intake…..if you want to lose weight, you decrease. Pretty simple…start with enough protein (roughly 1gram per lean lbs of bodyweight) and then play with the carb and fat numbers as needed for your goals.

    [Reply]
45. dingas
    

    Mike just another quick question…
    Is honey just like sugar? In terms of hormonal response.
    Just a bit confused around this because it is indeed around from a long time ago…and it’s supposed to be good for health…
    In other hand insulin response might be the same. (I just don’t know, that why I’m askin’)

    Thanks

    [Reply]
46. Mike OD
    

    dingas – I don’t think people ate that much honey in the past and if even they did they were very active foraging for food and did not suffer from any real insulin resistance issues. If your goal is weight loss then it’s a good idea to avoid any large intakes of sugar.

    [Reply]
47. dojomatic
    

    Who cares if I don’t burn fat for the next 3-4 hours? Energy balance over time is what matters. If ALL my carbohydrates came from sugar and I still maintain a caloric deficit at the end of the day, the body has no choice but to lose fat. Why? Because a caloric deficit means that it HAS to dip into stored energy to maintain daily functions. Can you enhance fat loss by limiting insulin spikes? Sure. But by far the MOST important aspect for fat loss is creating a negative energy balance. Limiting sugar, in the end, is just a way to get people to eat less.

    [Reply]
48. Mike OD
    

    dojo – That strategy only works for people with very high activity levels who can burn it off quickly and not result in fat loss (as no one eating all sugar is knowing how to control or time their food intake…or at least that is what I see in the real world). Of course too you have too look at how much carbs (what % of daily calories) you are eating, your nutrient partitioning per meal and what is your current state of health and weight loss (some skinny people can eat crap all day and still stay skinny…not the same story if you are overweight and have worse insulin resistance issues). If you are eating sugar, how do you expect to burn any fat in calorie deficit? Really? High insulin makes your body burn fat? Are you sure? You activity levels better be way above your calorie intake….oh yeah, you can kiss your muscle goodbye with that strategy too. Lastly and most importantly you are not taking into account the most important factor, HEALTH. High insulin levels is a great way to increase fasting insulin, insulin resistance, inflammation, diabetes risk, risk of heart diseases and cancers too. Essentially sugar will age you alot quicker and lead to increase risk of all degenerative diseases, you see this in EVERY research about tribes of people who are taken from their natural eating patterns and introduced to the world of convienent stores and soda. Just cause you are skinny is not pass on being healthy….plenty of skinny people (including people considered to be extrememly fit) get diabetes and die of heart diseases too. So if you want to stick with a plan on eating sugar and lose muscle, some fat and develop heart disease at an early age….I’d say that’s not a smart way to go, but it’s your choice.

    [Reply]
49. Eleni
    

    hi mike! i have a few questions. i’ve been trying to fast from 6pm to 12pm the next day. i do drink coffee with maybe a tbsp of half and half and equal in it. would that b considered “breaking the fast” at 8am? also if i find myself getting dizzy or headachy (i m prone to migraines), i try and eat a little something, like 2-3 blueberries, tiny bite of chicken so i won’t get overly hungry, is that breaking the fast too. i drink a gallon of water a day and that helps with the eating but if i’m really truly hungry it doesn’t.
    and u say to completely eliminate sugar but what if it’s in something like yogurt. i get wegman’s organic yogurt but it’s got maybe 24gms of sugar. i’m sure some of it is lactose but i love this yogurt with blueberries. it really satisfies me. and my cereal is quaker oat bran which has 5gms of sugar.
    and final question (i promise), i don’t want to slow down my metabolism so if i eat 1200 calories (120lbs x 10) in my eating window but i burn between 300-400 calories a day, i won’t b slowing my metabolism down, right?
    thanks! i’m really loving the IF since i don’t feel so pressured to eat breakfast and i’m not missing the sugar or the carbs really.

