Moving On

Today while still recovering from this bacterial infection that has kept me inside for the whole weekend, I took the time to collect myself, come to some realizations, and move on. Let me explain.

First of all, I am very grateful to my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law for taking care of me and Jasmine while we were sick and taking charge of walking Lola and picking up the groceries, cooking meals, etc. This gave us time to rest and focus on recovery. That said, I took advantage of this time to read more of "Think And Grow Rich" and get some office work done, although I will admit this sickness has really taken a lot out of me. Today I was feeling the best of all days, and I think I'm about at 75% or so, optimistically. So I showered early, and took a few hours cleaning my office, which is located in the rear of my bedroom. This is a task that has been pushed back further and further, and today I was determined to get it done. Initially, I had set up my office for Crucial Graphics, Inc., my graphic design business. I had started to take on a few customers and had done some package design among other projects in the summer of 2008, before my home was flooded, but it was far from "taking off". My work is good, and I enjoy most of all working with my best friend who is a D.J. and producer, "Uncletone". However, now that I have been growing more and more as an Independent Beachbody Coach and helping more and more people to get healthy and working to make a living out of it, I have definitely sacrificed many of the things I have known in the past.

For a couple months, Yahoo has been sending me emails regarding my renewal of www.crucialgraphics.com. Recently, they had sent a final notice, and I made a decision to let it go and move on. I have been known to wear many hats, and now I have found something that I know that is consuming more and more of my time, and I need to do it to help more people reach their goals. In order to keep making this happen and grow even more, I have realized that I must give up things that have been a part of me, even if some of these things were good and somewhat promising. So today, I have cleaned and rearranged my office to reflect my coaching business and have moved the graphics-related things out of that area, and indeed, it is less cluttered and more set up for coaching success. As I told my wife the other day, "I need to organize my office because it is a reflection of how I run my business and how I run my life." Even if that is only slightly true, I should now see more of an improvement in how I work and grow as a coach. I'm ready. I hope you who are reading this can relate and may see some "loose ends" that you may need to cut before you can move on and grow further in your profession and improve your life even more, too. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Winter Games

I don't know about you, but the nights these past two weeks which I have gotten a chance to witness these winter games have been extraordinarily enjoyable. I have really been able to appreciate the athleticism, grace, and the seemingly impossible journeys to greatness realized by all of the competitors and families involved. So many sacrifices made, so much commitment, as well as so much faith put into the promise of success has driven these athletes to the very top of their performing abilities. I have also been able to appreciate the beauty, art, and elegance of events like figure skating and ice dancing. I feel as though my mind and even my mode of thinking have changed and are still developing, and I feel as though while I continue to challenge and become more myself, so can I appreciate the accomplishments of others more. That's all, I guess, for tonight. No tips, no tricks, no instructions. I just wanted to leave a note or two about my feelings. I hope you all can appreciate the spirit of competition and how it is so essential to human success in health, in wealth, and in life. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Doctor's Orders

Today I was forced to stay home due to a high fever and severe illness symptoms. Jasmine wasn't feeling great either, and we were able to make appointments at the doctor's office right away, which was great. I had been meaning to go in to see my doctor for an annual physical, but this came first obviously. The last time I was there was for a physical back around late jan/early feb of '09. It was around that time that I had lost my first 30 lbs from my heaviest of 225lbs from the previous visit in 08, when the doctor initially told me, "If you want to avoid future health problems, you should get your weight down..." I knew that this visit was sure to start a conversation also, and I decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

I weighed in with my clothes on at 153, so I have gained a few healthy pounds since finishing the Insanity program and starting P90X+, which is ok, and is mostly muscle. Anyways, when updating my information, the nurse saw the alert on the screen, and let me just say we had a pleasant and positive conversation regarding the weight loss and health improvement. The doc came in, and we had a chat as well before assessing me for my ailments. I told him,

"Doc, I did what you told me to do!..."

He was impressed and seemed a bit shocked as to how I lost so much weight, and also had quit smoking since jan 1, 2009. I have completely changed my diet and eating habits and really only drink on special occasions now.

After my assessment which was I have some sort of bacterial infection that should clear up with the antibiotics he prescribed me (thanks doc!), I mentioned that there are probably other people that he has made recommendations for weight loss to, but may not know how or think it is even possible. I asked him if I could leave some materials for him to review and I also left a stack of business cards for him to give to some people that are in the condition I used to be in that have no plan or idea of how to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. He agreed, and I left the stuff there with him. Now, will he pass those on? I don't know. Will those people contact me or even care enough about themselves to look into it? I don't know. What I do know is that I have nothing to lose by offering my help, and the potential patients have everything to gain by accepting and looking to me for help. If there is even the slight chance that I can help one more person, then all of my efforts are well worth it, and that is exactly how I feel about it. Thanks for reading and happy friday everyone!

Support Is Why It Works

Today at work, a friend and I were discussing her decision to purchase the Slim In 6 program. I gave her instructions to set up a profile on my coach site and to buy the program from the store and start getting familiar with the features and tools available as well. She asked, "Can't I just buy the program?"

Folks, as you know, I have undergone a dramatic transformation in my appearance and health. Likewise, I am currently witnessing the same types of things happening with friends and family and other co-workers as well. More so than even many gym members we see coming and going (I work in a restaurant in Equinox Fitness Club). Is this the first time I have tried to lose weight? Is it the first time these other people have tried to get healthy? No. The reason why it works is support.

Support is not a new or novel idea. How do people quit smoking? Drinking? How do people cope with the loss of loved ones? The same way that people succeed with Team Beachbody. Support. I am a huge advocate of doing what works and what duplicates. If I didn't have or use the support systems in place, would I have reached my goals? Maybe, but probably not. The people that I have attempted to mentor and have not taken my advice by setting up a profile and doing the little things that will really help have had a harder time sticking with their programs. Conversely, the people that have done what I did and just followed directions, have learned more and stuck with their programs and are succeeding. The proof's in the puddin' folks. It's all about support. Take a small step, and set up a free profile by clicking on the title to this blog and clicking "join" at my coach page. Check it out! All you have to lose is pounds and inches! Thanks for reading everyone!

Using Adult Language

I have been known to have what you might call a "dirty mouth". I would tell you that I learned this from my father, and that is partly true. I didn't really think a lot of it, and I basically blew it off as something harmless. More and more, especially recently, I have been more conscious of this habit, and through repeated suggestions by my mom, mother-in-law, and just talking to people in general, I will admit that I do have a sincere desire to "clean up" my language.

Day by day also, I have been reading and listening to personal development literature and presentations, and I am maintaining my student mentality and constantly working to improve myself as a person and a professional. I will paraprhase Jim Rone here, but I believe he said something like, "Don't underestimate the power of your language." This is true, and thinking in terms of communication, I have been working to minimize my hesitation words and maximize each word in each sentence and the emphasis of my speech to make my conversations more meaningful. Today, I listened to a Zig Ziglar podcast called "Using Adult Language." It was extremely insightful, and Zig talks about "adult language". It is the thinking that adult language should include foul swearing and vulgar content that is where we are in the wrong.

"...I'm guilty of using an enormous amount of adult language. Words like honesty and responsibility and optimistic and discipline and commitment--they're all adult language words. Decisive, dedicated, competent, dependent, consistent, punctual...I don't know where they ever got the idea that filth and vulgar words were adult..."

"...I use also...a tremendous number of four-letter words...like hope and care and love and good and team and warm and free..."

-Zig Ziglar

How did you feel when you read that passage? I know when I heard it I got all of these optimistic thoughts. Hopeful feelings. Whole-hearted, adult emotions. I love feeling those things, and I believe those are more meaningful, so I will pledge today to work to adjust my language and convert my poor choices in words to powerful, meaningful decisions on diction. Thanks for reading everyone!

My Big Little Brother

Today I was at work getting ready for the lunch rush when a handsome young man in a suit strolled up to the counter. It was my little brother. He had an interview today downtown Chicago, and he stopped by for some lunch and to share the news that he got the job! He will be starting his new job in June, and I am excited because he will be working in the city and I will definitely see him more often.

What I really want to share with you all is the level of pride that struck me today. I'm not sure why this hit me so hard, but I was on the brink of almost tearing up. So much joy welled up inside me to see my little brother succeeding. Thoughts of growing up and of us roughhousing and playing outside brought about a nostalgic sense of wonder, and here we are now. It is a tough economy. These are tough times. Hell, I am inching my way out of some extreme financial troubles caused by the flood from '08, but I am optimistic. We have hope. You should have hope. Forget about the hardships that have happened in the past, but instead learn from them and persevere. You can do better if you believe you can. In health, in finances, in employment, in your relationships. In life. I pray that each of you can have a moment of hope that fills you with joy for the promise of a brighter and better future for you and your families. Thanks for reading, everyone, and God Bless.

"Facebook Me"

As you probably know (because you see my blog posts on Facebook all the time!) I am big into keeping connected to past, current, and always new friends on Facebook and other social networking sites. Thanks to the marvelous and always evolving internet, I have been able to keep up with people easier, re-kindle old friendships all but forgotten about, as well as network and share pictures, content, blogs, etc, and I have been able to take advantage of my friends who are doing the same. Sometimes it is easy to take for granted this great discovery, but just yesterday, I set my wife Jasmine up on Facebook because we know many of the same people, and I am sure there are many of her friends that she'd like to hook back up with as well as just stay in the loop with everyone as I have been doing. The first thing I did was set her up and invite myself as her first friend. Once I confirmed, I suggested many of our mutual friends, and all day today I got emails that "(friend) and Jasmine are now friends". So I just thought I'd leave a light blog today with thoughts of friendship, technology, and looking to the future together. Thanks everyone from facebook, twitter, youtube, teambeachbody, and anywhere else you may have seen me! and...Facebook Me!

