In January of 2007, I went on a BMX trip as part of the 5050 BMX team. I was in the middle of making some major changes in my life and as always happens with change, there was quite a bit of learning for me, and also criticism from others. I was certainly to blame for a lot of the criticism (since I hadn't learned what I needed to learn yet). However, there was some criticism from some of my closest friends that I didn't feel was justified.
I was talking to my friend Tim Thompson about all of this while I was on this trip. In this conversation, he taught me one of the most valuable lessons I've ever learned. I explained how I felt about the criticism and judgement of some of my friends and his response was, "is it true? Their criticisms, are they based on truth?". I told him they weren't and explained why. Then he said "So if it isn't true, then why are you bothered by it?".
Maybe this wouldn't have affected other people like it did me, but for me, it BLEW my mind! It was so simple and so wise! I began practicing the habit of not being offended by false accusations. It took some time...and still sometimes I have to remind myself of this lesson because my natural inclination is to get defensive when I'm accused...regardless of truth.
Anyways, this morning I got some third hand information that there has been some criticism of my current situation... but it's being said behind my back. My first feeling was defensiveness, as is my natural inclination. Then I reminded myself of Tim's wise advice 8 years ago (I can't believe that was 8 years ago!).
So the criticism that I heard about this morning, is that I'm USING my wife's bad health as an excuse to get in shape and get on TV. As if I somehow planned my wifes genetic disorder...and then capitalized on the situation. It literally couldn't be further from the truth...in fact, it's the exact OPPOSITE of the truth, but that's beside the point. I'm going to explain the chain of events that led to me trying to get on American Ninja Warrior and if you're one of the people criticizing, I am asking you to set that aside for a moment, and assume I'm telling the truth so that you can try to understand what I'm saying. Here it goes:
March of 2013: Enedina started getting really dizzy and I couldn't go into the office as much because she didn't dare carry our newborn around and risk passing out with the baby in her arms
From there, symptoms progressed and more symptoms started revealing themselves.
August 2013: She gets diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. By this point, her joint pain was starting to get pretty bad.
December 2013: Things had progressed to the point that Enedina needed to be in a wheelchair to go anywhere outside of the house, and sometimes in the house.
March 2014: My list of responsibilities had grown as a result of Enedina being unable to do as much in addition to her having more needs. Because of this, I was still in a position to be the breadwinner, only now I had more parental responsibilities and the added stress of being a caregiver spouse.
By that point, I had MUCH more that needed to be done than I had the energy or strength to accomplish. I would be SO burnt out by about 5 or 6 pm that I felt like a slave without the strength to go on..every day. My body didn't have the physical strength to carry my wife around when necessary. My mind was being beaten up BECAUSE the physical side wasn't there so I felt like I wasn't "man enough" to do what needed to be done. Our marriage was weakening because the tension was building and I was in a position where I felt hopeless. I started doubting my ability to do anything successfully and I found myself in a state of depression that I had never experienced before. The world seemed like a very dark place with lots of misery and a lot less happiness than I had previously felt.
I thought about it for a long time and determined that taking my life back and getting some control began with my physical well-being. I figured, if I had more energy, I could be better in all other areas. There is only one healthy way to get more energy...getting in better physical condition.
The story about how I got in better shape is in a different blog post. If you want to read that, click here.
So I took that step. I got in better shape. Then I started to see exactly HOW MUCH of a difference that step made in my life! EVERYTHING improved! Every aspect of life felt better.
I had been sharing our story with people because I've always had a desire to help others and I thought that maybe our story could help someone in some way. After getting in shape, I started sharing it more because with all the positive changes that occurred, I felt like THAT could help others change their lives in a positive way too! The one story led DIRECTLY to the other. I can't explain one without the other. That would be like trying to describe where chickens come from without mentioning eggs. In that case, which came first? I'm not even going to try to figure that out for you. lol.
Fast forward a few months, I'm watching TV with my wife and American Ninja Warrior comes on. I think to myself "that course would be SO fun!". Then a few days later, I see a video of a pro BMX rider attempting the course. I thought to myself, "If he can try it then why can't I?". My logic was that I was in the best shape of my life and I wanted to try it, so why not?
I did a google search and found that you have to send in a video and an application to the producers and then they call you if they want to have you on the show. It specifically said to share your story and WHY you want to be on American Ninja Warrior. Naturally, in the video, I shared my story...and that includes the majority of which was my "why" to get in shape in the first place. If it weren't for my wifes condition, I would have never gotten in shape. If I never got in shape, I would have never even considered american ninja warrior. How could I leave that out?
I'm not writing this because I'm offended by the chisme I heard. I simply want to clarify what happened and how it happened, and if what I've said DID sound like I was taking advantage of my wifes situation, I want to find out why and apologize for giving the wrong impression.
