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Graham Stephan
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Matt
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Graham Stephan
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Matt
Mr. Beast paid me half a million dollars to lose 100 pounds in six months. Before the challenge, I was 324 pounds. I was sluggish and didn't know what I was doing with my life. And now after the challenge, I'm a completely different human being.
Graham Stephan
But I had no idea how hard.
Matt
It was going to be. This is my friend Matt, and if.
Graham Stephan
He loses a hundred pounds in the.
Matt
Next year, I will give him a quarter of a million dollars.
Graham Stephan
So how did you get in this video?
Matt
I was in a video prior. They called me and were like, hey, do you want to be in a video? I said, yeah, because anytime Jimmy calls, bro, you just say yes.
Jack
Going into the challenge, did you have a strategy to win?
Matt
It comes back to you. Jimmy offers me, hey, like, I'm going to give you everything. And you know you're going to lose £100. Like, he's giving me all the tools necessary. I was dialed every single day.
Jack
What was the hardest part about losing weight?
Matt
It ultimately comes down to my circumstances. Like, what happened with me?
Jack
Did you feel like it was intrusive to, like, get such a raw moment on camera?
Matt
No.
Jack
Mash. Thank you so much for coming on the Iced Coffee Hour. I really enjoyed your video with Mr. Beast. You won half a million dollars for losing 100 pounds. I thought the video was incredible. It was inspirational. I hit you up right afterwards and now you're here. Thank you so much, man.
Matt
Thank you. Thank you for having me. For real. I really do appreciate the opportunity.
Jack
Absolutely. Now, I'm curious how much money you've spent in taxes.
Matt
Well, I haven't done taxes yet, but probably going to spend around $150,000. That's what I put. That's what I put on the side.
Jack
Have you talked to an accountant yet?
Matt
Yeah, I've talked to an accountant. So my mom put me on, you know, and basically went through there because it's. It's not like a traditional. I guess it's not traditional income. You know what I mean? Like, you're not working a job to make this money. So taxes are a little different on it.
Jack
So is it just a 1099? He just gives you a check or a wire?
Matt
Exactly, yeah. Wired straight to your account. So straight to my account, it hit $417,000. 650. Can't forget the 650. But yeah, putting 150,000 to the side to save.
Jack
And have you thought about what you're going to spend the money on?
Matt
Yeah, I'm probably going to just reinvest in myself and help my family, so. Reinvesting in myself, taking care of content and my fitness journey.
Graham Stephan
Will you be buying any index funds?
Matt
What are index funds?
Jack
Oh, gosh. We'll talk about that a little bit.
Matt
That'll be coming. I actually don't even know what that is. I mean, you guys are the guys though, right?
Jack
Yes.
Matt
So. So would you guys want to take my money and flip it?
Graham Stephan
We don't.
Jack
We don't flip it.
Matt
Why don't. Why don't you guys just give me some financial advice as friends?
Graham Stephan
Some non financial advice. At least make sure it's in a high yield savings account.
Matt
Okay? I don't even know what that is.
Graham Stephan
Where's the money sitting right now?
Matt
It's sitting in an account.
Graham Stephan
A checking.
Matt
A business account.
Graham Stephan
A business check.
Jack
A business check. Those don't offer interest.
Matt
Yeah, business check.
Jack
It's earning Nothing right now.
Matt
$0.
Graham Stephan
So you could be getting at least 4% if you have $400,000 in it. That would be 16,000 bucks per year, right? Yeah, 16 grand per year. Over a thousand dollars per month you could be making by just putting that in a different account.
Matt
Dang.
Jack
What's crazy is that every. Every day, dude, every day you haven't done that is like $35 being lost every single day that you just don't move your money from one account to another.
Matt
See, I need smarter friends because this is crazy. I mean, this is literally a high yield savings account. I've never heard of that before.
Jack
Why doesn't Jimmy hook people up with like, a good finance person who just charges by the hour that says, hey, you just got half a million dollars? Well, we probably do recommend.
Matt
We probably do have those resources.
Jack
Okay.
Matt
I just never reached out for it.
Jack
Is okay.
Matt
Yeah. So if I hit up Jimmy, I was like, hey, what can I do with my money? Or how can I make my money grow? He'd tell me, hey, talk to this person. I didn't do that. I was just like, yeah, I got the money. That's it.
Graham Stephan
I'm good.
Matt
Yeah. Yeah. So.
Graham Stephan
So how did you get in this video?
Matt
So so this video, I was in a video prior, but they called me and were like, hey, do you want to be in a video? I said, yeah. And that was basically it. It's lit. It's. That's literally.
Graham Stephan
Did they approach you with the idea of weight loss?
Jack
Yeah.
Matt
No, it was just, hey, you want to be in a video? And I was like, sure. Like, because anytime Jimmy calls, bro, you just say yes. So I didn't care. What would it. What it was. I just did it.
Graham Stephan
He called you personally?
Matt
Someone from the team did.
Graham Stephan
And then how did you feel when they were like, hey, you know, let's try to shed some of this weight?
Matt
I mean, so, like, you know how videos come to light. It's like there's a title of a video. So gym or weight loss was the title. And I just knew that it was gym. And long wasn't like weight loss. So when I walked in there, it was like, hey, me, this is it. So hop on the scale. You weigh 324 pounds. I'm going to give you up until a year to lose a hundred pounds and you'll win quarter of a million dollars. And so that's. That's how it went.
Jack
How did you first meet Jimmy? Just so that he could call you and just reach out for.
Matt
So I. I first Met Jimmy in 2021. It was the first video that I ever did with my roommates. At the time, it was, last person to leave the circle wins half a million dollars. And during that actual challenge, Carl and Jimmy looked and was like, hey, we want you guys to move down to North Carolina. Literally during the actual challenge. Move down to North Carolina so you can make videos with us. So that was it.
Jack
What was that process like?
Graham Stephan
Well, hold on. You and your friend. So why did he offer you guys to move? Because you guys were just entertaining on camera.
Matt
I honestly, there was no, like, staple. It was just like, hey, we really like you guys. We want you guys to move down here and create content. I guess it's like easier access, you know, rather than always flying people out. If you have people that are content creators, you can just easily call someone, be like, hey, I want you in this video, or I want you to do this or that. So, yeah.
Jack
And what was that like competing in that first challenge with Mr. Beast?
Matt
Like, I didn't know anything Mr. Beast prior. So that was the first of its kind. And I'm a gamer, you know, I'm not like, irl. I don't do that. So I came from gaming and streaming, so doing that Was insane. I mean, you have a hundred people that are all fighting for, you know, half a million dollars, which is crazy. And especially, like, seeing the set, right, You're. You're in a circle. You can leave, but, like, everyone's literally staying there till the end. People are saying they're not going to leave for a year. People are saying, yeah, I'm going to leave next week. I quit my job for this. I'm taking time off for this. Like, it's actually crazy.
Graham Stephan
How much did you win in that circle game?
Matt
Two grand.
Graham Stephan
And why did you. Why did you leave the circle?
Matt
Ironically enough, there is. There was a challenge in there. It was stand for 10 hours and your knee or your butt can't touch the ground. And Jimmy gave Nolan power. So Nolan was playing Simon says. And after, like, a while, it was just, Simon says, Simon says, Simon says. But the actual challenge is to stand. And he was like, simon says, do a push up. And I never do push ups. And then I decided to do a girl pushup, you know, like, knee down. I've never done a push up. And I did it, and I got out.
Jack
So how did you feel afterwards?
Matt
Terrible. Terrible. I was like. I couldn't believe it. You know, it was. It was one of those things where you're doing an action, doing an action, doing an action, and then boom. Like, you just do it. So it's like Simon says touch your head. Simon says, rub your belly. Simon says, touch your nose. Simon says, do a push up. And then you just go do it, you know, because it's just boom, boom, boom, boom.
Graham Stephan
A lot of people get out during that.
Matt
I was the only one. I. I was. I was the only one that got out during the Simon says portion.
Graham Stephan
And how far did you make it? Like, how many people were left?
Matt
I think it was like. I think I was 40, 47 or. Yeah, like, I was more than halfway there. I think I was there for a week. So. Yeah, one whole week.
Graham Stephan
And so you worked with Mr. Beast Company for a while until they approached you, and they're just like, hey, we want to do this weight loss thing.
Matt
Yeah. So basically it was. There's always like, a selection process when it comes to videos like that. It wasn't just, like, measured. You're the guy. I think that I was one of the people, and they just landed on me to do this, you know, And I'm very grateful for it.
Graham Stephan
Was it immediately like, yes, no hesitation, or did part of you.
Matt
I don't. I never hesitated, honestly. It's just. It's an instant yes anytime. I'm telling you, bro, anytime Jimmy calls, it's just a yes from me.
Graham Stephan
That's just a massive opportunity.
Matt
Yeah, I look at it. I look at it as a massive opportunity, of course, but it's also to just help better myself, you know, or just, like, whatever the challenge is. It's just to help showcase that, hey, anyone can do this, you know, whether you're fat. Because I did lasers, too. I was in the lasers video, and that's tough. Like, you know, you're going through, like, the world's dead laser maze. I was a big boy then, right? So imagine trying to, like, crawl through these lasers. Imagine I did go through it when I go be crazy, you know.
Jack
Did you compete in that video?
Matt
I did compete, and I lost first round.
Jack
So you've been in multiple videos?
Matt
I've been in. I've been in multiple videos, yeah.
Jack
What was your first impression of Jimmy? When did you first meet him?
Matt
2021. Yeah, that was the first time I met him. And it was literally in the circle. So that was the first time I ever met him. It wasn't like a private meeting. It wasn't like a group gathering or something or a dinner. It was in the circle. I have a hundred people, you know, in a circle, and they're gonna fight for this half a million dollars. So that's when I met him. And there was, like, a lot of downtime. Cause he was living in the rv. There was an RV there, and him and the boys, like, always interact with everybody that's in there. So I got to talk to. Thought it was cool.
Graham Stephan
And then doing this weight loss challenge, when you walk through that red tape and you're like, okay, I'm in the challenge. What was your first thought?
Matt
So it was walk in. I had. I had brought a change of clothes. That was one thing. It's like, bring a change of clothes as if you're going to sleep over, right? So I put this backpack on, had my clothes in there, walk in, and then the challenge starts, you know, after I hop on the scale and, like, get my weight. 324 pounds. And he was like, you're going to stay here for a year. I was like, whoa, this is. This is crazy. The thing. The thing that really, like, mind boggling was that you have a grocery store, you have a gym, you have a bed. Like, you literally have everything you need for this challenge, you know? And then my coach as well, that got introduced, so.
Jack
So you didn't know you were gonna spend six months of Your life in that area.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
And how do you deal with things like paying utilities or like, stuff like that?
Matt
They provided. Yeah, they provided. Jimmy's team provided that. Hey, like any bills or anything that you have that, like, during this video.
Graham Stephan
Will take care of, like your own personal bills?
Matt
Like, yeah, like rent, you know, a car, whatever it is that I can't. Cuz think about it, you know, I was gone for six months and I'm not paying and I'm not working either. So. Thank you, Jimmy. Yeah, thanks.
Graham Stephan
That is. That is crazy. That is fascinating.
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
And what would you say is like, was there ever a moment where the. The surreal likeness of the experience kind of hit? Um, or was it always just, like, shocking?
Matt
It was not. Not like so much shocking, but it's just the first. The actual first night because, you know, I come from streaming and gaming, so, like, being on camera, I didn't mind. I think a lot of people would, like, freak out if they're on camera 247 walking around this place. And there's obviously a control room where they were watching me 24 7. There's a bunch of cameras there. I didn't see that until literally the end. So I was just always being myself. There was no, like, okay, there's a camera on here. I have to act a certain way or I have to do a certain thing this way, you know, So I just, like, walked. Everything was pretty normal. It was like, this is my playground and I'm about to lose 100 pounds.
Graham Stephan
How much interaction did you get with the outside world? Did they let you have a phone in there?
Matt
I had a phone. I had a phone, but no one in the world knew because obviously I was under NDA. Not even my family, like, knew that I was doing this video.
Graham Stephan
Your family didn't know you were doing?
Jack
Where do they think you're gone for six months?
Matt
Yeah, well, they came. They came during my birthday.
Jack
Yeah.
Matt
So.
Jack
Yeah, but when did they find out? I mean, there's got to be a time where they're like, where is he? He's not home. He never came home.
Matt
Well, I lived alone. Yeah, I live. I live alone. So, yeah, they're not. They're not asking about me like that, about.
