ReBuild ReCap

Hi Reader,

On my day off this week, I wanted to enjoy myself.

So on my way to the beach I picked up a six-pack of alcohol-free beer, Oreos, and a bag of crisps, and I enjoyed it without overthinking it.

If I had done that in a phase where I desperately needed to lose fat, it would have been a bad move. But right now I’m at maintenance, and with the right structure in place, flexibility is part of the strategy.

That’s why I use the 80/20 rule: around 80% whole foods, 20% room for the things I enjoy.

Today I wanted to talk about a long-term strategy you can use no matter what stage you’re in when it comes to losing fat and building muscle.

You can watch or listen to this week’s breakdown here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify.

The Strategy That Ended My Yo-Yo Cycles

For years, I did what most people do.

I would get strict, lose weight fast, feel great for a while, then drift back to old patterns and gain it back. Sometimes with interest.

The biggest shift for me was understanding this: weight loss and weight maintenance are two different phases, and they require different rules.

When you diet aggressively, your metabolism adapts downward. Then if you go back to your old intake too quickly, you hit what I call the red zone: appetite is high, metabolism is lower, and rebound happens fast.

So the goal is not “diet harder.” The goal is to run the right protocol for the phase you’re in.

What I Do Now (Without Obsessing)

1. Start with data, not emotion

For 7 days, write down: - what you eat - roughly how much - when you eat it

This sounds simple, but it changes behavior immediately. You stop guessing. You stop negotiating with yourself. You face reality and can make better decisions.

2. Eat more of the right foods, not less of everything

Most people fail because they focus only on restriction.

I get better results by pushing up foods that naturally regulate appetite: - whole foods - high-fiber foods - sufficient protein

That combination improves satiety, steadies energy, and reduces random cravings.

3. Use protein and fiber as appetite control tools

Protein is highly satiating per calorie and supports muscle retention.

A practical protein range for most active people is around 1.2-1.7 g per kg body weight.

But if I had to pick one thing most people under-consume, it’s fiber. Higher-fiber meals make fat loss more manageable because hunger is easier to control.

4. Reset your taste system when needed

Run a short reset period of 14 days.

During this reset, remove sweets, junk food, and artificial sweeteners. Your taste buds are continuously evolving, and after roughly 14 days you have a refreshed set of taste buds. That makes whole foods taste better again and reduces the intensity of cravings.

5. Tighten your eating window

When fat loss is the goal, I keep a narrower eating window and use 2-3 solid meals instead of constant snacking.

This usually helps with: - lower calorie intake - better appetite regulation - fewer late-night decisions that sabotage progress

6. Use resistance training to keep fat off

If you lose weight without resistance training, a lot of that loss can come from muscle.

More muscle means higher energy expenditure, which helps keep metabolism higher and makes long-term fat maintenance easier. So if your goal is not just to lose fat but to keep it off, resistance training is non-negotiable.

Phase-Based Thinking (This Is the Key)

Here’s the mindset that changed everything for me:

• Fat-loss phase: more structure, fewer food decisions, tighter execution.
• Maintenance phase: controlled flexibility, keep core habits, avoid rebound.

This is where 80/20 works well for me now.

During fat loss, I run tighter than 80/20. At maintenance, 80/20 gives me enough flexibility to enjoy life without losing control.

That’s the long-term game: strict when needed, flexible when earned.

With love and until next week,

Erik