Amazed

I was amazed the other day. "If you put half the effort into your situps that you put into eating at the buffet, you would have a heck of a six pack!" I told her. Funny thing is, she didn't deny it. She KNOWS that I'm speaking the truth. In reality, I'm always amazed by the lack of effort some people put into their weight loss program! Seriously, I am quickly getting over people who TALK a big talk but who don't WALK the walk.

I am begining to think that we are all just SOOOOO WEAK! It makes me sick and it would make people like my grandfather sad to see just how weak we have become as a "generation."

Here's what I mean. I ask people to perform in many ways, for example, let's knock out 20 more push ups... and I can pretty much tell you that everytime I suggest something like that I get a look from people like I just pulled a monkey out of my butt and asked them to hold it for me.

The part that gets me though is that these same exact people will polish off one heck of a dinner at Cheesecake Factory including chicken and biscuits, mashed potatoes made with tons of butter and gravy and several glasses of sweet tea. Oh, and don't forget the "Adam's Peanut ButterCheesecake with extra whipped cream" that they get too!

People! This is a 4,420 calorie Olympic event! Do you have any clue how much resolve and fortitude that it takes to eat like that? TONS BABY!(which is exactly what they are going to weigh) -That's more food than any living person should eat at one time. Period. So, 20 push ups are out of the question right Chim Chim? But, alas, somehow my fellow monkey lovers can put all that food away in one sitting.

"I'm amazed" is an understatement.

Now here's where you play into all this. First, if the description of all that food made you want to eat it, you're in trouble. If you just ate that food last weekend, you're in deep trouble. If you are eating that food right now while you are reading this blog post, Chim Chim is on his way to kick your ass!

You know another thing that amazes me? People who get it. People who used to eat like that and yet through their desire to change, have completely given up on the hell that is high fat and mega sugar foods! Do you realize that as challenging as it is to eat the loads of crap and garbage that we are faced with each day, it is even more challenging to turn away from that food, those habits, that lifestyle and yes, that person who you used to be when those foods domintaed your life?

Now that's amazing stuff. My question for you is "who are you?" Maybe a better question is "who do you want to be?" It's great that you are known for your amazing ability to eat tons of crap. It's more amazing to be a "used-to-be" though. Your choice. I made mine.

Here, hold my monkey.


Ron

I don't get it...

Seriously, I DO NOT GET IT... I have to tell you that each and every day I am in conversation with many people about health and fitness. Everyone want's to be fit. Everyone wants to be healthy. Everyone wants to look good. Right? Well, mostly right. There are a few out there that just don't give a flip, but, that's NOT you.

So, everyone has these big aspirations, right? And I have to say, there are several different "types" of people who want to change their lives.. ever seen the one who is the 'planner"? This person does tons of research & maps out every little detail. After thorough investigation of the options available out there, this person proceeds to call me and give me a beating with questions..."what is your certification?" "What makes you better than Bo and Luke Dukes Gym?" and so forth...Next, this person goes out to Academy Sports and buys the shorts, the tops, the shoes, the water bottle, the towel....OH MY GOD! Really? This person seems more likely to be preparing for surgery than for a workout. Long story short, this person fails to do one thing. Truly work at it. Sure, this goob has all the right equipment, but, SORRY JACK! YOU CAN'T BUY YOUR WAY FIT.

The next type that I see is the one who "used to be..." You know, I used to be a gymnast, I used to be a football hero, I used to be blah blah blah... These people spend so much time looking back that they absolutely lose sight of what lies ahead of them. They tend to believe that whatever they once had, they still have. You know, it's like a Rocky movie playing in their heads. All I can say is 'Yo, Adrian, this crap ain't no movie. If you's want it, ya gonna have to work your ass off for it." In the end, "used to be" won't even buy you a nickle piece of sugar free gum.

Another type I LOVE to see is the "I want it, but I want it MY way" diva. And by diva, I'm referring to both women and men. These folks crack me up the most. They come in saying that they want this and they want that...you know, like a tight butt, definition and better health. But, you let ONE TINY LITTLE PIECE OF NOT THEIR WAY pop up and it's all over faster than Oprah can eat an eclair. Again, these people want change, but they want it conditionally. It just don't work that way divas!

You know what I don't see enough of? People who just simply make the decision to change, then do it. And yes, damn it, it IS just that simple. Fill in the blank with tons of expetives right here then add "it is THAT simple" to the end of it and you'll know how I really feel about this.

