07/20/2026
Most people can do more. That’s rarely the right question.
The better question: how much is actually moving the needle and at what point does more stop helping and start working against you?
This is what researchers call a J-curve, and it shows up almost everywhere in health. The optimal exercise dose isn’t the maximum one. A healthy calorie deficit isn’t the fastest one. Past a certain point, the curve turns, and the diminishing returns of overtraining or over-restricting start to outweigh the benefit.
The sweet spot isn’t at the top. It’s somewhere before it.
Save this one, it’s the framework the rest of this series builds on. More on this over on Substack (link in bio).
Part 1 of 3.
— Dr. Jeffrey Valice, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer