My why...the two things I want to do rest of my life

The Walt Disney World Workout

I was 33 years old the first time I stepped foot into the Magic Kingdom, but inside (and truthfully outside) I was a boy of 7.  It was a city, no a universe, that was bubbled into our world.  It was something completely perfect and magical...

I know you did not tune to hear me recant my childhood dream lived out as an adult, but there is a point here and it relates to your fitness.  While, yes, you will walk nearly 47 miles in a day around the park, you are also going to consume a gazillion calories.  Why, because your internal 7 year old is making all the decisions.  So this blog is not about a step to calorie ratio at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Walt Disney World does something better than any other park in the world, they make you believe in the impossible.  It happens on every ride, with every show, with every "Character" strategically placed.  The entire design of this World unlike any other world is to make you believe.

And believe you do...

If you are like me, and some of you are, it is not the want to change that is your obstacle.  It is the belief that what is impossible is possible.   Most of us don't have physical limitations that hold us back from our own personal Magic Kingdom of success.

I think our greater struggle is we live with a mental belief of the traveling carnival that comes to town.  While yes it is fun, you always walk away questioning the safety of the ride and criminal background of the guy controlling it.  There is no magic in the carnival, just some kid through up on the tilt-a-whirl and teenager kids making out on the Ferris wheel.  And 2 days later it packs up and moves on to another town.

Here are three tips to making your fitness a little more "magical":

1.  Clear all trash.
  Disney works hard to make sure every person who walks through the park has the same experience.  No trash in the park, bathrooms clean, no gum stuck on fence posts. No matter your role from a person checking tickets to the CEO, if you see trash, you pick up. Why?  To make it magical everytime.

When you approach your fitness, clear all the trash.   Take out the mental obstacles that you build up in your mind.  Take out the garbage about how you "can't".  Clean up all the "I'll nevers".

2. Stories
You don't just wait in line for a ride at Disney.  You wait in a moving storybook.  Every line for every ride prepares you by telling you a story about the ride.  The ride is set up by every section of the line, it is all part of the story being told.

Your journey is a story, not a destination.  With every step, every workout you are writing your own story.  While the line to the ride may feel long, there are important pieces to your story being written.  Don't try to skip to the end.

3. Shh...It's not really magic
The magic of Disney is hard work and ingenuity.  Ask anyone who has worked for the company and they will tell you that it was the hardest work they have ever done, yet the most rewarding.

Health and fitness is not magic.  There is no magic pill or shake or sprinkle of Pixie Dust for your food.  It is still hard work.  The results look like magic as you make a part of you disappear, but you and I will both know how you got there -  hard work, sweat, positive attitude and maybe just a little magic!

Walt Disney World makes us all feel like kids and the one thing a kid does better than any adult is dream big dreams and believe for the impossible!

What is your Disney experience and how has it helped you?

You'd Think I'd Know By Now

The number 1 lesson in health and fitness is this "you cannot out exercise a poor diet."

I know this, I have taught others this and I have experienced it's truth -- on both sides of the success scale.

So you think I would have perfected this lesson.  You would think that I would not struggle with this.

Where I don't struggle is exercise.   I have no issue lacing up the sneaks for a 5 mile run, pushing play on Insanity or Focus T25.  Exercise is not the issue...food at times is.  I at times playfully play this off that there is a 10 year old inner fat kid that wants to be fed who lives inside me.  While just a joke there is some truth to this thought.  Here is why I am maybe you struggle this nutritional lesson:

1) I eat my feelings

Food has been and at times is my coping mechanism.  Stress enters my life and so does pizza, Oreos and any carbohydrate within arms reach.  Remember that 10 year old boy I said lives inside, he comes to life when my stress levels rise.  Stress sends a flight or fight survival response to our brain, so my survival skill is to load up on food like a bear going into hybernation.

