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I had not intended to write another article on GLP-1s right after last week’s post.

However, there’s another element towards the usage of these medications that I haven’t covered to the same degree on this site and I thought I needed to spend some time this week doing so. The week that this article is being released also happens to be when we recognize eating disorder awareness.

Starting back a couple of years ago, I began to observe results on the opposing end of a given “weight” spectrum.

Before I go much further, I need to establish some points:

-If we were to look left to right on this spectrum, the far left side could comprise those below a normal range of BMI. The far right side, would be those above that normal range.

-I understand that BMI is wildly nuanced and does not take into consideration those who carry more muscle mass than others. There are also sociological impacts of that measuring point that span races, genders, cultures and more that I won’t delve far into in this article.

-On both sides of the spectrum is a correlation of greater health risks and it’s the left side of the spectrum that I want to focus the rest of this post on.

-“Health” means something different to everyone. You can be metabolically healthy at any weight and you can be metabolically unhealthy at any weight.

One thing I’ve observed is that some people, who have seen great results on the medications, stay at dosages that take their bodies below the normal range.

Much like we see with individuals who struggle with anorexia nervosa, some of the side effects can include:

-Thinning hair/hair loss

-Dry, brittle skin

-Loss of menstrual cycle (amenorrhea)

-Cold body temperature

-Fatigue

-Dizziness

-Chronic constipation

-Loss of bone mineral density and/or prone to fractures

-Decreased cognitive function

And while the initial positive benefits of fat loss (which vary between individuals)were once there, the body is now at a place where other negative outcomes are now present.

In many cases, the associated doctor or RD, may recognize what’s happening and start lowering the dosage or reducing the frequency of dosage to allow the individual to consume more food and return to a more stable health baseline.

Of course, the other concern, is individuals, many of whom are influencers on social media, who are making unsubstantiated claims of the medications so that you can take advantage of their discount code on compounded (unregulated) versions of the medication.

Many of these same influencers are already in lean bodies using predatory messaging to persuade you to believe that YOU are broken and THEIR version of the medication can help.

Compound this with the very real problem of other influencers not being transparent about their own GLP-1 usage and offering up their “what I eat in a day” posts, “how I train” posts, all while showing you their carved up midsections.

The overarching message being: You’re not working hard enough, and if you were, you could have this body, too.”

My stance is this: If it is within your power and ability, build the strongest, healthiest version of yourself. This may mean a body that weighs more than you think.

Stay current on your bloodwork, as negative outcomes will likely not show up overnight. They may take time to develop and that may make recovery from those side effects more difficult to bounce back from.

Being on a GLP-1 does not guarantee that you will struggle with disordered eating behaviors just like being on a diet does not mean that you will be diagnosed with an eating disorder.

However, we are seeing a rise in people who are taking the medication to its furthest extremes and, in doing so, ultimately risk organ failure.

It wasn’t that long ago that phrases like “Thin is in”, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” and more “pro-ana” statements spread like wildfire. Along with it, came the intense pressure to be thin, no matter what cost, and it took a long time for the general public to push back against that narrative.

While I have been a strong advocate for the usage of GLP-1s for so many people because they hold so much promise and potential, it’s not an open invitation for all.

It’s not just your current health that matters, it’s the future of your health as well, because what good is longevity if you can’t actually enjoy it?

And the enjoyment can be found across myriad of body shapes and sizes.

BMI is not the whole picture.

Body fat percentage is not the whole picture.

What your scale reflects back to you is not the whole picture.

And if it costs you your peace…

(Photo courtesy of Emiliano Vittoriosi)

Last week, I mentioned that the FDA is continuing to crack down on companies offering compounded versions of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications.

At the same time, a recent update in this world is that there is now an FDA approved oral alternative that is not only a viable option for those who don’t like needles but is also more cost effective.

And yet, many people who are either currently on GLP1s, no longer taking GLP1s because of cost or side effects or considering taking them in the future, there isn’t enough dialogue around how to stack the deck in their favor.

Here’s a short(ish) list:

-Protein

You have to make sure you’re getting in enough protein. You may find that smaller, more frequent meals help to manage any GI distress on the medications.

The same protein considerations that would be helpful on a fat loss plan without a GLP1 is the same if you’re on one. The difference being: if the medication is working the way it’s supposed to, you may find that your current calorie intake is relatively low.

Stick with leaner sources of protein, protein shakes/powders, and possibly protein bars that aren’t filled with sugar alcohols.

A protein range to shoot for is 1.2-1.6g of protein per kilogram of current bodyweight. So, a 200lb (91kg) person is aiming for 109-146g of protein per day.

You don’t have to be perfect, but you need to be close. This helps support your lean muscle mass, your immune system and helps you stay satiated while you’re losing fat.

