Category Archives: Fat Loss & Cutting Strategies

Begin With Awareness: The Scientific Simplicity Behind Weight Loss

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Begin With Awareness: The Scientific Simplicity Behind Weight Loss

By Jon Stone | Founder, IronResilience.net
Discipline, Not Genetics

Let’s be blunt: most people fail to lose weight because they overcomplicate it, get overwhelmed, or try to sprint a marathon. But real results don’t come from extremes. They come from awareness, consistency, and discipline. You don’t need to be a nutritionist. You don’t need a new diet every Monday. You just need to start tracking what you do — and gradually refine it.

This is how real transformation begins. Not with hype. Not with fads. But with data, action, and discipline.

Step 1: Track Your Calories. Nothing Else.

Forget macros. Forget superfoods. Don’t even think about supplements yet.
First, get honest:
🧠 How much energy are you putting in?
⚖️ How much are you burning?

That’s all calories are — a unit of energy. Your body burns a certain amount every day. Eat more than that and you gain weight. Eat less and you lose it. That’s not marketing. That’s physics.

Until you track that number, everything else is guesswork. It’s like trying to run a business without looking at your bank account.

Step 2: Track Macros — Protein First

Once you’ve got the calorie habit down, refine it. Prioritize protein — the only macronutrient that repairs and maintains muscle, increases satiety, and has a high thermic effect (meaning it actually takes energy to digest).

➡️ Aim for 1g per pound of goal bodyweight.

Fat and carbs? Tailor those to your lifestyle, training, and energy needs. But without protein, you’re not just losing fat — you’re losing muscle, too.

Muscle is metabolism. Muscle is strength. Muscle is resilience.

Step 3: Micronutrients, Electrolytes, and Sodium

Now you’re operating like a pro. Once calories and macros are dialed in, look at the nutrients that don’t get the spotlight:

  • 🧂 Sodium
  • 🦴 Magnesium
  • 🍳 B Vitamins
  • 🥬 Potassium
  • 🍖 Zinc

These regulate performance, energy, hydration, sleep, and mental sharpness. Most people are deficient and don’t even know it.
This is where elite-level health begins — not just aesthetics, but function.

The One Percent Rule

You don’t need to be perfect today. Just better than yesterday.
Even 1% improvement over time beats the all-or-nothing mindset that keeps people stuck.

Do something small:

  • 🟢 Swap your sugary drink for water.
  • 🟢 Stop pouring cream and sugar in your coffee.
  • 🟢 Skip the sauce that adds 300 empty calories.

These aren’t life-ruining sacrifices — they’re refinements. Small upgrades that, over time, stack into real transformation.
And here’s the truth: most people won’t even take that first step. If you’re reading this and making even one of these changes, you’re already on a better path.

Ask Yourself This Right Now

What’s the highest-calorie, least-nutritious thing you eat regularly?
What do you keep going back to that doesn’t serve your mission?

Get real. Be surgical.
Cut it out, or dial it back.
This alone could shift your trajectory before you ever track a single calorie.

Final Word: Start With Consciousness, Not Perfection

This isn’t about punishment. It’s about personal power.
Tracking your intake is not obsession — it’s ownership.
Cutting the junk is not restriction — it’s self-respect.

You don’t need a six-pack tomorrow.
You need a standard today.

Start small. Stay consistent.
And never forget: Discipline. Not genetics.

Fat Gain Isn’t a Theory — It’s a Law

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Fat Gain Isn’t a Theory — It’s a Law | Iron Resilience


Fat Gain: It’s Not a Theory—It’s a Law ⚡️⚖️⚡️

By Jon Stone | Iron Resilience

Let’s cut the fluff.

Fat gain isn’t complicated. It isn’t mysterious. It’s not your hormones, your genetics, your metabolism, or the moon phase. Those can influence the rate or distribution of fat storage—but they don’t change the one thing that actually causes fat gain.

That thing is caloric surplus.

🔬 The Science Behind Fat Gain

Your body builds and stores fat through a process called adipogenesis. That’s the biological term for when your body takes energy it doesn’t need right now and tucks it away for later. Where? In adipose tissue—fat.

This tissue is made up of adipocytes, or fat cells. These cells store energy as triglycerides, a dense, efficient fuel source your body can tap into when food is scarce. Back in the hunter-gatherer days, that storage kept you alive. Today, it’s why your belt doesn’t fit.

None of this happens without one thing:

Excess energy. A calorie surplus.

🔥 What Is a Calorie?

