This is part four of a five series blog post discussing my five components to "true" wellness.
When people think of wellness and health, most people think of diet and exercise. I think physical health is extremely important, but I have listed it as part four of my five part blog series on general wellness. Why is that?
Although I believe staying active and physically fit is crucial to wellness, I think without faith, family, and financial wellness physical fitness is much harder to achieve.
I don't think true physical fitness is a six-pack stomach or running 10 miles (although it can be achieved), but rather a state of mind and body that contributes to maximizing our potential.
If you want to get into shape and start eating better you have to have a "why".
The "why" is the long-term reason for your commitment to succeed. Often times when I hear that someone is starting a diet and/or exercise program their reason is to drop some pounds or look good for an upcoming wedding. Those are good reasons to start a physical fitness plan, but they are not long lasting.
I had my why five years ago. in 2007, I had gained almost 30 pounds over the previous years and was becoming more inactive. We had our second child and it seemed there simply was not time or motivation. Suddenly it hit me. This isn't just about me, but being a good provider, leader, and example to my family. I could see myself at forty struggling to keep up with my kids and their activities. I didn't want this trend to continue so I made a long-term commitment to start working out and eating more quality food. I dropped the 30 pounds, but more importantly, I regained confidence, energy, and my kids starting taking notice of my more healthy lifestyle.
Your "why" must have purpose and clarity. Why do you want lose a few pounds or start exercising? Do you want to take care of your body so you can stay active with your kids and grand kids? Do you want improve your fitness because there is a history of health problems in your family? Do you want to improve your long-term stamina and energy to perform at work and home more efficiently?
These are the types of reasons that will help you focus on long-term success vs. short term crash diets. Anyone can try and starve themselves for a few weeks to drop five pounds or do some sit-ups over the weekend, but will that result in lasting success? Of course not.
Like with any goal, there must be a clear vision of what you are trying to accomplish. It will never be easy, but like with anything worth doing it's not supposed to be.
Are you worth it? I think you are and I can help.
If you are looking for free coaching and motivation contact me. I would love to help.
I wish you great success on your journey.
My goal is to educate, motivate, inspire, and help you succeed through spiritual, emotional and physical fitness. I am an Insurance Coach by day and a Team Beachbody Independent Coach by night.....and early mornings.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
What is Financial Health?
This is part three of a five series blog post discussing my five components to "true" wellness.
So far I have discussed faith and family as a critical component of genuine health. Today I want to discuss how our finances are crucial to the overall picture of health as well.
What is financial health?
I don't know that there is a specific answer to this as everyone has different financial goals and dreams. I don't see financial health as big pot of money or a vacation home on the coast. I also don't think it's about who has the highest paying job or largest retirement account.
For me, financial health is simply living each day without the stress of financial obligations weighing you down.
I am a huge fan of Dave Ramsey. I started listening to The Dave Ramsey Show and reading his books in 2007. Dave teaches a basic principle that most people in this country can't grasp (especially our lawmakers), live on a budget, get rid of debt, save money, plan for your future, and be generous.
The principles themselves are very simple, but following through is a different story. Just like most things in life, it takes hard work, sacrifice, and commitment.
In 2007 my wife and I had well over 10 credit cards and a nice pile of debt. I was starting to make more money at that time, but we were still making no progress financially. We had no real budget and bought things on impulse. Since then, we have paid off all of our credit cards and are finally making some really good strides.
We are far from perfect and slip up now and then, but with a monthly budget and long-term goals we are definitely heading in the right direction.
What does all this mean to you?
Since we started taking our finances seriously, not only has the debt come off, but so has the stress of day to day living. We have a plan and a plan gives you freedom financially.
It doesn't matter if you make $20,000 or $200,000 a year, anyone can begin to achieve financial health by having a plan with your money.
Money problems cause stress and stress causes anxiety, difficulty sleeping, family issues, bad eating habits, etc. Often times money issues are not the root problem. There is probably something deeper leading to stressful money issues. Dave Ramsey contends that money problems are usually the symptom of this bigger problem. Maybe it's work ethic, communication with your spouse, lack of discipline, etc. Any of these things can be rectified if there is a will.