-Fiber

One issue that many people fall into when they’re in a significant energy deficit is that they don’t consume as many carbohydrates and that’s where you’ll find fiber.

Fiber can be found in many vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Be mindful that nuts and seeds also have a fat component to them and they can push your calories higher than you might otherwise recognize.

A good place to shoot is 12-14g of fiber from a variety of sources per 1000 calories in your diet. A very loose guideline which does not apply to all is 25g for many women and 35-40g for many men.

Increase fiber slowly. If you’re currently averaging 10g per day, don’t try to meet the minimum right out of the gate. Try adding 5g or so over a couple of days to see how your digestive system handles it before going up the next small amount.

You want to have enough bulk in your diet to still have quality bowel movements. If you’re concerned about the consistency of those movements, the Bristol Stool Chart is very helpful.

-Strength Training

If you’re not already lifting weights, this is your cue to start. At least 2 full body workouts per week can set a great foundation in making sure you’re supporting and stimulating the lean muscle mass you currently have.

Many of the claims of “Ozempic Face”, “Ozempic Butt” or whatever other headline is making the waves can be helped by keeping an eye on the nutrition assistance listed above and starting to lift weights.

Everyone responds to fat loss in different ways and not only can you not “spot reduce”, you also don’t have a great deal of control over skin elasticity with fat loss. Building muscle (even if you’re not trying to be a body builder) can be crucial.

-Food Journal

I can’t stress this part enough. When the GLP1 is working the way it should, it might feel like magic is happening: food noise is reduced, you’re no longer finishing your plate, portion sizes you used to eat you are boxing up for later and the pounds are just dripping off.

The problem is, some people can’t stay on them. Either the side effects are too significant, they aren’t affordable or they didn’t plan to use them long term.

If you still have a fat loss goal, the same principle applies: you have to find a deficit you can stick with and the best place to start is with the food intake you had while you were on the medication.

Make note of portion sizes, food selection, meal and snack frequency, etc.

It’s been reported that many people regain upwards of 2/3 of their starting weight when they get off of the medication. If you don’t want to go that direction, having a food journal that shows you what worked can be extremely helpful.

Please don’t mistake this sentiment for being “easy”. One of the most impressive benefits of the GLP1s is the reduction of food noise which can be a “make or break” when it comes to success.

If you can’t stay on the medication for any reason, the food noise will likely return as well. Getting yourself as close as you can to your ideal weight will give you the flexibility of increased calories when you’re eating to support body maintenance.

This assumes also that you’re still keeping up with the previous 3 tips in this article to make the process as “simple” as possible.

-Support

I’ve been working with clients on GLP1s since 2022. I believe the number of clients who are on them will only increase over time as the medications become more cost-effective and newer, more powerful medications hit the market.

I do not see GLP1s as a shortcut, but rather, an integral tool for those who need it and have found success utilizing it.

On the flipside, I also support those who have had to discontinue GLP1 usage. Everyone deserves to have a sounding board and resource to turn to with or without the medication.

Need my help either face-to-face or online? Drop me a message.

(Photo courtesy of Haberdoedas)

I haven’t pulled one of these articles together in a bit so let’s dive in.

-If a diet plan tells you that “calories don’t matter” for you to succeed, they’ve likely done the work to give you a plan that forces you into a deficit so that you still get results. You may not be focused on calories on this plan, but calories still matter whether you’re accounting for them or not.

-I will probably never say that daily weighing is a necessity for successful fat loss. However, if you do embark on daily weighing, you need to have a good mentality on the fluctuations that happen on a day-to-day basis. Said differently: Just because you’re in a deficit, doesn’t mean your weight will be down every day.

-Please don’t let someone tell you that excess cortisol is stopping you from losing fat. Yes, it is possible that you have chronically elevated cortisol. It is also possible to be very stressed out and be successful at fat loss.

-Fat loss progress, much like strength training progress is rarely linear. You can be doing “every thing right”, and the scale will not go down (yet), and every workout won’t be stellar. Stay in it. Results come from appropriate work done consistently (not perfectly) over time.

-If you haven’t taken a maintenance break in a long time from your diet, here’s your sign to do so. A maintenance break is not a free-for-all. It’s a strategic phase eating enough food to support your body, your goals, and your activity level based on where you are at this moment.

-There’s some interesting movement happening in the GLP-1 world. If you’re taking a compounded version (as of this writing) you may not have access to these medications much longer. Where appropriate, you may need to talk to your doctor about pharmaceutical options if you qualify for them.

-Also on the GLP-1 note, if you’re currently taking them, please make efforts to get enough protein, enough fiber, and that you’re making progress with your strength training. Preserve as much of your lean muscle as possible.

