Josh Kearney - Health Coach

Ladies who want to lose more than 20kg, I have an amazing offer for you. This is strictly for 5 women who’ve been struggling with weight for over a year. It’s a full lifestyle program with a results promise to back it up.
DM me for all the details

“This might ruffle some feathers… but I’m over the nonsense in the fitness space.

✨ 20-year-olds running on 6 coffees and zero sleep telling you to ‘just work harder.’
🥴 Coaches with terrible relationships with food preaching that hunger = success.
⚠️ Programs that make you feel like a failure if you’re not perfect.

But what about YOU?

You work long hours. You want to enjoy a meal without guilt. You just want to feel strong, confident, and actually live your life without extremes.

That’s why Thrive Together Wellness exists — no fads, no perfection. Just smarter, sustainable strategies that help you feel your best, for life.

💥 Ready to ditch the extremes and finally get results without burning out? Send me a DM saying “agree” so I know you saw this post and we can help you!

5 Simple Ways to Lose Body Fat (Even if You’ve Been Struggling for Years)

1. Start Eating More Protein
• Protein keeps you fuller for longer, boosts your metabolism, and helps maintain muscle while you lose fat. Aim for 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of your body weight daily. Think lean meats, eggs, Greek yoghurt, tofu, or legumes.
2. Create a Slight Calorie Deficit
• Stop starving yourself with extreme deficits—this often leads to burnout and bingeing. Instead, aim to reduce your calorie intake by 300-500 calories a day from what you currently eat. Balance this with whole, nutrient-dense foods rather than cutting out food groups entirely.
3. Focus on Strength Training Over Cardio
• Build muscle through resistance training. Muscle increases your metabolism, which helps burn more fat even at rest. Aim for 3-4 sessions per week with simple compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows.
4. Master Stress and Sleep
• Chronic stress and poor sleep raise cortisol, which can lead to fat retention, especially around the belly. Prioritise 7-9 hours of sleep per night and manage stress with activities like walking, mindfulness, or deep breathing. The less stress you have, the easier it is for your body to let go of fat.
5. Be Consistent, Not Perfect
• Stop chasing perfection—it only leads to frustration. Instead, focus on making small, consistent changes you can stick with long-term. It’s better to be 80% consistent for months than 100% perfect for a week.

Remember, fat loss is about creating sustainable habits over time. Small, manageable changes lead to big results when done consistently. Keep it simple, and don’t give up—progress is inevitable if you stay consistent!

The 5 Mindset Shifts That Transformed My Life
1. Progress Over Perfection
Instead of striving for flawless results, I focused on consistent progress. Small steps each day add up to big changes over time.
2. Self-Compassion Over Self-Criticism
I learned to be kinder to myself. Self-compassion helped me grow, while self-criticism only held me back.
3. Embracing Discomfort
Growth happens outside our comfort zones. I started leaning into challenges, knowing they’d make me stronger.
4. Focus on What I Can Control
I stopped stressing over things out of my hands. Putting my energy into what I can control brought me peace and direction.
5. Gratitude as a Daily Practice
Recognising small wins and appreciating the good in my life shifted my mindset to positivity, even on tough days.

These shifts weren’t overnight, but they changed everything. Which one resonates most with you? 🌟

5 Lessons That Transformed My Relationship with Food

I used to have a poor relationship with food, sticking only to what I saw as ‘clean’ foods. But this restriction eventually led to overindulgent splurges whenever I felt the urge. Now, understanding these 5 lessons has changed everything for me:

1. No single food causes fat gain – Foods vary: some are nutrient-rich, some are calorie-dense, and some are both. But none will directly cause fat gain by themselves. Balance is key.
2. To gain 1kg of body fat in a week, you’d need a surplus of 7700 calories – That’s about 1100 calories each day above what your body needs to maintain its weight. Finding that number is easy with our macro calculator, helping you make sense of your intake.
3. Focus on nutrient-dense, high-fibre, high-protein meals – By prioritising these, you’ll naturally feel more satisfied and may even reduce your calorie intake without strict restriction. It’s about choosing what truly fuels you.
4. The scales fluctuate, and that’s normal – Scale weight can change due to water retention, food volume, and more. A higher reading doesn’t equal fat gain. You’d need consistent excess over time for that.
5. Your long-term calorie intake is what matters – If fat loss is the goal, it’s about creating a sustainable energy deficit, not cutting out your favourite foods.

