Wits & Weights | Strength & Fat Loss Over 40

Is intermittent fasting right for you?

In my episode 458 (in early 2026), I gave you 5 ways intermittent fasting backfires. Then Lyle McDonald came on (in our most recent episode 516) to talk about his new fasting book. So which is it?
In this bonus episode, I give you my own take on whether Lyle's intermittent modified fasting makes sense for you, especially if you're over 40 or in perimenopause or menopause.

I explain why this is NOT the fasting I warned you about. Then I cover 4 traps: starting with an aggressive pattern, letting protein run low, expecting fast results when you're already lean, and using it when it isn't right for you. Then I give you a 4-week experiment and what to track to see if it works.

Listen to my full conversation with Lyle McDonald to learn how to use fasting to lose fat without losing muscle.
https://witsandweights.com/516

Timestamps:

0:00 - Is fasting bad after 40 or not?
2:47 - Why this isn't the same as time-restricted eating (TRE)
4:46 - Trap 1: Starting with an aggressive pattern
6:03 - Trap 2: Letting protein run low
7:20 - Trap 3: Expecting the last pounds to come off fast
8:34 - Trap 4: When this isn't for you
9:56 - A 4-week experiment and what to track

Episode Resources:
Episode 516: Intermittent modified fasting with Lyle McDonald
Episode 458: 5 ways intermittent fasting backfires for women over 40
Lyle's Intermittent Modified Fasting book - https://witsandweights.com/lyle

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
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Educational content only, not medical advice.

Can intermittent fasting help you lose fat without losing muscle?
What if everything you've heard about fasting and your metabolism is wrong? And what if the real secret to losing fat faster while protecting your strength has nothing to do with fasting longer?
Lyle McDonald, longtime fat loss, muscle building, and sports nutrition expert, breaks down what intermittent fasting actually does and where most of the claims fall apart.
Learn the key difference between fasting and time-restricted eating, why protein matters for preserving muscle, and how Lyle’s Intermittent Modified Fasting approach combines aggressive Rapid Fat Loss (RFL) days with maintenance days.
We also cover how to match your nutrition and macros to your strength training schedule, when aggressive weight loss starts to backfire, why maintenance days can improve adherence, and how leaner lifters and women can approach those stubborn last 5 to 10 pounds.
Get Lyle’s Intermittent Modified Fasting book for his full system, with weekly patterns for fat loss, recomp, and gaining, and support the show at this link:
https://witsandweights.com/lyle
Timestamps:
0:00 - Fasting claims and the IMF book
3:43 - Fasting versus time-restricted eating
13:14 - The RFL day and scaling protein
16:53 - Protein for older lifters
17:55 - Feast days versus maintenance days
26:05 - IMF versus a daily calorie deficit
34:26 - IMF versus carb cycling
37:55 - Choosing a weekly pattern for your goal
46:49 - Lifting first thing in the morning
51:10 - When someone else cooks dinner
55:55 - Listener question: when to end a hard diet
1:04:21 - Listener question: losing the last 5 to 10 pounds
Episode resources:
Lyle's website: bodyrecomposition.com   
Intermittent Modified Fasting and Lyle’s other books: https://witsandweights.com/lyle
Body Recomposition Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/810890695609053 
YouTube: @lylemcdonaldisright 

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
👥 Join the free Facebook community
❓ Ask a question for the show

Educational content only, not medical advice.

Do you need 3 hours of Zone 2 cardio a week if you're already strength training over 40?
You've heard that Zone 2 builds your mitochondria, burns more fat, and adds years to your life, as long as you put in about 3 hours a week. I put those claims under the microscope and compare Zone 2 with harder cardio, with a focus on what you need when you already lift and don't have hours to spare.
You'll learn:
Who Zone 2 was originally built for, and why that matters if you lift
How much to trust the heart rate zones on your watch, and the simpler test I'd use
What a 30-year Harvard study found about moderate vs. vigorous exercise
Whether adding cardio cuts into your muscle and strength
My 5-part minimum cardio plan for 3 or 4 lifting days
If you want the health benefits of cardio without giving up your lifting time, hit play.
Get 20% off Fitness Lab, my AI coaching app that builds your training around the time you have and adjusts it to how you're recovering. Learn more at witsandweights.com/app and use this special link for 20% off:
https://bit.ly/fitness-lab-pod20
Timestamps:
0:00 - Do you need Zone 2 if you lift weights?
2:53 - Where Zone 2 came from
6:02 - Fitting cardio around your lifting schedule
8:21 - Heart rate zones, wearables, and the talk test
9:21 - Mitochondria, fat burning, and longevity
14:16 - Does cardio hurt your lifting?
17:00 - A minimum effective cardio plan
22:43 - Bonus: splitting your walks for blood sugar
Episode Resources:
Episode 511: belly fat, cortisol, and the walking trial in postmenopausal women
Episode 507: carb cycling and the difference between burning fat and losing fat
Episode 374: the adaptive cardio pyramid
Episode 443: strength training and endurance after 40

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
👥 Join the free Facebook community
❓ Ask a question for the show

Educational content only, not medical advice.

