16. The Accumulation of Marginal Gains With Salim Rezaie | From 260 pounds to super fit

A conversation with Dr. Salim Rezaie on discipline vs stubbornness, working through depression, transforming his body from 260 lbs to super fit, the aggregation of marginal gains, and intentional living. 

Guest Bio: Salim Rezaie is double board certified in internal medicine and emergency medicine. In addition to working clinically as an emergency physician, he runs one of the most popular medical education websites on the planet, Rebel EM. 

We discuss:

• What has been most challenging for Salim while caring for patients in the ED during the COVID-19 pandemic [03:20];
• The spark for Salim’s transformation from being “festively plump” to super fit [06:30]; 
• Tips for embarking on a diet and exercise program, and the importance of actually scheduling time to do it [10:35];
• How intermittent fasting was a way for Salim to engage in the cultural practice of Ramadan [15:45];
• The distinction between discipline and being stubborn [19:30];
• Why success relies on the aggregation of marginal gains [22:46];
• Social media and how these tools are only as good as the person who uses it [26:00];
• The lifestyle of instant gratification and how people often don’t appreciate the hard work that goes into something for it to be successful [26:55]
• Why comparing yourself to others is the opposite of gratitude [31:00];
• The stigma of mental illness and 3 things Salim learned in psychotherapy [00:35:12];
• The value of embracing failure equally as you would success [43:30];
• Salim’s core principles and priorities [44:30];
• The most unexpected book that Salim has read in the last year [48:20].