Effective Fat-Burning Strategies to Kick Off 2025, with Amir Mofidi Artwork

Health Is A Skill with Todd Vande Hei

Welcome to the Health is a Skill podcast with host Todd Vande Hei! Todd is the CEO of Stark, which exists to change the future of health and fitness in the communities they serve. For the last 15 years, Todd has been on a journey to discover what it means to be in a state of peak health. After suffering from a series of seizures and being diagnosed with high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation in his early 30’s, Todd decided it was time to make a change. Those changes fell into one of four categories: lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, and stress management. But the biggest thing Todd learned through it all? Health is a skill. You’re not born with it, like some would like you to believe, and it isn’t acquired by simply buying another product or starting that new diet. Health is something you can create for yourself, and over time it is possible to attain peak health.

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Health Is A Skill with Todd Vande Hei

Effective Fat-Burning Strategies to Kick Off 2025, with Amir Mofidi

January 09, 2025 • Todd Vande Hei • Season 3 • Episode 1

Welcome to Season 3 of Health is a Skill! We’re kicking off a brand new season—and a brand new year—talking about the most effective ways to burn fat and feel your best as we enter 2025. Stark’s head of training and health protocols, Amir Mofidi, is back on the podcast, this time joining Todd to discuss optimizing fat-burn, if cutting calories actually works, and which type of exercise to prioritize to lose fat in those stubborn areas. Let’s dive in!

Amir and Todd have been perfecting their respective fat loss regimens for years, and in this opening episode of Season 3, they share those exact strategies with you! Together the two outline the role hormones play in fat loss, if fasting or calorie restriction actually works to achieve your goals, and the best ways to exercise depending on your life stage and body composition. Todd and Amir wrap up the episode by taking a look at fat loss in women specifically, plus debunk some of the common misconceptions around how to burn fat.

Start 2025 off right with this super practical episode, and don’t miss a moment of Health is a Skill this season by subscribing to the show here: https://www.stark.health/podcast.

Get access to Todd's free health resource: https://podtodd.com

Learn more about Stark at: https://www.stark.health

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Fat Loss Goals
02:55 The Wheel of Health Concept
05:47 Hormonal Influences on Fat Burning
09:11 Understanding the Fat Burning Process
12:00 The Role of Muscle Mass in Fat Burning
16:47 Cardio and the Fat Burning Zone
20:04 High-Intensity vs. Low-Intensity Training
22:50 Rapid Fat Loss Strategies
25:17 Caloric Restriction and Its Effects
26:15 The Role of Macros in Fat Burning
27:41 Fasting: Benefits and Drawbacks
29:35 Understanding Glycemic Loads
30:32 Misconceptions About Fat Loss
33:25 Spot Reduction: Myth or Reality?
34:22 Extreme Caloric Restriction Consequences
37:16 Cultural Shifts in Female Fitness
40:35 The Importance of Protein and Calories
44:26 Measuring Progress in Fat Loss
48:18 Personal Strategies for Fat Burning