It pains me somewhat to say that but in fact this year I was the Runner Up in the Best of 417 awards.

Sure it’s disappointing but I’m actually proud of that runner up status. It reminds me of my senior seminar in political science. Dr. Connor was known as kind of a hard ass. A smart ass and a hard ass. The class grade was based on participation, a presentation and a paper. Even though it was an undergraduate paper, he treated it more like a master’s level thesis.  Planning of that paper and presentation started only a couple of weeks into the class and there were milestones that had to be met along the way to get full credit at the end. There was also lots of reading for the in class discussions.  It was one of the hardest classes I have ever taken.

I got a B in that class. I was really proud of that B too. I worked harder for that B than any A I had ever received.  That’s what made me so proud. I had given it my best effort and come out not on top but with some recognition for my hard work and some notes on where I could improve. I learned not just about the subject matter but about myself: what I was capable of and what areas I needed to improve.

This year’s contest affected me in the same way. The runner up status is recognition that I am proud of. It means that many of you believe in me, what I do and that I deserve the title of Best Personal Trainer in 417. But it also means there are many who don’t know me. They don’t know my own story of transformation and that I’ve walked a mile in their shoes. They don’t know how hard I work to give the best I can to each and every client.

Or perhaps they do know me but just don’t think I am the best. That means I need to step up my game. That means I need to continue to work harder and smarter, finding ways to give you what you need to achieve your fitness goals.

Let’s open the discussion here. My focus for 2012 is to be my best so I can bring out your best. I want that title again in 2013. Tell me what can I do better, what do you need from me to achieve your goals? How I can earn your vote for the Best Personal Trainer in 417 2013?

In September, Thrive Personal Fitness celebrated 2 years in business. After a little pat on the back for making it this far, I took some time to reflect on what I’ve managed to accomplish in that relatively short amount of time. While I’ve surpassed many of the goals I set for myself when we started in 2009, what really amazed me was the stories and accomplishments of the people I’ve helped.

When I started the business I had what I had learned from my own transformation and from lots of reading and studying. Now I had 2 years worth of real life hands on data. I had more success stories, other than my own, to learn what really helps people get fit in real life.

I reviewed the files of my most successful clients. While everyone does have their own individual program, I wanted to see what they had in common. What did they do differently that helped them achieve their goals, fat loss or otherwise?  My goal was to take this information, what I’ve named the Keys to Real Fitness, and continue to improve my process and programs. I wanted learn how I could continue to make more people successful, fit and happy.

Let me start with the biggest surprise-what they didn’t have in common.

There wasn’t a personality type or specific demographic that outperformed all the others.

• My clients are mostly women, but the Keys work on men too.
• All ages were represented. I have a grandma who got her energy back for her grandkids and a young woman who get her body in shape to start a family.
• Different careers. People with active jobs, desk jobs or stay at home moms had success.
• Some had more to lose than others. Some only had 10-15 lbs to lose, others have lost 60, 70 or 80 lbs.
• All fitness levels found success with the Keys. Beginners and former athletes all made progress.

All they had in common to start was patience and a desire to live a better life. They knew that they needed something different. They knew it was time to get off the diet roller coaster. They were ready to commit-not to a diet but a new way of living.

So for 4 weeks, I am going to share what made them successful. There are 4 Keys they all had in common that helped them achieve their goals. Each week I want to break it down for you and give you action steps to take to make it happen in your own life.

Ready to get serious and start an amazing journey?  We’ll talk about the 1^st Key on January 9^th. I’ll give you a hint-it’s my passion and has been the cornerstone of my journey from the very beginning. Learn what it is and how my most successful clients do it.

Some of you may know, but many may not, that I share space with a martial arts studio, Dunham’s Martial Arts.  Chris Dunham, the owner, and I have a pretty cool relationship. We both want people to be well and happy. Our goal is to help them get the most out of life. We do it in different ways, but we help people get fit and healthy. Sometimes clients choose to work with both of us.

Natalie, one of his students, didn’t consciously choose to work with me. But Chris was intuitive enough to know that Natalie needed a little help to reach her goals and wanted to give her a nudge to do so.  Natalie had been training at the school for 2 years when he decided to give her a gift certificate for my services.  It was a nice gift to congratulate her on passing a test but he also knew that it was one of her goals to lose weight and she was struggling a bit on her own.

