Success Stories
Posted in Spark on July 20th, 2008Another great tool to help motivate yourself is to hear a story about someone who has been in your situation before and how they overcame their problems. Remember, the science stays the same for everyone. Even so, you can find inspiration and learn tricks of the trade to make the lifestyle change flow more smoothly.
Here, I’ve provided insight from numerous people I’ve met in my life. From a one hour phone conversation which gave a gentleman the knowledge needed to drop his cholesterol by 200 points, to a client who went on a six month journey of hardcore training to prepare for a race, these are the success stories of those to whom I’ve given advice in my career as a fitness coach.
I have hundreds of other stories and I had a hard time deciding who I should ask to be in my book. I feel these stories captivate how easy it is to learn and allow you to see how far people have taken their life after just listening to a one hour seminar or a one hour phone call from me which would include the information you see in Chapters 1 and 2. I also wanted to let you see the depth of what a trainer can provide and how you can think outside the box to get phenomenal results with your health, whether it be mentally, physically or even spiritually. After you learn the information in the first two chapters, you have opened a window to success.
The amount of change you see in one person is incredible. Sometimes unbelievable. All the following stories you read are true and you can learn something from each of them. If you were wondering why I decided to give away all my secrets to weight loss in a book and slaved countless hours in coffee shops to get this out, you will know the answer soon enough. Seeing the change in people after they have the knowledge and power to make a difference in themselves is the greatest gift ever. I’m glad I can be a part of that and can help facilitate others to grow stronger spiritually, mentally and physically.
When asked, I always have a hard time deciding what my title should be. Am I an author? A teacher? A trainer? I believe this section captivates how I view myself – a coach.
A trainer merely works someone out in the gym and hopes for success. A coach does everything in their power to make the changes needed so their student succeeds. Even though I’m in the field of personal training, I can be seen grocery shopping with clients, buying dresses with them, going on vacation with their families and so much more. A life coach in disguise.
Jessica – professional videographer, 32 years old
“Okay, I’ll confess – I am a work-a-holic. As a professsional videographer in the Santa Barbara area, life is never calm. The typical day for me starts in a rush out the door at 5am, toting my camera case and a cup of coffee if I’m lucky. I usually have four to five appointments throughout the day, and lunch is a rare treat. I’m also the type that forgets things all over the place. I can’t tell you how many times I forget a lens or piece of equipment.
My next confession is that I was wearing out. The constant schedule of running but not eating was taking its toll. I was tired, with no energy, hungry all the time and overweight. I knew that if I was going to survive the rest of my career I needed some help.
When starting my training, one of the first things Matt asked me was if there is a certain camera or lens that I always carry. I told him, ‘Yes. I never leave home without my XH A1 HD Camcorder®.’ It is practically a part of my body, perched atop my shoulder as a third eye.
Matt said the same thing applies to fitness professionals. He picked up his water bottle and grabbed a bag of trail mix out of his backpack.
‘See,’ he said ‘you need to incorporate fitness into your life just as you’ve incorporated videography. Fitness is business, too! Never leave home without a bottle of water. Never leave home without trail mix. When you’re going through your checklist before you head out on a filming adventure, make sure to go over your fitness checklist too!’
I was so excited. He had given me some great ideas. I started implementing the checklist idea and began working with one of his trainers. I kept a banana and trail mix in my camera case and started carrying water in my car. Slowly, I could see energy seeping back into my daily routine.
I didn’t see success immediately like his other clients. I felt like I was doing everything they were. Ok, I mean I occasionally had a piece of candy. Or maybe two. But, I don’t think people follow this plan 100%, right? Not me, anyway. I like the fact that there is more emphasis on eating often as opposed to what I eat. I haven’t lost my sweet tooth and I don’t plan to. I’m one of those people who lives to eat, not eat to live if you know what I mean.
