28 Day Motiv8 Clean Eating Challenge!

28 Day Motiv8 Clean Eating Challenge!

Motiv8ers welcome to October's Motiv8 Food Challenge.  Will you take on this challenge with me?

Motiv8ers trying to figure out what to eat and which type of diet to go on can get overwhelming in a hurry. Well, it is about to get a lot simpler because the key to a clean diet that will help you stay strong, lean, and make you feel awesome comes basically down to these simple words: “less is more.”

As a busy person, and as a coach who is around busy people all day, I understand the difficulty in always having fresh food on hand. You can’t always run to the grocery store, and sometimes you want to just reach into the cupboard/freezer/fridge and have something almost make itself. I get it. That’s why Motiv8 is here to hopefully make creating a healthy clean diet much easier and I want us to work together to make this happen.

So the challenge is this.  For 28 days I want you to try for one or two meals each day for 28 days to only eat the foods on the shopping list below.  If you want to try the whole day for 28 days that would be even better but I know how hard a sudden change can be. You can make any recipe you like but the foods have to fit into the list laid out.  This might seem very challenging at first because many of us are so used to buying packaged goods but if you stick with it you will be so surprised on just how great you will start to feel.  Also every meal you make from the list below, take a pic and share it on your SETs facebook page.  Lets start helping each other stay Motiv8ed!

So what exactly is a clean diet? It may vary from person to person, but for Motiv8 it is one that contains unprocessed, whole (mostly plant) foods minus chemicals or other strange ingredients. Here are some tips for “going” clean, as well as the list of foods that Motiv8 recommends for the challenge to have on hand for quick meal prep. Use it as your guide next time you go shopping.

By the way, if something sounds unfamiliar to you, do a little research. I’m constantly learning about new, interesting, good-for-you foods. You, too, will be amazed at the options out there!

Clean Eating Tips

1. Start by saying goodbye to a few main "evils."

This includes all white stuff (including sugar), plus caffeine and alcohol.   Coffee and Tea is fine but any caffeine coming for sodas, sports drinks, or processed foods is a no go.  Processed sugar is a no go as well but fruit sugar is fine.  I know you are freaking out about the alcohol but try it out for 28 days.  You can do it!

2. Know that this will not break the bank!

Switching to 100 percent clean foods can be challenging and even costly at first.   But pay attention to the prices in the produce section.  The foods that are the cheapest are usually the healthiest foods to eat in bulk like potatoes, bananas, greens, beans, rice, etc.  Foods that are more expensive like some vegetables, meats, nuts, and pricy fruits have in moderation and eat in small amounts.  You will learn over time which foods to buy in bulk to make sure you are fitting your calorie needs each day and which foods to limit in order to not spend your whole pay check.  Last October when i did this challenged I saved over 300 dollars.  No joke.  I was amazed by just how much I was spending on packaged goods.

3. Remember: less IS more.

The fewer ingredients an item has, the “wholer” it is, as in less processed. Try to make or purchase items with five or six ingredients at the most.   The less ingredients the easier it is on digestion and the faster your body will process the meal and start allowing your body to enter into the healing process.

4. Plan to create meals with just a few items.

Try mixing and matching from the lists below.  For example, boil quinoa and sweet potatoes then toss in some black beans, cilantro and 1/2 sliced avocado. Then put in some cumin, cayenne pepper, and any other seasoning you find tasty. Fresh, clean, fast and delish! Once we are in the challenge post up the recipes you make and lets start helping each out eat healthy! 

MOTIV8 SHOPPING LIST

General Daily Summary

Starchy Carbs: 2-3 servings per day

Non-Starchy Carbs: 4-5 vegetable servings per day; 2-3 fruit servings per day

Proteins: 2-3 servings per day

Fats: 2-3 healthy fat servings per day; 1-2 oil/nut butter servings per day

-The lower range of these serving suggestions approximate a ≤1,500-calorie diet.

-The higher range of these servings suggestions approximate a ≤1,800-calorie diet.

-Add an extra serving each of vegetables, protein, starchy carb, and fat for an approximate 2,000-calorie diet.

