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🥩 Fasting for Fat Loss and Performance: The Complete Ancestral Playbook

  • Writer: Mark Offerdahl
    Mark Offerdahl
  • Jun 13
  • 3 min read

Why Fasting for Fat Loss and Performance Works Better Than Dieting

If you want to drop body fat, sharpen your mind, recover faster, and regain control over cravings, look no further than fasting for fat loss and performance.


This isn’t about skipping meals or starving yourself. Fasting is a biological tool hardwired into your DNA, backed by our most trusted mentors—Chaffee, Saladino, Baker—and supported by the rhythms of our primal ancestors.


💡 What the Experts Say About Fasting for Fat Loss and Performance


🧠 Dr. Anthony Chaffee

“Fasting combined with a carnivore diet is like hitting the reset button for your metabolism. It’s the fastest way to lower inflammation and burn fat while preserving muscle.”

Chaffee advocates fasting as a complement to zero-carb eating—especially for those healing from autoimmune issues or metabolic disease.

🥭 Dr. Paul Saladino

“Fasting is a useful tool, but should be used wisely. Too much can backfire, especially for lean, active people.”

Saladino supports strategic intermittent fasting (16:8 or OMAD) while also emphasizing the role of carbs (fruit/honey) for those with high activity levels or thyroid concerns.

💪 Dr. Shawn Baker

“You don’t need six meals a day. You need one big meal with real food and a reason to train hard.”

Baker is a fan of OMAD (one meal a day), using fasting to improve body composition, energy, and mental sharpness. His clients often thrive with just steak and salt.

🦣 Primal Bod & Evolutionary View

Fasting was never optional for our ancestors. There were days without food. The strongest humans adapted to it.

“Fasting for fat loss and performance reflects how we evolved: feast hard, fast naturally, and thrive with less.”

🧭 H2: How to Use Fasting for Fat Loss and Performance Based on Your Body Fat %

Use the protocols below to personalize your fasting strategy.

Goal

Body Fat %

Fasting Protocol

Frequency

Electrolytes Required?

Best Way to Break Fast

🔥 Burn Fat (Lean Body)

<15%

16:8 IF

4–6x/week

Yes (Salt + Mg)

Steak, eggs, liver

🧼 Gut Reset

15–25%

18:6 or OMAD

3–5x/week

Yes

Fatty meat, organs

💥 Metabolic Reset

25–35%

24–36hr Fasts

1–2x/week

Absolutely

Salt water → meat & eggs

🧨 Obesity/Pre-diabetic

35%+

48hr Extended Fast (1–2x/mo)

Monthly w/ care

Mandatory

Salt/electrolytes → eggs + steak

🧂 Do You Need Electrolytes During Fasting?

Yes—especially when fasting for fat loss and performance. Fasting depletes sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Without these, you’ll crash or feel miserable.

  • Sodium: 3–5g/day during fasts

  • Magnesium: 300–500mg (glycinate or citrate)

  • Potassium: Use “Lite Salt” or potassium chloride (1–2g)

Avoid sweetened electrolyte drinks. They’ll spike insulin and defeat the purpose.


🥘 What Should You Eat to Break a Fast?

Let’s get real. Our ancestors didn’t sip bone broth after a fast—they crushed meat off the bone.

But if you’re coming off a 24+ hour fast, some people do better with a “gentle” transition:

Ideal Sequence:

  1. Optional: Bone broth or salt water (to ease digestion)

  2. 30–60 mins later: Steak, eggs, liver, suet

  3. Avoid: High-carb or sugary foods (this spikes insulin and can cause bloat, headaches, or rebound hunger)

💡 Note: For shorter fasts (16–18hrs), go straight to the steak.


🧠 H2: Benefits of Fasting for Fat Loss and Performance

Here’s what clients report after 30 days of using fasting protocols:

  • 🔥 Rapid fat loss (especially around the midsection)

  • 💪 Increased lean muscle retention while cutting

  • 🧠 Laser-sharp mental clarity (especially in morning hours)

  • 💥 Reduced inflammation in joints, skin, and gut

  • 🙅‍♂️ Less cravings and emotional eating

  • ⏰ More control over food timing and social eating


🧬 Final Thoughts: Fasting for Fat Loss and Performance is Primal, Powerful, and Proven

If you're tired of diet confusion and want a simple system to lose fat, heal faster, and feel better, fasting is your answer.


Whether you’re a gym member in Austin or an online coaching client—this guide gives you everything you need to start fasting for fat loss and performance the right way.



 
 
 

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