Chasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast

If you’re struggling with hunger, cravings, or diet adherence during a fat loss phase, this is the episode for you. I team up with Philip Pape of Wits & Weights to break down the most common fat loss questions I get from clients and listeners. We cover the most effective, research-backed strategies to manage hunger, crush cravings, and implement diet hacks that actually work in the real world. You’ll also learn the truth about appetite suppressants, the role of artificially sweetened drinks like diet soda, and where I draw the line with supplements and medications. If you’re looking to get leaner, feel fuller, and stay consistent with your nutrition, hit play and let’s get into it. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS Q&A EPISODE: * PROVEN STRATEGIES TO MANAGE HUNGER DEEP INTO A DIET * HOW TO CRUSH CRAVINGS USING RESEARCH-BACKED METHODS * THE REAL DEAL ON APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS  * ARE DIET SODAS & ARTIFICIALLY SWEETENED DRINKS ACTUALLY HELPFUL FOR FAT LOSS? CHECK OUT PART 2 TO THIS CONVERSATION ON THE WITS & WEIGHTS PODCAST: https://open.spotify.com/show/5qdeOoUWYJSGYtpNuG4WTf?si=Q0kQ561CRDmMaMjtU9QJUA [https://open.spotify.com/show/5qdeOoUWYJSGYtpNuG4WTf?si=Q0kQ561CRDmMaMjtU9QJUA] WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME: Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/ [https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/] For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry [https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry] Email: Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com [Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com] Brandon’s Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com [https://www.brandondacruzfit.com/]

On this episode of the Chasing Clarity Podcast, I team up with Lyle McDonald to unpack everything you need to know about cravings: what cravings really are, why they happen, and what actually works to manage them. TOPICS COVERED: * WHY DO WE EXPERIENCE CRAVINGS? * THE MOST PREVALENT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE CAUSES OF CRAVINGS  * MISCONCEPTION #1: CRAVINGS ARE A SIGN OF A NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY * MISCONCEPTION #2: CRAVINGS ARE CAUSED BY DIETARY RESTRAINT OR FOOD RESTRICTION * THE BENEFIT OF USING A MORE STRUCTURED EATING APPROACH EARLY ON & RESTRICTING TRIGGER FOODS DURING A FAT LOSS PHASE * THE MOST EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE-BASED WAYS TO REDUCE CRAVINGS * MINDFULNESS & ACCEPTANCE-BASED STRATEGIES * FLOATING LEAF VISUALIZATION * URGE SURFING * MINDSET SHIFTS TO REDUCE CRAVINGS * REAPPRAISAL: SHIFTING HOW YOU THINK ABOUT A CRAVING * FOCUSING ON THE “LATER” MINDSET OVER THE “NOW” MINDSET * STRATEGIC PLANNING- IMPLEMENTATION INTENTIONS If you’re tired of feeling out of control with food, this conversation is for you. Hit play for practical strategies, real talk, and actionable advice you can use to take back control of your eating for good. WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME: Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/ [https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/] For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry [https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry] Email: Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com [Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com] Brandon’s Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com [https://www.brandondacruzfit.com/]

In this episode, I’m joined by Lyle McDonald for a no-fluff deep dive into the evolution of “flexible dieting” and why he now calls it “flexible eating.” We break down the psychological roots of eating behavior and explore how cognitive rigidity and emotional conditioning can sabotage even the most well-intentioned nutrition plans. This episode ties together the physiology and psychology behind eating to help you shift your approach and perspective to maximize your progress. If you’ve ever struggled with all-or-nothing thinking, emotional eating or perfectionism around eating, this conversation will reframe the way you think about restraint, flexibility, and long-term success. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: ⁃ THE BIGGEST MISTAKES & MISINTERPRETATIONS OF FLEXIBLE DIETING ⁃ THE EVOLUTION FROM FLEXIBLE DIETING TO FLEXIBLE EATING ⁃ WHAT DIETARY RESTRAINT REALLY MEANS & WHY IT’S NOT INHERENTLY BAD ⁃ RIGID VS. FLEXIBLE CONTROL — COGNITIVE, BEHAVIORAL, & OUTCOME DIFFERENCES ⁃ THE MINDSETS THAT DRIVE BEHAVIOR ⁃ FLEXIBLE EATING ATTITUDES: HOW THEY LEAD TO BETTER OUTCOMES & PROTECT LONG-TERM ADHERENCE ⁃ DICHOTOMOUS THINKING: HOW BLACK-AND-WHITE BELIEFS DERAIL PROGRESS ⁃ CUE-CONDITIONED EATING ⁃ THE NEUROBIOLOGY BEHIND EATING: RESPONSES: THE ROLE OF DOPAMINE, GHRELIN, & INSULIN IN ANTICIPATORY EATING ⁃ EMOTIONAL EATING AS A CONDITIONED BEHAVIOR LOOP ⁃ ALTERNATIVE COPING STRATEGIES TO EMOTIONAL EATING ⁃ STRATEGIES LYLE HAS SHIFTED HIS PERSPECTIVE ON SINCE RELEASING HIS BOOK “A GUIDE TO FLEXIBLE DIETING” WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME: Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/ [https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/] For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry [https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry] Email: Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com [Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com] Brandon’s Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com [https://www.brandondacruzfit.com/]

