MLM Issue No. 10: How I See It w/ Dr. Garth Davis, Plus...

Morning, Greg here! Welcome to Issue No. 10 of Midlife Male, the lifestyle magazine for midlife men, by midlife men. I wanted to personally welcome all our new readers, and if this newsletter was forwarded to you, subscribe below.

This week we've got a new edition of our “How I See It”, a new Viewpoint column, recommendations for each of our 6 Fs and more. This is more than just a newsletter. It's a community of men looking to maximize midlife. Remember, we're all in this together.

How I See It with Dr. Garth Davis

Dr. Garth Davis is a practicing bariatric surgeon at Houston Methodist in Houston, Texas. He founded the Davis Program at Memorial Hermann, and starred on the hit TLC show Big Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a fellow of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. 

Davis also competes in marathons and Ironman triathlons and is the author of Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession With Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It.  MLM Founder Greg Scheinman sat down with Dr. Davis to discuss his path to becoming a surgeon, parental expectations, our broken healthcare and food systems, training for IronMans and putting family first.

Please enjoy this week’s How I See It with Dr. Garth Davis.

Greg Scheinman: What motivated you to start focusing on health and self-improvement?

Dr. Garth Davis: There's the short answer: I'm studying health and the science behind it. But really, it's a longer story that goes back to how I got into writing and speaking about these topics. 

For years, I just followed the path laid out for me—go to school, finish high school, go to college, medical school, residency, and then become a doctor. I became a weight loss surgeon, not because I was particularly interested in weight loss, but because it was something I excelled at as a surgeon. My focus was always on fixing diseases, like a plumber fixing pipes. 

But then I hit a turning point. By the time I was 35, I was overweight and feeling sick, and it didn’t sit right with me that I was telling others how to lose weight while struggling with my own health. I decided to get a life insurance policy and was shocked when the results came back: high cholesterol, hypertension, fatty liver. I couldn't even qualify for the top-tier policy. That really threw me for a loop, especially since I knew my family’s health history. It made me pause and think—am I heading in the same direction as my patients? It was the wake-up call that pushed me to start questioning everything.

Greg Scheinman: How did this realization change your perspective on health?

Dr. Garth Davis: …

Why Adrian Wojnarowski Walking Away from $20 Million Was the Bold Move More Men Should Make

The retirement announcement of ESPN’s mega NBA Insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, caught many off guard. It’s not often you see a headline about someone stepping away from a massive job, especially when it’s accompanied by the figure "$20 million." But the reality behind this isn’t as shocking as it seems, and it hits close to home for me—because I get it. I understand the need to step off the hamster wheel and reclaim your life.

I hear from men in Woj's position all the time. High performers on the cusp of something great, something big, something financially rewarding—and yet, inside, they feel depleted. Woj isn’t the anomaly here. He’s the exception only because he made the move so many others won’t or can’t. The truth is, most men don’t retire, don’t quit, and don’t step back—not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t see a way out. Walking away from $20 million? That’s not a decision society allows men to make lightly. For some, it’s a decision they can’t make at all.

Let’s break it down:

Millions of stories are posted online every day and 99.9% are noise. We sifted through the nonsense to share standouts with actionable takeaways you can use to maximize your life in each of our 6Fs: Fitness. Family. Finance. Food. Fashion. Fun. Let’s go.

-

FAMILY - Yes, Screens and Social Media Are Negatively Affecting Your Kids - This Book Explains Why

FITNESS - The $2 Million/Year Health Plan to Live to 200

FINANCE - The Ultimate Guide to Your Children’s Financial Future – How to 100x Their Money (Guest post by Ron Speaker)

FASHION - My Go-To Performance Apparel Brand I Turned to When “Climbing” Everest

FOOD - The Only 2 Ketchups You Need for Burger Night

FUN - WinWhereItMatters.life - The Must-Attend Growth Conference I’m Heading to In Miami

After reading about the insane biomedical and health regimen Bryan Johnson is undertaking to live to 200, what would you rather do?

***

Check out our most popular issues

Like what you see? Follow our new Midlife Male channels on Instagram, YouTube, and Threads for more.