Real Life Fitness – Getting Fit With Brent

Guess what:  It’s December 27th.  Christmas is over.  We’re all stuffed on all the holidays foods we can stand.  Personally, I’m about sugared out (yes, I’m the first to admit I’ve had WAY too much sugar over the last….month).  But in just 5 days, it is 2012, and everyone is doing the same thing:

New Years Resolutions!

I saw a stat that other day, and I don’t know its validity, but it sounds about right:  65% of Americans make a resolution to lose weight in the new year.  If that stat is true, I’d like to know how many of them stick with it beyond 90 days!  We do know that a majority of people who join a gym for the resolution QUIT during the first 90 days.  That’s a fairly widely known fact.

But 65% start, and many of them are near doomed before they lift the first dumbbell or eat their first thing of yogurt (which if you eat Yoplait yogurt is loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is NOT healthy).  Sounds harsh, but is true.  Why?

-  Most people do not know where to start.
-  Most people do not know what to do.
-  Most people do not know what to eat.
-  Most people do not have the support needed to last 90 days or beyond.

It’s sad.  I’m faced with it too.  There are plenty of people that do not understand why I eat the way I do, why I love to exercise 5-6 days a week, why I subject myself to “painful” or “difficult” programs like P90X (which is neither painful or difficult, but that’s another post for another day).  Fortunately I have a wife who is also a Beachbody Coach with me, just one who is much more slender, prettier, and doesn’t have to fight as hard to lose weight….well, fortunate for her that is!

So how do we structure things to help you succeed?

Enter The Beachbody Challenge…

Now this sounds daunting.  If you are severely overweight, the thought of a “Beachbody” may be a far fetched idea.  Ignore that.  Beachbody is just a company name.

Let’s call this the YOUR body challenge.

What do you want your body to look like?  Realistically, look in the mirror, and decide what you’d want to be shaped different.  Slimmer waist?  Trim upper body (for the guys)?  Sleek curves?  Muscle tone?

You can do all of that.  I’m not promising it happens overnight, but you can do it.  And that is where the Beachbody (i.e. Your) Body Challenge can help.

Here are the basics:

1.  You are going to commit do doing something.  30 days, 60 days, 90 days, whatever, you’re going to commit to a fitness program, good nutrition, etc.

2.  You’re going to be placed into a support group.  5 people max, plus me.  These are your virtual gym buddies.  These are the people that we are all going to lean on, rely on for motivation, celebrate successes with, etc.  You may never meet these people in person, but these people will be there for you.  Remember, they are doing the same thing you are.

3.  You’re going to have all the tools at your disposal:  A fitness program, an eating guide, the highest quality nutritional supplement and meal replacement shake, and support.  Everything you need to meet your goal will be available.

4.  You’re going to promise yourself to not give up.  Don’t make the promise to me.  You don’t know me.  It’s easy for you to give up on a commitment to me.  But, look in the mirror, look at yourself in the mirror, and decide that this is what you want for your life:  A healthier, leaner, happier you.

And this is how you get started:

Visit my Beachbody Challenge Group Pages.  These are all the challenge groups I can possibly run starting January 1st (or slightly there after, giving shipping times).

Find which group you’d like to join.

Order the appropriate pack (if one is required), or if you already have what you need, let me know you want to join.

And then get ready for it!

On a more serious note, I take what I do as an “Independent Team Beachbody Coach” very seriously (and yes, I had to use quotes in that).  As someone who has lost a lot of weight, struggles around Christmas, and then always loses it quickly again, I know the hardest step is sometimes just getting started.  That is what I’m here to help you do:  Get started.

And beyond getting started, its keeping you in the game.  It’s keeping you engaged, excited, motivated through life’s stress and the stuff that gets in the way, and helping you realize that you CAN do this, and that you are 100% WORTH IT!

Now…let’s get started.  Together.

Brent Fitness Tips, Nutrition And Diet beachbody, Beachbody challenge, beachbody challenge group, Brazil Butt Lift, fat loss, insanity, lose weight, new year's resolutions, P90X, rev abs, shaun t, tony horton, Turbo Fire, weight loss

It’s the holidays, which means Christmas is soon coming (as of today, 25 days away!).  So while figuring out presents to get your loved ones, don’t forget about your (or their) fitness needs and things that can give them that extra something they want out of life:  Health, fitness, happiness, etc.

So let’s start with some of my top picks from Beachbody:

1.  P90X2 

The newest workout from Tony Horton.  Pre-Order ends tomorrow (November 30th), and with that you get free shipping.  Even if you cannot order by November 30th, it would still be a great to get your loved one, especially if they are a P90X graduate or just want to improve their athletic performance.

P90X2 will help them feel younger, run faster, jump higher, be more athletic, and “kick the panties off of anyone who tries to get on the court or field” with them (ok, so I shamelessly stole that line from the original P90X Plyo workout, but hey….it will apply here).

P90X2 Base kit is only $119.95.

2.  Beachbody Challenge Packs

This package is a bit more all-inclusive for those who need it all:  A great fitness routine, added nutritional benefit of Shakeology, and support/meal planner through the Team Beachbody Club membership.  To order a package it is real simple:  Go to my Beachbody Challenge site, register for the challenge, and then purchase the package that you want.

Need some suggestions on what to order?  Here’s my opinion (take it or leave it).

If you are a male, I suggest P90X if you like to lift weights, Insanity if you like more cardio based workouts.

If you are a female, I suggest starting with Turbo Fire, unless you like to lift weights and hate the entire peppy cardio scene.  If you like weight lifting, go P90X.  If you rather do cardio but want something grueling, definitely choose Insanity.

If these are a bit “steep” and looking for something, but just something that cost a bit less, there are packages for cheaper.  The Ten Minute Trainer is a great option for those that are always in a hurry.

For the ladies, and I highly recommend this:  If you’re already fairly thin, just want to shed a bit of fat, and really want to work on your booty (think lifted, better shape, much sexier and looks killer in both jeans and a bikini), I cannot more highly suggest the Brazil Butt Lift challenge pack.

What are the advantages to getting a package?

For starters, free shipping.  Put it this way:  If you were to order P90X, shipping is around $13.  Shakelology is another $13.  So there is $26 off there.  The cost of things is also greatly reduced.  Instead of $240 for P90X and Shakology, as an example, it is only $205 + tax (no shipping, remember).  Plus you’ll get the tools you need:  Shakeology on Home Direct, the fitness routine, and 30 days membership to the Beachbody Club.

Plus, you’ll get a chance to win $500 a day just for logging your workouts.

I’ll be starting some focused Challenge groups on January 1-2 range, so be looking for more info there.

3.  Beachbody Gift Cards

Yes, it’s the old cop-out gift.  But what better way to give a gift card than to give one that allows your loved ones, or yourself, to chose what they (you) want to do?  If you are not a mind reader, this is a great option.  You can get them a gift card as low as $25 and all the way up to $500.

To order a git card, you must be at least a free member of Team Beachbody.  Then simply go to order a Gift Card by clicking here or through the Team Beachbody website.

Other Non-Beachbody Gifts

Of course, there are many other gifts you can get them that are non-Beachbody but still contribute to their fitness, or your fitness, depending on who you are buying for, of course.

1.  Primal Blueprint

Hey, I could always use some of my readers going primal with me.  This is a serious great read and will make you question a lot of what people have said is the “right” way to eat to lose weight?  Sound a little out there?  Check out these success stories.

2.  Vibram 5 Fingers

They are trendy, and they are primal-ish.

3.  A good heart rate monitor

Always useful for runners, light cardio junkes, etc.

4.  A Crossfit Membership

Check out Crossfit and find them a box in your area to join.

And, of course, I’m sure there are many, many other things you could get them.  Like a yoga mat.  Or some Select Techs.  Or a massage.  Heck, get yourself a massage and give them a yoga mat!

Enjoy the Christmas gift buying experience, and be safe this holiday season!

Brent Fitness Tips beachbody, Brazil Butt Lift, insanity, P90X, p90x2, primal eating, Turbo Fire

If you have a goal, you have to know how to get there.  This goes for everything in life:  Career, financial, and fitness.  The problem is, too many people simply just “show up” to exercise but there is no clear plan on how to go from point A (where they are now) to point B (where they want to be).

My wife thinks I over think and over plan, and she may be right.  But there is never any doubt in my mind about what I’m going to do when the time arrives.  I have a plan in place, I execute the plan, and I see results.

Let’s talk about planning:

Often times people revolve their fitness around a date:  A wedding, a vacation, a reunion, or something.  They peg that date on the calendar and say, “I want to lose X pounds by this date” or, “I want to look hot in this dress for this event.”

They get their goal, they put a date to that goal, and then they just start exercising.  Now, that’s good.  I’m all for that!  I’m a firm believer that some activity is better than no activity.  I do believe that these people would best be served with a clear cut plan of action, either coming from a personal trainer or a program like P90X, Turbo Fire, or Insanity (or any other Beachbody workout).

I’m going to use my 2011 as an example.  I have milestone dates in there that line up well with what I’m working to accomplish.  I personally use Beachbody products because, like a personal trainer, they give me exactly what to do, how to do it, and instruct me on everything from form to nutrition.

My first big date is June 16 when I attend the Beachbody Coach’s Summit.  I mark that on the calendar as the first big event.  From the start of the year, that is 5 months and a couple of weeks away.

I started P90X and will finish it April 2nd.  That gives me 10.5 weeks until I leave.

Now, I’ll be exercising at The Summit, but I have other tools in my arsenal other than P90X that I can incorporate.  In this case, I’m leaning towards doing Insanity, a 9 week workout, giving me 1.5 weeks.  In that time, I’m looking into doing the 5 Day Inferno Plan from Turbo Fire.  That will take me almost up until I leave, which I will supplement my workouts until I get back.

My next big day is going to be around August 1st, when we leave for vacation to the beach.  Now, most Beachbody programs run on a 60 or 90 day cycle (at least the ones I will do).  After doing a 60 day cycle, I’m going want to do a 90 day cycle of something that includes resistance work.

I want to be working differently all year long, so at this point I will lean towards doing either RevAbs or a hybrid between Chalean Extreme and Turbo Fire.  That will put me exercising on vacation, but I’m okay with that.

So a 90 day program starting June 19 (12 weeks for the hybrid, and either 12 or 13 for Rev Abs) will have me completing either September 10 or 17.

The next and final big date of the year will be December 17, when my lovely wife April and I are looking at going on a cruise.  Which ever of the above programs I do not do, I will do the other.  So I will be completing it somewhere in the middle of the holiday season, most likely around December 10.  This will give me 5 days to do one more big burn before we leave for the cruise (again, leaning towards a Turbo Fire 5 Day Inferno Plan).

So there I have almost all of 2011 planned out.  My goal is to not repeat programs and to continually keep my muscles and body guessing.  I’m aiming to continually challenge my body in different ways over the course of 12 months, which should allow me to improve my fitness and reach the goals I want.

Some additional notes:

Yes, there is always the possibility for sickness or injury to occur.  If it is injury I will stay on schedule and adjust to keep exercising the parts of my body not hurt (i.e. if I hurt the upper, I work the lower.  If I hurt the lower, I work the upper.  If I hurt both, I work the middle).  Sickness will be the only thing that will slow me down, and I would have to be pretty sick to stop.

If I am doing something and not feeling challenged, I will add more.  I know the first 5 months will not be a problem.  I doubt the last 7 will either.

Finally, nutrition is always a focus.  What I’m doing now is working well, and I’ll be continually making micro adjustments to it as I go along.

Brent Fitness Tips beachbody, exercising, fitness, insanity, P90X, personal trainer, planning fitness, rev abs, Turbo Fire, working out

I’ve had the “motivation” conversation with quite a few people recently and thought I’d make a quick blog post about it.

Several people have commented on my motivation and determination to stay the course with P90X and my nutritional regiment.  Some have said they simply lack the motivation while others have made remarks about how I have motivated them to do something (and believe me, I’m humbled, honored, and flattered by this).  I’ve seen both sides of the spectrum myself and have lived both sides.

Here is what I tell people:

Engage that little voice in your head that says “do it.”

We all know that exercise and healthy eating will add value and time back to our lives.  We know that doing these things consistently will improve our quality of life.  As talked about in The Slight Edge, doing things consistently to improve ourselves will eventually cause changes for the good.

But life gets in the way.  Work gets you stressed.  You get injured.  You miss a day, or eat bad a day, and start beating yourself up.  I’m a realist; I know all of these things happen.  I’m amazed at how easy it is to simply stop, to quit exercising, quit eating right, and return to bad habits.  I did it for the last 40 days of 2010.  I’m not perfect, and I embrace that.  You should to!

But what kept me focused was that little voice, always beckoning in the back of my head:  “Do it.”

Do the things that make you healthy.  Do the things that improve you.  Move that little voice from being a whisper to yelling at you.  I’ve told people the voice is just there, but when I look in the mirror, it gets louder.  And it does:  I look in the mirror and I do not see what I want to see.  So I train.  I eat right.  I make as many good decisions as I can.

So now, let’s talk about how to engage that voice:

1.  What is it that is going to motivate you to make a change?

For me, it became many things.  Diabetes runs in my family, as does obesity.  I’ve seen what a lot of extra weight can do to your body.  I decided I did not want those things in my life.  I decided that I was young enough to make a difference (made this decision when I was 28, and I’m only 30 now).  I knew I could break that generational curse.  If I could make a difference in my life, my example would shine through to my kids.

And, I was embarrased by how I looked.  Clothes did not fit well.  Extra large shirts were beginning to get tight.  I hated going to the pool.  It started affecting how I saw myself.

Yes, I’m a bit image conscious, and maybe more than you.  But it was being aware of my image and what I thought of myself that helped give me the push.

And that’s when the voice started.  “Do it.”

So what is going to motivate you to get that voice?  Do you have kids?  Get that voice.  Do you have family struggling with health?  Get that voice.  Do you want better self-esteem?  Get that voice.  Do you want your clothes to fit better, or to have more clothes that fit you well?  Get that voice.

Take some time now to write down what you want to change.  Keep it in front of you.

2.  Now picture your body the way you want it

Women sometimes get a bad rap for being to image-conscious.  Well, sometimes that can be a great thing.  What we have to learn is how to take that image that we see of ourselves and be realistic with it as well as know what it is going to take to get there.

So go look in a full length mirror.  I suggest getting as undressed as you can and still feel comfortable.  Take an honest look at you now, and then picture your body the way you want it.  Picture your body, not someone elses.  Do you want a flatter stomach?  Toned, defined arms?  Slimming hips and legs?  More shape?  Less shape?

Keep this image of what you want to see in your head.  Know what it is you want to accomplish.  Hear that voice saying “do it” a bit louder every time you look in the mirror.

3.  Put a plan into action

I love blind enthusiasm.  I love people just jumping into things (as a friend of mine says, instead of “Ready, Aim, Fire!” it is just “Ready, Fire!”).   This promotes action.  But, at the same time, it can also promote failure by not having a plan in place to achieve your goals.

First and foremost, find something that is going to work for  you.  Find what you can do for exercise, and do it.  And if you need help with that, contact me.  Find what you need to eat to achieve your goals.  Make a plan for your meals, and always plan ahead.

The plan is key here.  When I started exercising to lose weight in early 2009, I went to the gym at work and simply hopped on a bike, an elliptical, or a treadmill, thinking only cardio would accomplish the goal.  Guess what happened:  I got burned out.  Quickly.  I slowly cut down the days I was going, and then I just quit.

Don’t do what I did.  Make a plan.  Find something that makes a plan for you.  The one thing that I think Beachbody does better than anyone else is they lay it all out for you.  They nearly dummy-proof the entire concept of eating right, exercising, and getting healthier.

But if that’s not for you, make your own plan.

4.  Action time

Planning does not need to take days or weeks.  The longer you plan, the less likely you are to start.  A solid plan can be made in 1-2 days without any direct help.  Jump into action as soon as the plan is made.

Then, write this down as your main goal:  “I will not quit until I succeed, and then I will not quit to maintain my health.”

Quitting is easy.  Society makes quitting easy.  But don’t quit.  No matter what, do something.  Hear that voice all the time saying, “do it.”  Remember that image of your body you have in your head?  “Do it.”  Remember the mirror?  “Do it.”

Keep that voice in your head, and have it continually talking to you.  Engage that voice, engage your reasons, and engage your vision.  Remember, that voice is the one thing that may separate you from a healthy life and the life you could be living (or continue to live).

“Do it.”

Brent Fitness Tips health, motivation, motivation to exercise, weight loss

Let’s face it:  It is way too easy to let life get in the way of our health and fitness.  Exercise requires extra time, extra energy, and better foods to keep your body fueled the way it needs to.  But life creeps up, things get stressful, and then exercise is the last thing you think about.

