Time to Finally Get a Divorce!

Written by André Obradovic

The Love Affair That Kept Me Hungry

For 48 years, I was in love with oats, bread, pasta, rice, fruit, and everything I’d been told was “healthy.” I believed these foods kept me fit, lean, and energized. I’d even get anxious when we were apart. On overseas business trips, I’d smuggle pastries and muffins from hotel buffets to “keep my energy up” through long days.But there was a problem: I was gaining weight no matter how much I trained, and I was always starving. The love affair wasn’t giving me what I wanted. Something had to change

But there was a problem: I was gaining weight no matter how much I trained, and I was always starving. The love affair wasn’t giving me what I wanted. Something had to change.

When the “Experts” Told Me to Stay

I hired a “marriage counselor”, a highly qualified dietitian. For $200 a session, I was told to stay the course, lower my expectations, and accept that I was getting older. Translation: stay in the relationship, keep doing what’s not working.

Meanwhile, I was listening to so-called authorities, the AIS, running gurus, fitness industry pros, who swore that without carbs my brain would shut down and I’d “bonk” in any marathon.

Bonking = hitting the wall due to glycogen depletion. I feared it like everyone else.

The Moment I Filed for Divorce

I finally called it. I was following what I call Conventional Stupidity, and it just wasn’t right. Even Professor Tim Noakes, the man who wrote The Lore of Running, tore up his own nutrition advice after developing type 2 diabetes:

“If you’ve got The Lore of Running, tear out the section on nutrition.”

That took courage. And it gave me the push I needed.

I learned how deeply my “true love” was entangled with processed food companies, the fitness industry, sports drink makers, and supplement brands. I filed the papers and made a clean break, no affairs on the side, no late-night texts, no running back to the old ways.

Along the way, I drew insight from Dr. Stephen Phinney, Prof. Grant Schofield, Peter Defty, Ken Sikaris, and Dr. Jeff Volek.

The Results: Leaner, Faster, Healthier

2011 (Old love): 42.2 km marathon with carb drink in hand, ~80 kg, not exactly brimming with energy.
December 2016 (Post-divorce): Finished a 70.3 Ironman in 5:03, racing at 64 kg, no inflammation, and a marathon split ~15 minutes faster than 2011.
End of 2017: Ranked 10th in the 50–54 AG for Australia in the Ironman All World Athlete rankings (70.3), top 5% of the age group.
2025: 5km Park run 22:30 and 2.4km run test 9:40 (recent update)

My brain did not “shut down” without carbs. I had more focus, more energy, better recovery, and a calmer appetite. The marriage to “healthy carbs” was the toxic one.

If you’re constantly training but not losing fat, if you’re tethered to bread, cereal, and gels to get through the day, it might be time for your divorce too.

Why This Works (And Why You Might Be Stuck)

Many of us are trapped in a cycle of blood sugar spikes and crashes, constant hunger, and the belief that more exercise fixes everything. It doesn’t. If the diet is wrong, no amount of exercise will out-run it.

Want to dig deeper?

But Don’t We “Need” Carbs?

If you’re metabolically inflexible or constantly relying on gels and sports drinks, it feels like you do. But that dependency is often created by the very eating pattern you’ve been told is “healthy.”

Start here: Do We Really Need to Eat Carbs?
Also: Bread Is Not the Enemy (Yeah Right!)

Performance Without the Punishment

When I restructured training and fuel, I didn’t train more, I trained smarter. Strength and power in the gym, better recovery, and a fat-adapted metabolism translated to better endurance and resilience.

Read: Triathletes: Embrace the Gym, Not Fear It
Learn the fuel: Fat Adaptation for Endurance Performance

Sleep, Stress, and Common Sense

Your metabolism and performance live or die on recovery. If you’re not sleeping, you’re not recovering, and you’ll keep craving quick energy.

Must-read: Make 2016 the Year You Reclaim Your Sleep

My philosophy: Conventional Stupidity

Ready to Sign the Papers?

If you’re in love with porridge, bread, cereal, and processed foods… if you’re exercising more but not getting leaner… if you’ve spent money on advice that hasn’t moved the needle… it’s time to get a divorce.

I can be your matchmaker and help you build a healthy, sustainable relationship with food, training, and recovery.

(I’m cheaper than a lawyer, and far more interested in your results than in arguing.)
Only reach out if you’re ready to sign the papers and leave the toxic relationship behind.

Take Charge of Your Health Today!

André Obradovic

Andre Obradovic is an ICF PCC-level Leadership Coach, Primal Health Coach, Certified Low-Carb Healthy-Fat Coach, and Certified Personal Trainer. He is also a Founding Member and Certified Coach with Dr. Phil Maffetone’s MAF Method. After nearly 20 years serving in the Full Time Army he now serves as an Performance Coach in the Army Reserve, helping officers and soldiers enhance their physical, mental, and emotional resilience. He is an Ambassador for the Noakes Foundation and a Lecturer for the Nutrition Network, where he educates health professionals on evidence-based nutrition, metabolic health, and sustainable fat loss. Having completed 16 Ironman 70.3 races — including the 2017 World Championships — plus 18 marathons and more than 30 half-marathons, Andre now focuses on strength training and 5 km park runs, maintaining peak health and performance while setting the example for others to follow. His purpose is to educate, support, and coach men to become healthier, stronger, and more capable — physically, mentally, and emotionally — so they can perform at their best in every area of life.