I got really busy and wasn’t able to keep up with the workouts. I had lost about 5lbs in two months. Doesn’t sound like much, but I’d been trying to lose weight ever since I entered college. If you’re in college, stay away from those parties! Man, if I knew it would take a decade to work it off I might’ve reconsidered.
Anyway, I lost 5lbs regardless of only getting in about one workout a week. I didn’t feel in shape at all, but I was excited. To this day, I still haven’t found a way to get workouts and work combined. Being a videographer, I really am a slave to work.
In my third month, I found myself in an interview, working the cameras of a captivating documentary. An older gentleman was telling his war story. It was so amazing and we caught it all on film. The only problem is that he talked for 6 hours nonstop! Before, I would’ve been ravenous. Not today, though. I just steadied my beautiful XH-A1 on my shoulder and reached in my bag for some goodies. I was prepared thanks to the ideas and concepts MOVFitness has helped me develop.
I’ve now been with the program for about 8 months. I go a good month without any workouts and then when I don’t have any projects, I cram five workouts in a week. Matt says this isn’t the healthiest, but I do what I gotta do. I never skimp out on the diet though. Those little snacks in my camera bag are a LIFE SAVER! No, not the little candies. I think this is the main reason why I’ve lost weight. It probably wasn’t my 5 workouts a month that I crammed in all in one week.
Today I’ve lost over 30 lbs and just successfully completed my first 5K race! I have never felt so good. MOVFitness has brought energy and spunk back into my hectic daily routine. I feel like I can face any problem that may come up. And trust me, there are a lot of surprises in my line of work!”
***
As you can see, Jessica has a very hectic lifestyle. Getting in better shape doesn’t necessarily always have to be in the form of exercising and insane diets. In her case, just adding in some snacks into her bag did the trick. Jessica is still about 20lbs away from her goal, but she’s taking it one step at a time. Find the little successes in life and go from there. Find alternatives to excuses and make sure your bag has some healthy snacks in it, too.
Sue – retired businesswoman, age confidential
“My husband passed away in 2000. When you lose your other half, they say you fall apart. I was no different. I just didn’t have any motivation to get out of the house afterward. I used to be really active in the community, with business and in my family. After Jon passed away, I just didn’t have the desire to try anymore. About all the energy I could muster was to go visit my relatives for the holidays, and even that was a rare occasion. To make matters worse, I had some serious health issues. I never have been small, but my weight had skyrocketed right before my eyes. At my highest of 237lbs, I had no energy or endurance. I like to blame this on my high-stress career and the fact that my husband was a great cook. In the back of my mind, I knew I needed something.
I still had my family and that’s what matters most in my life. One day, I was on a flight back from visiting the kids when I started making small talk with the girl sitting next to me. She mentioned that she was with a group of ballroom dancers who were on their way home from a competition. I was very interested to hear more. I had always wanted to dance. I can remember when I was a little girl how I would dance at school. Swing was one of my favorites. It was here that they convinced me to make an appointment at their dance studio. They said I didn’t even need a partner, so I was very curious. I thought that it could get me active and social again.
Nervous and excited, I went in for my first lesson in 2005. I had a blast, but it came to no surprise that I couldn’t last on the dance floor for more than a few minutes before my body just gave out. All those years of prime time television and knitting weren’t helping. I’m not a quitter, though. I booked a few lessons to see how I could do.
The first week was definitely something new. I can remember feeling drained and exhausted in no time. Even so, I was delighted to get out of the house and it gave me something to look forward to throughout the week. I am so happy I met that lady on the plane. I used to long to see my grandchildren, but now I longed to return to the studio and learn a new routine or get lost in a dance. My life was filled with a new love. Just try to call me and you’ll get my answering machine politely letting you know I’m out dancing!
After about six months, I had successfully lost about 20lbs just by dancing, and I could last about 25 minutes before I had to sit down! I was delighted that I was able to have fun and lose weight all at the same time. My instructor wasn’t as happy, though. We had a big competition coming up and he wanted me to perform 20 dances. Oh boy! If I could even describe how many that is. I would’ve been completely exhausted. It was then that my dance instructor recommended that I talk with Matt and get some help. My instructor had already lost 30lbs with Matt, so I was interested in what Matt had to say.
