F Cubed: Fitness, Finance, and Faith

So far in 2023, market volatility as measured by the VIX has seemed disconnected from the whippiness we've all seen on our screens.

So why is that?

When we look at the VIX equation itself, along with the counterparty hedging that takes place on the other side of a 0 DTE trade, this disconnect becomes a whole lot clearer.

Natty Bodybuilding Competitoin Prep 2023 is underway, and here in Week 1, I wanted to go over an overview of my bodybuilding goals for this season. This will be the first time I’ve prepped since 2019, and the first time I’ll get back on stage since 2017.

Having almost turned pro in 2017, my number one goal this year is to finally finish the job, and here in Week 1, I outline the schedule I’m looking at for 2023.

Two big questions you need to ask yourself early on in your trader journey:

Is what I'm doing repeatable over time: month after month and quarter after quarter?

Is what I'm doing sustainable over time? Are my strategies sound, and are my expectations realistic?

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So how to make money selling options?   

This is the question that everyone wants to know, or at least everyone who wants to know how do options work in trading. As very much a selling options for beginners video, or even a primer to selling options explained, this video is a good start to answering that question.  

This video was brought to you by F Cubed with your host Dr. Jim Schultz (who also hosts From Theory to Practice on tastytrade as Dr. Jim)

Stick with the same training split for a long time. It's the only way to easily identify progressive overload.

Recovery is one of the buzzwords in the fitness world right now, but unlike the Alkaline Diet, it actually is important.  

So let's talk about recovery training and give you some strategies to recover from workouts faster, with some recovery tips for athletes.  

The Daily Shred is brought to by F Cubed and your host Jim Schultz (who also hosts From Theory to Practice on tastytrade)

What is your goal for this upcoming year?

Overall fitness? Shredded to the max?? Strong as an ox???

Whatever it might be - let's help get you there.

Before you can ever fully decide to give your life to Christ, you have to ask, "Can I trust the Gospels?"

The stories that were written about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus - do they carry weight?

Let's discuss...

The two pieces to the training puzzle: training volume and training intensity.  

But how do you balance the two together???

In the sage words of MLK, or better yet, JC, the truth will indeed set you free. There is an incredible power in telling the truth, and no better example exists than that of the final days before Jesus went to the cross, when he had a confrontation with Pontius Pilate, as written in the Gospel of John NIV 8:32.

We also throw a nod to the late, Ravi Zacharias, and use an example of the Law of Noncontradiction.

It’s pretty hard to argue that high volume training is an effective way to grow.

Whether it be a high volume chest workout, high volume back workout, high volume arms workout (#pumpchasers), or a high volume shoulder workout, the evidence is clear - more volume typically means more progress.

But, we want to be careful that we don’t always add sets to our sessions, at the expense of more load or more reps. Because in the training volume vs intensity discussion, intensity is critically important, too.

So in the search for the optimal training volume for hypertrophy, let’s be aware of all the factors.

This Video Podcast was brought to you by Jim Schultz with F Cubed.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST

Episode #149: How You Adjust Training Volume for Long-Term Hypertrophy

In no other faith, belief, or worldview, do grace and mercy exist simultaneously like they do in Christianity. Through the Gospel, we are freely given what we don’t deserve (grace), and we are shielded from what we do deserve (mercy).

And here is what this means for your life...

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Are you serious about sustainable fat loss? Are you done losing a bunch of weight, only to gain it all back (plus a lil’ sumpin, sumpin)??

Then here is one thing you absolutely NEED to have in your nutrition.

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Ever worked really hard at something, only to be dissatisfied at the end? Then you find yourself wondering…

Maybe your dreams aren’t big enough, your goals aren’t high enough, and your work isn’t good enough? So what do you want to do? Immerse yourself even more fully in your work.

Work more...work harder.

But that will never satisfy you.

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The Bible can change your life, if you let it. And the Gospel itself can completely transform your heart, if you give it a chance.

But at the end of the day, before either of those things are even a consideration, you'll need to answer this question:

Can I trust Jesus?

Today, let's explore that question.

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You want to be sliced to the gills and shredded to the bone? You want to be so lean that your muscles are ready to pop through your skin at any given moment? Ok - go get it. Just be aware, there's a cost. And that cost gets larger and larger, the leaner and leaner you go. 

