March 19, 2025 • 34 mins
Tired of fitness influencers selling you overpriced supplements and impossible body standards? This raw, unfiltered episode cuts through the Instagram fitness illusion to reveal what sustainable weight loss really looks like.
As someone who lost 140 pounds naturally and has kept it off for nearly two years, I'm calling out the fitness industry playbook: make you feel inadequate, sell you a solution, and keep you dependent. The truth? Most of those perfect bodies you see online are the result of performance-enhancing drugs, professional lighting, strategic posing, and photo editing—not some magic workout plan or supplement stack.
Real transformation doesn't require extreme diets, grueling gym sessions, or becoming fitness-obsessed. It's about making small, smart choices consistently and finding sustainable habits that fit your actual life. I share the authentic voices worth following in the fitness space—people like The Sober Bodybuilder, Jordan Syatt, Nick's Losing It, Johnny Goes Running, and others who show the messy, imperfect reality of health improvement.
The most liberating realization? Accepting that your body will never look like an Instagram fitness model isn't failure—it's freedom. True health isn't about aesthetics or perfection; it's about feeling energetic, confident, and strong in your own skin while still enjoying your life. If you're ready to ditch the fitness industry BS and focus on what actually works in the real world, this episode is your wake-up call.
Follow the authentic voices sharing their real journeys instead of the photoshopped illusions, and remember: you don't need to spend another dime on weight loss scams to transform your health and your life.
Links Of People I Mentioned
Lose Weight Without Starving or Obsessing! Learn the simple, no-BS system that helped me lose 140 pounds naturally—no extreme diets, no endless gym hours, just real, sustainable fat loss for real people.
Join the Effortless Weight Loss Academy HERE
Please leave me a review on whatever platform you listen to your podcasts.
Send me questions or comments to Jonathan.Ressler@gmail.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
If you're a whiny snowflake that can't handle the
truth, is offended by the wordfuck and about 37 uses of it in
different forms gets ass hurt.
When you hear someone speak theabsolute, real and raw truth,
you should leave Like right now.
This is Shut Up and Choose, thepodcast where we cut through
(00:25):
the shit and get real aboutweight loss, life and everything
in between.
We get into the nitty gritty ofmaking small, smart choices
that add up to big results.
From what's on your plate tohow you approach life's
challenges.
We'll explore how the simpleact of choosing differently can
transform your health, yourmindset and your entire freaking
(00:48):
life.
So if you're ready to cutthrough the bullshit and start
making some real changes, thenbuckle up and shut up, because
we're about to choose our way toa healthier, happier life.
This is Shut Up and Choose.
Let's do this Now.
Your host, jonathan Ressler.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Hey, welcome back to Shut Up and Choose the podcast,
where we cut through the noiseand the nonsense and all the
bullshit that those Instagramgurus and internet gurus are
spewing at you on a daily basis.
Most of it's bullshit, and I'mhere to straighten some of that
noise out.
So let's get started.
So today I want to talk aboutwhy I don't look like, or my
(01:36):
feelings on what being aninternet or Instagram influencer
is all about.
It's kind of why I don't looklike any of them.
So the other day, one of myfriends said to me hey, why are
you trying to be an influencer?
And let me tell you that reallypissed me off, Because in my
mind, an influencer is justsomeone trying to sell you shit.
(01:57):
Their whole job is to convinceyou that you need something Some
magic pill, a supplement, somefancy workout program, a new
blender, some kitchen appliance,whatever it is.
But they try to convince youthat you need something so they
can cash in.
And that is not what I'm doing.
I'm here to tell you that youdon't need to buy garbage off of
(02:22):
social media.
You don't need any pills or anyshots or overpriced coaching or
some asshole secret method tolose weight.
You can do this on your ownwithout spending another dime on
weight loss scams ever again.
Because if you look at it, lookwhat is the influencer playbook
?
Right, it's sell you a problem,then sell you the fix, and they
(02:42):
all follow the same formula.
So first thing is they make youfeel like you're failing.
They show you their perfectbody and their easy weight loss
and their must-have shit, theirtools, their supplement,
whatever it is.
The message they're giving youis you're doing it wrong and
that's why you're struggling.
And then the second step isthey push some solution that
(03:04):
costs you money, the answer toyour weight loss problems.
Well of course it's theirsupplements, their coaching
program, their meal plans, theirquick fit, whatever it is.
They're there to sell yousomething and the great news is
it's all available for threeeasy payments of $199.
I mean, come on and then, afterthey get you hooked, they want
(03:27):
to keep you dependent.
They're like fucking drugdealers.
The last thing they want is foryou to succeed without them.
They don't want to see yousucceed.
If you I don't know if you loseweight and gain confidence on
your own, you stop buying theirshit, and that's bad for
business.
So I think what I'm doinginstead is I'm giving you the
(03:47):
message you don't need any ofthat shit.
You don't need an app to tellyou what to eat or when to eat
or track your calories.
You don't need a meal plan madeby some fucking made up guru.
The reality is, no one can giveyou a meal plan.
They don't know what you wantto eat.
And even if they kneweverything you want to eat, shit
(04:07):
happens, man.
So you don't need that mealplan by the guru and you don't
need to spend hundreds orthousands of dollars on fat
burning supplements or some kindof pills or whatever the fuck
else is they're selling.
You don't need any of that,because weight loss isn't about
buying more stuff, right, it'sabout making better choices.
(04:28):
And I'm here.
My goal out here is to help youtake control so you never have
to pay another influencer, coachor some diet company.
But again, I lost 140 pounds,naturally, and I've kept it off
for, I guess, coming up on twoyears now, without shots,
without expensive programs,without anyone telling me I
needed their secret formula forsuccess.
(04:50):
Look, I did all those things.
So I get it.
I paid, I went on every faddiet, I did all kinds of shit.
I never did ozempic or anypills, but I've done most of it
and I have to tell you it's alla bunch of shit.
Here's the truth that theinfluencers don't want to tell
(05:11):
you.
They don't want you to figureit out, they don't want you to
succeed on your own and theydon't give a shit if you
actually get healthy.
All they care about is that youkeep paying them.
So here's the thing I don'twant your money.
I want you to realize you cando this all without me, without
them and without anyone else.
So no, I'm not an influencer,I'm just a guy who figured this
out and wants you to know thatyou can too.
My method is all about thethings that you already know but
(05:34):
just forgot about or choose notto remember.
If you follow me or listen tomy podcast and I mean follow me
on my social media or listen tothis podcast I essentially tell
you everything you need to know.
I tell you how to succeed.
Sure, for full disclosure, I dohave a program that you can buy
, but it's a one-time purchaseand it's under 50 bucks.
Truthfully, that's probablyless than you're spending on
(05:55):
your coffee in a week.
Once I show you or, I guess,really remind you of what you
need to do, you'll never have tospend another dime on weight
loss again and you can eat whatyou love which is absolutely
imperative and still lose and,more importantly, sustain
whatever weight you choose.
Not to mention, you can usewhat I teach you to succeed in
(06:17):
any other area of your life ifyou want to apply it there.
So I don't think I am anythinglike the charlatans on social
media.
In fact, I recently read astudy that said more than 80% of
the fitness influencers have noqualifications to be giving
fitness or health advice.
I think the number may behigher, but 80%, and I'm one of
(06:37):
them, which is why I'll neversuggest a specific exercise
routine, a meal plan, anyspecific food to eat,
supplements or anything likethat.
I just show you how to get intothe right mindset to make small
, smart choices to lose weight,because that's what this battle
is all about.
You need to choose your ownfood that you actually like.
(06:58):
You need to choose an exerciseprogram that makes sense for you
and your lifestyle, because ifyou don't, you're not going to
do it and everything else aboutyou.
You have to choose if you wantto lose weight and get healthy.
So most influencers tell youbuy my program and you get
ripped abs in 30 days, or somebullshit like that.
I'm telling you weight loss isa mental game, first and
(07:20):
foremost.
Look, all you have to do isscroll through Instagram for
five minutes and you'll see themthe guys with the chiseled abs,
the veins popping out of theirarms and, all over their body,
the zero body fat.
The so-called fitnessinfluencers, who look like they
live in the gym, eat nothing butchicken and broccoli, and
somehow these people always havethe perfect tan.
(07:41):
And then there's me.
I'm not a 25-year-old fitnessmodel, I'm almost 61 years old.
I don't spend my entire life inthe gym.
In fact, if you listen to me,you know I don't spend a fucking
second in the gym because Ithink it's a waste of time.
I don't take anyperformance-enhancing drugs,
like most of them do, but don'tadmit, and I sure as shit don't
(08:05):
have a professional photographerfollowing me around to capture
the perfect flex I mean, I thinkthat'd be pretty cool.
I would like to have aphotographer follow me around,
but I don't.
I'm just a regular guy who usedto weigh 411 pounds and figured
out how to lose 140 of themnaturally, without starving
myself, without extreme workoutsand without becoming obsessed
with fitness to the point whereit took over my life.
(08:26):
So if you've ever looked atthose so-called perfect bodies
online and thought, oh man, Ican never look like that, you're
right, and neither could I.
But you know what?
That's okay, because the realgoal of weight loss isn't
looking like an Instagram model.
It's becoming the healthiestand happiest and strongest
version of yourself.
And that's exactly what I did.
(08:47):
I am the healthiest right nowthat I've ever been in my life.
If you look at thesebullshitters out there and
that's why I start my podcastthe way I do, cutting through
the bullshit of all theInstagram and internet gurus,
because they're all full of shit.
So the reality is, social mediahas completely distorted our
(09:07):
idea of what fit looks like.
Everyday people hounded withthese images of these men and
women and whatever who havesingle digitdigit body fat
year-round.
They have massive and sculptedmuscles, with veins popping,
they have no loose skin, nostretch marks, no imperfections
(09:28):
and, of course, they have absthat look like they're carved
out of stone, and the messagethat they push is you can look
like this too.
Just follow my workout plan ormy eating plan and buy my
supplement stack.
But here's the truth they're notgoing to tell you.
First is a lot of those peopleare taking performance enhancing
drugs.
Yes, steroids.
A huge number of fitnessinfluencers use steroids,
(09:51):
testosterone boosts or otherperformance enhancing drugs to
achieve that look, and, ofcourse, they'll never admit it.
Instead, they claim theirbodies are built with hard work
and dedication, making you andme, the rest of us out there,
feel like failures for notlooking like them.
But the truth is the rest of uswho aren't on drugs are dealing
with slower muscle growth.
I've had some muscle growthsince I go out and walk, but I
(10:14):
sure as shit don't look chiseled.
More body fat retention.
I am far from thin.
I definitely do not have one ofthose bodies like all the
Instagram gurus and just kind ofnatural aging.
I don't think any of that stuffis really bad.
There are some good guys outthere and I want to give them a
little bit of a shout-out today.
So there's this one guy that Ifollow on Instagram.
(10:35):
His name is Brad Jensen, hisInstagram name is the Sober
Bodybuilder and he is, I wouldsay, a rare voice of honesty in
the fitness industry.
So, unlike most of the peopleout there who push the illusion
of effortless perfection, brad,he's a big dude.
He's cut, he's ripped, but he'slived through some real life
struggles.
He's a single father, hebattled addiction and, most
(11:05):
importantly, he's prettytransparent about the use of
performance-enhancing drugs inthe fitness world.
Honestly, including his ownpast experiences.
He doesn't pretend that thoseshredded like jacked-up
jerk-offs are all natural, andhe's one of the few people who
actually tells people the truth.
Most of what you see on socialmedia is not real.
The truth Most of what you seeon social media is not real.
So what makes Brad, aka thesober bodybuilder, stand out is
that he shifted his focus awayfrom chasing an unrealistic body
or getting you to chase someunrealistic body.
(11:29):
Honestly, this guy's prettyfucking jacked, but he shifted
that towards real, sustainablehealth.
He preaches no bullshitsolution, no extreme diets, no
overcomplicated workout programsand definitely not quick fix
scams.
So he understands that lifeisn't about being the leanest
guy in the room.
It's about finding a balancebetween fitness, family and
(11:50):
mental well-being.
I mean, I love the guy.
I follow him.
I can't wait for him to postevery day.
Again, you should definitelyfollow him.
He's at the Sober BodybuilderDefinitely a guy I would follow.
So when you compare yourself tosomeone not Brad, but it was one
of these Instagram jerk-offsAlthough, like I said, brad's
pretty fucking jacked up butwhen you compare yourself to
someone who's juiced up, you'resetting yourself up for
(12:11):
disappointment, because thosepeople, their lives like fucking
revolve around fitness.
That's their fucking job.
Their lives like fuckingrevolve around fitness.
That's their fucking job.
Another guy whose life doesrevolve around fitness, but he
just fucking says it like it is.
Another person that I follow isa guy named Jordan Syatt.
He's also one of the rare goodguys in that fitness influence
space and he's definitely afitness influencer Like Brad.
(12:33):
They have huge social mediafollowers, but they're fucking
honest.
Jordan also tells the truth.
The other day he put up thispost showing a younger version
of himself.
He said with a towel too low.
But it was a pretty funnycomment.
He's very self-deprecating, buthe posted this thing about how,
when he was younger, he wasobsessed with being shredded and
being lean, and he actuallysaid that he never missed a
(12:55):
workout for five years straight.
That's fucking unbelievable.
He said he's constantly chasingleanness and letting fitness
consume his entire life.
And you know what he said hewas fucking miserable doing it.
Now he's a little bit older.
He has a family and he leads abalanced lifestyle and is still
in phenomenal shape.
The guy is unbelievablyflexible.
It's amazing the stuff he doesand he's not really killing
(13:18):
himself over it anymore.
He figured out what most of thefitness influencers out there
don't want to admit you don'thave to be obsessive to be fit,
strong and happy.
That ties directly into theproblem with most influencers
today.
They sell the idea that fitnesshas to be extreme, that you
have to be lean 24-7, thatanything less than perfection is
(13:38):
failure.
But real fitness isn't aboutlooking stage ready every day.
It's about sustainability,balance and actually enjoying
your life.
This guy, jordan Syatt man, hegets it.
He totally gets it.
The other day he talked abouteating McDonald's french fries.
You won't see a lot of fitnessinfluencers doing that.
This guy keeps it real.
So another guy that Idefinitely think you should
(13:59):
follow is Jordan Syatt S-Y-A-T-T.
In case you don't know that andthe reality is most of these
other influencers they don'thave regular jobs or families or
any real life obligations.
Their entire income is based onlooking shredded.
They have the time to spendhours in the gym every day.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Even though.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
I had the time.
There's no fucking way I'd wantto do that.
These guys, these people theycan weigh every meal down to the
gram so they meet all theirmacros.
Fuck that noise.
And, of course, all of them allthe big ones get professional
lighting and photo shoots thatshow off their best angles and
so they look perfect in everylight.
For normal people that's justnot realistic and, honestly, who
(14:42):
the fuck would want to livelike that?
I'd rather enjoy my life, eat asteak without tracking every
calorie and spend some time withmy family, my kids, instead of
obsessing over my abs or, in mycase, my ab, that singular, my
ab.
And the reality is most of thoseInstagram photos are bullshit
anyway.
They all use Photoshop andfilters that enhance their
muscle definition.
(15:02):
They erase any flaw they mighthave.
They use lighting to make themlook leaner than they are.
I don't know if you can makeany light make me that would
make me look clean, but they'reclose enough that they could do
that.
I know for a fact that some ofthese guys get themselves
dehydrated, so it makes theirveins and their abs look huge
and they really pop.
And, of course, they know howto pose.
(15:24):
They can change how their bodylooks, completely by the way
they pose, and the reality isnobody walks around looking
stage ready all the time.
Stage ready is one of thesebodybuilders that's ripped 24-7.
There's another guy out therethat shows himself ripped and
then he shows himself sittingdown.
I don't remember his name, buthe's also fucking awesome.
Nobody walks around lookinglike that all the time, even the
(15:47):
people who claim they do so.
Comparing yourself to thesecarefully out of the right word,
curated, and these highlymanipulated images, it's just
unfair and, honestly, it's acomplete waste of time.
And look, now that I think thathopefully I've established it.
(16:07):
Instagram and internet fitnessis mostly a lie.
I want to talk about real lifeweight loss, because that's what
you're here for.
When I lost 140 pounds,naturally without any fucking
diet, just using my head, andthat is all you need to do.
You need to eat mindfully, youneed to make small, smart
choices.
That's what the whole gamecomes down to is getting your
(16:29):
head in the game.
But when I did that, look, Ilost a lot of fat 140 pounds fat
.
Maybe I lost a couple of poundsof muscle too, I don't know,
but I lost a lot of fat, but Ididn't look like a bodybuilder
when I did it.
I don't have any loose skin,but maybe I'm just blessed
genetically, I don't know, but Ididn't have it.
But after you lose a massiveamount of weight, your skin
(16:51):
doesn't just snap back likemagic Stretch marks.
Yeah, I got those.
I've earned a few of those andhonestly, I'm not ashamed of
them.
I used to weigh 411 pounds.
Shit happens.
As far as muscle, yeah, I builtsome, but I sure shit didn't
become jacked.
I guess maybe I could with theright filter or AI, but the
reality is muscle growth takesyears, not months.
(17:14):
But and here's the big but Ilooked better, I felt better and
I moved better.
But I didn't suddenly transforminto some Greek god influencer
jerk-off on the internet, andthat's perfectly okay with me, I
don't care, because the realgoal wasn't to look like an
(17:34):
Instagram model.
The goal was to be healthy, andthere's a lot of people out
there that just want you tobelieve that if you follow their
method or follow their mealplan or do their workout, these
miraculous things are going tohappen.
And I'm here to tell youthey're not.
It's not going to fuckinghappen, so save your money.
But here's another guy that Ifollow and I think you should
(17:55):
follow too, and his name is Nick.
His Instagram name is Nick'sLosing it.
I think he's one of the fewfitness influencers actually
keeping it real.
He's not out here pretending tobe a shredded fitness model.
If you look at him you'll knowwhat I mean.
But he's not selling some magicweight loss formula.
He's a young guy in his 20s whodecided to take control of his
obesity and he's sharing thereal, messy and not so glamorous
(18:19):
side of the journey.
And, unlike most of the peopleout there, these influencers
show you the after picture.
Nick is the middle of histransformation.
He's still a big dude I don'tknow what he weighs, but he's a
big guy and he still has a lotof weight to lose.
But he shows up to the gymevery fucking day and you know,
I don't really think the gym isthe way to do it, but that's his
way and his way and his way isa good way if that's the way
(18:44):
that works for him.
And because he shows up to thegym and he works out and he
talks about losing weight, hegets a shitload of hate.
People tell him he doesn't looklike a fitness influencer.
He doesn't look like.
How could he be giving adviceabout losing weight, like you
have to have six pack abs totalk about getting healthy.
But that's exactly to me.
That's why his message is soimportant.
Fitness isn't about lookingperfect.
It's about showing up, doingthe work, whatever that is, and
(19:06):
prioritizing your health, nomatter where you're starting.
If it was about if you had tostart looking close to perfect
fuck I know I couldn't do it.
Nick wouldn't be doing it.
But Nick is proof that youdon't have to wait until you're
fit enough to go to the gym.
You don't have to be shreddedto inspire others.
I can tell you Nick is he isshredded and Nick don't go
together.
(19:26):
Okay, but I can tell you heinspires the shit out of me.
He's out there doing the workevery day, proving that real
health isn't about looking thepart.
It's about choosing to changeyour life one day at a time, and
I love this guy.
I think he's great.
I speak to him every now andthen via messages, but I don't
(19:46):
know him.
We have no relationship.
I just think he's fuckingawesome.
So another guy I think youshould follow his.
Like I said, his Instagram nameis Nick's Losing it.
Definitely follow him If youwant to get permanent results,
you need a plan.
You need a plan that works forlife, not a six-week
transformation challenge.
Okay, as you all know, I didn'tstarve myself.
(20:07):
I guess I ate in a reasonablecalorie deficit.
I don't know because I didn'tcount calories, but I sure as
shit wasn't on some extreme like1,200-calorie starvation diet.
That was not in the plan for me.
I like 1200 calorie starvationdiet.
That was not in the plan for me.
I didn't do any insane workouts.
You know I didn't do anyfucking workouts at all in the
gym, but I have learned thatwalking every day is a workout.
(20:27):
So I guess I did work out, butthey weren't extreme.
I literally I just walked and Isurely didn't quit after like a
month.
I stayed consistent, even whenthe progress was slow, and I
always tell people in thebeginning my progress was really
fast, but then I hit someplateaus and then I stuck to it.
And fast weight loss just leadsto a rebound in your weight
gain nine times out of ten.
(20:48):
But sustainable weight losssticks and that's what I did.
I did it in a sustainable way.
Another dude I'm really giving alot of shout-outs here, but
another guy that I like is thisguy.
His name is Johnny Morrison,and I could be saying that wrong
because, again, I don't knowthe guy.
I just follow him and every nowand then I send him a message.
He went to Michigan or healways wears Michigan shit, so
I'm always hitting him with a GoBlue and his Instagram name is
(21:10):
Johnny Goes Running.
And Johnny is the kind offitness influencer the world
actually needs, someone who's inthe trenches.
He's showing real unfilteredgrind of losing weight and
getting healthier.
He's not a shredded elite runner, but he fucking runs.
But he's not some shreddedrunner with a six pack and a
perfect stride.
He's a former 500 pound dudewho's now down to 360 and he may
(21:33):
be even lighter by the time youhear this.
But and he's still pushingforward.
He's running, he's lifting andhe's proving that fitness isn't
just for people that look thepart.
He said in a couple of hisposts he always knew he moved
really well for a big guy and,honestly, if you check out his
videos, you can follow him onInstagram.
He really does.
He moves fucking great for abig dude, but he proves that you
can jump in anytime and dowhatever you want, and that's
(22:03):
exactly to me, why his journeyis so powerful.
He's not waiting until he's acertain size to start.
He's out there doing it right,fucking now.
And he's proof that you don'thave to be thin enough to belong
in the gym.
You don't have to be thinenough to run, you can just do
it.
Look, I made the excuse I wastoo fat to walk and honestly,
physically I think I was I couldwalk like 100 yards and I was
fucking wiped out.
But he proves that you don'thave to be thin enough to get
out there and move.
So Johnny is out there runningfor his health, his future and
(22:24):
the simple fact that he can.
And that's what real fitness isall about.
Not aesthetics, not perfection,just the commitment to keep
showing up and putting in thework.
And if that's not inspiring, Idon't know what is.
This dude has run a couple ofmarathons or half marathon.
He's an inspiration.
Again, it's Johnny Goes Running.
I urge you to follow him.
(22:44):
He's fucking awesome and youknow that.
I like to say that no matter howmuch exercise you do, you can't
out exercise a bad diet and Ifyou're not managing your eating,
the eating part of it, you'renot going to lose weight.
Diets fail because they're waytoo restrictive.
I didn't follow a ridiculousmeal plan that cut out all my
(23:05):
favorite foods.
Instead, I learned how to eatmostly whole and nutritious
foods.
I learned how to balance mealswith protein, carbs and healthy
fats and, most importantly, Ilearned how to feed my soul,
which basically means I learnedhow to eat treats in moderation,
without guilt.
I didn't feel like I wasblowing up my fucking diet.
I didn't feel like I made amistake if I ate a donut or an
(23:25):
ice cream or something.
I just knew that was a choicethat I made along the way and
that's all.
Part of it is learning to quoteunquote eat normal.
I stopped thinking about foodas good and bad and I just
focused on making the bestchoices most of the time, small,
smart choices most of the time.
That's how real people loseweight and keep it off, and I
(23:46):
guess here's the big secret thatmost Instagram fitness gurus
won't tell you, or they probablydon't even know, because
they're so fucking stupid.
You don't need to be shredded tobe healthy.
You don't need six-pack abs tofeel great in your body.
I feel fucking great and, likeI said, I have an ab.
Ab, that's one singular.
I have an ab, but I still feelgreat compared to where I was.
(24:09):
I want to get better.
I want to get more fit, I wantto do all that stuff, but, man,
I feel the best I felt in 30some odd years.
