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I have been struggling with this the past few days. I spoke about doing 75 hard a few weeks ago. Actually it was roughly 60 days ago. For a quick remonder 75 hard is two 45 minute workouts everyday. One must be done outside. You must drink 1 gallon of water daily. You have to take progress photos everyday. Finally you must read 10 pages of a non fiction book. Specifically one that is going to help you. Ex: Atomic Habits. You must read not listen to the books. I made it to day 54 and then I had a choice to make. One of our girls plays soccer in college. She had a game and then an awards dinner that night. I could have gone for a walk while all the parents were standing around enjoying each other's company leaving my wife by herself. I could have gone for a walk while some of us, including my wife were at the winery. Again, leaving her by herself. Which honestly, she would have understood. She is always very supportive of the things I do. I also could have gone for a walk or did an inside workout at 11:00pm when we got home. I chose to go to bed. I chose to accept 54 days as good enough. I chose to have a good time with friends and family instead of completing 75 days. I made the right choice for me. I'm good with the choice I made. What that choice set off was another whole issue. I immediately went back to some not-so-great habits. I found myself floundering a bit. You know that feeling you get after you accomplish something and you just don't know what is next. You are kind of lost. Kind of elated that whatever it is you were doing is over, yet you still want to have something to look forward to, but you don't know what that is. I haven't drunken a gallon of water each day since day 54. I had a normal week of lifting. I did 3 days. I only walked 4 days instead of every day. I went home from work and sat on the couch. After dinner instead of walking I watched TV. It didn't take long till I had a bowl of ice cream and some cookies. We had cookies that my wife made for easter in the freezer along with some crumb cake. Yup I woofed down a cookie and some crumb cake. Of course, I did it at 11:00 at night. Because I thought about it for days. I willingly indulged in some delicious treats. Where I feel that I went wrong is I should have just had them for desert after dinner. Instead of so late at night. It just reminded me that my decision-making skills are not so great when I am tired. I don't regret having those treats. I really did enjoy them. I just wish I chose to have them at a better time during the day. The following night I had a bowl of ice cream and 3 more cookies. That's when the guilt remorse and shame set in. I knew that this was going to get ugly unless I did something about it. I was discussing this with someone at work and they asked me what I learned. Thinking about it I said, "I learned I lack discipline". The next morning, I popped open YouTube and the first video was Motiversity. The title was Discipline. Coincidence, I think not! I listened while driving into work this morning. What stuck with me the most is that discipline is not a punishment. Discipline is self-love. You must love yourself to be disciplined enough to get your ass to the gym. You must love yourself enough to be disciplined enough to food prep, so you eat properly. You must love yourself to be disciplined enough to get up early and go for a walk before work. You must love yourself enough to be disciplined enough to admit when you have lost your way. You must love yourself enough to be disciplined enough to do the things that you do not want to do. If you’ve ever had these thoughts, here’s a gentle, effective way to get you moving in the right direction. It’s called the 5-minute action. There’s nothing special about 5 minutes. It could be 10 seconds, 1 minute, or 10 minutes. The point is: ● It’s an action—something you do. ● That action is very small, something that feels easy and simple. ● It moves you in the direction you want to go. ● It's an easy win—which gives you the confidence boost to do more good for yourself. How to do it Pick an action that might have a positive impact on health and well-being right now. Some examples: ● Cut up some carrots for a later snack. ● Do five minutes of foam rolling. ● Slowly enjoy a mug of tea. You can also get a little more strategic and pick an action—maybe even one to commit to daily—to support a larger goal. For example, maybe your ultimate goal is to get back into the habit of eating mostly home-cooked meals. Take ONE small action in support of your bigger, future goal. That might mean making a grocery list, looking up some recipes, or chopping up a few vegetables. It can be tough to get motivated, but here’s a secret: It’s action that drives motivation, not the other way around. When you do a small thing to improve your circumstances, this actually inspires you to do more things. Now you’re no longer “waiting to get motivated.” You’re creating your own motivation. That is exactly what I did. I created my own motivation. I pulled out the crock pot and cooked up some chicken. I made 4 days worth of cold oats. I ordered steaks and chicken from Buthcherbox.com I went for a walk on Sunday instead of sitting around and watching TV all day. I needed to move a muscle to change a thought. I have had episodes like this last for months even years. Hell, I stopped moving and wasted away on the couch for roughly 7 years and 70 lbs. before I woke up. I guess my food issues will always be a struggle. The good part is we all have tools like the 5-minute action. It doesn't take much to get back on track. I'm grateful for Precisionnutrition.com it has not only taught me how to help myself, but most also importantly it has helped me to help others as well. I know I'm not the only one in this world that goes through this kind of mental masturbation. I also know it is not easy to talk about for most people. Especially men. Yea we just don't want to be vulnerable. It really is what it boils down to for me. I don't like being vulnerable. I do however enjoy my health and fitness more now than I do my pride. So, I will be vulnerable. I will show people how normal it is too be a mental case. My guilt and shame are gone considering this issue. In the past I would have continued to indulge in the sweet and fatty deliciousness of cookies and ice cream for weeks and or months because of my guilt and shame. I guess a so-called normal person would have enjoyed a few days off and then just continued along their journey without all these negative thoughts. Yea that is just not me. God forbid I just leave myself alone to be an imperfect human. Stop giving it the power. Tell everyone that will listen what it is you want to accomplish with your fitness and nutrition. Then go for it. Don't be ashamed or afraid. You will fail and you will stumble. You will get back on the horse and try again. "Because We Do Hard Things" If you need someone to talk to. Please don't hesitate to drop me a message. I may be a mental case, but I'm one that cares. If you can relate to any of this.... I'm sorry. LOL!! Guy

“Eating healthy can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be a daunting task”. Why can’t I just eat whatever I want and lose weight? The truth is you can. (GASP) Tell me more you liar. Science shows that there is no right or wrong way to eat. The truth is it is all about calories in, Calories Out. Which is energy in energy out, you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight, but it all comes down to the number of calories you consume and expend. We spend so much time trying to figure out what we can eat, what we shouldn’t eat. Is sugar good for us? Should I eat carbs? If I have a piece of cake will my fat explode, making me gain 25lbs overnight. I cannot possibly have pizza and still lose weight. I better stop eating bread because everyone says carbs are evil. If I eat a cookie my entire diet is blown and I’m a horrible human being. My God don’t you dare drink coffee. Caffeine comes from the devil. Sugar makes you fat. Salt will give you a heart attack or stroke. Eggs are bad for you. If you eat fat your cholesterol will go through the roof, and you will die! Steak and chicken are bad for you. Protein causes cancer. With all the pesticides being used none of the fruits and vegetables are healthy anymore. You must be organic or else you just don’t know how to live. Being vegetarian is the only way to live. Everyone that eats meat is a horrible person because, animals…The only way to be healthy is through intermittent fasting! Did I miss anything? Is your head officially spinning in a circle like Linda Blairs. (Horror Reference) The truth is there are tons more nonsensible things we can go over. For every study there is an argument. For every way of life there is a defense. It has become so polarizing and so convoluted with money and politics, who really knows what the hell the truth is. All we can do as regular people is find the information that we can agree with. I personally have found a few sources that I trust. One being Precision Nutrition(@precisionnutrition ) Another is Dr. Layne Norton (@biolayne ) @drlaynenorton and lastly Mindpumpmedia.com I’m working through my Precision Nutrition Certification as we speak. I’m taking my time with it. There are just tons of great basic nutrition information that honestly goes way deeper than I thought it would. Not being in school for such a long time makes things just a little bit harder. With that said the information is common sense and down to earth. This is science, and we are all messy people just trying to figure this stuff out. What I love about precision nutrition is they coach the person and not necessarily the science. Not one thing works for everyone. Keto or intermittent fasting may work for Sally, but it doesn’t work for John. A high protein diet may be great for Gregg, but Paul gets constipated and bloated after 150g of protein every day. What I’m saying is we need to find out what works for us. We are all individuals. We all have different stressors. We all are in different seasons of our lives. We all have different sleep patterns. Some of us are lucky enough to live near parks. Where we can run and ride bikes. Or play with our kids and grandkids. We should remain flexible in our approach for a healthy diet. I hated broccoli when I was 10. I love broccoli now, and yes, I put butter and garlic on mine lots of the time. Sometimes I sauté it with olive oil. The truth is no matter how you like to eat it is all about energy balance. The food we eat is energy. Whatever energy we expend living needs to be in balance with what our goals are. If you want to lose weight. You must expend more energy than you consume. Meaning you must move. Walk, run, hike, bike, ski, lift weights, play tennis, golf or pickle ball. If you want to remain the same. You must bring in as much as you put out. Think about your finances. If you bring money in and don’t spend