In this episode of the Chasing Clarity: Health & Fitness Podcast, I’m diving deep into one of the most powerful strategies I use to help clients get lean and stay lean without living on low calories or constantly battling diet fatigue. We’re talking all about the High Energy Flux Model also known as the eat more, move more method and why it’s one of the most sustainable and effective frameworks for improving body composition, increasing metabolic flexibility, and making long-term fat loss actually stick. Here’s what I cover in this episode: ⁃ WHAT IS ENERGY FLUX? ⁃ WHY I STARTED FOCUSING ON ENERGY FLUX & IMPLEMENTING A HIGH ENERGY FLUX MODEL IN PRACTICE ⁃ WHY MOST PEOPLE FAIL TO STAY LEAN WITH THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH ⁃ LOW VS. HIGH ENERGY FLUX — THE TWO PATHS TO MAINTENANCE ⁃ THE GOAL OF MY HIGH ENERGY FLUX MODEL ⁃ THE BENEFITS I’VE SEEN IN CLIENTS I’VE USED THIS APPROACH WITH ⁃ THE RESEARCH ON HIGH ENERGY FLUX INCLUDING: ⁃ HIGH FLUX HELPS YOU GET LEAN MORE EFFICIENTLY & OFFSET METABOLIC ADAPTATION ⁃ HIGH FLUX LEADS TO BETTER BODY COMPOSITION OUTCOMES ⁃ HIGH FLUX ALLOWS YOU TO STAY LEANER FOR LONGER INCREASING YOUR LIKELIHOOD OF FAT LOSS MAINTENANCE ⁃ HIGH FLUX IMPROVES APPETITE REGULATION ⁃ HIGH FLUX UPREGULATES TOTAL DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE (TDEE) If you're someone who’s tired of yo-yo dieting and wants to stay lean without sacrificing performance, energy, or health, this episode is for you. WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME: Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/ [https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/] For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry [https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry] Email: Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com [Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com] Brandon’s Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com [https://www.brandondacruzfit.com/]

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Eric Trexler — researcher and science communicator — to unpack the concept of metabolic adaptation from both a scientific and practical lens. We dive deep into how your body adjusts calorie expenditure, hormone levels, and hunger signals during a Fat Loss Phase and more importantly how to work with these changes, not fear them. Whether you’re a coach, a competitor, or someone who’s struggled with “plateaus” or weight regain, this conversation will give you the clarity you’ve been missing. Metabolic adaptation is real but it’s not an insurmountable roadblock to your goals. TOPICS COVERED: ⁃ WHAT METABOLIC ADAPTATION ACTUALLY IS ⁃ THE COMPONENTS OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE AFFECTED BY ADAPTATION ⁃ HORMONAL ADAPTATIONS DURING FAT LOSS ⁃ THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT METABOLIC ADAPTATION ⁃ MISCONCEPTION 1: HAVING A “SLOW METABOLISM” PREVENTS FAT LOSS ⁃ MISCONCEPTION 2: METABOLIC ADAPTATION CAN STOP WEIGHT LOSS COMPLETELY ⁃ MISCONCEPTION 3: THE MORE METABOLIC ADAPTATION SOMEONE EXPERIENCES THE HIGHER THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF WEIGHT REGAIN ⁃ THE MOST EXTREME CASE STUDIES OF ADAPTATION ⁃ THE MINNESOTA STARVATION EXPERIMENT ⁃ THE BIGGEST LOSER STUDY ⁃ THE RACE ACROSS THE USA (ULTRA-ENDURANCE ADAPTATION) WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME: Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/ [https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/] For Info on Brandon’s Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry [https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiry] Email: Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com [Bdacruzfitness@gmail.com] Brandon’s Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com [https://www.brandondacruzfit.com/]