100% Real With Ruby; nutrition, strength, fat loss, muscle, macros - without the fluff

#371; Luke Leaman 3; Cortisol, cardio & complexities of fat loss; The real reason you're not seeing results

·1 hr 11 min·5 clips

Luke Leaman explains why cortisol isn't making you fat and how cardio actually fits into fat loss.

The episode begins with Ruby Cherie introducing the topics of cortisol, cardio, and fat loss programming. Luke Leaman immediately challenges common misconceptions, arguing that cortisol does not directly cause fat gain but is part of a broader stress matrix. He emphasizes that individuals often hold themselves back by lacking consistency and patience, using an anecdote about a morbidly obese client who lost weight on a fast to prove deficits work. The discussion shifts to body composition, where Leaman criticizes rapid weight loss methods like Ozempic for causing muscle wasting, citing Jared Fogle's Subway diet as an example of losing weight without improving physique. Ruby and Luke explore the differences between weight loss and fat loss, stressing the importance of muscle retention through adequate protein and resistance training. They delve into cardio programming, explaining that overweight individuals benefit from front-loaded aerobic work to improve mitochondrial function and fat oxidation, while lean individuals might use HIIT for fat mobilization. Leaman details a case study where a client lost 38 kilos on 900 calories for 13 months, supplemented with vitamins and fish oil, while maintaining training performance. The conversation touches on gut health, linking it to stress and lifestyle factors rather than isolated issues. They debunk low-protein myths, referencing sports dietitian Louise Burke's recommendation of up to 2.6 grams per kilogram for athletes. Ruby and Luke discuss aging, highlighting sleep, stress management, and proper lifting technique as critical for injury prevention. The episode concludes with practical advice on sourcing quality food from farmers' markets and maintaining focus during workouts to avoid injuries.

As heard by us

A blunt discussion of cortisol, cardio, muscle retention, and why fat loss rarely comes down to one culprit.

100% Real With Ruby pushes against neat, one-cause answers to fat loss, using cortisol, cardio, and HIIT as entry points into a wider conversation about programming and recovery.

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Why you'd press play

You want to place cardio sensibly without sacrificing muscle or making cortisol the whole story.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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