A Personal Announcement + The 5 BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS & Studies From 2025!
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Release Date: 12/27/2025
New Meta-Analysis: How to Burn Fat & Preserve Muscle While Dieting | Dr. Eric Helms
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Vanessa Spina is joined by Dr. Eric Helms to break down the latest research on protein intake during fat loss and what it really takes to preserve muscle while dieting. 🔗 PSMF LIBRARY (PRE-ORDER)Time Limited Offer The PSMF Library is officially live for pre-order 🎉 get the LAUNCH discount They discuss Dr. Helms’ new meta-regression, whether more protein always leads to better outcomes, how lean mass retention changes depending on body fat level and calorie deficit size, and what the ideal evidence-based setup looks like for losing fat quickly without sacrificing muscle....
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New Study Changes Everything About Protein, Fat Loss & Muscle: Dr. Carlene Starck Recap!
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode, Vanessa breaks down one of the most important conversations on the podcast to date — her interview with Dr. Carlene Starck on newly published research suggesting that protein requirements may be significantly higher than current guidelines. 🔗 PSMF LIBRARY (PRE-ORDER) The PSMF Library is officially live for pre-order 🎉 get the LAUNCH discount Vanessa dives into what this new model reveals about how the body actually uses — and loses — amino acids every day, and why many people may be under-eating protein even when they think they’re eating “high protein.” She...
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New Study: Protein Requirements May Be Too Low — What This Means for Muscle, Fat Loss & Health | Dr. Carlene Starck
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Dr. Carlene Starck to break down her newly published research on protein and essential amino acid requirements — and why current recommendations may be too low. 🔗 PSMF LIBRARY (PRE-ORDER)Time Limited Offer The PSMF Library is officially live for pre-order 🎉 get the LAUNCH discount They explore how protein needs have traditionally been calculated, what’s been missed (including gut losses and amino acid oxidation), and why this new model suggests higher protein intakes may be needed — especially for optimizing body composition, satiety,...
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The Real Macros Behind the 5 Most Popular Diets — Rating Them for Fat Loss & Muscle Preservation
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In today’s episode, Vanessa breaks down five of the most popular diet protocols of the last 50 years — and compares them directly to Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting (PSMF) days. 🔗 PSMF LIBRARY (PRE-ORDER) The PSMF Library is officially live for pre-order 🎉 get the LAUNCH discount She unpacks: The Bernstein Diet The Zone Diet (40/30/30) The Ornish Diet (very low fat) The HCG very low calorie diet Traditional ketogenic diets But instead of discussing them conceptually, Vanessa focuses on what truly matters for fat loss and body recomposition: Calories Macro...
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The PSMF Library Is Live! Special Announcement
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
The PSMF Library is officially live for pre-order — and I’m so excited to finally share this with you! This is a resource I created based on what worked so effectively for me for fat loss and body recomposition — using a structured, high-protein approach instead of trying to restrict calories every single day. Instead of guessing what to eat or constantly starting over, this framework helps you structure your nutrition across the week — combining higher-protein, lower-energy days with maintenance intake days to support a sustainable calorie deficit while prioritizing lean muscle....
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Monday Special AMA #22: Fat Loss, Protein & PSMF — Your Top Questions Answered (Part 2 of 2)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In Part 2 of this AMA, Vanessa answers your most asked questions on protein, fat loss, muscle, and metabolism — including digestion issues, emotional eating, protein myths, and how to optimize your intake for better body composition results. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! If you’ve been struggling to hit your protein targets, wondering about protein powders vs amino acids, or trying to optimize fat loss while preserving lean mass, this episode breaks it all down in a clear, actionable way....
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Secrets of Popular Diets: Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) — Calories, Macros & the High-Protein Advantage for Fat Loss & Muscle
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode, Vanessa breaks down the fasting mimicking diet (FMD) — including the exact calories, macros, and protein intake used in the research — and compares it to higher-protein fat loss approaches like protein-sparing modified fasting (PSMF) days. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! You’ll learn what the science actually shows about fat loss, lean mass preservation, and autophagy, and why emerging human data suggests that energy restriction — not protein suppression — may be the...
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Special AMA #22: Fat Loss, Protein & PSMF: Answering Your Top Questions (Part 1 of 2)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this AMA episode, Vanessa answers your questions on fat loss, protein intake, PSMF, keto, pregnancy nutrition, and muscle preservation. Topics include perimenopause fat loss, protein timing, ketosis myths, GLP-1 considerations, and how to structure high-protein days for body recomposition. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! If you’ve been struggling with fat loss — especially during perimenopause — or wondering how to structure your protein intake for better results, this episode breaks...
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New Study Changes Everything About Carbs, Fat Loss & Performance (Explained, Dr. Andrew Koutnik Recap)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Vanessa breaks down a groundbreaking new study on carbs, fat loss, metabolism, and performance — and what it means for high protein, low carb, and ketogenic approaches. 📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! Vanessa breaks down one of the most important conversations on fat loss, metabolism, and performance with Dr. Andrew Koutnik. In this episode, she unpacks why fat loss isn’t about eating less — it’s about controlling hunger — and how the combination of high protein and ketosis can make fat...
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Groundbreaking New Study Changes Everything About Carbs, Fat Loss & Performance | Dr. Andrew Koutnik
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Why protein + ketones reduce hunger, how fat-adapted athletes perform without carbs, and what this new study reveals. Timeline Mitopure Gummies — The #1 Urolithin A supplement for energy and healthy aging, now in delicious strawberry gummies. Get 20% off at In this episode, Vanessa breaks down one of the most controversial and important new papers in metabolism and sports nutrition with Dr. Andrew Koutnik. From fat loss to performance, this conversation challenges long-held beliefs about protein, carbohydrates, ketosis, and metabolic flexibility—and what actually drives results. If...
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Timeline Mitopure Gummies — The #1 Urolithin A supplement for energy and healthy aging, now in delicious strawberry gummies. Get 20% off at timeline.com/vanessa
In this special end-of-year solo episode, Vanessa shares a brief personal announcement, followed by the five biggest scientific takeaways from 2025 that reshaped how she thinks about fat loss, longevity, and metabolic health.
This episode highlights the studies and expert conversations featured on the Optimal Protein Podcast that had the most meaningful impact this year — including new research on autophagy and protein intake, the real drivers of longevity benefits, menopause-related body composition changes, resistance training, and long-term fat loss maintenance.
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Vanessa discusses how using the Tone Device is a proxy for fat loss and autophay on Protein Sparing Modified Fasting (PSMF) days! 👉 Use code HOLIDAY25 for 25% off HERE
Get my free NEW high-protein keto guide: The Keto Reset eBook
Free high-protein keto guide: The Keto Reset eBook
👤 Connect with Vanessa:
• Instagram: @ketogenicgirl
📱 Follow @ketogenicgirl for the latest studies and strategies on fat loss and protein optimization
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💬 Join the Facebook group: Optimal Protein Podcast Community
🎙 The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only and not nutritional or medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making major dietary or lifestyle changes.