Hi Reader
Welcome back to 1UP,
my weekly newsletter where I share all things health and mindsets to help you get stronger, feel younger and live longer.
Fasting without losing muscle mass
Fasting is an incredible tool to use when you want to get rid of visceral belly fat, but many of us may feel hesitant because we want to preserve the muscle mass we work so hard at growing and protecting.
I definitely was.
If you find yourself in this conundrum too, this episode is for you.
If you have not even considered fasting for rapid fat loss, this episode is for you too.
Today I share about a way to fast by reducing calories but maintaining protein intake.
New research from 2025 shows that protein intake does not seem to inhibit autophagy the way we thought. (High protein does not change autophagy in human PBMCs after 1 hour)
This means that we can get the biological benefits of autophagy with fasting while still maintaining protein intake.
This is great news!
This episode is for you if you:
- Want to get rid of visceral belly fat by using fasting while maintaining muscle
- Are a Christian who wants to fast without losing physical strength
Every new year I start with either a reset or a form of fasting.
I have used this 30 day reset in the past, and enjoyed benefits.
I have fasted coffee, excessive content consumption and fasted from some specific foods.
This past year, I re-introduce fasting from food for spiritual reasons.
I was on a strict water fast for 2 days, then used some protein powder, then had vegetable soups to extend my fast to 7 days.
For the first time in almost 2 years, my visceral fat went down by 25% after 72 hours of fasting.
Starting January 5th, I am entering 21 days of prayer and fasting.
I will use the same approach for the first seven days as mentioned above.
After that, I will experiment with the protein-sparing modified diet that I share in this podcast episode. As well as better boundaries around my phone usage.
What are some things in your day-to-day that are taking away from your life Reader?
Whether it's your peace, your energy, your health, your ability to focus on the right thing, love for the people around you, I invite you to join me in this time of the year to let go of it for 21 days.
Feel free to reply to this email to let me know. You can even join my free facebook group for accountability.
I'd love to hear from you and help you do this. It's a way to start the year with more focus on what matters.
Talk soon.
Jihane