Health IS Wealth

The truth is, all of the money in the world doesn't matter if you are living with daily pain or any number of other chronic health problems.

So many have fallen into the trap of neglecting their health for the perceived "finer things in life," such as a career, making money and indulging in what they wanted instead of what they needed!

If you don't have a health problem, it's quite easy to think you never will...it's the old out of sight out of mind notion or I'll "fix the roof" if it starts to leak!  The problem is that when it comes to our health, we often don't have a small leak first that we can quickly patch up...instead it is a doctor's report that brings you to tears!  It can also be those chronic health problems that you deal with on a daily basis that have got you just trying to survive day to day.  They can have such a tight hold on you that you don't think overcoming them is even possible!

Fear, doubt, discouragement, depression are all too common denominators with these health conditions that seemingly rob you of a higher quality life!  If affects family and friends and can hold you back from the life you want to live!  You would give everything to be healthy...pain free...cancer free..depression free, etc.

I truly believe being healthy is attainable for anyone and there are several weapons available to use to fight back against the bad health demons!  You have to realize a few things first before you even see the purpose in picking up those weapons!

Things like...

• Your health or lack thereof can affect everyone around you positively or negatively
• Your greatest value is not in what you do, but WHO you are and who you are can't be fully expressed if you are unhealthy
• With good health, you are able to focus more on others than on your health problem
• The things we often prioritize are NOT the most important things
• We only get 1 body and a dash between 2 dates to take care of it

So now that we got that out of the way, look at your health as an investment!  If you don't put "money" in, you won't reap the reward of the return on investment!  I assure you that most people (as I'm sure there are a few extremely stubborn or willfully ignorant ones) that have dealt with a major health issue would give almost anything to go back in time so they could change the future outcome!  

Whether you are already healthy or not, you have weapons that you can fight with TODAY to continue to stay healthy or regain control of your health.  It is certain that at some point, your health will make itself one of your top priorities if you don't!  Those weapons must be picked up and used if they are going to get the victory!  It's time! 

Your Defeat The Fat Coach,

Clayton Halls                      http://www.hempworxbizop.com/HempHalls

Starting Is Like A Marathon

Recently, I saw this bumper sticker as I had just left my studio from teaching a class and training a client!  Now, we know how much people love to put the 13.1 or the 26.2 stickers on their vehicles because they are proud of the races they've run!  But what about the person who can't even think about running 1 mile and just the thought of trying to change their lifestyle is a "marathon in their mind?" 

To be honest, when I first saw this bumper sticker, I laughed out loud!  It is funny on the surface, but the deeper meaning of it can be tied to something more serious!  The truth is that whether it is running a marathon, a mile...or heck, just walking through your neighborhood, it can seem like too big of a mountain to climb! 

The warning alarm is set off in your mind and your brain is telling you to evacuate even the thought of making a healthy lifestyle change such as walking or jogging!  It's as if you are defeated before you have even started!  This reminds me of something I learned back in Sport and Exercise Psychology class that I took in college.  We learned of a process that many go through mentally when it comes to considering and making a change.

First it is pre-contemplative which basically means that they are just starting to think about flirting with the idea of maybe making some type of healthy change such as incorporating some exercise activity into their lives or eliminating processed foods, etc.  Unfortunately, many get stuck in this phase and never progress.  It's like they saw a picture of a mountain that is in "driving distance" and had the passing thought, maybe I could attempt to climb that one day.  Their passing thought just remains potential and often comes and goes like the wind!

The next phase is contemplative which means you have now gotten over the wishful thinking and have now been considering "taking a trip" to actually go and "see the mountain!"  You have decided to attempt to flirt and show some real interest in the idea of "climbing this mountain." You have thoughts of actually scheduling the trip to "go to the mountain" to check it out! 

The distance between the contemplative phase and the next phase, which is preparation, is a long ways because you have reached a point where it now requires action! At this point, you have now scheduled/planned the trip to the mountain so you can physically see it and then consider a REAL decision!  It has now turned into something a little more serious in your brain, but still far from a reality!  It's like you have moved from thinking about asking someone out to now setting up a specific time to ask them on a date to explore the possibility of a commitment! 

Here lies the great divide!  It's the place in the mental journey where you now get out of your head and into reality!  It is the ACTION stage!  It requires you to now follow through with what you have been mentally preparing for and make a move that shows you are not kidding yourself anymore!  This is where you not just get to the mountain, but also DECIDE TO CLIMB!  It's where you not just make the phone call or meet someone in person, but also where you ask them on a date and then FOLLOW THROUGH!  It is a foundational step that hopefully leads to the next action (climb further up the mountain; go on another date, etc.)  Enough action steps then leads to a lifestyle! 

Once you make it a lifestyle, then you now dwell in the "maintenance phase!"  This is the phase where you now know you can "climb mountains" and have a desire to do it or have now gotten engaged/married and you have established that you are now in it for the long haul! 

All of these phases make up the stages of change model!  For many, it is a real mental marathon they have to run before they even get to taking some kind of action!  They have done a lot of running in their mind, but are still at 0.0 miles in reality!  The question is, how many 13.1's or 26.2's do you want to run in your mind before you actually log some REAL miles?  We have a choice to stay on the hamster wheel of running in our thoughts logging countless miles or we can CHOOSE TODAY to get off the mental wheel and start taking some physical, tangible steps!  Do you want to be a mountain climber or a "fountain dimer?" (Someone who likes to throw coins in the water and make wishes without ever taking action) 

Your Defeat The Fat Coach,

Clayton

www.defeatthefat.com

Are You Running or RUNNING?

With all of the hurricane craziness here in NC, this quote (one of my favorites) came to mind! 

The weather will make people take action running all over the place with a sense of urgency trying to prepare for the worst (even if there is not any real imminent danger)! However, when it comes to many people's overall health, there is no urgency, no preparation! It's as if no health crisis is brewing. The "category 5" health warnings are ignored and when the storm hits, it is often too late...the damage has been done and there are usually casualties! 

Whether we are the lion or the gazelle, we must have a sense of urgency to take precautions and proactive steps towards our overall health! If the work is not put in now, you may "starve to death" or become lunch-meat!"

Now, let's put the hurricane aside for a second!  In just everyday ordinary life without the weather report dictating peoples' behavior...people are caught up "running," however, it's often what I would call negative running!  Think of running as busyness...getting up and scrambling to get ready for work and get kids to school...working all day...then on the go after work running errands, kid's activities, meeting up with people...then the weekends packed with plans running around from A to B to C often with no end in sight.  Then, with the little pockets of down time one gets, they are parked in front of the tv or computer or phone just vegging.  

You see, busyness can be a disease that keeps you running around all the time but never RUNNING!  It can keep you (like the weather) in a constant state of just reacting to your life and never RESPONDING with calculated decisions that improve the quality (health) of your life!  Those decisions could be exercising, doing physical activities, making wise food choices, eliminating (instead of accepting) various types of toxins in your life or that you are exposed to!  

Furthermore, you could be the Gazelle...always running from something but never CHASING ANYTHING!  You could be the Lion...always running after something but maybe not catching anything!  It is possible you could be busy running with no real victory in sight!  At some point, I assure you, that if you don't place urgency on your health and RUN after your health, it will CHASE you down.  The last thing you want is to have not prepared for a health storm that could have been prevented!  

"The best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining!"  So, I urge you to put your "busyness" in check and get busy giving your health some attention before that "roof" starts leaking!  Make it a top priority as if you have gotten a warning about an impending storm!  There is still time to PREP!  You will never regret the prepping, but will always regret the lack of prepping!  

