Metabolic Flexibility: How to Get Started

“Metabolic flexibility is not only the gateway but also the mandatory first step to a healthier body and a longer life. If you can’t achieve it, you will be doomed to an accelerated demise featuring pain and suffering.”

Ah, Mark Sisson. He always says it exactly like it is. He is one of my favorite authors and leaders in the world of wellness, and today all my quotes will be taken from his recent book Keto for Life, a great read for those of you who truly want to dive deep into longevity (get it here).

If you are new to the “keto” scene and are intrigued, please don’t look up the word online or follow some random dude on Instagram, seriously. You will just get bad information. Take the time to read Mark’s first book on the topic, which is still the one that I recommend to everyone, The Keto Reset Diet (buy it here) , which came out in 2017. It is by far the best book for newbies, has the most clearly explained steps to follow, and allows you a smooth transition into new and lasting metabolic health. I will take a deep dive into the world of keto at a later date and try to clear up some misconceptions and bad advice that is out there, but for now realize that if you are presently metabolically inflexible, done correctly, it is by far the most efficient way to get flexible.

Now on to the topic at hand.

What is metabolic flexibility? Simply put, 

metabolic flexibility is the ability of the body to easily and seamlessly switch back and forth from burning sugar to burning fat for energy.

How do you know if you are metabolically flexible? That’s very easy to determine. If you cannot effortlessly go 16 hours (including sleeping time) without food, you are NOT metabolically flexible.

Yep. Read that again if you need to.

Then go back and read my opening quote from Mark Sisson and really take it in.

Here’s the deal.

1 pound of fat contains approximately 3000 calories. In other words, most people have an entire days worth of food just on their right butt cheek alone. Going without food for a time should be a piece of cake (pun intended).

If you cannot do this, your body has LOST the ability to burn fat for fuel and you are metabolically INFLEXIBLE. You have meals and meals worth of energy ON YOUR PERSON that your body is effectively ignoring.

“Metabolic flexibility describes the ability to burn a variety of stored or ingested fuel sources, gracefully delivering to your body the exact energy it needs at all times, whether or not you eat regular meals.” (emphasis mine)

Remember from my previous post (linked here) that metabolic inflexibility leads to Metabolic Syndrome (chronically high insulin production). So simply deciding that’s how you were made (it’s not) is ignoring a major detriment to your health. Don’t make that mistake.

Why do you think humans have the ability to store unlimited amounts of fat (1000s of calories worth) but only at most 700 g of sugar (in the form of glycogen)?

Because fat was always meant to be our primary source of fuel.

“Primal humans had to work hard for every bite of food they ate...This forced our ancestors to become good at burning stored fat and glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrate) and making ketones in the liver.”

Your body does not need you to eat every few hours. Your body does not WANT you to eat every few hours. It has tons of really important and critical things to do that it can’t accomplish if it is constantly digesting. It is perfectly designed to elegantly switch around to the most efficient fuel source for your needs at the time. It should have everything handy and available.

But guess what? If you are constantly shoving carbs in your face every few hours, your body never exercises these other means of getting energy. Your “metabolic muscles” weaken and atrophy, and when you do run out of carbs your body screams at you for more because the machinery to burn anything else is simply not built.

This is the essence of metabolic inflexibility.

The design for the machinery is still there, however. Don’t keep telling yourself the lie that this is just “how I am.” You need to direct your body to build this machinery and exercise those metabolic muscles.

“Once you have built the metabolic machinery to excel at fasting, burning fat, and making ketones, you can get your next meal from your plate, or from your butt and thighs - your choice.”

I always get raised eyebrows or a comment about “willpower” when I mention that I didn’t eat yesterday, or that today I am sticking to one meal. Actually, willpower has nothing to do with it. My body is completely capable and willing to take what I throw at it, and does not complain. Because I regularly allow my body to use fat and ketones for fuel, it has become exceedingly good at it. It also tells me when I need to eat some carbs, and I oblige. It gives me cues that today would be good day to just eat meat. And when I have a big foodie feast, it doesn’t throw my body off, but rather gives it the chance to optimize my insulin pathways, and returns everything to normal by the following morning.

I am not special. I don’t have some unique makeup that allows me to do this. This is how human beings were designed. You, too.

“It’s time to forget what you may have absorbed from flawed conventional wisdom over your lifetime and acknowledge that humans were not designed to eat regular meals, nor become habituated to constant snacking or wolfing down energy-boosting substances like sugar and caffeine.”

Hopefully now you are wondering HOW to build this machinery, HOW to exercise your metabolic muscles, and HOW to become, as Mark calls it, a “fat-burning beast.” 

It all starts with eliminating the TOP 5 completely and absolutely from your diet for one month straight. Be very strict about this for the entire month. This will force you to go through all your food and analyze ingredients. Mark’s elimination list is similar and he calls them “the big three toxic modern foods: refined sugars, grains and industrial seed oils.”

“This will allow you to detox from whatever level of carbohydrate dependency or leaky gut syndrome you may have currently, and transition over to a nutrient-dense, insulin-balanced diet.”

I have already told you what to replace these foods with (you can read that article here), but in the first month don’t be dogmatic about it. Concentrate only on NOT consuming the offending materials. This is not a “keto” diet, don’t worry about counting calories or macros, just concentrate on elimination. Become very good at spotting offensive substances, and do not cheat. This is your time to learn what is FOOD and what is NOT FOOD.

It’s ok to repeat your favorites, such as an omelet or a steak, grass-fed beef sticks and cheese sticks, lots of butter, even a small amount of 90% dark chocolate to round out your evening. Don’t fatigue yourself by trying to come up with elaborate meals, just feed your body real food for a change.

You are taking control of your own health, and learning what NOT to put in your body is a critical first step.

And you are going to be amazed at how good you feel.

If you are hungry, eat. It may seem weird, but a tablespoon of fat may be just what your body needs in that moment. Or some protein (here is a good one). Or maybe even just salt (purchase some here). But if you are not hungry, DON’T EAT. Begin to become aware of the bad habits that have been ingrained in you from birth, and develop a new eating intuition.

After this one month “cleanse,” you will be ready for the next step, and that’s where the real fun begins.