What can you do? For starters, create a plan of where you want to go financially. As Steven Covey states, "Start with the end in mind." Make sacrifices today so you can succeed long-term. It won't happen overnight, but you will get there.
I recommend that everyone read "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey. It gives you the playbook to achieve the financial peace we all desire. It rocked my world and helped me understand that through "baby steps" much can be achieved.
I wish you much success in this journey.
So far I have discussed faith and family as a critical component of genuine health. Today I want to discuss how our finances are crucial to the overall picture of health as well.
What is financial health?
I don't know that there is a specific answer to this as everyone has different financial goals and dreams. I don't see financial health as big pot of money or a vacation home on the coast. I also don't think it's about who has the highest paying job or largest retirement account.
For me, financial health is simply living each day without the stress of financial obligations weighing you down.
I am a huge fan of Dave Ramsey. I started listening to The Dave Ramsey Show and reading his books in 2007. Dave teaches a basic principle that most people in this country can't grasp (especially our lawmakers), live on a budget, get rid of debt, save money, plan for your future, and be generous.
The principles themselves are very simple, but following through is a different story. Just like most things in life, it takes hard work, sacrifice, and commitment.
In 2007 my wife and I had well over 10 credit cards and a nice pile of debt. I was starting to make more money at that time, but we were still making no progress financially. We had no real budget and bought things on impulse. Since then, we have paid off all of our credit cards and are finally making some really good strides.
We are far from perfect and slip up now and then, but with a monthly budget and long-term goals we are definitely heading in the right direction.
What does all this mean to you?
Since we started taking our finances seriously, not only has the debt come off, but so has the stress of day to day living. We have a plan and a plan gives you freedom financially.
It doesn't matter if you make $20,000 or $200,000 a year, anyone can begin to achieve financial health by having a plan with your money.
Money problems cause stress and stress causes anxiety, difficulty sleeping, family issues, bad eating habits, etc. Often times money issues are not the root problem. There is probably something deeper leading to stressful money issues. Dave Ramsey contends that money problems are usually the symptom of this bigger problem. Maybe it's work ethic, communication with your spouse, lack of discipline, etc. Any of these things can be rectified if there is a will.
What can you do? For starters, create a plan of where you want to go financially. As Steven Covey states, "Start with the end in mind." Make sacrifices today so you can succeed long-term. It won't happen overnight, but you will get there.
I recommend that everyone read "The Total Money Makeover" by Dave Ramsey. It gives you the playbook to achieve the financial peace we all desire. It rocked my world and helped me understand that through "baby steps" much can be achieved.
I wish you much success in this journey.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Importance of Family in Health
This is part two of a five series blog post discussing my five components to "true" wellness.
Having strong relationships with your family is crucial to overall wellness. I am not saying you have to best friends with everyone in your entire family, but I can tell you that positive relationships with family reduces stress, eases tension, and makes daily living much more fulfilling.
I am so fortunate to have a loving wife and three beautiful daughters. Sometimes I take this for granted and spend too much time and energy friends, clients, and myself and forgot to take the necessary time to grow and nurture the relationships that matter the most.
I believe having positive relationships with your family provides four main benefits.
1) Motivation. I know some of you reading this do not have children, but maybe someday you will. If not, I am sure that there is someone in your family the needs and depends on you. I can tell you unquestionably that when my first daughter was born, my motivations became about her and not me. I realized that I needed to be a better husband, better business person, better citizen, and a better role model on taking care of myself. We all have these tendencies when some is counting on us. Family motivates us to improve all aspects of our lives.
2) Accountability. Close family relationships make us accountable for our actions. This goes along with motivation, but true accountability is when a loving family member whether it be a spouse, child, sibling, or parent looks at you and without saying a word expresses disappointment. This doesn't mean I believe in guilt trips, but I do believe that being accountable for your actions is healthy.
3) Support. We will have face tough choices and difficult situations in life. I think our faith plays a major role in overcoming negative circumstances, but I think family comes in close second. Positive family members will love you no matter what. They will stick up for you when you need help and give you a place to fall softly when you hit the ground.
