In this new type of bonus episode called Weird Q&A, I answer 3 offbeat questions about health and fitness (nutrition, training, mindset).

If you like these episodes, send me a text message!

Today's questions:

1. Is it possible to lose fat while eating pizza every day?
2. Does drinking water actually help you burn more calories, or is that just an internet myth?
3. Does sleeping in a cold room help you burn more calories or lose weight?

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

Are you torn between focusing on strength or endurance? Are you wondering if you can lift heavy while building stamina? Or maybe you’re struggling to find a way to improve both without sacrificing one?

Philip (@witsandweights) brings back Cody McBroom to show you how you can excel in strength and endurance without sacrificing either! If you're ready to optimize your training for both muscle growth and cardiovascular performance while setting high standards in every area of life, this will give you the blueprint to make it happen.

Cody McBroom, founder of the Tailored Coaching Method and host of the CHOOSE HARD Podcast (formerly Tailored Life Podcast), shares his unique approach to hybrid training, revealing how to balance your workouts to achieve impressive strength and endurance goals. Learn how Cody's fitness journey can help you build mental toughness, improve your fitness, and tackle seemingly conflicting goals.

📱Book a FREE 15-minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment, designed to fine-tune your strategy, identify your #1 roadblock, and give you a personalized 3-step action plan in a fast-paced 15 minutes. https://witsandweights.com/free-call

Today, you’ll learn all about:

2:35 Balancing strength and endurance training
8:17 Choosing hard for success
14:23 Cardio and long-term health
21:05 Mental toughness strategies
35:53 Impact of small decisions
39:12 Starting hybrid training
45:42 HIIT vs. low-intensity cardio
49:22 Programming and cardio volume
50:32 Functional fitness in daily life
54:53 Final thoughts on choosing hard
56:34 Outro

Episode resources:

• Website: tailoredcoachingmethod.com
• Podcast: tailoredcoachingmethod.com/podcast
• Instagram: @tailoredcoachingmethod

Related episodes:

• Tailor Your Physique for Aesthetics, Fat Loss, Performance, and Health with Cody McBroom
• Bonus Episode: Cody McBroom on Body Composition and Training to Balance Physique and Performance

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

Weight loss drugs like Ozempic can be incredibly effective, but they risk muscle loss due to appetite suppression, which leads to a much larger calorie deficit.

And even if you're NOT on GLP-1 drugs, your hunger signals can still be misleading at times, especially when they are psychological and not always physical.

You'll learn about the engineering concept of Sensor Damping to understand why relying solely on hunger cues can sabotage your muscle-building efforts, whether you're on medication or not. 

Learn how to create redundant feedback systems to maintain muscle mass during weight loss, and discover how this approach can be applied to achieve any goal in life. Find out why becoming your own "system controller" is key to long-term success in fitness and beyond. 

🤩 Take just 1 minute to give us a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating or review with Apple or Spotify and get a shout-out on the show! 🙏

Main Takeaways: 

• Sensor Damping explains why we can't always trust our hunger cues, especially during weight loss
• Ozempic and weight loss drugs amplify this dampening effect (they reduce appetite significantly)
• Creating intentional redundancy in feedback mechanisms is crucial for maintaining muscle mass
• Becoming your own "system controller" leads to more consistent progress and better decision-making.

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

Do you ever wonder why that stubborn belly fat won’t budge, even with a solid diet and workout routine? Are you in your 40s, 50s, or beyond and noticing changes in your midsection that weren't there before?

Philip (@witsandweights) reveals the real reasons behind midlife belly fat—and it’s more than just calories in versus calories out. Get ready to dive deep into the science of belly fat, and walk away with actionable nutrition and strength training over 40 strategies that actually help you lose fat and take control of your physique.

📱Book a FREE 15-minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment, designed to fine-tune your strategy, identify your #1 roadblock, and give you a personalized 3-step action plan in a fast-paced 15 minutes. https://witsandweights.com/free-call

Today, you’ll learn all about:

1:49 - Why belly fat matters beyond aesthetics
3:01 - Visceral fat and its health risks
5:26 - The seven causes of midlife belly fat
15:40 - Why eat less move more doesn’t work and what you can do
19:57 - Reducing belly fat with core strength
25:35 - Recap and final takeaways for belly fat reduction

Related episodes:

• Why Weight Loss Always Fails (But Don't Ditch the Scale Yet)
• 4 Surprising Ways to Lose That Midlife Belly Fat with Megan Dahlman

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

Are you struggling with midlife back pain or joint inflammation that just won’t go away? Have you tried everything from painkillers to chiropractors but still find yourself in pain? Do you want to regain control of your body and stay active well into your later years?