    [Reply]
50. Mike OD
    

    Elini – How often are you doing your IF? Couple times a week? Every day? If you are getting too dizzy or lightheaded then you should drop the coffee #1 if you are fasting. Of course if you are finding that you are getting a migraine then eat by all means. You may want to open up your eating window also…give yourself a slower way to ease into IF such as 10am-6pm. Start slow if you use IF…too much too soon may just send you off in the wrong direction. It’s important to learn to listen to the body and what it is telling you….so if it’s telling you to eat, then you probably need to eat. Don’t worry about the sugar in yogurt, but you don’t need skim or fat free….get the normal full fat kind. (skim milk is used by farmers to fatten up their livestock….whole milk is not)

    [Reply]
51. Eleni
    

    hey mike! i would like to do it every day. but maybe shooting for 5 days is more realistic. on the off days, should i just eat 3 meals whenever? i’d like to take the weekends to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner. m-f, i workout at 6-7 usually drink coffee to hold out as long as i can to eat and if i get dizzy, i’ll eat. also i have a high bf% (28%), is that from the sugar? i don’t eat a lot of fat and i exercise about an hour a day, usually running or circuits/elliptical. my eating is not the best, but my exercise is pretty good. i’d like to drop about 10 pounds.
    about the yogurt, if they sold that full fat, i’d get it, that’s why i get the nonfat. amazing that they use fat free milk to fatten cows. does that go for the skim milk in my cereal, should i switch to whole? thanks again! have a great weekend! we’re enjoying nice weather out here in south jersey!

    [Reply]
52. Mike OD
    

    Eleni – skim dairy is not good in general, too much sugar and too much insulin response. I don’t eat cereal (as it has too many carbs in itself). Dump skim milk/dairy and if you have any choose the kinds with fat in them. If you are getting too dizzy, eat some fruit. It may be a hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) reaction which could stem from having high insulin resistance and your body too adapted to burn carbs for energy. The solution is eating a more lower carb/higher healthy fat way (while still being in some calorie deficit to lose fat). If you want to be a good fat burning machine you have to take away the sugars and make your body remember how to burn fat. Try and replace cereal, breads and other processed carbs with more natural ones like fruit, vegetables and also some healthy fats. Enjoy what you eat but make sure you are giving your body what it really needs. Remember the saying, if it wasn’t around 1000 years ago…chances are you were not meant to eat it. Enjoy the weather in south Jersey!

    [Reply]
53. Barry
    

    Surely you’re not suggesting people avoid lactose and fructose? If you tolerate lactose well it’s a very slow digesting sugar. Fructose from whole fruits is also another fantastic sugar and works fine with a fat loss plan.

    [Reply]
54. Mike OD
    

    Barry – Sugar has many sources, but the above was in reference into more “unatural” forms and added to processed foods, sauces, etc. However depending on the person, their current level of BF and their abilty to handle carbs (insulin sensitivity), they may not want to be drinking any milk, esp skim (as farmers use that to fatten up livestock, because of the insulin response from it). Fruit may also be an issue depending on the person and what condition they are in. Some people already have full liver glycogen stores so adding more fructose in with no room in the liver means storage into fat. Also some people can suffer from fatty liver and need to avoid fruit. Fruits should have more water and fiber content (higher in ORAC value too) like berries and mellons, bananas are too high in sugar for someone looking to lose weight unless they have a very active lifestyle to compliment it. So until you look at the whole person’s health and activity level you have to understand what will work, and what will not…as it is individualistic.

    [Reply]
55. hannah
    

    Great post, Mike!

    One question, though…

    how do you feel about meal portions (calorie-wise) and meal frequency?

    I’ve read contradicting viewpoints:

    - eat no more than 500 calories in one sitting or it goes to fat

    - it doesn’t matter how many calories you eat in one sitting as long as it’s not high carb & high fat

    - you need to eat multiple times a day to increase metabolism

    etc.

    Personally, eating less than 500 calories in a sitting makes sense to me, but at the same time, does it really matter how many meals you eat a day??

    I’m very confused on this matter, so your opinion would be greatly, GREATLY appreciated!!!

    [Reply]
56. Mike OD
    

    Hannah – the more meals = faster metabolism is a myth…mostly sold by diet books and people who want you to buy their prepared portioned meals. However, eating 6x a day or 3x a day…BOTH can get you weight loss….but it’s the total calories that matters. That and also controlling your insulin levels as you can’t burn fat in a high insulin environment. So keeping the carbs under control and whole foods (avoiding sugar) and getting protein with every meal (as it slows down gastric emptying and doesn’t flood your blood with glucose) is important. The 500 cal thing comes from a standpoint of eating 3 meals of 500 cal and 2 snacks of like 100 cal…which is about 1800 cal a day. The number of meals helps to keep insulin stable and also prevents from crashing and just bingeing on sugar. I eat 2-3 meals a day for example. Also read the latest post on insulin resistance…once you understand insulin and how to control it, the world is yours!