-Being “stuck” at a given weight for a week is not indicative of a plateau. You would need data to show that little to no movement is happening over the span of weeks. I like digging deeper after two weeks of no movement. Some coaches, who I hold in high regard, might stretch that out over three weeks. I leave that up to the individual but if you’re truly stuck, look at areas where you can move slightly more or eat slightly less. Nothing major, nothing “crazy.” Also, keep in mind that a smaller body requires fewer calories so if your intake hasn’t changed in quite some time, you may need to make some tweaks. Also, read the above note on maintenance breaks.

-Despite what some might say, fat loss does not solve all problems. If you have an ache and a pain somewhere, there is no promise that losing fat will absolutely make that pain better. It “might.”

-Be careful with the world of “peptides”. Many of these are highly unregulated. Please don’t take my word for it. Listen to this podcast if you would like more insight. Just because some influencer on social media with a physique you admire says to take them, they are very likely not a qualified source of information.

(Photo courtesy of Brooke Lark)

Several months ago, Andrea got clearance from her doctors, post-double mastectomy, to resume strength training.

She got online and started looking for coaches locally who had experience working with cancer survivors and my name came up.

It was also around that time, that RevFit had to give a sorrowful goodbye to one of our own, Kelly Battershell, who lost her battle with cancer after having been in remission for several years.

Cancer has been something near and dear to me, since we lost my father to it in 2011. And ever since then, we’ve had many cancer survivors come through our doors.

So, when Andrea reached out, I told her that I did have experience there and that I’d be happy to liaise with both her doctors and PT to help her get her strength back.

It was a slow process.

Fortunately, Andrea had been very active prior to her cancer diagnosis.

As such, we weren’t starting from “square one” per se, but we did need to start with care because I wanted to make sure her body, post-chemo, post-radiation, and post-surgery, would respond positively.

The first couple of months, there was a lot of dialogue between the two of us, specifically around upper body recovery, the scar tissue she had developed on her right side and trying to understand what amount of discomfort was appropriate and expected versus something unwanted.

And over the last few months, something changed.

We had been steadily building her strength back in the trapbar, and the numbers were moving a positive direction.

She also got clearance to start adding in pressing movements to target the chest and see what her body could tolerate.

But the best thing, was that one day Andrea turned around to me and said: You know what I really want to be able to get back to? Pull-ups. I could do those before I was diagnosed.

So, I started her on the lat pulldown machine, testing a close grip (underhand) pulldown to see what she could do for 1-2 reps.

After we had a conversation about the weight she was pulling down versus her actual body weight, I moved her over to the pull-up bar, asked her to adopt an underhand grip (technically a “chin-up”), and see what was in the tank.

And after a moment of hesitation, she got the rep.

The look on her face was…priceless.

When she went back to her PT, she told her what she had accomplished. Her PT said: You’re the first patient I’ve had who’s been through what you have and been able to get back to that exercise.

Once Andrea saw that it “could” be done, then we started adding up the reps.

She can confidently do three sets of chin-ups for reps, she’s slowly building her bench press back to a heavy single rep, and her traplift keeps climbing as well.

This past weekend, she asked me: Do you think I can try an actual pull-up?

Let’s try it.

And after that same moment of hesitation, from a dead hang at the bottom, Andrea had an overhand grip on the bar and performed a flawless pull-up at a pace that begged for more reps (even though she stopped at one that day.)

That same look came across her face as it did when she hit that initial chin-up.

There are a lot of things that happen in a coach’s career that make showing up at the gym worth it over and over again.

And story’s like Andrea’s are one of them.

Because it’s not just the comeback from cancer. Andrea’s raising three kids, she’s a loving wife and she works full-time improving the mental health of those in her practice.

Cancer may have forced her to take a temporary pause, but she’s back with a vengeance, and we’ll do all we can to make sure she’s strong enough to continue that fight.

To Andrea, thank you for entrusting us with your care. What you’re doing with and for your body remains an inspiration. And we hope that your family, friends, loved ones and support system know how special that is.

You know, I turned fifty towards the end of last year and I didn’t “feel old” when it happened.

But for some reason, having an eighteen year old boy makes me feel kind of old.

Jackson turned eighteen over the past weekend and while that day may not mean as much to him as it might to a neurotypical child, it’s still pretty special to the rest of us.

The most notable thing that’s happened over the last year of Jackson’s life was related to his education.

Throughout most of his life, Jax has always attended schools made up primarily of other children on the autism spectrum.

The last couple of years, he had been at a school that seemed promising at first, but he kept disappearing between the cracks.

I take nothing away from parents of children with more severe forms of autism. I know those children are just as deserving of care and attention as one could ask for.

But the drawback for Jackson was the fact that since he was mostly so agreeable and didn’t bring a lot of attention to himself, that no one was there to push him and challenge him in ways we would want.