A calorie is a unit of energy. Plain and simple. When you eat, you’re taking in energy. When you move, think, breathe, and digest, you’re burning it. If you eat more energy than you burn, your body stores the rest—mostly as fat.

No surplus = no storage.

That’s not up for debate. That’s not a diet guru’s opinion. It’s the First Law of Thermodynamics: energy cannot be created or destroyed—only stored or transferred. In humans, extra energy gets stored as fat. Period.

☠️ The Excuse Killshot

Fat gain is always the result of consuming more calories than you burn on average over time.

Not sometimes. Not maybe. Not “but what about insulin?” Always.

Yes, food quality matters. Yes, macros matter. Yes, hormones influence cravings, hunger, partitioning, and how easy or hard it feels. But none of them override the math:

  • Eat more than you burn = gain fat.
  • Burn more than you eat = lose fat.

This is not “calories in, calories out” as a slogan. This is physics applied to biology.

⚔️ Iron Resilience Standard

You can cry about it. You can call it toxic. You can say it’s more complicated. Or…

You can accept it, weaponize it, and get to work.

That’s the Iron Resilience way:
Discipline over delusion. Physics over feelings. No excuses, no lies, just the raw truth and the hard path forward.

If you’re gaining fat, it’s not magic—it’s math. Fix the math. Control the inputs. Watch your life change.

Welcome to the law. Respect it—or be ruled by it.



Why do some people eat healthy and work out but still don’t look fit?

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“Why do some people eat healthy and work out but still don’t look fit?”

Simple: they say they eat healthy. They say they work out. But reality doesn’t care what you say—it only responds to what you do, consistently, with intensity, and without compromise.

Here’s why they don’t look fit:

  1. Their version of “healthy” is a lie.
    Whole wheat toast, fruit juice, seed oils, cereal, and “moderation” of junk isn’t healthy. It’s mainstream dogma. Real healthy eating is built on protein, fat, and hard limits—no cheat days, no excuses, no comfort carbs.
  2. Their workouts are soft.
    A 30-minute walk or a few resistance band curls isn’t training—it’s movement. Training means progressive overload. Failure sets. Sweating through grit. Pain tolerance. If you leave the gym without a war wound, you didn’t train.
  3. They’re inconsistent.
    Discipline isn’t Monday to Friday. It’s seven days a week, through stress, bad sleep, holidays, and depression. One binge undoes a week of effort. One skipped session starts a slide. Half-assing this life never works.
  4. They overeat “clean.”
    You can get fat on peanut butter and protein bars. Portion control and macros matter. If you’re not tracking intake and manipulating it for your goals, you’re gambling, not cutting.
  5. They lack time under tension.
    One year of lifting lightly isn’t ten years of war in the weight room. The body is a reflection of cumulative suffering. If you’ve only just begun, don’t expect a veteran’s armor.
  6. They lie to themselves.
    Comfort is the modern curse. It whispers, “You’re doing enough.” But results don’t lie. If the mirror doesn’t change, your habits haven’t either. That’s the truth most “healthy” people won’t admit.

Bottom line: You’re not entitled to a fit body just because you kind of try. You earn it through discipline, suffering, sacrifice, and ruthless consistency. And if you’re still soft, it’s because somewhere deep down—you’re still soft on yourself.

Iron Resilience doesn’t play that game.
We forge the body to match the mind. And the mind to master the body.

—Jon Stone | IRON RESILIENCE

Discipline Over Dopamine: Why Fun is the Enemy and Dirty Bulking is a Lie

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Discipline Over Dopamine: Why Fun is the Enemy and Dirty Bulking is a Lie

By Jon Stone | Iron Resilience

The Dirty Truth

You don’t need motivation. You need a mirror and the balls to admit you’ve been soft. The fitness world is full of dopamine-chasing cowards looking for hacks, shortcuts, and comfort. If it’s fun and easy, it’s probably useless. Results come from pain, boredom, and sacrifice.

You think discipline is waking up at 6 AM for a jog with a podcast and protein bar? That’s lifestyle fluff. Real discipline is forcing down another plate of dry steak and eggs when you’re already full, walking an hour on empty just to get to the gym, and lifting until your joints scream. Not because you love it. Because you demand results.

Hard Work is Not Meant to Feel Good

Eating clean sucks. Being in a deficit is draining. Lifting heavy when you’re already sore is torture. But the work gets done anyway.

No one said this was supposed to feel good. It’s supposed to feel like war.