    [Reply]
57. Dennis
    

    Hey Mike!

    I’m a big fan of the site – began IF a few months ago when I stumbled on Ori’s findings with the Warrior Diet. It practically turned my life around. I’m a fitness specialist major at IU and I was shown the light – most of what I’ve learned in my classes is junk.

    Anyways, I have a quick question. While it may be located somewhere among the many posts, it eluded me *_*

    When carbohydrates/sugars are ingested, insulin levels rise. Okay. Insulin stores fat while telling the body that energy is readily available, so it tells the body to leave existing fat stores alone. Okay. However, with the lipogenic effects of insulin, wouldn’t the excess blood sugar be stored as fat? The blood sugar just doesn’t stay in the stream, doesn’t it? It will eventually be stored as fat, right? Also, with that readily available supply, is the sugar burned straight from the blood, or transported to the muscles while the glycogen is slowly depleted over the course of the insulin spike?

    I feel stupid asking these questions, and I apologize that they’re kind of jumbled. Gosh, I’m a senior this coming school year and I’m almost ashamed that I don’t know these things. Thanks for your time!

    [Reply]
58. Dennis
    

    Oh, Mike, sorry, one more thing-

    With the whole insulin deal, what are the difference between eating the healthy fats and allowing insulin to create fat? I understand that, from a weight loss perspective, you don’t want insulin to be giving your body a stream of energy. I guess I don’t quite understand what goes on in the body when good fats are ingested.

    So, what are the differences between ingesting fats and allowing insulin to create fat?

    [Reply]
59. Mike OD
    

    Dennis – you should check out the insulin post here. Might answer alot of what you are wondering about. Insulin will rise when the body tells it to go take care of too much blood sugar. If your muscles are sensitive and empty (such as after a workout) the sugars could be shuttled into the muscle as muscle glycogen, however if the muscles are full or resistant to insulin…then it only has one other place to go…and that is the storage tanks, aka fat cells.

    [Reply]
60. Lose More Fat - The Biggest Workout Mistakes People Make and What to Do About Them
    [...] really matters, and it helps to keep re-reading and seeing where you need to focus on for results: Fat Loss 101 and Muscle Building [...]
61. Autumn
    

    On my dads side of the family everyone gains weight in the belly and the butt. Thats it no where else. And unfortunately I have those genes. I am 5′3 and about 168lbs. I just want to lose weight in my belly, will it be harder because its my family’s genes? and how do i see fast results?

    [Reply]
62. Mike OD
    

    Autumn – What you are talking about is a genetic hormonal expression of fat storing. Most men usually tend to store the stubborn fat in the belly and women tend to do it in the hips/butt. Nothing is impossible but realize that it will require some work. Best weight loss comes from being able to keep insulin low (which is best on a lowered carb diet) along with the right hormonal signals to get rid of fat in those areas , which is usually accomplished with intervals + cardio along with the right diet. I am in the works of actually putting something together on all that very soon…so stay tuned.

    [Reply]
63. JC
    

    Mike – What do you think about fasted state intervals for fat loss? do you think it’s ok to do 20 mins interval sprints at say 06:00 am & then IF through to say 14:00? ie remain fasted throughout the pwo window, or do you think some pwo nutrition is more important? this is given that the goal is fat loss not muscle gain, given the intensity of intervals do you think slower ’steady state cardio’ might be better when fasted (during the IF phase) to minimise muscle catabolisation? thx

    [Reply]
64. Mike OD
    

    JC – interval fasted will be tough for 20min straight, you may want to start with 10 and see how you feel. PWO nutrition is more recommended after some heavy lifting (muscle breakdown), and if your goal is fat loss you don’t want to be putting carbs back into your body after sprints….otherwise you are just burning carbs not fat. Use the trick of some intervals and then some slower steady state cardio. Use the intervals to burn some glycogen, get the fat burning hormones primed and then use the steady state to continue to try and burn more fat. Alot has to do with glycogen levels and diet, but that is a solid plan if worked in properly.