So, at the end of last year, the transition was made for Jackson to mainstream into a public school.

So far, it’s been a mostly positive experience.

While he is by most accounts, an eighteen year old who “should” be graduating high school with his peers, he’s been enrolled into an eighth grade class so that he can continue to not only get an education with his classmates, but go through the next four years of high school to graduate around the age of twenty-two.

But everything else with Jax is mostly status quo.

He still loves his toys and collecting as many as possible. He still gets into Legos, Funko Pops, and other assorted figurines.

He still loves movies and music.

He still loves to sing.

When he gets to spend time with his little brother, Sebastian, he’s typically very sweet and Sebastian still adores him.

And it’s so shocking to me that my “little meatball” isn’t so little anymore.

He’s a young man now, and I still have to wrap my head around that.

To Jax, we love you and hope it was a magical 18th birthday.

Here’s to another year of love, smiles, growth and evolution.

I’ve written about this many times on this site, and most recently, in reference to several of our clients who are hitting the biggest numbers when it comes to lifts.

We have a Top 5 board where we can rank the best of the best amongst our clientele. We’ve had it for around 6-7 years now and it’s always interesting to see who sets their sights on cracking into it.

Coach Mike Roder, who started off as a coach working directly under me, transitioned his position here and works exclusively with youth athletes three days a week.

Throughout that time, I’ve seen his roster grow, and despite the fact that nearly all of his clients are under the age of 18, we’ve seem some really impressive feats of strength from them.

To that, Mike started a Top 5 board of his own, shortly after he made the business transition.

There was a little bit of trash talking that was happening one day between two of my clients, one of whom had the best trapbar deadlift record in the gym, Pete T., with a personal best of 565 pounds.

Pete was giving a little bit of grief to Mitch M., whose personal best in the trapbar was well south of 565.

Pete said: Hey Mitch, why don’t you let me know when your traplift hits the puberty board over there.

And the reference towards Coach Mike’s Top 5 was the fact that there were indeed some big lifts on there but no one was topping Pete’s best.

That was, until Mike started coaching a high schooler named Alex.

Alex not only beat 565, he finished with a colossal 615 pounds. This was right after Alex turned 18. He was a senior then.

And prior to Alex training with Mike, another athlete was putting up impressive numbers, his name is Billy.

Billy started with Mike when he was 10 years old and, even then, we knew that Mike had a shockingly strong kid on his hands.

Billy was putting up big numbers on squat, bench and in the trapbar, all while his classmates and friends were making their way in to train as well.

Sometimes, when Mike gets busy, if he’s short-handed, myself and my staff will help load and unload plates, and help spot lifts when necessary.

So, over the last few years, I’ve had plenty of time to lend a hand to Billy, amongst many others.

At the beginning of this school year, Billy told Mike that his goal in the trapbar was to hit 550 by time he became a freshman.

I had the opportunity to help Billy scale up and we saw very quickly that 550 was not only going to be an easy number to hit, he was actually going to make a run for the top.

In the meantime, one of my clients, Chris S., took the #1 spot away from Pete with 570×1; enough to take the throne on my board but not quite enough to topple Alex.

I asked Mike if he’d let me take Billy as far as I could.

The numbers kept climbing and one day, I asked Billy: Hey, how much do you weigh?

153, he said.

I looked at the Top 5 board and calculated where he needed to be for his next milestones and said to him: You know, when you hit 615 and tie Alex’s best, you’ll be the first person in the gym to hit a lift that’s 4 times your bodyweight.

Billy smiled and asked: Really?

Also, remind me how old you are?

13, he said.

Sure enough, Billy hit 615 at the beginning of this year to tie for first place and become the first lifter here to hit quadruple bodyweight in a lift.

And last week, he did one better: he hit 620 pounds to take over first place.

Let me remind you: He’s 13 years old, he’s just over halfway through 8th grade, and he pulled 620.

So, this is more of a brag on Billy and Coach Mike, than anyone else.

And also, to Billy’s parents, who despite the fact that genetics probably play a bit into his success, knew that he needed strength training to take him to the next level in his respective sports.

They weren’t wrong.

It’s credit to the time, effort, and care that Mike has put into his athletes to see them be the best they can be.

I train some youth athletes, but Mike has the majority of them, and being a small piece of Billy’s current success has been awe-inspiring.

And let me just say, this kid is going to be an absolute monster when he hits high school.

So, circling back to Pete, it may still be the puberty board, but those are big, big numbers.

Shout out to Billy, shout out to Coach Mike (who you can follow at mrodertraining on Instagram), and shout out to the RevFit fam, at large, who are not only witnessing greatness week in and week out, but competing in it, cheering it on, and finding ways to improve in ways that mean something to each individual who crosses through our doors.