For the love of God, please stop failing yourself. For once, and for all, stop. Stop buying crap food. If you don't like the way your butt looks, STOP. And that's not all...stop making excuses. I'm not buying them. No one else really does either. Sure, we act like we understand, but inside, we know it's just crap. It's you failing you.

Now, if your still with me and not crying into a tissue all offended, then there's hope! I want you to realize something. Inside you, maybe deep inside is the absolute, 100 percent complete, overwhelming power to succeed. It's not "maybe" there, it's not "there but kinda weak", it's THERE and it's STRONG. If you aren't harnessing the power within you to succeed, then maybe you deserve to be unfit and unhappy, because baby, YOU could change it if YOU wanted to bad enough.

Are you hearing me? If your mildly upset by my honesty and think I'm a bit of an ass for saying such things, then good! Now do something about it. I will write more truth in the future, but the difference is, next time it doesn't have to be about you. You could make this exact moment the moment you turned it all around. This could be the moment that you reinvent yourself. This could be the moment that you evolve into the person you were always created to be.

Do You get it? I do. Your turn.

Just One More

From what I understand -after great and lengthy discussions with myself (wink), it is somewhat common for people to face yummy sweets, tasty high fat foods and the like with the comment "Just one more..."

You see, the original agreement between ME and ME was that I would have only ONE. Simple enough, although buying into this untruth is much like agreeing to buy beachfront property in Arizona, right? It simply ain't gonna happen. But, nonetheless, we see food, tastebuds go on alert, brain starts to churn and before long we have negotiated this deal that says we will eat JUST ONE.

Then, within moments, the last few bits of that wonderful, sweet, high fat food dive right down your gullett headed straight for your ass and thighs (or maybe they will make a pitstop on your belly!)

"Everything in moderation..." right? Come on Ron, I mean "We live in the real world..." and all that crap that I hear all the time... yada yada yada... follwed really soon by tears chasing the words "I don't know why I'm not losing weight..."

Yes you do. Yes Sir, Yes Ma'am, YOU do.

Makes me wish I could flash back in time and SHOW you why you aren't losing weight... Don't miss this though: that one little thing you ate isn't REALLY the cause of your problems at all. How's that for me being honest?

Now it's your turn to be honest. You didn't eat JUST ONE did you? In fact, you actually ate JUST ONE MORE...didn't you? In double fact, you ate JUST ONE MORE -several freakin times!

So what do we have? Here's your list:

JUST ONE MORE dimple on your ass.
JUST ONE MORE size to go up now.
JUST ONE MORE time to look in the mirror and be depressed.
JUST ONE MORE chance to prove to yourself that you can't succeed.
JUST ONE MORE...failure.

You've just shot your self discipline down with amazing accuracy. You have added the need to do even MORE cardio and lift even MORE weights to undo this travesty...

So what's the solution? Your mindset baby. Yes. Your mindset. The minute you decided to eat JUST ONE MORE, you were done. So, fix the mindset. From now on, it's one of two options. 'No, I'm not going to eat that" or 'I will eat just one" and stick with that. Period. Now, if you are in the UB Program, mind you, you still have to come in and own the ONE that you ate. That's a given. But, you also have new found success. Low and behold, you actually DO control what you eat. Amazing huh?

So steel your mind. Be brave and strong. It ain't easy doing this, I know! For God's sake, I have fought and still do fight your same fight. It sucks bad. But, know what? We can handle it -You can handle it! Put down the ass growing food and all of your excuses with it. Build a strong mindset. Then, be the person who you want to be! It is all up to you...oh, and JUST ONE MORE thing...put this thought in your mind. Put it there and protect it. YOUR Success is close at hand. I believe that! Now it's your turn to start believing it.

Want to be flattered?

They say that imitation or "copying" is the sincerest form of flattery. Ok, I'll go with that. Perosnally I think theres probably much better ways to flatter someone, but that will have to wait for a later posting!

So the other day I took a quick look around the internet to see how well I have been supplying my competition with their concepts, ideas and ad copy. Yes, besides being the owner of Ultimate Body Studios, I am also a regular "contributor" to my competition as well.

For example, long ago I came up with the phrase 'What's Your Excuse?" when my earlier phrase "No excuses, just results" showed up on a competitors website. Not onbly that, but this particular business even now has a 'group fitness" class that costs $325 per month. Original huh?

Want to read some of my original articles that I wrote for the Frisco Enterprise over the course of a couple of years? All I have to do is direct you to a competitors blog where minimal -if any, changes made. No worries though, the person who steals many of my articles doesn't sign his name to them... therefore he's "safe" I guess.

