Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais

Why do diets so often fail... is it discipline or biology?
Dr. Jason Fung is a physician, nephrologist, and one of the most influential voices challenging how we understand metabolism, obesity, and chronic disease. He is the bestselling author of The Obesity Code, The Diabetes Code, and his newest book, The Hunger Code, which explores a deceptively powerful question: what is actually driving hunger, and what does the answer tell us about why so many people struggle with their weight?
In this conversation with Dr. Michael Gervais, Dr. Fung explains why the standard advice of "eat less and move more" isn't just ineffective, it's missing the point entirely. The real question isn't how much you eat. It's why you eat. And the answer, he argues, is far more complex, and far more interesting, than anyone has told us.
At the center of the conversation is Dr. Fung's framework of three distinct types of hunger: homeostatic hunger, driven by hormones and biology; hedonic hunger, driven by pleasure and reward; and conditioned hunger, driven by environment and learned behavior. Each has its own cause, its own pattern, and its own solution. And until we understand which type of hunger we're dealing with, we'll keep solving the wrong problem.
Dr. Fung also digs into the science of insulin, explaining why it is the master switch of fat storage and release, why ultra-processed foods are designed to spike it in ways that leave us hungry again almost immediately, and why intermittent fasting can be one of the most powerful tools available for driving insulin down and letting the body do what it's built to do.
The conversation covers a lot of ground: the GLP-1 debate, the gender differences in fasting, what perimenopause does to appetite, how food order affects insulin response, why walking after a meal can reduce your insulin spikes, and why the cultural food environments of Italy and Japan offer a compelling blueprint for what sustainable health can actually look like.
In this conversation, we explore:
Why "eat less, move more" fails to address the root cause of weight gain
The three types of hunger and how each one requires a different response
How ultra-processed foods hijack biology, behavior, and environment all at once
Why insulin, not calories, is the key metabolic variable to understand
How intermittent fasting works, who it's for, and how to do it well
What perimenopause does to hunger hormones, and what to do about it
Why the Italian and Japanese food environments produce radically different health outcomes

Your hunger isn't a character flaw. Learn what's actually behind it.
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Links & Resources
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What separates the athletes who perform when it matters most from those who don't... and can that difference be trained?
Michael Johnson is one of the greatest sprinters in history: four-time Olympic gold medalist, nine-time World Champion, and the former world record holder in both the 200 and 400 meters. He was also, by his own account, one of the most psychologically prepared competitors the sport has ever seen.
In this conversation with Dr. Michael Gervais, Michael takes us inside the hidden moments before the race, the call room, the gathering space beneath the stadium where eight finalists wait together in silence (or something far less than silence) before stepping out under the brightest lights in sport. He explains why the call room isn't just a logistical stop before the race. It's where the race is often decided. And he breaks down exactly how he prepared his mind to show up there.
At the center of the conversation is a distinction that Michael discovered early in his career: the difference between being nervous and being scared. Nervousness, he came to understand, was fuel, a sign that he wanted it, that he was alive to the moment. Fear was something different. Fear meant he was underprepared. And once he understood that, he could do something about it.
Michael shares how he used mental imagery, constantly, automatically, almost without thinking, to rehearse races until every scenario felt familiar. He explains how he learned to control his environment on race day, why Usain Bolt's pre-race routine was the polar opposite of his own (and worked just as well), and what it really means to master the controllables when the world's fastest sprinters are sitting two feet away trying to get into your head.
The conversation also moves into the second half of Michael's life. Eight years ago, at age 50, he suffered a stroke that forced him to relearn how to walk. He reflects on how the same mental frameworks that made him a champion, recognizing small improvements, managing what he could control, and staying present in the process, carried him through that recovery. And he opens up about what the experience taught him: how to depend on people, how to let relationships go both ways, and why the things he'd always controlled most tightly weren't the things that mattered most.
In this conversation, we explore:
Why the call room is where races are won and lost, and how to navigate it
The difference between nervousness (fuel) and fear (a signal of underpreparation)
How Michael used mental imagery every single day, without structure or schedule
Why self-knowledge is the single most impactful factor in sustained performance
How Usain Bolt's exact opposite approach led to the same outcome, and what that means
What a stroke at 50 taught Michael about control, vulnerability, and relationships

