I have a new CRAZY focus.
I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently, because I’ve realized this one thing has a huge influence on how I feel, day to day.
Metabolism.
I know, It's a word that gets tossed around a lot in the health world, but have you ever really stopped to think about what it means and how it impacts every aspect of your well-being?
When we talk about metabolism, we often think of it as this fixed, static thing. Like, "I have a slow metabolism" or "I need to boost my metabolism."
But I want to show you a NEW way to understand it..
Because the truth is, metabolism isn't a noun - it's a verb.
It's not something you have, it's something your body does.
Metabolism is the constant, dynamic process of converting the food you eat into the energy that powers every single function in your body. It's happening every second of every day, whether you're aware of it or not.
It's kind of like digestion - you don't "have" a digestion, right?
Digestion is an active process that your body engages in to break down food, extract nutrients, and eliminate waste. Metabolism is similar - it's the ongoing dance of countless chemical reactions and pathways that keep you alive and thriving.
Think of it this way - your metabolism is like the engine that powers your car.
You have to give your car the kind of fuel it needs to run smoothly, right? If you’ve got a diesel engine and you feed it unleaded gas, your performance is going to suffer.
Same thing with the body.
If you're constantly fueling your body with processed, nutrient-poor foods, it's like putting cheap, low-grade gasoline (or worse) in a high-performance car.
Sure, the engine will still run, for a while, but it's not going to run optimally. You might notice a lack of power and even some sputtering and stalling
On the flip side, you give your body what it craves - when you fuel your body with whole, nutrient-dense foods, it's like putting premium gasoline in that same car. Suddenly, the engine is humming along smoothly, you've got plenty of power when you need it, and you can cruise for miles without running out of steam.
But here's the part that’s been blowing my mind - your metabolic engine is incredibly adaptable.
Unlike your car, which is pretty much stuck with the engine it was built with, your metabolism can change and evolve based on the signals you send it. It adapts. Doing its best to work with what you give it.
This is where the concept of metabolic flexibility comes in.
Metabolic flexibility is your body's ability to seamlessly switch between burning glycogen (from carbs) and burning fat for fuel. It's like having a hybrid engine that can run on either gasoline or electricity, depending on what's available and what the demands of the moment are.
Most of us, though, are more like gas guzzlers than hybrids. We're so used to running on a steady stream of glucose from processed carbs and sugary treats that our body never needs to tap into its fat stores for energy.
That’s why some body fat can seem so stubborn. Your body isn’t used to using fat as its energy source, so why would it burn it?
The good news is, you can absolutely train your metabolism to be more flexible and efficient.
And the benefits are SO worth it.
When you have a flexible, responsive metabolism, you have stable, long-lasting energy throughout the day. You don't experience those mid-afternoon crashes or late-night cravings, because your body knows how to tap into its own fuel reserves when it needs to. In addition to that, your body starts burning that stubborn fat it’s been storing.
You're more resilient to stress, because your body can adapt quickly to changing demands and circumstances. You're not thrown off by a missed meal or a tough workout, because your metabolism knows how to roll with the punches and keep you fueled and focused.
But how do you start building that metabolic flexibility?
Well here’s a concept we developed at Freedomology that makes it super simple for anyone to do.
Carb Fasting.
You’ve heard of low-carb or no-carb diets, right? For some people, those work great, but those diets are pretty extreme. And for many people, the thought of never eating carbs again feels overwhelming.
The good news is you don’t need to commit to NEVER having carbs again to start building metabolic flexibility. You can do it just by picking some days you’re going to fast from carbs.
This will depend on your goals and you can make it as extreme as you want, but even fasting from carbs just one day a week will start to teach your body that it needs to start burning fat for its energy.
The key is you’ve gotta run on empty for a little while.
What I mean is, you need to give your body a complete break from carbs. Not just less carbs, but no carbs for 24 hours. This is what will kick start ketosis (your body’s fat-burning mode). If you never give your body a reason to turn to fat burning, it won’t. That’s why carb fasting works.
I personally carb fast three days a week. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. It’s just easier for me to remember, and knowing during those days that I can have carbs tomorrow makes it so much easier. Since I started doing this, I’ve noticed a HUGE increase in my fat burning ability. My face has thinned out, I have more stable energy and I just generally feel better.
I’ve been measuring my metabolic flexibility using a Lumen. (Not a sponsor, just a shout out because this is some cool tech!)Basically a few times a day, I can breathe into this thing and it will tell me with an app on my phone whether my body is in ketosis (fat burning mode) or glycolysis (glycogen burning mode).
This makes it easy to see the way my body is responding to the changes I’m making in what fuel I’m giving it. I’m telling you, our bodies are incredibly adaptive. They WANT to function well. They WANT to heal themselves. We just have to stop putting junk in the engine and start giving the body what it needs.
So if you’ve been struggling to find consistent energy throughout your day, or you’ve been noticing that you’ve got stubborn fat that won’t seem to go, you should absolutely try carb fasting.
Pick an amount that feels challenging but not overwhelming. 2 days a week? 4 days a week?
And then commit. Commit to abstaining from carbs on those days and watch what happens.
Your body is going to adapt. Your engine is going to learn to switch between fuel sources.
And if you can get your engine functioning properly, everything else falls into place. If you’re really serious about seeing some change in your body, you should register for our next H40 Sprint. It’s starting on May 1st and it will ABSOLUTELY change your life.It’s not just another fitness program.
It will get you into shape, for sure, but it’ll do so much more than that. It’s about getting healthy in our minds, our bodies and creating spaces that we love. It’s about falling in love with life itself.
So click THIS LINK and drop your email down to register, and we’ll see you there! I can’t wait to see what happens.
P.S. Look out for our “3 Ways YOU can Carb Fast to lose fat and increase energy” post coming soon
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