Fun is for the weak. Discipline is doing what you hate like it means nothing.

Shoving down your cravings, shutting off your comfort reflex, brushing your teeth, walking your steps, showering when you’re dead tired, and still hitting the iron with intention. That’s what separates the disciplined from the delusional.

Dirty Bulking is the Coward’s Escape

Let’s talk about the lie everyone loves: “I’m bulking.”

Translation? You’re binge-eating garbage and telling yourself it’s muscle.

Dirty bulking is easy. Shovel food down, lift a bit, and pretend it’s all going to turn into gains. You’ll cut later, right?

Too bad reality doesn’t play along. Six months of that behavior leads to 2–3 years of struggle. You’re not bulking. You’re running. And now you need a search party to find your dick and balls under the fat.

What you call a “bulk phase” is just your addiction to dopamine disguised as strategy.

The Cost of Delusion

You bulked your way out of discipline.
You buried your hunger cues.
You inflated your ego with every bite.

And now you’re left with man tits, low energy, and a wardrobe full of lies.

Cutting through that mess takes real suffering. You don’t just undo months of comfort with a few weeks of salads and cardio. This is where 99% quit. They wanted results, not reality.

But you? If you’re still here, you’re not them.

Fun is a Trap

Comfort is the great lie of our time. People think if you love your workouts, if you enjoy every bite, if your training is always engaging, then you’re doing it right.

No. You’re doing it easy.

The right way is often repetitive. Monotonous. Brutal. Real training is showing up when you don’t want to. Real dieting is saying no when everything in you screams yes. And real life? It’s what you build when you stop chasing pleasure and start living with purpose.

No Shortcut Lasts Forever

People will try every shortcut in the book—keto, fasting, carb cycling, pills, powders, even injections. And some of them work. Temporarily.

But it all circles back to diet and exercise.

If you want to make it a lifestyle, not a phase, you’ll have to accept the truth: discipline over dopamine, consistency over excitement, and effort over ease. No matter what you take or try, real results still demand real work.

The Biggest Flex

The biggest flex isn’t your PR. It isn’t your abs. It isn’t your follower count.

The biggest flex is maintaining your physical youth while watching everyone else around you get old.

While they slump into chairs and sugar comas, you’re out walking laps in the heat with a gallon jug and a steel spine. While they reminisce about their prime, you’re living it—again and again.

This is the power of discipline. This is the reward for the pain. You didn’t lose time. You reclaimed it.

The Iron Resilience Way

We don’t dirty bulk. We don’t binge and blame.

We eat with intention, even if the food tastes like cardboard.
We train through pain, fatigue, and boredom.
We walk with blisters. We lift with fury. We rest just enough to go again.

We don’t chase dopamine. We chase discipline.

Iron Resilience isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about identity.

You become who you are by walking through the fire, not around it.

Stop Bulking. Start Becoming.

Burn the bulking phase. Build the war path.

Stop lying to yourself. Start living by code.

Results cost pain. Pay in full.

Bonus Points from the Field

As much as I believe in balance and not cutting out entire food groups, there are certain things I personally avoid entirely—never “in moderation.”

  1. Palm oil & refined oils — Never in my kitchen. Restaurants might use them, and that’s fine once in a while. But not at home.
  2. Instant noodles — Maggi, ramen, etc. Not food. Just addiction.
  3. Cheese, peanut butter, yogurt, most dairy, nuts, and butter — These make me soft, bloated, and sluggish. Out. (I only use these in moderation and where my calorie intake is high enough to support my metabolism and activity, but I don’t recommend it for everyone—especially since I’m doing keto.)
  4. Sugar, processed grains, processed foods, fast foods, and junk — They’re poison for performance and longevity.
  5. Seed oils — Avoid these inflammatory nightmares whenever possible.

Real Talk on Lifestyle

Switch your diet to strictly eating whole foods and watch what happens — not just to your weight but to your energy levels.

Unpopular opinion: Buying groceries is not cheaper than eating out when you’re a single person. But the point isn’t cost. It’s control.

I hate talking about weight loss with some people. Everyone’s body is different, sure—but some suggestions are insane. Let’s just get real for a second:

You can’t just eat whatever you want after 30.

Kids are naturally active — playing outside, running, standing, burning sugar fast. Adults aren’t. Jobs and lifestyle trap you in sitting patterns, and the sugar just settles. Nearly all American food is sugar-laced trash, slowly killing most people.

When Monday comes, most people are already making excuses.

You’re not most people.

