7 habits of highly effective "losers"

By losers of course I mean people that lose weight.

Sorry Stephen Covey, it's catchy.

Millions of people lose weight every year. Problem is that most of that weight is gained back and then a little extra is added on for good measure.

It today's short post I am going to bullet point the 7 habits of people that manage to keep the weight off. Some of these may surprise you.

HABIT #1: They start with a true purpose. I once read a story of a man who tried and tried to lose the weight and he couldn't. Then one day his daughter was dying and needed a kidney. He could give her his kidney but there was a problem: he was to fat. Do you want to take bets on whether that dude lost the weight.

You know he did.

My friend Autumn was 300+ lbs was told straight faced by a doctor that, at 23, she wouldn't see her 30th birthday. That didn't sit well with her and her two babies. She lost the weight.

My friend Brittany is on a weigh loss journey. Her's started when she couldn't perform CPR on a dummy because she was to fat. PURPOSE. 

Find you true reason and purpose for losing the weight and you'll be amazing how quickly the fat comes off.

HABIT #2: They do it the hard way. We all know what the "easy" way is. It's the newest pill or newest diet of the latest craze of this or that. Perhaps surgery.

None of that crap works. Those that do it the hard way ALWAYS succeed. Those that try the latest "craze" almost always fail.

HABIT #3: They create a weight loss synergy. I don't think I have ever heard of a long term success story that starts with, "I lost the weight first through diet then I started exercising...."

It just doesn't happen that way.

"I am going to start running everyday and lose the weight....." Are you changing your diet? No? Not a success habit.

You need to balance what you do. You need to take supplements. You need to exercise. You need to change the way you THINK about food. You basically need to change WHO YOU ARE.

HABIT #4: They "leverage" the scale. Those that create a  great weigh loss journey use the scale like this: "Weight went up today? Crap. Means I'm not doing enough or I need to re-adjust my path..."

"Down 5 lbs. BOOM! I am a champion! WAHOO!"

Those that stare at the scale and expect big numbers and get frustrated when they don't come lose in the end. The number on the scale is a victory every time! It means you are doing something right so keep doing it or it means TIME TO CHANGE.

HABIT #5: They use supplements. I'll be 100% honest. I have helped more people lose a weight in the last 2 years by helping to connect them with supplements then I did in the 12 years previous COMBINED but using diet and exercise as tools.

Your body needs to be balanced and detoxed before it can lose weight long term. This is 100% truth. You need probiotics for digestive health, you need omega's to fight inflammation, you need the correct micro-nutrition to help your body to absorb the macro-nutrition.

I believe people make two MAJOR mistakes when it comes to supplementation.

Mistake #1: They don't do it. If you think you get all your nutrition from the food you eat then you need to re-think that thought. It just doesn't happen. Sometimes people also say, "I don't do supplements" but yet drink coffee before a workout and chocolate milk after a workout. Those are supplements people. You need to supplement if you want to lose weight long term. PERIOD.

Mistake #2: People read an article online (where EVERYTHING is 100% true) and fancy themselves biochemical nutritional pharmacologists and buy 16 different supplements at Wal-Mart. How is it that you know more than the scientific and medical advisory board from  AdvoCare or any other company?

My advice on supplements is to stick with one company. Of course I think that AdvoCare is the best but if you like another company then stick with that. Don't mix and match. Stay with one company's system because likely the people that put it together and smarter then you or I.

HABIT #6: They workout in a progressive manner. This means that as the days and weeks go on you realize that the one that brought you to the dance isn't the one that is going to bring you home. Just because you lost 10 lbs walking 30 minute per day doesn't mean you are going to lose 20 that way.

Every time you workout you need to add things and make things harder. Challenge yourself to do a different exercise or do the same thing longer or faster.

If you are trying to lose weight long term to need to accept that everyday (or most days) you are going to physically exhaust yourself at the gym. If that is to hard then get used to being overweight. Sorry. Don't mean to be harsh but there is no compromise here. It's gonna be tough. Accept that an get to work.

HABIT #7: They don't view calories as the enemy. Very rarely do I hear of a long term success stay that begins with, "I cut my calories way back....."

If you don't eat you die. Is that what you want? Do you really think that eating caused you to gain weight? It's lack of eating followed by binge eating is what caused most people to gain weight.

It's as much about quality of food as it is about quantity. Have you ever heard someone lament the fact that all that broccoli they ate as a kid made them fat?

Ridiculous, right? It's just as ridiculous to try to "restrict" calories and lose weight. Do you need to stop eating CRAP? Absolutely.

Calories are a good thing. You need to eat to survive and you need to eat SMART to lose weight.

Those that succeed long term with weight loss treat food and calories as a ally and not an enemy.

Do you live local to the Central Florida / Leesburg area? If you do will you consider checking out the race that my wife and I are putting on October 4th?