The bottom line is that something may need to change in order to CHANGE the type of running you are doing!  And, last, you don't have to go sprinting out of the gates.  No matter how slow you start off getting healthier, you are still "lapping the person sitting on the couch!"  

Your Defeat The Fat Coach,

Clayton Halls

Obstacle vs Opportunity

One of my hobbies is to run in obstacle races or mud runs like the Tough Mudder!  These events have no shortage of obstacles that are put in your path! 

What I have found is greater than the actual physical aspect of the obstacle is the mental aspect!  Now, don't get me wrong, the physical component in these obstacles is sometimes very challenging as you can feel your muscles cramping or fatiguing or your energy level is depleted or your heart rate is through the roof!  However, what is even more detrimental to whether or not you will complete the obstacle successfully is your mindset going into the obstacle. 

Case in point:

4 years ago myself and a team of guys I put together ran our 1st Tough Mudder!  One of the obstacles was one called Mt Everest!  It is a 15 foot curved wall that has a slippery surface which you have to run and jump up to grab the ledge.  The help of others to pull you up after you jump and reach was much more likely than not.  Many could not complete this obstacle due to how slippery the running surface was and not fully committing mentally to the run and jump and grab!  I tried 5 times and came crashing and sliding back down.  It wears on you mentally and physically but I was determined to complete it so I went again and finally on my 6th time I made it with the help of those at the top pulling you up! I must admit though that I am not sure how many more attempts I had left in me because my mind was starting to "talk" to me!  But, nevertheless, I did it!  Here is what I'm talking about if you want to see it for yourself...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf_Ox4rZm0Q

Now, fast forward 2 years and we decided to get the team together and do it again.  This time they had a new and improved version of Mt. Everest.  The word on the street was that it was harder...the wall was a little higher and they rounded out the top ledge so you couldn't jump and grab it...you would have to rely solely on the people at the top hopefully catching you and pulling you up! 

When we approached this obstacle, I had convinced myself that it was an opportunity to accomplish something against the odds instead of playing in my mind off past experience with this obstacle and what people were saying and even the voices in my head trying to tell me I couldn't do it!  I had made a decision that I would embrace this obstacle and beat the odds.  That even though this one was harder and I had a difficult time with the 1st one, that I would go all in with everything I had...no holding back...no listening to what others were saying...no thinking I will try to do this! 

My mental position was that I WAS going to do this and that there was a victory waiting just on the other side! 

That victory is like your victory every time you get through your workout no matter how you feel or what voices are going off in your head or every time you choose to have skip the fries and eat the apple instead.  You will succeed long-term when you get yourself to a place in your mind that each workout that you do is an OPPORTUNITY to get healthier, more fit, feel better and burn calories and that each time you eat is an OPPORTUNITY to move closer to your health/fitness/weightloss goals. 
Instead of dreading the exercise or the apple as a 15 foot slippery wall standing in front of you and trying to defeat you, think of that wall as an opportunity for VICTORY! 

As I have been saying, change your mind and then change your body!  When you diet, you are not changing your mind...you are just following something temporarily that only changes your body temporarily!  That is what I call the Diet Disease!  It is a disease that approaches weight loss like an obstacle and not an opportunity! 

I will leave you with this...

As the pessimist and optimist were arguing over whether the glass was half full or half empty, the opportunist drank it!  Become the opportunist!  Don't sit around analyzing your perceived obstacles, move boldly towards OPPORTUNITY! 

Your Defeat The Fat Coach,

Clayton

DE-program Before You RE-program!

You could really apply this principle to just about anything, but I want to specifically apply it to weight loss and health!  So many people fall into the INSANITY CYCLE of thinking that the latest new weight loss program or health fad will be their ticket to:

Finally getting the weight off that has been handing around for years... 

AND/OR

Achieving the ever so elusive optimum health...

Here's the trick...although that latest, greatest program may indeed be great or the newest health fad may actually help improve one's health...

NOTHING REALLY CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES! 

What I mean by that is if you haven't DE-PROGRAMMED your mind and core belief system, no RE-PROGRAM; no matter how good; will stick long-term!  Think of it this way...

Over time, your computer collects a lot of JUNK on it!  Spyware, malware, viruses, stored data, outdated software, memory overload, etc.  Because these things are HARD-WIRED on the computer, they will affect day to day operation anytime you use it!  And, just because you get the latest SUPER version of Windows with all the bells and whistles, it doesn't start your computer from a clean slate!  It doesn't all of a sudden run the exact way you desire and hope it should run just because of this great new program you have ADDED to the "damaged or diseased" computer right!?

What you need to do is UNINSTALL some pre-existing programs, remove all viruses, spyware, malware, etc., and CLEAN UP the computer BEFORE you re-program!  The new program WILL NOT work as intended if it has to COMPETE with pre-existing conditions on the HARD DRIVE!

Are you getting my point?  If you truly want to see CHANGE in your body LONG-TERM, you must first UNINSTALL the previous mindset of all the behaviors and beliefs (fear, doubt, hate, unforgiveness, anger, LIES) that lead to you being overweight and unhealthy!  All the JUNK in your brain such as eating for reasons other than being hungry, punishing yourself because of perceived things in the past or how you feel presently, eating foods to try to cover past hurt you experienced, not putting any value on exercise or healthy living, believing your lifestyle is either good enough or that you don't deserve better, etc.  These are all viruses, spyware, malware in your brain that will never let you have a successful RE-PROGRAM unless you first DE-PROGRAM these mindsets, beliefs, past hurts, etc.

Wipe the slate CLEAN through prayer, surrounding yourself with the right people, reading some encouraging and revelational books, declaring TRUTHS over you life, identifying and eliminating bad habits that prevent you from de-programming!  Once you have found your way and have a NEW HARD DRIVE, you can then LOAD the NEW PROGRAM and see LIFESTYLE results like you never have before!

I charge you to STOP thinking all you need is a RE-PROGRAM to change your body and health!  Don't load something good onto something bad!  YOU CAN'T POUR FRESH WINE INTO OLD WINESKINS!   There you have it!  Find that DE-PROGRAM button and HIT it FIRST!  Once your COMPUTER is FREE of the viruses, spyware, malware...THEN, add the RIGHT PROGRAM and you will be well on your way!

Your DEFEAT THE FAT Coach,

Clayton

Maybe It's Not The NEXT Thing, But The LAST Thing

As a fitness professional, we encounter this situation sometimes:

Trainer: Follow this program strictly for 6 weeks and then come back and talk to me.

Client:  Ok, I will do it...I'm ready for a change and I will do my best!

(6 or more weeks later)

Client: I got off track, but I am now ready for a new program...something fresh that will get me results!

Trainer: But, you don't need a new and fresh program to get results!

Client:  What do you mean?  What should I do then??

Trainer:  Simple...do the LAST program I gave you that you never finished (or barely started)!


You see, giving up on one thing DOES NOT qualify you to be able to start a new thing!  Yeah, I understand that maybe the last thing was something that you shouldn't have been doing in the first place like a diet...so definitely don't go back and try that again because you will continue to fail with that! 

What I am talking about are the healthy decisions or habits you were making before for a period (however small) of time that you gave up on!  This idea that there is some new magical unicorn plan out there that will get you quick results and that you will be able to bypass healthy LIFESTYLE choices to get there is a complete fabrication! 

Because the last plan, program, healthy lifestyle choices didn't "work" for you because you chose to only commit to short-term doesn't translate into that plan, program or healthy lifestyle choices not working long-term!  As I like to say...