You don’t wait for motivation. You build momentum.
You don’t chase comfort. You chase progress.

This week, show yourself what discipline really looks like.

Get up. Lock in. Move.

The Best “Weight Loss Drugs” on the Market

  • 10k steps a day
  • No alcohol
  • Restful sleep
  • Whole foods only
  • Weight training
  • High protein diet
  • Stress management

Don’t do cardio to lose weight. Do cardio to increase energy, sharpen your mind, and level up your life.

If you want real results, embrace the hard path. The easy road is full of lies. Discipline is your weapon. Use it.

Jon Stone
Founder, ironresilience.net
Discipline, Not Genetics

IRON RESILIENCE LINKS

Myth-Busting: “You Can’t Outtrain a Bad Diet” – Not Always True

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Myth-Busting: “You Can’t Outtrain a Bad Diet” – Not Always True

Myth: “I can outtrain a shitty diet.”
Fact: You can—temporarily. But you can’t outrun the consequences.

Let’s be real: if you’re on gear, genetically blessed, or training like a Tour de France rider—4 to 6 hours a day, burning 5,000+ calories—you might be able to get away with more than the average man. Junk food, processed carbs, sugar bombs… in those rare cases, it’s fuel, not poison.

But for everyone else?

That saying—“you can’t outtrain a bad diet”—is a guideline, not a universal law. Still, it applies to most of us. Especially if you’re natural. Especially if you’re not an elite athlete training like a maniac.

Because here’s what happens over time:

  • Health markers crash: cholesterol climbs, blood pressure spikes, insulin sensitivity drops, gut health suffers.
  • Inflammation rises. Organs stress out. Low-nutrient, high-toxin food takes its toll.
  • Injuries creep in—because your recovery isn’t being supported by real nutrition.
  • Even guys on PEDs eventually hit a wall if their diet stays garbage.

Yes, there are outliers: pro bodybuilders who live on fast food yet stay shredded. NFL monsters pounding 6,000 calories of processed food and staying jacked. But they’re statistical freaks. They’re not the standard. And even they won’t be invincible forever.

Here’s the hard truth:
Most people can’t even come close to burning off 700–1000 extra calories of junk. That’s HOURS of serious effort—cardio, lifting, walking. Think you’ll “burn it off later”? You won’t. You’ll just store it.

Discipline doesn’t start with your workout. It starts with what you put on your plate.

Train like a beast. Eat like a warrior.
Not for aesthetics—for survival.

Own your fuel. Control your outcomes.

Iron Resilience.

Jon Stone
Founder, ironresilience.net
Discipline, Not Genetics

IRON RESILIENCE LINKS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonstone.ironresilience
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ironresilience91
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iron.resilience
Website: https://ironresilience.net

Fat Won’t Kill You—But the Food Pyramid Will

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Myth: Dietary Fat Clogs Your Arteries and Makes You Fat

Truth: Low-fat = high-carb. That advice gave us the obesity epidemic.

Healthy fats—animal fats, eggs, butter—don’t make you fat. They support your hormones, keep you full, and help you burn fat.

If you think:

  • Juice is hydration
  • Chocolate milk is a protein shake
  • Cereal is clean eating
  • Grains are the base of the food pyramid

You’re not following science. You’re following 1950s marketing and 1980s food lobby propaganda—designed to keep you addicted, inflamed, and dependent.

“Cereal is fortified with vitamins!”

Fat logic: “It’s basically medicine in a bowl.”

Reality: It’s “fortified” because they stripped all the nutrients out—then sprinkled synthetic ones back in like fairy dust.

The sugar and starch hit your bloodstream faster than cocaine in a Wall Street bathroom. You’re hungry again in an hour. Rinse, repeat.

If cereal is breakfast, diabetes is dessert.

“Whole grains are heart-healthy!”

Fat logic: “I switched from Frosted Flakes to granola and brown bread!”

Reality: Whole grains are better than white flour—like getting punched is better than getting stabbed.

They’re still high in carbs, spike insulin, and are loaded with anti-nutrients like phytic acid that block mineral absorption.

Most cereals are ultra-processed, sweetened, and marketed with cartoon animals or fake doctor endorsements.

Translation: You’re not eating health food. You’re eating corporate-approved kibble.

“Chocolate milk is the perfect post-workout drink.”

Fat logic: “It has protein and calcium, bro.”

Reality: It has more sugar than soda—up to 30g per cup. The protein is fine, but you’re pairing it with an insulin bomb.