STARCHY CARBOHYDRATES (½ - ¾ cup; 2-3 servings per day)

Grains

• Rice (brown, jasmine, wild)
• Quinoa (also a complete protein source)
• Millet
• Buckwheat
• Amaranth
• Oats
• Pasta (Soba/buckwheat, quinoa, noodles and other noodles made from the grains listed (also a protein source)
• Squash (butternut, acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, pumpkin)

Vegetables

• All types of potatoes
• Squash (butternut, acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, pumpkin)
• Corn

Legumes

• Lentils (brown, green, red)

• Beans (black, pinto, mung, kidney, garbanzo)
• Green peas
• Edamame

NON-STARCHY CARBOHYDRATES 

Vegetables (1 cup; 4-5 servings per day)

• Onions
• Tomatoes
• All types of leafy greens
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Bell peppers
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Fennel root
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Beets
• Radishes
• Eggplant
• Green Beans
• Brussels Sprouts
• Okra
• Jicama
• Snow Peas
• Mushrooms
• Cabbage
• Sprouts (broccoli, bean, alfalfa)
• Cucumber
• Zucchini/Yellow Squash

Fruits (1 cup; 2-3 servings per day)

• Lemons or limes
• Papaya

• Apples
• Pears
• Bananas
• Mango
• Oranges/Grapefruit
• Apricots
• Berries (strawberry, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
• Melons
• Grapes
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Plums
• Cherries
• Figs
• Salsa, pico de gallo, spaghetti sauce -- no added sugar
• Dried fruits* (dates, cranberries, cherries, gogi berries, apricots)

*Reduce serving size to small handful. Dried fruits are high-calorie and easy to overeat! Read the ingredients - oil and sugar are added to enhance flavor.

Beverages (12-16 oz; 1 servings per day in place of a fruit serving)

• Coconut water
• Kombucha

PROTEINS (2-3 servings per day)

Complete Proteins (contain all 9 essential amino acids)

• Wild game
• Wild-caught fish
• Free-range chicken/turkey
• Free-range eggs
• Grass-fed beef
• Non-GMO Tempeh/Tofu
• Edamame
• Quinoa
• Note: leafy greens, rice, and legumes are also excellent (but incomplete) protein sources, and meat is not necessary for every meal.

Serving Size:

1-2 palm-sized pieces of meat/tempeh/tofu;

1-2 eggs;

½-¾ cup edamame/quinoa

All processed meats like sausage, packaged or deli-sliced sandwich meat, bacon, fatty meats, and hot dogs are a no-go.

FATS (2-3 servings per day)

Healthy Fats

• Avocado
• Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Macadamia, Pecans)
• Cashews
• Peanuts
• Seeds (Flax, Sunflower, Pumpkin, Chia, Hemp)
• Coconut milk (canned)
• Dried coconut (no added sugar)

Nut Butters & Oils

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Sesame oil
• Walnut oil
• Nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew)
• Seed butters (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame [tahini])

Other

• Cacao powder
• Non-dairy milk (Almond, hemp, cashew, coconut - in the carton)

Serving Size:

¼ cup avocado, large nuts, dried coconut, canned coconut milk;

1 Tbs seeds (use them to top your salad or smoothie);

1 Tbs cacao powder (add to smoothie)

2-4 tsp of oil/nut butter or 1 Tbs salad dressing (e.g., oil mixed with vinegar & spices)

1-2 cups of non-dairy milk

Condiments/Flavorings (as much as you want!)

• Black pepper
• Grey celtic/pink himalayan salt
• Hot sauce (no added sugar)
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Mustard
• Pure flavor extracts (vanilla, peppermint, almond)
• Spices (Turmeric, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Red pepper flakes, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Chili Powder)
• Fresh or Dried Herbs (basil, dill, rosemary, bay leaf, cilantro, parsley)
• Tamari/liquid aminos/coconut aminos (instead of soy sauce)
• Stevia*
• Vinegar (apple cider, rice, red wine)
• Maca powder
• Spirulina
• Lemon/lime juice

*Even though stevia is a natural sweetener, limit consumption of stevia because it still triggers your sugar cravings!

Beverages

• WATER (at least half your weight in ounces every day)
• Coconut water (contains sugar and no fiber); see servings under Non-Starchy Carbohydrates
• Kombucha; see servings under Non-Starchy Carbohydrates
• Herbal teas (unlimited)
• Non-dairy milk (Almond, hemp, cashew, coconut - in the carton); see servings under Healthy Fats

Happy Shopping!

Motiv8ers I want you to challenge yourself.  Can you do this challenge for 28 days?  Doing this challenge for every meal is ideal but if you want to take it slow and use this challenge to create some healthy habits for one or two meals then that is great too.  As you can see that dairy is not apart of this shopping list.  Motiv8 believes that dairy is not necessary for a complete whole natural diet and if eaten should only be used every once in a while.  

