ActiveNutFitness

I'm a thirty-something dad, husband, musician, gamer, tech junkie, and a newfound health nut! In 2016, I lost 55 pounds, and gained a new life perspective. Now I wish to inspire change in others through my story. "Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better." https://www.instagram.com/activenutfitness/ www.theactivenuts.com

[activenutfitness]

Past, Present & Future

One of my biggest faults has always been that I tend to live in the past. I spend far too much of my time pondering the what-if and what-could’ve-been. This flaw has held me back from becoming the best version of me time and again. While it’s important to retain our memories of days gone by, it’s equally as important to live in the here and now, and plan for our future.

We, as people, are creatures capable of cognitive processes, and as such, our memories are our greatest asset. Without them, we would be destined to repeat our mistakes in dreadful repetition. Yet, even with these remembrances, some of us continue to re-create previous slipups. Our memories of the past should mold and shape us, not hinder us to an existence of unhappiness. I’m aware that this is easier said than done. I still struggle with an internal conflict to relive the past in my mind on an endless loop. Most things cannot be undone, but we can still make the best out of bad situations, and move on with our lives. That’s the beauty of humanity, we are very adaptable. With willingness and perseverance, we can successfully make a new ending to our lives rather than to remain stuck in limbo.

That’s why it’s critical to learn from the past and live in the present. If we continue to live in the former, our futures will never be fully realized, or perhaps even be created at all. It is possible to become caught in a moment of our lives and never make it out. We will wake everyday with the same feelings and emotions that plagued us from that instant in time, onward. Those feelings, while unresolved, will tear at our inner selves and make it impossible to change or advance through life as one should.

Most important of all is our present. We must define ourselves with who we are today, not who we were yesterday. We must not be exemplified by our past mistakes or actions. We have all made poor choices in our lives, had lapses in judgement, made errors that affect us throughout our everyday journey. It’s from those faults that we learn to be stronger and improve upon ourselves. Thus, it is imperative to do just that. Let’s learn from our past mistakes and become stronger and wiser. Let’s peek into the approaching days ahead, and plan a brighter, more substantial future.

I have now begun to face my fears head-on, and look deep into my future, and I have been able to catch glimpses of a life that I want. I now try to live today, and day by day, I am progressing towards a future that I can call my own. A future, that I can be happy with, and proud of. I refuse to be characterized by my prior conduct, and have now begun to accept that I represent myself through my current actions, which are continuing to be shaped and formed.

So, learn from the past, live in the present, and make the choices that matter most to create a future that makes you feel alive. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. It’s vital to live rather than simply exist.

[activenutfitness]

Toxic People, Toxic Lifestyles & Negative Energies

I have believed for a long time, that it doesn’t matter whether it’s an associate, friend, or a family member, if you have a toxic relationship with someone, then it might be time to let them go or at the very least keep them at a safe distance. Everyone needs to learn how to take care of themselves and if a connection to another person is bringing you down or filling your life with negativity, then you need to start thinking of your needs and re-evaluate your relationship with this person.

I have always been a person that chooses to have a few close friends over hundreds of associates, or to be part of a clique. I try to encompass myself with the family members I connect best with and feel safe and secure around. Granted, I myself haven’t always been the most positive person to be around either. It’s something I am currently still working on, but a large part of that was removing a significant amount of negativity from my life, which included, but is not limited to, the toxic individuals that surrounded me. I would say that it probably upset, or perhaps offended some people, but the thing is, toxic people only care about themselves and the people in their lives that they can manipulate for their best interest.

I have now divided my attention to what’s best for me and MY friends and family. I emphasize my, because if you are a close friend, family member or someone else I hold dear to me then you are a part of MY family. Family isn’t about blood, DNA, or who you shared a home with when you were growing up, it’s about the people who you care about, and in turn care about you. Family are people who would do almost anything for you, will listen to you when you need someone to talk to, be there for you when you need it most, and most importantly, someone who doesn’t bring you down or make you feel less than. If someone loves you, or simply likes you, they won’t intentionally hurt you.

Take a moment and begin thinking of all the people in your life: coworkers, parents, siblings, old and new friends, acquaintances and even your neighbors. What role do these people play in your life? How do they make you feel? Do they improve upon your day, or do they add additional stress? Do you look forward to seeing these individuals? These are all very important questions, that must be answered to get the best out of your own life.

You can’t change who your parents are or who your siblings are, I understand you may need to keep these people in your life, but to what degree? Sometimes you just need to figure out how to distance yourself from certain individuals without necessarily removing them completely, but it is important to create as much space between you and a negative energy as possible, for your sake.

