Side note, some preferred started and finished eating early, others preferred starting and finishing later.

Thanks for the support, Hector. I'm glad you enjoyed the episode!

It's always a true pleasure to discover a channel with so much awesome content to immerse oneself in! The YT algorithm usually puts up garbage suggestions, but thanks to Lyle McDonald I am here. After listening to LM and some of your other guest's on WL and type 2 as a layman I have the following question:

If a high protein intake when on low cals offers the best chance of retaining one's muscle mass or the majority thereof, especially when paired with a moderate resistance training regimen, why is this not the default? Using the very low cal shake approach (600 cals) by Dr. Roy Taylor, if using only protein shakes with some omega supplements and greens, you would still potentially have in the range of 150 grams of protein per day.

Which, for an obese/overweight untrained individual would provide if not all, then the majority of their protein requirements, and such being the case, leave them with more skeletal muscle mass at the end of the intensive diet intervention. After all, if sufficient protein intake spares muscle, and you are going very low cal, don't you want to retain the most amount of muscle while doing this? Would not doing such enable increased activity and feelings of wellbeing, as well as elevate a little more metabolic rate which has already taken a kicking? What am I missing?

​@@vaughanstarr3725 Thanks for checking out the channel! I'm glad you're enjoying all it has to offer. If I'm understanding your question correctly, you're asking why a protein-sparing modified fast is not the primary intervention utilized for weight loss? I'm not sure - should it be? I think yes when applicable. The lack of popularity probably comes down to a few things. For starters, many medical practitioners (unfortunately) aren't as muscle-centric as those in the fitness community. From what I've observed, few focus on lifestyle and rarely recommend frequent resistance exercise. Their dietary recommendations stick closer to the RDA and slightly above it for protein. This may be due to the pervasive myths surrounding a high-protein diet (they just won't go away..). Another possibility is simply a lack of awareness of the relevant literature on the topic. Nutrition isn't exactly a central component of standard medical education (PMID: 31538623). With that being said, a practitioner may be aware of the potential benefits and still not opt for a PSMF. The primary reason for this is probably due to the fact that it's highly restrictive. Some individuals simply won't be able to adhere to the diet due to their food preferences, environment, etc. For others, depending on their background, it can worsen their relationship with food and facilitate disordered eating behavior. Without proper education and monitoring from a professional, binge eating is not an uncommon occurrence following a PSMF, which can lead to rapid weight regain, and ultimately, put the individual back to square one. For some, it's simply too severe of an intervention and they would more so benefit from small gradual changes over time. It comes down to the individual's background and motivation/readiness to change. You mentioned Roy Taylor who was on the most recent episode of the podcast. I ask him a similar question, i.e. why are practitioners so averse to these types of diets? If you haven't checked it out yet, I think you will really enjoy it.

@@murrderRD Thank you for taking the time to answer so comprehensively my question. I watched and thoroughly enjoyed the podcast with Dr. Taylor, though confess, after binging on your content I have obviously lost a little. Like sitting through five awesome lectures where in spite of a desire to do so, not all information is retained! What is optimal means dick if the individual crash's and burn's on it. My own interest is not purely one of curiosity, physically I find myself in a position of needing to drop a good amount of fat. Listing to Martin MacDonald and Lyle McDonald on the subject caused me to reevaluate the dogma that this must be done slowly or failure was assured. Being introduced to the benefits of a protein sparing fast opened my eyes to a whole new possibility which I have now begun to implement. And so far, no dramatic loss of strength, and a lot of psychological gratification by way of seeing the scale numbers go down fast! Yeah, I know its not all fat, doesn't matter. Nothing motivates adherence like success. And provided I retain the majority of my strength, e.g DB Bench Press 130 5RM, then I can embrace the suck because its a lot easier for myself to see the finish line on a 1500m (okay maybe a 12 km) than a marathon. Thanks again for so thoroughly answering my question. If in time I do crash and burn on this approach, I will turn your way for guidance. Lol, though no freebies expected, you have already been more than generous with your time!

I'm very happy to read that. Thanks for checking out the content, Nick.