I have landed my dream job. I will help people become fit, healthy, and happy each hour of the day. I will perform fun training sessions as I live in a city full of spark. Somehow I will find a way to discover peace, sanity, happy hours, and brunches.
A personal training job is not a nine to five. It is a 7am-noon and 4pm-8pm kind of schedule. Your life is your job. Your gym is your new home… if you want to make money. I’m excited. I love the work. I love the people. I love getting to know people, forming genuine relationships, and helping people. It fulfills me. It makes me happy. It gives me strength and purpose.
Ever wonder what your purpose was? This is mine.
With a lion’s heart, I will be brave, courageous, and hard working. I will master my skills and show you exactly how much I care about your well-being. But of course, I must find mine first. For me to love you and help you, I must put myself first. Let me be my best, and I will be thebest for you.
You know what really grinds my gears? Myths. Lies. And Bullshit. I’ve been on a research hunt for the past couple weeks, reading and learning about all the latest studies on fitness, weight loss, and sports nutrition. I’ve come across a lot of claims, a bunch of idiots, and have learned a few great things about fat loss and nutrition. I’ll give you the rundown.
Bull
Some tools believe that an abstract of a small study (n<20) is going to prove their point.
People believe what marketing companies tell them, no matter what facts are shown.
Supplement companies make false claims, or claims made on small, ill-prepared studies.
Things I’ve Learned
Fasted training teaches your body to use fat as a fuel more efficiently.
This means having an empty stomach for at least 15 hours.
Intermittent Fasting can be a very efficient way to lose fat for most people, Type 1 Diabetics excluded.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) can help a body recover faster and decrease soreness if taken before/during/after an intense workout.
A lot of BCAA supplements are sourced from human hair and feathers. (Gross!)
There is only one pure company I found, Ajipure, which makes BCAA’s with fermentation.
Not sure about something you’ve heard? Let me research the claim for you. Comment below with any diet/fitness questions!
Bad Stress creates a physiological response in our bodies that makes us tired, irritable, fat, and weak. More than half of the stress we experience is bad stress. When you say that your stress is killing you, you are right. It is weakening your nervous system, organs, mind, and bones. It’s terrible, and we have to find ways to cope with daily stress accordingly.
Many people choose to eat, drink, smoke, or exercise it away. You can guess which one of those methods is the healthiest.
We know about bad stress. We wish we didn’t, but we do. If you’re like me and want to know all the science behind it click here: Scientific Slide Show. Let me know if you have any questions!
Good stress is the small amount of pressure that makes you get up off your ass in the morning and be productive. It is the mediocre amount of stress you put on yourself that makes you actually do something with your day. It is the tiny shot of cortisol that allows your body to wake up and start functioning.
A common type of good stress is the kind you put on your body during a workout. You end up stronger, faster, and thinner afterward. It’s a great type of stress! Another type is studying or learning. You are stressing your mind, but only for it to grow and become smarter.
When I’m Stressed I tend to do one of two things: sleep or workout. I run until I can run no more. Or, I sit on the couch, lethargic, and waste away. Sometimes I combine the two. I try to run it out, physically and mentally. If you think about it, this makes the most sense: our bodies are in fight or flight mode. So the best tactic is to punch a bag or run! I admit, it’s a temporary fix. When I’m running, sprinting, or hiking up that 15.0 incline, I feel great. But when I put my coat on and drive home, I’m back in my head, stressing out about whatever the current life issue is.
So you may ask,”Did it really make you feel better?” Yes. It did. And it made my body feel better because it used up the cortisol and adrenaline that was being pumped out before I got to the gym. It’s worth it.
Cravings can be your health’s worst enemy when stressed. I crave carbs like sourdough bread, cake, and sugar. Our bodies naturally crave carbohydrates when stressed because they boost our serotonin, which calms us down. The bad part is that our body is already full of released sugar because it’s in fight or flight mode. So we eat a cake donut, and add more sugar to our bloodstream. If we don’t use it up by exercising or playing, it turns into fat.
Healthy Foods help our bodies find homeostasis more quickly. They get us back to feeling energized, happy, and relaxed. They fight adrenal fatigue. (Your adrenals release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.) When we have exhausted our bodies, eating foods that de-stress us is vital. The Thrive program has these three great videos and handouts to make it easy to deal with stress in a healthy way.
My favorite healthy de-stressing snacks are VegaOne Smoothies, Chia Seed Pudding, and apples or bananas and almond butter. They all tastes like dessert, but they’re healthy. Yay for healthy carbs!
How do you deal with stress? What are your negative and positive reactions to it? What do you crave when your stressed?
Making A Lifestyle You think it’s a diet. You think it’s a cleanse. You think it’s not eating carbs. You think wrong. Health is a lifestyle. It’s a complete way of living. Health is from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed and the hours in between. It’s a 24/7 practice. It’s eating, drinking, breathing, and heart-beating. You can eat whatever you want, you can workout whenever you want, and you can socialize in any way. A healthy lifestyle means doing those things with health in mind.
I eat cookies, pizza, sushi, cake, brownies, and dark chocolate. I take days off from working out. I sit in my pajamas all day on sunday and watch tv. I eat chinese food once a week. Does this sound healthy? Not at all! Here is a health-ifying breakdown:
I eat organic cookies I either bake at home, or buy in small portions.
I eat organic vegan pizzas that are single-serving, or made from home on a pita.
I go to sushi once a month or less.
If I eat cake, it’s a mug cake that I make in the microwave. Again, single serving.
Same goes for brownies. (Why have a huge pan sitting around to devour?)
Dark chocolate is afforded to one small square a day, or in the form of Raw Cacao powder to make hot cocoa or chocolate milk.
Rest days are essential to rebuild and recover. Taking an extra one is always okay.
My chinese food is made from Gardein Mandarin Chick’n and Quinoa.
Sunday is a rest day, so I’m allowed to do what the hell I want!
Have Your Cake and Eat It Too You see? You can have all those things if you just healthify them! I have a major sweet tooth. I am a fat kid in a health nut’s body. I love my sweets, but I always keep health in mind when eating them. If I go overboard, I’ll be sure to make up for it in the gym. Aim for balance.
Your life is important. Your vitality, wellness, vigor, energy, and spirit is important. You deserve the best because you are the best.
I may indulge in all those things, but guess what? It’s OKAY. I’m healthy and you can be too.
Find time, at least an hour a day, to devote to moving. If you can’t get to a gym, do some body exercises during one of your TV shows. Squats, Push-ups, Dips, Mountain Climbers. Those four things will shape you up just fine. They will get your body, digestion, and metabolism moving more efficiently.
I know it’s hard to change your frame of mind. Change is a frightening thing. But if you don’t change how you look at losing weight and gaining health today, then you won’t ever get there. You will continue the same behavioral patterns and end up where you started, or worse, heavier and sicker.
If you need any help, just ask. My mission is to fight obesity and that starts with one person at at time.
If being overweight isn’t your healthy lifestyle issue, what is? Tell me below and inspire the next blog. Thanks for reading.
Let go. Let go of your past. Let go of your anger. Let go of your anxiety. Let your worries float free.
You’ve got to let go to move on. The reason we fail in life is because we are holding onto something that is bringing us down. Would you stay tied to an anchor if it was drowning you?
If you don’t let go of something that is taking up your life, you won’t have room for anything fresh and new.
Cravings, emotions, and attachments can anchor you to that sugary donut, white bread, and want to eat. A love lost, death, departure, and uncertainty can anchor you to not want to eat.
They are making you depressed and pushing you further down into the deep, dark ocean of emotion where you can’t breathe. The past life you lived, the habits that consumed you, and the present issues that are circling in your brain are keeping your mind and body from becoming healthy.
