Saturday was the annual Christmas family reunion in New Johnsville, Tennessee — about a 2-hour drive from Nashville, but worth it to see everyone gathered in one place. Kelsi, Roxy, and I made the trek down to my aunt's house for what I hoped would be a normal family Christmas.

You know how it is with family gatherings. I actually love talking about everything EXCEPT work. Give me a good conversation about the Titans' playoff chances(LOL!), whether I think tariffs will make or break us, some deep spiritual discussion, or even debating the best training splits. That's the stuff that fires me up when I'm around family.

But somehow, someway, it always comes back to peptides.

The Interrogation I Tried to Avoid

So there I am, successfully 90 minutes into the reunion. I've talked college football with Uncle Jim, debated monetary policy with my cousin daniel, and had a great conversation about raising kids in today's world. Roxy's being passed around like the Christmas star she is, and I'm thinking "This is perfect — just family time."

Then Mike walks up.

You know Mike. Every family has one. Picture this: skinny arms that look like he's never touched a weight, chicken legs that somehow support a gut full of visceral fat that's been growing steadily since his college days. He's the loveable know-it-all who read three articles online and suddenly he's got opinions about everything from crypto to cold plunging. We all love him to death, but Mike's got theories about EVERYTHING.

"Alright Lee, those peptides you're always posting about online — they're just designer steroids, right? Like, fancy steroids for people who don't want to admit they're juicing?"

And just like that, the entire family room goes quiet. Everyone's suddenly very interested in their sweet potato casserole while pretending not to eavesdrop.

Thanks, Mike. So much for avoiding work talk.

When Family Forces Your Hand

Here's the thing about Mike — he's genuinely curious and asks the questions everyone else is thinking but afraid to voice(they all think I take steroids). That's actually one of the things I respect about him. He's legitimately trying to understand something new.

But man, sometimes I just want to be Uncle Lee who talks about normal stuff, not "Lee the peptide guy."

Still, when family asks, you answer. So I grabbed a seat next to him and gave it to him straight:

"Mike, calling peptides 'designer steroids' is like calling a Tesla a fancy horse. They're not even in the same category, brother."

The Real Difference (Tennessee Style)

I explained it like this: Steroids are like that relative who shows up to Christmas dinner, eats all the food, drinks all the sweet tea, and leaves a mess for everyone else to clean up. They work fast, but man, do they leave some damage behind.

Peptides are like having a really respectful conversation with your body. "Hey, mind healing this old injury a little faster?" "Could you optimize that growth hormone release?" "How about we get those mitochondria working better?"

One bulldozes your system. The other politely asks for improvements.

Mike's nodding along, but I can see the wheels turning. "Okay, but don't they both make you jacked?"

What Mike Really Wanted to Know

Fair question. Here's what I told him while Roxy played with the Christmas tree lights:

That BPC-157 stuff? It finally healed that shoulder injury I've had since high school football. Not by flooding me with synthetic hormones, but by signaling my tissues to repair themselves properly.

The growth hormone optimization? It's asking my pituitary gland to work like it did when I was 20, not replacing it with synthetic junk.

MOTS-C? That's helping my cellular energy production so I can actually keep up with being a new dad, make the drive to New Johnsville, and still have energy for family time.

Results? Better than anything I tried back in the day, but done the right way this time.

The Deep Dive

By this point, Mike's actually getting it, but he wants more. "So you're saying these work WITH your body instead of taking it over?"

Exactly, Mike. Finally.

This is actually something I covered in detail in a recent Rumble video — the full breakdown of peptides vs steroids, the science behind both, and why most people are completely confused about the difference.

I break all of this down in my Rumble video.

The video goes way deeper than what we could cover at Christmas dinner, but that's the complete picture of what we're really talking about.

The Family Education Session

Three hours later, Mike's got questions about everything from BPC-157 for his chronically tight hip to whether peptides could help with his New Year's resolution to finally get in shape. And honestly? Two more cousins and my brother-in-law are now asking questions too.

So much for avoiding peptide talk. But that's family, right? You try to keep things normal, but they drag your expertise out of you anyway.

The Reality Check

Here's what I didn't tell Mike at the reunion: I'd be absolutely shocked if he actually follows through with any of this.

Don't get me wrong — I love the guy. But Mike's been talking about "getting serious about fitness" every New Year for the past decade. Same routine: big plans in January, gym membership by February, back to his old habits by March.

Mike's the type who gets excited about the idea of transformation but struggles with the execution. He'll research peptides for weeks, ask a million questions, maybe even bookmark the Peptide Education Course... and then probably do nothing with it.

But hey, at least he's asking better questions now. And who knows? Maybe this time will be different.

The Drive Home

On the 2-hour drive back to Nashville, Kelsi and I were laughing about how I tried so hard to keep things casual, and within hours I'd accidentally turned Christmas dinner into a peptide seminar.

"You know they're all going to say they're interested but probably won't order anything, right?" she said.

She knows my family well. Mike will text me in January asking if I "still have that peptide hookup," but I'm betting he never pulls the trigger.

That's the thing about optimization — some people are ready for it, others just like talking about it.

Hope your family Christmas was as good as ours — with or without the unexpected education sessions.

Talk soon, Lee

P.S. — Mike texted me this morning asking if I think peptides would help him "get ripped" without changing his diet or exercise routine. Some things never change. But I love that crazy guy anyway.

The Year-Long Opportunity Mike Will Probably Miss

Speaking of Mike asking better questions — BioLongevity Labs is running 55% off everything through 2026 with code LEE15. The exact peptides we spent three hours discussing at Christmas dinner.

Mike will research this for months, bookmark the site, maybe even put products in his cart... and then probably do nothing with it.

If you're ready to actually take action instead of just talking about it, Shop BioLongevity Labs Now.

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