I asked Natalie what went through her head when Chris gave her that gift certificate:

I was speechless and caught somewhere between being thankful for a gift and being "somewhat" placed into a situation that I needed but never would have done on my own.  Classic Mr. Dunham - always knowing that I can do more than what I think I can. 

That was about a year ago. I remember at that first meeting I could tell she wasn’t quite sure what to expect. While I share space, workouts are private, so she had never had an opportunity to see what I do. With the images people see on TV there is often this fear of being yelled at and made to workout until you drop. Not my style. We eased Natalie into a workout that matched her fitness level and her goals of furthering her kenpo training. And of course we talked food. Natalie loves to ask me food questions and I love to talk about nutrition. Natalie embraced meal planning unlike any other client that I’ve worked with.

Natalie not only does an awesome job of planning, but she also follows up. She plans her meals and then notates how her plan goes. Does she get hungry during the day? Does she run out of steam during kenpo practice? Does she eat of out emotion and not hunger? It’s helped her battle what she describes as her biggest challenge, emotional eating. Her mantra:

The answer isn’t in the pantry!

Meal planning and scheduling her workouts have been the biggest keys, in my opinion, to her success. What does success look like for Natalie? Let me run down her accomplishments:

• Ran her first 5K.
• Passed her Brown Belt test.
• Lost 33.8 lbs (and still going).

When I asked Natalie what she is most proud of she said, “‘My biggest success is now calling myself a runner.  I love going for a run”. In fact she’s set some pretty challenging running goals for herself, starting with a 10K in the spring.  I’ve seen Natalie hit a lot of goals over this past year and I am very confident she’ll hit the ones she sets in for herself in the future.

My favorite place to shop for food is Mama Jean’s Natural Market.  We have been shopping there pretty much since the store opened in 2002. Our previous health food store was experiencing a constant turnover in staff that had us wondering what was going on and Mama Jean’s was much closer to our house, less than a mile away.

As a regular I’m on a first name basis with one of the owners and I feel thankful to call Grace, one of their awesome chefs, a friend.  I met Shawn, who is in charge of programs at Mama Jean’s, at the iBody Directory meet up in October.  Recently Shawn contacted me to be part of an amazing program that Mama Jean’s is hosting.

It’s called the Mama’s Meltdown Challenge. He explained to me that the idea actually came from the staff themselves.  Even though they have many resources available to them at the store, they felt they needed a little push to get them motivated and moving along on their fitness journeys. When they discussed the idea with Shawn, it morphed into not just a workplace initiative but a way to get the entire community moving towards improved health and fitness.

Much needed since MO ranks 40 out 50 states on the Healthiest Places to Live!

Shawn then started making things happen. He reached out to me, as well as many other members of the iBody Community, to get sponsors (for prizes!) and support to create a fantastic 22 week transformation challenge for mind, body and spirit. While weight will be measured, the program is designed to focus on all dimensions of wellness: social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, physical, and intellectual.  Every month there will be seminars, discounts and, of course, prizes for those who meet the mark in hitting their goals.

Ready to join the Mama’s Meltdown Challenge? Here is what you need to know:

• Register at either Mama Jean’s location.
• Program starts January 9 and last for 6 months.
• Prizes are awarded in categories by gender and age.
• The entry fee is just $30. Not only do you get informative seminars and prizes for hitting goals, but you also get an awesome T-shirt and Mama’s Meltdown VIP card good for discounts some fabulous products.
• If you’ve got more questions than I can answer email Shawn at Wellness@MaMaJeansmarket.com

While ultimately you have to be motivated by being healthy and feeling good to stay on a fitness journey, having some extra incentives (and some extra help) can never hurt.  I can’t wait to see you at the first meeting on January 9^th!

Last year I made the decision to put books on their own list for the gift giving season. I think it was one of the best blogging decisions I made last year. I love books and believe strongly in the power of learning. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to your health and fitness.

The books I’ve included this year have great information with something for everyone, at every stage of a fitness journey.

