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What's in store for today:
- My Favorite Meal This Week
- These 5 Weight Loss Myths May Be Holding You Back
Hey friend,
I dropped the ball and couldn't get a newsletter out last week!
It was a BONKERS week with a travel cheer competition and with Joani being out of town, PLUS...I've been head down getting ready to launch something BIG 🤩
For MONTHS I have been pouring my heart and soul into a new offer to complete the vision I had when I started Healthy & Whole...
That vision was to make sustainable weight loss accessible and affordable to anyone anywhere...and that vision is about to come true.
Next Tuesday, March 31st, I am opening the doors on a new membership version of our program, called Healthy & Whole Forever...
I'm basically cramming everything you need to lose weight and keep it off forever into a membership for less than the cost of one meal out a month 🤯
Heck, barely more than a dollar a day...
Doors open Tuesday, and I'm sharing details between now and then to my email list and to my Facebook profile, so if you want in on it be sure you on tuned into one of those places for info.
With that said...here's your Feel Good Friday...
My Favorite Meal This Week
If you know ANYTHING about me you know two things...
- I love food...
- I love coming up with meals that taste like a cheat, but truly aren't...
This meal right here is one of my favorites lately...
What you see pictured here is a Teriyaki Bacon & Cheese Smashburger, with 12 jumbo grilled shrimp (seasoned to perfection), and an extra slice of bacon for funsies.
If you didn't know better, you would look at this plate and easily assume it is every bit of 800-1000 calories, and normally it would be...
But I've tweaked this plate to only be 590 calories, with a whopping 91 grams of protein.
If you are a client of Healthy & Whole you would count this plate as one meal block and one protein snack block combined for a very tasty and indulgent feeling meal that is 100% "on plan".
You can get the recipe for the Teriyaki Bacon & Cheese Smashburger here.
I got the Simple Truth Jumbo Shrimp from Kroger here, but any raw shrimp will do. All I did was thawed the shrimp out and tossed them in seasoning and threw them on my griddle while I made the smashburger. Easy peasy.
So feel free to steal this meal for yourself and just follow the recipe.
You'll love it and you'll feel like you are cheating for sure!
These 5 Weight Loss Myths
May Be Holding You Back
As a coach in the weight loss industry for over 10 years now, I've learned a lot about what it REALLY takes to lose weight and keep it off.
Unfortunately, there's a lot of noise out there and junk that distracts people from getting the results they really want.
So let's take a moment to debunk 6 of the most common myths I see...
1️⃣ Processed foods are bad for you...
I used to believe this until I had coached enough people to realize that processed foods themselves were never really the problem.
At this stage of my career I've seen multiple clients lose 150+ pounds.
Some of them ate a super clean whole foods only diet.
Some of them ate mostly processed foods for the convenience.
Some of them balanced a bit of both.
In the end when we controlled for the right calorie intake with activity and exercise the end result was the same.
You couldn't tell who ate what diet.
But here's what was not the same...the long term sustainability.
What I noticed was that the clients who strived for a super clean whole foods only approach struggled more to keep the weight off than those who blended in some processed foods for enjoyment and convenience to add a layer of sustainability.
2️⃣ More = Better with workouts...
The whole idea that longer workouts, with more sets, more repetitions, and more volume is better overall...is slowly dying.
And I am so glad. 😂
The high volume / high intensity workouts trend was really pushed or made popular by professional bodybuilders pursuing elite physiques...
The problem...most people don't EVER care to achieve that level of physique and they certainly don't have the time or gumption to follow the lifestyle required for that...
Many of the top industry voices are finally coming out now and acknowledging that for the average person, less is more.
A simple workout with 3-5 exercises, for 2-3 sets each, with higher weight and lower repetitions seems to get more or less the same results that a super high volume, high repetition, high intensity workout gets for the average person.
The difference is when you do a simple workout with just 3-5 exercises, lower reps in the 6-10 rep range, with heavier weight, and longer rest periods between sets, the workout gets done faster and doesn't leave you feeling so exhausted or fatigued.
This means you recover faster, build muscle faster, enjoy it more, and don't get burnt out.
I've taken so much to this approach that I have begun to redesign all of our signature workouts for our clients using this "less is more" methodology.
3️⃣ Meal Timing Matters...
I do agree...meal timing does matter, but not in the way that many coaches in the industry say it does.
You'll see an infinite number of conflicting recommendations saying different things when it comes to meal timing.
Some say you shouldn't eat after 5pm...
Some say skip breakfast and fast...
Some say breakfast is the most important meal of the day...
Some say you should fast all day and eat all your calories in a 4 hour window...
What I have found after coaching hundreds of clients in the last 10 years is that what matters MOST about meal timing is that you choose timing that works for YOU.
At the end of the day if the total calories eaten are on point, and you get enough protein in, it does not seem to make any diffferent long term.
So instead of trying to force yourself into a set of rules around your meal timing that doesn't feel natural, I recommend building your eating timing around what you enjoy.
For me...I don't feel hungry in the early part of the day so I stick to coffee and zero calorie beverages until lunch. I eat lunch, then a protein snack between lunch and dinner, then dinner, then I have a meal and a snack portion left over after dinner many nights to enjoy "snacks" with the family as we relax.
My calorie intake and protein needs are still met...but the timing fits my desired lifestyle.
Sustainability over rules will win every time.
4️⃣ If you aren't eating enough you will gain weight...
This has been proven false so many times that I cannot believe it is still even something we need to talk about...
But no...the "starvation mode" myth is not real.
If you are trying to lose weight...but you aren't...I am here to cut through ALL the noise for you to let you know you are not in a consistent calorie deficit.
You don't need to eat MORE...you need to assess your activity levels in relation to your food intake, to understand why you THINK you are in a calorie deficit, but really aren't.
Find the leaky bucket, fix it, and you will get results.
But biologically, if you are in a calorie deficit you WILL lose weight.
So if you aren't losing weight...........you are not in a calorie deficit.
Don't waste time chasing the wrong rabbit.
5️⃣ Inflammation, cortisol, and insulin are wrecking your metabolism...
No...they are not.
There are a LOT of people out there telling you that the reason you are unable to lose weight is because you have high inflammation, high insulin, and / or high cortisol levels.
Luckily for you they have JUST the magic pill for that!!!! 😂
Seriously, though...the industry is FULL of scam artists who recognized an opportunity to sell people over priced junk supplements by praying on their inability to lose weight.
Most of these people KNOW that the reason you aren't losing weight is because you aren't in a calorie deficit...but that won't stop them from filling your head with nonsense about inflammation, insulin, and cortisol so you will buy their products...
Look...I've coached a LOT of people from VERY poor health to very good health at this stage of my career.
Virtually all of them started in a place where their inflammation, insulin, and cortisol was higher than it needed to be, and they were all able to be successful losing weight and keeping it off without ever needing a single supplement or pill or mediation.
We did it all with food, exercise, and actually making it sustainable.
Don't get sucked into the marketing...
Focus on the basics...and you'll lose weight.
There are a LOT of other myths that hold people back in this industry that often feels like the wild wild west...but these are the big ones.
Hopefully...this gave you some new perspective so you can focus on what matters, and let go of what does not.
And if you want a simple food and exercise based approach to losing weight and keeping it off without calorie counting or restriction...keep an eye out for more emails coming because we are launching something new in a week and I think you'll love it if you aren't a client of Healthy & Whole just yet...
- Matt
Win Of The Week:
Toni Harris
In September 2022, Toni joined Healthy & Whole at 189 pounds, exhausted, on two blood pressure medications, and struggling to do the things she loved.
She couldn't carry her raft to the water. She had to stop and rest on walks. Her clothes didn't fit, and she didn't feel proud of herself.
She started strong — lost a significant amount of weight and got close to her goal. Then life got hard. Dark seasons hit. She gained some of it back.
But she never left. Even in her lowest moments, Toni stayed connected to the community. She kept showing up — not perfectly, but consistently — using the tribe as a lifeline when she needed it most.
When she was ready, she made some big life changes and started investing in herself again. And this time, she made it all the way.
Where Toni is today:
→ Reached her long-term goal weight
→ Wearing a size 5/6 for the first time since 1990
→ Running and more active than ever
→ Strong, confident, and proud of herself
Toni's journey took over three years. There were setbacks and dark seasons. But she stayed in the fight — and that made all the difference. The only true failure is the moment you give up. Everything else is just a work in progress.
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.