Personal Tidbit. The idea of a perfect body has always been the anchor drowning my ability to have ultimate wellness. The obsession started around age 14 when we all go through that awkward pubescent stage of life. I was in a very rough patch. My parents were going through a divorce that was going on 4 years, I didn’t have a place to call home, and I needed control. The only thing I could control was my diet. I decided I didn’t like everything I was forced to endure, so I stopped the one thing I could: eating.
After many years of nutrition courses, vegetarianism, veganism, and health-nuttiness, I still have issues of wanting the perfect level of health, the perfect body (which is constantly changing), and the perfect life. It’s not healthy, and I try to break this obsession with more health.
My way of dealing and coping with it is to eat the utmost perfect diet: organic, low-fat, full of antioxidants, plant-based, etc. And to be a personal trainer: obligated to having a muscular physique, toned abs, and perfect skin. I’m working on accepting the body I have and letting go of the perfect anchor.
We all have our own issues we need to let go. I have mine, you have yours. But we can’t let them destroy us. We can’t let them drown us.
We must choose to let go of them. It’s no easy feat. It may be a lifelong battle. All we can do is work on letting go: one day at a time, one emotion, one memory, one loss, just one at a time. We can do rituals to make ourselves well, like yoga, meditation, and self-love. We can take medications to block out those obsessive thoughts, but that won’t make our body any healthier. In the end, we must realize, breakthrough, and let go. Untie yourself from the anchor drowning you.
I’m going to make it. I’m putting all my eggs in this Empire City and it better hatch a golden goose! Right now, I’m striving to find an apartment that accepts a young up-and-coming woman and her dog, and boy is it hard. It was easier to send cover letters and resumes throughout the city and get a positive response. This apartment search is stressing me out beyond belief. And running it off is not working this time.
My daddy always says, “All you need is a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your belly.” Once you’ve got those, everything else will fall into place. Well, Dad, this roof over my head part is stumping me right now!
Making it. Making it. Are you making it? What is your goal in life? What do you want to become? What legend do you want to leave behind? Are you sitting there idly by, not achieving your greatest dreams? Get honest with yourself. If you’re not growing and learning, you are wasting away. Get up. Get out. Go build your Rome.
Maybe you want a great family.
Maybe you want an amazing career.
I want to dominate the health industry with my passion for fitness, health, and happiness. I write here because I want to share a source of facts about health, so you don’t have to weed through all the bullshit on the web. So many websites and shows (Dr.Oz) just try and sell you on something. And after all is said and done, it’s not true one bit. Those statements and claims have not been evaluated, and you’re stuck spending money on something that isn’t making you any thinner, fitter, or healthier.
Your thoughts are what you become. So if you think you are a fat, dumb, loser, then you are. Change that. Think positive. Tell yourself each day, “I am fit. I am happy. I am healthy.” And you will become that. Don’t say, “I want.” Say, “I am. I will.”
It is your choices that give you the life you live. You decided to eat those 6 cupcakes. You decided to waste away a few years in your parents’ basement. You decided to dedicate your life to vanity. It’s all you. You do it to yourself.
And if you’re not working your damn ass off each minute thinking, planning, writing, drawing- whatever it is, you are diminishing your chance of getting that.
Seriously, what is life if you’re not living it? Right now, I’m working to get into New York City, to land some important interviews, and start making a name for myself. I want people to know my name, know who I am, and exactly how hard I will kick their life into healthy shape.
Do you have passion? Do you have drive? Are you channeling your aggression into the right avenue? Start now. Not later. Not tomorrow. NOW!
I know what it feels like to be wanting more, needing more, and wasting time. I know the feeling of depression due to lack of success. I knew all along (and you probably do too) that underneath my laziness, my excuses, my pooch, I have what it takes to be the greatest. Dig deep. Find your drive. Dig deep. Commit and succeed. Do your best and forget the rest. Just fucking wake up and do it already!
As a personal trainer and lifestyle coach, I have to deal with a lot of set backs. We’re human. We fail. We get back up and try again. This post is about going for your ultimate goal and not letting anything stand in your way. You need to build your Rome, no matter what bridges you must cross or burn. Whatever your Rome may be: losing weight, winning a show, landing a big job, getting a raise, or publishing a novel; You can do it.
Now, of course not everything works out. Let’s not fill ourselves with false hope. Let’s fill ourselves with real commitment, dedication, and control. Challenge yourself to go beyond that tiny comfort zone and do something different. Try something new. If your blueprint for Rome isn’t working, draw up a new plan.
This is not as easy as it seems. As I write this to you, I write this to myself as well. I’m working on my very own Rome, and it is one hell of a project. Life isn’t easy, but when it comes down to making huge decisions, you have to remember the end goal.
When you remember your finished project, you’ll be able to make the right choices to build it. Put things into perspective. It’s easy to lose perspective. It’s not simple to step outside of your current life and analyze it as if it were a picture in a frame. Pick out the “what’s wrong with this picture” parts. Remember that game? Two pictures side by side. One has 15 things wrong in it. Draw up your life in your mind. Pick out those upside down hats, backwards faces, and torn shirts. Get them out of there. Re-arrange your picture so that it’s pretty and organized.
It may hurt a bit. It may hurt a lot. Actually let’s be honest…Emotionally, physically, and mentally, it will hurt. No pain, no gain, right?
No matter what you are doing remember this:
Commit
Commit yourself to your Rome. Make a plan of action and follow through the steps. If you have a setback, realign and forge ahead.
Control
Have control of yourself. Use your will power. Control each situation so that it is the best to build your Rome.
Challenge
This is the difficult one. You must challenge your current life, thoughts, emotions, and physical being to be something better, different, and successful. To challenge yourself means tackling that thing you fear. It’s hard, but it’s worth it.
Credit to Dr. Sal Maddi for teaching me the laws of hardiness and the 3 C’s.
As I was watching Biggest Loser last night, seeing the morbidly obese contestants step onto the scale, it makes me think. It makes me angry. It makes me sad. And wonder:
How could they do this to themselves? How could they not see what was happening to their bodies? Did they care? Do they want to live a long life? Are they happy? After gaining 10lbs, how come they didn’t stop? 20lbs? 50lbs? How come they didn’t see what it was doing to their bodies, lives, and esteem? What was going through their head as they chugged that soda, munched that cheeseburger, downed that milkshake, or ate all that food? How did they feel after sitting on their ass, day after day, after day? Did they own a scale? Did anyone tell them to change? Did anyone try to help them? Why? Why not?
As a fitness trainer, and self-obsessed body improving perfectionist, I notice every tiny change. I notice a dimple, a wrinkle, a jiggle, a heavy feeling, a light feeling, a sad feeling…I notice every tiny little thing, unless of course it’s positive. So when I improve, it takes me weeks to see. At least 8-12 weeks before I notice a tighter muscle. A smaller tummy. A cheekbone. A change for the better. Some may call it body-dysmorphic disorder. I just call it perfectionism. I always believe we can be better.Stronger. Faster. Tighter.
That doesn’t mean I skip sushi or pizza. That doesn’t mean I don’t accidentally eat 12 cookies in 10 minutes. That doesn’t mean I am perfect in diet and fitness. But I make attempts. Very strong, embedded mentally, attempts. I read labels. Every label. I count calories (mentally). I eat slowly. I don’t party. I eat/use organic products. I lift heavy. I run hard. And I move often. I constantly believe in improvement. I want to learn something new every day. I want to be inspired. I try.
What goes through your head? How did you get there? Did you notice the negatives or the positives? What makes you tick? What makes you stop? What makes you give up, lie down, and roll over? What makes you crawl into a hole? What makes you pop out of bed with enthusiasm? When you find these things out, you’ll be able to better yourself. You’ll be able to become that girl/guy you’ve always wanted.
