All or Something Podcast

Sohee and Ben Carpenter

The All or Something Podcast is where Sohee and Ben bring their real, evidence-based approach to health, fitness and everyday life. Each week, we dive into the habits, strategies and mindset shifts that help you live fitter, healthier, happier lives. As longtime creators in the wellness space, we go beyond quick tips and trending advice. Expect honest conversations, practical takeaways, and a balance of science, humor and real-life experience. If you’re ready for growth that feels realistic, not all or nothing, hit the follow and come hang out with us every week.

  1. 2d ago

    Do Diets Actually Make You Fatter? The Science of Yo-Yo Dieting

    Send us Fan Mail Do diets actually make you fatter? Does yo-yo dieting permanently damage your metabolism, make you store fat more efficiently, or leave you heavier than if you'd never tried to lose weight in the first place? The idea that dieting makes you fatter might sound absurd at first, but there are genuine scientific reasons why researchers have investigated this possibility for decades. From early experiments in rats to long-term human studies examining weight regain, body composition and metabolic rate, the evidence is more interesting than you might expect. In this episode of the All or Something Podcast, we explore the science of weight cycling to separate what the research actually shows from some of the more exaggerated claims surrounding yo-yo dieting. We discuss: - Why scientists first hypothesised that repeated dieting could make the body more efficient at storing energy. - What early experiments in rats revealed about repeated cycles of weight loss and regain. - Why people who diet often end up heavier years later, and why this doesn't necessarily mean dieting caused the additional weight gain. - Whether repeated weight loss and regain permanently damages your metabolism. - What the research says about weight cycling, body fat, lean mass and metabolic rate. - Why observational studies linking weight fluctuations to poorer health cannot necessarily establish cause and effect. - How restrictive diets can affect hunger, food cravings and your relationship with food. - Why repeatedly losing and regaining the same 20 pounds can be emotionally exhausting, regardless of what the science says about your metabolism. We'll also discuss a crucial distinction: dieting and weight cycling are not the same thing as dieting causing you to become progressively fatter. The fact that people who diet sometimes end up heavier years later doesn't prove that dieting itself caused their weight gain. And while weight cycling has been associated with certain health risks in observational research, that doesn't automatically mean the weight fluctuations themselves are responsible. As always, we're looking beyond the headlines, examining the evidence and trying to make the science understandable without losing the nuance. P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

    Do Diets Actually Make You Fatter? The Science of Yo-Yo Dieting
  2. Oct 20

    The Dark Side of Being an Elite Athlete (Featuring Bethany Flores)

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when the sport you love becomes your whole livelihood? What happens when that is taken away from you because of injuries or you need to take a break during pregnancy? In this episode of the All or Something Podcast, we sit down with elite CrossFit athlete Bethany Flores to talk about the realities of competing at the highest level, navigating injury and pregnancy, and learning to separate your self-worth from your performance. Bethany has spent years pushing her body to its limits in pursuit of competitive success. But behind the training, competition, and results is a more complicated story about body image, food, sponsorships, and the pressure to keep improving even when life demands something different. After a back injury kept her out for the entire 2022 season, Bethany faced questions about who she was outside the gym. Then, competing during early pregnancy and navigating postpartum recovery brought a new set of challenges, forcing her to reconsider what it means to be an athlete when you can't always train, compete, or perform the way you used to. We discuss what elite CrossFit training actually looks like, the pressures of making a living as an athlete, and the support competitors can realistically expect from their sport and sponsors when injury or pregnancy changes everything. We also get into Bethany's longstanding struggles with body image, her relationship with food, and how becoming a mother has influenced the way she thinks about health, exercise, and the example she wants to set for her son. In this episode, we discuss: * What CrossFit is and what it takes to compete at an elite level * The impact of injury on athletic identity and self-worth * The pressures of competing around pregnancy and navigating postpartum recovery * Why being at your fittest doesn't always mean feeling good enough * The financial and emotional realities of being a professional athlete * Sponsorships, pregnancy, and the support athletes need but may not receive * Body image struggles, food, and fueling performance * The pressure to return to competition while other athletes keep progressing * Motherhood, body image, and breaking unhealthy patterns * How to know when you're ready to return to sport — and when to wait * Learning to value yourself beyond what you achieve This isn't just a conversation about CrossFit. It's about what happens when the thing that gives you purpose also becomes the thing that makes you question your worth — and how to find a healthier balance without losing the ambition that made you successful in the first place. P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

    The Dark Side of Being an Elite Athlete (Featuring Bethany Flores)
  3. Oct 13

    The Rise and Fall of the Carnivore Diet

    Send us Fan Mail The carnivore diet exploded in popularity, with claims that eating nothing but meat could help you lose weight, reduce inflammation, heal your gut, and even reverse chronic disease. But what does the science actually say about the carnivore diet, and why has the hype started to fade? In this episode of All or Something, we explore the rise and fall of the carnivore diet, tracing how an extreme animal-based diet became one of the most controversial nutrition trends on social media. We examine some of the biggest carnivore diet health claims, some of the biggest carnivore diet proponents and how some of the hype has already started to fizzle out. From the rise of the carnivore movement and its most influential advocates to concerns about cholesterol, saturated fat, fiber, and long-term health, we separate what we know from what is still uncertain. In this episode, we discuss: - What is the carnivore diet, and what can you eat on it? - How and why the carnivore diet became so popular - The biggest carnivore diet benefits claimed by influencers - Can the carnivore diet help with weight loss and body composition? - Are the health benefits from a carnivore diet actually about what you eat or rather what you avoid? - Why anecdotes and personal success stories aren't the same as scientific evidence - Why many people on the carnivore diet actually do not care what the research says - Why some prominent carnivore advocates have reconsidered their positions The carnivore diet raises important questions about how we evaluate nutrition advice. People may experience real improvements when they change their diets, but that doesn't automatically mean the diet itself is responsible for every reported benefit, or that the same results apply to everyone. Our goal is to look beyond the headlines, examine the available evidence, and ask whether the claims made about the carnivore diet stand up to scientific scrutiny. If you're interested in evidence-based nutrition, diet trends, weight loss, gut health, metabolic health, and the science behind popular diets, this episode is for you. P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

    The Rise and Fall of the Carnivore Diet
  4. Oct 6

    Can You Really Be Healthy At Any Size? We Debate

    Send us Fan Mail Is Health at Every Size actually healthy? In this episode, someone specifically asked us for our hot takes on Health at Every Size (HAES), and weight-centric vs health-centric care. Health at Every Size (HAES) has become one of the most debated ideas in nutrition, fitness and healthcare. Supporters argue that health should not be reduced to body size or weight, while critics have raised questions about some of the theory's claims, assumptions and practical implications. This is a very sensitive topic and it is actually one a lot of people don't understand properly, so we are approaching this a little bit differently and doing this in a debate format. Rather than just telling you our opinions, we are going to discuss some common claims and criticisms with rebuttals. That way you can see where some thought processes stem from, where some of their criticisms stem from, and perhaps where some ideas fall short. In this episode of All or Something, we wanted to have that conversation without turning it into a simple “HAES is good” versus “HAES is bad” argument. Rather than presenting one side as obviously correct, we work through the disagreements and try to figure out where the strongest arguments actually lie. We discuss: - Why Health at Every Size (HAES) is NOT THE SAME THING as people claiming you are always healthy at every size. - Are there risks associated with body weight? - Are those risks simply correlations or does your body weight cause those risks? - Can focusing less on weight improve health outcomes? - What role does weight discrimination play when it comes to poor health? - Do some people go too far to criticise the role that body composition can play in your health? This isn't intended to be a takedown of Health at Every Size, nor is it an attempt to dismiss the concerns that led to the movement in the first place. It's an attempt to have a more nuanced conversation about a topic that is often discussed in extremes. If you've ever wondered whether the criticisms of HAES are fair, whether the responses to those criticisms hold up, or where the truth lies somewhere between the two sides, this episode is for you. P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

    Can You Really Be Healthy At Any Size? We Debate
  5. Sep 29

    When Does Healthy Eating Become Disordered Eating? (Featuring Rachel Hobbs Tremain)

    Send us Fan Mail When does healthy eating become disordered eating, and how can you tell when your relationship with food has started to become unhealthy? In this episode of the All or Something Podcast, we sit down with Registered Dietitian and coach Rachel Hobbs to have a nuanced conversation about dieting, eating disorders, disordered eating, binge eating, fitness culture, and what it actually means to have a healthy relationship with food. Rachel describes her philosophy as “anti-diet culture, but not anti-diet, a distinction that opens up a much bigger conversation about where healthy nutrition ends and problematic behaviors begin. We talk about the difference between an eating disorder and disordered eating, whether dieting actually causes eating disorders, and the warning signs that someone's relationship with food may be becoming problematic. We also discuss binge eating, including some of the common misconceptions surrounding it and why simply telling someone to “have more willpower” completely misses the bigger picture. The conversation then moves into the fitness world, where behaviors like calorie tracking, following meal plans, getting lean, cutting weight and pursuing a certain physique can be completely normalised.  We explore what happens when someone genuinely wants to improve their health but doesn't want food and dieting to consume their life.  What can you do if you're constantly thinking about food? What if you struggle to adhere to a calorie target or meal plan? And does failing to follow a diet mean you've failed, or could the approach itself be part of the problem? We also discuss how parents can help children develop a healthy relationship with food without unintentionally creating fear, guilt or unnecessary food rules. In this episode, we discuss: - What “anti-diet culture, but not anti-diet” actually means - The difference between eating disorders and disordered eating - Whether dieting causes eating disorders - Warning signs of a problematic relationship with food - Why binge eating is often misunderstood - Calorie tracking and meal plans - Why struggling with adherence doesn't necessarily mean you've failed - Food obsession and constantly thinking about eating - When healthy fitness behaviors become unhealthy - Disordered eating in athletes and strength sports - Why losing your period shouldn't simply be dismissed as part of being lean - How to help children develop a healthy relationship with food - Whether you can improve your health without traditional dieting The goal isn't to stop caring about nutrition or to imply that nutritious diets are not health promoting. It's to make sure nutrition doesn't become the thing controlling your life. P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