How do you track macros when food labels can be wrong by 20 percent?
You've heard food labels can be off by 20 percent, so you might wonder why you'd weigh anything to the gram. I look at what the FDA rule says, what researchers found when they tested food in a lab, and which error in your food log matters most.
You'll learn:
What the 20% rule on food labels says, and which direction the error can run
Lab results on restaurant meals and packaged snacks versus their labels
How much people miss in their food logs when a gold-standard method checks them
The 3 tracking rules that make your errors cancel out, plus the foods worth weighing
One change to when you log that lined up with more people reaching real weight loss
If you want your food log to work even when the numbers aren't perfect, hit play.
Get 20% off your first order at True Nutrition with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. You build your own protein powder, from the protein to the flavor and sweetener, and everything is third-party lab tested and first-party verified.
https://truenutrition.com/witsandweights
Timestamps:
0:00 - Precise tracking and the label error claim
3:45 - The FDA 20% label rule and rounding
7:54 - Protein that's easy to log consistently
9:49 - Lab tests on label accuracy
12:49 - Human logging error and doubly labeled water
20:40 - Calibration, bias, and noise in your log
23:00 - How to track macros with 3 rules
27:33 - Restaurant meals and fiber on labels
30:35 - Bonus: the best time to log food
Episode Resources:
MacroFactor, code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a free 2-week trial. You can support the show if you use our affiliate code!
Episode 510: Jenny's tracking lesson after decades of dieting
Episode 511: belly fat after 40, plus tracking your trend weight and waist
Episode 497: why a calculator shouldn't set your calories and macros

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
👥 Join the free Facebook community
❓ Ask a question for the show

Educational content only, not medical advice.

Is BPC-157 worth injecting for tendon pain if you're lifting weights?
You've seen the headlines about an FDA panel voting for BPC-157, and you may know someone injecting it for a sore elbow or shoulder. I look at what the FDA did this summer, every human study I could find, and my own BPC-157 experiment from a few years ago. Then I share what helps stubborn tendon pain, no injection required.
You'll learn:
What the FDA panel voted on in July, and which use it reviewed
How many people BPC-157 has been tested on, and for how long
Lessons from my own 6-week BPC-157 experiment on my shoulder
A 12-week elastic band program from a tennis elbow trial
3 questions to ask before you buy any peptide or supplement
If you're about to order peptides for a sore elbow, shoulder, or hip, hit play.
Join Eat More Lift Heavy to keep lifting around a sore joint with a training program matched to your schedule and equipment, plus 26 weeks of coaching. https://eatmoreliftheavy.com
Timestamps:
0:00 - BPC-157 and the peptide headlines
3:48 - The FDA timeline and the July panel vote
7:52 - Training, food, and time for a sore joint
10:16 - Who voted yes and who's using BPC-157
11:57 - Human studies, rat studies, and safety
16:39 - My BPC-157 shoulder experiment
19:57 - Tendon pain after 40 and progressive loading
25:51 - How to judge any peptide claim
27:17 - Bonus: cortisone shots for tennis elbow
Episode Resources:
Episode 255: my first BPC-157 experiment for shoulder recovery
Episode 492: tissue capacity and training through pain (Dr. Tom Walters)
Corrections. A few things I misspoke on air:
I said it's "technically true" that the FDA approved these peptides, but the panel only "recommended" BPC-157 for compounding. The FDA hasn't approved it or published a rule.
I said ulcerative colitis is "like" inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is a different condition.
JAMA is the Journal of the American Medical Association

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy, the 26-week coached program to build muscle and lose fat after 40
📱 Get Fitness Lab, the AI coaching app for strength training and nutrition over 40
 📊 Track your nutrition with MacroFactor and use code WITSANDWEIGHTS for a 2-week free trial 
👥 Join the free Facebook community
❓ Ask a question for the show

Educational content only, not medical advice.