Happy Mother’s Day to all those amazing women who expand and enhance our lives with their love, embrace, wisdom, and kindness. Please celebrate the women in your life today and let them know how much you appreciate and cherish them.

Mom always told us we should eat our vegetables and she was right. Make today the day you start eating your vegetables on a regular basis. Re-think what eating means to you.

Thanks for the advice Mom!

May 5th was my 44th birthday and a time for reflection. Looking back to when I was 18, my self-image was that of a pudgy young man, too embarrassed to go shirtless in public, too embarrassed to dress out for gym class. In fact, the image below is one of fewer than 5 pictures that show me without a shirt as a young man. As I look back now, I realize that my self-image was in conflict with reality and the way others saw me. It saddens me to know that my youth was negatively impacted by something that existed only inside my mind. It further saddens me to think I carried that image into my 40’s and almost allowed it to destroy me. Had I continued my weight gain and ill-health, I’m certain that a 50th birthday would have been an unexpected gift. My self-image became my reality.

This article isn’t about how to change your self-image, but rather a statement that it can be changed. Self-image is not limited to only weight. Our self-image can be related to many different aspects of our physical and mental self. It can drive whether you think you are pretty, ugly, or plain; whether you are too fat, too skinny, too different. Whether your are smart or dumb. Society plays a role too. What we see in catalogs, on TV commercials, in magazines, and on  college campuses work to drive expectations. Family life and upbringing may also contribute to our self-image as well.

All of these forces push against us to mold our self-image into something that in my case wasn’t healthy. Maybe you can relate, maybe not. In any case, it took me too many years to realize that my self-image was damaged in the first place. I only started working on it when I was into my 40’s. Let me save you those wasted years and share with you now that I feel strongly that you can evaluate your self image and that you can change it if you choose. If you only take one thing away from this article, let it be that you already have everything you need to re-shape your self-image.

Here are some steps that can be a great start

Step 1 - Identify your troubling situations or conditions

Take some time to consider the aspects of your life that might be contributing to a poor self-image. Relationships, work, what you see in the mirror, etc. Jot them down in a notebook as you collect them.

Step 2 – Become aware of your thoughts and beliefs

Anthony Robbins, a well known thought leader on positive thinking and a great life coach has a simple formula that I think may work well for you here. Here it is

I x F = PR

That means that Information(I) times Focus(F) equals Personal Reality(PR). Here is an example I have used to explain this. Imagine if all you watched on the television was your local nightly news. If that is the information that you choose to focus on, what do you think your personal reality would be? Could it be that you wouldn’t feel safe in your local community because the local nightly news tends to present the negative aspects of your local community?

What if you chose to focus on positive things? Things that could take your self-image in a different direction. Would the re-shaping of your personal reality have an affect on your self-image? I think it might.

Step 3 – Challenge negative thinking

One of my challenges is that I tend to be too judgmental. In my experience, this is a fairly common behavior. Being judgmental can drive some pretty dark emotions and dark emotions only bring bad weather. If you want to keep the sunshine out, and who shouldn’t, try to convert your judgments into curiosity. Try to understand what might be driving whatever condition you are being judgmental about. Especially if that judgmental thought is aimed at you! Thanks again to Anthony Robbins for this tip. If you want great Information(I) to Focus(F) on, I’d recommend picking up some or all of Anthony Robbins coaching products.

Step 4 – Adjust your thoughts and beliefs

If your thoughts and beliefs are in a dark place, it would not be surprising to find a poor self-image. The longer you allow yourself to reside in dark places, the more deeply rooted the self-image might be. The great news is that this is entirely changeable. Even neuroscientists have discovered that our brains actually physically re-wire themselves when we encourage change in our lives. Our individual synapses will disconnect from one connection point inside the brain and will float around until re-attaching in a different configuration inside our brain.

Surround yourself with positive people, the warmth of the sun, the wonderful smell of fresh flowers, or whatever else you find positive and uplifting. Stand guard at the gate to your mind and supervise what you allow in. If you put these steps into use and practice them, it won’t take long for you to find the beauty in everything, including yourself and a restful peace in your heart and mind. This is the fertile ground to plant and grow a new self-image.

When Beachbody product development puts their mind to something, they do it as well as it can be done. With the release of Ultimate Reset two weeks ago today, they have done just that and I am testing it right now!

Why reset your body? Let’s see what Beachbody has to say. “When you think about it, it’s amazing just to be alive. Living in this modern world, where new technologies and industrial advances arrive on a near-daily basis, can sometimes seem absolutely miraculous. But all these modern conveniences have come with a price.

We’re breathing air that’s far from pristine, drinking water that’s not even close to being pure, eating foods laced with things we can’t even pronounce—chemical additives, preservatives, and pesticides—and absorbing toxins contained in everything from our children’s toys to the pillows where we lay our heads.

Here’s the good news: Your body is a very resilient, very efficient machine, able to neutralize or eliminate most of this chemical onslaught on a daily basis. The bad news is that this incredible machine is being pushed to its limits—and you can probably feel the results in the form of lower energy, weight gain, and a weakened immune system. To put it simply, our bodies—our own personal survival machines—are now struggling to do what they used to do much more easily.

You might not be able to change the environment (although hopefully, we’ll all try a little harder!), but you can change yourself. With a little assistance, you can help your body do again what it once did naturally—absorbing more of the things that are good for you and getting rid of the things that are bad.

That’s what the Beachbody Ultimate Reset™ is all about. In just three weeks, you’ll steer your body from mere survival back to a state of “thrival.”

In just 21 days, you’ll take back your power. Bolster your health. Release what no longer serves you—and never did. Learn. Cleanse. And if you’re not already, you’ll become 100 percent in awe of the remarkable creation that you are.”

To learn more about my personal journey with Ultimate Reset, go to my Facebook group by clicking here.

To learn more Ultimate Reset, watch the video below. To order, click here.

Sean sure did with P90X…

Heather sure did with Insanity…

These people sure did by entering The Beachbody Challenge…

Do people really get results from using Beachbody workout DVD’s? A video is worth a 1,000 words. You be the judge…

Five years ago, I began a journey with no destination. It was an adventure of sorts that became a business venture.  Yet at no time in the last five years did I feel like I was “working” and, in fact, I derived a lot of happiness and success from what I was doing.

I am always passionate about what I choose to do and I became passionate about being a Team Beachbody Coach.  It has become my lifestyle and my career.  The number one tip for success in business is to be passionate.  Are you one of the 50% of Americans who has dreamed of owning their own business?  I didn’t have a dream five years ago, but I have a reality now.

If you are passionate about helping people live happier, healthier lives, then why not join me as a Team Beachbody Coach.  Visit my coach page and see if this opportunity is for you.  It all begins with passion…

Will you be successful doing what you love to do?

I have heard a lot of people say that they use chocolate milk as a recovery drink for their P90X , Insanity, or other Beachbody workout. Chocolate milk is not necessarily a terrible thing to use after a workout, but is it the best thing to put in your body after you just completed P90X’s Plyometrics or Insanity’s Max Interval Circut? After the body is put through the stress that these extreme workouts provide it needs fuel to recover. So what do you do?

Chocolate milk does contain protein, and it does contain sugar. Your body needs protein and carbs to replenish itself after a workout so on the surface chocolate milk looks like a good choice. But what is in chocolate milk? Milk and more-than-likely a chocolate flavoring that contains cane sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.

Many Beachbody Coaches recommend using Beachbody’s own Results and Recovery Formula or Shakeology to fuel the body after workouts. All of Beachbody’s products contain high-quality ingredients, and Shakeology takes that high-quality to a new level.

Let’s examine how Chocolate milk stacks up to Results and Recovery and Shakeology:

Nutrition Facts Chocolate Milk
Serving Size 1 cup:
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160 Calories from Fat 20
% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 150mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Protein 8g 15%

Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 30% Iron 4%
Zinc 8% Thiamin 6%
Riboflavin 25% Niacin 2%
Vitamin B-6 6% Folate 4%
Vitamin B-12 15% Phosphorus 25%
Magnesium 8% Vitamin D 25%

* Percent Daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs

Results and Recovery:
Calories 220 Calories from Fat 10
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value**
Total Fat 1 g 2%
Saturated Fat 0.5 g 3%
Cholesterol 20 mg 7%
Sodium 150 mg 6%
Potassium 155 mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 40 g 13%
Dietary Fiber <1 g <4%
Sugars 26 g †
Protein 10 g 20%
Vitamin A 60% • Riboflavin 30%
Vitamin C 750% • Niacin 30%
Calcium 6% • Vitamin B6 30%
Iron 0% • Vitamin B12 30%
Vitamin E 500% • Phosphorus 9%
Thiamin 30% • Magnesium 60%

Every serving also contains:
L-Arginine 700 mg
L-Glutamine 500 mg
Creatine 500 mg

More about Results and Recovery here:

Results and Recovery Formula at the Team Beachbody Shop

Shakeology of course trumps the two in total nutrition, protein content, super foods, daily value of nutrients, etc.
Nutritional Information: http://myshakeology.com/esuite/home/gleng

Total cost per serving (approximate):
Organic Chocolate milk: about $0.35 to $0.50 (when bought by the carton/half gallon)
Results and Recovery: $1.25 to $1.66 depending on free member, Club Member, or Coach price
Shakeology: $3.00 to $4.00 depending on free member, Club Member, or Coach price.

You get what you pay for. Bottom line – is the extra nutritional value worth it to you? If you’re putting all the effort into your workout is it worth it to put optimal nutrition back in your body, or go the bargain route?

You can still get results doing Insanity or P90X without the Recovery Drink or Shakeology. Results and Recovery, and Shakeology are great tools to help you maximize results.

Whether it was a seed that was meant to be planted or just something that has stuck with me over the years, I don’t know for sure.  But when I was a sophomore in college, I took an aptitude test and the results showed that I should be either a brick layer or a minister.  The first seems to be excluded because I just don’t have the burly build of a brick layer (although I was a woodworker for many years), but the second seems to be my destiny.  Every time that I sit in church and see our pastor and know that he went from a six person Bible study in the tiny apartment that he shared with his wife to a congregation of 14,000, I see that as my goal – to be leading a huge number of people to the promised land of health and fitness.

You can join me in mission to lead people to better quality of life by becoming a member of the Team Beachbody community.  I will guide you every step of the way to fulfilling your health and fitness goals with the support, tools, resources and accountability that you need to succeed.

Please go the sign up page by clicking here.  There you will find two options:  (1) the Team Beachbody Club membership for just $2.99 a week which includes a 10% discount on all of your Beachbody product purchases or (2) the Team Beachbody free trial membership with the benefits listed.

There is also a third option which is to get the discount membership for just $14.95 a month (requires a $39.95 sign up fee*) and you get a 25% discount on Team Beachbody purchases.  Please contact me by clicking here for more details and a way to get a free sign up!