June 30, 2025 • 56 mins
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--
Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt like you were staring at a stranger... but in a good way?
That's exactly where Allan finds himself after successfully building visible muscle mass and fundamentally changing his relationship with food.
In this real-time coaching session, we get into the fascinating psychological phenomenon of mental lag that happens when your body transforms faster than your self-perception can keep up.
Discover how to handle rising metabolism during cuts, manage post-bulk hunger, and process the psychological side of major physique transformation.
Episode Mentions:
- Allan's previous episode: After Bariatric Surgery, He Found Optimal Health and Strength Over 60
- Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS
Timestamps:
0:00 - Allan's physical and mental transformation since Episode 77
6:31 - "Feeling fat" is a fallacy
11:49 - Relationship with food and emotional eating
16:06 - Current training and what's working
19:03 - Live coaching on metabolism and hunger challenges
27:27 - Identifying the real cause of grazing behavior
34:32 - Family responsibilities and life balance
39:15 - Planning the next bulk
44:15 - The deeper "why" behind transformation
46:35 - Importance of proper warm-ups and injury prevention
52:40 - Biggest takeaways and next steps
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Philip Pape (00:18):
Thank you so much for joining us feel it.
Today we're doing live coachingon his current cut strategy,
tackling the post-bulk mindsetchallenges and figuring out his
next steps.
If you've ever felt thatdisconnect between how you look
and how you feel, thisconversation is going to have
some gold for you today.
Welcome to Wits and Weights,the show that helps you build a
(00:48):
strong, healthy physique usingevidence, engineering and
efficiency.
I'm your host, philip Pape, andtoday I'm doing something a bit
different.
We're doing another focusedcoaching session, this time with
Alan, who was on the show wayback in episode 77, talking
about his journey with emotionaleating and bariatric surgery.
So go check that out for thebackstory.
(01:09):
But Alan has been very busysince then.
He has successfully builtvisible muscle mass.
He's flipped around hisrelationship with food.
Now he's dealing with what Icall the good problems.
You know like how to cutstrategically after successfully
bulking and that weird mentalspace where you've transformed
your physique but your brain isstill kind of catching up.
(01:31):
So today's conversation is morecoaching focused as we work
through his current challengesin real time.
We're talking about his prettyaggressive fat loss timeline,
the post-bulk mindset hurdlesand, of course, mapping out his
next phase.
Alan, are you ready to do this?
Allan (01:46):
Yes indeed.
Philip Pape (01:48):
All right.
So people now say that you looklike you train, like you've
lived, and that you've addedvisible muscle mass and I
definitely can see it and you'vesent me before after photos and
it's incredible.
But you've said you don'trecognize yourself in the mirror
, but in a good way, right,right, how are you feeling right
now about the new you?
Allan (02:09):
Surprised and learning to accept it.
I think learning to accept itis a great pivotal point for
discussion, because I have togive myself grace, I have to
allow for my transformationthat's occurred over the past
couple of years.
You know this is not somethingthat happens within three months
(02:31):
time.
Yeah, you know.
So, for example, my expenditure, when we've my daily
expenditure for maintenance, wasabout 1380.
Um, back in when we did ourlast podcast in June of 2023.
And now my, my, I'm pushing1600.
Now, in terms of my expenditure.
So I have.
(02:53):
So I, when I look in the mirroror I look at my photo of me,
sometimes I feel like, you know,adolescents go through
something when they're 1415.
They look in the mirror andthey go this is what I look like
now.
So I recently looked at somephotos of myself and it was like
I don't.
It's just a very, very visiblereminder of that.
(03:13):
I've achieved a certainphysique and wellness because I
look healthy.
That's the most important thing.
Philip Pape (03:20):
You do Super vibrant, clear, skin, glowing
smile.
It's all there.
It's right, we all try tovibrant, clear skin, glowing
smile.
Allan (03:26):
It's all there.
It's right.
We all try to take care ofourselves, Philip.
Philip Pape (03:28):
Exactly that's what we're about, and so I like
something you mentioned already,because we get into numbers, we
get into data.
I think that's important tojust peel back reality.
We were talking earlier on aPhysique University coaching
call about reality versusfantasy, and we all have these
projections of ourselves fromthe past and into the future.
And you look at something likeyour metabolism now is 250 or
(03:49):
300 calories more than it wasand that's, and that's your kind
of maintenance calories thathave gone up by that much.
And there's an episode I didnot long ago and you know it was
, uh, inspired by you on what todo with a slow metabolism,
because people compare theirmetabolisms to others and
unfortunately that that that canbe very difficult when your
metabolism is low.
(04:10):
But you've got to compare it toyourself of the past, right,
and it sounds like you've.
That's one concrete change thatyou've noticed.
What are some other in the lasttwo or three years concrete
changes that you've noticed?
Allan (04:23):
Chest size, arm size, strength, concrete changes, I
think, in terms of coaching, interms of everything that we've
touched upon, I think one thingis that my sleep hygiene has
been a lot better.
I definitely have a sleeproutine and I get six to seven
(04:44):
and a half fish hours at night,I'd say.
Physically, my legs are solid.
Sometimes I sit in a chair andmy jeans are stretched and my
legs are all swollen, and it'snot fat.
Philip Pape (04:59):
It's swole, man, it's swole.
Allan (05:01):
Right.
So I'm like what did I do inthe gym to deserve these legs
today?
So my forearms are stronger.
One thing so through training,the consistency and variety of
exercises that I've done overthe past couple of years have
strengthened my weakest parts.
So my forearms used to alwaysgive way.
Now they don't.
(05:22):
My adductor muscles used togive me issues, but I've learned
to warm up and I've learned tobe smart and wise about the
weight that I apply for myselfand when.
So these are all changes thatsome of it's mindfulness, but it
translates into physicality, ifthat makes sense.
Philip Pape (05:45):
A hundred percent, and I didn't mean to limit
concrete to just physical, right, because there are concrete
mental changes which we're goingto dive into.
Some of that I want to get intoit, and that's actually a good
segue, because you wrote mesomething that I'm really
curious about that you recognizeyour feeling of being fat,
because you acknowledge thatsometimes you feel that way
(06:06):
because, for whatever reason, asactually a fallacy, despite
needing to drop some body fat,maybe objectively, and so I
think this is a very matureself-awareness about this mental
lag that we wanted to talkabout today, this mental lag
behind the physicaltransformation, and maybe it'll
always be there, right, we'renot saying that it's a good or
bad thing and it's going to justgo away.
(06:27):
How are you processing thatdisconnect between the two?
Allan (06:31):
It gives me a.
It gives me a more comfortableresting place, so to speak.
Um, like a more comfortable andsafer foundation.
So, even though I definitelyhave belly fat, without a doubt,
all right, um, and I have someadipose tissue I always joke
around with my trainers.
I'm strong underneath thislayer, you know.
But seriously, um.
(06:53):
So, in terms of in terms of thequestion, um, it gives me a
safe platform to work for.
Medically, I definitely wouldbenefit to lose another 10
pounds.
That's not, it's not a wholelot, but my doctor be specific
on that, yeah okay, what do youmean?
my doctor said that when I was172, when I saw him and he said
(07:16):
alan, he goes if you lose fivepercent, I think.
He said then certain markersthat you have that are very
minimal, but but they will goaway.
Will organ fat, like liver fat,stuff like that?
He said you're very minimal.
He said, but if you lose, getdown to 160, they won't be,
it'll be gone.
And then if you lose and if youhad other scarring issues or
(07:37):
anything else which I don't have, if he gave me another number
to go to, he said, but this 160,he said, would be the place
that he would want to see me.
Similarly, my cardiologistlikes me at that weight as well.
My bariatric doctor is anotherstory.
Last time I saw him he saidAlan, he goes.
You can't go by the scale, hesaid.
(07:59):
He said Alan.
He said you know he goes.
Yes, you can lose some weight.
You definitely have gained someweight, but some of that is
muscle.
He said, ideally, I'd like tosee you like closer in the lower
one sixties.
You know that's kind of wherehis mind is.
He said, but you have to also.
The bottom line is that youhave to see your body
composition.
He said that's going todetermine what scale of weight
(08:21):
you end up at.
Philip Pape (08:22):
That is the biggest misconception we have to deal
with on on this show.
I think in in general in thefitness industry.
Right Is that a dichotomybetween weight and health and
where there's sometimes acorrelation for sure?
Like if you go from 400 poundsto 200 pounds, I don't care how
you did it.
If you've lost a bunch ofmuscle you're probably going to
(08:43):
be far healthier.
Um, regardless, like there's,there's cases where that's
necessary and then there's othercases, like yours, where you're
kind of in the optimizationpoint here where, honestly, you
probably right now fitter thanyou know 95% of guys your age, I
mean I don't know what percent,if you've looked at percentiles
of your blood work or anythingyou've got to be up there.
Allan (09:08):
My blood work is fine, my blood work is good, my blood
work is fine.
Yeah, my testosterone isactually in there as well.
I mean, I, I'm, I'm okay, justum, genetics, so cholesterol
issues, you know, like there arethings, there are markers that
I need to be aware of, um, justbased on family history and my
own history, um, and my a1C isstill low, you know, it's like
5.3, you know that's all that.
(09:29):
That doesn't move too much.
So I'm, I'm, I'm good, um, so,so that's it.
So I feel like I definitelywant to drop to 160.
I will feel better in my skin,for sure.
Phillip, I'm five four.
10 pounds on a five four frameis pretty decent.
You know, in terms of, in termsof me, where my fat is, I
definitely see a difference.
Philip Pape (09:48):
A hundred percent.
If I didn't know you and yousaid, and you told me your
height and weight, I would youknow.
I would generally say, for,like, let's say, younger guy in
his twenties and thirties who's5'9", you'd want him to be
packing on some muscle andpushing 200, but then leaning
out to like 180 or somethinglike that.
Right, in general, that's whata lot of guys want to be.
So, to want to be 160, 170, um,given your history, given your
(10:11):
you know age and everything elsepasses the sniff test.
You know what I mean.
Like it's not like.
I know you, I see you, you're,you're, you're like a stocky,
muscular guy.
Now.
You know, what I mean.
That is a compliment andeverybody's different, right,
everybody's different.
So before we get into thatsituation about what you're
(10:32):
doing now, what's working,what's not working, just one
real quick thing to tie our lasthistory from a couple or our
conversation from a couple ofyears ago emotional eating.
You've said that yourrelationship with food has
become so much easier.
You're not avoiding carbs, youlove meal prepping.
You're posting all the timelike wonderful recipes and
things like that and helpingothers in the community too,
like here's what you can do,here's some ideas.
How has this supported whatyou're doing and become kind of
(10:56):
more positive with your health,the idea of food and your
relationship with food?
Allan (11:02):
So emotional eating really doesn't go away.
It's more of an understandingof, of everything, Um, in terms
of.
Can you clarify the questionagain?
Philip Pape (11:11):
It was a very badly worded question, so there's a
lot of avenues.
Allan (11:15):
I could take, but what would you like me to talk about,
exactly?
Philip Pape (11:19):
I would like you to talk about how the shift in
your relationship with food hassupported your success over the
last two years.
Allan (11:26):
Oh, yes, yes, let's go with that.
That's it, baby.
So, yes, so my relationshipwith food has supported me.
I've learned how to eat again,philip.
Okay, I've learned that I couldhave my sourdough bread as long
as it's sliced and pushed andcooked, and I'm not eating half
a loaf, although I could eat ahalf a loaf of salad dough bread
(11:48):
.
You know, it's not a big deal,but in the general scheme of
things, it's not a practice.
So so, to be honest, I lovegoing food shopping.
Um, I love meal prep.
Um, it's a, it's a form ofcreative nurturing, even though
my recipes are kind of standard,um, the fact that I can take a
Sunday morning and meal prep, um, just a whole array of
(12:10):
different things fish, chicken,my, my eggs and egg scramble
with vegetables.
Um, sweet potatoes, if I, if Iwant potatoes during the week.
Um, you know, it's just, it'sjust a nice nurturing thing.
I enjoy food.
I don't look at food as assomething to fill a void.
I look at it in terms of aphysical need and sometimes
(12:35):
training, which is anothersubject we can get into.
Sometimes my training dictatesmy desire for food more than my
emotionality does.
Now, if that Does that makesense to you, yeah, You're
saying food.
Philip Pape (12:49):
it isn't filling an emotional void anymore.
It's a practical thing for yourbody, for your training, for
your needs, for your nutrition,and you enjoy the nurturing
aspect of making it.
Allan (13:01):
Right.
But I will say this that thereare times when I'm taxed.
For example, if a relative isin the hospital and those
vending machines at Lorna Dunesare calling me, it's like all I
want to do is have a Lorna Dunespackage.
All I want is you know.
But then I go to the machineand I look at all the garbage in
(13:22):
the machine and I was like, doI really want this?
And I look at all the garbagein the machine and I was like,
do I really want this?
Let me wait a half an hour.
Go to the cafeteria downstairsand they have like chickpea
salads with arugula and theyhave other things that I could
eat instead of running to thevending machine.
So if I'm hungry and I feellike I want to eat emotionally
or physically at that moment inthe hospital, emotionally or
(13:46):
physically at that moment in thehospital I will try to make the
best choices that will fill mygut, satisfy my need to eat
something, but do it in therealm of adequate nutrition
instead of Lorna Doon cookiesNot that there's anything wrong
with Lorna Doon.
Philip Pape (13:58):
No, no, no, yeah, yeah, I had a music teacher in
high school who loved them theLorna Doon cookie, the
shortbread but what you're, whatyou're, what I'm hearing is
you've, over time, and afterdoing the work, you've gotten to
a place where you make choicesthat are aligned with what you
want.
And it's not always whatsomebody on the outside would
call the perfect choice, causethere's no such thing.
(14:19):
It's the best choice availableto you in the moment.
And we were kind of talkingabout that, about all or nothing
, thinking earlier.
Allan (14:25):
Yes, that's what it sounds like.
Yeah, nope, that was a greatsummation.
You're absolutely on point withthat.
Philip Pape (14:30):
Yes, it's a modicum of control that you didn't have
before, and really anyonelistening that's what we're
trying to get to is like how doyou have control over the
situation in some way more thanyou do today?
Allan (14:40):
Right A lot of times.
I'll, I'll bring, I'll, I'llbring, I'll cook up.
If I know I'm going to be thehospital that week for or for a
few days, I'll boil up a dozenhard boiled eggs and I'll have
those to you know in thehospital.
They're ready to go andtransportable.
So it's just, it's a matter.
You're right, so you broughtthat back to me because it is a
(15:01):
matter of making choices.
Philip Pape (15:02):
Um, yeah, yeah, so that's good.
So this kind of sets thefoundation.
Now you alluded to a weight anda body composition goal.
What are you?
Just just give us a briefoverview of what are you doing
now.
That's, that's kind of working,and feel free to mention
anything that you feel is notworking.
Just high level with youroverall routine.
Allan (15:19):
Okay, okay, what's working is my workout in the gym
.
Um, I did about three, fourmonths of iron clad built on two
pounds of muscle.
Um, really, you know, throughit, through it a scan that you
know might be accurate.
Might not be, but at least, um,there's some visible muscle
(15:39):
growth.
Philip Pape (15:40):
And now I said two pounds, two pounds.
That's good and you already hada good foundation.
And just so the listener knowsIronclad, it's like an
undulating wave-based,volume-based program that I kind
of stole from Alex Bromley Justso people know what Ironclad is
Okay.
Allan (15:55):
So now I'm training a little differently.
I'm training with a trainer andit's more about, I don't know,
hypertrophy, it's more about um,you know, hypertrophy it's more
about um, going to failure with15 reps type of deal.
Okay, um, and doing, doing like10 sets a week on a, on a
muscle group.
You know, that's that sameparadigm, but just it's making
(16:17):
me hungry as anything.
Okay, so, so, so.
The gym is working really well,really well.
My arms, I mean.
I feel the physicality, I feelsafe and I feel worked.
However, I leave the gym, man,and I'm like where's my bet?
Where's my apricots?
Where's my carbs?
Where's my this, where's mythat?
(16:38):
And it's like I've got to reignthat in.
That is where my difficultylies right now.
Philip Pape (16:46):
Do you feel like the change is strictly from the
training approach or the factthat you've been in a deficit?
Allan (16:56):
Both.
I think that my deficit basedupon my new maintenance, philip
and this is something you knowyou can eyeball and we could
discuss so like, instead ofhaving a 1400 or 1500
maintenance, my maintenance isnow pushing probably over 1600.
By the time macro factorcatches up, the way it's going
(17:17):
up every week, I'm going to endup around 1650, I think.
So in that regard, that 1100,that darn 1100 or 1150 that I
see in terms of my goal at 0.8pounds a week might be too stiff
.
Philip Pape (17:34):
Isn't that amazing.
Like that is fun.
That is a phenomenon that Iwant people to understand.
The hunger assuming it's truephysiological hunger because for
you it probably is at thispoint you've normalized your
signals.
You eat quite a healthy dietarypattern overall.
That's satiating is pretty muchjust telling you you need to
eat more.
The question is, do you kind offight it to maintain a bigger
(17:58):
deficit or do you rise with it abit to maintain what you were
kind of used to?
It gives you a few more options, but we always think in terms
of sustainability.
So are you letting it rise orare you fighting it?
Allan (18:10):
I'm letting it rise.
Philip Pape (18:12):
Okay, and you're still having the same progress
because the deficit is the same.
Allan (18:15):
I'm losing weight.
I'm losing like last week.
Last week I definitely ate inmy in maintenance.
Philip Pape (18:21):
Maybe if my true maintenance is about 1650, I'm
eating 100 calories a littleover that or around there no
more than 100 calories up andI'm losing half a pound a week.
So you met because youmentioned.
One of your struggles now afterbulking is that your brain
telling you you want to eat morebecause you were eating more.
Yes, and yet you need to be ina deficit.
(18:42):
This sounds like it's maybehelping.
Allan (18:44):
It might be Looking at the new data.
Philip, you're absolutelycorrect.
I'm glad we're talking aboutthis, because I kind of felt
that maybe you would see it thatway.
I envision our conversationtalking about this.
So yeah, so it's helping.
Philip Pape (19:01):
Let's take a step back, okay, but hold on, let's
take a step back.
Um how long were you atmaintenance after the bulk?
Allan (19:07):
Oh, by default, or by or by no, seriously, I would say, I
would say um a few weeks, I may, I, after my bulk, I didn't, I
didn't I, it must've been.
It was a while, it was a periodof at least three weeks.
Philip Pape (19:26):
Was it long enough to feel normalized at that
maintenance?
Allan (19:28):
Oh, yes, 100%.
Philip Pape (19:29):
Okay, okay, that's what I was getting at.
Again, sometimes when youswitch fast which I've done,
just because I'm impatient whenyou switch quickly, you could
really throw off the hungersignals and then have that issue
.
Allan (19:42):
But what kicked off my expenditure rising, oddly enough
, is, I mean, it is summer, soI'm basically I'm gardening, I'm
out a little more.
I'm getting I'm definitelygetting steps in um is the the
um fat loss, rapid fat losschallenge.
My expenditure during that,during those two weeks, rose
like 30 points.
(20:02):
I mean just the graph went likethat during the during the
rapid fat loss phase, and Ithink it was in tandem with my
increase in activity.
Philip Pape (20:11):
Okay, yeah, I was going to say that you wouldn't
expect that and also it was tooshort a period, but that makes
sense if I had more activityUnless man.
We're discovering weird littlemechanisms all the time
regarding refeeds and how somepeople on a certain refeed
schedule can get some littleboost in their metabolism, but I
don't want to overthink that,so it's not overthinking, but I
(20:31):
but I definitely think thatthere was a something cool that
happened during that rapid fatloss phase where I lost weight,
um, but my expenditure was goingup.
Allan (20:41):
I was still lifting, I was still, you know, it was
still working.
After that, I have been onmaintenance since, even though
technically I'm on a deficit.
Some days I'm in a deficit, butif you look at my weekly
calories, they're averagingabout 1,600, 1,700 calories a
day.
Philip Pape (21:01):
So are you on pace at that 0.8 pounds a week.
Allan (21:04):
I'm at point.
I've been losing a half a pounda week, half a day.
So are you on pace at that?
0.8 pounds a week.
I'm at point.
I've been losing a half a pounda week.
Philip Pape (21:06):
Half a pound.
Okay, so I know you want to getanother like nine pounds off
and at 0.8,.
That would take like 11, 12weeks, but if you assume less,
it could take 16.
Uh, and it is June already, solet's talk realistic
expectations, cause I think youmentioned something like August.
Allan (21:24):
The end of August, yeah, but that's only eight weeks.
Philip Pape (21:26):
Oh, end of August, that's 10 weeks.
Yeah, you're kind of in theballpark.
I mean it's not too far.
If you ended up at like 163,would that be at the end of the
world?
Allan (21:35):
Not at all.
Philip Pape (21:36):
Okay, okay.
Allan (21:36):
It would be the world.
Okay, so it's a stretch goal,that's good, it's a stretch goal
.
160 is a stretch goal, 162 isfine.
Also, I want to be as far awayas from 170 for medical reasons,
not physique reasons, althoughthat's a separate issue.
I got it.
Philip Pape (21:54):
I got it.
Allan (21:54):
I got it.
I want to be there.
Philip Pape (21:57):
Okay, so there's some really good directional
things going on with you.
Obviously, your expendituregoing up, potentially due to
your NEAT, you're at a modestlyaggressive deficit.
I wouldn't say it's tooaggressive.
I mean, I know your history.
At half, even half a pound to0.8 pounds, as long as you're
hovering at 11, 1200 calories ormore, that makes sense.
And then are there any, givenyour past fat loss phases, do
(22:23):
you foresee any type ofresistance or expenditure drop
that you would predict from thepast?
Allan (22:30):
No, not at this time of the year and definitely not Good
.
Philip Pape (22:34):
Okay, yeah, and is there any other lever?
Are there any other levers wehaven't already pulled, because
you're pretty solid all aroundthe board with your habits.
Allan (22:44):
That's a good question.
Yes, there is.
What is it?
There might be a couple, andit's a good question.
Philip Pape (22:52):
See, this is a coaching man.
I don't tell you what to do, Ijust ask you to tell yourself
what to do.
Allan (22:56):
Yeah, but the levers are there.
The levers are there.
So the levers that I have beenpicking up are steps you have
spoken on some of your podcastsOther people speak about man.
If you don't get those steps in, it's a big game changer.
Those 10,000 to 12,000 stepsare are game changers in terms
(23:17):
of, in terms of expenditure, interms of um, weight loss.
So that's number one.
So I I've pulled that leverrecently even more so Um.
The other level level lever isPhilip.
I have a hard time with grazing.
I have, and this is this is nota physical lever, this is not
an action level lever, this is astrategy lever that needs to be
(23:41):
addressed.
That I have a problem with.
I have a problem with grazingand that's and I could easily
keep my expenditure to 1400.
You know, if I had to be at1400, I mean that my expenditure
, my deficit at 1400, I could doit.
But it's the grazing that thattweaks it into maintenance and
and and takes me off target alittle.
Philip Pape (24:05):
Okay, let's, let's put a pin in that for a second
Steps.
You mentioned as a lover you'remore active.
Do you have any long stretchesof sitting?
Allan (24:14):
I try not to Uh, but yes, I think probably I would say
but yes, I think probably Iwould say living room time maybe
three hours a day.
Yes, you know, in the morningwhen I get up I'm sitting at my
desk going through emails andeverything with coffee for about
an hour and then I get to thegym.
(24:35):
So I would say I'm sitting, forI would say I would say I'm
sitting maybe four, four hours aday for sure.
Philip Pape (24:43):
Is it mostly contiguous or do you take breaks
?
Allan (24:47):
I do take breaks, I go out and I garden and I do things
.
My watch says time to stand.
But yeah, at times, you knowand there's also also I'm up
really early in the morning.
So some days if I'm up, if I'mup if I go to sleep early, I'm
up really early in the morning.
So some days if I'm up, if I goto sleep early, I wake up early
(25:08):
and sometimes I'll take a45-minute nap in the afternoon.
Philip Pape (25:16):
So late afternoon I might take like a half an hour
snooze or something like that,but basically so that's part of
my resting of the day, so, um,okay, it's good, I'm not, yeah,
and, by the way, I'm not goingto take away naps.
Naps are great.
Allan (25:31):
So that's it.
So that's the um.
Go ahead, philip.
Philip Pape (25:34):
I was just going to say like so this is a big tease
for the audience.
The next episode after this isabout walking breaks and how
impactful it is on muscleprotein synthesis, as well as
like insulin sensitivity and howyour body uses nutrients, and
so I always think, if there arewindows on a daily basis where
you could take breaks like everyhalf hour, throw those in.
(25:55):
Add some reminders, do a little.
It's an easy thing to tweak inyour day to day and who knows if
it'll have an impact on yourmetabolism, right.
Allan (26:03):
Yeah, I mean, I was thinking about bringing the
elliptical into the living room.
Philip Pape (26:08):
Yeah, yeah Well.
Allan (26:09):
I was asking you to the.
Philip Pape (26:10):
Facebook group about those elliptical on the
ground things, because I thinkthere's something to be said
about, like blood flow.
Blood flow is a big piece of it, honestly.
Okay, so let's talk aboutgrazing.
So I know you're pretty, I'llsay, advanced in terms of the
psychology of some of this stuff.
Like, okay, what's step one?
When we have an issue withemotional eating, it's the
(26:32):
trigger, right, identify theroot trigger or the cause.
What's your thought on that?
Like emotional, environmental,physiological what causes you to
graze?
Allan (26:40):
The feeling like I need to eat because I'm lifting
weights.
Philip Pape (26:44):
That's an interesting one because there
could be some reality to it,right, like genuine hunger, your
protein is pretty high, right.
Allan (26:54):
Yes.
Philip Pape (26:55):
Okay, and what's the timing of this grazing?
Allan (26:58):
Because grazing to me seems like all day, but
potentially there's Okay, so Iusually have lunch about 11.30,
12 o'clock, and by two o'clock Iwant more protein and
carbohydrates, so I'll havesomething then and then I'll eat
around five o'clock.
Philip Pape (27:17):
Okay, when's the grazing occur?
Allan (27:19):
The grazing occurs around two.
