Alex Murphy Nutrition Coach (2024)

16/06/2024

The lesson of this week is Imperfect Action beats Perfect Action.

I had a rough start to the week.

Hungover. Holiday Blues. Clients facing challenges.

Safe to say, I didn’t feel s**t hot as a business owner or human.

But if you’re waiting to feel ‘perfect’ before taking action…

You’ll be waiting an awful long time.

And all that time spent waiting to be happy is costing you.

Waiting causes anxiety, because you know you’re avoiding what you should be doing.

Action (if it’s not perfect) actually builds momentum.

You tick one small action off of your list, or you prepare one healthy meal…

And BOOM, you’ve got the ball rolling.

Your next action gets easier, and so do the following actions….

If you can learn one thing from me this week, it’s to stop waiting for things to be perfect.

Just do the work that’s in front of you.

Have a good one. ✌🏻

02/06/2024

Blood espresso level currently through the roof… ☕️😅

31/05/2024

“I go ALL IN at the start, then I give up…”

Something Louise, who joined our program this time last year, said to me…

This is an incredibly common pattern… I see it every week.

People approach a fitness programme as though it’s a sprint…

They go at it hard and fast…

Taking it to the extreme…

Undercutting their calories… Cutting out oreos and all the fun stuff…

Smashing themselves in training until they can taste blood…

Then they get (understandably) pi**ed off, exhausted and feel deprived…

So they stop.

Inside VRTU Health, we prefer to take the long term approach to fitness…

That’s not to say you’ll wait ages to see results… You definitely won’t.

I’m just saying that we favour a more sustainable method.

Ours are a bunch of behaviours that are designed to be lifelong…

Rather than just for a holiday or some other event.

So, take a minute to look at how you’ve approached getting leaner and fitter in the past…

And if you’ve tried the 75 Hard or similar…

Let VRTU Health show you a much better way.

30/05/2024

When I was training for my first 70.3 triathlon

In all honesty, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be…

There were days where I wasn’t really up to the job- and I felt like giving up.

But I had an incredible coach at the time, and he helped me get through the tough days.

I believed in him.

I was delighted when I crossed the finish line in the above photo…

I had accomplished something I didn’t think possible!

At first, I gave my coach all the credit…

I told him that if it wasn’t for him, I’d never have thought I could get through it…

That he had pushed me and got me across the line.

But as the years have gone by, I realised that it wasn’t that he had faith in me…

It was that he’d realised he needed to convince me that I was capable.

That I could rely on myself…

That I wouldn’t let myself down…

That, even if I were slow, I’d finish, no matter what.

Because once you do something really hard…

And finish it, because you said you would…

That feeling of self-belief never goes away.

It becomes the foundation of the rest of your life…

A base upon which to build…

That coach changed my life… And I can do the same for you.

28/05/2024

Only a few more days until I’m sipping espresso and eating pasta 3 times a day… 😅 🍷 🇮🇹

Any excuse to be rocking this shirt again 😎

If you have been to Puglia, and you’ve got recommendations… fire them to me in the comments pls 🙏

26/05/2024

Boats, carried. 🛶

25/05/2024

THAT WAS EPIC.

I asked you to take fast action…

And you did just that!

I am so pumped to get started with you guys.

60 days of intense work…

And if you missed out on this cohort…

There’ll be another chance.

Obviously, there will never be a deal as good as this!

But if you want your chance to get on board next time I run an intake…

Raise your hand or like this post.

And when the time comes, I’ll get you the deets.

24/05/2024

DO YOU WANT THE LAST PLACE?

We have distilled everything you need down into our easiest program ever.

The past version of you dreamed of this.

But the current version of you today, is holding you back.

Probably through self doubt. I know because I’ve seen it countless times.

The only way you get the results you have been dreaming of, is by going for it- not “thinking about it”.

Future you wouldn’t think about this- they would step up, take action and get what they want.

This isn’t hypey bulls**t. We don’t do that.

I have one more space left.

Here’s what a great candidate looks like:

✅ LOW SELF ESTEEM
✅ DESPERATE TO LEARN
✅ FED UP OF HATING THEIR BODY

If that’s you…

We’re waiting for you.