2) I didn't know

While not true now, this has been a reason for a long time.  Simply, I did not know what a correct portion looked like.  As Americans, our sense of portions are way out of whack. Bigger has always been better!  If you go out for a meal,what you are getting most times is the equivalent to 2 to 3 meals.

A second piece to the portion puzzle is a balance of nutrition.  The what I eat was out balance between proteins, carbohydrates, veggies, fruits and good fats.  One of the tools that really brought this to light was the 21 Day Fix.  This is a program that has really helped me understand balance and portion control.  (Now just to put it into practice consistently).

3) Feeling Left Out

Food is a social commodity.  We gather, we eat and eat some more.  It is hard to be the outsider who ate a salad before attending an event.  Food is placed before us at nearly every social event I would attend.  Bagels at church, cookies at the school function, hot dogs at a cookout.  It is a difficult decision to stare down a Snickerdoodle and turn the other way.  Plus, food and beverages actually tend to make us more comfortable in social situations.

How do I respond?

As REO Speedwagon sang, "I can't fight this feeling anymore."  I have to learn better response to my stress.  I am a novice runner, but find that getting away and hitting the pavement with music pulsing in my ears is one way to be the stress.  If you are like me, you will have to find a way to battle fat kid inside that wants to emotionally eat.  You have to be stronger.  You have to find alternatives and healthier ways to deal with stress and emotions.

Measure.  I know it sounds annoying, but it will get easier with time.  I measure my portions.  Plus, I only take what I am going to eat.  So when I pack a lunch, I only take exactly what I am eating.  Don't leave it to guess work.  Secondly, our family does best when meals are planned.  Plus, then I have an answer to that one single question I will be asked til I have an answer "What's for dinner?"  Taking the guess work out will keep you from snacking before a meal.

This is the tough one.  It requires you to be weird.  It requires you to say no.  It requires you to push against the norm.  If dining out decide on a healthy options and stick to your guns.  If you can order first.  Studies have shown that the rest of the group is more likely to change their mind based on what the first person ordered.  Say no.  You might feel like you are being offensive, but you have goals and a plan.  You can say no with a smile!  That softens the blow.

Who do you win the battle of eating to match your fitness?  Post your comments below.

The Lie the Church Told Me

Read this post at Pitts Fitness new page

I grew up in little small churches.  By small it means I was related to over half the congregation.  There was an expression that was tossed around like the horseshoes at a church picnic, "I am just fat and happy."  With that expression we would chew on another piece of fried chicken chased down by some cobbler and homemade ice cream.  All in the name of fellowship!

I understand the psychology of food and beverage and the comfort it allows and community it creates.  I also understand the greater mission of the church of reaching lost people.  I am not criticizing the method.  I am sure a scoop of ice cream helped melt the hearts of many.

My rub is with the above expression and held belief by so many in the church - "fat and happy".  That might be one of those ironic statements like "jumbo shrimp" that are cute quips, but don't make a whole lot of sense.  Here is my challenge, if we are to spend our lives spreading the good news of the gospel why would we intentionally sabotage the longevity of our mission with self induced sickness.

Obesity has been linked to over 70 diseases faced in the United States.  Which means that many of the illness that we face are completely preventable.  The CDC reports that obesity has been linked to reduced worker productivity and chronic absence from work.

So here is my logical right brain that floods in like a chocolate fountain past my creative left brain -- if we lived healthier physically as followers of Christ we could 1) live longer lives, therefore giving us a more time on this Earth to love people to Christ; 2) I believe (and just opinion) show a better example of our faith.  Let's face it, we say not to judge a book by it's cover, but people look at the cover long before they read the pages.  This is not a statement on physical beauty as much as it is a statement on appearance and the perception of others. 3) Be more productive with the time we are given.

Here are the benefits of exercise as it relates to our faith.  One exercise makes you feel better.  The God of the universe designed your body so that as you exercise a chemical is released in your brain to make you feel accomplished and happy.  Often referred to as a "runners high".  We got drugs in our body God put there.  We just have to sweat a little to experience that euphoric feeling of happiness. Why would you not want the feeling?