Motiv8ers this is going to be Motiv8’s biggest challenge to date and we know that if you adapt this challenge you will start to feel better, have more energy, and see the results you are looking for.  And remember don't take on this challenge alone.  If you make a meal based off the list take a pic of your meal and post it on your Motiv8's SET Facebook page.

Lets support each other and get crazy healthy in the process.

Stay EPIC and Don't Forget to Be AWESOME!

Coach Ty Out!

The Power of Owning You!

The Power of Owning Who You Want to Be!

Motiv8ers, I am going to try to keep this short. You've all heard this phrase before, but I want to come at it in a different way. I hope it will help you take it more seriously or Motiv8 you to own up to the type of person you really want to be.

A few weeks back I was listening to the  Rich Roll podcast with Susan David, PH.D. She stated a fact on why so many of us have a hard time changing ourselves and giving into temptations around us.
She stated that if you sit next to someone eating a bag of candy you are 70% more likely to go buy the same bag of candy. She also said that if you don't have goals and morals, morals meaning the type of person you want to be, you are 70% more likely to engage in the same activity as everyone else around you.

Basically, you become the product of your environment!

Think about it. How many times have you done something that you are not proud of just because everyone else was doing it? I can think of a lot of situations in my past that I am not proud of. I didn't want to do something, but I did it because my friends were.

How do you break out of this trap? How do you start saying no and start doing what you believe is right?

You carefully and aggressively define who you want to be and OWN IT!

Let's lay it out simply!

Step #1 Define & Share Your Morals.

Let's start with the definition of morals: a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do.

Sit down with a piece of paper and carefully write down the type of person you want to be.

• Do you want to eat healthier? How are you going to eat healthier? What does that look like?
• Do you want to be more productive? How are you going to be more productive?
• Do you want to be fit and healthy? How are you going to be more fit and healthy? What activities will make that happen?
• How do you want to treat others? Do you want to be a kind person that uplifts others? What does that look like?

Many of us never fully define the person we truly want to be. Instead, we constantly follow in the foot steps of others hoping we will eventually be strong enough to find ourselves. Or hoping that those people will help us find ourselves, but that never works. You have to do the work yourself!

For me, I have some very strong morals that I won't let anyone break them. I label myself as vegan which helps me stay away from food that I believe is bad for my body. I label myself as a fit healthy runner which keeps me eating right and exercising regularly. And, I constantly tell myself that I am fit, energetic, confident, and want to help others. This helps me stay in a positive mindset and strive to help others.

I remind myself of these morals everyday. You might do that too, but there is one thing that many of DON'T do!

Not only do I clearly define my own morals, but I TELL others about my morals! Everyone knows who I am and they won't dare try to persuade me toward something that I don't believe in. They understand who I am and they help support me to be the type of person that I want to be.

I see so many clients state their morals to me but never share those morals with their friends or family. Then in their day-to-day lives, they don't ACT upon those morals. Why are we scared to share who we really want to be? Are we fearful of what everyone else might think of us? Or are we really not ready to change, even though our current selves aren't the best we can be?

Ask yourself these questions and learn how to push past your limiting beliefs. Waiting for someone else to give you permission to be the person you want to be will never happen. State who you want to be to the whole world and start living and owning it despite what others think!

Crew, find your morals, tell others about it, own up to it, and stop hiding from the person you want to be!

You might find that by doing this, you find a new energy in life. And you might even help inspire others along the way. BE YOU! =)

Step #2 Define & Share Your Goals! 

This step is the easy one. All of us have had goals in the past but how many of us have actually accomplished them? When you set a goal, follow the 2 steps below to actually make it happen!

First Define the goal:

Saying you want to loose a few pounds is great. But what does that look like? What are you going to do every day to accomplish that goal? What time are you going to workout? When are you going to eat your healthy meals? When are you going to prep your healthy meals? How are you going to stay accountable to your healthy new diet and exercise program?

Last week I heard this phrase from a Motiv8er. 

Goals are just dreams until you set a date and plan it into your schedule!

Crew once you clearly define how you are going to accomplish your goal your chances of cheating on your new diet or skipping a workout greatly decreases!

Second Share Your Goal with Others:

Your fellow Motiv8ers, friends, and family are your biggest supporters and can be used as your accountability buddies. If you are having a hard time staying consistent with your workouts and healthy meals, use the people around you. Don't shy away from letting others know what you are trying to accomplish. Ask them to help support you everyday!

This sounds silly, but you might be surprised about how much easier it is to stay consistent when you have others helping you. =)

Crew, this is your Motiv8ion for today. Post how you have stayed Motiv8ed toward being true to your healthy lifestyle!

For Today.....

Crew Stay EPIC and Don't Forget To Be AWESOME!

Coach Ty Out!

The Do's & Dont's of Adopting a New Healthy Habit!

Hey Motiv8ers,

Coach Ty here with another killer blog post.  Today I have a quick tip to help you form a stronger mindset towards the new healthy habits you are trying to adopt. Check it out!

Motiv8ers this whole year we have been working hard on changing our negative habits to positive ones. Eating better, exercising more, being more productive, and learning to think more positively and be happier. But there is one topic we haven't covered yet!

Which brings us to today's topic...The Do's and Dont's of Picking Your New Healthy Habit!!!

Alright Crew here is the phrase that sums up this whole write up....

"The Habit you pick should replace a bad habit that you are trying to get rid of!"


Pretty simple right?  Well this idea is still a little confusing for most because in SET this past month, after saying this phrase, I had Motiv8ers share their habits with the class and I heard phrases like these....

-I want to stop drinking alcohol during the week
-I want to stop eating after 7pm
-I want to stop eating candy at work
-I want to stop drinking so much coffee
-I want to stop browsing so much on the internet

First off this is great.  Acknowledging what habits in your day are not supporting the person you want to become is important.  But you can't forget about the second step.  You need to figure out what healthy habit you are going to replace your bad habit with.  And here is the reason why....

In order to be successful you should always focus on the positive not on the negative!!!

For example, If you take the steps in Monday's blog post and right down on a piece of paper, set reminders, and tell others how you want to stop drinking alcohol.  Every day you are only going to be reminding yourself and reinforcing the fact that you love alcohol.  Your brain and sub-conscious do not know the difference between positive and negative.  All it knows is what you program into it.  So if you constantly remind yourself to stop drinking alcohol all your mind is going to see is ALCOHOL!!!! And you'll find yourself wanting it and will eventually give in to the temptations.  You only have so much will power.

So instead of of focusing on what you don't want focus on what you do want.  And remind yourself every day of the actions you should be taking instead of what you shouldn't.  Like.....

-Drinking 8 glasses of water each day
-Getting in your Green Smoothie
-Instead of eating after 7pm maybe read a book
-Instead of coffee focus on having Tea
-Instead of Pizza focus on a healthier alternative.
-Practice 10 minutes of meditation instead of browsing the internet.

Remember the habits you do daily should be helping you get closer to your dreams and goals.  If they are not helping you get closer to your dreams and goals then you need to re evaluate your daily habits and routines!

Motiv8ers if you have questions on this topic post below or reach out to your coach.  Time to be AWESOME!

Ok lets get into some recipes.  =)

Motiv8ers almost every day the Coaches and I preach about the importance of healthy eating but we don't give very many examples.  So this is our chance to start giving you those examples.  Check out these recipes and really give them a try and start making those healthier options today!  Remember the better and cleaner your diet is the faster you will recover from workouts and the faster you will see results from your workout.  So take action!

First Recipe is from Thug Kitchen.  I found this recipe the other day.  I love sweet potatoes and this looked like a great way to get in more greens too.  And, look I found a green smoothie recipe that has sweet potatoes in it.  =)  Check it out.  Going to try this at the end of the week.

Sweet Relief Smoothie!

Motiv8ers that is all for today!

If you have questions post below!

Stay EPIC and Don't Forget to Be AWESOME!

Coach Ty Out!

3 Steps to Making a New Lifestyle Change Stick & Stay Consistent!

Hi Motiv8ers,

Coach Ty here with a quick tip.

Motiv8ers are you finding it hard this time of year to stay motiv8ed to show up to your workouts or to stay on top of that nutrition plan so you can see the results you want?

I know I do sometimes.  But, over the past few months working with you and going through the Motiv8 food challenges over the past few months I have developed some steps that were super effective in helping me, and a few of you, to stay on top of our goals, nutrition plan, and not allow ourselves to cheat.  There were still bad days but those bad days were much less then before.

First, I want to share some phrases with you that I hear a lot.

• "Ty I have gained weight and I know what to do to get it off again but I just can't find the Motiv8ion to stay consistent.  My life is just so busy"
• "Ty I need to get onto some type of nutrition plan but it is just hard to stay consistent."
• "Ty my problem isn't knowing what to do to get into shape it is finding the time each week to stay consistent to a plan."
• "Ty sometimes I have a hard time staying Motiv8ed.  I am just tired.  Work is crazy."

Do you see the problem here?

Everyone knows what to do to be fit and healthy but they just can't seem to find the time or Motiv8ion to stay consistent.

And Motiv8ers, lets get real for a second.  You have the time, but the problem is your health isn't important to you yet.  Ask yourself right now. Is your HEALTH important? The answer should be YES!  You will make time, and find time, for the things that are important to you.  So make yourself a priority and lets get busy.

Remember consistency is key.   So what do you do?

There are 3 simple steps that you need to do, that I did over the past few months, that will help you stay consistent.  Those 3 steps are......

1. Write Down Your Plan.
2. Schedule Your Plan into Your Schedule.
3. Tell Everyone about Your Plan for Accountability.

Sounds simple right?  But guess what?  NO ONE DOES IT!

Motiv8ers today I challenge you to take on the steps below.  Will you take on the challenge to help you be more consistent and start seeing the results you want?  Will you finally take control of your life?

Will it be a struggle? YES.  Because you will be working on changing habits and routines.  But if you can fight through that struggle, you will be so much happier in the long run.  Remember it only takes 20 days to form a new habit so that struggle won't last long.  Just hang in there.

Ok, lets get started.  Here are the 3 steps that you should take right now to help you accomplish anything you are struggle to get done.

1. Write Down Your Plan- First what is it that you want to accomplish? Write it down.  It can be anything. Then write down why you haven't accomplished it.  What is getting in the way? How can you work around those problems?  Once you have acknowledged the problem areas then write down what you need to do each day to make your goal become a reality.  What are the steps you need to take each day to make it happen.  Write out the plan.  If you need help with this step let your Motiv8 Coach know. Once you have your plan move on to the next step. 
2. Schedule Your Plan Into Your Day and Weeks- If you have read my blog post titled "Ty's Personal Experience with the Clean Eating Challenge" you will know that this step was a crucial part in helping me be successful.  Without it, I never would have been able to take on the Clean Eating Challenge and be successful.  Step one, put your plan into your schedule.  When will you be doing your steps each day?  Give your steps an exact time each day.  Step two, only do those steps during that time.  Don't multitask. Do not let anything get in the way of that task.  it is just as important as a work meeting.  Everyone has time to accomplish anything, you just have to make time and schedule that time. Once you have your daily schedule mapped out move on to the last step.
3. Tell Everyone about Your Plan for Accountability-  This step is the number one most important step.  You need accountability.  Without it you will find ways to justify cheating on your plan and you will find yourself saying these words, "I just have to cheat today.  I need it to relieve some stress.  I'll get back on track on Monday."  But then you find yourself never getting back on track.  So what do you do? Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your fellow Motiv8ers you workout with, and tell your Motiv8 Coach about your plan.  If you have people that you want to make proud, and not let down, you will not cheat on your goals or steps.  That is a FACT!  Motiv8ers use the people around you to help you stay accountable and Motiv8ed. Start now with asking for help.  Remember we are all in this together. 

Motiv8ers will you take on this challenge?  If you are post below with a thumbs up.

Remember these steps will help you form new healthy habits that will help you accomplish all kinds of things like eating better, maybe quit smoking, getting into better shape, or start cooking your own meals, etc.  No matter what your plan is make sure to schedule it into your day and then share it with others.  Those are the only way you will accomplish your new plan.

Trust me these simple steps will get you back on track and help you stay Motiv8ed!  =)

Motiv8ers stay EPIC and Don't Forget to Be AWESOME!

Coach Ty Out!

See you at your SET!

How to Get Out of a Plateau!!!

Hi Motiv8ers,

Coach Ty Here. Lets get back to work to making you GREAT.  lets cover a topic I feel will help you be more mindful of where you are now and help you figure out how to make your next step to grow and get stronger especially if you feel like you are in a slump.

Topic for today is 'Why We Plateau and Three Things That might Cause a Plateau in Your Fitness.'

Motiv8ers, throughout my career as a Coach I have heard numerous times this phrase, "Ty I just feel like I am hitting a plateau.  I am not loosing any more weight, I am not getting stronger, and right now I just feel really tired and sluggish.  What can I do to get back on track?"  Motiv8ers there are a lot of factors that can cause you to feel like you are plateauing but I have narrowed it down to just three things that I feel have the biggest impact on your fitness.  Lets get started.