20 Minute Rush

Today I've been working posting a video that may help some of you. Brittney, one of the coaches on my team, has been working out with Slim In 6 and replacing one meal a day with Shakeology, and she is seeing great results so far! However, she mentioned to me recently that she has been having a hard time shuffling work, school, being a mom, and getting her workouts in. A lot of you can identify with this probably, right? Well, time is definitely something we all need to learn how to maximize better, but I thought, in addition to shuffling schedules around, I would create something to do as a quick alternative to a longer workout. Brittney has the 10-minute trainer program as well, but finds the intensity too much for her current level of fitness, so I created this video, "20 Minute Rush" to maybe go better with a moderate intensity level, while still getting in some good strength and cardio in a short amount of time. I am currently finishing production and will post these soon, so check back on this blog in a day or two, and they should be up. Thanks for reading and watching, everyone, and have a great day!

It's Working!

Hey all! I just want to take this blog to say Thanks! Thanks for reading this blog, responding, commenting, following me on Twitter, Facebook, and on teambeachbody.com. Thank you to all of you who have made the decision to improve your health and your lives, and your success is so rewarding for me. You have no idea! Anyways, I will continue to blog, workout, and develop myself personally, even if only to help out the people in my life and the people that will residually be affected by my words and my actions. This includes the people that you influence by doing the same. It is the butterfly effect in action, and I am happy to be a part of it. I am so happy to have re-entered so many lives of my friends from the past, and I only hope to connect with more and more of you. I will be able to do this full-time in a few months, thanks to the coach opportunity that Beachbody has provided me, and then this whole thing will take-off with tutorial videos, recipes, cooking shows, and customized workouts. Contact me if you want to schedule a Beachbody Home Party, and I'll be happy to throw one for you and your friends! Time to get with it everyone, and join my team! Try a free membership by clicking the title to this blog and clicking "join" at my coach page. Click "try it free" and set up a free profile. Check out the tools and other great stuff available for support to you. Otherwise, thanks for reading everyone, and have a great weekend!

Sell By Design

This blog is inspired by a recent Zig Ziglar podcast, and it will be short, concise, and to the point. It is meant to help sales professionals and marketers in working with people, and not manipulating sales. I hope it helps!

So let's look at the approach. Selling by design. What does this mean? This means coming up with a formula that transcends product line, and doesn't focus on chance or manipulation. It's true that your boss may have an agenda, and truthfully, if you are about working with people and it conflicts with that agenda, find a new job. The stress that comes from making decisions that don't work with your values is not worth it and not rewarding. So talk with your clients and get to know them a bit. What do they NEED? What do they WANT? Do you have something that satisfies either or both of these? Great! Follow this formula, and you are sure to succeed.

1. Need Analysis
2. Need Awareness
3. Need Solution
4. Need Satisfaction

Through consultation, either something provided or something you develop, learn more about what your client is looking to do. What is their goal? Why do they want to reach this goal? Also, ask other relevant questions that will uncover needs. Remember, you are not creating needs that aren't there. You are addressing concerns and providing solutions based on existing needs. Like an auto mechanic who discovers something is wrong-they will let you know what that is and what they can do to repair your issue. Did they cause the problem? (hopefully not! lol) No. They simply identified it and provided a solution. We as professionals should always take this approach to give value and integrity to our business. Be honest, and it will pay off. Check out the podcast through itunes, if you can find it. It's a good one. Thanks for reading, everyone, and Happy Friday!

And Many More...

Today is my wife's birthday, and I'd like to say "Happy Birthday!" I love my wife with all my heart, even though (and probably because) she drives me crazy. I'd also like to highlight a challenge we completed successfully together today. On New Year's, we drank and partied like many other people across the globe, and Jasmine had a bit too much. So much so that she was out of commission the entire day on January 1st. Maybe it was just a thought at the time, but later that day she said, "I think I won't drink until my birthday". I jumped on this opportunity and told her I would join her on this challenge, and we committed to doing this. There were some days where either of us could have hiccuped, but we stayed committed, and today we had a few drinks as well as some dinner that we wouldn't normally enjoy. Surprisingly, we didn't really binge drink, and didn't really want to. What's more is that today, I believe we both look at drinking as more of an occasional thing than an "every day off" or "weekend" thing. Just completing this challenge has transformed our mindset. If this small and relatively short challenge can change our thinking in this way, what can a challenge in the category of finances, nutrition, and/or fitness do for you in your life? Think about it, and visit my site. May you have many more years and many happy birthdays! Thanks for reading everyone!

