Comprehension of Another Kind

 

Every single day, each of us are faced with people who cannot grasp why it is we choose to live a healthy lifestyle. It bothers them so much that they feel the need to put their negative 2 cents in where it doesn't belong. That is why Im calling this blog Comprehension of Another Kind. I'm talking about people who have no idea what its like to be healthy, fit, motivated, positive and inspirational about it. You aren't alone. A majority of people who choose to live healthy get a lot of flack from those who choose not to live a healthy lifestyle.

One of the most common questions I get from people who are just starting to take control of their life & become healthy ask me if I still or ever had people try to bring me down & stop me from living this way. The answer is of course always Yes. I have and I still do. It won't ever stop and I can't try to make it stop. There are a few different ways to go about it and there are also ways to avoid drowning yourself in their cesspool of crude & rediculous remarks. 

When you begin your new healthy lifestyle, the one thing you focus on changing first are your eating habits. What you consume, how much you consume & what you avoid that people all around you don't think twice about. You probably notice you are being made fun of, ridiculed, mocked and laughed at. The problem with this is, if you pay attention to the people doing this to you, you'll probably see a very unfit & unhealthy person doing it to you. Someone who is insecure with themselves & finds it necessary to turn the attention away from them and onto you so others forget about that person's flaws for a bit. These people usually haven't ever even tried to do what you are doing and what they "sometimes" don't realize is they have absolutely NO ROOM to talk. Take into consideration who it is you are receiving these negative remarks from. They aren't credible to be lashing out at you about the way you choose to live period. The reason I have "sometimes" quoted above is because there are also the people who KNOW deep down they want to change but have already talked themselves so far out of it, that its not in their sight anymore. They have lost their dream and don't want to see others achieve what they wanted for themselves. 

There are also people who have been skinny their whole lives and don't think they need to do anything because they never had problems with weight. But what about thier insides? What about the problems they have on the inside of their bodies you and no one else can see? They haven't taken a minute to consider that just because they are thin on the outside, doesn't for one second mean they are fit on the inside. A majority of these people live that *Push of a Button* lifestyle and are visiting drive thru after drive thru and coffee shop after coffee shop loading their bodies with more processed and artificial foods and sugary fluids than you can imagine. Day by day they live like this and think they are completely healthy because on the outer appearence, they can't SEE anything wrong. No weight gain, no deterioration of the body, no energy loss or anything. They claim to "feel just fine" and they don't see a reason to change what they consume. However, all of that junk they're consuming, compounded over time like anything else, will catch up to them. Their health will most definitely fail in some way shape or form. They will lose energy, vitality, the natural glow of human skin, hydration and all kinds of things will start to appear or disappear. That's the point where they stop and wonder how it happened? How did all this just SUDDENLY occur. They can't grasp the fact that all those years of consuming absolute crap, has caught up with them and they are fading fast. The whole time they were making fun of healthy people, they were in turn destroying themselves from the inside out. 

Those of us who TRULY want our good health and are determined to have it, will INDEFINITELY go get it. Others who want it but just expect it to come easy, most likely won't ever get it, and if they do, it has taken so long for them to realize they ACTUALLY have to put in work to get it, that the process is MUCH harder than they ever could have imagined. Lastly, there are those people who want it, but don't care enough about themselves to even try. It is a really sad scenario. You can try to help these people all you want. You will find that you are chasing a dead end. You will have talked yourself into your grave constantly trying to get these people to understand why they should look after their health. You cannot help everyone. People have to be WILLING to get started, have their OWN determination and reasoning to do it. Let it go. Stop chasing these people and focus on whats important for YOU. We all have our own reasons to live the way we do. 

I want you to finish reading this blog knowing this, YOU are the most important person in your life. Before you can truly care for or help anyone else, you have to first care for and help yourself. Once you realize how important you are, you will understand why its important to take care of you first. We all have people we love in our lives, people we want to help and people we know need help, but won't ask for it, and won't ever admit they want it. The best thing you can do is continue to love those people, be a good example, don't criticize them and do for you what no one else can do. Be a positive role model to everyone. Whether or not you see it or realize it, we all have someone who looks up to us and those are the people we need to be good examples for. Create a ripple effect of love with a positive attitude, healthy habits and continual support of anyone's dreams and goals.

