“I can’t stop eating… but I can schedule a doctor’s appointment, get a prescription, pick it up, inject it weekly, and commit to months of hormone manipulation… instead of just saying ‘no’ to another meal.”
That’s not a lack of ability. That’s wasted effort in the wrong direction.
You’re doing more work to avoid discipline than it takes to actually have it.
And the result?
You don’t build strength.
You don’t build habits.
You don’t build identity.
You take on unknown risk.
You’re literally gambling with your hormonal balance — and for what? A smaller waistline and a marketing high? The tradeoff is real, even if the commercials won’t say it.
Most people don’t need Ozempic. Just like most people aren’t actually gluten sensitive.
Sure, there are rare exceptions — people in extreme medical situations, or with legitimate barriers to mobility. But the rest? The ads, the influencers, the endless hype — it’s a business. A money-making scheme.
You’re not being treated. You’re being targeted.
Injected Delusion
Ozempic doesn’t get you fit. It gets you smaller. And not always in the right ways. You’re not gaining muscle. You’re not gaining skill. You’re not building anything that lasts. You’re just tricking your body — and paying for the privilege.
Delusion isn’t always snorted or drank. Sometimes it’s prescribed.
That’s what this is: a medically sanctioned eating disorder wrapped in sterile packaging and hype.
There’s no finish line with drugs like these. Just a new baseline of dependence. And when you stop? You’re right back where you started — only now your metabolism’s slower, your hormones are disrupted, and your body’s more fragile than before.
Fitness By Filter
People aren’t modeling themselves after athletes anymore. They’re modeling themselves after edited actors. Celebrities don’t train like you. They don’t even look like what you see. Makeup. Filters. Lighting. CGI. PR teams.
You know who should be your fitness role model? The guy out there roofing in the Texas heat. The mom who strength trains and rucks before work. The coach who actually understands what food, movement, and effort feel like in a real body.
Instead, people watch an edited movie trailer and inject themselves with hormones — hoping for the same results from none of the work.
A System Engineered for Weakness
Ozempic isn’t an accident. It’s a solution to a manmade problem. Our food is engineered to hijack your cravings. Ultra-processed, ultra-palatable, ultra-addictive.
And now that millions of people can’t control their appetites? Pharma rolls in with the fix. You get sedated instead of educated.
The same system that sells you addiction now sells you relief — at a markup.
Why change the food when you can inject away the consequences?
Because of that, we’ve now created a new, self-reinforcing loop:
Eat addictive food
Gain weight
Take a drug
Stay weak
Blame your body
Repeat
This Is Health Care Now?
People complain that healthcare is expensive — and it is — But what are we doing with it?
Paying thousands for a drug that hypnotizes you into skipping dinner. Instead of… you know… skipping dinner.
This isn’t medicine. It’s lifestyle anesthesia for people who’ve been sold comfort as a virtue.
Final Thought
We don’t have a cure for cancer, but we’ve got ten ways to get a boner, and now a weekly shot so you can feel skinny without trying — all while the birth rate collapses and testosterone plummets.
By Preston Shamblen (ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Founder of Rucking.Pro)
Rucking — walking with weight — is one of the most effective ways to train your entire body. But if you’ve ever checked your fitness tracker after a heavy ruck, you’ve probably seen a low number that doesn’t make sense. That’s because almost none of the popular apps or devices account for added weight.
It’s not perfect — no calculator is — but it’s a huge step up from tools that pretend a 100 lb ruck is just a “walk.”
Why I Made It
I ruck every day with a weighted vest, sometimes stacking over 100 lbs between my vest and backpack. I’ve jogged that load for 14 minutes and burned over 350 calories — and my Apple Watch still thought I was walking my dog.
Rucking isn’t just walking. It’s work. It’s resistance training. And now, finally, there’s a calculator that reflects that effort.
People trying to lose weight need accurate calorie counts to make informed decisions about nutrition. If they think they only burned 150 calories when they actually burned 450, they’re more likely to get discouraged or underfuel. But when they see the real burn, they get motivated. They realize, “Wow, this actually works. I’m really burning 2-3x more than I thought.”
We’ll keep improving it over time. But this first version already blows mainstream apps out of the water as they don’t even have the option — and it’s free to use. No signup. No fluff. Just data you can actually use. Keep on rucking!
Facebook displays this message when users search for “kratom” — while still running paid ads for synthetic compounds like 7-OH. A clear example of platform hypocrisy.
You can’t even type the word “kratom” into Facebook without getting a warning. Try it — you’ll see a message that says content has been “removed for violating community standards.” Same thing if you click “videos,” “groups,” “pages,” or anything else.
But scroll long enough?
You’ll get an ad for synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) — a compound that’s far stronger, unregulated, and known to stop breathing in small doses.
So you can’t search for it. But they’ll sell it to you.
That’s not safety. That’s a business model.
The Digital Drug Cartel
From what I’ve seen, Facebook isn’t suppressing kratom to protect people — they’re just cutting off the free stuff. If you pay them, you can advertise practically anything — no matter how dangerous.
Meanwhile, I’ve had legitimate ads rejected. I’ve had my entire business account restricted, with no real explanation and no recourse. I wasn’t selling drugs. I was selling sunglasses — products they had already approved.