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When you look at the Gospel from the outside, it’s not that easy to believe. As a Christian, I have lots of sympathy and compassion for the Non-Christians out there that have a difficult time accepting the core message of the Bible.

In fact, in some ways, I think there’s actually a bias not to believe the Gospel…

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At some point in every lifter’s career, longevity begins to become more and more important. And not only longevity from a health standpoint, but longevity from a progress standpoint.

So given that you want to continue training at a high level for many years to come, how should you adjust your training volume to achieve long-term hypertrophy? In this episode of the podcast, we give a clear, practical way to approach your training to do just that.

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Not going to lie - weekend blowouts? I know them well - too well.

I basically spent the first half of my BB career perfecting the weekend blowout, only to be followed up by super strict, extreme dieting on the backside, just to try and get back to even. Even to this day, I have to be super intentional, otherwise a ho-hum Saturday can easily turn into a ho-ho Saturday.

Do you relate to this? If so, this segment is for you...packed with the number one, most effective strategy you can begin using to stop sabotaging yourself on the weekend.

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One of the most famous passages in all of the New Testament (which could probably be said of all NT text, but I digress) is taken from Galatians 5:22-23, where Paul talks of the “fruit of the spirit”.

Here, he lays out the characteristics that we as Christians should strive to embody as followers of Christ. But what’s even more interesting is his use of fruit as the vessel to convey this information.

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We've all heard of Lifestyle Creep - where as you make more money, you don't actually save, you just spend more.

But can this same idea be applied to nutrition...in a positive way?

It can - with Macro Creep.

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Before ever digging into the specifics of a given faith, we all need to come to some conclusion about the existence of a God Himself.

Does what we understand, or not understand, about the world around us point to a Supernatural Being having a hand in its creation? Why or why not?

To help answer that, we borrow an idea from JB Warner’s Cold Case Christianity YouTube Channel, and we apply the “Inside-the-Room/Outside-the-Room” test to the creation of the universe.

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In a very famous quote, Ghandi once said, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

And even GK Chesterton, an evangelical preacher, said, “The greatest case against Christiantiy is Christians themselves.”

On the surface, these appear to be negative evaluations of Christians, their testimonies for Christ’s life and their representation of the faith itself.

But if we dig into Scripture itself, and we think a bit deeper about these lines, we see - they are filled with incredible hope and truth.

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Everybody wants to focus on maximum speed and maximum output. How hard can I go today? How far can I push right now? That’s the question that traps us all.

Instead, however, what we need to focus on our average speed. Not how badly can I blast it now, but rather, how can I push my boundaries just a little bit to boost my overall, average output?

With both nutrition and training, maximum speed is sexy, but average speed is what is sustainable.

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A question that every fat loss enthusiast must have a response to if they hope to come anywhere near their ultimate goal of residence in Shredsville.

The truth is, everybody hits a sticking point in their progress...probably more than one, probably every month or so, before they cross the finish line.

Here’s the how and why behind how you burst through those barriers and keep sandblasting fat off your frame.

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As we talk about in today’s episode, not only can Vitamin D help your achy joints and boost your mood, but a lot of us are deficient in Vitamin D to begin with. So today we dive into the research and offer some dosing recommendations to get the biggest benefit.

As always, check with your doctor before trying any of this. A set of basic labs from your doc can show you where your own levels are.

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If you follow my content at all, you know I'm the biggest fan you'll ever meet, when it comes to tracking macros.

When it comes to fat loss, there's simply nothing better than monitoring your intake to ensure that you're in a caloric deficit.

And today, we learn a brand new reason why - it guarantees that you're progressing.

Don't forget to register for our FINAL FREE TRAINING before Thanksgiving:

If you’re in the gym, and you’re serious, then you want to get better.

Now getting “better” comes in all shapes and sizes.

For some, it means getting huge and gargantuan. For others, it means getting all sleek and sexy and stuff.

Regardless of the specific goal, you need to focus on strength...and here are two (less common) reasons why.

Don't forget to check out our upcoming FREE TRAINING:

Do you know your "carbohydrate metabolism"? What about your "fat metabolism"?

In other words, do you know how much fuel your body can process and still reach your physique goals...especially if they're of the getting shredded variety?