"The bookends of true change are commitment & consistency!"  

You will never see lasting change until you commit to the right plan, program or healthy lifestyle choices and then be consistent with that commitment over the long-term!  NO real change will ever take place if it is short-lived no matter how good the "new and fresh plan" is! 

A marketing trick actually just came to mind right now!  When something is advertised as "new" or "fresh."  Those words appeal to people!  They stimulate our senses and set off our "feel good" hormones!  We jump at those things thinking they will be exactly what we need in the moment, but all the while, the thing we often really need is something that has become "old and stale!" 

It became old and stale because you put it down and let it get moldy!

Just because something has a "perceived" mold on it, doesn't mean it is no good!  Think of blue cheese for example!  Just maybe that healthy habit or lifestyle plan you had going in the past is the very thing you need to pick back up and do again!  But this time with commitment and consistency!  This time, don't give up and don't be put off because there is "mold" on the last thing!  I have told many before that you could have a "new and fresh" cow pie, but that doesn't make it any better!

ACTION Step:  Take a look back and identify ONE healthy habit you used to do but gave up on for whatever reason and PICK that habit back up and start it TODAY! 

Your Health & Fitness Coach,

Clayton

 

The "Credit Card" Diet

Eating credit cards?  Well, that would cause "weight loss," but that is not what I am talking about!

Let me start by giving you a real life scenario that happens all too often...(happened to me too)...

Your going to college and working, but still tight on money because you are only able to work so much as to not take away from your studies (and social life)!  One day, you go down to the post office to check your mailbox and there is a letter from a credit card company offering you "free money!"  With no real understanding of how interest works and that money has to be paid back, you excitedly fill out the form for your "free money" and send it off eagerly awaiting that magical piece of plastic to come in the mail!  When it comes, you rip open the envelope and have already made a list of what you are going to buy.  You go on a spree and all that nice stuff you are buying is looking good and making you feel good at the moment.  But, fast forward a couple months down the road and now your credit card is maxed out and you have received your first credit card BILL!  You seem surprised when you see the amount you owe and that amount is not MORE than the limit!  You start doing the math and realize that just paying the minimum payment won't pay the card off for 30 years!

Fast forward say a couple years and you somehow managed to pay off the credit card balance in full by making extra payments.  The sting of seeing that credit card maxed out and realizing you actually had to pay it back has now faded, so what do you do??  You get another credit card with a higher limit and then max that one out too!  You see the vicious cycle?  And, do you see that the next time was worse than the previous time?

Now that you have that picture in your brain, think of dieting the same way!  You get lured into a diet by a book you read, a person you talked to, something you saw on TV or in a magazine, etc.  The diet is like that shiny plastic credit card.  You start thinking of all the pounds you are going to drop and how good you are going to look and feel.  You can't wait to start knowing how gratifying it will be seeing that scale go down...possibly even after the 1st day!  For the next several weeks, your new weight loss has got you excited and you flaunt it as if it's a new piece of merchandise you just bought!  You are feeling great in the moment!  Fast forward to when you get your first "weight loss bill"!  In other words, when you step on that scale and it has stopped going down and then you take your body-fat% and come to the cold realization that the "weight" you "lost" now has INTEREST attached to it and there is a DEBT to be repaid!  That debt you have is the MUSCLE you lost (60-70% of the weight on the scale) and the "interest" is that your metabolism is now slower and won't burn as many calories each day!

Fast forward months down the road and you have gained all the weight back, BUT, the debt has not been fully paid because you didn't just gain all the muscle you lost back, you gained fat!  But, some time goes by and all you remember is how good that diet made you feel because you were "losing" weight!"  You see the cycle?  And, each time you do another "credit card diet," your metabolism takes more of a beating just like your credit takes a beating when you max out credit cards.  It can take years to recover!

So, let's cut to the chase!  IF you want to stop going into debt and paying interest and live debt-free (fat-free), you need to STOP DIETING!  Dieting WILL rob you of long-term weight loss success and will keep you in debt until the day you die!  If you are READY to cut up the "credit cards" and start living a sustainable lifestyle, it's time to get serious about a real weight loss plan that works and that will PAY YOU INTEREST!    #micdrop

Your Health and Fitness Coach,

Clayton

WHAT Are You Waiting For???

A heart attack?

Bodyfat% to be in the "danger zone?"

A horrible doctor's report?  

Medication?

Realizing you can't do something you used to be able to do?


Don't you know, the best time to "fix the roof" is when the "sun is shining!" 

Why wait until it is "pouring rain" before you decide to make a healthy lifestyle change?  Yeah, I know, a healthy lifestyle change requires some work, commitment, consistency and some changes!  But, that sure beats the alternative right?  Maybe this will help put it into perspective...

There was a stubborn guy who ate whatever he wanted, his vegetables were french fries, his fruit was blueberry donuts, his exercise was his thumb channel/computer surfing on the couch and about the only physical activity he got was the walk to the mailbox and back. 

One day, he found himself on a rooftop being confronted by someone who meant business.  This person gave him an ultimatum as it had come to that point.  Think of it as his last chance to fix the roof before the big downpour came!  So, the man who meant business on the rooftop said, "you have 2 choices and you must choose 1 now!  Either you change your ways and adopt a healthy lifestyle or I am going to force you off this rooftop to take your chances." 

The stubborn man then said, "I will not change my ways...this has to be a joke!"  Then, ALL OF A SUDDEN, the stubborn, unwilling man found himself falling off the roof.  His last words were, "so far so good!" 

Now, I realize that may be a little extreme for some, but a very true reality for others!  I know personal stories of those whose health got the best of them and watched them struggle to survive or get taken too early from this life!  We only have about 80-90 years or so on this planet so why not give ourselves the best chance possible to maximize that time? 

I have been told before that I could walk out tomorrow and get hit by a bus and die so what good was living a healthy lifestyle?  My response back to them was that I can only control what I can control and I can't control what I can't!  In other words, when it's my time to go, it's my time, but what if my time isn't until I'm 100?  If I live that long I want to be able to still have quality of life.  You see, I don't do what I do to try to live as long as I can because I don't have full control over that; I do what I do to live as QUALITY as I can while I'm still alive! 

We have a lot of things to stress about in this life, but why should health be one of them?  We have the ability to take control of our health and live a better life because of it!  As a natural doctor that I know says, "we only get 1 'earth suit' so wear it well!"  I want to live the best life I can while I'm still alive so a big part of that is staying physically healthy. 

Of course, there is also mental, emotional, relational, spiritual health as well, but I guarantee you that if you get struck with a serious health condition, it will instantly jump to the front of the line and can end up dominating your life AND those loved ones around you!  This opens up another can...which is if we don't take care of our health, eventually, we will force others around us to have to!  It then puts incredible stress and hardship on loved ones/caregivers in our world to now have to help us because we chose for many years to not help ourselves in the area of our health! 

If I'm going to be alive, I want to have the best quality of life that I can within my control!  A healthy lifestyle doesn't ensure your life will be great and you will have no problems, but it can only make your life better from whatever place you are in!  A former boss of mine said one time to me, "money isn't the answer to everything, but it sure helps to have it."  In the same way, a healthy lifestyle isn't the answer to everything, but it sure makes your life better if you live it! 

My challenge to you is to start TODAY by incorporating 1 healthier choice/habit daily and build from there!  It may or may not help you live longer, but I guarantee you that it will help you live better! 

Your health and fitness coach,

Clayton

Comfort Weight Loss

Huh?

Please let me explain!  An all to familiar phrase is "comfort foods."  You know...those foods one eats that are associated with making them feel better or intertwined with emotions.  They are the "go-to" foods and EASY to eat when one decides to choose comfort instead of something that requires a harder decision such as eating the apple instead of the ice cream!

Well, I just made about 4 of my points with that last little paragraph when you shift to thinking of "comfort weight loss."  Yes, this is a phrase I came up with because I have seen it 1,000 times...maybe more!

Someone decides they are going to try to start losing weight again...could be their 2nd, 10th or 20th time!  Throwing all logic and reason out the window, they make an EMOTIONAL decision to go on another diet...likely the same or similar one they tried the last time and time before that!  They remember how it made them FEEL initially...the "honeymoon" phase of weight loss!  Vivid thoughts of how that scale went down so fast and it made them excited because after-all, it doesn't matter what kind of weight you are losing as long as you are losing right?

They think of how nice it was to be wearing smaller sizes, the attention they got, the perceived success of a number of pounds SEEMINGLY gone...forever!  It's as if reality is suspended and plum sugar fairies are dancing in their heads (which could also be from the thought of another no carb crash diet because the body will crave sugar if you starve it of carbs but that is another story).

Somehow, they think the 10th time will be magical and the weight will stay off this time!  It is a comfortable and EASY decision because THEY KNOW short term weight loss is inevitable and they will get those feel good feelings seeing the scale go down fast.  They know it "worked" last time (at least for 12 weeks) so here it is...

THE SAME SWITCH IN THE BRAIN THAT GETS FLIPPED FOR CAVING IN TO COMFORT FOOD IS THE SAME SWITCH THAT FLIPS WHEN ONE CHOOSES TO GO BACK ON ANOTHER CRASH DIET!

The same with comfort food...you get all giddy when you know you are going to be eating it, then when you are eating it you have all sorts of feel good receptors going off in the brain; then comes post-comfort food when reality sets in...you are stuffed, lethargic, feeling guilty, vowing you will not do that again, etc.

Think of the diets and rapid weight loss...you start getting excited at the thought of weighing less, then when you are dieting and seeing the scale go down, your brain is activated with all these good emotions of getting lighter; then the post-diet reality sets in (could be 12 weeks or even more) where you realize the diet wasn't maintainable, nor was the weight loss.  You lost 30, 40 or 50 pounds but didn't realize that your bodyfat % didn't go down as it should have to correspond with the weight lost.

I hate to break it to you, but the comfort weight loss feels good temporarily, but in reality, it is mainly muscle and water you are flushing down the toilet which is not sustainable.

Anytime the word "comfort" is being used, you can be assured that it will likely not benefit you long-term!  IF you want to lose REAL and SUSTAINABLE weight, you have to get OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!

www.defeatthefat.com

Your Health & Fitness Coach,

Clayton

Which Is Better For Fat Loss: "Hours In The Gym" or "Just Minutes Per Day??"

A BIG...FAT...NEITHER!!!

The hours in the gym lie is tied to the workout extremists!  The ones who live and breathe at the gym or those with a lot of free time on their hands.  Many get duped into believing the only way to burn fat off is to spend countless hours on an elliptical, treadmill, bike, rower or taking back to back exercise classes!  They are sold the notion that more exercise equals more calories burned which means more fat loss!  It sounds good in theory, but the truth is that is not how the body works.  Well, it only works that way to a certain point, but then too much exercise (usually exercise lasting over 60 minutes continuous) starts to stress the body out and it releases FAT-STORING hormones.  So then, what is burned when the body is in this stressed-out-state?  MUSCLE...more specifically, your body starts pulling the stored glycogen out of your muscles for energy in addition to putting a governor on the metabolism so even if you were burning fat, it would be a limited amount.  Once you start tapping into your muscle for energy, you begin running the opposite direction of long-term fat loss!

But what about the dreamy promise of "just minutes a day?"  It sells books, gets a lot of views and bites online!  Being sold the idea of minutes per day or easy puts people in a hypnotic trance suspending reality!  If you hear someone tell you just minutes per day...run!!!  I have seen as little as 3 minutes a day up to maybe 10 or 15 max when this idea is sold of less is better.  The truth is that less IS better...but only to an extent!  As I mentioned, over 60 minutes can be counter-productive (unless you are specifically training for a long distance event) but why would we jump to the other end of the spectrum and somehow think minutes a day is going to yield big results with so little time?

So what do you do?  If over 60 minutes is too long and up to 15 minutes is too short?  My answer is at least 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes at least 3 times per week as long as intensity is right!  Intensity is not entirely based on heart rate, but breathing rate or VO2.  A simple way to establish a ballpark VO2 durning exercise is if you can't say a full sentence without needing to take a deep breath, then you are not exercising hard enough.  At that point of intensity, it is roughly considered 80% of VO2 max.  You need to average 80% of VO2 max for at least 30 minutes and up to 60 minutes at least 3 times per week.  This gives you not only tremendous cardiovascular benefit, but also unlocks EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) which simplified means the length of time it takes your body to get back to "normal" after exercise.  This process utilizes fat for energy and can lead to significant fat-burning.

For example, TORCH, my 6 week online fat-burning program that I am releasing next month, has you doing 3 full-body plus cardio workouts per week of 30-45 minutes at 80-90% of your VO2!  I promise you that if you follow this exercise protocol, in addition to a proper (non-calorie counting) nutrition plan, and do it CONSISTENTLY, you WILL see fat MELT off!

Your Fitness Coach,

Clayton

What Is The BEST Fat-Burning Exercise???

THE ONE YOU'RE DOING...and doing CONSISTENTLY!!! 

Truth is, there are A LOT of different ways to burn fat, but NONE of them burn fat if you don't do them!  I mean, no matter what you do, you will still be doing laps around the person sitting on the couch! 

Don't get so hung up on what specific things you should do...just DO...something...for goodness sake!  And...GET A STREAK GOING!  That's right...get a certain number of days in a row of doing "your something" and once you hit that goal, THEN add to it!  I suggest 21 days for a streak to prove to yourself you are serious! 

If you can't do the small thing like brisk walk for 5-10 minutes a day, how do you expect to do the big thing like High Intensity Interval Training for 30-45 minutes 5 days a week?  Furthermore, what good would it be to do HIIT training just on days or weeks you felt like it?  Or, maybe you would never feel like doing it so it would remain just a THEORY that it is the "best fat-burning" exercise! 

You see, no matter how many "best" pieces of information you have, they will do you very little good if you don't put that info into ACTION consistently!  Also, anything you do CONSISTENTLY will get you good results...at least for awhile! 

Once you have achieved your STREAK of one thing...anything...THEN it's time to step it up with a little more challenging streak and you can get into having multiple streaks going!  Before you know it, you will have better habits developed! 

I would choose something that you find at least slightly enjoyable or something you have a little accountability with whether it's a class, a person, an app or social media!  I suggest getting a whiteboard and keeping track of your streak(s) on it daily!  Cheers to some good "streaking!"

Your Fitness Coach
www.claytonhalls.com

It's amazing to me how many people that say or think things like...

"I have been fat my whole life!"  

"I have always had this disease."

"I have been this way forever so why change now!"

Like it or not, these types of statements reflect a mental disease of sorts!  I'm not talking about the typical mental disorders, but a more subtle one.  It's one that has become such an integrated part of how you think and live that you don't even notice it anymore!  It's the type of thinking that keeps you caged up your entire life UNLESS you start changing what you say and think about yourself!  

