How To Win The 5 Year Game

Marketing tycoon Gary Vaynerchuk says that you win the 5 year game by winning the 5 minute game. This is exactly what I try to execute related to my own health & fitness goals and how I try to talk my clients off the ledge of overwhelm & frustration.

If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, click here to listen on my Anchor channel. Please note: the Anchor channel is NOT the same thing as the Primal Potential podcast. The podcasts do not appear on Anchor. Anchor is short-form more casual audio content.

We completely overwhelm ourselves when we focus on the macro strategy of how we’re going to lose 20, 30, or 100 lbs. We totally distract ourselves when we’re trying to figure out how to do 10 pull-ups before we can do one.

You don’t even need to have your game plan mastered for the next week!  Often times, when we do, we’re so focused on the macro, on the big picture, that we miss all the opportunities in front of us TODAY to make progress. Or, something doesn’t go according to plan and we tell ourselves that we’re screwed.

Sometimes we get stuck caring more about the plan & the theory than we do about the execution. No bueno.

When we focus on the macro instead of the micro, we miss opportunities for progress, we distract ourselves needlessly and we create a sense of chaos & overwhelm.

You win the week by winning the next hour. You win the month by winning the day.

Focus on TODAY. Focus on what happens now. Focus on how you can win the morning, or the afternoon – on how you can make the rest of your day the best of your day.

Focus on what you’re able & willing to do today to move in the direction of your goals.

I’ll use myself as an example. I wake up every day and ask myself what I’m able & willing to do to win the day. Here’s what my list looked like this morning:

This isn’t a task list. There are a bazillion tasks. These are the things that will make me feel like I’ve crushed the day when I’m laying in bed tonight.

I’m not worried about how I’ll navigate the family festivities next weekend. They aren’t here yet. I’m not worried about how I’ll lose 5 lbs. I’m focused on what I’m able & willing to do today to win the day.

PS: I’ll be going into more detail on this on tomorrow’s episode of the Primal Potential podcast.

Speaking of winning the day – my workout was definitely a part of that today! I’m almost back to the full swing of things and I crushed this one!

“Hard Pressed”
21-15-9:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
Push Press
Burpees

I gave it everything I had & it felt amazing.

On the food front:

As you can see from my win list, today is all about that cabbage salad bowl. I’m totally in a rhythm with it and I’m loving the ease and lightness. I chose to take a quick break from Paleo Power Meals because all I was craving was this cabbage bowl.

The first bowl contained raw cabbage, 2 eggs over easy, 2 slices of bacon, half an avocado and a tablespoon of Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo. If it seems like it’s a lot of fat, it is.

The second bowl is lighter: raw cabbage, 1 egg, 2 pieces of grilled chicken, shredded brussels sprouts, Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo and a drizzle of avocado oil.

In between those two my mom & sisters wanted to get lunch while we picked up her wedding dress so I ordered a burger without the bun over arugula.

 

Hope you have a wonderful day! Remember: how can you make the rest of your day the best of your day?

372: Dating & Fat Loss

372: Dating & Fat Loss

Dating & fat loss. We are going there today. Whether you are married, dating or single, this episode will tackle mindsets & strategies for staying true to your goals regardless of what people in your life eat or choose.

The reality is: no matter who you are with or what anyone around you chooses, you are always 100% in control of what you put in your mouth, how much & when.

Does this make it easy to make progress towards your goals when people are around you are indulging? Nope. But this is life.

I think it’s a huge asset to have people in your life who eat differently than you do. It’s an incredible opportunity to practice and become resilient.

I’m excited to talk about how I approach difficult situations, how I say no, when I indulge and how I strike balance between social eating situations and my goals.

If you have questions or strategies, please share them in the comments below!

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Dating & Fat Loss Strategies

  • Pay attention to the kinds of choices that make you feel your best
  • Optimize your habits outside of date night
  • Don’t apologize for or feel the need to explain your choices
  • Don’t be dramatic –  you’re not a victim of your choices
  • Stay away from self-deprication – it’s not sexy or funny
  • Make dating about fun & connection, not food
  • Know what’s worth it & what’s not

Resources:

ASCEND Boston

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You Have To Push

If you want different results, you’re going to have to make different choices. You’ll reach a point where your current choices take you as far as they can & if you want to go further, you’ve got to push harder or work smarter.

You cannot go to the gym every day & do the same workout with the same weights and expect your body to continue to change. It won’t. The same is true in all other areas of growth & improvement.

If you want to change, you have to push.

If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, click here to listen on my Anchor channel. Please note that Anchor is NOT my podcast, it’s just more personal, short-form audio content.

During my workout this morning, my coach instructed us all to use a kettlebell heavier than the weight we would normally choose. I selected the 53 lb kettlebell.

Why go heavier? Because it’s the only way you move from where you are to where you want to be. You have to push. You have to continue to try harder and do more.

This is true in life as well as fitness.

You can’t respond to temptations the way you always have & expect to make progress.

You can’t proceed with the same level of (in)consistency & expect to get somewhere new.

You can’t continue to make excuses & exceptions with the same frequency and move to the next level of your life and potential.

It won’t happen.

Just like you have to go at little faster on your run and lift a little heavier during your workout, you’ve got to push yourself in your daily choices & decisions.

How can you push yourself more today? How can you push yourself more this week? How can you intentionally move yourself to the next level?

What does that look like for you?

For me, this takes all forms. Right now it’s in cutting out dairy. That’s a way I push my nutrition choices. Often it’s by pushing to new limits at the gym.

