Stuck at 1200 Calories? Why Muscle Is Key to Fat Loss – Dr. Andy Galpin's Fix for Metabolic Resistance
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Vanessa Spina
4.5 • 758 Ratings
🗓️ 1 September 2025
⏱️ 84 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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In this episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Andy Galpin — world-renowned muscle physiologist, strength coach, and leading expert in human performance optimization. We dive deep into the cutting-edge science of muscle, metabolism, fat loss, and how to train smarter at every stage of life.
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This conversation covers the latest research on muscle fiber types, how to maintain fast-twitch muscle into your 40s and beyond, and why many women are far more predisposed to strength and power than we've been led to believe. Dr. Galpin also shares actionable strategies to break out of fat loss plateaus, reverse chronic dieting, improve metabolic flexibility, and strategically use tools like intermittent fasting, pre-sleep protein, and creatine to maximize fat loss and muscle retention.
You'll learn:
- What actually happens to fat when you lose it (hint: it leaves your body when you exhale!)
- Why most people are eating way less protein than they think — and how that sabotages recomposition
- The truth about sarcoplasmic vs. myofibrillar hypertrophy
- How to train if you're stuck at 1200 calories and not seeing progress
- The surprising impact of sleep on fat metabolism and why pre-sleep protein may boost your overnight fat burning
- How to use your circadian rhythm to schedule workouts for maximum performance
- What Dr. Galpin recommends if your peak energy window is in the late afternoon — including ideal wake-up and bedtimes
- Whether Pilates, intermittent fasting, or creatine actually work for fat loss and muscle building
- And how women can use strength training to build muscle, reverse aging, and become "metabolically bulletproof"
If you're looking to overcome metabolic resistance, finally see results from your fat loss efforts, and train in a way that respects your biology — this episode is a masterclass in practical, science-backed strategies from one of the top experts in the world.
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The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Optimal Protein Podcast. I'm Vanessa Spina. |
| 0:05.4 | Hello, my friends. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm your host Vanessa. And today I am so |
| 0:11.2 | excited to be joined by Dr. Andy Galpin, a world-renowned muscle scientist and performance |
| 0:18.5 | physiologist who's worked with elite athletes, military special |
| 0:22.7 | ops, and everyday high performers looking to transform their body composition, strength, and health. |
| 0:29.7 | So in this episode, we do a deep dive into the real science of fat loss, understanding exactly |
| 0:36.3 | how fat loss works in the body how we consume |
| 0:40.9 | carbons from carbs and fats how we store the carbons on our bodies how we exhale them in |
| 0:47.2 | our breath how our metabolism works and bioenergetics what do you do with a woman who |
| 0:53.3 | has dieted down to 1200 or 1,000 calories and. What do you do with a woman who has dieted down to 1,200 or 1,000 calories and is |
| 0:57.4 | stuck? Do you reverse diet out of that? Do you take a diet break? Do you do strength training? |
| 1:02.6 | We talk about so many aspects of how fat actually leaves your body to strategic protein timing, |
| 1:09.7 | whether or not it is important for women, |
| 1:11.9 | what we can do to overcome anabolic resistance, either during Perry or postmenopausal |
| 1:18.2 | stages of life, and how to optimize your fat loss and training when your time is limited |
| 1:24.0 | with a busy career or maybe children. Dr. Galpin shares cutting edge research and |
| 1:30.5 | practical tools that you can apply right away, whether your goal is fat loss, body recomposition, |
| 1:36.3 | or becoming the strongest, fittest, and most metabolically flexible version of yourself. |
| 1:43.1 | I can't wait to get into it and we are going to |
| 1:45.4 | jump right in after this quick break. I have recently discovered a new ketone that I love taking. |
| 1:54.0 | It has replaced my MCT oil powder that I was taking before to enhance my cognition. So many of you |
| 1:59.9 | know I've been in my sleep deprived |
... |
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