Gains’o’clock ep. 1 - step 1 to a healthier You
Perhaps one day you’re getting ready for the day and you glimpse into the mirror and see yourself. I mean, you really see yourself every day, but this time when you look at yourself, you find a part of you which you aren’t happy with. Maybe you’ve put on a few pounds, got a bit lazy, had a lifestyle change, or maybe you’re depressed, or maybe you just stopped caring. Guess what? Life happens. Or maybe you just stumbled upon this blog randomly, or referred by a friend. Whatever it is that brought you to this page, it happened for a reason. We all have to start somewhere…here’s where I started —> OLD TRANSFORMATION VIDEO OF IRON DAD . Don’t judge this crappy video quality…but I kept it for accountability and reference.
Pictured above is my favorite person, my wife, and one of my favorite quotes.
So where do you begin? How do you start? I’m sure you’ve seen a million different posts, articles, fad diets, tiktoks, or whatever media outlets you follow regarding health and fitness. Here’s the problem with all those…most of them have an agenda, contain false information, contain information locked behind paywalls or ads. Perhaps they are trying to sell a product or get you to subscribe to something. Its difficult to discern which ones are legit, and which ones are there to take advantage of you. It can be overwhelming. Lets compound the fact that you might also have to go into a very busy gym where everyone looks like they are already fit and know what they are doing with each machine. Maybe you don’t know how to use the V-Squat, or Iso-lateral shoulder press…but I am here to guide you.
Did you have to pay anything to find this blog? Am I selling a product? No…but I do have a hidden agenda. I want to impart my 15+ years of knowledge in the fitness industry onto those who are part of the Iron Realms community. I will provide those who are part of this community unfiltered, legit knowledge I’ve learned first hand through rigorous experimentation.
But lets not get it twisted…health and fitness is multi-faceted. It doesn’t just mean physically. Mental fitness is of even greater importance. It just so happens that the other pillars, or facets, of health contribute to one another to help expedite growth in all areas. This may be a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but bare with me.
I suppose its easiest to start with …
The single most important thing to remember as you embark on this journey to better yourself is consistency. That is literally the key to success as it pertains to becoming more healthy, both physically and mentally. It sounds simple, but its also the hardest thing to do at times. Which is why step one is - starting off small.
The problem with FAD diets and trendy things is that they work until they don’t. I won’t name any specific ones so I don’t get sued, but you can probably figure out which ones I’m talking about. The ones where you gotta buy all this company specific supplements or pre-made meals. While you may lose weight initially, you have to think…is that sustainable in the long run? Probably not. Are you going to remember to order these 30 days worth of pre packaged meals every month? Are you going to be able to afford that…first off, in this economy. There are many variables to consider.
Starting small means incremental changes that are sustainable. I always challenge my clients, family, and friends who want to do better by starting off changing one aspect of your life and then making that a habit. If your goal is to lose fat, you need to inspect what you put in your body every day. How much water are you consuming? How much processed food are you eating? Are you preparing your own foods or eating take out?
If I said stop eating out, prep all your food every day, don’t eat any simple carbs such as white breads, sugar, etc and I said start now! You will be miserable and eventually you will revert back to your old ways. In most cases not only revert, but binge even worse because you cavitated the consistency of diet your body has been used to.
I challenge you to start with this, reduce your sugar intake for a few weeks via the below methods. Take a look at that soda can, coffee creamer, BBQ sauce, energy drink, or whatever beverages you drink aside from water and look at the nutritional label. Sugars fall under carbohydrates. Pay attention to the total sugars and "included added sugars” numbers. Try to limit the amount of simple sugars you intake per day to no more than 50 grams or 200 calories.
Here are some ways that I have made this a part of my life - grabbed the first 5 things in my kitchen that I or my family use as substitutes as shown below;
Examples from my kitchen. I am not endorsing any specific product or company.
Here’s where the psychological part comes in. When you first switch to sugar substitutes, they are going to taste like shit. I’ll be honest. But, if you give it time, your taste buds will adjust and you will get to a point where you prefer these over the originals. If I try regular syrup, BBQ sauce, or whatever, its disgusting to me now. But like I said before, start small. Don’t change all your condiments out at once. Pick one and either do one of three things;
1- Go cold turkey on whatever you’re replacing, then integrate the sugar substitute.
2- Just switch if the taste difference isn’t that bad. For example, Sprite Zero tastes exactly the same as regular sprite to me…maybe its just me.
3-Go half and half. For example, use half of your regular coffee creamer, and half (or less) of the sugar free substitute. Gradually increase the sugar sub and decrease the original.
To state the obvious, your body needs sugars…so don’t go crazy with subbing everything out. I challenge you to try and get sugar from healthier sources such as fruits. I’m not a big fruit person, primarily because they aren’t always convenient for my busy life style. But I do eat a banana a day at a minimum. I also need the potassium from it because of how active I am physically.
So there it is…Step 1 toward a healthier you. Try this for a few weeks until you can no longer find healthy substitutes for those sugar dense foods and drinks. You can also check out the Discord Community , more specifically the #fitness channel to post updates, ask questions, or get added to the @fitness role where I ping to check up on folks regarding their progress.
Me making some dumb face because I suck at selfies.
I wish you the best of luck starting this journey. In the beginning its hard, but in the end, its worth it. I can’t even count how many times my friends, family, peers, etc fall behind in life because of physical and mental health issues. If you keep up with it, you will be the youngest and most healthy in your peer groups and then maybe you can inspire them.
- Iron Dad
