Sometimes the most productive thing you can do for your goals is take a break. Intentional diet breaks can support both your mental and physical health, helping you reset your mindset, restore energy, and ultimately make more sustainable progress. Learn when to take one, what it can look like in practice, and why stepping back doesn’t mean losing ground—it means building a better foundation.

Your body’s hunger cues aren’t broken. They’re just misunderstood. Here’s what you need to know about leptin, ghrelin, and why no “leptin reset” smoothie is going to solve your appetite.

Sleep isn’t just rest—it’s the foundation of recovery, hormones, and performance. Morgan, Ryann, and Brooke dive deep into how sleep affects muscle growth, fat loss, cravings, and mood. They share coaching strategies to improve sleep hygiene, balance real-life tradeoffs, and create routines that actually work. Learn why better sleep might be the missing piece in your results.

Your metabolism isn’t broken—it’s adaptable. This guide busts nine slow-metabolism myths and lays out the real levers you can pull: lift, move more, eat enough protein, sleep well, and manage stress. Save it for those “my metabolism hates me” days.

Transitioning out of a deficit can feel scarier than starting one. In this post, Ryann, Jess, and Sabrina unpack how to reverse diet with confidence, what to expect when adding calories back, and why maintenance—not dieting—is the real long-term goal.

Fasted training is currently a pretty polarized topic in the fitness world, with some arguing that it can provide meaningful improvements for fat loss, and others claiming it will ruin your performance potential or cause hormonal dysfunction in women. In this article, Coach Chris examines three of the most common claims we’ve seen lately: that training fasted improves fat loss, that it harms training adaptations, and that it doesn’t work for women.

The phrase “calories in vs. calories out” gets thrown around a lot in conversations about weight gain, but which side of the equation matters more? This post explores what the latest research really says about diet, activity, and their roles in long-term weight management.

In this blog post, we’re breaking down the latest episode of Black Iron Radio all about reverse dieting—what it is, why it matters, and how to do it without losing your mind. Whether you’re coming off a cut, stuck in a cycle of under-eating, or just trying to build a more sustainable approach to nutrition, this episode dives into the science and strategy behind reverse dieting and why it could be the missing piece in your long-term success.

In this blog post, we’re breaking down the latest episode of Black Iron Radio, where coaches Brooke, Kelsey, and Jess tackle the age-old debate: cardio vs. lifting. Should you prioritize one over the other? Do you actually need both? And how do you make it all work without burning out? Whether you’re training for fat loss, performance, or just trying to move and feel better, this conversation unpacks the benefits of each—and how to blend them to match your goals, lifestyle, and preferences. If you’ve ever wondered which training style is “best,” this episode is for you.

In this blog post, we’re digging into the latest episode of Black Iron Radio, where coaches Morgan, Brooke, and Sabrina tackle one of the most misunderstood phases in nutrition: maintenance. If you’ve ever thought of maintenance as a holding pattern—or skipped it altogether in your rush to cut—you’re not alone. But this conversation breaks down why maintenance is actually where the magic happens. From improving your metabolism and gym performance to building the foundation for sustainable fat loss, they’re sharing the real reasons why maintaining before cutting isn’t a detour—it’s the path forward.

In this blog post, we’re breaking down key takeaways from our recent Black Iron Radio episode, where coaches Amanda, Lauren, and Ryann dive into one of the most common—and misunderstood—goals we hear from clients: improving body composition. Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or something in between, this conversation unpacks what body composition actually means, how to pursue it in a sustainable way, and why it’s about so much more than scale weight. They cover everything from protein targets and progressive training to recovery, stress, and the long game of physique change. If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real, lasting progress, this one’s for you.

In this blog post, we’re breaking down the key takeaways from our latest Black Iron Radio episode on GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. These medications are everywhere right now—on the news, in gym conversations, and even debated in doctor’s offices. But with all the buzz comes a lot of misinformation. Are they just an easy way out? Do they destroy muscle? Are they a lifelong commitment? Our experts, Chris (PhD(c)), Sam (RD), and Lauren (LDN, CNS), cut through the noise, busting common myths and providing science-backed insights. Keep reading for the facts—and be sure to check out the full episode for even more!

Manipulation of body composition is a common goal in a variety of pursuits, but how do we accurately and objectively measure and track changes over time? Body composition devices and techniques offer a solution here. However, people often place undue confidence in both the accuracy and precision of body composition values that they get from techniques that are regarded as high-quality.

Navigating through the overwhelming amount of nutrition advice available can be a daunting task. If you have specific goals related to body composition, weight loss, or improving your food choices, it may be time to consider hiring a nutrition coach. Working with a professional who understands the intricacies of nutrition can provide you with the guidance, accountability, and support needed to achieve sustainable success. In this article, we'll explore the reasons why hiring a nutrition coach can benefit you and help you make an informed decision about taking that next step towards a healthier and happier you.

If you have ever struggled to lose or gain weight, I guarantee you have at some point heard the advice: 

“You just need to eat more/less than you burn”

The person that typically says this kind of thing most likely also holds the belief that being overweight or having obesity is a result of pure laziness or a lack of morals. At the surface level, this advice is correct. However, it is correct in the same way that going to a football game and telling the head coach of your team “Hey pal, you just gotta score more points than the other team and you’ll win” is correct. Correct, but very unhelpful and lacks any understanding on what contributes to the scoring of points. 

In the world of health and fitness, there's a lot of emphasis on exercise, nutrition, and supplements. But there's one crucial factor that often gets overlooked: sleep. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that more exercise, more supplements, or a new diet plan will be the solution to your health and fitness goals. But the truth is, without enough sleep, all those efforts may be in vain.

Many people are quick to blame nagging health issues on their food habits and often rightfully so. But they’re more likely to pin it on over-eating when often the root of the issue is actually the opposite. Under-eating is VERY common. We’ve conditioned ourselves to believe that eating less  = better life. The truth is that’s not always true. I know, I KNOW, this is the opposite of what you’ve believed your whole life! Eating too little is just as unhealthy as eating too much.

While I'm not proud of it, when I first started losing weight, I was 100% into cut mode every day 24/7. I didn't have the slightest clue as to what a real maintenance period was, because I thought that was something you only did once you reached your ‘goal weight’. I also didn’t realize I was doing more harm than good by trying to be in a straight deficit for a majority of the year. Maintenance is where so much of the magic happens; habits are built, there’s more flexibility with food choices and social gatherings, cortisol levels are lower, and energy is higher.

Nutrient timing is generally discussed in relation to two things: the circadian rhythm, which are your natural internal processes that ebb and flow, and repeat every 24 hours or so; and timing around training sessions. In this article, I will discuss how each of those can affect weight/fat loss, and then separately discuss performance implications.

We know the statistics. The majority of our clients come to us with fat loss as their main goal. Before joining Black Iron Nutrition, many have tried every diet under the sun. Keto. Paleo. Intermittent Fasting. Carnivore. Vegan. Vegetarian. They’ve tried other nutrition companies – and have found themselves on dangerously low calories. And while we won’t deny that they saw results initially – they weren’t able to sustain their results in the long-term. Many end up right back where they started.