First you have to have the Mindset of Improving Every Day!

Motiv8ers this is the easiest factor to make a change in.  As you come out to your SETS regularly you will begin to get stronger.  Your core will improve, you will notice you can get through a whole SET without to much difficulty, and you will begin to get use to the workouts and exercises.  But this is where you can get into trouble.  If each week and each day you push yourself at the same level, use the same size weights, or never try the harder form of each of the exercises you will never see the improvements you want over the long term.  Because you will eventually get used to your workout and you will plateau.  So make sure that you are always striving to improve.

• Every couple of weeks try to increase the size of weights you use.  You might not be able to do as many reps but you will start to spark that muscle growth to see the muscle tone you want.
• Each day try the harder versions of each exercise before modifying and then each day try to do a little more. This will keep you always out of your comfort zone and keep you in a stat of constant growth
• As you get use to the cardio aspect of the workouts try to start maximizing your heart rate a little more each day.  Get that heart rate up high and see how long you can keep it there.  Then each day after that try to keep your heart rate up a little longer.  This will help improve your cardiovascular.

Crew if you feel that you need help in this area talk to your Coach because we love it when we hear our clients say, "Coach can you push me a little more!"  =)  Start having the mindset of improving each day Crew.

Second, The Amount of Energy You Take in Doesn't Match Your Energy Output! 

Motiv8ers as you get stronger and your cardiovascular improves you are going to start working harder at your workouts.  Plus, with your new found strength and endurance you are going to find that you can now just do more through out your day.  You level of Energy Out put will become so much greater then it used to be.  But, here is where the plateau happens, if your energy Intake, meaning the foods and calories you eat, do not match your energy output then you are going to find yourself feeling sluggish, tired, lazy, and not able to recover from your workouts.  So Motiv8ers make sure that as you increase the amount of exercise you do through out your day you also increase the amount of calories you take in.

But Now I know what you are thinking.  'Ty if I start eating more food I will just gain all of my weight back."' Well Crew that statement is true and false.    Basically, as we have learned from other blog posts, if you eat whole plant based carbohydrates with a good dose of fiber your body will store those calories for energy and help fuel your body.  But if those calories come from processed junk food with no fiber more than likely those calories will be stored as fat leaving you with no energy.  Crew if you want to understand this process better on how the body stores calories as energy vs. fat then check out some of our other nutrition blog posts.  Motiv8ers if you feel like this might be the cause of your plateau then talk to your coach immediately.  We are here to help and help point you in the right direction the right way to fit your needs.

Lastly, The last Form of Plateauing can be caused by STRESS!!

Motiv8ers stress can come at us in so many different ways and it can hit our body's really hard. Stress can be caused by work, from a serious family event, from over training with no rest, not getting enough sleep, etc.  These stresses can cause injury, sickness, depression, or lack of appetite.  Crew watch this short video to learn how stress affects the body.

 So after watching the video you see there are tons of ways to make sure you are managing your stress so it doesn't effect you physically.  Those tools are:

• Finding a supportive group of friends that you can talk to and help you through the stress you are going through.  And, crew you have that.  Your Motiv8 Team and family is awesome.  Definitely reach out to them.
• Find some time to be with just yourself to relax a little.  Try yoga at home, go for a jog or walk, or do some meditation.  Spend some time paying attention to your thoughts that are stressing you and use that time to figure how you can take the next step in managing your stress and being more productive. Be more mindful of your situation.
• Next you might be working yourself to much without any rest days.  If you have been exercising day in and day out and not letting your body recover then that stress could cause an injury in the long term.  So make sure you get a good amount of rest in between each workout.
• Lastly make sure you are getting enough sleep each night and drinking enough water through out your day.

Motiv8ers lots of info here and I know you will have questions after reading this so post below, talk to your coach, or call me and lets talk for a while.  Hitting a plateau is something that every one hits and all it takes to get out of that plateau is just possibly making a few adjustments to  your diet, making sure your mindset is on point to push yourself, or making sure you are managing your stress and getting enough rest.  Remember Motiv8ers we are here for you so reach out to us.

Crew that is all for today.

Stay EPIC and Don't Forget to Be AWESOME!

Coach Ty Out!!!

How to Fight the Lazy Voice!

Hi Motiv8ers and Future Motiv8ers,

Every Sunday night the Motiv8 Coaches and I send out Motiv8ional emails to help our clients get fired up to conquer their week and show up to their first workout.  Last night I wrote an email about a topic I have been thinking about all last week.

