321go

This is famously from Tony Robbins who is a world renowned motivational speaker who has millions who follow him including celebrities that look up to him for personal development topics.  One of the things that stuck out to me is when he said, “We don’t get what we want, we get what we have to have.”  It’s so true though.  Life habits are about what we decide to prioritize.  Whether that’s spending time with family,  working long hours to achieve financial freedom, and or exercising on a regular basis to get healthier.  

We go to work to earn an income because we need to provide for ourselves and our families.

We go to the grocery store every week because we need food and water to live.

We make time for our life partners because we need to nurture our relationships with those we love.

It’s all about what we decide to prioritize that actually happens.  Unfortunately, health for a lot of us is put on the back burner for a multitude of reasons. “I’m too busy”, “I can’t afford it”, “now isn’t the right time”, and other reasons.  Ultimately, it’s because in those moments they don’t feel it is needed to make time for their health.

At the same time I’m sure you all have heard people say:

• “I want to lose weight”

• “I want to have more energy”

• “I want to get stronger”

• “I want to feel better in my clothes”

• “I want to be healthier”

I’m probably missing some but like I’ve already talked about, wants are a different category then needs.

Wants = Would be nice to have, not necessary though.

Needs = I don’t have a choice, I need this.

It’s important to understand the differences especially if you are actually looking to accomplish any goal honestly.  If you just want something, on days that you are busy or don’t have the bandwidth to do what’s necessary, you’ll let yourself slip.  If you need something, you will make it work in my schedule regardless of how you feel.  It becomes a non-negotiable which will lead to success.

If you are having trouble navigating through your health whether its because of work, family matters, or any other obstacle, I’d love to chat with you to help get you on track!

Dedicated to your Success,
Coach Evan

In this article I thought it would be good to highlight why I am as passionate about health and fitness as I am today.

People are often surprised when I tell them a little bit about my story because they assume that I was always a fitness guru but that is far from the truth. In high school, my older brother would always ask me if I was going to workout with him since he was involved with sports as well and I usually gave him the same answer which was “I’ll think about it” which really just meant no. Junior and Senior year I started to lift more but then once I started college then my consistency went down the drain because I just thought of training only for sports performance and not for general health.

I wasn’t strong and was always lean so the thought of continuing to workout on my own in college wasn’t attractive to me at all. Nutrition wise, I would say I ate OK. Definitely not consuming near enough protein and fruits/vegetables though. I ate whatever I wanted and didn’t focus on my eating habits. This all resulted in me not feeling great about myself and sometimes pretty depressed because I didn’t have the energy, the body, the confidence that I always wanted which was a result of me not taking action.

I graduated college and right after that I hit a low point of my life in terms of how I was feeling about myself. Physically I was weak. Mentally I felt weak. It was just a really dark time for me. In my darkest moment, I had a decision to make. Either choose the path of continuing to feel bad about myself and do nothing about it. Or I could choose the path of transforming my body and my mind through health and wellness. As you can see, I choose health and wellness.

Boy, was it the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m glad from that moment on that I would be serious about consistently taking care of myself and making my health non-negotiable in my daily routine. Exercising 4-6 times per week and eating a nourishing diet which has changed more than just my physical well-being. It’s COMPLETELY changed my mindset on life. I no longer had limiting beliefs, I had way more confidence in myself and felt like I was finally in control of what happened in my life from many different perspectives. Which is such a great feeling and it all happened through just taking my health more seriously. This is where my passion for helping others with their health stemmed from.

Having good general health is more than just losing weight and other physical markers of progress. It’s about the feeling you get when you finally feel in control of your body. You have more energy. You feel stronger both physically and mentally. You can continue to physically do the things you love to do. Your day to day performance both at work and with your personal life get better. I could keep going but you get the point. Your health is your key to overall happiness. That’s where I come in because I understand struggles that my clients go through whether they have stubborn weight that they need to lose or if they physically are declining and need to get stronger so they can continue with day to day activities. I LOVE helping people reach their health milestones because I know the positive impact it makes for them in their quality of life going forward. That’s why I’m in this industry. To help people live healthier and happier lives.