Philip (@witsandweights) brings back fitness expert Megan Dahlman to discuss the root causes of persistent back pain, why it’s not an inevitable part of aging, and how to live pain-free at any age. Megan shares actionable strategies to address back pain and joint inflammation to help you set the foundation for a stronger, pain-free body. If you’re tired of feeling limited by back pain, this conversation will empower you with practical steps to live an active, fulfilling life.

Megan Dahlman, host of the Self-Care Simplified podcast, has helped hundreds of women feel strong and confident through her coaching and content. She has been featured in The Washington Post and Muscle & Fitness, and she brings 15+ years of experience to today’s discussion. Don’t miss this chance to learn from one of the top voices in fitness.

📱Book a FREE 15-minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment, designed to fine-tune your strategy, identify your #1 roadblock, and give you a personalized 3-step action plan in a fast-paced 15-minutes.

Today, you’ll learn all about:

2:10 How ignoring pain leads to bigger problems
4:05 The staggering prevalence of back pain
6:43 The link between hormones, inflammation, and back pain
8:40 Managing hormones without HRT
12:01 Three essential core exercises to start
20:57 Understanding anti-inflammatory nutrition
25:53 Collagen myths and facts
29:54 How mechanical fixes can quickly relieve pain
32:01 Building pre-bed routines to reduce pain and improve sleep
34:04 Traditional strength training movements for back pain
38:16 The mental aspect of back pain
41:53 Ergonomics for those working from home
46:43 Tips to start reducing back pain today
50:10 Where to find Megan
51:14 Outro

Episode resources:

• Self Care Simplified Podcast
• 5-Day Core Tuneup
• Weekly Jumpstart newsletter

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

Collagen protein has been hyped as a muscle-building supplement, especially for older adults, but does it really deliver?

In this episode, we use Bayesian Inference – a powerful statistical tool – to evaluate the latest research on collagen's effectiveness for muscle growth.

Learn how to apply Bayesian thinking to fitness claims and make smarter decisions about your nutrition and training. Discover why you might need to rethink your protein supplement strategy and how to optimize your protein intake for real muscle gains.

To learn more about building muscle efficiently (and hear me bust other wild claims of the fitness industry), join my FREE mailing list at https://witsandweights.com/email

Main Takeaways:

• Bayesian Inference is a method of updating beliefs based on new evidence, crucial for evaluating fitness claims.
• Recent research examines whether collagen protein actually increases muscle protein synthesis.
• Protein quality, not just quantity, is important for muscle growth... at least to an extent.
• The Bayesian approach can be applied to all areas of fitness and nutrition to make more informed decisions.

Need high-quality protein (whey or pea/rice powder or bars)? I recommend 1st Phorm. Support the podcast using my link:
https://1stphorm.com/witsandweights

Study Mentioned:

• McKendry, J., Lowisz, C. V., Nanthakumar, A., MacDonald, M., Lim, C., Currier, B. S., & Phillips, S. M. (2024). The effects of whey, pea, and collagen protein supplementation beyond the recommended dietary allowance on integrated myofibrillar protein synthetic rates in older males: a randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. - ScienceDirect

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

What if weight loss is NOT the answer? Or even “maintaining” your weight loss?

If you’re tired of obsessing over the number on the scale, you feel stuck in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and frustration, or have ever been told that weight loss is the key to health and happiness…

And yet it’s just not working… this episode is for you.

Philip (@witsandweights)  exposes the weight loss myth that has plagued the fitness industry for years. He reveals why focusing on the scale sets you up for failure and how to shift your mindset toward body composition for lasting success. Learn how to use the scale as just one of many tools to track progress, and discover the freedom that comes with focusing on getting stronger, healthier, and more confident—without obsessing over weight.

⏬ Download my free Body Composition Nutrition Guide to help you set up your nutrition for losing fat (not just weight!), building muscle, and looking and feeling your best at: https://www.witsandweights.com/free

Today, you’ll learn all about:

2:14 Why the scale obsession is harmful
4:56 Muscle loss and weight loss drugs
7:53 Using the scale as an objective tool
9:24 Tracking progress with multiple metrics
12:08 The liberating shift to focusing on body composition
14:00 What you should be doing for lasting success
16:20 Client story: Body recomposition without weight loss
20:47 The dangers of focusing solely on weight loss
21:07 Outro

Episode resources:

• Fat Loss vs. Weight Loss
• How Fast Should You Lose Weight for Fat Loss?
• How to Lose 1,000 Pounds

👊 Shout out to Carl Berryman of the MENtal Muscle-Up Podcast for the question that inspired this episode

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

Discover the behind-the-scenes magic of the Wits & Weights podcast, where I share my insights on the Mics to Millions podcast with Sam Brake Guia.

Learn how I apply the engineering mindset to streamline podcast production AND provide the most targeted information for YOU, the listener, putting in the reps over the last 3 years to grow the show into a top 1% overall podcast and top 100 on the Nutrition charts.