Metabolisms are fluid and dynamic. They change over time, and they're not set in stone. So even if you're not super happy where yours might be right now (kind of like mine was), you can improve it.

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Carb Cycling is the way to go. It's a nutritional strategy with both physiological (possibly) and psychological benefits.

And not only that, but during a deep, length cutting phase, it's SUSTAINABLE.

But as we always like to say, "for every gimme, there's a gotcha".

And with Carb Cycling? You've got to be careful your highs don't get too high, and your lows too, that you're slowly feeding a starve-binge cycle without even knowing it.

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In my study of Romans, I came across Romans 4:14, and it blew me away.

It stopped me in my tracks, and it caused me to reexamine the relationship between faith and works in a brand new way.

Namely, if works really were the ticket to eternity with God, wouldn't that effectively render Jesus's sacrificial life unnecessary???

Prayers that God speaks to you through this podcast!

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Leave it to Paul, with his letter to the Romans (specifically Romans 2: 6) to highlight the power of Jesus! 

If you've ever wondered, "what does faith without works mean?", then Romans 2:6 can look very confusing at first glance.

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This is it. I figured it out. I'm kinda serious.

It recently dawned on me (like yesterday, so this is very new) that when you're all charged up to knock out a low day with your diet, but you blunder your way through and make some mistakes, it hurts you in multiple ways.

Not only do you not realize the physical progress you wanted to from the low day, but you still feel mentally fatigued from having been "ready" for the low day.

And interestingly enough, this happens with high days, too...except it involves guilt and dissatisfaction.

Seriously, I think this interplay between the mental and physical might help explain why it's just so difficult to make lasting change, and why you really need to execute your plan, above all else.

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Use the progress principle to help get through the hard parts.

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Think you're not telling yourself a story all day long?

Think again.

Think the thoughts, words, and reactions you choose in that story don't matter?

Think again, again!

They matter more than you might realize.

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If you follow me AT ALL, you know I love baseball. 

Specifically, I love the Red Sox. 

Even more specifically, I love Pedro Martinez.

Well, with the playoffs only few weeks away, the timing of the season got me to thinking about how closely a baseball season maps with radical physique transformation. From Spring Training, to the Regular Season, to the Playoffs, the similarities are all there.

Be forewarned...you don't necessarily need to be a competitive physique athlete to get some value from our ramblings today, but you DO need to love baseball.

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Physique transformation? It's not linear, and it's not one-dimensional.

If only all we had to focus on was the scale, the tape measure, the load on the bar, or the volume in the gym.

Instead, we have to pay attention to them all...study them, examine them, and try to improve them.

And as we do, our progress will come in spurts and stops, rather than a straight line.

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Here's our most recent Training Vlog from 9/4/19, where we deloaded legs.

So if you want to see some super low intensity training, coupled with shorts that are far too short, this is your jam...completely my random commentary.

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A few quick thoughts from the car today.

It's all about dominating the middle.

It's all about executing on Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday afternoon...when it's not fun, it's not sexy, and it's flat out boring.

That's what 98 people out of 100 are missing...

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Where's my over 35 crowd at...?!? 

You guys remember The Legend of Zelda? Like the original...where it's just you and Link and some Rupees.

Well if we take the general premise of Zelda, and we think about role-playing games in general, what do we have?

Exactly what each and every one of us is trying to do with our physiques.

Be sure to subscribe on whatever platform you listen on, and please leave me a rating and a review!

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Ever felt frustrated with your morning weigh-ins...? Where you feel like no matter what you do, the scale just doesn't want to cooperate?

I think we all have, and it's important to remember that what happens day-by-day is much different than week-by-week.

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We've all been there. You're pressed for time, totally scrambling, but you still want to get your training session in.

What do you do? You can't do what you normally do, so you're forced to think on your feet and adapt.

Well, here are two foolproof ways to cut down your training time, without having to sacrifice too much, if any, intensity.

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At the end of Jesus' life, He was left alone. He was ignored and abandoned by God. 

He asked God to take this "cup" from Him, but it was not God's will.

He cried out to God with his final breaths, but He was not consoled.

And He did all of this voluntarily, so that our requests to God will always be heard, and our cries will never be ignored.

