MM Nutrition

Patient Perspectives: Lynae’s Story

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“When I moved to Washington two years ago, I assumed that I would become healthier through increased activity living in the beautiful PNW.

I have struggled my entire life with being overweight and curvy, but my weight seemed beyond my control after having children.

Thankfully, I hadn’t yet developed any chronic health conditions, but as a healthcare worker, I knew that was likely in my future.

My knees and feet ached, and I was extremely uncomfortable in my own body.

Being that I had only ever lost weight through starvation, I felt hopeless.

When I saw I was at my highest weight at my doctor’s office, I realized that I had to try, so that I could live a long life for myself and my children.

I found MM Nutrition through several recommendations on Facebook and committed to the process in November 2019.
I never thought I would be a success story, and I had many doubts and fears starting the program: Would I stay committed, would I gain the weight back, and could I really change my lifestyle?

In my 9 months with Morgan, I have lost 68 pounds.
I have managed to stay on plan even over the holidays, date nights, and vacations, using the skills I’ve learned with MM to navigate planned indulgences and move through life.

I feel confident now that I know how to eat healthfully, having acquired tools to refocus and get back on track even when I make mistakes.

Before MM, I indulged at least daily, while at the same time believing that I ate healthy by eating whole grains and avoiding fried foods.

Doctors preaching “calories in calories out” did not help: what I needed was a nutritionist to walk beside me.

Before I committed, I read through the program FAQs, which detailed a comprehensive program from menu planning to emotional work.

I was pleased that the MM process was not based on supplements, packaged food, or medication.

Morgan provides daily personal accountability, daily homework around choices and inspiration, a group support dynamic, and key recipes focused on whole foods.

MM is a true lifestyle change that teaches realism and flexibility through planned indulgences, sessions, and emotional work.

The program’s many live sessions dive into how to manage emotional eating, the science of nutrition and weight loss, identifying trigger foods or events, and even food grief.

I’m still in the middle of my weight loss journey, focusing on my next 20 lbs increment and working through my tendency to emotionally eat while working in healthcare in the midst of a pandemic.

Sometimes the journey is overwhelming, but I have never once thought of giving up.

My weight has influenced my self-esteem, relationships, and even activities.

I no longer worry about the weight limit of a kayak or the impact on my health.

I am proud to be modeling this behavior to my children and friends, and even my husband has lost weight while supporting my healthy eating.

If you’re just beginning your journey with MM, trust the process and you will be successful.”

-Lynae Kibiger, Puyallup

Patient Perspectives: Laurie’s Story
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“Last year, I came to MM out of a desire to lose weight and develop a whole foods lifestyle.

My husband had passed away, and so I was just cooking for myself, often eating lots of random stuff. I lost 25 pounds and loved the simplicity of the program.

I’m disciplined, but I do best when I have someone to be accountable to.

After a few months away from MM and gaining a little weight, I’m back for a boost. Being able to hop back on the train is huge for me. I’m proud I made the choice to get a handle on it before I really got in the red zone. It’s good for me to get back to basics.

Change is hard, and we all have excuses: but that’s all they are.

Money and time were/are my most common excuses, but I’ve found ways to do what I need to do.

I live a nomadic lifestyle, traveling frequently, but I’ve learned that I can prioritize this even in the midst of my life’s moving pieces. Morgan follows me everywhere!

The process is as easy or as difficult as you make it- not every day will be a 10. Cut yourself some slack when you need to and push through challenging moments.

Don’t give up, and keep Morgan in your back pocket. You can work through tough spots and you can fall in love with this lifestyle.”

-Laurie Escott

Patient Perspectives: Katelyn’s Story
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“For the last couple of years, fitness has been so fun for me: running, lifting, and group workouts.

However, even though I was doing so much movement, I was not seeing results.

Sports and exercise have always been a part of my world: I played most sports growing up and focusing on volleyball in high school and college.

Once I transitioned from organized school sports to independent adulthood, I realized that working out was far more than a team effort- it was a personal support for my mind and body.

Fitness is a passion of mine, but prior to MM, I’d counterbalance my workout’s progress by eating too much and/or indulging as a free pass given my workout.

Working with MM, I was able to dial in my food.

My workouts not only got better and easier, I was able to move faster and lift heavier, and I could actually see the progress of my fitness instead of counterbalancing with too much food.

Before MM, I’d bargain with myself: I’d tell myself that I worked hard, so I could have an extra meal or sweet treat, or anything, really.

In the scheme of things, sure I’d worked hard for it, but “it” was holding me back from leaning out and seeing the definition that I wanted!

For anyone else out there who is struggling, you can absolutely be in the best shape of your life and physically see it, even if you’re in your 30’s and have had babies: even if you feel like you’ve lost the ability to lean out, that’s not true!

It’s hard, but you just can’t exercise off those extra cookies, the cupcakes in the break room or the “cheat day”.

You can carve out time to workout: it might be super early before the sun rises, or after dinner, but making it priority is key.

Exercise has become my version of the glass of wine to relax, or the binge-worthy show, because I want those results, and I am happy to forgo certain things to make the time.

I’ve always said, “Dang I workout so much, but you just can’t tell!”, but now I feel that I can see muscle definition, my workouts are stronger, and truly, when the nutrition is on point, the hard work in the gym shows!”

FAQ: Why is fish so good for you?

Fish is a high protein, low carbohydrate staple in many countries- unfortunately, consumption in the US is still relatively low. Depending on the variety, fish is also high in anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids, and low in the saturated fat and inflammatory molecules that promote carcinogenesis.

Working to be more fish-friendly? Start by replacing one serving of red (beef, lamb, pork) or processed meat (vegetarian substitutes, cured meats) each week with your favorite (non-fried) variety of fish and prioritize regular consumption to make it stick.

Question: How do I eat healthy if I don’t like healthy food?

Do you dislike healthy food, or do you prefer less healthy foods? This tends to be a more common scenario than disliking healthy food altogether. More often than not, a combination of our personal food history, exposure, environment, and our brain’s natural preference for foods high in Calories, fat, and sugar, predispose us to less healthy patterns of eating.

If you find yourself with a preference for less healthy patterns of eating, focus on optimizing your environment to make eating healthier easier and unhealthier eating more difficult. This may look like eliminating certain foods from your home, deleting delivery apps, or meal prepping the same day each week.

3 Ways to Stay Focused: Healthy Eating

Focus is not a singular skill, but a series of strategies employed to streamline the desired behavior. The following three strategies may not be fail-proof, but they go a long way in enhancing focus.

1. Optimize your environment. Consider what you can modify at home and at work- do you need to remove certain foods from your home, or change where you spend time at work?

Whether it’s avoiding the office breakroom or making a concerted effort to not buy snack foods, it’s easier to engage in healthy habits in a healthy environment.

2. Social supports. Consider who in your life is already a supportive ally: this may be a friend, family member, coworker, or hired professional. Also consider who (even unintentionally) may be supportive of your health goals, and consider communicating assertively, politely, and often regarding your needs.

At the very least, consider changing the environments and contexts in which you spend time with those parties.

3. Regular reflection and tracking. Implement systems that engage you in regular reflection and tracking. Whether you elect to spend one evening each week journaling on your goals or taking your weight at the beginning of each week, regular tracking gives you the ability to stay engaged over time.

FAQ: Is BMI valid?

Sometimes. BMI is a screening tool that estimates body fat relative to weight and height. In many cases, a high BMI corresponds with a high level of body fat, while a low BMI corresponds with a low level of body fat.

However, it is possible to present with a high BMI without high levels of body fat.

It is also possible to present with a low or normal BMI and have high levels of body fat.

Treat BMI as a screening tool, rather than a diagnostic tool, and consider following up with a DEXA measurement of body fat or similar, in addition to comprehensive blood panels, in order to confirm the presence or absence of any specific health condition.

Question: How do I reduce my sugar cravings?

There are essentially two paths you can take: the path of reducing consumption, or the path of abstaining from consumption. Both will theoretically reduce the frequency and intensity of sugar cravings, and each comes with its share of advantages and disadvantages.

Reducing consumption- rather than abstaining entirely- may seem like the easier and more realistic path, but it also increases the likelihood of a gradual uptick in consumption. On the other hand, it may also feel less limiting from a lifestyle management perspective.

Abstaining from consumption (for a time) may feel more difficult initially, but it will also produce a greater reduction in sugar cravings long term, and may pave the way for more intentional consumption at special occasions, rather than daily use.

While lifestyle alone is unlikely to cause (or cure) any type of cancer, lifestyle factors can and do play a pivotal role in risk reduction, diet included.

Diets low in saturated fat, red and processed meat, sugar, ultra processed foods, and refined grains have been shown to substantially reduce risk for initial diagnosis, relapse, and metastasis.

1. Be protein picky: process and red meats warrant particular consideration: classified as Group I (processed) and II (red) Carcinogens by the WHO for their direct impact on cancer risk, every 1.25 oz of processed meat or every 3.5 oz of red meat or consumed each week, increases cancer risk by 11-51% and 8-72%, respectively (% risk varies by cancer type).

2. Minimize process foods: women who regularly consume packaged breads, breakfast cereals, snack foods, sweetened beverages, refined grains, and sweets appear to have higher risk for diagnosis and metastasis for cancers of the breast and colon, even when controlling for the variables of body weight and degree of food processing.

3. Limit or abstain from alcohol: even moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to increase the likelihood of diagnosis. Women who consume 3 alcoholic drinks each week experience a 15% increase in breast cancer risk.

Patient Perspectives: Dale’s Story.
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“I came to MM because my weight kept creeping up, even though I believed that I was exercising and eating well. The problem was that I had no accountability to myself.

I chose MM after trying an app system. I hated that the app wasn’t personal- it lacked any human interaction or trainer, so no one cared if I quit.

My biggest fear was that I would fail- yet again- at losing weight.

Worse, I was afraid that I would fail in front of someone else. I felt like there would be more shame and guilt in failing in front of another person, but I knew that I needed to try.

I really didn’t expect this process to click for me. Each day I would post my food to our shared log and Morgan would encourage me or add comments.

The initial adjustment was the hardest part. I felt deprived, and the only way that I got through it was with a lot of nutrition education, support, and accountability.

One of my first big obstacles was accepting that my pattern of sugary snacks and alcohol was sabotaging my success.

Each time I struggled, Morgan was there with questions and encouragement, which helped me learn more about myself and why I was sabotaging my goals.

Morgan taught me that hydration, basic nutrition, accountability, and a strict three meals a day schedule was the key to weight loss.

One of the things that has been most critical to my success is embracing this as a learning process, and truly treating the process like a classroom: I am the student, and I needed to learn what wasn’t working for me. I had to accept that my eating and drinking habits were the problem.

Then, I had to be motivated to change the quantity and quality of the foods that I was eating. It’s hard to stay motivated by yourself, and I had to accept that this wasn’t something that I couldn’t do alone.

It’s been really nice to receive validation and comments from other people, and I like that my old pants fit now.

I’m actually proud to tell people that I’m eating better, which is a good feeling.

If I was going to be successful, my attitude towards food and alcohol had to change: I had to learn to view food as nutrition for my body, and I’ve learned that I can occasionally eat some of the same meals as long as I practice portion control.

Alcohol in particular was a big factor, because I’ve always associated alcohol with fun. Through this process, I have had to learn how to have fun with or without alcohol.

One of my best decisions was to do dry January. That was tough on me, and I got some social pushback, but I’m glad that I did it because it helped me learn to manage my intake.

I still find myself thinking about ice cream and alcohol, and I still have my cupboard of emergency snacks. It would be a lie to say that the urges ever go away entirely.

Even though I still have cravings and probably always will, I have really embraced the idea that eating well is a positive thing. It’s not a punishment. This has been an empowering process, and as time has progressed, I have become excited about my ability to show up and be consistent.”