    [Reply]
65. Ashley
    

    Mike-

    For the past two weeks I’ve been eating healthy, I drink water only… I’ve always been like that though, sugar drinks gross me out and I stopped drinking pop after a gross incident a few years ago… anyway, I work at a factory where there is a lot of heavy lifting for eight hours. Two weeks ago I moved near these trails that take two hours to walk depending on your speed, it can take me an hour and a half when I want it to. Well I’ve been eating properly, you knew vegetables and fruits and drinking water and green tea. I’ve noticed weight loss in my jeans already.
    What I want to know, is this something that will keep up and what I am doing is healthy? I used to be overweight, but I lost a lot of weight when I started the factory job two years ago. The weight stopped coming off, so I decided to try a different approach. I am not overweight anymore, but I still want to lost 10 to 15 pounds, maybe even 20 at the most and keep it off.
    What other exercises should I add with the walking? I just need to get the fat off my stomach, the rest of me looks think except my stomach.
    Oh and how long should you go on a fast?

    [Reply]
66. Mike OD
    

    Ashlet,

    With more activity, then you may need more calories. Fruit is healthy and nothing wrong with it, esp if you are very active. (it’s more so for inactive people who want to lose fat that should limit and cycle it) Activity is key for everyone, as the body likes to move and the whole metabolic system functions better too. Strength train 2x a week besides walking if you want to work the muscles, simple resistance exercises like pushups, lunges, pullups (or modified rows….see here for example) is a great way. Keep the reps below 10 and just find ways to fit it in. Stubborn body fat is always last, and for that you need an insulin controlled environment and fat burning stimulus (fasting, GH, glucagon, other hormones). Fasting short term can help with fat burning hormones and also doing some walking fasted (as I enjoy that for the mind as well, very peaceful) or after intervals/caffeine may enhance fat burning as well (hormonal trigger). For more info on how to IF check out the IF 101 post and just remember to start slow and work your way into it, don’t need to go overboard with it….just see how your body adapts to a short IF 1-2x a week and take it from there.

    [Reply]
67. Gina
    

    Just a note; As a new parent, I know what all parents know; Kiss your concept of 8 continuous hours of sleep goodbye. At least until your baby gets to be at least 1, sometimes as old as 2 years. As much as I would love to, this is just not going to happen. Also minimizing stress? Baby cries are designed to cue cortizol in mothers. Tips for parents to lose weight in another post might be nice….

    [Reply]
68. Mike OD
    

    Gina – True about not getting sleep. Although can depend on the baby as I know some that sleep through the night pretty well most of the time. No idea why it’s different or whether what you feed a baby has an impact on that. In the end, if you need to lose weight then you need to up your activity when you can, also a lower carb diet will help you stay in a more oxidative state so you can burn the fat. Congrats on your newborn!

    [Reply]
69. Autumn
    

    Hi, It’s Autumn again. I have been going to the gym every night for the past 2 and a half weeks. I have been doing the elyptical machine every night for an hour or an hour and 15 minutes. I have not even lost one pound. My husband has lost 10. I am doing the exact same thing he is except I excercise longer than him. We are dieting also. Why am I not losing weight?? Am I on a plateau? whats going on?

    [Reply]
70. Mike OD
    

    Autumn – Believe it or not you are working out TOO much. It happens. More is not always better. You should read this post on the workout mistakes people make too. Notice how you said you workout longer, yet he got better results. Also does his lift weights? The best program for weight loss involves resistance training 2-3x a week + some other activity on the off days (no more than 45min). But diet and eating is the most important factor. So you need to make sure you are eating for weight loss as well (but not too low). Briefly you can also try 10min of intervals before longer cardio (but remember that you don’t want to go over 45min total). I see too many people actually put on weight by doing too much cardio.

    [Reply]
71. Autumn
    

    yes he does lift weights. he does 45 minutes of cardio and lifts weights for about 15 to 20 minutes.

    [Reply]
72. Autumn
    

    sorry i forgot to add that my husband is double my size also, i was also told he would lose weight faster because he has more to lose..