Two, exercise is a community thing.  Fitness is often done in groups and in church we love our groups - small groups, large groups, mom's groups, men's groups, singles groups - we typically have a group for it.  Fitness can be a and should community based event that brings people together.

Third, living a physically healthy life affects you inside and out.  Oftentimes, a negative self image or self perception is derived from outward physical appearance.  One of the emotional byproducts of weight loss is self confidence.  It may be a reach, but people who are more comfortable and confident seem to me to be more fulfilled.  They seem willing to tackle task, step into their gifts and callings placed on them by God.  Maybe it's just me but what if exercise cause people to exercise their gifts?

Andy Stanley in a leadership podcast addressed health and fitness to his audience this way "you can either tell your family 'I am going to take care of me now or you can tell your family you are going to take care of me later.'"

Remember those small churches I grew up in, well there was a traveling minister who sang and preached.  While the individual will remain nameless his ministry brand was build around his obesity, it was right there in the name.  As he sang for 30 to 40 minutes then preached for another 40 he sweated profusely.  At times he seemed to struggle to have enough air and I feared he was going to have a heart attack right there on stage.  (It was a Pentecostal church, we would just laid hands on him and pray for his resurrection).  But mostly it saddened me.  I believe his heart was in the right place but eventually his body was not going to be able to keep up.

The cause of Christ is great.  We would not send a soldier into battle without making sure they were fit to fight.  So why then as soldiers in God's army is it okay to not be physically ready for the cause?  I am not so sure God's design is for us to be "fat and happy" I guess that was just the lie the church told me.

I would love to hear your comments below.

* (the asterisk)

In the annals of sports history are *s.

They wanted to put one next to Roger Maris' 61 homeruns.

I would like to put one next to Barry Bonds 762 (for obvious reasons).

The asterisk is used to indicate that the record is somehow tainted by circumstance.  That something about that record is invalid or corrupt. (Hence my disdain for Barry Bonds 762 home runs).

I think in our journeys we place an asterisk by a lot of things.

"Well that one pound was just water weight." *
"It's easy to lose weight the first week."*
"It is only a few pounds." *

I think we are the biggest asteriskers of ourselves.  Instead of celebrating our successes, we find ways to discredit them.  Instead of recognizing ourselves for staying disciplined with our nutrition and fitness, we somehow consider our results tainted.

If you have lost 1 pound this week or 5 pounds this week and have done it the right way (fitness + nutrition), then celebrate that.  Don't hang an * on it with some lame excuse.  Feel good about the work you put in.  Raise your hands victorious like an Olympic champion (who tested negative for Perfomance Enhancing Drugs).

Don't * you results in the record of your success.  Whatever level of success you achieved you deserve it!

A Standing Ovation

I wanted to share a simple lesson I learned yesterday at a middle school honors band concert.  Sidebar: Despite all my athletic prowess, I am a band dad.

There were three bands, one for each grade and it was the 8th grade band director that did something that caught my attention.  The previous two bands stood up after their final of 5 pieces, took a bow and sat back down.  With each of the previous bands the audience stood and celebrated these fine young people.

But the director of the 8th grade band did something different.  After the very first piece he had the entire band stand.  As they stood, the polite applause grew to an ovation.

Then the band sat back down, played their next piece and exact same thing.  The band rose and as they rose so did the ovation.

While not an entirely new phenomena I took something away for you and me.  Each time the band rose, so did the applause.  With the rising applause so did the confidence of the band.  With rising confidence came a better performance by these young musicians.  And by the end of the 5 musical selections a standing ovation was in order!

I realize as we workout, run, exercise, eat healthy and make good choices that there is not an audience of proud parents and grandparents standing there cheering you on to eat your broccoli or finish your burpees.  But what if we imagined there was.  What if at the end of that sweaty push up filled workout when we pulled our hotself of mess off the floor we heard applause?  What if as you finished that last 100 yards of a run in weather that the mailman even refuses to deliver in you raised your hands as if finishing the Boston Marathon in front of thousands of people?  Maybe they are not there, but what if you imagined them there.  In your head heard them cheering you on.

What I have learned in my short time with my own fitness and helping others is that the body is ready to give more, it is our minds that get in the way.  The applause even if just imaginary frees you up to push past the mental barrier that is truly far short of your limits.

It is a thankless job getting healthy and fit, but one that should be celebrated.  Even if your audience in imaginary, I honestly believe the principle holds true.  That with each time your hear the applause your confidence grows.  Each time your confidence grows you perform better.  And with better performance comes better results.

So for you, here is your STANDING OVATION!!!

I Can Only Imagine

"If you can dream it, you can do it."

Walt Disney

A golfer will visualize there shot before hitting it.  A shooter in his mind has already made the free throw before it ever leaves his hand.  Award winning actors have rehearsed their winning speech hundreds of times before the movie was ever shot.  

That is the power and the fuel that comes with imagination.  The first steps toward success - in health and fitness, in business, in sports, really in any avenue of life - starts with the ability to believe you will be successful.

I have been given the gift of imagination.  I am creative.  I am one of those people that have unfiltered ideas of grandeur. My left handed self thrives in these moments.  I have written #1 songs.  I have penned the screenplay for the next Oscar Award winning movie.  I at one point starred in 13 straight All-Star Games and finally brought the World Series back to the Chicago Cubs.  (I told you I had a big imagination.)

So it leaves you asking, "Jeff, why have you not ..."

That answer is simple.  The power of the imagination gives the dream.  The athlete, artist or person has to believe in it.  They have to sell out to that dream.  It is one thing to see the impossible happening for a brief moment.  It is an entirely another to continue to see that dream as a reality despite set back, despite obstacle, despite failure.  

There is a story of Walt Disney's brother, Roy at the opening of Walt Disney World.  Prior to the opening Walt had passed away.  A guest at that grand opening said to Roy "what a shame Walt was not here to see it."  Roy's response "He already had."  The only way the Happiest Place On Earth ever came into existence was because one man in plane ride over some swamp land in Orlando, FL saw something that did not already exist.  And then pursued that something passion, fervor and tenacity.  

For me, it is not a problem to see swampland as the world's greatest amusement park.  I have the imagination for that.  My struggle is taking what I imagine and believing two things:

1) that I am able to bring the dream to reality

and 

2) that there are others who are willing and wanting to share in the dream.

While Walt gets the majority of the credit, others like Roy stood by him.  

So when I fly over the swampland of my life what do I see?  I see a guy with a successful Team Beachbody business impacting 1000's of lives.  I see a guy with the ability to take his family to the Happiest Place on Earth whenever.  I see a guy on a stage in front of thousands sharing a message of hope and change.  

What do you see for your life?  Maybe you imagine yourself 10 pounds lighter.  Maybe you imagine yourself debt free.  Maybe you imagine yourself wildly successful in your giftedness beyond what others believe.  

It is time for you and I to not only imagine,  but to come alive.  

A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive. ~ Roy Disney

Seriously?

Seriously?

Every just start your day feeling that way.  I have a Saturday morning routine.  Get up, grab a banana, make some coffee, drink said coffee.  Today, my 7 year old coffee pot decided it had enough.  Routine ruined, morning ruined.

This got me thinking, how often do we let one set back, one poor food choice, one missed workout ruin our progress.  I am amazed how quickly I can spiral back to poor choices due to one small thing.  It's that thinking "oh, well, I didn't workout anyways.  Might as well eat a dozen cookies."  I hope you are not like me, because that is totally ME!  

Life is full of speed bumps that slow us down, but are not intended to bring us to a stop.  We just roll right over them and move on to the next point.  My hope is that you have kept moving forward past the speed bumps.  Rolled right past and on to bigger things.  