4) Love. Love is unspoken, but should be treated as a verb not a noun. Healthy families provide unconditional love. I know growing up that my mom and dad didn't approve of some of my actions. They disciplined me and showed anger at bad decisions, but they always loved me. No matter what. That is what love is and that is what families can provide.
Don't take for granted the positive and healthy influence families can provide. Make sure relationships in your family are filled with motivation, accountability, support, and most of all, love.
Having strong relationships with your family is crucial to overall wellness. I am not saying you have to best friends with everyone in your entire family, but I can tell you that positive relationships with family reduces stress, eases tension, and makes daily living much more fulfilling.
I am so fortunate to have a loving wife and three beautiful daughters. Sometimes I take this for granted and spend too much time and energy friends, clients, and myself and forgot to take the necessary time to grow and nurture the relationships that matter the most.
I believe having positive relationships with your family provides four main benefits.
1) Motivation. I know some of you reading this do not have children, but maybe someday you will. If not, I am sure that there is someone in your family the needs and depends on you. I can tell you unquestionably that when my first daughter was born, my motivations became about her and not me. I realized that I needed to be a better husband, better business person, better citizen, and a better role model on taking care of myself. We all have these tendencies when some is counting on us. Family motivates us to improve all aspects of our lives.
2) Accountability. Close family relationships make us accountable for our actions. This goes along with motivation, but true accountability is when a loving family member whether it be a spouse, child, sibling, or parent looks at you and without saying a word expresses disappointment. This doesn't mean I believe in guilt trips, but I do believe that being accountable for your actions is healthy.
3) Support. We will have face tough choices and difficult situations in life. I think our faith plays a major role in overcoming negative circumstances, but I think family comes in close second. Positive family members will love you no matter what. They will stick up for you when you need help and give you a place to fall softly when you hit the ground.
4) Love. Love is unspoken, but should be treated as a verb not a noun. Healthy families provide unconditional love. I know growing up that my mom and dad didn't approve of some of my actions. They disciplined me and showed anger at bad decisions, but they always loved me. No matter what. That is what love is and that is what families can provide.
Don't take for granted the positive and healthy influence families can provide. Make sure relationships in your family are filled with motivation, accountability, support, and most of all, love.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Faith as Fitness
This is part one of a five series blog post discussing my five components to "true" wellness.
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
Having deep faith or spiritual fitness is the 1st part of achieving fitness. Faith is fitness for the soul.
I believe that God loves each and every one of us and has a plan for our lives. This doesn't mean that things will be easy because I can promise you that they won't. We will all face difficult circumstances.
It's how we deal and react to those circumstances that will determine if we will be able to overcome difficult situations. By knowing and understanding that God does love us and wants the best for us, we are better able to deal with anything that life may throw at us.
Faith is not seen. You can not prove its existence, but it's real.
I spent many years of my life believing that I was the source of my happiness. I had the power to make things better. I had the skill to control everything. The fact is that we will face situations on our lives that are completely out of our control. In those times we need a loving and forgiving God to lean on.
We need faith that even though it may not always be the answer we want to hear that everything will be OK.
Faith is not tangible but it oversees all things tangible. You could have ample money, a large house, a wonderful job, loving family, etc., but any of these things could be taken without notice.
The only thing we can truly count on with 100% certainty is our own faith. Faith delivers hope. Hope inspires love.
"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
Having deep faith or spiritual fitness is the 1st part of achieving fitness. Faith is fitness for the soul.
I believe that God loves each and every one of us and has a plan for our lives. This doesn't mean that things will be easy because I can promise you that they won't. We will all face difficult circumstances.
It's how we deal and react to those circumstances that will determine if we will be able to overcome difficult situations. By knowing and understanding that God does love us and wants the best for us, we are better able to deal with anything that life may throw at us.
Faith is not seen. You can not prove its existence, but it's real.
I spent many years of my life believing that I was the source of my happiness. I had the power to make things better. I had the skill to control everything. The fact is that we will face situations on our lives that are completely out of our control. In those times we need a loving and forgiving God to lean on.
We need faith that even though it may not always be the answer we want to hear that everything will be OK.