If at any time, you have thought that I was trying to capitalize on my wifes misfortune, I'd appreciate you telling me what I said or did so I can avoid doing that again in the future. Thank you for reading this long blog post!
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Principles that changed my life!
All of the beachbody programs have a time frame that they're designed for. For example, P90X is 90 days. 21 Day Fix is 21 days. Focus T25, Insanity, and Insanity Max:30 are 60 days. These programs are designed for these time frames for various reasons but what I want to focus on, is the LONG term goal.
Every single program comes with a nutrition guide. My best guess is that most people get a program with the best of intentions, but most people don't take a lot of time looking at the nutrition guide. The exercise programs work...but NOT if you only do HALF of the program! By that, I mean only the exercise part. The exercise is great and will definitely improve your health, don't get me wrong...but there is one sentence that needs to be emphasized...YOU CAN'T OUT WORKOUT A BAD DIET! In a REALLY good workout you'll burn between 500-1,000 calories. That's in an intense workout. There are other things that happen to your body other than burning calories...but my point is easy to demonstrate with numbers. So let's say you do a super good workout and you just burned 700 calories. Then, because you're working out so hard, you justify a big dessert at dinner. Let's say it's a piece of chocolate cake. That ONE piece probably has somewhere between 300 to 600 calories, depending on the size and the amount of frosting. What about the rest of the food you ate that day. Was it good fuel? Maybe you had some fries at lunch too. That doesn't seem like a big deal right? Well there goes the calories you burned in your workout. The problem though, isn't in eating ONE piece of cake occasionally, or ONE serving of fries occasionally. The problem lies in consistent small decisions made every day.
There are 2 books that I LOVE that go into detail about this concept and how it applies in all areas of life, not just health. One is called "The Slight Edge" and the other is called "The Compound Effect". Success is not an event. Let's use Michael Jordan as an example. You might say that he won the title of MVP in the NBA finals on the days that he was voted MVP (multiple times). The truth though, is that he started winning that title as a little boy. His lifetime of small consistent daily decisions led him to that point. Every time he made a good decision, he was earning that title. Every time he woke up early to practice basketball or get an extra workout in. Every time he chose to eat healthy instead of eating crappy fried foods. Every time he did ANYTHING that improved his athletic ability, he was earning that title. The actual day he got the title was just the RESULT of all of his daily, seemingly insignificant decisions made over the course of a lifetime!
In health and fitness, this is easy to demonstrate. I'll use my own situation to demonstrate it. I spent 7 or 8 years complaining about being out of shape but I never did anything to fix it. In 2014, I started doing Focus T25 but I decided that it would be pointless to do the workout if I don't follow the diet plan. So I did it...and got AMAZING results! Here's the thing though; I didn't lose 30 pounds on day 60 of the program. I didn't lose it in day 1. I lost a little bit every single day through a combination of proper portions of healthy food, and exercise. Every time I chose to eat baked fish instead of fried chicken, or to eat an orange instead of a cookie, I was earning the result. I didn't skip a day of exercise...but if I had, it wouldn't have destroyed all of my work. It would have set me back a little but not that much. However, if I had skipped a day 30 times in a row, well then the result would have been a LOT different! The same principle applies to me now. I'm in the best shape of my life and if I skip a day of working out, I'm still going to be in the best shape of my life tomorrow. Or if I eat a piece of cake, I'm still going to be healthy tomorrow (although it may make me feel sick if it's as much as I used to eat). But if I start skipping workouts regularly and making poor eating decisions every day, well, then I'll get right back to where I was a year ago REALLY QUICK! It's the small things that we do that lead to big things.
Ok, now to get back on track...
All of the beachbody programs are designed for a specific time frame. That does NOT mean that after you do the 21 Day Fix for 21 days that you can just go back to your old habits that created the problem in the first place! It's intended to be a tool you can use to jumpstart your results and a guide to follow for the rest of your life! I finished Focus T25 on a Friday. I started P90X3 the following Monday. Then I finished that and started with Body Beast the following week. Then the same with P90X2. Now I'm doing Insanity Max:30. My point is, I made a LIFESTYLE change. Once I finish with Insanity Max:30 I might go back to one of the other programs I've already done. If I only had Focus T25, I'd be doing the entire program over and over again every 60 days and adding in other activities like running and cycling and rock climbing, etc...All of these small decisions are really easy to do every day. Losing 30 pounds in a day without cutting part of your body off is impossible. Losing a few ounces a day, totally possible. It's easy to do...but it's just as easy NOT to do!
It took a lot of discipline to follow the T25 nutrition guide and do all the workouts for the whole 2 months! I had never done anything like that before so it was a big shift! Why would I do that and then go back to my old habits just to ruin all the hard work I had put in? It makes no sense!
Sure the programs work great for someone that wants to just lose weight for a wedding or some other event...but they're intended to help people TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES!
