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Dr. Mary Malek returns to our show after her excellent appearance back on episode #25. This week, we talk about forming the support systems around ourselves so that sabotage doesn’t take place. We cover friends, families and more. Dr. Mary always delivers amazing, practical advice and this episode is no exception. To learn more about Dr. Mary, check out http://www.marymalekphd.com To connect with your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com and the new Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/revolutionaryou Download, subscribe, share with your friends, and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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

John was frustrated. At the time, he appeared to be doing everything right to lose weight. Frequent exercise: strength training and cardio, food seemed to be on point, water intake was high. The weight just wasn’t coming off at the rate that either one of us had expected.

Around that time, he was reading a copy of my book and covered the section about celebrating little victories. When you’re trying to lose weight, it can be easy to lose sight of the progress you’re making. Being able to make note of any successes along the way can help when you’re feeling like maybe you want to throw in the towel.

So, John took my advice.

He went back through a series of pictures I had taken of him on a particular lift and noticed a significant change in his face from when he started to that most recent day. There was another “victory” that he could claim even if the scale wasn’t showing him everything he wanted to see.

A few more tweaks were made to his plan and little by little the weight started to trend downward again. The motivation those pictures provided were just enough to keep him focused on the goal.

Here’s John after he hit a hard fought 20lbs down:

Then I think about Cherie and Aly, our resident mother-daughter duo who I wrote about previously here. Much of Cherie’s success I can attribute to sending me pictures of what she eats. Does she have to do it? No, but it certainly helps. She’s realized that even though she’s lost nearly 30lbs, every time her diet starts to get sideways, she gets herself back on track by sending me pictures of what she’s eating. There’s no shame or guilt in the correspondence but it helps keep her honest. Of course, she could be cheating and not sending me the second helpings or snacks but Cherie’s honest and she knows she would only hurt herself if that were the case.

While Aly has only utilized the picture strategy a few times, it generally has the intended effect of keeping her cognizant of what the intake is so she can stay on track as well. For any other clients who want to use this, I’m always happy to take your meal shots so you can get closer to your goals as well. I know how much it’s helped these two and while the strategy isn’t for everyone, it works really well for those like Cherie who need a point of accountability.

This was the shot of one of Cherie’s recent snacks (an apple and some peanut butter)

And how could I leave out the pictures that say it all. All of the pictures I’ve been blowing up social media with on a daily basis. The shots of our clients doing great things: dropping pounds, getting stronger, having (*gasp*) fun??!!?? For someone who generally has never been a big fan of photography, I love posting pictures of what our clients are doing.

Who knew that bombarding social media with all of these shots would keep so many people motivated to do more?

Granted, nothing happens in a vacuum and it sure as hell takes a lot more than some iPhone photography to reach your goals but day after day, week after week I get to look back at what all of our resident rockstars have been doing and see how far they’ve come.

This would be one of those circumstances where the pictures don’t lie. In fact, given the right context, they may be some of your greatest assets.

No matter how you regard photos, unless they’ve been completely doctored (and it’s always possible that they are), being able to look back at something in a photo that was genuine can be a huge help. So, whether you’re at RevFit or you’re on your own, some honesty in photography can go a long way.

Like many other things (namely diet and exercise) consistency is crucial. Long before I started filling up Facebook walls with black and white pics of RevFit awesomeness, the few pictures I did post were all over the place. I could go weeks, if not months, without posting a thing. Now, Monday through Friday, you’re seeing a lot of what makes this place tick. Great people, great results, a TON of camaraderie and genuine support. I am a small piece of the puzzle. Our clients? They’re the reason RevFit family continues to thrive.

So, take a picture. Even if it’s not worth a thousand words, it can have enough worth to keep you on track.

Oh yeah, and here’s Derek after his milestone of 20lbs. Just.awesome. 🙂

 

Dr. Jenna Nadolsky joins me for her very first podcast episode ever! She and her husband, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky have recently welcomed their first (Piper) into the world. Piper tunes in to the show as well, so you’ll get to hear both mother and daughter on this one! Dr. Jenna and I discuss some general thoughts for exercise planning regarding active women and how to change training as they progress through term. This is a fairly short episode packed with some great tips that you don’t want to miss. To learn more about what the Nadolsky’s have happening, please visit http://www.docswholift.com or connect directly with Dr. Jenna on Facebook. To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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

Allow me to take a slight detour from my usual posts of motivation, client success, weight loss, etc. and just dedicate a small post to love. It is Valentine’s Day, after all. Or as one of my clients hilariously called it: S.A.D. (Single Awareness Day!)

