an image of a confused guy in the gym

Each week, I send out emails that:

  • Help you get in the right mindset for weight loss
  • Teach you fitness tips you can implement fast
  • Share the weight loss tools I use personally every day
  • Talk a little bit about my life and what I’m up to

This month, I talked about a young client who just completed his first half-marathon, my all-you-can-eat trip to Cabo, and how I ran 10 miles and *still* gained 2 pounds.

View the full emails below if you want to get filled in on the details.

My young client, Michael, asked me at the start line of the Surf City Half-Marathon. This was his first race, and he felt it through his core.

It was a brisk February morning, and the air was intoxicating. Over 15,000 runners from 50 states prepared to tackle the 13.1 Mile run. Many were running for fun, some for fundraising, but Michael was running for something different.

Like many of us, he overcame a tremendous amount of personal trauma in life. Not only that but self-doubt, stress, and a changing family dynamic made the journey to the start line even more remarkable.

He missed some key training blocks in the weeks leading up to the race. His longest run was only 8 miles on the treadmill. (Really?) This meant that on this day, Michael would have “extra” fun. 😉

But Michael stood unsure.

He felt like a lot of us do anytime we start something new.

Displaced.

I looked over and asked him, “Do you feel uncomfortable?”

He looked down, nodding.

“Good, then you’re growing. Nothing good ever grows in comfortable land,” I responded.

Michael smiled.

“Get ready, Michael. You will be tested like never before. You will go through some dark times, but greatness lies on the other side. Through the darkness lies the life you are supposed to live. Let's go.”

Those 13.1 miles transformed Michael’s confidence and his outlook on life. I firmly believe that together we laid the foundation for an incredible future.

When you do what is hard, life is easy.

If you do what is easy. Life is hard.

Man celebrating after running a half marathon

Last month, my wife, Courtney and I took a weekend trip to Cabo.

We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. For an all-you-can eat, all-you-drink Super Bowl extravaganza. An all-inclusive stay…

And I know what you're thinking. (Oh-oh! Fun, but I could get in trouble)

This type of vacation can wreak havoc on our waistline…

But it doesn’t have to. Let me explain.

To gain one pound, you need to eat an excess of 3,500 calories.

That’s 7 Big Macs or one and ½ apple pies or six full bottles of red wine!

That’s a lot of food.

And that’s extra calories.

Because your body burns calories* at rest (doing nothing!)

*Take your weight and add a zero* ex: 180 pounds = 1800 calories (doing nothing.)

So, if you’re mindful, add some extra steps, maybe get a workout 😉

You can enjoy special treats without putting on extra pounds.

Use this simple tip to help you slow down before it’s too late.

Listen to your body.

Ask yourself how you’re feeling.

Eat slowly.

As you eat, reassess.

“How am I feeling, now?”

If you stop when you’re satisfied, you can enjoy any vacation without feeling guilty and look extra sexy in that bathing suit.

Remember a calorie saved, counts as much as a calorie burned.

Last week, I started my 2023 race season prep. I promised my clients to lose 5 pounds and lead by example.

At the end of the first week, I weighed, and I was up 2 pounds.

Rats…

I worked so hard, logged my food, exercised six times, I even ran 10 miles!

And I was UP?!

“I’m a loser.”

“Why me?”

“How come this is so hard?

“I’m not eating as bad as I used to.”

After I calmed down, I reassessed. I checked my food log, and maybe I didn’t log EVERYTHING. What did I really eat on Saturday? Did I log the carne asada fries?

I realized this is what we all go through.

Weight loss is hard.

Weight loss is slow.

But weight loss can be achieved.

And weight loss is so rewarding.​

 

Here are my top tips for walking yourself off the ledge:

1. Are your expectations reasonable?

Nobody loses weight overnight. The Biggest Loser sold you a lie. The data is very clear. Sorry to burst all of our bubbles.

2. What can you improve? (logging, portions, emotional eating, outings, drinking)

3. There is no failure, only feedback. (The scale is only one aspect. Are your pants fitting better? Are you feeling better?)

4. Separate yourself from your actions.

You are not your behaviors. You’re not good or bad, depending on the choices you make.

5. Do you know your weight will fluctuate between (2-5 pounds) daily?

Give yourself enough time to see results.

The only way you fail is if you give up. It's impossible to stop someone who never gives up.

 

I asked my buddy David at the gym. We’d been working out for a few weeks without seeing any results. I was growing impatient. Does David even know what he’s doing? I needed to drop the nasty fat.

Imagine my anger when I discovered the truth about the fitness lies…

That’s when my fitness journey began.
In 2000, I set foot inside my first official gym. The place was intimidating. Everyone moved with purpose. I felt nervous, anxious like I didn’t belong. The junior high school dance all over again.
Man standing in empty gym

I WAS LOST.​

So I did what any other rational human being would do. I copied the ones that looked like they knew what they were doing. (Bad Idea #1)

I did a full body workout for over 2 hours that ill-fated day. (Bad Idea #2) Moving mindlessly from bench press to dumbells to leg extensions to seated calf raises. All while trying to read the instructions without looking like I’m reading the instructions.

The next day everything hurt. Obviously, good, right? No pain, no gain. Except it meant no more workouts. I would go for a couple of days, and then miss weeks, sometimes months.

Listening to my friend’s advice got me nowhere fast. I didn’t lose fat, but I did lose motivation.

Social Media (BAD IDEA #3)

Welp, that didn’t last. Every day, “new latest and greatest total body workouts” would be posted. But after a few weeks, the workout plans looked oddly similar.

Burned again.

After two years of listening to nonsense and countless bad ideas (I stopped counting after ten.) I decided to become a certified personal trainer. Surely, I would find the answers here.

And I did. But after two decades of helping clients succeed. I learned crucial insight.

Yes, exercise involves movement. But, exercise only works if you exercise. Duh.

And sadly, if you don't have the confidence that your workouts will get results. Then like me. You'll stop everything.

You don't have to become an expert to master exercise. But you do have know what levers to pull to get yourself to move.

We all have different levers, and we all need different systems to maximize our well-being.

Some clients workout daily, others walk every other day, some swim. Some are focused on optimizing their sleep to improve their energy so they can go to the gym.

We all have different puzzles to solve.

But to maximize our health and life, we have to solve our unique puzzle.

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