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Eating Hacks, Best Foods & High IQ Training Methods - Dr Mike Israetel

Dr Mike Israetel is a Professor of Exercise and Sport Science at Lehman College and the Co-Founder of Renaissance Periodization. If you’ve ever wondered “is this diet actually working” then you're probably not alone. However there are now scientifically proven optimal methods for losing fat in the most efficient way possible. And today we get a full breakdown of the optimal approach for fat loss from the best teacher on the planet. Expect to learn how the physiology of fat loss actually works, whether calories actually matter in your weight loss journey, if you need to count macros when trying to lose fat, how to actually build and keep 6-pack abs, whether there are any fat loss supplements worth your time to take, how long you should stay on a diet for before taking a break and much more... - 00:00 Fundamental Physiology of Fat Loss 09:50 Do Calories Matter? 17:30 How Often You Should Weigh Yourself 23:14 The Truth About Set Point Theory 30:16 Why Modern Society is So Fat 38:18 Managing Protein, Carbs & Fat 44:07 Are Seed Oils Actually Bad for Health? 49:46 Optimal Mealtimes for Weight Loss 57:20 Best Foods to Make Fat Loss Easier 1:10:13 How Our Body Expends Calories 1:21:50 The Facts About Cardio for Fat Loss 1:33:28 Does Resistance Training Help You Lose Weight? 1:42:56 The Key to Getting Abs 1:51:18 Supplements That Help With Fat Loss 1:55:02 Why Do So Many People Fail at Diets? 2:06:27 Mike’s Favourite Fat Loss Tactics 2:11:31 How to Lose Fat With a Sweet Tooth 2:15:15 Diet Transitions & Diet Breaks 2:21:17 Where to Find Mike - Get $350 off the Pod 4 Ultra at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM) Get 20% discount on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get 30% discount on Create’s Creatine Gummies at https://trycreate.co/modernwisdom Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and more from AG1 at https://drinkag1.com/wisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostDr Mike Israetelguest
Jul 1, 20242h 22mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Lose 10kg Sane: Science-Based Fat Loss Without Misery Or Myths

  1. Dr. Mike Israetel explains the physiology of fat gain and loss, emphasizing that body fat is primarily an evolutionary energy reservoir and that a sustained calorie deficit is the non-negotiable basis of fat loss.
  2. He dismantles popular myths about calories, set point theory, seed oils, sugar, meal timing, and “magic” diets, showing that food environment, palatability, and hunger drive are what really push people toward obesity.
  3. The conversation lays out practical guidelines for protein, carbs, fats, step counts, cardio, and weight training so you can lose fat while preserving muscle and sanity, plus how to transition out of a diet without regaining the weight.
  4. They also discuss GLP‑1 and newer anorectic drugs (Ozempic, Tirzepatide, etc.), arguing that pharmacology plus basic diet structure will likely make obesity largely optional for most people in the near future.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

A calorie deficit is the only reliable way to lose body fat.

All excess energy eventually ends up stored as adipose tissue; when you consistently eat below your maintenance needs, the body is forced to pull energy from fat stores, regardless of diet style, hormones, or food timing.

You don’t have to count calories, but they always matter in the background.

Many people lose weight on keto, “clean eating,” or higher-activity phases without tracking because those changes *implicitly* lower intake and/or raise expenditure; if you’re not losing, tracking calories is the most powerful diagnostic tool you can add.

Protein is non‑negotiable; carbs and fats are largely interchangeable for fat loss.

Around 0.6–1.0 g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day preserves muscle and organs, while carbs and fats can be flexed based on preference, activity, and satiety as long as total calorie targets are hit and minimum healthy intakes are met.

Food choice should prioritize satiety and moderate palatability during a diet.

Minimally processed foods high in volume, water, and fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats) keep you fuller on fewer calories, while extremely tasty, ultra-processed foods encourage overeating and make hunger feel worse at the same calorie level.

Daily movement and resistance training beat trying to out-run a bad diet.

Diet explains far more of weight change than exercise; aiming for roughly 8–10k+ steps per day plus regular lifting burns a meaningful number of calories, protects muscle, and is sustainable, whereas “I’ll just do more cardio” quickly hits fatigue and time limits.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Calories are the thing that matters the most in fat loss, writ large, period, end of conversation.

Dr. Mike Israetel

It is no more mandatory to count calories in order to lose fat than it is to count your money in order to become wealthy.

Dr. Mike Israetel

We do not have an inactivity epidemic in the modern world. Sedentariness is not the big problem.

Dr. Mike Israetel

If you think you’re tough and proving your willpower to yourself by losing fat, you’re right, but you’re not getting jacked, you’re not building a business… you’re draining all of your willpower on that one thing.

Dr. Mike Israetel

Abs are made in the kitchen, not the weight room and not on the cardio machine—and it’s fucking true.

Dr. Mike Israetel

Evolutionary role of body fat and the basic physiology of fat lossCalories in vs. calories out, and why “calories don’t matter” is a mythSet point vs. settling point, and how food environment drives body weightMacronutrients: protein requirements, flexible carb/fat ratios, and “good vs bad” fatsFood palatability, satiety, and how to choose foods that make dieting easierEnergy expenditure: steps vs. formal cardio, intensity, and why you can’t out-train overeatingRole of resistance training in preserving/gaining muscle during fat loss and getting visible absGLP‑1 and other anorectic drugs: effectiveness, stigma, and future of obesity treatmentDiet structure: weighing, tracking, meal timing, sweet-tooth strategies, and post-diet maintenance

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