Two Days of what I eat

One of my clients was curious to see what I eat…so here ya go. Two days of my typical eating.

"The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never live!"

“The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never live!”

— Sir Richard Branson

Bent But Not Broken

I saw this bent sunflower stem which had this beautiful flower, and some “garden zen” hit me.

Think of your own life experiences. Some things or some people may have tried to break you…but you can still push through and show your value and your beauty that you have to offer.

Bounce back, and bring your best self.

Actions, Not Words, Reveal Our Real Values

From Derek Sivers book, “Hell Yeah or No”.

“I told my old coach that I really wanted to start my new company.

He said, “No, you don’t.”

I said, “Yes, I do! This is really important to me!”

He said, “No, it’s not. Saying it doesn’t make it true.”

I said, “You can’t ignore what I’m saying. I know myself well. I’m telling you what’s important to me.”

He said, “Yes, I can ignore what you’re saying and just look at your actions. Our actions always reveal our real values.”

Are you taking the appropriate actions?

Back to Sivers…

“I thought about that, but it sounded wrong to me. What about people who want to learn languages, or create businesses, but haven’t started yet? What about people who want to quit smoking or quit their jobs, but haven’t been able to yet?

He said, “If they really wanted to do it, they would have done it.

No matter what you tell the world or tell yourself, your actions reveal your real values. Your actions show you what you actually want.

There are two smart reactions to this:

1. Stop lying to yourself, and admit your real priorities.

2. Start doing what you say you want to do, and see if it’s really true.”

May Boot Camp Details

Now that the CDC and the White House have updated their mask rules, this should be a great May Boot Camp. No classes on Memorial Day.

Some of the things that make boot camp special are the interactions and camaraderie of people training together. Seeing the expression of others rooting for you is irreplaceable…sorry Peleton screen. My hope is that we will continue on the path towards returning back to pre-Covid days.

Morning spaces in the MWF Boot Camp are limited. Those who are currently in the April Camp please confirm with me to let me know you’ll be continuing in the May Camp. There are spaces on all other days and times.

May 2021 Boot Camps
MWF Camps - 12 classes for $165 (Limited Spaces)

Tu/Thur Camps - 8 classes for $125

No Classes on May 31, Memorial Day

$20 (one time drop-in) 

Morning Classes: 

5:45 am - 6:30 am 

Evening Classes: 

6:00 pm - 6:45 pm

Class: Each class is 45 minutes in length. 

Contact me with questions, and to secure your spot.

Some Thoughts on Fat Loss

I recently shared these questions and thoughts with one of my personal training clients. You may find them helpful.

What is your current weight?

What is your goal weight? (When was the last time you were at that weight?)

When was the last time you had a physical (with blood work)? I ask as I want to make sure your hormones are OK, and you are not deficient in any vitamins, etc..

Would you like to send me photos of your meals?

Wear and activate your Apple Watch, so I can see all of your activity.

How many times per week do you drink alcoholic beverages?

Do you get sufficient sleep? How do you measure this?

There are a few eating plans which will reduce your weight. (There are many more, but I’ll stick to these.)
Counting calories - eating things you want, but measuring and weighing everything. (In my opinion, this is the least practical.)
Protein and vegetables - sticking to protein and vegetables with limited fruit, and limited simple carbs. (This might be easier than weighing everything, but the progress can be a little bit slower.

More “extreme” -
Trying “I.F.”, intermittent fasting. More variety of foods, but eating in a small window of time. Typically 16 hours of fasting, and eating during the other 8. (Like skipping breakfast, and only eating between noon and 8 pm).
Keto/High Fat/Carnivore- I consider these more extreme in that you will have to sacrifice the most. These work for some people, but like I said they are more extreme, and probably not a long-term solution for most.

The top 2 that I prefer are protein and vegetables, or intermittent fasting.

Sacrifices will have to be made somewhere to really challenge your body.

Which patterns and habits lead up to your best results?

Try not to overthink health and fitness.

I see so many people and clients focusing on the small things, when it seems to me that the bigger payoff is found when paying attention to the big things.

Starting with sleep. Do you wake up feeling rested? Do you measure your sleep somehow? This can be done with an app, or as simple as noting something down with pen and paper. If you aren’t waking up feeling refreshed, what do you need to modify? Do you need to buckle down more during the day (less social media)? Are there better ways to save time during the day, like using a grocery delivery service?

Examine how you spend your hours each day.

Next, eating. Are you eating high quality fruits, vegetables, proteins? Do you measure how food affects your weight, your mood? If crappy food adds fat and makes you feel worse, eliminate them. Too hard to eliminate, then reduce. Still too hard, then read and learn how to train your mind to be more disciplined. It may not come out “perfect”, but at least your are working towards improvements. It’s up to you.

Training. Just move. Don’t overthink this. Push your body. Be it walking, biking, yoga, whatever. Challenge your body. Sitting on the couch, looking at Facebook does not change anything, other that the money FB earns by you spending time there.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about becoming your best.

Refine, repeat, and execute.

Especially during these times, I cannot imagine not trying to make the most of this one life. Countless people have become very ill, and worse, died because of COVID-19. For those lucky enough to have now received the vaccine, or have never gotten ill, for goodness sakes, live life!