Jack
It's like one day he left and he just never came back.
Matt
It was. It was like, hey, I'm doing something, you know, so I'm just not gonna be on my phone, quite literally. And then they didn't know what I was doing. Nothing at all. Then production called them and were like, hey, your son's in this video. Still not even knowing what the video is about until they came and then they got to see it. But yeah, my family, I mean my family took it very well when they came during my birthday. I haven't seen my family in a year at that point. So in February when they came for my birthday, I haven't seen them prior because my dad passed away last year in January. So from January all the way up until, you know, January, February, I haven't seen my family. Yeah, then I got to see them and that was a surreal experience. That right there, I think was like the cherry on top of everything, you know, throughout that whole entire challenge, other than finishing. But yeah.
Jack
When did you struggle with weight start?
Matt
Probably my whole life, bro. Honestly, I never like tracked food. That's something that, that's something that I took that coach taught me is just like tracking actual food and like being able to have what you want. I never did that. I always had what I want and that attract it. So I would always eat a bunch of bs. Like I would love fast food, I would love snacks, I would love caffeine, I would like soda and pop. And I just love indulging in that stuff, you know, especially because like they were never really whole foods. So anytime you would eat, you would always feel hungry after. So I was always hungry. Literally, even if I ate a foot long sub or even if I ate Taco Bell, even though I ate chips, I was always hungry because it was never filling.
Graham Stephan
Did it ever bother you, like when you would go and you'd eat a bunch of fast food and then like you finish that? Were you like, she probably shouldn't have done that or were you kind of just apathetic towards it?
Matt
I just did it like, you know, and even with my friends, like I would just eat. Whenever we would order, we'd order a lot of food and I would eat, eat, eat. So it wasn't like I was never mindful of what I was putting in my body. I was just like, oh, this is good food. Like I want it, you know, and I can have it.
Jack
When did you realize it was becoming a problem?
Matt
Dude, I started getting like 3x clothes, like 3x 2x or like clothes that I was fitting in that literally from high school that I was fitting in because, you know, like I me personally, like I'm not a shopper. Like I don't spend whatever clothes I have, I have. And then like when they stop fitting you and you have to buy new clothes, that's a problem. And especially like, just health overall. Like, how I feel personally, you know, walking around heavy, breathing heavy. Like, actually breathing heavy. That's like, something that I noticed a lot, too. Like, breathing from my nose. Like, I'm sitting and I'm talking to someone. I can't even hold a conversation. So, yeah, like, things like that took a mental note, but it wasn't so much outside, you know, Like, I always had a note of it. It's like, I'm breathing heavy. You know, when you chew food, like, people can hear you chew, or your subconscious of that. That's how it was. Like, bro, people can hear me breathe, like, hard.
Graham Stephan
That is funny.
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
And so. So you've always been large your entire life.
Matt
Yeah, I'd say. I'd say I always been large.
Graham Stephan
My understanding is, like, if you have been large your entire life, it is just immensely difficult.
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
Because you've built these grooves in your character, your habits, everything. And it's not like you've lost weight and gained it and lost weight and gained it Again, where that case, like, you at least have developed the skill of, like, tracking calories and, like, losing weight, even if you do end up gaining it afterwards.
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
But, like, if you've always been big, taking off that weight is, like, extremely challenging.
Matt
100 from what I've heard. Yeah. I mean, doing it alone, of course, it's 100 hard, you know, especially when you don't know where to start. I mean, I didn't know where to start. I went to the gym prior to, like, this video. I was on, like, a little weight loss journey myself. You know, I was 320, and then I went down to, like, 270. But I wasn't doing what I was doing in the challenge. You know, I was just strength training. I literally would just go to the gym and I would drink a protein shake, I would drink caffeine, I would work out, and I would lose weight, but not, like, the right way. I would probably eat one sandwich a day. I'm talking literally one sandwich a day. And then just eat a bunch of Takis after. And, like, I was still losing weight because technically I was in a caloric deficit. But a bad one. Like, a very, very bad one. Like, I'm talking. I'm literally only eating BS and I'm losing weight, you know, so not the healthy way. And, like, I guess I was gaining muscle, but not like that, because the way you're supposed to gain muscle, now that I know it's healthy fats, healthy proteins, you know, and actually being in a surplus like, 3,500 calories of just straight protein, not BS, you know, not a pizza.
Jack
So when you were doing that, what caused you to stop doing that and fall back on the train, gain weight back?
Matt
So I'll go back to it. Like, my dad passed away, so I was. I was doing that little fitness journey. And then when my dad passed away. In our culture, when someone passes away, your house is open, and people will just come in and mourn with you. So literally everybody that would walk in is just like, I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for your loss. And I'm just. I'm just like, bro, I don't want to eat. I have no appetite. You know, I just lost my dad, and they all just kept bringing food, you know, and I would never eat. So it was like, now I'm not doing this. I'm mourning. And then month, two months, three months later, I start sitting back down on my computer, and I'm mindlessly eating, you know, and now it's, like, all starting to catch back up to me is just eating and eating and eating and eating. So when my dad passed away, I was, like, 270, 268, my lowest. And then in a matter of months, bro, like, I gained it all back. I literally gained 50, 60 pounds back. So 324 when I started the video was my heaviest. And that I was.
Jack
How does that affect your mental health?
Matt
How do you.
Jack
Have you noticed it? Like, how do you feel different being a heavier weight versus lighter? Even if it's 50, 60 pounds, it's.
Matt
A lot of it. A lot of it really came down to food, man. Like, I'll be completely honest. Like, the better food that I put in my body, like, I'm talking fruits, veggies, eggs, protein, yogurts. Like, all the good food, like, things that make you feel full. Made me feel al. And it made me feel incredibly insane. Like, insane as in, like, I'm cracked outta my mind. I didn't need caffeine. I used to drink a thousand 1500 milligrams of caffeine. Stopped drinking caffeine completely during this challenge, you know, And I literally got all my energy from food. Like, and then I understood what it, like, truly meant to feel full. Like, and me saying that is crazy because I love eating.
Jack
Like, literally 1500 milligrams of caffeine is insane. How do you even do that?
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
And then what's. What's the withdrawal like with going without caffeine? That's a ton of caffeine, dude.
Matt
I'll be, I'll be completely honest with you. I didn't have any withdrawals. I didn't have any withdrawals. Like, no withdrawal symptoms, no nothing. Something that me and Coach talked about was he literally looked at me. He's like, when you get to like 1700 or 1800 calories, like, I wouldn't want you walking around like a zombie. And I'll be super impressed if you do this whole challenge without drinking caffeine.
Jack
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Jack
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Graham Stephan
Where was most of this caffeine coming from when you were having 1500 milligrams per day?
Matt
So a lot of them from energy drinks and pre workout. So I, like I said I was going to the gym, I would literally take 300 milligrams. Just one scoop of pre workout, two scoops of pre workout. Shake it, drink it. I love that tingly feeling when you work out. I don't know what it is in pre workout, but it makes you feel cracked, like quite literally. And you feel like you're doing a lot more work. So I was just, I was literally like, caffeine boom. Go home. I'd eat a meal and I drink an energy drink. So right there alone is 600 milligrams of caffeine. And then I would feel tired. Right after I ate my food. I'd game for a little bit, I take a nap. Then I'd wake back up and I'd crack another drink. So instead of me drinking water, it was just drinking caffeine. So, boom, another 900 milligrams of caffeine just right there, you know, off of two energy drinks. Because there were 300 milligrams and the pre workout. And then this is like 8 o', clock, 10 o'. Clock. I'm sleeping at like 3, 4, 5am like every day. You know, it's pretty. It's pretty crazy. I was gaming. I was just. I was just gaming and I was streaming, you know, and some days I wouldn't even stream. I would just drink energy drinks just to drink them, just because I'm gaming.
Graham Stephan
Would the caffeine even energize you at that point?
Matt
No. So I don't. I don't. I don't. Just.
Graham Stephan
Because it was just like the thing you did.
Matt
The thing I did. I feel like it was the carbonation and the actual, like, flavor. Like, I really like the flavor.
Graham Stephan
Hooked on the flavor.
Matt
Man. That flavor is so good.
Graham Stephan
See, that's the thing that people say about Starbucks is like. Well, the coffee at Starbucks may not be the best quality. You get addicted because they put a lot of caffeine, like a venti sugar. Yeah. And sugar aventi.
Matt
It just stays. Yeah, sugar's a big thing, man.
Graham Stephan
A Venti standard coffee from Starbucks has 400 milligrams of caffeine. And so you think you're like, really?
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
You think you're like, addicted to that unique Starbucks coffee flavor. But it's that coupled with the copious amount of caffeine that you get in there.
Jack
I love the videos where they show you how much sugar.
Graham Stephan
Oh, yeah, I see it.
Matt
Yeah, I've seen that.
Jack
And it's like one Starbucks drink, but it's like that much sugar.
Matt
Insane.
Graham Stephan
And how are you even sleeping if you're getting 1500 milligrams of caffeine?
Matt
I would. I mean, I would sleep in spurts. I would literally nap. So, like, if I slept for two hours, I'd feel like I slept for eight or ten. Literally. I'd wake up and I'd be like, whoa. Then I wake up. Or if I was gaming, like, quite literally, if I was gaming and I was getting pissed on in the game, right. I'd have to crack an energy drink so I could feel like I gotta on these guys, you know, like, that's how I was feeling. I needed to feel cracked. So that's why I would drink energy drinks too. It's like I felt like it would give me that extra edge.
Graham Stephan
And so walk us through, because I'm. I'm so fascinated by the idea that if you change your diet, basically, if everything else in your life improves.
Matt
So you're saying 100%? Tenfold. Like, no doubt about it.
Graham Stephan
You got all of your energy from clean foods, and then you don't really even drink caffeine now.
Matt
I have had 0 milligrams of caffeine in my body since I started the challenge. Like, I have literally had zero milligrams of caffeine.
Graham Stephan
And you feel much more energetic now than you did previously.
Matt
Yeah, I feel like caffeine suppressed me, like, suppressed like who I was truly, just because I drank so much, you know, I feel like it dimmed me down to who I truly was. And after I, like, changed everything. This is who I am, you know, this is truly who I am without caffeine, without energy. So, like, I don't need it. I don't need to depend on it. I feel like I depended on that a lot. It's like I'm feeling tired, you know, I'm about to crash. I need to drink an energy drink. So. Yeah, from food for sure.
Graham Stephan
What about just having less weight on your body because. And also having more muscle on your body. I heard that, like, those are also, interestingly enough, like, key to just overall mental health. Motivation, energy levels.
Matt
Yeah, and. And mental clarity of force. Losing. Losing a bunch of weight when. When I put on the 97 pound suit. So, like, you don't know how much like, you actually weigh until, like, you wear your old self. And like, wearing that, I couldn't believe I was walking around because I walked around like that my whole entire life. So having a hundred pounds off of you and then putting £100 back onto you is insane. Like, the way that I was even breathing with the £100 on was crazy. You know, and just being in the sun too, that's like one of those things. Like those are little habits. Like the habits and structures that I built that helped improve too. Like actually getting sunl. I never got sunlight, but I was always in my house. I was always in my room just gaming, you know, Gaming, sleeping, never outside, no steps. I probably got minimum, like a thousand steps for a thousand, fifteen hundred steps when I was living my old life. But yeah, like, losing the weight definitely improved my health. You know, overall, what about girls? What about girls?
Graham Stephan
Like, like, if you're just spending all of your time, like playing video games, drinking caffeine, caffeinated beverages, stuff like that, and just like chilling in a dark room, was that ever like a priority of yours to like go and like try to find partner or like the dating?
Matt
I mean, not really dating. I was very sociable before. Like, I always talk to people and anytime, because I would travel to events, so I would always meet people too, you know, and even girls. Girls liked me. And I like girls too. It's. They actually like big boys, you know. So the girls thing wasn't like I was never self conscious of myself, you know, or I never felt some type of way or like insecure, like insecurities. I always loved myself and I always showed up, you know. So who. Who you saw is who you saw, you know, and what you got.
Jack
Now going into the challenge, did you have a strategy to win?
Matt
Yeah, it was. It was just train, bro. It was just push, pull, legs. Like, it wasn't like too much cardio. But then I got my coach, you know, and my coach gave me the. This is the blueprint. This is like what we're gonna do. And it worked. So, yeah, he gave me an upper, lower rest, but the rest day was a cardio day. And then upper, lower cardio, and then full rest day.
Jack
And how were the living conditions there? Like, what was the situation?
Matt
Like, I had a bed. Yeah. And I was in private. The bed was comfy. I got introduced to a sleep mask. That too. So I can improve sleep. Because I was talking to my coach about, like, how could I get more REM sleep. I had an aura ring. I don't have it on me now, but in my Apple watch. And that tracked my sleep and just improving my quality of sleep. Like actually sleeping longer rather than those two hour spurts that I would have, you know, and feel like 10 hours. Actually sleep for six, seven, eight hours a night all the way through the meals.
Jack
I was really curious about that. Did they give you a guide of what to eat or how did the kitchen work? It was like a whole grocery store.
Matt
Yeah, the grocery store. So coach actually like our first. So I had a bunch of stuff, like literally a bunch of stuff inside this kitchen. And then in the actual grocery store. I had a bunch of stuff too. I got to request anything I wanted. Literally anything I wanted. If I wanted a steak, I got a steak. If I wanted chicken, I got chicken, you know. So I wasn't limited to anything.
Graham Stephan
If you Requested a steak, Would they bring you, like, a prime cut ribeye?
Matt
Like, it's. Yeah, it's literally a steak. Yeah, a ribeye, whatever. A New York.
Jack
If you wanted wagyu or a filet.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
You can get lobster.
Matt
Yeah. And because it would be raw, I would have to cook it.
Jack
Yeah.
Matt
Oh, so.
Graham Stephan
So you had to cook everything.
Matt
Yeah, yeah, I cooked everything.
Jack
But if you wanted lobster and steak every single day, they would do it.
Matt
I could. Yeah, 110% I could. I had ground beef every day. I had ground beef, turkey, tuna. I had a little bit of that.
Graham Stephan
That's what you ended up using your endless resources on.
Matt
I mean, I wasn't really like, I'll tell you something. Okay. Coach and I had a tradition. Rest in peace, Coach. We had a tradition where every Thursday, every other Thursday, we would do steak, like a steak dinner, and we would grill it. So it was literally steak, corn, asparagus, potatoes. Every other Thursday. Like, that was our tradition. Like, we would break bread like that as, like, a good week, you know, from training.
Jack
What was the most expensive meal that you've asked?
Matt
I guess it would be the steak. Yeah, like, the steak. The steak was the most expensive that we would make.
Jack
And it never crossed your mind to get a wagyu, a five from.
Matt
I'm not. I'm not bougie. Yeah.
Jack
I'm not for it. And they would give it to you.
Matt
I know, but, like, I'm just not bougie.
Graham Stephan
You should have asked for, like, a steak. I'm not really sitting on top of it.
Matt
That's funny.
Jack
That's.
Matt
That's funny. See, that's funny.
Jack
A diamond encrusted.
Graham Stephan
Yes.
Matt
Yeah. Gold flakes. Yeah, Gold flakes.
Graham Stephan
And then you peel them off.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
I would have asked Gordon Rand Ramsay to, like, bring something.
Matt
Yeah, I was. I was the chef. This guy right here. I was the chef. I didn't know how to cook beforehand, I'll tell you that right now. Coach got me right, though. Taught me how to do the ground beef, taught me how to do the chicken. Air fryer was my best friend, quite literally. So easy.
Jack
So what was your best meal? To lose weight?
Matt
It was my breakfast. Honestly, like, that was my best meal. It was. We transitioned. So it was five eggs at first, which was 350 calories, because I was tracking everything. Five eggs for 30 grams of protein and then yogurt. So I would always weigh my food. 170 grams of OICOS yogurt, 17 grams of protein for a hundred calories, and protein powder. Scoop in there with fruits on the side. That was basically a. It was like an omelet. I would make an omelette protein yogurt bowl with fruits. So a hundred grams of blueberries, strawberries. That was my staple every morning.
Jack
What was the hardest part about losing weight?
Matt
I'll be honest. I've had this question a lot, but it ultimately comes down to my circumstances, like, what happened with me. And it was just like losing coached. That was like. That was the actual hardest part of weight loss, you know, is losing someone that's been with you along this ride, you know, this journey, every single day. That was definitely the hardest part for me. But it lit a flame under me, man. You know, and it made me go harder and allowed me to finish.
Jack
Yeah, that was a really hard moment to watch. And everything was. Was filmed so publicly.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
Did any of that cross your mind not to include in the video? Or did you feel like. Yeah. Or did. Did you feel like it was intrusive to, like, get such a raw moment on camera?
Matt
No, no, I didn't mind. I mean, we're all human at the end of the day. You know, Everybody goes through loss. Everybody goes through, like, a tragedy or something that will change the trajectory of their life. And that was mine. That was filmed. Right. It was on camera. And I'm grateful for it, right, because it's, like, a blessing in disguise. It's like, bro, like, I'm turning this pain into passion, right? And I get to continue on this journey, which I'm very grateful for in honor of Coach Wall and honor of me as well, and my family. But, yeah, I. I was okay with it. I think. I think the coolest part about it is it is so raw because it is me. And watching it in third person is something, but also just seeing how the world kind of reacted to it, because we're all human. You know what I mean? So the fact that people did get to see this and feel what I felt in the moment and me seeing their reactions was crazy, right, because they're, like, Internet trolls. But then, like, everybody has to understand that just because it's a video doesn't mean that it's a video. Like, this is real life. Yeah. And, yeah. So I'm very grateful that we got to showcase that. Right. Or that's included in the video.
Graham Stephan
Now that plenty of time has passed and you've had a lot of opportunity to, like, reflect back on that time period and a lot of those moments that you had with him, what is. What is something that you. That you learned, like, the main lesson that you'd say you've learned from Coach.
Matt
Just showing up for yourself. That's. That's the key thing, is literally showing up. I always told him that he's doing. He's doing everything for me, and he's like, I'm not doing anything at all. You're doing everything. And he would always say that even if I gave you the best plan, like, in the world, literally the best plan, you're the one that's deciding to show up. You're the one that's deciding to go through everything and do all of this. You know, you're the one that's making that choice. So just making the choices and, like, being intentional and mindful of what you're doing, because people look at this and they're like, okay, you lost 100 pounds. You know, are you going to keep it off? Like, it wasn't just a diet. It wasn't just losing 100 pounds. Like, this is a complete lifestyle change. You know, These are habits that I built, structure that I built because of Coach and what he taught me. Just the way that he held himself and the way that he showed up for me every day and the way I showed up for him every day. Yeah, he made me a better man, for sure.
Jack
What was going through your mind when they offered you the opportunity to have another coach come in to walk you through that last part of the journey?
Matt
It's. It's tough, man. It's. It's one of those things where you've built something, you know, and you don't want to, like, I want to say, tarnish it, but it's very hard for someone to come into the mix as something was being built. Right? Like, if you're building a company and, like, these people know that this is the blueprint, then you bring someone in that doesn't know anything. It's like, yeah, I wasn't. I wasn't inclined to, like, getting someone new. I think that Coach built me up for that moment that he passed. Literally the three months that I had with him, he literally built me up for it. So every single day that he showed up and he taught me and everything that he taught me and all the phases that we had. We had phase one, which was eight weeks. Phase two, that was eight weeks. And all the challenges that came about, he set me up for it, you know, and he wouldn't want me to quit or wouldn't want me to just, like, stop or mourn and something. It's crazy. As crazy as it Sounds like that same day, like, I did what I had to do. You know what I mean? Like, I had to do my 10,000 steps. I had to do my cardio. I had to work out even after the fact that, like, I could have chose to be sad, which I was, or just sleep in my bed, which is fine and it's normal. But at that point, I went through loss once, and I saw what happened to me. I gained everything back. And the way that coach, you know, taught me is that you're going to show up for yourself and you're going to continue to push forward. And I wasn't going to go back to, you know, I had every reason to rebound. I had every reason to gain all that weight back during this challenge. I had every reason to leave the circle, but I wasn't going to do that. You know, there was no. No shot. And shot in hell. Yeah, I was going to do that.
Jack
So was there any moment in those six months that you maybe slipped a bit and you didn't follow through with what you wanted to set out to do?
Matt
No. Every day, I was dialed. Every single day. I never missed a day. I showed up every single day. I had a journal. I wrote down in my journal every single day. Everything I did. I actually have that journal now with me.
Jack
Do you think there was more pressure because the cameras were on you at all times?
Matt
No, not at all. Because at the end of the day, the cameras is just. They're just there recording me. You could have everything in the world. It comes back to you. You know, it's a you decision. Like, Jimmy. Jimmy offers me, hey, like, I'm going to give you everything, and, you know, you're going to lose a hundred pounds. Like, he's giving me all the tools necessary. It ultimately comes back down to me. You know, if I wasn't going to do it, then I could have just sat down. I have a whole year. I could literally just wait around if I wanted to. I'm like, all right. Yeah, nice. I'm going to eat at this grocery store. I'm going to gain some weight.
Jack
I was curious if there was any part of you that wanted the challenge to last longer. Like, get down to those last five pounds and then just be like, you know what? This is a pretty good life. All my bills are paid. I get, like, whatever I want to eat. I got a full great place. And just continue it. Just keep going.
Matt
Yeah, Jimmy, please. No, dude, I thought it was going to be longer. There was this talk about plateauing, right? And, like, if you go onto a plateau. Like, it could take longer. Like, you could take six to eight months, you know, or eight to nine months, or it might take August, November, December. Like you don't know when. But. Yeah, I never. I never did. I think the beauty of it is that every 30 days I was weighed, so I didn't know my weight, but every single day I was getting weighed. So losing 20 pounds, like 20 to 18 pounds a month was crazy. So I've finished way faster. I thought it was gonna be way longer, Honestly, I thought it was gonna take the full year, personally.
Graham Stephan
So now being someone who's lost a lot of weight, you're fit now. Like, you can look back on your life beforehand and. And you know, you didn't like what you saw. I guess I'm curious, how do you motivate someone that, like, is bigger? They may not be super want. They may not want to lose a lot of weight, but you know that their life can be improved if they were to have lost weight?
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
How would you motivate someone?
Matt
Yeah, I mean, I was a gamer, right? And I was always in my room. I think one of the things is people think it's. It is hard to lose weight. Like, don't get it wrong. Like, it is very hard to lose weight. But there are little baby steps that you can take to help you. You know, it's like you don't have to dive in head first hard. You can just start slow baby steps. Like 8, 000 steps a day. That's something. Or just drinking your water or getting sleep and then just actually just being mindful of what you're putting in your body. So, like, I have the four pillars. The four pillars for me is physical activity, slash steps, Cardio or not cardio. Excuse me, water intake, sleep, and nutrition. Like, these four pillars are what helped me throughout the whole entire challenge. It's not like I never put myself through a crazy diet. You know, I was eating what I wanted and I was losing weight and I was training how I wanted and I was losing weight and building muscle. You know, as long as, like, I feel like sleep is the most important factor throughout this whole thing. And nutrition is very important too, what you're putting in your body. Because, you know, if I say, hey, go on a 2000 calorie diet, people are going to shy away because they're like, diet. That word, diet, it's like, yeah, I know they're thinking greens, you know, or fruits or veggies, like things that they don't want to eat. But you can eat meats, you can eat a little bit of veggies, and, like, you'll be able to lose weight.
Graham Stephan
Obviously, it'd be hard to isolate these variables since the entire, like, context of your life has also changed dramatically now since it was beforehand. But if you were to average out your happiness on a scale of like, 1 to 10 throughout your life as a. A larger person.
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
As opposed to now, fitter person, what.
Matt
Would you say those numbers are probably, like, being realistic. Bigger meshed. Bigger meshed. Gaming, working, streaming. He was probably at a 6. Because I love myself, you know, I never, like, struggled with that. I know a lot of people do struggle with that. Now it's probably at, like, a 10.
Jack
Wow.
Matt
Yeah. It's because this is a lifestyle change, you know, like, this is my life moving forward. And, like, I'm so glad that I get to continue to better my health, better myself, you know, that's something that I enjoy, you know, because it's, like, showing up and enjoying the process. I don't have, like, an end goal. People ask like, an end goal, but, like, when you reach an end goal, there's a new goal that starts. So you're never really ending anything. You know, it's always a process. So this is always an ongoing process for me until I'm dead.
Graham Stephan
And when you were averaging, let's just say, a 6 out of 10 on terms of happiness, did you ever think that that was, like, a 10 out of 10? Like, did you?
Matt
Yeah, probably. Probably throughout my life. Yeah. 100%.
