Strong Ambition Podcast

Hosted by Rhyland Qually

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149

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

You know those people who hang out at the top? The kind of people who have an internal drive to excel at everything they do? Maybe it's sports. Maybe its' academics. Maybe it's a professional career. Whatever it is....each person has their own unique story about how they became who they are. The Strong Ambition podcast is all about having conversations with high-performers, and getting to the core of what drives their ambition, so that you can apply those same lessons to your own training, nutrition and mindset.

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October 14, 2026Episode 1491 hr 20 min

#149 - MMA, Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Finding Balance in Fitness - Dino Camiré

Dino, owner of One Family Fitness and an experienced strength coach, joins the Strong Ambition Podcast to discuss his journey through competitive judo, professional MMA, natural bodybuilding, and international powerlifting. With over 20 years of coaching experience, Dino shares how his approach to fitness has evolved from chasing physical achievements to building strength, performance, and habits that last a lifetime. We explore why powerlifting is as much a skill as it is a test of strength, the differences between bodybuilding and powerlifting, and how to balance training intensity, recovery, and nutrition when pursuing multiple fitness goals. We also dive into carbohydrate cycling, muscle glycogen, competition preparation, and why traditional water-cutting practices may be counterproductive for natural bodybuilders. Finally, Dino introduces his book, The BUILD System, and its five pillars of sustainable fitness: Train, Fuel, Move, Measure, and Belong. In This Episode, We Discuss Can almost anyone bench press 225 pounds? Dino's journey through judo, MMA, bodybuilding, and powerlifting. Why powerlifting is a skill, not just a test of muscle. The differences between bodybuilding and powerlifting communities. Balancing strength and muscle retention during a bodybuilding prep. Carbohydrate cycling, glycogen, and competition-day nutrition. Water cutting and common mistakes in natural bodybuilding. Why daily movement and strength training matter for long-term health. The five pillars of Dino's BUILD System. Why community, identity, and enjoyment are essential for lifelong fitness. @topcoachdino Book link The Build System Episode Roadmap 00:27 – Can Almost Anyone Bench Press 225 Pounds? 03:08 – Why Powerlifting Is a Skill, Not Just Strength 05:04 – Dino's Journey Through Judo, MMA, Bodybuilding & Powerlifting 09:00 – Gamifying Fitness & Finding Motivation Beyond Appearance 11:41 – Dino's Professional MMA Career & Transition Into Coaching 14:21 – From Bodybuilding to Powerlifting 17:37 – Why the Powerlifting Community Is Different 20:38 – Building Strength, Community & Long-Term Motivation 23:04 – Can You Compete in Bodybuilding and Powerlifting at the Same Time? 24:23 – Managing Training Intensity, Volume & Recovery During a Diet 28:46 – Carbohydrate Cycling for Strength & Performance 30:40 – Carb Loading, Glycogen & Competition Preparation 34:12 – Why Pre-Workout Nutrition Is Often Misunderstood 37:19 – Why Your Nutrition Weeks Before Competition Matters More Than the Final Meal 38:55 – Water Cutting: Is It Necessary for Natural Bodybuilding? 43:49 – Rhyland's Experience With Bodybuilding Peak Week 47:13 – Introducing Dino's Book: The BUILD System 48:30 – Train & Fuel: Strength Training and Sustainable Nutrition 51:00 – Move: Why Daily Activity Matters Beyond the Gym 53:00 – Measure: Tracking Progress Beyond the Scale 54:57 – Belong: Community, Identity & Lifelong Fitness 58:31 – Rhyland's Takeaways From the Five Pillars 1:00:28 – Dino's Current Ambitions: Team Canada & Growing Powerlifting 1:02:23 – Where to Find Dino & One Family Fitness

September 30, 2026Episode 1481 hr 11 min

#148 - Live Debate: Are Seed Oils Truly Harmful? Cherie Calbom

Cherie Calbom, MS, nutritionist and author of The Truth About Seed Oils, joins the Strong Ambition Podcast for a friendly debate about one of the most controversial topics in nutrition: Are seed oils actually harmful? Cherie explains why she believes industrial seed oils should be avoided, while Rhyland challenges whether the human evidence supports labeling seed oils as toxic. They discuss inflammation, randomized controlled trials, anecdotes versus population evidence, beef tallow, processed foods, calories, food sensitivities, and why the overall dietary pattern may matter more than any single ingredient. Despite disagreeing on seed oils, the conversation finds plenty of common ground around whole foods, sustainable nutrition, individual differences, and the importance of actually enjoying your life and the people you share it with. In This Episode, We Discuss: Cherie’s personal health transformation and journey into nutrition. Why juicing and whole foods became central to her nutrition philosophy. The argument that seed oils oxidize and create harmful byproducts. Are seed oils actually “toxic” in the human body? What randomized controlled trials can tell us about seed oils. Biological mechanisms versus real-world human outcomes. Anecdotes, food sensitivities, and population-level recommendations. Why Rhyland believes individual ingredients are often unnecessarily villainized. Seed oils versus overall calorie intake and dietary patterns. Is beef tallow actually healthier than seed oils? Why Japan creates an interesting challenge to the seed oil argument. Correlation versus causation in nutrition research. GMOs, food processing, chemicals, and the appeal to “natural.” Why different dietary restrictions can all improve adherence for different people. Finding the right balance between whole foods and flexibility. Listening to your body and recognizing individual food sensitivities. Why relationships, community, and enjoying food also matter for health. Where Rhyland and Cherie ultimately agree despite their differences. Episode Roadmap 00:47 – Cherie’s Health Transformation & Journey Into Nutrition 04:24 – Juicing, Whole Foods & Cherie’s Current Diet 09:47 – The Truth About Seed Oils 11:01 – Why Cherie Believes Seed Oils Are Toxic 13:33 – Rhyland Challenges the Evidence Against Seed Oils 17:37 – Where Rhyland & Cherie Agree — and Disagree 19:52 – Personal Stories, Food Sensitivities & Anecdotal Evidence 22:41 – Can Seed Oils Be Part of a Healthy Diet? 25:07 – Is the Ingredient the Problem or the Overall Diet? 26:55 – Beef Tallow vs. Seed Oils 29:27 – Calories, Processed Foods & the Bigger Health Problem 30:38 – Japan: A Challenge to the Seed Oil Argument 34:30 – GMOs, Cancer & Asking What the Evidence Actually Shows 35:00 – Correlation vs. Causation in Nutrition Research 37:40 – Why Rhyland Doesn't Think Seed Oils Are the Main Problem 39:38 – Dietary Restrictions, Adherence & Finding What Works for You 41:26 – What Does “Chemical” Actually Mean in Nutrition? 42:42 – Does Natural Automatically Mean Healthier? 44:03 – How Much Processed Food Can Fit Into a Healthy Diet? 46:24 – Food Sensitivities & Individualizing Your Nutrition 48:00 – Why Relationships and Community Matter for Your Health 50:33 – Where Rhyland & Cherie Find Common Ground 52:08 – Cherie’s Current Ambition & Making Healthy Eating Enjoyable 1:XX:XX – Rhyland’s Reflection https://amzn.to/3MU4EBg @juiceladycherie