The Food Challenge

The first thing people struggle with when it comes to changing their lives & becoming healthier from the inside out is FOOD. The way people eat is always grab and go. Sitting down at the table with the family has become almost extinct everywhere and its very depressing. Failing to pay attention to the things you put in your body is like forgetting to take in oxygen.

Our bodies were not created to process artificial and processed foods. We were created to absorb natural ingredients, vitamins and minerals so that we could live long healthy lives. The lifestyle this world has created before us has become too convenient for those of us who are constantly on the go. The fast food restaurants, vending machines in our working environments and schools, chain restaurants, coffee shops and "juice bars" have all contributed to the obesity rate in which people have just gone completely out of control and are now at the heaviest they've ever been in their life. This is outrageous and it truly needs to stop. But it won't. No matter how much we try to stop what I call the "Push of a button lifestyle," its always going to exist because these food places and coffee shops aren't going to disappear. 

In order to take control of our eating habits, we need to first be self disciplined in controlling what we eat and have a reason behind it to keep us going. Working out requires that you put the correct fuel into your body at the correct plate portions. We have to maintain a balance between the good, the bad and the ugly. What I mean by that is there has to be a definite distinction in your brain between the difference in good, bad and ugly proteins, carbohydrates and fats. These nutrients are essential to our health. If they are GOOD, such as vegetables without the butter loaded on top, lean cuts of meat, fruits and water, you are on the right track to being healthy & achieving your fitness goals. But if they are BAD nutrients like soda, candy and grease infested french fires, the results are UGLY. You will not succeed in attaining the results you want for your body; and inside, you'll be killing yourself. The foods we eat have a very impactful effect on our bodies an can either work in our favor to keep us healthy or break us down into very ill, unhealthy individuals. 

When I first started working out, I already knew my eating habits would have to change. I would have to discipline myself, change what I consumed, how much of it I consumed and when. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that it wasn't gonna be easy. I knew my whole life that in order to get what you want or need in life, there is usually a sacrifice you have to make to get it. I took control of what I know I needed for me and my results are the proof in the decision I made.

Food is fuel. That's it. Its JUST FUEL. If we didn't need fuel, food wouldn't exist. Could you imagine that? Not having to fuel your body every single day to keep it running correctly so we don't crash. That is the very first thing I started to discipline myself with. In understanding what food is really here for, I had to first figure out that its only fuel to recharge my body with energy, keep my metabolism going & help me get through intense workouts everyday. In my decision to change my eating habits and help me not eat bad foods, I changed my shopping habits. I knew if I bought it, I would be tempted to eat it. So my grocery list started to dramatically change. When I went to the store I had a list of vegetables, fruits, non-processed, clean & lean cuts of meat, high fiber, no sugar cereals, water, tea and much more. I made it a point to only buy the things my body actually needed. I was on a mission to succeed and that was just the beginning.

I also had to learn that I wasn't going to gain weight by eating 5-6 small meals a day. By doing that, you are actually keeping your metabolism going and burning fat all day long because you constantly fuel your body with the PROPER nutrition at the RIGHT times. I set an alarm daily for every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. When that alarm goes off, I had better have something with me or be able to get somewhere before my body goes into "starvation mode. 

What happens to your body in starvation mode is your body knows its not being taken care of so it creates a hormone called Cortisol. That hormone is produced by the body to protect itself from starvation and your body will cling to the accessable fat you have. In the ChaLEAN Extreme Motivational DvD, Chalene puts it like this: "If you wanna look like a Sumo wrestler, then train like one." What she means is part of a Sumo wrestlers routine is to SKIP breakfast. That way when they go to eat lunch, they have been in starvation mode and they are producing the fat they need to participate in Sumo wrestling. In order to be a Sumo wrestler, most people are aware that you have to be BIG. Not big from muscle, but big from fat. I don't find that very attractive. Not one bit. I find it looks extremely hard to breathe, move, talk or function in normal daily activity and the insides of their bodies without a doubt in my mind look horrific!

Here are a couple tips to take with you before you finish reading this blog. These are tips that have helped me and many others on the journey to becoming healthy starting from the inside out. What you do for your body inside, creates the outside physical physique you and others see.

1. Change what you buy at the grocery store. If it isn't good for you, don't buy it. An indulgence every now and again is ok, just don't make it a daily habit.

