Fat Loss Non Scale Wins

Our next Fat Loss Academy challenge is coming up soon (details here​) which means our latest challenge is finishing up.

We've had some incredible scale wins, but I asked the group to share success that had nothing to do with the scale.  I am going to copy some of the responses below.

I love helping people lose weight because I know it is a challenge that is very hard to overcome.

But in reality, I am after everything else that you see below.  I just know that when we start taking a look at our nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress for fat loss then all of the other magic happens.

One key takeaway I often see is feeling in control and having freedom around nutrition. 

Let me know what your takeaways are I hope this gives you a little bit of inspiration to keep pushing with your health journey.

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Honestly my mind shift is my biggest victory. I have been starting and quitting weight loss schemes most of my life.

For whatever reason this time is different. I got injured early on and am still trying to heal so my activity is limited but I haven’t used food as a crutch.

I’m enjoying feeling in control of the food and not feeling like the food is in control of me.

I have more energy, I’m sleeping better, my overall mindset is more positive. My clothes are feeling better and I feel like I’m doing something I can do forever.

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SO many that are not related to weight loss. Mindset has shifted so much more than I thought, and not allowing road blocks such as a foot fracture, holidays and birthdays be the reason to say the heck with it (which was my normal pattern). Something has shifted and not sure why this time feels so much different than before. I don't feel deprived, good habits have formed and am so happy with all of the things that are happening. Energy is better, skin is better, mood is WAY better. My life has changed in that I am an active participant in my wellness and this journey is just starting :) SO very grateful for this community, not just for support but for accountability as well.

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Inches lost, fitting into old clothes, fitting into jewelry, feeling better able to manage/incorporate special occasion foods/meals into my diet without sabotaging my progress, and less cravings. Much less emotional eating- and quick recognition of it when the desire strikes. My body feels fitter and stronger.

I don’t know when it happened, but my arms are starting to look better too! On Easter Sunday I went out in public in a sleeveless top for the first time in a very long time. This was a big deal for me

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Oh there are too many to mention! The ones that are top of mind for me are:
1) climbing stairs with ease
2) lifting more weight
3) fitting into clothes that haven’t fit in a couple of years
4) a new social group
5) enjoying eating well again and being in control of my food
Like I said too many to mention… I am loving the classes and the Fat Loss Academy!!

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At least half of the things listed above if not more. But above all, I feel in control of my wellness and my lifestyle choices and better at planning for myself and my kids not just in nutrition but all aspects. And my summer shorts fit! Wooo!​​

​Chat soon!

Matt

Fitness Lies Online

Hey Ya’ll

I got triggered recently with some ads I saw on facebook about fitness and fat loss goals programs.

There are obviously many lies on the internet and the fitness lies are just as prevalent and just as dangerous.

Please be a good consumer and please be curious and ask questions when you see things that make you wonder.

Frustrating example.

All over the internet you see incredibly jacked and lean men and women doing some workouts. Cool.

Sometimes you will see them showing off their bodyweight workouts or their workouts where they are using light weights and doing burpees/jumping jacks/squat jumps and other cardio-ish full body moves.

Here's what they want you to think.

That these workouts are what made them look like that. Buy these workouts from them or these supplements.

Unfortunately this is a bullshit lie.

Marketing 101. Make it seem like it's easy and make it seem like it will happen quickly. IE. workout only 2-3x a week for 30 minutes just bodyweight, 21 day fix etc etc.

If you don't want more clients tell the truth. That it takes many years of dedication, effort and sacrifice to achieve transformational results.

Exactly 0 of the people doing those workouts got to where they are doing those workout. ZERO.

Here's what they have in common
-they might be blessed genetically
-they might be a former high level athlete who trained many hours a day for many years
-they definitely lifted heavy weights 3-4x a week for many years
-they definitely have been on very restrictive diets to get as lean as they are
-they may be on, or have been on, performance enhancing drugs
-it might be their job to look like that meaning they don't have any other commitments other than dedication to the lifestyle factors needed to look like that (ie. a job, kids, life etc)

So why are these people such scum?

Because they make you think that you can look like them by doing these garbage workouts.

And then they take your hard earned money when all you really want is to make progress to your goals.

This is all over the internet and there is nothing I can do about it other than to warn you. It's up to you to be skeptical and to ask an expert for advice.

And there is no getting around it. It takes time and consistency and no two fitness and health journeys are the same.

That's great, we are all unique and special. But that also means that we truly cannot compare ourselves to anyone else.

Do you really think a woman with 3 kids in menopause and a college athlete are going to be able to do the same thing and get the same results? Of course not.

But it is possible for everyone. It just takes way longer than we want, it's way harder and there are more barriers in 2025 than ever before.

This is not all bad news!

You can drastically improve your health with some "big rocks" like:
-2-4x a week strength training (even 20 minutes work)
-getting in as much movement outside of your workouts as you can fit in like walking, parking further away, direct cardio, playing with kids etc etc
-working on your sleep hygiene and getting more sleep (if you can, I know lots of you have things out of your control)
-eating more nutrient dense whole foods
-getting away from screens/the news and spending more time doing things you love. Getting outside more helps too

Yes, they are many more things.

And these things might not get you on the facebook ads, but they will help you live healthier longer and give you all the strength and energy you need to live life to the fullest.

And as always, if you have questions just ask!

Matt

PS. If you want to learn more about Evolve Fitness in person you can see us at www.evolvefitnessltd.com

And if want to join our free virtual program you can do that here. Inside this program you’ll find our menopause course, fat loss course and healthspan course.

Accountability Is Key

A friend emailed me 3 months ago and told me she was in a rut and going downhill quickly.

She was lacking motivation and needed some accountability​.

