Do you want to fight?

Do you want to fight?

I do…!

No silly, not a real fight, I’m talking about with myself, a challenge.  A challenge that demands a “fight” with myself daily.  Something that I will have to fight to do everyday, something that I know that I will have to struggle to do, but when I'm done doing it, I will have a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.  Isn't that the way it always works, we have a choice to "do" or "not do", when we make a bad choice such as eating something we shouldn't, or not getting off the couch and getting to the gym or not making time for family or quitting something that is "hard" or whatever, we regret it later, but when we do something that we aren't too fond of doing and we fight thru the pain and suffering for that brief moment, and yes it generally is only a brief moment, we realize that it wasn't that bad.  Why do we give in to weakness by quitting something or not doing something we know we should do?  I don't know why, but I do know that afterwards I either feel good or I regret it.

As some of you know, I am a competitive person, highly competitive actually.  My dictionary actually has a missing page in the "L" section and it is replaced with a page from the "W" section.  Can someone let me know how to spell the word that starts with a "L' and ends in "ose" please.  Back to my fight, like you I'm sure, I surely do not want to get beaten up by myself!  That would make for a good story tho… “Hey Greg, how did you get that black eye?” “I got beat up by myself and I punched myself in the eye!”  I’m sure that person would then hand me a business card and say, “Here, you should call this guy, he helps people like you, he has a real nice comfortable couch you can lay on".

Over the last few years I have been doing “30 day challenges" and last year my challenge was to read 4 books a month for a year, this year it is no alcohol, and quite frankly, last year was easy as well as this year so far has been easy, so I’m looking for a tougher challenge.  Better judgement tells me not to do this, but I’m asking for your input and I’m leaving it up to you to tell me what my challenge should be!  In addition to the two challenges I just mentioned, I’ve completed challenges in the past like: no TV for a month; 10,000 steps/day for a month; no sugar for a month; write a book in 30 days; as well as several physical challenges; all completed with ease; so you have to make this hard for me.  I’m looking for something tough, very tough, even something as big as “no way he can ever can get this done” kind of hard.  I’ve already been presented with “ride a bicycle to work for 30 days” or “eat veggies everyday” or “100 pushups a day for a month” but those aren’t challenging enough,  I am thinking more like “ride a bicycle to Florida” or even something like "get home by 7pm 4 nights a week to hang with the kids" or something like that.

So what do you have for me????  Bring it on and let me know what you think I can’t do!

And sure, you can join me in this challenge if you want, if you are up to the challenge and if you want to win the “can I do it” game……

Maybe you don't want to bother sending me a challenge, maybe you want to do one yourself and keep it private, if so then GO FOR IT!  Maybe you don't want to do my challenge with me but you want me to help keep you accountable to yours?  I'm up for that too.

Let's make May 2013 National Challenge Month and challenge yourself to do something, anything at all and make yourself better everyday!

I'll challenge you to do that!  I challenge you to challenge yourself.

There’s a lot I learn about myself and others by doing these 30 day challenges.  Maybe you can lean a little about yourself too?  Just a thought…..

Yours in health and competion,
Greg

Enough with all this Motivation Already!

Enough with all this Motivation Already!

It seems everyone is posting motivational pics on Facebook nowadays.. (being all happy-happy-positive)

That’s GREAT. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big advocate of positive attitudes

In fact it’s the #1 asset anyone can ever have.

.. but the other day I saw this pic that someone posted, and it said:

“Failure is not an option” (with a fit girl working out in the background)

Here.. is where we have to slow down.

Because, this is wrong.

Failure is always an option..

.. in fact, it is the most readily available option at all times

It’s up to the choices YOU make whether you succeed or fail.

Trying to lose fat + cereal at night = failure

Trying to lose fat + hill sprints + asparagus = success

Failure is always an option, and you’ll never get anywhere until you acknowledge this for yourself..

Because hey, we’re all human. And we all get doubts.

And doubts work like poison in your head, affecting everything you do

We ALL go through this

And the truth is, you will NEVER defeat this

The best thing you can ever do is acknowledge your fears and stare them down until you own them

You’ll never get anywhere if you ignore them

So from now on, acknowledge how you feel, and know that it doesn't matter how many 'likes' you get until you can see it for yourself

It’s ok to be down, it’s what you do AFTERWARDS what makes the difference..

Hope this made sense.

Yours in health,
Greg
 

Make it a great day!!!!!!!!
Greg DiRenzo, M.S.
Performance Coach, Trainer
"S.M.A.R.T.fit" - THE NEXT BIG THING!
"Small Hinges Swing Big Doors"

Have you completely lost your marbles?

Wow, it's been a rough week, for me anyway.... But everyone has rough ones I guess, right?  Does anyone remember playing with marbles as a kid?  Does anyone actually play with marbles anymore? 

Nowadays marble have a different role in my life.

This week I litterally asked myself 3 times, "Do I still have my marbles?"  Contrary to what some people think, I do, litterally and figuratvely.  Do I still play with marbles - no, but my answer to the question is YES, I actually have 1622 marbles!  And that "YES" has never made me happier and more appreciative!  And I want to ask you the same qestion, do you?

In the last week, 3 people - a childhood friend, a good friends father-in-law, and family member are no longer with us and are now with the man above.  In prior posts I talked about "time" (in my 86400 post as well as the topic I chose to ressurect here, which is covered in my Marbles post). 

How many do you have and are marbles as important to you now as an adult as they were as a kid?  They sure are to me!

and counting........

Make it a great day!!!!!!!!

Greg DiRenzo, M.S."Small Hinges Swing Big Doors"


Links below........
 http://fitnesscoachblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-guaranteed-way-of-getting-you-86400.html

http://fitnesscoachblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/my-marble-jartime-to-hug-your-kids.html

Powerful Stuff here……

Powerful Stuff here……

Hey everyone, it’s Greg again with another email, hope you had a great Easter weekend
I took it easy myself – Not a lot of chocolate or jelly beans or anything like that.

In fact, I’m thinking of redesigning my office and the gym and I want to hang up some of those banners with motivational quotes on the wall.

So throughout the weekend, I searched, sorted, and scowered for the very best motivational quotes.  And along the way I came across this quote from Anthony Robbins on how it’s important to always know where you’re going.

This theory really resonates with me because every single person that has had major success while training with me or any trainer here knew exactly WHAT they wanted to accomplish.  It’s not like they came in whenever they felt like it, and just did whatever… they knew exactly WHAT they wanted their outcome to be.

And time after time, these people would reach their goals like it was easy.  This makes sense. I mean, once you know what you want.. all you have to do is go get it.

The problem is however that most people in life have no idea what they want.  And what’s even worse is when people DO know what they want, but do nothing about it.  It’s like they sit and wait.. and say things like “SOMEDAY I’ll do this….”  Well… Someday is now, and someday is here.

One of the quotes I came across this weekend said “The road to someday leads to a town called ‘nowhere’..” – WOW, how true is that!

That’s not a place you want to be….. So take action… and if you’re asking “How?”, then here’s the answer:

You decide.

Make a decision to NEVER settle for anything less than you can be. That you’re not willing to live the way you’re living right now, no matter how good it may seem.  Demanding more from yourself than anyone else could possible expect –  that’s true power.

See you may not know this, but the word ‘decision’ is originally derived from a latin word meaning ‘to cut off from’.

So when you DECIDE to never settle… you automatically cut yourself off from ANY other possibility. And you have nowhere to go but towards what you want.

Hope this made sense :)
Yours in health,
Greg

Greg DiRenzo, M.S.
"Small Hinges Swing Big Doors"

Here’s what I’d tell Angelina Jolie and others.....