    [Reply]
73. Mike OD
    

    Autumn – weight loss may happen quicker if people need more to lose, but also the plain fact is more cardio does NOT necessarily burn more fat. A person could lose weight on a lower cal diet, lifting 3x a week and no cardio if their eating is spot on (insulin control). Lifting makes your muscle more insulin sensitive, allowing more glucose uptake in the muscle, allowing lower insulin, raising glucagon, causing more fats to be released into the blood stream, creating more oxidative environment to burn the fats. You can burn fat all day under the right conditions. Excess cardio will just drain blood sugar, causing cortisol to increase, leading to a rebound effect of fat storing and muscle breakdown. The more muscle you lose, the more fat burning factories you lose as well….as fat is burned in the muscle! The old saying is true…use it or lose it when it comes to muscle. (just look at most fitness models who do some cardio, not much..and some not any, but also focus on the weights 2-3x a week….that works for a reason)

    [Reply]
74. Heather
    

    Hi there Mike,

    I haven’t seen this anywhere and I’m wondering….what about oats? I have a digestive disorder and the only thing that helps is having oatmeal. From what I’ve been reading it seems that carbs are only to be eaten after a strength type work-out. Would it hurt to eat a small amount, mixed with protein, after doing ‘fun’ exercises like walking or hiking? I’m looking more toward losing fat.

    Thanks alot!

    Heather

    [Reply]
75. Mike OD
    

    Hi Heather,

    First I would say if you are having digestive issues to read this and see if it helps: http://www.theiflife.com/2008/03/19/is-your-gut-leaking-what-to-do-about-it/

    I can’t see protein and veggies being an issue unless you are having enzyme issues. (may want to look into digestive enzyme supplementation if that is the case.) Of course there is more to losing weight and many variables, but carbs are best used to replenish muscle glycogen when needed (usually after glycolitic based exercises, aka resistance training)….which is usually not after lifestyle or fun activities. For fat loss it is more ideal to stay in an oxidative state to burn fats (free fatty acids FFAs) for fun activities with lowered insulin levels and not worrying about using stored glycogen. Of course your health comes first.

    [Reply]
76. Mandy
    

    Hi Mike,
    I do agree that fat loss is hormonal, as I can remember when I was pregnant, I was gaining fat without even trying, as my hormones were programmed that way. Same goes when I was breastfeeding, fat loss was halted. And take my menopausal mother, fat gain without trying.

    So that being said, do you have a recommended diet that would promote fat loss hormones? I have read the concepts, but I need more details, foods to avoid, etc….
    Thanks
    Mandy

    [Reply]
77. Mike OD
    

    Mandy – look for a report to be launched later this week/early next week on the site…it will be exactly what you are looking for.

    [Reply]
78. Steve
    

    Mike,
    Will the workout schedule below stimulate the most HGH and keep cortisol to a minimum? Are three, 45 min sessions too much?

    Mon-Thu
    9am: Workout circuit (7 compound exercises, full body) less than 45 min
    1pm: Heavy bag (12, 3 min rounds)
    4pm: Workout circuit (same as above)

    Also, is this the best way to lose weight… fast?

    Thanks,
    Steve

    [Reply]
79. Amber
    

    Mike – Thanks for this awesome phrase – ““I don’t want to burn any fat for the next 3-4 hours….” I’m going to remember this for the rest of my deployment, everytime I pass the dessert bar and want to grab a cookie or three. I’ve been reading your website non-stop since I discovered it last week, great information! I think this is really going to help me break-through my off and on nutrition and exercise!

    [Reply]
80. Suzie
    

    Mike, Great article!

    I am a golfer, I walk and carry my bag 18 holes 3-4 times a week. In the summer. In the winter I work out 3-4 times a week aerobic and weight training. I have good muscle tone.
    I cannot drop a pound. We have a family history of diabetes, so I lknow I have a rise and fall in insulin levels. I don’t consume more than the average amount of calories a day and I don’t have a sweet tooth.
    Any suggestions to drop some weight and burn fat? That would be different for me?
    Suzie

    [Reply]
81. Mike OD
    

    Suzie – my initial guess not knowing much more than what you told me is that you may have some insulin resistance issues (esp with a history of diabetes). There are things you could try like carb/calorie cycling. As you get lower in BF% your body gets more stubborn in releasing fat (as it was never designed to survive at a very low bf% with feast-famine). Just ask any figure model and see the effort they have to put into getting lean and ripped. You probably just need to down the carbs a bit, get in a more oxidative state to burn fat and then cycle the carbs back in for a day every 3-5 days.

    [Reply]
82. crackgerbal
    

    Excellent break down!

