You Started Your Journey, How Can You Stay On Track? 

(5 Things I Use To Keep Going)

There are moments where we catch momentum and start working out and eating right consistently for a few weeks. However, momentum doesn’t always last. This was true early in my journey, I hit a point where it was tough to really get going. This is when I usually would throw in the towel. This time was different though, through my coaches and my constant search to learn effective ways I was able to implement a few things to help me in my progress. I want to share five of them in hopes it may help you as well.

1)      Power of Schedules

I set aside a time window each day where I would get my exercise in. The time was 5 AM in the morning. I would wake up, freshen up, drink coffee or a pre-workout and I would press play on my dvd workouts in my living room. It was a great way to start my day and to get my body moving. Even better that the workouts lasted 30 minutes and required little to no weights. So it really didn’t affect my morning routine to go to work, it actually helped it since I was up earlier and able to leave on time and with energy.

2)      Snacking Smartly

I usually have an extra drawer in my office space at work that is usually empty. I started using it to store my snacks. Not just any snack, I made sure I picked up the right kind of snacks. My drawer is usually filled with granola bars, protein bars, peanut butter, and oatmeal to give an example. By doing this, I am ensuring myself that I do not go to the vending machine to buy chocolate bars or ice cream. Instead, I reach down and know that what I am snacking on is something that is working towards improving my health.

3)      Don’t Be Alarmed, It Is Just Your Reminders     

What helped me and a few of my clients is keeping an alarm for every 3 hours as a reminder to eat and drink my water. We did this for a few weeks before we turned it off and it helped develop our habits to eat often and in proportion. The iPhone even has an option to label the alarm so we added labels such as “shake” “snack” “lunch” etc. This tool definitely helps keep accountability.

4)      Your Best Friend Can Be Your Best Accountability Tool

Recruit a friend or two on the same road as you to help you out like taking a brisk walk at lunch, joining you for a short workout, or going to the gym. Having accountability partners helps all parties involved to push each other to get the work done. There is strength and support in numbers. I once coached a friend by having her walk with me at our lunch break, in a few weeks our energy levels went up and she started running after work and have seen great results ever since.

5)      Selfies Are Not Just For Fun

Taking progress pics every few weeks of consistent work helps you track your progress visually. Sometimes the scale does not measure everything. Seeing the inches fall off and have a way to visually compare will give a sense of progress. Once we start seeing results, it can help strengthen our resolve to keep pushing forward.

If you are well on your way or just starting out your journey, what tools or habits are  you using to keep that momentum going? I would love to hear from you.

EveryONE's Health and Wellness Matters

JUST ONE? Picture yourself as a group fitness instructor and only ONE person showed up for class. This happened to me last year when I was still new to teaching and just started my classes at my workplace gym. I could have said class is cancelled and called it a night, it was a really long and stressful day. That is when it hit me, it was a LONG and STRESSFUL day! So my coworker who is also my friend showed up probably had a busy day as well and it was her time to unwind. So I held the class and gave her my full attention. It felt great at the end for both of us, we got to relieve stress and in addition I was able to practice my teaching method more.

In terms of health and wellness I am firm believer that everyone matters. When I first started my program with Beachbody (21 Day Fix) I did not quite know where to begin. My coach and the rest of the group supported and guided me along the way. Most of them are not fitness professionals, they have their regular jobs, their daily life to tend to but they all took the the time to mentor me and teach me the best practices based on their experiences. It truly made me feel that I mattered and it has helped me to keep pushing forward.

While some can succeed alone, others like me need a little encouragement and support. I have tried many times on my own and I kept quitting because either my job at the time or life would throw me off. It is also easier to make excuses when you are only accountable to yourself. When I gained accountability partners in form of my fitness groups and fellow coaches, I was no longer able to hide behind my excuses. We all wanted to see each other to succeed and we kept pushing forward together. This is why I now try to help others in finding their health and wellness because whether it it's one person or  thousands of  individuals, everyONE truly matters. I was that individual whose life was changed positively by others and I want to pay it forward and help another.

We can all benefit from each others' help and we all have the ability to inspire one another. This is how health can spread and once results happen it can be an addiction. One that can benefit us with more energy, increased stamina, boost in self-confidence, and better fitting clothes just to name a few. So whether you are a fitness instructor or just working on your own fitness don't be afraid to share. You never know if your blog, your social media post, your picture can be the difference in getting someone to begin their own journey.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I truly appreciate the love and support. Message me anytime at my email: CoachBenjo@yahoo.com I would love to hear from you.

When The Initial Fire Dies Down, How Do You Keep The Fire Lit?

New Year's have come and gone, many had the fire lit to change their ways, most probably have fizzled out. So how does one keep the flame going once that initial flare has dwindled? There are many solutions but I just wanted to highlight a few on this post that has helped me throughout the past two years. The road has not been easy but I am on it and I am staying on track through the use of these . I may have fallen a few times but it is in getting back up and going again where we find our strength. Here are the top things I have learned:

1. Find a Reason Strong Enough That Excuses Melt Away -

    I found a few reasons to change. The greatest of which is my son. When my wife and I decided it is time to have a child I knew then and there I needed to change. In the years prior, I have witnessed friends and family lose loved ones due to obesity. I kept thinking if they only took care of their health, would they still be around? I can never for sure know the answer but if I am going to die I want to make sure I died fighting. So what better reason to fight to live than to be there for my son as long as I can to guide him and to enjoy as many moments with him as possible. With that reason I had no more excuses as I did the previous years and it kept me going.

2. Support Is Key -

   Some people can do it on their own and more power to them. For others like me, I had a hard time keeping myself accountable. Prior to my commitment to truly making a change I would work out and if I found it too hard I would just sit and people watch at the gym instead and pretend I am pedaling my bike harder than what I really was doing. When I found my fit family through Beachbody, I was immersed in a community of fellow challengers and challengers-turned-coaches. They kept me motivated and engaged in my journey. Knowing that they were also in the same journey made me push on because they were doing the same. It was a big help knowing I was not alone in this. Also, through our social media groups I was able to connect with a few people in the same programs I am doing that were like minded and kindred spirits. Together we have formed a small group who push each other daily to be better and do better from what we have done the previous day.

At work I have also created a fit family of coworkers. We workout during lunch and after work. They were part of the reason that I decided to become a group fitness instructor. We keep each other focused and I truly enjoy helping them out by delivering great workout sessions and inspirational words when I can. It is an honor and a blessing to be able to have their support and together we are creating a healthier workplace.

3. Progress Not Perfection -

     I preach this to the people I coach all the time. In this path I do not strive to be perfect or strict in what I do. We also have to enjoy our lives. The key is in moderation. It is ok to have a pizza slice or two. The problem begins when we order a pizza and then proceed to eat the whole box. In moderation we can afford to treat ourselves here and there. To be honest, I am known to have a donut every so often. Do not ever feel guilty as long as you are consistent with your nutrition and exercise most of the time.

4. Working Out Is Hard But Who Says It Can't Be Fun -

     I just have a fun loving and joking personality. If any of you follow my Instagram account @BREYFIT9 you can see I try to infuse some fun into my work outs. We have been known to dance to the music in between sets. (With proper form of course, and as much as my bad leg will allow me to move). When I have fun with a work out I forget it is work. As I do certain routines, songs or moves pop into my head so after I finish my session I go back and put it into a video. Great way for me to get extra work in and it keeps me going through my normal session excited to shoot the idea into film. Others might not think it should be normal practice but honestly who cares, as long as I am progressing I will look for ways to enjoy what I do.

5. When The Going Gets Tough (And Trust Me It Does) I Turn to Personal Development Books and Youtube Inspirational Vids -

     Why books and Youtube vids? There is something empowering about hearing someone else's words of inspiration. These are professionals who have spent their lives researching and putting together words that move. There has been many moments last year where I felt like quitting but hearing a speaker like Les Brown or Simon Sinek gave me that extra push to keep on Sometimes a line from these speakers can resonate with you at the exact time you need it.