Want to get your own free copy of the "Ultimate Body Transformation" report? Just go to another competitors website and click on the picture. Just don't expect to actually get a copy of the report, it doesn't exist. All the little picture does is drives Ultimate Body Transformation traffic to this gym's website.

Believe it or not, I haven't even started to scratch the surface... and here's why: that's not what this article is about. What it IS about is YOU. Yes, YOU. Well, more specifically, how you are copied.

Let me ask you this, who is copying YOU? I have a feeling that you are being copied quite a bit by those around you. Co-workers, husbands, wives, but most importantly, your children.

Stop for just a moment and think about this. There is nothing more heartwarming than seeing your precious baby walk into the room wearing your huge, much too large shoes. Remember when your little boy had to get his own little toy tool set so that he could be just like his daddy? There are hundreds of wonderful examples of how your very own kids copy and mimic you. And you should be flattered, and touched.

And when your baby starts mimicing your really bad eating habits and all around lazieness, you should be touched again. Or smacked! Think about it, our little ones are going to learn from us. Hopefully the good, but sometimes the bad. It's all up to you.

Bottom line is this, if you struggle with your weight and health, why in the world would you EVER want to pass that on to your kids? So here's my solution. Stop eating unhealthy and start being active. Set the example and save them a lifetime of pain and suffering with their weight. It's really that simple and yet at the same time it's amazingly important.

When your kids mimic the best in you, be flattered; and when you see parts of Ultimate Body in other fitness studios, just know that I'm sitting somewhere being flattered too :)

Your test

It is my business to help people. Not exactly like a doctor, not exactly as a professor in a university, but as a fitness specialist. Or, as I would prefer it, a fitness guy. I have a hard time thinking of myself as a "specialist" at much of anything. That being said, I am in the unique position of having seen and helped many countless people reach their fitness goals. Some just came to lose 10 pounds, others came looking to rock a bikini or to get ready for a wedding or something. Most, however came looking for something greater. Huge actually.

Those who came searching for themselves, usually buried under years of stress and pounds and pounds of fat are of whom I speak today. People who used to be "somebody" physically speaking and whom have now lost that person...Life, bad habits, stress, babies and work are just a w of e things that change us into people we never knew we might one day become. But we did. And at some point, many of us realize the change and yearn desperately to recapture a piece of who we once were.

In our efforts to change and transform ourselves, we find programs like Ultimate Body and enlist the help of trainers to guide us through the process. At first glance, it would seem that we are all the same in what is required to change. You know, eat clean, exercise and expect change. And yes, that part is true, but there's more.

You see, I believe that if it were just that easy, I would be out of business. There would be no need for Ultimate Body. But it isn't. Not even close.

People, in fact even YOU, have to find their own way. Ultimate Bodyis just a tool to help. Granted, it is a fantastic tool, kind of liken using a plastic spoon to dig a hole or a sharp, full sized shovel. Both are tools, Ultimate Body is the shovel and many other programs fall around the plastic spoon level at best. Still though, the shovel doesn't just dig. YOU have to apply the tool.

That being said, finding your "own way" is really just a test. A test of everything about you. Your resolve to change, your determination to stick with it, your strength in making decisions and even your "bounce" will be tested. Bounce? The willingness, yes, willingness to bounce back when you fall. And believe me, you will fall.

No one can take the test for you. There is no cheat sheets and no calculators. It's you, all you. In a day and age where everything is done for us, this concept is hard to swallow. So hard in fact that it may be easier to swallow cupcakes and cokes. Have you noticed that being fat or overweight is becoming more and more ok? But is it really? Is it ok to you? Do YOU want that for yourself? I don't.

I can't take the test for you, and you can't take mine. But what I do know for sure is that you can pass the test. It's gonna suck, bad at times. But, in the end, it is the very nature of the test that truly makes it worth it.

When's the last time you really had a life change. A real, honest, oh my God life change. If you've read this far, it,s probably time. Collect your tools, take a few deep breaths and start. You're gonna pass with flying colors.

Then, Studpid Walks In...

You have many things under control, right? I mean, not every little detail, but MOST things. You live your life your way, on your terms and so on...you choose the car you drive, where you live and things such as that. Heck, you even decide what you are gonna wear and watch on TV tonight.

But those things where you actually have some level of "control" aren't those of which I want to speak. It is, in fact, the smaller and less controlled things that I want to discuss. You know the ones -like choosing to eat "clean" instead of crap. Choosing to workout in a precise, effective manner over just slogging through the motions or maybe not even working out at all.