The cure for this "mental illness" lies in the FREE WILL you have been given!  Free will; when EXERCISED; can open that cage door and bring on the courage to step out and spread your wings. Once you get a taste of flying, you will never want to go back into that cage again.  Furthermore, you will realize that you have been living a lie your entire life.  Birds that fly are LIVING LIFE, not dying inside a cage that is slowly losing oxygen!  

You could look at stepping out of the cage as getting out of your comfort zone, overcoming a fear, deciding to do something you otherwise thought impossible, taking a step (or leap) of faith, choosing to LIVE, defeating negative words others have spoke over you in the past, stepping into purpose or becoming reborn.  The bottom line is that whether you have lived in a cage your whole life or found yourself making a home there; you still have time to get out and truly reach higher than you ever have before or at least in a long time!  

Some birds don't get a choice to ever get out of the cage, but YOU have a CHOICE!  You can make your free will your greatest blessing or your worst curse!  There is "one" who wants us to remain caged and de-winged our whole lives never even scrapping the surface of what's possible!  As 1 of my mentor's said, "All you are given in this life is a dash between 2 dates and it is up to you to decide what you are going to do with that dash."  

Think ADD Is bad? Have You Heard of CDD?

 

        Do I have your attention?  ADD is a disease that affects the mind, but I am not going to be talking about that in this blog.  I do want to talk about another "disease" that affects the mind...CDD or what I call "Chronic Devaluing Disease."  

        This morning after I got done teaching my Kettlebell class, I checked my email.  One of the emails sitting in there was an email that I have seen come into my inbox many times.  It was a particular continuing education company that was offering a 60-80% discount on some home-study courses.  Then it dawned on me for the 1st time...this is not just another great special...they ALWAYS offer a 60-80% discount!  Every email I receive from them attaches this same discount to it all year long!  It sends the message to their subscribers that they don't put a lot of value on their product because of a perpetual discount.  It essentially cheapens the product and company.  

        Likewise, how many people chronically devalue THEMSELVES?  How many people are always discounting who they are...what they offer as a person...what they have to give?  When you see yourself as not having a sense of WORTH to your relationships and the world around you, it's easy to fall into the trap of never offering your "FULL PRICE" to others!  It's like you put yourself on sale with everyone in your life.  This could be from past hurt/abuse or comparing yourself to others whom you think have more to offer or a more "expensive product."  It could be because you think you have nothing to offer or a "product" that nobody wants.  It could be that somebody has spoken over you that you are no good or have no worth.  

The TRUTH is that these are ALL lies!  EVERYBODY has something VALUABLE to offer.  The question is, do you KNOW you are valuable and were Created with a gift that others need?  We all have been Given valuable and "expensive" gifts, but if we don't realize that, we will continually default to discounting ourselves.  A business that discounts everything all the time will eventually go out of business.  Similarly, a person that always discounts the true value of who they are and were created to be will eventually go mentally, emotionally and spiritually bankrupt!  Even physically your body can suffer health problems when you chronically devalue yourself.  It can lead to great internal stress or bad habits that directly affect your health. 

CDD will never be cured if one doesn't realize WHO they are (not what they do) and that their gift is EQUALLY as valuable as anyone elses.  Our past doesn't determine our worth!  Our job title doesn't determine our worth!  Our bank account doesn't determine our worth!  Our "accomplishments" don't determine our worth!  What people say or think about us doesn't determine our worth!  Our worth was established before we were born!  Our Creator made us ALL valuable and we have to understand that when we DISCOUNT ourselves, we are DE-VALUING how God sees us and the gifts He has given us.  So, go and take down all of the "sale" or "discount" signs on the "windows" and start OFFERING full price to people!  YOU are WORTH it and you will be healthier too!

Be Better Than Average

When it comes to health and fitness, the sad truth is that most people are just average.  Now, let me back up and say that by average, I don't mean that most peoples' health and fitness is ok.  Let me explain by telling you what average has become...40 or more pounds overweight, 1 or more significant health issues, 1 or more medications, 0-1 real exercise sessions per week, only 1/4 of recommended fruits and veggies, 2 or more unhealthy habits, highly toxic due to a variety of factors, and full of nutrient deficiencies.   Does this sound like you or hit close to home?  You see, average these days is a ticking time-bomb for a major health blowout.  It also comes with extra baggage that can be devastating like depression, anxiety, low energy levels, poor self-confidence, reduced activities of daily living, negative mindsets, a lack of motivation, social pullback and more.

In my 15 years in the field, I have seen all of these things firsthand and know how much being overweight, unhealthy and unfit can impact one's life.  Even just 1 of these things can be a game-changer for somebody.  At some point, you have to realize that you will never get healthy and fit with wishful thinking, dieting, a lack of a complete lifestyle change, inconsistency, a failure to really change and make a true commitment.  Jumping on the latest, greatest weight loss plan, popping pills, riding the New Year's bandwagon or thinking just a couple small changes is all you need is going to keep you average.  That is what most people do...they put in little effort and expect maximum results. They ride a quick-fix roller-coaster instead of pacing themselves in a "marathon run."  A lifestyle change doesn't have to be overnight, but it does have to be steady, strategic and consistent.  There has to be dedicated progressive change, not just throwing a few "little bones" at a "big dog."  A mindset of overnight success and rapid results will leave you average in the long run.

Also, a lack of doing anything will surely keep you robustly average. (pun intended)  Think of it this way...A guy is standing on top of a large building and he is faced with 2 choices.  Either continue his unhealthy ways with little to no effort to make any real change and jump off the top of the building or make real, sustainable healthy changes in his life consistently over time so he is anything but average.  Well, the guy is stubborn and not willing to change so he takes his chances and chooses to jump.  As he is falling he yells, "so far so good."  I think you get the point...eventually, if you live "average," you will face a major obstacle in your life and I pray you get a 2nd chance.  We only get 1 life, so why not live ABOVE AVERAGE?  Why not make the most of your life and live healthy and vibrantly.  As Dave Ramsey says, "If you want to 'live' like no one else, you have to 'live' like no one else."  I tell people that I don't live healthy because I am trying to necessarily live a long life (quantity), but to live as good a life as I can while I'm alive. (quality)  A high quality life doesn't just happen and you will not find that kind of healthy life by just being average.  TODAY is always a great day to DECIDE to step up your game and turn up the heat from 211 to 212 degrees. That 1 degree of change lies in your mind and will.  A true above average life has to be fought for and earned!  Are you willing to fight?  Are you willing to change?  For your sake...for your loved one's sake...for your life's sake...for goodness sake, it's time!

Using Your Voice & Mind As A Weapon

A good friend of mine and I used to have many deep discussions when he lived closer.  One thing that often came up was what we summed life up with..."Voices & Choices."  So, let me explain...

The things we give VOICE to and fill our minds with are what ultimately shape our realities. Likewise, "dancing with demons" of the past or present will never free us for our future! God has given us weapons to "slay the demons" but those weapons are only activated when we make a CHOICE to activate our God-given VOICE.  A great first step is to release any "dead weight." you may have been carrying so that you can get your heart and mind into a BATTLE-READY STANCE. Now, keep in mind that whatever demon or stronghold you are facing past or present, I can guarantee you 2 things...

1) You will never have TRUE victory over that demon fighting it in your own strength, and will eventually get defeated  

2) If (CHOICE) you EXERCISE your faith (VOICE) and "join forces" with others; all of your battles will lead to victory. 