So I did what any coach and friend would do and we got together for a quick chat and inbody assessment.

Honestly, there wasn't much to it. No special instructions, no tough Matt and no nutrition tips.

Just a check in every month to make sure things were good.

3 months later and she did another inbody.

Down 30 pounds and 9.7% body fat.

I have to admit I was a little shocked.

"Is that all it took" I asked?

"Yes", she replied. "I just needed to know you were watching".

This may seem simple, but it's a huge key to success.

Us humans are pretty good at dealing with the disappointment of letting ourselves down.

But when you gain some accountability from someone whose opinion you care about then it can help you take action, get the results and keep going.

After all, action leads to motivation and not the other way around.

So if you are struggling with your goals and you haven't shared what your goals are with anyone else yet, I suggest putting it out there to someone or many people.

It may be just the accountability you need.

And like many tips like this one, you can apply this to any of your life goals and not just fitness.

If you need help, don’t be shy asking. Your accountability partner is likely ready at this very moment.

Have a great day.

Matt

More Data Means More Wins

I was listening to my favourite book called 100m Leads by Alex Hormozi and heard a great quote from his doctor friend that I had to share.

PS. If you are an entrepreneur, know any or want to be one then I think this might be the most valuable book you ever read. I am happy to chat with you about my big takeaways.

Now the quote.

"The more things you measure, the more ways you can win".

Listen, I have been doing this for 16 years.

Far and away the number one reason people quit the gym is that they haven't lost weight in some small and unreasonable amount of time they expect to lose weight in.

Even though so many things in their lives are drastically improving.

So what if you measured your progress in more ways than just the scale?

Then you'd have more ways to win, and in turn, stay more motivated.

And when you stay motivated and continue to do the thing that made you win then chances are more wins will come later (ie. the scale).

At Evolve Integrated Health, we have an awesome health & fitness assessment that anyone can complete.

We measure a lot of data points.
-blood pressure
-VO2 max
-strength
-grip strength
-mobility
-power
-balance
-bodyfat%, muscle and fat
We are also working toward being able to get blood testing done to get even more data.

Now picture this.

You join a gym and you have a weight loss goal. Let's say you want to lose 40 pounds.

You complete a health and fitness assessment at the beginning of your journey and at 3 months.

You've lost 6 pounds which is much less than you were hoping for.

But you now have some other data.
-your blood pressure went from high to normal
-your VO2 max went from low to average (this is amazing)
-you increased your power
-you doubled your strength in all major exercises and increased your grip strength
-your mobility improved
-you lost body fat and gained muscle and had a big drop in body fat percentage that doesn't get reflected by the number on the scale

Picture how you would feel if you were only judging your progress by the number on the scale.

Compared to how you would feel knowing you improved so many other areas of your health and wellness.

And that doesn't even take into account other non scale victories like happiness, confidence, mood and the list goes on.

So when you are creating your goals, make sure you are measuring more points of data.

Because this gives you more ways to win. Winning feels good and provided motivation to keep going even when you might not feel like it.

This applies to more than just fitness :)

Who To Trust For Advice

Hey Ya’ll

Have you ever taken advice from someone and either immediately regretted it, or regretted it later?

Maybe it was a friend, family member or coworker. Or maybe it was a friend of a friend who made a post online about the latest revolutionary fitness or “diet” program.

Here’s the thing about taking advice from others. There is a hierarchy that should be followed whenever possible. The problem is that we often make decisions with emotion instead of logic and we end up regretting it.

So it’s important to be a good consumer, do our research and take advice from the right people.

After all, you would go to the doctor when you are sick. You go to the dentist when your teeth hurt and you go to a mechanic when your car is broken.

So why are you taking health, nutrition and fitness advice or judgement from non experts?

From best to worst, here is the order of people you want to accept advice from.

1. Someone who has done it themselves and helped many others reach the goals you are after. An amazing example here is our coach at Evolve Amy Muench. She was once an Evolve client who lost 40 pounds. She then became one of the strongest women in Canada. She is now a coach helping clients lose fat and also become much stronger. So she’s achieved many goals herself and has coached others to reach their goals.

2. Someone who has helped many others reach the goals you are after.

3. Someone who has reached a similar goal to you. I place this one below #2 because usually if someone has reached a goal but isn’t coaching others than they may only know one way to reach this goal. This is great, but someone who has coached many others will have the experience of dealing with different obstacles and helping people achieve success that are coming from different circumstances.

Now this is pretty much the end of my list. If I have a goal in mind, I am trying to contact and get help from number 1 if possible. And if not possible then I will work my way down the list.

You’ll notice friends, family and coworkers are not on this list.

Your health is the most important thing you have. Without it, all of the other success in the world won’t matter.

So we have to stop taking advice from people who, quite frankly, have no idea what they are talking about.

That sounded a bit harsh but I have been at this for a very long time and it breaks my heart every time I see a client or a friend who is so hopeful about bad advice they got from someone who shouldn’t be giving that kind of advice.

For some extra help, here is some honest help.

Sometimes finding this advice can be expensive. If it’s too expensive, all is not lost.

In the age of social media, you have a lot of free options. If you have a question about your health and fitness goals, I would copy and paste it and email/message as many trusted experts as you can. Not all will answer, but at least one will give you a great response.

Or you can use Youtube for all that it’s worth. This is a little tougher since there are a lot of fads/scams on there but at least your sister in law selling the latest diet pills isn’t. You can find lots of fitness experts and nutrition experts who have years of experience, PhDs and thousands of testimonials on there. This is a great free source of information.

For Youtube, I like to follow only a couple of people so the messaging is consistent and easier to follow.

I truly hope this helps and you can email me for help any time at mathewevolve@gmail.com.

Chat soon.

Matt