Faith is not tangible but it oversees all things tangible. You could have ample money, a large house, a wonderful job, loving family, etc., but any of these things could be taken without notice.
The only thing we can truly count on with 100% certainty is our own faith. Faith delivers hope. Hope inspires love.
"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
I pray that you find the treasure and peacefulness of faith, hope, and love.
If you are looking for free coaching for your overall general wellness, contact me. I would love to help you achieve your goals.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
What Does Real Fitness Mean?
Every day we are saturated with images and discussions about being fit. Exercise, diet, and general health are usually the first thoughts that come to mind when we think of being fit.
There is no doubt that physical fitness is a huge part of our overall health. I have been involved
in doing P90X and now P90X2 since 2008. I have gained huge results on physical fitness and confidence because of these programs.
As much as I love physical fitness, I think that is only one one piece of the puzzle in the quest to make us completely "fit".
At the same time I have been working on my physical fitness, I have been equally working on four other aspects in my life that I also believe are a huge part of overall fitness; Faith, Family, Finances, and Fun. Over the coming weeks, I will share my thoughts on all four of these important pieces to overall fitness. My goal is to provide some inspiration and hope to you along the way.
I am a long way from becoming the person I want to be and desire to improve everyday. With strong determination and guidance from others, we can all achieve things we never once thought possible.
I look forward to sharing in more detail all five areas (faith, family, finances, fun, and physical fitness) that have helped me grow substantially over the past several years.
What have you been doing recently to improve your fitness? What has worked and what hasn't? I would love to hear your thoughts.
If you would like to receive future posts by e-mail please subscribe to by clicking the email subscription link on the right.
There is no doubt that physical fitness is a huge part of our overall health. I have been involved
in doing P90X and now P90X2 since 2008. I have gained huge results on physical fitness and confidence because of these programs.
As much as I love physical fitness, I think that is only one one piece of the puzzle in the quest to make us completely "fit".
At the same time I have been working on my physical fitness, I have been equally working on four other aspects in my life that I also believe are a huge part of overall fitness; Faith, Family, Finances, and Fun. Over the coming weeks, I will share my thoughts on all four of these important pieces to overall fitness. My goal is to provide some inspiration and hope to you along the way.
I am a long way from becoming the person I want to be and desire to improve everyday. With strong determination and guidance from others, we can all achieve things we never once thought possible.
I look forward to sharing in more detail all five areas (faith, family, finances, fun, and physical fitness) that have helped me grow substantially over the past several years.
What have you been doing recently to improve your fitness? What has worked and what hasn't? I would love to hear your thoughts.
If you would like to receive future posts by e-mail please subscribe to by clicking the email subscription link on the right.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Surrounded by Girls
As like most teenage boys, I always wanted to be surrounded by girls. I was fascinated, confused, and curious about them all at the same time. This continued through college and even into my early 20's.
I love hanging out with the "guys", but girls smelled better, were usually nicer, and definitely prettier:)
After all these years, I definitely got my wish. Everyday, I get the pleasure of loving on four girls. This includes my wife, and three daughters; ages 9 months to six.
I try to enjoy every moment, but admit it can get a little "lonely" as the only guy around sometimes. I can't wait to watch my daughters mature into beautiful young women someday.
For now, I will sit back and enjoy watching my little girls get excited over the little things in life. I strive to be a good male role model and head of my family.
Of course, I am still open for some time with the guys (if my girls will let me).
I love hanging out with the "guys", but girls smelled better, were usually nicer, and definitely prettier:)
After all these years, I definitely got my wish. Everyday, I get the pleasure of loving on four girls. This includes my wife, and three daughters; ages 9 months to six.
I try to enjoy every moment, but admit it can get a little "lonely" as the only guy around sometimes. I can't wait to watch my daughters mature into beautiful young women someday.
For now, I will sit back and enjoy watching my little girls get excited over the little things in life. I strive to be a good male role model and head of my family.
Of course, I am still open for some time with the guys (if my girls will let me).