2. Alcohol slows down the rate of fat loss. Having 1 or 2 drinks a month won't kill you, but none of it will help your goals you have set up for yourself to lose the weight and get toned.

3. Set an alarm. On your phone, your watch, your HR monitor, whatever, NEVER EVER go more than 3 hours without eating. If you are busy, PLAN AHEAD AND PACK STUFF FOR THE NEXT DAY. Weigh out an ounce of almonds, make some protein bars, take some fruit or yogurt. Grab something that will aide in your weight loss goals.

4. Customize anything at a restaurant. You don't have to eat the bread before dinner. Get a side salad with Olive Oil and Vinegar. Olive Oil is a great healthy fat. When you order your main course, ask for grilled lean meats like chicken and fish, steamed vegetables with no butter or condiments and have hot tea or water to drink with your meal. Do you ever notice that the Japanese/Chinese cultures are always generally thin and pretty healthy? One of the reasons is because they drink hot tea with their meals. It helps flush any unnecessary oils out of your arteries and keeps your insides flushed of toxins.

5. Don't give in to temptation. If you are doing REALLY good and you have a goal, don't let your friends talk you into doing something YOU KNOW will ruin your success. Chances are, they aren't on your journey, and some of them may need to be, so taking advice from people who have NO IDEA what you are going through to change yourself isn't beneficial. They will ALWAYS try to lead you astray fro your main focus. DO NOT lose that focus. Stay on track.

6. Mindless eating. Its a killer.If something stresses you out, makes you angry or sad, you usually result to food. DON'T DO IT. Resort to a workout, a walk, play with your kids, the dogs or whatever. Leave your house if you have to. Don't let mindless eating ruin your progress!!

Now, here is where I am going to introduce SHAKEOLOGY to everyone. Those of you who know about it and use it, already know how beneficial this stuff is, what it has done for hundreds of people & what it will continue to do for anyone taking it. 

Whether you are overweight, thin, healthy, diabetic or anything else, this product is LITERALLY changing lives. It was introduced to Beachbody Coaches in March of 2009 and ever since that time, I have not been without it. Not for one minute, unless of course the UPS man didn't deliver due to a weekend which put me and the people used to taking SHAKEOLOGY every day on a man hunt. About 3 weeks ago I received a phone call from a friend of mine who told me she may have diabetes, cholesterol and blood sugar issues and she had to go in for a doctors appointment in a couple weeks to be tested again. As I was writing this blog, she was leaving a message on my voicemail THANKING ME SOOOOO MUCH, telling me she loves me for introducing her to SHAKEOLOGY and letting me know she just had her doctor's appointment and her results turned out phenomenal. He doctor told her that she is "free of diabetes, her blood sugar and her cholesterol are where they are supposed to be" and her doctor "wishes that all of his patients had her results and were where she is now" because of SHAKEOLOGY. 

I am TELLING you, this product is not a joke. With 70 NATURAL, HEALTHY ingredients, all of your vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, amino acids, digestive enzymes and so much more, it is the only product in the world to help you get all of the nutrition your body needs on a daily basis. It is fighting disease and reversing the horrible things we take in every single day. It has helped me become energized, helped me lose weight and so much more and I now get to share that with others. My website for SHAKEOLOGY is below. Please feel free to check it out when you are done reading. I Thank You for your time and I am here to answer any questions you have.

www.myshakeology.com/tjash2009 

Getting Started

When I first started my fitness journey I was no where near fit. Infact, I didn't think I would even follow through with what I had set myself up for in my mind. Like most people, I was constantly criticizing myself & listening to others about how I "wasn't going to follow through" and "why should I waste my time doing something that was gonna change my eating habits?" There was also the discouragement from doctors who would tell me that "having asthma disables my lung capacity and exercising too much can be harmful."  

I've heard it all. I mean every single thing you can imagine, I heard it. I believed it too. For 24 years of my life I had struggled with weight, asthma, back problems and the biggest problem of all, negative people. I was truly affected by the people who surrounded me & who told me that I was wasting my time even remotely thinking about becoming fit. 

That brought me to my decision to get rid of those people & prove to myself, that I was capable of doing it, that nothing and nobody was going to stop me and those people were gonna eat their words. 

