Blog

*The title of this post was taken from the Damned song of the same name*

I fidget. A LOT.

If you were to watch me at a restaurant, I could be doing several things simultaneously while waiting for food:

-Playing with the adhesive wrap that holds silverware together inside the napkin

-Tapping my feet (quietly)

-Playing with the paper that comes around the straw and twisting it into a thousand combinations until it’s shredded up

-Tapping the table with my fingers (quietly)

Does it burn a lot of calories? I have no idea.

But it does burn calories.

And they add up.

In comparison, I watch others who…just…sit…

They may be in conversation, but they don’t have their appendages doing all the things mine seem to do.

And there’s a convenient name for my fidgeting if you’d like to hear it:

Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

The great thing about it is that increasing your NEAT doesn’t require things like running, hopping on the elliptical, cycling or high intensity interval training.

But it does require you doing more than what you are currently.

So, you could simply:

-Stand more than you sit.

-Fidget more when you stand.

-Walk your dog more briskly (or for a greater distance.)

-Dance to your favorite song.

-Take the steps instead of the elevator/escalator.

-Park further away from your place of employment (or where you shop) so you’re forced to walk a greater distance.

And over time, these things will help with caloric expenditure.

Is it flashy? God no.

Is it the headline that will sell magazines off the stands? Not likely.

But it works.

Not only that, but it requires little to no recovery because it isn’t physically taxing.

My buddy, James Krieger, over at http://www.weightology.net has done extensive research on NEAT and this is a pretty eye-opening comparison of different things that can cause calorie expenditure. (Special thanks to James for giving the thumbs up on this post before I published it.)

Which leads to one of the conundrums in the fitness industry:

You hear that cardio and high intensity interval training can do wonders for calorie burning. That’s true.

But what you don’t typically hear is that those training methods can be difficult to recover from (especially if you are starting from square one with your exercise regimen.)

Which is another reason why so many people hear a goal of 10,000 steps a day. It’s realistic, attainable and has little risk of injury. However, it would be good to know approximately how many steps you’re currently getting.

So, if your fitness tracker or pedometer says you’re averaging 2,000 steps a day, try adding another 1,000 tomorrow. Then build from there.

But if your current workouts are leaving you so exhausted that all you want to do is lounge around afterwards, you may not be burning quite as many calories as you’d like.

It stands to reason that a more sane approach would be to find ways to increase your NEAT, eat food in line with your goal, get stronger by lifting weights and, if you can tolerate it, find ways to sprinkle in some high intensity work so you can work on improving your conditioning.

But if you think the only way you can lose weight is to punish yourself mercilessly through chronic bouts of cardio, NEAT may be the missing piece in your weight loss puzzle.

 

 

 

I have the great pleasure of talking to Andy Morgan of RippedBody.com Andy is one of my favorite people to keep up with in this industry. We get a chance to talk about his procedures for taking on online clients and how he has evolved his coaching business. If you’re in the fitness industry and currently training clients online, Andy has so much great information and tactics that have made him successful. If you’re a fitness enthusiast, there are many things Andy tackles that can make you a better client and ultimately, achieve better results. Andy references a tracking link in this conversation which can be found at http://www.rippedbody.com/diet-progress-tracking To learn more about Andy, please visit his excellent site http://www.rippedbody.com To find out more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com and like our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/revolutionaryou Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

iTunes OR Stitcher OR iHeartRadio

*The title of this post was taken from the Santana song of the same name*

My sophomore year in college (circa 1995) I had nine different jobs.

I remember my parents freaking out when I turned all of my tax forms over to my Dad for filing. Unlike my parents, who were always fiercely loyal to their employers, I couldn’t find anything I really liked.

I tried it all: retail, manual labor, food/beverage, office work, you name it.

There were some jobs I went to for only one day and decided, “Nope, not for me.”

Needless to say, my parents weren’t happy with me.

In fact, I think if I were to count all of the jobs I’ve had in my life, it’s between 20-30.

That’s embarrassing to admit.

For most of my life, I was convinced I’d make it big as a musician. It was only after I came to terms with the fact that a musician’s salary was far below my lifestyle tastes, I knew I had to do something else.

When I started RevFit in 2009, I was at a strange point in my life. My son’s mother and I were dissolving our marriage and I had moved back to Ohio from South Carolina (where my son was born.) The financial risk I was taking by opening a business after the economy took a dive was severe enough that I was encouraged by my parents to move in with them until the business took off.

Safe to say, I had no idea what the future would hold for me.

