The 3+3 Model of Optimal Fat Loss | Ep 326

Download my free Nutrition 101 for Body Composition guide to implement these principles with exact calorie and macro targets:
https://www.witsandweights.com/free/nutrition-101-guide

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Tired of regaining the weight or losing muscle every time you diet? Sick of feeling like garbage during fat loss phases?

Today I'm breaking down The 3+3 Model, a science-based framework for optimal fat loss that separates what you absolutely need from what's just nice to have.

Learn the 3 foundational elements you must have in place for effective fat loss (the non-negotiables), plus 3 powerful enhancers that can take your results to the next level (the optimizers).

This isn't about suffering through chicken and broccoli or earning your carbs with cardio. It's about engineering a nutrition and training process that helps you lose fat, preserve your hard-earned muscle, maintain your metabolic rate, and set up your next body recomp phase.

Main Takeaways:

• The 3 Non-Negotiables form the foundation of effective fat loss
• The 3 Optimizers enhance your results once the foundation is in place
• Weight loss is not the same as fat loss – this model ensures you lose fat while preserving your hard-earned muscle
• A properly executed fat loss phase can actually improve your body's future muscle-building capacity through enhanced insulin sensitivity and nutrient partitioning

Timestamps:

0:01 - Weight loss vs. fat loss and The 3+3 Model
4:12 - Non-Negotiable #1
7:41 - Non-Negotiable #2
11:02 - Non-Negotiable #3
15:05 - Optimizer #1
17:55 - Optimizer #2
20:56 - Optimizer #3
24:36 - How to put everything together
27:42 - Why a proper fat loss phase improves future muscle gain
29:11 - Final recap and tips to implement

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👋 Ask a question or find Philip Pape (strength training & fat loss nutrition coach) on Instagram & thanks for making us one of the best fat loss podcasts for men & women over 40! 🙏

Transcript

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The Problem with Most Weight Loss

Philip Pape 0:01

Have you noticed how most people lose weight but they end up looking skinny , fat rather than lean and athletic ? Or maybe you've tried to lose weight yourself and felt weak , exhausted , constantly hungry . You gain the weight back . That's because there's a massive difference between just losing weight and losing fat while preserving muscle , and most people get this wrong . Today I'm breaking down what I call the 3 plus 3 model . This is a science-based framework to simplify fat loss so it's effective and sustainable . You're going to learn three foundational elements you absolutely need for fat loss and then three enhancements or optimizers that can improve your results . It is about working with your body's physiology to shed fat while maintaining your strength , energy and sanity .

Philip Pape 0:58

Welcome to Wits and Weights , the show that helps you build a strong , healthy physique using evidence , engineering and efficiency . I'm your host , philip Pape , certified nutrition coach , and today we're tackling a topic that confuses and frustrates a lot of people Fat loss , just fat loss in general , not weight loss , but specifically fat loss while preserving lean muscle tissue . Because here's the problem Most fat loss approaches or I should say weight loss approaches focus on creating a calorie deficit without any regard for body composition , metabolic health or long-term sustainability . Meaning , can you stick with this diet for a long time , and that's why so many people end up losing muscle along with fat , whether they're doing this naturally or with weight loss medications , and that tanks their metabolism . It ultimately results in regaining everything that they lost , plus some extra , and having higher body fat in the end . But it doesn't have to be this way . By understanding the science and implementing a framework , you can optimize fat loss for the results you want with less suffering , and that is what we're covering today with the three plus three model of optimal fat loss a way to simplify three things you must do and three things

The 3+3 Model Introduction

Philip Pape 2:12

you can do to optimize . For the folks who are brand new to this , or even if you need a refresher and wanna do it the right way Before we get into it , if you wanna take a deeper dive into nutrition for yourself and set up your calories , your macros , your meal timing and all of that , I created a free guide that complements today's episode perfectly .

Philip Pape 2:30

It's my Nutrition 101 for Body Composition Guide , again totally free , gives you a breakdown of how to set all this up , whether you want to lose fat or build muscle . Download it using the link in the show notes or go to witsandweightscom . Slash free to get a copy of that and many , many other guides , but the easiest way is to click the link in the show notes to get my nutrition one-on-one for body composition guide . All right , let's break down the three plus three model of optimal fat loss . And this is just a fancy name for a framework that I've refined through the years of coaching clients and studying the literature and making this podcast . So I'm hoping this ends up being kind of a definitive episode for hey start here when it comes to fat loss .

Philip Pape 3:11

So what makes this different is it isn't just a list of tips . It isn't , you know , random workout recommendations . It is a hierarchical framework that distinguishes between what's absolutely necessary versus what can enhance your results . So , right off the bat , I'm trying to simplify it for you so that you don't get bogged down in all the confusion , all the information out there , and you can stick with what matters the most . So I've got two categories .

Philip Pape 3:35

First , we have the three non-negotiables , and these are the foundational elements that must be in place for optimal fat loss . If you skip these , you are setting yourself up for failure , regardless of what else you do , and you will not lose fat . You might lose weight , but you'll lose muscle too . So that's the important distinction . Second , we have the three optimizers . These are strategies to enhance your results once you have the foundation . Some people jump to these first . Do not do that . Wait till you have the three non-negotiables in place . These aren't even required , these optimizers , but they can improve , sometimes significantly , the outcomes for most people .

Philip Pape 4:12

So let's start with the non-negotiables

Non-Negotiable #1: High Protein Intake

Philip Pape 4:14

. The first one is maintaining a high protein intake throughout your fat loss phase . Now , you thought I was going to mention resistance training , but honestly , if you can't get your nutrition dialed in early on , you're going to get frustrated when you start training due to some lack of energy or a feeling like you're not making progress building muscle . So , even though I often go on podcasts and say everyone should be strength training , that's the thing people are missing , I think .

Philip Pape 4:42

When you are setting yourself up right now for fat loss from step one , one of the most accessible and important steps is increasing your protein , and that means consuming between 0.7 and one gram of protein per pound of body weight . You can go above that , for sure . There's diminishing returns above the one gram per pound , but I would try to get within that 0.7 to one If you're very lean , or if you're deep into a deficit , or if you're training really , really hard , you might want a higher end of that range or even above that . Or if you just love protein , you can eat more than that . It's fine .

Philip Pape 5:15

But getting that minimum of 0.7 is so crucial during fat loss . And it's crucial for three reasons . The first reason is that protein is anti-catabolic . It is , of course , anabolic , meaning it helps build muscle , but it's also anti-catabolic . It sends a signal to your body to hold onto the muscle tissue you have when you go into that calorie deficit . This is why you often eat more protein in fat loss than when you're not in fat loss , and it sounds counterintuitive to people and it makes it a little bit more challenging to hit your fats and carbs . But it's so important for your body to tell it hey , go ahead and burn through your fat stores , don't burn through the muscle , right ? Because we're trying to avoid that . We're just trying to burn fat .

Philip Pape 5:59

The second thing is protein is very satiating . Research consistently shows high-protein diets reduce hunger . They increase feelings of fullness . Anybody who's doubled their protein knows this . When you're eating fewer calories in fat loss which is where we're trying to go with this , managing hunger becomes one of the most critical things to stick with the diet , and protein is your best ally here . Besides fiber , I mean protein is it ? Third , protein has the highest thermic effect of feeding of all the macronutrients . What that means is your body will burn more calories simply because you're consuming more . Protein burns about 20 to 30% of its calories just to be digested and processed , compared to only about 5 to 10% for carbs and close to 0% for fats , and this gives you a bit of a metabolic advantage and it adds up over time . So , again , we want to get that protein up to a reasonable level before you hit fat loss , so that during fat loss it's much easier to hold on to muscle .

Philip Pape 6:55

And you know I can't tell you how many times I've met people who thought they were eating quote unquote plenty of protein . And then they track their intake , they use macro factor or really any way to track , and you see that you are probably dramatically overestimating how much you consume . And if you think they're getting enough , just log food for a week and get back to me and let me know what you found . Also , don't forget about distributing your protein throughout the day . It's not , I'll say , required for fat loss , but it slightly optimizes your results . But again , this is not required for most people . They're going to want to have protein in every meal anyway , for the satiety , for the balance , for the blood sugar , for everything else . So that's non-negotiable Number one is get that protein up to at least 0.7 grams per pound of your body weight .

Philip Pape 7:41

Non-negotiable number two , of course , here it is Resistance training with progressive overload

Non-Negotiable #2: Resistance Training

Philip Pape 7:47

. All right , this is the second non-negotiable . And that means lifting weights three to five times . I mean you could lift six times a week too , but at least three to four , but up to five times per week , with an emphasis , initially at least , on compound movements like squats , hinges , presses , pulls , tracking your performance and striving to maintain or increase your strength over time . Now you're going to be doing this at first not in a calorie deficit , but then , when you are in a calorie deficit , you are still going to intend and train hard to do this , to increase your numbers , even if eventually they potentially stall out because of the lack of resources . That's okay . You're basically giving your body the signal to hold onto muscle , whereas if you were sedentary and not training , your body is going to say , well , fat protein or fat muscle doesn't matter , it's all energy I'm going to burn what I need to burn to lose the weight you're asking me to lose .

Philip Pape 8:44

Muscle tissue is metabolically expensive for your body to maintain when you're in a calorie deficit . Your body is trying to conserve energy right . It downregulates everything down to the cellular level , including your hormones , and it will happily shed muscle if it doesn't perceive a need to keep it . So for those of you thinking , ah yeah , I train , it's not consistent , whatever , I just want to lose weight , you're going to be in a world of hurt because you're going to just get skinny , fat , fluffy . You're going to have more body fat . That's not what we're trying to do .

Philip Pape 9:09

Resistance training provides that signal that muscle's necessary and should be preserved . But it is not enough to just go through the motions . Please listen to me on this . So many of you are not training properly or hard enough or consistently enough . Progressive overload is the term we use . Whether you like the term or not , whether it's a misnomer , what it means is the continuous challenge to increase weight , reps and or volume . So something is going up that represents the increase in strength , and I say strength even though we're trying to build muscle . Hold on to muscle whatever . Ultimately , it's expressed through the ability to do more in the gym and that will keep the signal strong .

Philip Pape 9:48

One of the mistakes I see people doing during a cut , during weight or fat loss , is reducing their training intensity . They think , well , I have less energy , so I should lift lighter . This is exactly wrong . It's exactly wrong . While you might need to reduce overall volume for your recovery , if your recovery is compromised , and that's okay maintaining the load , maintaining the intensity , the signal to your body , high enough percentage of your max is absolutely needed , because your goal isn't to burn calories during fat loss with your training , it's to preserve your muscle mass and strength . That is the main goal . We use the diet to manipulate the calories right , it's an input and output side of the equation and we don't want to become weaker and weaker and then we still have to eat less anyway . Plus , we lose muscle right , and I've had clients who were surprised to find they could actually gain strength while losing fat . And if you're newer , that's not unusual to gain strength , to gain muscle while you're losing fat , especially if you keep the deficit reasonable just by maintaining that training intensity and ensuring adequate protein intake right , your body is very adaptable when you give it the right signals . That's what we're doing . We're telling it to adapt in the way we want , not the way just on a whim . All right .

Philip Pape 11:02

So the third non-negotiable is recovery

Non-Negotiable #3: Recovery Strategies

Philip Pape 11:06

. Now , this is a big topic because it includes , I'll say , all the other things that I work with clients on Sleep , stress management , hormonal health , and I find that these are even more individualized only because everybody's lives are so different that , compared to , say , training and food , these have a lot more variability . Compared to , say , training and food , these have a lot more variability and that's why it's important to personalize this . So what we mean by recovery is getting enough high-quality sleep , managing stress to a level that doesn't overwhelm you , that doesn't wreck your sleep Actually , they go hand in hand or wreck your cortisol , make it harder to lose fat because your metabolism is lower than it could have been . It's avoiding overreaching and overtraining by monitoring feedback like , um , I should say , soreness , right , your energy , how does it feel when you go into the gym and come out of the gym , recovery days , et cetera . Right , and of course it should be obvious why this is important .

Philip Pape 12:06

But just to jump into the science of it , we start with sleep right . Poor sleep is going to dramatically increase your hunger hormone , ghrelin . It's going to decrease your satiety hormone , leptin . So this is a perfect double whammy for cravings , for overeating . You're going to seek out high energy foods with lots of fat , sugars , carbs and not the beneficial kind for you , generally very calorie dense foods usually , and then it's going to be harder to stick to your diet . Or you're going to be sticking to it with lots of willpower and then feeling very , very hungry . Either way is not great . So that's sleep right and the hours of sleep . There's a lot of research on that . It varies significantly by person . Usually you hear seven to nine . Some people can do okay as low as six and a half . Some people need that eight or nine hours of sleep . But then the quality is important and that's a whole other topic .

Philip Pape 12:57

Stress is the other thing . Chronic stress and your perceived stress is going to elevate your cortisol . Cortisol is great signal for your body to try to hold onto fat , especially around your midsection , and so where's your body going to get the energy from Breaking down muscle tissue ? So even if you are doing the other things , if stress is really high and you're trying to lose fat , you can still potentially lose muscle because of that stress .

Philip Pape 13:25

And then hormonal adaptation is a real thing . That happens during fat loss , and it gets , I'll say , more exacerbated the longer you go or the more aggressively you diet , because your body's really smart . It's going to adjust your hormone levels to fight back against what it perceives as starvation . You know the effect of what you're doing to it . You're depriving it of resources to maintain where it was , and so something's going to have to give . So your body says you know what ? Let's save some energy here , let's save some energy there . Downregulate your thyroid , downregulate your reproductive hormones things that aren't as important , let's say . And there you go . So proper recovery helps protect against these to the greatest extent you can , knowing that some of this is inevitable . No matter what , even in a perfect situation , you're still going to have metabolic adaptation from hormones .

Philip Pape 14:07

The key here is , though , we're trying to mitigate those . So in all of these I would say , if you had to pick one , it would be sleep . It's probably the most underrated factor in the entire fat loss equation , even training and protein , because I've had clients who've made more progress just by improving sleep quality than any other dietary invention or modifying their training . Now , they're usually already training consistently and they're eating reasonably well , but the reason here is that the sleep directly affects your hormone regulation , which directly affects your hunger , your energy for your training and then your recovery , and it all viciously or beneficially cycles together . So those are the three non-negotiables protein , training and recovery . Those are the three non-negotiables protein , training and recovery . Those are the foundation for fat loss . Honestly , you could end the podcast right here , if you've never done this before , and focus on those . Pick one , start with it , roll in the rest , keep going . That is how I help clients in the first couple months of our journey together , before we actually go into a diet .

Philip Pape 15:05

Okay , now , once you then are in your fat loss phase , or preparing for it , and you've done this before , or you've got the foundational habits dialed in and you want to optimize further , I'm going to give you three extra

Optimizer #1: Strategic Refeeds

Philip Pape 15:19

things to consider . Okay , optimizer number one is strategic refeeds or diet breaks . Now , a refeed is just usually a one or two day period where you eat up to your maintenance by increasing your carbohydrates . A diet break is just a longer period of doing that , usually one to two weeks or even longer . I mean , it could be indefinite and then you're just at maintenance . And these strategies while , yes , they do mitigate some of the hormonal adaptation to your leptin , your thyroid hormones , your reproductive hormones , those are just temporary . More importantly , they reduce your perceived mental fatigue , which helps you improve adherence right , be able to adhere to the diet , and they can help you restore some of your training intensity during that refeed .

Philip Pape 16:07

We also see that research like well , there was the Matador study and there's also a study that Bill Campbell did that I talked about recently on the show called I think it was called the Weekend Diet . Look for that in the podcast feed , very recent . It suggests that again , not the Matador , but that particular study suggests that your lean mass preservation may actually increase if you use two-day refeeds every week , the catch being you're going to eat even fewer calories on the other five days to stay in the same deficit or you can go to slower weight of loss . So anyway , just to simplify this whole optimizer , think about whether you would prefer to have the same calories every day and that would help you be consistent and adhere , or if you want to have a little bit lower calories on the weekdays and come all the way up to maintenance on the weekends Great strategy . You want to learn all about it ? Go check out my recent podcast , the Weekend Diet .

Philip Pape 17:02

This can be really helpful for leaner clients who are pushing into lower body fat . This can be helpful for high-stress periods when adherence is a little more challenging . These are not cheat days . This is a controlled , structured approach that can be really important . Now that's refeeds .

Philip Pape 17:16

Diet breaks is the longer breaks you might need . Like someone posted in the Facebook group hey , I've been dieting for 15 months . I've had these great results . Should I take a break ? And my immediate response is just a yes , not even a well , it depends . It's kind of she's reaching out with a little bit of a cry for help , saying how she feels fatigued . I'm like okay , that's your sign . Let's just take a break . There's no reason to be miserable and suffer and push it for longer than you need to just to get to a number , when the more sustainable way to do that is to take a break right now . So that's optimizer number one is refeeds or diet breaks . Optimizer number two is creatine monohydrate

Optimizer #2: Creatine Monohydrate

Philip Pape 17:55

.

Philip Pape 17:55

Now , creatine is a supplement and I was hesitant whether this would be in here , because to me , supplementation is just the very tippity top 1% after you've done everything else , and very individualized . But creatine specifically is helpful to just about everybody for training and almost everybody might benefit long-term from cognitive health as well , according to the latest research . And it's very easy to do . Most people have no symptoms or almost everybody is symptom-free . There's a very tiny percentage of people who are actually allergic to it and then there's some people that just don't respond like 10 to 20% of people don't respond . But it's worth attempting , it's worth trying . And this is taking five grams a day of creatine monohydrate starting trying . And this is taking five grams a day of creatine monohydrate starting basically now and just continuing to take it for the rest of your life .

Philip Pape 18:45

Creatine is supposed to support strength and power output and that could be even more helpful when you're in a calorie deficit so you can maintain your intensity . It increases muscle cell hydration , right . That's why your muscles fill up a bit at first and you gain a couple pounds on the scale of fluid weight , which is totally normal . But that muscle cell hydration can actually reduce muscle breakdown , catabolism , and might help preserve fat-free mass and improve your recovery during fat loss . And that's why I wanted to throw it in here , because creatine does all these things , it may give you an advantage during fat loss and then , finally , it may give you some advantage during fat loss and then , finally , it may give you some improved mental clarity during the cut , usually on higher doses though that's the caveat usually up in the 15 or even 20 gram range .

Philip Pape 19:29

It is safe . It is inexpensive . It's one of the most well-researched supplements out there . If you're not taking it already , it is definitely worth considering , but do so long before you start your fat loss phase so that you can experience the bump in weight early . Let things normalize , get through any minor bloating or issues with hydration early on , because you should drink a lot of water with your creatine and kind of . Let it normalize and now you're in a good place to know where you truly stand with your maintenance calories to go into the fat loss phase .

Philip Pape 19:58

And , by the way , just another shout out to the guide that I have , because this episode is not about , uh , setting up your fat loss phase . This is more about the foundational habits you need for fat loss , the actual numbers like how do you determine your calories , macros , all that . I call that the easy stuff , even though some people , people , reach out every day saying I have no idea what to eat for my fats and carbs . I'm like well , it's because you need to track and become aware and then know what your goal is . And there's a way to get that . So download my guide attached to this episode , the Nutrition 101 . That will walk you through those .

Philip Pape 20:32

Today is the non-negotiables and the optimizers . Okay , optimizer number three fiber and micronutrient density

Optimizer #3: Fiber & Micronutrients

Philip Pape 20:40

. And I left this for last so that you remember it in your head as this podcast will wrap up afterward . It's the most fresh thing in your mind of the optimizers . So this third optimizer is getting enough fiber intake and micronutrient density in your diet .

Philip Pape 20:56

Okay , and I'm sorry , carnivore and low carb folks , you are not optimizing for fat loss or for long-term health , longevity or performance on a extremely low carb diet generally and I say generally because the vast majority of people will improve , not in those restrictive diets . A tiny percentage of people might thrive on those diets because they have all sorts of intolerances or inflammation from eating those foods . But I'm saying in general that if you are fearful of consuming fiber or vegetables or plants , don't be . Don't be fearful for any of the claims you hear on social media . Don't avoid them just for that reason , avoid them , because it would make sense for you . If that makes sense , all right . So what does this look like ? I would say females consuming at least 25 grams of fiber , males consuming 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day , keeping in mind that that gets more challenging when you're in fat loss because the calories are lower , but it also becomes even more effective and helpful in doing so .

Philip Pape 22:00

Now let's talk about how and then why . So the how is just filling your plate with colorful , high-volume foods , all sorts of vegetables , berries , even legumes , even whole grains . Yes , grains are fine if you can tolerate them . You know , being aware of the calories and the calorie density for your goal , fiber . So the why ? Fiber promotes satiety , keeps you full , but it also supports smooth digestion . It reduces issues like bloating that can make a deficit feel worse than it is .

Philip Pape 22:33

Micronutrients found in all sorts of variety of foods , especially plant-based foods and , by the way , I'm a big meat eater . I love my protein and animal-based products . I'm not vegan or vegetarian , but I love my plants as well , because the diversity is where it's at Magnesium , b vitamins , iron , potassium all the things that support thyroid function , your metabolism , your energy . Yes , you can supplement , of course . I mean vegans and vegetarians often have to supplement with things like B12 . People on carnivore often have to supplement . In my opinion , everyone should supplement with magnesium , most likely because we're deficient no matter what you eat , given today's food environment . So if you can focus on nutrient-dense foods , it can reduce .

Philip Pape 23:13

It can help with other things like food noise and decision fatigue , making your adherence easier . It can actually help with emotional eating and guilt and shame over foods . Believe it or not ? Yes , it can , because what you're doing you're adding in things that make your body just feel so good and your digestion smooth and you feel full and satisfied on these whole foods . And this is in addition to the protein we already talked about . And , of course , fats are in there as well , naturally , as you're eating whole foods .

Philip Pape 23:43

And when I talk to clients , they often report feeling initially hungrier after they go from a junk food type diet to a I shouldn't even use the word junk food . See , there's a label that we try not to use , but a food predominant with ultra-processed foods as opposed to whole foods , and then they switch to more whole foods , and that transition is important because you've got to give it a little time . What's actually happening is they're becoming more aware of their true hunger signals , because processed foods can mask your natural satiety cues the way they're designed and when you return to whole foods it's going to bring back your body's natural regulatory mechanisms . So do it before you go into fat loss . Again , a lot of this is prep work for fat loss . That's the irony of this whole thing is it is to make fat loss easier so that when you go into that deficit , all the things are dialed in to make it sustainable .

Philip Pape 24:36

So how do we integrate all these components of the three plus

Integration & Key Insights

Philip Pape 24:39

three model ? Remember the hierarchy . First , ensure you have the three non-negotiables in place High protein intake , resistance training with progressive overload , proper recovery . These must be consistent , and I'm going to say consistent every day . Obviously , you're not going to train every day and you're not always going to hit your protein . You're going to have some days that are less than others , but you want to do something every day for these . And again , training . You might only train three days a week , so the days you're not training , you're gonna focus on recovery in terms of getting enough sleep or walking enough , et cetera . But they've gotta be consistent . Then you're gonna layer in the optimizers as needed for your individual circumstances , your preferences , your biofeedback . Not everyone needs all three . I do have clients that don't take creatine . They're just fine , but they're nice tools to have in your arsenal .