I already was a member of a weight-loss group and I knew gyms were available to me, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted a fun workout; that’s why I chose dancing. I have to admit that I was quite intimidated at first. You see, I’ve had weight issues since I was a little girl and have been on all sorts of diets. I also wasn’t the most comfortable discussing my deepest concerns with someone, especially a young man! Nonetheless, I went to meet Matt so he could reiterate what every other health professional had told me – eat healthier, exercise, exercise and exercise. I’m sure you know the drill.
To my surprise, I was greeted by a young man with a warm smile who didn’t prod much about my personal life. Instead, he turned me to some protein bars to put in my purse that really did taste just like candy bars. He then told me to eat six times a day and some other stuff I don’t really remember and set up an appointment with one of his trainers, Brandi.
The next morning, I was greeted at my house at 8am by a sweet girl in a jogging suit. I invited her in and was happy to learn that my new trainer wasn’t a gym buff. That morning, she took me on a walk outside and we talked about my little puppy and my dancing. This was much different than what I had in mind. I knew that this is what I had been looking for. Before I knew it, Matt had designed an exercise plan and meal plan made especially for me. More importantly, he designed a meal plan catered around my busy lifestyle and Brandi introduced me to boxing. It is a real hoot! To think I actually enjoyed workouts, that is nonsense. I still laugh every time I think about it. I never have been the type of person to work out. But here I was: boxing gloves and all. If Jon could only see me now!
I started packing protein bars in my purse and taking them everywhere. After about a month, I was on a consistent schedule – something I hadn’t had in years. I was losing about one pound every other week. My initial goal was to get down to my wedding weight. That would be a tough feat since I hadn’t been close to that since wedding day. Plus, it was a good 60 pounds away.
Well, 70lbs. later I realized that I was the lightest I had been since 12 years old! Now when I go in for my weekly dance lessons, I stay for two sessions and the dance party afterwards. I compete all over the world with my dance instructor.
I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not, though. Dancing isn’t a cheap hobby and neither are the dresses. After all this “success” I am now getting an entire new wardrobe and am currently working with my dressmakers on SMALLER ball gowns. I’ve become a favorite donor at the local charity. It seems every 3 months I’m going in and donating all my old clothes. I never plan on wearing them again, so why keep them, right?
By November, I had been on their program for over 6 months and was a little burnt out. I decided to take a break for the holidays. I think most people gain 5 to 7 pounds over the holidays. From Thanksgiving to New Years, I ate whatever I wanted and gained 2/10ths of a pound! The change to my metabolism was very clear. I still ate frequently, but I had whatever I wanted and didn’t work out at all. For me, speeding up the metabolism really did the trick. I wasn’t finished, though. Once the new year rolled around, I felt refreshed and ready to prepare for my next dance competition.
I finally feel like a million dollars. I have so much energy and enthusiasm for life that I thought I would never find again. Matt and Brandi helped me take my goal far beyond anything I could have imagined.”
***
Sue is a great lady. I’m so glad that I was able to meet and get to know her. When seeing a grandmother box in the morning, take her dog on a walk in the afternoon and then do ballroom dancing at night it’s hard to not be impressed.
Sue has since gone to competitions where she competes in over 70 dances. The day she thought 20 was a lot is a joke now. She still goes to her weight-loss group just to see their reactions when she sees so much success every time. She tries to share her knowledge, but few believe it. With everything our media throws at us, it’s hard for to convince someone this is the right path, let alone someone outside the fitness industry.
Sue is still working out and dancing and will continue to do so for the rest of her life. The first step might be intimidating, but use this knowledge to your benefit. Take this book to a personal trainer and tell them you know it works and you want them to help you make sure you don’t mess up while you take life altering steps to a new you.
