Before and after

Before and after
Before...eating junk, no exercise and feeling terrible. After...eating "clean", weight training, cardio and feeling amazing 19 years later.

30 years ago I was in the path of an unhealthy future due to my poor food choices and no exercise. Eating Clean cleansed the inside of my body and I sculpted the outside with weight training. Now 48 years old, I'm in the best shape of my life. It's never too late to change your body and your life!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Who's got the secret?

Everyone wants to know the secret to losing weight and getting fit.  Or do they?  Don’t we all truly know how it’s done?  Burn more calories then you take in to lose the weight - lift weights and eat protein to build muscle, right?  Well, because we all “really” do know the answer, everyone wants to hear something different like, take this pill or eat this cookie and you won’t be hungry and will lose weight.  No one wants to hear the truth…sweat, huff & puff, grunt, run like hell, and push as hard as you can.  We want the easy and simple, painless, great tasting answers that are just not a reality. 

Reality is first making a commitment and becoming totally honest with yourself about what you’re doing to your body from the food you eat to your lack of exercise.  To me, that’s the most important step you can take.  It’s hard to be honest with yourself about what you actually put into your mouth 24/7/365 and how much you’re not moving your body. 

Reality is also about actually doing it…getting your workouts in, shopping smart, planning ahead, eating clean, and continuing to do it every day.  Yes, it sucks sometimes when you’re out of breath and you feel like your legs are going to fall off on the treadmill.  Yes, it sucks to get up early and head to the gym.  Yes, cheesecake and cookies taste fantastic, but this is the only way to get from point A (your before) to point B (your after). 

That is the answer…there is no easy solution.  You make it happen.  You are the only one that can get off of the diet roller coaster and you are the only one that can put in the hard work to do what it takes to look and feel how you want to.  No one else can do it for you…not a trainer, not your spouse, not your wishful thinking or good intentions.  It’s your hard work, your commitment, your efforts, and your drive to make it happen...it’s YOU.  That’s the “secret”.

Friday, May 13, 2011

The true cost of eating clean?


Any time that I discuss eating clean with people that inquire about my physique, I usually get the same response, ”That’s really expensive to eat like that.”  I used to think the same thing in the beginning.

In today’s world, we can get great deals on anything…fast and junk food is no exception.  You can get 99-cent tacos, burgers, sandwich, and drink deals everywhere you look.  You can grab just about any kind candy, chips, caramel corn, and cookies for under a dollar at grocery, convenience, and discount stores.  Not only is it a great deal, it tastes good too.  Even the word snack sounds fun…let’s have a SNACK! 

After learning HOW to actually shop for the right food from Tosca in The Eat Clean Diet, it opened my eyes to how blind I had been in the grocery store.  Initially, you may think that you’re paying more because you’re buying a lot of fresh food.  If you haven’t shopped in the produce section and are not familiar with buying fresh poultry or fish, it can be jolting at first.  If you really want to do it, just learn to make adjustments and make it work.  There are plenty of good healthy choices that won't break the bank.  Not only are you saving your health by eating clean; you really ARE saving money in the long run. 

Make a wise choice and spend a little more now on the RIGHT food, or you can spend it later on medical and hospital bills…your choice.

Heart attack                                        $760,000
Stroke                                                    $140,04
Diabetes per year                               $13,243
High cholesterol meds                        $2,400
Eating clean                                         Priceless