Yet, I also know that the speed bump, in our eyes, become insurmountable.  I heard a great illustration about momentum.  When a train engine is at a complete stop, it only takes a 2 inch peice of wood to that train at bay.  The difference of momentum is that when that train is rolling at even minimum speeds, that wood is no match for the train.  

The coffee pot is just a Saturday morning speed bump.  Don't let a little thing keep you from your goals!

Good Saturday Morning (even without coffee)

The Measure of Success

We have all stood there.  We put in a great week of work.  We watched and tracked what we ate.  And then the scale reads....no change!!!!  This is when we start with the explicatives...

Don't get discouraged.  Let's take a look at what we are truthfully measuring as success.  While most of us have a number we want to see on the scale, our goal should be more about living a healthy and fit life.  Still, you want to see the numbers move.  But when they don't, lets look at the what else we can measure to see if we are being successful.

- Body Measurements
We have all seen the picture of 1 pound of fat versus 1 pound of muscle.   So I won't re-post that viral image.  But measuring your body let's you know where the change is happening.  So when the scale doesn't move, take a look at where you are losing.

Measure these areas: chest, waist, arms, legs, hips and neck.  Compare those numbers and look to see where change is happening.  I recommend measuring every two weeks.

- Clothing Test
This is simple enough, how are those clothes fitting?  Are you noticing a difference?  In honestly, we all have those "skinny" pants hanging in the closest.  Check and see how those are fitting.

-Before and Afters
We look in the mirror everyday.  We see ourselves everyday.  There is an incredible visual evidence in comparing side by side pictures of yourself.  These are best done either every 2 weeks or every month.  Take front poses, profile poses, back poses, and one where you flex those guns!

-The "DANG" wat cho been doin' effect
 Sometimes other people take notice when we don't.  So take the compliment and share what you have done to reach those amazing results!

So when the scale is not going the right way, measure these other areas to find success!

Focus T25 Review

Beachbody, the world leader in home fitness, took it to a whole new level!  As a Insanity grad, I was anxious to try Shaun T's new program Focus T25.  While I loved, loved Insanity, that second month of workouts lasting up to an hour were physically demanding and tough to always squeeze into life.

So what excited me most about Focus T25 is that workouts were just 25 minutes, 5 days a week.  Fridays on the calendar are double workout days.  You can, if desired, move the second workout to Saturday and take just one rest day, instead of 2.  Included and to be used on the rest days is a 25 minute stretch video which will improve flexibility and stretching.

Now admittedly, I was a skeptic that just 25 minutes would deliver the results, but I know Beachbody does everything with excellence and would not put out a product that did not deliver the results.  And Focus T25 DID JUST THAT!

Here are my 10 week before and after photos.  I lost around 6 pounds but the proof is in the pudding, my body was totally transformed. I finally saw some abs show up.  My arms no longer looked like spaghetti and my overall shape was better than when I was 16 years old. In full disclosure, I was running on Sundays as well.  The weather was just too nice not to run.  

Why do I love it?  25 minutes, 5 days a week and results like this!  What's not to love?

The first 5 weeks is the ALPHA phase.  This is a building phase.  Workouts build on themselves, no equipment required and the bonus is the modifier.  A modifier is a person demonstrating a lower impact way to do the exercise and still get great results.  I saw a lot of fat loss during this first 5 weeks. 

The second phase is BETA.  BETA builds on ALPHA.  Some of the same exercises are carried over, now with increased intensity. Additionally, this phase will require some equipment either the resistance band included or dumbbells.  What I saw in this phase was increase muscle building, especially in the upper body.  

Here are the workouts included:

Your FOCUS T25 program includes:

ALPHA Cycle 25-Minute Workouts:

• Cardio. 25 minutes of calorie-burning, sweat-drenching cardio.
• Speed 1.0. Ignite your quickness. Burn the fat. Fast-paced for fast results.
• Total Body Circuit. Focus on strength and resistance—without lifting a single weight.
• Ab Intervals. Cardio and ab intervals that shred the fat from your midsection.
• Lower Focus. Focus on your lower-body muscles—the key to burning fat and kicking up your metabolism.

BETA Cycle 25-Minute Workouts:

• Core Cardio. Get your sweat on! This progressive cardio-core workout is about you getting shredded fast.
• Speed 2.0. Rev it up with Shaun's calorie-scorching, core-focused speed drills.
• Rip't Circuit. Cardio … upper body … legs … abs ... repeat! This is how you get ripped in 25 minutes.
• Dynamic Core. You'll go from vertical to horizontal and back again in this dynamic, crazy core routine.
• Upper Focus. Shaun will help you develop the upper body of your dreams. All you have to do is FOCUS.

Plus T25 Nutrition guide:

Meals are quick and easy to fix with just 5 ingredients in most meals!

Beachbody has an upgrade third phase called GAMMA.  GAMMA steps up the game one more level for increased results! 

This is perfect workout for everyone, even those just starting out on their health and fitness journey.  When put together with Shakeology you will get the results you desire!  

Are you ready to focus?

New Years 2014!

Happy New Year!

As you awake this morning, it is a morning like any other, but then again it's not.  Today is New Years Day.  A day of fresh starts, clean slates and declaring what you will accomplish in the next 365 days.  So here are my 3 resolutions for 2014:

1) Be an encourager of others dreams.  
- Zig Ziglar says if you help enough people get where they are going, they will help you get where you're going.

2) Become a goal getter, not just a goal setter.  
- I am setting goals, dates, and putting together plans.

3) Become healthy on the inside, not just the outside.
- What is inside of us will spill out to the outside.  No amount of diet and exercise will heal hurts and help souls.

These are my resolutions for the New Year, what are yours?

Here's to a amazing and blessed 2014!

A YUGO of a Ferrari

I dogged it this morning...

Not proud of that, but it's the truth.  Here's why:

I believe that we have the capabilities to find the physical fitness of a Ferrari.  A Ferrari is a high powered, sleekly curved, sexy machine.

Truth be told, I have treat myself a little more like a YUGO with all it's economical, boxy shaped, 3 cylinder, top speed of 40mph styling.  There are drive-through bags on my floor board.  It is way past having any kind of maintenance done.  And I feed it whatever I can find.

And this morning I felt it.  

At the starting line of my daily workout when I stepped on the gas to push through,  I got what I put into my body, a sluggish, slow result.  

In order to operate physically as a Ferrari, instead of YUGO, you have got to fuel your body like a Ferrari.  This means fueling up on whole foods, plenty of H2 and the O.  This means knowing the difference between treating yourself and going full on buffet on holiday dinner.

Lesson learned...

Do you feel the difference in your workouts when you eat clean?

I was made for this!

Some people call it revelation.  Some call it an epiphany.  Some call it the light bulb coming on.  Whatever you call it, there is a moment when it happens.  A moment when the stars all align, the tide is just right and the man in the moon is talking in his sleep.  It is the moment you say "I was made for this."

I believe we all have a "calling" and a "purpose" in life.  There is a specific thing that we are gifted to do that if it goes undone it won't get done, at least not in the way it meant for you to accomplish.  There is no prescription on how to discover this.  Most of it comes via trial and error, and at that mostly error.

Thomas Edison attempted to create the incandescent light bulb over 10,000 times.  When asked about it, Edison said "I have not failed.  I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work."  Your life is no different.  It is not a waste to try something and fail.  You have just found something that was not your purpose.  The failure comes when we quit searching and trying.

Once peculiar piece to this mystery of discovery is that some things come full circle.  What is incredible is that something that looks like a failed experiment at self discovery often comes back to be a piece to the puzzle of your purpose.  Experience is the grand teacher.  It teaches us often what we are not, it also teaches us what are meant to be.  Experience also bookmarks moments in life that we build on.  These moments of seeming failed trials and grand errors can lead us down the path of purpose.  That moment when you say "I was made for this."

#livewithhope

Chachachanges...3 questions to ask

Let's face it NO ONE likes change.

At best we tolerate it as a part of life, just like paying taxes, traffic and another Law and Order spinoff.  But change does happens.

As a matter of fact change happens all around us.  If you are a parent you watch it take place daily in your house.  That infant you held snuggly in your arms becomes a pre-pubescent boy with a smart mouth (experience talking).  Change is all around you - the light changes (at least we hope), seasons change, styles change.  Thank God!  I could only wear a mullet for so long!

So at some level we need to quit fighting change and embrace it.  Is it scary?  Yeah, like Nightmare on Elm Street scary, the first one.  Is it hard? Of course.  Is it worth it?  That is the million dollar question.  Most likely if we never see value in making a change, we will never change unless forced to.  We will never quit smoking, start eating healthier, exercise, or move out of your momma's basement without facing change.

Here are a couple questions to ask yourself if the change is worth it:

    1) Is it going to make my life better in the long term?

Is the change that I intend on making going to better my life in the long term?  Weight loss can extend your life, quitting smoking can keep you from cancer and improve the smell of your wardrobe, eliminating negative influences can help you create an atmosphere for long term success - "attitude determine altitude."  What we have to negotiate is whether the short term sacrifice or discomfort of the change is worth the long term result that comes from changing!

    2) Will my choice of change positively or negatively affect my relationship with others?

The answer: likely both.  What you will find is that there are those who are going to celebrate and support your choice.  You will also likely find that there are those that will question your reasoning, criticize your attempts and even try to pull you back into a poor habit.

Yet, what you are more likely to find is that making a positive change will help you create connections with like minded people.  People set on achieving similar life goals.  Your choice to change may actually open up the potential for new relationships.  Who knows Mister or Miss Right might be right at the corner of Choice and Change!

    3) Am I worth it?

This is a question of self value.  So often we stay in poor habits due to our belief that we are undeserving of anything better.  That is just not true!  YOU ARE WORTH IT!  YOU ARE VALUABLE!  Quite possibly the greatest change that has to be made is how you see the image of the person staring back at you in the mirror.  Oftentimes the choice to change is one of belief in yourself.  That is where it has to start!

The greatest change you can make is one of going from unbelief to belief!  You are worth it!

Change is hard, yet so often change is exactly what your life needs!  What changes do you need to embrace?

Do you need a coach?

“Mama wanted me to be a preacher. I told her coachin’ and preachin’ were a lot alike.” ~ Bear Bryant, Famed University of Alabama football coach

To answer the first question we have to answer another question, what is it to coach?  A coach is part inspiration, part motivation, part good cop, part bad cop.  A coach is friend and at times seems like an enemy.  A coach is someone who betters you in specific area and pushes you past the limits you have set for yourself.  

So the second question is "do you need a coach?"  Yes!  

If you "sport" of choice is public speaking, then you need a coach to help you with diction, word choice, pronunciation and delivery.

If you choose business, then motivational leaders like John Maxwell, Seth Godin and Ken Blanchard may coach you from the sideline of your life through books and articles or podcasts.


If you are a culinary artist, then you will find yourself under the tutelage of a master chef who will coach you in the finer ways slicing and sauteeing and saucing.  

Health and fitness or weight loss are no different.  You need a coach to instruct you, encourage you, inspire you, motivate you and keep you focused on the goals you have set.  A coach is someone who has a heart for fitness and a heart to see you succeed.  A coach is someone with a personal story of struggle, success and overcoming.  A coach is someone just like you.  

You need a coach because there will be question you need answers to.  You need a coach because you will hit a plateau and need to know how to break through.  You need a coach because let's face it, getting healthy, weight loss, getting fit is HARD to do on your own.  You need a coach because you have no idea what the heck quinoa!  

