I did not understand this idea until more recently. With a very athletic background, I always thought "Shouldn't I just want to do my best just because" and that is true, I guess I had never met people who really inspired me too. Because there is something about being inspired by the positivity of others that can make you want to be better.

In the past couple years I have pushed myself in my career and in life, and I think in the past this may have been enough.  But here is where the people come in and something has changed.

I have met people who make me want to be better not because I want to be the best. But because I want give the best. I want to provide more. I want to learn more.

People who make you want to be better are not the people you are competing against. They are the people in your corner working as hard as they can which inspires you to work harder. Work harder for them, for you, and for those you want to work for.

In life it is so easy to feel defensive and alone, but if you realize anyone can be on your team if you let them and that that puts you in a position to take charge. You find a new strength, on that you one have just working for yourself. And when you find this second kind of strength you wont have time for the people who doubt you because you and the people you surround yourself with will be busy being your best.

So my advise is to find those people in your life because they are probably already there. Share as much of your journey with them. Positive attracts positive. And people who make you feel like your doing your best will help you do even better.

So often in life we find ourselves frustrated and blaming the world that our dreams, our goals, our wants are not coming true.

The truth is, we are the ones that are not MAKING it happen.

Have you ever noticed when you really want something nothing else matters.... Cost doesn't matter, time doesn't matter, hard work doesn't matter. You will do anything to MAKE it happen.

Life doesn't just happen... we make it!

The same thing goes for when you are feeling bad, when you are feeling pushed around. You can control that. Stand up for yourself. Don't feel victim when you didn't fight for what you want. If no one knows what you want how are they going to respect it. And you will feel even better about pursuing your wants when you work for them! 

But don't hear it from me lets hear it from the client himself: Eric, College grad ready to start a Healthy Happy Life!

Eric used no magic pill, no super foods, and like he said NO RUNNING!

What he did use was his ears and eyes! Eric listened and followed the workout and caloric plan I gave him. He did not skip a workout and stuck pretty close to his calories. I did not tell him a single thing he could not eat or drink, but he quickly realized that to stay full and at the recommended caloric intake it was best to eat healthy foods. He also realized the consumption of certain foods and/or drinks made it more difficult to workout with 100 % effort.

Now that Eric has lost the weight that he wants to he is working on gaining some more muscle!

One really awesome thing about Eric's fitness journey is that he has really stuck to his goal. Which is the key component to success like his, especially when life is always changing.

After working with me for a month he got an awesome job that meant he would be moving and his schedule would be very busy, but already seeing awesome results (-13lbs in the first month) he stayed motivated and decided to do online training.

I am so proud of his progress and inspired by his dedication. I love when I get updates from him! He is always looking for new ways to stay motivated and see progress. Thank you Eric for letting me be a part of your fitness journey and for sharing your story to motivate others!

Starting healthy habits during busy but pivotal points in your life is never an easy thing to do, but when you make being healthy an important part of your "adulting" it is something that will stick with you and only add to your successes! 

PARTY PARTY PARTY! FOOD FOOD FOOD! EVERYWHERE!

let me guess.... out goes the gym, say good bye to your trainer, and HELLO happiness overload!

too good to be true?

With a few helpful tips, you can not gain those 5 extra pounds, avoid sugar crashes, and holiday hangovers!

HERE YOU GO:

One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is waiting to eat. Then when they get to the party they over indulge and give into urges they normally wouldn't even be tempted with.

Skipping meals all day slows down your metabolism and leaves your body feeling hungry even after you have eaten a sufficient amount of food. Unless your only goal is to be a cheap and possibly sloppy date...

​Try to get in some fiber and protein so you will feel full heading into the party where most things will be simple carbs and empty calories anyway.  That way you don't only eat things that will do nothing for you... like not even make you full until it is too late

Once you get to the party don't tell yourself you can't have any of they beautiful and festive food, that will just leave you wanting it all night.... and eventually you will give in!