September 16, 2026Episode 1471 hr 29 min

Episode 147 - Self-Limiting Beliefs & Your Fitness Potential - Kelsey Willkie

Kelsey Willkie—copywriter, entrepreneur, founder of Inspired Idiots, and longtime RQ Training Nutrition client—returns to the Strong Ambition Podcast, but this time she turns the tables and interviews Rhyland. Kelsey shares how years of restrictive dieting and disordered eating led her to believe that achieving the body she wanted would require a lifestyle she didn't want to live. Working with Rhyland showed her that she could become stronger, leaner, and more confident while creating more freedom in her life. Together, Kelsey and Rhyland challenge the self-limiting stories people tell themselves about fitness: “I don't have the genetics,” “my metabolism sucks,” “I'm too old,” “I've tried everything,” or “it's unrealistic for me.” They explore the difference between accepting legitimate limitations and prematurely deciding what you're capable of, why sustainable results are often simpler than expected, and how consistency over a long enough timeline can completely change what's possible. The conversation also dives into business, pregnancy, self-belief, strength training, nutrition, body image, and learning to challenge the stories you've accepted as facts. Kelsey's journey from restrictive dieting to a healthier relationship with fitness. Why she once believed she couldn't achieve her goals while still enjoying life. Genetics, metabolism, and other self-limiting beliefs. Why repeatedly failing at diets can make you believe you're the exception. The difference between “impossible” and simply not finding a sustainable path yet. Why extreme approaches like 75 Hard, keto, and fasting can feel more appealing than simple habits. Ruthless consistency with simple strategies versus constantly searching for the next solution. Why trial and error isn't failure. Finding nutrition and training strategies that fit your personality and lifestyle. Calorie tracking, protein tracking, meal plans, and creating flexibility around food. The difference between an unrealistic physique and an unrealistic timeline. Finding the healthiest and happiest version of yourself instead of chasing someone else's body. How strength and performance goals can make fitness more rewarding. Rhyland's “seed of belief” analogy and why belief can come before visible results. How self-limiting beliefs show up in business as well as fitness. “If your life were a movie, what would the audience be yelling at you to do?” How pregnancy challenged Kelsey's beliefs about fitness and her body. Self-compassion versus self-criticism. “It's the pattern that's the problem, not the incident.” How training can change during pregnancy without abandoning fitness. Whether everyone should strength train. Whether protein, 8–10K steps, and strength training are enough for most people. How long it can take to achieve a result you've never seen before. Find Kelsey and her podcast, Inspired Idiots, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inspired.idiots 01:18 – How Long Does It Take to Achieve a Result You've Never Seen Before? 02:33 – Kelsey's Fitness Story & Believing Her Goals Were Unrealistic 04:28 – Genetics, Metabolism & the Stories We Tell Ourselves 07:45 – “I've Tried Everything” & Searching for the Secret 08:41 – Kelsey's History With Restrictive Dieting 11:27 – Why Fitness Doesn't Have to Be as Hard as You Think 13:31 – Why Extreme Diets Can Feel More Appealing Than Simple Habits 14:53 – Embracing Trial & Error Instead of Giving Up 18:30 – Are Your “Unrealistic” Fitness Goals Actually Unrealistic? 20:50 – How Understanding Calories In This Episode, We DiscussEpisode Roadmap

September 2, 2026Episode 1471 hr 39 min

Episode 146 - How to Perform Better with Curiosity, Spirituality, and Motivation - Ricky Scruggs

Performance coach Ricky Scruggs joins the Strong Ambition Podcast to discuss how athletes and high performers can improve their performance by learning to become more present. Drawing from his background in professional baseball, coaching, business, and ministry, Ricky explains why constantly thinking about the future can interfere with our ability to respond to what is actually happening in front of us. Ricky and Rhyland discuss identity beyond achievement, curiosity over confidence, learning to let go of outcomes, and how everyday practices can train us to become more aware and present when performance matters. The conversation also explores Ricky’s Christian faith and how spirituality, grace, acceptance, and releasing control have shaped his approach to performance—even where Rhyland and Ricky approach religion from different perspectives. In This Episode, We Discuss Ricky’s journey from professional baseball to mental and spiritual performance coaching. How athletes can lose their identity when it becomes attached to their sport. Finding happiness and fulfillment within the pursuit of your goals. Why being present is a skill that can improve athletic performance. Changing the question from “What should I think about?” to “What should I notice?” How everyday walks and moments of awareness can train your ability to perform. Why overthinking can interfere with natural athletic movement. Finding the deeper “why” behind achievement and performance. Why Ricky teaches “curiosity over confidence.” Shifting from trying to prove yourself to seeing what you can learn. How to care about winning without becoming controlled by the outcome. How Ricky connects spirituality and Christianity to mental performance. Rhyland’s challenges and limitations with religion as a belief system. Finding common ground through grace, acceptance, and letting go of control. Separating your value as a person from your performance. Episode Roadmap 00:49 – Ricky’s Story: Baseball, Business, Ministry & Performance Coaching 05:55 – Ricky’s Difficult Childhood & Why Baseball Became His Refuge 10:43 – What Happens When Athletes Lose Their Identity? 12:00 – Finding Happiness Within the Pursuit 14:14 – Achievement, Acceptance & Letting the Game Come to You 16:45 – Why Being Present Can Be Difficult for High Performers 19:18 – Learning How to Rest & “What Should I Notice?” 22:22 – Overthinking Movement & Trusting Your Athletic Instincts 24:32 – Finding the Real “Why” Behind Performance 26:59 – Stop Trying to Prove Yourself & Start Trying to Learn 30:15 – How Everyday Presence Can Make You a Better Athlete 32:54 – Curiosity Over Confidence 35:14 – Letting Go of Results When Results Still Matter 38:45 – How Faith and Spirituality Connect to Performance 40:00 – Rhyland’s Challenges With Christianity & Religion 42:09 – Ricky’s Perspective on Faith, Heaven, Hell & Grace 45:30 – How Acceptance Can Actually Improve Performance 49:14 – Judgment, Grace, Free Will & Personal Growth 52:50 – Separating Human Value From Achievement 55:10 – Love, Trust & Learning to Release Control 58:25 – Where Rhyland and Ricky Find Common Ground 1:00:23 – Interpreting Christianity in a More Practical Way 1:05:30 – What Ricky Is Most Excited About Next 1:XX:XX – Rhyland’s Reflection www.rickyscruggs.com Instagram rickyscruggs19

August 19, 2026Episode 1451 hr 27 min

#145 - My First Registered Dietitian Guest: Do We Actually Agree on Nutrition? Featuring Meridan Zerner, MS, RDN, LD

Meridan Zerner, a registered dietitian with over 30 years of experience in preventive health and nutrition, joins the Strong Ambition Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about what actually creates lasting health. As the first registered dietitian to appear on the podcast, Meridan and Rhyland explore where coaching and dietetics align, challenge common misconceptions, and discuss why sustainable habits will always outperform extreme diets. Together they dive into today's biggest nutrition conversations—from protein, fiber, supplements, and body composition to behavior change, food guidelines, and the growing politicization of nutrition science. Rather than focusing on rigid rules, the discussion emphasizes building practical habits that fit real life and help people create healthier lifestyles they can actually maintain. Whether you're trying to lose fat, improve your health, build muscle, or simply cut through the endless nutrition misinformation online, this episode offers an evidence-based conversation that prioritizes nuance, sustainability, and long-term success. In This Episode, We Discuss Meridan's journey from journalism to becoming a registered dietitian. How a life-changing neck injury shaped her passion for health and wellness. Why information alone doesn't create behavior change. Building sustainable habits instead of relying on motivation and willpower. Why personalized nutrition always beats one-size-fits-all diets. The importance of structure, consistency, and realistic expectations. Optimal protein intake and how current recommendations have evolved. Why fiber may be one of the most overlooked nutrients in nutrition. Soluble vs. insoluble fiber and how they impact gut health, appetite, and longevity. Body composition versus body weight and why the scale often tells an incomplete story. When supplements like collagen, creatine, fiber, vitamin D, and multivitamins may actually be beneficial. Thoughts on MAHA, nutrition policy, and the importance of evidence-based recommendations. Why community, relationships, and purpose are essential components of long-term health. Meridan's book, The Thoughtful 30, and her practical framework for creating lasting lifestyle change. Connect with Meridan Zerner Website: www.meridanzernernutrition.com Instagram: @meridanzerner Episode Roadmap 00:00 – Meet Meridan Zerner, Registered Dietitian 01:30 – The injury that sparked a lifelong passion for health 05:30 – Why nutrition eventually replaced journalism 08:30 – Why information doesn't change behavior 12:00 – Building habits instead of chasing motivation 16:00 – Creating a nutrition plan that actually fits your life 20:00 – Coaching, dietetics, and simplifying nutrition 24:00 – Why body composition matters more than the scale 28:00 – The truth about optimal protein intake 35:00 – Why fiber deserves more attention 41:00 – Fiber supplements, gut health, and practical nutrition tips 44:00 – Collagen, supplements, and filling nutritional gaps 49:00 – MAHA, food policy, and evidence-based nutrition 56:00 – Translating nutrition science into everyday life 1:00:00 – The Thoughtful 30: Meridan's framework for lasting change 1:07:XX – Rhyland's Reflection

August 5, 2026Episode 1441 hr 26 min

#144 - Body dysmorphia, building muscle, and powerlifting strategies ranked - Coach Querwin Campeciño

Coach Querwin ( @fitnesscoachq ) joins the Strong Ambition Podcast to share his journey from growing up in the Philippines to becoming one of Winnipeg's respected personal trainers and powerlifting coaches. What starts as a conversation about his story quickly evolves into a thought-provoking discussion on what actually makes a great coach, realistic fitness expectations, bodybuilding, powerlifting, body image, and the biggest misconceptions surrounding fat loss, muscle growth, and strength training. Whether you're a coach, an experienced lifter, or someone simply trying to improve your health, this episode offers practical advice, honest conversations, and evidence-based discussions that challenge many of the myths spread throughout the fitness industry. In This Episode, We Discuss Coach Q's journey from the Philippines to Canada. Becoming a coach after helping hospital staff transform their health. What actually separates great coaches from average ones. Whether coaches need to experience the same struggles as their clients. Should fitness coaches "look the part"? Contest prep and the realities of bodybuilding. Why muscle growth is much slower than social media suggests. Body dysmorphia and unrealistic physique expectations. Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and how they change training recommendations. Why Coach Q transitioned from bodybuilding into powerlifting. Why powerlifting became more motivating than bodybuilding. The supportive culture of the powerlifting community. Training for strength versus hypertrophy. Ranking popular powerlifting tactics and discussing what actually helps build a stronger squat, bench press, and deadlift. Practical coaching lessons every lifter can apply to train smarter, recover better, and make long-term progress. Connect with Coach Q Instagram: @fitnesscoachq Episode Roadmap 00:00 – Meet Coach Querwin (Coach Q) 00:40 – Growing up in the Philippines and moving to Northern Manitoba 03:20 – How bodybuilding unexpectedly led to becoming a personal trainer 07:30 – Why coaching is harder than people think 09:00 – Does a coach need to personally experience the same struggles as their clients? 15:15 – Should fitness coaches "look the part?" 18:00 – PEDs, genetics, and why social media creates unrealistic expectations 21:30 – Why building muscle takes much longer than people think 28:00 – Why getting lean often changes how muscular you actually look 30:00 – Contest prep: Hunger vs. extreme fatigue 32:30 – Transitioning from bodybuilding into powerlifting 37:00 – Why powerlifting became more enjoyable than bodybuilding 41:00 – The downside of powerlifting that nobody talks about 43:00 – Ranking Popular Powerlifting Tactics: What Actually Works? 1:10:57 – Rhyland's Reflection