That is who I'm looking for! I'm looking to help anybody that wants help, but more specifically, anybody that wants to change their lifestyle LONG TERM!
Every single program comes with a nutrition guide. My best guess is that most people get a program with the best of intentions, but most people don't take a lot of time looking at the nutrition guide. The exercise programs work...but NOT if you only do HALF of the program! By that, I mean only the exercise part. The exercise is great and will definitely improve your health, don't get me wrong...but there is one sentence that needs to be emphasized...YOU CAN'T OUT WORKOUT A BAD DIET! In a REALLY good workout you'll burn between 500-1,000 calories. That's in an intense workout. There are other things that happen to your body other than burning calories...but my point is easy to demonstrate with numbers. So let's say you do a super good workout and you just burned 700 calories. Then, because you're working out so hard, you justify a big dessert at dinner. Let's say it's a piece of chocolate cake. That ONE piece probably has somewhere between 300 to 600 calories, depending on the size and the amount of frosting. What about the rest of the food you ate that day. Was it good fuel? Maybe you had some fries at lunch too. That doesn't seem like a big deal right? Well there goes the calories you burned in your workout. The problem though, isn't in eating ONE piece of cake occasionally, or ONE serving of fries occasionally. The problem lies in consistent small decisions made every day.
There are 2 books that I LOVE that go into detail about this concept and how it applies in all areas of life, not just health. One is called "The Slight Edge" and the other is called "The Compound Effect". Success is not an event. Let's use Michael Jordan as an example. You might say that he won the title of MVP in the NBA finals on the days that he was voted MVP (multiple times). The truth though, is that he started winning that title as a little boy. His lifetime of small consistent daily decisions led him to that point. Every time he made a good decision, he was earning that title. Every time he woke up early to practice basketball or get an extra workout in. Every time he chose to eat healthy instead of eating crappy fried foods. Every time he did ANYTHING that improved his athletic ability, he was earning that title. The actual day he got the title was just the RESULT of all of his daily, seemingly insignificant decisions made over the course of a lifetime!
In health and fitness, this is easy to demonstrate. I'll use my own situation to demonstrate it. I spent 7 or 8 years complaining about being out of shape but I never did anything to fix it. In 2014, I started doing Focus T25 but I decided that it would be pointless to do the workout if I don't follow the diet plan. So I did it...and got AMAZING results! Here's the thing though; I didn't lose 30 pounds on day 60 of the program. I didn't lose it in day 1. I lost a little bit every single day through a combination of proper portions of healthy food, and exercise. Every time I chose to eat baked fish instead of fried chicken, or to eat an orange instead of a cookie, I was earning the result. I didn't skip a day of exercise...but if I had, it wouldn't have destroyed all of my work. It would have set me back a little but not that much. However, if I had skipped a day 30 times in a row, well then the result would have been a LOT different! The same principle applies to me now. I'm in the best shape of my life and if I skip a day of working out, I'm still going to be in the best shape of my life tomorrow. Or if I eat a piece of cake, I'm still going to be healthy tomorrow (although it may make me feel sick if it's as much as I used to eat). But if I start skipping workouts regularly and making poor eating decisions every day, well, then I'll get right back to where I was a year ago REALLY QUICK! It's the small things that we do that lead to big things.
Ok, now to get back on track...
All of the beachbody programs are designed for a specific time frame. That does NOT mean that after you do the 21 Day Fix for 21 days that you can just go back to your old habits that created the problem in the first place! It's intended to be a tool you can use to jumpstart your results and a guide to follow for the rest of your life! I finished Focus T25 on a Friday. I started P90X3 the following Monday. Then I finished that and started with Body Beast the following week. Then the same with P90X2. Now I'm doing Insanity Max:30. My point is, I made a LIFESTYLE change. Once I finish with Insanity Max:30 I might go back to one of the other programs I've already done. If I only had Focus T25, I'd be doing the entire program over and over again every 60 days and adding in other activities like running and cycling and rock climbing, etc...All of these small decisions are really easy to do every day. Losing 30 pounds in a day without cutting part of your body off is impossible. Losing a few ounces a day, totally possible. It's easy to do...but it's just as easy NOT to do!
It took a lot of discipline to follow the T25 nutrition guide and do all the workouts for the whole 2 months! I had never done anything like that before so it was a big shift! Why would I do that and then go back to my old habits just to ruin all the hard work I had put in? It makes no sense!
Sure the programs work great for someone that wants to just lose weight for a wedding or some other event...but they're intended to help people TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES!
That is who I'm looking for! I'm looking to help anybody that wants help, but more specifically, anybody that wants to change their lifestyle LONG TERM!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Physical and Spiritual Connection
This blog post is probably not going to interest everybody. Some people don't like hearing about faith. Well here's a disclaimer: This post involves info about my faith. Here is another disclaimer: I am not trying to chastise ANYBODY! I just want to present some information that you may or may not have ever thought of and you can do with it what you want.
