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Getting Up On You

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I had gotten sick. I’m pretty sure I shook someones hand at a funeral I attended and of course the AC was on, which caused my nose to slightly run. This was the kind of head cold that caused a severe burning sensation to run through my nose, mouth and throat like race cars with hot wheels. Not only did those pains take place, but I felt like I had led weights resting on my cheek bones and temples. It was miserable. Thing is, it was my fault and I knew it. It made me think, I need to write on the topic of ‘Getting Up On You.’

One of the hardest (yet also easiest) things to getting into a routine that fits your lifestyle and gets you on track to the life you want to live is getting educated on you. Or as I like to call it, Getting Up On You. This may seem simple, we all are human and generally have the same body functions right? We all need to sleep, eat, drink water, go to the bathroom, etc. But what about exercise, what we eat and how much we sleep or drink? How do those areas impact our daily living?

Not Going Back To Being Sick

I know exactly what it was that set my body up to basically abandon me when I came into contact with that nasty head cold. Tuesday afternoon is when the head cold hit hard. Going back a few days before, I overate on Sunday night due to stress from the week prior. My wife and I also stayed up later than usual, which left with with about 5 hours and 13 minutes of rest… approximately. My first class on Monday starts at 6:00AM, a HIIT Bootcamp class. The rest of that day was busy, no nap or time to catch up after a short night’s rest.

Coming into Tuesday, my wife wanted to get a workout in early morning because she had a 15-hour day at work coming up. That meant getting up at 4:30AM and getting to the gym when it opened at 5:00AM. After a warmup and sit in the sauna, 1 minute sprints on the treadmill was first. I finished up with some roundhouse kicks into a heavy bag 30 seconds per leg with 30 seconds rest. I finished with heavy bag sit-ups (if you aren’t familiar, this is how they look). By the time I hit the funeral, by body’s immunity was completely gone and basically told me, “Good luck dude!” By 6:00PM, my nose was an open faucet, burning tires started running their laps in my throat and nose and I was cancelling clients and classes.

Should’ve, Would’ve, Could’ve

If it wasn’t clear, this head cold wasn’t fun! I haven’t been sick like that since college which was 5+ years ago. Based on how my body works, if I had spent some additional time sleeping and eating sooner before bedtime plus eating more carbs to keep my energy up, my immunity would have been better. I probably should have dialing down my workout a bit as well (apparently my heavy bag sit-ups were intense enough to draw some attention at the gym according to my wife… do people not do these?).

Have You Been Here Before?

So, have you ever found yourself in a situation like me where you pushed so hard you got sick or injured? Were you trying as hard as you could and still broke down? Want to know how to get past that hurdle? I’ll tell you what I’m currently working on and why I’m so excited about it! It’s a program that is going to help you get the body of your dreams, live the lifestyle you desire to live and help you keep your schedule the same, if not more simple.

It’s Important to Know The Details

I could go on and on about macros and micros and how important it is to keep track of these… and it definitely is! In fact, here are my stats (pictured below) from yesterday. Looks like I need to get some more carbs in, and definitely more protein! I covered this topic a bit in a previous post, but stay tuned, I’ll get into this further down the road. We could get into the specifics, but let’s keep it simple today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Details, Details, Details

I’ll share with you a piece of this program that I’m putting together and testing on myself. It deals with that nutrition component I mentioned earlier. I call it the ‘Chill Out and Eat!‘ plan. ‘Chill Out and Eat!‘ may be used by someone else (I’m not sure) but is kinda like being in a 7th grade chemistry class experiment. You remember how your teacher had the Bunsen burners set up on the chem lab tables with several trays of different elements? It was your goal to identify each element based on how it interacted when you set it on fire (the fun part!). For example, when you light calcium on fire, it produces a orange flame; sodium produces a yellow flame, and Copper produces a blue flame (my favorite). Well, when we eat certain things or sleep certain ways or drink however we like, each decision produces different results. This program is centered around that idea!

Getting Up On You

It’s quite simple, you can actually start on yourself right now! You are a walking, talking experiment and what goes into you is what is going to come out. Remember, kinda like the fire burning those elements producing a reaction, what you eat & drink plus how you sleep & burn energy causes a reaction. That reaction will provide you more energy or it will make you really sick and tired. Does the 2:00PM work slump ring a bell? So I’m sure you already have a pretty solid understanding of what your body does and does not like, right?

Keep Track

Good, time to keep track! How much water is too little or too much? Was that greasy burger ok or did it make me fall asleep at work and give me an upset stomach? I don’t want you to get caught up on what everyone else is saying to eat or not eat. I want you to stay focused on what your body is saying to eat or not eat! Trust yourself, it will tell you. I’m keeping this VERY simple because without this being the first step, it gets too complex too fast. Next, keep track by logging it into a food tracker or journal. I use MyFitnessPal. It’s simple, free and allows you to keep notes. In fact, my notes last night were, “eat more protein, take in less sodium and keep working on the carbs.” Also “overall, I feel strong in lifting weights and pushing through on HIIT.” Submit and done! If you’d like to keep up with me or need a partner to help you start this Getting Up On On process, shoot me a friend request on MyFitnessPal!