July 22, 2026Episode 1431 hr 26 min

#143 - A pastor and a coach debate faith & fitness — Rick Meyer

Rick Meyer is a pastor who's also run over 143,000 miles since he was 11 years old. Which is a combination I've never had on the podcast before. I brought him on to talk about faith and fitness. How discipline actually gets built. Why people who show up for their families and jobs still struggle to show up for their own health. Rick has a mantra he uses when he runs — I can't. Christ can. We are. He talks about training as stewardship. You take care of your body so you can better serve the people in your life. Whether you're religious or not, that framing hits different than "I want to lose 20 pounds." But that's not the part I want to talk about. Halfway through, I told Rick something I don't usually bring up on the podcast — that I grew up religious, that Christianity shaped a lot of my character, and that at some point I lost the faith itself. The values stuck. The belief didn't. And then I asked him a question I've been chewing on for years. I call it the Blood Diamond Problem, because that's where I first really thought about it. If you've not seen the Leonardo Dicaprio movie, it involves a kid in Africa who gets kidnapped by rebels, brainwashed, and turned into a child soldier. Eventually he ends up turning on his own family. He didn't choose any of that. His environment made him. So what happens to that kid? How does he get judged by a God he was never given a fair chance to know? And there are billions of people like that — not in the same circumstance, but people who've never heard about Christianity, or heard about it but grew up somewhere it couldn't stick. If salvation only runs through Jesus, where does that leave them? I've heard a lot of religious people try to answer that question. Most of the answers don't hold up for me. Rick's did. And it's not because he had some perfect scripture that closed the case — but because he was willing to just say he didn't fully understand it. He said faith reaches people in ways he can't explain. And then he said something a lot of religious leaders won't — that certainty is a bad look, including for him. I don't know if I'd say we agreed. But I felt like I got an honest answer from someone who'd actually thought about it, which is all I really want in these conversations. We got into: Farm-life discipline and why it's the closest thing to fitness discipline Rick's mantra: "I can't. Christ can. We are." Why motivation and discipline are two sides of the same coin, not opposites The weird similarities between getting to the gym and getting to church Gratitude as a performance tool (there's actual psychology behind it) Why Rick thinks Christians have an obligation to take care of their bodies The Blood Diamond Problem and Rick's honest answer What happens to people who never hear about Jesus Why "I don't know" is the most honest thing anyone can say about the big stuff Why I still value the Christian character I grew up with, even without the faith This one probably isn't for everyone. But if you've ever tried to reconcile the values you grew up with against the beliefs you can't quite hold onto anymore — this conversation might hit home. Find Rick's books here: Leadership Books Speakers Bureau : here Instagram : @rickmeyer9014 TikTok : @running.on.faith3

July 8, 2026Episode 1421 hr 22 min

#142 - Stage 4 cancer, Ironman training, and choosing to live — Jim Logan

Jim Logan was 59 years old, extremely fit, and had no symptoms when he was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer. The doctors gave him six months to two years. He spent the first six months preparing to die. Closed his bank accounts. Shut down his home inspection business of 30 years. Got his family ready. Then treatment started shrinking his tumors. Surgery became possible. And Jim made a different decision. He started preparing to live . Since then he's been through 24 rounds of chemo, radiation, and multiple major surgeries — including removal of most of his liver, his colon, his rectum, and his gallbladder. He now trains and competes while living with an ostomy. He's been declared cancer-free twice. And he's still on chemo. He's also training for the Ironman World Championship in Kona! I've talked to a lot of people about resilience on this podcast. Most of the conversations end up in the same place — some version of "mindset matters" or "just keep going." Jim doesn't talk like that. He's specific. He has a framework he actually uses: Discipline, Sacrifice, Suffering, Pain. He talks about the pain you choose preparing you for the pain you don't. And he said something in this conversation that I keep thinking about — "everyone is terminal. I just found out sooner." The other thing that stuck with me is how much he talks about training as identity, not motivation. He didn't keep swimming, biking, and running through chemo because he was motivated to. He kept doing it because that's who he is. The diagnosis didn't change that. If anything, it made him lean into it harder. We got into: Why Jim kept training through chemo ( "cancer may kill me, but swimming won't" ) The six months he spent planning to die, and what changed Why he calls cancer both the worst and the best thing that's ever happened to him His D.S.S.P. philosophy — Discipline, Sacrifice, Suffering, Pain Why the pain you choose prepares you for the pain you don't Why "everyone is terminal" isn't dark, it's clarifying What good coaches actually do (it's not "push harder") Zone 2 cardio, why beginners train too hard, and what actually builds endurance Why happiness lives inside pursuit, not at the end of it Jim wrote a book called Just Keep Tri-ing . He's also raising money for cancer charities through his Ironman training. Links to both are below. Find Jim on Instagram : @stage42025 His book on Amazon : Just Keep Tri-ing Ironman fundraising page: Donate here Facebook fundraising page: Donate here

June 29, 2026Episode 1411 hr 34 min

#141 - 10 lessons from 100 days of fun food fat loss — with Rhyland Qually

100 days ago, I started a challenge. Every single day, I ate some form of fun food while trying to lose body fat. Cookies.Chocolate bars.Pizza.Burgers.Ice cream.Crispers.And yes... even more cookies. Now the challenge is over. In this episode, I review my final body weight, body fat percentage, DEXA scan results, and we assess how my training impacted my results. I also break down some of the biggest mistakes I made along the way and the lessons I learned from the entire experience. Some of these lessons are things you've probably heard me talk about before. Others completely surprised me. And what might surprise you most is how many of the mistakes I made are probably the same mistakes you're making right now. Throughout the episode, I explain how each of these lessons can be applied to your own fat loss journey. Because the truth is, despite coaching this stuff for a living, I still screw it up sometimes too. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all: After 100 days of eating fun food every day , I don't actually think most people should eat fun food every day. Not for the reasons you might think. I explain why in the episode. I also break down the 10 biggest lessons I took away from the challenge and how they can help you build a nutrition and training plan that allows you to enjoy the foods you love while still making progress. And just as importantly, how to keep the weight off after the fat loss phase is over. The 10 lessons I cover: • Meal Plans Kick Ass• Diet Pop Is F ing Awesome• How To Fit In Your Fiber• Finding The Right Size Treat• Pre-Workout Meals Work More Than I Realized• Own The Fat Loss Challenge• Tighten Up The Calories And Do It Sooner• Machines Are F ing Awesome - But not the whole picture• You Should NOT Eat Fun Food Every Day Like I Did• Plan For After The Weight Loss — With Accountability If you're someone who wants to find a balance between enjoying fun foods, improving your health, losing body fat, and keeping the weight off long-term, I think you'll get a lot out of this one.

June 10, 2026Episode 1401 hr 42 min

#140 - Weight loss without calorie tracking — with Rachel Schwartz

Rachael Schwartz coaches women through fat loss without making any of them track calories. None of them. Not her 1:1 clients. Not her group coaching (which sometimes runs 300 people deep). That probably sounds like the opposite of what I usually say. Because it is. I think calorie tracking is one of the best tools out there for fat loss. Rachael disagrees because she believes tracking creates problems for the people she works with. Perfectionism. Obsessing over the number. Throwing the day out because they went 200 calories over. Her system gets around that by building structure into everything. Instead of "hit your numbers," her clients get parameters: Protein servings sized to them. Specific eating windows. A built-in dessert every day (she calls it BID). One treat meal a week with actual rules around it. Drinking nights capped at two with specific drinks. It's basically a pick-your-own-adventure meal plan with guardrails. The calorie deficit happens, they just don't see the math. We also had a pretty good debate over intermittent fasting (she thinks it backfires for most women because they get too perfectionist about the timing). And we disagreed on whether fasting itself provides longevity benefits or whether it just makes a calorie deficit easier to hit. But the conversation that surprised me most was peptides. A few years ago Rachael was firmly anti-Ozempic. Now she's been microdosing for months. Not for weight loss — but for inflammation, energy, and what she described as "feeling like a sponge that finally got wrung out." She's also been experimenting with NAD+, GHK-Cu (the copper peptide for skin and hair), BPC-157 for gut health, and a few others. We got into where this is all headed — and why she thinks microdosing GLP-1s will eventually be classified as a longevity tool, not a weight loss drug. I'm more cautious. But I think she's probably right about where this is going. We get into: Why Rachael's clients lose weight without tracking a single calorie Her actual system (built-in dessert, treat meals, alcohol rules, eating windows) Why "the habits that get you lean should be the same habits that keep you lean" The intermittent fasting debate — and why she thinks it backfires for most women How her view on Ozempic completely flipped Microdosing GLP-1s as a longevity tool, not a weight loss tool The other peptides she's experimenting with right now Why she rates exercise as a drug — and why the data backs her up Where weight loss medication is probably heading in the next 10 years Click below to listen to this great conversation! Find Rachael on Instagram : @rachaelschwartznutrition