The call room is everywhere. Learn how to master it.
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Links & Resources
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There's a version of honesty most of us have never tried. Not brutal honesty. Not radical honesty. Something quieter and more demanding than either: a genuine commitment to saying what is true and useful, and nothing else.
That is where this conversation begins.
Sam Harris, neuroscientist, philosopher, bestselling author, host of the Making Sense podcast, and creator of the Waking Up app, joins Dr. Michael Gervais for a conversation that moves across truth, consciousness, AI, religion, and the inner mechanics of the mind. What starts as a discussion about lying becomes something much larger: an examination of the hidden forces that shape what we believe, who we trust, and how free we actually are.
Sam and Dr. Mike explore what it costs us to keep two sets of books — one for people we care about, one for everyone else. They dig into why high-performing environments depend on truth-telling, how tribalism and dogmatism reliably pull us away from reality, and what it might mean to find solid ground in an era of increasing chaos.
And then the conversation turns inward. To thoughts, awareness, and the gap between pain and suffering. To what meditation actually is and what it can do. To the possibility that the freedom most of us are chasing doesn't require changing our circumstances at all.
If you are trying to get more honest with yourself and the people around you, this conversation will give you a lot to work with.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
Why a commitment to not lying is one of the most clarifying decisions a person can make
How tribalism and dogmatism corrupt our access to truth and keep us divided
What AI and deep fakes may actually do to our relationship with institutions and shared reality
The difference between pain and suffering, and why that gap matters
Why you are not your thoughts, and what opens up when you more fully understand that

We’re excited for you to listen.
__________________________________
Links & Resources
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and wellbeing: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery
Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors!
Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/
Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter
Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine: findingmastery.com/morningmindset
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What if the biggest barrier between you and your potential isn’t talent - but a belief you’ve never questioned?
Nir Eyal is a behavioral design expert and the bestselling author of Hooked, Indistractable, and his newest book, Beyond Belief. In this conversation with Dr. Michael Gervais, he explores a deceptively powerful idea: that beliefs operate like the hidden software of the mind, shaping what we notice, what we feel, what we attempt, and what we assume is possible.
At the center of the conversation is a problem most of us know very intimately:
If we already know what to do, why don’t we do it?
Nir argues that motivation is not simply about knowing the right behavior or wanting the right outcome. Holding it all together is belief, the often invisible layer that determines whether we think change is possible, whether our effort is worth it, and whether we believe we are capable of following through.
Nir breaks down the difference between facts, faith, and beliefs, and offers a compelling reframing: beliefs are not truths, they are tools. From there, he explores the difference between limiting beliefs and liberating beliefs, why the mind defaults toward safety and passivity, and how small acts of agency can begin to reshape what we think is available to us.
Mike and Nir also dig into the relationship between pain and suffering, learned helplessness and hope, and the role interpretation plays in human performance. Along the way, they unpack how beliefs shape our attention, anticipation, and agency, and why changing a belief is often less about finding “the truth” and more about testing perspectives that better serve the life we want to live.
This is a conversation about motivation, resilience, and the invisible architecture of our inner life. If you’ve ever felt stuck, frustrated that insight alone isn’t producing change, or curious about the mental filters shaping your performance, this one is for you.
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Links & Resources
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and wellbeing: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery
Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors!
Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/
Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter
Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine: findingmastery.com/morningmindset
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What does it look like to bet on yourself, embrace reinvention, and build a YouTube channel that reaches millions?
Michelle Khare is the creator and host of Challenge Accepted, the award-winning YouTube series where sherains with elite performers, athletes, and professionals to take on some of the world’s toughest stunts and professions. But this conversation goes far beyond spectacle. It’s about the psychology underneath the performance: how Michelle prepares for high-pressure environments, how she thinks about failure, and how she’s built a serious creative business without losing the joy at the center of it.
In this conversation, Michelle shares how her path began at the intersection of two demanding worlds: working as a video producer by day while competing as a professional cyclist at night. Out of that tension, she created something new — a format that blends physical challenge, storytelling, and deep iteration. She talks about the early trial-and-error phase of building her channel, the importance of owning her own IP, and why many creators don’t realize they’ve already become entrepreneurs.
Michelle also opens up about what it means to fail in public. She explains why growth often depends on being willing to look unpolished in front of other people, how she identifies her “strategic advantages” in unfamiliar environments, and why the low points — not just the polished outcomes — are what actually make a story worth telling. Along the way, she offers a compelling look at how she built a YouTube channel with over 5.4 million loyal subscribers.
In this conversation, we explore:
Why courage becomes more useful when it is systematized
How Michelle built Challenge Accepted by blending athletics, storytelling, and business
Why willingness to fail publicly can become a competitive advantage
How to identify your “strategic advantages” in unfamiliar environments
Why relationships, feedback, and team culture are essential to longevity
How to elevate the YouTube creator space into a respected part of the entertainment industry

This is a conversation about courage, yes, but also about design. How do you build a life where courage is not occasional, but trainable? How do you stay ambitious without burning out? And how you can keep evolving while staying grounded in the people and principles that matter most.
__________________________________
Links & Resources
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and wellbeing: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery
Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors!
Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/
Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter
Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine: findingmastery.com/morningmindset
Follow on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.