By Philip Pape, Evidence-Based Nutrition Coach & Fat Loss Expert
For skeptics of the fitness industry who want to work smarter and more efficiently to build muscle and lose fat. Wits & Weights cuts through the noise and deconstructs health and fitness with a
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4.8
150150 ratings
The podcast currently has 329 episodes available.
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.
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the show
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
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:
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the show
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
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:
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the Show.
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
Are you ready to get lean but worried about losing your hard-earned strength and muscle? Are you concerned that cutting calories might set back your progress in the gym? Do you want to know the real impact of a cut on your body and how to avoid the pitfalls?
Philip (@witsandweights) breaks down the science behind strength and muscle loss during a calorie deficit, revealing how to maintain your gains while shedding fat. He answers a listener's question on how strength loss during a cut might not always be due to muscle loss. He outlines strategies for preserving muscle and strength, from maintaining training intensity to optimizing protein intake, and explains why most strength loss is temporary. Whether you're a seasoned lifter or just starting your fat-loss journey, you'll walk away with actionable insights to cut effectively without sacrificing your long-term goals.
💬 Leave a 5-star rating (and if you’re feeling generous, a review) with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the app you're using right now!
Today, you’ll learn all about:
1:24 What happens to strength during a cut?
2:46 Key factors affecting muscle and strength during a calorie deficit
10:12 Importance of maintaining training intensity during a cut
11:23 Why you should eat sufficient amounts of protein
13:40 Why cutting too aggressively can lead to muscle loss
14:53 Reset your expectations
15:23 Prioritize recovery and listen to your body
16:13 Using auto-regulated training to manage strength loss
20:45 Recap
Episode resources:
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the Show.
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
We're answering 4 questions from the Wits & Weights Facebook group:
Join our Facebook group and get YOUR question answered for free in our Friday #AskPhilip live Q&A!
Learn about post-menopausal weight loss challenges, the limitations of TDEE calculators, and how to accurately measure your metabolism. We also dig into the sustainability of nonlinear dieting and the necessity of consistent tracking to truly understand your calorie needs.
Also learn about the profound impact of strength training and balanced nutrition on overall health, particularly as we age. Discover how building muscle can improve insulin sensitivity and glucose management, and why heavy lifting and compound exercises are crucial for bone density and functional strength.
We even get into optimizing balanced macros, fiber intake, and managing saturated fats to maintain blood pressure, lipid levels, and inflammation.
Finally, we discuss mini cuts versus traditional cuts and offer strategies to align fitness goals with life's many seasons, enhancing motivation and long-term success.
Join our Facebook group and get YOUR question answered for free in our Friday #AskPhilip live Q&A!
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the Show.
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
Should you count every macro or just eat what feels right? Is there a way to enjoy your favorite foods without sabotaging your goals?
Philip (@witsandweights) teams up with Dr. Joe Klemczewski, the godfather of flexible dieting, to shatter diet myths and reveal the truth about what really works. Whether you're an experienced macro tracker or just beginning your nutrition journey, you'll discover how to balance structure and freedom in your diet to enjoy food while aligning with your physique goals. Tune in to get the clarity you need to personalize your nutrition strategy.
Dr. Joe Klemczewski, a pioneer in flexible dieting and founder of The Diet Doc, joins the show to discuss everything from macro tracking to intuitive eating. With a Ph.D. in nutrition and a background in bodybuilding, Joe shares his insights on how to approach nutrition in a way that suits your lifestyle and goals. Learn about the importance of structure in dieting, why freedom is the ultimate goal, and how to avoid common pitfalls that can derail your progress.
📲 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:
2:12 Evolution of flexible vs. rigid dieting research
10:51 Precision vs. perfection: Using data to improve, not stress
14:11 The journey to intuitive eating and reframing failure
20:10 Macro targets vs. ranges or minimums
26:39 Maintaining a healthy food relationship while tracking
35:17 Personalizing nonlinear dieting approaches
40:32 Strategies for hard gainers for maximizing muscle gain
43:27 The role of carbs in muscle building and performance
46:13 Macro trade-offs during low-calorie phases
53:06 Metabolic adaptation during weight loss
58:52 Where to find Joe
59:12 Outro
Episode resources:
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the Show.
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
Does fat loss feel harder than it needs to be? Do you experience energy crashes throughout the day, maybe even constant hunger? What if I told you there's a simple addition to your diet that could solve most of these problems?
No, it's not protein... it's a nutrient that often overlooked yet found in many delicious foods.
Today, we're taking a concept from chemical engineering called buffer systems and showing you why this nutrient works the same way in your body. By adding this in, you can optimize your fat loss, stabilize your energy, and improve your overall health.
In this episode, you'll learn:
To get your free copy of the guide mentioned in the episode (with full lists of foods sorted by how much of this nutrient they contain)... join my FREE mailing list at https://witsandweights.com/email
Main Takeaways:
Related Episodes:
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the Show.
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
Are you trying to eat healthy, but your family’s eating habits are making it difficult? Are you constantly torn between reaching your fitness goals and keeping your loved ones happy? If navigating mealtime feels like a struggle between your ambitions and their preferences, you’re not alone.
Philip (@witsandweights) explores the common dilemma of trying to eat healthy when your family doesn’t share the same goals. Inspired by a listener question from Colton Y., Philip shares practical strategies for staying on track with your nutrition while maintaining harmony at home. Whether you’re dealing with a spouse who loves junk food, picky kids, or traditional calorie-laden family recipes, he offers three powerful strategies to help you. You’ll walk away with actionable tips that empower you to pursue your health goals without feeling isolated or causing friction at home.
🤝To get support and ideas from like-minded people who DO want to be healthier and more fit, join my free Wits & Weights Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/witsandweights
Today, you’ll learn all about:
2:49 The importance of a supportive community
4:06 Defining “healthy eating” and the personal nature of health journeys
6:52 Strategy 1
10:37 Strategy 2
14:55 Strategy 3
17:13 Revisiting strategies with specific examples for real-life situations
25:02 The ripple effect of your healthy choices on your family’s behavior
27:49 Outro
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the Show.
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
Have you heard that diet soda is harmful or causes weight gain? What if we told you it might actually help in your fat loss journey?
Philip (@witsandweights) dives deep into the controversial world of diet soda with his friends Dustin Lambert and Dwayne Ulrich from the Working Weights LLC podcast. They’ll explore how these fizzy, zero-calorie drinks can fit into a smart nutrition plan, debunk myths about artificial sweeteners, and examine the surprising health benefits of diet soda.
Dustin Lambert is a seasoned strength and nutrition coach with over a decade of experience. Dustin specializes in helping clients with metabolic syndrome. As a co-host of the Working Weights LLC podcast, he translates complex nutrition research into practical advice, breaking down health and fitness trends with clarity and humor.
Dwayne Ulrich is the “everyman” co-host of the Working Weights LLC podcast. Dwayne offers a relatable perspective on health and fitness. His diverse background includes roles as an educator, coach, firefighter, police officer, and x-ray technician, making him a valuable voice in the fitness community.
📨To learn more about flexible dieting so you can enjoy whatever you want (including diet soda), join my FREE mailing list at https://witsandweights.com/email
Today, you’ll learn all about:
2:30 The scary things about diet soda
6:14 The benefits of diet soda
9:23 Is diet soda cancerous?
13:02 The composition and differences of sweeteners
17:43 Myths about diet soda and weight gain
27:53 Drinking diet soda for enjoyment
32:19 Diet soda and blood sugar
47:48 Diet soda and cardiovascular health
52:28 Caffeine in diet soda
1:00:54 How to connect with Dustin and Dwayne
1:01:40 Outro
Check out these related episodes on the Working Weights LLC podcast:
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the Show.
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
Are your personal spaces getting in the way of consistency with your nutrition or training?
Learn about how the 6S method from engineering can make it much easier to achieve your goals. You can transform your kitchen and gym into powerful allies by reducing friction. It's about making small yet impactful changes.
What is 6S?
Listen to the episode for a definition and some examples for each!
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:
📲 Send me a text message!
Support the Show.
👩💻 Book a FREE 15-Minute Rapid Nutrition Assessment
🎓 Join Wits & Weights Physique University
👥 Join our Facebook community for live Q&As & support
✉️ Join the FREE email list with insider strategies and bonus content!
📱 Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS. The only food logging app that adjusts to your metabolism!
🏋️♀️ Download Boostcamp for free and access 70+ evidence-based workout programs
🩷 Love the podcast? Leave a 5-star review or share on social and tag @witsandweights
📞 Send a Q&A voicemail
The podcast currently has 329 episodes available.
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