And then you get down on yourself for not exercising, which creates more stress.  Which, in turns, makes you want to exercise less because your mind is literally draining your body of energy.

See the vicious cycle here?

I’ve had it happen to me.  Heck, it’s happened to me more than once when I started my weight loss journey with P90X and other Beachbody products.  Things get in the way, I’d quit exercising, then I’d stress, I would eat worse, which made me want to exercise less, which made me get soft, lazy, and gain weight.  It’s life, and it can happen.  It is how you correct it that determines whether you reach your goals (or maintain them).

So when things start happening in life, here is what I suggest:

1.  Get to bed – Stress can exhaust you fairly quickly.  It can be very mentally taxing.  Make it a point to get to bed earlier and rest it out instead of reaching for other sources of comfort (i.e. food, alcohol, etc).  You’ll find yourself with more energy and be able to start exercising more.

2.  Get into the routine again – There is no easier way to get back into exercise than to just jump into it head first.  You can’t do this “planning” game when you get off track.  You have to get moving again.  The longer you wait, the harder it is to get going again.

3.  Eliminate the stress – Sometimes, this is easier said than done.  However, there are certain things that cause stress that we can choose to eliminate.  Friends are a great example.  If someone you are friends with are causing you grief or stress, then take a step back from the friendship for a while.  Focus on the great things in life, such as being alive.  If the stress is financial, find a way to redo your budget, take a second job, or even become a Beachbody Coach for more money.  Again, sometimes easier said than done, but sometimes you just have to find away to remove these things and get on with your life.

4.  Prayer/Meditation/Reflection – Whatever your spiritual/religious beliefs are, it is hard to deny the power of taking some time to be quiet, clear the mind, and either pray, meditate, or just reflect positively on life.  This will help calm the mind and get you thinking positive again.

5.  Healthy eats – Finally, eat well.  It’s all to easy to focus on junk when you’re stressed or when life gets in the way.  The fast food line is definitely more convenient than cooking the healthy meal at home.  When you eat unhealthy (or at least when I do), you will feel worse.  You’ll feel less like exercising.  You won’t have the energy that you could have if you were eating well rounded and correctly.

Brent Fitness Tips exercise, stress, working out

So you’ve finished with Tony Horton.  Shaun T just finished kicking your tail for 9 weeks.  You’ve done Chalene’s 12 week Turbo Fire.

And now you’re wondering, what to do now?

The great thing is, there are options.  I have my preferences, which I’ll get to, but here are some thoughts:

• Do something different.  Get outside, go jogging, biking, running, play a sport, something.
• Start going to a gym.  Not always a preferred option, but hey, it’s something to do.
• Or, my favorite, invest in another program, do it, and then hybrid it out.

I’m a huge fan of variety.  And while I’m not anti-gym, I just know the gym isn’t right for me.  So I personally choose to get additional programs and hybrid them out.

This year is an exception.  This year I’m doing routines as they were designed for the first 7 months.  But after that, I’ll be tempted to run through some hybrid rotations.

So here are some ideas for you:

Finished P90X?  Get Insanity.  Do Insanity.  Then hybrid the two.  There are tons of suggestions, schedules, etc, out there to help you do this.  After you to this, get Asylum.  Asylum is setup with 30 days of just Asylum, 30 days of Asylum and Insanity, and then 30 days of Asylum and P90X.  So there’s 90 days (3 months) worth of workouts ready to go.

Just completed Insanity?  Do the same as above, or just move into Asylum.

Turbo Fire?  Get ChaLEAN Extreme.  You’ll see a hybrid calendar in your Turbo Fire book.  Or, you can also get Brazil Butt Lift and hybrid those two routines.  I just spent some time working on just such a hybrid for my wife.

Not a big Insanity fan?  So get the One on One’s and work on doing hybrids with those and P90X.  Plenty of options there.

Overall, the goal here is to not limit yourself on your workouts.  Do different things.  Focus on different weak spots.  Just keep doing something.  Being idle is not an option.

Brent Fitness Tips asylum, Brazil Butt Lift, chalean extreme, insanity, P90X, Turbo Fire

It’s December 15…just 10 days until Christmas, and just 16 days until the new year.

And around this time of year, everyone starts thinking about what they did in 2010, what they want to change in 2011.  We call them “New Year’s Resolution” but, in all honesty, they are usually New Year’s wishful thinking.

