The SIMPLE Way To Make Your Body KILL BELLY FAT! | Dr Jason Fung

Summary

In this insightful discussion, Dr. Jason Fung, a leading voice in the modern intermittent fasting movement, debunks myths surrounding fasting and its impact on weight loss. He explains how extending fasting periods can lower insulin levels, promoting fat burning. Despite initial backlash from the medical community, Dr. Fung's research and advocacy have contributed to a broader understanding of fasting's benefits for health and reversing type 2 diabetes. The conversation also touches on the importance of hormones, fiber, and unprocessed foods in managing weight and metabolism.

Takeaways

• 🍽️ Intermittent fasting is suggested as a tool for weight loss by extending the fasting period and reducing insulin levels, which allows the body to burn fat more effectively.
• 📚 The concept of using intermittent fasting for weight loss was not widely recognized in the medical field until around 2013-2014, despite the practice having been used for thousands of years.
• 🗣️ The speaker faced criticism from the medical community for advocating intermittent fasting, with concerns that it could lead to increased hunger, lowered metabolic rates, and weight gain.
• 🔍 Contrary to common myths, studies have shown that fasting can actually increase metabolic rates, as the body activates itself to use stored energy during periods of no food intake.
• 🏃‍♂️ Fasting periods can vary from 16 hours to multiple days, with the idea being to allow the body to utilize its fat stores for energy when food is not consumed.
• 🌱 Leptin, a hormone that reduces hunger, may be resisted by individuals due to high insulin levels, which can lead to weight gain.
• 🌾 A fiber-deficient diet, often a result of food processing, can lead to rapid spikes in insulin and contribute to weight gain and cravings for processed foods.
• 🥗 High-fiber, unprocessed foods are recommended to slow down the absorption of glucose, reducing insulin spikes and the associated pleasure response that leads to cravings.
• 🥩 While protein is often considered beneficial for weight loss, it also increases insulin levels and is not an efficient macronutrient for energy storage.
• 🍹 Juicing is not considered a true fast due to the high sugar content in many juices, and its effectiveness depends on the types and amounts of juice consumed.
• 🌐 The speaker hopes that their work will contribute to reversing type 2 diabetes and changing the conventional understanding of weight loss beyond the 'calories in, calories out' model.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of extending the fasting period according to the transcript?

The primary purpose of extending the fasting period is to allow enough time for insulin levels to be low, which facilitates fat burning and helps in pulling calories back from the body's fat reserves.

Who is credited with popularizing the concept of intermittent fasting for weight loss in the modern context?

The transcript suggests that the person being interviewed is credited with popularizing the concept of intermittent fasting for weight loss in the modern context, as they were one of the first to advocate for it from a medical standpoint around 2013-2014.

What were some of the myths about intermittent fasting that were debunked in the discussion?

Some of the myths debunked include the ideas that intermittent fasting would cause weight gain, increase hunger, and lead to a drop in basal metabolic rate, also known as 'starvation mode'.

How does the body physiologically respond to fasting in terms of metabolic rate?

Contrary to the myth of 'starvation mode', the body's basal metabolic rate actually increases during fasting. This is due to the activation of the body's fight-or-flight response, increased cortisol and growth hormone levels, which tell the body to start using stored energy.

What is the significance of insulin levels in the context of weight loss and fasting?

Insulin levels play a crucial role in weight loss because when insulin is low, the body is more likely to burn fat for energy. Fasting helps to lower insulin levels, thus promoting fat burning.

What is the role of leptin in relation to hunger and weight management?

Leptin is a hormone that helps to reduce hunger and is involved in weight management. The transcript suggests that leptin resistance could be an issue, where the body becomes less responsive to the hormone's appetite-suppressing effects.

Why is fiber important in the context of weight loss and insulin response?

Fiber is important because it slows down the digestion process, leading to a slower rise in insulin levels. This helps to prevent the rapid spikes in insulin that can contribute to weight gain and make it harder to lose weight.

What are some examples of unprocessed foods that are high in fiber?

Examples of unprocessed, high-fiber foods include beans, whole grains, and vegetables. These foods help to slow the absorption of carbohydrates, which can aid in weight loss.