You know how it goes, you get fully fed up with being fat and unhealthy then make a new consorted effort to do something about it. So there it starts. You may begin eating clean, meal by meal, one after another. Chicken, salad, protein bar, egg whites and so forth. You get to feeling really, really good, -like for once you are on track. "This time I'm doing it!" you proclaim to yourself. On and on it goes. With each passing healthy meal you are gaining confidence and strength. In your mind, you may even seem to be unstoppable.

Then it happens. Stupid walks in.

The arch enemy of everything you do is called stupid. Oh, and "stupid" is only "stupid" in name. It takes on many shapes and forms. Sometimes stupid looks like a chocolate chip cookie or a brownie, or pizza or even beer. Other times it looks like your best friend saying "Come on, just have a little bite!" I've even seen stupid look like an excuse. "I'm just too tired and worn out to go to class tonite." Hello stupid!

Funny thing about stupid is that you have often welcomed stupid to hang out with you. It seems that you treat stupid as though once it shows up, you never make it leave. Furthermore, you often invite all of stupid's friends known as "even stupider", "damn stupid" and "freaking really stupid" to come join your failure party. They look alot like "Well, I already screwed up by eating that piece of pizza" (welcome stupid) to 'I might as well just blow off the entire weekend now and restart Monday" (welcome even stupider). -Those other losers seem to think they have a golden invitation every time just plain 'ol stupid walks in. Before you know it, stupid and friends are all over you and success is a fleeting concept.

Sound at all familiar? Sure it does. Stupid and company have been tormenting your best plans and efforts for years. The solution? -It's a simple, yet very powerful tool that stupid hates. Where do you get this tool? Well, you get it where all your best provisions are kept. Within yourself. Yep, no infomercial with some freak needed to sell you this tool. You already got it. What's it called? Resolve.

Resolve. Say it a few times and think about the absolute power that resolve can wield for you. Bring it forward in your mind and dust it off. She's ready to work for you at a moments notice. In fact, she's hungry to work for you and the more you exercise her, the stronger she becomes. And by the way, stupid HATES and is TERRIFIED of her. Smile now. She's your friend and will help you make it to your goals. All of them, fitness and otherwise. Smile again. That's some good reality baby! Those of you who know that everything you do in fitness is directly related to the rest of your life know what I just told you.

So here's how I would recommend introducing stupid to resolve. "Hey, why don't you just have a little bit of this cheesecake?" (Hola estupido!) "No. No way. There's no chance I'm going to eat that." (resolve!) Did you hear stupid run for the door? Maybe we should change stupid's name to Flash as fast as it just ran away! And stupids friends? Yeah right. They made potty and hid under the bed.

Resolve winks at you, you smile. Goals fast approaching!


Ron

-

Ready?

So what would you do if you did it? You know, achieved your goals... not kinda, not sorta but all the way? You know, you've lost ALL the weight. Things that you usually only dream about wearing don't just "fit", they fit great. Work out outfits? They now come in cute, even cuter and damn cute...so you can now opt for DAMN CUTE and they look better on you than they did in the store. Where you used to shop for a size 16 or 18, now you're rocking a sweet 4 or 6. No more "mama jeans" for you! You've just discovered the world of 7 For All Mankind, True Religion and all the other boutique jeans...

But there's more. What would you do if all of a sudden old fluffy you morphed into little hottie you? You get comments like "girl, you look great!" and "Oh my God, you look terrific -I'm so jealous." What do you do when every time you turn around someone is complimenting you?

What would you do when you look in the mirror in those quiet moments, when no one else is around... quietly standing there peering deep into your very own eyes, and instead of seeing that less than happy girl staring back, you see the new you. yes, the NEW YOU. Let those words sink in just a moment. Pause right here and let those words sink in...the NEW YOU...notice that smile that just breaks across your face? It's then, right there in that moment that you can honestly say "I did it." Such sweet words.

But back to the question, -what would you do? Well, let me tell you...Dance. Dance like the crazy, wonderful, happy person you are! Last Saturday night I had the opportunity to go to a local country bar in Dallas with one of our success stories. All night I watched her live in her "new you." I knew we had come full circle and she had reached true success when I saw her with her husband dancing out on that dance floor. It wasn't that she had perfected the latest dance moves, it was that she had perfected living her life.

The truth is that you too can have everything Karen has now. It's out there just patiently waiting for you, as it always has been. Ready to dance?

Ron