Unless you’re lean, insulin sensitive, and lifting hard—it’s not fueling recovery. It’s fueling your gut.

Translation: Chocolate milk works great if you’re a 12-year-old playing peewee hockey. Otherwise, you’re just getting fat with a straw.

“Fruit juice is healthy because it’s fruit!”

Fat logic: “It’s basically a salad you can drink!”

Reality: Fruit juice is sugar water with a vitamin halo. One glass of OJ has the sugar of 4 oranges—without the fiber.

It spikes insulin, crashes your energy, and leaves you hungrier. Fructose hits your liver like alcohol—causing fatty liver and insulin resistance.

Translation: If fruit is nature’s candy, juice is nature’s crack.

Bonus Round: “Healthy snacks”

  • Granola bars: Candy bars in yoga pants.
  • Trail mix: Fat + sugar bombs you eat while sitting.
  • Smoothies: Fruit juice milkshakes with a vitamin label.

Translation: Just because it has “natural” on the label doesn’t mean it’s not naturally making you fat.

“Oatmeal is a healthy breakfast!”

Fat logic: “It lowers cholesterol! It’s fiber!”

Reality: Oatmeal is a high-GI carb bomb. Instant oats digest faster than sugar.

Most people drown it in brown sugar, raisins, banana, and milk—making it a dessert disguised as breakfast.

Translation: Oatmeal is a carb bomb in a cardigan. Fiber doesn’t make it holy—it just makes your colon busy.

“Fish and chips is healthy—it’s fish!”

Fat logic: “Omega-3s cancel out the deep fry!”

Reality: That “fish” is cheap white fillet, breaded and deep-fried in seed oil sludge. The fries? Carbs + trans fats + heart disease.

Translation: That fish ain’t swimming in your arteries. It’s drowning you in visceral fat and inflammation.

“Gatorade is healthy because electrolytes!”

Fat logic: “I need to rehydrate after walking to the fridge.”

Reality: Gatorade was made for athletes in Florida heat. A bottle has 34g of sugar—like soda with sodium.

Translation: It’s just sugar water with corporate permission.

“Protein bars and shakes are healthy snacks!”

Fat logic: “It’s protein, so it’s fine!”

Reality: Most protein bars are candy bars with whey and soy shoved in. Loaded with maltitol, sucralose, seed oils, and gut-wrecking fibers.

Gas station protein shakes? Syrupy sludge with 5g of protein and 30g of carbs.

Translation: You’re not eating like a bodybuilder. You’re eating like a diabetic toddler with a gym membership.

“Margarine and plant-based is healthier than butter and meat!”

Fat logic: “Saturated fat is bad!”

Reality: That logic is from the same era as asbestos and lead paint. Margarine = hydrogenated seed oil plastic. Plant meat = pea protein, sawdust, and 78 additives.

Butter, beef, and eggs? That’s what your great-grandparents thrived on.

Translation: If margarine is your health food, you might as well eat sunscreen and call it a salad.

“Sugary lattes aren’t that bad—it’s just coffee!”

Fat logic: “I need my pick-me-up!”

Reality: Your “coffee” has more sugar than a donut—plus oat milk, whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and a selfie.

It’s not caffeine you’re addicted to—it’s the dopamine hit from dessert in a cup.

Translation: You’re not sipping energy. You’re sipping liquid self-sabotage in a $7 cup.

—

Jon Stone
Founder, ironresilience.net
Discipline, Not Genetics

IRON RESILIENCE LINKS
Instagram: @jonstone.ironresilience
YouTube: @ironresilience91
TikTok: @iron.resilience
Website: ironresilience.net

Top 10 Lazy Excuses That Keep You Soft

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Top 10 Lazy Excuses That Keep You Soft

At Iron Resilience, we’ve heard every excuse in the book—and probably said a few of them ourselves back in the day.
This isn’t about judgment. It’s about honesty. If you want change, it starts by cutting the crap, owning your choices, and laughing at your old logic as you outgrow it.

Here’s a lighthearted roast of the top 10 lazy excuses we’ve all either used or heard—and why they’re holding you back.

1. “I’m strong under this.”

So is the floor under your recliner.
Hidden potential doesn’t mean much when it stays hidden under 80 lbs of excuses.

2. “Protein bars are my snack.”

Candy bars in disguise.
Check the label—if sugar is in the top three ingredients, it’s not fueling you. It’s fooling you.

3. “I don’t have time.”

But 4 hours of Netflix made the cut?
Time isn’t the issue—priorities are. Your body doesn’t care about your calendar. It reacts to what you do daily.