And you sure as shit don't needto live in the gym to maintain
a fit, strong physique.
You just need to be consistent,and again, that just means
eating mostly healthy shit, butallowing flexibility.
(24:30):
I told you, jordan Syatt, youknow, showed himself eating some
McDonald's.
There's something about eatinglike six fries, like no one eats
six, and he's fucking right.
The guy is in unbelievableshape but he admits he'll eat
six fries.
He's like no one eats six, andhe's fucking right.
The guy is in unbelievableshape but he admits he'll eat
French fries.
He'll drink a beer.
That's called fucking livinglife.
Yes, move your body every day,sure, whatever that means to you
, and that doesn't mean go tothe gym.
If that's your thing, by allmeans you should.
(24:51):
But you can be walking, can bedancing who cares, as long as
you're moving a little bit moreevery day.
And, most importantly, buildingsustainable habits instead of
following some crazy ass extremerules because they just don't
last.
So another guy that I followI'm really this will be the last
one, but another guy thatfollows this guy, jesse Mull.
(25:12):
He's a kid and his a kidrelative to me.
I'm 61.
He's probably in his 20s, is myguess.
I don't know Again.
Another guy I don't know.
I've sent a few DMs back andforth.
That's about it.
His Instagram handle isprogressiveoverhaul and he's the
kind of fitness influencethat's actually worth following
Because I can tell you he sureas shit is not shredded and he's
(25:35):
not selling some miracle weightloss plan.
But you follow him because he'sreal, he's relatable and,
honestly, he's funny as shit.
He's self-deprecating.
He also started over 500 poundsand now he's down to 240.
Dude lost more than half hisfucking body weight.
That's pretty impressive.
And in all that there's theshit that goes along with it.
He's not hiding his journey orpretending it's been easy, but
(25:56):
he definitely leans into itliterally.
He cracks jokes about his looseskin he's got a shitload of
loose skin his past struggles,the absurdity of weight loss
transformation.
He's a funny guy.
He does it in a way that makesyou laugh while also hitting you
with some hard truths.
He's proof that you don't needto be perfect to feel amazing.
You just need to put in thework and embrace, kind of where
(26:17):
you're at and then just keeppushing forward.
People expect fitnessinfluencers to look like these
chisel statues.
But jesse, he's got stretchmarks, he's got, like I said, a
shitload.
He does a pose thing where heshows off his physique.
It's hysterical, but like he,he's into it, man, it's like he
feels great, he's down 260pounds and he's just a funny guy
(26:38):
.
And honestly, again, I don'tknow him, but my guess is he
wouldn't change a thing becausehe feels like a million bucks.
And that's not about aesthetics, it's about the confidence,
strength and knowing how farthat guy's coming.
He is definitely proof thatfitness isn't about looking a
certain way, it's about feelingunstoppable, and that's exactly
what he's doing.
So again, his Instagram handleProgressive Overall.
(27:04):
I suggest you follow him.
I guess the most important thingI want to say is accepting that
your body will never look likean Instagram fitness model is
okay, because it never was meantto be that, and that's not
failure, that's freedom, man.
Oh, you know what?
Actually, there's one more guyI want to talk about.
Let's go and talk about thisguy, nathan.
I just started following him,but his Instagram handle is
(27:25):
IamDoneBeingObeast.
Each word has a dot, soIamdonebeingobese no dot after
the obese.
But he's the exact kind of guypeople need to see more of in
the fitness space.
Someone kind of guy people needto see more of in the fitness
space.
Someone who's sharing it, hisshit, in real time, unfiltered
version of weight loss.
He started at 470 and he'sgrinding his way down, showing
(27:46):
every win, every setback, everystruggle and all his success
along the way, so that again,none of those bullshit fake
before and after shots, nomiracle weight loss gimmicks,
just the guy putting in the work, figuring out as he goes and
proving that change is.
And I can tell you fromfollowing him, just for the
short time I've only followedfor a month or two.
His journey has definitely notbeen a straight line, because
real weight loss never is.
(28:06):
He's had ups and downs andtough days and moments of doubt,
but he keeps going and that'swhat makes his story so powerful
.
Too many fitness influencersonly show you the polished,
edited version of success, butNathan is showing you the real
work, the real struggles and thereal perseverance it takes to
change your life.
He is literally proof thatweight loss is not about
(28:28):
perfection.
It's about consistency.
It's not about getting therethe fastest, it's about never
giving up, never giving up andwatching his journey unfold in
real time.
That's more inspiring than anyfitness guru selling you some
bullshit, quick fix or fuckingprogram.
I gave you a bunch of peoplethat I, again, I follow.
I think they're awesome.
(28:48):
I think if you follow, you'llfeel a hell of a lot better
about yourself because they'rereal.
They talk about shit in a realway.
If you're trying to lose weightand you feel discouraged
because you don't look like somefitness influencer, internet
influencer, jerk off.
Stop comparing yourself to anillusion.
I sure as shit don't look likethem, and you're listening to me
(29:09):
.
Truth is, you probably won'tever look like them either, and
that's perfectly okay, becausebeing healthy, strong and
confident in your own skinmatters way more than looking
perfect on Instagram.
You're chasing an illusion.
That's most likely not going tohappen unless you can spend
your whole life in the gym doingshit that you hate or you're
(29:33):
not going to look like thosepeople.
And they don't even look likethat.
They're full of shit.
Like I said, they're takingperformance enhancing drugs,
they're doing lighting tricks.
Fuck that shit.
Just be you, be strong.
So stop chasing an impossiblestandard and focus on what works
in real life, in like normalpeople life, the life that we
(29:54):
all lead, not some fitnessjerk-offs life, the life that we
all lead, not some fitnessjerk-off's life.
So first is, lose weightnaturally, at a sustainable pace
.
You didn't put it on overnight.
You're not going to lose itovernight.
So just lose weight naturallyand sustainably, build strength,
(30:14):
energy and confidence and, mostimportantly, live your life
without food rules and fitnessobsession.
That is as soon as I got rid ofthe rules on my journey and I
accepted the fact that, look,I'm just not going to the
fucking gym.
I hate it there.
Everything got easier.
That's how you win the weightloss game for good, not just for
(30:38):
now, for good.
So that's what I have to sayabout fitness influencers and
all these internet jerk offs.
Hopefully you follow some ofthe people that I told you to
follow, because I promise youthey're fun, they're funny,
they're inspiring and they'reall, as far as I can tell,
(30:58):
they're all the real deal.
They all tell you how to do itand live a normal fucking life.
And you know what?
Don't make your life all aboutlosing weight, because you'll
miss all the good shit whileyou're obsessed about something
that you can do slowly andsustainably.
That's it for fitnessinfluencers.
That's why I am not aninfluencer.
I don't want to be aninfluencer.
I want my voice to be heard andI want people to know that you
(31:24):
can do it without being chiseledand, most importantly, without
being a jerk off.
So if you want to read moreabout my journey of losing 140
pounds, you can get my book.
It's called Shut Up and Choose,same as this podcast available
on Amazon.
We're an Amazon bestseller.
I get emails every day frompeople telling me how I've
changed their life and removedall these hurdles that were in
front of them when it comes tofat loss.
(31:45):
Because the reality is, it'sall in your head, it's a mind
game, it's all in your mind.
You can get that on Amazon.
I also have that course that Italked about at the top of this.
Look, I'm not going to tell youI'm not selling shit, but, like
I said, it's $50.
It's a one-time fee and you'llnever have to pay anything else
to lose weight, and it's allabout getting your head straight
.
It's not about eat this, dothat, this macro, do this.
(32:07):
No, that's all fucking bullshitand there's a million other
people that can probably tellyou that if you want to buy that
line of shit, but you can getmy video course.
It's 20, some of videos.
You can watch it easily in acouple hours.
It's called the EffortlessWeight Loss Academy.
You can get it atlearnshutupandchoosecom.
Learnshutupandchoosecom.
(32:28):
So that's my commercials.
That's everything that I haveto say about fitness influencers
.
You need to be on your ownjourney, not somebody else's
journey.
Nobody else can tell you how todo it.
Only you know how to do it foryou.
So, with that being said, youcan follow the internet
jerk-offs, the Instagram,fitness influencers who, like I
said, 80% of them don't have thecredentials to tell you to do
(32:52):
shit.