Decide 2.0

The following blog is meant to go along with the "Decide." blog that I recently posted. To avoid excessive citation, most or all of the following is taken from "The Power of Decision Making" from Tony Robbins' "Awaken The Giant Within"

A few quotes to start:

"Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth: that the moment one definitely commits onesself, then providence moves too."
-Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"We will either find a way or make one" - Hannibal

Have you made a decision or simply stated a preference? For most of us, many of our "decisions" seem to fall into the latter category. Have you said, "I'm trying to...(quit smoking, lose weight, pay off my debts, etc.)" I sure have, and as you know, I have also finally learned how to make decisions based on ultimate goals and have stayed committed. I have finally quit smoking, and when I finally decided, it's true that there was no question that I had done it. Not because I was focusing on not smoking so much, but rather my mind was focused on being the opposite of what I was and being committed to my health for the benefit of myself and my family. This type of conviction is 100% mindset and nothing else, which I can't teach. What I can help you with is the support to get the job done. Through following a clear plan and committing to it, you will learn how to live properly, and if your mindset was not 100% before you started, it will change and develop. I am a huge endorser of evolution. I don't necessarily mean in the anthropological sense, but actually in a more global sense. Think about the auto industry. Every year or two, a different and newer version of a previous is made that reflects the technology and style of the present day and future. Small improvements are made year-to-year, and when you look at a particular model like the Corvette, for instance, from the fifties and a more recent model, you can recognize some of the original features, but the car as a whole has developed in a profound way and in all areas.

Think of yourself and your development. You are a different version from yesterday, but the changes are more noticeable over time. What did you look like 10 years ago? What were your values then? What are they now? What would you like them to be? Where would you like your life to be in the next 10 years? Now think about that seriously. That is your preference. Now it is time to make a clear decision to take a day-by-day approach to make that preference a true result of the decision you make today. It is never too late to start, but it is always too late to wait.

Your clarity in your decision making will give you power. Learn from all of your decisions, including the ones that don't work out in the short-term, and you will get better at it. Here's another quote that Tony points out:

"I am not discouraged because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." -Thomas Edison

It's time to start making decisions directed by your own values rather than "going with the flow", and be in control in this way. It's time to evolve. Become the greatest version of yourself. Start today, and succeed with me. Thanks for reading everyone!

Get Healthy and Get Paid for it! You've seen the "decide" video. Now watch this message from the CEO and make a decision that will transform your health and your life. You're either building your dream or you're bulding someone else's. Start building your dream today.

Success!

I don't want to make this long, but I'd like to highlight one of my good work friends and highlight his success and ongoing progress.

Back in the summer, a new hire came in at Freshii, where I work, and I was given the task of showing him the ropes and guiding him on his working interview. His name was Chris, and he was a bit shy and softspoken, and it turns out this was his first job. He was very polite and listened intently to my direction, and over the four-hour working interview, I saw that he would be a great guy to have around because of his willingness to work and his ability to be coached, and I put in a good word. He got the job and soon started on a regular schedule with us. Chris was a bit overweight, but seemed athletic, and we got to talking. I found out he had just graduated high school and was looking to further his education, and that was great. I asked him if he played any sports, and he said, "basketball."

"Are you going to play in college?" I asked.
"I'm tryin' to," he replied.
"Tryin' to?" I jested, "How would you like to be the best player on your team?"

He looked at me like I was crazy, and then I told him about P90X and what it had done for me. He was intrigued, and soon after this day I let him borrow the Plyometrics dvd. He ended up doing this dvd repeatedly, and over the course of a few weeks, he lost about 20 lbs! Then, he picked up the system, and I'm happy to say he's stuck with it and he's lost over 40 lbs total and is in great shape! Give it up for Chris everybody!! Anyways, he's going to start a second round of P90X soon, and also plans to start on Shakeology, the healthiest meal of the day, as a meal replacement program to maximize his health in all areas. I'm so proud of Chris among my other trainees, and these success stories make coaching all worth it! Check out more by clicking the title to this blog.Thanks for reading everyone! Go Chris!

Please Vote!

Okay, this isn't much of a blog for today, but this is the final week of voting for the quarterly Million Dollar Body Game. As many of you know, I won the November 2009 MDBG, which made me eligible for this quarterly contest. If and when you become a member on teambeachbody.com, you have the opportunity to vote for who you think deserves to win. This is a good portion of the decision, so every vote helps, and I urge you to vote for me if I have inspired you, anyone you know, and/or you think I deserve to win this prestigious award as well as the opportunity to help more people with the money and the experience this will provide. Please click on the title to this link, review the success stories as well as mine, and place your vote! you only get one vote, and if you aren't a member yet, please sign up at www.premierhealthsource.com (this will forward you to my coach site). Thanks for all of your support everyone. I couldn't have come as far as I have without all of you. Please believe it! Have a great week!

Fail To Succeed

Today I held my first official Team Beachbody Home Party. I had a plan. I set the date. I invited guests via facebook. I made flyers and handed them out. I made a presentation, bought gifts and giveaways, and sampled nutritionals. I made a nice display of my collection of home fitness systems. Then, I waited. My mom and dad came, which are part of my team and are doing well in improving my health. My other coach, Brittney, did not come. My special guest did not come. None of my confirmed guests showed up. However, a teacher my mom works with and her husband came. Awesome. So I had a handful of people, and I conducted my presentation.

