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She hiked over a thousand miles alone with a backpack too heavy for her body, no real experience, and a grief she didn't know what else to do with — and somehow, that walk became one of the most honest books ever written about coming back to yourself. This week I'm talking about Maester Cheryl Strayed: author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things, the voice behind the anonymous "Dear Sugar" column, and one of the people who taught me that healing isn't about waiting until you feel ready. I'm digging into her story, the lessons that have stuck with me the longest, and why her particular brand of honesty — no self-pity, no fake positivity — is exactly the medicine so many of us need right now.

Grab your headphones, hit play, and let's go.

Quote of the Week

"I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me."

— Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012)

Citations

• Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012)
• Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar (Vintage Books, 2012)
• cherylstrayed.com — official author website
• Literary Arts — official author biography
• Wikipedia, "Cheryl Strayed" (cross-referenced with The New York Times, NPR, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Deadline, and Publishers Weekly)
• Wikipedia, "Brian Lindstrom"
• The Hollywood Reporter, "Brian Lindstrom Dead: Doc Filmmaker and Cheryl Strayed Husband" (May 2026)
• Parade, "Cheryl Strayed Shares Her Husband, Brian Lindstrom, Has Died" (May 2026)
• The Wrap, "'Wild' Author Cheryl Strayed Mourns Death of Husband Brian Lindstrom: 'We're Utterly Bereft'" (May 2026) — source of Strayed's own tribute language quoted in this episode

Featured books:

• Torch (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006)
• Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012)
• Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar (Vintage Books, 2012)
• Brave Enough (Alfred A. Knopf, 2015)

Who this episode is for: anyone into memoir and personal growth podcasts, hikers and outdoor adventurers looking for their next trail read, fans of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things, and listeners working through grief, big life transitions, or the fear of starting something hard.

Loved this episode? Share it with a friend who needs a little courage this week, and subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.

Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org

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This week I'm breaking format for a special Maester Athletes episode, built around this year's World Cup 2026 of soccer.

I tell the story behind the photo that went viral right before the match — Lionel Messi bathing a baby at a charity event almost two decades ago, a baby who grew up to be Lamine Yamal, the very player who faced him on the pitch. I dig into why I never doubted that photo was real (it's all about who you trust as a news source), why the hug between Messi and Yamal after the final is the most Project Weight Loss moment of the entire tournament, and what Kylian Mbappé's Golden Boot run — plus his answer about "collective spirit" in his Wall Street Journal interview — can teach us about discipline, joy, and showing up for our own goals without blame or shame.

I also walk through the real research behind why some people stick to their goals and others don't: Gollwitzer and Sheeran's 94-study meta-analysis on implementation intentions, a British Journal of Health Psychology study on exercise follow-through, and why motivation and information alone are never enough without a plan and regular self-monitoring. If you're working your own Project Weight Loss — on your body, your relationships, or your work in the world — this episode gives you the if-then framework to get back up fast when you slip, the way these athletes do. Share it with someone who needs to hear it this week, and don't forget to write down your own if-then plan.

Quote of the Week:

"To never stop dreaming, it's something free. Of course you have to work. Of course you have to do, like you said, sacrifice. But the most important thing is you have to dream. You can be young, you can be old, you can be whatever you want, but everybody can dream. And that's something free, and that's something that gives you the power and the patience to do the things after." — Kylian Mbappé

Citations & Links:

· Kylian Mbappé, "Kylian Mbappé Knows He's Too Competitive," The Wall Street Journal / WSJ. Magazine, Sept. 6, 2022 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHKnvLgG7HA

· Kylian Mbappé's 2018 World Cup bonus donation to Premiers de Cordée, Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylian_Mbapp%C3%A9

· Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.

· The exercise study citation: Milne, Orbell & Sheeran (2002), British Journal of Health Psychology 7(2), 163–184 (the 91% follow-through study).

· A source for the $1.1B offer: Forbes, July 2023, reporting Mbappé turned down a Saudi club (Al Hilal) offer, per L'Équipe — matches what you described as "widely reported."

