Check out the full episode: https://lewishowes.com/legacy/mark-sisson/
"Am I really hungry for the next bite? Not am I full, not am I whatever, but am I truly hungry for the next bite?" - Mark Sisson
Mark Sisson used to demolish a half gallon of ice cream every single night for five years straight. Not a pint, not a few scoops - the entire half gallon, like clockwork. If it was 10 PM and his freezer was empty, he'd drive to the store to get his fix. This wasn't just a sweet tooth; this was a full-blown sugar addiction that controlled his evenings. The breakthrough came when he flipped his entire approach to food: instead of asking "how much can I eat and get away with it," he started asking "what's the least amount I can eat while maintaining my energy and never feeling hungry?" That simple shift led him to discover he could thrive on 30% fewer calories than before, all by asking himself one question halfway through every meal.
But Mark's optimization didn't stop at food - he completely transformed his sleep game too. Every night, he follows the same ritual: after dinner and some TV with his wife, he walks into his unheated pool (even when it's in the 50s), gets really cold without shivering, then jumps into the hot jacuzzi to recap the day. He finishes with another minute in the cold, towels off, and sleeps like a baby in a 67-degree room with blackout curtains. This isn't just about sleep hygiene - it's about recognizing that your body has signals for everything, from hunger to rest, and learning to actually listen to them instead of fighting against them.
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