It was O.K. Honestly, if I had come as a guest, I wouldn't have been blown away. I felt it was lengthy and there was too much information. The food was great, and my sampling of Shakeology and the P90X bars was good. I gave away some cool stuff, and that was good. But overall, the design of my presentation and my execution needs work. I didn't make any sales, either. I failed. I'm reading "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson, and there is a passage he quotes and includes and I want to share that here:

"Would you like me to give you the formula for success? It's quite simple really. Double your rate of failure ... You're thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn't at all ... You can be discouraged by failure--or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you'll find success. On the other side of failure.
-Thomas J. Watson, Sr.

The important thing is that I learned what worked well, and I will sharpen those and duplicate the successes. More important and valuable was learning what didn't work and knowing why it didn't work by the activity of doing it. If I never created or conducted the first presentation, then I wouldn't be at this point. I guarantee you my next party will be more fun, more effective, and more valuable, and the third will be better, and so on. I promise you I don't only think I might fail again; I plan on it. And after more failures, more success. Thanks for reading everyone!

Running Toward The Goal

In the bulletins at the church service on Sundays, there is a green insert called "taking faith home", with a biblical passage for each day of the week, prayers, and activity ideas. Now I will admit that usually, I just put this aside and get to the service, and go about my week as usual. However, I have been more and more in education mode and in the pursuit of self-improvement, I figured it was definitely relevant to take lessons from the #1 personal development and self-improvement book of all-time: The Holy Bible. There were many relevant passages this week, but Friday's stuck out to me, and I wanted to share it with you and what it means to me.

"I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. Of course, my brothers, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God'd call through Christ Jesus to the life above." -Philippians 3:12-16

It is amazing to me that just yesterday, I blogged about looking ahead toward the future, and this hit me again with a similar message. If we maintain the attitude that we are always trying to succeed instead of believing that we have succeeded, we will always give our 100% and will continue to improve in any and all areas of our lives which we apply this principle. Also, in sales they say, "have a short-term memory", meaning forget about the "no's" and don't spend too much time enjoying successes, but move forward and do more. The goal should always be ahead, and when you get closer, set your goals further and keep reaching. Well, I hope that passage did you as much good as it did me, and I'll leave you with this: Reach for the stars. If you fall short, you will still find yourself in the sky. Thanks for reading, and have a blessed weekend everyone!

Look Up!

Humor me for a moment: take a deep breath and look down towards the ground and think about your life. Take a minute or two, then gather yourself, take a sip of water, then look up for a few minutes while thinking of your life again. Was there a difference?

I've been reading the book "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson, where I was given this activity to do as well. I'm not sure if this was the same for you, but we tend to think about the past and things that have already happened, as well as more negative aspects of our lives when looking down. However, when we are looking up, we tend to think more positively and about our future rather than the present or past. This simple thing can be powerful. I am not going to go further into the analysis from the book, but I highly suggest it for some good life improvement education. Try this, though: when you are out running errands, working, walking around the city, etc., try to look up and smile more. Think about the future and where you are headed rather than the past, your mistakes, and things you simply cannot control. Dream about the possibilities that the future holds and the choices you can make today that can help make those dreams a reality. I'll leave you with this quote (which might be paraphrased) from the book:

"It's never too late to start improving your life. It's always too late to wait."

Thanks for reading everyone! Happy Friday!

Find What's Right For You

At the request of my wife, Jasmine, I'd like to talk a bit about doing what activities are appropriate for you. First off, let's talk about jobs. Some of us work nights. Some of us work days. Some of us work 40 hrs a week, some 60, some 20, etc. Also, some of us are moms and dads shuffling many different activities; some of us are young students with loads of time on our hands. Some of us are very fit. Others are obese. Whatever your case may be, I'm sure we can agree that we are, for the most part, living different lives with challenges that are shared, and others that are particular to our situations. So one fitness program or schedule will obviously not work for everyone, and that is why there are so many programs to choose from.

Now, since I am a Beachbody coach and have fallen in love with home fitness, and my family has as well, I happen to own a few different systems including P90X, P90X+, Insanity, 10-Minute Trainer, Slim-In-6, and One-On-One with Tony Horton. I have been able to combine workouts to make things more extreme, and my wife uses workouts from several of these systems to work with her grueling nursing schedule. When we're sick, we take more recovery time. Remember, it's about health first. Likewise, recently my brother-in-law has been having issues with a hernia, and he has resorted to doing some lighter workouts as well as modifying some lifts in a seated position on a bench instead of standing, to reduce the strain on his core. This way, he can still get his fitness in.

These are just some examples, but even if you think you have no time, are in great shape or horrible shape, etc, I assure you that there is a program and system that Beachbody has that will be right for you. Plus, you get me as your coach, and you get your money back if you don't find value in the programs. Do yourself a favor. Join my team by clicking on the title of this link, set up a club or free profile by clicking "join" and following the directions, and we'll go from there. All you have to lose is pounds and inches. Let's find what's right for you!

Very Happy Birthday

Well, I'm 29 today, and I feel the best I've ever felt. I'm in the greatest shape of my life, and I'm building a business of helping others get healthier and live better, and...it's working!! Yesterday I told you about an email sent to me about one of my buddies that has lost 13 lbs so far with my help. That was great. Today, my friend at work, Thomas, told me about a Yoga X session he had with his wife and another friend from work, Camila. Camila loved the yoga workout, and today at work I overheard her talking about it with a customer! This made me so happy because this is what it's all about, peeps! Working out, eating well, having fun, succeeding together, and sharing our stories! I love it, and I want to say a big THANK YOU to all of my friends, family, beachbody buddies, and people reading this that I've never met or talked to! You all make a difference in my life because without you, I wouldn't stay as motivated or committed as I am, and that's no BS. Thanks again, everyone! By the way...don't forget--come to my home party on Sunday at 4! It will be fun...I promise!

Bless Nessa!

I got a message in my inbox today that totally made my day. One of my buddies on teambeachbody.com, "Nessa", is a mother working to lose weight and get healthy for the sake of herself and her family. Not too long ago, Nessa reached out to me with some questions, and I gave her some advice that I hoped would help her. Apparently, it did, and she is seeing success! Here's what Nessa wrote:

"HI MIKE JUST WANTED TO SAY HI AN SEE HOW THINGS WERE GOING FOR YOU AN YOUR? I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW IM DOING GREAT IV LOST 13LBS JUST WORKING OUT AN PLANNING MY MEALS! YOUR ANSWERS FOR MY QUESTIONS REALLY DID HELP! THANK YOU! WELL I HOPE LIFE IS TREATING YOU AN YOUR GREAT! LIFE IS GOOD FOR ME THANKS TO YOU! =0) TAKE CARE BUDDY!

NESSA

Obviously, some words are jarbled as is much text over the web, mine included, but you get the idea. 13lbs already! The sentence that really almost brings me to tears is "Life is good for me thanks to you". Wow. Nessa, thank you so much. This is the type of stuff that keeps me running. When people ask me why I am so happy all the time and why I have so much energy...this is why. Thanks again everyone, and if I have inspired you or someone you know in any way, please log in to teambeachbody.com (or click on the title to go to my coach page to set up a free account) and vote for my story for the quarterly MDBG(Million Dollar Body Game) contest. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Coach Mama

My mom has been working as a teacher's aide for the past few months, and during that time has made a few friends. My mom has always had one of the greatest, most positive and welcoming attitudes of anyone I know, so this is no surprise. Since she has been losing weight and getting healthy with Slim In 6, people have noticed, and one of her friends recently told her that she had just started working out because she was inspired by my mom! Today I spoke with my mom, and she told me that a group of teachers had been getting together after school and working out together! I said, "Mom, that's great!" This is one of those instances of ordinary people having extraordinary experiences, (such as I mentioned in yesterday's blog).

Instantly, my mom has a group of individuals that she is ultimately responsible for inspiring, and that is an awesome thing. Since she is a coach on my team already, I encouraged her to get these teachers online and connected at her official coach site, at least with a free account so that they can set up their profiles and have access to tools and the support that they need to succeed together. Wow I love this life! (I would have said "job" but this is no job!) Please check her site out and view her profile by clicking on the title of this blog. If you haven't already, please set up a free or club account by clicking "join" and follow the prompts. Thanks for reading, everyone, and have a great day!

Ordinary People. Extraordinary Experiences.

"Have you ever had an extraordinary experience with God?"

This was the question mentioned during the sermon in church today. I want to talk about the scripture lesson, but I don't want to get off track, so I will just refer to this simple question. Think about this for a moment. You don't have to raise your hand, you don't have to respond publicly, but think to yourself about this question. Personally, I have definitely had extraordinary experiences, and I'll tell you: every time someone emails or sends me a message stating that I have inspired them to improve their health, I consider that extraordinary. Further, when people tell me that they had a decision to make and they thought of what I would do in their position, that is extraordinary to me. I would also absolutely say that when I have seen the chain reaction of this happening, such as people being inspired by people I have inspired, that is truly an amazing thing.

"What does that have to do with God?", you might ask. It has absolutely everything to do with God. If God is the force that connects us all to this Earth and everything else in it, including the seemingly random events that influence us to react and adjust, then I have witnessed the act of God that brought about the flooding of the Chicago River, which caused me to pick up the pieces and put my basement back together, which in turn gave me a feeling of empowerment, which after randomly witnessing a P90X commercial I had the confidence to follow through with the revolutionizing of my health back into athletic status, which influenced others including my family, friends, co-workers, and even now perfect strangers, which is leading to them improving their lives, and on and on... Wow. Just imagining the butterfly effect that has happened and is unstoppable now, I would have to say that I have and I continue to experience the hand of God in my life, and am no longer afraid of this. Actually, I have embraced this calling and only wish to continue to touch the lives of others and help them to do the same.