I meant to send this out a while back, but I've been a little busy. :)

Who saw the Oscars?  I don’t know if you saw it, but movie stars nowadays are so SUPER skinny…

I mean, I know the camera adds 10 lbs, so it’s a good idea to stay trim if you’re on tv. But really? I bet Natalie Portman has to run around in the shower to get wet. And if Angelina Jolie would just turn sideways she’d probably disappear. Not to mention that thing sticking out of her dress (some say it was her leg). I can only imagine the diets these girls get on.. and how extreme they must be. So with that in mind, I want to give you MY 2 cents on the controversial subject of…

DIETS
In this email I’m not going to tell you “diets are bad”…

I mean, I’m not a fan. But I don’t want to sound like a broken record… I believe that in the end of the day everyone should do what they’re most confident about. So in this email I want to point out some dieting ‘reminders’. The way I see diets is that they are an ‘entry-way’ to a healthier lifestyle. Kinda like a kickstart to your eating habits. I definitely see them more as the start of a MARATHON, rather than just doing a short sprint. So it’s important to have some flexibility when you diet. It’s a personal thing, so make your own rituals to make this journey comfortable for you :)

Here are some samples…
1- It’s OK to have dessert
The only ‘but’ here is that you should try to have your dessert on your ‘cheat day’.
If you eat superclean 6 days out of the week, it’s actually a good idea to go out of whack for one day.. if anything to trick your metabolism so it doesn’t get used to your diet-low calorie levels.

2- You can have unlimited amounts of veggies
On a diet you’re restricted to limit MOST food… except for the non-starchy vegetables. Like broccoli, spinach, snap peas, kale, asparagus…

3- Salads are not your best choice
More often than not, salads are calorie bombs. If you hate salads, don’t make yourself angry by eating them :) They rarely will fill you up unless they’re loaded with wrong stuff, like croutons, cheese, dressing, etc.

4- Have patience……….
Patience is one of the best traits anyone can have. When losing weight, getting fit, enjoy the process as much as the result.

You will always have more goals to come that you’ll want to conquer, there will always be more challenges ahead. So why not enjoy the “now”… knowing that every day you’re getting a little better.

And remember, 365 days of getting a ‘little better’ is a whole LOT better at the end of the year =)

Yours in health,
Greg DiRenzo, M.S.
Performance Coach, Trainer
"S.M.A.R.T.fit" - THE NEXT BIG THING!
"Small Hinges Swing Big Doors"


Nothing is hard.... it just takes time!

Fastest Results You’ll Ever Get.....

Hey, Greg here with Lakeside Fitness Center – hope you’re having an awesome day!

This email may be one of the most important ones you read all day.  I’m not just saying this to make you read it… it’s because this one is about mindset & positive thinking… something I’m super passionate about.

Ever since I read “Think & Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, things in my life literally changed. Not instantly, but close.

That was one of the many many many books I’ve read over the years that has provided me with a little "knowledge".  Although this wasn’t part of my 12 month challenge last year, I chose to re read it as part of my "52 book challenge" in 1 year… (I got to 56!!!)

After I read that book and let its’ content sink in, I felt like something changed.

I know this goes against popular thought, but most people believe that change has to be worked at for months or even years. We expect to try and fail numerous times before we ultimately give up or succeed.

So how does this relate to your fitness goals?

Well, how many people do you know struggle with their weight? They want to make a healthy change by getting in shape, but the change never seems to take hold?

Or what about you? Is there something in your life that you want to change? Do you have weight to lose?

Do you have high blood pressure? Do you have a pair of pants that you wish you could fit into?

What is keeping you from making a positive change in your life? According to Anthony Robbins, it's the getting ready to change that takes time. In the end there's a single instant when the change occurs. Robbins goes on to outline three specific beliefs that you must have in order to instantly create a lasting change.

Belief #1: Something MUST change. (kind of like my Risk vs. Reward philosophy I always talk about)
Do you sort of want to get into shape, or do you absolutely have to lose the weight? Does dropping a few pounds sound nice, or is living another day in your current body unbearable? In order to make a lasting change you must be convinced that the time has come.

Belief #2: I (and nobody else) must change it.
It is vital that you take full responsibility in making the change. Sure, others may assist you, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to need this change enough to make it your personal mission—no one else will do it for you.

Belief #3: I CAN change it.
Don't let past failures get in your way. The truth is that you do amazing things when you put your mind to it. Believe that you are capable of losing weight or making any other positive change in your life.

Why do most people fail to make lasting change? They leave it up to willpower. This works for awhile, but you'll always revert back to what's comfortable. The solution?

Change what you're comfortable with.

You've probably heard that humans are motivated by two things: 1) to avoid pain and 2) to gain pleasure.

When you want to change a behavior pattern the key is to associate pain with the behavior that you don't want and pleasure with the behavior that you do want.

You know that you want to lose weight and that to do so you need to quit eating comfort food late at night.

You also know that you need to start exercising on a regular basis. Up until this point your brain is trained to associate pleasure with eating comfort food late at night and to associate pain with exercise.

It's time to retrain your brain to feel good about exercise and to feel bad about eating late at night. Think about all of the negative things about being overweight and connect these unpleasant thoughts to your late night snack. Now think about all of the wonderful things about being in shape and connect these pleasant thoughts to exercise.

You are capable of making a big change in your life. Come in and ask for a free fitness evaluation to help you construct your program and path, and why not bring a friend for a trial.  Remember, you have what it takes to make that change, in order to swim you eventually have to push off the wall in the deep end!

Remember, change can happen in an instant!

See you soon,
Greg

Try this out (it’ll change things..)

Try this out (it’ll change things..)

 

What are your habits?

 

Do you eat the same thing for lunch, go through the same exercise routine, and fall into bed at the same time each night?

 

Or maybe you've made a habit out of eating whatever looks good, avoiding the gym, and staying up as late as possible.

 

John Dryden famously said, "We first make our habits, and then our habits make us."

 

Confucius said, "Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them."

 

And Aristotle noticed that, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

 

It's pretty clear that the habits you adopt will shape who you are. When it comes to your body, the two habits that define your physique are your eating and exercise habits. In fact, everyone that you know who is in great shape has dialed in these two important habits.

 

If you aren't happy with your body, then simply adjust your eating and exercise habits.

 

Aaaaand here’s how:

 

FIRST…

Decide on the ONE habit that you would like to develop. It's tempting to pick up 3 or 4 healthy habits, but choosing just one new habit is realistic and doable.

 

 

I’m talking about stuff like this:

• Do not eat after 9pm each night.

• Bring your lunch to work instead of eating fast food.

• Exercise 4 times a week after work for 45 minutes each time.

• Only eat fruits and veggies as your afternoon snack.

• Get up early and exercise for an hour each morning.

 

SECONDLY…

Write your new habit down on paper. Also include your 3 main motivators for developing this new habit, the obstacles you'll face, and your strategies for overcoming these obstacles.

 

 

Here's an example:

• My new habit is to go to Bootcamp 3 times each week.

• My 3 main motivators are to feel confident in my bathing suit this summer, to have more energy, and to fit into my skinny jeans.

• The obstacles I will face are not having the energy to go to my session after work, not having enough money to pay for Bootcamp, and not having my spouse's support.

• I will overcome these obstacles by doing my workouts before work instead of after work, so I have more energy, cutting down on frivolous spending to ensure that I can afford it, and asking my spouse to join me so we can get in shape together.

 

THIRD…

Commit fully to your new habit, in a public way. This could mean posting it on Facebook, or simply announcing it at the dinner table. Put yourself in a position where you'll be embarrassed to give up on your new habit.

 

FOURTH…

Keep track of your progress. You could keep a detailed journal or simply make a check mark on each calendar day that you successfully exercise your new habit.

 

FIFTH…

Keep yourself publicly accountable. This means either status updates on Facebook or verbal status updates at the dinner table. Your friends and family are in a position to offer you support, so don't shy away from those close to you.

 

SIXTH…

When you fail, figure out what went wrong so that you can plan around it in the future.

 

SEVENTH…

Reward yourself for your success.

 

AND THEN…

Once your new habit becomes second nature, usually in about 30 days, feel free to add a second habit by going through the same 7 steps.

 

This is truly a gamechanger. Really, do this and your life will change. It’s mostly in your hands, but if you need help in any way – as always - reach out to me anytime =)

 

 

Greg DiRenzo, M.S.

Performance Coach, Trainer

"S.M.A.R.T.fit" - THE NEXT BIG THING!

"Small Hinges Swing Big Doors"