Oh, grazing two to three, twoto four, and then from six, 30
till eight, 30, if I don't stayout of the kitchen.
Philip Pape (27:32):
Okay, and do you like, do you use meal timing,
like timed meals is what I mean,like do you have a schedule for
your meals?
Allan (27:40):
Unofficially yes.
Philip Pape (27:42):
Unofficially, which which implies there's some
wheel room.
In other words, I'm goingthrough my brain of like what
are you not already doing?
That could be a simple um toolto kind of help with this Cause.
I again, you know, you know myphilosophy on emotional eating
is start simple, start small,start easy to try to address it
(28:02):
before going deeper and deeperinto the psychology.
You're an expert in psychology,right, it's in your background
and I'm still learning aboutthis stuff, but honestly, that
helps.
So if you had that spacingawareness via a structured
eating window or schedule, couldthat help?
Allan (28:19):
That would help, but it's not the answer.
I think I'm listening to you,I'm listening to what you're
saying and in my mind I'm goingthrough this idea that sometimes
I think that what I wasthinking maybe psychologically
if macro factor is telling methat I need to be around 1200
calories, in reality I may needto be around 1400, let's say for
(28:48):
a deficit or 1300, let's say,okay, stop there, stop there.
Philip Pape (28:51):
So are you saying that the grazing has only
started recently because of that?
Allan (28:55):
Yes.
Philip Pape (28:55):
Okay, okay, then that sounds more logistical.
I guess what I would say is dothe homework of eating more,
which isn't a hard assignment,and report back on whether the
grazing goes away, because ifthat's all it is, that's real
hunger.
Allan (29:10):
Right.
So with the grazing I'm stilllosing a half a pound a week.
So it's just very interesting.
So here I have the macro factornumbers in front of me and you
know that I honor, know, I honorthat, you know.
But then at the same time it'slike darn, you know, I want a
nectarine, like I want anectarine and a banana, you know
.
Or I'm craving like fruit, andthen I'll have chicken in the
(29:36):
fridge and I'll say you knowwhat, I'm going to have three or
four ounces of chicken now andI'll have the fish for dinner.
So, like, like, so my body iskind of telling me like I need
those 200 calories extra duringthe afternoon.
Philip Pape (29:49):
Yes, and this is why I'm asking you to be more
intentional Now.
I think I think the I think thequote unquote answer since you
said that like that's not the Ithink the answer is to be
intentional about what you wantto do.
Do you want to add the caloriesin deliberately?
And then you just beintentional, like you know how
to do, or and we went, we talkedabout this earlier like do you
want to fight it or not?
And it's okay, if you want tofight it, you know we could do
that, in which case we'retalking about satiation, like
(30:12):
all the things you know, alreadyknow and probably have built in
um, having a pre-planned snackbudget so that when the craving
comes, you can flex into it.
Gamifying habit stacking, youknow, taking a pause and
drinking water, right, like allthe techniques right.
But maybe you don't need any ofthem.
If you just say, no, I'm goingto eat 200 more calories, and
(30:34):
this is what is going to happenevery day, you know.
Does that make sense?
Allan (30:38):
It makes sense and it makes sense.
Yes, it does make sense, itmakes sense and it makes sense.
Yes, it does make sense.
I'm going to refigure my macrofactor and see what it tells me
and I'm going to discuss it.
I think the expenditure,because it's still on the
increase, is cutting me short alittle bit.
(30:59):
It's lagging, yeah, it'slagging, it's lagging.
Philip Pape (31:01):
Yeah, it's lagging.
Allan (31:01):
It's lagging.
I think that's what's happeningand that's why I'm hungry.
Philip Pape (31:05):
Okay and that's a good one.
The good thing you mentionedthere because traditionally in a
bulking phase I see this allthe time right, where your
expenditures estimated at anumber and it's rising pretty
fast, and so because macrofactors in a lagging algorithm
based on historical data, it'snot going to give you 300 more
calories overnight, it's goingto just titrate you up.
But if your metabolism is goingup too fast, you never catch up
(31:28):
and then you're always hungryand that's why I would tell
clients like I need to eat 200more calories pronto, so it can
happen in a deficit, like you aswell, if your expenditure is
going up, and so I would justsplit the difference.
I would say, okay, if you'vebeen grazing and getting in 200
more calories, maybedeliberately add 100 more
calories and kind of split thatdifference right now and then
(31:50):
let the app kind of bring you upon top of that.
Allan (31:54):
That makes wonderful sense, Philip.
Okay, yeah, that's wonderful,it makes wonderful sense, and I
was thinking, I was, I was, Iwas waiting to discuss this with
you and I wanted to hear your,your decision on this and your
wisdom on this, and you are soin sync with what feels right to
me.
Philip Pape (32:12):
Good.
I mean, my other option wasgoing to be a detox juice
cleanse combined with fasting.
So I'm like, if one doesn'twork, we'll try the other I'll
take out my Omega, my Omegajuicer, we'll try the coffee
enema, right yeah.
Allan (32:26):
No, seriously no, but I was, I was, I I was looking
forward to this coaching calland I wanted to hear your
solution and you just said itand it's beautiful, it makes
total sense and it fits in onceagain.
It fits into what?
And it fits in once again.
It fits into what I intuitivelyknow about what I'm doing and
(32:47):
your eyeballing everything anddiscussion really was right on
point with me, so I appreciateit.
Philip Pape (32:55):
Would you say that's your biggest bottleneck
at the moment?
Allan (32:59):
Yeah, 100%, oh, 100%, okay, say that's your biggest
bottleneck at the moment.
Or yeah, 100, oh, 100, um, theother things are just just um.
Last summer I was in thehospital with my dad pretty much
from the end of june all theway through, probably till
october or november september,you know.
So through september.
So this summer I decided thatI'm gonna enjoy the summer.
My, my dad is well, he's stable, everything's good.
(33:20):
I'm going to have the summer Ididn't have last summer.
So I'm out, bicycle riding, I'mwalking, seeing friends, doing
things you know, instead ofbeing in the hospital every day
or every other day.
So that's why I'm it's not mywhy, but it's my conscious way
(33:42):
of living right now is to getout and do things and enjoy life
.
Philip Pape (33:45):
Which potentially reduces your stress as well.
Allan (33:48):
Yes.
Philip Pape (33:49):
And could also contribute to the physiological
change.
Not to bring it back to that, Iwant to acknowledge that you've
been through a rough time.
It sounds like everything youtold me from last year and and
you're taking advantage of the,the new environment and
situation now.
Um, and honestly, that's amakes you a role model, too, for
everyone around you.
It allows you to support them.
Um, the way I see it, so right,it's a very positive thing
(34:12):
right, I have family, you know,it's just.
Allan (34:15):
Everything is everything is good.
Um, I still have concerns, youknow.
I still have familyresponsibilities, but I'm able
now to take care of myself.
In fact, my father also says hewants, you know, he's expressed
multiple times that I need tocome take care of myself.
If I visit him twice and twice,like you know, if I visit, if I
(34:35):
visit him on a monday and I goon again on tuesday, he says why
are you here again, alan?
He said go home, go home, enjoyyour family, enjoy everything.
You know you don't have to comeevery day.
So I was like okay, dad, likeyou're feeling well and you're
absolutely correct.
Philip Pape (34:49):
That's nice.
Allan (34:50):
That's nice, you know so.
So so it gives me.
He wants me to take care ofmyself.
When I, and I tell him, I saidDad, I said Dad.
I want to let you know thateven though I, even though you
know I'm here a lot and I wantyou to exercise every day, I
take, I'm watching what I'meating, I'm taking really good
care of myself because myparents always that was kind of
like always ingrained in us tobe healthy, take care of
(35:13):
ourselves, not at the exclusionof other people, but we should
not get sick over taking care ofother people other people, but
we should not get sick overtaking care of other people.
Philip Pape (35:26):
I agree, it's funny .
You mentioned that, not to theexclusion of other things.
One of our other members I'mnot going to name his name just
for privacy, but you would knowhim he sent me an Instagram reel
and he's like is this reallywhat people are thinking now?
And it was this guy, it was acomedian, stand-up comedian
talking about how if a fatherhas big muscles, he must not be
a great dad, because the time ittakes to be in the gym, he's
(35:47):
not using those muscles to playwith his kids.
And I'm like it's sad, right?
No, I get it, because it's thebiggest common denominator when
it comes to comedy and I totallyget it.
I love standup comedy and it'slike a relatable thing because
90% of people probably aren'tworking out, but you you
mentioned, you hit it right inthe head where no, it's, it's,
it's the thing that allows youto show up and be there, um, and
(36:09):
that's great.
So, okay, I want to, I want to.
I want to stay on point nowwith some of the some of the
things you've got going on intothe next six months, because we
kind of tackled up till now.
We talked about your currentdeficit.
I think you also mentioned thatafter that, you want to
maintain and then go intoanother bulk.
Is that right?
Allan (36:25):
Yes.
Philip Pape (36:25):
Cool.
Do you think you're going toapproach it differently than the
last one?
Allan (36:31):
Well, that causes me to pause.
That's a great question.
Philip Pape (36:35):
Or should you, or is it going to be exactly the
same?
Allan (36:37):
No, no, no, no, I'm going to be wiser.
Um, I think I know what a bulkis about now.
I know how it, how I feelphysiologically, I'm very much
in tune with it when I liftweights, like, I'm very much in
tune with my body, how it feels,how it responds to the
progressive overload and visiblywhat happens to me.
Um, so it's been a while and Ithink I'm wiser.
(36:59):
This set, this next book, isgoing to be the maintenance is
going to be maintenance andmaybe I may do.
You know, depending on where myweight stays, I'll be either
the lower end or the higher end.
But when I bulk, um, it's goingto be great because I know the
foods that will fuel me and Iknow, I'll know if I'm gaining
(37:22):
too much weight too quickly oractually more fat.
I would have to qualify that.
I know now what my body startsdoing when it gains too much fat
over muscle and I'll be able towork with you and play it.
You know, every month or everycouple of months, say, check in
with you and play it.
Every month, or every couple ofmonths, check in with you and
say this is what's happening, Ifeel good.
(37:46):
Or I may say you know, theseextra 300 calories I have might
be a little too much for me nowand then it's something we can't
predict.
Let's see what happens.
Philip Pape (38:00):
That is no truer statement for anyone listening
who has been, or has never been,through a cut in bulk cycles.
Every single one is differentand if you try to predict from
the past, you're just going tobe frustrated because it could
be way.
And it's not that it's betteror worse, it just you respond
differently.
You're a different person,physically when you start the
next cut, and environmentally,and you know all that lifestyle.
(38:23):
Tell me what.
What would success look likefor you in this next bulk?
Allan (38:28):
I'm looking at my biceps right now.
Are they nice?
Philip Pape (38:32):
and cut now because I want to get these biceps?
Allan (38:35):
no, seriously, what would it feel, what it would be?
Um more health, I think.
I think underneath it all,underneath it all ties into my
why, or my deeper why, is tokeep myself mentally and
physically sturdy, um to repairwhere I've come from and to
(38:59):
continue to build solidity inhealth as I'm approaching my
upper 60s.
So I think that is where I'dlike to be.
I'm also, I think, when Ienvision a bulk filler, I
envision doing exercises andmovements that are safe, that
(39:20):
are taxing, because the bulkingis definitely like you want to
do those, and I might tap intomore strength training at that
time with the more calories.
And I think that the bulkingwill also have an effect on my
metabolism.
Um have an effect on mymetabolism, um, I think, as I'm
(39:46):
getting older, I think A1C andmy family increases and I think
that that will continue tooffset the um.
Any kind of sugar metabolismissues I that may be happening.
Philip Pape (39:55):
Ooh, that's good.
Okay, so you've got a lot there.
I want to break each one down.
You mentioned muscle is health.
I don't think you said itliterally, but that's what I got
from that.
Yes, that's such an importantmessage for anyone listening
that okay, if you have excessweight to lose, fine, you can.
You can work on that, but alsoyou've got to.
You got to have the muscle.
Muscle is health, like you said.
(40:16):
It makes you sturdy, it helpsyou connect with the why of
being there for yourgrandchildren enjoying all the
years ahead.
Because when you say you'reapproaching the late 60s and I
think of the condition of somepeople in their 70s, again I
just have to say congrats, alan,on the work you've put in,
because it's demonstratingyou've turned back the clock by
(40:36):
15, 20 years where you are rightnow easily you know what I mean
Like you're operating, where,like some 50 year olds who
haven't taken care of themselvesare.
I mean you're operating.
Better than that, but you knowwhat.
I'm saying Um, and then you saidto re.
You said you want to repairwhere you've come from.
I want to dig into that just toone more level deep.
What do you mean by that?
Allan (40:57):
Physically, I was 220, was 220 pounds.
Um, before I had bariatricsurgery, I, I had, I went down
to like 160.
And when I was in my 40s andthen I gained weight, um, when
the kids, you know, came to livewith us, um, I became daddy
again and I cooked and I, whowent to the gym, I had that.
I was a daddy as I had no timeto go to the gym, but I had that
(41:18):
I was a daddy.
I was like I had no time to goto the gym, but anyways, but
eventually I've always, eventhough it was through being in
spin instructor and teachingyoga, I still was always on the,
on the bigger size, you know,more of a heavier weight.
And then, when they've been so,I, back in 2020, I was, I
reached like 220 again and I, Iso, in terms of weight, I don't
(41:42):
want to go back there.
But when I made that statement,philip, that I want to repair,
what did you say to me?
Philip Pape (41:48):
Repair where I've come from is what you said.
Allan (41:51):
So my mom passed away.
This is a deep why, and I'msharing this.
Maybe it could help somebody.
That's the only reason I'msharing this.
My world fell apart.
You know, when you have parentsand you have arguments and you
have, you know, loverelationships, but you, you know
it's.
You know I love my parents, Ilove my, you know love my mom
(42:15):
and we had a wonderfulrelationship.
But when she got sick and shepassed away, everything changed.
My whole perspective on lifechanged and my heart broke.
I was there when she passedaway.
She called me to come, calledme to come.
(42:44):
So it was like that trauma andworking through it is something
that I'm realizing.
I'm picking up all the piecesnow.
So by doing the cardio tohaving fun with sprinting,
having fun on a spin bike again,listening to music again,
getting out for walks, enjoyingfamily, enjoying life, I'm
putting all the pieces togetheragain.
So a bulk signifies me going toa next phase of health, of
(43:08):
solidity, and putting thingsback in place and enjoying life
with the blessings I mean allaround, you know, without
getting spiritual or anything.
That's just kind of how I.
That's it.
Philip Pape (43:28):
So yeah, so you've carried sounds like you've
carried your mother's influencewith you forward in a meaningful
way.
It made it really meansomething is what I'm hearing
and has made it a source ofstrength and motivation for you.
Is that fair?
Allan (43:37):
assessment, yes, and my grandma, my, her mother, mother
when I was heavier back in the1990s.
She said to me in the kitchenone day alan, take care of
yourself because nobody elsewill.
So so both you know there's.
So I've always had a history ofyou know, of um, I don't know,
just just in general.
(43:57):
We've always just taking careof of myself.
I guess, is a mantra that's inmy head Al, take care of
yourself, that's it.
Philip Pape (44:06):
That sounds like exactly what you took from it
and what you're doing.
Allan (44:09):
I mean you're doing that.
Philip Pape (44:09):
Everybody gets to hear you talk about this and
even though we get into nuts andbolts and fun science-y stuff
and how to do calorie deficitsand everything, at the end of
the day I think we're justsaying, look, this is our one
and only life and we can dosomething to enjoy it, and the
process of doing that can beenjoyable, like, I think, a lot
of what you're doing and sharingwith the audience about
(44:31):
emotional eating and lifting andeverything you know.
Sure, there's challenges, butit sounds like you've really
embraced it.
It doesn't sound like someonewho's sees this as a form of
suffering or a form of sacrifice.
You know what I mean.
Even though there's, eventhough it's hard, it's hard in a
fulfilling way, right?
Allan (44:46):
And that's.
Philip Pape (44:47):
that's the human struggle.
What, what, okay.
And then you mentioned this isreally great for our older
lifters who are worried aboutinjury, and you mentioned doing
things that are safe but alsotaxing.
Again, I love thatjuxtaposition as well, because
that's exactly how I would putit.
It's like we need to lift heavyas we get older, to support our
spine, to support our hormonesand health, but people want to
do it safely.
(45:08):
What does that mean for you?
Allan (45:11):
Form.
Philip Pape (45:12):
Form Okay, form and technique.
Allan (45:14):
Yep Total.
Total form technique and warmingup.
If there's one thing I couldshare, no matter what kind of
you know, because I'm not youknow form, philip.
You put on form videos.
People can get form videoselsewhere, even in their gym.
But the most important thing, Ithink, as we get older, is the
warming up.
Okay, I messaged you about ahalf a year ago or a few months
(45:36):
ago about my warm up with squatsor warm up with whatever, and I
forgot exactly what it was.
But and you texted me back yourtypical warmup, you know type
or your suggestions.
So warming up, I think, isreally essential, because the
one time that I got injured wasthe time that I pushed through
my warmup because I had to takemy father to a doctor
(45:58):
appointment and I said, oh, Icould skip, oh, I could skip.
I went up 30 pounds instead of15.
And that's what did it.
I was squatting, I was on myway up.
It wasn't a crazy amount ofweight for other people, but for
me it's my beginning of myworking weight at 150-pound
squat back then and I went fromlike 120.
(46:21):
And also the bar wasn'tavailable, so I was working out
in a different place in the gym.
So all those things came aboutand the warm-up failed.
I didn't warm up and I pulledmy my, my attitude.
So I think one thing I I'd liketo say I know this was a little
rambly everyone needs to warmup and then that you can count
(46:41):
your working sets and log themin.
But the warmups behind thescene are probably as important
as the form, if not moreimportant.
Philip Pape (46:51):
You just inspired me, man, to do a whole episode
about this, because I think youhit on some important factors
about warming up, and we'retalking about warming up with
the lift itself.
We're not necessarily talkingabout like cardio or dynamic
warm-ups, just literally thelift itself.
You mentioned, um, or youalluded to the fact that it
helps with injury, with safety,with the feel.
(47:14):
I would say that it helpsprogram the movement pattern as
well which then kind of gets youinto a safe motion before it
gets heavier.
And then even, um, you knowyou're, you're thinking about
being distracted and like tryingto go too quickly, like that.
That's, that's a mindfulnessthing.
We've got to understand thatthis is a important thing.
We're doing, we're lifting alot of weight and we want to,
but you got to feel things out.
(47:35):
Also, if you're recovering froman injury, I've, I've
definitely told clients to warmup more, because then if it's,
if they're at the point wherethey're recovered enough,
they'll, they'll slowly feelthat soreness or pain like
dissipate as they warm up.
Allan (47:49):
Yes.
Philip Pape (47:50):
Because you've got that residual pain.
Sometimes it's more of a mentalpain than anything, but if it
still hurts, you'll catch itearly in the warmup.
You could say, all right, Ineed to make an adjustment.
Allan (47:59):
One other thing that I want to hit, philip, everything
you just mentioned is right onpoint and in my mind I just
thought about something elsethat perhaps warming up is a
form check as well.
It's a period of time whereyou're using manageable weight
and you can get that proper bodyangle.
If you're doing, if you'redoing you know barbell rows,
(48:20):
standing barbell rows you wantto get that perfect angle and
that diagonal movement into yourbelly with the bar.
You know, because you're kindof like movement and keeping
your hands in a certain so likewhen you're using lighter
weights, you can definitely getyour movement intact.
Philip Pape (48:41):
Figured out oh, a hundred percent, cause it's
going to be a little clumsy thatfirst warmup set.
Even if you're skilled at this,you're like kind of like
getting it just right.
And then you can say, oh, waita minute, I'm not tucking the
elbows, well, I'm not doing this, or whatever, and you can just
yeah, exactly.
Allan (48:55):
And you know what's crazy , philip, that sometimes it's
these little nuances of movementthat make all the difference.
Philip Pape (49:00):
It's true, it's true, oh yeah, I preach that to
the cows.
Come home and every, everymovement has has it's a range of
things you could do.
One more thing you mentioned wasyou talked about A1C.
For those listening, thisFriday's episode is coming out
with Ben Zeal really great guy,I mean, he and I are going to be
friends I could tell alreadyjust from having recorded one
show together and he has typeone diabetes and it's all about
(49:23):
blood sugar management combinedwith nutrition and training.
And we get into A1C and youmentioned how building muscle we
were talking about your bulkjust now, alan and you talked
about A1C and I want people tounderstand the connection is
that having more muscleincreases insulin sensitivity
and blood sugar management tothe point where my belief at
this point, alan, is, unless youhave a lot of weight to lose,
(49:44):
just being active and lifting,you really don't have to worry
about blood sugar.
You really don't.
I mean, eat balanced meals, eatnutritious food, but don't
worry about it.
You don't even need to measureit unless you've got some
specific issue like diabetes orsomething.
Do you agree with that or doyou find that?
Is that what you meant bydementia?
Allan (50:02):
you can see.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
My cardiologist told me Alan,he goes.
I can't believe I have diabetesand to look at him you would
never know.
But he said Alan, he said Ihave.
You know he was diagnosed withdiabetes and he said you know
what?
You know what was told to melift weights it is, it's the
solution.
Philip Pape (50:22):
He said.
Allan (50:22):
He said alan, he goes.
I have a trainer now and I'mlifting weights, so so it.
Philip Pape (50:27):
Muscle is a sink of for glucose yeah, it's a sink,
and the act of the act oftraining it also uses the, the
glucose and moving and movingand not being sedentary I, I'm
going to look forward to that.
Allan (50:40):
Yes, I'm going to look forward to that, but, yes, I
definitely feel that, um, thewhole constellation, the
nutritional approach, plus thelifting weights, plus my walking
, it all combines to to create aconstellation of good health
markers, you know, or betterhealth markers than they would
be if you weren't, if I wasn'tdoing this.
(51:01):
Yeah, so, even though I stillhave some health markers,
they've gone down.
Um, I still have things, youknow.
I mean, you know, um, there arethings I have to watch out for,
which is you know that that youknow, everyone has medical
history, um, but it's nowherenear where it could be if I
(51:21):
wasn't, you know.
Does that make sense?
Philip Pape (51:23):
Oh, yeah, no, a hundred percent.
A hundred percent, and peoplehave to understand it.
So I think your experiencetoday, that you've shared what
you've gone through, what you'regoing to go through, tells the
story itself, makes theconvincing case for it.
I don't think we have to likesay to the listener, hey, you
need to start lifting weights.
Like, just just take, do whatAlan's doing, man, and you're
going to be healthy, is my takeon that.
(51:43):
Just start where you're at whatfeels most actionable now going
forward, like what's yourbiggest takeaway today?
Allan (51:53):
Oh man, my biggest takeaway is having a breather
and saying I don't need to thinkabout 1,200 calories, maybe I
can go to 14.
And that, to me, gives me sucha relief because you know me,
philip, I'm so fastidious, so Itry to be fastidious.
You know, and I was losing itbecause my you know I was losing
that, that you know thatclarity in my focus.
Philip Pape (52:14):
Confidence and clarity.
Yes, I was losing the clarity.
You know, if someone's listeningwho has never tracked their
food before and has no idea whatto do, and they're frustrated,
that's what you're, that's thesame thing, even though, even if
you're not as advanced as whereAlan is like, just tracking
your food and knowing what yourexpenditure is gives you the
clarity at least know.
Oh, here's why I'm not losingweight or not getting the thing
(52:36):
I want, and and not not to letit, you know, make you feel bad,
but to give you data to actfrom.
So, and here's why I feel likeI'm fighting with hunger.
And it's your body, biofeedbacktelling you what to do, and it's
not because you eat Oreos andLorna Dunes all the time and
that's why you're hungry.
It's you've got everythingdialed in and your body is
actually saying no, I'm hungry,and the data is now correlating,
(52:57):
giving you the confidence that,okay, I'm not going to balloon
up and wait.
Allan (53:02):
So that's number one.
I just said one man.
Philip Pape (53:04):
I just said your biggest.
What are you doing here?
That's it.
No, I'm just kidding.
What's the next?
Allan (53:08):
one.
No, no, there's no real nextone.
This just reminds me of how ourcoaching is so valuable and so
informative.
Just to be able to discuss this, come to a reasonable
foundation to build upon for thenext step, for the next couple
(53:30):
of months, knowing what's goingto happen in the fall, it's a
beautiful feeling, a solidfeeling of now I know what I'm
doing and both of my feet are onthe ground and I'm ready to go.
Philip Pape (53:45):
Good, that's what we want, alan.
That's why we're doing thesecalls Um, and then people can
hear what the process looks likeas well.
You know?
Just just so, everyone knowsthis is a.
This is a prize that Alan won,let's say, as a result of a
challenge he did.
He did the um.
That was the rapid fat losschallenge, right?
Uh, that he won't, he won't.
He was voted the winner and wedo these challenges and if
you're voted the winner, you geta free call like this or you
can do it for the record, forthe podcast.
But more importantly is um the,the support that you get.
(54:10):
Like Alan mentioned, sometimesyou need a third party to talk
to you and you know, if youdon't have a lot of money and
you want to join a free Facebookgroup, we have that.
Come in and say hello and talkabout your issues.
We were just having a chat inthe Facebook group chat today.
Somebody was asking aboutprotein and they said they were
eating amino acids and I kind ofchallenged them and said you
(54:30):
know you may be wasting yourmoney.
You could just eat real foodand get great results and you
know, it's those little thingsthat people just need that
third-party perspective.
If you want a little more, ifyou want more custom support,
check out Physique University.
It's two weeks free.
Alan's been there for a whilebecause he doesn't want to leave
.
We've got coaching calls,you've got nutrition plan,
you've got workout programs.
(54:50):
You've had a lot of greatpeople.
Alan, is there anything elseyou want to add about that or
anything else before we sign off?
Allan (55:04):
No, wlpu is a great forum , for we share ideas, we share
support, we share recipes.
It's just.
This is a great place, it's agreat forum.
It's one of the things I checkout in the morning while I'm
having my coffee and see ifanybody posted from the previous
evening.
It's just a great way, greatstructure, and it's a great way
to access some of your coachingtoo, philip.
Philip Pape (55:21):
Yeah, for sure.
