Stop being confused by how to eat to lose fat and build muscle

Intermittent fasting is certainly one of the most talked about methods of eating to lose fat. It has gained it’s popularity mostly by those who have had some success with it…in the short term! The issue with intermittent fasting and even some of the other diet methods talked about in this video is that they are questionable long term solutions at best.

In fact, a recent study was published that questioned whether intermittent fasting actually killed muscle or led to accelerated muscle catabolism. Given the nature of the diet, it’s easy to see where this research has come from. Going long periods without eating (up to 18 hours) flies in the face of sound long term nutrition principles and respect for one’s metabolism.

I’m not even talking about metabolism in reference to metabolic rate, but rather just the brain’s preference for consistent supply of nutrient rich (glucose rich) blood, preferentially in the form of food rather than through secondary compensatory means that the body has of producing glucose in times of need.

Other diet techniques and protocols similar to intermittent fasting in their “fad” nature include fat elimination diets, the Atkins diet, and juice diets. While all may in fact deliver short term fat loss results, most will never be sustainable for the long haul. They will wind up leaving you fat again and looking for the next short term solution.

In order to burn fat and build muscle most consistently, you need to follow a healthy and balanced diet consisting of fibrous carbohydrates, starchy non-refined carbs, high quality protein, and healthy fats. No macro or micronutrient should ever be entirely excluded from your diet if you want a long term solution.

Athletes certainly don’t screw around with gimmick diets and fad nutrient manipulation knowing how important sound nutrition is to their performance. Neither should you. If you want to see exactly what a sustainable nutrition plan would look like, then be sure to head to and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System and X-Factor Meal Plan.

For more videos on nutrition and diet tips, as well as a video directly on intermittent fasting be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at 4