it. It accumulates. Well, the same goes for Calories. Except our body stores it so we grow and not our bank accounts. Our body stores all that extra energy as fat. Most guy’s hold it in their bellies and women tend to hold it in their hips. Unless of course you become obese. Then you are just fluffy all around. Like a marshmallow. Like I used to be. Are their foods that are healthier than others. Of course, there are. Does that mean cookies and cake are evil and should never be touched? OH, HELL NO! Listen, eating a balanced diet and enjoying the sweeter things in life is all about living. I’m the first to admit I have a sugar problem. My problem is once I start, I tend to eat too much. It is something that I need to be very diligent about. I need to be careful. I personally cannot eat sugary things daily. I will inevitably begin to eat more and more until I’m eating cake and cookies three times a day. For me it is a lot like my alcoholism. It affects me physically and emotionally. Will I never eat cake again. OH, I CERTAINLY WILL! Do I want to go back to eating it on a regular basis. Absolutely not. So, I am careful to remain aware and ever vigilant. Don’t let me make you think I have just come to this conclusion easily. Like I read some books and watched some YouTube videos and poof, like magic I’m all better. YEA NO, that is not how it happened for me. I was beaten and bludgeoned into submission. I tortured myself for years by overeating. The place that I am in currently did not come easy. It was painful and lasted over a decade. So, if you are struggling just know that it can be done. You can figure it out. You can eat whatever you want and still maintain your weight and your sanity. You just begin to change your mind on what it is you want to eat. I can eat cake whenever I want. I choose to eat it on special occasions. Even then I sometimes will only have a small piece. You know why, because there are usually Italian cookies lying around that are frickin delicious and I would rather have 5 of those. I lost 50lbs eating Pizza once a week. Yup once a week I had two slices of Pizza. I stayed within my calories though. I planned for it. Sometimes that meant skipping lunch or having something smaller. Okay let’s talk about the basics. The science is straight forward. If you eat more than you use, you will gain weight. If you eat less than you use, you will lose weight. If you find your sweet spot hallelujah. You have reached the promised land. Now all of that is great except we are messy humans and what we eat is only part of the equation. So unfortunately, it is a little more complicated than just calories in and calories out. This is, however, where we all must start. We can then go from there. I suggest keeping a journal and tracking all your calories for 2 to 3 weeks. Eat like you always do and track it. This will give you a much better idea of what exactly you are putting into your body. Now keep this in mind. Unless you are weighing your food you will not be accurate. I repeat you will not be accurate. Studies show that people that are asked to track eat 1,000 more calories a day than what they reported. There are also studies that show professionals like nutritionists and fitness people eat 300 to 500 more calories per day than they reported. Those are a lot of calories people. So, if you want to do this you need to weigh your food. I know, it is a pain in the ass. I know it is inconvenient. I also know that being fat sucks and if I wanted to start losing weight I needed to track for a while. I needed to get a grip on what portions actually looked like. Precision nutrition loves to use the hand method. Your palm is the size for protein. Your fist is for Vegetables a cupped hand is for carbs a serving of fats is your thumb. I think that is a great system after you have measured and weighed for a while. If you just have no desire to measure and weigh than the hand method is the next best thing. I personally use the lose it app to keep track of everything. I like it and have been using it for roughly 2.5 years. Not constantly, only when I want to get dialed in. Nothing is super accurate. So, you need to keep in mind that whatever you find may and will change. Especially if you are going off what the nutrition labels say. Most people don’t know that the FDA decided it was ok if nutrition labels were up to 20% wrong. That is right folks. You read the label and it says 100 calories. It could really be 120 calories. Now I don’t know the actual discrepancies with this, but I would say if you are eating food that is meant to be low calorie, do you think these companies would take advantage of lowering there calorie count by 20%? I don’t personally pay attention to this but if you are eating or think you are eating in a deficit and not losing then this is something you may want to pay attention to. Nutrition isn’t just about the food. It is also about our movement. Most of us are gaging our movement with watches, phones, treadmills, etc… They are also wrong. 28% to 94% wrong. Yes, I know it is very disturbing. Just realize when your treadmill or watch says you burned 500 calories. You are probably looking at 250. Don’t kill the messenger! I have some more good news for you. If you are eating only processed foods. That’s foods that come from a box a wrapper a can etc. Then odds are you are overeating. Studies have shown that people that only eat processed foods eat on average 500 more calories per day. A pound is 3500 calories. So, you can gain 1 pound a week simply because you are eating processed foods. These foods are engineered to make us hungry. We fill up and get hungry an hour or two later. You just eat more. So, what is the answer. Whole foods, Fresh vegetables, meats, chicken, and fish from the market. Rice, Whole potatoes from the bag. (gasp) You mean I have to cook!!!! You don’t have to. There are great services out there that you can use to get much healthier options than what comes out of a box. They tend to be very expensive after a while. Totally worth it though if you are not going to do some cooking. I do some cooking. I also eat stuff out of bags, wrappers, and boxes. This is the real world. We all must do what makes us happy and what will get us to where we want to go. I use protein powders. I eat protein bars. I buy salad in a bag. I use the perdue short cuts every day. I no longer go to burger king; I stay out of convenience stores. Convenience stores trigger me. Just too much temptation. I love ring dings, yodels, nut mixes, donuts, etc. Those things are just low hanging fruit in those stores. It makes it difficult to take yogurt and fruit instead. I shop at the food store; I go in to get what I need, and I get out. Most of us know exactly what to do. We know for the most part what is good for us and what will keep us sick. I think the disconnect is we don’t understand the severity of our decisions. When we overeat or don’t exercise nothing super bad happens. It’s not like being an alcoholic. We are not going to jail for killing someone with a car after eating too much ice cream. We put the weight on so slowly till suddenly BAM! We are obese and super uncomfortable. The excuses we use honestly are ridiculous if you sit back and think about it. Most people say they don’t have enough time. Yet they watch 4 hours of tv every night. We are on our phones 6 hours of the day and night. The truth is we have the time. Another big one is “it is too hard”. Hard is surviving a heart attack. Hard is becoming diabetic. Hard is not being able to play with your kids or grandkids. Hard is not being able to walk the stairs. Choose your hard folks! We just don’t prioritize ourselves because we don’t think it is important. We will take care of it later. The problem is later comes quick and then we are sick. Hopefully most people get to a place where they are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Then they at least have a fighting chance. This country is 68% overweight or obese. That is a staggering number of unhealthy people. Honestly it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a lot of people that are suffering needlessly. I don’t know the answer for everyone. I do know the answer for myself. I do know that what worked for me and what has worked for 1,000’s of others can work for you. It may not look exactly how I did things. The truth is I’m sure it will look very different. Again, because we are messy humans. We are all different and unique. What works for Billy will probably not work for Sam. I’m grateful for everything I have been through. I’m honored that anyone is willing to sit back and read what I have to say. I understand the struggle that people are experiencing only because I have been there. I have been there on so many different levels. The dark pit of despair is a lonely and scary place to hide. Yet 100’s of thousands of us stay stuck in it. I’m telling you from experience. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER IN SILENCE! There is a way out. It is not easy, but it is worth it. Eating a balanced diet that works for you is about finding the right balance of healthy foods and occasional treats. It's a journey that requires patience, perseverance, and self-awareness. Now that you understand the basics of nutrition, take the first step towards a healthier you by making small changes to your diet and lifestyle. KEEP IT SIMPLE Guy

