<p>You’ve heard the hot takes:</p><ul><li>“You CANNOT gain weight by eating too little.&quot; </li><li>“Starvation mode isn’t real.”</li><li>“Calories are all that matter.”</li><li>“Insulin is the only thing that matters.”</li><li>“There’s ONE best way to eat.”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Cool cool cool. </p><p><strong>But none of those declarative statements survive contact with a real human body.</strong></p><p>In this episode, I’m doing something the wellness industry isn&#39;t good at: <strong>nuance.</strong></p><p>Not because I want to position myself as a smartypants. </p><p>Not because I want to join the pile-on that is &quot;wellness debunking.&quot; </p><p>But because <strong>your body is complex</strong> and you deserve more than being eye-rolled and shouted at through an iPhone screen from online trainers and wellness talking heads who are trying to shame or confuse you into clicking their link and downloading their thing.</p><p>I&#39;m just saying the quiet part out loud.</p><p>We’re covering three polarizing topics -- the strongly-held convictions that you&#39;ll hear every time you look at your phone -- and I’m giving you the <em>full</em> view, so you can stop being talked at and start making decisions like a grown ass adult:</p><ol><li><p><strong>“Starvation mode”</strong> — can you gain weight by eating too little?</p><p>No. But... also Yes. There’s a sneaky way calorie restriction can boomerang to overeating.</p></li><li><p><strong>Calories vs Hormones</strong> — do calories matter, or does insulin matter?</p><p>Yes. And yes. And anyone selling you <em>only one</em> is selling you their own worldview, not the biological truth.</p></li><li><p><strong>One-size-fits-all health</strong> — is there a universal “best plan”?</p><p>Of course not, but also there are fundamentals that DO work for all humans. And then there’s your actual life, preferences, goals, and biology-in-motion. </p></li></ol><p>Nuance can feel uncomfortable because it brings this &quot;well, that depends&quot; energy that can feel unproductive to you, a person trying to live in a body. </p><p>But, on the flip side, buying into absolutes is also keeping you stuck. </p><p>If you’ve been doing everything “right” and your midlife body is still like, <em>“lol no,”</em> this episode will help you understand why, and how to proceed in a world that is flinging information at you every minute of your day.</p><p><strong>🎧 Press play. Bring your skepticism. Keep your autonomy.</strong></p><p><br></p><p>00:00 Language, marketing, and why nuance matters</p><p>02:39 Confronting bias (and why absolutists are a red flag)</p><p>05:00 The 3 polarizing topics we’re tackling</p><p>06:43 “Starvation mode”: can you gain weight eating too little?</p><p>09:28 The “demure diet” pattern + why hunger wins</p><p>14:43 The hidden calories you’re not tracking (and why it’s not a moral failing)</p><p>17:44 Calories vs hormones: why this is a false war</p><p>18:35 Fuel substrates: what your body <em>actually</em> runs on</p><p>21:20 Metabolism: what it is (and what it’s not)</p><p>21:54 Insulin resistance: why weight loss can feel impossible</p><p>24:14 Is there a one-size-fits-all approach? Yes… and no</p><p>29:47 Final thoughts: informed choices win when you&#39;re being chronically marketed to</p><p><br></p>