"How to Fight the Lazy Voice!"

This topic has been so strong in my mind.  How can I help my clients, and myself, to be more productive and fired up to take action on the tasks that they need to do to improve their lives physically and mentally.  Motiv8ers to have a better understanding on what I am talking about check out the short email that I wrote my clients last night.

"Hi Motiv8ers,

This week's theme is going to be "Fight the Lazy Voice!"

What do I mean by that?  This voice is the voice that is always trying to talk you out of doing what you know is important and productive.

• Sleep an extra hour instead of getting up for your workout
• Go get a pizza instead of eating the healthy food you prepped on Sunday
• Why do the harder exercises when you could take it easy with a modification
• You don't need to work.  Go watch a few more shows on Netflix.

All of you know this voice and sometimes it's this voice that is holding you back from being GREAT. Crew, this week I challenge you to follow your gut and not allow that lazy voice to take control.  When this voice starts to talk, you know exactly what you should be doing but you just don't want to.  You want to take the easy route.  The other route is just too uncomfortable.

But guess what? Without challenging yourself you will never get stronger, healthier, or smarter.

This week, Crew, lets get out of our comfort zones.  Follow the voice inside that is telling you how to be AWESOME!

Force yourself to push the lazy voice aside and take the more difficult road.

Success lies outside of your comfort zone!

Crew no matter how you feel tomorrow.

• Commit to being epically productive at work
• Commit to getting in at least 3 workouts this week
• Commit to improving your nutrition and eating healthy
• Commit to taking care of yourself through sleep and being kind to yourself
• Commit to being awesome to yourself and awesome to others.

Crew, tell the Lazy Voice to get lost and let's have a great week!

Stay EPIC and Don't Forget to Be AWESOME!"

That's a great pep talk right? 

But there is a problem.  This email is a great Motivator for Monday but that Motiv8ion isn't going to last all week.  You only have so much WILL POWER.  In order to be successful long term your habits and routines have to support the new changes you are trying to make.  

So lets get into how you can set yourself up for success and fight the lazy voice long term.  

Step #1  What is important to you and what needs to get done!

• What tasks have to get done for work?
• What needs to get done for your Family?
• What needs to be done to improve your health?
• What do you need to do to pursue your dreams?

 Write them all down on a sheet of paper or on a word document.

Step #2  Watch this short 3 minute video!

 This video covers all of the topics that you hear regularly about how to stay productive on the tasks you wrote above.

1. Will Power- Remember you only have so much will power and it will run out every day.  So don't rely on this energy.
2. Time Management-  Don't dry to be productive all day.  Break your day into small sessions with planned breaks.  Make the sessions more focused and focus on what needs to get done first.
3. Schedule Your Work- The night before plan out your next day.  Put all your tasks into a time frame and once your day starts just follow the plan of the day.
4. Don't Multitask- Research has shown that those who Multitask don't get as much done.  So focus on one task at a time.
5. Break your tasks into small tasks- Your brain hates thinking about things that are hard to do.  So break your tasks into smaller tasks and your brain will find these less daunting and will make the starting process easier.

All of the tips above are great tips to help you get started but there are still two more steps.

Step #3

Committing to NO MORE ZERO DAYS!

What is a Zero day?  A zero day is when you don't do a single thing towards whatever dream or goal or want or whatever that you got going on.  No more zero days.  I am not saying you have to write a book every day.  But the point is that you have to make yourself, promise yourself, that the new SYSTEM you live in is a non-zero system.  Write one paragraph, do one push up, read one page out of a book.  Do something every day that will take you one step closer to the person you want to be.  Every day think about what small task can you do to help make your future self stronger.  No more ZERO DAYS!

Step #4

GET STARTED!!

My favorite quote from the famous Zig Ziglar is this...

If you remember anything from this post remember this.

You will never have enough energy and there will never be the perfect time to start the dream you have been procrastinating on.  So many people say I will start when I have time.  I will start when I have the energy and I am physically strong enough.  I will start when I am feel confident enough.

The only way to get the energy, confidence, and time you want to start your dream is to START.

You have to start exercising to get healthier and stronger.  You have to start reading to get smarter.  You have to start eating better to get healthier.

Crew don't make excuses any longer.  Just start!

Motiv8ers I hope this post has given you some tools to fight that lazy voice inside and helps you be just a little bit more productive this week.

