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…..

Don't Think, Just Do

“JUST DO IT!” Nike got that phrase right. When it comes to getting things done, sometimes you should just go out and “just do it.” There is truth to this statement even though it might sound simple but it is very profound. This mentality is especially effective when it comes to getting a workout in.

At work or school, how often have you thought in a day “I want to work out today”? Then by the time you get out and go home you end up sitting at your couch just to “relax for a second.” (A few minutes or hours go by.) By the time you know it you are relaxing way too much. If you even get a chance to go and attempt to work out at the gym after “relaxing” you still need to go change. You get to your closet and you think about what to wear. Then you decide to bring clothes to change in after your workout (another few more minutes go by). Then you see yourself in the mirror and think “I don’t like how my hair looks right now” or “let me put on my contacts”. (Still, a few more minutes tick away.) You think about walking over to the fridge to get a water bottle for your work out but couldn’t decide whether you want Gatorade instead. Then five or more minutes later you finally put on your shoes. Then at the moment you decide to grab your keys in the living room….your moment of ZEN…..YOUR COUCH (and it is calling you back)….and guess what, you wasted so many minutes preparing and THINKING that you convinced yourself to just skip the gym altogether and catch that movie you’ve wanted to see On-Demand.

 It is true that some people are committed to their pursuit of health but to most others like me, we go through the same processes before a work out. That is why over the years I have been inactive with my work outs. I let work and life get in the way. I thought too much of working out that my work out became just that, a THOUGHT. I failed to adjust and I paid the price by becoming overweight. Sometimes adjusting your lifestyle to fit in being healthy doesn’t need planning. We just need to stop over thinking, go out and do it. Next time you want to work out, just change clothes and go. Who cares if your clothes don’t match, who cares if your hair is not as neat, who cares if you miss your movie (it’s On Demand, watch it later!) It is a work out not a fashion show! In Nike’s words…..”JUST DO IT!”

PS. This was something I learned from Anthony Robbins (yes, the guy from Shallow Hal that was called “Banana Hands”). Check out his body of work, even if you just learn one thing it will be well worth it. It has helped me in my life in positive ways.

What does OCD have to do with Fitness?

1, 2, 3…1,2,3…I have a minor OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). It is undiagnosed professionally and not overwhelming but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out you have it. It permeates my life in certain ways. I have to triple check a door and sometimes even more to make sure it is locked. I count to a certain number until I am satisfied and start over if I am not. Then you get that uncomfortable feeling of anxiety if you don’t do a certain thing right. I am saying this because I know I am not the only one from the people I know who has it. I hope by my admission you can learn that you are not by yourself. Now don’t make it worse than what you are reading, in my daily life it is not too much of a burden and it even helps in some ways. It helps me with my job. It helps me with my work outs. It even helps me with my diet.

How does it help me with my job? Well, since I work with numbers a thousand can easily turn into a million with just a decimal point placed in the wrong area. By having some type of OCD, I end up triple checking a number before I submit it. It doesn’t take me long to do and it actually have allowed me to catch errors before a verifier can catch it. So it actually helps out in what I do. One point for OCD….

Work outs….Let’s just say that if I think I am not getting the same amount of work on one side of my arms/legs, I make sure I try to make it as even as possible. And repetitions don’t bother me…..as a matter of fact the counts help out in my work outs. OCD can fit into work outs too.

Diet….Once I get into a pattern, I can eat the same thing without complain. For example, when I was in the prime shape of my life I was eating Oatmeal and Egg Whites every morning with the exception of Sundays. My pre lunch snack was a Slim Fast. My lunch would be a choice of Chicken Kitchen, Wendy’s Chili, 3 Tacos, Pollo Tropical, or Subway. My dinner consisted of a protein shake. This did not bother me at all and I did it for almost a year or so. Today I am back to the oatmeal routine, and not only does it keep me healthy it saves me money from the McD's and Dunkin Donuts breakfasts I used to have.

In reality, as much as OCD is seen as a hindrance to your well being (and if unchecked it could be), it doesn’t have to be that way. We all have faults that we have to deal with and it is in how we choose to deal with them that we can actually use them to improve ourselves. Sometimes there are positives in our little annoyances and I choose to empower myself with it rather than be consumed by it.  I thought about releasing this subject many times over and I feel that it would actually help me in my quest for improvement by allowing others to see more of who I am……

”Don’t let your faults get the best of you but turn it around and make the best of what you have!”

(Disclaimer: if you actually have something that requires medical attention please do not be afraid to seek it, nobody should ever judge you if you are doing something to help yourself)