There are a lot of “new year, new you” sentiments flying around right now, and I get it. I’ve spent many a January 1 resolving to transform myself in ways I am convinced will make me happier, more successful, and just better.
Yet most of my major life changes have occurred when I stumbled upon a pivotal answer that unlocked what I wanted to achieve… and rarely has that happened on January 1. When it came to weight loss, the unlock turned out to be fasting. However, merely fasting and fasting to lose weight are not the same thing. After all, I’ve fasted all my life. So have you. Every night we sleep, those consecutive hours we’re in bed and not eating can be considered a fast. Yet I didn’t start losing weight until I began fasting intentionally and consistently for 16 hours or longer. Why? There are several reasons, but here’s the most important: Only in those crucial later hours of my fast did my body start burning what all of us who want to lose weight are actually trying to burn — fat.
From Fasting to Fat Burning
Technically, there’s no “on/off switch” for burning fat; according to our Sr. Science Writer Rich LaFountain, PhD, we’re always burning a small amount of fat as part of our fuel mix. However, Rich says that when given the choice, our bodies will immediately reach for the carbs from our incoming meals for fuel. When we constantly eat, our bodies constantly burn the incoming carbs and essentially never have the chance to tap into the fuel we already have onboard, which is fat.
Enter: fasting.
By fasting, we remove the constant “incoming fuel” supply. After about 12–16 hours, once we’ve burned through our last meal, our body sends the signal to start pulling more fat out of our reserves for fuel. This is, quite literally, how our ancestors stayed alive. During feast, they packed on fat. During famine, they burned it.
Burning Fat with Zero
Now, why am I telling you all of this? Because we aren’t our ancestors; we’re living in a time of feast, feast, feast. This means we need to create our own opportunities to burn fat — and every fast is a new opportunity. We’ve heard from so many Members that they want to focus on fat burning and want Zero to help them make the most of these fat-burning opportunities. In 2024, that’s exactly what we’re delivering.
Thanks to your input, we’re excited to unveil an all-new Timer that reveals how your fast length and lifestyle factors —exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress— affect your fat burning. Science shows that to get into Fat-Burning Mode, you need to fast for at least 12–16 hours. However, there are things you can do to reach Fat-Burning Mode sooner. When you connect companion health apps like Apple Health and Oura, we use your unique health data to provide you with personalized guidance for burning more fat with every fast. You will also be able to easily log meals, mood, weight, exercise, and more right below the Timer.
Fat-Burning Mode is starting to roll out to Members now, so bear with us — everyone will have access in the next few months. Watch your Timer for updates!
Still Have Questions?
Whether you’re new to Zero or you have been with us for years, you probably have some questions — about fasting, about the app, about burning fat; you name it, we want to hear it! I’d like to encourage you to start this year by getting your questions answered. Submit them here and then follow us on Instagram and TikTok, where we’ll answer your questions, and more.
Happy New Year!
- Tom’s April Update - April 22, 2024
- Tom’s January 2024 Update - January 8, 2024
- Tom’s November Update - November 6, 2023