When that initial fire dies out find ways to bring it back on. Our health is very important as it is our bodies that allow us to live and we only have one so we need to take care of it. I am always here to help, feel free to reach out anytime to my email coachbenjo@yahoo.com. I wish you all to live in health and wellness. Until next time!

I HAD GIVEN UP HOPE ON BEING HEALTHY.....

“I am content to stay obese and lethargic for the rest of my life!” That is exactly my thought a few months ago. I am 5’8” and was weighting in at 235 pounds! I had blood pressure issues and knee pains, being in my 30’s I was afraid I would have to live with it most my life. I felt like my progress was going nowhere and I have tried many work out programs out there. One way or another an excuse popped up and I stopped doing them. Excuses like time and not having enough of it, eating healthy was impossible because I hate salads, I need my rest on the weekends meaning I slept in and played video games all day. There were too many to list. Then it all changed for me as a blessing was sent my way.

One day as I was scrolling through my social media a friend started posting a program she was doing. She started sharing her pictures and I usually just scroll past it after a quick glance. After a few weeks of seeing her consistency and her results, I started paying attention. Then I got to reach a point where I was curious enough to ask about what she is doing. She explained to me about her meal replacement shake, she mentioned the program she was doing and her 30 minute work outs. I did not jump on it that week but the following week I finally decided to give it a try. I mean what have I got to lose, the program offered a money back guarantee. So I dove in and I was not sure what to expect. I am usually skeptical about programs I see on infomercials and their claims so I came in with a mind set of “I will believe it when I see it for myself.”

October 7, 2014 the day that changed it all. I received the program and made my first shake that day. To my surprise, it actually tasted great due to the chocolate flavor. The next day I added a banana and made it for breakfast. At the same time I started a work out, it lasted 20 minutes and it was very light intensity as I was still having a hard time doing a push up without using my knees. My nutritional change still needed help the next 2 weeks. After 11 years of fast food eating, it was a tough habit to break. I still hate salads but I found other healthy options like veggie patties which surprisingly taste great. I kept pushing though, I knew it was not going to be an easy progress but I had a support group behind me (the program introduced me to a group of people on social media going through the same things I was). They would post their successes and failures daily. It was very motivating for me to know I was not alone. I started leaning heavily on the group and on motivational videos on Youtube to keep me going each day. Little by little I chipped away those first 2 weeks. Then something clicked and a fire inside me lit up.

As the third week came along, I had already lost 10 pounds and the momentum shifted. As my workouts progressed and my food choices became healthier, my energy level increased, my passion and desire to find the positive results I was looking for intensified. Not so long ago I thought I did not have time to work out but as I became more focused I found ways to fit an exercise in my schedule. I began to wake up an hour earlier at 5 am to get an hour of working out in the morning before work. Instead of driving through rush hour traffic for an hour and a half, once I clocked out of work I stayed after hours and utilized my company wellness room to do a half hour work out. Time was no longer an excuse. I finished that first three weeks strong, I lost 16 pounds! I was hungry for more.

So far I have lost over 30 pounds and have more drive, passion and commitment to help myself reach my goals. I also see now what my friend has done for me so I have decided to commit to help others and now I am proud to say I am a Beachbody Coach. My main driving force is not to force my products on people but to give back what my friend and other members of the community gave to me, and that is the motivation and inspiration to push past limits and reach goals once thought impossible. I am doing this by committing to post positive messages daily, answer any questions and to share my progress for others to see and hopefully be inspired by. I also started a social media community to spread awareness about what we can do to help each other be fit and healthy. This year I plan to grow my group of friends in different levels of fitness to gain knowledge from one another because together we can create and achieve great things.

In closing, there are so many programs out there that do work such as gyms, bootcamps, fitness classes, DVD based workouts, etc. I urge you to try one and if it does not suit you, please do not give up hope as another program might fit better for you. I know this because I have been through it for the past 11 years. There are many programs to try, you are bound to find one that is fun and engaging. Also, there is something inspiring about seeing others reaching the same goals we are so I urge you to try and find a social media group of like minded individuals and create accountability. Whatever your motivation is try and find a way to leverage it to reach success.