They're just out there becausethey spend their fucking life in
the gym and you want to looklike them, which is a huge
mistake.
But anyway, you can figure outwho it is to follow.
Check out the people that Itold you to look at, see how
their stories are, see what theydo, see what they say, and then
, from there, all you have to dois shut up and choose.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
You've been listening to Shut Up and Choose.
You've been listening to ShutUp and Choose.
Jonathan's passion is to sharehis journey of shedding 130
pounds in less than a yearwithout any of the usual
gimmicks no diets, no pills.
And we'll let you in on alittle secret no fucking gym and
(33:34):
guess what?
You can do it too.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
We had a fucking blast.
If you did, make sure to like,rate and review.
We'll be back soon, but in themeantime, find jonathan on
instagram at jonathan wrestler,boca raton.
Until next time, shut up andchoose.
If you're a whiny snowflake that can't handle the
truth, is offended by the wordfuck and about 37 uses of it in
different forms gets ass hurt.
When you hear someone speak theabsolute, real and raw truth,
you should leave Like right now.
This is Shut Up and Choose, thepodcast where we cut through
(00:25):
the shit and get real aboutweight loss, life and everything
in between.
We get into the nitty gritty ofmaking small, smart choices
that add up to big results.
From what's on your plate tohow you approach life's
challenges.
We'll explore how the simpleact of choosing differently can
transform your health, yourmindset and your entire freaking
(00:48):
life.
So if you're ready to cutthrough the bullshit and start
making some real changes, thenbuckle up and shut up, because
we're about to choose our way toa healthier, happier life.
This is Shut Up and Choose.
Let's do this Now.
Your host, jonathan Ressler.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Hey, welcome back to Shut Up and Choose the podcast,
where we cut through the noiseand the nonsense and all the
bullshit that those Instagramgurus and internet gurus are
spewing at you on a daily basis.
Most of it's bullshit, and I'mhere to straighten some of that
noise out.
So let's get started.
So today I want to talk aboutwhy I don't look like, or my
(01:36):
feelings on what being aninternet or Instagram influencer
is all about.
It's kind of why I don't looklike any of them.
So the other day, one of myfriends said to me hey, why are
you trying to be an influencer?
And let me tell you that reallypissed me off, Because in my
mind, an influencer is justsomeone trying to sell you shit.
(01:57):
Their whole job is to convinceyou that you need something Some
magic pill, a supplement, somefancy workout program, a new
blender, some kitchen appliance,whatever it is.
But they try to convince youthat you need something so they
can cash in.
And that is not what I'm doing.
I'm here to tell you that youdon't need to buy garbage off of
(02:22):
social media.
You don't need any pills or anyshots or overpriced coaching or
some asshole secret method tolose weight.
You can do this on your ownwithout spending another dime on
weight loss scams ever again.
Because if you look at it, lookwhat is the influencer playbook
?
Right, it's sell you a problem,then sell you the fix, and they
(02:42):
all follow the same formula.
So first thing is they make youfeel like you're failing.
They show you their perfectbody and their easy weight loss
and their must-have shit, theirtools, their supplement,
whatever it is.
The message they're giving youis you're doing it wrong and
that's why you're struggling.
And then the second step isthey push some solution that
(03:04):
costs you money, the answer toyour weight loss problems.
Well of course it's theirsupplements, their coaching
program, their meal plans, theirquick fit, whatever it is.
They're there to sell yousomething and the great news is
it's all available for threeeasy payments of $199.
I mean, come on and then, afterthey get you hooked, they want
(03:27):
to keep you dependent.
They're like fucking drugdealers.
The last thing they want is foryou to succeed without them.
They don't want to see yousucceed.
If you I don't know if you loseweight and gain confidence on
your own, you stop buying theirshit, and that's bad for
business.
So I think what I'm doinginstead is I'm giving you the
(03:47):
message you don't need any ofthat shit.
You don't need an app to tellyou what to eat or when to eat
or track your calories.
You don't need a meal plan madeby some fucking made up guru.
The reality is, no one can giveyou a meal plan.
They don't know what you wantto eat.
And even if they kneweverything you want to eat, shit
(04:07):
happens, man.
So you don't need that mealplan by the guru and you don't
need to spend hundreds orthousands of dollars on fat
burning supplements or some kindof pills or whatever the fuck
else is they're selling.
You don't need any of that,because weight loss isn't about
buying more stuff, right, it'sabout making better choices.
(04:28):
And I'm here.
My goal out here is to help youtake control so you never have
to pay another influencer, coachor some diet company.
But again, I lost 140 pounds,naturally, and I've kept it off
for, I guess, coming up on twoyears now, without shots,
without expensive programs,without anyone telling me I
needed their secret formula forsuccess.
(04:50):
Look, I did all those things.
So I get it.
I paid, I went on every faddiet, I did all kinds of shit.
I never did ozempic or anypills, but I've done most of it
and I have to tell you it's alla bunch of shit.
Here's the truth that theinfluencers don't want to tell
(05:11):
you.
They don't want you to figureit out, they don't want you to
succeed on your own and theydon't give a shit if you
actually get healthy.
All they care about is that youkeep paying them.
So here's the thing I don'twant your money.
I want you to realize you cando this all without me, without
them and without anyone else.
So no, I'm not an influencer,I'm just a guy who figured this
out and wants you to know thatyou can too.
My method is all about thethings that you already know but
(05:34):
just forgot about or choose notto remember.
If you follow me or listen tomy podcast and I mean follow me
on my social media or listen tothis podcast I essentially tell
you everything you need to know.
I tell you how to succeed.
Sure, for full disclosure, I dohave a program that you can buy
, but it's a one-time purchaseand it's under 50 bucks.
Truthfully, that's probablyless than you're spending on
(05:55):
your coffee in a week.
Once I show you or, I guess,really remind you of what you
need to do, you'll never have tospend another dime on weight
loss again and you can eat whatyou love which is absolutely
imperative and still lose and,more importantly, sustain
whatever weight you choose.
Not to mention, you can usewhat I teach you to succeed in
(06:17):
any other area of your life ifyou want to apply it there.
So I don't think I am anythinglike the charlatans on social
media.
In fact, I recently read astudy that said more than 80% of
the fitness influencers have noqualifications to be giving
fitness or health advice.
I think the number may behigher, but 80%, and I'm one of
(06:37):
them, which is why I'll neversuggest a specific exercise
routine, a meal plan, anyspecific food to eat,
supplements or anything likethat.
I just show you how to get intothe right mindset to make small
, smart choices to lose weight,because that's what this battle
is all about.
You need to choose your ownfood that you actually like.
(06:58):
You need to choose an exerciseprogram that makes sense for you
and your lifestyle, because ifyou don't, you're not going to
do it and everything else aboutyou.
You have to choose if you wantto lose weight and get healthy.
So most influencers tell youbuy my program and you get
ripped abs in 30 days, or somebullshit like that.
I'm telling you weight loss isa mental game, first and
(07:20):
foremost.
Look, all you have to do isscroll through Instagram for
five minutes and you'll see themthe guys with the chiseled abs,
the veins popping out of theirarms and, all over their body,
the zero body fat.
The so-called fitnessinfluencers, who look like they
live in the gym, eat nothing butchicken and broccoli, and
somehow these people always havethe perfect tan.
(07:41):
And then there's me.
I'm not a 25-year-old fitnessmodel, I'm almost 61 years old.
I don't spend my entire life inthe gym.
In fact, if you listen to me,you know I don't spend a fucking
second in the gym because Ithink it's a waste of time.
I don't take anyperformance-enhancing drugs,
like most of them do, but don'tadmit, and I sure as shit don't
(08:05):
have a professional photographerfollowing me around to capture
the perfect flex I mean, I thinkthat'd be pretty cool.
I would like to have aphotographer follow me around,
but I don't.
I'm just a regular guy who usedto weigh 411 pounds and figured
out how to lose 140 of themnaturally, without starving
myself, without extreme workoutsand without becoming obsessed
with fitness to the point whereit took over my life.
(08:26):
So if you've ever looked atthose so-called perfect bodies
online and thought, oh man, Ican never look like that, you're
right, and neither could I.
