The Leaner You Podcast with Daniel Rosenthal and Santo Chiappetta
Daniel Rosenthal (aka @rosentrain)

Latest episode
77 episodes
#77 - Cheat Days, GLP-1s, and Genetics: 20 Rapid-Fire Weight Loss Questions Answered
03/08/2026 | 54 mins.Another rapid-fire episode. We tackle 20 questions in one sitting, from cheat days and GLP-1s to detoxes, alcohol, and how much genetics actually controls your results. No filler, just straight answers.
Find out more about coaching with us here: rosentrain.com/coaching
Follow Daniel on Instagram: instagram.com/rosentrain/
Follow Santo on Instagram: instagram.com/santo.chiappetta/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:07 1) Do you need to cut carbs at night to lose weight?
02:52 2) Is fasted cardio actually better for fat loss?
05:29 3) Struggling with food noise, should you try a GLP-1?
10:21 4) Does drinking a gallon of water a day actually matter?
11:55 5) Is it bad to weigh yourself every day?
13:36 6) Can stress alone stop weight loss, even in a deficit?
16:09 7) Do cheat days help or hurt progress?
20:31 8) Is walking really enough exercise for fat loss?
27:47 9) Should you train through soreness?
30:24 10) Does eating late at night cause weight gain?
31:41 11) Is it true muscle turns to fat if you stop lifting?
33:41 12) How long should you stick with a plan before deciding it's not working?
36:35 13) Do detoxes or cleanses do anything at all?
38:57 14) Is alcohol really that big of a deal for fat loss?
41:09 15) Should you eat back the calories you burn from exercise?
42:44 16) Is it normal to feel hungrier on rest days?
43:56 17) Do you need supplements, or is that mostly marketing?
45:58 18) Can you out-train a bad diet?
49:26 19) Is it better to do one big meal or several small ones?
50:19 20) How much does genetics actually determine your weight loss results?
This podcast provides general fitness and nutrition information only. It is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making changes to your exercise or nutrition routine. Full disclaimer: rosentrain.com/disclaimer- Janis spent a year and a half stuck in a chair-to-chair routine before something changed. In this episode she joins us to walk through her first year of coaching - the programs that didn't work before ours, the prayer she said in the shower, the moment her husband noticed she was back, and two falls down her deck stairs that could have derailed everything (but didn't).
This episode covers strength training carryover to real life, the walking pad that removed her excuses, the emotional side of habit change, and what she'd tell anyone standing where she was a year ago.
Find out more about coaching with us here: rosentrain.com/coaching
Follow Daniel on Instagram: instagram.com/rosentrain/
Follow Santo on Instagram: instagram.com/santo.chiappetta/
Timestamps:
0:00 - Meet Janis
1:15 - Life before coaching: chair to chair
2:03 - Cookie-cutter programs and coaches who didn't listen
4:09 - The cauliflower story
7:06 - How we connected on Instagram
8:02 - The prayer and the poll
10:34 - "I'm getting my wife back"
13:23 - Why it's not just calories and workouts
16:56 - Strength progress: planks, squats, deadlifts
20:59 - The walking pad investment
22:38 - Inch loss and measurements
24:04 - Fitting into clothes she hadn't worn in years
27:00 - Conscience with a British accent
28:19 - The hardest part: trying new foods
36:04 - Two falls down the stairs — and staying consistent anyway
42:06 - Confidence, posture, and becoming "the fitness friend"
43:44 - Goals for year two
45:20 - Advice for anyone where Janis was a year ago
This podcast provides general fitness and nutrition information only. It is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making changes to your exercise or nutrition routine. Full disclaimer: rosentrain.com/disclaimer - Everyone says sleep is critical for weight loss, but what if you're a mom of two with a full-time job and a snoring husband who just isn't getting eight hours?
In this episode, we break down what actually matters about sleep for fat loss, why "reverse bedtime procrastination" is just a fancy excuse, and how to stop numbing out on screens every night without shaming yourself for it.
Find out more about coaching with us here: rosentrain.com/coaching
Follow Daniel on Instagram: instagram.com/rosentrain/
Follow Santo on Instagram: instagram.com/santo.chiappetta/
Timestamps:
00:00 – Does sleep really affect weight loss results?
00:30 – Why sleep cycles matter more than total hours
02:41 – Deep sleep vs. REM: what's actually happening overnight
05:36 – The evening screen habits quietly stealing your sleep
09:44 – Why intentionality is the key to winding down properly
17:36 – Taking ownership instead of blaming "circumstances"
20:23 – Reframing guilt and shame around your choices
21:21 – What a "mental block" really means
26:32 – Intensity vs. complexity: why life feels so overwhelming
28:07 – So... does sleep actually matter for fat loss? (the real answer)
30:01 – Protecting your bedtime for the sake of tomorrow
This podcast provides general fitness and nutrition information only. It is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making changes to your exercise or nutrition routine. Full disclaimer: rosentrain.com/disclaimer - Ever feel like you crush it all week, then the weekend hits and everything falls apart?