You already ate healthy so skip the veggie tray that you are going to saturate in dip anyway. Pick only a few things that you plan on actually eating. Stick to those choices the rest of the night. That way once you are full you will be able to tell because you wont want something you are full on.

This goes for everything about the night. Stick to your 3 or 4 foods. Stick to your plan. Also, stick to your same drink. Just like the sweets if you switch from drink to drink you will not feel satisfied and end up going overboard. The end to too many sweet drinks is much worse than the end to too many sweets... trust me on that one!

​ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY, AND TRY NOT TO STRESS.... STRESS IS THE MOST TOXIC THING YOU CAN PUT IN YOUR BODY DURNING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. SO JUST BE MERRY!

But you know what.... that is okay!
Often we get caught up on the idea of comparing ourselves to others. 
​Focus on yourself and yourself only.

Look for only the best in you
in that you will stop negativity towards yourself and others.

In this process you will find happiness and empowerment from everything around you.

Negativity is contagious and you don't want any of that nastiness I promise!

The funny thing is if you hang around negative people and you're a positive person at first you will feel like you can share that positivity with them and that is fine. But do not extend your positive energy so much so that you run low and don't have enough for yourself.

Because those people really do get the same 24 hours in the day as you do. And yes people have different challenges, but it is always relative, there hard might be different then your hard, but it could still be the hardest thing  you have had to deal with.

No matter what card you have been dealt make the best of it.  Deciding to feel bad only does one thing... it makes you feel bad. Deciding to feel good only does one thing, it makes you feel good! But it also allows you to share that good with others and enjoy what you do have. Feeling bad does not bring anything good into your life. SO FEEL GOOD and enjoy what you have right now.

So the if and butts along with the whens and thens. All you have is now and what you are willing to do with it.

Make sure that you are important to yourself. Do not surround yourself with people who tell you you need to change. You should work on yourself because you want to. Because you love you and because you're worth it.

You are the only one who knows what you want and what time schedule you are on, just make sure you are on a positive one and that is all that matters.

As long as you believe that is all that matters, then all you have to do is take your beliefs and turn them into facts

The people who help you on this journey are the ones you want around. Not the ones that suck your life, not the ones that doubt, not the ones that try to shove you in their perceived best direction. The ones that stand beside you and encourage you along the way.

Lets be REAL AND ALIVE because I don't see any other way of being.

Our lives are our choices. We are in the now but all we really have is the future and the past. We learn form the past and create our future. We do this by choosing who we are right now! So we need to stop pretending it is not up to us to be who we want to be.

Every day we have a choice to get up and get going. 
Sometimes this is easier said then done. But it is still our choice.
Most of the time all it takes is a decision, a decision to make today a good day.
My Grandma has always said "make it a good day"  instead of "have a good day" when I was younger I did not understand her intent with this but now I do.  We don't simply have good days, we make them.

When making it a good day you might initially think some have it easier then others. For example, I know I am fortunate to have good health and a job I love, but these are all matters of perspective. My own perspective. I choose to see them this way. I remember in college the first time I really grasped the concept that we all come have such different stories we cannot compare one to another. My struggle and my joy are all my own and all relative to me. One persons idea of a hard day is just as hard as the next persons, but may differ in the others eyes. But we can only comprehend our own struggle we will never know the joy and gift of each others own individual lives. This is because our minds create the world we live in and everyones mind is different.

I like to think that at the very least by sharing our struggles, our adventures, our lives we can show compassion to one another and share the gift of the ability of making everyday a good day.

As some of you may already know my grandma, the one mentioned above who makes her own good days, is currently undergoing cancer treatment. Some days are harder than others, but on the days she can, she does just about everything she can. She never lets the cancer beat her, beat-her-up it some days definitely does, but she fights the battle like a winner! Making it to the best she can a good day.