What I did know was that I had to throw myself into my business if I had any hope of it surviving. You sure learn a lot about yourself when you don’t have much of a safety net beneath you.

In 2010, I attended a nutrition seminar that opened my eyes up to some possibilities for my clients. I had a client (Mike) at the time who was pre-diabetic and I asked if he was willing to try some of the diet protocols I had learned at the seminar. Not being a dietitian, I can’t legally prescribe diets but Mike understood anything we discussed were merely suggestions and there was no promise we could do anything to change his diagnosis.

Lo and behold, Mike dropped the weight he had desired to lose and he was able to reverse his symptoms.

I remember coming home to tell my parents what happened and my father listened carefully to all of the details of Mike’s journey. He offered his kind smile and said, “Jason, you have found your calling.”

I think about the clients who come through my door who, like I once was with my job struggles, have hopped from one diet plan to the other, or one exercise program to another, only to be disappointed by not permanently finding their solution.

And after doing this training/coaching thing for a while, I think I’m in a good place to offer some solutions if your health journey looks a lot like what my job journey did.

–Know Your Purpose. Helping people transform their outlook as well as their physiques has been simple in concept but not always easy in execution. Reminding myself of WHY this is important and not trying to force my goals on my clients has been a key point for us here.

Wanting to lose “X” amount of weight is admirable. Hunkering down to give your all to the process is where the challenges start to flesh themselves out. Reminding yourself of what your real motivations are can be helpful if you find yourself getting distracted and away from your goals.

–Commit To The Long Haul. I knew with this business that if I gave myself an out, RevFit would fail. Now that we have outlasted the length of time that most small businesses go under, I know it was the right perspective.

Even if you reach your goal in a short time frame, we’re all planning on being around for a long time. Think about a diet plan and exercise program that you envision yourself embarking on for longer than just a few weeks.

–Expect Deviations. Not one of my initial marketing avenues for RevFit succeeded. This was after spending thirteen years managing other people’s businesses and majoring in business management. It took a long time of networking, getting good results, building the right base of clients and having great trainers help me before I could consider the business successful.

Even the best laid plans will be colored with detours. Expect them. Prepare for them. And then forgive yourself if it doesn’t all work out perfectly. This is real life. Fairy tales exist in books (and sometimes social media.) There will be hiccups and they are 100% normal.

–Document Your Victories. Tracking the progress of our clients via weigh-ins, pictures of PR’s (personal records) and gauging the amount of referrals we receive is a sign of what’s working. Learning new tips and tricks to help our clients succeed along the way (via continuing education) has been huge as well.

Often it will be the small bits of progress that add up to your greatest achievements. Make sure you have a way to track the meals you get right, the extra reps you got in on an exercise that you were previously not as capable of, or even the fact that you only ate three bites of dessert instead of the whole slice. Those things can make a huge difference. If you don’t have a way of looking back to reminding yourself of them, it will be easy to forget when you’re trying to slump. 

–Get Support. I have been fortunate to have my wife and my mother in my corner since my father passed away. They have watched me through nearly every peak and valley with RevFit. Knowing that I had them on my side along the way made every step count.

It doesn’t matter if that includes a trainer, a spouse, a colleague from work, or your child. Get the people together who know how to lift you up and support you. We all have saboteurs who can stand in our way (they’re typically the easiest ones to find.) You’ll want to set your sights on the people who keep you honest and know how to motivate you to greater heights. 

It’s been 7 years since my Dad said the words to me:

“Jason, you have found your calling.”

And I’ll pose the question to you: What will be your “call” to finally change?

 

Jonathon Mummert joins me this week bringing to light the research and best practices of training through the menstrual cycle. In this episode, we talk about when a woman might consider ramping up or dialing down her training depending on which phase of the cycle she is in. Jonathon also covers some tips for how diet might be affected during the cycle as well. As expected, each individual may differ and one size never fits all! To learn more about Jonathon, check out his articles on this subject at http://www.girlsgonestrong.com and connect with him at http://www.facebook.com/jonathon.mummert To learn more about your host, visit http://www.jasonleenaarts.com and like our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/revolutionaryou Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

iTunes OR Stitcher OR iHeartRadio

*The title of this post was taken from the Sister Sledge song of the same name*

Brandon,

We have been at this training thing for nearly 7 years. That means you have been a client of mine almost as long as I’ve had this business. Over that time, you’ve lost a fantastic amount of weight (30lbs) and I’ve continued to watch you get stronger, more agile and more confident in what your body is capable of.

