The High Performance Journal Written By Dan Go - October 6th, 2026

One of the most common things I hear when clients first work with us is that they're "eating healthy" but not losing the weight.

And I get it. Most advice you see on the internet on losing fat is to "eat less and move more," but it gets deeper than that.

But getting lean the right way is more complex than people think. I should know:

Guy on left: Insulin-resistant body
Guy on right: Insulin-sensitive body

When I show people this picture, a lot of them tell me the guy on the left looked pretty good.

Maybe in a T-shirt he looked normal, but I knew what was going on under that shirt, and it was a collection of mistakes that kept me fat until I figured it out.

These aren't only mistakes that I've made. These are the ones that I've seen repeated, talking to thousands of people about fat loss over the past 20 years.

So in this newsletter, I want to share with you the 7 lean body mistakes that kept me (and many others) stuck and how to fix them.

You ready? Let's go 🔥

Mistake #1 - Drinking Alcohol

I used to think that I could get lean and still drink because all you need to do is be in a calorie deficit to lose weight.

Technically, it's true, but it puts the game unnecessarily in hard mode. In my experience, drinking alcohol makes getting lean 2x slower.

Your body burns off alcohol first before it burns off any fat. It also inflames the gut, and a couple of drinks lowers your inhibitions, giving you the munchies and making people overeat, especially at night.

When clients are working with us, we have them take at least a 4-month break from alcohol so the body can lose weight and hunger settles down. This puts the getting-lean game on easy mode.

Mistake #2 - Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is the silent killer of a lean body because it increases hunger and makes you gain fat in all the wrong places.

Inflammation adds fat in areas you can't see, namely around your organs. Chronic stress feeds inflammation, drives up hunger, and keeps cortisol elevated, leading to increased visceral fat storage.

This is why we start by removing alcohol, but also make sure we're limiting ultra-processed foods. We then want to add anti-inflammatory foods to the diet, like fatty fish for omega-3s, berries for polyphenols, and fermented foods like kimchi to improve gut health.

Doing this will help set the stage for fixing the next mistake.

Mistake #3 - Not Eating Enough Of This Key Nutrient

Chances are, if you're reading this, you are deficient in fiber and might not know it. 90% of Americans are deficient in this key nutrient, and it's connected to the rise in prostate cancer in healthy young adults.

I thought I was eating healthy, but when I started tracking my fiber intake, I realized I was dangerously low. This caused me to not feel satisfied between meals and increased my snacking, especially at night.

Also, fiber feeds your good gut bacteria. When we're getting lean, we want to seed the gut (using foods in #2) and feed it with fiber.

Once I started increasing my fiber intake with fruits and vegetables and supplementing with psyllium husk, I found that keeping the weight off was easy because I was feeling more satisfied from my meals.

For our clients, we aim for around 25-35 grams of fiber a day from fruits and vegetables. if this feels like a stretch, then you can supplement with a tablespoon of psyllium husk with a big glass of water 30 minutes before your meals.

Mistake #4 - Not Eating Enough Protein

In my 30s, I got lean for a photo shoot and felt great about the scale. Afterward, I got a DEXA scan and found out I lost 3.5 pounds of lean mass because I wasn't getting enough protein.

Now, if you've been on this newsletter long enough, you know protein is crucial because it protects your muscle, but it's also the most thermogenic (aka. fat-burning) of all the macronutrients.

The key is not overdoing it. You just need the right amount. For clients, we recommend a floor of 0.7 g/lb and a ceiling of 1 g/lb. If you can't get there with food, add a whey protein shake.

Mistake #5 - Doing The Wrong Workouts

When I was first trying to get lean, I used to torture myself with endless circuits and tons of cardio, but what I should have been doing was workouts that helped me retain muscle. Losing muscle is the worst because your metabolism slows down, and that's no bueno.

The key is to focus your workouts on strength training. This means stopping changing your workouts and repeating the same ones, trying to either increase weight or increase reps every time you go into the gym.

We give clients a rep range of 6 to 10 for their exercises. This means that when you hit 10 reps on a lift, it gives you permission to add weight.

When you do this for 16 weeks straight, you end up building and keeping more muscle than everyone else around you who's changing the workouts every time they hit the gym.

Mistake #6 - A Broken Circadian Rhythm

Your body runs on a clock and loves routine, but when this clock is broken, you end up eating more and burning less fat.

I never realized how important this was until my poor sleep habits raised my hunger levels and cravings, making training feel harder and eating a diet feel next to impossible. One study found dieters sleeping 5.5 hours lost about half as much fat as those sleeping eight and a half, on the same calories.

For myself and our clients, we keep things simple:

• Keep a consistent wake time and give yourself at least 7 to 9 hours in bed
• Try your best to get outside and expose yourself to the sun, especially after waking
• Make sure you dim your screens and lights for the last hour or two at night
• Stop eating 2-3 hours before bed

Once you get in the routine of doing these, your body clock will start working for you instead of against you.

Mistake #7 - The Silent Killer: Insulin Resistance

Going back to the picture I shared in the beginning, the guy on the left had significantly high levels of insulin resistance, and the dead giveaway was the fat around my midsection.

Insulin resistance is a silent killer because it means your cells stop responding well to insulin, so your pancreas pumps out more to keep your blood sugar in check. You can still lose fat, but when you have bigger blood sugar swings, it invites more fatigue, hunger, and cravings. Belly fat and insulin resistance feed each other.

Something I've learned in reversing insulin resistance for many other clients is to plan for at least 4 months of doing much of what is recommended in this newsletter.

Before that, get it measured. Check your fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and your triglyceride-to-HDL ratio on your next blood panel. Get to work, then track again after 4 months.

Fixing this will set you up to get lean and keep yourself that way for life.

Knowing What To Avoid Is Half The Battle

A lot of success in life comes from knowing what to avoid.

These 7 mistakes held me back for years, and I've watched them hold back 1000s of others.

Here's my message to you: Most people will wait until January, but I wouldn't be "most people". I find the months from October to December are one of the best times to give your body the reset it needs.

The people who get started now walk into January with momentum, while everyone else is waiting to get started.

So don't wait to get started on these. Take action now and avoid the New Year's rush to get lean like everyone else.

Onward and upward. 🚀

- Dan

When you're ready, here are 2 ways I can help:

1. The Lean Body 90 System: When you’re ready to get in great shape, Lean Body 90 is the obvious choice. You can get in great shape and reach your fitness goals in just 90 minutes a week. Lose weight and build muscle even without hours in the gym or highly restrictive diets. Join 1000+ students here.

2. Are you an entrepreneur who wants to get lean, boost energy, and get in your best shape? Apply for private one-on-one coaching here.

Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.