Month: July 2011

Weekend Update: Marvin 07/30/2011

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i gave these questions to Marvin 2 weeks ago and asked him to think about them and answer them by today. here are the questions and his answers:

 

1) How has training been going since we started? What can we do as a team to improve?
 Training for the last two months has been refreshing. Vocalize and be accountable for my daily and weekly goals. Establishing a consistent schedule to train, both together and on my own.

2) What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned since we started training?
Overcome inertia and just get movin
3) What decision can you make RIGHT NOW that will take you one step closer to reaching your health and fitness goals? (or relationship goals, or career goals, or life goals?)
I’ll have to get back to you on this one. Good question, though.
4) What’s your goal for today?
Eat a wholesome breakfast and get in a short stint at the gym.
5) What’s your goal for the week once you get back from Vegas?
Apply for at least one job each day.
6) What are your top 3 goals overall? 
Maintain a body fat percentage below 15% within two months.
Have a career, not just a job, lined up before the end of September.
Run Lake Merced in under 40 minutes by the end of August.

Be the Change

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for the longest time, i’ve always looked at everything that was wrong in the world. i would look at someone and say to myself, “they shouldn’t be that way, they shouldn’t act that way, they should be like this and act like this.” but i’ve realized that this is the wrong approach to living a genuinely good life; that this approach was holding me back from growing as person. i spent too much time pointing out and criticizing the “flaws” and “insecurities” of others and not spending enough time correcting my own. and then i read a post from some priest that said:

“just as in the moral life, the most effective way of combating a bad habit is not to concentrate so much on repressing the vice as to form the contrary virtue.” – i forgot where i got this

and how i interpreted this (and it may be completely wrong) was:

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Ghandi

if we want our parents to trust us more, we have to be more trustworthy. if we want to have more responsibility, then we have to be more responsible. if we want our loved ones to be more open-minded, then we too have to be open-minded. if i want someone to act a certain way, i have to make sure that i possess that certain characteristic myself.

we have everything we need to change our lives right now; we have our heart and our mind. keep your heart and your mind positive and healthy, and the possibilities are endless. change yourself, change the world. be the change.

Why Am I Eating More?

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Client: JR, I’ve been eating a lot more lately!! I don’t want to eat more, I’m trying to lose weight!

me: Eating more huh? Have you been working out more lately?

Client: heck yea! I’ve been working out 5 days a week, I’ve been going to Zumba, and I’ve been using the stairs a lot more when I’m at work

me: awesome! i’m glad to hear that! so about the eating, don’t worry about you eating more lately. we’ve been working out really well the past couple of weeks and you’ve been gaining some good muscle. remember, the more lean muscle we have, the more energy it takes to fuel that muscle and keep it healthy. so the extra food that you’ve been eating lately is actually being metabolized and used for muscle growth and maintenance as opposed to just being stored as fat! just make sure we’re consuming nutrient-dense foods and not empty calories like we’ve been talking about.

Client: Thanks JR! that makes a lot of sense

me: cooooool, anymore questions?

Client: yes, why are you drinking a can of Coke and eating Strawberry Hi-Chew?

me: uh, they’re not mine. 100 push-ups, NOW!

*i was just kidding about those last 3 statements.

but anywho, i’m pretty sure some of you have had a similar experience at one point or another along your journey to better health. remember this, a lot of people are overweight and unhealthy not because they eat too much, but because they eat too much bad food (ie. soda, pizza, french fries, chips, etc.). food is our energy, so if you’re eating a lot of good food, that means you’re fueling yourself with good energy. and good energy means a better work day, a better workout, a better sex life, a better attitude, and a better YOU overall. so don’t worry so much about the quantity of food you’re consuming, first take a look at the quality. do this and your “diet” will instantly gain 10 points on the awesome scale!

The Beginning

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‎”The beginning is the most important part of the work.” – Plato

Choose a “Goal of the Day” RIGHT NOW and promise YOURSELF this: No matter what happens today, I will accomplish this goal by the end of today. Then we’ll do the same thing tomorrow morning. And the next day. And the next day. And this is what it takes! this is how we #getbettereveryday #ypowr