Not only that, but I have gained a great friend, avid supporter and someone I consider my little brother (which is funny seeing as how you stand nearly 6 inches taller than me!)

I have tried to write this tribute to you a couple of different times and nothing felt quite right. A few weeks ago, I wrote a tribute to our mutual friend, Mike, and I do believe I got that one out the way I wanted it to be. You and Mike have been with me nearly as long.

However, this message to you needed to be different because our relationship, both personal and professional, has been different.

Like Mike, you have seen me through some pivotal moments: the loss of my father, the marriage to Marissa (which you so gratefully donated your time to in being an usher at) and certainly the constant evolution of this monster we know as RevFit.

This leads me to the really amazing thing about our working relationship together.
You have been the gateway to a community that has continued to thrive here at RevFit: our LGBTQ community.

Through you, I’ve met, worked with and/or continue to do work with: Christa, Matt, Brandon, Chris, John, Matt, Rick, and Stephannie (in no particular order.) What these individuals have contributed to the culture, the positive morale, the love and mutual support of others here at the studio is beyond my comprehension of the English language to describe.

They are, like you, people I consider family.

Rumor is, even more of the “family” may be starting here soon. Talk about the power of networks and circles of influence. Wow!

Not only that, but to watch what our friends have been capable of accomplishing with their physiques and their respective goals here has been awe-inspiring. You have surrounded yourself with some of the greatest people I’ve had the opportunity to meet, and in one way or another, you led them all here. I should be mindful of the fact that there was strength in numbers and as more came, more were willing to come.

And I have seen you through challenges as well. When you started here, you were in a relationship with Matt (one of the aforementioned two) who was also kind enough to usher at our wedding with you. Relationships can be challenging, as you both know, and it was extremely tough when I heard that the two of you would be splitting up. I had only ever known the two of you as a couple, so to see each of you as anything but was not easy. However, it’s not my place to say what should or shouldn’t be. Only to respect the space you have given one another and watch where those paths lead.

And of course, I saw (all of) you through the loss of Christa who left this world far too soon…

This all makes the component of exercise a very small piece of a larger puzzle. Over the course of seven years, we learn things about one another that go far beyond a diet or an exercise program. Friendships and brotherhoods are formed that become unbreakable. It essentially defines the “personal” in personal training.

You have helped me build my business and foster an environment and community which allows me to support my family. I have, in turn, helped you build your business as well! For those of you in small business reading this who are not using Brandon’s services for your credit card processing needs, you really need to reach out to him (*plug plug*)

And as any friend would do, I have to say: I love you, brother. You are a great friend and I will always be in your debt for your kindness to me and my family. I can think of no better way to end this than with your words:

Kelly Coffey, of Strong Coffey Personal Training, joins me this week. We discuss not only her path to fitness from being overweight but our shared bond of coming to fitness through addiction as well. Kelly has been making huge waves in the industry over the past few years and you’ll hear exactly why in this episode. To learn more about Kelly, check out http://www.bit.ly/rightwithfood and http://www.facebook.com/strongcoffey To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com and our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/revolutionaryou Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

iTunes OR Stitcher OR iHeartRadio

*The title of this post is taken from the Eminem/D12 song of the same name*

There is a lot to admire when someone takes it upon themselves to improve.

It takes admitting that you’re in a place where things need to be better than they are currently.

More often than not, it takes the help, advice and support of others to see those improvements take place.

But when it comes to weight loss and physique improvements, there is a high degree of sensitivity that many forget about.

For instance, it’s safe to say that most people who need/want to lose weight know for a fact that it would behoove them to do so.

In other words, the likelihood that an overweight individual knows they are overweight is pretty good (and they sure as hell don’t need you reminding them.)

Taken a step further, there are many people in a position of influence who forget themselves. They want what’s best for their overweight child/spouse/loved one and don’t know an effective way to express it.

Here’s my first tip: Don’t.

Allow me to share some examples.

“Wow, you really gained some weight.” (the mother of one of my clients said this)

“You were doing so good, I hate to see you putting the weight back on.” (a friend of one of my clients said this)

“Don’t eat that or you’ll get fat.” (the mother of another client said this)

Client: “How does this outfit look on me?” Parent: “You have a really long way to go.”

Do some of these things sound appalling to you?

What about the things clients say to themselves?

“Look how you have let yourself go.”

“You’ll never fit into those clothes again.”

“Why are you even trying to lose weight? You know you’ll just screw it up.”