    [Reply]
83. Rahul
    

    Mike,

    Awesome article, thanks for the insights. I have a question for you.

    You say that it’s important to NOT eat sugary foods, however, aren’t all carbohydrates “sugary” foods, since that’s exactly what a carbohydrate is?

    I think it’s better to balance every meal with protein, complex carbs, and fibrous carbs to make sure there is an even release of sugar into the blood, rather than avoid sugary foods altogether. Where would the energy come from without carbs in the diet?

    [Reply]
84. Mike OD
    

    Rahul – by sugary foods I am referring to processed and added sugars, not something natural like fruit or vegetables. It’s all about how quickly food is broken down and released into the blood stream. Sugar is not essential as people can survive (live) on fat and protein, although most people nowadays would be very groggy and probably have insulin resistance issues to overcome. What you need to do is find is your lowest carbs you need for energy while also being able to lose fat with calorie deficit. It can differ from person to person depending on their activity level and state of health. You may find this post more enlightening as well:
    http://www.theiflife.com/2008/09/05/carbs-are-not-the-enemy-for-weight-loss-the-carb-confusion-is/

    [Reply]
85. Crystal
    

    Hey Mike. another great website. and….another question:

    My husband is a diabetic, and when his diabetes reached critical levels (when he actually discovered it) he has lost close to 30 pounds in 3 weeks. His blood sugar levels were off the chart (more than 600). Now I know that high blood sugar level means absence of insulin, right? that’s why he has to take insulin because his pancreas doesnt produce it anymore? right…sooo.

    my question is: when i fast (normally for 48 hours) I test my blood sugar level on the second day and its ELEVATED.. (not much, but enough, last time was 157) normal levels before eating are between 70 and 99 so 157 is definately high. Could that mean that my body is burning fat and that my insulin levels are down? Is this a good thing? It cant be from eating because…I dont. lol.

    I would appreciate your input. Thanks

    Cris

    [Reply]
86. Mike OD
    

    Crystal – high blood sugar is not good, and diabetics are more at risk (because of the inability to produce enough insulin also compounded by an insulin resistance issue). Keep in mind I am no Dr nor should my advice replace a Dr, but we both know elevated blood sugar is not the goal. Longer consistent fasting can lead to other issues such as elevated cortisol which can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means more insulin is needed to help lower blood sugar. I would suggest doing shorter fasts (like 18-24) with healthy foods daily and continue monitoring. If you have any concerns it’s always advisable to see a Dr of course. Other factors such as sleep, stress and food choices also are key. Best way to combat insulin resistance is of course regular exercise as well. High grain intake may also be causing an issue. Here’s an interesting post by Robb Wolf on blood sugar/lipid levels with IF and Paleo eating: http://robbwolf.com/?p=62. Quality of foods is still very important even with any type of fasting.

    [Reply]
87. Remon
    

    Hey Mike!

    I’ve been a big fan of blogs that focus on intense exersize and support IF (like Fitness Black Book). I just stumbled upon your website and I must say that it’s been great so far. Good quality articles!

    Personally I fast for 17-20 hours a day. Most days at least, because you also have something called a “social life” and that involves cutting back on fasting sometimes to enjoy a dinner with friends or family, etc. Also, I do all of my exersize in a fasted state and it feels great!

    But I am a bit concerned about what you are saying that any exersize which exceeds 45 minutes will just be a waste of time.. In order to fully understand my concern I first want to explain to you my exersize shedule:

    MON-WED–FRI: On these days I start with 9-12 minutes of 1:2 HIIT with heart-rates reaching close to or over 90% percent in the work phases. After that I do some steady state cardio on at least 80% heart rate for a total of about 20 minutes (two sets of 10 minutes on two different machines). The cardio is followed by doing a full-body workout (so mainly compound stuff) for 45 minutes max.

    TUE-THU-SAT: On these days I do 1:1 interval training cardio for a total of 40 minutes. This is usually broken down to 16 minutes on the seated bike, 16 minutes on the cross trainer and 8 minutes on the rowing machine.

    As you can see there isn’t much of a problem on tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays when it comes to performing exersize within the 45-minutes “limit”. On the other days however, I do cardio AND weight lifting on the same day, which means that I’ll be busy exersizing well past the 45 minutes. So is this a problem? Or is it not a big concern since neither cardio or weight lifting on that day will take more than 45 minutes on its own?

