Wits & Weights Podcast

All Episodes

Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

The Body Recomp Advantage for Appetite and Fat Loss After 40 | Ep 432

If you're over 40, cutting calories to lose fat can backfire. Why? Because if your approach is too aggressive or your stress is too high, your hunger spikes, training suffers, and you often regain everything you lost when you increase calories again. Body recomposition (losing fat while building or preserving muscle simultaneously) can avoid this. It's not just a physique strategy but also an appetite strategy. Learn why body recomp avoids the hunger cascade that derails most fat loss attempts. Discover my Recomp Ladder framework that prioritizes your levers in the right order.

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

How Strength Training (Not Cardio) Suppresses Appetite and Burns Fat | Ep 431

Hungry after every workout and stuck in an endless “eat less, move more” loop? Strength training is actually one of the most powerful appetite control tools you have, but most people only think of it as a muscle-building tool. Learn the science behind why lifting suppresses hunger hormones like ghrelin while boosting satiety signals like GLP-1 and PYY. We cover why cardio often backfires through energy compensation, leaving you hungrier and more fatigued without the fat loss results. And discover the behavioral shifts that make strength training superior for long-term body recomposition.

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

Why Your Metabolism Is Stuck at 50% and How to Fix It Without Biohacks (Jenn Trepeck) | Ep 430

Are biohacks keeping you stuck instead of helping you lose fat and build muscle? Why does body recomp feel so hard even when you are doing all the “right” things? Body recomp, build muscle, and lose fat come up constantly on fitness podcasts, but I keep seeing the same mistake. People chase cold plunges, red light therapy, peptides, and supplements while ignoring the basics of nutrition and fitness. I sat down with Jenn Trepeck to break down her concept of biostacking and why most people are operating at 50 to 60 percent capacity. We talk protein, fiber, hydration, sleep, stress, connection, and why metabolism only improves when the basics are in place.

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

Build Muscle First, Cut Later for Easier Fat Loss and Less Hunger | Ep 429

If all you've done is diet, every cut will be harder than the last. More hunger, less energy, slower results. There's a reason, and it's not just your age or metabolism. Learn why building muscle first makes cutting (fat loss) dramatically easier, how more lean mass directly reduces hunger per calorie of deficit, and why chronic dieters sabotage their own results by skipping the building phase. 

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

Why Appetite Changes After 40 (And How to Still Lose Fat) | Ep 428

Hunger hits different after 40. You might feel like your body is actively fighting against fat loss: cravings show up more often and deficits feel harder even when you're doing everything right. This episode breaks down what actually changes with appetite and metabolism as you age (spoiler: it's not your metabolism crashing) and what you can do about it. 

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

2 Biggest Causes of Belly Fat, Sugar Cravings, and Constant Hunger | Ep 426

One bad night of sleep can increase your calorie intake by up to 500 calories. Chronic stress drives fat specifically to your belly. And both of these hijack the exact hunger hormones that control whether you feel satisfied or ravenous, even when your nutrition looks perfect on paper. iscover how sleep deprivation tanks leptin, spikes ghrelin, and reduces GLP-1 (the hormones behind appetite control and fat loss). Learn why cortisol from chronic stress promotes visceral belly fat storage, increases insulin resistance, and amplifies cravings for calorie-dense comfort foods, plus the biological mechanisms behind "food noise" and hedonic hunger.

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

The Forgotten Thyroid Hormone That Supercharges Fat Loss and Metabolism (Dr. Amie Hornaman) | Ep 424

Are you lifting weights, tracking macros, and still stuck with stubborn fat? What if your labs look “normal” but your metabolism feels broken? Body recomp is supposed to feel simpler when you train hard and eat well, yet many people chasing weight loss and muscle building feel stuck. I brought on Dr. Amie Hornaman, known as the Thyroid Fixer, to challenge the way we think about metabolism, hormone health, and strength training. We explore T2, a lesser-known thyroid hormone that acts directly at the mitochondria to help burn fat, boost energy, and protect lean mass.

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

Why You're Always HUNGRY on a Diet (7 Mistakes Killing Your Fat Loss) | Ep 422

This episode kicks off our 8-part Appetite Series with the most common question I hear: "Why am I always hungry on my diet?"  The answer usually comes down to one of these 7 mistakes that trigger your hunger hormones, tank your energy, and stall your results. You'll learn exactly why (and how) your body fights back during a diet through hormones like leptin, ghrelin, and GLP-1, and which mistakes you're likely making without realizing it.

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

Metabolism 101 (The Science Behind Fat Loss and Muscle Building) | Ep 421

Why do some people eat more and stay lean while others diet nonstop and still struggle? Is your metabolism actually slow, or have you trained it to fight you? I dive into the real science of metabolism, body recomp, and why most weight loss strategies fail long-term. The focus shifts away from eating less and toward building a body that can lose fat, build muscle, and handle more food without constant plateaus.

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

Training Through Injury and Adversity Without Losing Progress (Anthony Bryan) | Ep 415

Are injuries holding back your body recomp goals? How do you keep lifting weights when strength training never feels perfect? I sat down with Anthony Bryan, a Guinness World Record holder and double world champion in para athletics, to unpack what nutrition and fitness look like when you are never at 100%. Anthony trained his entire life with left-side paralysis after a childhood stroke, and his approach to strength training, recovery, and mindset applies to anyone dealing with injury, aging, fatigue, or stalled weight loss. 

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

How to Adjust Strength Training for Fat Loss (Build Muscle While Losing Weight) | Ep 414

How do you train for fat loss? Most people screw this up by making disastrous training adjustments like switching to high reps, dropping intensity, or adding excessive cardio. Then they wonder why their muscle and strength drop. Discover how to preserve every bit of hard-earned muscle while losing fat by keeping load/intensity high, reducing volume (strategically and if necessary), and using auto-regulation to manage recovery when it's your most limited resource.

Read More
Interviews Philip Pape Interviews Philip Pape

5 Nutrition Mistakes That Kill Body Recomp (Calories vs. Macros vs. Micronutrients) | Ep 413

Most people build their nutrition from the top down: calories first, macros second, micronutrients as an afterthought. That approach works from a pure energy balance and weight loss perspective but often collapses during body recomposition when you're trying to lose fat and build muscle. Discover why the traditional nutrition hierarchy is backward and the 5 specific mistakes that prevent successful body recomp. Learn the bottom-up framework that makes simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain actually work.

Read More