I Study Fat Loss for a Living - Here's What I do to Stay Under 10%

Summary

Thomas DeLauer describes habits he says help him stay lean without strict food weighing or constant restriction. His approach combines a mostly consistent diet with flexible eating, varied training, and periods without food. These are his personal practices and claims, not individualized medical advice.

Eight strategies he discusses

1. Use an 80/20 approach to eating. DeLauer says about 80% of his diet consists of foods he considers clean, while the remaining 20% is more flexible. Staples he mentions include eggs, ground beef, sweet potatoes, avocado, chicken, sardines, berries, and, at times, watermelon and whipped cream. He also avoids certain ingredients because he says they make him feel unwell.

2. Vary pre-workout fueling. He often trains in the morning without eating, but sometimes has about 18–20 grams of plain whey protein beforehand. He says this provides amino acids while retaining some of the feel of fasted training, and cites research on protein and metabolic rate.

3. Include collagen-rich foods. He emphasizes connective tissue and mentions collagen supplements, pork rinds, meat with cartilage, and sardines with bones. He attributes some of his ability to recover and keep training to his overall nutrition and recovery practices. He also says he has occasionally used human growth hormone under a doctor’s care.

4. Rotate supplements. Rather than taking a large supplement stack every day, he says he cycles roughly four to six supplements according to his training phase, goals, and the season. Examples include creatine and TMG during muscle-building phases, and collagen, glycine, or saffron while dieting.

5. Use occasional longer fasts. He says he fasts for around 20–24 hours once or twice a week, sometimes longer. He prefers this to maintaining a small calorie deficit every day, which he says leaves him feeling depleted.

6. Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT). His approach involves short, hard efforts followed by full recovery or complete rest. He says he keeps the intensity within his abilities and treats this style of training as both a physical and mental challenge.

7. Maintain some carbohydrate tolerance. Although he often eats low-carb, he sometimes uses carbohydrates around training. He says this is intended to help maintain the ability to use both fats and carbohydrates for fuel.

8. Avoid routine snacking. He generally eats meals and leaves clear breaks between them. He links this practice to glucagon and fat burning, while noting that he occasionally snacks with his children.

Other points

• The video includes a promotional segment for a gut-health product called “Kepos” in the subtitles. DeLauer describes it as a recovery aid and shares personal benefits he says he noticed; these are promotional claims.
• He closes by directing viewers to another video about a fasting strategy and visceral fat.

Presenters and sources mentioned

• Thomas DeLauer — presenter and source of the personal routine described.
• Dr. Bill Campbell — named by DeLauer as a source for the discussion of pre-workout protein.
• University of Chicago — said in the promotional segment to support the product.
• Unnamed studies and clinical trials — referenced in discussions of protein, HIIT, glucose tolerance, and retatrutide.