But these guys? They’re selling synthetic chemical isolates in candy packaging — and Facebook lets them through.
Why?
Because they’re paying.
A Screenshot Is Worth a Thousand Bodies
Try searching “kratom” on Facebook. You’ll get nothing but a warning — even in videos, groups, or posts. But at the same time, Facebook’s own ad engine is feeding users cartoon-packaged 7-OH products, shaped like candy and labeled like gum.
Products that can shut down your nervous system and leave you gasping for air in minutes.
You can’t search for kratom. But they’ll sell you something worse.
A Silent Epidemic, Packaged Like Candy
This stuff isn’t being sold in hospitals or pharmacies. It’s being sold in head shops, vape stores, and gas stations. It’s dressed up in blister packs and “chewable tabs,” flavored and branded to appeal to the curious — or the addicted.
Some vendors are even giving it away for free, knowing that if someone gets hooked, they’ll come back and pay anything.
And here’s the kicker — these aren’t large quantities. These are milligram-level doses being sold for $10, $20, $40 a pop. That’s thousands of times more expensive (by weight) than something like chocolate or aspirin — and infinitely more dangerous.
It’s profitable because it’s synthetic. It’s addictive because it’s strong. And it’s invisible because platforms like Facebook help keep it that way.
A satirical mockup of a 7-OH product ad — highlighting the absurdity of clinical-style packaging for a synthetic compound that can cause respiratory shutdown in milligrams.
The Algorithm Knew Before I Did
I didn’t ask to see 7-OH ads. I didn’t go looking for them. I was researching kratom, supplements, and health — and Facebook picked up on that.
It didn’t offer me education. It didn’t warn me. It served me an ad.
The algorithm knows what you’re vulnerable to. And if it smells profit? It doesn’t care what happens next.
So Here’s the Link Again
If you’re reading this, it’s because I followed through on the title of my original article:
“If I Keep Seeing These Ads, I’m Posting This Link.”
This is that link.
🧠 Read it. Share it. Post it under their ads. 🛑 Because someone has to say it before more people die silently.
🚨 Update: Facebook Flagged Me After Publishing This
Shortly after publishing this article — warning about the dangers of synthetic 7-OH and Facebook’s role in advertising it — I received this message from Meta:
“Your ability to earn money on Facebook is limited.”
No post was removed. No ad was running. The only thing I shared was a fact-based warning article that questioned the platform’s profit model.
So while Facebook continues to run paid ads for unregulated, synthetic kratom compounds, it apparently punishes unpaid warnings about those same products.
If that’s not a signal of misplaced priorities, I don’t know what is.
Facebook’s message to me after sharing this article — despite no policy violation, ad, or removal. Meanwhile, they continue accepting paid ads for synthetic drugs that can kill.
Rucking with weight can help reduce fat, boost strength, and improve mobility — especially for adults over 50.
As a certified personal trainer, I can tell you this: fitness saves lives and money. The healthcare system is built to profit(2.5 trillion per year) off your decline, not your wellness(100 billion per year on fitness). But most people don’t realize how much time, energy, and money they’re wasting by staying inactive and overweight — until it’s too late.
And while there are a million workouts out there, there’s one that stands out: rucking. It’s simple, scalable, and brutally effective.
What Is Rucking?
Rucking is just walking — but with added weight. That’s it. A weighted vest, a backpack with a few books, even groceries in a tote bag will do. It turns an ordinary walk into real, measurable work. And it’s shockingly powerful.
I’ve been doing it since 2021, and now I carry 50+ pounds almost every day. I’ve used everything from military-grade CamelBaks to the Wolf Tactical vest I use now. I’ve rucked over hills, through neighborhoods, and around lakes. I’ve done competitive rucking carrying over 100 lbs — and placed top 3 in the world on the Rogue Fitness leaderboard.
But none of that is necessary to change your life. You don’t need to run. You don’t need a gym membership. You don’t even need to break a sweat some days.
Why Boomers Should Care
Let’s cut to it: if you’re over 50, every extra pound you carry is a tax on your joints, your heart, your sleep, your energy, and your future. And the heavier you are, the more time and money it costs you every single day.
Carrying 100 extra pounds takes up to 3x more energy to move. Even 50 extra pounds makes basic daily movement 2x harder. That means more strain, more exhaustion, and more reasons to avoid exercise altogether — a vicious cycle that ends in decline.
But here’s the good news: the solution is walking. That’s it. You already know how to do it. And if you add a little weight — 5 or 10 pounds at first — your body will respond fast. Blood pressure improves. Muscle tone returns. Balance gets better. Your medical bills? They shrink.
And unlike running — which has a high injury rate, especially in older adults — walking is sustainable, low-impact, and far less risky. Some sources estimate that up to 85% of regular runners will eventually experience an injury. Walking, on the other hand, allows you to recover, stay consistent, and avoid burnout.
Plus, walking lets you do things while you move. You can call family, listen to a podcast, get sunlight, or even brainstorm new ideas. It’s not just a workout — it’s a moving meditation. And when you add weight, you’re not just improving your heart — you’re building strength, preserving muscle mass, and maintaining independence.
Most importantly, rucking keeps you in the fat-burning zone — the ideal heart rate range where your body burns fat more efficiently than sugar or muscle. It’s steady-state cardio with a strength component, and it’s how I personally got down to 10% body fat without needing high-impact running or complicated gym routines.
