Adaptive Thermogenesis and Exercise Limits

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What if everything you’ve believed about “fast” and “slow” metabolism has quietly been steering you off course? And what if the real barriers to sustainable fat loss have less to do with willpower, and far more to do with how your body protects you when it senses scarcity?

This week on Live Well Be Well, I’m joined once again by Dr. Andy Galpin, professor of kinesiology and one of the world’s leading experts on human performance and metabolism. Together, we explore the truths behind fat loss, metabolic rate, weight cycling, and the misunderstandings that keep so many people stuck in frustration.

Here’s What We Dive Into:

- Why the idea of “fast versus slow metabolism” misleads us and what metabolic rate actually reflects.

- How fat oxidation differs from real fat loss and why marketing often blurs the line.

- What boosts metabolism acutely versus chronically and why most fat burners rarely matter.

- How basal metabolic rate, thermal effect of food, exercise and NEAT interact to shape long-term weight outcomes.

- Why sustainability is the strongest predictor of successful and lasting fat loss.

- How the body adapts to caloric deficit and why NEAT drops more than most people realise.

- What strategic refeeds can support and when they matter most for mood, hormones and motivation.

- Why GLP-1 medications are reshaping obesity treatment and what gaps still concern experts.

- How food confusion, ultra-processed marketing and seed oil panic distract from the fundamentals.

- What whole food patterns, education and self-awareness offer that shortcuts cannot replicate.

Love,

Sarah Ann 💛

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This episode is sponsored by:

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If You Enjoyed This Episode, You Might Also Like:How HRV, Sleep & Hydrogen Water Impact Longevity | Dr Andy GalpinHow HRV, Sleep & Hydrogen Water Impact Longevity | Dr Andy Galpin

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Highlights:

The myth of fast and slow metabolism (00:00:00)

Fat oxidation versus real fat loss (00:04:12)

Why most metabolism boosters fall short (00:06:45)

Thermal effect of food and what it contributes (00:10:21)

Why exercise alone often does not result in expected fat loss (00:13:47)

NEAT and the invisible drop that happens during dieting (00:16:30)

Strategic refeeds and how they support hormones and motivation (00:19:48)

Healing disordered eating patterns through flexibility (00:25:12)

The obesity epidemic and the role of metabolic health (00:31:03)

GLP-1 medications and the future of weight loss treatment (00:33:42)

Seed oil panic and why it misses the point (00:38:01)

Navigating whole foods and processing confusion (00:55:27)

The problem with choosing the least bad option (01:03:10)

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