    When Does Healthy Eating Become Disordered Eating? (Featuring Rachel Hobbs Tremain)
  6. Sep 15

    What We Get Wrong About Mental Health (Featuring Dr. Mike Banna)

    Send us Fan Mail What are we getting wrong about mental health? Mental health is talked about more openly than ever, but more conversation doesn't necessarily mean better understanding. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mike Banna to unpack some of the biggest misconceptions around mental health, mental illness, lifestyle, and modern medicine. We discuss where the line is between normal emotions like sadness, stress and anxiety and a diagnosable mental health disorder. We talk about the warning signs that someone may not be coping as well as they think, how to approach someone you're worried about, and whether efforts to “remove the stigma” can sometimes blur the distinction between struggling with life and having a mental illness. We also explore the role of lifestyle. How much can sleep, exercise and nutrition actually influence mental health? When can lifestyle changes genuinely help and when do they become an inadequate substitute for professional treatment? Mike also opens up about losing roughly a third of his body weight and how experiencing that transformation himself changed the way he thinks about health, prevention and the advice he gives to patients. And we challenge some common criticisms of modern medicine: - Do doctors focus too much on treating disease rather than preventing it? - Is the idea that doctors simply “push pills” fair? - How much do doctors actually learn about nutrition and lifestyle? - What are legitimate criticisms of the medical system? - And can we really trust social media for health and fitness information? This isn't an argument that lifestyle changes can replace therapy or medication, or that modern medicine has all the answers. It's a conversation about understanding the difference between them and being more careful about how we talk about mental health in the first place. If you've ever struggled with your own mental health, worried about someone close to you, or wondered where lifestyle fits into the bigger picture, this episode is for you. P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

    What We Get Wrong About Mental Health (Featuring Dr. Mike Banna)
  7. Sep 8

    The Rise and Fall of Intermittent Fasting

    Send us Fan Mail Intermittent fasting was supposed to change the way we think about eating. For years, fasting was one of the biggest trends in nutrition and health.  The idea was simple, when you eat might be as important or more important than what you eat. Timing your meals properly could help you lose weight, improve your metabolic health, reduce your risk of disease, and perhaps even live longer. 16:8 became a household term. The 5:2 diet exploded in popularity. Alternate-day fasting attracted serious scientific attention. Books, podcasts and social media turned intermittent fasting into one of the most talked-about approaches to nutrition. But over time, this hype seems to have started dying down. Intermittent fasting (and time restricted feeding) are still very popular, but they don't seem as dominant as they once were. In this episode of the All or Something Podcast, we take a step back and look at the rise and fall of intermittent fasting.  - Why did fasting become so popular in the first place?  - What did the early research actually show?  - How much of the excitement was supported by good evidence? We break down the different forms of intermittent fasting, including time-restricted eating, 16:8, the 5:2 diet and alternate-day fasting, and explain how they actually compare with conventional calorie restriction. We also look at one of the biggest questions surrounding fasting: does fasting have unique benefits, or does most of the benefit come from the fact that people simply end up eating fewer calories? As always, people misinterpret these videos as us saying intermittent fasting doesn't work, but that isn't what we are saying at all. We are saying that maybe it doesn't work as well as what many people claimed, and maybe it works for a different reason as well. P.S., If you want to support us and would like monthly lifting workouts, you can join the Momentum by Sohee fitness app. http://momentumbysohee.com If you are interested in fat loss science, you can purchase Ben's best-selling comprehensive fat loss book, Everything Fat Loss. http://geni.us/EverythingFatLoss

    The Rise and Fall of Intermittent Fasting
4.9
out of 5
68 Ratings

About

The All or Something Podcast is where Sohee and Ben bring their real, evidence-based approach to health, fitness and everyday life. Each week, we dive into the habits, strategies and mindset shifts that help you live fitter, healthier, happier lives. As longtime creators in the wellness space, we go beyond quick tips and trending advice. Expect honest conversations, practical takeaways, and a balance of science, humor and real-life experience. If you’re ready for growth that feels realistic, not all or nothing, hit the follow and come hang out with us every week.

You Might Also Like