Too much running, especially while underfed or in a calorie deficit, leads to muscle breakdown and fatigue. Your body starts pulling fuel from muscle tissue instead of fat — a process called gluconeogenesis, which I covered in detail in this article. Rucking avoids that problem. It helps you burn fat while preserving muscle, which is exactly what older adults need most.
Strength matters as you age. Walking builds endurance. Rucking builds both. Being overweight or out of shape is a tax on your joints, your heart, your sleep, your energy, and your future. And the heavier you are, the more time and money it costs you every single day.
Carrying 100 extra pounds takes up to 3x more energy to move. Even 50 extra pounds makes basic daily movement 2x harder. That means more strain, more exhaustion, and more reasons to avoid exercise altogether — a vicious cycle that ends in decline.
But here’s the good news: the solution is walking. That’s it. You already know how to do it. And if you add a little weight — 5 or 10 pounds at first — your body will respond fast. Blood pressure improves. Muscle tone returns. Balance gets better. Your medical bills? They shrink.
The Hidden Costs of Doing Nothing
Let’s talk money.
Just 1,000 extra calories a day — barely a fast-food meal — adds up to thousands of dollars per year. Food’s expensive. And it’s even more expensive when it feeds the fat, not the muscle. Every calorie you don’t burn turns into a lifelong bill.
But what if you skipped those extra calories and walked instead — and took the money you saved and invested it?
Let’s say you saved just $2/day in junk food and invested it in the stock market with an average 10% annual return (compound interest). Over 50 years, that becomes nearly $850,000. Now consider this: if you’re spending closer to $10/day — which is more realistic for fast food, drinks, or snacks — you’re losing over $4.2 million in potential investment growth. And that’s just the food cost.
Add in medications, surgeries, insurance premiums, mobility aids, and lost productivity? You’re easily into the millions more.
And that’s not counting the cost of other vices: smoking, drinking, sitting too long. Those could cost tens of millions in total lifetime value — not just from your wallet, but from your lifespan.
You don’t have to be an athlete. You don’t even have to sweat all the time. You just have to move. Daily. With a little extra weight. That’s the secret.
Try This: Wear a Weighted Vest for 10 Minutes
Put on a 50 lb vest and go for a walk. Don’t go far. Just feel it. Can’t access a 50-pound vest? Try 30. Try 20. Whatever you can manage — even a weighted backpack. That weight is what it would feel like to lose that much fat from your body.
And the effect in real life is even more profound. Because when you lose weight, you’re not just lighter while walking — you’re lighter while sleeping, standing, climbing stairs, bending over, and even breathing. It changes everything.
That feeling of relief? That’s what losing 50 lbs feels like. Every minute. Every hour. Every day.
This isn’t just about vanity. It’s about freedom — the freedom to walk without pain, to play with grandkids, to get off medications, and to stop paying for a system that only wants to manage your symptoms.
Final Thoughts
Fitness is freedom. Walking is medicine. Rucking is the delivery system.
And the best time to start is today.
Check out the vest I use here — or just grab a backpack and load it with books. Your body doesn’t care what the weight is. It just cares that you move it.
If you’re over 50 and want to feel 10 years younger? Start walking. Then start rucking.
Your life — and your wallet — will thank you.
Train harder in style. Click to shop the White Wolf Tactical Vest –
When your drug looks like dessert but hits like death — 7-OH isn’t candy. It’s roulette.
Looks like candy. Hits like regret. One breath too far and you’re done.
I was dropping off business cards for my pool business when I ended up in a conversation I didn’t expect — one about 7-hydroxymitragynine, better known as 7-OH. The guy behind the counter had seen what I was seeing too: people coming in for products that look like bottom-of-the-cone desserts — chocolate-tipped, sugar-styled, and stronger than anything else in the shop.
The kind of thing you’d expect a child to pick up. The kind of thing that could shut your body down.
He told me people are popping them like candy. Not measuring. Not questioning. Not realizing that what they’re taking is a few milligrams away from never waking up. Some of them would return to the shop in a zombie like state. This is in line with other anecdotes online.
What Is 7-OH?
7-OH is short for 7-hydroxymitragynine, a powerful alkaloid found in very small amounts in natural kratom. But what’s being sold in head shops isn’t natural — it’s isolated, concentrated, or often synthesized outright.
It’s not full-spectrum kratom. It’s not balanced with other alkaloids. It’s a targeted chemical, sold as a chewable, a tab, or a “party blend.”
And that matters — because once you isolate something this strong, you cross the line from plant to poison.
A Dose You Can’t See — Or Survive
Let’s make this crystal clear:
Most people couldn’t tell the difference between 1,000 mg and 2,000 mg of powder by eye or hand. Now imagine that the dose that shuts down your breathing is just 10 to 30 milligrams off of usual — and you’re chewing it, trusting some label that says “half a tablet.”
Even experienced users can’t verify what’s in these products:
You can’t test for 7-OH at home
You can’t separate the alkaloid from the tablet
You don’t know if it’s synthetic, natural, or something worse
You don’t know if it interacts with food, meds, or your DNA
And when it goes wrong?