So if you have a friend or family member who you think needs a little extra help with improving their health, I would love to chat with them.

Sometimes I occasionally hear people talk about how they had to put a pause on exercising(and usually good eating habits) because they ran into a busy time. Whether it’s from going on a vacation, work-related, or perhaps overwhelmed from planning a family event.

There’s a problem with an approach like this.

Hitting the pause button is stopping you from reaching your fitness goals.

We all have our responsibilities and obligations on a weekly basis(some more than others of course). So your schedule will never settle down. By pausing you are building the skill of stopping.

What works for people is when you learn how to stay engaged with the plan even throughout times when you’re busy and or stressed… This doesn’t mean you have to be 100% all the time but instead staying consistent with just showing up and putting as much effort as you can into health and fitness. Below are three things to focus on if you are a person that struggles with staying on a fitness program.

1. Time Management– Plan the day before at the minimum so you can block out your day to utilize as much of your day as possible. Plan everything as an appointment that is non-negotiable(meaning you aren’t allowed to negotiate with yourself to get yourself out of whatever you put in the schedule)
2. Forget Perfection– If you think that by missing something it means you’re a failure then that will just reinforce a negative mindset that will sabotage all your results.
3. Something is better than nothing– A lot of people are either “All in” or “All out”. Both are harmful habits because usually those kinds of approaches aren’t sustainable. The best approach is to try to be as consistent as possible, meaning if you have to do a quick workout instead of a regular workout then that’s a win. If you are going out to eat and there is only a salad as a healthy option then get that and get some of the other stuff. Just doing the best you can in the moment will set you up for long term success.

Do these three things and you’ll be surprised at how much progress you can make over time! As they say, Rome wasn’t built in one day. Take the little steps day by day to ensure long-term success with your fitness goals!

If you are having trouble staying on track, don’t hesitate to reach out to me!

Coach Evan

 

You see it all the time.  Fitness programs that offer “quick fixes” which often leads to quickly losing the results you got after the plan is over.  The big problem is that the plan itself is not sustainable.  Whether it’s a restricted diet that you can’t eat much of anything that’s enjoyable or you are told you need to be on the treadmill everyday like a hamster on a hamster wheel.  Both aren’t realistic in the long term.

Ask yourself, is it worth your time to get results for that short time period OR would you rather get results and actually be able to sustain it for the long term?  Seems like a no brainer.

Below is a picture of Ryan who is one of our clients.  This picture was taken only a month into being a member at our gym and he has come such a long way. He has lost 22.9lbs of PURE body fat, gained muscle, and got a lot stronger since joining us.  He tried working out on his own, weight loss apps, but couldn’t find anything that worked for him.  With his busy schedule with his work as an accountant and being a father, he realized he needed extra help finding a solution that worked for him and his lifestyle.  So not only has he got great results, but he is able to continue to be healthy for the years to come, not just weeks.

So the moral of the story is if you decide to take action on your health, one of the first things you should ask yourself is this a realistic plan for me?  Most of us are busy with work, family, and other activities.  It’s easy to overwhelm yourself and then you become burnt out and then stop entirely.  Make sure it’s a sustainable plan like Ryan’s!

I hear a lot of things outside the gym when it comes to people giving reasons why they haven’t taken action on their health. Sometimes they are legitimate as life throws us obstacles that make it a lot harder to take time to take care of ourselves but for most the below statements are true.

“I don’t have time” = It isn’t a priority in my schedule.

“I can’t afford it” = I choose to spend money elsewhere.

“I’m not the gym type” = I don’t want to familiarize myself with exercise since it’s not important to me.

None of these statements are actually true.

We all have time to set in our schedules.

Lots of hours in the day. If you are truly busy, one of the most effective ways to be more efficient with your time is not to do a “to-do list” but instead use time blocking daily. This means either a handwritten calendar or google calendar(or other software) and block out time for each task you are doing during the day so you can maximize your time which will allow you to have more time by not wasting it.

We can afford it.

Most of the time we are spending money elsewhere whether its buying a new car, new cell phone, traveling somewhere, and other pleasures. If you truly want to get healthier, you will change your budget in order to make it work. We pay for what we prioritize.

Look up how much people spend on medications and hospital visits annually. A gym membership is A LOT cheaper.

We all should workout consistently.

It could be that you don’t like to exercise. Which is pretty normal in our society. Does that mean we shouldn’t do it? No way. Humans are meant to have daily exercise which is why there are so many health implications for people that choose not to exercise.

It could be that you are nervous to be in a gym environment. That’s completely normal and you are not alone. You have options to make the transition to exercise as comfortable as possible. Online training or going to a private studio(like mine) are great options for those who might be both nervous and not know where to start. One thing is true though, we all have a place in a gym environment.

You get the point now.

Don’t let limiting beliefs stop you from starting your fitness journey. The only person who is holding you back is you. You can do this and don’t wait before it’s too late.

This is a popular myth in the health and wellness industry. Mainly driven by the thought that it will make your muscles grow past what you’d be comfortable with and be considered “bulky”.

This is FALSE.

It’s actually the opposite, believe it or not.

I have worked with a lot of clients who consume 100g(or more) of protein each day and successfully lose weight whereas before working with me, they would try diet apps, fad diets, etc and wouldn’t be successful at losing weight.

Why is a high protein diet so effective for weight loss?

For three reasons honestly.

1) It requires DOUBLE the amount of energy to digest vs carbohydrates

This means your overall metabolic output increases just by consuming it which makes it easier to reach the calorie deficit necessary to lose weight

2)It suppresses appetite

It does this by decreasing circulating levels of ghrelin(hunger hormone) while increasing peptide YY,cholecystokinin, and GLP-1 hormones that signal to your brain that you are full. This makes a high protein diet great for reducing cravings that most people struggle with!!

3)It helps maintain muscle mass

When you are in a caloric deficit, you’re not giving the amount of calories you need in order to maintain your body weight. If you don’t eat enough protein, your body will break down both fat mass AND muscle mass(which isn’t good). Eating adequate amounts of protein minimizes muscle loss to ensure all the weight you lose is body fat!

So if you are a person who struggles with overeating and cravings, add protein to every meal you have during the day(20g at least). You will notice an immediate difference in feeling fuller for longer and you will see the weight scale go down as well!

As always, I’m here as a resource to help the community to become a healthier place so don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Most of you reading this made a New Years resolution of some sort. Usually its something to do with your fitness whether its trying to lose weight, get more toned, having more energy, and or just feeling better for the New Year!

I’m sorry to say this but only 8% of New Years resolutions get accomplished!

So statistics are not on your side unfortunately.

People have great intentions of bettering themselves but why do so many people fail them??

For 3 reasons…

1) They make a behavior change before changing their consciousness

-People have internal beliefs and values for everything in their lives. Let’s say someone who doesn’t truly believe being healthy is a priority but decides to start exercising is a recipe for disaster. In this case, they would truly need to believe that their health is important before they start exercising. It helps create the “why” which is simply understanding the reason for the behavior in the first place because without a “why”, it makes it easy to quit since humans need to have a reason behind every behavior or else that behavior will stop.

2) Setting unrealistic goals

-I’m all for thinking big when it comes to goal setting. At the same time though, we need to look at what we have going on in our lives with our career, family, and other activities to think about what goals are actually achievable with what you have going with their life. If the goal is unrealistic often it will lead to frustration and failure. This is why when we are trying to set goals we should have smaller goals that will lead up to what we want to achieve with everything in consideration. The small wins will help keep you motivated!

3) Goals aren’t specific

-When you make goals, you need to be very specific with what you want. Without being specific not only is it hard to stay motivated but also holding yourself accountable. Being specific is key!