Crew above are just a few tools.  What do you use to help yourself stay Motiv8ed and productive?  Post below and lets start helping each other.

This is Coach Ty.

Stay EPIC and Don't Forget to Be AWESOME!

Coach Ty out!

Bring The Best Version of YOU Every Day!

Hi Motiv8ers,

Hope you are having the best day full of joy, great workouts, and making yourself even more awesome! =)

Today I have a message that is making a huge impact in my life. YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS ONE OUT!

Over the past week I have been cleaning my car, making my bed, organizing my closest, cleaning the house, making sure I meditate, and much more. Although I do these tasks regularly, when my schedule gets really crazy, these are the tasks that are the first to go. And if you know me, you have definitely seen this. At times my car can get really messy. =(

So what has changed in me? Why am I making these simple tasks, that no one sees but me, a priority?

I'll tell you why!

It started with this podcast that I listened to last Wednesday.

The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes interviewing Jay Shetty titled Greatest Lesson: Life as a Monk. Jay was a former monk and now works for the Huffington Post.

Cultivate A Monk Mindset (Click on the title to go to their website)

The part of this podcast that touched me the most was the last 10 minutes. Lewis asks Jay, "If all of your books, videos, messages, and life's works were erased from the world and you were on your death bed and you could only leave three truths for the world to remember you by, what would be those three truths?"

Jay said....

1. You are a spiritual being living a human experience. You are not a human having a spiritual experience.

2. Live in your ELEMENT! Stop trying to become what everyone else wants you to become and start living your truth. You can't make a lion act like a house cat. Learn what makes you passionate and live in your element.

3. Lead with service! Learn how to use the first two to live a life of service to others. Make your life about service and helping other people. Make that the reason why you do what you do! If you start with service then you will experience love, gratitude, and happiness. You will find yourself when you lose yourself in the service of others.

This message hit me hard. It hit me down to my core. But it didn't inspire me. It actually made me depressed! When I heard that last phrase "live a life of service," I said to myself, "I want to be that person." But I remembered this phrase at the same time: "In order to help others you have to first help yourself."
 

I began to think about all the the things that I feel are holding me back in life. From large tasks all the way down to the smallest task, like cleaning the dishes. 

If I am really going to help someone else be awesome and epic, I have to bring the best version of myself every day.

I have to bring the best version of myself everyday.

I HAVE TO BRING THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF EVERYDAY!!

What does that mean to me?

If I truly want to serve others and help them be the best version of themselves through my business at Motiv8 Fitness, then I have to be that person. I can't be acting the part. So in my mind I broke it down into 2 parts that apply to me:

How can I have the most energy, physically and mentally?

• I need to eat a clean whole food diet to stay strong, healthy, injury free. I need to meditate every day so that I can keep my emotions balanced. I need to get enough sleep. I need to take care of myself through hygiene, cleanliness, and organization so I can be as productive as possible and not feel like a mess.

How can I keep accomplishing my dreams to inspire others?

• Every morning, I should meditate and focus on my goals so that when I go into my day, I can recognize and take advantage of opportunities that come my way. This also helps me go into my day with a purpose, passion, and drive instead of just mindlessly going with the flow. According to a recent study, we have 35 to 50 thousand thoughts throughout the day. If you don't focus your mind on what you truly want, you will probably be focused more on what your coworker just said about you, or what are you going to eat for lunch, or how you can't wait to see Black Panther. Making you unproductive! Stay focused on what is important.

How can I give the energy and love to others to serve them the way they need to be served?

• If I can take care of my two points above, then I can show up ready to give the help that my clients or family deserve! If in the back of my head all I can think about is how dirty my apartment is, or how I procrastinated on my blog, or how tired I am from eating poorly that I have zero energy for the workout, how in the world will I ever be able to help someone else?? I have to take care of my OWN shit first so that I can be the best version of myself for others!

So Motiv8ers, how can you serve others this week?

By bringing the best version of yourself to every thing you do!

Motiv8ers, take this message to heart!

Show up to work looking awesome, being awesome, spreading the joy to your coworkers, and helping them get a lot of work done to make this world a better place.

Don't settle for mediocrity.

Be the best version of you, starting now, so you can help others be the best version of themselves.

Spread the LOVE CREW! I know I will be this week! =)

Lead With Service!

Stay EPIC and Don't Forget to Be AWESOME!

Coach Ty Out.

P.S. If you enjoyed this message please share it with someone that might need it. It is time we start helping each other be great, feel great, and live an awesome life! =)