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Ben Greenfield Life

16 Reasons You're Not Burning Fat (& How To Lose Weight The Right Way)

Ben Greenfield Life

Ben Greenfield

Education, Fitness, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.6 β€’ 5.2K Ratings

πŸ—“οΈ 8 June 2019

⏱️ 67 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Several months ago, I filled you in on "The 2 Best Ways To Burn Fat Fast (Without Destroying Your Hormones Or Metabolism)".

But what you learned in that article only scratched the surface of the multiple mechanisms underlying why the human body can be resistant to fat loss, and how to achieve truly sustainable, long-lasting weight loss in a safe and efficient manner.

So during today's solosode, you'll discover...

-How fat actually gets burnt...6:20

  • Law of conservation of mass: Mass, in an isolated system, is neither created nor destroyed by chemical reactions or physical transformations
  • Fat is primarily disposed of via the breath
  • Calories, as well as excess carbs and proteins, are converted into triglycerides and stored in lipid droplets of adipocytes
  • Excess dietary fat undergoes lipolysis, and then reesterification
  • Triglycerides are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
  • Oxidation: requires inhalation of oxygen
  • Study: When someone loses weight, where does the fat go?
    • For 22 pounds of fat to be oxidized, 64 pounds of oxygen must be inhaled
    • Results in 61 pounds of carbon dioxide excreted via the lungs and 24 pounds of water excreted via urine, sweat, feces, and breath
  • Average of 17,000 breaths per day will excrete .32 lbs of carbon
  • Sources of carbon (other than eating coal) are: dietary carbs, proteins, and fats
  • If you didn't get all that, get this: Losing fat means consuming less carbon than you've exhaled. Even small quantities of food can foil your efforts at weight loss. The simple solution is to move more and eat less.

The 16 reasons you're not burning fat the way you'd like

– Chronic Inflammation...12:35

– Glycemic variability (GV)...21:05

  • Refers to the blood glucose variations during the day
  • If GV gets out of control, the body does one of two things: transfers sugar into muscles, or stores as body fat
  • It will become fat tissue if you're not active enough throughout the day
  • Be "ruthlessly" cognizant of blood sugar fluctuations
  • 6 Strategies to control GV

– Cortisol and stress...30:45

– Sleep deprivation...34:20

  • A single night of partial sleep can be deleterious
  • Neuro endocrine effect: reduces levels of leptin; increases levels of ghrelin

– Snacking and post-workout calories...35:25

  • "Grazing" or 6-8 small meals per day is a myth
  • Snacking increases your GV and eliminates benefits of fasting
  • Your body releases more growth hormone during intermittent fasting
  • Grazing throws metabolism into sugar burning mode
  • It takes 3 days, or 4 weeks of extreme calorie restriction for the body to down regulate metabolism
  • The need for protein and carbs right after a workout is a myth
  • The exception: two a day workouts

– You're not moving enough...39:47

  • Fool your body into thinking it's in the "hunter gatherer" mode

– Too much exercise...41:30

  • Excessive exercise, along with other stressors can lead to increased levels of cortisol and inflammation
  • Beyond Training by Ben Greenfield
  • Too much of the same exercise
  • Not enough recovery days
  • Sweet spot:
    • 2-3 days per week, lift heavy stuff
    • 2-3 days high-intensity interval training

– Chronic cardio...43:35

  • Your body will catabolize muscle and store fat
  • High-intensity cardio 2-3 days per week
  • Reduced subcutaneous adiposity of body fat among people who follow these guidelines

– The SAID Principle...46:00

  • Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands
  • Sometimes the best workout plan is the one you're not currently doing
  • Keep the body guessing
  • 5 modifications:
    • Combine exercises
    • Active rest periods
    • Train outside
    • Change the center of gravity
    • Workout at a different time of day

– Lack of cold therapy...50:00

  • Cold is a strong metabolic stimulus
  • Cold thermogenesis occurs when protons are forced across the inner membrane and turned into heat
  • Beige adipose tissue
  • Every day, 2-5 minutes cold exposure (cold shower, cold river or lake)
  • 3x3 cold
  • coolfatburner.com (Use code: BEN10CFB to save 10%)

– Hormonal imbalance...52:25

– Toxin and chemical exposure...54:40

– Food allergies and intolerances...56:30

– Micro-nutrient deficiencies...

– Thyroid...59:00

– Disordered eating...1:01:01

  • Your body expects food at a certain time of day
  • Results in irregular metabolism
  • Easier to track calorie consumption when you eat the same thing, at the same time of day

– Final comments...1:03:25

  • Everybody and every body is different
  • It could be possible your body has reached its desired weight

– And much more!

Resources mentioned:

– Article: When someone loses weight, where does the fat go? – StrateGene

– Tree of Life, Bob Miller's site

– Book: Toxic by Neil Nathan

– Dr. Robert Naviaux, UCSD

– Book: Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life

– Ceylon cinnamon

– Gymnema Sylvestre

– Berberine

– Apple cider vinegar

– Kion Lean

– Oura Ring (Save $50 with code: GREENFIELDOURA)

– Podcast with building biologist Brian Hoyer

– Podcast Ep. 397

– Beyond Training by Ben Greenfield

– coolfatburner.com (Use code: BEN10CFB to save 10%)

– Dutch Test

– Podcast w/ Jay Campbell

– Estrogeneration by Anthony Jay

Episode sponsors:

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Got a question for me about today's podcast? Just leave a comment below and I'll reply!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Your lungs are the primary excretory organs for weight loss.

0:10.1

So unless you're wanting to gain significant mass, like if you're high school or college

0:14.4

football player trying to get to the next level, if you've eaten at some point proud of

0:17.9

working out, there's no need to drop everything to, you know, slug down that post workout

0:23.1

protein drink.

0:24.3

The number one thing that you can do if you are resistant to weight loss and you're

0:29.2

already moving more and eating less is I have a master's degree in physiology, biomechanics,

0:35.1

and human nutrition.

0:36.1

I've spent the past two decades competing in some of the most massacistic events on

0:40.2

the planet, from seal-fit Kakoro, spardanagogy, and the world's toughest mother to 13 Iron

0:45.1

Man triathlons, brutal bohunts, adventure races, spearfishing, plant foraging, freediving,

0:50.2

bodybuilding, and beyond.

0:51.4

I combine this intense time in the trenches with a blend of ancestral wisdom and modern

0:56.2

science, search the globe for the world's top experts in performance, fat loss, recovery,

1:01.4

hormones, brain, beauty, and brawn to deliver you this podcast.

1:06.6

Everything you need to know to live in a adventurous, joyful, and fulfilling life.

1:11.5

My name is Ben Greenfield.

1:14.5

Enjoy the ride.

1:15.5

Hey, if you're listening to Thursday's episode, you know that I am leading a very

1:26.0

intimate, heavily curated retreat at a private mansion in Napa Valley in September.

1:33.3

Not everybody can get in.

1:34.3

You got to apply to get accepted.

...

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