I want to be your health and fitness coach.  Whether it is ten pounds or 100 pounds, I want to be here for you.  Whether it's get skinny or getting big, I want to help you through.  Whether it is beating diabetes or just beating down your waistline, I am the guys who wants to help you succeed.  Do you need a coach?  Absolutely!  And I'm want to be that guy!

Macy's, Taylor Swift & Me

Two Christmas ago I took a part time job at Macy's through the holiday.  When you have three kids, the Christmas season is never cheap.  We were a paycheck to paycheck family which makes spending an additional $500 on Christmas tough.

I got placed in Women's Fragrances.  I was that guy handing you a little card spritzed with perfume, trying to get you stop and spend your hard earned money on a luxury item of life.  As a matter of fact, I was asked to focus on Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck line.  So some Sunday afternoons I would be wearing a purple t-shirt with the words Taylor Swift Wonderstruck scripted across the front.  Not a glamorous life, but it was what was necessary to provide for my family.

I would pick up almost any shift.  I would be out of my house and away from my family 3 nights a week after spending 8 hours at my job.  I would give up Saturdays and Sundays missing valuable family time in order to help provide for my kids and my family.  All this to make an extra $500...

Why do I tell this story?  Because last week I through out the Macy's name tag with big block letters that read Jeffrey on it.  Why?  Well, glad you asked.  In the last 3 weeks I have made $500 doing something I love, helping others.  I am a Team Beachbody Coach which means I get the honor to help others reach their health and fitness goals and better yet, get paid to do so.

Here is the win for me.  I don't have to go spend 4 to 5 hours a night in a loud mall coming home smelling like a blend of 20 different women's fragrances.  I don't give up every weekend to make an extra $50.

What I do get in return is the reward of seeing others succeed.  What I do get in return is time for my kids - time to go to concerts, time to coach baseball, time to be present with them.  What I found for myself was a healthier way of life.  I found a renewed sense of self and belief in me as my own health and fitness have improved.  I have grown as a person and am finding a sense of fulfillment!  How many people can say they love their job.  I CAN!!!

While this is just a part time opportunity.  My vision is to make this so much more.  Something that provides long term in the big picture for my family.  My vision is to help hundreds and thousands of people make health changes and find hope.  Do you have a similar vision?

#TEAMHOPEDELIVERED

Focus T25 Review - Alpha Phase

I am a self proclaimed Insaniac.  I got hooked into Beachbody with the high interval training program by Shaun T, Insanity.  Shaun T and the good folks at Beachbody have gone back to the studio with the crazy idea that 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week is all you need to get in the best shape of your life.  Honestly, the skeptic in me came out.  Just 25 minutes a day!!! No way!  But anything that allows me to a few more minutes of sleep in the morning is worth trying.

After just 2 weeks, I can tell this is another world class program from Beachbody!  The key, as Shaun T will reiterate over and over is to Focus.  Each move asks you to focus on a specific area of the body.  As you "focus" you maximize the effectiveness you get from each exercise.  And water breaks...forget a water breaks.  This a non-stop 25 minute sweatfest!

The first 5 weeks is Alpha.  This is the base for what will come in the second 5 weeks, Beta.  There is a third phase which you can add as an upgrade called Gamma which includes some added weight work.  The base kit is just the Alpha and Beta phase, along with a resistance band that is to be used during the Beta phase of the program.  The program is a true 25 minutes with an additional 2-3 minute cool down after the workout!

I look at this as a working man's workout.  One of the most common excuses for not exercising is not having enough time.  This program eliminates that excuse.  In a very short and quick 25 minutes you can get in the workout you need and want!  I am really excited to see my results and will post before and after pics once completed!

After just one week I broke through a plateau and tipped the scales under 170 pounds for the first time since my junior year of high school.  I am stunned at the quick results.

To Shaun T: Thanks for an extra 15 minutes of sleep in the morning!