It’s not a rough trip. It’s your body failing at the automatic stuff — the stuff you never think about:
Your lungs stop pulling in air
Your diaphragm stops moving
Your stomach stops processing food
Your heart stops beating regularly
Your nervous system goes offline
That’s not an overdose scene in a movie. That’s your body not getting the signal to keep existing.
Life Is Work — 7-OH Ends It
Here’s the truth most people don’t want to say:
Your body doesn’t “run” on its own. It works — every second — to stay alive. Your autonomic systems depend on feedback loops from sensation. If your body can’t feel, it can’t adjust. And if it can’t adjust?
You die.
That’s what 7-OH does. It severs the communication between your brain and your survival systems. It mutes everything. And in muting everything, it sometimes ends everything.
All to avoid some pain that, let’s be honest, probably wasn’t that bad to begin with.
A Candy-Coated Setup
The worst part isn’t just the risk — it’s the presentation. These products are being sold in gas stations and smoke shops with:
Bright colors
Candy flavors
Labels like “chewable” and “lemon”
Ice cream cone shapes and blister packs that look like gum
You’ve got one of the strongest synthetic alkaloids in the world sitting next to vapes, priced at $5.99, with no childproofing, no warning, and no oversight.
You don’t even need to be into drugs to pick one up. You just need to be curious — or unlucky.
Nobody’s Coming to Help
This isn’t happening in hospitals. It’s not being tracked. Nobody’s warning you at the counter.
There are:
No safety trials
No lab test access
No verified dosage guarantees
No consistency between batches
No way to know what will happen to you
This could have value in a clinical setting — maybe — if it was monitored, regulated, and studied. But that’s not what’s happening in a head shop. What’s happening there is chemical roulette, with a cartoon label and a cute flavor.
And if it takes you out?
Nobody will even know what did it. The company won’t care. The shop won’t stop selling it. You’ll just stop being a problem.
Because in a market with no regulation, there’s no reason for anyone to care if you die.
You’re Either Lucky… or You Ain’t
This stuff doesn’t mess around. It doesn’t care how experienced you are. It doesn’t care how careful you think you are.
There’s no high — just a tightrope between feeling nothing and never feeling again.
That’s not discipline. That’s not confidence. That’s not strength.
That’s just luck.
And if you’re wrong?
You don’t get to learn from it. You’re done.
A Smarter Boost: Get Bucked Up Instead
If you want more energy, don’t turn to mystery tabs with ingredients you can’t verify.
Grab some caffeine — the most studied stimulant on Earth. Bucked Up gives you that, plus ingredients that actually do something:
Amino acids for recovery
Beta-alanine for endurance
Citrulline and creatine for strength and blood flow
No gut shutdown. No nervous system crash. No guessing game.
You’re not escaping pain — you’re building power.
If you’re going to take something, take something that makes you stronger — not quieter. Then go use it to actually do stuff instead of becoming a head shop zombie.
Final Word
If you’re thinking about trying 7-OH, or if you’ve seen it in stores and thought, “Maybe just one tab,” read this again.
Because with this stuff, you’re either lucky… or you ain’t.
PERKS™: The only party where you don’t know if you’ll wake up.
Let me be clear: if I keep seeing ads for 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), or any synthetic version of it, I’m going to post this article on every single one of them.
Because this isn’t just about me anymore. People are becoming zombies in their own towns. People are selling their possessions. People are getting holes burned in their esophagus, ending up with gastroparesis(stomach shuts down), and shutting down their lives over something they thought was “just kratom.”
Well, it’s not.
What is 7-OH?
7-OH is short for 7-hydroxymitragynine, one of the active alkaloids found in the kratom plant — but in very small amounts. In raw kratom powder, it’s naturally balanced alongside dozens of other alkaloids. That’s why you might need 2 to 5 grams of kratom powder to feel anything.
But once you isolate 7-OH — or synthesize it and crank the dosage way up — you’re not dealing with kratom anymore. You’re dealing with something 10 to 20 times more powerful than morphine in animal tests. Some users compare it to fentanyl because of the incredibly low dosages involved.
And I mean milligrams. Not grams. Not teaspoons. Not scoops. Tiny, invisible, dangerous amounts.
The Dosage Trap No One Talks About
I bought a tablet that was supposedly 7 milligrams of 7-OH. But the tablet itself? It probably weighed 10 times that — maybe 70 to 100 milligrams total. Just like how a 1mg Xanax might weigh 100mg because of binders and fillers.
I own a milligram scale — and even I couldn’t verify what was really in it. I couldn’t isolate the compound. I couldn’t test its purity. And neither can you.
Most people don’t have lab equipment. They’re breaking pills in half, trusting head shops, or guessing by eye. And that’s the terrifying part: if the difference between a “normal” dose and a potentially deadly one is just a few milligrams, then you’re gambling every time.
And what’s worse — you have no way to verify if what you bought is even really 7-OH. There’s no test strip for it. No QR code leading to lab results. No safety net. Just a white tablet and blind trust.
That’s not a supplement. That’s a loaded gun with the serial number scratched off.
My Experience: Kratom vs. 7-OH
I used kratom powder off and on for years. Never felt addicted. Took a few grams here and there. No big deal. I never had cravings, never felt withdrawal. I don’t drink — haven’t touched alcohol in over two years. I don’t take prescriptions. I don’t smoke. No other bad habits. I’m an ISSA-certified personal trainer and nutritionist who’s lost over 90 pounds and lives with intention.