No, I mean, I'm in there everyday.
You guys can tag me, we've gotthe courses, we've got all the
fun stuff, but I anyway not tomake this a pitch for it, but
that is how Alan ended up on theshow today and I want to thank
you everybody for checking thisout.
Alan, thank you so much forbeing open about things.
You know you're great atdigging in to the details, but
also tying it to your why andtying it to the history of
(55:42):
what's important to you, andthis is an honest conversation
that is going to help people.
So I thank you so much.
Allan (55:48):
You're welcome, you're welcome, and thank you for
everything you do for the, forthe fitness community.
Thank you so much for joining us feel it.
Today we're doing live coachingon his current cut strategy,
tackling the post-bulk mindsetchallenges and figuring out his
next steps.
If you've ever felt thatdisconnect between how you look
and how you feel, thisconversation is going to have
some gold for you today.
Welcome to Wits and Weights,the show that helps you build a
(00:48):
strong, healthy physique usingevidence, engineering and
efficiency.
I'm your host, philip Pape, andtoday I'm doing something a bit
different.
We're doing another focusedcoaching session, this time with
Alan, who was on the show wayback in episode 77, talking
about his journey with emotionaleating and bariatric surgery.
So go check that out for thebackstory.
(01:09):
But Alan has been very busysince then.
He has successfully builtvisible muscle mass.
He's flipped around hisrelationship with food.
Now he's dealing with what Icall the good problems.
You know like how to cutstrategically after successfully
bulking and that weird mentalspace where you've transformed
your physique but your brain isstill kind of catching up.
(01:31):
So today's conversation is morecoaching focused as we work
through his current challengesin real time.
We're talking about his prettyaggressive fat loss timeline,
the post-bulk mindset hurdlesand, of course, mapping out his
next phase.
Alan, are you ready to do this?
Allan (01:46):
Yes indeed.
Philip Pape (01:48):
All right.
So people now say that you looklike you train, like you've
lived, and that you've addedvisible muscle mass and I
definitely can see it and you'vesent me before after photos and
it's incredible.
But you've said you don'trecognize yourself in the mirror
, but in a good way, right,right, how are you feeling right
now about the new you?
Allan (02:09):
Surprised and learning to accept it.
I think learning to accept itis a great pivotal point for
discussion, because I have togive myself grace, I have to
allow for my transformationthat's occurred over the past
couple of years.
You know this is not somethingthat happens within three months
(02:31):
time.
Yeah, you know.
So, for example, my expenditure, when we've my daily
expenditure for maintenance, wasabout 1380.
Um, back in when we did ourlast podcast in June of 2023.
And now my, my, I'm pushing1600.
Now, in terms of my expenditure.
So I have.
(02:53):
So I, when I look in the mirroror I look at my photo of me,
sometimes I feel like, you know,adolescents go through
something when they're 1415.
They look in the mirror andthey go this is what I look like
now.
So I recently looked at somephotos of myself and it was like
I don't.
It's just a very, very visiblereminder of that.
(03:13):
I've achieved a certainphysique and wellness because I
look healthy.
That's the most important thing.
Philip Pape (03:20):
You do Super vibrant, clear, skin, glowing
smile.
It's all there.
It's right, we all try tovibrant, clear skin, glowing
smile.
Allan (03:26):
It's all there.
It's right.
We all try to take care ofourselves, Philip.
Philip Pape (03:28):
Exactly that's what we're about, and so I like
something you mentioned already,because we get into numbers, we
get into data.
I think that's important tojust peel back reality.
We were talking earlier on aPhysique University coaching
call about reality versusfantasy, and we all have these
projections of ourselves fromthe past and into the future.
And you look at something likeyour metabolism now is 250 or
(03:49):
300 calories more than it wasand that's, and that's your kind
of maintenance calories thathave gone up by that much.
And there's an episode I didnot long ago and you know it was
, uh, inspired by you on what todo with a slow metabolism,
because people compare theirmetabolisms to others and
unfortunately that that that canbe very difficult when your
metabolism is low.
(04:10):
But you've got to compare it toyourself of the past, right,
and it sounds like you've.
That's one concrete change thatyou've noticed.
What are some other in the lasttwo or three years concrete
changes that you've noticed?
Allan (04:23):
Chest size, arm size, strength, concrete changes, I
think, in terms of coaching, interms of everything that we've
touched upon, I think one thingis that my sleep hygiene has
been a lot better.
I definitely have a sleeproutine and I get six to seven
(04:44):
and a half fish hours at night,I'd say.
Physically, my legs are solid.
Sometimes I sit in a chair andmy jeans are stretched and my
legs are all swollen, and it'snot fat.
Philip Pape (04:59):
It's swole, man, it's swole.
Allan (05:01):
Right.
So I'm like what did I do inthe gym to deserve these legs
today?
So my forearms are stronger.
One thing so through training,the consistency and variety of
exercises that I've done overthe past couple of years have
strengthened my weakest parts.
So my forearms used to alwaysgive way.
Now they don't.
(05:22):
My adductor muscles used togive me issues, but I've learned
to warm up and I've learned tobe smart and wise about the
weight that I apply for myselfand when.
So these are all changes thatsome of it's mindfulness, but it
translates into physicality, ifthat makes sense.
Philip Pape (05:45):
A hundred percent, and I didn't mean to limit
concrete to just physical, right, because there are concrete
mental changes which we're goingto dive into.
Some of that I want to get intoit, and that's actually a good
segue, because you wrote mesomething that I'm really
curious about that you recognizeyour feeling of being fat,
because you acknowledge thatsometimes you feel that way
(06:06):
because, for whatever reason, asactually a fallacy, despite
needing to drop some body fat,maybe objectively, and so I
think this is a very matureself-awareness about this mental
lag that we wanted to talkabout today, this mental lag
behind the physicaltransformation, and maybe it'll
always be there, right, we'renot saying that it's a good or
bad thing and it's going to justgo away.
(06:27):
How are you processing thatdisconnect between the two?
Allan (06:31):
It gives me a.
It gives me a more comfortableresting place, so to speak.
Um, like a more comfortable andsafer foundation.
So, even though I definitelyhave belly fat, without a doubt,
all right, um, and I have someadipose tissue I always joke
around with my trainers.
I'm strong underneath thislayer, you know.
But seriously, um.
(06:53):
So, in terms of in terms of thequestion, um, it gives me a
safe platform to work for.
Medically, I definitely wouldbenefit to lose another 10
pounds.
That's not, it's not a wholelot, but my doctor be specific
on that, yeah okay, what do youmean?
my doctor said that when I was172, when I saw him and he said
(07:16):
alan, he goes if you lose fivepercent, I think.
He said then certain markersthat you have that are very
minimal, but but they will goaway.
Will organ fat, like liver fat,stuff like that?
He said you're very minimal.
He said, but if you lose, getdown to 160, they won't be,
it'll be gone.
And then if you lose and if youhad other scarring issues or
(07:37):
anything else which I don't have, if he gave me another number
to go to, he said, but this 160,he said, would be the place
that he would want to see me.
Similarly, my cardiologistlikes me at that weight as well.
My bariatric doctor is anotherstory.
Last time I saw him he saidAlan, he goes.
You can't go by the scale, hesaid.
(07:59):
He said Alan.
He said you know he goes.
Yes, you can lose some weight.
You definitely have gained someweight, but some of that is
muscle.
He said, ideally, I'd like tosee you like closer in the lower
one sixties.
You know that's kind of wherehis mind is.
He said, but you have to also.
The bottom line is that youhave to see your body
composition.
He said that's going todetermine what scale of weight
(08:21):
you end up at.
Philip Pape (08:22):
That is the biggest misconception we have to deal
with on on this show.
I think in in general in thefitness industry.
Right Is that a dichotomybetween weight and health and
where there's sometimes acorrelation for sure?
Like if you go from 400 poundsto 200 pounds, I don't care how
you did it.
If you've lost a bunch ofmuscle you're probably going to
(08:43):
be far healthier.
Um, regardless, like there's,there's cases where that's
necessary and then there's othercases, like yours, where you're
kind of in the optimizationpoint here where, honestly, you
probably right now fitter thanyou know 95% of guys your age, I
mean I don't know what percent,if you've looked at percentiles
of your blood work or anythingyou've got to be up there.
Allan (09:08):
My blood work is fine, my blood work is good, my blood
work is fine.
Yeah, my testosterone isactually in there as well.
I mean, I, I'm, I'm okay, justum, genetics, so cholesterol
issues, you know, like there arethings, there are markers that
I need to be aware of, um, justbased on family history and my
own history, um, and my a1C isstill low, you know, it's like
5.3, you know that's all that.
(09:29):
That doesn't move too much.
So I'm, I'm, I'm good, um, so,so that's it.
So I feel like I definitelywant to drop to 160.
I will feel better in my skin,for sure.
Phillip, I'm five four.
10 pounds on a five four frameis pretty decent.
You know, in terms of, in termsof me, where my fat is, I
definitely see a difference.
Philip Pape (09:48):
A hundred percent.
If I didn't know you and yousaid, and you told me your
height and weight, I would youknow.
I would generally say, for,like, let's say, younger guy in
his twenties and thirties who's5'9", you'd want him to be
packing on some muscle andpushing 200, but then leaning
out to like 180 or somethinglike that.
Right, in general, that's whata lot of guys want to be.
So, to want to be 160, 170, um,given your history, given your
(10:11):
you know age and everything elsepasses the sniff test.
You know what I mean.
Like it's not like.
I know you, I see you, you're,you're, you're like a stocky,
muscular guy.
Now.
You know, what I mean.
That is a compliment andeverybody's different, right,
everybody's different.
So before we get into thatsituation about what you're
(10:32):
doing now, what's working,what's not working, just one
real quick thing to tie our lasthistory from a couple or our
conversation from a couple ofyears ago emotional eating.
You've said that yourrelationship with food has
become so much easier.
You're not avoiding carbs, youlove meal prepping.
You're posting all the timelike wonderful recipes and
things like that and helpingothers in the community too,
like here's what you can do,here's some ideas.
How has this supported whatyou're doing and become kind of
(10:56):
more positive with your health,the idea of food and your
relationship with food?
Allan (11:02):
So emotional eating really doesn't go away.
It's more of an understandingof, of everything, Um, in terms
of.
Can you clarify the questionagain?
Philip Pape (11:11):
It was a very badly worded question, so there's a
lot of avenues.
Allan (11:15):
I could take, but what would you like me to talk about,
exactly?
Philip Pape (11:19):
I would like you to talk about how the shift in
your relationship with food hassupported your success over the
last two years.
Allan (11:26):
Oh, yes, yes, let's go with that.
That's it, baby.
So, yes, so my relationshipwith food has supported me.
I've learned how to eat again,philip.
Okay, I've learned that I couldhave my sourdough bread as long
as it's sliced and pushed andcooked, and I'm not eating half
a loaf, although I could eat ahalf a loaf of salad dough bread
(11:48):
.
You know, it's not a big deal,but in the general scheme of
things, it's not a practice.
So so, to be honest, I lovegoing food shopping.
Um, I love meal prep.
Um, it's a, it's a form ofcreative nurturing, even though
my recipes are kind of standard,um, the fact that I can take a
Sunday morning and meal prep, um, just a whole array of
(12:10):
different things fish, chicken,my, my eggs and egg scramble
with vegetables.
Um, sweet potatoes, if I, if Iwant potatoes during the week.
Um, you know, it's just, it'sjust a nice nurturing thing.
I enjoy food.
I don't look at food as assomething to fill a void.
I look at it in terms of aphysical need and sometimes
(12:35):
training, which is anothersubject we can get into.
Sometimes my training dictatesmy desire for food more than my
emotionality does.
Now, if that Does that makesense to you, yeah, You're
saying food.
Philip Pape (12:49):
it isn't filling an emotional void anymore.
It's a practical thing for yourbody, for your training, for
your needs, for your nutrition,and you enjoy the nurturing
aspect of making it.
Allan (13:01):
Right.
But I will say this that thereare times when I'm taxed.
For example, if a relative isin the hospital and those
vending machines at Lorna Dunesare calling me, it's like all I
want to do is have a Lorna Dunespackage.
All I want is you know.
But then I go to the machineand I look at all the garbage in
(13:22):
the machine and I was like, doI really want this?
And I look at all the garbagein the machine and I was like,
do I really want this?
Let me wait a half an hour.
Go to the cafeteria downstairsand they have like chickpea
salads with arugula and theyhave other things that I could
eat instead of running to thevending machine.
So if I'm hungry and I feellike I want to eat emotionally
or physically at that moment inthe hospital, emotionally or
(13:46):
physically at that moment in thehospital I will try to make the
best choices that will fill mygut, satisfy my need to eat
something, but do it in therealm of adequate nutrition
instead of Lorna Doon cookiesNot that there's anything wrong
with Lorna Doon.
Philip Pape (13:58):
No, no, no, yeah, yeah, I had a music teacher in
high school who loved them theLorna Doon cookie, the
shortbread but what you're, whatyou're, what I'm hearing is
you've, over time, and afterdoing the work, you've gotten to
a place where you make choicesthat are aligned with what you
want.
And it's not always whatsomebody on the outside would
call the perfect choice, causethere's no such thing.
(14:19):
It's the best choice availableto you in the moment.
