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What’s it take to reach your Goals? Do you have what it takes to make a successful transformation?

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It’s all too common to hear people who are frustrated with their inability to successfully reach their goals.  When it comes to a transformation that means: They aren’t losing the fat.  They aren’t gaining the muscle.  Or they aren’t getting any stronger.  I’ve been asked many times, “What’s it take to reach your goals”.  My answer usually starts with, “the right mindset”.  “You have to be able to take control of your own mind”.

Obviously, most people know that it comes down to proper nutrition and a consistent exercise program.  But where most people fail is not being able to follow through with one or both of these.  People will lie to themselves to make themselves feel better.  I’ve done it myself.  I’ve told myself that I was going to stick with a strict diet, which I did.  Or at least claimed I did.  I would just ignore the box of cookies that I stuffed in my face on a Saturday afternoon.  There isn’t really a problem if there is a cheat meal once a week or whatever.  The problem comes in when there are cheats that you are not self reporting.

There is also a difference in putting together what might be more of maintenance than anything.  Someone is setting high goals, but when they get to the gym they go through the motions.  If I’m not killing it in the gym, then I am not making the gains that I expect to make.  The way I see it, is that if I get through a workout and don’t feel muscle exhaustion and don’t feel like I just got my ass kicked, than I didn’t put the work in during my workout.

In my workout today we did a couple of circuits.  Each circuit had  5 rounds of 8 to 15 reps with 3 exercises.  We do increase the number of exercises based on workout.  Our rest period was 1 minute in between rounds.  The weights weren’t real heavy but our legs were on fire by the time we were done.  We finished up with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) on a rowing machine.  We went hard for 15 seconds with 10 seconds of rest and repeated it over and over and over again.

If you aren’t stressing your body than your body isn’t going to change.  If you are just going through the motions don’t expect your muscles to be getting what they need in order to grow.  If you were to go hard for 3 weeks, your body will change in order to accommodate the workouts that you are putting it through.  At that point what was hard 3 weeks ago isn’t so hard anymore.  If someone is lifting for strength, it’s going to be a different workout with heavy weight.  However, they still have to stress their body, so that it reacts and they make their gains.

Stay after it.

 

 

Advertisement

Fish Tacos

 

20151205_181553.jpgI’ve been eating a lot of fish this week. Tonight was Fish Tacos
1 lb Sea Bass (or whatever you decide to use)
1/4 cut extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 1/2 jalapeno
1/4 cup cilantro
1 red onion
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 avocado
1/2 tomato
1 Lime
Tortillas made with sprouted wheat

Mix Olive Oil, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 jalapeno, cilantro

Cut up fish and put in a container. Cover with mixture. Let it sit for at least an hour.

Cut up 1/2 onion, but in a small bowl and cover with vinegar. Let sit for at least an hour

(guacamole) Blend avocado with tomato, 1/4 sea salt, 1/4 pepper and some lime juice

Heat frying pan on medium flame. Cook fish for about 5 minutes and flip over for about 3 more minutes

Warm tortillas for a couple minutes

Add fish to tortilla, add guacamole and onions and squirt some lime juice on it.

I’m Glad That I Use To Be Fat And Out Of Shape: Although I Was Not Happy Or Jolly