22/05/2024

🚨 2 SPACES LEFT 🚨

WOW! I’m honestly blown away at how mental things went on Monday night….

Our VRTU Health Summer Challenge kicked off it’s intake for new testers.

Results in 60 days for half the cost of my main programme…?

That’s close to sold out.

I have 2 spaces left.

And that’s because I had 1 person drop out.

If you’ve been thinking about getting involved…

But you were struggling to commit to the time…

Or maybe you felt anxious about the investment…

Now’s your time to take action.

You don’t get confidence from thinking it about it…

You get confidence from moving.

So move.

Get in the DMs. Right now.

I’ve got the results you’re looking for, but I know there’s something you need to know first… Tell me.

19/05/2024

I’m a fraud…

I’m an imposter…

I don’t really know what I’m doing…

That is just a little insight into the narrative that runs through my mind, most weeks.

But this week was totally different.

Off the back of a client event and some genuinely LIFE CHANGING results that our community have been shouting about this week…

I have NEVER BEEN SO CONFIDENT in what our nutrition coaching delivers.

Everyone doubts themselves at times.

I’m willing to bet you do it too.

“I could never achieve that…”

“I’ll never fit into those jeans again…”

“Confidence isn’t something I have…”

That’s probably what has stopped you reaching out or taking the next step.

But you have two options when you experience self doubt.

1. Try and figure it out alone.
2. Get support and accountability to get results faster.

Your choice.

P.s. if you think you’re ready to take action, we have a BRAND NEW program launching tomorrow with our BEST EVER OFFER.

VIP spaces are being released as we speak.

18/05/2024

I don’t want you to think I’ve got some magic wand here.

Emotional eating is a fu**er.

And I think if you’re prone to it…

You’ll likely have some level of work to do on this for the foreseeable.

What I’ve been talking about over the last dozen posts is just passing on the wisdom I’ve received from my mentors, allies and coaches.

I struggled for a LONG time to solve this problem.

It’s an on-going thing.

I have longer in between episodes of emotional eating these days.

And the power of the emotions in the moment is much, much smaller.

When I started I didn’t even have awareness.

Now I can make a better choice 9 times out of 10.

That awareness around my OWN behaviours means I emotionally eat maybe once or twice a year.

Instead of 4 or 5 times a week.

And I think that’s probably a good thing.

I don’t want food to be totally without emotion.

Because there’s loads of GREAT emotions associated with food.

Holidays, Christmas, summer BBQs… All enriching memories.

Having someone in your corner to really help you with a Big Problem is indispensable to my mind.

Especially someone that’s got personal experience of overcoming the same thing you’re going through.

I hope it helps to know that you’re not alone.

And there are people out there that GET it.

Like, really get it.

Because it can sometimes feel like you’re pretty alone with emotional eating.

And I wouldn’t want you to feel like that ❤️

17/05/2024

Recently, I had something crop up.

I won’t get into the details, but it involved an argument…

And some pretty tense conversations.

I recognised the emotional pull on me to deal with this issue the way I always had:

Food.

That familiar comfort that’s always there.

I knew that wouldn’t help long term… but still…

It would provide some relief in the moment.

The real problem with emotional eating is that it doesn’t happen consciously.

And it’s over in the blink of an eye.

It sometimes feels like you’re not even giving yourself a chance to actually make a better decision.

If you know, you know. It feels like you’re running on autopilot.

As Kevin Hart says- “No one F*cks Up on purpose!”

So, the most important thing is to slow everything right now.

Give yourself a chance to notice what’s happening while it’s happening…

Not after it’s over and you’re covered in oreo crumbs and regret haha.

Here’s 2 steps to get you started:

Notice- Name- Decide.

Notice when you start reaching for your comfort foods…

And name the emotion you’re ACTUALLY feeling.

Sounds simple…

But this may take a bit of practice.

Then DECIDE how you want to respond.

Either divert your focus, or indulge mindfully.

Try it for a couple of days, and let me know how you get on.

16/05/2024

Recognising my triggers when it came to emotional eating was key.

Personally, I noticed every time I had a small verbal conflict, it triggered it.

