1. What about alcohol?

Surprised this one is at the top? Me too, lol. This has been the number one question so far. Alcohol is not your friend, especially on a fitness journey. Longer chat for another day, just know if you choose to drink (yes, even in moderation) it will slow your progress. More to come on this one.

2. OMG, this is so much info! Where should I start?!

I think we all have a general idea of where we are going wrong when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, but if I had to choose simplicity I would follow three rules: 1) Don’t drink your calories. Avoid sugary drinks/sports drinks/”healthy” juices/etc. Keep your caloric intake coming from food when possible. Brings me to 2) Eat real food. As much as possible, eat single ingredient food and avoid anything ultra processed. 3) Take out the “carbage”. You know all the quick and easy stuff that has you hungry and craving more 30 minutes after your last bite-get it out of your house and body. If you are still overwhelmed, pick one meal a day to keep on point. Increase as your comfort level increases. This a marathon, not a sprint. We don’t play nine-inning baseball here; we play till we win.

3. It is too expensive to eat like this, is there a cheaper way?

First, you are going to pay, one way or another. You can pay a little more than you are used to now, or a whole lot later when compounding catches up with you. Also, I will do a breakdown soon-it is not that expensive. Even with the current inflation levels.

4. How much do I have to exercise?

This depends on your goals. If all you are concerned about is weight loss, 80% of those results come from nutrition alone. If you want good overall fitness, 3 days a week minimum at pretty good intensity for 20-30 minutes. To become a beacon of health and wellness to inspire those around you and possibly win the Arnold Classic? One and half to two hours per day, 6 days a week to get started.

5. What if I (insert current fad diet/magic drink/pill/shot/etc here)?

If you stick around you will eventually hear me say “It all works, if you work it.” My concern is using these things as a crutch instead of as a tool. As noted in the mindset video series-you must become a healthy person who lives a healthy lifestyle to see lasting results. If you are using medication or other sources for a boost while having a Mt Dew and cheeseburger with loaded fries for lunch……well, that assistant is going to be with you for life or you will lose any progress made shortly after you stop whatever it is you are doing.

6. Is there a community for this group to support each other?

Not yet. I am back and forth on this one. I have tried groups/forums/etc in the past and some things are great. This is such a personal journey though, and we are creatures of comparison by nature. I find for now, it is best to focus on you and are you better than you were yesterday?

7. How do you keep the meals from getting boring?

Spices and seasonings are your friends. I will post a list soon of all that I have tried as well as others that clients have had success with. Shake things up often. In the early days, it may be best to grind through with the same meals to keep things simple while you see massive progress. The farther along you get, the more you can experiment and find out what affects you and in what ways. Just don’t toss the baby out with the bath water; if you need to change things, change them. It is key that you track and measure everything though, allowing you to see first hand how things go. Data is indifferent.

8. What do you do on the days you don’t feel like it?

I always like to quote people smarter and farther along than me as often as possible, so I am handing this one over to Eric Thomas: “On the other side of your feelings, is nothing. On the other side of every principle, is a promise.” If all we can do is go through the motions, then go through the motions. Always keep in mind, every action you take is a vote. Are you casting more votes for future healthy you or current craving you?

Thank you for all the questions a feedback! As I get more, I will update this page.