Evolve Blog Before After Glad I was fat

I just thought of something.  It’s kind of funny to me, because this has never crossed my mind before.   And I only thought that it was strange that I hadn’t thought of it before.  So here it is:  What if I started training the way that I am now, when I got out of college?   That would have meant that I never stopped working out, but that I took what I now know about training and nutrition and implemented it.  What if I started living a healthy lifestyle back then?  If I had continued to be active and made some changes to my training so that I would meet my current goals earlier, than who knows what kind of shape I would have been in for the last 26 years.  Who knows what I would be doing.  I’m sure it would have had quite an impact on my life.  But no matter what, I would not want to go back and change it.  I’m actually glad that I didn’t live a healthy lifestyle my entire life.  Being fat and out of shape was something that I needed.  Maybe it sounds strange to you that I would say that.  You might wonder why, I’m glad that at one time I was so out of shape that a doctor told me that I was going to pop.  I’ll tell you why.  It’s because I overcame certain challenges to get to the point in my life that I am at right now.  It wasn’t easy.  In doing this I was able to strengthen my mind.  I was able to learn how to control myself.  I am also able to put myself in other people’s shoes and understand what they are feeling and I know what they will have to go through to reach their goals.   At one time I was in someone else’s shoes.  Sometimes it seems like it was a dream.  I remember the person that I was but it doesn’t seem real to me.  I have learned so much more in these last 3 years then I have during the rest of my life.  The reason for it is only because of what I put myself through to get here.  A lot of the things that I have learned are about myself and it helps me relate to other people.  From my point of view, most of the things that I learned, could only be learned coming from a miserable place.  What I mean by that is that I had mentally put myself in a place that was full of misery (lack of goals, drive, determination and confidence.  And an abundance of depression and negative thoughts.)  I was able to dig myself out and end up on the polar opposite side.
If I hadn’t faced any of these challenges, than I probably wouldn’t appreciate what it took to get there.  More than likely I would be a cocky prick, who may understand what hard work is, but doesn’t realize what people go through when facing tougher challenges or for that matter any challenges.  I would probably take the things that I had for granted and feel entitled.  I still don’t have everything figured out and I am constantly learning.  I am also increasing my goals.  If I ever become satisfied I might just fall back into my old ways.  I need something to drive me.  One of those things is passing on what I have learned to others.  It’s only fair, because I constantly get knowledge, motivation and inspiration from others.

Looking Back On My Transformation Was It Really That Hard?

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One day I made the decision to transform my body.  I ended up transforming my life.  I look back on it now and some times think that it really wasn’t all that hard to accomplish.  What makes me think that?  I’ve learned a lot since I surpassed my original goal.  Most of what I have learned has been about myself.  The greatest thing that I learned was being able to take control of my mind.  That truly is the hardest part.  If you can control your mind, you can control how and what you eat.  If you can control your mind, you can also train several days a week.  If you can control your mind, than you can give up what is holding you back.  If you can control your mind you can clearly see your goals and you can reach them.  

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that it is easy.  And I am not saying that you can just convince yourself that you will live a healthy lifestyle and have a fit body.  It does take time and if you are like me, you will probably expect more from yourself.   You may have setbacks and you may have to convince yourself that you are strong enough to control your own mind every day.

What was once impossible can now be accomplished once you take control of your mind.  The hard part is being strong enough to be able to take control of your mind.

I Am Not A “PUSSY”!!!

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I am not trying to be offensive.  I’m just being real.  If you really want to know what it took for me to learn how to take control of my mind, you will get that by reading this.  Offensive or not.  I rather be truthful and accurate about my own experience, instead of provide you with some half truth.  I guess I could have said, “I am not a PUNK” or I am not a “LOSER”, but that is not real.  That didn’t happen to me.

Once I’d realized that I could transform my life, by taking control of my mind, I put one of the worst things that I could think of into my head.  It actually started out when I decided that I had to quit chewing tobacco.  Which was several months prior to starting my transformation and building the body that I desired to have.

I started chewing tobacco when I was a senior in college at the age of 22.  Twenty-three years later, I was still chewing.  I unsuccessfully quit several times.  I would think about things like how gross my habit was and how it would make me feel in the morning when I was dehydrated from it.  Sometimes my breath stunk from it.  I even damaged keyboards and entire computers.  In one case I dumped chew spit on a $3,000 MAC.  That was one expensive tin of Skoal.  I had to buy a brand new one.  I also knew that it had a negative effect on strength and muscle development.  I thought about losing my jaw to cancer and even had numbness in my throat and check along with other strange sensations.  Fortunately, none of those problems currently exist.   Based on doctors and dental visits, I have no medical issues from chewing.  I use to watch the singing cowboy commercial (TRUTH – “You Don’t Always Die from Tobacco”) and think, what if that happens to me.  I would rather die than go through that.  None of these things made me quit.  But they did make me think about quitting.