Anyways, I've been thinking about the connection between the physical well being and the spiritual well being of ones self. I could be wrong, but I've come to the conclusion that you can't neglect either one if you want to be your best version of yourself in either. Neglect your physical well being and it'll affect your spiritual well being and visa versa.
Let's compare it to a high performance vehicle. A high performance vehicle needs different types of fuel. Higher quality oil and gasoline. Now let's pretend that gas=spiritual fuel and oil=physical fuel. If you take a Lamborghini, and you fill it up with high octane gas but then you put cheap low grade oil in it, it is going to perform MUCH worse than if you were to give it what it's designed to have. Not only that, it's going to wear out much quicker and you'll need to be replacing parts much sooner. Same goes if you give it good oil but crappy gas. Our souls are EXACTLY the same in comparison. I can study the scriptures and try to help others all day long but if I'm neglecting my own physical well being, then it DIRECTLY affects my spiritual well being. How many other ways could I help others if I were physically fit (to the best of my ability)? How much of an effect would my physical health have on my confidence and sense of well being. Don't you think that would have an impact on the type of energy I send out into the world? Wouldn't my general attitude change? If so, how much more of a positive impact could I have on the world if I were sending out positive loving energy to the world? On the other hand, what if all I ever do is exercise and eat healthy food but I never try to feed my spiritual self? Can I really grow spiritually if the only thing I am doing is something that only affects me? My only focus in that case would be me! How can I help others if I'm only focused on helping me?
The truth is, if I want to be MY BEST SELF, I need to feed BOTH sides of my health (among other things). I need to strengthen my understanding of all things spiritual but I ALSO need to strengthen my body (to whatever capacity I'm able). In a lot of personal development books, they talk about the situation in an airplane that is going to crash. The oxygen masks drop out of the ceiling and you're directed to FIRST get your OWN mask on before helping the people sitting next to you...even if it is your own children! Why? Because what good in helping others survive are you if you are unconscious and dying? We need to take care of ourselves so we can better help others!
There is a talk by Jorg Klabingat that was given in the October 2014 general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that I'm going to paste into this blog...not the whole thing, just the part that pertains to what I'm talking about. The link to the entire talk is here. I highly recommend everyone listen to it...it's amazing. Here is the part I'm talking about:
I love that last sentence! Learning to control your "natural man or woman" is one of the MOST IMPORTANT AND DIFFICTULT things to do in this life!
Also, there is a commandment that LDS people are commanded to follow called "The Word Of Wisdom". Click on that link to read the entire section of scripture that gives the commandment. You'll read about different things to abstain from, and also you'll read about what we SHOULD consume. As a missionary and in just about every sunday school class that I've attended, lessons about the Word Of Wisdom almost always focus on the "What not to do" part. Why? The other part is just as important! It basically spells out how to eat in accordance with the food pyramid! That is JUST AS IMPORTANT!
Anyways, I've been thinking about the connection between the physical well being and the spiritual well being of ones self. I could be wrong, but I've come to the conclusion that you can't neglect either one if you want to be your best version of yourself in either. Neglect your physical well being and it'll affect your spiritual well being and visa versa.
Let's compare it to a high performance vehicle. A high performance vehicle needs different types of fuel. Higher quality oil and gasoline. Now let's pretend that gas=spiritual fuel and oil=physical fuel. If you take a Lamborghini, and you fill it up with high octane gas but then you put cheap low grade oil in it, it is going to perform MUCH worse than if you were to give it what it's designed to have. Not only that, it's going to wear out much quicker and you'll need to be replacing parts much sooner. Same goes if you give it good oil but crappy gas. Our souls are EXACTLY the same in comparison. I can study the scriptures and try to help others all day long but if I'm neglecting my own physical well being, then it DIRECTLY affects my spiritual well being. How many other ways could I help others if I were physically fit (to the best of my ability)? How much of an effect would my physical health have on my confidence and sense of well being. Don't you think that would have an impact on the type of energy I send out into the world? Wouldn't my general attitude change? If so, how much more of a positive impact could I have on the world if I were sending out positive loving energy to the world? On the other hand, what if all I ever do is exercise and eat healthy food but I never try to feed my spiritual self? Can I really grow spiritually if the only thing I am doing is something that only affects me? My only focus in that case would be me! How can I help others if I'm only focused on helping me?
The truth is, if I want to be MY BEST SELF, I need to feed BOTH sides of my health (among other things). I need to strengthen my understanding of all things spiritual but I ALSO need to strengthen my body (to whatever capacity I'm able). In a lot of personal development books, they talk about the situation in an airplane that is going to crash. The oxygen masks drop out of the ceiling and you're directed to FIRST get your OWN mask on before helping the people sitting next to you...even if it is your own children! Why? Because what good in helping others survive are you if you are unconscious and dying? We need to take care of ourselves so we can better help others!