The enemy's goal is to convince us that we either are strong enough to fight our own battle (A CHOICE) or that we have nobody on our side and no VOICE to fight with!  This is one of the biggest lies of the enemy and I assure you that it will ultimately lead to defeat. God's goal is to join us to others who will fight with us for His cause like a spiritual army! If one remains isolated, they will get picked off and destroyed!  

You need to make the CHOICE to be open to building relationships with people and being PLANTED in a place that you will be able to draw strength and encouragement from when you find yourself to weak to fight or too discouraged to care or make the right choices.  Side note: regardless of how good of an exercise and nutrition plan you have, it will not work long-term if you don't first build a strong mental and spiritual foundation.  In my 15 years in the health and fitness field, I have seen countless people cycle with weight...health problems...overall fitness because they never made the choice to get to the root of their problems, listen to the RIGHT voice and then exercise their own voice through prayer, faithful declarations, and making the CHOICE to use their VOICE to speak to that big bad mountain in front of them that is blocking them from where they are supposed to get to in life.  If we choose to keep making the same choices, we can't ever expect to see real, sustainable change.  If we keep listening to the voices of: you're not good enough, you can't do it, quit trying, you are not making any progress anyways so just give up, it's not worth it, I really don't need to change, everything is ok, etc., you will find your life shaped by those voices.  At some point, you just have to get fed up with allowing yourself to keep making the choice to listen to the wrong voices or you will forever have those mountains standing in your way whether that be weight loss, body image, health problems, unforgivensss, etc.  

If you want change, you have to change! If you want a different reality, you need to make a FIRM CHOICE to listen to the RIGHT VOICE and then take steps of ACTION by exercising your VOICE (faith).  I have realized over the years that all the dietary and exercise advice doesn't do anybody much good if they don't first change their mind and heart about some things and take a forward leaning READY stance to do "battle."  Life is a battle, but there are many battles within the battle to be won or lost!  With "choices and voices" you can win those battles and get your body, mind and spirit to a better place!

FALL Into Health With 36 Ways To Improve Your Health

                      "What you put into your body, mind and spirit; you become."  ~CH



There is only 1 week left in summer; so a NEW season is about to begin!  Do you want it to be a new season of your life or same old same old?  Are you ready for a change or a fresh start?  If so, you have the option of making that a reality TODAY and the change of the seasons is not a bad time to start!  Here are 36 things (I just turned 36 so 1 for each year of my life)  that I do to help maintain/improve my health and are suggestions for you if you want to live a healthier life.  I am just giving you the bullet points, so if you want more info on any of these; please let me know and I will get it to you as I have plenty of resources.  And let's not forget that health is physical, mental AND spiritual!  Alright, here you go...

1) Take cold showers...physical, mental and spiritual benefits...

2) Play chess...mental exercise...

3) Drink non-chlorinated/non-fluoridated water.  Should drink half your bodyweight in ounces per day up to 200 lbs...then add a 1/4 ounce for every pound after 200.

4)  Don't eat/drink anything with aspartame in it!  READ THE LABELS!

5) Get regular sunshine on your skin as direct sun exposure (outside and no sunscreen with some skin exposed) at least 3 times per week for 15-20 minutes each time.

6) Take high quality supplements daily such as Greens, Multi-vitamin/mineral, fish oil and superfoods.  I use this supplement line for my daily needs www.defeatthefat.org

7)  Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night.

8)  Avoid vaccinations...especially the flu shot!

9)  Avoid medications...unless "absolutely necessary"

10)  Exercise most days of the week with a medium to high level of intensity including at least 2 strength workouts and 3 cardio workouts per week.

11)  Eat mainly, if not exclusively, NON-GMO foods!

12)  Eat a lot of healthy fats like most forms of coconut, avocados, nuts, seeds, quality wild salmon, free range/pastured eggs, etc.

13)  Avoid most sugar, fried foods and processed foods by eating organic as much as possible, preparing your own food and avoiding going out to eat most of the time.

14)  Eat an abundance of fiber-rich foods!

15)  Don't worry...pray!

16)  Don't hate...love!

17)  Don't hold grudges...forgive!

18)  Get PLANTED in a local church!

19)  Fill your mind with truth daily!

20)  Take regular vacations!

21)  Don't do everything cookie-cutter...break the mold and get off the "hamster wheel" as often as possible.

22)  Always have a challenge that you are working towards

23)  Get out of your comfort zone regularly...again, get off the hamster wheel.

24)  Engage in a hobby or 2 or 3 weekly

25)  Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you up!

26)  Be a blessing to people instead of always thinking about yourself and your needs.

27)  Don't be afraid to "crack a whip" every so often as necessary...I mean...even Jesus did this in the Temple!

28)  Keep the space you work and live in as clean and orderly as "possible."

29)  Minimize debt in your life and live below your means, but don't be afraid to GIVE "above your means."

30)  Do something you're passionate about...don't just have a job...don't just make a lot of money...don't just have a title...

31)  Appreciate what you have and be thankful; don't be ungrateful for what you don't have.

32)  Don't always be serious...don't always have fun...but find a balance between the two.

33)  Poop daily...

34)  Exercise your faith (you don't get muscles by skipping your "workout")

35)  Invest in the people you are close with...

36)  Do these things consistently!

6 Mind-Altering Words/Phrases

                     6 "Mind-Altering" WORDS/PHRASES...

                              "If you get your mind right, then you can get your body right"


Our words, or in other words (no pun intended), what we choose to speak can set the course for success or failure.  Oftentimes, it is just 1 little "word-shift" that can bridge the gap from failure to success.  Afterall, our words (what we speak) becomes the foundation for our actions.  Our Creator used words to SPEAK the world into existence and He set the model for us to do the same.  WHAT WE SPEAK IS WHAT WE CREATE!  If you are not where you want to be, then I would first tell you to become very aware of the words you are speaking.  Are you speaking words of life or words of death; words of success or words of failure; words of abundance or words of lack; words of thankfulness or words of discontent?  This is a foundation for life in general, but more specifially in this blog, I will be relating it to health and fitness.  So, here we go...6 "mind-altering" words/phrases that will continually keep road blocks in your path and prevent you from ever getting to your desired destination...

1.   I don't have time.....We all have time and we all have priorities.  Get your priorities right and you will "find" time.  If you can't find time for exercise, healthy eating, etc., then you don't have a strong enough desire to be healthy and fit.  You don't want it bad enough. I assure you that there is somebody busier than you that is still "finding" time for exercise and healthy eating.  Really, it's not about finding time, but MAKING time.  For many of you, I bet I could find 2 hours in the evening where you are tuned into your favorite t.v. show or surfing the web, but unless you make the time; becoming healthy and fit will simply be just wishful thinking.

2.  I'm not ready.....Honestly, I think people are rarely ever 100% ready for anything.  IT IS NOT ABOUT BEING "READY" BUT BEING WILLING!  Just face the truth, you will never be "ready."  At some point, if you want to get on the right path to your health and fitness and beyond, you have to shift out of your mind telling you that you're not ready and shift into your heart being willing.  A willing person will get to where they want to be a lot faster than somebody who is "not ready."  I'm not ready is an easy default button to hit.  What if Noah would have said I'm not ready (or willing) to build the Ark?  How many weeks/months/years are you going to let go by throwing that cheap phrase around before you DECIDE to be willing?  If your default is I'm not ready, then you will also never be willing.  Your default has to be I'm willing!  It's ok to think I'm not ready, but you must TRAIN yourself to default to I'm willing and I promise you will get to your desired destination a lot faster.  If not, you may be 90 years old still saying I'm not ready.  The longer you wait, the harder it will be!