Pi**ed Off. Lonely. Tired.

I kept coming back to these things.

It wasn’t really about social situations sending my diet off track - but this is pretty common for lots of my clients now.

So, learning to be aware of my own cues around cravings was key.

When I had awareness of the cause…

It was easier to seek out support around these emotions.

And then, I could start to build accountability into my plan.

Here’s how:

If I notice my work stress creeping up…

Then I’ll make sure to put some time into my calendar for self care activities…

Rather than resorting to food to quell my stress.

If I feel anxious…

Then I will find something to be grateful for in the moment that isn’t food.

Sounds simple, but this took a LOT of understanding and self compassion.

And if you’re not there yet…? That’s totally ok.

If you’re reading this: then you’re on the way.

15/05/2024

For years I battled with emotional eating.

But the mistake I kept making…

Over and over again…

Was to “just stop”.

To grit and motivate my way through it.

Big mistake.

What I’ve learned works better is to REPLACE a behaviour.

Rather than trying to just stop, and dealing with the void…

Recognising when it’s happening and putting a different choice in its place.

That’s what’s worked for me better than anything else.

If this is something you’re going through right now…

I’d advise experimenting with what sort of replacements work best for you.

Because it’s pretty easy to fall into the trap of replacing one bad habit with another.

Learned that one the hard way too!

11/05/2024

This was the moment I fell in love with CrossFit…

Everyone looked like demi-gods in this gym.

And the workouts were like nothing I had ever experienced!

I thought- if this doesn’t help me get shredded, nothing will…

I still remember the workout:

MURPH…
1 mile Run
100 Pull Ups
200 Push Ups
300 Air Squats
1 Mile Run

I couldn’t walk for the next 7 days.

And then I needed to use the bannister to walk down the stairs.

I sat on the bus home that night and thought I was the fattest, most out of shape person in that gym.

And that I’d come back and try again tomorrow.

My strategy? Be a bit less s**t.

I soon realised I couldn’t stand up as the bus flew past my stop.

I thought about how long I could sit there before someone came and asked me to start paying rent.

So I pulled myself up off the seat like a pensioner….

The next time, I got crushed by “Fran”

Who knew 7 mins could be so painful….

Eventually, I did all the named workouts until I was flatlined.

…Then the oldest, slowest member of the gym came over and fist bumped my whilst I melted into the rubber matt flooring...

I learned a lesson that day.

This was not going to be an overnight success story.
This was going to be a lot of work.

There’s levels to this.

10/05/2024

When the time came to actually do something about my weight…

(Because that DIDN’T happen for a while…)

I actually lost about a stone without changing my training at all…

I had a big mystery to figure out first...

What was actually wrong with my diet?

I was still playing rugby, so I can just eat what I like, right?

I didn’t know then how influential that decision would be for the rest of my life.

I started reading a bunch of nutrition textbooks in my uni library.

I was like a hermit, putting in 8 hour shifts on the weekends…

But eventually, I found 1 or 2 books that felt like they had the answers.

And I built my notes...

I set out a plan for all my meals for that week.

Chicken, rice, broccoli. 21 Tupperwares in total.

How could I fail?

This was the day that it all changed, that I lost the weight forever….

But this was a decision that was actually going to change my life, whether I knew it or not….

And you’ve got the power to make those same decisions every single minute of the day.

09/05/2024

So, I began taking more of an interest in my health and fitness.

But I took advice from maybe the worst possible place…

Instagram.

I watched stuff about keto diets - which I was sceptical over….

I read stuff about extreme eating disorders - which I didn’t yet know were disordered.

I spent hours pouring over stuff and trying to sort it out myself.

I wanted to understand it “properly”.

And as it turns out…

That takes years.

And there’s a LOT of BS out there…

05/05/2024

The Week in Whole Foods…

The 30 Day Whole Foods Challenge is going BRILLIANTLY…

I’ve had so many people sending me photos of their plates

Filling it with colour…

Creating space and time in their days for meals with their family…

This is what nutrition is really all about.

At VRTU Health we care that…

✅ You have great energy levels every day

✅ Your digestive system doesn’t HATE you

✅ And you don’t feel like you’re overly restricted on our nutrition plans!

