Get Healthy–What’s First?

Where do we start? When thinking about getting into shape, losing weight, or begin a self-help project. It’s a common question.  

For some exercise, I need to hit the gym or run some miles, others, diet – I need to cut back on the food, get back on plan, and quit drinking so much beer/wine/soda. I went through all of this time and again.  

I’d have progressed for a while, then celebrate that success (generally with a cupcake), and pretty soon, I was back where I started or many times worse.

“Change your mind, and you’ll change your life” is a phrase I’d head but never thought about and didn’t understand. I never put much thought into it, which was the key for me – put thought into it.

When we began our fitness journey, we were motivated by fear. I’d had a mini-stroke, and it scared the (pick a word) out of me. Fear is a powerful motivator, but it only works for a while. Once I was out of danger, the fear subsided, and my fitness began to backslide.

We had a reason to get into shape, but once we got into shape, it was mission complete. We accomplished a goal. We hadn’t made a permanent change. We had to change our minds, view of what we were doing, and, most importantly, WHY we were doing this.

It’s personal, and it will differ for each person. My first thought was: I want to be in shape and lose some weight. Reasonable goals, but why did I like this. I had to put some thought into it. I asked myself what mattered to me inside.

I want to be here to enjoy my family, enjoy my kids, and have fun doing things with my wife.  

I want to live life; I want to have energy, mobility, and have fun and help others. That was indeed my why, and my wife developed hers, it was pretty close, but it had her touch.

Once we understood this, we knew we had to change. It wasn’t about getting into shape; it was about living in a way that being in shape was a byproduct.  

It wasn’t a project; it was a shift in how we lived. 

With clarity, it’s about why now when it was about how, and that seemed daunting. We talked it out and thought about it. We kicked around ideas and arrived at the fact that we didn’t have to make wholesale changes. 

We needed to make adjustments in our daily habits. We took pragmatic steps making small sustainable changes that would have a significant impact over time. We didn’t try to cut out things we enjoyed, and we adjusted over time.

One of the best documentaries I’ve seen is Beyond Weight Loss by Tom Odar. It explains this stuff in an easy to understand entertaining way. It’s worth watching.

My wife and I learned from the best: Bill Philips’ programs gave us an excellent knowledge base. We were fortunate to work with Mike Ryan, celebrity trainer and Manager of the workout Mecca, Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach.

We learned from Steve Hess, trainer of professional athletes (formerly the Denver Nuggets) and the most intense human I’ve ever met.

We’ve been at this for over a decade and have never looked back. Our lives are so much better today in our 60’s than they were in our late 40’s and 50’s. We’re in better shape, have more energy, more mobility, and are healthier. A couple of side benefit – we weigh less and wear smaller size clothes.

We are not professional bodybuilders that have done this forever. We are regular people that made simple adjustments in our 50’s that allow us to be fit. The commitment is not hours every day; it’s a half-hour a few days a week. The best part is ANYONE can do this!

It’s a lifestyle we enjoy, and we’d love to share our knowledge with you.

Suppose you want to make some changes, gain strength, get fit, and do so in the comfort of your home. In that case, we provide a non-judgmental, highly supportive environment with coaches that tailor a plan for you personally.  

Every journey begins with a single step. Are you ready to start your journey to better fitness?  

Take the next step and contact K Factor Coaching today. We meet you where you are and work with what you have. Stop the yoyo and go to no more diets!