There is a talk by Jorg Klabingat that was given in the October 2014 general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that I'm going to paste into this blog...not the whole thing, just the part that pertains to what I'm talking about. The link to the entire talk is here. I highly recommend everyone listen to it...it's amazing. Here is the part I'm talking about:
1. Take responsibility for your own spiritual well-being. Stop blaming others or your circumstances, stop justifying, and stop making excuses for why you may not be fully striving to be obedient. Accept that you are “free according to the flesh” and “free to choose liberty and eternal life” (2 Nephi 2:27). The Lord knows your circumstances perfectly, but He also knows perfectly well whether you simply choose not to fully live the gospel. If that is the case, be honest enough to admit it, and strive to be perfect within your own sphere of circumstances. Spiritual confidence increases when you take responsibility for your own spiritual well-being by applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ daily.
2. Take responsibility for your own physical well-being. Your soul consists of your body and spirit (see D&C 88:15). Feeding the spirit while neglecting the body, which is a temple, usually leads to spiritual dissonance and lowered self-esteem. If you are out of shape, if you are uncomfortable in your own body and can do something about it, then do it! Elder Russell M. Nelson has taught that we should “regard our body as a temple of our very own” and that we should “control our diet and exercise for physical fitness” (“We Are Children of God,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 87; Liahona, Jan. 1999, 103).
President Boyd K. Packer has taught “that our spirit and our body are combined in such a way that our body becomes an instrument of our mind and the foundation of our character” (“The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character” [Church Educational System fireside, Feb. 2, 2003], 2; speeches.byu.edu). Therefore, please use good judgment in what and especially how much you eat, and regularly give your body the exercise it needs and deserves. If you are physically able, decide today to be the master of your own house and begin a regular, long-term exercise program, suited to your abilities, combined with a healthier diet. Spiritual confidence increases when your spirit, with the help of the Savior, is truly in charge of your natural man or woman.
I love that last sentence! Learning to control your "natural man or woman" is one of the MOST IMPORTANT AND DIFFICTULT things to do in this life!
I believe whole heartedly in the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of it. I'm not perfect. I'm trying to make myself better in every way just like everyone else. This whole blog post isn't an attempt to act like I know better than anyone else or that I'm better than anyone else. I just wanted to point out some things that I rarely hear discussed among people...LDS or not, religious or not. These are things that I think are VERY important! I also want to clarify that there are people that aren't able to do as much because of physical conditions. I have intended for this entire post to be applied only to your PERSONAL situation and to your best ability. Everyone is different and some people (like my wife) aren't able to do a lot of the things that others can to take care of themselves. My wife however, still does everything (probably more than she should) to take care of herself both spiritually and physically that she can. She is the example to me that has brought about my current level of understanding on this topic.
If you feel like you need to make a change in your spiritual well being, I'd love to help you but I suggest you talk to the missionaries in your area. They're totally devoted to that. You can contact them here. If you feel like you need to make a change in your physical well being, I'd LOVE to help you! My contact info is found here. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help!
Friday, February 13, 2015
My opinion on shakeology vs. competitors
The following is my response to the question "What makes Shakeology better than Herbalife and Whey Protein shakes....." that I received on facebook. I didn't intend for it to be so long but since it was, I decided to put it in as a blog post and add a few graphics and whatnot...Anyways, here it is:
I am not going to try and prove anything to you. I just want to share my experience. I don't like talking down other products either. There are a lot of companies with a lot of good products and you'll find die-hard fans of just about every product there is. Plus, products like herbalife have helped a lot of people so why would I try to talk bad about it? I do believe that right now shakeology is the best product in the shake market and I'll explain why.
So what I'll do, is I'll show you the facts and I'll give you my opinion of the facts and leave it to you to decide for yourself, based on what you know.
I think Carl Deikeler pretty much says it all in this video but I'll put some of the facts up here anyways because he didn't really go into the specifics. I'm attaching a side by side comparison of the two product labels so you can see the ingredients.
You'll see that both of them have a lot of good ingredients. The difference: shakeology has more "super food" ingredients and zero artificial ingredients. All of the vitamins and minerals are naturally occurring as a result of the incredible ingredients. No added vitamins. No added nutrients. Just super healthy whole food ingredients condensed into a shake. Herbalife has good ingredients, but they also have added vitamins that aren't naturally occurring (makes it harder for the body to absorb if it's not naturally occurring) and what appears to me (I could be wrong) to be some artificial ingredients on the last half of the list. You can see in the nutritional facts that shakeology clearly beats herbalife in most of the vitamins and nutrients but the biggest difference isn't in those numbers, it's in the amount of those vitamins and nutrients that are absorbed by your body. Besides being all naturally occurring, shakeology has a lot of phytonutrients that help the body absorb the nutrition even better than it would have otherwise. But like I said, herbalife has helped a lot of people and I'm happy for them! My goal isn't to sell this product to everyone I know. My goal is to help people get healthy and if they want to use herbalife, well that's awesome! I just use shakeology and share it because I know how much it has helped me!
As far as comparing it to a whey protein, well that's like comparing oranges to apples. There is protein in shakeology but it's not designed to just be a protein shake. They call it "a dense daily dose of nutrition" for a very good reason. Whey proteins serve their purpose. In fact, I use an extra whey protein at night to give my body extra protein in addition to my diet and shakeology to build muscle since that is my goal right now. I don't need it for nutrients...I just use it because I'm training super hard and need more protein than an average person to try and rebuild the muscle damage at night while I sleep. I don't take shakeology for that purpose though.
When I started taking shakeology, I was overweight. I took it to replace a meal to help me lose weight...and it definitely helped. I don't have any more weight to lose now though. I'm at about 10% body fat and that's where I want to be. I don't use it for building muscle (even though it does help) because it's not the highest protein content shake that you'll find. Now, I use it everday because it is full of so much nutrition that I feel a huge difference if I don't drink it vs when I do. I eat REALLY healthy most of the time but my body still can feel a difference. There is really no way I could EAT that much nutrition in one meal otherwise. My stomach isn't big enough to contain that many vegetables and fruits. So I just use it to help me have more energy and for my overall sense of well-being. If I had the time and resources to make all of my own meals and grow all of my own food and never eat anything but superior healthy food at every meal, then I probably wouldn't take shakeology. As it is, I eat as healthy as my life permits and I use shakeology to pick up the slack since realistically, I'm going to eat at restaurants sometimes and sometimes, I will be eating processed food that isn't the best thing I could ingest. These are the reasons that I PERSONALLY believe that shakeology is the best and worth the money. It's up to you to decide what is best for you though.
I am not going to try and prove anything to you. I just want to share my experience. I don't like talking down other products either. There are a lot of companies with a lot of good products and you'll find die-hard fans of just about every product there is. Plus, products like herbalife have helped a lot of people so why would I try to talk bad about it? I do believe that right now shakeology is the best product in the shake market and I'll explain why.
So what I'll do, is I'll show you the facts and I'll give you my opinion of the facts and leave it to you to decide for yourself, based on what you know.
I think Carl Deikeler pretty much says it all in this video but I'll put some of the facts up here anyways because he didn't really go into the specifics. I'm attaching a side by side comparison of the two product labels so you can see the ingredients.
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| Here is a side by side comparison. You may have to zoom in to be able to read it |
As far as comparing it to a whey protein, well that's like comparing oranges to apples. There is protein in shakeology but it's not designed to just be a protein shake. They call it "a dense daily dose of nutrition" for a very good reason. Whey proteins serve their purpose. In fact, I use an extra whey protein at night to give my body extra protein in addition to my diet and shakeology to build muscle since that is my goal right now. I don't need it for nutrients...I just use it because I'm training super hard and need more protein than an average person to try and rebuild the muscle damage at night while I sleep. I don't take shakeology for that purpose though.
When I started taking shakeology, I was overweight. I took it to replace a meal to help me lose weight...and it definitely helped. I don't have any more weight to lose now though. I'm at about 10% body fat and that's where I want to be. I don't use it for building muscle (even though it does help) because it's not the highest protein content shake that you'll find. Now, I use it everday because it is full of so much nutrition that I feel a huge difference if I don't drink it vs when I do. I eat REALLY healthy most of the time but my body still can feel a difference. There is really no way I could EAT that much nutrition in one meal otherwise. My stomach isn't big enough to contain that many vegetables and fruits. So I just use it to help me have more energy and for my overall sense of well-being. If I had the time and resources to make all of my own meals and grow all of my own food and never eat anything but superior healthy food at every meal, then I probably wouldn't take shakeology. As it is, I eat as healthy as my life permits and I use shakeology to pick up the slack since realistically, I'm going to eat at restaurants sometimes and sometimes, I will be eating processed food that isn't the best thing I could ingest. These are the reasons that I PERSONALLY believe that shakeology is the best and worth the money. It's up to you to decide what is best for you though.
If you want to check out my shakeology website, go here
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
My "Why". What's yours?
Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of that and got caught up in the party life and developed a lot of selfish habits.
When I was 23 I changed my life around, got baptized, and ended up serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. While there, I was certain that helping others was my destiny and I was determined to make it happen...but then I got home and ended up selling insurance with money being my only "why".
It wasn't (isn't) fulfilling for me and I felt like I was living someone elses life, not the one I was supposed to be in. I lived for my time off. I met a LOT of really good people and I learned a LOT of good info. Going out and prospecting clients was fun. I loved that part because I love talking to people. There are just a lot of aspects of the job that are really hard for me to stay motivated with. I FULLY believe in the need for insurance and for good insurance agents. They are critical to sustaining any good society and they DO change lives in the case of covered tragedies, but that's a subject for another blog. I just don't feel fulfilled. I haven't been able to find a deep enough passion for it to really drive my success. Anyways, I've done this since 2005 and in the process I think I let my dreams of changing the world fade. They slowly faded...at about the same pace that my weight slowly increased...at a pace that I didn't even notice...
Then came along Beachbody. Using it TOTALLY improved my health and in so doing, changed my ENTIRE life! Once I saw how much better my life had become, I realized that THIS IS WHAT I WAS MADE TO DO!!! Beachbody coaching is ALL about bringing value to others and lifting people up. It's obviously about health and fitness but it's much more than that. One of the "3 vital behaviors" that coaches are supposed to do if they want to be successful is read 10 pages out of a personal development book every day. This habit has changed my life probably in more ways than getting in shape has helped me! I'm constantly evaluating myself to see where I can improve and how I can help others better. This is all a result of the combination of the results I got for myself, the books I'm reading, and my lifelong desire to do good. Once I realized that I could make this my FULL TIME JOB through consistent part time work (without giving up my current paycheck) and I could devote more of myself to helping others, for me it was a no brainer! I hope to be able to do this full time by some point in 2015! I've started dreaming again! I've auditioned for the reality tv show American Ninja Warrior! I have aspirations to change the world again! I watch shows like Extreme Weight Loss and The Biggest Loser and I come to tears every time because I want to help people like that. I want to travel. I want to build relationships. I want to help people win their lives back. I want to help people save their marriages. I want to help people create financial freedom. I DEFINITELY want to be at all of my kids activities and have the time freedom and financial freedom to afford all those activities. Basically, I want EXACTLY what beachbody coaching can provide through consistent positive efforts!
There is my "Why". I'd LOVE to hear why you do what you do! Please tell me in the comments!
If you want to see more about what types of things I'm talking about, go to my website by clicking HERE and take a look!
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Dreams? What's that?
When I was a kid I had some BIG dreams! I thought for SURE I'd be in the world cup at least a few times by this point in my life. I didn't just dream. I spent every single spare moment I could practicing and training. I was 12 years old and out running somewhere between 6 and 9 miles at least 3 or 4 times a week at 6 in the morning in the summer! Who does that at the age of 12? I was determined. I thought I was on my way once I got in the Olympic development program and playing in tournaments like the USA cup. We did pretty good there too! I think I was on the right path until I changed directions...
In my teens, I changed my focus from soccer to BMX. Then I had the same aspirations and determination to ride as a professional bmx rider. I had dreams and I did everything in my power to make them happen. My parents had a giant shed in the back yard and they were cool enough to let me build a bunch of ramps in it. We'd ride out in the shed all winter regardless of how cold it was. I'd seriously ride somewhere around 5 or 6 hours minimum every day. With BMX, I got to the point where I was getting in magazines and I was sponsored. I was talking to a couple companies about a paycheck when I changed my focus again and decided that my bmx life was too intertwined with partying so I made a major shift.
My point is, when I was young, I had dreams and I pursued them. I don't think I am alone in this. I had a lot of friends that spent a LOT of time pursuing their dreams as kids.
So what happened? I became an insurance agent. My best friends work for the government or for some employer that they don't particularly enjoy. I wouldn't say we're unhappy. We're just not pursuing our dreams. We've all accepted some harsh realities that not everybody is going to accomplish everything they dreamed of as kids. Some of the dreams we had may have been a little far-fetched...some not so much...but at least we pursued them.
So here's reality: Very few adults even ATTEMPT to pursue their dreams. WHY? We get so preoccupied with paying bills and running the rat race that we don't even hardily think about our dreams as adults.
I've been thinking about this a lot the last few months. My dreams aren't the same as they were 20 years ago but I have come up with a couple new dreams. I've spent the majority of the last decade running the rat race and NOT following my dreams at all. That has changed.
In some of my other blog posts I've written about why I got in shape. I'm not going into that but as a result of that, it's opened up the doors to a lot of new opportunities! Last summer I saw another bmx rider that I know try the course on American Ninja Warrior. It got me thinking..."I'm in shape now...if he can try it, why can't I?". A new dream started to develop. I looked into it and found out that you have to submit a video to the producers and they pick people from those videos to go try the course. Well my BMX past gave me some video editing skills so I decided to go for it! I'm done accepting this idea that following dreams is a childish notion! Why? I'm MORE able now than ever to follow my dreams!
Also, as a result of beachbody being so effective for me, I became a beachbody coach. One of the main things that beachbody encourages their coaches to do is to read personal development books every day. I've been doing that for about 6 months now and it has changed my perspective on life entirely! There is a podcast that I listen to almost every day called amplified network marketing. It focuses on the reasons that network marketing (like being a beachbody coach) can be so life changing with the right tools and motivation. Every day I feel a little more inspired to make a difference in the world instead of just survive the rat race. Making enough money to live on as a beachbody coach isn't easy at first. It takes a lot of work and consistency and dedication. The difference is, it's ENJOYABLE WORK! I look forward to my daily tasks because everything is centered on bringing value to others lives! That has become another dream for me! I just want to make the world a better place! Sometimes, it's accomplished through small acts of kindness. Sometimes, through helping somebody lose a lot of weight to save their life. Sometimes, the domino effect of getting in shape physically can save marriages and other relationships. Sometimes people dig themselves out of a
giant hole of debt and find financial freedom through network marketing! All of those things make peoples lives better!
So why don't we pursue our dreams as adults? Well my answer to that is that I don't think I even realized it was the case until last year. Just like the extra weight that I hadn't noticed that came on so slowly it was unnoticeable, my dreams faded just as slowly. Once I realized it, I decided to make the necessary changes to at least ATTEMPT to follow my dreams. They say that at the end of most peoples lives, the things they regret most are the things they DIDN'T do! I don't want that to be my destiny. I want to come to the end of my life feeling like I followed my passions and feeling fulfilled as a result. Feeling like I accomplished my purpose in this life and brought joy to the world instead of being another black dot in the static on the tv screen. I want to be a light to the world and do as the scriptures teach! I WANT TO FOLLOW MY DREAMS!
Are you following your dreams or are you just running the race like most people? I challenge everyone to evaluate themselves and make any necessary (and smart) changes to live a fulfilling life. Will you do it?
In my teens, I changed my focus from soccer to BMX. Then I had the same aspirations and determination to ride as a professional bmx rider. I had dreams and I did everything in my power to make them happen. My parents had a giant shed in the back yard and they were cool enough to let me build a bunch of ramps in it. We'd ride out in the shed all winter regardless of how cold it was. I'd seriously ride somewhere around 5 or 6 hours minimum every day. With BMX, I got to the point where I was getting in magazines and I was sponsored. I was talking to a couple companies about a paycheck when I changed my focus again and decided that my bmx life was too intertwined with partying so I made a major shift.
My point is, when I was young, I had dreams and I pursued them. I don't think I am alone in this. I had a lot of friends that spent a LOT of time pursuing their dreams as kids.
So what happened? I became an insurance agent. My best friends work for the government or for some employer that they don't particularly enjoy. I wouldn't say we're unhappy. We're just not pursuing our dreams. We've all accepted some harsh realities that not everybody is going to accomplish everything they dreamed of as kids. Some of the dreams we had may have been a little far-fetched...some not so much...but at least we pursued them.
So here's reality: Very few adults even ATTEMPT to pursue their dreams. WHY? We get so preoccupied with paying bills and running the rat race that we don't even hardily think about our dreams as adults.
I've been thinking about this a lot the last few months. My dreams aren't the same as they were 20 years ago but I have come up with a couple new dreams. I've spent the majority of the last decade running the rat race and NOT following my dreams at all. That has changed.
In some of my other blog posts I've written about why I got in shape. I'm not going into that but as a result of that, it's opened up the doors to a lot of new opportunities! Last summer I saw another bmx rider that I know try the course on American Ninja Warrior. It got me thinking..."I'm in shape now...if he can try it, why can't I?". A new dream started to develop. I looked into it and found out that you have to submit a video to the producers and they pick people from those videos to go try the course. Well my BMX past gave me some video editing skills so I decided to go for it! I'm done accepting this idea that following dreams is a childish notion! Why? I'm MORE able now than ever to follow my dreams!
Also, as a result of beachbody being so effective for me, I became a beachbody coach. One of the main things that beachbody encourages their coaches to do is to read personal development books every day. I've been doing that for about 6 months now and it has changed my perspective on life entirely! There is a podcast that I listen to almost every day called amplified network marketing. It focuses on the reasons that network marketing (like being a beachbody coach) can be so life changing with the right tools and motivation. Every day I feel a little more inspired to make a difference in the world instead of just survive the rat race. Making enough money to live on as a beachbody coach isn't easy at first. It takes a lot of work and consistency and dedication. The difference is, it's ENJOYABLE WORK! I look forward to my daily tasks because everything is centered on bringing value to others lives! That has become another dream for me! I just want to make the world a better place! Sometimes, it's accomplished through small acts of kindness. Sometimes, through helping somebody lose a lot of weight to save their life. Sometimes, the domino effect of getting in shape physically can save marriages and other relationships. Sometimes people dig themselves out of a
giant hole of debt and find financial freedom through network marketing! All of those things make peoples lives better!
Are you following your dreams or are you just running the race like most people? I challenge everyone to evaluate themselves and make any necessary (and smart) changes to live a fulfilling life. Will you do it?
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