How does the consumption of protein impact insulin levels and weight gain?

While protein does spike insulin levels, it is not as efficient as carbohydrates or fats for weight gain because the body does not store protein as a source of energy. However, consuming large amounts of protein can still contribute to weight gain.

What is the speaker's view on juice fasting as a method for weight loss?

The speaker views juice fasting as less effective than regular fasting because it can still provide a significant amount of sugars and calories, which may not contribute to weight loss effectively.

What is the speaker's hope for their work in the field of intermittent fasting and weight loss?

The speaker hopes that their work will help people understand and reverse type 2 diabetes, break the stigma around weight loss, and promote healthier lifestyles through the understanding of hormones and fasting rather than relying on drugs or surgery.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss and Insulin Management

The speaker discusses the concept of intermittent fasting for weight loss, emphasizing the importance of extending the fasting period to allow for fat burning due to low insulin levels. They claim to have been a pioneer in promoting intermittent fasting for weight loss in the medical field around 2013-2014. The speaker refutes common myths about fasting, such as causing weight gain, tiredness, and increased hunger, by citing historical use and scientific data. They also counter the idea of 'starvation mode' by explaining that fasting can actually increase metabolic rates, as evidenced by studies showing increased calorie burning during fasting periods. The speaker faced criticism from the medical community but stood by the physiological benefits of fasting.

05:02

🕒 Varieties of Fasting and the Role of Leptin in Hunger Regulation

This paragraph delves into the different types of fasting, such as 16-hour, 24-hour, and multi-day fasts, and how they can be tailored to an individual's weight loss goals. The speaker clarifies that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fasting. They also introduce the hormone leptin, which is responsible for reducing hunger, and discuss the potential issue of leptin resistance, which could contribute to obesity. The speaker suggests that the over-processing of foods, leading to a lack of fiber and rapid insulin spikes, may be a factor in leptin resistance and the current obesity epidemic.

10:03

🥚 The Impact of Protein and Processed Foods on Insulin Levels

The speaker discusses the role of protein in weight loss and insulin levels, noting that while protein does spike insulin, it is not as easily stored as fat or carbohydrates. They argue that the over-processing of food, which often removes fiber, leads to rapid insulin spikes and contributes to weight gain. The speaker advocates for a return to unprocessed foods, which have a more natural and slower impact on insulin levels. They also touch on the topic of juice fasting, expressing skepticism about its effectiveness compared to water fasting due to the high sugar content in juices.

15:04

🌐 The Broader Impact of Intermittent Fasting and Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on their work's impact on promoting intermittent fasting and its potential to reverse type 2 diabetes. They express a desire to challenge conventional thinking about weight loss and diabetes management, advocating for a return to older, more natural approaches. The speaker acknowledges the audacity of their goals but remains hopeful that their work can contribute to significant health improvements on a global scale. The conversation concludes with a nod to the power of challenging established norms and the potential for such 'crazy' ideas to bring about meaningful change.

Keywords

💡Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that alternates between periods of eating and fasting. It is a key theme in the video, as the speaker discusses how extending the fasting period can help in losing body fat by reducing insulin levels, which in turn allows the body to burn fat. The script mentions the speaker's role in popularizing intermittent fasting for weight loss and dispelling myths associated with it.

💡Insulin

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by signaling cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. In the context of the video, it is highlighted that low insulin levels during fasting periods facilitate fat burning. The speaker refutes the myth that fasting leads to a decrease in metabolic rate, citing studies that show the opposite effect.

💡Fat Burning

Fat burning is a metabolic process where the body uses stored fat for energy. The video emphasizes that when insulin levels are low, as in the case of fasting, the body is more inclined to burn fat for energy, which is beneficial for weight loss. The concept is used to explain why fasting can be an effective tool for reducing body fat.

💡Metabolic Rate

Metabolic rate refers to the number of calories expended by the body at rest. Contrary to common myths, the video argues that fasting can actually increase metabolic rate, not decrease it, as the body activates itself to use stored energy during periods of fasting.

