TLDR;
Alan Aragon, a nutrition expert with over 30 years of experience, addresses common myths and questions about diet, muscle gain, and fat loss. He stresses the importance of total daily protein intake over meal timing, discusses effective weight loss strategies, and cautions against overly restrictive diets. Aragon also touches on the impact of menopause, PCOS, and lifestyle factors on achieving fitness goals, advocating for evidence-based approaches and individualised plans.
- Prioritise total daily protein intake over meal timing for muscle gain and fat loss.
- Effective weight loss involves a sustainable calorie deficit, adequate protein, and resistance training.
- Overly restrictive diets like keto and carnivore can be effective short-term but are often unsustainable long-term.
Intro [0:00]
The host introduces Alan Aragon, a nutrition expert with 30 years of experience, to answer 15 popular questions about fat loss and muscle gain. Topics include fast weight loss, creatine, protein intake, PCOS, ketogenic diet, menopause, fasting, and the impact of alcohol. The goal is to provide evidence-based insights into nutrition and training strategies.
Why Should the Audience Listen to You? [2:28]
Alan Aragon details his 30-year career in fitness and nutrition, including personal training, nutritional counselling, and research. He has contributed to 30 publications, including narrative reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomised control trials. Aragon has worked with numerous individuals, including high-profile clients like Steve Austin (Stone Cold), Derek Fischer, and Pete Sampras, focusing on improving body composition.
The Biggest Myths About Protein [5:15]
The biggest myth about protein is the misplaced emphasis on meal timing and distribution. The most important factor is total daily protein intake. Secondary importance is the distribution of protein doses throughout the day, and the least important is the specific timing around workouts. Hitting the daily protein goal is the priority.
How Many Meals Should We Eat for Optimal Muscle Gain? [9:39]
The number of meals depends on the population, goal, and stakes. Elite bodybuilders often consume five to six meals a day due to their enhanced muscle growth and food processing capabilities. However, for the general population, recreational athletes, and hobbyists, protein distribution is less important than total intake.
How Much Protein Should We Consume Per Day? [11:44]
For intermediate to advanced trainers aiming to lose fat and gain muscle, the recommended protein intake is 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of target body weight. For those wanting to decrease body fat, the upper end of this range is preferable. For a 90 kg individual, this equates to approximately 198 grams of protein per day. Women should typically start at the lower end of the range (1.6 g/kg) due to a higher proportion of body fat.
Is There Any Danger in Too Much Protein? [16:26]
Consuming too much protein is rarely harmful, except for individuals with pre-existing chronic kidney disease. Studies have shown no significant threat to kidney function, liver function, or bone health in healthy individuals consuming high protein intakes. Animal proteins are generally more anabolic than plant proteins, but optimising total daily protein intake negates this difference.
How to Lose Weight Fast [21:51]
To lose weight fast, engage in an aggressive caloric deficit, 20-40% below maintenance needs, while keeping protein intake high. This approach will result in relatively low carbohydrate and fat intake. Regular training is also essential. For example, if maintenance is 2,000 calories, reduce intake by a third and monitor fat loss while maintaining strength.
Why Do I Gain Weight After Stopping Ozempic/Ozempic? [23:55]
Weight regain after stopping GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs like Ozempic occurs because the drugs suppress hunger and appetite. When discontinued, normal appetite returns, and individuals often lack the habits and skills to maintain weight loss. A weaning-off process is recommended, reinforcing good training and dietary habits while learning to manage hunger.
Does Dieting Affect Metabolism? [25:33]
Metabolic adaptation occurs in both weight gain and weight loss. Overeating increases non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) by 200-300 calories. Conversely, dieting decreases NEAT by a similar amount. Adaptive thermo reduction, involving metabolic changes and decreased sympathetic nervous system activity, can further reduce calorie burning by 50-100 calories.
Best Diet for Long-Term Weight Loss [31:38]
The best diet for long-term weight loss includes enough protein and total calories, is comprised predominantly of healthy food choices, and fits the individual's personal preferences and tolerances.