• Just the Rules: Tosca Reno’s Guide to Eating Right: I like things that keep it simple. Tosca boils down the philosophy of clean eating into simple steps that you can tackle one by one.
• La Dolce Vegan!: This book has been out for awhile, but I have turned to it a lot over the past year. If you’re thinking of trying out a vegan lifestyle (or just interested in a more plant based diet)  this is the perfect cookbook.
• The Best of Clean Eating 2: Just in case you don’t have every issue of Clean Eating Magazine they way I do, you can get the best of their fantastic recipe collection without ordering a stack of back issues.  Not only are the recipes tasty but the photos are also beautiful.
• New Rules of Lifting for Abs: Don’t be fooled by the title. This is not a plan to get 6 pack abs. This is a plan for building a solid core and a healthy body.  The exercise plan is easy to follow but challenging.
• ACSM Complete Guide to Fitness and Health: This is the perfect book for a beginner who just needs to cut through all the noise about nutrition and exercise. Get the basics and get them from one of the most respected institutions in the fitness industry.
• Framework for the Lower Back: While I personally haven’t read this book, I have several friends who have given it rave reviews. If you suffer from low back pain, or know someone who does, add it to your list.
• Born to Run: Another book I haven’t read but it is all the rage among my running friends. If a 5K or a marathon is on someone’s radar for next year buy this book for a little inspiration.
• Good Calories Bad Calories: This book isn’t an easy read, but it is fascinating to see decades of research on weight loss, heart disease and diabetes presented in such a detailed fashion.
• Oxygen’s Pick it or Kick it: Think of this book as Eat This, Not That! for women.  A great stocking stuffer to help someone who is struggling to make better food choices.
• The End of Overeating: Anyone who’s been on this journey knows it’s not just physical, it is also mental.  This book delves into the psychology of why we eat what we eat and why we eat it.

Got a favorite that I missed?

Be sure to check out my Top 10 Fitness Gifts for 2011 Guide and

You can also check out my lists from previous years:
Top 10 Health and Fitness Gifts for 2010
Top 10 Health and Fitness Gifts for 2009
Top 10 Health and Fitness Books for Gifts

For the last 12 weeks, you’ve been getting a training update from Linden. She’s been sharing her side of the story, opening up about what it’s like to start this journey.

I’ve remained quiet since introducing her to you. I wanted this to be her story, unfiltered and real. Now that she’s spreading her wings and going forward on her own I thought it would be okay to throw in my 2 cents.

With Linden’s permission, let me share how she fared on this first leg of the journey.  Here are some basic stats:

Weight Lost: 13.4 lbs

Body Fat % Decreased: 2.3%

Fat Lost: 9.3 lbs

Inches off Waist: 3.5 inches

This in 12 weeks that included:

• One week of assessment sessions (very light workouts)
• One twisted ankle (jumping off a roof)
• Unable to run for 2 weeks after hurting knee
• Trips home to be with family, including one emergency trip due her grandmother’s illness.

My point is these weeks were not perfect. She had life coming at her from every direction. Obstacles presented themselves on almost a weekly basis. Sometimes we only got one session in. Sometimes runs had to be moved or abbreviated. Yet she persevered.

She knew that she had to take control of her health before it took control of her. I am so very proud of her for turning to me that morning last summer and saying I need to do something.

Something for many people can take a lot of forms: starvation diets, dangerous hormone injections, fads and gadgets. But she knew in her heart that something, if it was going to work and be lasting, had to be a permanent change in how she lived.

And it wasn’t easy. She pushed back on sugar. Her food journal had gaps and it was never perfect. But as she started to have more good days than bad and to treat her herself like the athlete she is things started to happen. She noticed, friends noticed. I saw her beam at the compliments at our Twitter meet up.  I saw her confidence increase. I saw her grow strong-mentally and physically.

Perfection shouldn’t be the goal because, as you can see, it rarely happens.  The goal should be do something real and sustainable, making changes that are both impactful and livable. Linden did this, bit by bit and week by week. She changed things that alone didn’t seem big, but when combined lead to some pretty satisfying results.  As she continues down this road she will continue to transform. Perhaps if we are lucky she will continue to share her journey with us. After all she’s not really on her own. She has you, me, friends and family that want to see her succeed. She’ll never be alone on this journey again.

To solidify what I’ve learned, I’m going to use this last post to reflect on what I’ve learned and the changes I’ve made.

First, let me tell you briefly about the half marathon that was supposed to be the end of this fitness blogging experiment. You can read the full story on my blog, but 9 days before the St. Louis Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon, I was involved in a 2-dog collision at the dog park and my MCL, a ligament in the knee, was sprained. No running for me for at least 6 weeks.

Now, on to what I’ve learned.

Working Out

What a relief! I’ve written before about how easy it is to work out with Pamela, when you have someone designing your workouts and coaching you along as you do them, but something that I learned (which I already knew…) was that having a scheduled time for work outs makes them happen. I will now be scheduling in my workout times and honoring them like Pamela is waiting for me. Before, I’d schedule work outs occasionally, but “something more important” (grading, house work, resting, Farmville, etc.) always came up. No more. If I really want to be comfortable in my own skin, I need to treat my workouts as an appointment.