George – General Contractor, 54 years old
“I’ve always understood the importance of good health habits. I thought I had a great routine when I met Matt. I was working out religiously, seeing a private Pilates instructor regularly and performing other calisthenics. I was weighing in at 160 lbs. with about 15% body fat. Just in line with my doctor’s recommendations.
I had just one private nutrition session with him and appreciated his practical approach. I’ve always researched information on my own and much of what he was saying was in the back of my mind, but he polished it off and gave the importance of meal planning a higher priority in my life.
I’m a vegetarian and care just as much about longevity as building muscle and looking lean. I understand there is a trade-off, and I have always thought that was the reason for my relatively high body fat compared to how careful I was.
Well, quite frankly I was wrong. In just one session, Matt completely changed my eating habits. He has powerful stuff. I guess one has to be ready to hear it though. After our meeting, I applied all the tactics he exposed me to and saw results immediately. I have more energy and dropped about 3% body fat in a matter of only a few weeks.”
***
George ended up only losing a few percentages, but let’s take a closer look at this. George had 15% body fat and ideally would want to get down to 9% (most male models are around 9%). He only lost about 5lbs overall, which totaled him losing 3% body fat.
He ended up at 12% body fat after only one hour of meeting with me. This means he lost 50% of what he wanted to lose! If he can shed another 3%, he will have the abs of a fitness model. With that perspective, you can see how much of a difference 3% can make.
Small things matter and most importantly we want to eat small frequent meals. Many vegans I meet miss out on healthy sources of proteins and it’s even worse if they neglect to eat healthy fats. Add these in, and only then I’ll approve a vegan meal plan. George’s line sticks out in my mind. We really do have to be ready for a change before we can take that first step. Are you ready, or are you still telling yourself you will fail? Believe in yourself and it will happen!
Elizabeth – High School Cook, 48 years old
“I work in a high school cafeteria. I love it, hairnet and all. I really like being around the kids, but I found that my meal times were being forgotten. If you’re a grandparent like me, you would understand. I get pretty wrapped up with work, the grandkids, my husband, soccer practice – you know the drill. I don’t mind putting my energy into those things, but after so many years it was taking its toll. I thought I could finally relax once the kids went to college, but it didn’t exactly play out that way. They ended up becoming parents, too! You know what that means – you’re a parent all over again. At least this time, I can give the little boogers away if they get too grumpy.
Anyway, with all that was going on, I never ate. Matt says my metabolism was slowing down, naturally, but I thought that my busy lifestyle and low calorie intake would take care of it. But year after year, I could not get thin.
Luckily, I found Matt and learned the importance of eating well and eating often. I thought I was a health-conscious mom: don’t let the kids have too much sugar, choose the salad over the burger, don’t eat after 7pm, avoid processed foods. But Matt helped me to see that there is so much more and even some of that is bogus! I lost 40 lbs on his plan. I went from a size 16 to a size 12 in just a few months. I used to get headaches, muscle aches and had low energy. But, today I have a steady flow of energy that comes from keeping my fire going all day long. For the first time since my marriage, I can keep up with all the tasks that are thrown at me.
Now don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy. I had a hard time convincing my husband, Shawn, that he should eat this way too. It’s not fair if I have to do it alone! I would use my hectic schedule as an excuse sometimes or even give in to eating ice cream with the kids. After Shawn and I started splitting our meals, we not only saved money, but I could feel the changes finally starting to happen. Especially on my waist.
I also was given so much support from my co-workers. The most important thing you can do is commit. Ha! I sound like a trainer now! My co-workers would help me on the hard days, when my motivation was down. But slowly, as my weight began dropping, my confidence started getting a boost. I found little successes every day. First, my headaches decreased and almost disappeared. My muscles did ache, but this time from my crazy workouts. Matt helped me prove that I can do it – one meal at a time, one day at a time, one pound at a time. It really helped when I told everyone that I had this new goal and a trainer to help. I wasn’t going to lose this time, no matter what.
