Chris Williamson - Thomas DeLauer

1) Thomas DeLauer discusses his experiences as a child with obsessive-compulsive disorder, including flipping light switches and feeling restricted in school. He also shares the story of his parents, one of whom owned the world's largest newsstand, while the other was a school bus driver, and how their businesses brought together people from all walks of life. DeLauer's teenage years were also marked by anxiety and usage of benzodiazepines prescribed for emergency cases, which he believes is uncommon for a child.

2) Thomas DeLauer shares his personal struggles with control and body image. He talks about how he used running as a coping mechanism to deal with anxiety during his teen years, and how he had an obsession with control that led to self-s abotage. He explains that he didn't have a strong obsession with body composition but did want to be lighter for running purposes. Thomas also discusses his experimentation with drugs and alcohol during his youth and how he became very obsessive with them. Ultimately, he became more self-aware of his body dysmorphia and OCD tendencies as he got older.

3) Thomas discusses how his move to Italy during his childhood may have been a blessing in disguise as it served as a pattern interrupt for him. While his upbringing was relatively sheltered, he gained new experiences in a different cultural setting that helped him get out of his confined little box. Additionally, DeLauer talks about how he worked 40-50 hours a week at the age of 14-15, while being enrolled in school within dependent study. Although he acknowledges that this situation may have been an outlier, to him, it felt normal as it was the life he had always known. He also talks about how one's life experience can be difficult to understand, especially if they are sheltered or confined.

4) Thomas discusses his teenage years and how he coped with his introverted personality and non-typical upbringing. He talks about how he worked full-time while also doing his self-directed studies for school and how he felt in complete control during this time. He also discusses how he met his wife during these formative years and credits her for being his "guard rail" and keeping him from spiraling out of control. Additionally, he shares his struggle with his weight and how it started as a bulk gone wrong with an obsession to put on muscle but eventually led to putting on a lot of fat.

5) Wealth led to a period of disordered eating and eventually clinical type 2 diabetes for DeLauer. Despite having a good breadth of knowledge in biochemistry thanks to his career in medical sales, it took an onchalant wave from an acquaintance catching him eating Jack-in-the-Box tacos to become his call to action. He knew he had to get his life in order and reverse the issue. DeLauer repeatedly had a fasting glucose of 144, much higher than the clinical range for diabetes, but he did not know how to correct it. It took him seven years to fix his messed up diet, but he was able to do so with his extensive knowledge and experience.

6) DeLauer discusses the impact of his previous binge eating on his health, particularly his testosterone levels. He notes that while staying lean and in shape may be important for his business, he initially chased this goal for the wrong reasons, driven by the validation he received from helping others rather than the desire to help them. However, his perspective changed when he became a father, which was a transformative experience for him. He shares a personal story about losing his father and dog, and how he got closure with his father just before his son was born. The experience has helped him appreciate the importance of family and relationshipsin his life.

7) Thomas discusses how becoming a father has changed his perspective and approach to life. He reflects on his childhood, his parents' divorce, and his past beliefs about love and parenting. Now that he is a father himself, he wants to shower his children with love and give them a safe space to grow and thrive. He also talks about how his own success has come at a price and that it's important for people to see the human behind the success. He wants people to understand that success is achieved in spite of obstacles, not because of them.

8) Thomas discusses the myths surrounding intermittent fasting (IF). He explains that IF is not necessarily a magic solution but rather a tool to induce caloric restriction, which could be beneficial for people with severe metabolic disorder. He also explains that autophagy and muscle building are not exclusive to fasting, and that exercise is the best way to induce autophagy, which can also be achieved with caloric deficiency.Further more, he suggests that looking at total caloric intake over a seven-day period, rather than daily, might be beneficial for the human metabolism, as it does not reset every night to zero.

9) Thomas discusses the non-negotiables for a fat loss plan. He believes that thermodynamics (calories in, calories out) are the most important factor for fat loss, while also emphasizing the importance of having adequate breaks between meals for maximum fat loss and muscle preservation. DeLauer explains that lipolysis (fat burning) cannot occur in the presence of insulin, so keeping track of when insulin levels go up and down is beneficial. He also introduces the concept of G flux (energy flux) and how mobilization costs associated with energy exchanges increase with a higher rate of metabolism, emphasizing that the more you eat and move, the more you burn overall.

10) Thomas discusses the importance of adequate diet breaks when practicing intermittent fasting and implementing the G flux theory. He emphasizes that just restricting calories and intermittent fasting does not absolve people of thermodynamics. People need to apply G flux with proper diet breaks to increase the metabolism and avoid compensatory mechanisms that lead to weight gain. He also discusses how fractal eating could be useful in determining the line between caloric restriction and adequate intake, but it may not be easy to adhere to for some people. He suggests that instead, people could possibly periodize quarterly when looking at their routine over the course of a year.

11) Thomas DeLauer talks about the power of looking at outliers and combining their benefits to find a new solution. He also touches on V Shred and the confusion some people have between him and Thomas. Thomas suggests filming an ad with V Shred to show that they have opposing views and to put an end to the confusion. Then, the conversation moves back to fat loss and the focus on high-intensity interval training.

12) Thomas discusses the principles of high intensity interval training (HIIT) for fat loss, emphasizing the importance of maximal intensity within a short timeframe of 15-25 seconds. Although other forms of training like Tabata training have their place in calorie burning, they are not the same as interval training. HIIT training stimulates the central nervous system, which has an after burn effect, and leads to glycogen depletion in a carb-deprived state. DeLauer recommends incorporating interval-based workouts like imam-style training, which combines cardio and resistance training and provides external accountability through a timer or clock. He also shares two of his favorite workouts: a descending pyramid of reps for gymnastics movements and a 20-minute “deck of cards” routine where each suit represents a different exercise.

13) Thomas shares his favorite exercise routines and hacks for dealing with sweet cravings and bloating. He recommends doing ascending or descending ladder exercises for weight lifting and a high-intensity interval training routine for cardio. To satisfy sweet cravings, he advises going for 90% dark chocolate that has less sugar but stillhas flavonols that positively impact neurotransmitter function. He also suggests adding some salt or electrolytes to water to potentially kill sweet cravings.When it comes to bloating, DeLauer says a lack of diversity of food and fiber in one's diet can cause gut imbalance or dysbiosis.

14) Thomas discusses the importance of a diverse diet to maintain a healthy gut. He explains that a diverse range of fibers, proteins, and fats can help improve gut health, reduce bloating, and rebalance the gut microbiome. DeLauer emphasizes the need to rotate different vegetables and fiber sources to diversify gut microbiome. He suggests that an aggressive elimination and gradual reintroduction of foods can allow the stomach time to calm down and rebalance itself. DeLauer acknowledges the confusion caused by trends and studies, but encourages people to arm themselves with the right tools and choose what works best for their body.