The NEW Era of Fasting: PSMF vs Water Fasting & The 3 Types of Hunger | Dr. Jason Fung
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Release Date: 03/09/2026
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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Can You Lose Fat Eating MORE Calories? Shocking Protein Studies Explained (Dr. Jose Antonio Recap)
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! What if eating more protein — even more calories — didn’t cause fat gain? What if it did the opposite instead? In this episode, Vanessa recaps her conversation with sports nutrition researcher Dr. Jose Antonio, whose groundbreaking studies on protein overfeeding found that people consuming extremely high protein diets did not gain fat — and in some cases lost more body fat. Vanessa breaks down the science behind why protein behaves differently...
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More Protein, More Fat Loss? | Dr. Jose Antonio
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode of the Optimal Protein Podcast, Vanessa sits down with sports nutrition scientist Dr. Jose Antonio, one of the world’s leading researchers on protein metabolism and body composition. Dr. Antonio is widely known for his groundbreaking protein overfeeding studies, which found that participants consuming extremely high protein diets did not gain body fat — and in some cases actually lost more fat — even while eating more calories. In this conversation, Vanessa and Dr. Antonio explore the fascinating metabolic reasons why protein behaves differently in the body, including its...
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Hormones, Fasting & Fat Loss: Dr. Jason Fung Recap
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
📩 Join the waitlist for Vanessa’s upcoming Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library and receive the special LAUNCH DISCOUNT! In this episode, Vanessa Spina breaks down the biggest insights from her recent conversation with Dr. Jason Fung, one of the leading voices in fasting and metabolic health. The episode also covers fasting strategies, emerging research on protein-supported fasting approaches like protein-sparing modified fasting (PSMF), the benefits and limitations of GLP-1 medications, and why women often experience increased fat gain during perimenopause. Vanessa explains the...
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The NEW Era of Fasting: PSMF vs Water Fasting & The 3 Types of Hunger | Dr. Jason Fung
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
In this episode, Vanessa is joined by Dr. Jason Fung, author of , to unpack the hormonal science behind fat loss — and how fasting may be entering a new era. They start with the three types of hunger and why obesity is not simply about willpower, but disrupted hormonal signaling. We break down insulin’s role in fat storage, obesity, and how ultra-processed foods blunt satiety hormones. Vanessa and Dr. Fung also discuss how protein, fiber, and fat affect hunger very differently than refined carbohydrates — and why a calorie is not metabolically neutral. Then they shift to fasting. Dr....
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6 Fat Loss Secrets from Elite Athletes: Why They Don’t Diet, Eat More Protein & Time Carbs
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
What do elite athletes do differently when it comes to fat loss? In this episode, Vanessa breaks down the most surprising takeaways from her conversation with sports dietitian Emily Mitchell, who has worked with professional teams including UCLA Athletics, the LA Galaxy, the Clippers, and the Buccaneers. While many people think getting lean requires constant dieting, eliminating carbohydrates, and pushing through hunger, elite athletes often take a completely different approach. Vanessa explores six of the most powerful fat loss strategies used by elite performers — including why many...
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The Elite Fat Loss Formula: Nutrition Secrets of Elite Athletes
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
What do elite athletes do differently when it comes to fat loss and body composition? In this episode, Vanessa sits down with Emily Mitchell, RD, CSSD, CDCES — former Director of Sports Nutrition at UCLA Athletics, Sports Performance Dietitian for the LA Galaxy, and current Registered Dietitian at Love.Life — to unpack the real nutrition strategies used at the highest levels of sport. You’ll learn: The core principles elite athletes use to stay lean while maximizing performance How protein intake supports fat loss and lean muscle retention Why recovery nutrition is a hidden driver...
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Burn Fat Faster: The Protein Strategy That Changes Everything
Optimal Protein Podcast with Vanessa Spina
Is fasted cardio really better for fat loss? Or could eating protein before your workout actually improve fat burning, muscle retention, and long-term metabolic health — especially for women? In this deep-dive masterclass recap, Vanessa breaks down the science from her interview with exercise physiologist Dr. Katie Hirsch and unpacks the research on: Fasted vs fed training Essential amino acids before HIIT Muscle quality vs muscle size Intramuscular fat and metabolic dysfunction Perimenopause and anabolic resistance Protein timing for body recomposition This episode reframes the fat loss...
info_outlineIn this episode, Vanessa is joined by Dr. Jason Fung, author of The Hunger Code, to unpack the hormonal science behind fat loss — and how fasting may be entering a new era.
They start with the three types of hunger and why obesity is not simply about willpower, but disrupted hormonal signaling. We break down insulin’s role in fat storage, obesity, and how ultra-processed foods blunt satiety hormones.
Vanessa and Dr. Fung also discuss how protein, fiber, and fat affect hunger very differently than refined carbohydrates — and why a calorie is not metabolically neutral.
Then they shift to fasting. Dr. Fung shares his current protocols and comments on emerging research supporting Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting (PSMF) as a more practical, muscle-conscious alternative to prolonged water fasting.
They cover:
• PSMF vs water fasting
• Protecting lean mass during fat loss
• GLP-1 medications — risks and unintended consequences
• Appetite suppression vs true metabolic health
• Fat loss considerations for women in peri- and post-menopause
This conversation challenges the idea that all fasting approaches are created equal — and reframes modern fat loss through a hormonal lens.
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
Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting Library (Coming Soon)
Vanessa shares her behind-the-scenes system built from the approach she used to lose 14+ lbs of body fat while preserving lean mass.
Join the waitlist: Sign up HERE to be the first to know when it has been released!
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The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise regimen.