One day I realized that I could quit if I really wanted to.  So I thought about one of the worst things that anyone could call me.  “PUSSY”.  Next thing I know, I would reach for my tin and in my head, I would say, “If you take that, than you are a PUSSY!!!”  It’s funny.  It worked.  I don’t want anyone calling me a PUSSY, including myself.  I wasn’t a PUSSY, because I chewed tobacco.  And I don’t want to say that it was easy to quit.  But it was all because I convinced myself that if I could not control my own mind than I was a PUSSY.

When it came time to starting my transformation, I decided to use the same motivation.  Obviously, a lot more than that motivated me, but this helped.  And within the first week, I was a PUSSY one time during the whole 16 weeks.  It’s not something that I can settle for.  I rather be a BAD ASS than a PUSSY.   My greatest strength is my MIND and I do control it.  I can break bad habits and enforce good ones.  I AM NOT A PUSSY!!!

Homemade Snickers

HOMEMADE SNICKERS

Better than the REAL THING, because it’s made with real food.


Snickers Nougat
1 cup cashews
1 cup almonds
3 TBS raw honey
1/3 tsp sea salt
2 TBS water

Caramel:
1 cup dates
3 TBS raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBS coconut oil
1/3 tps sea salt

Chocolate:

1/2 Cup Raw Cacao Powder
1/2 Cup Raw Honey
1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Soak dates in water and lemon juice for 1 hour or more.  Save the water once drained.

Nougat:  Blend cashews and almonds into a powder.  Add to mixing bowl
Add honey, sea salt and water.  Mix into past.  Make into small bite size pieces place in pan and put in freezer

Caramel:  Blend dates, coconut oil, raw honey and sea salt.  Add 2 TBS of soaking water
Spread Caramel on Nougat and return to freezer

Add Raw Cacao, Raw Honey, Coconut Oil, Vanilla Extract to bowl and mix.
Pour chocolate over nougat and caramel and return to freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Health Benefits:

Cashews
May promote cardiovascular health (may decrease triglycerides)
High Antioxidants
Great for skin, hair, nails, bones, tissue
May lower risk of Gallstones

Almonds
Good for brain development (great for kids)
Helps in preventing colon cancer by moving food through the colon
Helps reduce the cause of plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart
Regulates Blood Pressure
Regulates Cholesterol
Helps fight diabetes.  Keeps Blood sugar down
Rich in fiber
Boosts Energy
(Drink a lot of water with almonds)

Dates
High in Fiber.
Prevents absorption of LDL Cholesterol.
Protects colon.
Good for vision.
Fights cancer and Cardiovascular disease.
High in Iron, Calcium, Manganese, Copper and Magnesium.  Also contains B6

Sea Salt
Alkalizes the Body
Contains Minerals
Good for the Cardiovascular System
Good for the Brain
Good for the Skin
Important for Hydration
Boosts Immune System
Helps maintain Sugar Levels (good for Diabetes)
Prevents Osteoporosis
Prevents Muscle Cramps and Spasms
Reduces Cholesterol
Reduces Inflammation in respiratory system (Good for Asthma)

Coconut Oil:
New research claiming that it has been helping Alzheimer’s patients improve and even reverse effects.
Positive results for people affected with Type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Increases thyroid health by raising body temperature.
It increases metabolism (increases body temp)
Increases energy
Coconut oil on the body can promote healthy skin and hair.

Lemon
Helps the body become Alkaline by increasing PH
Antibacterial
High in Vitamin C
Strengthens Blood Vessels
Great for the Heart
Good for Teeth and Bones
*Lemon Juice can destroy tooth enamel.  Dilute with water or something else.
Helps rid the body of kidney stones and other kidney and bladder problems

Raw Honey:
Increases natural energy
Used in treating allergies
Treats colds and sore throats (it coats the throat and reduces irritation)
Used as an acne treatment

Raw Cacao (Chocolate)
Known as a Super-Food
Claims to reduce cataracts, improve heart function and alleviate stress
High in antioxidant flavonoids
Claims to reduce free radicals in the body and in turn reducing risk of cancer
Vanilla Extract
The scent helps reduce stress

Vanilla Extract
Antioxidant Properties
May fight Cancer
Boost Metabolism
Reduces Anxiety
May fight infections and fever in children
Reduces Nausea