When faced head-on with seemingly impossible challenges in your life, be open to God touching you and please believe that you can make your dreams a reality. When you do, share this message so that others can be empowered to do the same. Thanks to the guest deacon at Berry United Methodist today for sharing this message, and please read Luke 5:1-11 for a classic Biblical story that inspired the lesson. Thanks for reading, everyone!

Kick Your Crutches

Today I have been preparing for hosting the fellowship tomorrow, where I am in charge of supplying foods and some beverages for people to snack on immediately following the church service. I made some healthy foods, and I plan on introducing a new culture of nutrition and fitness to go with the benefits of spiritual enrichment we all find at Berry United Methodist. It has been a long day of first working at my job, coming home, cooking, then preparing for my evening workout. My wife Jasmine had also planned to work out, and I suggested that she try out the Kenpo Cardio Plus workout, a new one from an advanced extreme home fitness program I have recently started called P90X Plus.

I want to talk about my wife and what she has overcome in her transformation. She, like many people in the world, live with Asthma, and needs to inhale medication daily in order to keep it at bay. That said, she continues to surprise and inspire me with her ability to stay motivated and perform at a level that most asthmatics would cringe at just thinking about. She admits she has limitations, but I remind her that she has been doing these very advanced workouts that are difficult for fit and healthy people to keep up with. She is not alone as she joins the many people that overcome obstacles that are built-in to them at birth. It would be easy for her and others to give up or concede to thier crutches, but instead they choose to kick these crutches aside and rise above them, becoming stronger athletically, mentally, and emotionally. In turn, this not only prevents them from being less-than-ordinary; it makes them extraordinary. This is one great reason that I join many "ordinary" people who choose to not make excuses and persist to swim against the current toward ultimate success. Will you swim with us or will you let the current float you away? Thanks for reading, everyone, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Reunions

I got ready early today, so I'm gettin' my blog in early, too. Earlier this week, my old boss from Wamu, James, called me. He stated that he was training for another marathon and wanted to get leaner so that he could shave some ticks off his time. He also mentioned that his wife had been going to the gym and even attending some cardio classes, but they were both having some frustration in meeting their goals. He had seen my testimonial and the unbelievable things that I was able to do, and humbly asked for my help.

I want to say that the transformation I have gone through has motivated so many other people including my parents, family, and friends to make positive changes and get healthier, and I am infinitely grateful for this, and it gets me more and more motivated each day. James asked me about P90X and whether or not it would be for him. Well, (and if your story sounds like his listen up), I told him it was absolutely for him. First, he is already an athlete. Running is great exercise, but this is THE most complete athletic training system, period. Furthermore, it comes with a nutrition plan that in tandem with the fitness, will ensure that you get the education you need to get the results you want. I live by P90X, and continue to use it as my base program, since it is so complete as well as comprehensive. It is set up in a way that it can always be challenging for you, and you will continue to live healthily and turn some heads at the beach! check out this vid...



If you've read any of my recent blogs, you will have also seen some stuff about Shakeology. I recommended this program for James's wife, and I can do this because I am using this meal replacement as well as my wife, mom, dad, mother-in-law, and my other coach, and ALL of us have experienced real health results. This is not just some slim-fast chemical shake. This is a blend of 70+ real food ingredients with over 2 years of research and development behind it. Also, when you sign up for home direct, you get two workouts to start your fitness, and free shipping every month. At $4/serving for retail, it is worth way more than a burger and fries, pizza and pop, footlong, etc. You can't possibly find all of these ingredients, and if you could, you couldn't make it taste this great, either!

All that said, I can't wait to see what James and his wife Tara will be able to accomplish, and here's to this and all of the other reunions I've been able to make because of simply making health a priority. When will you commit to making your life a healthier one? Thanks for reading, everyone. Happy Friday!

Shared Success!

I just have a short one tonight, everyone! I just got off the phone with Brittney, one of my awesome new trainees and coaches. She told me a story about how, at work, her boss asked her if she was losing weight. She admitted that she had, indeed, lost 4 lbs. by drinking Shakeology and following her Slim In 6 fitness program. The thing is...she's only been doing this for a week or two! These are real results people! Congratulations to Brittney for her success so far, and here's to you and your continued progress and results! I say this over and over again, but it's true: baby steps lead to giant strides. Keep it up, Brittney and everyone else...and KEEP PRESSING PLAY! Check this vid out regarding Shakeology, and visit my shakeology site by clicking on the title to this blog or visiting www.shakeologylife.com. Thanks for reading everyone. Shakeology. The healthiest meal of the day.