If you’re ready to take control and learn these strategies with support, secure your spot with us at Thrive Together Wellness 👇

Here are some of the worst excuses for not losing weight…

➡️ “I don’t have the energy to exercise.” (If you’ve got the energy to walk to the fridge, you’ve got the energy to walk around the block.)
➡️ “Obesity runs in my family.” (No, Karen —no one runs in your family.)
➡️ “Following a diet is too hard.” (No, you just haven’t found the right approach for you yet)
➡️ “I don’t have time.” (No, you haven’t prioritised your health.)
➡️ “My lifestyle is too busy for this.” (We can create a program that fits around your lifestyle.)
➡️ “I tried keto and it didn’t work.” (Surprised?)
➡️ “It’s hard.” (We’ve made it simple.)

These excuses are just stories we tell ourselves to make staying unhealthy feel a bit more bearable. But here’s the truth—it doesn’t have to be this way.

All you need is an understanding of fat loss principles and a sustainable plan that works with you.

Join Thrive Together Wellness and get:

✅ Tailored meal plans with variety and ease that work with you, and don’t restrict you
✅ Custom macro and calorie targets tailored to you
✅ Access to the TTW App for tracking and support
✅ Tailored movement plans (gym or at home)
✅ Realistic, long-term results (we are not here for the quick fix)

Spaces are nearly full, so don’t wait! Click the link to secure your place.

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

https://thrivetogetherwellness.com.au/

PS. Forget fad diets—this is the real solution. 🔥

thrivetogetherwellness.com.au

5 Must-Know Tips for Sustainable Fat Loss

1. No Food is ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’
Stop labelling foods. Sustainable fat loss is about balance, not restriction. Some foods are nutrient-dense, others calorie-dense, and some are both. None alone will make or break your progress.

2. Understand Caloric Balance
To gain body fat, you need to consistently eat more calories than your body needs. Aim to find your maintenance calories and create a small deficit. This gradual approach keeps you on track without extreme restrictions.

3. Prioritise High-Protein, High-Fibre Foods
Filling your meals with protein and fibre helps you feel full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to your goals. No need for a ‘perfect’ diet—focus on getting the most nutrients from your food.

4. Don’t Obsess Over Scale Fluctuations
Scale weight naturally fluctuates due to water retention and other factors. An increase doesn’t mean fat gain. Track progress over weeks, not days, to see real trends.

5. Stay Consistent for Long-Term Results
Your body needs consistency to see change. Sustainable fat loss isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about making choices you can stick with over time. Remember, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about making progress.

Comment “Fat Loss” and I’ll DM you my FREE fat loss cheat sheet!

5 Lessons That Changed My Eating Habits for Good

I used to have a difficult relationship with food, labelling everything as ‘clean’ or not. This made me feel restricted, leading to the occasional splurge on anything I could find. But these five lessons helped me let go of that struggle:

1. No Single Food Causes Fat Gain – Foods differ in nutrients and calories, but none are solely responsible for fat gain. It’s about the overall balance, not labelling food as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’
2. Fat Gain Needs a Big Calorie Surplus – To gain 1kg of fat in a week, you’d have to consume 7700 calories more than your body needs, or about 1100 extra calories daily. You can calculate your maintenance calories using a macro calculator and see how manageable your goals actually are.
3. Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods – Prioritising foods high in protein, fibre, and nutrients helps you feel fuller and satisfied, naturally lowering calorie intake. There’s no need to restrict everything; it’s all about focusing on what makes you feel good.
4. Scale Fluctuations Don’t Equal Fat Gain – Scale changes are often just water weight shifts. Eating a bit more one day might nudge the scale up, but real fat gain needs a long-term surplus. Don’t stress the daily numbers.
5. Long-Term Calorie Intake Drives Change – Your body-fat changes come down to your average calorie intake over time. Want to lose fat? Just work towards a sustainable calorie deficit that doesn’t feel punishing.