But this is a great time to try a challenge like this.

It’s only 30 days- nothing harmful can actually happen in that time.

And if you haven’t started yet…

Now’s the perfect time to start.

01/05/2024

“I’m lacking the direction at the moment, Alex…”

This was something that Matt said to me a few months ago…

He had been sluggish at work…

Didn’t have a lot of energy for his family life…

And wasn’t showing up as the kind of man he wanted to be.

He knew that this had more to do with his physique and training than anything else.

Not living life at his best, was killing his confidence.

We worked on setting small, manageable goals that were easy wins…

With each week, his confidence increased…

As he started to see changes in his physique, he felt that little bit bigger and better about himself…

And as he showed up with the right energy, people started to treat him differently.

In the past 12 weeks:

✅ He’s trained more consistently than EVER

✅ He’s secured a pay rise

✅ And is operating at his best with his family.

Why?

Because he now shows up as the man he wants to be…

Confidence is contagious.

30/04/2024

The worst feeling in the world is regret.

I can cope with anything else…

But regret is like a missed opportunity that’ll never come your way again…

A chance you let slip through your fingers.

There’s just something about it that digs at you FOREVER.

The way I feel has almost certainly shaped the kind of coach I am…

Because I never want my clients to regret anything.

Which is why I go so hard on always encouraging them to grab every opportunity.

We very rarely regret something we tried… Even if we fail at it.

Because experience is forever valuable.

We win or learn.

We don’t fail.

Don’t forget that as you search for progress, perfection and constant improvement.

Inside VRTU Health, we encourage our clients to see a weight loss journey as a series of opportunities.

Chances to be grabbed.

No regrets.

28/04/2024

Weekly Debrief ☀️

This week has felt amazing and draining at the same time!

Busier than ever welcoming a whole new cohort of members into our nutrition coaching program.

I’ve got that Sunday night itch to get back to work tomorrow and change some more lives!

But that only comes when I’ve had my downtime and my headspace.

It’s funny how you don’t realise how good things are going until you stop and look at where you were this time last year.

Have a peaceful and fulfilling week everyone! 😎✌🏻

27/04/2024

What an incredible few days.

We’re full, and applications are now closed for the foreseeable.

If you expressed an interest, and missed out this time…

I’m sorry. It’s hard to turn people away.

But I do it to keep super high standards.

And if I didn’t have a cut off for applications, I’d be constantly distracted.

Always worrying about getting leads into the business…

When I should be concentrating on providing exceptional service to my clients.

I said spaces were limited - I meant it.

Now it’s time for us to get to work.

There will be a chance for you guys that missed out next time.

Not 100% sure when that will be yet because it’s gonna depend on when current clients graduate out of the programme.

I’m sure if you’re ready to make it happen though…

I’ll be ready to push you to achieve 100% of your potential.

That’s a promise.

Thank you all for being here during this “open door” period.

Your attention means the world.

Thank you for reading, listening and all your DMs

26/04/2024

DO YOU WANT THE LAST PLACE?

Are you ready to make a commitment…?

To the past version of yourself, that dreamed of this.

To the current version of you today, who thinks about it every day…?

To the future version of you, who needs you to step up right now?

This isn’t hypey bulls**t. We don’t do that.

I have one more space left.

Here’s what a great candidate looks like:

✅ READY FOR CHANGE
✅ PROCESS FOCUSSED
✅ WILLING TO LEARN

If that’s you…

We’re waiting for you.

23/04/2024

We’re already half full.

Massive congratulations to the action takers getting stuck in this time round.

And if you’re reading this, full of doubt, or FOMO…

It’s not too late.

P.S. You can get a response faster in my DMs.

That’s where all the action is…

22/04/2024

Wow. You guys are obviously not messing around this month!

We’ve only had the doors open an hour, and already 2 VIP spaces are gone through early access!

There are a few questions coming in too.

People who are interested but want to know more.

If that sounds like you - jump in.

Send me a DM and I’ll make sure you get the info you need to make a decision.

No hard push. Just answers

21/04/2024

The ability to switch off is a superpower…

I’m not a mental health coach…

But you don’t have to be in order to see that today’s population are seeing a huge increase in anxiety and depression.