I say that to make something clear: I don’t have a history of self-destruction or excuses.
And yet 7-OH wrecked me.
I took a small dose daily — the same amount each day. One day I skipped it. The next morning, 12 hours later, my stomach shut down. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t move. My energy, my mood, my clarity — all gone. It felt like my entire system was failing.
I felt emotionally and mentally destroyed. The whole day was wasted. I wasn’t just uncomfortable — I felt like I was dying. And for all I know, maybe I was.
And no, this isn’t some moral stance. I’m not writing this as some do-gooder trying to scold the world. I gave it a chance — and it robbed me. This isn’t a spiritual debate. This is about objective risk.
Normal kratom powder has a lethal dose that’s thousands of times higher. You’d have to eat literal spoonfuls for days. But with 7-OH, a dose that can fit under your fingernail could shut your body down.
It’s honestly embarrassing to admit how bad it hit me — especially given how calculated and careful I was. But that’s the whole point: if it did that to me, what’s happening to people who don’t speak up? What about those who do have past addictions — who relapse, get sick, or even die from this, and nobody ever connects the dots?
They don’t deserve that. No one does.
Every consumer deserves at least some protection. A free market isn’t really free if people are dying from unregulated products with no oversight, no testing, and no safety data.
Because at the end of the day, some companies will sell you poison if there’s a profit in it.
Why Painkillers Are a Flawed Concept
Your body doesn’t just feel pain for fun. Pain is information. It’s how your body knows where you’re out of alignment — and how to fix it.
When you take strong painkillers, you’re not healing. You’re going blind.
Imagine if closing your eyes felt amazing… while you were driving a car. That’s what these drugs do. They remove the pain — and with it, the signals that keep you alive.
Without sensation, you slouch. You move wrong. You eat foods your body would normally reject. Your digestive system stops recognizing meals. Muscles stop firing correctly. You get gastroparesis, acid reflux, internal shutdown.
And when the drug wears off? You feel everything all at once. Now you’re in more pain than before. Pain you didn’t even know you were creating.
This is the real trap. It’s not just about tolerance or dependence. It’s that painkillers don’t fix the problem — they invite new ones by removing your ability to respond to reality. You don’t adapt; you degenerate.
It’s not just a zero-sum game. It’s a negative-sum game.
Every “relief” you feel now creates a bigger crash later. And if you push too far? You just stop breathing. Your respiratory system shuts down. Your heart doesn’t respond. You stop existing. That’s how these drugs kill. Not in some cinematic overdose scene. Just in silence. You stop sensing, stop adjusting, stop living.
How 7-OH Wrecks Your Gut — and Your Mind
Here’s what most people don’t realize: about 90% of your body’s serotonin is in your gut, not your brain. That serotonin helps regulate digestion, movement of food, and communication between your digestive system and nervous system.
When you take opioids — including 7-OH — you’re not just numbing pain. You’re slowing gut motility, interrupting serotonin signaling, and often shutting down the stomach entirely. That’s why people end up with gastroparesis — a condition where the stomach can’t empty properly.
But it’s not just physical discomfort. It’s emotional.
Because when your gut shuts down, your serotonin crashes too. That “gut feeling” that keeps you mentally balanced? Gone. You’re left with bloating, nausea, constipation, and a deep, unexplained sense of dread or depression that creeps in like fog.
So not only are you sick — you’re mentally destroyed, too. You might not even understand why. But it’s all connected: opioids shut down sensation → sensation drives digestion → digestion regulates serotonin → serotonin controls mood.
And this isn’t theory. I felt it.
When 7-OH hit me, I wasn’t just physically unwell — I felt hollow. Hopeless. Like I’d been emotionally robbed. That’s the trap: it doesn’t just hurt your body — it rewires your emotions, too.
The Zombie Effect Is Real
I’ve read stories — and seen it myself — of people who started taking these gas station shots (some labeled “Feel Free”) and never stopped. They weren’t even taking pure 7-OH. But it doesn’t matter — the combo of synthetic alkaloids in these drinks can hit just as hard, especially when abused.
People are taking five to ten of these things per day. They’re spending hundreds of dollars a week. They’re selling personal belongings. And they’re not high. They’re barely human.
They’re trapped in liquid withdrawals — taking more just to not feel sick.
This isn’t your average substance issue. This is chemical enslavement, sold for profit, under a “natural” label, by companies that will shut down their LLCs the second something goes wrong.
Discipline Requires Knowledge
One of the most dangerous lies in drug culture is the idea that “you just need discipline.”
That sounds nice. But let’s get real: discipline without knowledge is meaningless.
If you don’t know what you’re taking, if you can’t measure your dose, if you don’t even know what the fatal limit is — then your “discipline” is just blind trust in something that could kill you.
You can’t navigate a minefield if you don’t know where the mines are.
A Better Option: Go Ruck Yourself
Instead of playing roulette with your central nervous system, go outside.
Take caffeine if you want a boost. Grab a weighted vest. Go rucking. Move your body, breathe fresh air, let your senses actually feel the world around you. Sweat out your pain, instead of swallowing it.
You won’t go numb. But you’ll get stronger — and you’ll stay human.