Here is the link for more details and to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/running-is-for-the-birds-5k-runwalk-tickets-12710751199

I hope you can join us. Pre-registration is just $15 and kids 15 and under are free and can register on race day. 

Did you get value out of today's post? If so please share with your friends. You never know when you could change someones life! 

To your success!

Rick Copley | Your Best Fitness Coach  | "Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page |Instagram: @rickcopley 

352-989-6795 | rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

My top 5 tips for distance runners to avoid injuries

You are training for a marathon or your first 5k. Or maybe you are triathlete trying to improve your run time. Perhaps you are competitive high school of collegiate runner. Maybe even you are adding running to your workout routine to help you get fit or to help shed body fat.

It doesn't matter WHY you are running. Chances are you have been injured.

Injuries range from minor setback to major issues that requite months of rehab or perhaps surgery.

How do you avoid getting injured?

Truth be told it is VERY hard to completely avoid being hurt. It's part of running for sure. In all the years that I have been running I have beenf injured BUT I have been blessed to say not very often.

Today's post will help you if you are hoping to stay injury free.

TIP #1: Proper warm up. A proper warm-up involves you getting out of breath and getting your joints lubricated. I like to do squats and some push-ups to go with a 5-10 minute easy run. I will also throw in a couple of "striders" or "accelerations" to get my body running a little quicker.

This is a great warm up for a race. What about a normal run? To help prevent injuries you should run for a short period of time, like 5-10 minutes, then walk for a spell before you hit your normal pace. If you are a "slower" runner who does 12-15+ minute per mile then this can be a walk to get the blood flowing. Another way to get warmed up is to do some squats of jumping jacks before you head out the door.

Regardless of how you do it, you shouldn't just run out the door at your regular running pace. Ease into it!

TIP #2: Run on trails. Sometimes people will tell me that they don't run on trails because they don't want to get hurt. This, my friends, is precisely WHY we run on trails. Running on soft and uneven surfaces keeps you alert and it makes you lower extremities work harder and thus get stronger.

Here is a video that I recorded a few months ago on the benefits of trail running.

Don't you think strong ankles, knees and hips will help you stay injury free? You bet!

I believe that you should do 1/3 to 1/2 of your training on a soft surface. Trails are awesome but running in the grass on the side of the road is also a good idea.

TIP #3: Fuel you body! I don't know about you but I think this is the most important one. If your car runs out of gas you don't blame the gauge do you?

No. That's silly. But we, as runners, get hurt and we try to blame our shoes or our flexibility or the pace or something crazy like that.

Why should our high performance vehicles (us) perform properly without the right fuel?

What to eat is another topic for another day. Just understand that you need to have fuel for the fire. You need to have the right micro-nutrients (supplements help for sure), macro-nutrients (focus on QUALITY and not quantity) and water.

If you are in the habit of running without proper nourishment then you may be causing your injuries with that decision.

TIP #4: Do functional workouts. I am a VERY big fan of not just running. I am a fan of cross training and working out at the gym.

I will also say that I am not a big fan of traditional weight lifting and stretching. (More on that later)

So if you interpret "functional workouts" as the leg extension, inner/outer thigh machine or bench press then you are missing the definition of functional training.

For the most part functional routines keep your feet on the floor and focus on building strength through the core. Examples of exercises are: kettlebell swings, thrusters, burpees, push-ups, standing row, bar push-press, cleans, dead-lifts...etc.

Don't get me wrong. I don't advocate that distance runners become power lifters or CrossFit fanatics. I just think that it is important that runners add some functional resistance training to their routines. I would keep it simple. Do 2-3 workouts per week that have some intensity and last 15-30 minutes. I would get with a coach or spend some time in front of YouTube to get these exercises dialed in the right way.

In case you are wondering CrossFit workouts for the most part fit this bill. Doing CrossFit full time probably won't help your running a whole bunch. If you do CrossFit don't try to up your max lifts. Keep everything that you do below your body weight.

TIP #5: Balance your endurance workouts. One thing I have learned over the years is that as I add mileage to my running I tend to get burned out, sick or injured. Don't take this as gospel for everybody but I don't like high mileage training for anybody.

It's a law of diminishing returns in my eyes. The change of getting sidelined with sickness and injury increases exponential with the addition on miles over 40 per week.

I am a huge fan of supplementing running mile in the pool or on a bike. Instead of another hour long run add a 2 hour bike or a 45 minute swim. You will still get a workout and give your running muscles a little break.

So there you have it. My top 5 tips for avoiding injuries as a runner....

Wait. Is there something missing?

Of course. It's the top 5 ways not ALL OF THEM. Will having good shoes help? Sure. Does stretching prevent injuries? The jury is still out on that one. Some say it does and some say it doesn't.

Personally I think that stretching after you run isn't a bad thing but it doesn't help prevent injuries.