Sweet Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken

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chicken apple cider vinegar

2 Chicken Breasts
1/2 Pint of Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 Medium Red Onion
1 Jalapeño
1 Garlic Clove
1 Teaspoon Rosemary
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Sea Salt to Taste
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Raw Honey

Heat Frying Pan on low to medium heat.  Add Olive Oil.
Crush Garlic.  Dice Onions, Tomatoes, Jalapeno. Slice Chicken into bite size pieces.
Add Garlic and Onions to frying pan.  After 5 minutes add chicken, tomatoes and spinach.
Sprinkle with Rosemary, Black Pepper, Salt.
Add Vinegar
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir Raw Honey in after you finish cooking.
Health Benefits:

Chicken
High in Protein (Builds and repairs Muscle)
Fights Alzheimer’s
Fights Cancer

Red Onions
Contains Antioxidants
Anti-Fungal
Anti-Bacterial
Anti-Inflammatory
Fights Cancer
Fights Free Radicals
Fights Colds
Reduces High Blood Pressure
Low Glycemic – Suppresses Blood Sugar Spikes

Tomatoes
Contains antioxidants
Fights Cancer (prostate, cervical, stomach, rectum, breast and mouth)
Lowers Cholesterol
Helps keep digestive system healthy
Detoxify body
Alleviates Type 2 Diabetes
Good for Healthy skin, hair, nails, teeth and bones
Fights urinary tract infections and bladder cancer
Prevents Gallstones

Jalapeno
Fights Cancer
Lowers Blood Pressure
Anti-Inflammatory
Good for the heart
Reduces Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Increases Metabolism.  Helps body burn fat.

Garlic Cloves
Contains Antioxidants
Attacks free radicals
Fights Colds and Flu
Lowers Cholesterol
Acts as a natural antibiotic (bacteria doesn’t grow resistant to it)

Black Pepper
Contains Antioxidants
Anti-Inflammatory and Antibacterial.
Great for the digestive Tract.
Reduces Gas in the intestines.
Speeds up metabolism.
Supports weight loss.
Fights fat by breaking down the fat cells.
Relief from respiratory problems

Rosemary
Antioxidant.
Anti-Allergic, Anti-Fungal and Anti-Septic.
Helps with Cardiovascular system.
High in Iron.

Olive Oil
Contains Antioxidants
Contains probiotics
Improves Blood Vessel Function
Boosts the immune system
Fights Cancer
Fights Heart Disease
Regulates Blood Pressure
Fights Diabetes
May help fight Obesity
Fights Arthritis
Fights 
osteoporosis

Raw Honey:
Increases natural energy
Used in treating allergies
Treats colds and sore throats (it coats the throat and reduces irritation)

Spinach
Anti-Inflammatory
Antioxidants
High in fiber
Helps with digestion
Fights Cancer
Lowers blood pressure
Good for eyes, skin, bones

Apple Cider Vinegar
Suppresses Glucose being released by the body
Alkalizes the Body
Regulates Blood Pressure
Reduces Cholesterol
High in Minerals
Helps remove toxins from the body
Great for skin
Supports weight loss

Sea Salt
Alkalizes the Body
Contains Minerals
Good for the Cardiovascular System
Good for the Brain
Good for the Skin
Important for Hydration
Boosts Immune System
Helps maintain Sugar Levels (good for Diabetes)
Prevents Osteoporosis
Prevents Muscle Cramps and Spasms
Reduces Cholesterol
Reduces Inflammation in respiratory system (Good for Asthma)

BABY STEPS ARE A BUNCH OF CRAP. BRAINWASH YOURSELF.

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I don’t believe in baby steps.  Baby steps are an excuse to hang on to some of the things that are holding you back from a healthy lifestyle.  Let’s just say you are trying to lose weight and start living a healthy lifestyle.  You also smoke and drink frequently.  To live a healthy lifestyle you are going to have to start eating healthy, start training with weights  and by doing cardio.  You will have to stop smoking and drinking.  I’m not opposed to drinking but I have cut way back.  And by “way back”, I mean that drank about as much this last year as I did during two nights out, the year before.