A Smarter Boost: Get Bucked Up Instead
If you want more energy, don’t turn to mystery pills with names you can’t pronounce.
Grab some caffeine — the most tested, proven stimulant on Earth. Bucked Up gives you that, plus things your body actually needs: amino acids, beta-alanine, citrulline, creatine — ingredients that help you build muscle, push harder, and recover faster.
No gut shutdown. No withdrawal spiral. No guessing game.
You’re not escaping pain — you’re using it. You’re turning that edge into fuel. And yeah, it tastes way better than regret.
If you’re gonna take something, make it something that helps you show up stronger.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t write this article to be edgy or preachy. I wrote it because I’ve seen the ads. I’ve tried the products. I’ve felt the trap.
And I want you to avoid it.
If you see this article posted on a 7-OH ad, now you know why.
Because I’d rather fight this with words than let another person disappear in silence.
Understanding Gluconeogenesis, Muscle Loss, and Why Cardio Isn’t Always the Answer
Most people think that more cardio equals more fat loss. I used to think that too—until I ended up gaining fat while biking 30–40 miles a night.
Let me clarify that. I wasn’t gaining fat because of biking. I was gaining fat because I was biking too much without enough fuel in my system during the ride — especially while in a calorie deficit. By the time I tried to eat afterward, the muscle loss had already happened. Recovery meals can help, sure — but once your body has already broken down muscle for fuel, that damage is done. What really happened is this: I lost muscle, and then gained fat in proportion. My body composition got worse, even though I was technically “burning calories.”
The scientific name for what happened to me is gluconeogenesis. It’s a metabolic process where your body makes glucose from non-carb sources — usually amino acids from your muscle tissue. When your body runs out of stored glycogen (carbs), and you keep pushing through long bouts of exercise, it starts breaking down your own muscle to create energy. Not fat. Muscle.
What Is Gluconeogenesis?
Gluconeogenesis literally means “creating new glucose.” Your body can do this using amino acids (from protein), lactate, and even glycerol. And yes — one of the main sources of those amino acids is your own muscle tissue, especially if you’re in a calorie deficit and not getting enough dietary protein.
This is why elite athletes load up on carbs before, during, and after long bouts of cardio. Because if you don’t have carbs, your body will start raiding your muscle to make sugar.
The Problem With Too Much Cardio in a Calorie Deficit
If you’re overweight, the idea of jumping into long bike rides or runs sounds noble — and for some people, it helps at first. But once you’re leaner, especially if you’re already low on body fat, your body has nowhere else to go. It’ll break down muscle for energy. Then when you eat again, your body will be more primed to store fat — and with less muscle mass, your resting calorie burn goes down.
That’s how you can actually gain fat after extreme cardio routines, even if you’re technically losing weight. It’s not the kind of weight you want to lose.
How to Prevent Muscle Loss During Cardio
If you’re going to do long, high-intensity cardio, there is a way to prevent this.
✅ You can eat more before you exercise — especially carbs like fruit, honey, or even a scoop of glycerol or fast-digesting sugar. ✅ You can sip carbs during the activity — like endurance gels or a sports drink. ✅ You can increase daily protein intake to keep a positive nitrogen balance.
But here’s the catch: If you’re doing cardio to lose weight, then constantly adding more food just to fuel the cardio starts to defeat the purpose. You’re basically eating extra just to survive the workout.
So instead of fighting your body, why not choose an exercise that doesn’t even require those extra calories?
Why Rucking Solves This
This is exactly why I switched to rucking.
Rucking lets me:
Keep my heart rate in a fat-burning zone (lower intensity)
Avoid spiking demand for fast carbs
Preserve muscle by not crossing into high-catabolism zones
Burn serious calories without needing to “carb up”
Maintain good posture and reduce injury
Actually build leg and core strength, not tear it down
It’s also cheaper, simpler, and more consistent than biking. No flats. No gear issues. Just a vest and a trail. You can even write articles or take calls while doing it — I do.
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🫀 What About Cardio? It Still Matters.
Let’s be clear: cardio is good for you.
It strengthens your heart, improves circulation, boosts endurance, and helps regulate mood and stress. Everyone should include some form of cardio in their weekly routine. But like anything, dose matters — especially when you’re in a calorie deficit or trying to preserve muscle.
Here’s what I learned the hard way: Too much high-intensity cardio while under-fueled can backfire. That’s what happened to me when I was biking 30–40 miles a night without enough food. I stayed in a high heart rate zone for hours, burned through my glycogen, and then my body started breaking down muscle for energy. That’s not fitness — that’s a slow self-cannibalization.
So here’s the nuance:
Biking isn’t bad — it’s just not meant to be endless if you’re under-fueled.
Long rides are fine — but eat accordingly.
30-minute sessions can still be great for hitting higher heart rates and building cardio fitness without tipping into muscle loss territory.
Rucking is cardio too — it’s just lower-intensity, steady-state, and easier to recover from. That’s why I do it daily.
I still hop on the bike sometimes. I just treat it like what it is: a tool, not a punishment. If I want to ride longer, I plan to eat more. That’s it. No drama. No guilt.
Cardio should complement your fitness — not undermine it. The goal isn’t to drain yourself dry trying to “burn fat.” The goal is to build a body that works efficiently, feels good, and gets stronger over time.
