Fat Burning Expert: The Real Reason You Can’t Lose Weight! PCOS, Menopause & Stubborn Belly Fat
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
August 25, 2025
Sick and tired of fitness myths and diet lies? No.1 nutrition expert Alan Aragon answers all your burning questions, from belly fat and PCOS, to creatine, testosterone and building lean muscle…all backed by REAL science!
Speakers Steven Bartlett, Alan Aragon
TopicsBusinessSociety & Culture
SPEAKER_1 (0:01)
This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. From streaming to shopping, Prime helps you get more out of your passions. So whether you're a fan of True Crime or prefer a nail-biting novel from time to time, with services like Prime Video, Amazon Music and fast free delivery, Prime makes it easy to get more out of whatever you're into or getting into. Visit amazon.com/prime to learn more.
Steven Bartlett (0:29)
I asked my audience for their 15 most popular unanswered questions about how to lose fat or to gain muscle mass. The first one, how do I lose weight fast? But you just answered that.
Alan Aragon (0:39)
Yeah.
Steven Bartlett (0:39)
The second one, is creatine this miracle thing that everybody should be taking?
Alan Aragon (0:42)
There's almost nothing creatine can't do.
Steven Bartlett (0:45)
Wow, some statement. Next, is there any harm in eating too much protein?
Alan Aragon (0:49)
It's rare and in fact, almost everybody who has some degree of an issue with their body fat levels, under-consumed protein.
Steven Bartlett (0:56)
The next question is about PCOS. What would you say to a woman struggling with PCOS in terms of dietary prescription?
Alan Aragon (1:02)
That's a damn good question, man. Can I go into detail with this? Because a lot of people are very misinformed about this stuff.
Steven Bartlett (1:09)
The floor is yours.
Alan Aragon (1:10)
Okay, so.
SPEAKER_4 (1:11)
Alan Aragon has been using science to help elite athletes unlock peak performance for over 30 years. And now, he's breaking down the nutrition and training strategies that actually deliver results.
Alan Aragon (1:21)
It's important to take an evidence-based approach to diet, nutrition, training, supplementation. Because if you don't, then you end up wasting a lot of time.
Steven Bartlett (1:29)
So let's start with protein. So how much protein should I be eating to gain muscle?
Alan Aragon (1:33)
What is your goal body weight?
Steven Bartlett (1:34)
Around 90
Alan Aragon (1:35)
Take 90 and multiply that by... There's your protein target.
Steven Bartlett (1:39)
What about calorie restriction? I've heard you say that 10 or 20% of your calories can come from pretty much anything you want.
Alan Aragon (1:45)
Literally anything.
Steven Bartlett (1:46)
So I could eat McDonald's or something. And I could still lose weight theoretically.
Alan Aragon (1:49)
That's true. And this is reflected in research, along with diet breaks. That's one of the tactics that you can use for long-term adherence to a plant. And I'll explain how.
Steven Bartlett (1:59)
I also want to talk about the ketogenic diet, menopause, fasting, sugars and this.
Alan Aragon (2:04)
That always gets me, man. That picture always gets me.
Steven Bartlett (2:06)
Why?
Alan Aragon (2:07)
I used to drink heavily. I was overworked and trying to be the best father and the best husband. And it got real bad. I just needed to stop. And I did.
SPEAKER_4 (2:19)
How?
Alan Aragon (2:19)
I just.
Steven Bartlett (2:21)
Wow, really?
SPEAKER_4 (2:22)
Yes.
Steven Bartlett (2:24)
Quick one before we get back to this episode, just give me 30 seconds of your time. Two things I wanted to say. The first thing is a huge thank you for listening and tuning in to the show week after week. It means the world to all of us. And this really is a dream that we absolutely never had and couldn't have imagined getting to this place. But secondly, it's a dream where we feel like we're only just getting started. And if you enjoy what we do here, please join the 24% of people that listen to this podcast regularly and follow us on this app. Here's a promise I'm going to make to you. I'm going to do everything in my power to make this show as good as I can now and into the future. We're going to deliver the guests that you want me to speak to and we're going to continue to keep doing all of the things you love about this show. Thank you. Thank you so much. Back to the episode. Why should I listen to you? What have you done in your career over the last 30 years that has given you the knowledge, the information, the wisdom that you have on nutrition, dieting, fitness, et cetera? Who is Alan?
Alan Aragon (3:28)
I have over 30 years of experience in the field. The first 10 years consisted of personal training. The second decade of my career was nutritional counseling, just counseling people on how to eat, what to eat, and then the third decade of my career, which is actually running out in 13 years now, is the research and education side. My colleagues and I, we in quotes, do the science, we publish the science. I've been a part of 30 publications.
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