3 years. 3 very different diets. One diabetic trying to challenge his own beliefs. At one point, my HbA1c was over 9%. I started reading extensively about visceral fat, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. And one question fascinated me: What if getting really lean could dramatically improve my metabolic health, even without restricting carbohydrates? So I started experimenting on myself. 2024: ~2,100 calories * Carbs: 75g * Protein: 200g * Fat: 110g My bloodwork was encouraging. But my gym performance? Terrible. Strength dropped substantially during the cut, and my physique looked flat. 2025: ~1,800 calories * Carbs: 100g * Protein: 200g * Fat: 65g Bloodwork was good again. But training performance still left a LOT to be desired. I was lean, but I wasn't particularly happy with how I performed. 2026: ~2,300 calories * Carbs: 330g (!) * Protein: 140g * Fat: 45g This was a completely different experience. More food. Dramatically more carbohydrates. Much better gym performance, fuller muscles and a far more enjoyable training experience. But I was skeptical about my bloodwork. Surely eating 330g of carbs as a diabetic would come at a metabolic cost? Well, have a look at my latest results. Not every marker is perfect, but the relationship between carbohydrate intake and metabolic health clearly isn't as straightforward as I'd once believed. Here's what these experiments have taught me: Getting leaner and reducing excess visceral fat can be enormously beneficial for metabolic health. And a high-carbohydrate diet isn't automatically incompatible with improving it. Low-carb diets absolutely have their place. For many people, restricting an entire category of foods makes controlling appetite, calories and blood glucose easier. But for someone who trains as hard as I do, I've found that having considerably more carbohydrates and calories available makes an enormous difference to performance. Of course, this is n=1. My calories, body composition and training also changed. I'm not claiming that carbohydrates caused my results, or that low body fat cures diabetes. The biggest lesson isn't that high-carb beats low-carb. It's that we become so emotionally attached to our nutritional beliefs that we sometimes stop questioning them. Experiment. Track your performance. Monitor your bloodwork. Pay attention to your body composition. And most importantly, be willing to change your mind when the evidence challenges your beliefs. Your physiology doesn't care which dietary ideology you subscribe to.

Can something be simpler than this? Boiled prawns + 50 grams butter + air fryed garlic + tandoori masala Microwaved to glory. Butter is back!!! 🤩 Bring on the gains 😎💪🏻

I did 200+ protein for years and gains were lackluster. One big reason I believe is the HUGE thermogenic effect of protein. On paper you'd be hitting surplus calories but maybe you end in a deficit.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, STOP obsessing over the weighing scale. An Indian study of 21,311 diabetic men found that only ~2% had body fat below 14%. That's a fascinating observation, not proof of causation. But intervention studies tell us something more: Resistance training improves HbA1c, even when body weight barely changes. Your goal shouldn't just be to become LIGHTER. It should be to lose excess fat, preserve/build muscle and improve insulin sensitivity. Don't just lose weight. Improve what that weight is made of. The weighing scale cannot tell you how metabolically healthy you're becoming.

If I were a man with 30%+ body fat, here's exactly what I'd do: 1. Lift heavy 4×/week. Get brutally strong on the basics. Your extra body weight isn't all disadvantage. Put that mass to work building muscle. 2. Eat in a calorie deficit. Maybe 1,800–2,000 kcal, depending on your size and activity. Split it into 3–4 satisfying meals. Don't go too low cals! Most men atleast need 1800 cals even in a fat loss phase. Prioritise ~150g quality protein, adequate fats (~60–75g), and use the remaining calories for carbs. Fuel those workouts! 3. Walk ~10k steps daily. No need to chase 20k. More activity isn't automatically better if recovery suffers. 4. Don't live on the treadmill. Cardio is great for health, but endless sessions aren't compulsory for fat loss. Especially if they leave you ravenous. 5. Sleep 7–9 hours. Get daylight. Recover like muscle growth actually matters. 6. Repeat. Not for 10 days. Not until your next holiday. For months. Then make it your lifestyle. You don't need to punish yourself for being fat. You need to become a stronger, fitter man while the fat comes off. Build the muscle. Lose the fat. Keep the habits. Boring? Yes. Transformative? Absolutely. 💪

One of the biggest mistakes in health is confusing a good biomarker with good health. Normal fasting glucose doesn't rule out insulin resistance. Low LDL doesn't guarantee low cardiovascular risk. ApoB, triglycerides, Lp(a) and blood pressure matter too. A normal BMI doesn't guarantee healthy body composition. No single biomarker tells the whole story. Treat the person, not just the numbers.

Pretty old video of me squatting 110*10 without a squat rack @ 68 kgs. There's something 'raw' about a barbell squat that pendulum or v squats don't have. Though potential hypertrophy benefits are better. Gotta improve on the depth though.

Want a thicker, denser back? Don't sleep on rack pulls. Heavy loading. Brutal tension on the traps, spinal erectors and upper back. An old-school movement that deserves more love! Do you include rack pulls in your training?