Graham Stephan
You've unlocked, like, a new level of happiness that you didn't know existed previously.
Matt
100.
Graham Stephan
That's what's interesting to me is like. Like, how can you be a 10 out of 10? Or can you. Can you be a 6 out of 10? Thinking you're a 10 out of 10 change some things in your life, and apparently your happiness can go way higher.
Matt
Yeah. I mean, I'll be honest with you. Like, these. The numbers that you're doing, the six out of 10. 10 out of 10. My body, like, because obviously I lost 100 pounds. So, like, the before and after, there's a before and after picture. So this. This was me walking into the challenge, Right. That was me after.
Jack
Wow.
Matt
I thought people perceived me like this. I thought people perceived me as a hundred pounds less. Like, I thought this is how I was walking around. I thought people looked at me and this is what they saw. But in reality, this is who I was, you know? So I never. I never truly understood, like, the perception of myself. I always thought I was walking around like this, a hundred pounds lighter. But then like when I lost a hundred pounds and I actually saw who I was, I was like, bro, there's no way.
Graham Stephan
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Jack
How are people treating you? Differently?
Matt
Everyone always treated me nice, right? And loving and caring. I feel like a lot of people that came back into my life, they think that I changed, but in reality it's like I never changed. They're kind of changing, you know, that's how I look at it because I never changed. I mean, I lost £100, sure. I was in a Mr. Reese video, sure. But I'm still me. The way that they treat me is just, you're on a higher status, you know, and that's not the case. I don't like that, you know. Oh, you're famous now. Like, no, I'm not famous. I'm still a regular deglar, you know, I'm me. So when people approach me in that manner, it's like you're not caring about me as a person anymore. You're caring about the social status that I have now, you know, and shy away from that. So like my circle, I keep it very, very tight and the people that I mess with are the people that I mess with, you know, so it's not like.
Jack
But what about strangers?
Matt
Stranger. It's strangers. A beautiful thing. Strangers to me is a beautiful thing. You know, the way that they come up to me, they're inspired by my story. I think that was surreal. Like, that's a surreal experience. The messages that I get is that you're an inspiration to us. You know, you helped me get into the gym. I'm losing weight because of you. Like all these messages are messages that like, I can't believe are in my phone, you know, or even in person. Like these people are actually coming up to me and hugging me because one lose the weight, but then also going through a loss. Like they felt like they went through that loss with me, you know, and they're telling me, I'm sorry for Coach Juan, I'm sorry for your dad, you know, like these two losses and these are complete strangers that I don't know. And I'm just so grateful and I'm blessed for that, you know, and the fact that they get to share that with me and I get to hug them is crazy. And just even have a conversation with them.
Jack
What about for strangers when you were overweight versus now know, in terms of just, like, the general perception when you go up and, like, order food at the grocery store, just like any interaction.
Graham Stephan
Do you feel like you felt any prejudice, like, when you were bigger?
Matt
No, I feel. I feel like people gravitated towards me.
Graham Stephan
Actually, like, because they didn't feel threatened by you.
Matt
Yeah, I think. I think so. I mean, they. They honestly just enjoyed my presence. Like, I was just a likable person to be around. So you do look a lot younger. Younger. Like that. That is. Bro, that is something crazy too. Like, I do look a lot younger. I feel a lot younger.
Graham Stephan
Wait, how old are you?
Matt
28. 28 years old.
Graham Stephan
That's crazy.
Matt
Yeah, that's cr.
Graham Stephan
Yeah, because when you were bigger, like.
Matt
I looked like I was 40. No, no, no. Like, I actually. Like 40. Yeah.
Graham Stephan
Yeah, but now I look. Look your age.
Matt
Like, I looked ugly. Okay. I look handsome.
Graham Stephan
Yeah, you were a good looking guy.
Matt
I just looked bigger, bro. Like, I looked like I was walking around like a ball, bro. The pictures I just showed you, I was legitimately a ball.
Graham Stephan
What's your face too? It's kind of thin. Yeah, you know?
Matt
Yeah, it's like. I don't know. It's crazy.
Jack
Crazy.
Matt
It's crazy what a haircut can do for you too, Graham. I've seen this on the table. What is this?
Jack
Yeah, so this is actually Magic Mind. That one I gave to you because you said you don't drink caffeine. That one is caffeine free.
Matt
No way.
Jack
And I have this one for Jack, which is double the caffeine because he definitely needs it. No, I drink these all the time. Every single day. I have one of these. They help me focus before the podcast, especially, because it helps me just lock in. It's a little bit of caffeine in these ones. Not in that caffeine free one, though.
Matt
The branding looks sick.
Jack
It's incredible. It tastes delicious. It's like a cool matcha health shot in a way, but it boosts energy, it helps with focus. I really enjoy them. It helps me lock in for the episodes. Yeah, that one's for you.
Graham Stephan
You can bring it on planes too, because it's under the legal limit to bring through tsa.
Matt
I'm going to be honest. I'm going to be honest about.
Jack
All right, try it.
Matt
Smells good.
Jack
Yeah, it's good. It's delicious.
Graham Stephan
It kind of has.
Matt
Are you going to take it with me?
Graham Stephan
Yeah, it's kind of like a probiotic sort of thing.
Matt
I guess. I guess we'll. I guess we'll take it. Let's do it.
Jack
Cheers.
Graham Stephan
Cheers.
Matt
Cheers. Boys cheer.
Jack
Cheers. Oh, see, I sip on mine.
Matt
Man, that tastes really good.
Jack
It's really good. Yeah.
Matt
I actually like this.
Graham Stephan
Yeah, it's good stuff. Yeah, we.
Jack
You know what, I'll be able to give you a few. I can't give you all of them. That.
Matt
I have all of them. Good.
Jack
I have like three boxes of it. But we actually travel with this everywhere we go. I keep them always in my backpack.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
Cuz sometimes we'll just go on a trip and I take them in the morning and I really genuinely enjoy them.
Matt
Them. I was, I was taking something like this every morning. Yeah. When I was doing my challenge. So this is really cool. It tastes really good.
Jack
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Matt
Ichmf down below.
Jack
So what were the best workouts to lose weight?
Matt
Honestly, it came down to steps. Like, that's, that's the thing. It literally came down to steps. But like while you're doing strength training, you're also burning more. So it's just a plus on what you're doing with steps. The split that we had, upper, lower. Just like training your whole body. Whole body workouts are the best. Yeah, but if like, we're getting into like specifics like your chest. So we would do vertical pull, horizontal pull, vertical pull. So it just those movements and then horizontal push, vertical push. I know it sounds foreign, but it's just any type of push movement for chest or, you know, your shoulders are one of them and then your back is one of them. So like rows are one of them. Anything that's helping you just burn more calories by doing that, that motion. Yeah.
Jack
And what was the most difficult challenge?
Matt
The mile. Running a mile was the toughest. I think dead hang was pretty tough and push ups were pretty tough, but running the mile was tough, man. I'm not gonna lie.
Jack
Why is it so hard?
Matt
I never did cardio like that ever. Literally ever. So the fact that I went from a 17 minute mile, so walking into it, I did a 17 minute mile and the challenge was run a mile in 8 minutes and 30 seconds. And that was a challenge. That was like, I have a little doubt in my mind that I'm not gonna do it, but there's nothing that's gonna stop me from actually doing it, you know? Cause I have all this time to train. So Jimmy introduced the challenge run. My first mile, it was like 12 minutes and 50 seconds, something like that, for a baseline. And then day after day after day, that was running and running and running. It started shaving down, you know, drastically. I'm like, whoa, bro. Like, this is crazy. Like, my mile time's actually going down. And then obviously, on the day of the challenge, like, I ran an 804, you know, 30 days later, 8 minutes and 4 seconds for a mile. And that was insane. Like, but the. The hardest part was just, like, the breathing and, like, controlling your breathing, doing those laps. The fir. That first. First. First day that I did it, my throat was on fire. Like, literally my whole entire chest was on fire for, like, two days. And, like, you would. I was coughing for, like an hour, literally. Coughing, phlegm. Just coughing, coughing, coughing. I used to be a smoker, so, like, I used to drink. I used to smoke. I used to smoke weed. I've been two years sober now. I don't do any of that stuff. I think that helped me tremendously throughout this whole entire journey, you know, and just, like, putting God first, feel like just believing in God really, and just strengthen my relationship with God was one of those things that helped me throughout this whole entire challenge, you know, like, to actually change my life, which I'm very grateful for.
Graham Stephan
Have you improved on your mile time? Have you ran a faster mile than 804?
Matt
No, I haven't. I haven't tried it. I haven't tested it. My grip strength, though, like, I tested, like, a dead hang. And, like, I beat my challenge, like, what I did because I am getting lighter, but I feel like I could definitely do, like, sub 8 mile. Yeah. Would you wanna. Would you wanna race me?
Graham Stephan
I would do it.
Matt
Yeah. Would you wanna race me?
Graham Stephan
Yeah, I would do it.
Matt
Okay. What's.
Jack
Jack's a great runner.
Graham Stephan
Well, I used to be in high school, I was very fast.
Matt
What was your fastest mile? I mean, bro, you're way later than me, and you're tall.
Graham Stephan
In high school, I ran a 435, but that was in. That was.
Matt
All right, all right, I take it back. I am not going that race.
Graham Stephan
That was.
Matt
I'm not racing you. That is crazy. 435.
Jack
You have 435.
Matt
You're telling me a minute a lap? Like, less than a minute a lap you're running.
Graham Stephan
That's more than a middle lap. But.
Matt
But I can't do math. That's why you're the finance guy. That was.
Graham Stephan
That was in high school, Graham. That was in High School.
Jack
A435.
Graham Stephan
Look it up.
Jack
What's.
Matt
The 435 is crazy.
Graham Stephan
Someone's 340 something. Like, they beat me by a minute, bro.
Matt
That is crazy.
Graham Stephan
Thanks.
Matt
Yeah, I don't think I'll ever get to those numbers.
Graham Stephan
I mean, if I. If I tried to run a mile now, though, it wouldn't be anywhere close to that.
Matt
No, but I still think. I still think you'd definitely be me. You'd get, like, a six.
Graham Stephan
I could pace you, and we could try to go sub 8.
Matt
I have to train for it, though.
Graham Stephan
I'm curious to know how the journey has gone after the challenge.
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
What things did you do during the challenge that you still practice today? Like, what about diet? What about getting those steps in shooting basketballs?
Matt
Yeah, so I haven't. I haven't shot basketballs in a long time. I've played basketball just, like, pickup games. That's fine. I'm not that good. But it's just cardio, you know, that's one of those things where I shot basketballs. But, like, playing with people now I can keep up. You know, back then, I couldn't keep up. Back then, I would run up and down the court, and I swear I'd want to throw up. Like, literally want to throw up. Because Jimmy would, like, run games. You know, Jimmy loves basketball. Like, anytime that we would play, I was just like, bro, I can't do this. You know? Like, I'm dying. But, yeah, waking up in the morning, this is one of those things, is waking up in the morning, then going outside to walk. Like, I need to go outside. Like, I can't lay in bed. I can't, like, just sit. Lay in bed and dwell. All right. Or scroll for like an hour. The first thing that I do is wake up, pray, and then walk outside just so I can get the sun, because I had that big facility. So I would walk outside and I'd sit on my patio area, and it just calm and quiet, bro. You know, it's one of those things. So therapeutic just to walk around, listen to the birds, and just be outside, you know, tracking food. I really just eyeball it now because I've been traveling by being mindful of what I'm putting In my body. I'm not eating bs. That's really, that's really what I've been doing. But when I get back home, it's back to meal prepping, you know, because it is going to get busy. Like when you are traveling and stuff, you have to improvise. I'm not hitting my protein goals how I want to, like 225 grams of protein. I'm getting close, but it's not like to the T. When you meal prep, you can do that, you know, or even having the supplements. Like I need to start carrying supplements around. I only did protein, creatine and collagen. I think those were the three things that I did. But yeah, finding like substitutes, like those protein drinks, you know, Premier proteins.
Jack
Yeah.
Matt
160 calories. 130 calories for 30 grams. It's really good substitutes. But yeah, trying to hit those goals because it was just calories in and protein for me. Yeah, it wasn't fats or carbs.
Jack
Was there anything in the video that was left out that you wish was included?
Matt
Not really. It just. I wish a little. I wish it was a little longer. Me personally, I wish it was just a little longer. You know, more moments with Coach that we had had because we had sauna talks, we did cold plunge, you know, I feel like there were some funny conversations that we had that should have made it, maybe didn't make it. But yeah, it just. Everything's just so raw, you know, like when it comes to me, you're just getting what you're getting, you know, there's no like, hey, I'm gonna turn it on for the camera. Like, no, this is what you're getting. You're getting matched. So the fact that Coach and I had that relationship, like the way that we hugged, the way that we, we messed around, he always told me, Coach always told me that, like, we need to make a wind up doll of you. Like literally one of those windup dolls because of like any voice notes that I would make, you know, or like these little, these little cues that I would make. And he would always die laughing, bro. Yeah, man, coaches, Coach is a beast.
Graham Stephan
What was it like watching that video after it was posted?
Matt
I wasn't, I wasn't gonna watch it.
Jack
Really?
Matt
Yeah, yeah, I wasn't gonna watch it. I wasn't gonna watch it in the beginning at first. So like, obviously, like there's the final version that gets uploaded to YouTube. Jimmy asked me if I wanted to watch the video prior and I was like, no, I'm not gonna watch it until, like, the video actually gets posted. And even when I was in the challenge, I said that I wouldn't want to watch the video. Like, I don't think I would want to watch a video just because, like, I already lived it. It's one of those things. Like, I already lived it, but then I watched it. And when I watched it, let me tell you, it was an emo. I reacted to it. Like, I literally reacted to it. So I watched it and it was just an emotional roller coaster. I watched it with Chandler. I had like a little gathering View party, you know, so it was my first time watching it. And watching that cut, it was like, man, man, like, this is crazy. Just the. The actual story, because I lived it, right? And then I only know things that are in this video. So, like, when there's a part, I'm living through it and I can still continue on that, that part that's like, if it was cut, I'm still living that on, you know, Even like when Coach passed away, you know, and they told me the news and I'm sitting on the ground and I'm crying, like one of those things. It's like I still remember that feeling, you know? And, like, I could feel it. And every time I opened, like, Tick Tock or Instagram or YouTube, like, people were making clips. And I'm not gonna lie, bro, for like, the first 250 times I cried, like, actual, like, actual tears, my body would just. I would cry, you know, like, that was the feeling that I got. And just hearing him and seeing him and just the news, like, yeah, I just wish it was a little longer. That was it. Other than that was a perfect video. Not because I'm in it, but I think story wise, I think, I think the message is clear that, like, you can lose weight, you know, like, even if you're in a facility, like, you can lose weight. Like, I was a person that was overweight, 100 pounds overweight or morbidly obese. Like, I was gonna die, you know, at the age of 55 if I continued doing what I was doing. But thankfully, you know.
Jack
Yeah. Is there anything that surprised you about the video, watching it back?
Matt
No, the. The thing. I'll tell you what surprised me. It's like I was invested in myself. Like, I'm watching myself, but I'm watching, like. Like, I've never seen myself third person as, like a character, right? So, like, watching myself back, even when I watch this back, you know, it's going to be like, man, like, that's really you, you know, like, you're. You're really doing this. So I think that was, like, a trip for me. It's just watching myself in third person and, like, watching myself as a bigger person because, like, seeing myself and seeing how I walked, because you never see, like, the back of your head, you know, like, when you're walking and stuff, or, like, things that you do. So seeing that is just like, wow. Wow. Like, you. This is really who you were, you know? And this is who you are now. Even at the end of the dead hang challenge, like, when I said, yo, that's 60,000, you know, and I'm walking.
Jack
Yeah.
Matt
And I'm like, man, like, you look healthier. Like, you look lighter. Like, that's really. You meshed, you know? I'm just proud of myself, man. Truly.
Graham Stephan
And after the video got posted, how long did it take for you to get recognized for the first time?
Matt
I didn't go outside for two days.
Jack
Why?
Matt
I didn't go outside for two days because in North Carolina, like, everybody knows Jimmy, right? Cause I was in North Carolina at the time. But when a Mr. Beast video gets posted, like, a lot of locals know. So if I were to go outside, I'm pretty sure I would get recognized. I just wasn't ready for it, I guess. And then I went outside. So the first day that I went outside, I got recognized. And then in the airport, when I was traveling here, yeah, people recognized me. It was. It was crazy.
Graham Stephan
So you haven't traveled that much?
Matt
No, no. But every place that I've traveled, leveled, people have recognized me, and it's actually surreal. Like, I'm telling you, it's a crazy experience. In the line of the airport, like, we're waiting. Tsa. Yeah. One person. All it takes is one person. All it takes is one person. And then because it registers in their head that you're the guy, you know, you're the guy from the Mr. Beast video. You're the guy that lost 100 pounds. It's just like, man, I was like, yeah. And I just love hearing their stories. You know, A lot of people just come up and just take a picture, and I'm fine with that, of course, but I always ask for, like, their names or, like, this. This, to me, is the funniest thing is I would see people look at me, and, like, instead of them approaching me, I would just approach them, because I know deep down they know who I am. So I'm like, hey, how are you? I meshed. Yeah. Like, you're the guy from Mr. Beast video. And I'm like, yeah, it's. It's because, like, I've been in a situation like that. I'm pretty sure we all have been, like, where you see, like, a celebrity or someone famous, and then you go on the day, like, wishing that you. You approach them or ask them for a picture or something. I was just like, man, I'll just break the ice myself, you know, Even if it's not for me, just let me walk up to you and just have this conversation. So, yeah, I think that's. It's been. It's been really fun.
Jack
Now, you said at the end of the video that the real journey starts on the outside.
Matt
Correct.
Jack
What did you mean by that and how has that impacted your life so far?
Matt
Yeah, so the real journey. So in the video, I say that the journey's ending, but in reality, it's like the journey is not ending, it's just starting, which is. I'm in this facility, obviously a controlled environment. I have everything handed to me, right? You have a gym, you have a grocery store. You have a place to sleep. You have everything that you need to lose a hundred pounds. Now, everything that I'm doing outside affects. Everything that I did inside here, affects how I do it outside. So all these. The habits that I built, the structure that I built, carrying it over to the real world, how am I going to apply it? So I've been applying it, you know, I've been continuing to lose weight. It's not, hey, you just did this video and you lost £100.
Jack
Pounds.
Matt
It's a lifestyle change, you know, it's not just, you're in a Mr. Beast video. No, like, this is literally my actual life. This is real life. Like, I still train. I still count my calories. Not as much right now, but, yeah, still doing all that to lose weight. Because I do have a goal in mind, you know, like, my goal is to get to 180 pounds. So the fact that I'm still continuing, you know, a month after is very, very good. Because they say 93. I think it's 93%. That might be the statistic. But 93% of people on the Biggest Loser, they gain all their weight back or more, you know, And I'm not trying to be like that, especially with, like, people having eyeballs on me, right? They're like, they're waiting for my downfall. They're waiting for me to bounce back. They're waiting me for me to rebound, and that'll never happen.
Jack
Do you feel like you also have to be a representation for Jimmy in the sense that, like, you staying thin is reinforcing that his challenge worked. And then if you. If you rebound, then it's like, well, in a way, Jimmy might have also failed, that he put these boundaries in place.
Matt
That.
Jack
That didn't work long term.
Matt
I don't. I don't think so.
Graham Stephan
No.
Matt
Yeah, I don't think so. Because at the end of the day, it's me, right? It's. It's me versus me when it comes to this. It's not me versus Jimmy or it's not. I'm representing Jimmy. That was. It's very nice of Jimmy to obviously give me the opportunity, and I'm very blessed for it. I mean, Jimmy helped change my life for the better. Like, he literally added years to my life, and I'm super grateful for that. You know, I can't repay him. Like, how could I repay him? I know how. Now just continue being in shape. Right? So, yeah, it's like, I feel like it would be a disservice to him. Like, imagine your friend, like Jimmy's telling me, hey, like, I'm gonna give you this, this, this, and you get this, this, this, and then it's like, why would I do that? Why would I do that? Coach Wall? Why would I do that? To the people that actually worked on the video, like, they all sacrifice time, you know, and to me, it just. I have that chip on my shoulder personally. Like, I'm gonna continue to do this for myself and for everyone else that sacrifice time, you know? Yeah.
Jack
So since leaving that challenge, have you had any, like, major cheat meals? Like a pizza, like ice cream?
Matt
Yeah, I've had cheat meals. But the thing is, it's like, if it fits, it works. So it's not like I'm indulging. I'm over indulging in things, you know, because I could have gained all that weight back, but I didn't. I'm at like 220 right now.
Jack
But if you gained it back, maybe you could do another challenge. Yeah, do it again. Get another 500 grand.
Matt
No, no, no, no, no, no. I'm gonna. I'm gonna do my own challenge. Right. Jeff Nippered, he actually gave me a 12 week program. He wants to see me at 180 pounds, you know, and to squat 405 pounds.
Jack
Wow.
Matt
So like double my body weight.
Graham Stephan
Four. That's 100.
Matt
Yeah. So I got B180 or 190 and then double that, which would be 380, you know, or whatever. 360. He wants me to squat 405. He. Because he looked at me and he was like, you literally have the build for like a power lifter, you know, like, or a power squatter. So. So he believes that I can get that strong and he built out a program for me to go through it. And obviously because I've done programs before, I can follow the structure and actually get stronger. So it's like progressive overloading.
Graham Stephan
What other interesting opportunities have presented themselves to you since completing this Mr. Beast video? I mean, you probably have gotten viewed over 2 billion times. The video itself has like 150 million. And then all of the clips, I mean, there's so many that probably have 10, 20, 30 million reaction videos. Like, I mean, billions of times you've been. What kind of opportunities.
Matt
That's crazy. To even hear. Like, like, let me close my ears because.
Graham Stephan
Oh, it's insane. It's crazy.
Matt
It is. Yeah, it is. It is crazy. I mean, I don't, I don't look at it like that because I just still think, like, this is normal. Like, you know what I mean? I don't know, I look at social media as if it's like fake. Like all these numbers are just like, fake because I'm still regular, like, I'm still normal. But yeah, opportunities did present themselves and I'm very grateful for them. Podcast is one of them like this and I'm very thankful that you guys, you know, brought me on, so thank you for that. Other podcasts, like, I just did one with Bradley Martin. Content creators wanted to collab with me, just do like a workout video or just even creating reels or shorts, you know, just short form content and yeah, maybe some video with Mr. Beast pretty soon.
Jack
So how have you started turning those opportunities into a business or making money from it?
Matt
Good question. I haven't. I mean, I, I really haven't. Like, there are opportunities that come, sure, but I just look at it for fun. But like, yeah, of course I need to make it a business, right? Or like get paid.
Graham Stephan
You went live and you reacted to the video, right? Like, I watched that and that got.
Matt
A lot of views.
Graham Stephan
Like, I'm assuming your channel is now monetized now.
Matt
Now it is, yeah. Like when I uploaded the video, it wasn't monetized, so.
Graham Stephan
Yeah, so you could be making.
Matt
I could, I could be, yeah. Of course I'm going to be uploading content myself, like, because I still want to continue to inspire people. I don't think I'll be a personal coach, you know, or a trainer. Or anything like that. I just want to showcase my journey and like continue on like this weight loss journey that I'm doing doing, you know, and hopefully that it'll inspire people. Like people can take something from what I'm doing, you know, or learn something from what I'm doing. Because there are people out there that are coaches, they're certified for it, like they went to school for it or they know what they're doing. I don't know what I'm doing. I lost a hundred pounds and I'm doing what I was taught, you know, and hopefully just from what I'm doing, people will understand, you know, I think.
Graham Stephan
Most of the interest would be people just want to know where you end up, like how you look, you know, two months from now, five months from now, a year from now, it's going to be good. If you just did updates like that would be enough tough for a lot of people. Like, you know, I would love to see you improving, like your mile time, hitting that squat, PR stuff like that.
Jack
You would also do great raising money for a charity for every pound you lose within a certain like time frame.
Matt
Oh, that's actually, that's actually pretty good.
Jack
Something like that. Like if you lose £20 the next two months.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
Pounds a month. Hey, X amount could be donated to charity.
Matt
That's good. That is good. See, I don't think that far.
Jack
Few ideas. Now they say that money doesn't buy happiness, but are you happy with the $500,000?