It’s also important to know that in excluding toxic persons from your life, you must also remedy toxic lifestyles and negative surroundings. Toxic lifestyles can be many things, the obvious things being, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise or activity, too much screen time (watching TV, smartphones, playing games, etc.) and always looking at the negatives in your life. Often, negative surroundings can be a cause for this as well. People don’t always take in consideration the layout of their home, for example. There is evidence that clutter, too much blank space, not having enough natural light, and the deprivation of color can all lead to added stress and unhappiness.

Truth is, a lot of these things I still need to work on, and I really should make more time for the family and friends I care about (if some of them are reading this they may think I find them toxic in my life simply because I don’t keep in touch as well as I should, though I assure you, that’s not the case). By nature, I’m rather reserved, for the most part like to keep to myself. This, is all quite new to me. It’s a step outside my comfort zone, what with this blog, my fitness journey Instagram, and really, with social media in general. However, it’s all been a step towards a more positive lifestyle for me, myself and I.

Take the time to assess your present way of life, and make the appropriate choices to a healthier and happier you. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Life is simply to short not to be as happy as you can, and should be

[activenutfitness]

Make Time Work for You

Time can be your best friend or your worst enemy, it depends on you which it will become. Sure, unexpected things happen that you can’t change, for the bad or even the worst, but how you perceive it and deal with the situations depends on how time works for you. Of course, I do also believe there are some life situations, that in your own mind, you can’t possibly see any positivity from, see the good in, or see how you will grow from it. That’s where you should work the hardest. When I lost my mom, it was hard to see the positive in it. It took a lot of hard work on my part to make the best of it and see it from a new perspective, but when I did, I felt better and have remained better. I still miss my mom, I loved her and will always cherish the memories we had, but as I have stated before, thanks to her, she was a big inspiration to my new way of life, and that helps me see the positive behind it. In the last few months, I’ve faced new challenges that have begun to weigh on me, and I struggle to stay positive. It’s never easy, and it never will be, but it’s important that I, or you, don’t give up or give in to the negative effects or the pressures. I am human just like everyone else and I’m far from perfect. I have been dealing with things in my own way, sometimes good, sometimes bad. I go through moments where I begin to regress to old ways and habits, and sometimes those old ways and habits start to feel as though they are taking over. That’s about the time I recognize it and then I have to make a decision, do I want to sit around feeling sorry for myself and just go back to the unhealthy, and most importantly, unhappy way of life I was living before I started my journey, or do I stand up and force myself to keep pushing forward and try to regain some form of happiness and structure in my life? It’s not always as easy as one would think, the mind is capable of being a powerful ally, as well as an even more powerful adversary. Our minds control everything that we do in our lives, including eating healthy and exercising, and when we are at our worst, it’s really hard to change your outlook, and even worse, to change your behaviors. If you are sad or depressed, it’s not as simple as just telling yourself to get up, and quit lying in remorse, but you have to find a way to make it happen. I can’t be the one to tell you how to do that, I know with me, my demeanor has become habit, a way of life if you will. Even when I don’t feel like exercising and I just want to eat a bunch of junk, my new habits begin to take form and keep me from falling back on bad decisions for too long. It has taken a lot of time for me to develop these habits to the point that they are now.  Again, I’m still not perfect and I do fall on old habits from time to time given a certain situation, but luckily, no not luckily, because of my hard work, I am able to, for the most part, bounce back fairly quickly. So, yes, time does change everyone, and everything, me included. Sometimes all you can do is let time do its thing, but you also have to learn to take charge of your own life. Listen to your heart over your mind, find ways to do things that your thoughts might normally hold you back from in the interest of keeping you fixed in your comfort zone. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Make time work for you.  

[activenutfitness]

Weight Loss is Minimal, to What You Gain

I’ve noticed that, most people, that want to talk to me about my fitness journey, always talk about the weight loss. They ask questions like, “how did you lose the weight”, “how much did you lose”, “do you feel better now that you’ve lost weight”, and then they throw in comments like, “You look great!” and “I wish I could lose some weight”. I want to be clear, losing the weight was minimal to what I gained with my health and fitness. I don’t often use terms or hashtags like, weight loss, weight loss journey, weight loss transformation, and so on. Here’s the thing, sure I was losing weight, and if anything that was a bonus, but the important thing was, I was gaining health and fitness. Once I began eating better, I had more energy and felt better all around. It wasn’t the weight loss that started to make me feel better, it was the fact that I began to cleanse my system of all the junk I put in it and was receiving a number of minerals and nutrients my body had either not seen in a long time, or likely ever seen. You see, once I implemented the exercise, that too began to make me feel better. It helped me increase my stamina, endurance, my strength, which are all things that help us get through our day, believe it or not. Life of modern day is very fast-paced and hectic. I no longer feel fatigued from minimal activity everyday. I’m not as tired as I used to be. I feel happier and more productive, and all this, has little to nothing to do with weight loss. It has everything to do with taking better care of myself. The pictures above represent two different sides of me. Although I may look thin, perhaps even fit or healthy, in both pictures, the top picture was me in my mid 20’s when I ate junk, smoked cigarettes, and consumed lots of sugary drinks. I was thin due to a fast metabolism, but I was very unhealthy. The bottom picture is me now, and now I take very good care of my body. To me, the word health is defined by what you put in your body. Fitness, is defined by an active lifestyle. The human body is a part of nature, and the human body naturally craves the proper minerals and nutrients. The human body NEEDS, an active lifestyle to maintain the feeling of being alive. What I’m getting at is, if you notice that you tire easy, never seem to feel good, get sick often, even have negative thoughts and opinions of everything around you, then that is your body’s way of telling you that your lifestyle isn’t working. I love technology as much as the next person, perhaps more (I’m a bit of a tech junkie), and our modern society is great in many ways, but the problem is that humankind is straying very far from our natural state. It’s time to reclaim your natural self. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Strive for a healthy and fit lifestyle, not weight loss.