 

Blogger Bio

Oliana and I at Bigsby Bridge

Oliana & I @ Bigsby Bridge

Ryan lives in the East Bay with his wife Oliana. He works diligently to bring all the resources and tools necessary to provide a complete package to his clients. His focus is on personal training in fitness, nutrition, time management and other key areas of lifestyle. Outside of the private training/group fitness classes, Ryan & Oliana work on their walk with Christ, personal fitness and lifestyle goals together. They would like to one day have 2-3 dogs and work w/out having to report to a job. They both love movies, getting outdoors (especially camping), and eating food!

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Day 2 – Fitness is Key… Isn’t It?

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I specifically started this blog for accountability to myself and my wife. She (Oliana) and I have been talking about “getting back to it” for months. I know from prior experience that Fitness is Key, in fact crucial. But for those of you who don’t know that, how do you come into knowing that?

It’s all about that fitness right!?

When we were still dating, Oliana and I would work out together at least 1-2 times a week.  We would do so 1 day of the week for sure because she would come to my fitness class I taught on Friday nights before our scheduled date night. The other workout was her trying to convince me to run (which I absolutely am not a fan of… I know, I know.. terrible boyfriend to not run with your lady when she comes to your class). After getting married and moving in together, our frequency of exercise went up to 5-6 times/week. It was nice… I was feeling real nice… she was looking all kinds of nice… I think you catch my drift.

Fitness for life they say… oh I’m all about that!

Well what’s interesting about our marriage is neither of us really put on any weight. Usually they say you put on weight after finding the love of your life… that didn’t really happen with us. In fact, my wife has maintained and I have actually lost weight. Several times she and her mom have pointed out that my face has gotten slimmer since we were married, mostly due to stress related causes like work and getting use to each other and our crazy ways (LOL). So, right now it isn’t necessarily important that I work out specifically for weight loss. On top of that, we lost consistency in our workouts about the middle of last year and that went on for a number of months. Each of us have been in and out of exercise every since.

Ok, so maybe fitness isn’t life all the time?

For me personally, starting the day (or sometimes ending it if schedule doesn’t allow for a start, as I start training my clients around 6AM at least two days of the week) makes such a significant impact on my mental health. I can see the stark difference, night and day, between the days that I workout vs. when those excuses excuse a workout right out of the day, I see that difference as well! Then if you compile a number of days back to back with no workouts, it can really wear on a brotha (and sista too!). When I hit my fitness days, I often feel like this, live and fired up!

This is [why] we do it!

This day damn one is done! After 30 minutes of work, we touch on stability, cardio endurance, and strength training exercises that all focus on bringing the body together. Essentially, it is a synergistic approach to fitness. Instantly, I notice the difference and I’m glad my wife and I are getting back to it.

Word of the day…Accountability!

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Day 1 – Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days… or Less

Now I know what you’re thinking, is it really true that you can lose 30 pounds of weight from your body in 30 days or less?? It’s not a bad question depending on your experience and what you know about the human body, most importantly YOUR own body. I would suggest you ask the following question:

Do I have 30 pounds of weight to lose from my body?

As you see in the video I’ve made with this first post, you can simply start typing in ‘lose 30…’ and many options for losing 30 pounds comes up. For example, in ‘…3 months’, ‘…4 months’, ‘… 6 months’, and yes to stay in line with my subject, ‘…30 days.’

I get to ask you a question now, don’t you think that is a bit crazy? Maybe unhealthy? Possibly insane? Well… again I think it is really important that you ask yourself again the following question:

Do I have 30 pounds of weight to lose from my body?

I am starting this new blog & vlog for several reasons. Most importantly, I am a fitness and health professional who has been making a living full time for almost a year with 4 prior years of part time work (over five years total) and I find myself being able to help my clientele stay accountable to their goals while I struggle miserably to keep my fitness, nutrition, and overall health in check. I’ve been telling my wife for quite a while now that I know I’m missing my own fitness routine. Not only that, even though I put in at least 8 hours of moderate exercise per week, I know without a shadow of a doubt that not maintaining my own fitness regime has been impacting my spiritual, physical and mental health… I literally feel it.

For those of you who don’t know me, I will tell you I’ve lost the 30 pounds. In fact, it was more like 33 pounds… however, it wasn’t in 30 days. It wasn’t even in 3 months. No, it took me 8 months to lose 33 pounds…

So wait Ryan… you didn’t lose 30 pounds in 30 days?

Nope, not even close. Nor have I ever lost or gain 30 pounds in 30 days. I don’t think I ever will need to either! So I don’t lose you, I will share with you more of my story later (stay tuned). What’s important is why I am writing this post… and that first key reason is ACCOUNTABILITY.