Hopefully, you have someone special in your life. A spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, or just someone you have your eye on. If not, maybe the someone special just needs to be you for awhile. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a little bit of self-love. It probably will take you further than you know.

Maybe you heard the news that my wife, Marissa, and I are having our first child together. The due date is tentatively August 9. I can’t begin to say how happy I am that we get to share this chapter together. I am also very excited to see my little guy, Jackson, evolve into a big brother.

So, to my favorite co-pilot: I love you. Thank you for once upon a time taking a chance on me.  Thank you for accepting not only me, but my son as well. We were (as they say) a package deal.

Through all of your years in theatre, you have managed to inspire children from far and wide. It’s now time to inspire a child of your own.

For all of the things I’ve loved about you over the years, I am truly in love with the thoughts of what type of mother you’ll become. I can promise you, the man my son helped me become was the best man I could offer you.

And in your words, our “next adventure” will be here before we know it.

I love you and I am so very grateful for you.

And to you lovely readers, I’m pretty crazy about all of you too. Because like it or not, you’re all helping me be better as well. My wife and I both thank you for that.

Happy Valentine’s Day you lovebirds. Now stop reading my blog and go give someone you love a big fat kiss.

(Photos courtesy of Sara Beatty)

Dr. Mike Israetel joins me on the final episode of the first full year of shows! I am a huge fan of all of the content that Dr. Mike gives to the public. Of the many topics we could have touched on in our first round, we tackle sustainable tactics for your diet and your fitness plan. Since this show will be released in the first half of February, many New Year’s resolutions may have fallen off. Dr. Mike brings some tips and best practices so that you hit your goals for good and never look back. To connect with Dr. Mike, he is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/michael.israetel or you can purchase some of his work through http://www.renaissanceperiodization.com To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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*The title of this post was taken from the F.O.D. song of the same name*

When you’ve had the good fortune and honor of working with hundreds of clients over a particular time span, you learn a lot. In my case, I know I have. Fortunately for both myself and my clients, I keep trying to learn because I know that no matter who I work with and no matter what trends I see, I will have never seen it all and there will always be exceptions.

That being said, we are all creatures of habit. Those habits create patterns. Those patterns become our life, our lifestyles and perhaps manifest in our physiques.

When I initially sit down with a client to discuss a food plan that will help them hit their goals, I try to explain how much of the plan is personality driven. Meaning, my personality is different from yours so we may not be able to follow the same plan for the same results. It’s of huge importance for any person to know who they are to pick the right plan. Sort of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” for weight loss or wellness goals.

Some people need daily caloric intake goals.

Some need detailed macronutrient (protein/carbs/fat) goals.

Some need to stop eating so much at dinner.

Some need to stop nighttime snacking.

Some need to cut back the alcohol.

Some need Weight Watchers.

Some need a trendy diet.

Some need to stop drinking so many liquid calories (aside from but not excluding alcohol.)

And some still need to be more honest with themselves about how much they are ACTUALLY consuming.

Want to know something cool? Every one of those types of people trains with me right now.

I would be foolish to assume that every trick I have up my sleeve will help someone with weight loss. I have a lot of tactics to offer. I have a lot of tips that can help. I do not have them all.

For instance, let’s use the Weight Watchers example. I currently have 2 clients (off the top of my head) who are on the WW program and seeing good results. Fact of the matter is, it’s a helluva lot easier to count 30 points than it is 1400 calories. No harm, no foul.

I have about 5 clients who bounce from one trendy diet to the next. I’m fine with that too. If it makes someone more cognizant of intake, forces them into a deficit and they believe they can sustain it, more power to them. It’s not my place to judge. It’s my place to support and troubleshoot.

I have an undetermined amount of clients who have looked at me frustrated and confused when the scale doesn’t budge. They are adamant that they are eating on point and staying the course. Fast forward a few weeks/months when the scale weight starts dropping and I ask:

“What are you doing differently?”

To which the reply is:

“I’m watching what I eat…”

Hmm. 🙂

The point of all of this is not to judge the path. It’s to highlight the path. It’s also to note the extremely important fact that no journey is the same. What works for one will not work for another. Just because someone starts training with me and SAYS “I’m ready to lose weight” does not mean they are in fact ready. They may need to take these small baby steps and stumble a few times to get ready. I’m okay with that too.

The worst thing for me to do as coach/trainer/friend/confidant is to remain dogmatic in the approach.

I care that the weight comes off.

I care that you are responsible with it.

I care that you can sustain the weight loss and not rebound.

I care that you care enough about yourself to believe you deserve to reach your goal.

The tricks of the trade just might help along the way.

 

 

Georgie Fear makes her Revolutionary You debut! She is the bestselling author of Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss and the founder of One By One Nutrition. We both dive into our respective journeys with depression and how it led us into the fields we’re in today. To connect with Georgie, check out http://www.facebook.com/georgie.fear and http://www.facebook.com/onebyonenutrition To learn more about your host, please visit http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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

When I first met Cherie, it was not to solicit my services. I never assume anyone wants or needs a little bit of RevFit in their lives. Cherie is the co-owner of a bakery not too far from my studio.

I would stop in periodically to grab a quick lunch and chat with Cherie and her business partner, Sandie, whenever I had a chance.

(By the way, they have a damn good bar-b-que wrap if you’re interested.)

Conversation started after a few visits and Cherie asked what line of work I was in. I told her I owned a personal training facility in the area. She asked if I ran boot camps and I said, “No, we’re just private and semi-private personal training.” Apparently, one of my competitors had stopped in and tried to get her to join their boot camp classes. Not sure if the boot camp was unappealing or the person who approached her, but it wasn’t her cup of tea.

Then, we started talking shortly after my book came out and Cherie expressed interest in reading it. I brought a copy to her and told her I hoped she enjoyed it.

The next time we saw each other, Cherie had a lot more questions to ask about our services. She was interested in training but frankly, she was nervous. I could tell to some degree that her self-confidence was probably something she was struggling to improve.

Shortly thereafter, Cherie began her RevFit journey. She got off to a great start. We talked about what changes would need to be made with food and water. I let her decide which route she wanted to go to make her changes as easy as possible. With some small changes, she started dropping fat mass at a motivating rate.

After she dropped the first 10-15lbs, Cherie said that her daughter Aly might be calling me to get started as well. Personally, I love training family members. It can be a blessing and a curse. Depending on the goals of each respective member, sabotage can run rampant if one person doesn’t know how to keep another on track. That’s where it can help having a trainer to intervene and help get things back on course if life wants to get in the way (HINT: life always wants to get in the way.)

Aly got started with me too and while she was motivated to change her situation she didn’t initially seem quite as excited to make those changes like her mom did.

Cherie’s situation is both potentially good and bad. For one, she has everything at her disposal to eat the right foods, measured appropriately and kept practical. She also has unlimited exposure to massive pastry treats, sugary soda drinks and chips. Talk about temptation.

So the plan for both ladies was for each of them to start sending me pictures of what they were eating. Cherie was more devoted to this task than Aly was but to Aly’s credit once she got her mind wrapped around the right portions, she didn’t need to utilize the pictures anymore. Both ladies have been seeing really great results and I know the success of each continues to motivate the other.

I also have to give credit to our online community. Cherie and Aly have both allowed me to post pictures of their progress and tag them so others can see how well they’re doing. That’s the beauty of an online community. You can quickly see who is there to support you and use that motivation to keep you on the right path. Here again, Aly and Cherie have had the luxury of large support systems who want to see them succeed at their weight loss goals.

As of this writing, Cherie is down nearly 30lbs and Aly is down almost 20. The ride hasn’t been without its share of bumps and bruises though. Cherie has become painfully aware of what some of her trigger foods are and has had to learn how to navigate past them until she feels she has more control. Aly is enjoying the fun of being a 21-year old and the legal freedoms you get when you can loosen up and drink when the weekend rolls around.

Among the many great things, there is a new-found sense of confidence with them both. Depending on how much weight a person has to lose and where that weight is distributed on their frames, it can make many movements in the gym difficult, if not impossible (or just plain painful.) As they have continued to drop weight, I can see that they’re both far more aware of how their bodies move and, most importantly, how to move better.

Being on a weight loss journey is hard, in and of itself. Having to embark on the journey with a family member should be motivating and oftentimes it is. Pitfalls will come and I’ve been pleased to see how well Cherie and Aly have learned to roll with every obstacle in their path.

But I do believe that when it comes to weight loss within a family, the parents are the role models. They decide which influence they want their children to take. From the food that is purchased and consumed, to the choice of exercise or lack thereof. In this case, Mom knew best.

It’s never too late. You can always start with the next meal, not the next week or next month. Cherie and Aly both will tell you it hasn’t been a simple process but they have continued to succeed.

And as I was compiling my thoughts and notes for this article with Cherie and Aly’s permission, I was privy to something Cherie had never told anyone before.

Once upon a time, Cherie was the type of person who would have shame in what she ate. She believed that if she ate something and hid the wrapper, that maybe it never really happened. That shame would manifest itself over and over again in cycles that she couldn’t come to terms with. As she told me these words, she paused for a moment and said “I’ve never told anyone that. Not even my own family knows that. I think I will go home and admit that to them tonight.”

That, my friends, is true growth.

And, I believe it is realizations like this that will be pivotal in Cherie (and Aly’s) success.

We at RevFit are fortunate enough to experience these little miracles.

So, to Cherie and Aly both, thank you for letting us see your miracles.

We look forward to more.

Dr. John Rusin returns to the show after far too long! We talk about his extremely popular FHT program, how his business has changed since we last spoke and we even spend some time talking about the University of Oregon controversy regarding their fitness programming. Dr. John and I tackle the issues with intensity in training and learning how to work within your limits to achieve the best results possible. Tune in to this show to hear about a special promotion offered to the listeners to get their hands on his FHT program. To learn more about John, please visit http://www.drjohnrusin.com To learn more about your host, check out http://www.jasonleenaarts.com Download, subscribe, share with your friends and please take a moment to leave us an iTunes review.

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

A definition of “revolution“- a sudden, radical, or complete change.

On the evening of January 24, 2008 my life changed.

My son, Jackson, was born that night.

When I think about the ways and the frequency with which my life has changed since Jackson came into this world, I think I’ve been in an almost constant state of a “revolution.”

His mother and I split shortly after he was born.

My grandfather and my uncle (maternal side) passed that summer.

I lost my job.

I graduated college with a 4.0 GPA after some prior failed attempts at completing my degree.

That all happened between March and August of 2008.

I started Revolution Fitness and Therapy in May of 2009.

I met and began dating my (now) wife, Marissa, in December of 2009.

My father passed after a short battle with bone marrow cancer in March 2011.

Marissa and I got married in October 2014.

Life just hasn’t seemed to slow down. To be honest, I’m not sure I’d know what to do with myself if it did.

You’ve no doubt often heard the phrase “lifestyle change” when committing to your goals. As the years have gone on and I’ve attempted to mature, that’s the change I keep trying to impress on my clients at RevFit.

Change is something I’ve grown accustomed to. Especially that “sudden, radical, complete change.”

I digress.

One constant in my life has been my baby boy, Jackson, who is hardly a baby anymore. Jackson remains this almost perpetually happy child who rarely lets anything have a negative effect on him.

My Lego-loving, singing, dancing, bolt of sunshine can brighten up any room you place him in. Autism be damned.

Today, is his 9th birthday.

I’d like you to take a moment to consider what is happening in your life that is in need of a revolution the way we’ve defined it.

What can you no longer deal with?

What do you refuse to accept in its current state?

Many people think of the term revolution and think it means something political.

If you know me, I don’t give a damn about politics.

I care about your change. I care about what you’re going to do about these things in your life that you’re going to change…once and for all.

Find your revolution and start it.

And to my birthday boy, I know that if you ever read these words, you may not understand what your Dad is writing. I am okay with that. It took me a long time to realize what it would take to be the kind of father you deserve.

I had the best father in the world to show me.

You were the start of my revolution.

And I love you so very much. Happy birthday, sweet Jackson.