Do you want to hear more episodes like this? Or maybe you weren't a fan? Either way, reach out on IG @witsandweights or send me a text message!

From testing and iterating with evidence-based content and being very selective in the guests we invite to always (and continuously) incorporating YOUR feedback, learn how we've built a high-quality, no-nonsense podcast for skeptics of the fitness industry who want to get results more efficiently.

I also dive into the challenges of maintaining patience and avoiding burnout, and the rewarding moments when listeners share how the show changed their life!

You'll learn how Wits & Weights started as a passion project and is growing into (one day soon) a health and fitness powerhouse, including how we reach more potential listeners like you to grow the community.

Learn why knowing your numbers is crucial (whether in podcasting or fitness) and how collaboration, networking, and word-of-mouth have helped us grow a supportive network.

Hear about our approach to monetization (without ads!) through coaching and organic growth, and the equilibrium between quality and quantity. Remember when I used to have 5 shows a week? There's a reason it's only 3 now.

Listener feedback is our compass, and you'll learn how surveys, reviews, and direct engagement shape my content, whether you are passionate about fitness, podcasting, or both.

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

Are you frustrated by the stubborn body fat that won't come off despite all your efforts? Do you ever wonder if it's all due to lack of discipline, or could there be a deeper reason? And how much do your genetics actually play a role in your fat loss journey?

Philip (@witsandweights) dives into the fascinating world of neuroscience and body composition with special guest Dr. Stephan Guyenet, a neuroscientist, obesity researcher, and author of The Hungry Brain. They explore the science behind why some people struggle more than others to lose weight and how genetics might be the hidden force shaping your body fat levels. Dr. Guyenet also breaks down how the brain’s reward system influences your cravings and reveals how minor tweaks to your environment and habits can make a huge difference in your fat loss efforts.

Dr. Stephan Guyenet has spent over a decade studying the neuroscience of obesity. With a PhD in neuroscience, his work focuses on the brain's role in regulating body fat and how our modern environment contributes to weight gain. He is also the founder of Red Pen Reviews, which provides scientific accuracy scores for popular health and nutrition books.

📱Book a FREE 15-minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment, designed to fine-tune your strategy, identify your #1 roadblock, and give you a personalized 3-step action plan in a fast-paced 15-minute call.

Today, you’ll learn all about:

2:07 Genetics vs. environment: What really causes differences in body fat?
3:48 When do genetic predispositions for body fat develop?
7:56 Why we care about body fat: Individual health and misinformation
11:58 Muscle mass and body fat: How energy overload impacts health
17:24 How your brain regulates hunger and satiety
29:53 Metabolic adaptation during fat loss
32:42 The carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity debunked
44:05 Making body composition changes easier and frictionless
51:54 Insights from studying naturally lean people
54:33 Where to find Stephan
54:49 Outro

Episode resources:

• Dr. Stephan Guyenet’s Website: stephanguyenet.org 
• Twitter: @sguyenet 
• Red Pen Reviews: redpenreviews.org

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏

Ask yourself a very honest question: is what I'm doing working?

Is my training, my nutrition, all the things actually giving me the physique that I want, whether that's being lean and muscular or big and strong?

If you're like most people, you start with initial excitement and motivation, followed by hitting one roadblock after another, not quite getting what you want, eventually giving up and then hopping to the next thing.

Learn about the engineering concept of iterative design and how it can help you constantly improve and overcome the plateaus and roadblocks common to physique development.

Learn how to apply this systematic, data-driven method to your fitness journey to set realistic, measurable goals for your physique, create and refine your training and nutrition plans, use data to make informed decisions about your progress, and overcome plateaus and setbacks.

We walk through a real-world example of how to apply iterative design to lose fat and gain muscle.

Book a FREE 15-minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment, designed to fine-tune your strategy, identify your #1 roadblock, and give you a personalized 3-step action plan in a fast-paced 15 minutes. 

Main Takeaways:

• Iterative design is a powerful tool for long-term physique transformation that transforms setbacks into valuable data points for continuous improvement
• The six phases: design, implement, test, evaluate, refine, and repeat
• This approach leads to sustainable results by adapting to your body's changing needs

💪 Join Eat More Lift Heavy - a 26-week evidence-based strength training and fat loss program for lifters over 40 to build muscle, lose fat, and maintain your weight loss and physique (even in perimenopause and menopause)

📱 Get Fitness Lab - AI-powered coaching app for evidence-based fitness and nutrition over 40. Real-time, personalized guidance that evolves with your data and lifestyle to help you build muscle, lose fat, and body recomp

👥 Join our Facebook community -  For adults over 40 who want to build muscle with strength training and lose fat with evidence-based nutrition. Support for lifting weights, hypertrophy, fat loss, and hormones.

👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (evidence-based nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss and nutrition podcasts for adults over 40! 🙏