[activenutfitness]

Progress is progress

I believe this is a hard thing for most people who first begin their journey to health and fitness. I know when I first tried to lose weight, the slow progress was indeed discouraging. The thing is, anything worth having takes both time, and hard work. You have to remember that progress of any kind, is progress. It’s the little things in life that keeps us moving forward, and the same thing applies here. There is another quote that goes well with this one, it’s, “Strive for progress, not perfection.” I just know from my own experience and what I’ve talked to others about, it seems that most people go for perfection out of the gate and I believe that is why most fail. It was true for me anyway. You can’t go into anything expecting near perfect results at every turn. You have to practice, have patience, and tell yourself how important what you are working for is to you. Always, remind yourself of what’s important to you. Stay focused and never give up. Treat your body and health like you would a career. Do you give up on a career just because you don’t get a raise after one month working there? Do you abandon everything you’ve worked so hard for just because you didn’t get the promotion you thought you deserved after just a few months? Things take time and hard work. There’s that again, but it’s true. If you know what you want in life, then make it happen. There is no excuse for why you can’t have the things you want in life. You are the only reason you can’t have the things you want in life. It’s time to get out of your own way, and clear the path ahead. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. The only excuse you have is you, so stop being an excuse.

[activenutfitness]

Bruce Lee was a Brilliant Man!

I have just recently, in the last few years, became a fan of Bruce Lee. Not just for his movies, but because he was a brilliant man! If there was ever a movie star to take inspiration from, it was this man. I actually follow his Facebook page, which is ran by his wife and children, and I believe his sister as well, who keep his spirit alive. He has more than a dozen inspirational quotes, that are all absolute gold! “Preparation for tomorrow, is hard work today.” Never have truer words been spoken. I remember when I first tried to lose weight, several years ago, I did it for all the wrong reasons and wasn’t willing to put in the time and effort that it required to be successful. I wanted to continue to eat and drink the way I was at the time and just go to the gym and exercise, as if that was going to be enough to make me healthy. I wasn’t getting the nutrition I needed to fuel my body for exercise and always came home feeling spent, and washed up the next day. Also, the amount of excuses to not go to the gym seemed endless. I didn’t put in the hard work necessary for a better tomorrow. While this quote applies to anything in life, from a fitness perspective, it means everything. The hard work you put in today, leads to a healthier way of life tomorrow. Don’t just find an easy way out, know that anything worth having in life is worth working for. So, prepare for tomorrow, and work for it today. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Tomorrow is too late and yesterday is already over, but right now is the perfect time.

[activenutfitness]

Sometimes You Have to be Selfish

I can’t stress enough that when you are finally ready to make a change, you must be selfish in order to successfully make that change. I believe that applies to any change you make for yourself. I’m not saying that you can’t still be there for family and friends, or that nobody or nothing else matters except you or your desires, but simply put, you must be your number one priority. Truth is, if you can’t take care of you, how are you expected to take care of someone else, meet goals for the future, or progress through life. When I was at my worst, I was a terrible friend, brother, son, and not a very good husband. While I still may not be the best of any of those, I am aware of my faults and working to change them. Since becoming healthier, as I have stated before, my mental health has strengthened, and with that I am better able to make these changes. All this started when I decided that I was my number one priority. Honestly, I still am, and hope to always be my first and foremost priority in my life. As awful as it may sound, that even applies to my son and my wife. If I can’t be the best version of me, then they don’t get the best version me, and that is no good for anyone, because at my worst I care very little about anything and have very little motivation and ambition, and what future does that hold for not just me, but my family. Long story short, be the most important person in your life, take care of you both physically and mentally, and then you can be the person everyone else needs you to be in their life. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Be your number one priority.



[activenutfitness]

Make the world your gym.