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You guys already know, I'm the biggest flexible dieter you'll ever meet. I know and believe that a strong level of flexibility with your nutrition is NEEDED to make any progress you might achieve sustainable in the long-term.

But lately, I've settled into a fixed meal plan, as I prepare to take the stage on 11/23.

And you know what? It's terrific. 

When you do use a fixed meal plan for a period of time, it minimizes the variables in question, and it can really free up your resources for other things...like the rest of your life.

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You want to get in shape? Great.

You want to completely change your body? Excellent.

Do yourself a huge favor, and sit down and think through what your ending, ideal physique is going to look like, feel like, and be.

Be clear and concrete with what you want.

No one expects you to know exactly what you want (because you may have never been there before), but what you ultimately want to accomplish is going to dictate the steps you must take to get there - in a big way.

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You're an investor, and you fancy yourself a seasoned one at that.

You've got some index fund exposure here and some dividend-payers there.

Even have most of your money sheltered from the tax man.

A bird's eye view of your portfolio would classify it as being pretty well-diversified.

Maybe so.

But are you leaving something on the table? Could you actually be even more diversified...with potential better returns...at even less risk? 

Yep - all of the above...with options.

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You've probably heard that you need to focus on compound lifts.

You know, like squat, bench, deadlift, etc.

But why? Why is it so important to start with these core movements and build from there?

In this week's episode, we answer that exact question.

That statistics are pretty grim.

95% of people who successfully lose weight fail to keep it off and just end up gaining it all back within 3 years.

Why is that?

Here's the reason.

It won't be long before you find yourself on the rubber mats, sipping some BCAAs, wondering, 'How many sets should I be doing for each bodypart?"

Is 3 sets of squats every other week enough?

Is 37 sets of biceps every MWF too much?

In this episode, we answer all of those questions and more!

Be sure to register for the FREE TRAINING:

In the world of cardio, you have two options: HIIT or LISS.

You can do High Intensity Interval Training or Low Intensity Steady State.

So if you're after the best cardio program for fat loss, which is better? How should you combine the two? 

In this episode, we answer both of those questions and give you some strategic ways to apply them both.

Look, I got it. The last thing you want to do is take progress pics...especially since you're probably going to need to get someone to help you 😲

But the truth is? As you keep pushing and grinding towards your goals, there will be times when you feel like you're just standing still.

Not getting leaner. Not getting lighter. Not going anywhere.

These are the times when having these progress pics at the ready can show you otherwise.

I hope you guys enjoy this super, shortened episode this week, but I recorded this right after knocking out all 20 lessons for my digital course, Full Throttle Fat Loss: Your Complete Step-by-Step Blueprint to Sustainable Fat Loss, so I was a little fried.

But the course drops 6/11, so be on the 👀

Looking to lose fat? Then you know you need to be in a caloric deficit. 

But you know what that means? That means you're going to be hungry. And I don't just mean hungry...I mean huuunnnnnngggggrrrrrrrryyyy.

So what you need are some highly efficient, macro-friendly foods to help keep you full, energized, and satiated. 

Knowing that, what should you focus on? That's the topic for today's piece.

Guys, girls, everyone! This episode is going to fundamentally change the way you think about and approach your training. 

You are going to understand the importance of taking your sets close to failure, but not necessarily to failure, and you're going to understand muscle fiber physiology in a way like never before.

I hope you enjoy, tag a friend, and don't forget to subscribe on whatever platform you like listening on!

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We're back for another faith segment on the F Cubed Podcast! 

And tonight, we have one simple message - you are accepted. 

After reviewing all the major points of the the Gospel story in 3 minutes, we offer just what it means to be accepted by God, and maybe more importantly, what it doesn't mean.

Hope you enjoy! Share it with a friend, and don't forget to subscribe.

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Look.

IRAs are super powerful. Like ridiculous, unmatched, Avenger's End Game type power. They offer so many advantages to us as investors, it's almost like the deck is stacked in our favor when we utilize these account structures.

So, we wanted to offer up 5 concrete reasons why you should open an IRA.

Today. Like right now. This instant.

Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe!

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Did you know that the secret to your success with physical fitness lies in a little elephant with big ears and a magic feather.

Sure does.

Here's how...

Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe!

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The Bible is literally filled with thousands of God's promises. You don't have to venture too far to find God proclaiming to His children the promises He has set forth before them.