How Do I Specifically Lose Belly Fat? [32:13]
Targeting belly fat specifically involves targeting total body fat. Spot reduction is not possible. Diets lower in saturated fat may help prevent visceral fat gain. Replacing fatty cuts of meat with sources like avocado, nuts, olive oil, and seeds can be beneficial.
Why Is Fat Loss Harder During Menopause? [33:29]
During menopause, physiological and hormonal changes can challenge fitness programs. Hot flashes, joint pain, changes in sexual function, and poor sleep can decrease adherence to physical activity and dietary plans. Lowering expectations of progress, aiming for half a pound of fat loss per week, and maintaining high protein intake are effective strategies.
HRT During Menopause [38:09]
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help those who need it, but its use should be determined on an individual basis with a doctor. HRT can ease muscle gain and prevent fat gain. Symptomology should drive the decision to start HRT, and trends over time should be considered rather than relying on a single test.
PCOS and Diet Restriction [41:18]
PCOS shares metabolic characteristics with type 2 diabetes, including insulin resistance and impaired glycemic control. Dietary caution with total carbohydrate intake is warranted. Prioritise total body fat reduction, and consider further carbohydrate restriction if needed. A ketogenic diet can be effective for managing PCOS symptoms.
What to Do With Irregular Menstrual Cycles [44:58]
For irregular menstrual cycles, consult a doctor and consider whether overtraining and undereating are factors. Restricting calorie consumption too much can disrupt the menstrual cycle. The female athlete triad involves overtraining, undereating, and menstrual disruption, potentially leading to osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Muscle Memory [46:31]
Muscle memory is real. The body retains myonuclear domains created during training, which remain relatively permanent even during detraining. Additionally, the proprioceptive or motor component of training, the skill aspect, remains, facilitating faster regain of muscle and strength.
Is the Gut Microbiome Affecting My Weight Gain? [47:51]
The gut microbiome plays a role in weight loss, but it is not the primary regulator. Supplements claiming to "fix" the gut microbiome may have statistically significant effects, but the absolute impact on body fat loss is often not practically significant.
Why Do You Eat So Many Eggs? [49:14]
Eggs are a great source of protein and fat, including oleic acid. Dietary saturated fat has a greater impact on blood lipids than dietary cholesterol. While health agencies recommend limiting egg consumption, individual tolerance varies. Aragon consumes four eggs a day and monitors his health markers.
Testosterone Levels [50:42]
Alan Aragon, at 53 years old, does not regularly test his testosterone levels, relying instead on symptom-driven assessment. If symptoms of low testosterone arise, he would first modify lifestyle factors before considering exogenous testosterone.
What Supplements Do You Take? [51:26]
Alan Aragon takes a multivitamin (two pills, one with iron and one without), fish oil, magnesium, vitamin D3, vitamin C, collagen, and creatine. If limited to three, he would choose a multivitamin, omega-3s (fish oil), and vitamin D3.
Creatine [53:22]
Creatine is the only non-pharmacological supplement with a strong evidence base for enhancing resistance training effects, particularly strength gains. It increases lifting capacity by approximately 20% compared to a 12% increase in those not taking creatine. A loading phase of 20-25 grams per day for 5-7 days or a maintenance phase of 3-5 grams per day is recommended.
Diet Breaks [58:35]
Diet breaks are useful for overcoming progress plateaus, defined as 4-8 weeks of no change in body composition despite good compliance. Plateaus are a natural part of the body's homeostasis. Diet breaks involve "non-YOLO maintenance," relaxing the diet without sheer abandon, and should be taken every 4-8 weeks or every 5-10 pounds lost.
How to Get Good at Weight Loss Maintenance [1:02:06]
To maintain weight loss, preserve lean body mass by controlling the weight loss rate (0.5-1% of body weight per week), engaging in resistance training, and consuming enough protein. Muscle tissue is metabolically active and helps prevent collateral fattening, where the body rebounds quickly due to muscle loss.
Diet Rebounds [1:06:02]
Avoid losing weight too quickly to prevent rebound. A pound a week is a good benchmark, with 1% loss a week being spectacular. Every 5-10 pounds lost is a good time for a diet break to alleviate mental and physical fatigue. Aim for plateau periods or maintenance phases to be longer than dieting phases for long-term success.