Obviously, if you have not been active, it would probably be a good idea to get a physical to make sure that you don’t have anything that may become a problem if you push yourself “too hard.”    But no matter what you are going to have to push yourself.  The longer you continue with your training and cardio the more you should increase your intensity.   You don’t want it getting too easy.  DON’T JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.  That is one thing that I consider when people say baby steps.  They just go through the motions and take it easy in the gym and call it a work out.  When I walk out of the gym my shirt is soaking wet.

When people talk about baby steps they also plan on making a few changes at a time.  So they will cut certain things out of their diet but maybe keep a couple of unhealthy things in it and they also cut back on drinking from 3 times a week to twice a week and they continue to smoke.  So I guess they plan on implementing their plan over the course of their transformation.  So maybe by week 4 they are going to clean up their entire diet and by week 6 they will only drink once a week and by week 8 they will smoke one less pack a week.  It’s all an excuse.  More than likely what will actually happen is that they will push their healthy deadlines back and they won’t give up the cigarettes or the drinking.  And their training and cardio will be ineffective.

For me it was coming to the realization that if I made my changes all at once that it would actually be easier.  Baby Steps will prolong the “Suffering” (I never suffered.  It wasn’t easy but I never suffered.  If you do suffer, you need to work on “Controlling your Mind”).  I convinced myself that it was mind over matter.  I convinced myself that if I couldn’t succeed than I was weak.  If I couldn’t control my own mind I was weak.  The key word is WAS.  I am STRONG enough to control my own mind.  I can achieve my goals   I can S.W.I.M.™ (Self-Control, Will Power, Inspiration, Motivation).  When you can conquer the bad habits and the addictions all at once it actually makes you stronger.  It adds to your motivation.  And when you succeed you will never forget what it took to get you there.  

Don’t Look For The Easy Way Out

When I was in high school, I thought that I must be a genius because I came up with a new formula for some geometry problem.  The best part was that it was easy and I found my solution very quickly.  It worked out great for me until the day that I took the test and my formula failed to produce the correct solution to the problems.

Easy isn’t always better.  I still do like to think outside of the box, however I am not always looking for the easy way out.  In fact I find that the harder I work the bigger the payoff is for me.  When I workout, I am usually going in solo.  In the past when I had a team around me or even a workout partner or trainer, there is usually some kind of competition.  I don’t want to fail, give up or give less effort.  If I am doing someone else’s program I have to keep up. If I am leading the program, I want to make sure everyone else knows how hard it is.  So, when I go into the gym by myself, I know that I can’t make it easy on myself.  I know what it feels like to train hard and I know what I should feel like when I go through my workout.

When I train, I work more focus more on muscle endurance and activating my core and my stabilizer muscles.  For others, it might be more about having a 400 pound bench.  I’m more about increasing my overall athleticism.  I change-up my workouts every day.  I take exercises and make them harder.  When I bench, I might  pick my feet off of the ground or might do rows from a plank position or I might do dynamic push-ups (drop from an elevated level and push back up to it from the ground).Screen Shot 2013-04-19 at 3.39.50 PM

If it is an exercise that is too hard to do, I will work on it until I can perform it.  I am currently working on one-legged squats.  I’m using a TRX to help me keep my balance.  I’m planning on being able to do these unassisted, within a couple of weeks.

When I accomplish something that I consider hard.  And I continue to do it, I find that it actually becomes what I consider easy in many cases.  Increase the difficulty and conquer your next challenge.  Learn to S.W.I.M.™ 

Getting Prepared For Your Transformation

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I wasn’t going on a diet, I was going to start living a healthy lifestyle.  I needed to prepare for this so that I had set goals.  I had motivation to reach them and that I had a plan to get me there.  Be prepared.
Before you EVOLVE, you must Learn to S.W.I.M.™

Set your Goals and write them down.  Post them somewhere that you can see them everyday.

Write down your weight

Write down your measurements (waist, neck, arms, legs, chest)

Write down your body fat

Take BEFORE Pics

Plan your healthy lifestyle (nutrition and training)

I also wrote down everything that I planned to eat.  I would write down next to it what I actually did eat.  (It is ok to switch something healthy for something else healthy).  I did this for the first 7 weeks.  At that point I realized that I wasn’t going to cheat and that my nutrition plan was working for me.

Make sure that you can enjoy your food.  Be Accountable.

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