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org

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This week, with the World Cup finals in full swing and my last team, France, still standing, I'm taking my podcast audience on a trip through 101 "so to speak" places I've loved and a few I'm still chasing — from watching monarch butterflies blanket the forests of Michoacán by the millions, to the light-and-shadow "descending serpent" that slides down the Kukulkan Pyramid at Chichén Itzá every equinox, to leaving a piece of my late sister's memory at the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, to a total stranger's kindness outside the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam; I open up about the sister who raised me and first showed me the world, walking the Camino de Santiago, and why I believe you don't need a passport to practice the same curiosity, humility, and connection travel gives you — you can find it in your own neighbor, your own hometown, even a stadium watch party.

Quote of the Week:

It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. -Maya Angelou

Episode 69: 3 Simple Strategies to Lose Weight or Stay Your Course While Traveling

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

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In this episode, I am offering something that has genuinely changed the way I think about my body — the circadian rhythm.

I share what this 24-hour internal clock actually is, why researchers say it runs everything from your metabolism and hormones to your sleep and immunity, and how understanding it gave me a whole new perspective on the ongoing conversation around meal timing and breakfast.

I walk through a few practical strategies rooted in circadian science that you can simply be aware of and explore in your own life.

And yes — I am raising my hand on the late-night phone habit, because that quote of the week? It hit home for me too. Come learn something new about the incredible, intelligent design of your own body.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Studies have shown that every hour you’re still on your mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or watching TV at night, melatonin is suppressed by 30 minutes.”

— Dr. Satchin Panda, The Circadian Code

CITATIONS

· Panda, S. (2019). The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight. Rodale Books.

· Circadian rhythm science and the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN): National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Circadian Rhythms. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx

· Insulin sensitivity and meal timing: Saad, A., et al. (2012). Diurnal pattern to insulin secretion and insulin action in healthy individuals. Diabetes, 61(11), 2691–2700.

· Circadian disruption and metabolic health: Scheer, F. A. J. L., Hilton, M. F., Mantzoros, C. S., & Shea, S. A. (2009). Adverse metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of circadian misalignment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(11), 4453–4458.

· Shift work and health outcomes: Wang, X. S., Armstrong, M. E. G., Cairns, B. J., Key, T. J., & Travis, R. C. (2011). Shift work and chronic disease: the epidemiological evidence. Occupational Medicine, 61(2), 78–89.

· Social jet lag: Wittmann, M., Dinich, J., Merrow, M., & Roenneberg, T. (2006). Social jetlag: misalignment of biological and social time. Chronobiology International, 23(1-2), 497–509.

· Melatonin suppression and blue light/screens: Harvard Health Publishing. (2020). Blue light has a dark side. Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side

· https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/59135872-the-circadian-code-lose-weight-supercharge-your-energy-and-transform

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

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What if the fun you're chasing is actually working against you? This week I'm digging into why some fun fades the second it's over, while other fun sticks with you for years — and it comes down to a couple of things researchers can actually explain.

I'm also giving you my go-to system, VERITAS, for building fun into your life on purpose — even when things are hard, even when you're short on time. If you've ever felt like you "used to" have more fun, this episode is for you.

● Why fun is more than just pleasure — the real ingredients behind it (joy, engagement, and meaning)

● The research on intrinsic motivation (Self-Determination Theory) and why fun you choose beats fun you're told to have

● What the Stoics actually believed about pleasure, and why it still applies today

● My VERITAS system for building real, intentional fun into your life — step by step

"Very little is needed to make a happy life. It is all within yourself, in your way of thinking and in your way of living."

— Marcus Aurelius

● Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. — Self-Determination Theory, on intrinsic motivation and autonomy

● Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin.

● Csikszentmihalyi, M. — Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, on flow states and optimal challenge

● Boothby, E. J., Clark, M. S., & Bargh, J. A. (2014). Shared experiences are amplified. Psychological Science.