Oh… and working on my writing & blogging skills!

My second reason is my wife, plain and simple. I want to not only be around for her as long as I can (Lord willing… and I mean that literally), but I also want to be present for her today in the best way possible. That means loving her despite whatever she may throw my way but, more importantly, loving her despite my own shortcomings, personal feelings and current mood… which isn’t always positive. In fact, I’ve been rather grumpy all weekend. I’m sure I am a joy to be around right now… in fact this lack of progress in my fitness (and business thereof) had me awake at 3AM the other night. Hence why I’m starting in on this accountability blog…

Ok, ok… get to the point Ryan!

You saw my results (here they are again if you missed them before), you and I know I have achieved a level of fitness and health that was excellent. I saw results I’ve never seen before, felt mental clarity that pushed me to new limits in work and obtained a closer walk in my faith with God based on taking care of my temple over many consistent days. That’s great but that was years ago, I’m no longer single with a job that is 40-50 hours which allowed me to cook well and do double days on my exercise 2-3 days/week. No, those days are gone… I’m a married man building two businesses and going non-stop (I’m writing this on Sunday, my usual day of rest)…

If I’m saying anything at all, I’m saying it’s time to leave the past in the past, start working on me in today’s environment, with today’s challenges & responsibilities and the body I have now. I know it will do me well, I just have to show myself it will do me well.

Oh, about those 30 pounds in 30 days?

Can you do lose 30 pounds in 30 days? Yes, it is physical possible. If you have fatty tissue in excess on your physical frame, it is quite possible. There are several YouTube videos on it. Before you get into the what’s, how’s, when’s & where’s detail of your lifestyle goal called changing the breakdown of your body composition, I encourage you to do like me and figure out why you want to make the change in the first place. If you don’t, you’ll be like me before I decided to write this long, verbose, mundane blog post… stuck thinking about how you could be ahead and feeling bad about yourself when all along all you need to do is get up, get going and figure out the rest along the way!

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Project FRESH TV – Ep 1 – An Intro to F.R.E.S.H.

Introductions Aren’t Always Easy

It has been a long time coming for me to get to this point, but I’m excited to share the following… an Intro to Project: FRESH. What is Project: FRESH? Where did it come from? How did I create it? Why is it important to you and I? I’ve been a coach (mainly in nutrition and fitness) since December 2012. I started coaching because I gained a greater insight on what it means to be healthy. After losing 32 lbs and adding on some lean muscle mass, I realized I could give back. I took what I learned from my own experience and gave it to my parents… and later other individuals.

Fast Forward Four Years

After what seemed like a very long and depressing run in Corporate America, I found myself frustrated with my progress. I did my best to balance my walk in Christ, a 60-80 hr/week job, my health and my coaching, but didn’t seem to put it all together. Depression set in for me a number of times. I lost a major portion of all the momentum I had built from the start. I felt stuck in my job, my health and my business.

Turning Point

At the end of 2015, I decided to spend the turn of the year at my Church inviting Christ in and giving Him control over my business… something I hadn’t done before. Through people, experiences, books I read and much prayer, something changed. I’m thankful He led me to a friend of mine – Eden – who through her Transition Expert program, helped me address the areas I was avoiding. I accepted responsibility for where I was in life and took action to change.

Fitness & Nutrition Are Not Enough

During that transition period, I wanted to create an experience that focused on more than health and fitness. I understood from my prior experiences that life changes did not result only in how many workouts you did in a month or how well you ate in the last 21-30 days. Real lifestyle change took place in all areas of your life. I had previously created a F.R.E.S.H. – Fitness. Recreation. Education. Sanctity. Health – for my clients and coaching team as a way to establish focus on lifestyle. I rediscovered how important it is to focus on incorporating all areas of your life into making positive and healthy lifestyle change. Project: FRESH was born and I made changes to my coaching business to bring it to you…

It All Came Together When I Made the Decision

In short, Project: FRESH was created to help you and I elevate to new heights in our walk with Christ, careers/vocations, relationships, and personal health. Our focus is to lead by example and in turn help you do the same for your families, friends, communities and all others you influence on a daily basis. I couldn’t have established this business without making the decision to put together everything I learned and apply it to my coaching business.

Project: FRESH – Ryan, You and Your Intro to a FRESH Lifestyle

There is no time like the present. I’ve operated under this thought process since the beginning of 2016. I’ve found that Urgency is crucial, neither you nor I know when a crucial time may come where we do not have the choice to impact our health. I believe strongly that God can heal anyone from any disease or ailment we face, but why should we wait for that moment to find out. There are preventable steps we can take together to help you live the life you desire! Click below to learn more about Project FRESH and please share with others! We want to help you do something for yourself as we did. Check out our intro video and start with us today!

 

 

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