4. “I have kids!”

So lead by example—or they’ll follow your gut.
Your kids don’t need another excuse-maker. They need a role model who shows them how discipline looks in real life.

5. “I just want to live my life.”

You mean survive it.
Living life doesn’t mean coasting in comfort. It means showing up sharp, strong, and capable—not just breathing in and out while being winded tying your shoes.

6. “I retain water.”

No, you retain drive-thru receipts.
There’s a difference between bloating and bloated habits. Let’s be real—water isn’t the reason the scale screams.

7. “I’m built different.”

You mean built… rounder.
Yeah, we’re all built different. But the gym doesn’t care about your body type—it rewards effort and consistency.

8. “It’s bulking season.”

You’ve been “bulking” since 2009.
There’s a difference between strategic mass gain and permanently living in sweatpants. Don’t confuse overfeeding with progress.

9. “I walk at work.”

To the vending machine?
Sure, you’re moving—but is it intentional? Is it intense? Or just pacing while waiting for lunch?

10. “I’ll start Monday.”

Said every quitter… forever.
There are 52 Mondays in a year. If you waited for all of them, you’d still be soft in 2030. Start today—even if it’s a Thursday at 3 PM.

Final Word:

We all have excuses.
The question is—do you feed them or fight them?

At Iron Resilience, we don’t aim for perfection. Just discipline, progress, and truth—served cold with a side of real talk.
If this hit home, good. Now get up, shut out the noise, and get your reps in.

Jon Stone
Founder, ironresilience.net
Discipline, Not Genetics

IRON RESILIENCE LINKS
Instagram: @jonstone.ironresilience
YouTube: @ironresilience91
TikTok: @iron.resilience
Website: https://ironresilience.net

The Standard American Diet vs. Iron Resilience: A Data-Driven Comparison

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The Standard American Diet vs. Iron Resilience: A Data-Driven Comparison

By Jon Stone | Iron Resilience

The Standard American Diet (SAD) isn’t just unhealthy—it’s anti-performance. Its effects on health, physique, and discipline are measurable, well-documented, and directly opposed to the Iron Resilience way of eating and training. Here’s a fact-based comparison of SAD versus the Iron Resilience protocol during a structured cutting phase.

1. Daily Caloric Intake & Macros

Category Standard American Diet (SAD) Iron Resilience Protocol (High-Intensity Day)
Calories/day ~2,700 kcal (USDA average) ~3,681 kcal
Protein ~70g/day (12–15%) 302g/day (33%)
Fat ~115g/day (35–40%) 252g/day (62%)
Carbohydrates ~340g/day (50–60%) 43g/day (mostly fiber and dairy sugar) (5%)
Caloric Deficit Often in surplus 500–1,000 kcal deficit with strategic refeeds

SAD Insight: The average American diet is carbohydrate-heavy with moderate fat and low protein, contributing to metabolic dysfunction and excess fat storage.
Iron Resilience: Prioritizes very high protein to preserve and build lean mass, very high fat to support hormonal health and energy, and very low carbs to promote fat oxidation. Despite higher calories, a controlled deficit is maintained by elevated energy expenditure.

2. Food Sources

Typical Iron Resilience Foods Include:

  • Pork (large fried pork chops, ground pork, pork fat, pork rinds)
  • Chicken (all parts, especially skin-on, bone-in)
  • Seafood (shrimp, trout, salmon)
  • Organ meats (calf liver)
  • Bacon, sausages, hot dogs, pepperoni sticks, hamburger patties
  • Dairy (cheese, Greek yogurt)
  • Nuts (almonds)
  • Vegetables (spinach, bell peppers, onions, avocados)
  • Coffee
  • Cooking fats like butter and animal fat

Breakfast Example:
Whey protein, Greek yogurt, natural peanut butter, ground flaxseed, almond milk, Himalayan pink salt

Lunch Example:
375g chicken breast (skin and bone-in)

3. Physical Activity & Energy Output

Category Standard American Male Iron Resilience Protocol (High-Intensity Day)
Steps/day ~5,000 (NIH average) 35,000 steps
Training Low intensity or inconsistent 1 hour of weightlifting and core training
Deficit Caloric surplus or maintenance 500–1,000 kcal deficit (with periodic refeeds)

SAD Impact: Most adults fail to meet minimum physical activity recommendations, contributing to chronic disease.
Iron Resilience: Combines high daily steps with focused resistance training for optimal fat loss and muscle retention.