Last week, the U.S. administration under the guidance of RFK Jr., released their updated version of the food pyramid.

It should come as no surprise that nearly everyone in my side of the world had something to say about it.

There were a handful of areas that did catch my attention, and, as I made a point to say on a social media post of mine, I think there are some positives, and some questionable parts to it.

I should mention that there is the graphic of the pyramid (referenced below), a 10 page document giving more insight, and an additional 90 page document giving even further details.

While the graphic itself gives a snapshot of the direction the government is suggesting we go, it doesn’t tell the whole story.

So, let me dive into some areas I found of interest upon review.

Saturated Fats

I was admittedly concerned about this section prior to the release of the guidelines. Historically, I’ve been taught throughout numerous certifications I’ve completed based in both North America and the U.K., that our diets should be made up primarily of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and that saturated fat should only comprise 10% of total fat intake. This information is based off of the association that increased saturated fat intake (dairy excluded) may also increase cardiometabolic risk.

There was the belief that there would be an emphasis on not demonizing saturated fat in the diets, and even when you look at the pyramid, the animal proteins featured would all be high(er) in saturated fat. It’s mentioned that saturated fat should take up no more than 10% of total caloric intake.

Here are some numbers to compare against: On my guidance, if your total calories from fat equate to 700 calories a day, that means that saturated fat only covers 70 of those calories. If you take the guidance of HHS, and your total caloric intake for the day is 2000, then 200 calories would be saturated fat.

I’ll say this, and it’s only my opinion, if heart issues run in your family, you may want to be more conservative with saturated fat intake.

Also, bear in mind that fat is 9 calories per gram. Fat has more calories per gram than any other macronutrient. If you’re someone who struggles to find a calorie deficit for fat loss, adding more fat into the diet will very likely work against you. This may explain why many people who go keto, low carb, and sometimes carnivore, tend to find themselves back at maintenance or a surplus of calories because they overshot their fat intake (and calories by default.)

Protein

I believe the HHS got this part mostly right. Prior to this release, most of the guidance from the government about protein intake kept you from being malnourished and those numbers were admittedly quite low.

Now, there’s a range that I feel far more comfortable with: 1.2-1.6g of protein per kg of bodyweight. So, a 200lb person would aim for 110-145g of protein per day. Just a reminder that you don’t have to be perfect, but you may want to stay close in that range and it’s okay if you overshoot it a bit (assuming you don’t have a medical condition suggesting otherwise.)

Also, if you’re using a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication to help with fat loss, protein requirements go a long way (coupled with strength training) to help you maintain muscle mass.

My only knock on the protein suggestions, is that there is very little visual emphasis on the graphic to consider the needs of vegans and vegetarians. The documents give better guidance in that department. Also, many women struggle with whey (dairy) based protein powders and may need to choose plant based options for better digestive outcomes.

Whole Grains

To be honest, I was disappointed in this part. In the graphic, whole grains represent the smallest part of the pyramid. In a world where carbohydrates are routinely demonized, grains appear to take the hit in the visual. They get slightly more grace in the documents. I know and appreciate that everyone’s digestive systems are different and many people do not tolerate grains.

For me, they are a necessity. I can eat as many fibrous vegetables and fruits as my heart desires but if I don’t get some fibrous grains in there, the plumbing won’t work right.

As for you, you do need to understand what works best for your body but bear in mind that grains have existed successfully in other cultures for eons and they’re not demonizing them.

I do appreciate that many grains have been fortified with extra ingredients and some people snub their noses when they see what they believe to be too many ingredients on a food label and assume that it makes something unhealthy. I say: the “poison” is in the dose. Anything can be consumed to unhealthy amounts (even water) so you do need to be aware of your personal thresholds. Also, there needs to be recognition that for people who struggle with poverty and/or live in food deserts, fortified grains may be the very best they can do for themselves.

Alcohol

This one is murky for me. We now have substantial evidence that no amount of alcohol is healthy. It is even suggested that more and more people are turning to sobriety as drinking rates appear to be dropping: A 2025 Gallup poll found only 54% of U.S. adults drink, the lowest in nearly 90 years, down from 67% in 2022.

However, the HHS is being more conservative about it, only saying that people should “consume less alcohol for better
overall health.” Dr. Oz himself (not someone I would qualify as being an expert in nutrition), claimed it was a “social lubricant.”

I’m not going to stand in a glass house throwing stones. My wife and I both enjoy a nice (measured) serving of bourbon. We don’t drink to get drunk, it’s a complement to a meal. We both understand the relative risk and, like a lot of things, you’ll need to proceed as you see fit.

What I will say, is that if the optimization of health is your primary aim, then no alcohol would be the path.

Additional Thoughts

While it would be impossible to cover every exception to health guidelines in 10-90 pages of documentation, I do feel there are certain demographics that wouldn’t be well-served by the pyramid.

Individuals struggling with IBS and IBD may benefit from a tailored, individualized, low FODMAP approach to eating. Many “healthy”, “real” foods can be problematic for these people and can exacerbate their symptoms. I’ve written several times about this approach on my site if you need some guidance there.

Also, there is little consideration for people who struggle with disordered eating behaviors. When our government chooses to look at foods as “good” vs “bad”, this can also play into an all-or-nothing mindset for those with eating disorders. What’s healthy and appropriate for one, may not be the same for another, but demonizing foods is typically a problematic way to foster a healthy relationship with our bodies and the food we eat.

I know it’s “en vogue” to speak poorly of processed foods (or more specifically, highly-processed foods), but they aren’t problematic for everyone. Taking a cue from above, sometimes, it’s all that some people can afford. While I would much rather someone grab some whole fruits over some Doritos, we should have enough mental flexibility, that if you want to eat a chip, then eat the damn chip.

If you’ve determined that chips are not a food you can easily moderate, then credit should be given to improving the food environment (what you have direct access to in the home.)

For people who have certain dietary intolerances, (I’ll use gluten as an example), their options for gluten free alternatives are often highly processed. That doesn’t inherently make them less healthy. Everyone deserves to find a food substitute that allows them to cook recipes they will enjoy when a food is otherwise offensive to their bodies.

One last thing, I’m not convinced that many people put their lives into food pyramids, no matter which government rolled them out. People don’t necessarily need a visual graphic telling them what to eat when behavior modifications drive so many of our food decisions.

A quote I found on the internet, credited to RD Dr. Kevin Klatt, “If you want to know why most dietitians push back on the “eat real food” framing, it’s because most of us have worked in clinical practice, seen people literally starving to death from disease, & had the patient or a well-meaning family member question enteral feeding because formula isn’t ‘real food’.”

Perhaps the next version of the food pyramid will have some evidence based guidance on how to improve our food environment, coping skills when we struggle with emotional eating, and perhaps an advisory board that isn’t abundantly low carb in nature and ideology.

I live in a world that thrives on data. 

I’ve been a coach since the tail end of 2007 (18 years now) and my whole world is data: 

-How many reps? 

-How many sets? 

-How many pounds?

-How many calories?

-How many grams? 

-How many hours of sleep?

-How many steps? 

-How do we quantify stress, adherence to the plan, cravings, quality of sleep, etc.?

Not just that, but I own a business where the data doesn’t stop there either:

-Gross revenue 

-Payroll/wages

-Taxes 

-Profit/loss 

And I’ve just come off of a year with more health challenges than I’ve seen in my life where I need data for enzymes, vitamin levels, bone mineral density, and more. 

I’m surrounded by data. 

And I’m not knocking it. 

Data is valuable.

Data shows trends.

Data can plot a course forward.

Data can inform the next decision. 

And data can be paralyzing. 

Because in the minutiae of data, you can lose sight of the person. 

I’ve watched clients become so fixated on data that they forget how to ask simple things like:

How do I feel?

Am I better or worse than I was before without attaching a number to it? 

What kind of person can I be when and if I remove the shackles of the numbers I’ve allowed to define me?

I think data in the short term can be immensely helpful, especially if it helps you gain awareness of the next step to take.

I think data in the long term can work against you if you don’t know how to live without it.

When I work with clients, I often need to help them put the brakes on data: don’t weigh in this week, don’t complete your check in, don’t track your food, don’t worry about how many calories you burned in your workout…

Because if we don’t find a way to live without a tremendous amount of data, we don’t learn how to listen to our bodies, our experiences and…just…feeling…

In 2026, my hope for you is that you know when to add in more data, and more often than not, know when to take data away.

You have a life to live and you deserve to be a better person with all of the effort you put into living it.

Numbers can say a lot, but they will never paint the whole picture.

(Photo courtesy of Samer Khodeir)

My therapist passed away the day after Christmas.

There is the logical, rational part of me that knows he lived much longer than his initial prognosis led any of us to believe.

And, of course, the emotional side wanted him here longer…but that’s terribly selfish of me.

Most people don’t go looking for a therapist when their lives are going well.

And when I found Collin in the summer of 2019, my life was not going well.

Business was thriving, I was not.

My marriage to Marissa was showing its cracks and, knowing that I needed a sounding board for the chaos in my head, I got on the internet, looked for a therapist close to the studio, and thought: Maybe what I need is a male voice.

My father passed away in 2011 and not having that paternal voice in my ear, on my shoulder, was something I knew I was missing.

Collin filled some of those gaps.

He was a little bit older than my Dad would have been, but his demeanor, and his touchpoints for inspiration through therapy, were complementary to what my own father may have said.

Collin was one in a long line of therapists I had seen in my life since about the age of 20.

I was fortunate to have many caring people along the way to help me steer the ship when I was ill-equipped to do so on my own.

I would go in to see Collin about every other week for several months.

I spun my wheels, I vented, I thought I had a lot of answers for how and why my life was headed the direction it was, and most of my answers were incorrect.

I blamed certain parts of my life for my behavior and Collin set my sights on the real problems.

I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and, anyone who can relate to those “Big T” traumas knows that they don’t come without baggage.

I was no exception.

So, Collin gave me tools: books to read, exercises (homework) to do, and, without fail, always a question or two in each session that would make me ponder why I was the way that I was…and more importantly, what was I going to do to change.

It was on that note of change that Collin said the very words I have repeated over and over to myself and others ever since: When you’re in enough pain, you’ll change.

Change was not fast to come.

I was hurting, I didn’t know how to heal, and I didn’t know how to not hurt others in that process.

The problem with the “process” is that there is no blueprint for it.

What you’ll hear people say, is that you need to “process” your pain…

But there is no step-by-step instruction manual on how to do that.

It’s only after you do the work, that you have the clarity to look back and say: Oh…now I get it.

The keywords being; you have to DO THE WORK.

You show up at therapy when you want to.

You show up at therapy when you don’t want to.

You read the books, you do the exercises, you heal the pain.

There is no time constraint, there is no vision of Point A to Point Z until you reach every step in between.

It was during those first several months that Collin heard a lot from me and he heard from Marissa, too.

He didn’t play favorites, he lit a path and gave us tools to decide which way to walk.

And that was perhaps one of Collin’s greatest gifts: he didn’t “give” answers, he displayed options, and he asked crucial questions.

After the marriage got back to its proper place, my conversations with Collin began to slow down.

We stayed in touch, of course, because by then it was no longer about the damage that had occurred, it was about keeping the ship afloat.

He learned more about Marissa and gave her some tools of her own and, along the way, he kept saying to me: I really need to start working out.

To which I said: Well, you know, Collin. I know a guy…

Sure enough, for a short period of time, Collin became a client at RevFit.

And training him was almost as rewarding as being a patient of his.

When his health began to deteriorate, he started doing more virtual sessions from home.

Those sessions worked for a while, and it was always nice to see his face, hear his voice, and stay up to date on how he was feeling.

At a certain point, I think we both realized that our time together was turning more into a friendship, and less about therapy.

It was around that time that he, and his lovely wife Jean, allowed me to stop by their home so that he and I could stay in touch, for as long as his physical body would permit.

Many of those visits lasted no more than thirty minutes.

I wasn’t there to unload on him, I was just there to catch up, to give him a hug, to tell him I loved him and to remind him to be strong.

And he was strong…

For far longer than the doctors ever thought possible.

On the last couple of visits, he made a couple of comments that he wanted to be alive through the holidays.

He was here for Thanksgiving, but on Christmas, he was in hospice care at the hospital and unresponsive.

He passed away early in the morning on December 26.

I got the text message from Jean a few hours later, I took a deep breath, told Marissa that he was gone, and I completely lost my composure.

Because in so many ways, it felt like I lost another father figure.

What Collin did for our marriage was beyond anything my words can express.

What Collin did to help me heal decades of trauma and pain was beyond anything I had done for myself before.

You don’t go to therapy because you’re healed.

You go to therapy because you’re hurting.

And if you DO therapy the way you should, you learn to live a life with more healing and less hurting.

I’m going to miss my friend, who was so much more than a friend, so much more than a therapist.

He lit a light for me, when I couldn’t light one in front of myself.

And I will forever be grateful for his time, his care, his compassion, his love for me and my wife, and for reminding me (as I try to do for my clients) that I was worth the effort.

Thank you Collin.

We love you.

You were so special.

(With special thanks to Ellen D. for sending me this handmade figurine in the likeness of Collin several months ago, so that I would always have him nearby.)

For me, 2025 was a year of mostly digital consumption: YouTube videos/essays, podcasts, webinars, and more audiobooks than physical books for the first time in my life. I’ll talk more about the latter in just a few.

As for this site, here are the 5 most popular articles of 2025:

1-The Diagnosis

2-For Kelly

3-The Strength To Go Without

4-More Talk About GLP1-s

5-50 Ways…

In keeping up with my hope and goal at the beginning of this year, I fulfilled a goal to get rid of more physical things in my life. So, with that, I traded in hundreds of records and books back to stores where someone else can give them a new home. Rather than buying more physical things, I opted to consume more audiobooks than physical books, and more digital albums than ones I could hold and display.