I am tell you this because it is such a great example of perspective. She acknowledges her choose each and everyday. But what we may  not realize is so do we. Now I know not all of us are fighting cancer, some of us may be, and some of us have a completely different kind of struggle. The list is endless of thing we do not have or could have better, but we all have one thing in common and that is that we are ALIVE and we have a chooice.  And that is what is important to remember when we wake up everyday. Not the battle but the victory. We have to remember how lucky we are to have this day to make how ever we want to make it.

Be thankful for who you are and excited to do the things you do. Our lives are truly gifts. And just like any gift it feels good to be excited about it. And we can be really happy when we choose to see the things that make us remember that being alive is a gift and that is also what can keep us excited to continue doing what ever it is we are doing.

 So when you get up and choose to feel good and make it a good day you should also strive to feel alive as often as you can because it really is exciting to have such a choice to make!

As many of you know, I am known as what some people call an "Early Bird". In my experience, when you are a morning person it is one of those double edge sword things because people are either saying they wish they could do that or that it just doesn't come natural to them. I have come to realize that being a morning person seems like a rare breed. But I am here to tell you that there is nothing different or special about us.

1. We are just as likely to be as grumpy as you are. It is just that by the time everyone else wakes up we have had some time, maybe even hours, of wonderful, beautiful, non disturbed silence. Where no one has bothered us while we wake up. Now I know, that it would seem to make since then that we would understand why our peppy, up beat, attitude drives you up the wall when you rise. But we are so refreshed from all our wonderful alone time we can't wait to share the day with others. Sorry, we're just excited after we get over our grumpiness.
2. We have routines and rituals all our own, and we actually really like it that way. Occasionally, we think it would be nice to have someone with us but when we do we quickly remember the grumpy side mentioned above.
3. We like stillness, even if we are up and moving it is nice that everything else is not, we don't mind the quiet calmness that makes us feel like we are moving and getting things done at warp speed.
4. This could be because deep down we might actually be lazy. By waking up early and getting things done, not only do we have less things to do later but we call also go about them at a slower pace if we'd like.
5. And last but not least the reason we can go slower, be excited, and enjoy the calm is because when you have already completed 4 or 5 task before the rest of the world wakes up you feel productive and accomplished.

Believe it or not we may be slightly envious we wish we could cuddle up in that bed and fall back asleep. Weather its our internal clock or a habit we have made once we are awake we are awake and it just like how the night owl can close his eyes at night ours wont shut again.
We sometimes wish we could stay up and party with our friends but it takes some major will power! I mean even staying up for a movie would be nice now and again!
We also don't mean to seem overly joyous to those around us when they just wake up, we just have been quiet for hours and are so excited to share the beauty of our morning, and at the same time we barely even notice if you completely disregard us because we just figure its your choice not join in on our beautiful day.

Not all morning people were born "this way". Myself included. The number one trick is NEVER hit SNOOZE! I first started this trick in college when I had to wake up for cross country practice. In my first semester of college I would wake up a half hour early and hit snooze about 3 times then rush out the door. Once I realized this made me stressed (and can actually cause weight gain) I stopped. I literally slept until the last 5 mins I could. I would set everything out at night. As soon as that alarm went off I knew I had to hit the ground running. Even now sometimes when my alarm goes off I jump out of bed so quick its almost scary. But I have no problem waking up because I trained my brain to not think of the sound as optional.
Other things that help are like I said, having your clothes ready, a grab and go meal, and a plan. 
In college, I would sleep in my practice clothes, wake up and walk to the bathroom, Im pretty sure with my eyes still closed, my toothbrush laid out, put paste on it, go about my business, leave bathroom grab keys on the counter, next to the breakfast I had packed the night before with a sack lunch and shoes at the door, walk to the car get in a go... usually under 10 mins. 
Now that I am older and still jump out of bed I am not as rushed... I jump up, walk to my coffee pot turn it on, turn on the computer, walk to the restroom, come back get coffee, sit down and start writing to you beautiful people, or head out on a run. and thats that.