4. Summary

The Standard American Diet supports excess fat gain, insulin resistance, and poor body composition due to high carbs, low protein, and low activity.

The Iron Resilience protocol counters this with:

  • Very high protein intake (over 300g/day) to maintain and grow muscle.
  • High fat consumption (over 250g/day) for sustained energy and hormonal health.
  • Low carbohydrate intake (~40g/day), mostly from fiber and dairy sugar.
  • High physical activity (35,000 steps and 1+ hour lifting) to create a moderate caloric deficit (500–1,000 kcal/day) with planned refeeds to maintain metabolism.

This approach maximizes lean mass retention while aggressively reducing fat, all backed by nutrition science and real-world experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is the Iron Resilience protocol a ketogenic diet?

A: Yes. It’s a targeted ketogenic diet designed to keep carbohydrate intake very low—around 40 to 50 grams per day—primarily from fibrous vegetables and dairy. The diet is high in fat (over 250 grams daily) from animal fats, nuts, butter, and cooking fats, which provides the main energy source. Protein intake is very high (300+ grams daily) to preserve and build muscle during a cutting phase with intense training. This combination supports fat burning and muscle retention while maintaining energy and performance.

Q: How does the Iron Resilience diet differ from the Standard American Diet?

A: The typical American diet is high in carbohydrates (around 340 grams per day), moderate in fat, and low in protein. This leads to excess fat gain and poor metabolic health. Iron Resilience flips this by prioritizing high protein, high fat, and very low carbs, paired with high physical activity to create a controlled calorie deficit and optimize body composition.

Q: What kind of foods do you eat on the Iron Resilience protocol?

A: Foods focus heavily on animal proteins and fats such as pork chops, chicken (all parts), seafood (shrimp, trout, salmon), organ meats (calf liver), bacon, sausages, cheese, and eggs. Vegetables like spinach, bell peppers, onions, and avocado provide fiber and micronutrients. Cooking fats include butter and animal fat. Coffee and nuts are also part of the diet.

Q: What does a typical high-intensity day look like?

A: An example high-intensity day involves:

  • 3,681 calories consisting of 302g protein, 252g fat, and 43g carbohydrates.
  • 35,000 steps of walking or movement.
  • 1 hour of weightlifting and core training.
  • A caloric deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories, depending on the day, with strategic refeed days to maintain metabolic health.

Build your body like it’s your last chance. Because it is.
Iron Resilience isn’t just a diet. It’s a declaration.

Jon Stone
Founder, ironresilience.net
Discipline, Not Genetics

IRON RESILIENCE LINKS

The Missing Links to Peak Health and Anti-Aging

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The Missing Links to Peak Health and Anti-Aging

By Jon Stone | Iron Resilience

Most people chasing “health” or “fitness” don’t realize they’re doing it with a half-empty toolkit. They track macros, go to the gym, maybe even fast—but they’re still inflamed, tired, low-testosterone, and biologically aging fast.

This is Iron Resilience. We train hard, eat harder, and live disciplined—but we also go deeper. We optimize every system in the body to build aesthetics, strength, endurance, and longevity—without excuses, without substances, without weakness.

Here’s what you need for true peak health and to reverse aging from the inside out.

WATER, ELECTROLYTES & FIBER: THE FOUNDATION

Daily Targets for Bodybuilders:

  • Water: 3.5–5+ liters/day. More if you sweat. No exceptions.
  • Sodium: 4,000–6,000 mg/day or more. Especially on keto.
  • Potassium: 3,500–5,000 mg/day. Use potassium salt or avocado and leafy greens.
  • Magnesium: 400–600 mg/day. Glycinate or citrate at night.
  • Fiber: 15–30g/day. From flaxseed, greens, and cruciferous veg. Don’t wreck your gut.

Hydration is not about sipping water—it’s about retaining it with sodium and potassium. Cramping, fatigue, or brain fog? You’re low. Fix it or suffer.

THE MICRONUTRIENTS THAT MATTER

You train like a beast, so fuel like a machine. Here’s what your body needs beyond protein and fats:

  • Magnesium: Sleep, muscle recovery, ATP.
  • Zinc: Testosterone, immunity, anabolic drive.
  • Vitamin D3 + K2: Bone, mood, hormone health.
  • Potassium & Sodium: Pumps, hydration, muscle contraction.
  • Calcium: Muscle firing, bone strength.
  • B-Vitamins (B6, B12, Folate): Energy, red blood cells.
  • Selenium & Iodine: Thyroid function.
  • Chromium & Vanadium: Bonus for keto lifters—blood sugar control.