💡Hormonal Balance

Hormonal balance is the equilibrium of hormones in the body, which plays a crucial role in various physiological processes. The script discusses how fasting affects hormone levels, such as increasing cortisol and growth hormone, which can stimulate the body to use stored energy.

💡Leptin Resistance

Leptin is a hormone that regulates hunger and satiety. Leptin resistance occurs when the body becomes less responsive to leptin, potentially leading to increased hunger and weight gain. The video touches on the issue of leptin resistance and its relation to obesity and weight management.

💡Fiber

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is important for digestive health and can influence the rate at which glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream. The video suggests that a fiber deficiency, often due to the consumption of processed foods, may contribute to obesity and insulin resistance.

💡Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition characterized by excessive body fat. The video discusses the role of hormones, such as insulin and leptin, in the development of obesity and the potential of intermittent fasting as a tool for weight loss and obesity management.

💡Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar. The speaker mentions the potential of intermittent fasting to reverse type 2 diabetes, as it can help regulate insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels.

💡Processed Foods

Processed foods are products that have been altered from their natural state, often with added sugars, fats, and preservatives. The video contrasts the insulin response to processed foods with that of unprocessed foods, suggesting that the rapid absorption of sugars from processed foods can contribute to weight gain and health issues.

💡Hormonal Activation

Hormonal activation refers to the process by which hormones initiate or regulate various bodily functions. The script explains that fasting can lead to hormonal changes that activate the body's use of stored energy, thus supporting the argument for fasting as a beneficial practice for weight loss and overall health.

Highlights

Intermittent fasting can aid in losing body fat by extending the fasting period and reducing insulin levels, which facilitates fat burning.

The concept of using intermittent fasting for weight loss gained popularity due to the advocacy of Dr. Jason Fung, despite initial resistance from the medical community.

Dr. Fung debunked myths about intermittent fasting, such as causing weight gain, tiredness, and increased hunger, by citing historical use and scientific data.

Fasting can actually increase basal metabolic rate contrary to the belief that it leads to a 'starvation mode' with reduced metabolism.

Hormonal changes during fasting, such as increased cortisol and growth hormone, activate the body to use stored energy, supporting weight loss.

Dr. Fung's personal experience with fasting includes various methods, emphasizing that there are no strict rules and it can be adapted to individual needs.

Leptin resistance may be a factor in obesity, where insulin's weight gain effects overcome leptin's weight loss signals.

Fiber deficiency, resulting from food processing, may contribute to insulin spikes and unhealthy food cravings.

Unprocessed foods are recommended for their slower insulin response, helping to manage hunger and weight more effectively.

Protein consumption and its effect on insulin levels are discussed, suggesting that while it's not the primary focus, it still plays a role in weight management.

Dr. Fung advocates for eating less often and choosing unprocessed foods to manage insulin levels and promote weight loss.

Juice fasting is criticized for potentially providing too many sugars and not being as effective as water-only fasting for weight loss.

The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding hormones' role in weight loss beyond the traditional calories-in, calories-out model.

Dr. Fung's hope is that his work will contribute to reversing type 2 diabetes and changing the conventional thinking on weight loss.

The impact of Dr. Fung's work on intermittent fasting has already influenced millions, prompting discussions and practices worldwide.

The closing tradition of the podcast involves a question left for the next guest, focusing on the concept of one's greatest gift to the world.