But you know what?
That's okay, because the realgoal of weight loss isn't
looking like an Instagram model.
It's becoming the healthiestand happiest and strongest
version of yourself.
And that's exactly what I did.
(08:47):
I am the healthiest right nowthat I've ever been in my life.
If you look at thesebullshitters out there and
that's why I start my podcastthe way I do, cutting through
the bullshit of all theInstagram and internet gurus,
because they're all full of shit.
So the reality is, social mediahas completely distorted our
(09:07):
idea of what fit looks like.
Everyday people hounded withthese images of these men and
women and whatever who havesingle digitdigit body fat
year-round.
They have massive and sculptedmuscles, with veins popping,
they have no loose skin, nostretch marks, no imperfections
(09:28):
and, of course, they have absthat look like they're carved
out of stone, and the messagethat they push is you can look
like this too.
Just follow my workout plan ormy eating plan and buy my
supplement stack.
But here's the truth they're notgoing to tell you.
First is a lot of those peopleare taking performance enhancing
drugs.
Yes, steroids.
A huge number of fitnessinfluencers use steroids,
(09:51):
testosterone boosts or otherperformance enhancing drugs to
achieve that look, and, ofcourse, they'll never admit it.
Instead, they claim theirbodies are built with hard work
and dedication, making you andme, the rest of us out there,
feel like failures for notlooking like them.
But the truth is the rest of uswho aren't on drugs are dealing
with slower muscle growth.
I've had some muscle growthsince I go out and walk, but I
(10:14):
sure as shit don't look chiseled.
More body fat retention.
I am far from thin.
I definitely do not have one ofthose bodies like all the
Instagram gurus and just kind ofnatural aging.
I don't think any of that stuffis really bad.
There are some good guys outthere and I want to give them a
little bit of a shout-out today.
So there's this one guy that Ifollow on Instagram.
(10:35):
His name is Brad Jensen, hisInstagram name is the Sober
Bodybuilder and he is, I wouldsay, a rare voice of honesty in
the fitness industry.
So, unlike most of the peopleout there who push the illusion
of effortless perfection, brad,he's a big dude.
He's cut, he's ripped, but he'slived through some real life
struggles.
He's a single father, hebattled addiction and, most
(11:05):
importantly, he's prettytransparent about the use of
performance-enhancing drugs inthe fitness world.
Honestly, including his ownpast experiences.
He doesn't pretend that thoseshredded like jacked-up
jerk-offs are all natural, andhe's one of the few people who
actually tells people the truth.
Most of what you see on socialmedia is not real.
The truth Most of what you seeon social media is not real.
So what makes Brad, aka thesober bodybuilder, stand out is
that he shifted his focus awayfrom chasing an unrealistic body
or getting you to chase someunrealistic body.
(11:29):
Honestly, this guy's prettyfucking jacked, but he shifted
that towards real, sustainablehealth.
He preaches no bullshitsolution, no extreme diets, no
overcomplicated workout programsand definitely not quick fix
scams.
So he understands that lifeisn't about being the leanest
guy in the room.
It's about finding a balancebetween fitness, family and
(11:50):
mental well-being.
I mean, I love the guy.
I follow him.
I can't wait for him to postevery day.
Again, you should definitelyfollow him.
He's at the Sober BodybuilderDefinitely a guy I would follow.
So when you compare yourself tosomeone not Brad, but it was one
of these Instagram jerk-offsAlthough, like I said, brad's
pretty fucking jacked up butwhen you compare yourself to
someone who's juiced up, you'resetting yourself up for
(12:11):
disappointment, because thosepeople, their lives like fucking
revolve around fitness.
That's their fucking job.
Their lives like fuckingrevolve around fitness.
That's their fucking job.
Another guy whose life doesrevolve around fitness, but he
just fucking says it like it is.
Another person that I follow isa guy named Jordan Syatt.
He's also one of the rare goodguys in that fitness influence
space and he's definitely afitness influencer Like Brad.
(12:33):
They have huge social mediafollowers, but they're fucking
honest.
Jordan also tells the truth.
The other day he put up thispost showing a younger version
of himself.
He said with a towel too low.
But it was a pretty funnycomment.
He's very self-deprecating, buthe posted this thing about how,
when he was younger, he wasobsessed with being shredded and
being lean, and he actuallysaid that he never missed a
(12:55):
workout for five years straight.
That's fucking unbelievable.
He said he's constantly chasingleanness and letting fitness
consume his entire life.
And you know what he said hewas fucking miserable doing it.
Now he's a little bit older.
He has a family and he leads abalanced lifestyle and is still
in phenomenal shape.
The guy is unbelievablyflexible.
It's amazing the stuff he doesand he's not really killing
(13:18):
himself over it anymore.
He figured out what most of thefitness influencers out there
don't want to admit you don'thave to be obsessive to be fit,
strong and happy.
That ties directly into theproblem with most influencers
today.
They sell the idea that fitnesshas to be extreme, that you
have to be lean 24-7, thatanything less than perfection is
(13:38):
failure.
But real fitness isn't aboutlooking stage ready every day.
It's about sustainability,balance and actually enjoying
your life.
This guy, jordan Syatt man, hegets it.
He totally gets it.
The other day he talked abouteating McDonald's french fries.
You won't see a lot of fitnessinfluencers doing that.
This guy keeps it real.
So another guy that Idefinitely think you should
(13:59):
follow is Jordan Syatt S-Y-A-T-T.
In case you don't know that andthe reality is most of these
other influencers they don'thave regular jobs or families or
any real life obligations.
Their entire income is based onlooking shredded.
They have the time to spendhours in the gym every day.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Even though.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
I had the time.
There's no fucking way I'd wantto do that.
These guys, these people theycan weigh every meal down to the
gram so they meet all theirmacros.
Fuck that noise.
And, of course, all of them allthe big ones get professional
lighting and photo shoots thatshow off their best angles and
so they look perfect in everylight.
For normal people that's justnot realistic and, honestly, who
(14:42):
the fuck would want to livelike that?
I'd rather enjoy my life, eat asteak without tracking every
calorie and spend some time withmy family, my kids, instead of
obsessing over my abs or, in mycase, my ab, that singular, my
ab.
And the reality is most of thoseInstagram photos are bullshit
anyway.
They all use Photoshop andfilters that enhance their
muscle definition.
(15:02):
They erase any flaw they mighthave.
They use lighting to make themlook leaner than they are.
I don't know if you can makeany light make me that would
make me look clean, but they'reclose enough that they could do
that.
I know for a fact that some ofthese guys get themselves
dehydrated, so it makes theirveins and their abs look huge
and they really pop.
And, of course, they know howto pose.
(15:24):
They can change how their bodylooks, completely by the way
they pose, and the reality isnobody walks around looking
stage ready all the time.
Stage ready is one of thesebodybuilders that's ripped 24-7.
There's another guy out therethat shows himself ripped and
then he shows himself sittingdown.
I don't remember his name, buthe's also fucking awesome.
Nobody walks around lookinglike that all the time, even the
(15:47):
people who claim they do so.
Comparing yourself to thesecarefully out of the right word,
curated, and these highlymanipulated images, it's just
unfair and, honestly, it's acomplete waste of time.
And look, now that I think thathopefully I've established it.
(16:07):
Instagram and internet fitnessis mostly a lie.
I want to talk about real lifeweight loss, because that's what
you're here for.
When I lost 140 pounds,naturally without any fucking
diet, just using my head, andthat is all you need to do.
You need to eat mindfully, youneed to make small, smart
choices.
That's what the whole gamecomes down to is getting your
(16:29):
head in the game.
But when I did that, look, Ilost a lot of fat 140 pounds fat
.
Maybe I lost a couple of poundsof muscle too, I don't know,
but I lost a lot of fat, but Ididn't look like a bodybuilder
when I did it.
I don't have any loose skin,but maybe I'm just blessed
genetically, I don't know, but Ididn't have it.
But after you lose a massiveamount of weight, your skin
(16:51):
doesn't just snap back likemagic Stretch marks.
Yeah, I got those.
I've earned a few of those andhonestly, I'm not ashamed of
them.
I used to weigh 411 pounds.
Shit happens.
As far as muscle, yeah, I builtsome, but I sure shit didn't
become jacked.
I guess maybe I could with theright filter or AI, but the
reality is muscle growth takesyears, not months.
(17:14):
But and here's the big but Ilooked better, I felt better and
I moved better.
But I didn't suddenly transforminto some Greek god influencer
jerk-off on the internet, andthat's perfectly okay with me, I
don't care, because the realgoal wasn't to look like an
(17:34):
Instagram model.
The goal was to be healthy, andthere's a lot of people out
there that just want you tobelieve that if you follow their
method or follow their mealplan or do their workout, these
miraculous things are going tohappen.
And I'm here to tell youthey're not.
It's not going to fuckinghappen, so save your money.
But here's another guy that Ifollow and I think you should
(17:55):
follow too, and his name is Nick.
His Instagram name is Nick'sLosing it.
I think he's one of the fewfitness influencers actually
keeping it real.
He's not out here pretending tobe a shredded fitness model.
If you look at him you'll knowwhat I mean.
But he's not selling some magicweight loss formula.
He's a young guy in his 20s whodecided to take control of his
obesity and he's sharing thereal, messy and not so glamorous
(18:19):
side of the journey.
And, unlike most of the peopleout there, these influencers
show you the after picture.
Nick is the middle of histransformation.
He's still a big dude I don'tknow what he weighs, but he's a
big guy and he still has a lotof weight to lose.
But he shows up to the gymevery fucking day and you know,
I don't really think the gym isthe way to do it, but that's his
way and his way and his way isa good way if that's the way
(18:44):
that works for him.
And because he shows up to thegym and he works out and he
talks about losing weight, hegets a shitload of hate.
People tell him he doesn't looklike a fitness influencer.
He doesn't look like.
How could he be giving adviceabout losing weight, like you
have to have six pack abs totalk about getting healthy.
But that's exactly to me.
That's why his message is soimportant.
Fitness isn't about lookingperfect.
It's about showing up, doingthe work, whatever that is, and
(19:06):
prioritizing your health, nomatter where you're starting.
If it was about if you had tostart looking close to perfect
fuck I know I couldn't do it.
Nick wouldn't be doing it.
But Nick is proof that youdon't have to wait until you're
fit enough to go to the gym.
You don't have to be shreddedto inspire others.
I can tell you Nick is he isshredded and Nick don't go
together.
(19:26):
Okay, but I can tell you heinspires the shit out of me.
He's out there doing the workevery day, proving that real
health isn't about looking thepart.
It's about choosing to changeyour life one day at a time, and
I love this guy.
I think he's great.
I speak to him every now andthen via messages, but I don't
(19:46):
know him.
We have no relationship.
I just think he's fuckingawesome.
So another guy I think youshould follow his.
Like I said, his Instagram nameis Nick's Losing it.
Definitely follow him If youwant to get permanent results,
you need a plan.
You need a plan that works forlife, not a six-week
transformation challenge.
Okay, as you all know, I didn'tstarve myself.
(20:07):
I guess I ate in a reasonablecalorie deficit.
I don't know because I didn'tcount calories, but I sure as
shit wasn't on some extreme like1,200-calorie starvation diet.
That was not in the plan for me.
I like 1200 calorie starvationdiet.
That was not in the plan for me.
I didn't do any insane workouts.
You know I didn't do anyfucking workouts at all in the
gym, but I have learned thatwalking every day is a workout.
(20:27):
So I guess I did work out, butthey weren't extreme.
I literally I just walked and Isurely didn't quit after like a
month.
I stayed consistent, even whenthe progress was slow, and I
always tell people in thebeginning my progress was really
fast, but then I hit someplateaus and then I stuck to it.
And fast weight loss just leadsto a rebound in your weight
gain nine times out of ten.
(20:48):
But sustainable weight losssticks and that's what I did.
I did it in a sustainable way.
Another dude I'm really giving alot of shout-outs here, but
another guy that I like is thisguy.
His name is Johnny Morrison,and I could be saying that wrong
because, again, I don't knowthe guy.
I just follow him and every nowand then I send him a message.
He went to Michigan or healways wears Michigan shit, so
I'm always hitting him with a GoBlue and his Instagram name is
(21:10):
Johnny Goes Running.
And Johnny is the kind offitness influencer the world
actually needs, someone who's inthe trenches.
He's showing real unfilteredgrind of losing weight and
getting healthier.
He's not a shredded elite runner, but he fucking runs.
But he's not some shreddedrunner with a six pack and a
perfect stride.
He's a former 500 pound dudewho's now down to 360 and he may
(21:33):
be even lighter by the time youhear this.
But and he's still pushingforward.
He's running, he's lifting andhe's proving that fitness isn't
just for people that look thepart.
He said in a couple of hisposts he always knew he moved
really well for a big guy and,honestly, if you check out his
videos, you can follow him onInstagram.
He really does.
He moves fucking great for abig dude, but he proves that you
can jump in anytime and dowhatever you want, and that's
(22:03):
exactly to me, why his journeyis so powerful.
He's not waiting until he's acertain size to start.
He's out there doing it right,fucking now.
And he's proof that you don'thave to be thin enough to belong
in the gym.
You don't have to be thinenough to run, you can just do
it.
Look, I made the excuse I wastoo fat to walk and honestly,
physically I think I was I couldwalk like 100 yards and I was
fucking wiped out.
But he proves that you don'thave to be thin enough to get
out there and move.
So Johnny is out there runningfor his health, his future and
(22:24):
the simple fact that he can.
And that's what real fitness isall about.
Not aesthetics, not perfection,just the commitment to keep
showing up and putting in thework.
And if that's not inspiring, Idon't know what is.
This dude has run a couple ofmarathons or half marathon.
He's an inspiration.
Again, it's Johnny Goes Running.
I urge you to follow him.
(22:44):
He's fucking awesome and youknow that.
I like to say that no matter howmuch exercise you do, you can't
out exercise a bad diet and Ifyou're not managing your eating,
the eating part of it, you'renot going to lose weight.
Diets fail because they're waytoo restrictive.
I didn't follow a ridiculousmeal plan that cut out all my
(23:05):
favorite foods.
Instead, I learned how to eatmostly whole and nutritious
foods.
I learned how to balance mealswith protein, carbs and healthy
fats and, most importantly, Ilearned how to feed my soul,
which basically means I learnedhow to eat treats in moderation,
without guilt.
I didn't feel like I wasblowing up my fucking diet.
I didn't feel like I made amistake if I ate a donut or an
(23:25):
ice cream or something.
I just knew that was a choicethat I made along the way and
that's all.
Part of it is learning to quoteunquote eat normal.
I stopped thinking about foodas good and bad and I just
focused on making the bestchoices most of the time, small,
smart choices most of the time.
That's how real people loseweight and keep it off, and I
(23:46):
guess here's the big secret thatmost Instagram fitness gurus
won't tell you, or they probablydon't even know, because
they're so fucking stupid.
You don't need to be shredded tobe healthy.
You don't need six-pack abs tofeel great in your body.
I feel fucking great and, likeI said, I have an ab.
Ab, that's one singular.
I have an ab, but I still feelgreat compared to where I was.
(24:09):
I want to get better.
I want to get more fit, I wantto do all that stuff, but, man,
I feel the best I felt in 30some odd years.
And you sure as shit don't needto live in the gym to maintain
a fit, strong physique.
You just need to be consistent,and again, that just means
eating mostly healthy shit, butallowing flexibility.
(24:30):
I told you, jordan Syatt, youknow, showed himself eating some
McDonald's.
There's something about eatinglike six fries, like no one eats
six, and he's fucking right.
The guy is in unbelievableshape but he admits he'll eat
six fries.
He's like no one eats six, andhe's fucking right.
The guy is in unbelievableshape but he admits he'll eat
French fries.
He'll drink a beer.
That's called fucking livinglife.
Yes, move your body every day,sure, whatever that means to you
, and that doesn't mean go tothe gym.
If that's your thing, by allmeans you should.
(24:51):
But you can be walking, can bedancing who cares, as long as
you're moving a little bit moreevery day.
And, most importantly, buildingsustainable habits instead of
following some crazy ass extremerules because they just don't
last.