The list below is the 123 books I consumed this year. My favorite novel of 2025 was The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb and my other favorite novel in the list, not released this year, was The Extraordinary Life Of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni (Thank you, Melissa L.)

1-If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

2-How To Hug A Porcupine by Julia A. Ross

3-High Achiever by Tiffany Jenkins

4-Vicious by V.E. Schwab

5-Vengeful by V.E. Schwab

6-Let Him In by William Friend

7-Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

8-The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

9-Black Noise by Tricia Rose

10-Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

11-Walking Disaster by Deryck Whibley

12-The World Beyond Your Head by Matthew B. Crawford

13-A Mystery Of Mysteries by Mark Dawidziak

14-The Butterfly Effect by Marcus J. Moore

15-The Connector Effect by I. Misner, G. Weihmiller, and R. Skrob

16-Get To The Point! by John Schwartzberg

17-The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick

18-Forgiving What You Can’t Forget by Lysa Terkeurst

19-Family Dog by Richard A. Wolters

20-The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

21-Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

22-Blood by Dr. Jen Gunter

23-Confessions by Kanae Minato

24-Earthlings by Sayaka Murata

25-The Extraordinary Life Of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

26-Good Talk by Mira Jacob

27-Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

28-King: A Life by Jonathan Eig

29-Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

30-The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

31-Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

32-Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

33-The Year Of Less by Cait Flanders

34-The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

35-Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

36-Break Free Of Emotional Eating by Geneen Roth

37-Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine

38-Every Time I Find The Meaning Of Life, They Change It by Daniel Klein

39-Surrounded By Idiots by Thomas Erikson

40-The Obvious Choice by Jonathan Goodman

41-Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

42-The GLP-1 Solution by Lyle McDonald

43-The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest

44-Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes

45-Tampa by Alissa Nutting

46-Welcome Home by Najwa Zebian

47-Gogmagog by Jeff Noon & Steve Beard

48-What My Mother And I Don’t Talk About by Michelle Filgate

49-In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

50-This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

51-The Woman Who Fooled The World by Beau Donnelly and Nick Toscano

52-The Tell by Amy Griffin

53-A Promised Land by Barack Obama

54-Sociopath by Dr. Patric Gaigne

55-The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell

56-William by Mason Coile

57-Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Levin

58-The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

59-Come Together by Emily Nagoski

60-I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

61-This Here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley

62-180 Days Of Physical Wellness For Busy Educators by Tina H. Boogren

63-Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

64-The Tenant by Freida McFadden

65-The Thicket by Noelle West Ihli

66-Gray After Dark by Noelle West Ihli

67-Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

68-Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One by Raphaelle Giordano

69-It Was All A Dream: Biggie And The World That Made Him by Justin Tinsley

70-Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography by Staci Robinson

71-Playworld by Adam Ross

72-White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

73-Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

74-Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley

75-Wintering by Katherine May

76-One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

77-Something In The Walls by Daisy Pearce

78-Blob: A Love Story by Maggie Su

79-The One by John Marrs

80-A Physical Education by Casey Johnston

81-The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

82-Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

83-These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

84-Menopause Plus by Girls Gone Strong

85-The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

86-On Immunity by Eula Biss

87-Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

88-How We Learn To Be Brave by Mariann Edgar Budde

89-Unbreakable by Dr. Vonda Wright

90-The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan

91-The Age Of Diagnosis by Suzanne O’Sullivan

92-The No Asshole Rule by Robert I. Sutton

93-The Will To Change by Bell Hooks

94-The Guncle by Steven Rowley

95-Dilla Time by Dan Charnas

96-Most Dope: The Extraordinary Life Of Mac Miller by Paul Cantor

97-Food Intelligence by Julia Belluz & Dr. Kevin Hall

98-The Hidden by Heather Graham

99-The Science Of Nutrition Coaching by Dr. Brad Dieter

100-The Art Of Nutrition Coaching by Dr. Brad Dieter

101-The Art & Science Of Nutrition Coaching by Dr. Brad Dieter

102-Music Is History by Questlove

103-The Death Of Us by Abigail Dean

104-Hold On To Your Kids by Dr. G. Neufeld and Dr. G. Mate

105-The Death And Life Of The Great Lakes by Dan Egan

106-All The Ugly And Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

107-Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

108-How Infrastructure Works by Deb Chachra

109-We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kleiwer

110-Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

111-The Only One Left by Riley Sager

112-Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson

113-When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron

114-The Wedding People by Alison Espach

115-Being Human by Robert Sapolsky

116-Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

117-The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb

118-Together At Baptism by Robert M. Hanna

119-Behave by Robert M. Sapolsky

120-The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

121-King Of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

122-After Taste by Daria Lavelle

123-The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

(Photo courtesy of Ed Robertson)