BEYOND THE BASICS: DEEP OPTIMIZATION

1. Mitochondrial Power = Energy + Longevity

  • Train hard (especially HIIT and fasted cardio).
  • Supplement CoQ10 and PQQ if depleted.
  • Use cold exposure and walk fasted to trigger mitochondrial biogenesis.

2. Autophagy: Clean the System

  • Fast daily. OMAD or 18:6 windows.
  • Train fasted and hard.
  • Consider berberine or spermidine for deep cellular cleanup.

3. Inflammation Control

  • Cut seed oils and processed carbs.
  • Load up on omega-3s, turmeric, ginger.
  • Train, walk, sleep, and stay calm under fire.

4. Natural Testosterone & Growth Hormone Boost

  • Deep sleep + heavy lifting = highest test.
  • Ashwagandha, zinc, sunlight, cold exposure.
  • Have sex, not smut. Stay off the hub. Focus your energy.

5. Collagen and Skin Health

  • Collagen + vitamin C daily.
  • Bone broth, sardines, gelatin.
  • Red light therapy if available.

6. Gut Health

  • Add fermented foods: kefir, sauerkraut, unsweetened yogurt.
  • Use ACV or enzymes if digestion lags.
  • Avoid zero-cal sweeteners that nuke your microbiome.

7. Liver Support

  • Eat liver or egg yolks for choline.
  • Use milk thistle or TUDCA if overloading your system.
  • Sweat daily. Train, sauna, or hot showers.

8. DNA Repair and Glycation Control

  • NAC, alpha-lipoic acid, and resveratrol (optional).
  • Keep blood sugar low and stable.
  • Avoid charred meats and artificial junk.

THE UNSPOKEN FACTORS THAT MAKE OR BREAK YOU

  • Sleep: 7–9 hours. Magnesium + indica before bed. Cold room. No screens.
  • Sunlight: Every morning. Set circadian rhythm. Boost testosterone.
  • Teeth and gums: Floss like it’s life or death—because it is.
  • Posture, mobility, and joint health: Don’t lift like a beast if you can’t move like a man.
  • Mental resilience: Music, solitude, mission. No victim talk. No dopamine chasing.

CONCLUSION: LIVE LIKE A KING, TRAIN LIKE A WOLF

Peak health isn’t about hacks. It’s about discipline, awareness, and ruthless consistency.

If you’re walking 30,000 steps, lifting heavy, fasting, eating primal, and optimizing these systems—you’re not aging. You’re evolving.

That’s Iron Resilience: built from the ground up, from cells to soul.

Jon Stone
Iron Resilience
Train. Build. Dominate.

Quick and Dirty Guide to Macros

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Quick and Dirty Guide to Macros

Remember these formulas:

Option 1 (High Carb):

  • Carbohydrates = 1.5 × bodyweight (in pounds) → grams per day
  • Protein = 1 × bodyweight → grams per day
  • Fill the remaining calories with fat

Option 2 (Keto):

  • Protein = 1 × bodyweight → grams per day
  • Fat = 1 × bodyweight → grams per day
  • Carbohydrates = Under 30g per day

Examples (200 lb person):

Keto Approach:

  • Protein: 200g
  • Fat: 200g
  • Carbs: Under 30g

Higher-Carb Approach:

  • Carbs: 300g (1.5 × 200)
  • Protein: 200g
  • Fat: Adjust based on total calorie needs

This version works better for low to moderate fat intake with moderate to high carbs.

Key Points:

  • Protein comes first. Always hit your protein target before worrying about anything else.
  • Pair protein with carbs or fats for proper absorption. Example meals:
    • Yogurt, oats, and whey
    • Banana with peanut butter
  • Space meals or snacks 4–6 hours apart.
  • Count calories, but prioritize protein. Once protein is locked in, fats and carbs can be adjusted based on energy needs and your goal (cut, bulk, recomp).

On Fasting:

Fasting works best for fat loss in obese, sedentary individuals. It’s not ideal for lean, active people trying to train hard. You can’t fast 16–20 hours a day and expect optimal performance unless you’re cramming in 3,000–4,000 calorie meals—which defeats the point. Fasting isn’t sustainable for performance-focused lifestyles. Use it sparingly, if at all.

Jon Stone
Founder, ironresilience.net
Discipline, Not Genetics

IRON RESILIENCE LINKS