So if you’re having trouble with your New Year’s resolutions up to this point take these reasons into consideration when you’re re-evaluating your fitness goals. If you still need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m glad to help in any way.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

1) Eat at least 20g of protein with every meal

-people think that protein is just for building muscle but it does so much more than that and fat loss is one of the things it helps. Protein has a thermic effect when digested which makes it require more energy to be absorbed which does two things:

1) Suppresses appetite- to eat less calories

2) Boosts metabolism- to help you burn more calories

both of which help with fat loss!!

2) Sleep 7-9 Hours Every Night

-Some people take this for granted but I can’t stress the importance of this enough. When you’re sleep deprived, your body starts to release extra cortisol which is a wake up/stress hormone which in moderate doses is a good thing BUT not too much of it. Cortisol is a fat inhibitor which means that it slows down the body’s ability to metabolize body fat. Get your 7-9 hours of sleep!!

3) Strength Train 2-3x/Week

-Incorporating strength training will help you build and or maintain muscle along with helping you burn more calories. Both of which are important for burning fat. The more muscle you have, the easier it is to burn fat since having more active tissue(muscle) increases your metabolism. Also after a strength training session a process called “EPOC” which stands for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption occurs which is caused by metabolic stress your body goes through during a training session. EPOC is your body’s way of replenishing glycogen stores, repairing cellular tissues, balancing hormones, and bringing your body back to a state of homeostasis after you get done exercising! This process requires extra energy which is why you continue to burn calories even after your done training!

These three tips will help you get started in your fat loss journey! Remember like everything else in life, it will only work if you are CONSISTENT. Try these three and if you want further guidance. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

I get told by some people that say “I’m too old to exercise or “its too late for me” and what I say to them is that they are wrong. You are never too old to strength train and in fact its quite the opposite. It becomes even more important to incorporate strength training as you get older because your body starts to metabolically slow down and below are some potential consequences for being inactive:

-lower bone density

-loss of balance and coordination

-increase risk of injuries associated with falls

-loss of muscle

-increase amount of body fat

and many more but you get the idea right?

 

I’ve got great news for you though. By strength training you can help prevent everything you just read above!!! Seriously!

 

Studies have shown from time to time that there is a strong association with longevity and those who do or do not strength train.

 

My general recommendation is for people to strength train at least 2-3x/week for any fitness goal no matter how old you are. I’ve trained people that are as old as 90 years of age and the results they get are astonishing. They are able to do physical activities that they once struggled with or couldn’t even do. They are able to continue to live independently for the years to come. Most importantly, strength training helped them feel confident in their body.

 

I cannot stress enough the importance of strength training especially for older individuals. If you don’t know where to start, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll gladly assist you.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,

Coach Evan

I get asked about my view on supplements all the time

 

My response is different for every person depending on what their lifestyles are like. For the most part, I think they can be beneficial especially to fill the nutritional gaps that you may have with your daily food intake. However, its important to know the following:

 

1)Supplements are not a substitute for the diet. Food is king when it comes to getting vital nutrients

2)Supplements are not regulated by the FDA so the potential bad side effects are unclear.

3)Supplement companies can claim just about anything because of a lack of regulation even if the actual supplement has a minimal to no effect

 

On top of that, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor especially if you have medications since some supplements can interfere with certain drugs that you may be taking.

 

With all these being said, the below are my favorite supplements:

 

1) Omega-3 – this has been shown to help with building cell membranes throughout the body, reduce risk of heart disease, and help reduce inflammation in the body

2) Vitamin D3- this helps your body absorb more calcium and phosphorus that can be utilized to help strengthen bones. Vitamin D production goes down as we get older so this benefits the older population even more!

3) Chlorophyll- you probably haven’t heard of this one. However, it has tons of health benefits that include production of red/white blood cells, has antioxidant properties, and helps reduce inflammation in the body

 

So the main message here is, don’t just pop a pill or try something without doing your research and or consulting a doctor because there is a lot of junk out there that wants you to think that they have the “Magic Pill” that will claim to be the next best thing. Don’t fall for it. Educate yourself and see if it makes sense for you to add supplements to your diet.

 

As always, reach out if you have any questions about anything. I’m here for you.

 

Dedicated To Your Success,