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Summary
On episode 530 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan sits down with Jeremy Grater and Zack Tucker, hosts of The Fit Mess podcast, who have each lost well over 100 pounds and kept it off.
Jeremy’s turning point came from a physical therapist’s warning about his knees, which led him to buy a bike off Craigslist and start commuting by bike, eventually losing 70 pounds through cycling, keto, and meditation. Zack’s path started after a boss’s offhand comment about his smoking, which pushed him to quit smoking, start running, and eventually lose roughly 100 pounds through running and keto.
The conversation digs into the difference between a decision and a real commitment, why motivation tends to follow action rather than precede it, and how both men use mindfulness and curiosity to catch themselves before an emotional eating episode takes over.
Links
- https://thefitmess.com
Key Takeaways
- Motivation follows action, not the other way around. Both Jeremy and Zack say waiting to feel motivated just keeps you stuck in indecision; taking the first small action is what actually creates momentum.
- External triggers sparked real change for both men. A physical therapist warning Jeremy about his knees, and a boss telling Zack he wouldn’t have been hired if he’d known he smoked, were the specific jolts that got each of them moving.
- Commitment is deeper than a decision. Jeremy points out that simply deciding to quit smoking or start exercising isn’t enough; commitment means backing that decision with consistent action, even when it’s uncomfortable.
- “There is no future you,” own the identity now. Jeremy’s therapist pushed back on the “future self” motivational trick, arguing you have to identify as the person who exercises and eats well today, not defer that identity to someday.
- Quiet reflection surfaces answers that overthinking can’t. Jeremy credits meditation with guiding major life decisions, like his move to Canada, by getting out of his own way long enough to hear his own judgment.
- Keto worked for both as a weight-loss tool, but it demanded real consistency. Zack describes it as “very binary,” one day over your carb limit and you’re out of ketosis for a couple of days, so both men built structure and specific goals (events, deadlines) to stay on track.
- Getting curious about an urge can make it disappear. Jeremy asks himself “why am I opening this bag of Oreos?” in the moment, and says shining a light on the emotion behind the craving often makes the urge shrink on its own.
- Progress isn’t linear, expect gaps between deciding and doing. Allan frames the real work as pushing through the moments when momentum stalls (a rough weekend, a plateau) instead of treating one setback as proof the plan failed.
- Jeremy and Zack’s three strategies to get and stay well: Zack says move your body every day, build in mindfulness through gentle movement like yoga since sitting still isn’t for him, and eat to nourish your body rather than to manage emotions. Jeremy says practice mindfulness and meditation to get out of your own way, stay curious about why you’re reaching for something you know you shouldn’t, and use cold exposure to reset and stay present.
“There is no future you. That doesn’t exist. All that exists is this you.”
Jeremy Grater