My Experiences

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Understand your reasons for starting the journey. Those reasons can and will most likely change as you do. Write your goals down and update them along the way.

Come up with a plan you can sustain and stick to it. Regression will happen. Dr. Harris recommends looking at it like a bank account. The more you put in and the less you take out, the better off you are. It’s about intention, not perfection. Have a plan to always come back to. Focusing on what you can do and not focusing on the things you can’t.

Establish a routine of being in the gym or exercising where it is comfortable for you. I believe this is the first step. Just commit to the guidelines you put in place and execute them. Just being able to set aside 20 mins of walking per day is a great start. The treadmill establishes boundaries and gives personal space. Use this time to build confidence and watch others that seem to understand the movements. Things will begin to snowball in the right direction.

Find a balance between understanding the information and applying it. Studying all day in a chair won’t improve your fitness levels.

After completing my Economics degree in 2017, these pictures were taken. The previous year was spent stressed out traveling back and forth to campus. I focused on limiting fat gain through nutrition during this period. My focus on resistance training or cardiovascular exercise just was not there. My preparation for the pictures was less than 6 weeks. You will notice the drastic difference in the two images even though the pictures were taken within 20 hrs of each other.

     ● Angle - Notice how the angel of the picture being taken plays a big part in how my body is presented. Notice the imbalance and chronic issues on the left side of my neck. These are not as relevant in the final picture.

     ● Lighting/Backdrop - You can see for yourself! Thanks to my friend Brett Dotson on the camera!

     ● 17 lbs lost in 3 days. In no way do I think dehydrating myself to the point I did was good for my body. It was simply to produce a picture to talk about! I fasted 4 complete days without food. On the night of day 4, I stopped my water intake. I did some short sessions in the sauna. Woke the next morning and returned to the sauna. My water intake had been cut 15 hrs before the picture. I was 15 lbs heavier, back to 155-156 lbs once I rehydrated.

I eat 3-4 meals per day, my carb intake comes solely from fruit and vegetables. Usually Eggs/Avocado/Cheese, Shake, Ground Beef (Burgers, Chopped) or a Grass Fed Steak with Vegetables, and/or Baked Chicken with Vegetables. I may eat some dark chocolate from HEB with almonds. I may take a shot of extra virgin olive oil if I need some clean fuel before bed (Dr. Harris). Incorporating Organic Fruit (Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Oranges) to my diet helps curb the cravings for sweets later in the day. I drink all the water and black coffee I want. See my supplement section.

I fast for 5 days every 6 months. It is an amazing reset to the body! I drink electrolytes, Real Ketones, and bone broth during the fast. I also fast 24 hrs every week. I do this immediately after my cheat meal which ends up being Saturday afternoon. I’m back into ketosis by Monday burning fat. Every 3rd month, I Incorporate a little more carbohydrates from sources like Sweet Potatoes, White Rice, and White Potatoes.

I do my best to avoid all processed foods. I just don’t eat fast food. It doesn’t taste good in my opinion. I’m guilty of the sweets from the HEB bakery sitting around the house. One brownie turns to a brownie every night, then a brownie every meal, then pancakes before bed. I have never experienced an addiction grow the way sugar does. Fasting is my way out.

In the gym I am focused more on time under tension exercises along with cardiovascular type training workouts mixed in. I take 60 seconds between sets. I visualize my workouts before doing them. I take my shoes off for leg exercises. I hired a trainer. She knows exactly how to work with me. We talked for less than 5 mins during our 60 minute session. I put my headphones on. She plans my workouts, gives feedback on my form, and creates accountability. She has been a big part of my recent progress and look forward to what we can do. I always thought trainers were a waste of money. That’s a long time to watch me walk on the treadmill. Finding the right trainer can lead to valuable information that can save so much valuable time. I wasted 10 years in the gym being hard headed. Once I figured out how to lose fat, I couldn’t be told anything by anyone. Find a mix between open minded and hard headed.

     ● No Nitraflex, No Alcohol (I may drink 4 to 5 times a year. Don’t eat.) 

     ● Sauna - 25 mins, 3 x per week at 160 degrees

     ● Cold Plunge 

     ● Grounding - 15 mins daily, barefoot on wet cement 

     ● Sunlight - 20+ mins daily (with grounding usually)

     ● Breath work - 3 times daily, so many techniques, Breath!

     ● Meditation - 20 mins daily, usually 5-10 mins 2-3 times 

     ● Stretching and Foam Rolling - different body parts, 5 - 20 mins, whenever 

I have time or a muscle needs work.

My focus recently has been on what I am able to do, not what I can’t. I strive to meet these goals every single day. I know that isn’t going to happen day in and day out but I have a plan. I know where I want to be. I don’t get down anymore, each day is a new start. At the end of the day, I reflect on the work I did accomplish and how you can improve!