Oops, All Chemicals! A Candid Chat About Health Influencer BS

Ever wondered why your feed is filled with extreme transformations and diet challenges? In this candid conversation, we pull back the curtain on social media algorithms that reward controversy while burying genuinely helpful health content.

The discussion takes a fascinating turn as we explore the phenomenon of fitness influencers presenting carefully curated physiques. From strategic lighting and posing to the unspoken truth about performance-enhancing substances, we break down why so many "natural" fitness personalities aren't being entirely honest about their methods. This deception becomes particularly problematic when these same influencers sell programs without disclosing the real story behind their results.

We tackle the delicate balance between pursuing health and actually enjoying life. Drawing from a Ricky Gervais perspective, we question whether extreme optimization is worth sacrificing life's pleasures. Are you truly living if you're bringing meal prep containers to Disneyland just to maintain your physique? Our hosts share personal experiences from both sides of this spectrum – from obsessive optimization to finding a sustainable middle ground where health enhances rather than restricts.

The conversation doesn't shy away from criticizing problematic content like extreme weight loss challenges that essentially recreate "The Biggest Loser" format with its known unsustainable approaches. We discuss why these methods get millions of views while realistic, sustainable approaches often go unnoticed.

Throughout it all, we emphasize the importance of nuance in health discussions – something increasingly rare in a social media landscape that rewards binary thinking. Whether discussing weight management, fitness approaches, or supplement use, we advocate for thoughtful consideration of the complex trade-offs involved in all health decisions.

Join us for this thought-provoking episode that might just change how you view your social media feed and your approach to health and fitness. Subscribe to In Moderation for more conversations that challenge mainstream wellness narratives!

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:18

Wow, let me see Wow.

Speaker 2 0:20

Look at that, that's interesting.

Speaker 1 0:22

That's cool.

Speaker 2 0:23

That's very cool Okay yeah, wait, let me go closer in on the actual play button. Okay, so it's like it's out, it's an outie. Yeah, okay, interesting, we've got innies.

Welcome to In Moderation

Speaker 1 0:33

Yeah, we have innies.

Speaker 3 0:34

Welcome to In Moderation where me and Mike are hating on these other three because they've all got fancy play buttons on their walls doesn't matter what the size of your button is.

Speaker 2 0:43

It depends on what you do with it I thought you were gonna say it depends if it's an indie or an audi, because john's got an audi, my adam and I have innies, but you know, it's all beautiful in their own way it's exactly welcome to in moderation when you have one, the show where we give you a moderate dose of info, sarc, sarcasm, and we already know we're not YouTube approved.

Speaker 4 1:04

You already know me as the host of In Moderation Today we bring you Mike, who comes on In Moderation. I don't think this is In Moderation anymore. I think I'm binging my appearances of In Moderation.

Speaker 3 1:14

Now I'm standing in front of the I guess we'll fire you for the next couple of months.

Speaker 4 1:20

I'm standing in front of the refrigerator at three in the morning in my underwear with a bag of shredded cheese, eating it in a half stupor right now.

Speaker 5 1:27

Sounds like a good time to me.

Speaker 1 1:29

It's like Adam Lambert and Queen, except Mike needs to play in as Adam Lambert.

Speaker 3 1:32

And the voice you just heard was Adam Wright, whose first appearance was about a year ago, actually.

Speaker 1 1:39

Wow, time flies. Was I on before you. No, are you actually wow?

Speaker 4 1:43

time flies. Was I on before you? No, I'm kidding, I was on in april. I was a hot commodity last year I don't know.

Speaker 2 1:47

It was definitely before I was. I think I was pretty early on.

Speaker 1 1:50

I feel like I was like, yeah, it was pretty early.

Speaker 3 1:53

All I know is I was going through the uh, the clips of um us doing balder's gate three together, which that happened just after you came on the podcast, because I don't know if you saw in the Discord I was reminiscing about how we became like more than mutuals by you coming on the podcast, and then we were talking about how you were, you know, calling people out I use some quotes about not talking about gaza and I was like, well then, you want to come to a charity stream with us?

Speaker 1 2:29

oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right.

Speaker 2 2:30

That was back when we talked about shit that mattered, like trauma and healing it, and now it's just fucking bullshit. We just sit around, nothing.

When Good Messages Get Suppressed

Speaker 4 2:37

You can't talk about the real stuff anymore, because every time you do it gets suppressed at least for me anyway, it's. I have to call people out and then, like, shoehorn a message into it because it's the only thing that works anymore.

Speaker 2 2:49

Old man yells at you, it's just isn't that just kind of? How people work, though, like I'm telling, like for me, when I, when I scroll through the algorithm, the only time like a good message gets through is when they're calling out a bad message and then giving a good message. If you just sit there like, hey, let me help, gone, fuck it, it doesn't even matter what you say after that, I built my platform on that, like how dare you?

Speaker 3 3:10

that's what that's not in right now.

Speaker 2 3:12

I'm sorry, mike, but it's, it's not.

Speaker 3 3:14

It's right now, it's fucking dead you need to have someone else saying and you go that's the only way it fucking works yeah

Speaker 1 3:24

you're so right. I I made a. What did I make? A video, um, I think two weeks ago, about like my you know kind of a controversial video, you know, about me in my service uniform when I was in the army, yeah, and like how you know, I did that. I got like a quarter of a million views. I'm like, oh my god. Finally, a video of mine popped off and then, like two days ago, I made a video about how people can be you know how your experience with hunger might be traumatic, because past experiences Less than a thousand views.

Speaker 2 3:49

I'm like what's going on, man? It's politics super hot right now, so like you just start with politics and then just lead into that, you don't even need to say anything, Just like hey politics.

Speaker 3 3:58

Just show a picture of Trump, show a picture of trump, I show a picture of trump and then, anyway, I would just, I would just yell politics at people like politics also, and like I'm just promise you, that that probably would work.

Speaker 5 4:09

Actually it would do it better right after the uh the election.

Speaker 4 4:13

I posted a video where I just stared at the camera for one minute, completely silent. I didn't put a caption, not a word, nothing. And that got plenty of interaction. Just make a video where you say Luigi.

Speaker 1 4:30

That worked for you on threads, didn't it?

Speaker 4 4:31

That's what I'm saying, for those that don't know, I spent about a month and a half just tweeting. I figured I think this thing's going off keywords. It's not using context or anything and my regular threads weren't going off, so I just decided to whatever thread. Luigi Mangione, nothing else, not another word 10,000 likes.

Speaker 1 4:53

So I did it again.

Speaker 3 4:55

He cracked the code I ended up doing it like 400 times.

Speaker 4 4:58

Oh, my God.

Speaker 5 4:59

In a row Unbroken.

Speaker 4 5:01

I sent you the video. What did you get? What did you get for doing that?

Speaker 5 5:05

like 25 000 followers on threads, also the threads bonus was happening at the time, they were paying me for it, right?

Speaker 3 5:12

oh nice, yeah, that's wild I mean, that's what I'm saying here. The quiet kid in the corner, you've seen him on a couple times recently. Oh oh, beast to Beast, oh yes, hello.

Speaker 4 5:23

Yes, please say hi, did we not fully introduce everyone?

Speaker 5 5:26

Don't be shy.

Speaker 1 5:27

Yeah, sorry, john, we got off on a tangent and forgot you were here.

Speaker 5 5:30

It's fine, I'm just here to be moral support really, and drink Kool-Aid. It's actually.

Speaker 2 5:35

Crystal Light. Does it have Red 40 in it?

Speaker 5 5:43

That's well. Actually it's a new, new one it's red 41.

Speaker 4 5:44

You want to know about it. You got the advanced release of red 41.

Speaker 5 5:47

That's the beta it has even more red and even more yes, all your favorite are red and 1% more.

Speaker 2 5:56

Big pharma is trying to do sponsorships right now the only way I would be okay with like going into like a supplement company is if you lean into the chemicals things like somebody. Somebody said like they wanted. I was like I want to name it all the chemicals. And somebody was like what about, oops, all chemicals. And I'm like I, I want that. So I've never wanted anything as bad, as I want that to be my supplement brand start.

Speaker 1 6:22

Start your own energy drink.

Speaker 3 6:24

In moderation presents oops all chemicals.

Luigi Mangione and Social Media Hacks

Speaker 2 6:29

It's just like, yeah, red 40 and aspartame and all that shit. It's just like it's front and center on the packaging. We don't go, oh, it's free from them. We're like, no, these are like our fucking ingredients in big bold letters.

Speaker 4 6:39

And then I'd be okay with like energy drinks and all that shit big bold letters and then I'd be okay with, like energy drinks and all that shit. We had a whole list of preservatives.

Speaker 5 6:45

Even though there's nothing that can spoil in it, just throw them in there anyway, fuck it there you go trisodium phosphate, that's just, we don't need that but that bitch is in there but that genuinely is sorry to actually bring up something that's interesting, that's something but is this is something that's interesting because, like, I think that that's super funny and I would be super down for that.

Speaker 5 7:07

But the fact is that most people that would even really be interested in supplements also are like in their okay, this, okay, this is just a thought that came to my head, but they're in their head. They are oh, I don't want any chemicals. And when they say there's no chemicals, that that's always better, but they'll also be OK with those chemicals if there's protein in it.

Speaker 2 7:29

You know, if there's like, if it's a protein bar, and then it's like, oh well, the chemicals, it has to be there, you know there's a large enough gym community like I got tagged in a video where there's like a guy that's like, I drink energy drinks because they're unhealthy, that's why, like, I drink them because they have chemicals, not in spite of them. Like that's why I picked them out and I think there's enough people cheers to that and like our followers are like those people and there's a lot of those people at least, right.

Speaker 2 7:58

So I feel like we have a large enough group of people that are like, yes, yes, give me that shit that we could just throw everything out there.

Speaker 1 8:06

It would be so funny because there would be those influencers who would try and in quotations, influencers who would try and call it out like this is so unhealthy for you, and that would actually be even better, because they're like yeah, it's, oops, all chemicals, absolutely yes, we're getting free fucking publicity. Free publicity.

Speaker 3 8:20

People are like yes chemicals, give them in my mouth.

Speaker 2 8:23

Nah, I put those chemicals into my body, which is chemicals, it's all chemicals and just fucking lean into it. Stop shying away from this, like oh, it's aspartame, freonium, blah, blah, blah, blah. Like no, it's got that shit. That's why you want it.

Speaker 1 8:39

You know what I think of often when I hear the health and I guess we are health influencers and health is obviously incredibly important and something we want to prioritize. But I remember an old interview from Ricky Gervais, who he was doing an interview and they were talking. I can't remember who was interviewing him, but he was asking, like Ricky was just basically talking about like why do I want to live like this perfectly healthy life? Why do I want to extend my life into like my 90s? Or like, oh, if I eat healthy and I do all this stuff, I'll live an extra 10 years.

Speaker 2 9:09

Those are the worst years of your life. Why do I want to live when I'm?

Speaker 3 9:11

80 or 90 years old. Why am?

Speaker 2 9:13

I extending the worst part of my life.

Speaker 1 9:16

Right, you're like, it's not like you're extending your 30s, you're extending. You're like 90 years old, living to 100. I'm incontinent, I mean, I'm not independent, I can't, I don't want to live that long.

Speaker 5 9:28

That's I'm like.

Speaker 1 9:28

You know I'm like it is, and you know, it just really kind of makes me think, because I'm like it is important to live, um, live your life, but you also have to. Or it's like, live healthy, but you also have to live your life. You know what I mean. And if you never enjoy things all for the sake of living longer, you haven't really lived at all.

Speaker 2 9:45

Yeah right, yeah no, there's also the aspect of like living healthier into those years, because a lot of the times the reason they're unable to do things at those age at the 70s, 80s, 90s is because they didn't eat well enough, didn't exercise, blah, blah right. So, like you want to do that, so you're healthier. But, there's a tipping point. There's a tipping point where you reach 88 and it doesn't fucking matter anymore and you're like, damn, I can't do shit yeah.

Speaker 3 10:11

Just like sit here.

Speaker 2 10:12

So I get it.

Speaker 1 10:14

Yeah. Yeah, I mean definitely there are there, I'm sorry. Go ahead, joe.

Speaker 5 10:27

I was just going to to say, like something that I've talked a lot about on the different pages or whatever that I've had, like is that?

Speaker 5 10:30

For, obviously, I talk a lot about weight loss cause that's where I come from and stuff and I always tell people that, like losing weight should be, in my opinion, about improving the quality of your life, right, and like there are many things that you might have to start taking away to to make that happen, but the goal should be, you know, in moderation, right, like happen, but the goal should be, you know, in moderation, right, like um, it should be about like having certain things, like you're able to put certain things back in, right, and then it's like what you were, whatever we were all kind of talking about.

Oops, All Chemicals Energy Drink

Speaker 5 10:51

It's like when, when you start to live your life all in it, everything is about optimizing every single little thing out of it's like okay, are you living anymore? Are you existing? Because that feels like just existing, and it reminds me of how I felt when I was at my heaviest and skipping out on so many things in my life that I wanted to do, because I couldn't do those things because of the size that I was. Therefore, I was existing right. It's just interesting how it's like it's a circle man, it's all kind of comes back around.

Speaker 1 11:18

I remember when I was at my leanest, you know, I was doing this bodybuilding program and I was really trying to like shred, you know, like get like this ideal physique that most gym influencers are trying to get after and it was the fittest I've ever been in my life. But I was taking my meal preps to Disneyland, to the county fair, like I was missing out on so many like opportunities to enjoy fitness my life, all for the sake of that physique. And listen, if that's a once in a while thing, like that's fine, but I wasn't doing it for any purpose other than to look good and I and that's not a life that I now want to live I don't look back and go, wow, you know, I'm really happy that I, that I meal prepped at disneyland. You know what I?

Speaker 1 11:58

mean like it's just not worth it to me hear me out there's, there's, there's this space.

Speaker 2 12:03

There's this space between brian johnson, which is the guy that's trying to live to like 500, and injecting his son's blood into him to do like to eke out everything possible. You didn't know. Yeah, no, he's got his son's blood in him and like he's doing all sorts of just just look, it's, it's very interesting. But yeah, I, it's like a science experiment. How long can you live if you do literally everything? His morning routine is six hours long to just do everything from the UV therapy, all that sort of stuff. I don't know. Uv, what's it? Red light therapy, red light therapy, wow. And then there's a space between that and then the rock star who takes every drug, puts it in one needle and goes fuck it, let's see what happens. You know what I'm saying. And you have to find that kind of space in between where you have to live a little. But if you're just living to live, that's fucking. What are you? What are you going to look back on like that's all the time you spent trying to live longer?

Speaker 3 12:54

all that lovely time under that red light therapy thinking your thoughts yeah I I have light is made out of red.

Speaker 1 13:01

That's just performative for content. But I mean, there are people out there speaking of performative for content, john uh.

Speaker 4 13:07

First off, john, do you have? Are you a coach as well?

Speaker 5 13:10

wait. Why did you put me right after that? Those two things are not going to performative, john, let's talk about you that's important to the question is this some sort of uh, no, it's a catch, yeah, I just, I really think obese to base is really performative for content.

Speaker 4 13:24

I know it's so to coaches here. Have you ever gotten a client come to you and been like and shown you a picture of like a bodybuilder at peak week and said like this is what I want to aim for, this is kind of what I want to go for and it's you have to explain to them. No, this is literally performative for content. This is literally performative for content Like this person looks like this because they're taking a bunch of pictures around the time. They're at their most lean, they're posting it throughout the year. This is not what they look like, and even right after this picture, they're not flexing anymore, they're not in good lighting, they're not tanned up and all that. It's like. These bodies are literally performative for content.

Speaker 5 14:06

Like obesity, yeah no, that's a good point. No, it's one of those things that I will say like for me, I haven't had any of my clients that I've worked with that have kind of had those expectations, but it is. It's a bigger conversation when it comes to like social media and this stuff. Like I posted it's actually funny that you bring that up because I posted a a real, because I probably should post on TikTok more, but I always forget but posted a real um talking about like you know, a body that looks like this can also look like this, and it was within the same day. It was me like showing my loose skin and then me at the gym with the pump and it's like just trying to show people, even the people that you look to, as inspirations.

Speaker 5 14:44

If you're someone that has lost weight, that has loose skin that is not super happy about it, even those people and I put myself in that same category there can be some performative stuff that happens. It's just that just is what it is right and it's like, even if you are trying to follow people that you feel are not extreme and not over the top is a level of I mean honestly, there is a level of performing any. I think anyone is kind of performing to an extent right like like I wouldn't be sitting here talking to nobody if it wasn't for a podcast. You know what I mean. So it's like you know, there's like a level of it a little bit with everyone.

Speaker 1 15:20

I feel like there's content, it's content creation, I mean there is that, it's. It's. It's not authentic by design, like it can't be. You know. There's like I remember, you know, when I used to make this is a far, a long time ago actually the thing that reminded me of what somebody commented on a video probably made like four or five years ago, but it was me doing like some positive gym motivation, uh, slogans, you know, like just some positive things, and there's clips over me doing an exercise and I remember doing one rep of those exercise each to get the clip. It's like it's, guys, it's just for content, you know, and so many people, it's so easy to look so strong, like you're working so hard.

Speaker 3 15:55

You do two reps of that exercise for the, for the, for the montage, you know so, yeah, it's all, it is my muscle definition, just by going turning off the ring light and turning on the overhead light yeah that will make my if I flex my bicep will pop so much more with the overhead light.

Speaker 5 16:12

Yeah. That's exactly why I have the lighting the way that I do.

The Balance Between Health and Living Life

Speaker 1 16:16

Wait, let me turn my lighting on. I'm conscious of my posture, because the light hits my traps differently if I hunch.

Speaker 5 16:23

So you have to have good posture, Ah look at that.

Speaker 4 16:26

Look, there's a little bit of a gap there. Maybe I am building muscle definition, who knows?

Speaker 1 16:30

Yeah, it just comes with the territory, and I think it's so important. I really like creators who are authentic about themselves, and I think you can tell so much more about a person by their principles and their values and what they preach rather than what they look like. And I feel sorry for people who are looking to start a journey like this, because oftentimes that's what they are doing is they're looking for the most jacked dude or chick, because that's what they want to look like and because that's body goals. That's who they sign up with. And I'm like guys, this person is green as baby shit. They don't know what they're doing, know like they're, they're brand new coach. Like you go into a gym, the biggest coaches or the you know like the most strong, like biggest, uh, you know physique wise coaches oftentimes have the most, uh, the most clients, even though they might not have experience, um, so it's just.

Speaker 3 17:21

It's just a real, it's a real shame, um scrolling through instagram is basically like scrolling through or going through like a haircut thing. It's like oh, which one do I want right?

Speaker 1 17:31

yeah, that's their resume. You know, and I talked about this. Can I talk? Can I? Can I plug my own podcast, is that?

Speaker 4 17:37

is that before?

Speaker 1 17:37

no, he's gonna bleep it out, we're just gonna cut this whole on my unnamed podcast on my brand new podcast um, it's called showing up anyway, but I talked about you know how? Um, how there's a saying in this industry that your, your body is your business card, and I absolutely hate that saying because some of the most experienced coaches and and incredibly empathetic and understanding.

Speaker 1 18:02

And? Um, the coaches that get the most results with their clients are not the most jacked ones. They're the ones who understand human psychology and the ones that understand that you have to be flexible and that life happens. And? Um, they're not out there putting their body on social media all the time because that's not the most important thing. Um, definitely not in a coach.

Speaker 3 18:26

The number one researcher in the field. Um, most people think it's brad schoenfeld because he's very present on social media. It's is stewart phillips, and if you go look at his picture stewart phillips he just looks like a regular guy. He's got a little bit of a punch, but he is so knowledgeable about anything exercise science. So what I've been?

Speaker 2 18:48

finding interesting is like lately on instagram I've seen, uh, both on account. On the male side, it's kind of showing what you were talking about with the lighting, like oh, look at lighting over top. And then this is me and don't judge yourself. Blah, blah, blah. And then I'll see. On the. The women's side, it's more like people say I'm a natural beauty, but my hair is fake, my eyelashes, my eyelashes are fake, my nails are fake, this is fake lip filler, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 2 19:09

And I find it interesting and like the comments you'll get people saying on one side, people are like happy, like thank you for being, um, you know, honest, and everything. And other ones are like why don't you just then not do any of that? And I find that kind of an interesting topic because it's like, well, I want to look a certain way, right, like I do these things, I add these things because I want to look this specific way. Why do I want to look that way? Is that because of societal pressures? Maybe, but like it does make me happier to do this and to look this way, but it does take a lot of work and I don't know. Like there I kind of feel like there's also a balance Like how much work do you want to put in for how well you want to look and how much happiness is that going to bring, versus how much work you have to put in to get to that thing?

Speaker 5 19:49

yeah, it kind of like. It reminds me of like. When people make that argument it's like whoa well I? I understand that you don't love society, but I have noticed that you live in a society, so what about that?

Speaker 3 20:00

it's just like that's not an answer, man.

Speaker 5 20:02

Like we all yes, we all live in a society and you can point out things that you don't like while still obviously having to participate in that. Like I don't I don't love landlords, but guess what I rent? Like what am I gonna do live?

Speaker 5 20:14

live on the street like everything about society, everybody go like and so I, I I think it's one of those things where it's and I'm sure I mean I'm I'm sure most people can kind of understand this but it's like people that leave comments like that they're just trying to be contrarian, right, and just be like, oh you're well, you say you don't like this, and well, and it's just like, come on, like let's actually engage with the, the point that's trying to be made, and if you disagree, that's fine. But like bring something to the table more than just like well, have you thought about this thing? And it's just like you're not giving any sort of answer here. You know.

Bodies as Business Cards and PEDs

Speaker 4 20:51

Yeah, on the topic of bodies being business cards as well, and I think this is a factor that we I don't think we've touched on this, unless I'm forgetting Everybody that you look up to, anyone that looks a little bit too big to be true. They're taking something to look like that. Anybody that claims to be natural, and all they do is harp on that all day, every day.

Speaker 1 21:14

they're not natural and that has to do with and that's and that's all genders, that's not just men you know that's true, that's absolutely. That's absolutely like I I've had uh, I had a coach who worked for me who is not natural and she was had an incredible physique but was not natural. But you wouldn't know it because you know, like it just depends on the dose as well, and it's not a big deal.

Speaker 3 21:37

No, if you want to do that, do it, but I think it's important.

Speaker 1 21:40

Yeah, totally Don't do it. Just don't lie about it. Just don't lie about it.

Speaker 4 21:44

Yeah, just don't lie about it, like I don't have a problem with the people that are already doing it. My problem is when they're selling fitness programs and not telling you that that's how they got fit.

Speaker 5 21:55

It's like it doesn't feel quite honest to me. Well, I mean, it's not, and the biggest part about that is, like, obviously for the individual it's a problem, but I think for society, but like, for the overall problem is that it skews perception. Right, public perception is skewed and like I was I. I I was on a TikTok the other day and it was like some someone was talking about how, like, people's perception is skewed on what is like buff and what's not right, and like this guy, one of his coworkers was talking to him and he was like, yeah, you know, I I want to start lifting and um, but I don't want to get too big. So, like, in a few years I'd love to to look like Chris Bumstead.

Speaker 5 22:34

And the dude was like, wow, you are talking about literally Mr Olympia, that is, there is no. There's really no more jacked than that Like. And it's just like because people maybe see him next to like the monster, humongous, freak bodybuilders, right. But like if you saw him in real life, every single person that walked by would take a second look and be like holy crap, right. If you went to your gym, everyone would be like that guy is by far the most jacked dude in the gym, that that comes here just at all like he should be kicked out, and it's he's he's being really great, I feel yeah, and I honestly, I can understand, because that's probably what people think about me when I go to the gym.

Speaker 5 23:19

but that's besides the point. We don't have to keep talking about that. But like, but like. But seriously, it is one of those things where it does. It skews people's's perception, and the same thing, I think the same thing, can be said about weight loss as well, because on social media, what is rewarded and pushed is extremes, right. So if someone loses an extreme amount of weight relatively quickly, that usually garners a lot of attention, and then people start to think, oh, that is just, that's normal and that's what I'm supposed to be doing, yes, and then I'm getting off topic a little bit, but this is something I think about a lot.

Speaker 5 23:55

With social media.

Speaker 5 23:56

It is, in my opinion, it can be so dangerous, because a lot of times people pick up on that, the people that are losing the weight, and they're just like I am going to do the most unhinged, unhealthy.

Speaker 5 24:05

I am going to do the most unhinged, unhealthy, insane stuff to lose weight as fast as possible. And the goal this is my opinion, I just want to put that out there, but I feel a lot of times the goal is not I need to get healthier. Maybe that was the start right, but the goal ends up not being I need to get healthier. It almost doesn't even be I need to lose weight, it's I want to grow on social media and this is the best way for me to do that. And I've noticed it to a point where it's just like I don't know how it's. It's one of those things that I haven't really talked about it in a post because I feel like people are like you're just jealous, right Cause I've been. I don't mean to c across that way, it's just something that I have noticed over the past years.

Speaker 4 24:59

I'm sorry I really kind of took the topic to another point, but no, I I like it first off, if had hit on I wasn't trying on social media back when I was losing my weight, but if I was and like I had a viral video and then you know I had a following like I do now guaranteed I would have used that as as extra fuel against myself. I lost weight in some of the most horrendous ways and I can only imagine that would have stoked something really ugly in me if I had lost all my weight by the time I started talking about it.

Speaker 5 25:31

Yeah, For the most part me too.

Speaker 2 25:33

There was a viral video where a woman said uh, it wasn't until I prioritized gaining health over losing weight that things changed, and I think that was like a great way to put it, because if you focus on that often, you you know weight loss does happen on its own. Does it happen as fast? No, which is the fucking problem?

Speaker 3 25:50

right, you can go on the keto diet, lose 10 pounds in a week and you're like fuck, yeah, look at this, I'm doing great what I hate is you said um, social media is glamorizing all this stuff, but media in general, yeah, yeah, you see it like movies, movie stars are having to be more and more jacked looking on screen. Some of you guys play marvel rivals. One thing I absolutely hate about marvel rivals is I went in and I looked at the character models and I was like, oh my god, they put everybody on steroids.

Speaker 2 26:20

Yeah, but okay, listen, listen to be fair on that one.

Speaker 5 26:23

They're super rob's just bad at the game.

Speaker 2 26:25

I give a little bit of leeway when they're goddamn superheroes they're literally in the name is superhero, like they are beyond what humans are. So I'm like listen. I guess.

Speaker 3 26:35

Yeah, but the superheroes thing came from like mutations, not steroids, and that's what got them jacked as fuck.

Speaker 2 26:42

I mean it's not, it's mutated, it's green goo that made him all jacked.

Speaker 5 26:46

Okay, but imagine if they did add Lou Ferrigno as the Everybody else is normal, but he's

Speaker 2 26:52

there.

Speaker 5 26:53

It's not even cartoonized, it's literally just a green screen video. They'll probably hear this and at least have his skin for like one season or something.

Social Media and Weight Loss Extremes

Speaker 2 27:02

That would be awesome. Okay, here's my thing when they take like Luke Skywalker if you haven't. My thing when they take like Luke Skywalker if you haven't seen. Like Luke Skywalker originally was like you know, look normal. And then, like the 90s, early 2000s came and it was like jacked as fuck Luke Skywalker. It looked like he was on, just you know, the kitchen sink and that I'm like okay, that's stupid, like you just took a character who is already giving him strength.

Speaker 2 27:31

No, it's him in the movie. You see him. He's not maybe scrawny, he might not be the right word, but he's normal, looking right, and then they make him look jack where it's like superhero, they're fucking. They've got all the the stuff and the mutations to make them that way.

Speaker 1 27:38

That's my thought process on that you know, like I don't mind it when it's sorry, go ahead.

Speaker 1 27:43

I was just gonna. I was just gonna tie it back to what we were kind of talking about a little earlier. We were talking about social media and glamorizing weight loss and stuff like that, and I just saw a video that was talking about Mr Beast and a challenge that he did with a friend of his to lose 100 pounds, and basically it's insane how things come full circle, because that literally is just the biggest loser. It just absolutely was the biggest loser on a youtube episode, um yeah, and and he just put him in a room right for for 24 hours a day. For what? A month or?

Speaker 4 28:17

it was until he lost 100.

Speaker 2 28:19

It was until he lost the faster you do it the faster you're done. So obviously you just eat nothing and you just yeah, and he was exercising like eight hours a day.

Speaker 1 28:26

And I'm like what are we doing here, man? Like what are we glamorizing this? For what are we promoting? This is not health. It's not health and it's not sustainable. It's not realistic. It's just for views. There is nothing that is going to translate into just not motivating anybody. It might for a few days a week, and then they realize I can't exercise eight hours a day. Uh, I don't have access to. You know, a trainer, a um, a chef, like all these things that I'm sure he had in the, in the, in the video, and it's just. It just pisses me off. I see that coming. All you know, we worked so hard to put biggest loser behind us and here it comes again in the form of mr beast I hate, mr beast sure Sure you do, you can.

Speaker 5 29:13

You can say whatever you want. It's your podcast.

Speaker 3 29:16

The guy. I know everybody loves his videos, but he has glamorized abusing people. That's what his videos are. He just abuses people.

Speaker 5 29:26

And then pays them.

Speaker 3 29:28

We just lost a few days. I think it's a mixed bag.

Speaker 2 29:34

I think we just lost and then it's a mixed bag. I think he definitely does some good. He definitely does some good. You can argue that the bad outweighs the good and I can definitely see that argument, but he definitely does. At least you know. Like are his videos?

Speaker 2 29:42

like the videos where he's like I restore he does some good, as long as he profits from it well, well, yeah, but like I'm not good, listen, I don't give a fuck if someone profits from something, it's what they're doing. And it's like, hey, I gave 1,000 people their eyesight back and like, I get it, that's for views, and I get the arguments against it, but at least he's getting views doing that, as opposed to like, hey, I made this person starve themselves until they almost died. I don't like that as much. I prefer the ones where they're like I gave water to people in africa and it's like, yes, you're like, okay, cool, I get.

Speaker 2 30:18

I get the argument against it. Like you're just, you're just exploiting people for views, and I, I get that, but at least there he's doing some good with it. It's better than doing nothing, in my opinion. What I will say is yes, we put biggest loser behind us, so instead we should focus on other tv, like reality tv shows, like naked and afraid. That's obviously better. But when I try and reenact that in my neighborhood, people call the police and it's a fucking problem. That's that.

Speaker 1 30:39

That's my main issue with this yeah, you got to do on youtube. That's what it is, liam, if you I mean I tried to do an episode of the blurry part or no?

Speaker 2 30:47

do I need the?

Speaker 4 30:48

blurry part or no, just blur your, not, just blur your face.

Speaker 3 30:50

It's only you.

Speaker 4 30:51

Americans that do the blurry thing, nothing else.

Speaker 3 30:53

Don't blur anything else. The rest of the world we don't care about blurry, I will blur everything but the genitals, everything else is blurred, I do the reverse I do

Speaker 1 31:01

a reverse, naked and afraid. But seriously, liam's naked and we're all afraid.

Speaker 3 31:06

I'm naked and you're afraid is the name of the show. It's actually so amazing that, like a lot of shows that have nudity and stuff, if you watch it in Canada or UK, there's no blurring. So when you guys watch it and you talk about blurring, I'm like what blurring?

Speaker 4 31:22

Yeah, I've been seeing cock and balls my whole life.

Speaker 2 31:25

Right, you know, in America you, somebody can be eviscerated and they get a pg-13 one nipple by a female, and that is rated r.

Speaker 4 31:37

You're like that makes sense. Yeah, you know, the greatest part about this naked and afraid, but with the reverse blurring would be that people would start to find differences between sets of genitals, to refer to the like when they're talking to their friends in the office about like hey, do you see that episode?

Speaker 5 31:53

that one's lefty, that one's righty oh shit, I can't tell what they're doing on the show. Apparently they built something?

Speaker 2 32:00

it's all blurred. I have no idea. All I saw was cock and balls they muted their voices too.

Speaker 4 32:05

So you just see like a cloud with balls trying to survive in nature no, how about, like that deep voice, think of when someone's anonymous, the whole?

Speaker 1 32:16

episode. I think all the, I think all the female listeners have left at this point. Oh no, sorry listen, they, they've.

Speaker 2 32:22

They've been with us this long. They're laughing at this. Shit's funny, it's a golden idea I mean they must like it.

Speaker 3 32:28

The majority of our listeners identify as female.

Speaker 4 32:32

Oh, shit, Women can be naked too.

Speaker 2 32:35

That's our stance. In moderation, women can also be naked.

Speaker 5 32:40

That sounded like a revelation. You just had.

Superheroes and Body Image Standards

Speaker 4 32:44

Wait a minute, you got me out.

Speaker 2 32:46

You got me out this whole time. You got me out here. I just confirmed it. They can be naked. Fuck the chat GPT.

Speaker 5 32:56

I just had the best idea. Hold on, guys, wait a second. Shut the episode down around one sec.

Speaker 2 32:59

I need to search something, just I've never seen it before, but I know they can be naked I just googled women naked.

Speaker 5 33:05

You guys, you're not gonna believe what I saw. Oh man, you know it's a real big topic.

Speaker 2 33:12

You know what's health? Laughing Laughter is fucking the best. That's what they say. It's the best medicine, man.

Speaker 5 33:17

Not as good as I don't know I was going to make a drug deal. I won't do that.

Speaker 3 33:24

You're too innocent.

Speaker 2 33:25

Yeah, not as much as the stuff that rhymes with Tatooine Halloween, halloween, that's the best medicine.

Speaker 3 33:34

Halloween is the best medicine.

Speaker 2 33:36

You know what, though? They take the fucking Reese's and they put the Reese's pieces in the Reese's. It's not as good. You'd think it'd be better. It's like extra Reese's, but it's somehow worse. I don't like it.

Speaker 5 33:45

I've never had that before. I'm not a fan of that.

Speaker 4 33:48

No, it's too much, they went too far, they stopped.

Speaker 2 33:50

I'm not a fan of that. No, it's too much. They went too far, they stopped.

Speaker 4 33:51

The thing is they're messing with a golden ratio.

Speaker 2 33:54

Yeah, exactly Like they've had scientists like trying to hack our brains for, like, what's the best tasting thing? You've already got it, you're done.

Speaker 1 34:01

Wait, which one do you guys think is the best?

Speaker 2 34:03

What's the best?

Speaker 1 34:04

candy.

Speaker 3 34:06

Just like Reese's Personally.

Speaker 5 34:09

I like, like the pucks I do you guys have.

Speaker 4 34:10

No, that's different than the regular reese's no, the huge ones, the pucks oh, yes, yeah, I had four of them, one, I don't think okay I was worried that they didn't exist in america can you only get them?

Speaker 3 34:22

there's reese's pucks big enough to put a hole in they're huge, but I like them because they are a higher ratio of the peanut butter to chocolate I like the reese's eggs.

Speaker 1 34:32

I think those are.

Speaker 5 34:33

The eggs are good. The eggs.

Speaker 1 34:34

Did you have the twix eggs?

Speaker 2 34:36

I did not have twix eggs.

Speaker 4 34:38

I love twix. I did not realize they could be improved. They had these twix eggs and it's just like it's a whole cookie with uh, you know, caramel and everything in there and it's. It was just satisfying to bite into the original twix is like my favorite candy. That stuff is satisfying to bite into yep, me too.

Speaker 5 34:57

My favorite candy bar is take five, that's my, that's an interesting one, have you guys?

Speaker 4 35:01

have you guys had before?

Speaker 3 35:03

that's not usually, I don't understand what that is underrated take five is pretty good yeah, so I love I love an salty, sweet combo almond joy I don't like wait.

Speaker 1 35:13

Is that the?

Speaker 2 35:13

one wait. Which one's the one that has coconut mounds I'm enjoying.

Speaker 4 35:17

No coke yeah they both have coconut I don't like that that makes me mad oh, I don't like that coconut, of course, right as I have to put on an adult shirt and go on a business call, we're talking about my favorite thing. Yeah, I, I gotta get out of here. Thank you for having me again. Be kind to yourself. All Go away, mike needs to get lost.

Speaker 3 35:34

Mike, get out of here.

Speaker 1 35:35

Thanks for coming on Mike Speaking of, speaking of performative. Mike needs to be performative.

Speaker 4 35:41

Well, alright, fellas, I guess I'll just Walk away forever, finally gone, finally.

Speaker 2 35:47

God damn.

Speaker 5 35:49

Mr.

Speaker 1 35:49

I have clients. I hate that guy Over here.

Speaker 2 35:51

You know you talk about Mr Beast. You know who I really fucking hate.

Speaker 3 35:54

I will say my favorite candy bar, Mr Big.

Speaker 2 35:55

I've never heard of that in my life. You're making candy bars. Up now, no one's had that.

Speaker 5 35:59

It's a Canadian candy bar.

Speaker 3 36:00

No none of you have had that because it's a Canadian candy bar, so it's automatically not even in the running.

Speaker 1 36:06

Probably.

Speaker 2 36:07

I want to say I probably sent Liam one. You probably sent me one, I don't even remember. I don't remember what. I had for breakfast, let alone when you sent me a candy bar months ago.

Speaker 1 36:14

Was it a Mr Big? I don't think it was a Mr Big for breakfast Interesting I don't remember what I sent you, Adam?

Speaker 3 36:20

Vanilla wafer coated in caramel. That's okay, because I don't send you these.

Speaker 1 36:30

Crunchy peanuts andie crisps be nude personally oh, oh, you like the, oh, you like the regular ones the regular veggie chips.

Speaker 5 36:38

No, I'm just kidding, I don't they're not that bad.

Speaker 3 36:40

They're salty man, that's kind of like air they are yeah it just tastes like salty air.

Speaker 2 36:44

Yeah, that fills you up for about three and a half milliseconds, mr big jesus, jesus, in moderation, of course, okay well, before we finish up, I want to go around with Something that's pissed us off a lot this week and not fucking in like politics and bombing shit. That's bringing us down Too much. I don't want to be sad right now. Okay, so I'm going to go.

Candy Bars and Weekly Frustrations

Speaker 2 37:04

First, I got tagged in a video with like a mother who was like feeding her kids and like it had like a brownie and french fries. Like on the plate also had like strawberries and shit and whatever, but people fucking destroyed her. There's like 3 000 comments of people just like you you shouldn't have reproduced and shit. Like that level it's bad. And I'm just like god damn, like I think it's people who don't have kids like. You know what like oakley had for breakfast? Uh, welch's fruit snacks and chocolate milk. Like that's what she had, that's what she wanted. I was like, all right, sure, here you go. Later on she had avocado and like apples and shit. Like it's all fine, kids grow on. Damn, anything you gave them. It's like the way these people act. We should all be dead. We shouldn't even got to adults like eating like cheez-its and all the shit that I definitely did as a kid, you know, pissed me off what about you, rob?

Speaker 3 37:53

I don't know if anything pissed me off this week. I was too busy being sad. Well, you know what one it's. The only thing that's really pissed me off this week is I've been working on my twitch a lot lately and the amount of big twitch accounts that are only big because of boobs and actually no, I shouldn't say they're big because of boobs, I should say they're big because of horny men. Oh well, yeah.

Speaker 5 38:22

I feel like you're talking about my account here. Definitely talking about John's account With my chest okay.

Speaker 3 38:29

But there's no community to them. I go and I research what they're doing and stuff and I go into the channels and the chat's dead. It's literally like 400, 500 people in there just ogling the person.

Speaker 2 38:42

Yeah, yeah, sex sells man. That's been around forever and it will never go away. Our stupid monkey brains just make us go towards that like it's you know, like I don't for me when I say oh yeah, yeah I, I understand where you're coming from, man, I really do.

Speaker 5 38:58

But I will just like to try and not to make you feel better, your own person, you do your own thing, but like, understand that those people it's not like they would be coming to your channel anyways, right, and so they're gonna do their thing and like the way I see it is, I understand that there's like this argument like twitch shouldn't have this and they shouldn't have that.

Speaker 5 39:16

But I think, like, as long as it's separated correctly, right, like all I can hope for is that it helps the the site grow and it gets more people. But I, I understand, especially if you, if you do feel like you are putting in a ton of work, a ton of effort into this, and then you feel like someone else is garnering so much you know benefit, when you feel like they're not putting in that amount of effort. I know that it can be frustrating, but my advice would just be like, focus on what you are doing and and appreciate the people that you do have, because it is very easy to see and compare it to other people and be like why am I not getting what, what they're getting, especially when you feel like you're putting in more work or whatever it might be. Uh, but I just, you know, that's my advice that you didn't ask for at all.

Speaker 3 39:58

But I, I just understand where you're coming from giving me that advice I would like to say, now that you've given me that advice, I would like to say I have a lot of respect for adam but like, if you go to watch adam's Twitch, there's elements of all the sex cells and stuff. But he's also got a massive community there. The chat is just popping, people are having fun.

Speaker 1 40:21

It's great, thank you. Yes, I use my body to my advantage, exactly, especially your booty and those red shorts. Booty. In those red shorts, I I'm gonna say you know, what's pissed me off this week is um is when influencers speak up to talk about something that's important to them and they get accused of like selling out or oh, dude, that's, oh, that shit pissed me off when that happened oh man.

Speaker 1 40:44

So I'm specifically, I think, talking about uh, scotty, scotty gay fitness who, who made a video talking about some of the you know, ice immigration stuff and that was really important to him and, um, and yeah, people made videos talking about how he's a sellout now and I've lost respect for, for, for scotty, and he was reading from a script and someone paid him to do all this stuff and I'm like you have got to be fucking kidding me if you guys don't know scotty's scotty's morals and values. Um, and he's not the kind of person who's going to shut the fuck up about it. But even doesn't matter, like it doesn't matter what who it is or what it was. If they're speaking about something so important to them, it doesn't necessarily mean just because you disagree with it hear me out, though.

Speaker 2 41:21

I figured it out. I figured out why they're doing it. It's a fucking coping mechanism because they saw scotty as someone who believed in their ideology and when, when that was challenged, they can't just say, oh, he thinks different, it has to be he was paid for it. It's a coping mechanism. 100%.

Speaker 1 41:38

Yeah, yeah. They like him so much that they they cannot stand the fact that he doesn't agree with them.

Speaker 2 41:43

Exactly, yep, that's all it is. That's the way of coping.

Speaker 5 41:47

Yep yep, yeah, I totally agree with you. So that's what? For me, it's really hard to come up with an answer because I'm just very positive and nothing ever really bothers me or makes me upset ever um okay, putting jokes aside, what actually pisses you off?

Nuanced Opinions and Game Ideas

Speaker 5 42:03

this is basically all I think about is how stuff pisses me off, um, but I will say and this is, I'm not sure it's one of those ones that it's hard to talk about, because that's part of what pisses me off, because I feel like if you have any sort of dissenting opinion, people assume that you think a certain way and so, uh, like with this has been, I guess it's been pissed me off for a while, but you know, um, it's the, the issue. I don't even want to call it issue, but just the, the fact that if you are at all critical or or try and have people think a little bit more about like GLP-1 medication, semaglutide, ozempic, all of that stuff, if you have any sort of opinion, that's not just everyone should be taking. It's good and it's good for everyone and it's great and everyone should like. If you are at all critical about it, people just assume that, like I've had people like you. You just hate fat people, you just want people to say fat, and it's frustrating because it feels like any conversation that is not complete. Yes, this is good and everyone should be taking it and there should be no critical thought about. It is like shot down, as you are someone that you know dislikes or whatever, um, and that's something that's kind of been annoying me.

Speaker 2 43:12

I don't know if you guys know I get that because people don't really like nuance right, especially on if you're doing things on short form, like especially people want just like to the point, and when you try to bring that up, and that's why a lot of these like comp, these topics I don't talk about too much because I have a lot of opinions on them and a lot of thoughts and I can't just distill it down to like 30 seconds of like good, bad, you know, and I, so I I don't like talk about it too much. So I like I get it, I feel it.

Speaker 1 43:40

Yeah, yeah, there can't, there can't possibly be. I mean, it just kind of comes back to that we're talking about, you know, um, people damn, I lost my train of thought but people automatically assuming you're either for something or against something.

Speaker 5 43:54

They just can't possibly.

Speaker 1 43:55

You can't possibly have two thoughts at once, even though humans really are complex. We may have, we may believe two things at once, but if we talk about one thing, it doesn't automatically mean we hate the other.

Speaker 2 44:07

That's an interesting. I love and hate that so much because if you use a thing, even just using a thing, people are like what's wrong with the other? That's an interest I, I, I that. I. I love and hate that so much because if you use a thing, even just using a thing, people like what's wrong with the other thing. You're like what, what are you talking about? I made a, I made a cucumber salad out of these fucking quart cups and someone was like what's wrong with a bowl? And I was like, and I literally just responded it gives you cancer and dementia and also makes you bad at pickleball. That was my response because I'm like what do you mean? What's wrong with it? Just use a fucking bowl like I'm using yeah, that's um that's called.

Speaker 3 44:40

That's why post hoc, ergo proctor hawk, that's a superhero also.

Speaker 2 44:45

Yes, it's also superhero, is that it sounds that is.

Speaker 3 44:48

That is it's. Yeah, it's a logical fallacy. Post hoc ergo propter hoc. If this, then that.

Speaker 5 44:53

That happens a lot for sure. That drives me nuts, if you're for this.

Speaker 1 44:56

You must be against that.

Speaker 5 44:58

Exactly All right.

Speaker 1 45:00

Can't wait for the post hoc, ergo propter hoc skin in Marvel Rivals.

Speaker 2 45:03

I think we'll get that after the boob skin it's just boobs.

Speaker 1 45:06

The reverse, right after the reverse censored, the reverse censored, it's the character and their genitals.

Speaker 3 45:12

There's some game developer listening to us right now an indie game developer and they're like this is going to be a brilliant game.

Speaker 1 45:19

If they could do it they would do it.

Speaker 5 45:21

No, no, no, the name of it is 100% going to be Oops, all Genitals for sure. Oops, boom Boom.

Speaker 2 45:27

Okay, oops, all Genitals Listen. If they can make a game Okay, whoever's making?

Speaker 3 45:30

that game. Make sure you tag us and send it to us and give us keys and all that.

Speaker 2 45:37

If you can make a game where you're just a slice of bread, which is a game, I'm sure you can make an oops all genitals.

Speaker 3 45:42

Like all the games out there. I feel like you'd buy that just out of pure curiosity. Heck yeah.

Speaker 2 45:57

And you generosity, heck yeah. And you get to customize your genitals like I'd like the balls to be a little bit lower. Jesus christ, how much hair would you like on there? I mean like well trimmed. But definitely some bro, that game would sell, that's all I'm saying that's all I'm saying.

Speaker 1 46:02

I don't know if you could play it on twitch.

Speaker 2 46:03

Twitch might have to twitch.

Speaker 3 46:05

Twitch does allow nudity. As long as it is part of the game, all right. Well then, you can play it on twitch guys.

Speaker 2 46:12

We got a fucking killer idea, right that's why.

Speaker 1 46:14

That's why balder's gate was game of the year you had so many general options.

Speaker 3 46:17

Yeah, there you go, oh oh, that's so great. All right. Which one of you wants to go first in telling us where to find you?

Speaker 1 46:25

I'll go. You can find me at adam right fitness um on all platforms. And then also come check out my new podcast for six episodes in uh, it's called showing up. Anyway, you can find it on youtube and spotify and apple podcasts okay, well, you can also play everybody and uh and also on facebook, okay no one cares about you.

Speaker 3 46:46

Also, adam, every everybody. Uh, four days after this podcast comes out, it is Adam's birthday, so make sure you go over to Adam's account and wish him a happy birthday.

Speaker 1 46:57

Yay, I'll also be streaming on Twitch on my birthday. Thank you, I'll be streaming on Twitch. My Twitch is yeah, it's, it's it's ultimate underscore hero H three R O. That's my Twitch, if you guys want to follow me on Twitch.

Speaker 5 47:07

I'll give you a sometimes Thanks, man twitch.

Speaker 3 47:09

Oh, I'll give you sometimes thanks, man, sometimes sorry in advance, for sometimes I show my, my booty just in shorts, not bare, don't worry adam, at some point you need to come play with me and john because, yes, last, yeah, I'm very bad.

Speaker 1 47:23

That's what makes it better exactly oh, and lean can come too.

Speaker 5 47:28

Oh, um, yeah, you can find me, I don't know, I guess, and everywhere it's just obese to beast. Um, yeah, pretty much any social media. I mainly use youtube and I guess it's instagram, not reels, but that's all instagram is anymore, but um, those are the two main ones. I'm also on threads or whatever, but yeah, mainly YouTube, instagram, obese beast no one cares about me, so that was a great podcast all right, and go check out our new game.

Speaker 2 47:57

Oops, all genitals coming out as soon as we can fucking make it and get your and get your energy drink.

Speaker 3 48:03

Oops, all the animals naked and, you're afraid, coming out in moderation, this summer.

Speaker 2 48:10

Listen, the ideas we come up with are fucking gold. If we can get somebody to invest in, we need to go to Shark Tank Guys, sharks, heck yeah. We're here seeking $100,000 for our beautiful game.

Speaker 5 48:21

And then you just pull your pants down.