Mindset is perhaps the most important aspect of training your body. When you’re taking off on a runway, the friendly flight attendant reminds you to put your own mask on before assisting others. Nothing is more true when you choose to lead a healthy life. You work late to ace your exams, complete tasks at work, help friends in need, assist and find the love of your life. But when it comes to your health or your happiness, you put yourself last. The obligations to your friends, family, colleagues, and clients can and must be prioritized after you can take care of yourself.
The next choice you will make as you embark on this journey is accepting that comfort is the enemy of growth. It is important in our training that your mind is comfortable with your body being uncomfortable. Nothing good in life is easy. Your body is no different. When you are a little uncomfortable that is where real change happens.
One of my strongest skills is understanding my client’s limits, which is the distance between where YOU think you can and what YOUR BODY is able to do. It is not my philosophy to wear you out, but I will be there for every second, every repetition to encourage and convince your mind that you can achieve more. My specialty is helping people to get out of their comfort zones whether it’s for a minute or an hour. I can’t make someone want to get stronger, leaner or fitter, but if they want to do it, I’m with them all the way! Most of us have some kind of fear of commitment, right? One of my favorite mottos is: COMMITMENT = FINISHING WHAT YOU START. I believe that life is a series of many goals. Some take longer to accomplish than others. Being the best you can be takes a lifetime of commitment to yourself and to the others in your life!
Weight Loss Experiment
Other than actors and actresses fitting a certain role, I had never heard of anyone purposely getting fat. But in late 2018, I started intentionally gaining fat to understand the weight loss process. By January 2019, I was 18 kilograms (40 lbs) heavier than my leanest weight in 2018. Gaining weight was easy. I focused on smashing down carbs, fast food, and late night meals. After a 10 kilograms (22 lbs), weight gain became simple. I just had to lose control and stop loving myself. What I realized is that the most insidious part of weight gain is that you stop valuing yourself in a positive way. I lost confidence and motivation. Being fat was less of an armor than it was a shroud. I noticed people constantly judging me out of fear—projected fear that I was a reflection of something that they could become if they lack discipline and control. It was terrible, but it was only for a brief moment in my life. My biggest fear in January 2019 was that whatever my initial intentions were to gain out that I would become truly lost.
With half the experiment over, I had to work to get back into shape. Initially, I could feel inertia winning. I battled every urge to give up. But after two weeks of solid disciplined weight training, eating healthy meals available through UberEats and Food Panda, and a consistent cardio regimen, the fat just started melting off.