    Pfew, a long post for such a simple question!

    [Reply]
88. Acai
    

    Mike, this article is awesome!!! The best weight (fat!) loss guide I’ve ever read! I will definitely follow it for a few weeks, I’ll report my results!

    Thanks again! Oh, and merry Christmas!

    [Reply]
89. Mike OD
    

    Remon – when doing weight lifting and cardio, do the weight lifting FIRST. Otherwise if you do excess cardio you are taking away the glycogen that you want to use during your resistance training….which can lead to more muscle breakdown. So resistance training first, then slower state cardio. On the other days you’ll be fine with the intervals. Also if you are worried about longer workouts and muscle loss, just take some Vit C pre-workout and some amino acids.

    [Reply]
90. Remon
    

    Hey Mike,

    Happy new year and thanks for answering my question. I’m going to do the weight lifting before cardio this wednesday, I hope it will make a difference! But I guess I can do no more HIIT after weight lifting because that will be too tiring.

    [Reply]
91. Mike OD
    

    Remon – Try taking short rests between your workout sets and superset some compound based movements (like a squat and pullup). You can get plenty a good interval workout using weights too!

    [Reply]
92. Rachel Allen
    

    I’ve been doing 20-18 hr fasts for about two weeks now and feel fantastic. One question I have about my exercising is, since I have no interest in gaining muscle size, only fat burning, can I lightly work out my muscle groups everyday with no rest day?

    [Reply]
93. Charlene
    

    Hi Mike!

    You mention “low carb” eating. What percentage of someone’s daily calories should be coming from carbs/fat/protein? Understanding that the carbs should be veggies and not processed sugars. Also understanding that there should be a balance of all three in each meal percentage-wise. This is geared toward weight loss not weight gain. I’m 167 lbs I’m averageing between 1000 and 1200 calories, light activity, plan to step it up to 30/intense 3 days a week. I was highly successful on a nocarb diet for weight loss with no exercise! It wasn’t healthy. Our bodies need all three components I read that the new show DIETTRIBE is on 1500 calories 50%protein 30%carb 20%fat. 30 pounds in 90 days and they are all over 200 pounds.

    [Reply]
94. Mike OD
    

    Charlene – quickly it will depend on your workout intensity. If you are walking then you probably want less carbs, if you are more intense with your workouts then you can probably tollerate more (because it will be used to refill muscle glycogen). Remember most weight loss is because of calorie deficit (total daily calories). Carbs should be spread out and all sugar/process carbs should be avoided as much as possible.

    [Reply]
95. CrossFit Dallas Central » Blog Archive » Bloody Well Right
    [...] The Basics of Fat Loss [...]
96. Weight Training
    

    Excellent post! I never truly understand how the effect of insulin and now I do.

    [Reply]
97. CrossFit Puget Sound » Rest Day
    [...] The basics of Fat Loss from Fitness Spotlight [...]
98. Robert Tierney
    

    Hi Mike!
    I have been reading a lot lately about working out on an empty stomach (fasting). What is the benefit of this? What is the science? I have tried it and had to cut my workout short due to dizziness and weakness. Thoughts?
    Robert

    [Reply]

    

    Mike OD Reply:
    

    Robert – Here’s some past posts on the benefit of fasted workouts that will help:

    The hormones of fasted workouts
    Working out fasted for better results

    As far as getting dizziness and weakness, sounds like low blood sugar issues. Which means either your muscle glycogen stores are low in the first place, your liver glycogen stores are low or your workout is too intense/long for you to maintain (esp with the combination of the other 2 issues mentioned before). Solutions include allowing more glycogen replenishment to muscles (somehow adding in more carbs once in a while, aka carb loading), adding more fruit the day before (help restore/replenish liver glycogen), shorter or less intense workouts fasted. The best workouts fasted for fat loss are usually short/interval style (10-15min max) with additional slow movement to continue the “fat burning”. Trying to do a 45 min workout fasted with heavy lifting will probably “bonk” most people. Just change something up and see what happens….remember you are always in control of what you can try (and what you can learn from it).

    [Reply]
99. Bjorn
    

    Lost 25 kg thanks to this article!

    [Reply]
100. New Digit :PaleoSnow
     [...] One of the things that really drove me to reduce my sugar consumption was a line from Fitness Spotlight: [...]

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