The blog
Practical weight loss and nutrition, written for people starting from way behind.
Sweet Potato Beef Pockets
One dough, any filling. A stuffed potato pancake that eats like dinner, with about 36g of protein each.
Is Walking Enough to Lose Weight?
Not by itself. Here is what walking does well and where to start.
What Happens in Your First Week Working With Me?
We talk almost every day. Here is what the first week looks like.
How Many Calories Do You Need to Cut to Lose 20 Pounds?
What a 20 pound loss actually costs in calories, and why a modest daily cut beats a heroic one.
Do You Need Protein Shakes?
No, but I would not be afraid of them either.
How Many Steps a Day Should You Aim For?
A floor, a fat loss range and a number for appetite, in plain terms.
Why Did My Weight Loss Stall? Don't Panic, Give It Two Weeks
Give it two weeks, then pull one of three levers.
How Long Before You See Results?
Ask what you can do today instead. Here is how to check in without obsessing.
Can You Still Drink Alcohol and Lose Weight?
Yes, but the calories count. Here is how to fit it in without wrecking the plan.
How Much Protein Do You Need While Losing Fat?
A real number to aim for, in pounds and kilos, and the one group who should check with a doctor first.
How Fast Is Too Fast to Lose Weight?
A simple limit for how much body weight per week you can lose without paying for it.
How Do You Stay on Track When You Travel?
Treat travel like home. Track, find a kitchen and scout restaurants before you land.
How Do You Stop Night Cravings?
You are probably just hungry. Eat more earlier and plan the snack.
Do You Have to Count Calories Forever?
No. Tracking is the easy version, and you can stop at maintenance.
What Does Online Coaching Give You That a Gym Trainer Doesn't?
A trainer has you for one hour. Here is who handles the other 23.
Should You Weigh Yourself Every Day?
It depends on the phase you are in, and the scale is a worse metric than most people think.
I Had a Bad Day of Eating. What Now?
Make tomorrow better. Do not over-restrict, and ask what caused it.
Should You Lift or Do Cardio to Lose Fat?
Both, with nutrition first. Here is how I'd split them.
How Should You Eat Around Your Workouts?
For most people it matters less than the internet says. Here is what to do for health and for performance.
Is It Harder to Lose Weight After 40?
Short answer: not really. Here is what actually changes.
Six Excuses That Are Not Really About Time, Food or Money
I don't have time, I'll start Monday, I'm too old. What's really going on underneath, and one small move for each.
No, You Shouldn't Start Running to Lose Weight
Carrying 200+ pounds? A 2 to 3 week prep phase and a step by step run/walk plan that protects your joints.
Cardio Isn't Complicated. We Just Made It That Way.
7,000 steps, 150 minutes, and why a walk will not blunt your gains.
Don't Be a Lifter. Don't Be a Runner. Be a Builder.
Fitness labels start as shorthand and end up making your decisions for you.
Your Family Isn't Sabotaging You. Your "Yes" Is.
One recurring night a week can keep you stuck. How to trade, not refuse.
Macro Foods, Micro Foods, and Why "Processed" Isn't a Dirty Word
Your meal plan is a formula, not a grocery list, and not all processed food is the enemy.
Healthy Meal Swaps: Keep the Food You Actually Crave
Pizza, pasta, burgers, fries and ice cream, made smarter instead of cut out.
You Don't Need More Butter. You Need a Better Spice Cabinet.
Build big flavor with an aromatic base and spice blends instead of fat and sugar.
Coffee, Tea, and Soda All Count Toward Your Daily Fluid Total
Caffeine's diuretic effect is mild. Your coffee is a deposit, not a debt.
Progressive Overload Isn't Something You Force
Progressive overload is the receipt, not the order. Stimulation beats the number on the bar.
How to Start Losing Weight When You Have 100 Pounds or More to Lose
Where to begin, what to ignore, and what to expect in the first 30 days, from a coach who started at 420.
The Grocery Store Is Keeping You Fat
Store layouts are built to push spending. Build systems instead of relying on willpower.
The 4 Things That Actually Change a Woman's Body Composition
More protein, intervals, lifting, fewer liquid calories and a real look at your blood work.
Skipping Leg Day and Chasing More Weight Is Why You Still Look Like Shit
Four fixes for men who lift hard and look the same as last year.
Why the Same People Are Still Lifting the Same Weights Two Years Later
Discomfort is not the warning sign. It is confirmation you are changing.
Stimulatory Reps
The idea that ends the volume debate: count the reps that recruit growth-capable fibers, not the sets.
The "More Volume" Crowd Is Missing Something...
10 to 15 sets per muscle per week is the sensible default, and a set is not a fixed unit.
You Don't Need to Track Forever. You Need to Track Right for a Week.
A short, strict stretch of tracking builds an eye for portions that lasts.
You Didn't Gain Weight From Carbs. You Gained It From Carbs and Fat Stacked Together.
Fat and sugar stacked in one bite drive dessert calories more than carbs alone.
There's No Such Thing As a Diet That Works Forever
A diet has an end date. A dietary pattern borrows from three tools as the day demands.
Why Don't I Feel Full? Satiety Isn't Just About What You Eat.
Slow down, choose texture, and a pre-meal soup can cut intake by about 20 percent.
Inefficient Exercise Doesn't Just Do Nothing. It Costs You Recovery.
Training runs on a fixed weekly budget. Make every set earn its place.
Fitness Is The New 401(K)
Consistent strength training, movement and whole-food eating work like retirement savings that pay off over decades.
420 to 193: Losing the Weight, Building the Muscle, and Cutting Again
My own story: 420 pounds to 210, up to 265 on purpose, then a stage ready 193, and what each stage taught me.
Your Recipe Collection is NOT a Nutrition Plan
Why saved recipes you rarely cook do not add up to a nutrition strategy.
You're Wasting Your Money...
Electrolyte brands compared on price, sodium to potassium ratio and sweeteners.
Are You Actually Hydrated? A Decision Tree for People Who Train.
A step-by-step hydration guide that starts with checking blood pressure before adding sodium or electrolytes.