Another thing that will help you is chiropractic care and massage.

Look at that! You got 9 tips for the price of 5!

Are you curious about supplementation for runner? I recorded a quick video a while back that may help you. Check it out and email me with questions: (rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com)

Did you find value in this short post? If so please share with your friends. They may find some value as well! 

Have a great weekend! 

To your success!

 Rick Copley | Your Best Fitness Coach  | "Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page |Instagram: @rickcopley 

352-989-6795 | rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com

5 keys to long term success in health and fitness

I know. Long title. I titled this post like that for a reason; it's a great reason.

Lately I have had the "No Limits" concept on my mind. When I think about "fitness" and "health" it's not a bout a "goal" or a "number" or an "event"...it's about YOU and it's about you being more.

The more will change. The goal will change. It may be weight loss today and an Ironman next year. Who knows? There are no limits to what you can do.

Today's post if for someone trying to lose 10 lbs. But is also for someone trying to lose 100 lbs of train for a 5k or an Ironman.

I don't want to pigeon hole anyone. It's about and it's for YOU!

How do you succeed with becoming more and being better long term? Here are 5 keys that I know can help you.

1. Begin with WHY.  I like listening to books on my iPhone. I usually listen when I am doing the dishes or driving. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. It also helps me to learn and to grow as a person. The book that I am listing to now is called, "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek. It's about successful businesses but the principles work great for you and I and out health.

Why are you doing what you are doing? My friend Brittany has an awesome why. She wants to lose 150 lbs so she can start a family. This means something and it will FORCE her to make good decisions each and every day. Your why may change but the importance needs to stay the same. Doing anything hard is never going to work long term if you don't have a compelling reason to do it.

2. Seek support, shed the anchors. There are a couple of concepts at play here. First of all, don't be that person that has a secret goal and does things in private. These people are afraid to fail and in the end the thing that we fear most almost always happens. Be bold about what you are doing and seek out people that are on the same mission as you.

You would be amazed at how many people are trying to get healthy and to become more. TRUST ME. I know a ton of them. Make new friends and support one another. This is vital.

It is also vital that you shed from your life the people that want to bring you down. In my life the minute someone tries to bring me down they are GONE. I don't accept that from people. I un-friend people on Facebook almost everyday. I also un-follow people on Instagram everyday. If you are not going to support me well then you do not have the privilege of being part of my world. PERIOD.

You need to have the same thought process. Who are your biggest cheerleaders? Get around them! Who are the people that bring you down? Shed them from your life. 

3. Start with YOU on your calendar. If you don't use some sort of calendar system you should. How do you know when to do stuff? Gosh...I would forget EVERYTHING if I didn't use my Google Calendar. 

We all start with some sort of blank calendar somewhere. What is the first thing that goes onto the blank page? My suggestion is that the first thing you schedule is YOU time. Now this is different for everybody. I like to workout a lot so I schedule my workout time. Unless my house is on fire don't call me during workout time. I will not answer. (HINT: text me. I will likely read in then finish my workout and pray the fire department can save my house!)

You need to schedule things like reading time, workouts, food shopping, meal prep.... all the truly important things that most people simply hope they do then someone claim, "I didn't have time..."

4. Set goals. I'm not just talking about your big goal. I'm talking about daily, weekly, monthly, hourly.... GOALS all the time. If you are doing something you'd better have a goal. My goal RIGHT NOW is to get this blog post out there by 9:30am. I have 33 minutes. I'd better get cranking. 

You are not on an inter-tube on a fast flowing river. Life doesn't just happen. You PLAN and you DESIGN your life. Get to work planning every aspect of it so that life doesn't happen to you. You need to HAPPEN to life! 

5. Read books. If you are not growing as a person then you are not succeeding. Personal growth is the spark that lights all fires. It's been said the only difference between you now and you 5 years from now is the people you hang out with and the books you read.

I believe this 100%. Shut off your stupid TV and pick up a book. Be more that average. Be more than the person that zones out in front of the TV every night with a beer and a bag of chips.

Grow, learn and be more. The time is going to pass anyway. Why now work on yourself instead letting others try to sell you crap?

There are no limits to what you can do. Fight for the body you want and fight to FEEL the way that you want. It's already inside you. All you need to do is let it out!

Did you find this post helpful? If so I would appreciate a share no social media. Someone out there may need some motivation and this could be his of her trigger.

Would you like to be personally coached by my wife and I? Its what we do for a living. Shoot me a quick email and I can go over the options with you. My email is: rick@yourbestfitensscoach.com. Teresa's email is teresa@yourbestfitnesscoach.com . We would be glad to help.

To your success!

Rick Copley | Your Best Fitness Coach  | "Empowering YOU to be a champion" 

Your Best Fitness Coach Facebook Page |Instagram: @rickcopley 

352-989-6795 | rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com