You can believe what you want about the factors that are influencing this…

But it’s noticeable for me (and I’m sure many of you) how much happier we are with less screen time.

With real social connection…

With headspace, and a distraction free mind…

My goal every weekend is to spend at least 24 hours without social media.

This week, I tried going phoneless…

I can’t tell you the freedom I felt without having to constantly check my pocket or feel like I was missing out on something.

One of the biggest challenges in nutrition is mindful eating.

The ability to sit, be still with your thoughts and RESPOND not REACT.

If you’re constantly absorbed with information, tik toks and memes….

Your mind will be distracted, and it will feel like you’re running on autopilot.

So, what does this have to do with nutrition and health?

Slow down.

Pause.

Notice everything around you.

Practice it just once this week…

And tell me if you’re still considering saying “F*CK IT” on your diet….

18/04/2024

I’ve heard every one of these limiting beliefs before.

“I can’t achieve X because I have Y…”

I completely understand that when you are facing limiting beliefs, it can be hard to see past them.

Every single client success story you see on my page, at one point faced a limiting belief like you.

The only difference between them and the results that you are dreaming of?

They got help.

They reached out.

That’s the toughest part of the journey.

Honestly, when you ask for help…

We take care of everything.

We smash those limiting beliefs, and we fill you with self belief.

So, let me ask you…

What belief do you have right now as to why you can’t achieve your goals?

Holidays, kids, finances, night shift?

Are those beliefs true?

Or are they your safety net?

15/04/2024

Imagine losing +12kg through Christmas and a holiday… 🤯

That’s exactly what Danny did when he joined our program!

When he joined VRTU Health, he had been stuck for a while.

Stuck for low motivation, not knowing what to fix and wondering if he could ever get back to his peak physique.

He had gone from being an athletic teenager to a tired, overworked young professional who had let his health slip.

Danny made it clear when he joined us…

He wasn’t here for a quick fix…

He was here for life changing results…

He wanted to fit back into his old clothes again.

He wanted the energy and confidence he felt in his younger years.

He had all the drive, but hadn’t found the right direction yet.

That’s where we came in.

Our systematic approach taught Danny how to control his nutrition, even through holidays and Christmas…

No more excuses.

For the first time ever, Danny saw the scale plummeting every week! 📉

He couldn’t believe it!

He was more confident than ever….

At work, out with friends, even in his relationship!

“I’ve tried so many weight loss plans in the past…this is the first thing that has worked for me long term!”

Results like these are standard inside VRTU Health…

But for our clients, they are absolutely life changing.

12/04/2024

“I need to think about it…”

Surprise, no one ever lost weight by thinking about it.

IN FACT, you’re more likely to trap yourself in overthinking, the longer you go without taking action and seeking support.

In my professional experience, most people overthink their decisions to procrastinate taking action.

Taking action is scary- because you could fail…

So you trap yourself in thinking about it…

And starting over again…with no idea why you failed the last time.

The difference with us, is that we don’t let people fail…

We help them figure out what went wrong…

AND how to fix it immediately.

That way, mistakes are less costly, and less frequent.

Speeding up how quickly you get your results and making them a guarantee.

10/04/2024

What If Discipline Is Ruining Your Diet?
You’ve tried 75 hard.

You’ve watched endless David Goggins videos.

But with all the motivation and toughness behind you, you still can’t seem the make any progress.

Each time you try again, gearing yourself up to start on Monday…

And by Wednesday, the wheels are off…

The shame…

“What would Jocko Willink think of you now?”

It doesn’t take an expert to realise that if you’ve struggled with your weight for over 6-12 months, what you’re doing isn’t working.

Something needs to change.

But what?

Most of our clients join VRTU Health thinking that we will motivate them more…

Not the case.

That’s for the amateurs.

Yes, we demand high standards + responsibility from our clients…

But we are focussed on REAL CHANGE.

No 6 week challenges that chew you up, and spit back out into a spiral of weight gain…

We drive real identity change for our clients.

6 months with us…

And people will hardly recognise you.

Alex Murphy Nutrition Coach