Tag: Jason Fung

image of Dr Jason Fung with the text WHY DO WE EAT WHEN WE AREN'T HUNGRY?

Why Over 99% of Diets Fail and What You Can Do About It

By

On May 12, 2026

In The CrossFit Podcast

Dr. Jason Fung returns to the CrossFit Podcast to unpack the real driver behind weight gain and chronic hunger. Drawing from decades of clinical experience and his new book “The Hunger Code,” Fung challenges the “calorie in, calorie out” model and explains why it has failed so many people for so long.

This conversation goes deeper than macros and meal plans. Fung breaks down the three types of hunger: homeostatic, hedonic, and conditioned. He explains how ultra-processed foods, the modern food environment, and social conditioning override natural appetite regulation. He and host Jocelyn Rylee explore how insulin and other hormones shape body fat regulation, and why long-term success depends on restoring satiety rather than fighting willpower.

Topics Covered

  • Why calorie restriction fails long-term.
  • The three types of hunger and how they drive overeating.
  • How ultra-processed food hijacks appetite and satiety.
  • Hormones and the body fat thermostat.
  • Social environments and practical levers for change.

Resources Mentioned

Community Highlight 

Travis Ponikiewski doesn’t train for the leaderboard.

He trains because he has two little girls who think he’s invincible, and he plans on keeping it that way for a long time.

When Travis was young, he lost his dad. Now that he’s a father himself, that experience quietly shapes everything. For him, fitness isn’t aesthetic. It’s responsibility. It’s making sure his daughters don’t grow up with missing memories.

At home, that same steadiness shows up in how he supports his wife through mental health struggles. He wants her to feel strong again, on her terms.

He cares less about how his girls look and more about what they’re capable of. Strong bodies. Healthy relationship with food. Confidence that doesn’t shrink to fit the world.

He’s even working toward his Level 1 — not to collect a title, but to better serve the people around him.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Dr. Jason Fung

Fasting, Ozempic, and Food Addiction With Dr. Jason Fung (EP. 033)

By

On September 8, 2025

In The CrossFit Podcast

Jason Fung, MD, is a Canadian nephrologist and world-renowned expert in intermittent fasting and low-carb nutrition. He is the author of best-selling books including “The Obesity Code” and “The Diabetes Code,” and co-founder of The Fasting Method, where he helps people use evidence-based nutrition strategies to prevent and reverse chronic disease.

Dr. Jason Fung joins host Jocelyn Rylee on the CrossFit Podcast to unpack the myths and realities of fasting, obesity, and the role of hormones in nutrition. He explains why “starvation mode” is misunderstood, why calories alone don’t tell the full story, and how hunger — not willpower — is at the center of sustainable weightloss.

The conversation covers fasting as a therapeutic tool, the risks and uses of drugs like Ozempic, the dangers of ultra-processed foods, and the influence of our environment on health. Fung also shares insights from his upcoming book, “The Hunger Code,” which explores the three types of hunger — homeostatic, hedonic, and conditioned — and how to address each.

Topics Covered

  • Myth-busting “starvation mode” and fasting
  • Calories vs. hormones
  • Insulin, GLP-1, cortisol, and the hormonal drivers of fat storage
  • Ozempic, risks, misuse, and ethical prescribing
  • Ultra-processed foods and the rise of food addiction
  • The role of environment and social influence in obesity
  • Practical strategies: satiety, whole foods, fasting, and community

Resources Mentioned

Community Highlight

In 2023, Megan Mulvey walked into CrossFit PTC looking for a challenge. She had no idea she was preparing for the fight of her life.

Just months later, she was diagnosed with leukemia. After 51 rounds of chemo, a bone-marrow transplant, and months in and out of the hospital, her doctors told her, “You were preparing your body, and you didn’t even know it.” As she put it, “CrossFit didn’t just change my life; it saved it.”

When she returned to the gym, she’d lost her muscle — but not her spirit. Her community rallied with fundraisers, rides to treatment, and daily check-ins.

Now, Megan’s paying it forward. She launched Box of Hope, a nonprofit supporting CrossFit athletes and families facing cancer. Their first effort helped a local family cover their mortgage and car payment while their daughter battles terminal brain cancer.

“If I had to go through the worst,” Megan says, “I’ll make sure others don’t go through it alone.”

Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here. 

Share Your Thoughts: Email us [podcasts@crossfit.com] or complete our survey here.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén