Don’t Forget The 12 Most Valuable Fat Loss & Muscle-Building Tips
In late Dec. 2024, nutrition coach Thomas DeLauer rehashed his most eye-opening discussions on health and performance to take into 2025. He spoke to fitness, strength, training, and nutrition gurus across the health world to gather quintessential tips on fat loss and muscle building.
[Related: Recapping 2024’s Most Notable Muscle-Building Studies]
Bill Maeda – Cheat Food Mind Hack
Bill Maeda is a shredded 55-year-old trainer from Hawaii with a unique approach to nutrition. He treats all food as workout fuel and doesn’t avoid “cheat foods.”
“I always consider [food] fuel, whether it’s Costco hot dogs or a perfectly done macrobiotic masterpiece,” Maeda said. His rationale behind the madness? “I feel it burning; I’m replenishing myself.” It’s also his hack to maintain an active lifestyle, “It gives me a little dopamine but also a little guilt.”
Dr. Andrew Kutnik – Rethinking Carbs for Performance
Dr. Kutnik examined the relationship between carbohydrates and physical performance. His research found that minimal carb supplementation — three to four grams every 20 minutes — can prevent hypoglycemia without diminishing performance. “[It’s] six to 12 times lower than the traditional recommendations.”
Paul Saladino – The French Fry Whistleblower
Paul Saladino, MD, a leading expert on the carnivore diet, warns of the toxic byproducts from frying with seed oils. (1)(2) He compares it to smoking cigarettes:
“A large frie from McDonald’s contains the same amount of toxic chemicals as a pack of cigarettes,” Saladino told DeLauer. A deeper look suggests reheating oils repeatedly is dangerous. Guy Crosby, an adjunct associate of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, insists cooking with seed oils at home “isn’t an issue.”
Chris Duffin – Using the Pump for Leverage
World record powerlifter Chris Duffin described how muscle tissue quality affects performance and why nutrition is key. “Muscles full of glycogen, blood, and intracellular hydration; [diet] is the single fastest lever you can pull for better training performance.”
Duffin likens the pump to a powerlifting suit. “As you fill the muscles, you create tension and the ability for more power output. The muscle belly changes the muscle insertion to give more torque.”
Duffin recommends nitrate-containing foods such as potassium, beets, betaine anhydrous, and L-citrulline for muscle pumps.
Dr. Scott Sher – Unlocking Performance with Methylene Blue
Dr. Scott Sher swears by methylene blue (MB), the “first fully man-made medicine,” for metabolic flexibility and improved endurance; DeLauer also claimed performance benefits. (3)
“Methylene blue can compensate for stress [during long runs] and make more energy as it depletes,” Dr. Sher claimed. He observed major performance improvements by prescribing methylene blue to marathon athletes.
Brian McKenzie – The Breath Guru
Brian McKenzie promotes building CO2 tolerance, which he says is vital for oxygen use and performance. “Anything above 15 breaths per minute is dysfunctional; a massive gap in how your physiology operates,” the strength coach affirmed.
“Oxygen is a worthless, destructive molecule without carbon dioxide.” Mackenzie’s practical tips, like nose breathing during walks, are simple but significant. “We can make major changes quickly,” he asserted.
Dr. Ben Bikman – Carbs and Fat Gain
“A lot of carbs and fat together is particularly fattening,” Dr. Ben Bikman says. DeLauer concurred, “Theoretically, it’s metabolically difficult.” Dr. Bikman broke down the process of how the body uses insulin to stimulate fat growth from glucose, “People say [fat gain] is
