307 - Losing 160 lbs & Keeping it Off with Anthony Masiello

Anthony Masiello—a devoted father who, after years of battling obesity and life-threatening health issues, received a wake-up call that changed everything. In 2005, weighing 360 pounds and denied life insurance, Anthony was faced with the realization that he might not be there to see his children grow up. Determined to change his fate, he embraced a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle, shedding 160 pounds and reversing chronic health conditions like migraines, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.

 

Flash forward 15 years, and he’s thriving. His incredible journey has been featured in media outlets such as PBS, The Huffington Post, Forks Over Knives, and Runner’s World, and as the co-founder and CEO of Love.Life Telehealth—a wellness network focused on addressing the root causes of chronic disease and offering holistic solutions—he continues to inspire and drive change in healthcare.

 

Join us today as we dive into his powerful story!

 

“What made you change at age 33? The spark was being denied that life insurance policy. My wife was pregnant with our second son. And, I wanted to, as a father and as a provider for my family, I wanted to make sure that my family would be taken care of if something happened to me. It wasn't like I was going through the formalities of getting a life insurance policy. Like, this is something that I was proud to be putting in place for my family so if something happened, they would be able to take care of themselves. And getting denied was like a ton of bricks coming down. Not only would they not give me the insurance, so I couldn't be proud to know that if something did happen to me, that my family would be able to take care of themselves, but the fact that they didn't think I was going to make it 20 years was even more hard to take because here I am holding an infant with an 18-month-old toddler running around. So my focus was eating more, eating more fruits and vegetables every single day. And I was letting that naturally crowd out all the other stuff that I should be eating less of. So I didn't start with a hard line on no cheese. I didn't start with a hard line on no bread or flour or those kinds of things. So glad that I did it this way. It wasn't necessarily as conscious. It's kind of what I heard. I was working in pharmaceutical research and I had more of an informatics role there where I was helping with data analysis and things like that to help bring new drugs to market. I was really excited about that when I started working there because I thought it was an opportunity to help people. And, through my own transformation, I realized, wow, I would rather help people to not need medications to come up with new medicines that may or may not help people to actually feel better.” - Anthony Masiello

 

What we discuss in this episode: 

- How Anthony’s struggle with weight became central to his identity, along with the health complications he faced.

- The pivotal early months of his journey, what sparked his shift to a vegan lifestyle, and how he built a new, health-transforming way of eating.

- How he overcame cravings and avoided unhealthy foods.

- The role of exercise in his weight loss and overall health.

- Anthony’s keystone habits and advice for lasting lifestyle change.

- A look into his daily meals and how he stays nourished.

- How Love.Life Telehealth empowers people to take control of their health—and Anthony’s role in driving this movement.

 

Resources:

- Website: