The Genius Life 24: The Guy Who Became Obese on Purpose

Drew Manning is a personal trainer, fitness expert, and the host of The Fit2Fat2Fit Experience podcast. Wanting to better understand the needs and struggles of his overweight clients, Drew decided to walk a mile in their shoes. He became temporarily obese, gaining 75 pounds in just over six months. Then he set out to lose the weight, realizing profound truths about how we lose weight, especially when contending with the modern food supply.

What you'll learn from this episode:

How, at eight percent body fat, Drew followed through with a "crazy idea" to gain 75 pounds in six months as a way to empathize with his overweight clients—and two-thirds of adults in the United States.
What Drew did to gain those extra pounds and then lose them over the course of another six months.
The cheap, unhealthy meals and snacks Drew ate growing up in a family of 11 kids, and what it was like to revisit them with an adult's metabolism.
What Drew noticed about his energy level, sleep habits, and the extra effort it took to do everyday things he took for granted on his climb toward obesity.
Why Drew is glad he was talked out of living overweight for a year, the health problems he encountered just from six months of approaching obesity, and what he learned about developing an emotional connection to unhealthy food and the willpower required to reject it.
And much more!

This podcast is sponsored by my friends at Four Sigmatic (check out my interview with founder Tero Isokauppila in episode 12), who make a wide range of coffees, elixirs, and teas using mushrooms like chaga, reishi, lion's mane, and more. Go to foursigmatic.com/max to save 15 percent off of everything!