Sunday, May 23, 2010
P90X Fitness
I have always been a decent athlete and worked out regularly. In high school, I was a three sport athlete and had some success. I had the opportunity to play sports at a small college, but decided to go to a larger school. However, I did play intramural sports and work out regularly. Before I got married in my early 20's, I even ran a marathon.
After getting married seven years ago and having our first child, health and fitness became an afterthought. I put on some weight, 235 to be exact (my normal weight is around 195-200) and started losing some of my confidence. I knew when my size 36 pants were getting tight it was time for a change.
I started watching my diet closer and in a couple months lost 10 lbs. This felt good, but I was missing something. I needed that "edge" back that I used to feel when I was playing sports, lifting, and running.
I watched an infomercial for an extreme at home workout called P90X. I kind of laughed at it a first, but the more I watched I more I thought this might be the real deal. This wasn't a old guy sweating to the oldies or a lady touching her toes. These looked like real people getting serious and working hard. Something about that appealed to me.
I ordered the P90X program in September of 2007 and started the program in October. The first thing I noticed about the program was that it was serious and I actually was not prepared for it. It has a fit test that you need to pass before you start and I failed! I went ahead and started anyway with many modifications. The first round I made it about 60 days and then we left for a trip.
My results for 60 days were good. I lost some weight and started getting some muscle. My diet was fair at best during the first 60 days. When I returned home from our trip, I was committed to give this thing my full attention. I worked our regularly and ate better.
By the end of April, I was already down to 200 lbs. and had gain some serious muscle in the process. People saw a difference and I looked better, but the most important thing was that I simply felt healthier. I don't need to impress anybody, but I looked and felt better and got my "edge" back.
I think any fitness program is a good one, but P90X is the real deal if you want to get fit. Since starting P90X, I have become stronger, faster, leaner, more flexible, and my cardio has improved dramatically. I love the variety of strength training, cardio, and flexibility, not to mention the ab routine is intense.
For anyone who is feeling out of shape and wants a challenge to improve their life, I highly suggest this program. You owe yourself one hour a day to change your life. As one person said, this isn't P90X, this is P lifetime X.
Here are a few pictures of me along my journey. Don't laugh! The most recent on the top right is from last year, April 2009. I didn't really get serious with the program until 2008.
After getting married seven years ago and having our first child, health and fitness became an afterthought. I put on some weight, 235 to be exact (my normal weight is around 195-200) and started losing some of my confidence. I knew when my size 36 pants were getting tight it was time for a change.
I started watching my diet closer and in a couple months lost 10 lbs. This felt good, but I was missing something. I needed that "edge" back that I used to feel when I was playing sports, lifting, and running.
I watched an infomercial for an extreme at home workout called P90X. I kind of laughed at it a first, but the more I watched I more I thought this might be the real deal. This wasn't a old guy sweating to the oldies or a lady touching her toes. These looked like real people getting serious and working hard. Something about that appealed to me.
I ordered the P90X program in September of 2007 and started the program in October. The first thing I noticed about the program was that it was serious and I actually was not prepared for it. It has a fit test that you need to pass before you start and I failed! I went ahead and started anyway with many modifications. The first round I made it about 60 days and then we left for a trip.
My results for 60 days were good. I lost some weight and started getting some muscle. My diet was fair at best during the first 60 days. When I returned home from our trip, I was committed to give this thing my full attention. I worked our regularly and ate better.
By the end of April, I was already down to 200 lbs. and had gain some serious muscle in the process. People saw a difference and I looked better, but the most important thing was that I simply felt healthier. I don't need to impress anybody, but I looked and felt better and got my "edge" back.
I think any fitness program is a good one, but P90X is the real deal if you want to get fit. Since starting P90X, I have become stronger, faster, leaner, more flexible, and my cardio has improved dramatically. I love the variety of strength training, cardio, and flexibility, not to mention the ab routine is intense.
For anyone who is feeling out of shape and wants a challenge to improve their life, I highly suggest this program. You owe yourself one hour a day to change your life. As one person said, this isn't P90X, this is P lifetime X.
Here are a few pictures of me along my journey. Don't laugh! The most recent on the top right is from last year, April 2009. I didn't really get serious with the program until 2008.
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