Bold statement, I know.  But the fact is, an overwhelming majority of people make these goals but have zero idea how to go about accomplishing them.

The number one goal is usually weight loss.  So much so that gyms all across America will be packed the first 1-3 months of the year with people wanting to get fit, lose weight, etc.  But a phenomenom starts to occur…people start going less and less and either continue to pay for a gym membership, telling themselves that “I’ll get back to it next week,” or simply quit.

Why?  They didn’t see progress.  Why not?  They had no real direction or plan.

I’ve fallen victim to it before.  And if you think about it, you probably have to…as hard as it is to admit.

So here’s my challenge to you:

It’s December 15 (or December 16 or later by the time most will read this).  Time is ticking.  Start making your plans NOW.  Don’t just set a goal…set milestones along the way as well as what you are going to do to achieve it.

For instance, here’s my rough outline so far:

Goal:  10% or less body fat by vacation, visible abs
Plan:  Start with XXXXX for my exercise program (I’m leaning Turbo Fire/ChaLEAN Extreme to start), follow “The Abs Diet” for simple nutrition
Milestones:  170 lbs flat by January 31, 165 by February 28.  12% body fat or less by spring break.

These will be tweaked between now and then, and will be adjusted along the way, but this is a general idea of how to start making your resolution a plan, not just a statement.

If you need help with this, let me help.  I’ll be real with you.  I’ll tell you what it will take.

And I can recommend more cost effective ways of doing it.  After all, why pay $35-50+ a month for a gym membership if you are going to quit going or not get your money’s worth?  I can show you to spend less than half that over the course of a year and incredible results.

That’s what being a Team Beachbody coach is all about:  Helping people reach their fitness and weight loss goals.  And I’m here to help you on that.

So let’s get to work.  It’s never to early to start planning, but if you wait, it may be too late.

————————————-

By the way, the second biggest resolution I hear?  Finances.  In another post, I’ll talk about that.

Brent Fitness Tips 2011 goals, fat loss, lose weight, new year's resolutions

First, my disclaimer:  None of this is medical advice.  All of this is my opinion based on my own experiences, others’ experiences, and watching people just not get to where they want to go.

So here’s the deal:

Ever wonder why so many people start the year with the “resolution” to lose weight, just to see them making the same resolution the next year?  It happens every year.  You walk in the gym in January and it’s packed, by March that number is cut in half or more, and by the fall, it is only the people that have been regularly going to the gym for a while now (or just joined).

So why is this?  Why do so many people fail at losing weight, getting fit, and maintaining it.

1.  The Do Not Have A Plan

I want to thank my online friend and fellow Beachbody coach Marc for putting my thoughts in this metaphor:

If you were going to drive from Los Angeles to Miami, would you just hop in the car and go?  If you were unfamiliar with the path, you’d probably get lost, get frustrated, and try to make your way back home.

Fitness is the same.  To get fit, you have a plan, both for exercise and for nutrition.

To make this plan, you have to have an understanding of the path:

• Where are you now?
• Where do you want to be?
• What are the milestones (i.e. the landmarks) you want to see along your journey?

You have to know where you are and where you want to go in order to make your path.  For instance, I started the year at 30% body fat.  My goal is 10%.  So I’ve now set my starting and ending point.

That’s the easy part.

The problem is knowing the path to get there.  Most people show up at a gym, hop on an exercise bike or treadmill, go for a while until they are tired, and then stop.  They may go do some weights of some type and then stop.

But what they do not realize is that there is a better way to exercise the body correctly to maximize fat loss.

But fitness is only half of the issue.  Nutrition is where most people really struggle.

When I started P90X, I had no idea what true “dieting” is.  But what I learned is dieting is not about eating less but rather being aware of all nutrition you put into your mouth as well as getting the most out of everything you consume.  I used to “diet” by eating more salads, cut out cokes, cut back on sweets, eat less, etc.  But what I learned is although some of those things were good, the stuff I was still consuming was not the best fuel to put into my body.

I ate only one sandwich instead of two, but I was eating fatty meats and white bread.

I was eating more salads, but they had fatty cheese and dressing on them.

And I did not know how to be able to eat what my body needed.

These two things are where products from Beachbody really help someone who is completely clueless like me.  For instance, when I started P90X, I got not only the workouts but instructions on doing those workouts as well as a nutrition guide that gave me the exact foods I should be eating, and a good variety of them.

I had a system laid out for me.

So if you are wanting to lose weight by going to the gym, you need to develop a system.  You need to develop your plan, and then stick with it (which I’ll talk about shortly).

2.  They Expect Instant Results

I’m reading a book called The Slight Edge by Jeff Olsen.  One of the things he talks about is why people get discouraged:  They expect instant results.

The reality is, if you work out properly, the only instant result you’ll get is a bit of soreness.  But you cannot expect to lose a ton of weight or fat overnight.  You do not gain fitness in a week or two.  It is a process….and a process you need to learn to enjoy.

Again, going to pull in my P90X experience:  When I started this round, I ate well and worked out hard the first two weeks.  I was very sore at times, exhausted after the workouts, and felt I was making progress.  But after 2 weeks, I had not lost any weight, shed any inches, etc.

Now I could have been discouraged and quit.

But I didn’t.  And on that third week, the magic happened.  I starting seeing the inches go.  At the end of the first phase, I could see a difference.

But it wasn’t a ton of change and I wanted more.  I started phase 2, same thing happened.  Phase 3, same thing happened.  But keeping the progress going and not giving up because something did not happen immediately is what led to my initial results.

But every year, people show up to the gym, not knowing what they are doing, not eating well, and after a few weeks of not seeing results, they quit.  If they would know their path and know that following that path that results will happen, maybe they would stick with it.

We are too used to everything at an instant.  Olsen mentions a story where a microwave was too slow heating something up for someone.  We are too used to instant information via the Internet, instant movies on television, etc.  But working out, losing fat, getting fit, all takes time.

3.  They Are Not Really Committed 

Ever want something so badly that you kept at it until you reached it?  I bet it felt good when you acquired it, didn’t it?  I know when I have worked hard for something and achieved it, I felt like I was on top of the world.

So why can’t we do this with fitness?

Most people get too content with their body.  It is easy to not exercise, to not go to the gym, and it is really easy to not eat well.  We’re tired.  We were busy.  It was easier grabbing a greasy burger instead of fixing something nutritious.

And I’m as guilty of some of this as anyone (even now, although if I grab fast food I use a diet guide to help me get the right things).

Commitment takes two things:  Time and energy.  You have to make time to get fit and to eat right.

Yes, it is hard.  But get over the fact that is hard.  It is worth it.  It is worth it to have more energy, to extend your life, to look better, and to feel better about yourself.

So start out by making time.  Find out what it takes to fit it into your schedule.  For me, it was waking up early in the morning so I could exercise without taking time away from my family.  For you, it may be another time in the day.  But make that time.  If it means not staying up late to watch that move, then do it.  If it means delaying going to hang out with friends, do it.  They will still be your friends, and they will understand.

Commit to putting in the energy in to it.  As you put more energy in to it, you’ll gain more energy.  You’ll feel better.  You’ll have a better outlook on life and yourself.

Commit to your goals.  Set up milestones along the way and reward yourself.  I’ve done this with my wife.  I promised her when she completed one round of Brazil Butt Lift I’d get her a new bikini…and I did.  If you don’t have anyone to support you like that, do it yourself.  Find something you want and make it your reward for sticking with it.

And if you do have a spouse, partner, significant other, whatever, get them involved too.  Support helps a  lot when you are working on reaching a goal.

Finally, don’t beat yourself up if you fall behind or miss a day.  It’s not the end of the world and definitely should not be the end of your commitment.  Just pick up the next day (or the next day you can).  I missed 11 straight days of exercise in March because of sickness.  I did not beat myself up but rather just jumped back in when I could and pushed hard and strong to finish out what I had started.

I’ll leave you with one last thought:

Decide.  Commit.  Succeed.

This is Beachbody’s motto, and it makes sense for our fitness goals.  Decide what you want.  Commit to doing what it takes.  Succeed and enjoy the success.

- bw

Brent Fitness Tips Fitness Tips, getting fit, losing fat

Ok, let’s be real here for just a minute:

Life happens.  Stuff happens.  Family stress, job stress, sickness, injury, whatever…it happens.

It’s happened to me.  It’s happened to me recently.  Let me share….