3.   I can't.....At least with I'm not ready, you are saying there is a "chance" you can work towards and accomplish your health and fitness goals.  However, I can't is stamping failure on yourself before you even begin.  It is giving into defeat before the battle even begins.  The mind is the battlefield of life but if you don't even fight, you will never get a victory.  Maybe you had some destructive words spoken over you as a child, maybe you have had some big "failures" or maybe you have just gotten into a habit of giving up when anything gets even a little challenging.  Regardless of which one it is, it is essential to realize that you CAN if you have trained your mind to not give in to the pressures of quitting or even worse; not even starting.  Saying I can't gets you off the hook of doing something challenging.  You have to make a decision NOW that you CAN and WILL before the pressures to quit or run the other way come.  You have to be determined to say I can for the sake of a bigger cause.  Your health is important for not just you, but others around you.  Even if you are unable to say I can, remember that "with God, all things are possible."  His strength will sustain us when we are too weak to make the right decision.

4.   I'll "try".....This is a limp way of saying maybe.  Maybe I will workout, maybe I won't.  Maybe I will eat healthy tonight, maybe I won't.  Chances are, the maybes turn into big fat NO's.  To really nail the stake into how bad this phrase is, let's put it into a sentence and see how it sounds.  "I'll try to stay married."  That's like signing a pre-nup...chances are that if you are willing to sign a pre-nup, you are just as willing to turn your "try" into BYE.  Yes, you can wave good-bye to that healthy and fit body you desire because the best you could do was "try."  Try is a weak commitment that leaves you with a hit or miss approach to your health and fitness.  Instead of using the word try, I challenge you to instead use the word will!

5.   I'm doing the best that I can.....I agree, it sounds good and heartfelt on the surface, but what does it really mean?  Well, what if your "best" that you have committed to is really only 60% of your full potential?  Our "best" often doesn't mean 100%...it's just a play on words to say that I have decided to put only a certain amount of effort into something and I am not willing to put anymore effort into that thing.  It is also an easy way to not have to face the truth.  The truth is that deep down you know that your "best" is really just a front because you don't want to change.  It's time to put your "best" to rest and put God's best to the test!

6.    Change.....A wise man once said that it is better to have changed than have to go through change.  Instead of this word being something people say, it is something people refuse to DO.  "Only when the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of change do people change." Too many people have bought into the idea that change is somehow going to magically happen one day as if winning the lottery.  This will set you up to REMAIN THE SAME!  You see, change takes guts, effort, facing the truth, commitment, consistency, determination, desire, Purpose and a plan.  It's obviously not easy or you would see more people getting off the hamster wheel.  Change is an essential ingredient to bake success in life.  Thinking things will change without taking action steps to change is of course the definition of insanity.  (Doing the same things over and over again but expecting different results)  It's like thinking doing your 10th diet is going to "be the one" that gets the weight off and keeps it off.  Well, if the first 9 didn't work, I'm pretty sure number 10 is going to fail you too.  If we're not willing to change to get to where we want to go, we will remain in the same place we don't want to be.  Furthermore, we need to embrace change and be open to whatever it wants to teach us and wherever it wants to take us.  And, don't just change for change's sake, but change ON PURPOSE and WITH A PURPOSE.

Find A Way

On any path that leads to true and sustainable success, there are a great many excuses "blocking" the way.  A picture that comes to mind is the proverbial elephant with 1 leg tied to a plastic chair.  He perceives that he is tied to an immovable object and never even tries to "break free."  Have you found yourself in that same place with your health and fitness goals or your mindset?  Have you created a prison that doesn't exist in reality?  Have you doomed yourself before even really starting?  Have you manufactured reasons why you shouldn't even try to "break free" from being "tied" to that plastic chair?  Or, have you mustered up enough effort to take a few steps, but then default to: "I am not going to get anywhere anyways so why even try?"

You see, these are all mindset or perspective issues that need to be put in check before you can ever expect to see long term results in health, fitness or any area of life for that matter.  The good news is that we ALL possess or have been given the ability to overcome ANYTHING when we shift our minds to a higher perspective.  Let me show you by example.  Have you ever lost something valuable and been absolutely DETERMINED to find it no matter what the cost?  Say it's your car keys or wallet/purse or wedding ring or worst case scenario...your child.  You would do anything to find them.  You would search day and night, exhaust your resources, never give up and do everything in your power to find them right?  Think of the story of the mother who's baby was underneath a car and she actually lifted the car off the baby.  We all have that ability to DECIDE we are going to do something with no "backdoor" option.  It is an all or nothing attitude...a succeed or die trying mindset.

The problem is that a lack of health and fitness has a death grip on so many people.  Whether it is a cancer diagnosis or suffering from all the "layers" of obesity; it can seem like an insurmountable and unconquerable obstacle.  It can control you instead of you making a DECISION in your GUTS to control it!  We have all been GIVEN this capacity to utilize mind over matter and can apply to any area of our lives...health and fitness included.  Don't sell yourself short with the mindset that you are just stuck with bad health or excess weight.  Don't be fooled into thinking you are a victim either!  Every lemon can be made into lemonade and every victim can SHIFT to becoming a VICTOR!  Don't let your mind rob you of results and submit you to thinking that the power of the mind is only for special circumstances like losing a child.  The truth is that you can utilize that don't quit, not going to stop mindset over your health and fitness no matter what kind of real or perceived setbacks you may have.  Let's be realistic, there are inevitably going to be obstacles in the road,  but you can DECIDE whether they are going to be mountains or mole hills!  All we need is "faith the size of a mustard seed" right?  Just that little Voice inside of you that tells you that you CAN and you WILL instead of the "other voice" that tells you it's too hard, I'm not capable or even I'll "try."

The word "try" really treats people cheaply.  It's a tricky word though because it is often viewed as a positive thing...oh, that person at least tried or you might tell someone, I am going to try to do this or that.  But, in reality, "trying" is saying that I have one foot in and one foot out.  It is a half commitment and doesn't attach your GUTS to what you're doing or committing to.  It is accepting a 50/50 chance of failure and doesn't give a real or concrete commitment.  Just a simple word shift from maybe or try to I WILL and I CAN can position your mind towards achieving your health and fitness goals or not.  If you determine from the beginning that you will FIND A WAY because you can and you will, then there will be no room for excuses or defeat!  YOU ARE CAPABLE AND YOU WERE CREATED WITH AN ABILITY TO OVERCOME AND GET THE VICTORY!  My suggestion is to include God on your health and fitness journey and draw your strength to not quit from Him.  He didn't create us to be broken down out of shape vessels and after-all, the best place to go when you have issues with the creation is the Creator!

Do You Want To Be A Yo-Yo or Do You Want To Be An Anchor?

What's your choice?


Have you ever been vacuuming and had a stubborn little piece of something on the floor?  You move the vacuum over that thing 10...20...30 times and hit it from every angle.  That little devil is just not getting sucked up!  Don't you think it would be easier and more effective to just bend down and pick that thing up?  You could have gotten it on the FIRST TRY, but instead; what you thought was going to be the easiest way (because you didn't have to bend down and pick it up) ended up being more work, more time, less effective and probably frustrated you. AND, in the long term, that little stubborn thing is STILL on the floor!