I hope you find these tips helpful, or maybe I'm weird and you find them at least comical....

and too all you early people out there, like we do when we pass in the street on a twilight jog a nod of silent salutation and a mutual respect for each others own morning ritual.

We are constantly being bombarded with different ideas, quotes and messages. I had some one ask me the other day in more specific situation about how to we know what to believe.  Here is what I have to say in that case and in any other: 
Go with your gut....
 deep deep down you know the truth that works for you.  I believe everyone does. If you don't feel comfortable with an exercise because of its safety don't do it. If you don't think a diet plan will work for you, you have already set your expectations. I will admit sometimes it takes a little more thought though, because we have to take a step out of ourself and ask will it really not work or are you not willing to do the work. Sometimes that even means calling yourself out on it. 
Example: Lets take for instance right now.... deep down I know that I need to get my workout in before it gets to late and this coffee wears off, but I also know that sometimes writing can feel forced and right now it does't so I am going to take full advantage of that, with the promise to myself that no matter how I feel after this I will workout. Which brings me to a couple ideals I have to help you through the same process.

Tip #1:
I find that I have had the most success when I don't allow myself to think about how I feel about doing something until I am already doing it. 

Tip #2:
So then you might ask me how to start? Even when it comes to things as simple as getting out of bed in the morning, don't think about anything, just get up and go. Once you get to where you need you will figure out the hows but if you don't get going you will never start. Figure out how much weight you want to loose once you start loosing it. Figure out what race you want to run once you have started actually running. You don't need a feeling or an opinion about everything you do everyday. You do however need a feeling about your success.

Tip #3:
Once you have a feeling about your success you determination will naturally follow.

Tip #4:
With determination you have already accepted the fact that you are responsible for your future success and that gives you the freedom to know you are in control of your success.

Tip #5: 
With responsibility comes the freedom of choice and it really is up to you!
Which can feel like a daunting task...
So, how do you stay motivated to give it your all?
Remember, the time will pass either way, so back to where we started just start doing things and it is okay if goals change, heck they might even get bigger.

Tip #6:
Be patient... always and with everything, but especially yourself.

Tip #7:
I think this is one of those things that we do not understand when we are young, we always wan't the end result, but if you can learn anything from your younger self learn that if you enjoy the process the end result will be better because you enjoyed getting there.

Tip #8: 
Your success is an everyday process! Love the Process!

Tip #9: 
Don't wish for what others have,
you may have even greener grass in the end, but YOUR journey is your own.

Tip #10:
There is nothing more rewarding then knowing you did this for you! When you work on yourself it is a project for you by you and with you. Start to depend on yourself, trust yourself. Know that you will always be there for yourself like no one else can be.

Tip #11: 
At times it is hard to be there for you that is when you make sure and surround yourself with positive people who will help you because they see the beauty in you and in the person you are becoming and will help you when you have trouble believing you can do it.

Tip #12:
Remember that believing in yourself is a self feeding fire:
The more you believe the stronger you become and the sooner your dreams will come true.

Every single person you meet has a story.  
He or She is writing it everyday.
You are writing yours.
Remember that everyday.
People come and go, in and out of your life.
You decided what roll they play and how you depict their characters in terms of you.
You can't control everything in life but you can control how you let it impact you.

So unless you want your life to be a drama don't take anything to seriously. 


Yourself included
Make sure the things you do in life make you happy!
Make sure you feel better doing them.

Sometimes you just have to relax and think, what do I want my character description to sound like?

HERE IS MINE.... Try making one of your own... oh yea and don't take it to seriously
Lead Character:
Strongest Attributes: Desire to help others feel their best
Other Attributes: Easy going, Light hearted, Willingness to learn and change for the better.
Physicality's: Strong, Quick and Resourceful  
Weaknesses: Chocolate, gullible and desire to help dramatic people.

Also always remember you can rewrite your character anytime and just stop scripting those who don't make your story a positive one.