Each Day is Precious

Each morning is precious, and some really stand out.

How did you welcome this morning?

Refine The Small Steps

January 31, 2021

Two Harbors, Catalina Island

Hard to believe that tomorrow is February.

By now, some of you have realized that keeping your New Year's goals or resolutions is a tough fight.

What I found that works for me is refining my habits rather than setting specific goals like "lose 10 pounds by next month". I get more satisfaction from tracking my improvements in my daily habits. I can control those actions more so than the possible outcomes at the end of the month.

Most of the time, if I put in the daily work, those goals will be met...but I don't stress about the longer-term goal.

So how does this apply to you?

Find the small steps that you can take action on today. The basics like, go to bed early enough so you get sufficient sleep. Eat vegetables over simple carb snacks, and get up and move frequently. You can do these.

Focus on those things you have the power to do. Small refinements day after day.

February Boot Camp Details

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday Camps - 12 Classes for $165

Tu/Thur Camps - 8 Classes for $135

Hours:

Mornings: 5:45 AM - 6:30 AM

Evenings: 6:00 PM - 6:45 PM

No classes on weekends.

20,202 Days…

20,202 is the number of days that I’ve been alive.

One of my goals for this year is to make the most of each day. Spending my time very wisely.

So many days have passed it’s critical to make the most of each day we have left.

Day Before New Years Workout

I’m sharing an example of what I do on my own. This day, the exercise happened to be extreme as I wanted to challenge myself.

I don’t like to share this stuff on social media as I do this for myself, not for others eyes. This isn’t about likes or popularity.

Just me and the wildlife.

Planning for 2021

I’m always trying to find ways to streamline and simplify my life.

Looking at basically 3 areas, health, family, and business. I look at each area and try to make the best improvements to help me to refine each. I typically read 30 minutes a day, hopefully in each of these areas. Yes, I read a lot.

In keeping things simple, here is something I am sending to my clients for 2021. If you train with me, then let me know. If you do not train with me, figure out for yourself how you will track and improve in 2021.

“And what goals can I help you work on in 2021?

How can I help hold you accountable? Texts, calls, emails?

And how will you and I track your progress? Do you use an Apple Watch, if so I can “friend” you and see your activity?

Let me know what works best for you.

I hope to help make 2021 an incredible year for you.

Best,
Stephen”

Calendar:

Jan 4, 2021 New classes begin.

12 classes $165

8 classes for $135

Spending your time wisely.

Olympic National Park, WA

“Never confuse a long life with a great life.””

— Jim Collins

Having recently spent about 10 days very close to nature and away from gadgets and electronic inputs, I’m strongly reminded as to life life to the fullest, and to spend time on the things that matter most.

Change Your Actions

“The story we tell ourselves leads to the actions we take.

If you want to change your story, change your actions first. When we choose to act a certain way, our mind can’t help but rework our narrative to make those actions become coherent.

We become what we do.”

— Seth Godin - “The Practice.”

This quote really resonates with me when I think of my clients. So often potential clients overanalyze how to start improving their health and fitness.

Get started safely and tweak and improve on your actions. Keep taking action and refine what works for you.

Link to Seth Godin’s new book, “The Practice”.

Question?

Client question…

I am in desperate need of exercise and cannot seem to muster up much energy to go about this myself. 
I am even more out of shape than before and see the downhill spiral if I don’t begin to get things in order. My bigger problem is staying consistent over the long haul. 2-3 weeks is easy...2-3 months is challenging...2-3 years feels unfathomable. 

But I need to try. 

My response…

“As far as consistency, you'll need to figure out what works for you.  I know how I work.  I'm driven, and very little deters me from training.  I like the positive payoffs such as feeling more positive, releasing stress, feeling good about how I look, and how my body responds to challenges, and knowing that I need to set a good example for my clients.

Do you have an Apple Watch or a similar device?  If you have the Apple watch I will friend you and can hold you accountable.  It's not necessary, but you need some way to track your training.  It could be as simple as a Google doc..

Start by attending the first week.  Master each day.  They will add up.”

Balance

When I listen to my gut, my happiness increases.

More time away from distractions clears my head and keeps me on a happy path

5-mile hike on the bulldozed fire breaks. Just me and the deer tracks.

5-mile hike on the bulldozed fire breaks. Just me and the deer tracks.

Remember When Life Was simple?

I was speaking to a client of mine who I’ve been training for over 20 years.

We both remember the days when people just had a home phone…and then drove to work, and had a business phone.

There was actual downtime between home and office.

Are you old enough to remember this?

Welcome to August 2020

I read an interesting article in the REI magazine today.

The author told of when he used to live in Los Angeles, and that when walking home from work he would try to walk a different route each time. He noticed what was going on around him, and really “saw” the city.

He goes on to share that he moved to a rural and snowy location, and within the first month of living there, he fell on the ice which caused a brain injury. He was able to recover the use of his limbs, but his brain functions are still a challenge.

A strong reminder to take advantage of each day.

Spartan Virtual Race

No New Videos This Week. Please Pick A Workout From Past Videos

I’m taking this week off from recording so that I can plan on re-opening, and other ideas.