The longer you live, the more adjustments you have to make. It's what being human is all about. You have to deal with change, and it's not always enjoyable. Many of us view change as potentially negative most of the time because we had some regrettable stuff we had to deal with in the past. This makes us skeptical that any change can be positive if it happens outside of our influence. It's only natural to desire control. You would probably prefer to control what happens in your life rather than deal with random events you are unprepared for. That would be a perfect world. Imagine that you were always given a say-so in what happens to you and the people you care about. All your dreams would be realized, and you would never experience a single negative transition to some unfortunate reality. While it certainly is nice to entertain a pipe dream like that for a little while, It simply isn't going to happen. The Gods will always hand you difficulties you have to deal with. Many times, you have no warning. Sometimes you see a regrettable change coming, and that's nice. In some cases, a different reality you are given is pleasantly surprising. When a change is less than enjoyable, it can be tough to deal with. My knee-jerk reaction might be to ignore it. I pretend it didn't happen. That usually isn't the best course of action; in many cases, that attitude just makes things worse. So, how do you make the most out of a bad situation? Here are five ways to better accept negative change when it can't be avoided. In some cases, they can help you give something negative and unexpected a positive spin. 1 - ADD TO YOUR SKILLS AND ABILITIES You can't be a carpenter without a hammer and some nails. Those are the basic requirements for carpentry. They're just a few of the tools a carpenter needs. If you have a traditional hammer, the kind you hold in your hand and swing with your arm, you can drive nails into wood. However, you can drive a limited number of nails every minute or hour. Get a better tool, and you can be more productive. There are electronic and air-powered tools that carpenters use to sink nails into wood. The upgrade in the tool means driving more nails in a shorter amount of time. That spells better productivity and more money for less work. The carpenter no longer has to swing his arm. They pull a trigger, and the tool does all of the work. Use this same idea to get better at handling negative change. Add to your toolbox. Upgrade your tools. Develop new skills and abilities. Look at situations where change caught you off-guard in the past. Could you have lessened the negative impact if you had been better prepared? The more skills and abilities you have, the less impactful and difficult life events become. 2 - LEARN FROM HISTORY You see something terrible headed your way. You can't avoid it. You know it's coming right for you; all you can do is brace for the storm. As you begin wondering how you will overcome something which will probably be devastating, remember one thing. Other people have survived the same situation. Look at history. Have other people made it through a similar set of circumstances before? They probably have. Your situation could be incredibly unique. Even so, there's probably some similarity between difficulties other people have overcome in the past. They've weathered the same type of storm. They survived, and some of them have even thrived. They turned an unpredictable and initially horrible situation into something wonderful. If other people survive the negative change, you are about to face, you can too. You don't know what you can do until your back is up against the wall. Think about your own life. There have probably been times when you surprised yourself. You learned you had mental and emotional strengths you weren't aware of. That's proof you can overcome difficulties that life will inevitably send your way. 3 - ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION Does this situation sound familiar? There's something you need to prepare for. You aren't totally sure that you have everything needed to be successful. Maybe it's a big job interview. You really want to get this job, but, like many job applicants, you wonder how the interview process will go. What will they ask you? How should you dress? Are you going to need references from previous employers? You don't want to seem needy or desperate, but on the other hand, you don't want to look unconcerned, either. The more time you have on your hands leading up to the interview, the more damage you can do mentally. That's because we often predict terrible things in our future. Our nonstop inner critic can't seem to put a positive spin on what's possibly going to happen. We seem to imagine the worst circumstances and never the best possible outcome. The next time you're faced with some change that looks like it will be negative, ask yourself this question. "Is this going to be as bad as I am making it out to be?" Be honest with yourself. Start imagining what good things can happen. Don't just look at the negative side of things. Are you blowing things out of proportion and making them harder to deal with than they should be? You'll find that sometimes your imagination gets carried away. It convinces you the outcome will be worse than it eventually is. 4 - GET UNCOMFORTABLE Psychologists Robert M Yerkes and John D Dodson can help you cope with unexpected change. Their research into the effects of comfort on results and outcomes was published in the Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology in 1908. "The Relation of Strength of Stimulus to Rapidity of Habit Formation" is the title of their paper that teaches us a couple of things about comfort. 1 – A steady state of relative comfort produces a steady and predictable level of performance. 2 – To get the best possible performance, people must step just a little outside their comfort zones. Their tests showed that you must get uncomfortable to make great things happen. It should be noted that when people were forced far away from what they found comfortable, performance dropped off sharply. This means you must take baby steps outside what you believe is comfortable to create the best reality. How can you use this to become better at accepting change which is negative and outside of your control? Get a little uncomfortable every day. Don't wait for change to appear in your life. Start taking small steps to improve the size of your comfort zone. Push a little further every day. Over time this will expand your comfort zone magnificently. It makes you much more capable of dealing with uncertain and unanticipated change in the future. 5 - REMEMBER THAT CHANGE MEANS GROWTH How tall are you? You are probably much taller than you were as a child. You grew. A lot of changes happened to you internally, physiological processes which caused you to grow taller over time. That's a simple reminder that growth cannot happen without change. The change can be negative or positive. It might lie somewhere between those two extremes. Whatever change enters your life, it's an opportunity for you to grow stronger, more capable, and better than you currently are. Accept unavoidable change outside your control and look for ways to grow from them. One of the few things you can control is how you respond to change. You certainly can't control everything you have to deal with. These changes are often created by people, events, and circumstances you can't influence. You are moving through your normal routine and realize you have something difficult you need to handle. You didn't plan for it. It was nowhere on your radar. This wasn't a case of unpreparedness but an unavoidable situation awaiting you around a blind corner. Even though you didn't cause this regrettable life event, you're forced to accept it. As you've probably already discovered, that will happen a lot in life. Remind yourself that growth is impossible without change. You wouldn't be the person you are today in so many positive ways without overcoming difficult situations in the past. Your talents, skills, and abilities largely came about because of unavoidable obstacles placed in your path, not because life was easy every step of the way. Speaking of skills, developing new abilities can help you prepare for unforeseen issues that pop up in the future. Strengthening your overall skill set in any way makes you more capable. That can soften the blow when negative change enters your life. Ask yourself if you might be unduly dramatizing the situation. Is it really as bad as you're making it out to be? In many cases, we overly traumatize things that haven't happened yet. You can also learn from others. Have other people moved past the change you have to handle? If they have, that's proof that you can too. Finally, don't forget that just outside of your comfort zone is where amazing things are awaiting you. Don't automatically look at change as a bad thing. It's up to you to spin it however you like. Look for ways to turn uncomfortable change into a positive reality, and you will find that change isn't always as scary or worrisome as you think it will be. Change is definitely scary. My fitness app is just one of the tools you can use to help you along in your journey. This video shows an overview. You can try it for FREE for 14 days Here: https://www.trainerize.me/profile/simplyfit66/?planGUID=16bb4912367c4ba0a7c6f3a0d6fc94ce&mode=checkout

Coaching is a powerful profession. If you played sports or had a great coach, you know that they were responsible in some way for how you behave in your life today. If you have ever had a great coach in your life, you know that you are a different person because you had the pleasure of being in their lives. I have had lots of coaches in my life. Some I absolutely loved and some to this day I realize just weren't good at it. Like my little league coach when I was 11 years old. After losing our championship game he sat us against the fence and called me out because I pitched a high fast ball instead of keeping it low. I'm 56 years old and I still think of that day. My father was so embarrassed because I stood up and told the coach to go fuck himself. I was angry and hurt and now I felt even worse. I ran into that coach when I was a little older. He apologized for what he had done. Unfortunately, I was too immature at the time to understand how hard it probably was for that guy to admit his mistake. I'm sure he walked away wishing he never apologized to me. It took me many years before I understood what an asshole I could be. Due to my Alcohol and drug addictions, I stopped playing sports. I didn't have any real coaches in my life for quite some time. I had some teachers that tried to get through, I just wasn't ready to listen. A manager at a restaurant I worked at tried on more than one occasion to coach me towards a better way of life. He really was a genuinely good human. He is one of the reasons I surrendered. The seeds he planted and the downright telling me kid you need help was just what I needed. He didn't think I was going to split and go home. He thought I would get my shit together and help him run the restaurant. The one thing about most addicts, we are hard workers with good hearts. The booze and drugs just get in the way. Once we decide to get sober our lives become beyond our wildest dreams. I know it sounds corny, but it is true. As long as we continue to stay away from alcohol and drugs life just continues to get better. This is when I started to get my first real Coaching. The men and women that helped me the most where just plain old garden variety alcoholics hoping to better themselves, stay sober, and help others stay sober. We were constantly told in order to keep it you have to give it away. My coaches weren't called coaches. They were called sponsors. I have had quite a few sponsors in my life. All of the ones I had for the first 20 years of my sobriety are gone now. They have all passed away. Each and every one of them died sober. That's not something that happens very often. I was lucky, God did for me what I was not capable of doing for myself. My creator has always watched over me. Something that I believe in heart and soul. Funny how when you are in the thick of things the right people always tend to come into your life. One of my favorite coaches always told me. "Kid there are no coincidences." As my life moved on, I came to believe this to be true. I guess it is only in reflection that you can see how some things worked in your life. I'm glad that I had coaches, mentors, and sponsors to point these things out. So, what makes a great coach? Number one "Great Coaches" know how to help people change. I have had to do a lot of changing over the years. I did none of it on my own. I have had help along my entire journey. I am a long way from that 11-year-old that told his coach to fuck off. Unfortunately, he wasn't the last person I spoke to like that. I honestly cannot promise that I will never speak to someone like that again. The difference is today I apologize. I do the best I can on a daily basis to right my wrongs. It doesn't matter what someone else has done. Like my old coaches would tell me, "Kid it is your side of the street that needs to remain clean. It doesn't matter what others do." I needed to have a coach for running. I needed to have a coach for lifting. I needed to have other coaches and or mentors just to learn how to live life on life's terms. They all in their own ways helped me to change. Not only physically but mentally and spiritually. I have become a different person because of every one of their influences. Sometimes I needed to hear the message a hundred times. Sometimes you could tell me something or make me aware of something and I would just get it. Honestly most of the time I need to be beaten and bludgeoned into submission... LOL... "Great Coaches" coach the whole person. When I hired my first coach to help me lose weight. We didn't just talk about eating and weight loss. We had fairly lengthy discussions about life. She knew that I wasn't in a good spot. She knew that I needed help. She knew that there was a lot more to my weight gain than just my overeating. We discussed habits good and bad. We discussed moderation. Something I have struggled with my entire life. God knows I go overboard with just about everything I do. We discussed my obsessive behaviors. We talked about my anger and how to better deal with it. We discussed sleep and rest. She was coaching a real human. She knew that I needed to learn more than just how to eat better. Let's face it. We all know how to eat well. Why don't we? My sober coaches were not any different. We didn't just discuss staying away from alcohol. Honestly the men that helped me in the early days are the foundation for who I am today. They are the reason I am able to look at myself. They are the reason that I am able to push on. They are the reason I was able to handle whatever life dealt me. Between the death of my parents and the loss of a marriage. These men are the saviors of my soul. They did it freely. No strings attached. They simply loved and guided to me be a better human. Of course, in the process they became better humans. What they got out of helping others is tenfold compared to what they gave. I have seen that in my own life recently. The more you give the more you receive. That's not why giving is so great. Just like diet and exercise has the side effect of looking better naked. Giving has the side effect of getting more in return. I can't tell you why this is. All I know is that's how it works in my life and many others. Just like I trust the light to go on when I flip the switch. I know that I will always be happiest when I'm helping others. "Great Coaches Know and Guide Themselves" The greatest coaches I have had. Walked the talk. They did everything themselves that they told me to do. They lived it. Whether that was being sober, loving, kind and grateful. Or if it was just keeping things simple on a daily basis. Looking back, I have always had the right coach at just the right time. If I had hired a running coach a year before or even a day before I was ready to listen it would not have worked. If I hired a strength coach that didn't work out. It definitely would not have lasted. They lived everything we discussed and taught me. I have had the pleasure of learning from the best in life. They aren't award winning or super well known. But they are a part of the most important thing in this life. Life itself. They all had a zest for living. A contagious enthusiasm that you simply could not, not be swepped up by. They are or were infectious individuals. They knew their own limitations. So, when I needed help with something they didn't have knowledge about. They either found someone that could help me, or they simply said, "I don't Know". I will always appreciate the person that says, "I don't know." They had ethics and professionalism. They stayed in their lane. In my nutrition Course they are constantly reminding us to stay within our scope of practice. As Nutrition coaches we are not registered dietitians. We cannot diagnose or help people with medical conditions. We must remain in our lane. The same goes with being a certified personal trainer. We are not doctors, chiropractors, or physical therapists. We must always stay within our scope of practice and if necessary, refer people to the proper people for whatever ails them. That doesn't mean we cannot help. We can certainly help along with Dr's and Therapists guidance. I'm actually working with a Dr now to help one of my younger clients. He has a pretty serious issue with his hip complex. Honestly not something that I would be able to help with if not for the guidance of Dr Frank. That is the beautiful thing about being ethical and professional. You can leave your ego behind and ask the right people for help so that you may help someone else. "A Great Coach is a Client-Centered Coach This means they Know, understand, and respect peoples' priorities, values, and goals. They build strong relationships and rapport. They remember that they are dealing with people. Not numbers. conditions, labels, or personality traits. It's not my 3:30 it is Kerri. It's not the guy with the bad back it is John. Etc... They are attune to peoples' thoughts, feelings, and potential suffering or challenges. They do lots of listening, learning, observing, and careful analysis. They make decisions based on reality, rather than on what should happen. They collaborate with people, rather than telling them what to do. These are all the things I strive for. Being a coach has been a blessing. Being able to guide and help people lift themselves from the depths of despair and hopelessness really is something that needs to be experienced. I really don't think you can truly teach or explain the satisfaction that comes from helping others. Knowing that you have made a profound difference in their lives. They possibly will be better, kinder, more patient and productive people because your paths crossed. I can only hope that if you are reading this and you know that you need help that you take the first step towards the first day of your new life and reach out. This is a brief overview of the training app I use. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

While many assume that fat makes you fat, or that fat is “unhealthy”, this couldn’t be further from the truth. However, there is an important distinction that must be made in order to understand what types of fat are good for you, and what fats aren’t…You must realize that the brain, while not being made up of primarily fat, fat is an important component of its structure and function. First, what is fat? Fat is a type of nutrient that is essential for the body to function properly. It is also known as a lipid and is one of three essential macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat! Which means that the body needs it in relatively large amounts. What is dietary fat? Found in most foods (like meat, poultry, dairy, and even some fruits & vegetables), fat is used for energy in the body, especially when in ketosis or a fasted state. There are several different types of fat: • Trans (processed); • Saturated; • Monounsaturated; • Polyunsaturated. Now that we understand what fat is and what types of fats are out there, let’s look at which ones are either good (healthy), or bad (unhealthy). So, what can be classified as good fat? While there is no conclusive answer, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats are generally all acceptable options if they derive from whole, natural food sources and oils. 1. Saturated fats: butter (ghee, grass-fed), cheese, coconut oil, etc; 2. Monounsaturated fats: avocado, olive oil, nuts, seeds; 3. Polyunsaturated fats: meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs. OK, so what are examples of bad fats? No matter what diet you follow, you want to avoid processed foods and trans fats at all costs. These are the unhealthy fats that are largely correlated with diseases, cancers, poor health markers, obesity, etc. 1. Trans fat: junk food like cookies, fast food, and low-grade oil like canola or sunflower oil. That’s your two-minute digest of good fats vs. bad fats! If you’re looking to kickstart your diet on a healthier path, use this knowledge to start choosing healthier alternatives. Fat isn’t universally bad, it’s about making smarter choices and becoming more informed! Be sure to stay away from processed foods, and stick to the healthy fats listed throughout this article. Below are some great options to begin incorporating into your diet that contain healthy fats and other nutrients as well: • Healthy oils such as coconut, olive, avocado; • Avocados; • Fatty grass-fed meat; • Nuts & seeds; • Eggs; • Some fruit; • Dark, leafy green vegetables. You can Download my Healthy Fat Shopping list to help you out. If anyone needs any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me:

As a personal trainer and nutrition coach, I have learned that sleep is just as important as exercise and nutrition when it comes to your overall health and performance. Without proper rest, you risk negative side-effects like poor performance, mood swings, weight gain, and more. But don't worry, improving your sleep is easy with these helpful tips. Reduce light exposure before bedtime, avoid overconsumption of caffeine, and aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Other tips include optimizing your lifestyle with regular exercise and a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and sugar, and giving yourself downtime to unwind before bed. Remember, a good night's rest can provide immediate benefits like reduced stress, improved mood, and better brain function. So, choose a few tips from the list and give it a try - you'll thank yourself later! • Reduce light exposure before bedtime (especially blue light, emitted by digital devices!) I know easier said than done. It is just too easy to sit around watching TV at night before bed. Or even while lying in bed. I think the best habit I have gotten into is putting my phone, tablet or computer down after a certain time. Also, blue blocker glasses. Don't get me wrong I'm certainly not perfect at this. And there are plenty of nights that I'm on a device passed say 8:00pm. I will say though if I stick with my rule, I fall asleep much quicker. Truth is I usually pass out on the couch before even heading up to bed. I have made more of an effort to get in bed earlier. My sleep is undoubtedly better when I do that. • Avoid overconsumption of caffeine during the day (and avoid it all together closer to bedtime!) I have noticed better sleep since I have cut down my caffeine intake during the day. I no longer have a cup of coffee at night. It definitely affects my sleep. It is one of the habits that I didn't know I needed to get rid of. Give it a try for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference. My guess is you will. • Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day (consistency is key!) I honestly do not go to bed at the same time every night. I have been waking at the same time everyday. I do enjoy getting up early. I enjoy the peace and quiet. I enjoy not having to rush out the door. I find it gratifying to have a routine in the morning. I also believe because I wake up at 5:00am I fall asleep much earlier than I used too. • Set your bedroom temperature to an optimal 68 degrees. I would love to do this. Like most of us we have partners. There must always be compromise and lets face it, there are things that I am just not going to win. This is one of them. She is like an iceberg and I'm like a furnace. I hear this from lots of people. That is why these new mattresses have climate control. I'm thinking of buying a chilly pad from sleep.me I have heard wonderful things about it. It is a bit costly, honestly I'm beginning to think it will be worth it. They sell all different sizes. Check them out and let me know what you think. • Consider natural melatonin supplements, if needed. I honestly have no problem sleeping so I don't need to try anything. I have heard good things about melatonin and its effects on helping people sleep. CBD has also been shown to help people sleep better and or fall asleep quicker. I use CBD but it doesn't make me sleepy unless I take a double dose. Which I only did once by mistake. I have friends that swear by it and how it helps them get better sleep. • If you’re a workaholic, schedule your day to END in the early evening (downtime and unwinding are key to a restful sleep!) This definitely works for me. Although lately by 7:30 or so I have no desire to be on one of my devices. • Optimize your lifestyle (i.e. exercise regularly, eat healthy, etc). I cannot stress how important exercise and proper nutrition are for getting better sleep. Think about that day you did so much, you melted into bed and fell asleep within seconds. Why not have that become a daily habit. The side affect will be you look better naked. You may be too tired to enjoy it with your partner, but you will look better damn it!! Thanks for reading. I truly appreciate everyone for taking some time out of there busy schedule to read some stuff that I wrote. I hope that you find something that you can use to improve your life in some way. If you have any questions or need any help please do not hesitate to ask: Guy

The summer is coming! The summer is coming! Everyone is scurrying to get the fat off. Gotta get in shape for the beach or the boat. The truth is I love HIIT training. It is not for everyone though. You can exhaust yourself fairly quickly. If you are looking to get sweaty and burn some serious calories, this type of training is for you! HIIT has been shown to provide a variety of benefits, however, its most notable is weight loss. I will stress is that you should cycle this type of training in blocks of 4 weeks. I have found that after 4 weeks your body will get used to the extra work and simply adapt. I like to do 4 weeks then go back to my regular weigh training schedule. Sometimes I do 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. Sometimes WE DO HARD THINGS! The best part? It is super convenient. All you need is 10-30 minutes a day! So, what does HIIT stand for? If you’ve never heard of it before, HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. In short, HIIT is a form of interval training that incorporates cardiovascular exercises coupled with bursts of anaerobic activity like bodyweight or strength movements. The best part about HIIT is that it can incorporate many different facets (e.g. cardio, bodyweight, resistance bands, and weights). These facets can largely be categorized into the two most common types of HIIT: • Bodyweight (CrossFit, Weightlifting, bodyweight, etc); • Cardiovascular (aerobic exercises like spin class, running, etc). I personally think it is more beneficial to incorporate weightlifting and cardio for a more well-rounded workout. Benefits of HIIT No matter what type of HIIT you choose, the benefits spread far and wide. Below are a few of the most prominent benefits that pertain to fat loss, weight loss, and more. Fat Reduction Several studies have shown that HIIT can help with weight loss. Not only can it assist in an abundance of calorie burn in a short period of time, but it also improves your metabolic rate so that you can continue to burn fat hours after you have completed the workout. Which brings us to the next benefit… EPOC Aside from the convenience, the best part about participating in HIIT is a process known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Simply put, EPOC is a biologically induced process that makes your body burn energy (calories) up to 48 hours post-workout! EPOC doesn’t require a lengthy workout which makes it very convenient. By simply increasing the intensity at which you perform a particular workout, you can induce EPOC. HGH Production To reiterate that HIIT is likely the most effective form of exercise for weight loss, here’s the final benefit: In a review showing the response of human growth hormone (HGH) to HIIT, cases experienced a fascinating 450% increase in HGH levels. Why does this matter? In short, increased HGH levels assist in a faster metabolism, which in turn, will help burn fat, and build quality muscle. How to Perform HIIT Before you go, here’s an example template of a HIIT workout that you can easily incorporate into your exercise regimen. It’s a training method called a ‘Tabata’. Here’s how it works: • Choose one or more exercises. In this example, we’ll choose bodyweight squats and sit-ups; • Using an interval clock, set the timer to 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest; • Repeat the cycle for 4 minutes straight, rotating from 20 seconds of squats, 10 seconds rest, and 20 seconds of sit-ups; • That’s it! Repeat the 4-minute cycle as many times as you like. Here is another HIIT style workout that I created for one of my clients. You can download it for FREE. If you are looking for personalized support and guidance on your weight loss journey, I would love to work with you as your coach. Contact me today to schedule a FREE consultation and start creating a plan that is tailored to your needs and goals. Let's work together to achieve your wildest health and fitness dreams!

Fascinated by the mental health advantages of exercise? Or how exercise can reduce anxiety or depression? Exercise releases chemical substances such as endorphins and serotonin which improve your mood. There is a new study that was just published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that shows evidence exercise works just as well or better than many of the drugs and psychotherapy that are being prescribed. Andreas Heisel is an exercise scientist at the University of Potsdam in Germany. He led the study; it is the largest of its kind. He stated that people don't have to run marathons or train strenuously to get the benefits. He said, "something is better than nothing". I guess one of my old sponsors was much wiser than I thought, or maybe he even knew. He would always tell me, "Move a muscle, change a thought". He also told me to "Keep IT Simple". So, what is good mental health? Good mental health is a state of wellbeing where an individual realizes their own potential, is able to maintain relationships and has control of all of their emotions and actions. The sense of having a purpose, goals and adding value to each of these things are all signs of good mental health. How Does Exercise Improves Mental Health? Below are five ways through which exercise or physical activity improves mental health: 1. Being A Mood Booster. 2. Decreasing Stress. 3. Increasing Self-Esteem And Self-Confidence. 4. Improving Sleep. 5. Forming New Brain Cells. 1. Being A Mood Booster Exercise is a mood booster that reduces both depression and anxiety symptoms. Physical activity increases endorphin levels, the powerful "feel good" chemical that produces a feeling of joy and euphoria in the body. That's the reason why some people like to perform exercise when they feel stressed. 2. Decreasing Stress Physical activity, such as exercise, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system's function that increases the overall capacity of the body to respond to stress. As mentioned above, exercise produces endorphins (natural painkillers of the body) that reduce stress naturally. Exercise also improves our sleep, which consequently reduces stress. Meditation, massage therapy, deep breathing and acupuncture are other forms of physical activity with similar benefits. 3. Increasing Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence Doing physical activities will cumulatively lead to a whopping increase of self-esteem — and self-confidence along with it! Weight loss or body toning from these activities may allow you to get better-fitting clothes, a slimmer physique or the opportunity to climb a hill without getting winded. Being able to strengthen the body as well as the mind is one of the many advantages of physical exercise. A useful way to approach exercise is to set goals. When someone performs exercise they will have an underlying end goal; it may be to lose weight, be more active, reduce stress or any other fitness goal. Completing the goal leads to a feeling of accomplishment and leads to a confidence boost. Studies show that a physically fit person is more confident than someone who has not achieved their desired fitness level. 4. Improving Sleep If you have trouble having a good night's sleep, then exercise can help. Physical activity raises the body's temperature and can have relaxing effects on the mind, resulting in better sleep. 5. Forming New Brain Cells Studies show that aerobic exercise helps generate new brain cells — a process called neurogenesis — and improves overall brain efficiency. It also prevents memory loss and cognitive impairment by reinforcing the hippocampus (the brain's portion responsible for memory and learning). Moreover, exercise pumps blood to the brain so you can think more clearly. It is then clear to see that moderate physical activity is beneficial for us all. Exercise has many benefits, and we can use it to have better physical and mental health. Seems to me that the benefits outweigh the cons. So why do we struggle to take care of ourselves? Why is it so hard for us to prioritize our health over our comfort? That is a question for another day. If you would like help with an exercise and nutrition plan you can contact me below.

Weightlifting, also called resistance training or strength training, is the activity of lifting barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, bodyweight, and other heavy weights. I think most people have a misconceived notion of weightlifting and working out. We can thank the media, magazines etc. for all the nonsense we believe today. The truth is you are never going to get too big or too bulky like the people on the magazines. Number 1 you simply do not have those genes. Those people are the anomalies. They have outstanding genes when it comes to building muscle and looking like Greek Gods. Number 2, You simply do not have the time to spend 6 - 8 hours every day in the gym. Nor do you have the team necessary to help you with mindset, nutrition, and scheduling. Number 3, I'm pretty sure you are not willing to take the drugs necessary to get yourself looking like that. That doesn't mean it is impossible to get an awesome physic if you are willing to put in the time and the effort. There are lots of people that build beautiful physics that are still a long way from being able to step up on a stage. Now there is nothing wrong with wanting to step up on stage. If that's what you want to do and you have the time and dedication, go for it. For us mere mortals I don't believe that is something we should be striving for. I think the ideal strategy should be looking good naked and being able to function as a strong and healthy human. Some people don't care about how they look. Some people just want to be healthy and strong. Honestly one of the benefits of being healthy and strong is looking good naked. Weightlifting is by far the best way to build muscle and sculpt the physic you are looking for. The benefits of weight training far exceed the benefits of any other form of exercise. Not to say you shouldn't do cardio, or that yoga isn't really good for you. Because both are very important in the overall picture of your health. A good balance is what's needed. It's not all or nothing. The benefits of strength training are undeniable. There is simply no other form of exercise that will give you these benefits: 1. Improved Muscle Strength and Size: Weightlifting can help increase muscle size and strength. Lifting weights causes small tears in the muscle fibers, which the body then repairs, making them stronger and larger. 2. Improved Bone Strength: Weightlifting can help improve bone density and strength. This is important, as it can help reduce the risk of fractures and other bone-related injuries. Especially as we age. You have all heard how when you get older you have to be careful not to fall. You don't want to break a hip. Well, that's no joke. Over 4,000 people fall every year and break there hip. Out of those 4,000 people 1,000 die. I don't know about you. But if all I have to do is a little strength training to keep my bones strong enough that I don't have to worry about breaking a hip. Well then sign me up. Not only that think about becoming a burden to your family. They now have to take care of you because you didn't feel like taking care of yourself. Again, I don't know about you, but I'm really not interested in having to rely on my kids to take care of me. Especially if it's because I decided to not take care of myself when I had a chance. 3. Improved Balance and Coordination: This is beneficial for athletes who need to be agile and have good body awareness. Who it's really good for is the general population that needs to get in and out of their cars without falling. For the mere mortals that have to walk up and down a few flights of stairs each day at work. Wouldn't you love to do that without getting winded? Or the rest of us who have to go food shopping, carrying grocery bags in and out of the car. It's for the new parents that have to lug all the baby shit around. Or the parents that decide to go to Disney. Do you think Disney is going to be so awesome if you cannot carry your son or daughter around when they get tired. Oh, because they will, and it's not going to be pretty when the melt down happens, and you don't have the strength to pick them up. 4. Improved Posture: Weightlifting will improve posture by strengthening the muscles that support the spine and keep it aligned. Let's face it. We spend a crazy amount of time either on the couch, on our phones, or watching tv. None of these activities are good for our backs. Back and neck pain is a huge issue in our society. Just google it. There are lots of people that will do surgery or give you the pills that will make you feel better. Nothing, and I mean nothing worked for me like lifting weights. Yea, yea I know deadlifts are dangerous! I'll tell you what. My back has never felt better. I have struggled with back pain since I'm 22 years old. I even had a spine specialist tell me that I needed surgery. Thank God I'm a stubborn son of a bitch. That Dr. laughed and said I would need surgery within 10 years. You know what If I stayed on the path I was on. If I continued to sit on the couch because I was in so much pain, because I was afraid to do anything. Then I just became complacent and lazy. I gave up. If I stayed there. then I bet yes, I would need surgery someday. As of right now My back is awesome. solid as a rock. Getting better every day. Yes, you must be careful. Yes, you must train properly. Yes, you must take your time and stay within your limits. No do not give up. Don't you dare stop. Stopping is definite death. 5. Increased Metabolism: Weightlifting will increase the body's metabolism. This helps the body burn calories more efficiently, aiding in weight loss. Let me ask you something. How would you like to eat more and lose fat? Yup That is what weightlifting will do for you! Muscle loss and being sedentary is the reason for a slow metabolism. If you want to speed up that metabolism of yours, you need to start adding some muscle. Even when we are asleep our muscles use, on average, 25% of our body’s calories. Start adding and stop losing. We start losing muscle beginning at age 30. If you aren't at least maintaining what you have, then your metabolism is going to slow down. Weightlifting also has a positive impact on your overall body composition and appearance. This can influence your level of confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. For instance, consider a person weighing 170 pounds, with a 20% body fat composition, 136 pounds of lean body weight (organs, bones, water, muscle, etc.) and 34 pounds of fat weight. Through weightlifting, they may replace 5 pounds of fat with 5 pounds of muscle. Even though they may still weigh 170 pounds, they will have 17% fat with 141 pounds lean body weight and 29 pounds fat weight. The body might remain the same, but their strength, muscle tone, and metabolism will be improved, and they will have a fitter appearance. Think marshmallow vs chocolate. The marshmallow is big and squishy. It takes up lots of space. A small piece of chocolate is thin and hard yet it weighs the same if not more and takes up much less space. Fat(marshmallow) vs Muscle(chocolate). If you continue to eat the same, you will start to put on fat. How many times have you had a thought, or a conversation and you just can't understand why you are gaining weight, or your friend is gaining weight. We aren't doing anything different. No, you're just getting older. You are shedding muscle at 1 to 3% per year and you are not doing anything to keep what you have or replace what you lost. Not only that you are sitting around a lot more than when you were a kid. You're not burning near as many calories, and you are still eating the same. That's why. Honestly this was an eye opener for me. I hope it is for you too. 6. Improved Mental Health: Weightlifting can improve mental health by releasing endorphins, which are hormones that can improve mood. I feel better when I lift. I feel better when I exercise. It is actually proven through studies that weightlifting helps with depression and anxiety disorders. So, you are telling me if I lift weights I won't be depressed. Well, no not necessarily. But it is proven to help people cope and, in some cases, completely alleviate their depression. Everyone is different. Nothing is a miracle cure. But if all you have to do is lift some weights 2x a week, so you feel better, sign me up. Sounds better than taking meds that make you feel all wonky. Maybe you can cut down on the meds. Maybe you can get off the meds. Only one way to find out. 7. Lower Risk of Injury: Weightlifting can help reduce the risk of injury by strengthening the muscles and joints, making them more resistant to injury. 8. Improved Self-Confidence: Weightlifting can help build self-confidence as it helps individuals achieve physical goals. Let's face it. You feel better when you accomplish stuff. Especially hard things. We do hard things should be everyone's mantra! 9. Reduced Stress Levels: Weightlifting for me helps reduce stress. It releases endorphins that help relax the body and mind. If I do a good weightlifting workout, I'm good to go. Things simply do not bother me as much. The A hole that cuts me off doesn't get to me as badly. The world just seems to be a better place. 10. Increased Energy Levels: As well as being more mellow I also have more energy. Going for walks or doing stairs isn't such a chore anymore. I look forward to pickleball on Thursday nights. I'm excited for beach volleyball to start again. Honestly if I wasn't lifting and taking care of myself, I wouldn't be doing these things. It would just be too hard. I would blame my back and just stay home. Sitting on the couch, watching Netflix and being lazy, just getting fatter and fatter. If you have any questions about weight training and how it can help you too live a healthier, happier life contact me below: you can fill out an application: or you can sign up for a FREE phone. consultation.

The Benefits and Negatives of Challenges Challenges can be an invaluable tool in our lives, both mentally and physically. They can help us push ourselves to our limits and reach our goals, while also providing us with the opportunity to learn and grow. I have loved challenging myself since I can remember. Maybe it’s just the adventurous side of me. I get a great satisfaction and accomplishment when I do things that I would consider hard. I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I really enjoy the recognition of an accomplishment. I’m sure there are lots of people that don’t care about that. I’m not one of them. I enjoy the praise. I enjoy the feeling I get when people are wowed by what I have done. I was always a risk taker. Not always in a healthy way. When I got sober, I needed to find ways to fill this need. Skydiving, whitewater rafting, running, motocross, and skiing where the things I chose to do. I only skydived once. Not sure why. Whitewater rafting is a ton of fun. Not something I would do unless I had a guide. The greatest adventure would be the Colorado river for 10 nights. My two sons and I got to enjoy the river, the people, and the country. It was a trip of a lifetime. Throughout my years I have done various workout challenges and mindset or habit challenges. I remember I did a challenge where you were not allowed to complain about anything for 28 days. Go ahead and try it. You have no idea how much you complain and all the non-sense you complain about until you really start to pay attention. There is a book you read. Then you decide whether or not you would like to do the challenge. I guess the most important challenge in my life was the 90 meetings in 90 days for AA. Go to 90 meetings in 90 days without drinking and if you aren’t happier at the end of it you stop coming. The old timers would say, “we will be more than happy to refund your misery”. My last coach was big on challenges. Plank challenge, Sit up challenge, Water challenge, Side plank challenge. Every month we had another challenge. You know what. They helped. They kept me focused on where I wanted to go. I’m sure there are plenty of challenges out there that just are not good for you. I bet there are some challenges that would be great for you. You just refuse to try. One of the most obvious benefits of challenges is the sense of accomplishment that comes with taking on a difficult task and succeeding. Challenges can help to build self-confidence and foster resilience. In addition, challenges can also open up new opportunities for learning, since they often require us to think outside of the box and come up with creative solutions. Challenges can also help us to gain a better understanding of our own strengths and weaknesses. This is one lesson I unfortunately needed to learn the hard way. Over and over again. It is really important, no matter what challenge you are doing in life, that you stay within your physical limits. This is a lesson that got pounded into me while riding Motocross. That sport has no mercy. If you decide to go above your physical capabilities. You will be humbled with crashes, broken bones, sore muscles and usually torn ligaments. I was humbled on more than one occasion. I’m a slow learner. LOL!! While there are many positives to taking on challenges, there are also some potential negatives. Challenges can require a significant amount of time, energy, and resources, which can lead to burnout if not managed properly. Challenges can also be emotionally draining and can cause feelings of anxiety and stress. Additionally, challenges can lead to feelings of failure if they are not met with success. I must admit I failed at more than I succeeded. Or did I? Did I really fail if I didn’t complete a challenge? What if I completed a challenge just not to my own satisfaction? Would that be considered a failure? If I learned anything Than it was a success. I only failed if I stayed down. I think that’s the point with a lot of these challenges. First, we can do hard things. We can do a lot more than we give ourselves credit for. If we fail, get back up and finish what we started. My God is there any better lesson than perseverance!! If we have a healthy mindset and keep our goals and expectations in check. I believe that these challenges can be very helpful. To best navigate the challenges that come with taking on difficult tasks, it is important to incorporate mindset and habit changes. A positive mindset is essential for success, as it helps to keep us motivated and energized. Additionally, it is important to set realistic goals and create a plan for achieving them. Developing a habit of breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable steps can also be beneficial. Challenges can be a great tool for learning and growth, but they can also bring with them a variety of risks and drawbacks. It is important to be aware of the potential negatives and to incorporate mindset and habit changes in order to make sure challenges are managed properly. With the right approach, challenges can be a great opportunity for personal growth and development. The reason I chose this topic is because I have started the #75hard Challenge. The rules are very simple and straight forward. Lots of people like to complicate them so that they can do it their way. Just follow these simple rules and That is it. 1. Follow a diet. Any diet of your choice. As long as it is clean in your eyes, and it fits with what your goals are. Now that doesn’t mean you can eat cookies and ice cream. Let's, not be silly. Whole foods for the majority of your diet. I personally decided to go with a high protein diet. I’m looking to build muscle and lean out. So therefore, for me a high protein diet is best. You may want to do keto or go vegetarian. Either way whatever you pick you must stick to it and not deviate. No cheat meals for 75 days. 2. No Alcohol. Don’t shoot the messenger. I didn’t make the rules I’m just participating in the journey. 3. 2 - 45-minute workouts every day. One must be an outdoor workout. Rain, snow, sleet, wind, hot, cold, doesn’t matter It must be a 45-minute purposeful workout OUTSIDE. Walking is acceptable and it counts as long as you walk for 45 minutes. The second can be indoors, or you can do another workout outside. These must be planned timed workouts. 4. You must read 10 pages of a non-fiction book every day. Think self-help. 5. You must take a progress photo every day. Just take a pic every day in your underwear. You don’t have to show them to anyone. They are just for you. Trust me you want to take the photos. In 75 days, there can be some serious changes. Having pictures of that is priceless. 6. You must drink 1 gallon of water a day. That is 8 16oz bottles of water. If you start early, it is not a problem. No, you cannot make iced tea and consider it water. Your pre workout is not considered water. Coffee is not water. I think you get the idea. That’s it. Do Not complicate it. Just keep it simple and follow these rules. I believe this is more of a mindset and habit change challenge than it is a fitness challenge. He doesn’t dictate what type of movement you must do. He simply says move for 45 minutes outside and 45 minutes again wherever you want 2x a day. The real challenge comes with being uncomfortable in the elements. If you have never walked in the rain on a cold day, make sure you dress appropriately. We all know what it means to eat clean. You may not agree with what I consider clean. This is about challenging yourself. The hardest part for me is not having a cheat meal or some snacks. I believe this is definitely a challenge for just about everyone. Let me know if you decide to do it. Follow me on Instagram @guyfitz1266. I’m posting my journey on their daily as well as Facebook Guy Fitzgerald. If you need any help with your fitness or nutrition goals, contact me and let's see if you are a good fit for my program. Free Phone Consultation Here: Apply Here:

The power of gratitude is often overlooked, yet it is one of the most powerful tools we have to create positive change in our lives. The idea of “attitude of gratitude” is a concept that has been around for centuries, it is something that I was introduced to at the age of 21. In the simplest of terms, having an attitude of gratitude means looking at the world through a lens of appreciation and thankfulness. It means recognizing the good that already exists in our lives and expressing our thanks for it. It means recognizing the positives in the world instead of focusing on the negatives. It means being thankful for the little things that bring us joy and happiness. It means appreciating the things that aren’t quite to your liking. I had a mentor, we called him lower than whale shit Richard. He loved to say, “When I was drinking, I felt lower than whale shit”. I still smile every time I think of Richard. He was a big man with a heart of gold. He’s just one of the many men in my life that saved me from myself. He would also remind us that garbage stunk, and we might want to be grateful that we could smell it. But the power of gratitude goes much deeper than simply expressing our thanks. An attitude of gratitude is a way of looking at the world that can bring even more positivity and joy into our lives. When we practice an attitude of gratitude, we are more likely to take action to make the world a better place. We are more likely to help others, be kind to ourselves, and view each situation in life with a positive perspective. I’m sure the first time I heard someone say they were grateful for being an alcoholic. I said something snarky. I’m sure I thought that person was completely insane. The truth is when we focus on gratitude, we are more likely to engage in activities that bring us joy and peace of mind. We are more likely to make healthier choices that benefit our physical and mental well-being. And we are more likely to have more meaningful relationships with the people in our lives. The struggle of life just doesn’t seem so hard. Struggles can often be difficult and painful, but they are also a part of life. When we have an attitude of gratitude, we can recognize that these struggles are often necessary for our growth and development. We can learn to find the beauty in the struggle and to appreciate the lessons that it teaches us. The joy of the struggle is a concept that we can all relate to. It's the idea that real growth and change doesn't happen overnight, but rather requires dedication and hard work. We find meaning, purpose, and happiness in the pursuit of our goals, even if the journey is filled with challenges and obstacles. My Lifes journey has been one big roller coaster ride. Filled with ups, downs, and all kinds of twists and turns. It’s when I fight the process is when I struggle the most. It’s when I refuse to ask for help is when I struggle. I need an outsider’s perspective most times. I will lie to myself for comfort. I have found that comfort and contentment lead me to complacency and a slow decline. It’s sneaky, cunning, baffling even. How you can be doing so well for so long and then slowly just give up. I lost my attitude of gratitude for quite some time. With that I lost my desire to move forward. To better myself. I became complacent and satisfied with how things where. What comes with that is stagnation and rot. I don’t believe we humans are meant to stagnate. I needed to fall in love with the journey again. It was essential for me to not only realize my goals, but also achieve them. We begin to enjoy the process of the journey and not just the destination. Let's face it, the destination is almost always too far away. That mountain is always just too damn high. When we fall in love with the journey, we become more patient and understanding of ourselves. We enjoy the small victories and celebrate the progress we make, rather than focusing on the end result. The journey can be difficult and stressful at times, but it's important to remember that we are never alone. We can learn from others who have gone through similar experiences, focus on our own progress, and set attainable goals to keep ourselves motivated. Only then can we truly appreciate the joy of the struggle. If I fight the struggle. If I refuse to trust the process. I will most certainly end up fearful and frustrated. I will give up. I will stop moving forward and I will stay still. I will then either complain about the process or I will pick it apart. That way I can convince myself that I am different. That somehow, I am the one that this doesn’t work for. I don’t care what your struggle is. There is always an answer. Sometimes the answer is very simple. I find that, most times, the answer is very simple. I just cannot see it for whatever reason. That is why I ask for help today. I have no desire to be the lawyer that defends himself. Having an attitude of gratitude and an appreciation for the struggle can help us to live more meaningful lives. We can learn to appreciate the present moment and savor the small moments of joy that life brings us. We can appreciate the journey and the obstacles we face along the way. And we can be thankful for the people in our lives who bring us love and support. So, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, take a few moments to be thankful. Get out of your office chair or get off the couch and go for a walk. Put your gym clothes in a bag and bring them to work with you. Don’t go straight home. Go straight to the gym. Do the hard things so that you can truly appreciate the easy stuff. I promise if you consistently challenge yourself, you will be happier and healthier. You will live a much more fulfilling life. Say these three things to yourself daily. “Trust The Process” "Things.I.Must.Earn." "I don't have to. I get. too." Are you ready to start your journey toward a healthier and more fulfilling life? Let me help you on your journey! As a personal trainer and nutrition coach, I can provide you with the support you need to reach your goals. Contact me today to get started. You can fill out my application or you can book a FREE consultation over the phone.

"Discover the Benefits of Incorporating Mindfulness into Your Daily Dietary Routine" Mindfulness is a great tool that we can incorporate into our daily lives and can be a key practice in helping us to eat healthier. Practicing mindfulness can help to ensure we eat not only the proper foods for us, but also the correct portions, and at the right times of the day. It helps us to be aware of how the food we eat affects our bodies and mind. Which in turn helps us to choose the right foods for ourselves. Being mindful of our eating habits can help us to combat cravings or reactions to food that we really never understood that we had. Lots of people have trouble with dairy, yet they don’t know it is the dairy. They have no idea why they are bloated and uncomfortable, simply because they are not paying attention. For others gluten is a big problem. Some people eat brown rice all the time thinking it is better for them than white. What they don’t realize is that the brown rice makes them a bit bloated and gassy. They just ignore the symptoms and shrug it off. I know because I did it for most of my life. Making the right dietary decisions can be difficult and often overwhelming. With the countless options and contradicting advice, it can be tough to know what to do. But there is a simple answer - choose the diet that you will actually stick to and enjoy. Sure, there are certain general rules that should be followed depending on your goals. We all know that fruits and vegetables should be eaten, while processed foods such as crackers and cookies should be limited. The most important thing, however, is to find what works for you and stick to it. I think the other part of this equation is that we shouldn’t be so strict that we end up going over the cliff. I know for myself when I restrict, I tend to obsess about the so-called bad foods that I shouldn’t be eating. In my opinion there shouldn’t be foods that we tell ourselves you cannot have this or that. We should shoot for a balance. That is where being mindful really helps. The best diet for you is one that is focused on whole foods, plant-based options (including animal proteins!) with the flexibility to be adapted to your individual needs is a great place to start. As long as it’s generally within the boundaries of a healthy lifestyle, you can’t go wrong. I personally do not believe our diet should be a jail sentence. I believe that if we find something we can enjoy and commit to it. We will have much more success staying healthy and happy in the long run. I say try everything. Give Keto a shot. Dabble with intermittent fasting. Maybe Atkins is something you will like. The bottom line is they all work. Every single diet out there will work for someone. That someone may not be you. So don’t get discouraged. Remain mindful about how you are reacting to certain foods. You may have to experiment for a period. That’s great! Keep exploring your options, it really is the only way to find out what will work for you in the long run. This is not a short-term game. No quick fixes when it comes to diet. Not only that, as time goes on, we change, our bodies change, we need to be able to make those changes along the way. It is much easier if you are already mindful of how food makes you feel. Here are the top ten ways Mindfulness can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. 1. increased awareness of physical hunger cues. How many times do you eat when you are not even hungry? How many times do you eat simply because you are bored? How many times are you full, yet you keep eating anyway? 2. Enhance self-control and help prevent emotional eating. This is big. I don’t know about you, but I definitely eat when I’m stressed or bored. Being mindful of how I’m feeling and why I’m sticking my hand in the cookie jar. Can prevent me from going off the deep end when really, I’m just pissed about something and I’m looking to feel better. 3. Reduce stress and anxiety that can lead to unhealthy eating. Knowing why or what always helps me. If I can take the time to think things through. I tend to stay on track of my goals. I’m certainly human and not perfect at any of this. It does help me at times. I must be ever vigilant though. It’s not something that simply comes and goes. It really does have to become a part of your daily practice. That can and will happen as time goes on. Not easy, just simple. 4. Allow you to savor and enjoy food more. I have learned to sit and enjoy my food more. I was the kid that constantly woofed down his food so I could go out and play. I’m really not that different as an adult. I need to be mindful of slowing down and enjoying the experience that food provides. Putting your fork down after each bite can help with this. You also find that you don’t eat as much if you take your time. 5. Increase your ability to make healthy food choices. I definitely make better choices for myself today. Not that I don’t eat the cookies or have a piece of cheesecake. I just don’t do it daily anymore. I’m more aware of how those foods make me feel. I know that If I have sweets, I will be hungry, lethargic, and possibly hangry the next day. The sugar 100% makes me moody. 6. Improve body image and self-esteem. Once you start paying attention to how foods affect your gut. It’s amazing how much better you feel not being bloated all the time. I still have a bit of a spare tire around my waist. If I consume too much dairy, I definitely feel bloated and a bit gassy. That just makes me feel much heavier and out of shape than I really am. One of the best feelings I have is when my belly feels flat. Of course, I catch a side view and go “oh yea that’s right, you have more work to do.” LOL! It’s all good though. I have come to terms that things take time. As long as I’m moving forward, and I remain mindful of the ultimate outcome. Life is Good! 7. Increase your ability to resist tempting unhealthy foods. Let’s face it. This is a battle for most of us. We can all use all the help we can get. So, if we simply take the time to remain mindful of what and why we are doing something. There will be times that we will not do the thing that we really do not want to do. That’s a win in my book. 8. Enhance your ability to make mindful, mindful decisions. Practice, Practice, Practice. The more I’m mindful, the more I practice what I preach the better I get at it. This isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes time. Things I Must Earn. 9. Increase your ability to recognize and honor your own physical and emotional needs. Some foods make me cranky. Some foods bloat me I feel like the Michelin man. Others just don’t agree with me. If I constantly put those foods into my system I cannot expect to be emotionally or physically satisfied. 10. Enhance your ability to listen to your body and identify what it needs. What do you crave? How do you feel if you eat what you crave? What is going on that you are craving something? After I eat.... Do I feel energized and satisfied or sluggish and heavy? Does this food give me positive or negative emotions? Does this food make me feel full both physically and emotionally? After eating this... Do I get hungry after only a short period of time? Is this food helping me to live a healthier and more balanced life? Is this food helping me to reach my physical and emotional goals? The more answers you have the better you can decide what is good or not so good for you. Start your journey to health and wellness today! Fill out the questionnaire and let's see if you are a good fit for my nutrition coaching and personal training program! Let's get you onto the path of a healthier, happier, you!