But if you're anything like me, you forget this.

All. The. Time.

So if that's you, here are 3 of those promises that will leave you feeling loved, cared for, and important.

Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe!

(Book referenced in this podcast is "The Shelter of God's Promises" by Sheila Walsh)

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This is maybe the most famous parable in all of the Bible - the Parable of the Prodigal Son. It's become a colloquialism in today's society, used by believers and non-believers alike.

But what is Jesus really trying to teach us in this story?

In today's podcast, we unpack four main takeaways from the story, and I pray that God speaks to you through my words in a way that is special to you and you alone.

Enjoy and don't forget to subscribe!

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We're back with another faith-driven episode: The Parable of the Soils (or Sowers).

This is a story that you can find in Mark, Matthew, or Luke, and it's a clear, vivid picture of how the Word can penetrate, or fail to penetrate, our hearts. And lucky for us, not only does Jesus tell the story, but He hangs around for a post-game interview in Mark to even explain the story to us. 

As always, I hope this inspires and encourages you to stand firm in your faith - for your good and His glory.

Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe!

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So, you're in a fat loss phase, and you're cutting pretty hard. Okay, awesome.

But how much weight loss should you target each week? What is a steady and sustainable rate of loss?

In this episode, you'll learn some practical numbers to target, and you'll also learn who should target what specific weekly weight loss targets.

Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe!

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God wants us to put Him first. He wants us to aim our lives at His glory and His kingdom.

He wants us to surrender everything we have to Him and Him alone. 

This includes our skills, abilities, and talents, as we see in this famous parable told by Jesus in the Book of Matthew.

Not only does this story reiterate God's desires for our lives, but it shows us pretty clearly how God reacts to our choices in stewarding the talents He has so graciously given us.

Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast player, and be sure to share it with a friend!

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Faith only today, and we're talking sin. Specifically, Sin's Trap Door.

I don't know about you, but the times that I've been waist-deep inside of a sin, where I've actually taken a second to observe my surroundings? God is there, and He's trying to get me out. He shows me the trap door, and He highlights the escape route.

Just like Paul wrote in 1 Cor 10:13.

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. "

 Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe!

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If fat loss is front and center for you right now, then this episode is for you. We're all trying to get the most out of our training, and put ourselves in a position where we are maximizing our efforts in the most efficient manner possible.

So, if at all possible, we'd like to avoid making too many mistakes.

Well, when it comes to fat loss goals, there are a number of mistakes that I see a lot of people make. Moving beyond the super obvious ones, like not training hard enough or doing too much cardio, here are three: one nutrition, one supplementation, and one mindset.

Enjoy, and don't forget to subscribe!

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How do you plan your training cycles? Are you strategic with how you set up your training? Do you think beyond today's workout? Or what about this week's training?

In this episode, we're going to lay out exactly how I structure my training into different "meso-cycles" and what each meso-cycle looks like. This will give you a clear way to add structure and purpose to your own training.

If you're not currently doing this, then following the details we lay out to any degree is going instantly make you better.

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We're getting real today - maybe too real. But I don't care. 

You need to hear this.

What no one tells you about tracking macros is that there will almost certainly come a time in your journey where you will become OBSESSED with food, and you will likely have a TERRIBLE relationship with food.

The truth is there is no perfect plan. Every great idea has drawbacks. So do the costs of tracking macros make it worth it?

Give me 34 minutes, and I'll share my answer...

Now, just to be clear, this isn't the only way you can live life as a Christian. I'm certainly not so naive to believe that I've 'figured it out.'

But, these 5 tenets taken from Proverbs 3 give us an incredible foundation for approaching each day as a Christian looking to serve God's Kingdom and obey His Word.

Oh, and Tim Keller joins us.

He doesn't know it, but that doesn't matter.

There is no shortage of different nutritional strategies that you could follow to hit your goals: from Keto to Intermittent Fasting to Eating "Clean", the choices are endless.

So in this episode, we address two of the most popular approaches:

Meal Plans and Flexible Dieting.

In other words, should you eat basically the same foods each day, or should you give yourself total freedom to eat whatever you want, as long as you hit your macro targets?

Well here, we offer up a detailed analysis of what to consider. Enjoy!