The Art of Being Well
The Art of Being Well

Affordable Healthy Swaps, GLP-1s, Hot New Wellness Brands & Is Target The Next Whole Foods? | Hunter Stoler

September 21, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Thanksgiving Plate That Changed Everything

Hunter Stoler’s weight loss journey began at a Thanksgiving dinner table in 2019, when his mother and sister pointed at his foot-high plate of ultra-processed carbs and said, “Hunter, look at your plate.” He was 230 pounds at 5'11", living with cystic acne, constant fatigue, and a belief that feeling uncomfortable every day was just his lot in life. That moment flipped a switch. During lockdown in early 2020, he started with Weight Watchers, which gave him structure with flexibility—zero-point foods like lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables helped him shift from meals like a bag of Doritos or a Chick-fil-A sandwich to actual food. He lost 25 pounds in three months. The remaining 25 came through the F-Factor diet, which emphasized real fiber from fruits, vegetables, and foods like Flackers crackers (eight grams of fiber per serving). Eventually, reading Dr. Will Cole’s KetoTarian book opened his eyes to why ingredients mattered, not just macros and portions.

The Venn Diagram of Healthy Eating and Weight Loss

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (03:13) **Hunter’s Origin Story & Expo West Trends** - Hunter Stoler joins the show; the two bond over mutual friends and the massive Natural Products Expo West convention.
  • 2 (17:22) **Busting the Myth: Healthy Eating on a Budget** - Hunter challenges the idea that you need to be wealthy to eat well, offering practical money-saving strategies.
  • 3 (28:43) **Is Target the New Whole Foods?** - Hunter makes the case that Target has become the most accessible retailer for healthy food and non-toxic home goods.
  • 4 (31:41) **Top Healthy Swaps: Oils, Laundry, and Water** - Hunter walks through his three foundational swaps for anyone starting a health journey.
  • 5 (39:57) **Protein Bars: What to Look For & What to Avoid** - Hunter breaks down the difference between a healthy protein bar and a marketing gimmick.
  • 6 (48:20) **Hunter’s 50-Pound Weight Loss Journey** - Hunter shares the Thanksgiving moment that sparked his transformation and the two diets that worked.
  • 7 (55:59) **Healthy Eating vs. Healthy Eating for Weight Loss** - Hunter explains the crucial distinction between nutrient-dense foods and foods that are also weight-loss-friendly.

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Show Notes

Hunter Stoler - the creator behind @healthwithhunter, known for his viral healthy grocery store swaps - joins Dr. Will Cole to talk health food trends, why you don't need to be wealthy to eat well, his favorite budget-friendly swaps, and the Thanksgiving dinner moment that kicked off his 50-pound weight loss. They also dig into GLP-1s, next-gen peptides, and why Hunter dialed his own supplement stack way down after a scary lab result. For all links mentioned in this episode, visit http://www.drwillcole.com/podcast


Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

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