These shifts helped me relax around food, focus on what nourishes me, and stop the cycle of binge and restrict.

5 days until Melbourne Marathon Festival
My aim was to raise $1,000 for those affected by cancer.

We have since passed that and have raised $1,500 with my new aim to reach $2,000 by Sunday.

Big thanks to everyone who has kindly donated, and for Cancer Council Victoria for the guidance and support throughout!

Bring on Sunday 🏃❤️

LONG STORY - But if you're a big soft drink lover, this will be worth your time.

For some context before reading, this was done by my client Jo, who has lost more than 10kg since starting together.

Here’s a little about me. I’m 49 years old and had a stroke about 2 years ago which shook me more that I would have expected. Yes, I was overweight, yes, I had high cholesterol, yes, my triglycerides were high, and my liver function tests were sky high. I had been told I had a fatty liver - Somehow though, with all good intent, a nice moderate diet wasn’t cutting it. I still had a big demon I needed to rid myself of (one of a few mind you, but this was a ‘biggie’ for me.)
For me it was diet soft drink. Particularly Pepsi Max or No Sugar coke/Diet coke. Anything ‘diet,’ black and fizzy was my vice! It was my default drink. I’d feel thirsty – have a diet coke. Wake up in the morning and know I needed two-three litres of fluid a day – I’d make that up in diet soft drink. In my mind, diet versions were better than full sugar versions if I wanted to lose weight – surely! When I had not drunk this stuff earlier in life, for like a few days, I would lose weight, so that was on the back of my mind, but the problem for me, was that this stuff is SO EASY TO ACCESS!!!! You don’t have to go more than about a 5-minute drive – if that, near where I live in suburbia, to be able to get some. Petrol stations, supermarkets, caffes, restaurants, fast food drive throughs, vending machines etc. etc. etc.
I identified that I was addicted, and not just one way but a few. Chemically addicted for sure. I’d even love hearing the ‘pshhhhh’ as I’d open the can or bottle. The taste was blissful, and something I would crave if I didn’t have some ATLEAST two or three times a day. Half a day without would create a headache. I work night shifts in a hospital, so the caffeine (I guess) was my ‘go-to’, to get through the night. My habit was to stop at the petrol station on the way to work and pick up a couple of cans to get through the night (2 for $3.50 at the time, not bad right?) Unfortunately, I met my little friend at work too, the Vending machine. I’d often crave a third or a fourth, so with only a minute’s walk from my workstation, the temptation became not just a temptation, but just like trip to the kitchen to fill a glass of water. While I was at that vending machine, hey, there were chocolates and chips available there too, so hmm, to get one or two of those two was not unusual. There I was with my gold coins, to pop in and press for another can. If you’re mentally adding this up, that’s about $10 – so far! But then maybe another can would ‘fall’ into my hands. Well-meaning work colleagues or friends would have some to offer. I’d go to a restaurant for a dinner, there’s another one (or two.) Water? What was that? NEVER drank it. It didn’t give the buzz I was now addicted to from the soft drink. Why choose water when this stuff was really, just as easy to access, and not especially expensive individually. Some bottled water is more expensive. When I sat and reflected on the expenditure on it, it got to about $15 - $20 dollars at least a day that I would Working night shifts, the time of day I would drink it became inconsequential to me. 0500 in the morning – no matter, “I work night shift!” a day off? 1000am, thirsty, well, ‘I work night shift, it’s hard to change your body clock, so I ‘need it!’ It was a problem.
Did I mention that even a well-respected organisation that offers diet plans stated it was ok to have up to a couple of cans a day? Even the ‘good guys’ were approving of it as a drink! (Albeit, I will admit, in moderation.) Yes, I had seen some research to suggest all the negatives about it. Weight gain, aspartame related consequences etc etc. I had heard all before. But…. even this diet programme by this organisation that is well respected amongst the many, said “It was ok!” (In moderate amounts.) So, in my addiction, I heard that louder than the negative side effects.
Enter my ever-faithful Health Coach Josh. Having realised it was a problem, I confessed just how much it was a problem for me. We looked at it openly and honestly, (the only way to go,) and he said though it’s not too problematic, on its own, to have a glass - on the rare occasion - when you can’t control it…’that’s when it becomes a problem.’ That was me. My hands went up on that one. IT WAS A PROBLEM. I no longer had the excuse that even the most respected diet programs ‘allowed it.’ I couldn’t go without it, and that was when and why it had become ‘a problem.’
So, what did I do to overcome it? I remember Josh giving the good advice to take on a ‘whole foods dietary intake this week,’ one day. Kind of separately from this all, but still as part of it. Everything I consumed was to be from scratch, nothing processed. While I panicked a little about what that might mean initially - e.g., was milk processed? I knew that diet cola was certainly not ‘whole foods based.’ I committed to this idea of whole foods only, so, no diet soft drink for me. It was a decision to stop - and accountability. I had also confessed this addiction in a group call with Josh and another participant of his. Accountability meant that I was now going to have to answer to others if I did not remain committed to this.
I discovered, that, I could choose alternatives. I could choose water for example. Or I could choose a nice cup of herbal tea (which I do like.) Having a choice was secretly liberating in a way. I didn’t really give myself a choice before. It was always just diet colas. I had my first glass of water, and that was a nice change. It wasn’t that bad after all. It felt so much better in my gut too. No longer were these nasty chemicals eating away at the lining of my stomach. My gut health eventually improved. I will say, there was some pretty funky toilet experiences initially as my body was ridding itself of all the toxins, I had allowed my body to consume. Never had I experienced the noises and sensations coming from my body – but I knew it was a good thing. The scales showed some reduction in weight too. (YAY!) My purse had some extra change in it (which is always a blessing,) as I had not popped those two- or three-dollar coins in the vending machine at a time. I remember feeling the car pull towards my usual petrol station (cola purchasing outlet,) and reminding myself, ‘oh, I don’t have a need to pull in here – wow!’ Even the pull to the vending machine at work! I felt the pull from what I guess was pure habit. This lasted for several weeks. I refilled my now new water bottle with the filter tap at work and enjoyed it. I would make a cup of tea for myself and my colleagues and enjoy it. I was set on ‘whole foods only’ and was increasingly feeling better in my gut for it. My stomach didn’t feel squelchy or tight or bloated. I also noticed that I tasted food a bit differently. I enjoyed the flavour of food more. I felt the food I was eating being more wholesome. I wasn’t craving the sweet foods nearly as much. Fruit was my ‘candy,’ and gave me all the sugary stuff my body wanted and needed.
A week passed, then two, three and now I guess what is about 6 months later, dread the thought of going near it. Mostly out of fear I will get back in a habit, but I’m ok with that. It’s had a profound impact on my cognition, memory alertness, gut health, and finances. It’s also had the benefit of allowing me to realise, if I can break that addiction, I can achieve pretty much anything. An example is now participating in Park Runs, which I never imagined I could do ... also good for my health and wellbeing. Sorry manufacturers of these drinks, but you won’t be receiving my custom any time soon. Should it be banned altogether, and no one drink ever? No, I’m not suggesting that. But if you can’t control it, IT’S A PROBLEM!
Did I experience cravings? Yes, of course I did. More so compulsions though. The pull to the vending machine and the petrol stations was quite strong. The psychological and physiological craving of the taste of that caffeine and effervescence was there for a while, but that was because in terms of liquids, that’s all my body ended up knowing. I didn’t experience many headaches as I ensured I was drinking enough alternatives in its place. I had a little pride in knowing I had gotten through another day without it, which also helped. YAY!
Now I don’t feel the need for it all, I’m not craving it. I’m not feeling the pull to the vending machine or petrol station, or to get that carton from the supermarket that’s a lot cheaper per can than through a vending machine. I love this thing called ‘choice,’ in what I can drink. I enjoy my food more, losing weight, saving ‘cola money,’ and reaping the benefits in gut and brain health. It has been a ‘win-win’ in all ways and am so grateful for the support I have received along the way. Thanks, Josh, for being my main cheer leader and provider of the advice I needed, that worked for me. I thank me too, for having the courage to admit my addiction and conquer it. My body thanks you. Farewell addiction, hello new sense of well-being!