The Christian Nutritionist

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194: Fasted Workouts and Meal Timing with Melissa McAllister

One of the questions I am often asked is: Should I/Can I workout while I’m fasting?

In this week’s episode, fasting and fitness expert Melissa McAllister is joining me to discuss who is a good fit for fasted workouts PLUS how to best target meal timing.

EPISODE 194: Fasted Workouts and Meal Timing with Melissa McAllister

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Show Notes


(0:00) Intro

  • Hello my friend, welcome back to the club, how are you today?

  • We’re talking about a hot topic and a question I get regularly and that is should I workout / is it ok to workout while I’m fasting. And I’ve got a guest on with us today whom I’m really honored to have on the podcast and really excited to have this discussion with.  I’ve been following her for years - her name is Melissa McAllister - she’s a well known fitness professional, entrepreneur and also an NTP. Fasting and fitness is her wheelhouse and I’m pumped to get to dive in on this topic with her. 

  • Welcome Melissa to the Christian Health Club podcast. 

(2:30) Tell us more about your background, how you got into the health space and how that’s evolved for you. 

  • Born with severe birth defects in feet

  • Became fascinated with how foot and lifestyle affect the body

    • NTA - Nutritional Therapy Association

(8:35) How long have you been doing intermittent fasting and how did you get into that?

  • Started teaching group classes at age 26

  • Felt bogged down having eaten vs. fasting before exercise

  • Chalene Johnson

  • Began researching intermittent fasting after intuitively using IF

(13:00) Can you speak to this question I get a lot, “Should I/Can I workout while I’m fasting?”

  • One problem is when we take things the extreme whether it be fasting, certain diets, etc.

  • There is nothing unhealthy about not eating a couple hours after waking, or not eating a couple hours before sleeping.

  • Our bodies are made to lose fat in the fasting window.

(19:35) Best kind of exercise to do in a fasted state? Easy or hard? Cardio or strength training? Does it matter? 

  • We have sugar stores and reserved fat in our bodies to use for fuel.

  • (Personally) does do both cardio and strength training in a fasted state.

  • Muscle is built in the repair, not in the phase of working out.

  • You can build muscle, lose body fat, and exercise in a fasted state.

If someone IS going to eat before a workout in the morning - what's best food? Protein? Carb?

  • Fasting is a GOOD stressor, it makes your body stronger.

  • If you are a performance athlete feel like you are draining glycogen stores within that workout, that might be a different story, but for the average person that want to build muscle and lose fat, doing fasted workouts is best.

(29:58) Is there anything to timing protein or carbs in the post workout window?

  • As part of our circadian rhythm, we metabolize carbs and protein earlier in the day, and fats later in the day.

  • Technically 12 hours is fasting

    • Breaking fast: Bone broth, fermented yogurt, sauerkraut, low sugar kombucha

(35:55) Circadian Rhythms

  • Fasting is something that can seasonally change

    • It is natural to have a longer feeding window in the summer.

    • Eating with the sun

  • Digestive organs work better during the daylight hours

  • The Circadian Code

  • Protein synthesis is strongest by 10am

  • Protein Targets

  • Consistency, not perfection

(46:50) Is there anyone who shouldn't workout fasted? (maybe someone who is already overly stressed?)

  • Choose your hormetic stressors

  • Thyroid conditions (controversial)

    • Don’t take fasting off the table

  • If you are growing or growing a baby inside of you

  • Disordered eating - seek professional guidance

  • Bioindividuality

(54:50) Anchor Questions:

  • 11-7 Rule

  • Anchor Meal: Protein and veggies girl—

    • Getting a variety of colors on the plate

    • Salmon, grass-fed beef, chicken, seafood

    • Piece of dark chocolate

  • Anchor Verse:

    • Ephesians 4:2

(59:55) Where can people find/connect with you?

(1:01:09) Outro & Disclaimer

Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!




XOXO,

Chelsea