Challenges

More and more often, I am getting questions from people including my buddies on teambeachbody.com, friends, family, etc, and they ask for my help with various topics. I appreciate the questions, and I am definitely here to help! First, I spoke with my mom today, and she had a challenge she needed to take on, and she is definitely not alone.

She asked me, "Mike, I need some help with my form for some of the moves in my Slim In 6 Ramp It Up workout...could you come by and workout with me and help me with the technique?"

Now, I would love nothing more than to stop by and work out with my mom to help her out. Unfortunately, I live in the city and she lives in the suburbs, and I brainstormed with her about some solutions she and others could do without me being there. One thing you can do is to mount mirrors on your wall and/or just prop up a mirror so that when you are doing your workout, you can glance at yourself and compare your form with the form on the video. The other thing you can do (if someone else is home) is ask them to compare what you look like to what the video looks like and help you correct it. Since there is a reference in the video, the person doesn't need to be an expert...they should maybe work out with you, though! The third thing if those are not available is to set up a video camera and record yourself. You can watch and notice what you are doing and/or you can post the vids on youtube and I and others can watch and give you feedback. One of those should surely help if you are in this situation.

The other question I got was from today, from one of my good buds on teambeachbody, who wrote:

Mike,

Hey man, you always motivate me so I wanted to touch base with you. Starting a second round of P90X after a 2 month layoff. I gained 7 pounds on that layoff :(

My eating habits are pretty strict, since I am a type 2 diabetic, but can always do better.

At 6 foot 182, body fat 22%, I want to get to 170 and under 18% body fat. So here is my issue, I want to bulk up and gain mass? So I saw a post on the message board and they put the following P90x workout on to build mass

http://teambeachbody.com/connect/message-boards/-/message_boards/message/19578449

Tell me what you think or should I just do the classic program again, but with low reps and heavier weights?

The first thing I want to address is regarding your conflicting questions. First, your goal is to drop 12 lbs and 4% body fat, but you stated that you want to bulk up and gain mass. These are two different things, man! However, I think I know what you are asking: How do I build muscle and lose fat at the same time? The first tip is to eat toward your goal weight. Since you are dropping 12 lbs, you should restrict your calories vs. what you are burning on a daily basis until you reach that weight. Then, you need to approximate to eat just about what you are burning, and this should keep you at that weight. Through working out intensely and eating very nutritious calories, you will burn the fat and most likely replace this with muscle. and yes, for proper muscular hypertrophy ("swelling up") to occur, you should go low with the reps and high with the weight. Maintain proper form and exhaust your reps when appropriate according to the program, and you won't have any issue.

I will say this, though, why don't you tackle one issue at a time? I mean, you are at 22% body fat...why don't you focus on getting lean first, then work on building lean muscle from there. This way, you will ensure that you are ripped up and only building muscle. The problem with doing both is you may not feel you look muscular because of the fat surrounding your muscles, and you may get discouraged. Here's the thing, man, stick to the high weight/lower reps, and follow the meal plan. Don't reinvent the wheel, bro; just follow directions. Learn to crawl before you walk, and you will be able to run on your own. Make sense? Besides, don't you want to get ripped??!! 90 days, buddy...not a long time...give it a shot, and you will learn much from it and we'll go from there. I hope this feedback helps, man, and I'm glad you are jumping back on it!

Shake Up Some Life!

This morning after I got ready for work, my wife and I decided to go over the brief questionnaire to qualify her for the chance to win $1,000 with Shakeology. Shakeology is a revolutionary meal replacement shake that helps you replace one meal a day with the greatest nutrition your body needs and wants. Unlike other meal replacements, it contains over 70 real food ingredients, not just a bunch of chemicals. The cool thing is that Jasmine answered that she has noticed increased energy, better regularity and digestion, and her overall health has improved noticeably. Take in the fact that she is a Registered Nurse, so she is a medical expert and knows what she's talking about. My mother-in-law has lost some weight and 2 1/2 inches around her waist and 1 inch around her hips since drinking shakeology and exercising moderately 3 times a week, as the program specifies. This stuff is awesome. Watch this video, and if you are ready to get a lot healthier and/or have some weight to lose, click on the title of my blog to visit my shakeology site, and give it a shot. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so all you have to lose is pounds and inches!! Thanks for reading, everyone, and have a great night!

Decide.

I was searching for this vid to send to a few people today. I was sure I blogged about it before, but I couldn't find it. As the title states, there is a decision that needs to be made. It is the most important, most relevant decision that everyone should make. Maybe you have made the decision, maybe you haven't. Maybe you will, maybe you won't. Maybe health and financial freedom isn't for you, but I believe it can be for everyone that wants to live a great life. That's all from me. Please watch this video, and if you are ready to make a decision to improve your health and your life with me, please contact me and we can talk some more. Thanks for watching, and I look forward to hearing from you!