So another guy that I followI'm really this will be the last
one, but another guy thatfollows this guy, jesse Mull.
(25:12):
He's a kid and his a kidrelative to me.
I'm 61.
He's probably in his 20s, is myguess.
I don't know Again.
Another guy I don't know.
I've sent a few DMs back andforth.
That's about it.
His Instagram handle isprogressiveoverhaul and he's the
kind of fitness influencethat's actually worth following
Because I can tell you he sureas shit is not shredded and he's
(25:35):
not selling some miracle weightloss plan.
But you follow him because he'sreal, he's relatable and,
honestly, he's funny as shit.
He's self-deprecating.
He also started over 500 poundsand now he's down to 240.
Dude lost more than half hisfucking body weight.
That's pretty impressive.
And in all that there's theshit that goes along with it.
He's not hiding his journey orpretending it's been easy, but
(25:56):
he definitely leans into itliterally.
He cracks jokes about his looseskin he's got a shitload of
loose skin his past struggles,the absurdity of weight loss
transformation.
He's a funny guy.
He does it in a way that makesyou laugh while also hitting you
with some hard truths.
He's proof that you don't needto be perfect to feel amazing.
You just need to put in thework and embrace, kind of where
(26:17):
you're at and then just keeppushing forward.
People expect fitnessinfluencers to look like these
chisel statues.
But jesse, he's got stretchmarks, he's got, like I said, a
shitload.
He does a pose thing where heshows off his physique.
It's hysterical, but like he,he's into it, man, it's like he
feels great, he's down 260pounds and he's just a funny guy
(26:38):
.
And honestly, again, I don'tknow him, but my guess is he
wouldn't change a thing becausehe feels like a million bucks.
And that's not about aesthetics, it's about the confidence,
strength and knowing how farthat guy's coming.
He is definitely proof thatfitness isn't about looking a
certain way, it's about feelingunstoppable, and that's exactly
what he's doing.
So again, his Instagram handleProgressive Overall.
(27:04):
I suggest you follow him.
I guess the most important thingI want to say is accepting that
your body will never look likean Instagram fitness model is
okay, because it never was meantto be that, and that's not
failure, that's freedom, man.
Oh, you know what?
Actually, there's one more guyI want to talk about.
Let's go and talk about thisguy, nathan.
I just started following him,but his Instagram handle is
(27:25):
IamDoneBeingObeast.
Each word has a dot, soIamdonebeingobese no dot after
the obese.
But he's the exact kind of guypeople need to see more of in
the fitness space.
Someone kind of guy people needto see more of in the fitness
space.
Someone who's sharing it, hisshit, in real time, unfiltered
version of weight loss.
He started at 470 and he'sgrinding his way down, showing
(27:46):
every win, every setback, everystruggle and all his success
along the way, so that again,none of those bullshit fake
before and after shots, nomiracle weight loss gimmicks,
just the guy putting in the work, figuring out as he goes and
proving that change is.
And I can tell you fromfollowing him, just for the
short time I've only followedfor a month or two.
His journey has definitely notbeen a straight line, because
real weight loss never is.
(28:06):
He's had ups and downs andtough days and moments of doubt,
but he keeps going and that'swhat makes his story so powerful
.
Too many fitness influencersonly show you the polished,
edited version of success, butNathan is showing you the real
work, the real struggles and thereal perseverance it takes to
change your life.
He is literally proof thatweight loss is not about
(28:28):
perfection.
It's about consistency.
It's not about getting therethe fastest, it's about never
giving up, never giving up andwatching his journey unfold in
real time.
That's more inspiring than anyfitness guru selling you some
bullshit, quick fix or fuckingprogram.
I gave you a bunch of peoplethat I, again, I follow.
I think they're awesome.
(28:48):
I think if you follow, you'llfeel a hell of a lot better
about yourself because they'rereal.
They talk about shit in a realway.
If you're trying to lose weightand you feel discouraged
because you don't look like somefitness influencer, internet
influencer, jerk off.
Stop comparing yourself to anillusion.
I sure as shit don't look likethem, and you're listening to me
(29:09):
.
Truth is, you probably won'tever look like them either, and
that's perfectly okay, becausebeing healthy, strong and
confident in your own skinmatters way more than looking
perfect on Instagram.
You're chasing an illusion.
That's most likely not going tohappen unless you can spend
your whole life in the gym doingshit that you hate or you're
(29:33):
not going to look like thosepeople.
And they don't even look likethat.
They're full of shit.
Like I said, they're takingperformance enhancing drugs,
they're doing lighting tricks.
Fuck that shit.
Just be you, be strong.
So stop chasing an impossiblestandard and focus on what works
in real life, in like normalpeople life, the life that we
(29:54):
all lead, not some fitnessjerk-offs life, the life that we
all lead, not some fitnessjerk-off's life.
So first is, lose weightnaturally, at a sustainable pace
.
You didn't put it on overnight.
You're not going to lose itovernight.
So just lose weight naturallyand sustainably, build strength,
(30:14):
energy and confidence and, mostimportantly, live your life
without food rules and fitnessobsession.
That is as soon as I got rid ofthe rules on my journey and I
accepted the fact that, look,I'm just not going to the
fucking gym.
I hate it there.
Everything got easier.
That's how you win the weightloss game for good, not just for
(30:38):
now, for good.
So that's what I have to sayabout fitness influencers and
all these internet jerk offs.
Hopefully you follow some ofthe people that I told you to
follow, because I promise youthey're fun, they're funny,
they're inspiring and they'reall, as far as I can tell,
(30:58):
they're all the real deal.
They all tell you how to do itand live a normal fucking life.
And you know what?
Don't make your life all aboutlosing weight, because you'll
miss all the good shit whileyou're obsessed about something
that you can do slowly andsustainably.
That's it for fitnessinfluencers.
That's why I am not aninfluencer.
I don't want to be aninfluencer.
I want my voice to be heard andI want people to know that you
(31:24):
can do it without being chiseledand, most importantly, without
being a jerk off.
So if you want to read moreabout my journey of losing 140
pounds, you can get my book.
It's called Shut Up and Choose,same as this podcast available
on Amazon.
We're an Amazon bestseller.
I get emails every day frompeople telling me how I've
changed their life and removedall these hurdles that were in
front of them when it comes tofat loss.
(31:45):
Because the reality is, it'sall in your head, it's a mind
game, it's all in your mind.
You can get that on Amazon.
I also have that course that Italked about at the top of this.
Look, I'm not going to tell youI'm not selling shit, but, like
I said, it's $50.
It's a one-time fee and you'llnever have to pay anything else
to lose weight, and it's allabout getting your head straight
.
It's not about eat this, dothat, this macro, do this.
(32:07):
No, that's all fucking bullshitand there's a million other
people that can probably tellyou that if you want to buy that
line of shit, but you can getmy video course.
It's 20, some of videos.
You can watch it easily in acouple hours.
It's called the EffortlessWeight Loss Academy.
You can get it atlearnshutupandchoosecom.
Learnshutupandchoosecom.
(32:28):
So that's my commercials.
That's everything that I haveto say about fitness influencers
.
You need to be on your ownjourney, not somebody else's
journey.
Nobody else can tell you how todo it.
Only you know how to do it foryou.
So, with that being said, youcan follow the internet
jerk-offs, the Instagram,fitness influencers who, like I
said, 80% of them don't have thecredentials to tell you to do
(32:52):
shit.
They're just out there becausethey spend their fucking life in
the gym and you want to looklike them, which is a huge
mistake.
But anyway, you can figure outwho it is to follow.
Check out the people that Itold you to look at, see how
their stories are, see what theydo, see what they say, and then
, from there, all you have to dois shut up and choose.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
You've been listening to Shut Up and Choose.
You've been listening to ShutUp and Choose.
Jonathan's passion is to sharehis journey of shedding 130
pounds in less than a yearwithout any of the usual
gimmicks no diets, no pills.
And we'll let you in on alittle secret no fucking gym and
(33:34):
guess what?
You can do it too.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
We had a fucking blast.
If you did, make sure to like,rate and review.
We'll be back soon, but in themeantime, find jonathan on
instagram at jonathan wrestler,boca raton.
Until next time, shut up andchoose.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.