How to maintain without stress while on the road

I often get asked about eating on the road. If it's a vacation or break, I do NOT track or even watch what I eat. But I don't binge or go out of my way to eat “junk,” either. Mostly I try to be in the moment. That means focusing more on WHERE I am and WHO I'm with and letting food be a part of my day. However, if it's more of a business trip or if I have a goal looming, I'm much more actionable...

Don’t wait, start living

I'd no idea it was National Sons Day or that it even existed. And my initial reaction was, why? Every day already revolves around my son, who at six years-old is a turbulent mix of wants & needs that dominate my schedule and my wallet. But I’ll let him have this day. He didn’t arrive until I was deep in my forties and yet has taught me so much about life. 1. Don’t wait to start a family....

Think big, act small

Nothing tramples progress faster than "ah-screw-it” absolutist thinking. Let’s say you’ve had a strong week on the diet front, prepping and eating all your meals to plan. Until Friday rolls around… and you ditch another Tupperware meal at your desk to join your co-workers on the patio for tacos and drinks. No big deal. But then ah-screw-it swoops in, and suddenly you’re considering making the...

Flexibility with your programming

A big reason "flexible dieting" is so popular is that it dramatically reduces stress. All food is now suddenly fair game. More importantly, from a practicality and sustainability perspective, on-the-fly changes, travel modifications, and restaurant meals become SO much easier—just as long as you "crunch the numbers." It seems a little wiggle room makes things easier in the real world, eh? But...

Where the real magic happens

The older you get, the harder it is to build muscle. Specifically, new muscle tissue—not maintaining what you already have. 'Cause if you're in your fifties and in good overall health, preserving the muscle you've built over the years is mostly straightforward. But adding NEW muscle as you get into the later years? Especially if you are close to your "genetic ceiling"—that's MUCH more...

2 Challenges that never fail

There are many diet and exercise “challenges" out there. Most are directed at attracting newbies, which sure might help build a client roster. But personally, given the failure rate for newbies is so high already, isn’t “the process” challenging enough? But for those with a little more experience, there are some challenges that can really make your life better—IF you're successful. Here are two...

Train for the long term

You won't wake up on your 40th and suddenly need a stair-lift and mobility scooter. But training in your 40s and beyond IS different. Consider this recent client question: "As a man approaching 50 that’s lifted for many years, do you feel that preserving hard-earned gains is best focused on injury prevention—rather than trying to keep loading the bar with more weight or extra volume?" It's...