Fasting [1:11:26]
Fasting, including intermittent fasting, is a legitimate option for controlling calories and dieting. Autophagy, the process of the body getting rid of damaged cells, happens in a caloric deficit regardless of fasting. Exercise also increases autophagy. Fasting can be a double-edged sword for lean individuals, potentially leading to lean body mass loss.
Water Fasts [1:19:35]
Alan Aragon is not a fan of water fasts, viewing them as a cycle of crash dieting to offset holiday binges. He advocates for securing and reinforcing the right habits throughout the year instead of relying on fasts for damage control.
Keto Diet [1:20:45]
The ketogenic diet is effective for weight loss because it cuts out highly processed, hyper-palatable junk foods and increases protein intake. However, most people cannot stick to it long-term, often rebounding and increasing carbohydrate intake over time. Cardiovascular health depends on the quality of fat consumed, favouring sources like nuts, avocados, and olive oil over land animal fats.
Gaining Muscle on the Keto Diet [1:26:44]
Gaining muscle on the ketogenic diet is possible, but more difficult. The body can manufacture carbohydrate endogenously. Strength gains can be similar to high-carbohydrate diets if protein and total calories are equated. However, muscle size gains are typically better on high-carbohydrate diets due to increased muscle glycogen storage.
Carnivore Diet [1:28:55]
The carnivore diet, while extreme, can be the lesser of two evils compared to the standard western diet due to spontaneous calorie reduction. It can be optimised with variety, including fatty fish, poultry, beef, eggs, and dairy.
Do Vegans and Vegetarians Struggle to Gain Muscle? [1:31:11]
Vegans and vegetarians typically struggle to gain muscle due to insufficient total calories and protein intake. However, they can gain muscle on par with omnivores if they structure their diet and training program correctly.
Do Most People Get Enough Protein? [1:31:58]
Almost everyone who is overweight, obese, or has issues with body fat levels under consumes protein. "Hard gainers" who struggle to gain weight often have a spontaneous increase in non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). The solution is to eat more, structuring liquid meals for easy calorie intake.
What’s Stopping People From Reaching Their Body Goals? [1:36:46]
People often fail to reach their physical goals because those goals are not their top priority. To succeed, changing the body must become priority number one. Review the reasons for pursuing the goal and identify barriers to stay motivated.
Your Alcohol Addiction [1:41:57]
Alan Aragon shares his experience with alcohol addiction, which peaked between ages 40 and 46. Stress from career and family life led to heavy drinking. He realised he needed to stop completely and redirected his ritualistic tendencies towards training and good nutrition. He visualises the negative consequences of drinking to avoid relapse.
Artificial Sweeteners [1:50:16]
Artificial sweeteners are generally safe, but saccharine has a poor track record for impairing glucose control and promoting weight gain. Other sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, and stevia are innocuous.
The Lies We've Been Told About Sugar [1:52:02]
Scaremongering around sugar has led to confusion between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruit. Fruit is beneficial due to its low calorie, high water, and high micronutrient density. It improves glycemic control, body weight, and protection against cardioabolic diseases.
Refined Sugar [1:55:45]
Added sugar is problematic because it dilutes the nutrient density of the diet and is often packaged with highly processed carbohydrate and fat combination foods. Limiting added sugar to 10% of total calories is a reasonable approach, especially when trying to gain weight.
How Often Should We Go to the Gym Each Week? [1:58:15]
Go to the gym four to five days a week. Spreading out sets over multiple days is more productive than cramming them into a single session.
How Long Does It Take to Lose Muscle? [1:58:53]
Muscle loss happens rapidly in bedridden individuals. Active rest can delay material drops in strength and fitness for a couple of weeks, but three weeks of inactivity will definitely be felt.
How Does Nature Impact Your Life? [2:02:06]
Being in nature has psychological benefits. Marine communities tend to have greater longevity, potentially due to omega-3 intake and the metaphysical effects of being by the ocean.
Where Can People Find You? [2:03:46]
People can learn more from Alan Aragon at his website, alanaragon.com, and on Instagram @thealanaragon. His book, a comprehensive guide to nutrition, was published in 2022.