I used to be pretty active on Facebook but am more of a lurker than someone actually posting something, unless its funny or promotes positive vibes…or allows me to teach you something, like I am in this article.

A short while ago I was scrolling through my facebook feed seeing what people are talking about.  It’s useful to me to generate ideas of what I want to write about, and I’m friends with a lot of people involved in the world of fitness, strength, personal training etc.  And one thing is for certain is that the schools of thought can be polarizing.  One thing that is very polarizing, is “fasting”

So while I was scrolling my facebook feed, I saw someone make the claim that and I’m paraphrasing here “the only thing that fasting does is burn up your muscle mass and kill your metabolism. Food is fuel.”

First on the burning up muscle and killing metabolism, someone forgot to tell Terry Crews.

Now let’s talk about the food is fuel.  Yes it is, but not in the same way that gas is to a car.  Think about it.  Before gas is put into a car, it has to be refined and broken down to a form that the car can use.  Food is like this, but it’s broken down by chewing it, mixing saliva with it before it’s broken down in your stomach and absorbed.

All of these steps take time, so what your body is actually running off of, isn’t what you just ate, its what you ate a while ago.

Now when your body doesn’t have any stored sugar to burn up (it’s preferred fuel source) it switches to burning up fat (which it had saved up just in case we needed it.) Those days when we needed to store up body fat are long gone unless you live in a 3rd world country or are living on the streets.  It also throws in some of the bad cells in your body with that process Terry mentioned autophagy.  I’ll explain that part a bit more in a different article.

The idea of fasting isn’t new, but it’s come around again as if it were new.  When I explain that I fast, I get a lot of people telling me that my approach is wrong.  I’ll just say this.

I’ve been doing this since 2009 (so about 9 years adherence)

I’ve been able to maintain near single digit body fat year round (not yo yo dieting).

All my biomarkers of health say I’m a-ok

I don’t feel lethargic, or have to worry about what I’m going to have for breakfast, or lunch or if it follows the rules of whatever diet I’m doing.

I don’t have to force myself to eat when I’m not hungry or pressed for time like getting to the studio by 6am.

I’m strong enough to bend steel…like Superman.

With all of those things, if I’m doing it “wrong” then baby I don’t want to be “right”.  Now is fasting right for you?  I don’t know but I encourage you to do your own research so you can make an informed decision.