And we were kind of talkingabout that, about all or nothing
, thinking earlier.
Allan (14:25):
Yes, that's what it sounds like.
Yeah, nope, that was a greatsummation.
You're absolutely on point withthat.
Philip Pape (14:30):
Yes, it's a modicum of control that you didn't have
before, and really anyonelistening that's what we're
trying to get to is like how doyou have control over the
situation in some way more thanyou do today?
Allan (14:40):
Right A lot of times.
I'll, I'll bring, I'll, I'llbring, I'll cook up.
If I know I'm going to be thehospital that week for or for a
few days, I'll boil up a dozenhard boiled eggs and I'll have
those to you know in thehospital.
They're ready to go andtransportable.
So it's just, it's a matter.
You're right, so you broughtthat back to me because it is a
(15:01):
matter of making choices.
Philip Pape (15:02):
Um, yeah, yeah, so that's good.
So this kind of sets thefoundation.
Now you alluded to a weight anda body composition goal.
What are you?
Just just give us a briefoverview of what are you doing
now.
That's, that's kind of working,and feel free to mention
anything that you feel is notworking.
Just high level with youroverall routine.
Allan (15:19):
Okay, okay, what's working is my workout in the gym
.
Um, I did about three, fourmonths of iron clad built on two
pounds of muscle.
Um, really, you know, throughit, through it a scan that you
know might be accurate.
Might not be, but at least, um,there's some visible muscle
(15:39):
growth.
Philip Pape (15:40):
And now I said two pounds, two pounds.
That's good and you already hada good foundation.
And just so the listener knowsIronclad, it's like an
undulating wave-based,volume-based program that I kind
of stole from Alex Bromley Justso people know what Ironclad is
Okay.
Allan (15:55):
So now I'm training a little differently.
I'm training with a trainer andit's more about, I don't know,
hypertrophy, it's more about um,you know, hypertrophy it's more
about um, going to failure with15 reps type of deal.
Okay, um, and doing, doing like10 sets a week on a, on a
muscle group.
You know, that's that sameparadigm, but just it's making
(16:17):
me hungry as anything.
Okay, so, so, so.
The gym is working really well,really well.
My arms, I mean.
I feel the physicality, I feelsafe and I feel worked.
However, I leave the gym, man,and I'm like where's my bet?
Where's my apricots?
Where's my carbs?
Where's my this, where's mythat?
(16:38):
And it's like I've got to reignthat in.
That is where my difficultylies right now.
Philip Pape (16:46):
Do you feel like the change is strictly from the
training approach or the factthat you've been in a deficit?
Allan (16:56):
Both.
I think that my deficit basedupon my new maintenance, philip
and this is something you knowyou can eyeball and we could
discuss so like, instead ofhaving a 1400 or 1500
maintenance, my maintenance isnow pushing probably over 1600.
By the time macro factorcatches up, the way it's going
(17:17):
up every week, I'm going to endup around 1650, I think.
So in that regard, that 1100,that darn 1100 or 1150 that I
see in terms of my goal at 0.8pounds a week might be too stiff
.
Philip Pape (17:34):
Isn't that amazing.
Like that is fun.
That is a phenomenon that Iwant people to understand.
The hunger assuming it's truephysiological hunger because for
you it probably is at thispoint you've normalized your
signals.
You eat quite a healthy dietarypattern overall.
That's satiating is pretty muchjust telling you you need to
eat more.
The question is, do you kind offight it to maintain a bigger
(17:58):
deficit or do you rise with it abit to maintain what you were
kind of used to?
It gives you a few more options, but we always think in terms
of sustainability.
So are you letting it rise orare you fighting it?
Allan (18:10):
I'm letting it rise.
Philip Pape (18:12):
Okay, and you're still having the same progress
because the deficit is the same.
Allan (18:15):
I'm losing weight.
I'm losing like last week.
Last week I definitely ate inmy in maintenance.
Philip Pape (18:21):
Maybe if my true maintenance is about 1650, I'm
eating 100 calories a littleover that or around there no
more than 100 calories up andI'm losing half a pound a week.
So you met because youmentioned.
One of your struggles now afterbulking is that your brain
telling you you want to eat morebecause you were eating more.
Yes, and yet you need to be ina deficit.
(18:42):
This sounds like it's maybehelping.
Allan (18:44):
It might be Looking at the new data.
Philip, you're absolutelycorrect.
I'm glad we're talking aboutthis, because I kind of felt
that maybe you would see it thatway.
I envision our conversationtalking about this.
So yeah, so it's helping.
Philip Pape (19:01):
Let's take a step back, okay, but hold on, let's
take a step back.
Um how long were you atmaintenance after the bulk?
Allan (19:07):
Oh, by default, or by or by no, seriously, I would say, I
would say um a few weeks, I may, I, after my bulk, I didn't, I
didn't I, it must've been.
It was a while, it was a periodof at least three weeks.
Philip Pape (19:26):
Was it long enough to feel normalized at that
maintenance?
Allan (19:28):
Oh, yes, 100%.
Philip Pape (19:29):
Okay, okay, that's what I was getting at.
Again, sometimes when youswitch fast which I've done,
just because I'm impatient whenyou switch quickly, you could
really throw off the hungersignals and then have that issue
.
Allan (19:42):
But what kicked off my expenditure rising, oddly enough
, is, I mean, it is summer, soI'm basically I'm gardening, I'm
out a little more.
I'm getting I'm definitelygetting steps in um is the the
um fat loss, rapid fat losschallenge.
My expenditure during that,during those two weeks, rose
like 30 points.
(20:02):
I mean just the graph went likethat during the during the
rapid fat loss phase, and Ithink it was in tandem with my
increase in activity.
Philip Pape (20:11):
Okay, yeah, I was going to say that you wouldn't
expect that and also it was tooshort a period, but that makes
sense if I had more activityUnless man.
We're discovering weird littlemechanisms all the time
regarding refeeds and how somepeople on a certain refeed
schedule can get some littleboost in their metabolism, but I
don't want to overthink that,so it's not overthinking, but I
(20:31):
but I definitely think thatthere was a something cool that
happened during that rapid fatloss phase where I lost weight,
um, but my expenditure was goingup.
Allan (20:41):
I was still lifting, I was still, you know, it was
still working.
After that, I have been onmaintenance since, even though
technically I'm on a deficit.
Some days I'm in a deficit, butif you look at my weekly
calories, they're averagingabout 1,600, 1,700 calories a
day.
Philip Pape (21:01):
So are you on pace at that 0.8 pounds a week.
Allan (21:04):
I'm at point.
I've been losing a half a pounda week, half a day.
So are you on pace at that?
0.8 pounds a week.
I'm at point.
I've been losing a half a pounda week.
Philip Pape (21:06):
Half a pound.
Okay, so I know you want to getanother like nine pounds off
and at 0.8,.
That would take like 11, 12weeks, but if you assume less,
it could take 16.
Uh, and it is June already, solet's talk realistic
expectations, cause I think youmentioned something like August.
Allan (21:24):
The end of August, yeah, but that's only eight weeks.
Philip Pape (21:26):
Oh, end of August, that's 10 weeks.
Yeah, you're kind of in theballpark.
I mean it's not too far.
If you ended up at like 163,would that be at the end of the
world?
Allan (21:35):
Not at all.
Philip Pape (21:36):
Okay, okay.
Allan (21:36):
It would be the world.
Okay, so it's a stretch goal,that's good, it's a stretch goal
.
160 is a stretch goal, 162 isfine.
Also, I want to be as far awayas from 170 for medical reasons,
not physique reasons, althoughthat's a separate issue.
I got it.
Philip Pape (21:54):
I got it.
Allan (21:54):
I got it.
I want to be there.
Philip Pape (21:57):
Okay, so there's some really good directional
things going on with you.
Obviously, your expendituregoing up, potentially due to
your NEAT, you're at a modestlyaggressive deficit.
I wouldn't say it's tooaggressive.
I mean, I know your history.
At half, even half a pound to0.8 pounds, as long as you're
hovering at 11, 1200 calories ormore, that makes sense.
And then are there any, givenyour past fat loss phases, do
(22:23):
you foresee any type ofresistance or expenditure drop
that you would predict from thepast?
Allan (22:30):
No, not at this time of the year and definitely not Good
.
Philip Pape (22:34):
Okay, yeah, and is there any other lever?
Are there any other levers wehaven't already pulled, because
you're pretty solid all aroundthe board with your habits.
Allan (22:44):
That's a good question.
Yes, there is.
What is it?
There might be a couple, andit's a good question.
Philip Pape (22:52):
See, this is a coaching man.
I don't tell you what to do, Ijust ask you to tell yourself
what to do.
Allan (22:56):
Yeah, but the levers are there.
The levers are there.
So the levers that I have beenpicking up are steps you have
spoken on some of your podcastsOther people speak about man.
If you don't get those steps in, it's a big game changer.
Those 10,000 to 12,000 stepsare are game changers in terms
(23:17):
of, in terms of expenditure, interms of um, weight loss.
So that's number one.
So I I've pulled that leverrecently even more so Um.
The other level level lever isPhilip.
I have a hard time with grazing.
I have, and this is this is nota physical lever, this is not
an action level lever, this is astrategy lever that needs to be
(23:41):
addressed.
That I have a problem with.
I have a problem with grazingand that's and I could easily
keep my expenditure to 1400.
You know, if I had to be at1400, I mean that my expenditure
, my deficit at 1400, I could doit.
But it's the grazing that thattweaks it into maintenance and
and and takes me off target alittle.
Philip Pape (24:05):
Okay, let's, let's put a pin in that for a second
Steps.
You mentioned as a lover you'remore active.
Do you have any long stretchesof sitting?
Allan (24:14):
I try not to Uh, but yes, I think probably I would say
but yes, I think probably Iwould say living room time maybe
three hours a day.
Yes, you know, in the morningwhen I get up I'm sitting at my
desk going through emails andeverything with coffee for about
an hour and then I get to thegym.
(24:35):
So I would say I'm sitting, forI would say I would say I'm
sitting maybe four, four hours aday for sure.
Philip Pape (24:43):
Is it mostly contiguous or do you take breaks
?
Allan (24:47):
I do take breaks, I go out and I garden and I do things
.
My watch says time to stand.
But yeah, at times, you knowand there's also also I'm up
really early in the morning.
So some days if I'm up, if I'mup if I go to sleep early, I'm
up really early in the morning.
So some days if I'm up, if I goto sleep early, I wake up early
(25:08):
and sometimes I'll take a45-minute nap in the afternoon.
Philip Pape (25:16):
So late afternoon I might take like a half an hour
snooze or something like that,but basically so that's part of
my resting of the day, so, um,okay, it's good, I'm not, yeah,
and, by the way, I'm not goingto take away naps.
Naps are great.
Allan (25:31):
So that's it.
So that's the um.
Go ahead, philip.
Philip Pape (25:34):
I was just going to say like so this is a big tease
for the audience.
The next episode after this isabout walking breaks and how
impactful it is on muscleprotein synthesis, as well as
like insulin sensitivity and howyour body uses nutrients, and
so I always think, if there arewindows on a daily basis where
you could take breaks like everyhalf hour, throw those in.
(25:55):
Add some reminders, do a little.
It's an easy thing to tweak inyour day to day and who knows if
it'll have an impact on yourmetabolism, right.
Allan (26:03):
Yeah, I mean, I was thinking about bringing the
elliptical into the living room.
Philip Pape (26:08):
Yeah, yeah Well.
Allan (26:09):
I was asking you to the.
Philip Pape (26:10):
Facebook group about those elliptical on the
ground things, because I thinkthere's something to be said
about, like blood flow.
Blood flow is a big piece of it, honestly.
Okay, so let's talk aboutgrazing.
So I know you're pretty, I'llsay, advanced in terms of the
psychology of some of this stuff.
Like, okay, what's step one?
When we have an issue withemotional eating, it's the
(26:32):
trigger, right, identify theroot trigger or the cause.
What's your thought on that?
Like emotional, environmental,physiological what causes you to
graze?
Allan (26:40):
The feeling like I need to eat because I'm lifting
weights.
Philip Pape (26:44):
That's an interesting one because there
could be some reality to it,right, like genuine hunger, your
protein is pretty high, right.
Allan (26:54):
Yes.
Philip Pape (26:55):
Okay, and what's the timing of this grazing?
Allan (26:58):
Because grazing to me seems like all day, but
potentially there's Okay, so Iusually have lunch about 11.30,
12 o'clock, and by two o'clock Iwant more protein and
carbohydrates, so I'll havesomething then and then I'll eat
around five o'clock.
Philip Pape (27:17):
Okay, when's the grazing occur?
Allan (27:19):
The grazing occurs around two.
Oh, grazing two to three, twoto four, and then from six, 30
till eight, 30, if I don't stayout of the kitchen.
Philip Pape (27:32):
Okay, and do you like, do you use meal timing,
like timed meals is what I mean,like do you have a schedule for
your meals?
Allan (27:40):
Unofficially yes.
Philip Pape (27:42):
Unofficially, which which implies there's some
wheel room.
In other words, I'm goingthrough my brain of like what
are you not already doing?
That could be a simple um toolto kind of help with this Cause.
I again, you know, you know myphilosophy on emotional eating
is start simple, start small,start easy to try to address it
(28:02):
before going deeper and deeperinto the psychology.
