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What's in store for today:

• How I recently tamed my urge for cheat meals...
• It's time to stop obsessing over "eating too little"...
• This was the best $50 I've spent in a long time...

Hey friend,

Admittedly...I cried twice this last weekend 😭

The first time was when we threw away all these crispy, golden brown, french fries that my daughter couldn't finish eating at her cheer competition in Indy on Sunday 😂

I hated to do it, but as I posted about earlier this week, the money and food waste here doesn't measure up to the money and waste I would incur if I guilted myself into finishing my kids plates all the time.  

My health and my happiness is worth far more than that, and so is yours!

But still...a sad moment 😆

The SECOND time I cried was when my daughter got her very first 1st Place finish EVER! 

I swear it was just yesterday she was a newborn laying on our bedroom floor unable to even roll over, and now she is crushing it and doing all sorts of athletic feats I can't even do.  

Proud dad moment that reminds me why I care so much about being Healthy & Whole so I can enjoy these moments for as long as humanly possible and at the highest quality possible.

With that...let's get to your Feel Good Friday newsletter 👇🏻

How I Recently Tamed My Urges For Cheat Meals

Like many experience through the holiday season, my eating habits "drifted" to be a SMIDGE more indulgent than I like over the last 2-3 months.  

What I noticed more than anything was that I was craving more frequent cheat meals again and feeling less motivated to eat my healthier meals that I would normally eat on a daily basis to maintain my health and physique...

LUCKILY...I'm a coach who literally coaches my clients around this struggle ALL the time...so I knew exactly what was causing the problem and how to fix it 💪🏻

THE PROBLEM

When myself or one of my clients is struggling to "eat on plan" and feeling frequent urges to have cheat meals...it usually comes down to a very simple problem...

We are a little bored with our healthy foods menu.  

Since I was bored with my go to meals that I had probably been eating a little too long without refreshing things...I found myself wanting to order chinese takeout, burgers and fries, order Mexican take out, and I was struggling with sweets again. 

THE SOLUTION

To fix the problem, I made sure to work up some new healthy menu options that specificially tackled my biggest cravings...

➡️ For my chinese cravings, I ordered Ramen Bae Protein Stir Fry Noodles and started making my own high protein chinese noodle dishes at home.

➡️ For my burger cravings, I bought an electric griddle (which I'll talk about next), and I came up with this macro friendly BBQ Double Smashburger Recipe which I shared in last weeks newsletter.  

➡️ For my Mexican cravings, I worked up this Beef Crunchy Tacos recipe that I shared a couple of weeks ago.

➡️ And lastly, for my sweets cravings I started making more of my Ninja Creami Protein Ice Cream again, which I had kind of fallen away from.

And just like that...because I had new options, which tasted amazing...I was no longer feeling these urges to constantly "cheat" with high calorie and high cost meals from restaurants or to indulge on high calorie sweets.  

I'm eating what feels like cheat meals again at every meal, and back to eating protein ice cream just about every day, AND...

Drum roll please...🥁

I'm almost back down to my LEANEST while eating tacos, smashburgers, chinese food, and ice cream 🤩

The Big Idea...

If you are feeling constant cravings to cheat on your "diet", then it could just be that you need to refresh things a little with some really amazing tasting options that ALSO give you the calories and protein you need without the sabotage.  

Even coming up with 3-4 new options can breathe new life into your healthy eating and shut down those cravings again so you can get amazing results without feeling like you can't enjoy your food 💪🏻

Stop Obsessing Over

"Eating Too Little"

I could rant about this forever, but I am sick and tired of seeing women fall prey to influencers and so-called “experts” who constantly talk about “not eating enough.”

You’ve all seen it all over social media…

“If you’re eating less than 1,800 calories a day, you’re under-eating and ruining your metabolism.”

Here’s what ends up happening to the poor souls who hear this message and believe it.

They start thinking the reason they aren’t losing weight is because they aren’t eating enough.

So they eat more…
And guess what… they gain weight 🤔

Not shocking at all.

Because when you’re in a calorie deficit, you lose weight.
And when you’re in a calorie surplus, you gain weight.

The problem was never that they weren’t eating enough.

The problem was that they thought they were eating less than they actually were…
or they thought they were burning more calories than they actually were.

These “experts” throw this advice around without accounting for some very real variables — and they ignore a very simple truth:

👉 If you want to lose weight, you must be in a calorie deficit.

THE REAL PROBLEM

These “eat more” blanket statements are built on the idea that anything below a certain calorie number automatically equals under-eating — while completely ignoring real-world variables that determine whether someone actually loses weight.

1️⃣ Body size and frame matter.
Many women are simply smaller — shorter, lighter framed, and carrying less total mass — even if they are overweight and have excess body fat. Smaller bodies burn fewer calories. Period. These women cannot follow the same “standard” calorie ranges as taller or larger individuals and still expect fat loss. Treating all women as if they have the same metabolic needs is a massive oversimplification.

2️⃣ Calorie intake is almost always under-estimated.
The average person under-reports their food intake by 30–50%, often without realizing it. Small things add up fast — cooking oils, sauces, bites and tastes, portion sizes, and “healthy” foods that are still calorie dense. So when a woman believes she’s eating 1,600 calories, she may actually be eating well over 2,000.

3️⃣ Calorie burn is almost always over-estimated.
Fitness trackers, cardio machines, and workout apps routinely overestimate how many calories someone burns. Add in optimistic assumptions about daily movement, and many women think they’re burning far more than they actually are. A few workouts per week do not automatically create a large calorie deficit, especially if the rest of the day is sedentary.

4️⃣ Daily activity outside the gym is wildly inconsistent.
Two women can follow the same workout plan and have very different results based on steps, movement at work, stress, sleep, and lifestyle demands. Non-exercise activity (how much you move throughout the day) plays a massive role in calorie needs — and it’s rarely stable or accounted for in generic advice.

5️⃣ Diet history and habits shape outcomes.
Many women seeking help have years of dieting behind them. They’ve learned to eat energy-dense foods in small volumes, have inconsistent patterns across the week, and swing between “being good” and overeating. This doesn’t mean their metabolism is broken — it means small tracking errors and inconsistent habits can easily erase a deficit.

When all of this is ignored, women are told they’re “not eating enough.”

In reality, they’re just not in a consistent calorie deficit — and no amount of eating more will fix that.

THE SOLUTION

Stop taking life-altering nutrition advice from a 1 to 3 minute Instagram video — or from a professional who sees you for five minutes once every month or two.

Neither has the time, context, or data to understand:

• Your body

• Your lifestyle

• Your history

• Your habits

• Your blind spots

And without that, their advice can’t possibly match your reality.

If you are struggling to lose weight and can’t figure out why, the solution isn’t to keep guessing — or to eat more based on generic advice.

The solution is to work with a coach who:

• Understands this struggle intimately

• Has a long track record of real client success

• Looks at your entire reality, not just one number

• Coaches with nuance, context, and care

That’s how you uncover what’s actually holding you back.

And that’s how you avoid wasting months — and a lot of money — gaining weight you’ll have to lose again because someone gave you advice without ever taking the time to truly understand you.

My Favorite $50 Purchase In Quite A While

Last week I shared my new BBQ Double Smashburger Recipe 🍔

Literally...I've been eating smashburgers like twice a day every day for the last 2 weeks, and I'm still getting leaner.  

All that is to say, I am LOVING this little $50 griddle that I bought at Walmart. 

I have literally used it every day since I bought it, and I can see myself continuing that trend for the foreseeable future as well.  

In hindsight, I might have instead purchased this one from Amazon as it seems to be almost the exact same unit just in black and copper which would match our kitchen a bit more, but otherwise, it's an amazing purchase.  

And, at only $50, if it gets beat up or loses it's non-stick properties I can always get another one without breaking the bank.  

If you are looking to get into the healthy Smashburger game, check out my recipe from last week, and grab one of these!

You won't be disappointed.  

From Cardiac Rehab To 122 Pounds Lost 

I had one of those check-in calls this week that reminds me why I do this work.

Matt is down 122 pounds. 🤯

When he started, he was in cardiac rehab, and his doctor gave him a clear directive: lose weight — and lose it fast. It was quite literally life or death.

Fast forward to today and the transformation is incredible.

Matt is now taking a break from fat loss, building muscle, preparing to lose his final 15–20 pounds — and he just started running. Something he told me he never imagined he’d do.

On our call, he shared that things have finally clicked. He’s no longer “on a plan” — he’s living a lifestyle he knows he can sustain.

Matt didn’t have perfect circumstances. He had real challenges.
What made the difference was consistency, accountability, and trusting the process.

If Matt can do this, so can you. 💛

A Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

“External things are not the problem. It’s your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now.” – 

— Marcus Aurelius

When you're ready, here's how I can help:

If you're looking to lose weight sustainably while building a flexible lifestyle that you enjoy, I can help.   Apply for coaching here in the Healthy & Whole Mentorship Program.  

Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.