Today I have the pleasure of talking to Brandon DaCruz for his second appearance on the show. Brandon is an online nutrition and physique coach, educator, internationally published fitness model, and National Level NPC competitor. He uses an evidence-based approach to help his clients achieve their goals sustainably.

We're going to talk about how to make fat loss feel easier to get and stay lean. We all know that losing fat can be challenging, so we're going to discuss some strategies and scenarios that can help you overcome the obstacles and make dieting more manageable and sustainable.

Today, we are going to explore the value of using a food logging app as a tool to serve you in reaching your health and physique goals, and how many people hate the idea of food tracking because most apps completely fail in this mission.

I'll discuss the importance of food logging, what the science says, and why most food logging apps fail, not just in features and usability but also because they are not based on body composition science, don't adjust to you and your goals, and encourage an all-or-nothing approach that leads to failure every time you use them.

Today is all about FUN, a FUN-ctionally fit life with my guest Dai Manuel. You’ll learn how to balance personal and professional roles while prioritizing fitness. We’ll explore the concept of what “optimal” means in fitness and life, the role of ‘fun’ in fitness, and practical strategies for finding balance while living a fit life.

Today’s episode is about reverse dieting. This popular but controversial concept claims to boost metabolism, prevent weight regain, and make future weight loss easier by gradually increasing calorie intake after a period of calorie restriction.

I will discuss why reverse dieting does not work as advertised, the misconceptions behind it, and an alternative to reverse dieting that is more adaptive, less stressful, and allows your metabolism to recover more quickly from a fat loss phase, as well as scenarios where some of the approaches from reverse dieting might still be helpful, but for entirely different reasons.

Carol achieved amazing results in four months. She dropped 23 pounds of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle, lowering her body fat from 30% to 16%. Carol learned to eat well, manage her macros, and overcome unhealthy habits. She also reached impressive strength goals, like bench pressing a personal best, doing 10 pull-ups in a row, and finding new confidence in herself and her skills. Her journey isn’t just about personal wins, though, it’s about the positive influence she’s become on her children, the mental resilience she’s developed, and her relentless pursuit of goals she once thought were unattainable. Carol’s story is a beautiful example of the physically AND mentally transformative power of strength training and fueling your performance.

In today’s episode, I have the utmost pleasure of talking to the one and only Mike Matthews, a legend in the fitness industry, a bestselling author, and a successful entrepreneur who has helped countless people transform their bodies and health with his no-nonsense, science-based advice. You’ll learn about his fitness philosophy and advice on topics from training for older lifters to nutrition and hormonal health, cardio, and more.

Today, we're talking about living an alcohol-free life with Karolina Rzadkowolska, an alcohol-free empowerment expert. We are unpacking the realities and myths around alcohol consumption, its impact on our physical and mental health, and whether it is actually serving you. You will learn about effective strategies to change drinking habits, cope with social situations, and relieve stress without alcohol. Karolina will help us explore the concept of aligning our lifestyle choices with our personal goals and how giving up alcohol can lead to greater self-discovery and purpose.

Today we are speaking with Dr. Bill Campbell, whose work I've followed for a few years, including his monthly research review Body by Science. We are tackling five very important topics related to improving your body composition to get the physique you want, including how consuming highly processed foods impacts your goals, the effectiveness of a rapid fat loss phase, why weight plateaus occur, and how to break them, physique-training vs. nutrition, and the use of diet breaks and refeeds to optimize your physique.

Today for episode 91, titled “Protein Misconceptions and Strategies for Fat Loss, Muscle Growth, and Optimal Health,” we are discussing the wide-ranging benefits of protein, its pivotal role in enhancing satiety, preserving lean mass, boosting metabolism, supporting muscle recovery, and improving body composition, especially as you age. We’ll uncover surprising facts about protein about the ‘Anabolic Window,’ its role in sleep-induced muscle growth, how much protein you can actually use, and how protein needs change with age.

Today, for episode 90, we are doing a Q&A to answer 11 questions on everything from calorie tracking to how often you should weigh yourself to building muscle over 40 and lots more nutrition-related questions.

Joining me on the show is Dr. Ryan Peebles, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, to talk about a topic that many people have experience with, myself included, and that is lower back pain. You'll learn about the "deep core" and why it's the key to reversing back pain. We will discuss how age, lifestyle, stress, and heavy lifting impact our lower backs. We will also discuss the pros and cons of chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, and MRIs.

Today we are diving into body fat overshooting, which is potentially the most important phenomenon to understand when it comes to body composition in the context of manipulating your nutrition. If you’ve tried many diets over the years with little success, feel like your metabolism is slowing down, or struggle to maintain your weight for the long term, this episode is for you. We'll go over the role of hormones, appetite, and muscle, why 95% of people regain weight, and how to be in the 5% who are successful so you can have not only a leaner physique but a long-term, sustainable approach to maintaining your hard-won results.

Today we're diving into the power of leaning into the future, embracing your future self, and becoming an alpha in order to win in life with my guest, Ashton Levarek. Ashton will reveal the importance of reframing our memories and interpretations, using positive visualization, and how to measure progress toward becoming our ideal selves. We’ll also explore the concept of being an alpha and its impact on our lives.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Steph Gaudreau, sports nutritionist and lifting coach. Steph Gaudreau will teach you about lifting, performance, and nutrition for athletic women over 40. She will talk about low energy availability, workout nutrition, carbs, and protein, and why you need to be strength training. She will also address gym intimidation and the unique challenges for women over 40.

Today I am chatting with certified personal trainer and mental health advocate Marc Paisant. You’ll learn how Marc turned adversity into a mission to raise mental health awareness, including the essential role of physical fitness in maintaining mental health and the importance of seeking support and maintaining balance. We’ll explore misconceptions about and how we end the stigma surrounding mental health.

Can you supercharge your metabolism and maximize fat loss with LESS exercise? In today's episode, we talk about the four key components of metabolism and debunk the myth that more exercise equals more calories burned. We also dive into the drawbacks of over-exercising and the role muscle tissue plays in boosting metabolism.

On today’s show, we dive deep into the topic of stress and its connection to emotion, physiology, and physical pain and trauma. We explore the concept of Strauma, and how it affects your well-being. We also discuss the difference between stress management and stress resolution and explore the effectiveness of stress management tools so you can transition from a state of struggle and strife to one of ease and grace.

Today I'm honored to sit down with none other than Andy Morgan, the passionate, knowledgeable, and well-muscled force behind RippedBody.com. You'll learn about Andy's experiences, his no-nonsense approach to fitness communication, and his thoughts on training, muscle-building and fat loss phases, and related topics like body fat percentage, scale weight fluctuations, and challenges during fat loss. Andy will also share his insights on the fitness industry, using data and solid principles to get results.

We are talking today with Darlene Marshall about the fascinating interplay between holistic wellness coaching and positive psychology and how it can help unlock your full potential. We'll go into holistic wellness, upward spiraling, habit priming, neurological flexibility, and more.

Today we are diving into flexible dieting and evidence-based fitness with nutrition researcher and educator Alan Aragon. You'll learn about the importance of evidence-based practice for the average person looking to improve their health, rigid vs. flexible dietary control, and the practical side of nutrition, such as protein sources, distribution strategies, and anabolic resistance. He addresses behavior change, food tracking, intermittent fasting, and research gaps in nutrition and fitness.