As 2025 comes to a close, here's what you need to know about setting your 2026 health goals:

92% of adults have poor metabolic health.

And most are focused on the wrong metrics.

Here's the deal: The most powerful predictor of chronic disease risk isn't your BMI, your weight, or your cholesterol.

It's your waist size. And you can measure it right now at home with nothing but a piece of string.

Here's how I never workout for more than 60 or 70 minutes per week…

And why 99% of people should do the same: First things first, why should you listen to me on this topic?

I'm a 70 year old former microbiologist. For the past 15 years, I've been working with clients 1-on-1 as abody transformation coach.

So far I've helped 1600 men and women get lean, fit and strong in minimal time.

I’m turning 71 next year, and I have 12% body fat.

If you want to lose 20, 30, 50 or 100 pounds in 2026…

What you don’t want to be doing is doubling down on willpower and discipline.

Here’s what to do instead: The smart way to do self-improvement isn’t to sacrifice more, more, more.

In fact, the best thing you can do, as you reflect on what didn’t work for you in 2025 is to ask:

If I wasn’t allowed to, once again, rely on willpower…

The 3 practical ways to get healthier:

1. Getting leaner
2. Getting fitter
3. Getting stronger

Here’s what I mean by that: Getting leaner means losing weight.

But more specifically, it means losing fat while protecting against muscle and bone loss.

A short guide for new readers:

The number 1 cause of chronic disease, including heart disease, many cancers, Alzheimer's, dementia gout and (almost) anything you care to name, is poor metabolic health.

Let me explain: Poor metabolic health is most commonly visible to the naked eye based on 2 factors:

-Excess body fat (being over fat, no matter the BMI)
-Low muscle mass (being under muscled, again, no matter the BMI)

Top 4 metabolic health and body composition levers, in no particular order:

1. Resistance training
2. Nutrition optimization
3. Cardiovascular training
4. Sedentary-busting physical activity

Here’s why: Resistance training is by far the most predictable way to:

1) Protect against muscle and bone loss that would otherwise happen as one ages

2) Build new muscle

New other form of training, no sport or physical activity is anywhere near as effective.

My top 5 bare minimum health targets:

Ferritin under 100
A1C in normal range
Normal blood pressure
Waist to height ratio under .5
Triglycerides/HDL ratio under 2

Here’s why: Ferritin under 100:

Optimal ferritin levels for cardiovascular mortality reduction may range from 20 to 100 ng/ml

Ferritin can mainly be lowered through blood donation and therapeutic phlebotomy.

You may have never heard of it, but insulin resistance is the most important concept for those who care about their health.

Let me quickly explain it, in a simplified way: First: it’s easier to understand insulin resistance as a continuum from excellent to very poor metabolic health.

Could we prevent most cancer cases, today, without any new technology?

I think we can.

Here's why: Cancer is rare in young people, but common in older people.

In fact, about 90% of all cancers happen to people over the age of 50.

And 50% of ALL cancers happen with people over 70.

What's the smart way to think about carbs?

Big difference between:

1) Recognizing that almost every crappy food choice contains carb

2) Claiming that all carbs are “bad”.

Let's dive in:
I speak from personal experience, and from working 1-on-1 with over 1500 people since 2015.

Here's the truth:

Every single client I've had who said they were "struggling with carbs" was in fact not struggling with any unrefined carb source.

The cholesterol hypothesis has been wreaking havoc on human health for 75 years.

This is the idea that higher cholesterol levels, especially LDL, are causally linked to “clogged arteries” and heart disease.

Let’s debunk once again: Optimal total cholesterol levels are higher in than what current medical dogma states.

https://twitter.com/mangan150/status/1592604821022203905

The two words that matter most for those who want to improve their health, mood, energy levels and quality of life:

Body composition.

Let’s define it: Body composition refers to the components that make up your total weight.

There are a few ways to think about the components, the best one in my view being the three-compartment model which includes:

Bone
Fat
Fat-free mass

The most common reason older men have lower testosterone levels?

It’s not because they’re older.

It’s because they’re fat. 25% of men over 75 have T levels on par with high T young men.

What's stopping all men from having T levels that high?

Carrying excess body fat, and not training correctly.

If you’re going to take away one core idea from reading my posts, it should be this:

Metabolic health = controllable health. A second core idea is that WHAT you can control by getting in, and staying in good metabolic health is… a lot.

We’re talking about obesity, diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, visceral fat and many types of cancer.

A friend asked ChatGPT what were the most important non-consensus things it has picked up in health, longevity, and healthspan.

First 4 are things I've been talking about a long time.

I'm kinda stunned.

In the follow up, the Chat gave me credit.
ChatGPT references

1. Iron as a longevity target

The fine control of body iron stores would be a wise strategy for chemoprevention of several diseases.

More muscle means lower risk of diabetes

Every 1% decrease in appendicular (legs and arms) muscle mass in proportion to body weight is associated with 30% increased risk of diabetes.

Build muscle and stay healthy. In reality, the increased risk of prediabetes and diabetes with age is almost entirely due to

*increased body fat
*less muscle
*less exercise

Don't gain body fat, build muscle with resistance training, and stay physically active.

Could we prevent most cancer cases?

My answer is yes.

Here's why: We know that cancer rates increase dramatically with age.

About 90% of all cancers happen to people over the age of 50.

For age 70 and up, it’s 50% of all cancers.

I'm turning 70 in a few weeks.

And today, I'm sharing the most important lesson I've learned about exercise and fat loss.

And in doing so...

I want to help you avoid making the most common mistake people make when they decide to get lean and fit.

Let's dive in: In my experience...

Most people who begin a body transformation journey do so with the idea that...

In order to achieve their goal...

They'll need to exercise for an hour per day.

Many new followers today, so let me introduce myself.

I'm turning 70 in a few months, and these days I read, write and work with my 1-on-1 clients.

Previously, I was a microbiologist.

I'm linking some of my favorite posts below: The science that most influenced my thinking about health and fitness:

https://x.com/Mangan150/status/1424495973145792515

Cholesterol is so important for brain health that the brain has its own synthetic machinery for making it.

The brain is only 2% of body weight yet contains as much as 25% of the body's cholesterol. Blood levels of total and LDL cholesterol are lower in Parkinson's disease patients.

Ferritin (iron) levels are higher.

[PMID: 21282940]

Big difference between:

1) Recognizing that most poor food choices contain carbs.

And

2) Claiming that all carbs are “bad”.

I’ve never had a client with a “carb problem” whose carb sources were potatoes, rice or fruit.

The real problem, as I see it, is processed food.

There’s a great lack of nuance on social media.

I am a big proponent of eating animal protein.

And I do think some people thrive on a carnivore or keto diet.

But the idea that everyone should stop eating all carbs forever is deeply flawed...

Undesirable and impractical for most people.

The point is to land on an approach that works for YOU.