Vanessa is joined by Craig Emmerich, co-author with Maria Emmerich of The Art of Metabolic Health, for a deep dive into how to lose body fat while protecting lean mass and hard-earned muscle.
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Craig explains why fat loss is about more than simply lowering calories, including the role of fuel partitioning, protein, dietary fat, carbohydrate intake, and the Randle cycle.
They also explore why traditional high-fat keto or carnivore approaches can initially work well yet eventually lead to plateaus—or even weight gain—for some people, and why shifting toward a higher-protein, lower-energy approach may help.
A major focus is protein-sparing modified fasting (PSMF): how Craig and Maria structure PSMF days, who may benefit most, how often they recommend using them, and why strategic maintenance days may help support long-term results.
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Vanessa also shares her experience using alternating PSMF and maintenance days to lose approximately 14 pounds of body fat while preserving muscle, and why body composition became more important to her than chasing an old goal weight.
They also discuss the personal fat threshold, metabolic flexibility, insulin resistance, autophagy, protein leverage, maintenance nutrition, and why different diets can be used as tools rather than permanent identities.
In This Episode
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About Craig Emmerich
Craig Emmerich is an author and metabolic health educator who has co-authored numerous books with Maria Emmerich focused on ketogenic nutrition, protein, metabolic health and body composition.
Their newest book, The Art of Metabolic Health, explores nutrition as a spectrum—from low-carb and keto to carnivore and protein-sparing modified fasting.
Learn more: ketomaria.com
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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not medical or nutritional advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making dietary or lifestyle changes.