Transcripts

if you want to lose body fat you

actually need to extend the period of

time that you're not eating in other

words extend your fasting period and get

rid of all the snacks in order for you

to have enough time that your insulin is

low when insulin is low it's going to

allow fat burning which is going to

allow you to pull those calories back

out you're cited as being really the

founder of modern intermittent fasting

and I've heard people talk about

intermittent fasting on this show over

and over and over and over again now

but the internet says that it really

came from you I know the interet and

fasting has been happening for thousands

of years but the idea of it as a tool

for weight loss they say it came from

you it because in 2013 2014 really

nobody was talking about it from a

medical standpoint like what's happening

in the body why is it good why is it bad

and really I was for years sort of this

one voice in the wilderness that was

saying like hey this is a tool for us if

you want to lose weight because it's

important then you can just set aside a

period of time that you don't eat at the

time people thought it was extremely bad

for you and I I looked through all the

literature and I said well why is it bad

for you and they had all these reasons

there's all these myths about

intermittent fasting and how it's going

to cause you to gain weight and be tired

and hungry and all these sorts of things

I said well no there's actually a lot of

data here over the last you know 2,000

years that we've used intermittent

fasting and they're simply not true and

I can go over a few of those but that's

why there was nobody talking about it at

the time and that's where I started to

sort of bring it into the uh sort of

public Consciousness that this is a tool

that's all it is were you attacked for

that at the time oh absolutely like I

got I got attacked from all sides I got

you know doctors were coming after me

dietitians were coming after me

everybody thought I was going to do so

much harm and the funny part was that

you know as I think back as as I spoke

to a lot of colleagues a lot of

colleagues would say to me you know what

I used to do that when I was in training

we did that all the time we'd go 24

hours without eating because we're in

the o or we're in the ER or we are busy

so we did that constantly and nothing

bad happened and I remember thinking you

know what as a doctor I actually tell

people to fast all the time if you have

to go for surgery you need to fast if

you're after surgery you need to fast if

you do fasting blood work you need to

fast so why is it that I'm actually

telling people to fast all the time and

yet for weight loss you shouldn't fast

that doesn't make any sense and

physiologically from a body standpoint

it doesn't make any sense uh one of the

things people talked about was you know

it's going to make you eat more later

it's going to make you more hungry your

basil metabolic rates going to go down

this was one of the big myths of

intermittent fasting that's going to

cause the so-called starvation mode

right and this is the idea that your

basil metabolic rate will fall so low

that when you do start to eat you're

gonna gain weight again so I said well

let's think about this you can do a

study where you take somebody say you

for example and you could fast them for

four days and measure how much how many

calories they're burning their basil

metabolic rate on day Zero before the

fast and measure them four days into the

fast and see how many calories you're

burning so on day Zero they say you're

you're burning say 2,000 calories a day

on day four of zero food you don't eat

any food for four days they measure how

much calories you're burning your body

is burning 2200 calories your basil

metabolic rate didn't go down it went up

your body's activating itself during

fasting which is fascinating because if

you're trying to lose weight dropping

that masal metabolic rate is death like

if you drop that metabolic rate it's so

hard to lose weight that's what the

calorie restricted diets did that's what

the lowfat diets did the eating all the

time did but when you actually fast your

metabol rate went up and we see this in

study after study and the reason is

actually basic physiology it's actually

medical physiology like first year

medical school stuff when you don't eat

what happens in your body from a hormone

standpoint is that your insulin's going

to fall you're going to allow your body

to start using the calories that are in

the body at the same time other hormones

go up so the sympathetic tone goes up

which is your fight ORF flight response

your cortisol levels go up because again

it's an activation and your growth

hormone goes up because those hormones

are going to start telling your body to

start pulling calories out so you're

actually activating yourself think about

in the wild if you see a Hungry Wolf is

that wolf just sort of you know all like

lethargic no he's activated he's

actually more dangerous than any other

wolf as opposed to say a lion who just

ate because when you just eat you just

want to lie there you know you you want

to digest your food you have no energy

so people say wow your your your

metabolic rate is going to go down if

you fast no the the truth is actually

the opposite it goes up do you fast oh I

do that regularly yeah and what does

your fast look like because I've heard

of all these different types of fasting

36 hours 72 hours oh yeah 14 hours

there's no rules for fasting you could