So this isn’t anti-cardio.
It’s pro-recovery, pro-balance, and pro-muscle preservation.
If you’re trying to lose fat, you’ll go further by thinking like the tortoise — not the hare. Add some weight to your back. Walk tall. Recover well. And mix in those higher heart rates smartly, not recklessly.
💪 Want Help With Your Training?
If you’re serious about losing fat without burning muscle, or just want a smarter, more sustainable fitness plan — I can help.
I’m a certified personal trainer with a focus on real-world results, metabolic health, and methods like rucking that actually work.
Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, or finally escape the endless cardio trap — I offer one-on-one online coaching that’s tailored to your goals.
In the middle of a snowy winter, I hiked across a frozen hayfield behind a road on Shamblen Farms with a car battery slung over my shoulder — and a dog named Nico by my side.
What came out of that night is a 5K night lapse video that almost never made it to the internet. Not because it wasn’t worth sharing — but because the file was so massive I couldn’t even play it properly on my best computer. It stuttered, glitched, and refused to preview. At one point, I honestly thought it was broken for good.
Turns out, it worked. And now it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever filmed.
📷 How It Was Made
This video wasn’t just captured — it was built, frame by frame. I used the GoPro Hero 9’s night lapse mode, set to RAW photo capture, meaning every single frame in the final video is a full RAW image. I imported the entire sequence into Lightroom and edited them as a batch at full resolution — no compression, no shortcuts.
Then I rendered it in 5K, preserving every detail from the pale gold of the last daylight to the deep indigo glow of the stars above the field.
Even on a 2K monitor, it’s striking. If you’ve got a 4K or 5K screen, turn off the lights and go full screen.
🐺 A Moment with Nico
This hike wasn’t something I did alone. Our dog Nico — a half wolf, half German Shepherd, half Husky lol — came with me that day. He had always been a nervous, distant dog, the kind that would run from you even if you offered food.
But something about that farm changed him.
On Shamblen Farms, Nico became part of the pack. He didn’t just follow — he led. He listened. He wanted to be included in the mission. That day, trekking out across the snow-covered field, he didn’t flinch. He was all in.
Nico had this little trick he’d pull — acting like he didn’t know how to get through the gate near the cabin, only to wait until I was a hundred feet ahead and then come barreling through with all the confidence in the world.
Nico has since passed away, but I’ll never forget the quiet confidence in him that came alive on that farm.
Nico following behind on the snowy trail, pretending he couldn’t pass the gate — only to come sprinting through at full speed like it was all part of the plan.
🎞 Closing
This isn’t just a timelapse. It’s a rare moment of silence, solitude, and raw clarity — captured at the exact sliver of time when the moon disappeared and the Milky Way center started to rise, just before the sun came back up.
It’s about doing things the hard way, because they’re worth doing.
I downloaded the DateFit app around 6–8 months ago while I was in Austin, Texas—the unofficial fitness capital of the state. I thought it was a cool idea: a dating app for people who prioritize health and fitness. In theory, it should’ve been a great way to meet like-minded people.
In reality? It was a total scam.
🚩 No Matches — But Lots of “Messages”
From the beginning, I noticed something was off. I wasn’t getting any matches—zero. But somehow, I was getting tons of messages. These weren’t just normal app notifications either. DateFit was texting my actual phone number every time a message came in. That’s not just intrusive—that’s shady.
And here’s the kicker: you can’t even reply to those messages unless you pay $12.99/month. So for someone to message me, they’d also have to be paying the monthly fee.
Ask yourself this: Are beautiful, grammar-perfect, fit women from all over really spending $12.99/month just to message random guys like me—but not swiping right like they would on a normal dating app?
Of course not. They’re fake. Or worse—there’s some kind of incentive scheme behind it. Either way, it’s not real.
I bit the bullet and paid for one month. Just to see what was on the other side. And what did I find? Still no matches. The “users” who messaged me were either bots or scripted spam. When I messaged back, they didn’t reply—or they sent completely irrelevant responses. I tried talking to dozens of them. Only one seemed possibly real, and even then, she wasn’t convinced it was a scam until I showed her all this.
After that, I deleted the app and forgot about it—until last week.
💬 The CEO Texted Me. Yes, Really.
Out of nowhere, I got a text message from a random number. It was the CEO of DateFit. Complete with a photo of himself.
He addressed it to the “DateFit fam” and proceeded to pitch… wait for it… a wearable energy patch that uses “vibrotactile technology.” It’s some kind of supplement-style adhesive you put on your body. The claims range from “energy boost” to “pain relief” to “better sleep.”
The company is clearly some sort of MLM (multi-level marketing) setup. I checked their website, and you can’t even see prices unless you click through a rep’s personal link. That’s a classic MLM red flag. Eventually, I found out the patches cost $60 for 28.
For context:
No caffeine
No sugar (lol… on a patch?)
No listed ingredients
And apparently, people are reporting rashes.
Their “backed by science” claim is vague at best—and intentionally misleading at worst.
❌ “Text STOP to Unsubscribe” — Another Lie
In the CEO’s spam message, he said I could reply “STOP” to stop receiving texts.
I did.
They texted me again the next day.
I got another message from the app saying someone messaged me. That would mean a new user paid $12.99 just to message me… even though I still have zero matches.