Don’t settle. You have to push.

Intentionally seek out ways to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. That’s where growth comes from.


That kettlebell workout was a doozy! I had to modify due to my knee injury but I’m making progress each day!

Here’s how it went:

15-10-5

Kettlebell swings

Toes to bar

57 cal bike ride (legs only/no arms)

5-10-15

Kettlebell swings

Toes to bar

My shoulders were absolutely smoked afterwards! It was a great workout.

On the food front:

The weather is so beautiful in New England right now and I’ve been obsessed with my no-cooking-required cabbage salad bowl. After months of primarily Paleo Power Meals I’m glad to have this fave back in my life!

You’ve heard me mention it the last few days but I’ll say it again: raw red & green shredded cabbage, hardboiled egg, bacon & avocado. That was brunch. So filling & nutrient rich!

Want to know my hack? I hate cooking bacon. It takes too long – and don’t tell me to microwave it – I don’t like microwaves. But I’ll go to the breakfast bar at Whole Foods and because it’s based on weight, you get a crazy great deal on cooked bacon! I’ll get enough for a few days. Makes my life easier and it’s cheaper than buying it raw and certainly easier than cooking!

Dinner was a modification of the brunch bowl -heavier on the veggies, lighter on the fat. I added brussels sprouts (sautéed in ghee) to the cabbage and went lighter on the bacon & egg. So filling and super delish!

Make today amazing. Life is short & you deserve your best.

 

Action is the Antidote

Sometimes I’m in a funk. Whether it’s hormones, circumstances, fatigue, my own negative thoughts or a combination, the funk feels very real. In the past, I’d let the funk win. It would suck me in, I’d feed into it with my thoughts, words & actions and it would become quite powerful (read: destructive). I felt like I was a victim of the funk. It felt paralyzing – like the funk itself prevented me from moving towards my goals.

I was wrong.

If you’d rather listen to this post than read it, please click here to listen on my Anchor channel. Note: Anchor is not my podcast, it’s a more casual short form audio channel.

Here’s what I know now: action is the antidote. 

You cannot wait for it to pass while you sit in it. You have to choose your way out of it, one small, simple choice at a time.

When we feel down, unmotivated, frustrated, emotional, depressed, or anything along the spectrum of feelings that discourage us from taking action towards our goals, we have two choices.

  1. Fuel the funk with inaction, negative thoughts and perseverating on problems & emotion.
  2. Choose our way out of it. Create a new state through action.

I completely understand that the last thing you want to do when you’re in a funk is eat a fat loss friendly meal or go to the gym. While those are options, they aren’t the only options. I like to simplify this by asking myself, “What is one action I can take right now to move out of this funk?”

Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a shower. Sometimes it’s as easy as putting on my favorite song. Other times it’s sitting outside for 10 minutes or reading a few pages of a motivational book.

I love keeping motivational books on hand, full of underlines, highlights and notes. When I’m feeling down, a few minutes with one of these books makes a huge difference. My go-tos include:

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard

Tao Te Ching by Stephen Mitchell

The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday

Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron

No matter how you look at it: action is the antidote. We are always one choice away from feeling better. Every single moment is a blank slate and every choice is a chance to advance in the direction of your goals.


Today’s workout made me happy. It was solo (not at the gym) and pain free.

EMOM 21

12 cal bike

8 burpees

12 pushups

It was just enough to push me with enough rest to allow me to bring 110% effort to each minute. Workouts are what you make them. I always want to bring my total effort and not sandbag.

On the food front:

I planned to fast today but I didn’t. The decision to fast was a mental one, not a physical one – to remind myself that hunger comes and goes in waves and I am strong enough and aware enough to ride them out.

However, I made the conscious choice to have one large meal around 4pm and I feel good about that. I was feeling tired and unfocused and I wanted to feel energized and focused. The meal definitely did that for me!

In my Oxo Salad Chopper I combined raw red & green shredded cabbage with half an avocado, 2 hardboiled eggs, 2 slices of bacon and a drizzle of macadamia nut oil. Carbs from the cabbage & avocado, protein from the eggs, fat from the eggs, bacon, avocado & oil.

For more on my thoughts about fasting, you can listen to episode 307 of the Primal Potential podcast.

 

372: Dating & Fat Loss

371: What The Health & Fat Loss

A few weeks ago, I sent an email to everyone on my free VIP email list with my thoughts on the documentary “What the Health”. Since then, I’ve received hundreds of questions about meat eating, dietary fat, fat loss, low carb diets and everything along that spectrum.

In today’s episode, I’m going to share my thoughts on “What the Health” but also share some deeply data driven opinions of experts, including some of the highlights and considerations from Primal Fat Burner, a new book from Nora Gedgaudas.

I think it’s a huge mistake to try to define ways of eating as “right” or “wrong”. I think we waste a ton of energy & potential labeling vegan, paleo, primal or low carb as “good” and “bad”. Realistically, they can all be done well and they can all be done poorly. They can all be built on high quality foods or low quality foods. They can all be designed to deliver great health or to create disease.

It comes down to quality, individuality and hormonal implications. That’s what we’re talking about in today’s episode.

Listen Now

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Resources:

Primal Fat Burner by Nora Gedgaudas

Robb Wolf & What The Health

Understanding Carbs & Fat Loss

Understanding Insulin

Carb Strategies for Fat Loss E-Course

195: Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss

Carb Timing

ASCEND Boston

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