Matt
Yeah, I look at it as like I have zero dollars in my bank account. I mean, I was making a hundred dollar stretch, bro. You know, like this doesn't change me. Money's just a tool. I think more so just to help my family is the key. And obviously reinvesting in myself. Yeah, because like I can buy a camera that I couldn't buy beforehand. Right. Or I can travel somewhere where I couldn't travel beforehand. But like having that amount, amount doesn't change, like who I am, you know, like, sure, I'm happy, I've been happy, but it's just a tool that I can use to do things, you know, I don't have to put it on a credit card and then like pay interest and then drown in interest, you know, where I could just pay it outright.
Jack
Has anyone asked you for money?
Graham Stephan
Because Graham could be the first.
Jack
If I could have like 20 bucks.
Matt
Yeah, of course. No, I got you, I got you.
Graham Stephan
So people have asked you for money?
Matt
Yeah, I mean, it's okay. Like it happens. It's natural. You know, it's not really just like money. It's like, hey, can you fly me out somewhere? Hey, can you do this for me or do that? I'm like, yeah, that's fine. Not family. It's different when it's family. Like if my mom's asked me for something, like of course, right. Like I'm a mama's boy, like I'm gonna give my mom anything she wants or if she wanted the whole 400,000, I'll give her the whole 400,000. You know, I don't care. But yeah, people did ask for me.
Jack
And what's your response to that?
Matt
I don't have any money. It's all tied up, all tied up.
Graham Stephan
In a business checking account.
Jack
Got, have outed yourself here.
Graham Stephan
Yeah. You got to earning zero percentage in an index funds. You're like, look, it's inequities. Like I can't, you know.
Matt
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, I do got to do something.
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Matt
Yeah, I, I do got to do something.
Graham Stephan
I don't want to get realized gains.
Jack
Has, has anyone given you bad advice for the money? Like said, hey, maybe you should buy this like life insurance, boss.
Matt
I haven't purchased anything. No. Like there's no like big purchases that I've made. So I haven't made any big purchases or anything.
Graham Stephan
You haven't bought one luxury?
Matt
No, I'm not materialistic, bro. I don't care about that stuff.
Jack
Is there anything you've wanted like a car or like a Like a, I'm.
Matt
Fine, I'm fine with the beater, bro. Like, I'm fine. Anywhere that can get me from point A to point B. Like, I'm fine with, you know, shirt.
Graham Stephan
Maybe that you wanted.
Matt
No, I think the, the most, the most I've spent was probably a flight, you know, and I was telling you. Yeah, yeah. Nothing, nothing, like, too crazy.
Jack
Here, here are my thoughts. If, if I were to win $500,000.
Graham Stephan
Yeah, yeah.
Jack
It's in a business checking account right now.
Matt
Correct.
Jack
It's earning zero interest. It's sitting there in cash right now. There, there are certain money market funds that are paying 4%. There are funds called SGov that I think are paying about 4.3%. Just imagine it, like, tie up your money for a day. It just takes a day to settle. So if you want to cash out of it, it just, it takes a day.
Matt
Okay.
Jack
You'd be making 4.3%, doing nothing with your money. Just leaving it there.
Matt
See, like, I wish I had financial advice.
Jack
So that's 16 grand a year.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
That you could be making just, just tomorrow.
Matt
Yeah. Just having the money there.
Jack
Just one move, just 20 minutes, you'll make $16,000 a year. The other thing is that I would maybe, if it were me, take half of it after tax and put it in a good diversified mix of index funds that basically just track the overall stock market. So you're not picking individual stocks trying to be winners and like trying to triple your money. This would be something where over the long term, you might average 6 to 8% a year.
Matt
Okay.
Jack
But hey, if you invest $250,000, that makes an average over 30 years, 6 to 8% a year, that's another 20 something thousand dollars every single year that you'd be making from this.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
Which is pretty good. And you just let it grow. Or you speak with a good CPA and they set you up with maybe a good retirement account account like a Roth ira, or maybe there's some delayed income strategies. Basically what you could do is now you pay yourself over a few years to lower your tax liability. So instead of paying all the taxes now, if you think, well, maybe next year I'm not going to make so much money, you could pay yourself half now, half later. There's all these options that if you hire a good cpa, they're going to walk you through these and help you save a lot of money. Money.
Matt
Got it. Do you have any suggestions or should I hit up Jimmy?
Jack
Hit up Jimmy.
Graham Stephan
Yeah. Or just like people on his team. I'm sure that they know.
Matt
I want to make sure that, like, I'm not doing anything wrong, you know, that's why I haven't, like, spent crazy. Oh, well, I guess. I guess my most.
Graham Stephan
You're like, I. I. Lamborghini.
Matt
I forgot about. No, no, no. But I did. I did spend. Yeah. I did make, like, one big purchase. But, I mean, it's like, it's not. It's not really a purchase. It was just a donation. That was a donation to coach Wall's family.
Jack
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Matt
So that was. That was my. That was my.
Jack
Speaking of which, we are going to be donating from the iced coffee hour a thousand dollars to the GoFundMe. It's down below in the description.
Matt
Thank you.
Graham Stephan
And if you guys want to check.
Matt
It out so much.
Graham Stephan
Check it out. There's a link down below in the description. You could see all about it.
Matt
Yeah. Coach Tyler Wall. Amanda met the legend. Thank you.
Jack
Do you miss competing?
Matt
Yeah, a little bit. I feel. I feel like that's. That's one of those things where I can give myself a goal, you know, like, all right, run a mile in eight minutes now, you know, and just train for it every single day. But I think the fact that someone else gave me the challenge, it's like, bet like, I'm gonna do this. You know, it wasn't even the monetary thing, so it's like just a dead hang was one of those things. Hanging for. It wasn't even a minute, but just hanging as long as you can, you know, and just wanting to beat a minute or wanting to do a pull up, like, those were, like, the toughest things, too, because I always wanted to do a pull up since I was little, bro. Like, even doing the monkey bars, like, seeing kids, because I could never do the monkey bars, you know, because I was always so big, and I never had, like, curve strength. I always see these kids literally just go monkey bars like crazy. Now, I can do that, you know, because I built it up. But, yeah, doing a pull up. I always wanted to do a pull up, and then I finally got to do it during that challenge, the dead hang.
Jack
And why do you think so many people are overweight now compared to 20, 30 years ago?
Matt
Honestly, I feel like everything's just so accessible. I feel like a lot of people are just in their phones now, you know? So literally, if you're on Snapchat or if you're on Instagram, you'll see food or you'll see someone's story, and when you're skipping. You'll get a food ad, you'll talk about food, I'll pop up in your phone. And it's just so easily accessible for people to just order things, you know, in, in abundance. Like not just one sandwich. You order one sandwich, you're like, bro, I'm not gonna pay $8 for a sandwich. Let me pay $30 for a full meal, you know, and then they'll get it.
Jack
I think they've made foods so tasty that in the process of doing that to sell more food, they've made it so unhealthy. Yeah, cuz everything, yeah, everything tastes so delicious. And like, even McDonald's is like chemically engineered to get you to like crave McDonald's.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
After you get it and nuggets and the fries, everything about the smell and.
Graham Stephan
Like, it's satiating is the problem is it doesn't actually fill you up. And on top of that, I watched a really interesting video of like, why is a burger not healthy? Because you look at the things and it's like, oh, you have ground beef, which is generally healthy. You have lettuce, you have tomatoes, you have bread, which is fine. You have a little bit of dairy, cheese, which is okay. But the problem is it's all of the like auxiliary things. Like when you toast the buns, you put butter on it, you use a lot of seed oils, which is something that you usually cook the meat in. And all of these things add like phantom calories to make it extremely calorie dense.
Matt
Yeah, basically 100%.
Graham Stephan
And that's, I feel like a lot of foods nowadays and it's not, it doesn't actually satiate. You eat it and you're like, oh.
Matt
Like, I feel like, okay, that's, that's what it is. I mean, if you look at like all the nutrition facts, like I think one of the Whoppers was like 800 calories, you know, like, and I was eating 1800 calories. So like I could only eat two Whoppers, you know, if I wanted to throughout the whole entire day. I'm not getting my protein, I'm not getting the actual nutrients that I need to fill me up. And of course, like, I'm not satiated. Right. I'm not full, so I'd be hungry. And then you'd snack even more. So then you'd need more food or you'd eat a bunch of BS. I never did though. 100.
Jack
And what about sugar? How, how hard has that been to cut down on?
Matt
I mean, I haven't really had, like, sugar, like, crazy. Like, sparkling water. I like drinking sparkling water. But, like, as far as, like, candy and stuff, like, I have a feastables. No plug. I'm just. I'm being honest, bro. The feastables are so good. Like, I love the feastables cups.
Jack
Yeah.
Matt
Because they're so. Yeah, it's like 210 calories. I think it's phenomenal. And, yeah, I'll slam one of those because it fits. Like, I'm at, like, you know, 1800 or 2000 calories. Because, like, my maintenance, like, if I'm at 220 right now, or even 218, I can eat 3, 500 calories, and I'll still be at 2 18, 2 20. Like, I won't go over that. But I still want to be in a cut, obviously, so I can lose some weight, still train. But yeah, like, sugar is not, like, crazy. Like, I won't go to the gas station and be like, man, like, I need this or, I need this or I need this. I'll just grab the water and walk.
Jack
And was that ever a difficult decision or thing to cut? Because I hear sugar's the most addictive.
Matt
No, no, not. Not for me, obviously, like, being in the challenge. No, because of the, like, it's the willpower, you know, like I said, like, I quit smoking, quit drinking, quit all of that. But being around, like, people that do do that, like, I don't need to do that, you know? And I don't feel like. What is the word? Like, it doesn't. It doesn't entertain me, or I don't feel, like, the need that I need to do it, you know, or I feel like I need to smoke or something like that. So even with sugar, like, not having it, I had access to sugar in the challenge. You know, I had chocolate covered almonds. I had trail mix that had, like, M and Ms. In them. I never touched him once, like, literally the first day that coach. Because I made, like, this trail mix bowl, right? Pistachios, nuts. Like, they're all high, calorically dense, so you can eat a handful. It's like a thousand calories without you even realizing. So he was like, they're good fats, sure. Like, in moderation. But this top row is off limits, and this bottom row is off limits. Like, you can have everything in between. So I never, like, had chocolate. I reward myself with a peanut butter cup and a cheat meal that didn't make it in the video. But I had pizza after the dead hang. Jeff And I had a pizza party.
Jack
See, a lot of this seems pretty common sense. Why do you feel like people don't follow it?
Matt
It really just comes back to, like, being easily influenced, man. Like, you're easily influenced by, like, your surroundings, you know, like, your family thinks it's okay. That's one of the things, you know? Like, my mom loves food. She'll make me food. She'll put me a giant plate. You know what I mean? It's like, eat, this is good for you. Eat. This is good for you. But in reality, it's not, you know? And I think the. The hardest thing is when you start changing and you're showing the people around you that you're changing, they can't accept it, you know, it's hard for them to accept that you're changing. Like me for food. I tell my mom, like, hey, like, I need to weigh my stuff now. You know, and she understands it because she came to the circle and she saw it. But, like, even with people outside drinking, for example, like, I'll just go back to this. It's like, I don't drink anymore. But they're still offering you drinks because they know your past self and, like, yeah, you're gonna drink. You're gonna budge it. No, like, I'm not going to do that, you know? So when it comes to, like, food, it's hard because people that are trying to change, like, in their households, their family won't accept it because they're not doing it, you know, and that's going to be hard on them because it's going to be hard to keep following that because they'll get easily influenced, I think, by their family.
Jack
Do people try to get you to slip up? Like the drink example?
Matt
Yeah. I mean, yeah, bro. Like, there. There are some times, I mean, people know that, like, I'm still losing weight, so it's just one of those things they'll offer just out of their kindness, you know, just a habit of offering. And I'll kindly declare climb, you know, and there's no foul play with it. Like, there's no harm. They understand. So if they. If they don't understand, they don't really want the better for me.
Graham Stephan
So what would you say your main goals are?
Matt
Moving forward still to inspire people? I think. I think that's the greatest blessing out of all of this is, like, one being able to honor Coach Wall in that way, you know, because what he taught me is literally a representation of who I am, you know, and just continuing to lose weight and just bettering my health. I think that the more that I do this, the more I see it and the more ripple effect happens. So, like, people will talk about it and their friends will talk about it to someone and another person will talk about it to someone, and it'll continue to go on, you know, Like, I'm gonna be that guy, I guess the guy that's from the Mysteries video that lost 100 pounds, all right? And when people see me and they see that I'm still doing this, it's gonna be a very good thing, you know? I think so. I think that I'll still be able to inspire the masses, you know, to help lose weight. Because similarly, like, I was a gamer that was not going outside to, like, the gym. Like, I want to be able to have a platform to where it's accepted, you know? Like, you can be accepted by anyone to help lose weight. Like, I want people to feel comfortable going to help better themselves, you know? That's what I really want to aim for, for the future for myself, you know? Yeah. Like, I wanna. I want those kids to just be like, I wanna go to the gym. Because when you go to the gym, you don't know anything. And, like, you think that people are gonna judge you, but in reality, everybody wants to help help you, you know, because everyone's out there trying to better themselves. So the fact that you're taking that first step, that initial step to better your health is already a dub. You know, showing up to the gym or showing up for anything is 50 of the battle. It's just the other 50 is actually doing it and continuing on with that.
Jack
What's your biggest insecurity now?
Matt
I don't really have insecurities. I don't know. What's your biggest insecurity? Like, what's something that you're insecure about?
Jack
I wish I could grow a beard that's insecure.
Matt
I don't know. See, people would think, like, man, Mads, you should go to Turkey and get hair. You know, like, family says that, friends say that. It's like, bro, I'm fine with who I am. You know? Like, I love myself. Like, this is how God wants me. So I'll be like this, you know? Yeah, I don't really have any insecurities, I guess. Insecurity, That's.
Graham Stephan
I didn't know you wanted to grow a beard.
Jack
I would love to grow a beard. Really?
Matt
Why?
Jack
Because.
Matt
Have you ever. Have you ever tried, like, just putting on a fake beard, like, to see what you would look like?
Jack
No.
Matt
What if I. No, like, what if I put on a wig? Like, you know, like, and just to see how it have air. Like, what if. What if I look like Jack for a little bit?
Graham Stephan
You had this hair.
Matt
Like, if I had your hair with this beard, bro, I think I'd be unstoppable.
Graham Stephan
I don't think that, man. I don't think this hair would look good on you. Like, I. I like if I had your.
Matt
I mean, my. My freaking head is shining, bro. It's literally gleaming.
Graham Stephan
Isn't that like, desirable?
Matt
I feel like. I feel like people love this. Yes, but it has to be this clean. Like, I'll never grow my hair back out. Like it was. Dude, the beard. Did you see the beard? Yeah, man, the beard was crazy. Yeah, I looked like Moses, bro. I'm not even kidding.
Graham Stephan
No, I actually, I like this shaved head on you. I think it's a cool look.
Matt
Thank you.
Graham Stephan
Yeah.
Matt
Thank you.
Graham Stephan
Is rather less approachable.
Jack
That's right. I feel like a bit intimidating, but is it really?
Matt
Yeah, but, man, I don't know.
Jack
I don't think if you pull up next to me in an M5 BMW.
Graham Stephan
That is hilarious.
Jack
I'm just saying, I wouldn't want to get like a road rage with you, man. Like, I. I see you, me like.
Matt
Oh, you'll see me in a minivan, bro. You know?
Graham Stephan
Hey, are you like Armenian?
Matt
I'm Jordanian. I'm Jordanian. Palestinian.
Graham Stephan
Jordanian Palestinian. Interesting. Yeah, man, the M5, that is hilarious.
Matt
I mean, yeah, like, you know, like Middle Eastern people love BMW.
Jack
Blacked out one, the windows roll down.
Matt
Great. Murder.
Graham Stephan
You can just hear some, like.
Jack
See a cigar. Yeah. Yeah. Still get a cigar.
Matt
Exhaust in there.
Jack
Some, you know, smoke comes out of the.
Matt
That's so funny. Someone's got to make an edit, bro. Someone's gonna find this, make an ed it. They're going to put me in there and just smoke coming up. That's so funny. That's. That's so funny.
Jack
Isn't that the guy from the Mr. Beast video?
Graham Stephan
Yeah, that's him.
Matt
Wait, he is an M5? Yeah. Dang. So that's. That's what you spent your money on, huh? Yeah. I knew it. That's good.
Graham Stephan
Yeah.
Matt
Do you.
Graham Stephan
Do you still keep in touch with Jimmy often?
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
He'S fitness thing too.
Matt
Yeah. Jimmy. Dude, Jimmy's been grinding, bro. Jimmy's getting strong. He's getting jacked.
Jack
I've noticed that he's posted pictures of himself, dude.
Matt
Strong man.
Graham Stephan
Who benches more, you or Jimmy?
Matt
Honestly, like, flat chest. Like flat chest. Bench like, dumbbell press. Like, Jimmy. Jimmy's putting up numbers, man.
Graham Stephan
Really?
Matt
Jimmy's putting up numbers? I'm not going to disclose them, but Jimmy's putting up numbers, man. Don't come for him, dude. Jimmy's strong. I'm not even kidding. Jimmy's strong. Like, the thing is, I also, like, hold him accountable. Like, I hold a lot of people around me accountable. Like, we have to go to the gym and we have to trying to get some six packs that we're trying to get shredded. My goal. My goal is 180. Like, I want to get to 180, obviously, the 405 squat, but I want to get to, like, 16%, 18 body fat.
Jack
And what are you at now?
Matt
26. So, like 10 more body fat. Okay, so like 40 pounds.
Jack
Wow.
Graham Stephan
But after loose, all of that weight, don't you have a bunch of loose skin? Like, how.
Matt
Yeah, what about.
Graham Stephan
How do you want a six pack to appear? Like, are you planning on doing something about the loose?
Matt
Like, right now I don't have loose skin. Like, it's flabby, but it's not, like, loose or stretchy. I think when I lose all the weight and get to a point where it's like, okay, now you're seeing the cuts and you're seeing the gains to where you really need the surgery. Right now. It'd be pointless for me to get the surgery, you know, because I'm sleeping still, like, bigger. So when I get to, like, that shredded, like, those low percentiles, then you start seeing, like, okay, you really have loose skin, then I'll probably have a conversation. But I also think that loose skin is. Bro, that's. That's an accolade, bro. Like, that's a trophy, you know? Like, you literally went through it. Yeah. Like, you actually lost weight. You're actually improving your health. You got a six pack, you know, or a four pack or a two pack or whatever. So I think that's, like, something that's so dope to have, you know? Absolutely. But some people. But some people would feel, like, insecure about it.
Graham Stephan
Well, it's also. I feel like it's a little less practical, like, if you have loose skin, because it's, like, moving.
Matt
Yeah.
Graham Stephan
You know what I mean?
Matt
I don't think, like, mine isn't, like, moving like that. I noticed when I do my dead hangs, they're like, I'll see, like, my little pouch. But it's not, like, crazy, you know? It's not like crazy.
Jack
What are your thoughts about people who take Ozempic or just Ozempic?
Matt
I didn't even know what ozempic was. Like, still. Still. Is it. Is it like food? I think it's suppressing.
Jack
I think it's just a shot.
Matt
But is it like food suppressant? Like, what is it?
Jack
Like, you don't basically cut.
Matt
Yeah, I don't. I don't know. I don't. I would never in my life take that. I think some people. I don't know, like, some people probably do that. They don't have time, you know, I guess to like, work out or actually, like, eat healthy. Probably, like, trying to cheat. I guess it's like, cheat.
Jack
Is.
Matt
That would be cheating, right?
Graham Stephan
Yeah, it's. It's like the shortcut to losing weight. I also kind of think that, though, that, like.
Matt
But is it for Di. Diabetes?
Graham Stephan
It was originally for diabetics, but then it got turned into a weight loss drug.
Matt
That is crazy. So diabetics are supposed to take this, but normal people are taking it.
Graham Stephan
Yes.
Matt
And they're like.
Jack
Because the side effect is. Yeah. Is losing weight. That's being a diet suppressant.
Matt
See, like, imagine someone that did that then, like, got super jacked and then became like a trainer and said, yeah, I lost all this weight. That's like. That's like crazy, bro. Like, people actually do that. It's like scamming.
Graham Stephan
If they're. Yeah. If they're lying, then, yeah, that's. That's a bad thing. But I also tend to think, like, if you have someone that's obese and they're not going to lose the weight unless if they have a shortcut, it's like, better to take the shortcut. That might be a little unhealthier because you're injecting some foreign substance into your body, like Ozempic, than it is to, like, live life as an obese person, you know?
Matt
Yeah, I mean, me personally. Me personally, no comment. I. Because. Because I'm not going to talk on. On that, you know, because I only did the way that I did. Right. I guess, like, other people have reasons as to why they're taking, like, ozone Olympic.
Graham Stephan
Was losing the weight the hardest thing you've ever done?
Matt
No, I think going through loss is the hardest thing I've ever done. I think. I think that's the hardest thing anyone ever goes through in life, any form of loss. Because the way I look at it is like, this is a crazy, like, comparison, but the person that. The person that I was. This is like a crazy thing. But, like, the person I was, like, you change Every single day. But the person I was before, like, my dad died, died. It's like I'll never be able to be that person again because, like, this. This experience happened. So, like, it molds you into a different person, you know? And I guess you'll never get back to, like, that person.
Jack
How did you change?
Matt
Honestly? Just showed up every single day and just prayed. I put God first. That's really the biggest thing, man, is really just putting God first and praying. Throughout my whole entire journey and challenge, I just got closer to God and even, like, with my dad. So my dad passed away. I'm in a dark time. I gained all my weight back and then get this opportunity. It's in a light. Like, this is literally a light, you know, you're about to change your life, and then you're going through this, and everything is hitting like it's green. Like, you're literally living the perfect life. You're in a gym, you're losing weight, you have a coach that knows everything, and he's practically your best friend in this thing because that's all you have is him, Chandler, Jimmy, the boys coach. And then life still happens no matter where you are, you know? And then I get hit with that. Literally just get hit, blindsided, crazy easy. Lose my coach. And then that loss. Loss is different for everyone. But that loss changed me into a better man, you know, because he built me up for it. Like, losing my dad was one thing. That person I thought I was never gonna be like again, the person before. And I was going through this, and I'm changing every single day. And then losing coach changed me into a better person, you know, and continue to just better myself, you know? So how do you.
Jack
How do you get through that? How does. How does faith help you push through?
Matt
The. The faith push through is I was so, like, when I read my Bible, I wasn't, like, too into it, right? So I was just, like, reading a chapter a day and just being in faith. And every time I would wake up, I never had, like, structure or plan. Like, I told you this before, I never had structure or plan. So I would just always show up every single day. And I feel like God, this was my calling from God to even stop smoking, to stop drinking. If I didn't stop smoking, if I didn't stop drinking, if I didn't do this, I would. I would be dead by the end of the year. That was like, my actual, like, testimony. Like, that's when I stopped and I tried betting my life, you know, I started losing the Weight. And then that happened. So it's like, I feel like God and the world will just throw things at you to try to throw you off, you know, like, the enemy will try to throw you off. And that moment, literally, that defining moment of, like, literally felt divine. Coach building me up for this moment and then continuing on throughout this whole entire challenge and just changing and finishing it for him and for myself, it was like, bro, you can't write this story up. And I truly think that that was God, you know, like, he put this obstacle in you because, like, everybody. Everybody goes through things. And whether you believe in God or you don't, this is just how it was written for me, you know? And this was my story. And, like, the fact that I can use that to continue to, you know, shed light to it, it's a beautiful thing. I'm very, very thankful for it. You know, Obviously, I wish Coach Wall was here, bro. Like, there's nothing. Like, if there's anything I could trade for, it's. She was here to experience this with me, like, to actually see, because we talked about, like, we don't know how many people we're going to affect, you know, it's not a thousand. It's not ten thousand, it's not a hundred thousand. It's not a million. It's not 10 million. It's not a hundred million, you know, like, we just don't know the actual, like, effect of this, like, this whole entire thing, because one person's going to tell another person, you know, so. And the fact that the world received Coach well, so well, you know, and my story so well is I'm very grateful, and I'm thankful for Jimmy, obviously, for giving me the opportunity. I'm thankful for God, but thankful for Coach, too, man. You know, like, he instilled things in me that, like, people have told me before, but just coming from him was different, you know? Like, those things stuck. It's not because he passed away. It's literally because the first day, it was just like, bro, I'm not gonna overstimulate your mind. Like, this is all you gotta do. Just track your calories and just train and it'll be okay, you know, and whatever works, works. Like, I'm not gonna push you super hard. And then he's like, all right, we're gonna turn it up a little bit. We're gonna turn it up a little bit. Turn it up a little bit. It. And just continuously. He always knew my weight, so then when I lost the first 20 pounds, he's like, man, you're a trailblazer. Like, you're flying through this. Then the next month, it's like you lost 18 pounds. He's like, bro, you're going fast because Jimmy's telling me you're going to lose one to two pounds, you know, because hypothetically, like, you are only supposed to lose one to two pounds, but when you're a little overweight, you lose weight a lot faster. So just Coach literally telling me and just teaching me everything, like, I'm so grateful for, and everything he taught me stuck. So, yeah, like, things. Things like that, it's in. It's just insane. You can't write the story. I mean, the story that I went through, like, you really can't write it. And I'm glad it was on camera, you know, And I'm glad that I got to spend time with Coach that I did. I'm just thankful for it, man.