It’s all theater. An elaborate funnel just to keep you paying.
🎥 I Show All of This in the Video
While rucking at the state park, I recorded a full 360° video breaking this down. I show my screen, the app interface, the messages, and the text from the CEO. If you want to see it all for yourself, watch the video below.
This isn’t just a bad dating app. It’s a predatory system designed to:
Trick people into paying for false hope
Spam your personal phone number
Use your data to upsell you garbage products
And pretend you can unsubscribe while ignoring the law
If you downloaded DateFit, delete it. If you paid for it, ask for a refund. And if you haven’t tried it yet—don’t.
This app is not about fitness or dating. It’s about extracting money through deception.
🔄 Update
If you landed here by searching something like “datefit text messages” or “datefit spam texts,” you’re not alone. I’ve continued to receive text messages from DateFit, long after I replied STOP. They keep coming — sometimes from different numbers — and they still feel automated, vague, and suspicious.
So yeah, the app’s behavior hasn’t changed. If anything, it’s confirmed everything I said above. If this is the experience you’re having too, feel free to share this article — or better yet, ask for a refund and uninstall it.
Back in October 2023, my brother George and I decided to upgrade his backyard space in Point Venture, Texas with a real-deal Backyard Discovery Arcadia Cedar Gazebo — and yes, we filmed the whole thing in 4K.
We weren’t working with a $10,000 patio budget, and we weren’t about to waste money on a flimsy cloth canopy. So George did what he does best — hunted down a deal. He grabbed this 12′ x 9.5′ solid cedar wood gazebo on sale for just $1,623 shipped, thanks to a massive Overstock app discount.
📦 The Build:
Gazebo Model: Backyard Discovery Arcadia 12 x 9.5
Material: 100% real cedar wood + metal roof
Price Paid: $1,623 after discount
Build Time Estimate: 4 hours (took us closer to 5–6 with dinner breaks)
Crew: Me, my brother, and a camera
Filmed: October 5th, 2023
Location: Point Venture, TX
The kit came with three big boxes, everything pre-cut and labeled, and even included a built-in extension cord box for fans or lights. It’s honestly one of the better DIY kits we’ve seen — smells like cedar, feels sturdy, and looks way more expensive than it was.
We did a full time-lapse, showed the unboxing, went over the features, and even cracked a few jokes along the way. I was also making dinner during the build — because multitasking is key.
Space for string lights, fans, and solar accessories
📸 Behind the Scenes
This project sparked future plans too — like adding solar panels on the roof, filming with the drone, and doing more DIY backyard upgrades for real-world homes. No fancy crews, no staged “influencer” setups — just two brothers figuring it out.
💬 Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever wanted to build something sturdy, useful, and great-looking for your backyard — this gazebo is legit. You don’t need to be a master carpenter. Just have some time, a few tools, and maybe a sibling to hand you the screws.
Check out the full video, subscribe for more builds and tech upgrades, and feel free to reach out if you have questions about the kit or install process.
My first time as an adult was just this past November—but honestly, my life’s felt like a series of extended campouts ever since I started rucking shirtless and barefoot through the state park nearly every day. I’ve got my clear kayak now, my green ocean kayak too. And I just picked up a tent and added a sleeping bag to the trunk of my car. Little by little, I’m gearing up for more.
But if we’re talking serious camping? I spent a whole year out on a remote farm in West Virginia during the COVID era. That was real-deal living. I filmed the Milky Way, hauled water through half a mile of plumbing for cows, cut hay, and grew a massive garden. It was quiet. Isolated. Demanding. Beautiful. That was extreme camping, Appalachia style.
I’ve got YouTube videos from that time. And now, I’m slowly building up my outdoor kit again—tent by tent, bag by bag—thinking I might never come back inside. People should know: my site’s going to feature a lot of state park photos, nature shots, and maybe even more camping adventures.
What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?
Christmas is obviously the right answer.
It’s not just the best holiday—it’s the most needed one, I reckon. Christian or not, what really happens is the days start getting longer right after. It’s a turning point. A signal that warmer, brighter days are coming.
I picture Christmas as people making do with what they have. Celebrating when there might not seem like any reason to. Celebrating just to celebrate. Hope. A final push to get through winter. Every day in summer is great—but this is something different.
The decorations, the music, the family, the lights, the movies, the unwrapping of presents—I miss a good Christmas. I wish I had done better and had more to share. I miss the big ones. Dressing up. Stockings. Grandma and Grandpa.
The other day while I was driving, I noticed something in the road — a turtle slowly making its way across. On one side of the road was a body of water, and on the other side was another. It was clear the turtle was trying to get from one pond to the other.
I pulled over, carefully picked him up, and carried him across — making sure to place him safely into the water he was heading toward. It’s important when helping turtles to always move them in the direction they’re already going. Even if it seems like they’re heading away from a “better” spot, turtles have their own instincts and goals. Turning them around could confuse them, or cause them to wander back into traffic again.
Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference — for the animal, and for your own peace of mind.
If you ever see a turtle crossing a road:
Pull over safely.
Move the turtle in the direction it was already going.
Handle gently but firmly (support the shell from underneath).
Wash your hands after helping wildlife!
I’m glad I could help this little guy safely complete his journey. 🐢
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