FASTING - FRIEND OR FOE?

Rewriting My Midlife Brand, Metabolism & Fasting: Why I’m Becoming JoanneLee.com

Episode Description In this episode, I pull back the curtain on a big shift: after 30 years as The Shrink Shop, I’m moving everything under JoanneLee.com and fully owning the work I actually do — high-level body composition and midlife coaching that goes way beyond “just weight loss.”

We’ll dive into why I’m rebranding, how my coaching has evolved, and then get into the science of fasting, metabolic slowdown, and midlife hormones — including why fasting is powerful for some bodies and a terrible idea for others.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:

🔁 Why I’m Rebranding to JoanneLee.com

• Why The Shrink Shop name worked in the early “weight loss only” days, but no longer reflects the depth of my work

• How my Mastering Midlife coaching has gone far beyond fat loss into hormones, resilience, energy, and long-term health

• Why I’m stepping into my own name and identity to represent my full range of coaching (not just shrinking bodies, but rebuilding them)

🧠 My Coaching Philosophy: Science First, Trends Second

• How my approach is built on physiology and current research, not whatever diet is trending on Instagram this week

• Why my work is grounded in body composition — muscle, fat, hormones, metabolism — rather than just “scale weight”

• How I use tools like fasting inside structured programs, rather than as a random or extreme lifestyle

⏳ Constant Calorie Restriction vs Fasting: What Really Happens to Your Metabolism

• Why long-term calorie restriction makes your body burn fewer calories at rest

• The role of NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) — all the unconscious movement you do in a day — and how it can drop by up to ~700 calories/day when you’re dieting hard

• How thyroid output and other hormones adapt downward when the body feels like energy is scarce

• Why some naturally lean people (often ectomorphs) stay slim because of consistently high NEAT, not “magic metabolism”

🔥 Metabolic Adaptation & Why Pushing Harder Backfires

• What metabolic adaptation actually is and why your body becomes better at storing energy when it senses ongoing restriction

• Why “eat less, move more” eventually crashes: pushing harder with less food and more exercise can stall fat loss and make you feel worse

• How fasting sends a clear on/off signal, allowing the body to mobilize fat without the same “panic conserve” response

• The benefits of clear eating windows and routine for cellular and mitochondrial health

⚡ Fasting: Myths, Benefits & Where It Actually Helps

• Why fasting does not slow metabolism — and how it can temporarily increase adrenaline and alertness as a survival mechanism

• How that “elevated, sharp” feeling during a fast is biology first, not spiritual awakening — even if it sometimes feels that way

• How fasting can help mobilize stored fat and give the digestive system a break

• Where I typically use fasting in coaching (for example, a structured 16-hour fast phase in my Signature Program)

⚠️ Why Fasting Is Not for Everyone — Especially in Midlife

• Why many midlife clients already live in a chronic stress / high cortisol state — and how aggressive fasting can make that worse

• The problem with combining fasting + low calories + low protein in midlife (hello, muscle loss, fatigue, and hormone chaos)

• Why some midlife bodies need stability, adequate protein, and nervous system regulation more than extended fasting windows

• How to think about more moderate strategies like 12-hour eating windows and routine-based timing instead of extreme fasting

🎯 Elite Coaching for Midlife: My 10-Month Program

• A brief look at my upcoming 10-month Elite program for a small group of people who want deep, high-touch coaching around:

  • Midlife body composition

  • Hormones and metabolism

  • Performance, resilience, and long-term health

• Why this container is for people who are done with short programs and ready to fully commit to being an outlier in midlife and beyond

New for 2026 (hopefully before)

My new website – www.JoanneLee.com – should be live in the next month, where you’ll be able to see all my programs, resources, and ways to work with me in one place.

📩 In the meantime, if you’re interested in my Elite 10-month coaching program, email me directly at