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org

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We've all used the phrase "real people" — meaning the regular folks, the everyday ones, as opposed to the famous, the wealthy, the powerful. But what if that whole distinction is a lie? This week, I'm pulling apart the binary between "ordinary" and "extraordinary" — sharing a story from my own childhood, a lesson from my years writing public policy, and some genuinely surprising research on what actually makes us alike. Spoiler: the line between you and a billionaire is a lot thinner than either of you think. Grab your coffee — this one's personal.

Quote of the Week

“If it’s not accessible to the poor, it is neither radical nor revolutionary”

Citations

· Witherspoon, D.J., Wooding, S., Rogers, A.R., et al. (2007). Genetic similarities within and between human populations. Genetics, 176(1), 351–359. https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.106.067355

· Ekman, P., Friesen, W.V., O'Sullivan, M., et al. (1987). Universals and cultural differences in the judgments of facial expressions of emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(4), 712–717. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3681648/

· Systematic review (2025) of 21 peer-reviewed studies (1972–2024) on cultural differences in the production of emotional facial expressions. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12907163/

· Killingsworth, M.A. (2024). Money and Happiness: Extended Evidence Against Satiation. Happiness Science. https://happiness-science.org/money-happiness-satiation/

· Killingsworth, M.A., Kahneman, D., Mellers, B. (2023). Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120. (referenced in CBC coverage: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/money-can-buy-happiness-1.7107592)

· "If it's not accessible to the poor, it is neither radical nor revolutionary" — widely circulated activist quote since at least 2016; original source unattributed.

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org

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The Quiet Power of Legumes.

What if the secret to a longer, healthier life isn’t trendy, expensive, or Instagram-worthy — it’s sitting in a can in your pantry right now? Today, I break down why legumes show up again and again in the diets of the world’s longest-living people, and how to add them to your plate without overhauling your life.

Calls to Action

• Rate and subscribe to Project Weight Loss

• Share this episode with someone who needs a gentle nudge toward sustainable habits

• Try one of the three legume swaps this week and tag the show

Citations & Sources

Darmadi-Blackberry, I., Wahlqvist, M. L., Kouris-Blazos, A., Steen, B., Lukito, W., Horie, Y., & Horie, K. (2004). Legumes: the most important dietary predictor of survival in older people of different ethnicities. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 13(2), 217–220.

Buettner, D., & Skemp, S. (2016). Blue Zones: Lessons From the World’s Longest Lived. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 10(5), 318–321.

Stanley, E. (Lord Derby). "Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness." (Widely attributed quote, often cited in health and wellness literature.)

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Listeners with specific health conditions or dietary needs should consult their healthcare provider or a registered dietitian.

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org

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The Capacity to Have and Live “Whole” - Contentment

What if the word you’ve been underestimating your whole life is the very key to what you’ve been reaching for?

In this episode, we explore contentment — not as a lesser version of happiness, but as the deep, stabilizing foundation from which real growth, goals, and real quality of life are built.

We’ll walk through the “Goal Sandwich framework” for grounding your desires in what you already have. We’ll unpack the concept of capacity — your internal readiness to hold good things when they arrive. And we’ll close with three reflection questions designed to take you from the surface all the way to your soul.

This one is foundational. This one is for you.

Quote of the Week:

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”— Socrates

I want to leave you with three questions to carry into your week. To sit with. Let them breathe.

1. What am I happy with right now? (The surface check-in. Start here. It’s a valid place to begin.)

2. What brings me genuine satisfaction? (Go deeper. What actually feels like enough? What do you already have that you truly wanted?)

3. Do I have the capacity to hold this satisfaction? (The transformational question. Am I willing to let this be real? Am I home to receive what I’ve already been given?)

That third question — that is where the work lives. That is where wellness deepens from concept into lived experience. This is where our maintenance of the good things we build remains.

Let’s go, let’s get it done.

Get more information at: http://projectweightloss.org