I’ve also learned that I don’t need a gym membership or an expensive exercise machine. I can build muscle with my own body weight, some free weights, kettle bells, resistance bands, and an exercise ball or Bosu ball. Another relief! The best part about this truth is that it makes me way more likely to continue working out.

Eating

This was a big one for me, but I knew it would be from the beginning. I’ve learned so much in this area that I think I’m going to use a list to share it all with you.

• Eating healthy is, on some level simple. Put wholesome, nutritious food in my body and avoid chemical-laden pre-processed foods as much as possible.
• It takes either strong willpower or planning to take that simple idea and put it into practice. If I want to fill up on veggies and not Cheez-its or Snyder’s Buffalo Chicken Pretzel Bites (and I do!), I need to make sure I have veggies to eat. If I want to eat three servings of veggies per day, I need to do it intentionally. It just ain’t gonna happen by chance.
• I need to buy different food in the first place. I bought all that unhealthy food for years, and that is what I filled my cabinets with, so that I what I reached for when I was hungry. Now all I need to do is fill my cabinets with wholesome, nutritious food.
• I need to avoid certain combinations of foods that trigger overeating. For me, that includes Dr. Pepper and Cheez-its or those Buffalo Chicken Pretzel Bites I mentioned earlier. It seems that I just can’t control myself with those combinations in front of me. I can eat a healthy portion and stop if I have just the Cheez-its or just the Dr. Pepper, but not both. What are your trigger foods?
• Pre-processed means pre-digested. When I make food from scratch using wholesome, nutritious ingredients, my body will burn more calories breaking that food down because it hasn’t already been broken down by the food manufacturers.
• There is a lot to learn about the food available on the grocery shelves, even the seemingly healthy food (because let’s be honest, I am not going to make every single thing I eat from scratch). For example, my husband bought these Kraft Milk & Granola bars, and I thought the ingredient list looks pretty good. When I went over it with Pamela, she pointed out that there were four types of sweeteners listed, and they all sounded great: sugar, honey, molasses, cane sugar. But using different sweeteners means that sugar won’t be the first ingredient. Instead, the ratio of sugar to carbs will tell you if there are too many sugars in that “healthy” snack.
• Counting calories isn’t that bad, especially when you have a clear goal and solid advice. I used to HATE counting calories. Took away all the joy of eating for me. But when Pamela asked me to start doing so, I actually enjoyed carefully portioning my food and trying to eat well throughout the day. The difference? I now know why I am counting calories.
• Cutting just 500 calories a day means losing a pound a week. Five hundred calories is nothing, especially when you’re making wholesome, nutritious food choices and avoiding empty-calorie pitfalls to the best of your ability.

The list could go on. The basic idea? You’ve gotta want to actually do something about your weight, not just take the easy and impermanent way out with pills or surgery. And then you need to take it seriously. That doesn’t mean it can’t be fun or delicious, but being healthy, not dieting!, has got to be up there on your priority list. After all, “If you change nothing, nothing will change.”

Did you miss one of Linden's Posts? See them all at this link!

Why do I jump, lift and sweat when others are still asleep or sitting on their couches?

Long before it was my job, I committed to a life of fitness because I knew it was the key to good health and an enjoyable life.  My trip to Paris solidified this fact.  I can’t imagine someone who isn’t fit and is carrying too much weight would be able to do and see what I did. Here are the fit lessons I was reminded of.

Top of Notre Dame by W Brian Duncan

Lesson 1: Lack of endurance limits what you can do.

I mentioned before that we explore new cities via public transit and on foot when we can. It’s inexpensive and the best way to truly get to know your surroundings.  We rarely spend time at our hotel or apartment because we keep going going and going.  We walk for miles every day. Not to mention many sites, for example the Tower at Notre Dame, do not elevators. Its 400 steps to the top. Legs that do nothing but sit all day won’t survive.

Lesson 2: Your body needs to be able to move in multiple planes-pushing, pulling, squatting and bending.

It starts when you get on the plane. Lifting and pushing bags into overhead compartments, without hurting yourself or others takes skill. Then when you arrive and you must tote those bags on trains and subways, up stairs (no elevators in the Metro or our apartment) and down curbs. It takes strength you can’t get doing just leg extensions and tricep kickbacks.

Lesson 3: Being a proper weight means more than fitting into a bikini.

Back to my example, the Tower at Notre Dame. Some of the openings were very narrow as you toured the top, maybe a foot wide in spots.  If you’re morbidly obese, you simple won’t fit even if you could make the stairs. You would be missing, in my opinion, the best view of Paris there is.

Fitness isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. I believe in being  in the best shape I can so that I can enjoy all the world and life has to offer. Don’t miss out on the beauty of the world and the adventures of living by not being fit and healthy.

First, let me introduce myself. I’m Linden’s husband, Rob. I was real happy when Linden started working with Pamela. I mean, I’ve always thought my wife was beautiful, but when your woman isn’t happy with her body, there isn’t much a man can say to make her believe that you really truly think she’s beautiful, ya know? But no way was I getting on board with this whole veggie-eating, favorite-shunning diet. I’ve only gained a few pounds in the last few years eating pretty much what I want. And my clothes always fit. No need to go overboard.

Until last week.

I needed some new dress pants, so I bought a couple in my size. They didn’t fit, and I didn’t want to take them back because we got a great deal on them. My only other options? Lose a few pounds. I had just started running again anyway, but I think the real key to fitting back into those slacks is eating less Funyuns.

I’ve been watching Linden portion out her food using the kitchen scale or measuring cups for weeks now, so I thought that would be the way to go. I finally asked her about the food changes Pamela is asking her to make--more veggies and less processed foods—but I don’t think I gotta do all that. I think it will make a huge difference just to eat more normal portions.

But I had to check out some calorie counting apps on my sweet Nexus S. That’s when Linden explained this whole “calorie deficit” thing that Pamela has taught her, so one night I find myself getting measured in about 18 different places so that we can estimate my body fat percentage so that we could then calculate my basal metabolic rate, so I that I could then eat about 500 fewer calories a day, which adds up to shedding about a pound a week. Once we had that all figured out, I got to play with those healthy apps some more. I’m using DailyBurn for calorie counting and iMapMyRUN+ to track my runs. Playing with the apps is half the fun, right?

It’s actually been pretty fun! I’m still eating what I want, but in healthier portions. I’ve already lost 3 pounds! And now Linden can’t say I don’t support her healthy eating thing. Win-win, right?

--Linden here. Luckily I found this before Rob sent it off to Pamela for me! Guys, stop reading. Ladies, don’t you just hate how quickly some men can lose weight?! Well, Rob is running hills pretty much every day, and he takes the dog for a walk as his cool down. I still haven’t quite convinced him about the whole “veggie eating” thing yet, but just give me a couple weeks…

Did you miss one of Linden's Posts? See them all at this link!

We only had one session the week that they left, and during that time, Pamela and I went through the workout she had planned for me to do while she’s gone. We’ve talked about the equipment that I own, so she knew what I have to work with, and this workout session uses what I’ve got. There are two things I like about this.

1. I don’t have to buy anything this week in order to stay on track with our workouts.
2. I now know one great workout that I can do at home! It’s challenging, and it gets my heart rate up, and I don’t have to go to a gym to do it.

I told you last week how intimidated I feel at gyms, so I love that Pamela truly met me where I’m at, not just physically, but also with the assets that I have. Several of the exercises use my body weight, but I’ve got an exercise ball, so she included a couple that take advantage of that.

Now, the hardest part was making sure I did my workout on my own. I printed out a medication check list I found at CalendarsThatWork.com and edited it to become a workout check list. I scheduled all my workouts for the week, including my runs, and put it in the binder with my food journal. I’m checking it every morning to see what I need to do for the day. I think this is a routine that I can stick to once I have to do this on my own.

I needed her on Saturday, though. I ran a 10k race, and I did not live up to the expectations I had set for myself. Something went terribly wrong in the calf department, and I felt like my legs were working against me the whole time. I tweeted about it, and Pamela wrote back with a suggestion. How about that! I gotta be honest with you; when I’m on vacation, I don’t check my work email, much less respond. But this woman is dedicated. If she believes in me and the process we’re going through to take time out of her French vacation, how can I let her down by taking a vacation from eating healthy or working out?!

So I don’t like that I’m not in Paris, but I know that Pamela and Brian are having a fabulous time and that I’ll get to hear about all of their adventures in more than 140 characters soon enough! I also now know that I can do this on my own (with a little help every now and again), and that is a great feeling.

Did you miss one of Linden's Posts? See them all at this link!