OK...now, let's shift that thinking to dieting and weight loss.  You have "stubborn" fat on your body.  You have tried 10...20...30 times with diets (calorie restriction/low carb, etc. etc.) pills, potions, plans, ab crunchers, "just minutes a day," or on the flip side--exercise overload, and every other angle of weight loss known to man...or so you think! You also think your weight loss method is the easiest and most effective way or you wouldn't be doing it right?  Who doesn't want easy and effective!?  If I were to guess, you have probably done this over and over again with no long-term results, but for some magical reason, you feel that THIS time it will work....this (21st) time of going over that little thing on the floor with the vacuum is going to finally get it!  My question to you is: how many more times are you going to "run the vacuum over that thing" before you DECIDE to bend down and pick that thing up for good?  In other words, if you CHOOSE the right way, you ONLY HAVE TO DO IT ONCE!  The truth is that you are making it much HARDER on yourself and LESS EFFECTIVE by dieting.  In the long run with dieting, you will have put in a lot of work with no results..."that stubborn little thing is STILL on the floor."

In my 15 years, I have seen hundreds, if not thousands, of people throw conventional wisdom and professional advice out the window in high hopes of one of these magical plans somehow over-riding the way the body was Created to work and yielding long-term results.  What is perceived as the easy and effective way in the short term, is really just a disguise FOR LONG-TERM FAILURE!

Now, there IS a way for LONG-TERM results and I have a little weight loss secret for you...lean in...  IT IS EASIER AND MORE EFFECTIVE THAN DIETING!  Instead of burning your muscles up and calling it weight loss, you will burn your fat up and see your bodyfat% drop significantly.  The secret is: IT'S NOT WHAT THE SCALE SAYS, IT'S WHAT THE BODYFAT ANALYSIS SAYS!  To make this happen, there will be no calorie counting, no calories in vs calories out, no calorie restriction, no carbohydrate depletion, no "just minutes a day," and no exercise overload.  However, I'm not saying it will be easy, but easier than dieting.  I'm also not saying you will see it being effective right away, but you WILL have LASTING and EFFECTIVE results!

There IS a right and wrong way to eat and a right and wrong way to exercise.  Yes, everyone is different and there are variations and specific considerations, but there are some concrete, foundational principles that apply to everyone.  The bottom line is that you have to decide if you want to be a yo-yo your whole life or an anchor?  Do you want to settle for the waves of dieting that make your body go up and down; up and down...or do you want to drop your anchor into something that will keep you grounded with long-term results?

Where's The Fat?

"I would rather have FREEDOM and TRUTH with responsibility 

than have comfort with a prisoner cell."  ~CH

This month's blog is actually a snippet of the book I'm currently working on which I know could be life-changing revelation for some and is God-inspired!  

Well, the fat is just about everywhere!  Sadly, you don’t have to look very far to see it.  It could be your typical person these days that is 50-100 lbs or more overweight, on several medications for conditions they are not improving, eating french fries as vegetables and counting tv channel surfing as exercise.  It could also be the kind of fat we can’t see that is even worse for our health like past hurt from a relationship gone bad, unforgiveness towards those who have done something against us or that we hold against ourselves and anger towards God or a person that is unresolved.  Similarly, when considering both kinds of fat, there are numerous circumstances in life that cause both kinds of fat to build or store up.  We have to remember that the “fat” isn’t the issue, but what is causing that fat to accumulate.  Yes, too much “fat” storage will eventually lead to health and life problems, but if you cut off the SOURCE, you WILL cut off the supply.  Once there is no supply, the fat is sure to die.  I realize though, that this is much easier said than done.  The truth is that the “supply” we “feed” ourselves can be deeply rooted and all too often we just try to trim the weeds instead of actually uprooting them.  The weeds keep coming back and sometimes with a vengeance and we can find ourselves “holding” onto more fat than ever.

An important point here to remember is that there are really only 2 directions in life…forward and backward or hot and cold.  There is no standing still or lukewarm.  We are either becoming a better person or getting worse in who we are.  Furthermore, our bodies are either getting healthier or unhealthier.  One of the greatest lies or “fats” that is circulating out there that is stuck in peoples’ minds is that the goal of life is to be happy as well as comfortable with who you are.  That sounds good and positive to many people on the surface, but if you take a closer look, you will see that it is a severely limited mindset that will hold you back. 

First, let’s look at “being happy.”  Happiness is not a destination; it is something we have to strive for everyday of our lives.  It is a journey.  We don't just reach this magical place of being happy and stay there.  No, happiness is a choice that we have to make every day. It is an attitude that we carry around with us.  It is a way of thinking and a way of life.  Also, happiness in and of itself is a self-serving purpose because it is centered around the individual. We were created for a much greater purpose than to just simply be happy.  Many people choose shallow purposes of life like "happiness," but those that live out a much greater purpose have TRUE joy and peace in their lives.  They are focused on a bigger picture in life than just themselves.  Life is not about a certain amount of money, material, fame or fortune. It isn't about accomplishments, achievements, comfort, how we appear to everyone or what our circumstances say.  We weren't created for ourselves, but a much higher purpose to impact generations and to fix our eyes on things not of this world.  The things of this world will come and go and once we die, they won’t matter to us anymore.  We need to consider the purpose of continually improving our own lives as well as the lives of those around us so that everyone may be able to see and live the TRUTH and ditch the lies. 

Second, let’s take a closer look at being comfortable.  If you get too comfortable with your life or with who you are as a person, you are setting yourself up for a future ambush.  You will eventually become bored, tired, frustrated, disappointed and/or disgusted with the person you are or the life you are living, whether it is concerning your relationships with people including yourself and/or your own body image and health.  All of these things will hit you like a ton of bricks.  It could be that you end up realizing that all of the things that made you “comfortable” in the past have left you with a big void in your life currently.  It could be that you continued to justify and make excuses for your life or your health, all the while there was an elephant sitting in the corner that just kept getting bigger because you chose to keep feeding that elephant.  It could also be that you stayed in your “comfort zone” because you didn’t have the right things driving you or you feared the unknown.  Well, I promise you that if you always stay in your comfort zone, you will never have TRUE peace, joy and fulfillment in your life.  Furthermore, if you never step out of your comfort zone, you will never be able to face and defeat your fears and be victorious.  We were created to be VICTORS, not VICTIMS!

Staying in your comfort zone and just trying to have happiness are 2 of the most life-sucking ”fats”.  It could be eating too many comfort foods or being comfortable not exercising and buying into lies like “I will always be fat” or “My parents were unhealthy and I guess I will be too.”  These are absolute LIES that too many people begin believing and then create a reality with these lies.  These lies can develop such a stronghold on your life that you begin basing most of your decisions on them.  It really is a debilitating disease of the mind and spirit, but will manifest physically on or in your body in the form of fat or health problems. 

Another destructive fat that accumulates from staying in your comfort zone or just trying to be happy is pouring yourself into things like work, relationships, tv, video games, hobbies, etc. that are comfortable for you, but never cause you to become a better person and help you to grow into the person you were created to be.   Furthermore, if you choose to stay in your comfort zone, you will never have true happiness and will get OBESE INTERNALLY and most likely externally.  The things that make you “comfortable” are external things, but true happiness comes from the inside or the unseen things.  We need to identify the external “fats” in our lives before we can focus on getting “lean” internally.  Think of trying to focus on saving money without first establishing a budget.  You need to first figure out what the problem areas are or the areas that have an excess of “fat.”  Then you can begin doing the things that will help you to get lean and healthy inside and out.  As you do these things, you will see the fat begin to sizzle off.  You will feel better, look better, live better and be better to those around you.   You will begin to experience a more fulfilling life and will have more to offer.  As each piece of fat sizzles off, you will be one step closer to unlocking the life you were meant to live…the life you were created for.  In the upcoming chapters, each one will focus on an unhealthy fat and healthy ways to “burn” that fat for good.  Let’s get burning!