’s healthy lifestyle, consumers can still be daunted by embarking on a weight loss journey. This was the driving thought behind My Muscle Chef’s latest effort: The My Muscle Chef Weight Loss Program.  “A lot of our current customer base already buy from us for weight loss – 40 to 50 per cent – which is different from what you might expect from a brand called My Muscle Chef,” head of marketing Liam Loan-Lack told Inside Retail. “So in one way, this is a natural evolution of our business because we’re listening to our customers, but secondly, from a category and competition point of view, we’ve looked at the other offerings in the market and we felt like we could do a much better job.” More than just a list of do’s and don’ts, the program acts more like a subscription that serves customers meals, a gym membership, app-based workout guidance, expert advice, and access to the business’ community.  Part of the genesis of the new fitness solution comes from My Muscle’s close relationship with Quantum Private Equity stablemate Fitness and Lifestyle Group, which runs Fitness First and Good Life Health Clubs locally, where new customers will receive an eight-week Platinum membership. Adding in the physical component to the program was important, Loan-Lack said, as it helps to help people build the habit of getting up, going to the gym, and getting active.  “We didn’t want a yo-yo fad diet program. We want people to have sustainable, healthy lifestyles with us, and we acknowledge that for many without a rigid plan to start with, they need time to develop the [necessary] habits,” Loan-Lack said.  “That’s one of our fundamental building blocks.” My Muscle was launched by CEO Tushar Menon and his brother to provide fuel for their workouts. It now delivers more than two million pre-packaged meals each month through supermarket sales and its direct-to-consumer online offering. Two years ago. Quadrant Private Equity invested $100 million into the business. According to research firm GlobalData, Asia-Pacific accounts for 33 per cent of the global ready-made meal market, which is expected to be worth $1.6 billion in Australia by 2024.  Backed by science My Muscle’s innovation and nutrition lead Ryan Pinto, who sits on the program’s panel of experts, said the other key to the program’s success is the purpose-built app which connects users with information and expert advice.  “We’ve got dietitians, psychologists, physiologists – experts in their own disciplines – helping to educate people in our community, and give them advice that’s backed up by science,” Pinto told Inside Retail. “At this moment in time, a lot of people actually have an understanding of health but they’re confused. “So that’s where we wanted to have consolidated advice coming from one channel, so that people know when they sign up to our program, they’re getting the best of the best in terms of food and advice.” And the program seems to work. When My Muscle did a trial of the program last November, 95 per cent of participants said they would recommend it to a close friend or relative. Those that struggled with the program taught the brand that a one-size-fits-all solution isn’t what necessarily works, leading to the implementation of a more personalised product which can be changed week to week depending on the user’s needs.  “It’s such a cliche, but we really, really want to show consumers that we get it: keeping to your goals can be really painful, and hard, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Loan-Lack.