In 2001 I had just moved back home to Redding from a small place in California called Needles. I had serious back issues caused from 10 car accidents. That's right, I said 10. Not one of those was caused by me. I was in pain. I would dread going to bed at night in fear of not being able to get out of it in the morning. I was in excruciating pain, needed to lose weight and had to move back home for help. I couldn't do anything on my own and I was losing my independance. Pills, medical doctors and chiropractors were not helping me. In fact, I was being crippled everyday by them.

On April 12, 2002, I had my final car accident that took the cake. I was driving home from the vet's office with my dog who, in turn, had been hit by a car that same week. As I was taking my green light to turn on my street, BAM. At 45 miles an hour, I was T-Boned by a girl who was quote "looking at my sister while I was talking to her." She ran her red light & took me out along with it. On January 13, 2004, I ended up at Mercy Medical Center for lower back surgery. It took a couple years to get surgery after I had gone through every step possible to avoid it, but avoiding it is what made it worse for me and what had me struggling with weight during the process.

It wasn't until a year after surgery that I decided I needed a new direction for myself. Something that would bring me back to life. I needed a fuller, healthier & more active lifestyle. I was fed up with always making excuses not to do things with my friends or family. I decided to start working out. Nothing dramatic, just a small change in the way I was gonna start living. I knew that in order to become healthy, I had to break my comfort zone and become comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

I started using Cindy Crawford workout video's she had created with a trainer Hollywood calls "The Killer Whale" in fitness, Radu. I was on a routine working out 6 days a week & eating healthy food. What I was missing from that regimine was calorie counting and watching my portions. I was losing weight, but not toning up in the places I needed the most. I tried fitness video after fitness video until one day, in 2006 I discovered Turbo Jam. This was introduced to me on TV by an infomercial. The trainer, was Chalene Johnson. A motivated, upbeat, fun loving woman who made working out look and feel like I was having fun. I ordered it, got it in the mail a week later and started my brand new fitness journey. I will admit I was skeptical at first and it was because I felt I had tried everything so I thought "Ok, if this doesn't do it, nothing will." 

I ate my words. It worked, and it kept on working. I was finally following a system of proper nutrition, portion amounts, vitamin supplements, SHAKEOLOGY (I cannot say enough about this stuff) and workouts that made a HUGE change in my life. I was excited because I started to get my life back, my self esteem, my attitude was better and so much more. I became what I had always known I could become and all it took was some filtering of people and the determination to get it back!!! I went from Turbo Jam in 2006-2007 to ChaLEAN Extreme (also Chalene Johnson) in 2008-2009, to Rev Abs by Brett Hoebel in 2009, finished my 63 days of INSANITY, Started ChaLEAN Extreme again (2010) & now Im in my 3rd month of P90X. 

I am 28 and I am in the best shape of my life. I have now completed an unknow number of rounds of Turbo Jam, 3 rounds of ChaLEAN Extreme (each round was 6 months, the last 3 months are Lean For Life phases) Rev Abs (90 day ab program), INSANITY 63 days, ChaLEAN Extreme again & now P90X. Morning LISS (Light Intensity Steady State Training) and HIIT Training have entered my life as well making me leaner than I've ever been & I plan on keeping up with those forever. Patiently awaiting my P90X One On One series which will eventually be P90X MC2. All of these programs have contributed to my success in losing 40 pounds from March 27, 2008 (the day ChaLEAN Extreme arrived to the beginning of Lean For Life phase) and becoming the fittest I've ever been my ENTIRE life. I can breathe without the extra weight, I can move the way I wasn't able before and during my recovery from back surgery and my resting heart rate is that of an athlete, 41bpm. I intend on improving that with continuous working out. Knowing I don't have to kill myself with routines over & over again keeps me going in the direction that I am. Changing your routines will keep it interesting & keep you motivated so switch it up every 30 days! I'm a fitness coach for Beachbody and this is the best time of my life. Anyone can become healthy and fit. Beachbody has an incredible coaching opportunity that enables people like myself to help others become fit physically, mentally and financially. The decision is yours. All I am here to do, is hold your hand along the way and be here for you 24/7.

I am here for everyone. I do not discriminate and I will not judge you. I will however, help you and answer any questions you have. I will use the knowledge from my experiences and what I've learned form the trainers I have learned from. Get healthy from the inside out. Do it for you, do it for your family, & most of all, DO IT FOR YOUR LIFE!!