do you know it could be 16 hours so 14

hours remember is sort of a baseline 12

to 14 hours right that just means you're

not eating after dinner that's it um and

so if you want to lose weight that's

probably not strong enough to make you

lose weight because 12 to 14 hours is

sort of just this Baseline that people

had in the 70s um so you can go to 16

hours for example and you shrink that by

either eating breakfast a little later

or eating dinner a little earlier but

you can do more than that you can do say

a 24-hour fast you could eat two meals a

day say eat between 12 and 6 that's a

6-hour eating window or you could eat

once a day which is like a 24-hour fast

or or you could even go multiple days uh

without eating because again your body

is smart like our your body knows what

to do if you have all those calories

sitting on your body right 100,000

calories sitting in body fat and you

don't eat for three days well you need

6,000 calories well you have 100,000

200,000 so what's the problem take it

out of your body fat let your body eat

your body fat that's what fasting is

doing for you and it's totally natural

because because that's what it's there

for that body fat is not there for looks

it's there for you as a source as a

store of calories so fasting just lets

you use that there's nothing wrong with

it leptin is this hormone that

essentially brings down my Hunger makes

me less hungry is it therefore possible

that people are becoming lepin resistant

there is left in resistance the question

again is why and the way to think about

it is it's sort of this sort of balance

right so so insulin if you give people

insulin like if you think about causes

of obesity what causes people to gain

weight well if I give you insulin you'll

gain weight if I give me insulin I'll

gain weight so insulin causes weight

gain whereas leptin will cause the

opposite so it's sort of the Seesaw body

fat is nothing more or less than uh a

store of energy right and you only store

energy when your body tells you our

entire body runs on hormones right

nothing happens without the hormonal

system being activated so insulin is

pushing us to gain weight leting us is

pushing us to lose weight and what's

happening is that one is sort of

overcoming the other insulin is

overcoming the leptin in the last six

months so many of the nutritionists I've

spoken to have really impressed upon me

that we are fiber deficient and I'm

wondering how that happened um well I

think it was part of the processing uh

thing so taking out fiber is a great way

to make foods more appealing if you will

um so what happens is that if you take

um flour for example and you have a lot

of fiber in it then the digestion is

slowed so what you get is a slower rise

so you take flower and you put a lot of

fiber in it well instead of uh having

this huge spike in insulin which you're

going to get it's a much slower spike in

insulin when you have the huge spike in

insulin it basically overloads your

system and it makes you feel you know

gives you this big hit sort of like if

you have like cocaine for example you

know it's it's turned into a very fine

powder then you snort it so you get this

massive sort of Spike same thing with um

you know carbohydrates if you don't have

any uh fiber you you pull all the fiber

out by processing you get this massive

sort of unnatural Spike and your body

says oh that's great it tastes great I

really love it and you get people who

are sort of addicted to it because that

big spike is going then going to release

dopamine and dopamine me is a pleasure

hormone so you eat you know cookies or

whatever highly processed foods you get

this sort of pleasurable response and

that makes you crave it if you have a

lot of fiber it acts almost sort of like

an antidote to that carbohydrate because

you're slowing down that release what

foods are high in fiber well mostly

unprocessed Foods so the the things like

beans and if you're having if you're

eating uh whole grains for example

compared to others then it's going to

have reduction in the speed of

absorption so it's again not about the

calories necessarily or even necessarily

about the carbohydrates because you're

still eating the same amount of

carbohydrate but you're slowing down the

speed at which is absorbed which is

going to change the instructions that

you give your body if you have a massive

spike in glucose you get this massive

dopamine surge right and your body's

like yo love it then the next time

you're like okay give me that refined

carbohydrate what about protein because

we we tend to think a protein is

something that you know is super great

for weight loss yeah protein is probably

uh sort of inter it's not bad I mean the

main thing is cutting down the

carbohydrates but you know in the OB

code I really talk about cutting the

processing down because uh proteins

usually don't come as pure protein right

in nature you never find like you know

how you have like whe powder protein or

whatever the only way you can do that is

by processing the heck out of food to

get some kind of pure protein it doesn't

exist in nature like it almost doesn't

exist in maybe there's a few examples

but when you eat meat you think okay

there's a lot of protein but that's

actually a lot of fat in there too right

um if you eat anything else that has

protein it's it's rarely uh all protein

you know very lean meats like chicken

breast and stuff are going to be higher

in protein but there's still a lot of