It’s a good thing with your responsibilities increase on your job.  You’re more valuable to the company which, in turn, will make you more valuable to the market.  But sometimes, the added stress puts a block in my brain when it comes to nutrition.  So, my eating has been pretty bad.  I’m working on improving (in what is arguably the WORST season to improve your nutrition).  Over the last 3-4 days I’ve done a lot better.  My daytime eating has been great.  My night time eating usually includes too much “junk” in the form of brownies, cookies, etc.

You can see where that is going…

Exercise wise, I’ve missed some days intermittently.  I suffered a slight injury in my right shoulder which sidelined me from upper body work.  Push-ups hurt, pull-ups hurt, most of the resistance work involving any movement of the shoulder hurt.

On top of that, I sprained my left wrist so some curls were giving me fits.

So my aim has been a bit off.  I’m not progressing with my goals.  I’m not really losing much progress, but I’m not losing fat either.

I’ve worked on altering my workouts a bit.  I’ve stepped back into a round of Insanity and throwing in some P90X style resistance workouts a couple of days during the week.  I don’t always have time to do a full P90X routine (all 50-60 minutes of a DVD) so I’ve taken the knowledge I’ve gained there and have started adapting routines based on a bit of that and a bit of previous lifting experience.

I’m working on maintaining and losing, with emphasis on maintaining more than anything.  I’m having to adjust my diet to fit a budget more than what is outlined in the P90X guide.  My wife and I are going to take a lot of the recipes we enjoy and modify them with healthier ingredients.  My main focus needs to be portion control and avoiding sweets.

So I struggle.  But that’s okay.

Here’s the great thing about struggling:  It’s temporary.  Struggles will always go away if you want them to.

And this too shall pass…

Brent Fitness Tips

You’re 20 pounds, 30 pounds, 50 pounds, or more overweight.  You know you need to make a change.  You know you need to eat better, exercise, and do all the things that doctors have been harping on you for years.

And you sit there and think to yourself, “Do I really want to put in that much effort?”

That may not be your EXACT question, but you have that in the back of your mind.  You know it is not going to be easy.  Had it been easy, you would not have reached this point to begin with!  But you do question yourself.  Do you want to?  Do you have the will power to stick through it?  Do you really want to change that much about your life and lifestyle?

I’m here to give you a short personal testimony on why this is important, why you SHOULD do it, and why changing your lifestyle is not as bad or hard as it seems.

I’m 30 years old.  I have 3 kids.  My oldest one just started softball this year, and I volunteered to help coach.

Tonight was our first practice.  We have 12 kids 6 and under on our team.  I was asked to lead throwing drills.  If you’ve ever seen kids this age throw, you know you’re not watching an MLB All-Star.  In fact, balls were going all over the place.  Some to me.  Some to the ground.  Some WAY off.  Very few required me to just stick up my glove and catch the ball.

In my 20′s, I would have been exhausted.  For most of that decade, I was carrying at least 50 pounds more than what I am now.

But here I am, 30 years old, keeping up with all these little sluggers are doing, and not really feeling anything other than a light sweat breaking out from the humidity.  50 pounds lighter, not nearly exhausted from running after balls all practice.  That proved to me one thing:  I have finally gotten to a place where physical activity is natural, not tiring.  It is something my body is used to and more equipped to handle.

Over 50 pounds lighter than my 20′s and I’m having a lot more fun with the extra energy!

Let’s leave out all of the health statistics:  We all know what all carrying a lot of extra weight can do to you.  Let’s talk practical.  Could you handle a practice like this?  Could you find yourself moving near constantly for 60 minutes and not be tired?  Can you keep up with kids this young (on an energy level) and not want to fall over dead after it?

Losing weight is as much aesthetically pleasing for me as it is mentally/emotionally pleasing.  I’m thrilled that I have the energy to get out with my daughters and their friends and do things like help coach a softball team.

I’m working on building to a level of fitness I’ve never had before; a combination of strong, fast, and agile with a trim body to go with it.  Sure, I have some room to go, but I’m starting to see the speed and the agility that I have not had since I was in 9th-10th grade.

So is it worth it?  Heck yes it is!  To be an active parent to my kids is the greatest gift I can give them.  And being committed to losing that extra weight has been worth every morning of 5:15am alarms, hours of sweating, passing on high sugar/high fat foods, and being committed to my goals.

Brent Fitness Tips exercise, extreme weight loss, weight loss