When you compound the effects of negative self-talk with what others may say about you, you’ve bred an environment that has no hope for success.

It’s a rare person who can hear: “Wow, you really gained some weight.” from their mother who can say:

“Wow, I guess I have. Maybe I should do something about that. Thanks Mom! That’s exactly what I needed to hear to turn my life around!”

For those of you readers in supporting roles, while you may have good intentions, reminding someone of things like their weight isn’t showing your ability to be helpful or supportive.

It just makes you an asshole.

Taking inspiration from a podcast I did with Kelly Coffey of Strong Coffey Personal Training (which will be released this week), if you want to see change in others, be the role model for change.

If you want others to eat well, then be the one who models that behavior. Not from a holier than thou perspective but from a place of health. No amount of shame or finger wagging needs to be involved.

If you think others need to move more, ask if they want to go on a walk and enjoy the weather. Invite them on a hike. Do things that spark teamwork and participation with low barriers to entry.

Just remember that everyone on a weight loss journey has triggers.

I recently sat down with a client who said that congratulating him on the 10lbs he just lost is the surest way to get him to regain the weight. It’s not the 10lbs he’s lost that motivates him. It’s the other 50-60lbs he still has left to go.

Your words (fairly or not) are weapons.

Use them wisely.

*Special thanks to our clients who gave their personal stories to contribute to this article*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Josh Hillis, author of the fantastic book Fat Loss Happens On Monday (with Dan John), joins me this week. As the third coach from One By One Nutrition to share the show with me, Josh brings some best practices to help with food prep, hunger signals and goal setting. This show is jammed with amazing information as Josh knows the right ways to keep the journey fun for anyone struggling to realize their goals. To learn more about Josh, check out http://www.onebyonenutrition.com and http://www.losestubbornfat.com To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com and like our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/revolutionaryou Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

iTunes OR Stitcher OR iHeartRadio

*The title of this post was taken from the Nine Inch Nails song of the same name*

Going clean was easy.

It was not quick.

I ran in waves of eliminating certain drugs in favor of others and watching my tolerance continue to climb for whatever I still allowed into my system.

The most bizarre of which was that the last two drugs I quit on were weed and cocaine; from one of the most socially acceptable to one of the least so.

Without boring you with all of the details, it took ten long years to finally say: I give up.

No more.

That’s the rule.

I find that to be the beauty of things like: veganism.

There are rules.

The rules say: I eat no animal products.

Great! That makes dietary options a bit easier to sift through.

But, if you’re a carnivore like me, there are options aplenty and not a lot of rules.

While I personally and professionally don’t find a lot of value in demonizing foods (or food groups), the reality is that some people just need rules.

If you have celiac disease, the rule is: no gluten. Problem solved.

Since we live in a culture of extremes, rules can work really well. Some personalities (myself included) thrive on a black and white approach to problem solving.

As can be expected, some personalities do NOT thrive on rules. My buddy, Krista Scott-Dixon, wrote an excellent article about that here.

The great thing about these approaches is figuring out where you stand on the spectrum. It’s important to sort out which person you are. It’s also a significant reason why there is a dietary approach for everyone and rarely will you succeed on the same one your neighbor did.

By the way, did they regain that weight or keep it off? That’s helpful to know also.

Ask yourself:

Are there things in my life I’ve lost control over (food, exercise, sleep, hydration, alcohol, medications?)

What can I do to give myself more control so I can get better results with my own health and wellness?

It’s also helpful to know that whatever road you take, may not be the one you stay on. Maybe you need more dietary flexibility to get the first 20 lbs. off and more rigidity for the last 20 lbs.

Rules helped me redefine what my own health should look like. They also helped clients like Rob drop 60lbs in less than a year and keep it off. He set dietary guidelines for himself and didn’t waver until he hit his goal. He knew when it was time to give up certain behaviors so he could get his body in a better place.

Here’s Rob pulling 405 for a new personal record.

Which approach works for you?

 

Patrick Umphrey joins me this week to get a little bit off topic and away from health and fitness to chat about fatherhood. We share the bond of being parents to amazing young boys with autism and we take some time to celebrate being a Dad, the unique traits of our sons and of course, some early Father’s Day camaraderie. This episode is very near and dear to me and I’m so glad Patrick was able to come on and chat. To learn more about Patrick’s work in fitness, check out his incredible group at http://www.facebook.com/eat,train,progress To learn more about your host, visit http://www.jasonleenaarts.com and like our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/revolutionaryou Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

iTunes OR Stitcher OR iHeartRadio