Jack
Is there anything that someone could have told you before the challenge to get you to change?
Matt
No, I don't. I don't know why, but no, you know, like, I had my dad talk to me. I had my mom talk to me. Like, God rest my dad's soul. But, like. Like, things I'm telling you, bro, like, because Coach was introduced into my life, he's the one that changed me. Like, he was a messenger, bro. Like, he was the one that literally changed me. What he said stuck, and I don't know why. I don't know why. I've had friends try to tell me, come to the gym with me. Come, let's lose weight, you know, Watch what you're eating. This is. That. Never stuck with me. Had cousins, had family telling me, never stuck with me. Had Jimmy, had Chandler, never stuck with me, you know? Know. But the fact that Coach came in, man, he was a G, bro. The fact that he came in and literally told me, this is what we're going to do. Super easy, like. Like butter, you know? It was literally like butter. And, yeah, we meshed really well. One of the things that we talked about, we always had sauna time. So, like, our sauna talks, there was no mics, no nothing. And one of the things that we talked about is, like, man, you know, I didn't know you before, and I didn't know him either. He's like, this could have never worked out. You know, we could have butt head heads, you know? But I really like you, and I really like you. Like, I'm telling him I really like him and that we're both huggers. Like, that's one of the things too, that were just one to one. I'm telling him, bro. Like, there are people that could probably want to just use this opportunity to help grow themselves, you know what I mean? They're thinking of Mr. Beast. They're not thinking about meshed. You know, he actually thought about me and he was really, really, like, invested in me as a person, you know, and actually wanted to better my health. And I'm very grateful for that. You know, I could never repay him. Like, how could I repay him? I can repay him by continuing on this journey, you know, and honoring his legacy. So, yeah, just in the short, short time I felt like I knew him for so long. Three months. I mean, three months with someone, every single day will do it, you know, and then just getting hit like that, like, it's tough, man.
Jack
I'm curious, did they allow you to keep that fat suit at the end?
Matt
No, I don't. I don't have. Have a. I think it's somewhere, though. It's somewhere at the B studio, for sure.
Jack
I thought that should be something that they allow you to keep.
Matt
I kept that.
Jack
You could, like, try it on every now and then.
Matt
I kept my, bro, it's heavy. Yeah, they needed to, like. No, like, they actually needed people to put me in it. It's not like something that I could just put myself in. Yeah, like, people had.
Jack
What was that like for you to try that on?
Matt
Dude, Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn't believe it. Because you know what a DEXA scan is? You lay down in a DEXA scan and it takes your body composition, your muscle mass and your fat and all that. So it's literally that one to one replica of my body, body. So. So, like, that was literally me. And like, if you take that and then you take the actual picture of myself, like from day one, bro, it's one to one, you know, that's really what I was walking around with. So, like, seeing that, like, my belly, my butt, you know, like down by my legs, like my leg, bro, I wear shorts, like, short shorts over the knee shorts, you know? Like, I never could wear those before. So the fact that I'm wearing these now, it's insane. Insane. Like, it is. It is like a testament of, like, just showing up every single day, bro. And really just putting God first. But just the suit itself, it was hard to breathe. I did. I like, rolled out of bed, like, so I wrote that didn't make it in the cut, but, like, I rolled out of bed, you know, tied my shoes. Tying my shoes. I don't wear shoes at all. I hate wearing shoes. So tying my shoes with the suit on, bro, so tough. Because, like, I would have to. I would have to literally, like, I would have to, like, go to the side, like, an angle.
Jack
Wow.
Matt
Yeah. I'd have to go to an angle to put my shoe on, and then I would have to stand up so I can put my foot, you know, like, my fingers in, so I get my tongue in. So it was crazy. Yeah. That's why I never wore shoes. I would always wear slides or Uggs, you know, And I just wear Uggs now. Comfortability.
Jack
Wow.
Matt
I never wore jeans. Hated jeans. Always wore sweats. Now I wear jeans. The wardrobe thing is crazy, you know, Going into my house, like, when I was done with the challenge, had to buy new clothes. None of my clothes fit. There's, like, two XL shirts that, sure, they look nice, but they're a little baggy because they're stretched out. You know, I've worn them for years. I hadn't, because my family had came at the end. I told them, yo, like, we need to change my whole house right now. Like, I don't want to see this. So, like, got new sheets, got new covers. Rearranged my whole apartment.
Jack
Wow.
Matt
Because, like, that's my old. My old self, you know? So. So going into my apartment was my old self. And then my mom and my family, like, they helped clean up, threw away a bunch of stuff, got a bunch of new stuff, and that's the new me, you know? It's like my apartment was just a different vibe. It was a fresher breath. Air. Yeah. It was crazy. That was like, those things I would.
Jack
Never even think about, like, changing your scenery.
Matt
Yeah. Yeah.
Jack
Like, my whole setting.
Matt
My. My whole entire setting.
Jack
Yeah.
Matt
Yeah, of course.
Jack
What's it like going back and just seeing, like, it's like a time capsule of, like, a different person.
Matt
Person crazy. You just, like, you. I'm sorry, bro. But, like, I felt disgusted a little bit. You know, it's like, man, like, I can't believe, like, this is how I was living. Like, this is really how I was living, and I was okay with it. Like, there's no way that I was okay with this. And people around were definitely telling me, like, yeah, this isn't the way you're supposed to live life. Right. But I'm just saying. Yeah, I'm chilling. Like, it's okay. Like, I'm fine. I'm just all good. But then you. You live in this facility, and you make all These changes with like your habits and just the structure and, and every single day you're doing something I could not. There was not a bone in my body that was gonna let me sleep in that house that night without everything being changed.
Jack
What's your recommendation for people who see what you've gone through and wanna lose weight but don't know where to start?
Matt
Yeah, baby steps. Honestly, the easiest. This is the easiest tip of advice I could give you. You'll start seeing some change, I promise you. You'll start seeing some change. It's not gonna happen overnight. It'll take like a week, two weeks, three weeks, but just stick to it. It's just try to get 6,000 to 10,000 steps a day and drink a gallon of water, I promise you. And then obviously, like nutrition a little bit. You don't got to go into a crazy diet. But the four pillars that I have in sleep, I know in the real world it's tough to get, you know, six to ten hours of sleep, but try to aim, you know, even naps, naps are good, you know, two, two hour naps or an hour nap. But getting like eight hours ultimately overall is very good for you. But yeah, six to 10,000 steps ups. Try to drink a gallon a day. You're going to pee a lot, but you're going to get acclimated. So, like, make sure that that's your key. Like, once you get acclimated the first week, second week, you won't be peeing as much because your body's used to it now. That was one of my things too.
Jack
And what's your advice for someone who's competing in a Mr. Beast video?
Matt
Ooh, if you're competing in a Mr. Beast video, prepare for anything. Quite literally, prepare for anything. You know, don't shy away from anything in the world because this guy can do it all. Um, but yeah, if, if you're, if you're a person of faith, just put God first, you know, and all will follow. If not, God bless you. But seriously, watch, watch other Mr. Beast videos. You know, that's one thing that I can tell you guys, like, if you guys are going to compete, if you know that, like Jimmy's going to send you out an invite to compete in something, watch some of the videos and maybe, you know, get a hint of or a taste of what's to come.
Jack
Did you do that? Did you study his videos before going in?
Matt
Never. No, I, I only lived them. So, yeah, like the circle one, I lived. One of them was last to leave last Hand or hand to take off. Lamborghini wins one. You know, I got out on that one. Lasers was one of them.
Jack
How many. How many challenges did you compete in?
Matt
I competed in circle Lambo lasers, weight loss four. And then I was on squid games. So I was in, like, five videos.
Jack
Wow.
Matt
Yeah, five videos. And the most recent one that we just uploaded, I was in there as a cameo, so.
Jack
Unbelievable.
Matt
Yeah.
Jack
How far did you get in the squid game video?
Matt
I was a guard.
Jack
Oh, I see.
Matt
Yeah. Yeah, I was a guard. I was a guard. Yeah, that was. All right.
Graham Stephan
Well, maj, thank you so much for coming on the ice.
Matt
Thank you. Thank you so much. I really appreciate you guys for real. Thank you so much.
Graham Stephan
Thank you, you guys, for watching this. Once again, we have a link down below in the description where you guys can donate to coach Wall. Thank you for watching.
Jack
And we're going to put your information down below in the description, too. Your channel subscribe.
Graham Stephan
You guys are going to want to see that.
Matt
Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much. No, seriously, thank you guys. I really do appreciate the opportunity.
Jack
Absolutely.
Matt
And shout out coach Wall, W coach Wall in the comments. That's what I want to see. W coach Wall in the comments. That's what I say all the time in my streams and stuff. It's just w coach Wall, W coach Wall. Until next time. See you. Thank you.
Podcast Summary: "MrBeast Winner Breaks Silence On $500,000 Prize, Hitting Rock Bottom, & Losing 100 Pounds"
Podcast Information:
In this compelling episode of "The Iced Coffee Hour," hosts Graham Stephan and Jack Selby engage in an in-depth conversation with Matt, a participant who gained widespread attention after winning a $500,000 prize from popular YouTuber MrBeast by embarking on a transformative six-month weight loss journey. Matt shares his personal story of losing 100 pounds, overcoming significant life challenges, and the profound impact of this experience on his finances and mental health.
Matt began his journey at a weight of 324 pounds, feeling sluggish and uncertain about his life's direction. His participation in MrBeast’s challenge was both a financial opportunity and a chance for profound personal transformation.
Matt was approached to join the challenge after being featured in a previous MrBeast video, reflecting his ongoing relationship with content creator Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast).
Matt's approach to losing weight was structured and disciplined, focusing on fundamental aspects of health and fitness.
Four Pillars of Success:
Matt [12:47]: "I never tracked food. That's something that really changed everything for me."
A significant change Matt made was eliminating caffeine intake, which previously amounted to 1,500 milligrams daily from energy drinks and pre-workouts. This drastic reduction helped him gain natural energy from his improved diet.
During his weight loss journey, Matt faced profound personal challenges, including the loss of his father and coach, which deeply affected his emotional well-being.
Despite these hardships, Matt remained committed to his goals, finding strength in his faith and the support of his coach.
Matt credits his success to the unwavering support and guidance of his coach, who provided him with structured training and motivational support every single day.
Upon successfully losing 100 pounds, Matt was awarded a $500,000 prize. However, he anticipated substantial tax liabilities and planned accordingly.
Matt expressed his intention to reinvest the prize money into himself and his family, acknowledging his lack of financial expertise.
Post-challenge, Matt has remained dedicated to his health, continuing to lose weight and build muscle. His disciplined approach ensures that he does not fall back into old habits.
Matt has experienced increased recognition and admiration from strangers who are inspired by his transformation. However, he maintains humility, emphasizing that he remains the same person despite his physical changes.
Looking ahead, Matt has set ambitious fitness goals, including reaching 180 pounds and achieving a 405-pound squat.
Weight loss and lifestyle changes have significantly enhanced Matt's mental health, increasing his energy levels and overall happiness.
Matt offers practical advice for those looking to embark on a weight loss journey, emphasizing the importance of small, consistent steps.
He highlights the effectiveness of focusing on the four pillars of health—physical activity, hydration, sleep, and nutrition—as foundational elements for success.
Matt reflects on his transformation, expressing pride and gratitude for the support he received from his coach and MrBeast.
He acknowledges that his journey is an ongoing process, with continuous goals to maintain and improve his health.
As the episode concludes, Matt shares his future aspirations and extends heartfelt gratitude to MrBeast, his coach, and his faith for supporting him through his transformation.
Matt's story serves as a testament to the power of dedication, support, and personal resilience, offering inspiration to listeners facing their own challenges.
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This episode of "The Iced Coffee Hour" provides an intimate look into Matt's life-changing experience, offering valuable insights and motivation for anyone looking to embark on their own journey toward better health and personal fulfillment.