You're an expert in psychology,right, it's in your background
and I'm still learning aboutthis stuff, but honestly, that
helps.
So if you had that spacingawareness via a structured
eating window or schedule, couldthat help?
Allan (28:19):
That would help, but it's not the answer.
I think I'm listening to you,I'm listening to what you're
saying and in my mind I'm goingthrough this idea that sometimes
I think that what I wasthinking maybe psychologically
if macro factor is telling methat I need to be around 1200
calories, in reality I may needto be around 1400, let's say for
(28:48):
a deficit or 1300, let's say,okay, stop there, stop there.
Philip Pape (28:51):
So are you saying that the grazing has only
started recently because of that?
Allan (28:55):
Yes.
Philip Pape (28:55):
Okay, okay, then that sounds more logistical.
I guess what I would say is dothe homework of eating more,
which isn't a hard assignment,and report back on whether the
grazing goes away, because ifthat's all it is, that's real
hunger.
Allan (29:10):
Right.
So with the grazing I'm stilllosing a half a pound a week.
So it's just very interesting.
So here I have the macro factornumbers in front of me and you
know that I honor, know, I honorthat, you know.
But then at the same time it'slike darn, you know, I want a
nectarine, like I want anectarine and a banana, you know
.
Or I'm craving like fruit, andthen I'll have chicken in the
(29:36):
fridge and I'll say you knowwhat, I'm going to have three or
four ounces of chicken now andI'll have the fish for dinner.
So, like, like, so my body iskind of telling me like I need
those 200 calories extra duringthe afternoon.
Philip Pape (29:49):
Yes, and this is why I'm asking you to be more
intentional Now.
I think I think the I think thequote unquote answer since you
said that like that's not the Ithink the answer is to be
intentional about what you wantto do.
Do you want to add the caloriesin deliberately?
And then you just beintentional, like you know how
to do, or and we went, we talkedabout this earlier like do you
want to fight it or not?
And it's okay, if you want tofight it, you know we could do
that, in which case we'retalking about satiation, like
(30:12):
all the things you know, alreadyknow and probably have built in
um, having a pre-planned snackbudget so that when the craving
comes, you can flex into it.
Gamifying habit stacking, youknow, taking a pause and
drinking water, right, like allthe techniques right.
But maybe you don't need any ofthem.
If you just say, no, I'm goingto eat 200 more calories, and
(30:34):
this is what is going to happenevery day, you know.
Does that make sense?
Allan (30:38):
It makes sense and it makes sense.
Yes, it does make sense, itmakes sense and it makes sense.
Yes, it does make sense.
I'm going to refigure my macrofactor and see what it tells me
and I'm going to discuss it.
I think the expenditure,because it's still on the
increase, is cutting me short alittle bit.
(30:59):
It's lagging, yeah, it'slagging, it's lagging.
Philip Pape (31:01):
Yeah, it's lagging.
Allan (31:01):
It's lagging.
I think that's what's happeningand that's why I'm hungry.
Philip Pape (31:05):
Okay and that's a good one.
The good thing you mentionedthere because traditionally in a
bulking phase I see this allthe time right, where your
expenditures estimated at anumber and it's rising pretty
fast, and so because macrofactors in a lagging algorithm
based on historical data, it'snot going to give you 300 more
calories overnight, it's goingto just titrate you up.
But if your metabolism is goingup too fast, you never catch up
(31:28):
and then you're always hungryand that's why I would tell
clients like I need to eat 200more calories pronto, so it can
happen in a deficit, like you aswell, if your expenditure is
going up, and so I would justsplit the difference.
I would say, okay, if you'vebeen grazing and getting in 200
more calories, maybedeliberately add 100 more
calories and kind of split thatdifference right now and then
(31:50):
let the app kind of bring you upon top of that.
Allan (31:54):
That makes wonderful sense, Philip.
Okay, yeah, that's wonderful,it makes wonderful sense, and I
was thinking, I was, I was, Iwas waiting to discuss this with
you and I wanted to hear your,your decision on this and your
wisdom on this, and you are soin sync with what feels right to
me.
Philip Pape (32:12):
Good.
I mean, my other option wasgoing to be a detox juice
cleanse combined with fasting.
So I'm like, if one doesn'twork, we'll try the other I'll
take out my Omega, my Omegajuicer, we'll try the coffee
enema, right yeah.
Allan (32:26):
No, seriously no, but I was, I was, I I was looking
forward to this coaching calland I wanted to hear your
solution and you just said itand it's beautiful, it makes
total sense and it fits in onceagain.
It fits into what?
And it fits in once again.
It fits into what I intuitivelyknow about what I'm doing and
(32:47):
your eyeballing everything anddiscussion really was right on
point with me, so I appreciateit.
Philip Pape (32:55):
Would you say that's your biggest bottleneck
at the moment?
Allan (32:59):
Yeah, 100%, oh, 100%, okay, say that's your biggest
bottleneck at the moment.
Or yeah, 100, oh, 100, um, theother things are just just um.
Last summer I was in thehospital with my dad pretty much
from the end of june all theway through, probably till
october or november september,you know.
So through september.
So this summer I decided thatI'm gonna enjoy the summer.
My, my dad is well, he's stable, everything's good.
(33:20):
I'm going to have the summer Ididn't have last summer.
So I'm out, bicycle riding, I'mwalking, seeing friends, doing
things you know, instead ofbeing in the hospital every day
or every other day.
So that's why I'm it's not mywhy, but it's my conscious way
(33:42):
of living right now is to getout and do things and enjoy life
.
Philip Pape (33:45):
Which potentially reduces your stress as well.
Allan (33:48):
Yes.
Philip Pape (33:49):
And could also contribute to the physiological
change.
Not to bring it back to that, Iwant to acknowledge that you've
been through a rough time.
It sounds like everything youtold me from last year and and
you're taking advantage of the,the new environment and
situation now.
Um, and honestly, that's amakes you a role model, too, for
everyone around you.
It allows you to support them.
Um, the way I see it, so right,it's a very positive thing
(34:12):
right, I have family, you know,it's just.
Allan (34:15):
Everything is everything is good.
Um, I still have concerns, youknow.
I still have familyresponsibilities, but I'm able
now to take care of myself.
In fact, my father also says hewants, you know, he's expressed
multiple times that I need tocome take care of myself.
If I visit him twice and twice,like you know, if I visit, if I
(34:35):
visit him on a monday and I goon again on tuesday, he says why
are you here again, alan?
He said go home, go home, enjoyyour family, enjoy everything.
You know you don't have to comeevery day.
So I was like okay, dad, likeyou're feeling well and you're
absolutely correct.
Philip Pape (34:49):
That's nice.
Allan (34:50):
That's nice, you know so.
So so it gives me.
He wants me to take care ofmyself.
When I, and I tell him, I saidDad, I said Dad.
I want to let you know thateven though I, even though you
know I'm here a lot and I wantyou to exercise every day, I
take, I'm watching what I'meating, I'm taking really good
care of myself because myparents always that was kind of
like always ingrained in us tobe healthy, take care of
(35:13):
ourselves, not at the exclusionof other people, but we should
not get sick over taking care ofother people other people, but
we should not get sick overtaking care of other people.
Philip Pape (35:26):
I agree, it's funny .
You mentioned that, not to theexclusion of other things.
One of our other members I'mnot going to name his name just
for privacy, but you would knowhim he sent me an Instagram reel
and he's like is this reallywhat people are thinking now?
And it was this guy, it was acomedian, stand-up comedian
talking about how if a fatherhas big muscles, he must not be
a great dad, because the time ittakes to be in the gym, he's
(35:47):
not using those muscles to playwith his kids.
And I'm like it's sad, right?
No, I get it, because it's thebiggest common denominator when
it comes to comedy and I totallyget it.
I love standup comedy and it'slike a relatable thing because
90% of people probably aren'tworking out, but you you
mentioned, you hit it right inthe head where no, it's, it's,
it's the thing that allows youto show up and be there, um, and
(36:09):
that's great.
So, okay, I want to, I want to.
I want to stay on point nowwith some of the some of the
things you've got going on intothe next six months, because we
kind of tackled up till now.
We talked about your currentdeficit.
I think you also mentioned thatafter that, you want to
maintain and then go intoanother bulk.
Is that right?
Allan (36:25):
Yes.
Philip Pape (36:25):
Cool.
Do you think you're going toapproach it differently than the
last one?
Allan (36:31):
Well, that causes me to pause.
That's a great question.
Philip Pape (36:35):
Or should you, or is it going to be exactly the
same?
Allan (36:37):
No, no, no, no, I'm going to be wiser.
Um, I think I know what a bulkis about now.
I know how it, how I feelphysiologically, I'm very much
in tune with it when I liftweights, like, I'm very much in
tune with my body, how it feels,how it responds to the
progressive overload and visiblywhat happens to me.
Um, so it's been a while and Ithink I'm wiser.
(36:59):
This set, this next book, isgoing to be the maintenance is
going to be maintenance andmaybe I may do.
You know, depending on where myweight stays, I'll be either
the lower end or the higher end.
But when I bulk, um, it's goingto be great because I know the
foods that will fuel me and Iknow, I'll know if I'm gaining
(37:22):
too much weight too quickly oractually more fat.
I would have to qualify that.
I know now what my body startsdoing when it gains too much fat
over muscle and I'll be able towork with you and play it.
You know, every month or everycouple of months, say, check in
with you and play it.
Every month, or every couple ofmonths, check in with you and
say this is what's happening, Ifeel good.
(37:46):
Or I may say you know, theseextra 300 calories I have might
be a little too much for me nowand then it's something we can't
predict.
Let's see what happens.
Philip Pape (38:00):
That is no truer statement for anyone listening
who has been, or has never been,through a cut in bulk cycles.
Every single one is differentand if you try to predict from
the past, you're just going tobe frustrated because it could
be way.
And it's not that it's betteror worse, it just you respond
differently.
You're a different person,physically when you start the
next cut, and environmentally,and you know all that lifestyle.
(38:23):
Tell me what.
What would success look likefor you in this next bulk?
Allan (38:28):
I'm looking at my biceps right now.
Are they nice?
Philip Pape (38:32):
and cut now because I want to get these biceps?
Allan (38:35):
no, seriously, what would it feel, what it would be?
Um more health, I think.
I think underneath it all,underneath it all ties into my
why, or my deeper why, is tokeep myself mentally and
physically sturdy, um to repairwhere I've come from and to
(38:59):
continue to build solidity inhealth as I'm approaching my
upper 60s.
So I think that is where I'dlike to be.
I'm also, I think, when Ienvision a bulk filler, I
envision doing exercises andmovements that are safe, that
(39:20):
are taxing, because the bulkingis definitely like you want to
do those, and I might tap intomore strength training at that
time with the more calories.
And I think that the bulkingwill also have an effect on my
metabolism.
Um have an effect on mymetabolism, um, I think, as I'm
(39:46):
getting older, I think A1C andmy family increases and I think
that that will continue tooffset the um.
Any kind of sugar metabolismissues I that may be happening.
Philip Pape (39:55):
Ooh, that's good.
Okay, so you've got a lot there.
I want to break each one down.
You mentioned muscle is health.
I don't think you said itliterally, but that's what I got
from that.
Yes, that's such an importantmessage for anyone listening
that okay, if you have excessweight to lose, fine, you can.
You can work on that, but alsoyou've got to.
You got to have the muscle.
Muscle is health, like you said.
(40:16):
It makes you sturdy, it helpsyou connect with the why of
being there for yourgrandchildren enjoying all the
years ahead.
Because when you say you'reapproaching the late 60s and I
think of the condition of somepeople in their 70s, again I
just have to say congrats, alan,on the work you've put in,
because it's demonstratingyou've turned back the clock by
(40:36):
15, 20 years where you are rightnow easily you know what I mean
Like you're operating, where,like some 50 year olds who
haven't taken care of themselvesare.
I mean you're operating.
Better than that, but you knowwhat.
I'm saying Um, and then you saidto re.
You said you want to repairwhere you've come from.
I want to dig into that just toone more level deep.
What do you mean by that?
Allan (40:57):
Physically, I was 220, was 220 pounds.
Um, before I had bariatricsurgery, I, I had, I went down
to like 160.
And when I was in my 40s andthen I gained weight, um, when
the kids, you know, came to livewith us, um, I became daddy
again and I cooked and I, whowent to the gym, I had that.
I was a daddy as I had no timeto go to the gym, but I had that
(41:18):
I was a daddy.
I was like I had no time to goto the gym, but anyways, but
eventually I've always, eventhough it was through being in
spin instructor and teachingyoga, I still was always on the,
on the bigger size, you know,more of a heavier weight.
And then, when they've been so,I, back in 2020, I was, I
reached like 220 again and I, Iso, in terms of weight, I don't
(41:42):
want to go back there.
But when I made that statement,philip, that I want to repair,
what did you say to me?
Philip Pape (41:48):
Repair where I've come from is what you said.
Allan (41:51):
So my mom passed away.
This is a deep why, and I'msharing this.
Maybe it could help somebody.
That's the only reason I'msharing this.
My world fell apart.
You know, when you have parentsand you have arguments and you
have, you know, loverelationships, but you, you know
it's.