Time for Deals

Wow, I can not believe it has been a year since my last post. I know some are wondering why I haven't been on. Well folks it is simple I have been lazy last year. I let too many things get in the way of my goals. My priorities became work, eat, sleep and occasionally walk my dogs 0.15 miles and call it a workout. This has hindered me from doing what I set out to do.

If there is one thing I learned from my initial attempt at regaining my health and conquering obesity is that I can not do it alone. I found great success when I did my bootcamp and I had others sharing in my struggles to get through my workout. I tried doing it on my own after my bootcamp membership expired and it was an utter failure. So I have set out to get that edge again and signed up for Crossfit.

Folks, this is the time to find good deals on gym/bootcamp memberships. Deal websites are now offering deals for the new year. I just bought a 3 month subscription to a Crossfit Gym for $49. A membership usually costs around $100 plus monthly. So look around the internet and see if you can find a deal that works for you. Act fast because these deals don't last long.

Here is to a Healthy 2013 and to more blogs to follow.......Cheers!

Dissapointed…..it has been two and a half months since I have worked out consistently. Mainly due to the events that occurred during the holiday season. The events were great but the outcome on my health was somewhat undesirable. The events were as follows:

November – Food and Wine Festival weekend in Epcot for my birthday. Thanksgiving dinners, yes I said DINNERS, with so many family and friends we had different nights of celebrating with a feast.

December – Holiday parties with friends, family and work, completely neglected my diet and exercise at this point. Gained probably five pounds and went backwards in my progress.

January – Spent the New Year’s at Epcot and had a great time with my family. The only saving grace for that weekend’s overconsumption of food was the fact that we walked all day and from 7pm to Midnight we were dancing in China where a very good DJ was set up.

That brings us to today, I need to jump back on the horse because not only did I dissapoint myself but also the others that have found motivation through my progress. If I am to be a role model I need to show that this set back is temporary. Sometimes we have to take a step back to move forward. There is no sense of looking back in regret, I just have to look forward with a renewed attitude and look back only to learn from what has happened.

Here is to a great  New Year! Happiness and Health to all! Also, wanted to share one of my various approaches to getting a workout in. If you haven’t had a chance to use the Xbox Kinect you are missing out on a great and fun tool to keep you active. There is nothing in the books that says you have to be ALL serious with a work out. Sometimes having fun while you do it is the key to finding motivation…..

“I AM NOT HAPPY WITH….,” fill in the blank. This is a sentence of a person dissatisfied. Don’t look at them (or yourself) with judging eyes. It is ok to be dissatisfied with things in your life. Why do I say that? Isn’t our goal in life to achieve happiness? Well, it is; but being unhappy is also part of life. When you are dissatisfied you should be EXCITED. Excited?! Why would that be? I say excited because dissatisfaction means that you need to improve a part(s) of your life. Get excited because it is a chance to grow into something more.

When you reach the point of being fed up an important step to take is to assess where your life is and what your end goal should be. By being dissatisfied, it is your body and mind telling that you could do better. It is yet another tool that could be used to find your motivation and to reach your goals.

I am not going to lie, I am dissatisfied right now. With work being busy and my free time becoming less I have chosen to relax and do nothing when I get home. Although I haven’t gained weight, I also haven’t lost weight. It has been a month since I have had a consistent work out regimen. I did get a few days of work out in this weekend but I know I need to do more. This is the point where the successful gets bothered enough to make the changes to get on track again.

If you find yourself going a different direction than where you want to be it is not too late to change that direction. Use your dissatisfaction as a tool and remember that some of the most successful people out there have failed more than once in their lives. Can you make that turn around? Sure, we all have the capacity to.

(Side Note: I got this idea listening to Anthony Robbins today on my CD player on the way to work. In my hours of dissatisfaction, his teachings have helped me in many ways. It is something I go back to and learn from time and again. Even if it is only one thing you pick up from books or people around you, any little advice or lesson helps.)

*****Thanks to Loren, Paul, Aldo, and many others that can’t be named in just one blog who always remind me of my goals…..