A woman's body isn't a man's body with fewer calories. Estrogen, progesterone, menstrual cycles and even gut bacteria influence her physiology. Ever heard of the 'estrobolome'? It's the collection of gut microbial genes involved in estrogen metabolism! Hormones can affect hunger, digestion and weight fluctuations. The gut microbiome may also influence estrogen recycling. Calories determine fat loss. But female physiology influences how sustainable that deficit is. Women deserve more than a generic calorie calculator. Struggling to lose weight? DM me. Let's approach your health scientifically.

Throwback to 2.5 years ago. Peak ego lifting. The weights were heavy. The form was questionable. The confidence was WORLD CLASS. The only muscle getting a full workout was my ego.😂 Your turn. Drop your worst ego-lifting video below.

Meet Mr. J. 102 kg. Goal: Lose 25 kg. We started with weights and a calorie deficit. Then came weekend biryanis, ice creams, intermittent fasting, 48-hour fasts, keto, fruit-only diets, millets-only diets. You name it. We parted ways last year. He called yesterday. 110 kg. He'd even tried an all-egg diet. 😂 He tried EVERYTHING except the one thing I kept telling him: CALORIES MATTER. You can change your diet 100 times. You cannot change the laws of thermodynamics.

Your lats don't care which way your palms face. Your biceps do. Chin-ups (underhand): Greater biceps contribution, often allowing more reps. Pull-ups (overhand): Less biceps leverage, greater demand on other elbow flexors. Both are phenomenal back builders. Stop debating grips. Start adding reps and weight.

Why does fasting often feel harder for women during the luteal phase? It's not a lack of willpower. There's physiology behind it. After ovulation, progesterone rises and estrogen fluctuates. This can lead to: 1. Increased hunger: Estrogen's appetite-suppressing influence may weaken, making you feel hungrier. 2. Higher energy expenditure: Resting metabolism can increase slightly, raising energy requirements. 3. More cravings: Hormonal fluctuations can influence brain pathways involved in appetite and food reward. Add PMS-related mood changes and poorer sleep, and calorie-dense foods can become particularly appealing. 4. Changes in insulin sensitivity: Some women experience reduced insulin sensitivity during this phase, although findings are inconsistent. Now imagine combining increased hunger, stronger cravings and poor sleep with a 16–18-hour fast! No wonder fasting can feel miserable for some women during this phase. The takeaway? Your menstrual cycle can influence how easy or difficult fasting feels. Longer fasts may feel easier during the follicular phase, while shorter fasts or regular meals may be more comfortable during the luteal phase. Work WITH your physiology, not against it. And remember: fasting is a tool, not a requirement for fat loss.

Women shouldn't blindly copy men's fasting protocols. The menstrual cycle influences metabolism, hunger and energy needs. Follicular phase: Rising estrogen is often associated with better insulin sensitivity and lower appetite. Fasting may feel easier. Luteal phase: Progesterone rises, energy expenditure and hunger often increase, and insulin sensitivity may decline. Aggressive fasting can feel considerably harder. The takeaway? Don't fight your physiology to follow a fasting schedule. Adapt your fasting to your body, not the other way around.

The more I learn about lifting, the more I realise the old-school guys had it figured out. Pre-exhaustion. Mind-muscle connection. Fancy techniques. Perfect form. Experiment all you want. But muscle is built by making HARD sets harder, not SIMPLE things complicated. Lift heavy. Lift hard. Progress. Boring basics. Extraordinary results.

The goal of weight loss shouldn't be to become a smaller, weaker version of yourself. It should be to lose FAT while retaining as much MUSCLE as possible. 5 rules: 1. Lift heavy. Give your muscles a reason to stay. 2. Eat enough protein. Give them the building blocks. 3. Avoid crash diets. Lose fat, not strength. 4. Sleep well. Recovery matters even more in a deficit. 5. Don't fear carbs. Use them to fuel hard training. The scale tells you how much weight you've lost. Your strength tells you part of the story of what you've preserved. Don't just chase a lower number. Chase a better body composition.

Taking a hip hinge to true muscular failure is a different kind of suffering. I'd honestly rank it harder than failing a squat. The sheer demand on your hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors and grip, while maintaining a rigid torso, is brutal. Machine SLDLs are particularly humbling.

Satiety is surprisingly personal. 300 calories of Greek yoghurt + fruit (~30g protein) kept me full for 4+ hours, even in a deep deficit. Chicken + potatoes at the same calories? Not even close for me. Find the food combinations that keep YOU full. It can be a game changer for fat loss.

Mother Nature really gave us everything we need to thrive! Oysters, clams, and mussels are absolute nutritional powerhouses, packed with rare, essential minerals that can be hard to get elsewhere. They deliver a massive dose of Zinc for immunity, Iron for energy (outperforming red meat!), and Selenium for cell protection. Fuel your body with these sustainable ocean treasures!