Philip Pape 25:29

And there's a few insights I want you to take away from this model that probably challenge the conventional wisdom . You've heard the first one . If you've listened to this podcast for any length of time , you've heard this . But if you're new to it , it's important . Weight loss is not the same as fat loss period . You can lose weight and lose muscle , which is not the goal at all . This is what happens when people go on Ozempic and they don't have any guidance with regard to training and protein and they just lose a ton and ton of muscle up to 30 , 40% of the weight lost as lean mass or muscle . And so this model , this three plus three , is just a simple way in your head to say hey look , my goal is to protect against this scenario . I'm trying to lose fat , I'm not trying to lose weight , I want to look better , I want to feel better , I want a better body composition .

Philip Pape 26:13

Second is you don't have to do traditional cardio to lose fat unless you enjoy it or you need it to create the well no , I shouldn't say it unless you enjoy it . That's all I'm going to say . Resistance training provides the extra , the stimulus you need for body composition . Walking provides the overall movement . Right , we didn't even really talk about that in detail , but getting your steps , walking , moving , is the priority when it comes to quote unquote cardio . And then only after that would I consider something like sprinting once or twice a week , if needed , if needed . The third thing here in terms of challenging conventional wisdom is that muscle retention is a skill , like many of the things we talk about . It's a skill , it's a process of personal improvement that's going to be developed over time .

Philip Pape 27:00

Your fat loss phase does not have to feel like a collapse in your performance and health . It doesn't have to feel like a switch . When most people go on a diet , they think of it as this period of suffering . I'm going on a diet , I'm saying no , I can't do this , I'm not going to eat quote unquote bad foods . It's all these labels , morality behind it , judgment , guilt , fear , shame . But in reality , if you do it right , this can be an enjoyable process that doesn't feel like suffering at all , can be quite reasonably done , and you have to be patient , of course , but it's a strategically engineered period in a year or in a two-year period or whatever , where you're prioritizing fat loss .

Philip Pape 27:42

Okay , the cool thing about fat loss itself , when you do it right , is it improves your body's future capacity to build muscle and maintain leanness . This is what I have seen and what I believe the evidence shows . When done properly , a well-executed fat loss phase , it yeah , it changes how you look , for sure , but it also rewires your metabolic machinery , for lack of a better phrase . There's research into muscle memory , for example . That shows that the neurological , the epigenetic adaptations from maintaining muscle during a deficit actually makes subsequent muscle building more efficient . You ever heard about that ? It's pretty cool . Your body essentially becomes better at preserving and building muscle because you challenged it with fat loss the right way , and that's why I often see clients achieve their best muscle building results in the phase immediately following a properly executed fat loss phase . And if you have some excess weight to lose , I'm totally cool if you want to go with fat loss first , after you've prepped a few months for it , and then build muscle afterward , as opposed to because you know me , I talk about how everybody needs to spend time , at least once in a muscle building phase , but it might be best done after your fat loss phase , depending on where you're starting from . So we have things like improved insulin sensitivity , enhanced nutrient partitioning , optimized hormones . All of it will actually help in your muscle building phase coming up . So let's recap Three non-negotiables high protein resistance , training with progressive overload , proper recovery .

Philip Pape 29:11

Three optimizers are refeeds or diet breaks , creatine and fiber slash , micronutrient density , and the overall picture here is we don't want to suffer . We don't want to suffer through bland , boring meals . We don't want to punish ourselves with cardio . We don't want to just cut out all these foods so that all we're thinking about are the foods we cut out . This is a physiological process that you can engineer to be efficient when you understand the requirements , and then you leverage what we know , the science that we know , and personalize it to you , and today's model provides you that approach to do that .

Philip Pape 29:44

All right , if you found this valuable , if you wanna take your nutrition knowledge further , put this into practice and set up your fat loss phase , download my free Nutrition 101 for Body Composition guide . It expands on many of the principles we discussed today . It gives you the step-by-step practical approach to do it , and it also , I think , talks about fat loss and muscle building . Although if you're specifically focused on muscle building , go to witsandweightscom , slash free and get my muscle building blueprint . But if you're going to do fat loss , next , download the guide in the show notes for nutrition . All right , until next time , keep using your wits lifting those weights , and remember fat loss doesn't have to be a mystery or a misery when you approach it with intelligence and strategy . I'll talk to you next time here on the Wits and Weights Podcast .