Today I’m better equipped to teach my children successful health habits.
My kids and husband are now eating more balanced meals. We go on bike rides together, we have more energy and we enjoy better health. Our schedule hasn’t changed; I still work long hours boiling the spaghetti, mixing the salads and warming the tacos. At work and at the house, but having a body that I am proud of makes all the difference.”
***
Elizabeth definitely had bitten off more than she could chew in life. You can’t blame her, though. She married at a young age and had kids at a young age. Before she knew it, they were having kids and she was starting the process all over again.
I see this more often than not, and countless hours in the gym aren’t the answer to your success. Unless you’re a competitive athlete, you can eat six small meals a day and see awesome success when you’re where Elizabeth started. She still has a few sizes to drop before she’s out of the danger zone, but she’s seen great success nonetheless.
Getting your partner involved is a big step. Elizabeth was able to get her husband involved in her success. She didn’t mention it, but he also lost quite a bit of weight.
Maria – Professional Ballroom Dancer, 25 years old
“I met Matt at a dance studio in late 2006. At the time, I was a manager in the company and had been in the business over 5 years. Like most my age and comfortable in their job, I had let my body go. I asked my doctor what to do and he claimed I had a thyroid dysfunction. I didn’t really understand the details, but by looking at the rest of my family, I assumed it was genetic and I could do nothing about it.
Little did I know that my knowledge of health and nutrition was far from complete. When I first talked with Matt, he told me the thyroid dysfunction was, and I quote, ‘a bunch of BS.’ I didn’t know what to think. His certifications and list of clients definitely impressed me, but why would I listen to him over my doctor?
As time went by, I continued to see those around me who were on his program lose weight and they loved their workouts. My curiosity got the better of me. Finally, I asked him to have a meeting. I was ready to do whatever it took. Well, almost anything. He asked the most absurd thing of me. He wanted me to buy a size 6 dress.
‘What?!?’ I thought. He said he would start training me after I committed to believing in his program. My first step of commitment was to buy a size 6 dress. I can now confidently let you know that at the time I was a size 14. So, you see how absurd this was.
Well, I guess I wasn’t that excited about his program. I thought it was a little silly, so I put it in the back of my mind. A few weeks went by and I saw the same people seeing even better success. I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to be in that group!
I went back to Matt one more time. I was hoping he’d be more empathetic seeing that I needed his help. I asked him what I should do. He was persistent about the dress. He gave me a few ideas on where to go and even told me that I had to spend at least $400 on it!!! Uh, this was ridiculous. I was excited that he believed in me so much, but scared since I never had even shopped in the stores he was talking about. The stores he mentioned sold size 8 dresses as their largest. What would they think if I went in and asked to see a size 6? No, I just couldn’t do it.
I was thinking about the dress for an entire week. I finally went shopping the following weekend and called Matt while I was in the store. His pep talk led me to Cache, a local store with formal wear, where I nervously bought a beautiful blue dress. I was hoping that in nine months I could wear it to a formal dinner with my dance company. I was beginning to sound as crazy as Matt. Was I seriously doing this? Yes, I guess so.
I felt so relieved. I was so proud of my dress and couldn’t wait to show him. But my fears weren’t over yet. I hadn’t changed anything in my workout or eating habits and I knew that was going to be short-lived. This is when Matt introduced me to Brandi.
After hearing Matt’s clients exclaim how much fun they had boxing and running races, I was more than intimidated. To my surprise, for our first workout Brandi took me on a very relaxing stroll on the beach with my little dog Coco. A walk, can you believe it? I couldn’t remember the last time I had been to the beach. I was really looking forward to this. They both seemed to believe in me more than anyone I’d ever met and the success I had seen in MOVFitness gave me much hope that they were leading me in the right direction.
The same day, I met with Matt to go over my nutrition plan. I already knew a little about what he was going to tell me. I had read his website and had heard about what he recommends to other clients. What I didn’t realize was that he could help my individual issues that I didn’t even know I had. For instance, I love going out to eat. I love gourmet food at nice restaurants with a nice glass of wine. There’s no way I would give up my wine!
Of course, Matt projected some insane nutrition plan with hardly any chocolate and no wine on the list. Not to mention a ton of meat and veggies.. I was bummed, to say the least. He encouraged me to stick with it for just 2 weeks and then he would change it for me.
I went grocery shopping that night. I stocked up on some protein bars as suggested by Matt for when I couldn’t get my meals in. I scheduled two sessions a week with Brandi. This was a new surge at fitness after I had tried countless times on my own. I had always been a bigger girl and it was depressing. I gave a 100% effort to see if this body really was a genetic dysfunction or if I was in control.
We started out slow. I would walk 2 sets of bleachers and be extremely winded and my legs would be killing me. Brandi said this was normal for the first few weeks. She even said I’d be able to do 8 sets within about 6 weeks. Yeah right, I thought. Let’s see her use these legs!
On our third workout, she introduced boxing to me. Wow, what a rush! I never knew how empowering hitting something could be. Ok, so it totally drained my body and left me sitting in my car afterwards with noodle arms, unable to lift my hands to the steering wheel. Yet, it was very satisfying. Who needs a therapist when you can just take out all your aggression on some punching mitts. I was hooked!
I started realizing my road rage disappeared. I no longer had the energy to get mad at other drivers. It made a lot of sense. I wish all those LA drivers would take up boxing!
I was also interested in learning the boxing better to take it out on Matt. This diet was definitely not a walk in the park. He had me eating every three hours like clockwork. Sometimes I wasn’t even hungry, other times I felt like I was starved, even after I just ate. The first few weeks were very annoying with all the pain and the confusion from Matt telling me when to eat when my stomach totally didn’t agree. It might’ve been worth it if the scales were going down, but they hovered at my usual weight. I was not happy.
Well, from the beginning Matt had told me that I wasn’t going to see any success the first two weeks. Something about ‘building my fire.’ After those first 2 weeks I would see success.
Sure enough, I lost 3lbs when week three rolled around. I also was doing 5 sets of stairs by week three already. They weren’t easy, but hey, I started on 2 sets! The boxing was getting so much better. I was practicing the routines at my house, too. So much fun!
Some things that I never even thought about were starting to get better. I no longer had crashes in the afternoon. I used to drink energy drinks like crazy or have coffee to boost my energy. I no longer needed this. I also would get really tired after dinner. Matt taught me my large meals were the culprit here. Even better, my skin was starting to clear up. I guess my pores weren’t very receptive to the junk food I had been consuming in the past.
Looking back on what I was doing to my body before I started with MOVFitness, it was starting to sink in that my doctor didn’t know what he was talking about. Can you believe he never even asked me what my diet was or what workout regimen I was undergoing? For the first time in my life, I felt like I was responsible for what was happening with my body. This was so exciting and dreadful at the same time. I guess I could no longer blame someone else for what I looked like. Now that I knew the difference, it was embarrassing to see that I did this to myself.
Matt said I would continue to lose 2lbs per week if I kept up the program 100%. I was on a roll. The following week I did just that. Already down a total of 5lbs, I was feeling courageous.
That weekend, I decided to go out and have a drink. I was ready to reward myself. I had been going strong for 4 weeks with no wine! I was so proud of myself.
Well, bad idea. I got really dizzy after just one drink. One drink!! Insane. I can always hold my liquor. Uh, what had this new lifestyle done to me?
The next day I didn’t feel very well either, so scratch that idea. I called Matt about it. He said I was looking for the fine dining experience, not just a glass of wine. He suggested I ask for bottled water and have it poured by the server in a wine glass. What a great idea. I was mad at myself for trying to cheat. Consequently, I didn’t lose any weight that week. My fault, I guess.
My next trip out, I decided to try his idea. Instead, I got sparkling water. Oooh, those bubbles in the glass made me feel like I had a real drink. Then after adding enough lime to it, it actually tasted like champagne. You have to try it!
The next curveball Brandi threw at me was a 5k race. She wanted me to register for a race in Wine Country. Sneaky, huh? They thought if I thought about wine country I would compromise and do a race.
I knew their tricks, but I wanted to lose the weight. So, I took up their offer. I had made it this far, so I wanted another goal. I started training on my own for this big race. Then, with my trainer, I would work on cross training. I felt like a star athlete. While my time wasn’t phenomenal, I didn’t place last either. I improved my time by 5 minutes over the course of 5 weeks. Then the wine tasting wasn’t near as rewarding as I had imagined it. It was worth it, though. I dropped 10lbs by the time race day started!
Ok, so I won’t bore you with all the details, but to sum it up, I stuck with Matt and Brandi for four months. During this time, my body went from a size 14 down to a size 8. I lost about 2lbs per week just as Matt had said I would. My workouts with my trainer were amazing and I learned so much about better posture, core strength and what HIIT was. They also took me shopping for new clothes, grocery shopping and told me about recipes. This was an all around full-service company. I was even inspired to start researching fitness on my own and realized it was my true passion.
In my research, I realized how sheltered we are from true health. I joined a health company and am now a spokesman for them. I quit my job at the dance studio and started a new career in the fitness industry. I love what this has done for me and completely changed my life around. I want everyone to know that they too can take care of their health and well being if they have the right tools. Don’t listen to your doctor when he tells you about thyroid dysfunction.
I’ve yet to fit into my size 6 dress, but I am still an amazing success story. I took my training on my own after leaving MOVFitness. I haven’t lost any weight since, but I have definitely not gained any back and I feel 100% in control of how I feel. I am now on the other side of the spectrum and am helping people see success such as I’ve seen. Check back because one of these days I am going to fit into that dress and maybe even something smaller!”
***
I was really hoping Maria would lose that next size so she could fit in the dress by the time the book went to print. The only reason she isn’t there is because she had to relocate to an area where we don’t have any trainers.
Regardless, I’m really pleased with her success. Her success story is detailed and she does a great job to tell about every part that helped her get to where she is today. It’s a shame doctors discourage people from trying better health. Before meeting me, she was brainwashed into thinking weight loss was hopeless for her. This was my reasoning for having her buy the size 6 dress. Had I just trained her like everyone else, I don’t think she would’ve seen the same amount of success.
Her doctors had her on medication even though she was taking 2-3 energy drinks a day plus maintaining a horrid diet. It’s now obvious to her why she wasn’t seeing success. She’s now active in the health community helping others take the scary first step she took.
Olita – Anesthesiologist, 34 years old
“I thought I knew it all. I was a former collegiate swimmer, ran a marathon at high altitude and had been to medical school. At 5’3” and 110lbs, I have a competitive nature and had always been thin growing up. With an athlete’s appetite, I could eat anything at anytime, without a worry.
In my early thirties, despite training for sprint triathlons, I started losing my athletic build. I began to see cellulite on my thighs and felt more tired at the end of each day. I decided to call Matt one day two months into training for my second marathon. I realized that I wasn’t just feeling fat, I actually looked unhealthy. I expected Matt would add in more rigorous training. Instead, he began asking me questions about my diet – ‘Did I eat breakfast?, How frequent were my meals?, When did I feel most tired during the day?’ It turned out that I wasn’t eating appropriately to gain muscle while losing fat. According to Matt, in order to do that, I was going to have to ADD 500 calories by adding 2 meals to my day. I didn’t believe it until he explained it in thorough fashion with research studies to back up each theory. In short, my metabolism had slowed between ages 24 and 34, and my avoidance of morning nutrition had caught up with me.
After about two weeks, I was surprised to gain my afternoon energy back and four months later I ran my fastest marathon. Furthermore, I recovered quickly and without a broken body due to Matt’s nutrition advice and his cross training plan. Before Matt’s training plan rejuvenated my body, I thought this would be my last marathon. But now my spirit is also renewed and with this new motivation I look forward to more challenges ahead.”
***
Olita has a great attitude. I rarely meet someone who is already successful who seeks more help. This is a sign of a true professional. If you are already at the top of your profession, that doesn’t mean you know everything. I believe being a great listener is the greatest quality one can possess.
This is the type of personality Olita possesses. She effectively utilized my training for about six months and exhausted much of my knowledge. She then applied the concepts on her own afterward. If you apply this concept in life, you too can achieve success in multiple fields. By meeting with the best of the best in multiple areas, you can fine-tune your skill set and expand your repertoire. Learn how to turn your listening cap on when needed and then switch back to being the leader you are only in your respected field just as Olita has clearly shown.
Dr Sieg – Family Doctor, 56 years old
“While Matt’s advice is a little too technical for many, those in the medical field should pay attention. He goes over things I heard in med school and refreshes your mind to put things in perspective. Having lost 80lbs in a few short months, I can gladly recommend his program to anyone trying to lose weight and interested in keeping the pounds off.”
Joey – Wedding Photographer, 28 years old
“Just wanting to lose a few pounds, I had no idea what I was in for. After 2 months of intense training, I was competing at various races. Matt really blew my mind away when he showed me what I was capable of. Now I’m a competitive runner, and I also met my fiancé at a race. I couldn’t be happier!”
Luke – Business Consultant, 46 years old
“Previously the HR Manager for a highly respected company, I was constantly bombarded by health care professionals. Matt’s plan is unique in that he has a very practical and sound approach. With his science and reasoning, I was personally able to shed 30 much unwanted pounds with just two hours of consulting with him. Not to mention lowering my cholesterol by 150 points. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to see the truth and actually make a lifestyle change.”
Well, hello Mrs. Muffin Top. Age has caught up with you and now all those years of eating only carbs is showing. No, a dermatologist can’t help. It’s time to change your habits. If you simply hydrate yourself and add healthy fats into your diet, you might just survive extinction.
This physique excites me the most. You are the most likely to think what I’m saying is a bunch of hocus-pocus. Yet, you’re also the one who will immediately see drastic changes. I’ve helped people in your shoes lose tremendous amounts of weight in just a few weeks.
It’s a pain when I see an Overworker. You truly believe workouts can solve all problems and don’t care to bother with your diet. You also think short workouts are for wimps and would rather play basketball for 3 hours hardcore before you’d do a HIIT session. Well, it has gotten you very close to success, but you need to radically change your program if you want to see your abs. Or you could just put on a baggy shirt and lie to everyone that you actually have a good physique by showing them your guns.
Ok, so you know that you need to eat a lot to maintain all that muscle, but then it creates a problem. If you eat less, your abs start to get more defined, but then your arms and chest get smaller. “What the @#!@%?!?” you say. Don’t worry. You can have mucho muscles without the gut. It’s all about portion control. Instead of eating 4 large meals a day with mucho protein and mucho carbs, let’s switch up your carb-protein-fat ratio and have smaller but more frequent meals.
So with our 3 points of health that we follow: good diet, good exercise plan and good motivation – the Beach Dad usually suffers from lack of motivation. You usually have success in an area of your life that makes you feel that you don’t need a six-pack. As soon as you start attempting, you remind yourself how successful you are elsewhere and then decide to stop.
Of all the physiques, this guy would never see a personal trainer! Learn how to listen to someone for an hour. Then apply 1% of what you heard into your own life. Learn how to analyze what a trainer tells you and then apply what you think is true. I encourage you to research ten different sources before applying any. But, if you are in a big square shirt because you don’t like the body underneath, then you’re obviously doing something wrong. Most likely, your wife is reading this and trying to help you out. Not many Hawaiian Shirt Dudes seek advice from others. Here’s how you can help him:
