Potential

Its amazing what can happen in the short time that has passed since my last post. I was feeling very run down and getting to a point where i was allowing things to bury me. I had a massive event that I am still trying to get over. Its amazing what people can say to you even though they claim love. For years i have had armor skin to verbal assaults and now i let things get to me? It seems that i let my guard down to let someone in and they take things they learn and hurt me. Which leads me to this in a round about way:

What is my potential? Potential is said to be a 4 letter word to some. People have been crushed under the pressure that comes with potential. Sometimes i look back at my life and think about how that word has applied. I once saw a scouting report from a team that stated I was a hard worker, not afraid to grind, good shot, has potential. Funny thing was i rarely played because who knows, maybe i had a bad attitude, maybe the coach didnt like me. I dont blame them but it seems in that sport i didnt live up to my potential.

As i look back at the application of the word, i can see things two ways, alot of failure or a lot of mild success leading to a greater cause. I choose the second.

THis past week i was with a group of my peers at a convention. When i left, i wasnt in a good mood, i didnt want to go, didnt want to leave my store. I had to tell an employee he couldnt come due to a variety of reasons and I hate being that guy. And then i get to this event. I spend the first night in my room, wallowing in my own pity. I mean honestly, what do i have to feel bad about when there are other people actually suffering?

Anywho, so i am in this convention with my fellow owners and if i could capture the energy and good vibes i would be a millionaire. Everyone roots for everyone, we all share our opportunities and tactics. I was so freaking fired up after two days that i could barely sit still. The great thing was the commraderie that is involved. All the older franchisees liked to give me crap and treat me like the little brother but it was also good to here they think i have potential to do well. That word again.....the expectations......yet, i relished it.

I have made some great friends from that convention and i am rejuvinated by the possibilities that tomorrow holds. But i wont forget today. There are some heavier issues that need to be handled but it is great to have a clear mind and focus for the first time in awhile. Potential couldnt be more of an exciting word for me because I believe in what is ahead and cant wait to reach and exceed!

Expectations

Expectations. That is a word that has many meanings. Its a world that comes with its own set of expectations. Expectations upon expectations. It can be a completely scary thing, it can crush you under its weight or it can drown you in its deep waters. It can also make you rise to the occasion, reach them, exceed them, or destroy them. Expectations are a double edge sword though. Here is a story i have shared a few times but it is the best way i can explain these feelings.

When i was 16 years old, i was a hockey player. I loved it, it had been my first love. My father bought me a cigar and said that when I get drafted, we will smoke it. Reality was, though i had the passion for it, i wasn't quite good enough to be drafted. So the cigar sat. We said when you get into college Ill smoke it. That time came and I didn't deem it worthy of the smoke. Then when i scored my first touchdown in college we would light it. That wasn't good enough. Then college graduation. Nope. Then when i got engaged, nope. Then when i opened my first business with him. Still not good enough. To this point my expectations, though high, were being accomplished but the cigar sat.

I am with a number of very successful people from the Max Muscle franchise system last night sitting at dinner talking and I tell this story. The first thing i hear from everyone is a resounding "smoke it as soon as you can". I am appalled off the bat because i felt i needed an epic moment to smoke this. I mean EPIC, i dont know what that includes, maybe curing cancer or creating world peace would suffice. Then as we continue the talk i realize what that cigar represents. It represents all my fear, all my lack of confidence, everything I am scared of resides in that cigar. It is the epitome of my faults. That cigar i was "using" as my motivation was and has always been a hindrance to who i could become.

Yes, it is just a symbol but the moral of the story is you cant be the best you if you have your fear and reservations holding you back from reaching your potential. I know, as I sit in my hotel room, I am looking forward to starting my life over when i get home and smoking that cigar. Don't let the expectations fold us. We can overcome all obstacles put in front of us. One of my favorite sayings is "God wouldn't put anything on our plate we can't handle. We let ourselves crumble under it when we have the capability of lifting it up off of us." I know i can be the best me and i am the only one who can hold me back.

Choice

As I had stated i wanted to write once a week. I dont know if thats enough time to truly formulate what i want to write. My goal s to share myself in my writing and I like to think im deeper than a weeks worth of thoughts. Some weeks i get wrapped up in work and I forget. What i am realizing is I am just making excuses. Just like my clients tend to when they dont follow the plan we set forth for them. I am no better in this case. I broke my word to a friend and its time to settle up and write.

Time continues to pass and I am left with so many half and quarter thoughts that are never finished or even started. What i am realizing is that while before, i didnt think my decisions in life truly affected anyone but me, now i see that there is a ripple effect that can be felt by many. Now, this doesn't mean i think i am all that important but i do understand that every decision has an equal and sometimes rash reaction as well.

There are some serious decisions coming up in my life that i know could affect some of the most personal relationships I have in my life. I am not struggling with the fact that they are difficult; no, i am struggling with making everyone happy in the situation. One thing I have figured out about myself is that my happiness is tied directly to how i make people feel.

Life seemed so much easier when there are no attachments. I went through a period of life when it was just myself and my dog. Us against the world or so I thought. Interesting thing was i was oblivious to the relationships that helped me survive. From my father helping me with rent to my daily calls to my mother to visits from college friends, i relied on them when i thought i was alone. Everyone goes through these times i know and i dont have a but to put in there. I am no different.

Now, the positive influences in my life have been many. I didnt start realizing the positive till i was about 6 months away from leaving Sacramento. I had just broken off my engagement, quit my job and was in a low place. But, one person turned me on to the power of the positive thought. Imagine that, ever the pessimist was a positive thinker now.

yet, there are some situations where i feel there may be no winner. There may not be a loser but no one wins. What do you do when you have a choice and that choice could break so many connections you have? If you go one way, many people disappear from your life, if you go another you lose people too. How do you rationalize that one decision.

This may be hypothetical or it may not be but what would you do?

Walls

For the past 6 months, i have been observing more, opening my eyes to the things around me as I continue on my journey of life. I realize my path and that is to be a guide for others along their journey. As rewarding to me as that is I have selfish moments. "Why do people turn to me?" "What did I do to have people need things from me?" 'Why don't i need things from other people?" These questions are real. They creep into my mind on a whim and they like to linger. They set up shop in my brain and feed on my weaknesses, and it has plenty to feed on as I do have many.

I realize that i have positioned myself or been positioned because I have alot to give. That may not be knowledge, or assets but I have been blessed with much in my life so in turn, I feel the need to adapt to situations and give what is needed. 99% of the time, people need an ear and a shoulder for which i have two of each. I realize this sounds like i am complaining but i am not. What i am doing is coming to a realization that I don't live my life looking for the next thing to help myself but I live my life with compassion and love for everyone and I am willing to give my only moments that i have to others because that is what makes my life complete.

I am a personal trainer and a nutrition coach, both certified. I didn't get into this business to make money off others but to help people feel better inside and out. Yes, its a service with a fee but the majority of it is about making progress. Progress isn;t about taking steps back; its about taking steps, baby steps, crawling, forward, no matter how much forces you back. I have been through enough in my 29 years to understand what difficulty is, what hard times are, what hurt is. I feel i am not ever going to be done learning but along my path i can assist others in getting through the issues that confront them. Help give them the strength to push through the wind in their faces, the walls in front of them.

My walls are many and i am constantly trying to find a way to conquer them. Some need me to find a diplomatic way over, or around them but some need me to go right through the middle of that wall. That is what people find difficult but you dont do these things because you just want to or just have to, you do them because nothing should stand in the way of you and your happiness. Whatever the goal is, whatever your desires, they truly can be yours if you are willing to put in the work. Not just sweat and tears but the behind the scenes work.

I believe i am lucky. I was born and developed a mindset that puts blinders on me when i have a goal in front of me. Someone very close to me says i am single minded. Like a shark, that when i want something nothing else is good enough. Then when i get what i want there is no celebration, no party. The next goal is set and the journey continues. I was asked recently if anything will ever be good enough for me. My answer is why would i want good enough when i am reaching for better than that. No, no goal will ever be good enough because the journey of life, my journey of learning, will always be going forward. Settling isnt an option because then you leave the should a would a thoughts out there. Who wants to second guess themselves? Not me. I guess that is my ultimate wall. Getting to a point where what i have accomplished is good enough. I think i have a story that will explain that:

When i was a kid, my father bought me a cigar to smoke when I was drafted into the NHL. I think i was 15 at the time. Needless to say, i quit hockey after high school and went to college for football. Then we said we would smoke it after my first touchdown. That happened freshman year and it just didnt seem like it was good enough. Then it was when i graduated. Still not good enough. Then it was my first job in sports, my first promotion, when i got engaged, when i got unengaged, when i moved back home to open my own business, when we had our first event, when we had our best month, etc. That cigar still sits in a humidor in my apartment here.

No, nothing will ever be good enough because its not about being good. I want to be great. I want to help people be great. If i get married, i will want children, then i will want more children, then grand children, then who knows, maybe a pet alien. I dont know but i wont be the guy to sit on my couch one day and say "i made it" because made what? What i want people to learn is that life isnt about materials, or accomplishments but the fire inside to be better. Be the best you, whatever that is. Inspire people to be better, love life but dont settle for something because its there.

This may be all over the place but as I blog more i will get better, it has been 4 months since my last blog and it will be a weekly thing now. see you next week.

Humility

Life is funny this way. Just when you feel you are doing well enough or excelling something in another area tends to drop off or go wrong. Now, i like to think I am a humble person for the most part. I dont look at myself and think, "Damn, what a guy." or anything like that.

I actually put alot of pressure on myself to always be better. To always go beyond a goal to whats past it. THis tends to affect my life in a couple ways. First, i am never satisfied or content. Case in point, Story Number 1.

When I was young, i played hockey. I was pretty ok at it and my dad was one of my bigest fans. He bought this real fancy cigar for me and said this is what we will smoke when you get drafted.......Well, needless to say i never got drafted but we made another deal. That would be the cigar we smoke when I graduated prep school. The time came and I felt it wasnt a good enough occasion. So, i made a deal that when I graduated college id smoke that cigar........The time came and like the previous time I didnt think it was momentus enough. This went on for the next 8 years. When i get my first job. When i get my first promotion. When I beat all sales for the team i worked for. When I opened my nutrition store. When we had our first great day. When we broke our own sales record. When we made it over a year in this economy........Nothing was good enough. That cigar still sits in my humador, ive smoked many cigars in the last 17 years but never that one.

This mentality has affected relationships as well. Never in a truly good way. I never project my ways on anyone yet my personality and mindset is so strong it tends to be hard on some people ive dated. Ive been told im selfish, i am too driven, too singleminded, i work too hard. Ive never thought working too hard and being committed to something was bad until recently.

Yet another thing to keep me humble are in fact those women. I have many women in my life who i would charactorize as inspirational. Others tend to attempt to play games, and others are more just not happy with themselves which leads to bad vibes. Currently i am in fact not "with" anyone. Yet there are humbling experiences that have led me to expel someone from my life, another that makes me constantly think about if I am good enough, and another who can evoke so much anger and so much happiness all at once. It is amazing to me.

Keeping my mind straight use to be an issue but one thing i have worked to focus on is the positive aspects of life. I love my job, I have a support system of people in place whom i love and care about, and recently have learned to just allow the things that matter affect me and nothing else. Its a matter of choice. I choose to smile and be happy. I choose to keep or remove people from my life. Life is way too short to waste on people who are jealous, who hate for no reason, who dont like how you look, act, etc. Use your positive influence to build your circle then you have all you need.

Life as I know it

When taking a look at life, most people feel that their life is harder, their life has more drama, their life has more walls to climb than others. Now, i dont think i go through anything different from anyone else but this has been an interesting week to say the least.

Monday - Someone close to me got mad at me over something online. It turned into a no talking contest for the remainder of the week. I felt I handled the situation as best as I could. Clearly the goal here was to learn a lesson about relationship and friendship management.

Tuesday - Did i mention facebook is the devil.

Wednesday - I had been going back and forth on travel arrangements for a trip i had been planning. Well, one backed out then another treated me fairly poorly so i had canceled my trip.

Thursday - Said f it, im going anyway and rented a car. My buddy got a room and we are heading out in a week. Push through!

Friday - Found out that i was played for a fool by someone in my life for 6 months. Devistating really. Went through the full range of emotions.....sick, then angry, then dejected, then....well who knows where i am at the moment.

All this and honestly and deeply know that there is meaning and positive thoughts to this week. Looking back it teaches me alot. The value of friendship. Honestly, morals, ethics, when to have witty banter and when not to. When to trust someone and when not to. The point being that despite the darkness that may pass over us the sun is out there all the time. The dark is just a small period that is asking us to give in to it but the positive will always triumph if you choose it to.

I was speaking to the perosn who :showed me the light" the other day and she said she could feel my dark.......i use to think, no way but i beleive her. She reached out to me and gave me some words that i always live by but need reminding sometimes. I called her my Yoda. Its rare to find people in this world that put themselves behind everyone else but she always has. The moral, the goal in life is to be that person, give unconditional hope and love to people and have them pass it on. She gave it and still gives it to me no matter how much crap we have been through and I hope to pass it to people in a manner that they can do the same for others. Think with the light in mind.

Balance

I'd like to say that I have figured this whole life thing out. I try not to complain much, i stick to my own business, i try not to let outside stimuli affect my daily mood. There are so many things in life that have no explanation though. Like why does my body hate carbs because I truly love them!

Outside of that, i have never been able to find a true balance in life. When business is good, personal relationships are not.....when relationships are good, business tends to suffer. The key is balance but how when business takes 65 - 75 and relationships take 55 - 75 percent, how do you balance that. I dont know about you all but my day lasts 24h and those numbers tend not to add up.

Owning two businesses, personal training and Max Muscle, takes time to build and grow. Most of you who have done your own thing know and those of you that havent Im sure care very much about what you do and make sure you get done what needs done. So, this takes time. Friends, girlfriends, etc take time as well. Building a friendship is the basis for everything. How do you build that in the time you have. I dont talk much in my sleep so that is out.......oh, and I almost forgot you have to spend time on yourself as well.

The last part is the hardest part.........I have never been able to balance out me time with anything. It is the hardest thing I have ever done. Most the time I blame my need to be perfect, to fix everything or everyone else.

This use to drive me nuts but i have come to grips with it. I have those mechanisms in place that keep me good. One is my nutrition. That is my balance. I know, you all think i am crazy but its true. Think about it this way. When life isnt going as you had planned for an hour, a day, a week, a year.........you have things you can control. I control what goes in my mouth. I dont look at food as anything but nourishment except for my mom's lasagna, that is more heaven than food, lol. But i fuel my body for my day. Being awake for 19, 20 hours is no fun if you have no energy.

Also, my workouts are important to me. They are my stress relief, the way i set my day up to be full of life and energy. That in turn makes me want to eat better to keep my high from the workout. This is imperative because you can have workout crash. Find the balance in your eating then in your life. I have the nutrition down and im working on the rest. Constantly learning to balance life.......

Decisions

Every day in life people are left to make decisions. This morning when i woke up, i had the choice of black or white socks. Then i had the choice of route to take to work. Then what to eat for breakfast. Ok, maybe not that one, i have a shake at 230am then one at 600am. I use an isolate to replenish what i burn with a slower burning casianate (Max Triple Whey, Max High 5) for both of those. But then the food decisions start. Owning a business, my decisions dont end with food. I have to think what is best for each client and each goal. What products to order, what marketing. Then i have to figure out what is best for my personal relationships.

Some people have hard decisions to make daily. Decisions that deal with pain, addiction, love, hate, religion, etc. Every time things can be looked at from different angles in different ways. Each one looks right and rationalizing what is right and wrong is what makes our society the way it is.

I make a conscious effort to make the right decisions in regard to the things i can control. My workouts: the intensity, duration, quality of exercise. My food: lean meats, veggies, high quality protein, proper vitamins.

The choices you make in your day define who you are as a person. Deciding what your heart truly desires and sticking to it. Making the right decision even when the thing you may want most is a choice away. If you take that choice, you may compromise a few values, a few promises to yourself. But whats a promise to yourself cost? could be morals and ethics. could snowball like the choice to cheat your nutrition. Could cost you your marriage or relationship with a loved on or a great friend. Is it worth that? Those are the tough decisions.

Whatever you decide, the only person who can judge you is you. You always have a choice. There is always a way to keep who you are in tact. its a matter of deciding to do what you believe, knowing that a step back could mean a jump forward.

When i write, i dont intend to preach, i do not judge anyone but myself. No one is harder on me than me. When i have to make a decision, i analyze and analyze and over analyze. I still have made bad decisions. Moving to california was made for the wrong reasons and staying there was made for the wrong reason as well. Both situations i learned from and finally made the positive thought process a way of life. I tell people you dont have to do what i do but take it and make it your own. Thats it. Bend it to you. your choice.

Barriers

"It takes climbing over barriers, under fences, through obstacles to get to a happy place. Not a thing in my life i would change, the good, the bad, and the extremely ugly. I know i am not me without them."

Barriers, fences, and obstacles are always going to be in the way of your progress in life. There are options when it comes to these. You can give up, let these walls defeat you and never advance to your true potential

two, you can stall climbing the fence, running into the wall, and continue to try the same tactics to overcome old problems.

Three, you can think outside the box, climb up, over around the barriers and reach and exceed your true potential.

I understand that sometimes all three options enter your mind. Things can be difficult and make you want to give up. Ive been there. Ive been through hard personal times and i have allowed myself to wallow in my own pity. Ive also, taking the second option into account, tried to run into the wall the same way knowing that it wasnt the right way but still continuing to do it because at least i was trying. The third way is the obvious choice but seldom felt. It is the toughest, it will put you through hardships and make you hurt. The hard decisions are the ones that can put you back a step to move forward exponentially.

I will be the first to admit, I am not always the most positive thinking person. Doubt frequently creeps in when the situation presents itself but one thing my stubborn brain has learned is that i know there is positive behind every sorrow. That good will always triumph over evil and that the things that matter most have a way of shining through.

These are the battles, the fights with the darkness, that you can win. You can win them all. You may have to let go of somethings that you think need to be there but there will always be a positive if you let it.

One thing that the secret taught me was that I can control the sunshine and the clouds. I can bring the light back when the rain comes. Clearly im not saying literally but the main thing I know I can control is me and my outlook. I, like most if not all of you, have hard decisions in life but with each passing decision, with each challenged conquered, I am smarter for having gone through it. It may leave a scar but that leads to character and when all said and done, all we are left with is our character and our word. and I stand by both of mine. I have a great team around me for support and who you surround yourself with says as much about your character as what you do. I love my team and wouldnt be me without them.

Past but not forgotten

Yesterday was a day that we can learn from but never change. It is in the past and therefore history. Some people close to me said that this blog is informative to them but they can tell that there is alot of internal conflict in my writing. My explaination is he who doesn't have conflict doesnt find resolution.

What compels someone to be strict with their nutrition or lose weight or be a better person. I know i try and tie most of these to nutrition but all these things can be applied to everyday life. Sometimes life isnt pretty, like my grammer, lol. But it is those moments of dissatisfaction that lead to the beauty that life can be.

I accept that there are always going to be tough times. Family can be difficult. Friends can do something to set you off. People in general can cause conflict. We can cause our own. For example, with my nutrition yesterday, i did not plan out how long one thing i had on my schedule would take so I was left without food or any way to get food for close to 6 hours. This is very unlike me but I can assure you I have learned from it and will plan better for the next time I am in a situation such as that.

This is where that path way is. The illuminating of a start but if you dont bring your machette to hack your own path with the knowledge placed before you and that was their prior, you will be left to follow someone elses path that doesnt embody who you truly are as a person.

My path is different than others in my same blood line. I have taken risks that i have been lucky enough to be bailed out from. I have moved 3000 miles away from family and I have survived to move back closer. I have moved and stayed places for the wrong reasons yet, I have found myself in the middle of a great path because the tools aquired along the way have been bent and molded to fit my journey.

The best thing you can have for the past is great short term memory. If you miss a meal, move on and know that you wont let yourself down again in that mannor. If someone wears you down time and time again, know that you have it in yourself to move forward with that knowledge. You can forgive that person or cut them, screaming from your life. But the decision to not miss a meal, to snowball a cheat meal into a cheat day, to let venomous people go from you life is in your hands. You can choose to control you.

I know that today is not yeterday and I will make today as exceptional as it can be. I will eat accourding to the plan that works for me. I will workout with intensity that belies my eating. I will apply myself to accentuate everything that I am good at and learn to bring the rest of me up to speed. The beautiful thing is while we cant change what has happened in the past, we dont forget what our lessons are and we move forward with the knowledge that we dont have to be subjected to that lesson again because we have learned, evolved to be better. We can learn from the past but we dont have to live in it. Make today excellent. BE THE BEST YOU

Recovery

Today my main goal and message was basically how can you succeed if you never fall? Its the recovery that builds who we are as people. This is true in every aspect of life, including what i consider my focus, nutrition.

First, let me preface this by saying that i do not believe in cheating in any aspect of my life except nutrition. I have seen the affect it can have on people, families, and loved ones alike. Not neccesarily the big bad type of cheating but in most aspects of life. Cheating a rep, cheating a movement, cutting corners here and there. They tend to lead to more cheating which then snowballs.

Here is the difference in nutrition. Cheating is needed. It is a necesity! Right now, as i explained in previous posts, i am using a book called the 4 hour body to work with my nutrition. It calls for a whole cheat day. Now, when i write a nutrition plan, i build in cheat meals, 1 lunch and 1 dinner. This allows for the metabolism to reset and continue burning fat rather than becoming efficient from eating too clean constantly.

This is all about how to recover from that cheat. That cheat is like the carrot that is being held in front of you. If you eat well all week you get the meal you plan for. You can look all week at this meal knowing that this all pays off when you get to it. Lasagna or meatball subs, or pizza. That is for you to decide. Make it motivation for your clean nutrtition.

My thought process goes like this. I write down all my food on a daily basis. Calories, carbs, fiber, protein, and fats. In the margins, i write down something i crave so i can have that to look forward to on saturday(my cheat). So, i can even plan out my cheat day to maximize the day with it! Then, you have a plan going into your cheat so you can indulge and not over indulge.

If you dont plan your cheat out then it becomes that much easier to snowball to the next meal or the next day as a cheat. This is a way of telling yourself, here, have this and enjoy it but know that the goal is to reset your body, not overload it. It is the recover from this cheat that can make or break your nutriton. Planning helps everything.

but, people fall. I may not fall on nutrition because i know that it is truly one thing fully controlled by me. But i do fall on things in life, i have failed. I have jumped without nets and missed my mark. I have been badly damaged by people in my life or who were in my life and I have done damage of my own. I am by no means ever perfect but, my true character and yours as well will be shown by how you recover from every failure, every fall, every pain. If you can get up one more time than you fall, you will always be learning and moving forward.

Bend but dont break

Yesterday, I posted about taking the best of things and making it your own. What is said was essentially, I would rather fail as myself than succeed at being someone im not. When i write about how i do things, I hope you know its not about how I do things but why i do them. I have read many books and studied alot of the best nutrition and workout specialists because they have great ideas.

In the movie inception, it says "ideas are like a virus". I actually agree with that on condition. unlike a virus, we can control how we spread and interpret the idea. I use other peoples thoughts and research and bend it to fit me. We all have the power to adapt information to fit us.

Right now, i am working with the book 4-hour body by tim ferriss. He is a bit of an extrmemist, which is probably why i like it. I am a little nutty myself so his words resonate with me. But, i do not do everything this book or any book says. He preaches the basics of nutrition, balancing meals with low glycemic carbs, proper eating techniques, and proper supplementation that can assist in fat loss. In a week on it, i can actually tell the difference. Now, im not doing much different than i normally would but its different enough that my body is responding. Its a good read and i would recommend it to anyone looking for fresh ideas.

The reason i named this bend but dont break is because bending to fit others ideas to our style is what makes us unique and different but to act just like someone or do exactly as someone else does would break who we are as individuals. Peopel are made differently for a reason. There are morals, ethics, and ideals that everyone has and they are all different. These are what make us whom we are. Now, outside of nutrition, there are people who have effected my life by illuminating a path but allowing me to choose when, what, why, and how to take the first step on the path.

I had a great friend start me with the book called The Secret. This same person took me and allowed me to interpret it as I saw fit, not her view. She also started me on my path towards the fitness model industry but never pushed in any direction, just guided. Unfortunatly, we dont speak much to this point but she will always be someone close to me no matter what.

Basically, our goal as people is to better ourselves. There are many ways to do this but do it as you. Make your goals, your dreams, your life unique. Bend but dont break.

Clearing the canvas

Yesterday, I wrote sometimes all we need to do is clear the canvas to paint a beautiful masterpiece. This can mean so much or so little to someone. It can apply to just aboutanything at all. To me, it means taking your life, or canvas, and simplifying it. Take out the clutter, the arguing, the needless time spent on the negative, and pushing it off the space that is in your head.

Until recently, last year or two, my canvas was a disaster. I worried about everything and anything other than what was truly my goal. Allowing those things to control my time, my life, and my body. Now, i am working on keeping the things i can't control on the sidenotes. They dont make the canvas because it takes more effort to be angry and show distaste than it does to smile.

I am not writing this to preach and convert. Quite the contrary. I write this because at 28 years old, i have been through a range of emotions and am always learning new ways to deal with disappointment, shock, anger, happiness, and love. Its about finding your true passion and taking intermediate steps and making small goals to accomplish that main goal.

I take this apporach with my fitness and nutrition as well as my life. My girlfriend doesnt understand how I do things the way i do sometimes. The only way i can explain it is alot of years of doing things that didnt work and finally making the consious choice to make the right decision for me. My schedule is the first thing that I start with. Here it is:

2:30am - Wake up and grab my bag and walk my pup(protein shake)
3:15am - At the store to feed the dog and write nutrition plans
4:15am - Leave the store and go to the gym
4:35am - 15 - 20 min cardio warm up
5:00am - 6:00am - Work out and train client
6:00am - 6:45am - Cardio and post workout shake
7:00am - 8:00am - Train client
8:00am - 8:30am - Shower and go to store
9:00am - open store
7:00pm - close store and drive home
8:00pm - 8:30pm - prep for next day and go to bed


This doesnt look like fun but it is efficient and allows me to reach my daily goals. I guess my point is, if I can be efficient with my day, i can get everything I need done to accomplish the intermediate/daily goals that are the steps to succeeding.

It's difficult sometimes. Things happen and i need to be fluid and adjust. I use to get mad at these things that disrespected my schedule but now, i see the positive in them. I use those positives to make me a better person. As a small business owner, there is always something that comes up. I have to manage multiple personalities including mine, which isnt the most easy personality to manage. The more I come to grips with that, the better able i am to manage others. Not everyone is going to be like me and i can finally accept that.

It has been a long journey that started many years ago. I have had some exceptional people who have entered my life and taught me great lessons. My stubborness slowed me from learning on the spot but I see them now and know they have shaped and molded my life in the right way. They have helped me clear the canvas of life and focus on the only thing I can control, myself and my reactions to others. Though i am still a work in progress, i have found my path.

My world - My intro

My name is Jamie Free. I am a certified nutrition coach and certified personal trainer. I am also an owner of a nutrition store in Franklin, TN call Max Muscle Cool Springs. Most people associate me with building size but my whole life is about fueling the "machine". No, i do not think of myself as some sort of cyborg who uses diesel fuel but treating my body as less of a playground and more of a semi-temple keeps everything working properly.



My goal with any client is to incorporate their schedule into a eating plan that helps them achieve a goal. Its not taking everything away and making it only sustainable for a short period of time. Once you add back the things you take out you tend to balloon and then its aback to the start. I also try to work some life coaching in if applicable but i by no means have the answers for that. Humor is another thing i bring in because habits are humorous and I have many habits, most poeple think im just strange but its the mechanisms that bet me though the hard cravings.



One, i grew up a semi-fat/ "husky" kid. Now adults think chubby kids are cute but i in fat took alot of heat for being overweight. There are two ways an over weight kid can go. The first is continue on, take the abuse and be that way for their life. Second option, and only option for me was to do something to change it. Initially, this made me express my displeasure with the crap i was given by getting into fights. Beat some kids up and that dies down. Then, when i grew out of that, i began playing more sports. I had always played hockey and baseball but the intensity of football did two things for me. I was able to take alot of that aggression out and it taught me how to workout. I was a 200lb 6 grader when i started. I played d-line. Then with working out and a much needed growth spurt, i was a 230lbs linebacker and running back by the time high school was over. My personality, type a, high mach, led me to continue pushing my limits. Maybe a slight but of ocd as well, lol.

Two, i look at food as fuel. I am a health professional. My job requires me to be in the best of shape. Finding ways to make my abdominals show, even when i am at higher weights, is important. Now, i have been eating clean so long that i dont have crazings any more. My cheat day consists of eating better than most do on a good day but understanding the process is key. Thats the logic i have. Its not about a diet but about eating for a lifestyle. With healthcare costs the way they are, we owe it to ourselves to be around longer without medications. Eating for health, while not flashy, is the only way to ensure I will be around for my kids, whenever they come around.

I have changed my life around with the help of good support from family and friends. One thing that helped me get through the darkest of times is the book, THE SECRET. In reality, this book isnt anything more than believing in the positive in every situation. Its the ability to see sunshine through the storm. It takes time to get the best in life but if you are willing to learn and grow fromthe journey, your life can be rich no matter how much money you have.

I am here to help people, i know that is why i was put here. Do i want to make money and support a family? Yes, above all though, doing what i love, helping people reach and exceed goals makes me feel like i can be better. Anyone can do this, its a matter of support, accountability, and living for others. That is what i charge you all.