You know I love my parents, Ilove my, you know love my mom
(42:15):
and we had a wonderfulrelationship.
But when she got sick and shepassed away, everything changed.
My whole perspective on lifechanged and my heart broke.
I was there when she passedaway.
She called me to come, calledme to come.
(42:44):
So it was like that trauma andworking through it is something
that I'm realizing.
I'm picking up all the piecesnow.
So by doing the cardio tohaving fun with sprinting,
having fun on a spin bike again,listening to music again,
getting out for walks, enjoyingfamily, enjoying life, I'm
putting all the pieces togetheragain.
So a bulk signifies me going toa next phase of health, of
(43:08):
solidity, and putting thingsback in place and enjoying life
with the blessings I mean allaround, you know, without
getting spiritual or anything.
That's just kind of how I.
That's it.
Philip Pape (43:28):
So yeah, so you've carried sounds like you've
carried your mother's influencewith you forward in a meaningful
way.
It made it really meansomething is what I'm hearing
and has made it a source ofstrength and motivation for you.
Is that fair?
Allan (43:37):
assessment, yes, and my grandma, my, her mother, mother
when I was heavier back in the1990s.
She said to me in the kitchenone day alan, take care of
yourself because nobody elsewill.
So so both you know there's.
So I've always had a history ofyou know, of um, I don't know,
just just in general.
(43:57):
We've always just taking careof of myself.
I guess, is a mantra that's inmy head Al, take care of
yourself, that's it.
Philip Pape (44:06):
That sounds like exactly what you took from it
and what you're doing.
Allan (44:09):
I mean you're doing that.
Philip Pape (44:09):
Everybody gets to hear you talk about this and
even though we get into nuts andbolts and fun science-y stuff
and how to do calorie deficitsand everything, at the end of
the day I think we're justsaying, look, this is our one
and only life and we can dosomething to enjoy it, and the
process of doing that can beenjoyable, like, I think, a lot
of what you're doing and sharingwith the audience about
(44:31):
emotional eating and lifting andeverything you know.
Sure, there's challenges, butit sounds like you've really
embraced it.
It doesn't sound like someonewho's sees this as a form of
suffering or a form of sacrifice.
You know what I mean.
Even though there's, eventhough it's hard, it's hard in a
fulfilling way, right?
Allan (44:46):
And that's.
Philip Pape (44:47):
that's the human struggle.
What, what, okay.
And then you mentioned this isreally great for our older
lifters who are worried aboutinjury, and you mentioned doing
things that are safe but alsotaxing.
Again, I love thatjuxtaposition as well, because
that's exactly how I would putit.
It's like we need to lift heavyas we get older, to support our
spine, to support our hormonesand health, but people want to
do it safely.
(45:08):
What does that mean for you?
Allan (45:11):
Form.
Philip Pape (45:12):
Form Okay, form and technique.
Allan (45:14):
Yep Total.
Total form technique and warmingup.
If there's one thing I couldshare, no matter what kind of
you know, because I'm not youknow form, philip.
You put on form videos.
People can get form videoselsewhere, even in their gym.
But the most important thing, Ithink, as we get older, is the
warming up.
Okay, I messaged you about ahalf a year ago or a few months
(45:36):
ago about my warm up with squatsor warm up with whatever, and I
forgot exactly what it was.
But and you texted me back yourtypical warmup, you know type
or your suggestions.
So warming up, I think, isreally essential, because the
one time that I got injured wasthe time that I pushed through
my warmup because I had to takemy father to a doctor
(45:58):
appointment and I said, oh, Icould skip, oh, I could skip.
I went up 30 pounds instead of15.
And that's what did it.
I was squatting, I was on myway up.
It wasn't a crazy amount ofweight for other people, but for
me it's my beginning of myworking weight at 150-pound
squat back then and I went fromlike 120.
(46:21):
And also the bar wasn'tavailable, so I was working out
in a different place in the gym.
So all those things came aboutand the warm-up failed.
I didn't warm up and I pulledmy my, my attitude.
So I think one thing I I'd liketo say I know this was a little
rambly everyone needs to warmup and then that you can count
(46:41):
your working sets and log themin.
But the warmups behind thescene are probably as important
as the form, if not moreimportant.
Philip Pape (46:51):
You just inspired me, man, to do a whole episode
about this, because I think youhit on some important factors
about warming up, and we'retalking about warming up with
the lift itself.
We're not necessarily talkingabout like cardio or dynamic
warm-ups, just literally thelift itself.
You mentioned, um, or youalluded to the fact that it
helps with injury, with safety,with the feel.
(47:14):
I would say that it helpsprogram the movement pattern as
well which then kind of gets youinto a safe motion before it
gets heavier.
And then even, um, you knowyou're, you're thinking about
being distracted and like tryingto go too quickly, like that.
That's, that's a mindfulnessthing.
We've got to understand thatthis is a important thing.
We're doing, we're lifting alot of weight and we want to,
but you got to feel things out.
(47:35):
Also, if you're recovering froman injury, I've, I've
definitely told clients to warmup more, because then if it's,
if they're at the point wherethey're recovered enough,
they'll, they'll slowly feelthat soreness or pain like
dissipate as they warm up.
Allan (47:49):
Yes.
Philip Pape (47:50):
Because you've got that residual pain.
Sometimes it's more of a mentalpain than anything, but if it
still hurts, you'll catch itearly in the warmup.
You could say, all right, Ineed to make an adjustment.
Allan (47:59):
One other thing that I want to hit, philip, everything
you just mentioned is right onpoint and in my mind I just
thought about something elsethat perhaps warming up is a
form check as well.
It's a period of time whereyou're using manageable weight
and you can get that proper bodyangle.
If you're doing, if you'redoing you know barbell rows,
(48:20):
standing barbell rows you wantto get that perfect angle and
that diagonal movement into yourbelly with the bar.
You know, because you're kindof like movement and keeping
your hands in a certain so likewhen you're using lighter
weights, you can definitely getyour movement intact.
Philip Pape (48:41):
Figured out oh, a hundred percent, cause it's
going to be a little clumsy thatfirst warmup set.
Even if you're skilled at this,you're like kind of like
getting it just right.
And then you can say, oh, waita minute, I'm not tucking the
elbows, well, I'm not doing this, or whatever, and you can just
yeah, exactly.
Allan (48:55):
And you know what's crazy , philip, that sometimes it's
these little nuances of movementthat make all the difference.
Philip Pape (49:00):
It's true, it's true, oh yeah, I preach that to
the cows.
Come home and every, everymovement has has it's a range of
things you could do.
One more thing you mentioned wasyou talked about A1C.
For those listening, thisFriday's episode is coming out
with Ben Zeal really great guy,I mean, he and I are going to be
friends I could tell alreadyjust from having recorded one
show together and he has typeone diabetes and it's all about
(49:23):
blood sugar management combinedwith nutrition and training.
And we get into A1C and youmentioned how building muscle we
were talking about your bulkjust now, alan and you talked
about A1C and I want people tounderstand the connection is
that having more muscleincreases insulin sensitivity
and blood sugar management tothe point where my belief at
this point, alan, is, unless youhave a lot of weight to lose,
(49:44):
just being active and lifting,you really don't have to worry
about blood sugar.
You really don't.
I mean, eat balanced meals, eatnutritious food, but don't
worry about it.
You don't even need to measureit unless you've got some
specific issue like diabetes orsomething.
Do you agree with that or doyou find that?
Is that what you meant bydementia?
Allan (50:02):
you can see.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
My cardiologist told me Alan,he goes.
I can't believe I have diabetesand to look at him you would
never know.
But he said Alan, he said Ihave.
You know he was diagnosed withdiabetes and he said you know
what?
You know what was told to melift weights it is, it's the
solution.
Philip Pape (50:22):
He said.
Allan (50:22):
He said alan, he goes.
I have a trainer now and I'mlifting weights, so so it.
Philip Pape (50:27):
Muscle is a sink of for glucose yeah, it's a sink,
and the act of the act oftraining it also uses the, the
glucose and moving and movingand not being sedentary I, I'm
going to look forward to that.
Allan (50:40):
Yes, I'm going to look forward to that, but, yes, I
definitely feel that, um, thewhole constellation, the
nutritional approach, plus thelifting weights, plus my walking
, it all combines to to create aconstellation of good health
markers, you know, or betterhealth markers than they would
be if you weren't, if I wasn'tdoing this.
(51:01):
Yeah, so, even though I stillhave some health markers,
they've gone down.
Um, I still have things, youknow.
I mean, you know, um, there arethings I have to watch out for,
which is you know that that youknow, everyone has medical
history, um, but it's nowherenear where it could be if I
(51:21):
wasn't, you know.
Does that make sense?
Philip Pape (51:23):
Oh, yeah, no, a hundred percent.
A hundred percent, and peoplehave to understand it.
So I think your experiencetoday, that you've shared what
you've gone through, what you'regoing to go through, tells the
story itself, makes theconvincing case for it.
I don't think we have to likesay to the listener, hey, you
need to start lifting weights.
Like, just just take, do whatAlan's doing, man, and you're
going to be healthy, is my takeon that.
(51:43):
Just start where you're at whatfeels most actionable now going
forward, like what's yourbiggest takeaway today?
Allan (51:53):
Oh man, my biggest takeaway is having a breather
and saying I don't need to thinkabout 1,200 calories, maybe I
can go to 14.
And that, to me, gives me sucha relief because you know me,
philip, I'm so fastidious, so Itry to be fastidious.
You know, and I was losing itbecause my you know I was losing
that, that you know thatclarity in my focus.
Philip Pape (52:14):
Confidence and clarity.
Yes, I was losing the clarity.
You know, if someone's listeningwho has never tracked their
food before and has no idea whatto do, and they're frustrated,
that's what you're, that's thesame thing, even though, even if
you're not as advanced as whereAlan is like, just tracking
your food and knowing what yourexpenditure is gives you the
clarity at least know.
Oh, here's why I'm not losingweight or not getting the thing
(52:36):
I want, and and not not to letit, you know, make you feel bad,
but to give you data to actfrom.
So, and here's why I feel likeI'm fighting with hunger.
And it's your body, biofeedbacktelling you what to do, and it's
not because you eat Oreos andLorna Dunes all the time and
that's why you're hungry.
It's you've got everythingdialed in and your body is
actually saying no, I'm hungry,and the data is now correlating,
(52:57):
giving you the confidence that,okay, I'm not going to balloon
up and wait.
Allan (53:02):
So that's number one.
I just said one man.
Philip Pape (53:04):
I just said your biggest.
What are you doing here?
That's it.
No, I'm just kidding.
What's the next?
Allan (53:08):
one.
No, no, there's no real nextone.
This just reminds me of how ourcoaching is so valuable and so
informative.
Just to be able to discuss this, come to a reasonable
foundation to build upon for thenext step, for the next couple
(53:30):
of months, knowing what's goingto happen in the fall, it's a
beautiful feeling, a solidfeeling of now I know what I'm
doing and both of my feet are onthe ground and I'm ready to go.
Philip Pape (53:45):
Good, that's what we want, alan.
That's why we're doing thesecalls Um, and then people can
hear what the process looks likeas well.
You know?
Just just so, everyone knowsthis is a.
This is a prize that Alan won,let's say, as a result of a
challenge he did.
He did the um.
That was the rapid fat losschallenge, right?
Uh, that he won't, he won't.
He was voted the winner and wedo these challenges and if
you're voted the winner, you geta free call like this or you
can do it for the record, forthe podcast.
But more importantly is um the,the support that you get.
(54:10):
Like Alan mentioned, sometimesyou need a third party to talk
to you and you know, if youdon't have a lot of money and
you want to join a free Facebookgroup, we have that.
Come in and say hello and talkabout your issues.
We were just having a chat inthe Facebook group chat today.
Somebody was asking aboutprotein and they said they were
eating amino acids and I kind ofchallenged them and said you
(54:30):
know you may be wasting yourmoney.
You could just eat real foodand get great results and you
know, it's those little thingsthat people just need that
third-party perspective.
If you want a little more, ifyou want more custom support,
check out Physique University.
It's two weeks free.
Alan's been there for a whilebecause he doesn't want to leave
.
We've got coaching calls,you've got nutrition plan,
you've got workout programs.
(54:50):
You've had a lot of greatpeople.
Alan, is there anything elseyou want to add about that or
anything else before we sign off?
Allan (55:04):
No, wlpu is a great forum , for we share ideas, we share
support, we share recipes.
It's just.
This is a great place, it's agreat forum.
It's one of the things I checkout in the morning while I'm
having my coffee and see ifanybody posted from the previous
evening.
It's just a great way, greatstructure, and it's a great way
to access some of your coachingtoo, philip.
Philip Pape (55:21):
Yeah, for sure.
No, I mean, I'm in there everyday.
You guys can tag me, we've gotthe courses, we've got all the
fun stuff, but I anyway not tomake this a pitch for it, but
that is how Alan ended up on theshow today and I want to thank
you everybody for checking thisout.
Alan, thank you so much forbeing open about things.
You know you're great atdigging in to the details, but
also tying it to your why andtying it to the history of
(55:42):
what's important to you, andthis is an honest conversation
that is going to help people.
So I thank you so much.
Allan (55:48):
You're welcome, you're welcome, and thank you for
everything you do for the, forthe fitness community.
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