You’re overweight because of something in your head, not your body. Your body can work. It can lift. It can lose weight. Even if you have an injury, you can work through it. You can work past it. Eat less if you move less. Eat more if you move more. Make your body work for you. But this means getting your head in the right place. It has to be dedicated. It has to be determined. It has to be for you because of you. You can’t depend on anyone else, or anything else to give you the body you want. Your workout buddy can’t make it? So what. Workout at home. Stop making excuses. And figure out what you really want. You already know. So just be honest with yourself. Tell the truth. Stop living in an illusion. And wake up. It’s going to be scary. It’s going to be saddening. But you know what? It’s going to change you for the better, forever.
Through our mental, physical, and life journeys, we get down on ourselves. No matter what you are doing, just know in the back of your mind:
You are enough.
You are worth it.
You are beautiful.
You are strong.
You can do it.
You need to take time to rest on your journey, find peace with your inner self, and get your mind straight. Put aside all that food noise, those body image issues, the voice that says you can’t do it, and the childhood that is holding you back. Put everything down and FOCUS on yourself. Take the 4 minutes of this song. Close your eyes. And know that you are enough. You can do anything you put your mind to. So give it some peace and quiet, settle down everything else, and find your center. Find your equilibrium. Tell all those voices to shut up, and just FOCUS.
Truth is, the best time I focus is when I’m running hard, cycling fast, pushing that heavy weight up, or pulling my body past that bar. I focus, tell myself I am strong enough, fast enough, and good enough to do this. And it carries over to every part of life.
No matter what journey(s) you are on, whether it be losing weight, learning how to eat clean, trying to have a baby, trying to start a new career, planning a big move, or just making it through the work week – Find your focus. Give yourself a break. And center your mind.
It takes the smallest word, picture, film, or person to inspire someone to do something great. I dream of being that inspiration for you. It makes me ecstatic to know that I inspired someone to do one thing healthier, pick up a new health food, or even eat a vegetarian meal. Something that has inspired me lately is the Thrive Forward program, which I wrote about here.
I look at plenty of other health, fitness, and wellness sites and find that the personal weight loss stories get the most views. The front page is usually a set of before, during, and after photos of the girl and the website is full of how she lost the weight. People want to know exactly how the person did it: What did they eat? How did they exercise? What supplement did they take? Did they use a weight loss pill, green coffee bean, or ketones? Did they lift weights or do cardio?
That reminds me. People always think that weight lifting and cardio have to be different. They can’t be in the same move or exercise…yet they can! For example, Kettle Bell workouts are weight lifting/strength training and great cardio. You build muscle and get your heart rate to skyrocket. Don’t get stuck wondering if you should be lifting weights or running. Combine moves, use multiple muscle groups, and stay at a medium-fast pace. For example, hold weights and do a squat+ shoulder press. Do them quickly for your high heart rate, and use a heavy weight for the strength. Hint: The higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn, the more weight you lose.
Sculpt
It’s great that people visit these sites and want to know these stories. But I must tell you some truth: What worked for that girl, may not work for you. Any new lower-calorie diet and exercise is going to make you lose weight, but sustainability is what you should be focusing on. What is going to work for you for the rest of your life? What is a type of exercise you love that feels like play?
Kick Ass
Personally, I love working out…except most of the time I hate running! I know, I know, a trainer who hates running?! But that doesn’t mean I don’t love dancing, kickboxing, cycling, or any other type of heart-racing activity. I don’t enjoy pounding the pavement or treadmill unless I’m racing someone, doing it for a good cause (Fundraising), or if I’m super stressed (Fight or Flight, right?). If I’m stressed out, angry, or sad- I’ll be glad to sprint on a treadmill for an hour. But most of the time I’m happy, humble, and carefree, and I enjoy doing other sorts of exercises…
Dance Like No One Is Watching
It’s okay if you hate something, you don’t have to be obligated to doing that thing. As a Personal Trainer I find out what you love to do, and cater your exercise around that. If you want a personalized workout, contact me. 🙂 I’d be happy to help you! First timers are always free.
Find Peace
My goal is to inspire you, so let me know what you want to see. Do you want to see personal stories? My workouts? My daily food? (I post a lot of that on Twitter!) Tell me if you’d like some help. Don’t be shy. I won’t judge you.
Nixie Dee 