other stuff in there and it's very rare

that somebody will eat just all pure

100% protein it tends to be hard to eat

like the fat brings a lot of flavor and

so on so it's a bit of an unnatural way

to eat sure if you if you're to eat a

lot of protein it does Spike insulin so

it does have some effect to gain weight

but it's actually a very um inefficient

U macronutrient that is your there's

three macronutrients there's

carbohydrates there's um fat and there's

protein your body stores energy or

calories in two ways there's car glucose

which is carbohydrate and it stores it

as body fat which is fat right it

doesn't protein is not a way for the

body to store energy so when you're

eating a lot of protein it's very

difficult for it to turn it into a

storage mechanism like you know so you

eat glucose and you eat fat you can

store glucose and you can store fat but

you eat protein but you don't really

store it as a source of energy so all

foods then increase our insulin

levels I guess the best solution is to

fast H fasting is certainly one way but

just changing the foods to uh other ones

because if you look at the

insulin uh release in processed foods

versus unprocessed Foods there's a huge

difference so if you eat sort of uh

highly refined foods like white bread

for example then you're going to have a

very different response in insulin

compared to sort of um a whole a whole

food so uh unprocessed Foods in general

your body knows how to handle like we've

been eating them for thousands of years

um but certainly anytime you eat your

insulin is going to go up you're giving

your body instructions to store energy

so the solution is to eat less often

what if you do a juice fast juice fast

of course is not a real fast because

you're you're taking a lot of sugars

what you think of juice fasting um I'm

generally I I I think it's less

effective than regular fasting and it

really depends on how much juice you

take if you take a lot of juice you

could easily get you know thousands of

calories plus a lot of sugar if you do

it you know cucumber juice and stuff

that's very low in sugar and kale juice

then it could be very very healthy for

you because there's vitamins and stuff

there so it all depends on how it's done

we have a closing tradition on this

podcast where the last last guest leaves

a question for the next guest without

knowing who they're leaving it for and

the question that's been left for you

is what is your greatest gift to the

world I think if if if you know I

suppose it's sounds very arrogant um but

I really hope that my my work helps

people sort

of reverse the type 2 diabetes because

that is really sort of one of the most

most close things that I deal with

because I deal with it professionally

sort of every day um and helps break the

stigma of not just the stigma but the

understanding like like you know

stimulates more thinking about weight

loss how to lose weight more than

calories in calories out I mean it's so

sort of Pie in the Sky because you know

it's there's a whole you know worldwide

sort of institutionalized ized

fossilized almost you know thinking

around calories it's all about calories

sort of thing so to for me to upset it

seems

ridiculous but I hope that I can at

least start that conversation to say hey

let's think about these things let's

think about the hormones let's think

about reversing type two diabetes let's

think about all getting together and

helping each other to become so much

healthier not through drugs and not not

through more surgery and not with you

know weird and new things that you've

never heard of but with the tried and

the true sort of oldest thinking that

has been there right it's it's to me

it's I I sometimes think about this like

crazy like why do I think I can even do

that right it's just ridiculous it's so

much hubris but you know I I can only

try right because I I see in my own

practice how good it's done for some

people so it drives me to say I need to

bring it to more people I need to to to

explain it to them if they want to be

helped they will be helped but if they

don't understand this okay I'm not

trying to force myself to do anything

but you know that's what I hope my

greatest gift will be um but at the same

time I sort of think that's just you

know you're crazy if you can think you

can do that but well it's The Crazy Ones

that change the world Dr Jason um It's

The Crazy Ones that changed the world

and even with you know your conversation

around intermittent fasting has changed

many many lives that you'll never get to

meet I imagine many many millions many

many millions because it's even brought

the conversation to this show before you

entered the room many many months and

months and months and almost a year ago

people started talking on the show about

intermittent fasting and that's in many

respects due to the work that you've

done to fether that conversation and now

your work continues to highlight the

fact that type 2 diabetes is a reverse

ible disease in many cases and I think

again that's going to

save you know tens of millions if not

hundreds of millions of lives over the

coming coming decades and years so thank

you for what you do Dr Jason um it's an

huge honor to get to sit with you today

and I feel wiser and more enlightened

and like someone has turned the lights

on in a certain part of my knowledge

because of this conversation so I thank

you for that tremendously thank you so

much it's been great if you love the

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