You're not alone, and it's not a willpower problem. In this episode, we break down the "weekend wrecker" pattern: why restricting too hard during the week builds pressure that explodes on Friday night, and why the real fix isn't trying harder, it's having an actual plan.
We cover why cutting out entire food groups backfires, how to build "pressure valve" moments into your weekdays so weekends don't feel like a reward you're owed, and why aiming for maintenance (not another deficit) over the weekend is often the smarter move.
We also get honest about alcohol's role in derailing weight loss goals, why guilt and shame are terrible long-term fuel, and how real consistency, not perfection, is what actually gets you results over years, not weeks.
Find out more about coaching with us here: rosentrain.com/coaching
Follow Daniel on Instagram: instagram.com/rosentrain/
Follow Santo on Instagram: instagram.com/santo.chiappetta/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Are weekends really ruining your progress?
02:01 - The "weekend wrecker" pattern and the missing pressure valve
04:15 - The real math: is 3 rough days really only 57% consistency?
05:51 - Why cutting out food completely backfires by Thursday
07:48 - When a blowout day is fine (birthdays, special occasions)
09:03 - "Being good" vs. planning intentional treats
11:01 - This is a strategy problem, not a willpower problem
13:31 - Moving from 4-on/3-off to 5-on/2-off
14:32 - Building an actual weekend plan, not just "trying harder"
18:18 - Guilt, shame, and the all-or-nothing spiral
19:12 - Why we don't track on birthdays and milestones
23:37 - Does alcohol justify eating poorly the next day?
24:59 - Why heavy drinking rarely mixes with weight loss
28:21 - Getting "bored" of your food: is it really about the food?
34:50 - Guilt, fear, and finding better long-term fuel
36:33 - Consistency over years beats intensity over days
42:30 - Eating healthy on a tight budget
46:24 - Wrap up
This podcast provides general fitness and nutrition information only. It is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making changes to your exercise or nutrition routine. Full disclaimer: rosentrain.com/disclaimer - "Eat more protein" is good advice, but it's too vague to actually act on. In this episode, we break down what that advice actually means in practice: how much protein you really need to lose weight, why the old "1 gram per pound of bodyweight" rule is overkill for most people, and a much more realistic range to aim for instead.
We get into the minimal effective dose approach to protein, why roughly 100 grams a day is a solid ballpark for most women, the best lean protein sources to stock in your kitchen, and why the "right" protein source is the one you'll actually eat consistently.
We also cover why you keep running out of high protein foods by Wednesday, how to pre-track your day so you're not guessing, why overeating at night is almost always caused by under-eating during the day, and Daniel's "apple test" for figuring out if a craving is real hunger.
Book a 15-minute Strategy Call with Daniel here: rosentrain.com/coaching
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:34 - Why "just eat more protein" isn't specific enough
02:01 - Protein on GLP-1 medications
02:31 - The "1 gram per pound of bodyweight" myth
04:19 - A more realistic range: 0.7-1g per pound of your goal weight
05:05 - The minimal effective dose approach
07:26 - Why roughly 100 grams a day is a solid target for most people
11:34 - Best sources of lean protein
13:11 - Cottage cheese, personal taste, and eating what you'll stick with
16:36 - Turning protein into a math problem with tracking
17:11 - Why protein timing matters (morning vs. night)
19:34 - Easy add-ons: egg whites and protein powder
21:17 - Pre-tracking your day so you're not guessing
22:31 - Why you keep running out of protein by Wednesday
25:12 - Grocery delivery, stocking up, and backup plans
27:26 - High protein snacks: fix the meals first
29:06 - Why evening overeating is caused by under-eating during the day
30:38 - Late night snacks and the "apple test"
33:37 - Final takeaways
Find out more about coaching with us here: rosentrain.com/coaching
Follow Daniel on Instagram: instagram.com/rosentrain/
Follow Santo on Instagram: instagram.com/santo.chiappetta/
This podcast provides general fitness and nutrition information only. It is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before making changes to your exercise or nutrition routine. Full disclaimer: rosentrain.com/disclaimer
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About The Leaner You Podcast with Daniel Rosenthal and Santo Chiappetta
Tired of trying every diet and still not seeing results?
The Leaner You Podcast helps moms over 40 lose weight, build muscle, and feel stronger - without crash diets, food guilt, or spending hours in the gym.
Hosted by strength and nutrition coaches Daniel Rosenthal and Santo Chiappetta, who’ve helped hundreds of women transform their bodies, each episode tackles real questions from real women, giving you simple, proven strategies that actually work.
📩 Got a question? DM @rosentrain on Instagram.
🎧 New episodes every week.
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