I just recently had an old friend ask me where I work out. I had to laugh to myself because my answer was simply, at home and work. I haven’t been to a gym in some time now. I had first attempted to go to a gym a few years ago to lose weight and get healthy, but it didn’t quite work out. For a few reasons, but I’d say the biggest reason was that it was always easy to make an excuse to not go to the gym. I’m too tired, I don’t have enough time, it’s too far a drive, I have nothing else to do in town and don’t want to waste the gas, were among the dozens of reasons (I mean excuses) that I used to not go. So, last year when I decided I was ready to shed the pounds, I decided that I would make my home my gym (as seen in the picture above on my back porch). Being that I live here, wake up here, eat here, and sleep here, I had no excuses to not workout. Sure, I didn’t have a lot of equipment, I bought some over time, but still not much, yet I relied on the traditional workouts. I went running, did push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, you name it, but I had no reliance on a gym or equipment to make sure I could exercise, and I still don’t. I had nothing to hold me back. That was what made me so successful when it came to exercising. Honestly, it makes you get creative when working out to find new and exciting ways to push yourself and get the training you need, which in turn, makes exercising quite fun! I know that may not work for everyone, and that’s fine, if you need a gym to keep you motivated, then go. Just don’t use it as an excuse why you can’t exercise, as that was my problem. I’ve said before, do what works for you, just make sure to do it. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Find what works for you.

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Nutrition, healthy foods and meal prep.

When you begin living a healthy lifestyle, you do have to make many sacrifices. Cut back on hobbies that are inactive, lose some free time here and there, and ultimately, give up foods that aren’t good for you. Not all together, but there should never be a day that you eat unhealthy foods all day or even an unhealthy meal once a day every day. It sounds like a hard thing to do and commit to, but you’d be surprised that once you are finally fed up with your old way of life, once and for all, how easy it can be. I recently spoke with a coworker, she mentioned something she heard someone say about beginning to eat healthy, the person said, “Changing your eating habits is not hard, losing a child or family member is hard.” That person was right. Sure, it takes some adjustment, and it’s not easy either, but it’s not hard. It takes a want, a desire, a NEED, to be better, to FEEL better, and it is completely do-able. I thought it too would be hard when I first started, but I enjoyed the change initially, it was new and different. Albeit, I did make sure to start with things I KNEW I would like, since I was planning to eat raw fruits and vegetables as the bulk of my daily intake.  Of course, eating raw fruits and vegetables, isn’t the only way to eat healthy. That was what I chose to do. The most important thing to do, is research proper nutrition, what you can do to eat healthier, without completely losing your mind, and piecing together a new diet that works for you. As the saying goes, “There is no wrong way to skin a cat” (although I disagree with this statement, because anyway to skin a cat is wrong in my opinion), but the principle behind the saying holds up. Either way, whatever food choices you make, one very essential change, is beginning to prepare most, if not ALL, of the foods you eat, with the exception of an occasional restaurant meal. It is important to never get caught hungry and in need of energy, and always make the excuse that you have nothing to eat and see your only option is to go out and get an unhealthy meal. At the very least, always go for a salad, or make some kind of healthy choice when choosing a restaurant if you prefer not to prepare all of your meals, although I should say, that’ll get really expensive, really quick. Honestly, eating out for every meal gets pretty expensive, no matter what you choose to eat. Though I would also like to mention, that salads at most sit-down restaurants are typically the cheapest thing on their menus, not always, but usually. Point is, do the research, take the time. You are worth the time and effort it takes to be the best you. I don’t think anyone actively tries to be their worst selves, or at the very least not work towards being their best selves, but I do believe, most people either don’t think they are worth it, they can’t do it, or they simply don’t understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Again, do the research, for yourself. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Your body and mind come first, above all else. 

[activenutfitness]

Easter Transformation

Easter comparison 3 years apart. Easter 2014, was me at my most unhealthy state. I was at my heaviest, drank almost a 2-liter bottle of coke a day, ate fast food or frozen dinners for almost every meal, and I only ate once, maybe twice a day. Honestly, it’s a wonder I survived off such nutrition, as there was no nutrition in my diet back then. I was tired all the time, I always felt sluggish, and I never felt like doing anything. Everything in life seemed like such a chore.  So, the first thing I began to change was my diet. Believe it or not, one of the key changes I made was how often I eat. Since I only ate once or twice a day, I was starving my body. Slowed my metabolism to a halt. I now eat roughly every two to three hours. Never big meals, mostly snacking and small meals. Fuels my natural energy to feel better through the day, which allows me to exercise and stay physically able throughout my day, thus making me feel happier and more productive. It’s funny because, a lot of people see me as this silly health nut now, but until you’ve experienced the radical difference between who I was, and who I am now, then you can never understand. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. There is a better you, waiting just around the corner.

[activenutfitness]

Healthy Eating and Cheat Meals

When I first came around to the idea of change and healthier eating, I researched several diets, healthy foods and proper intakes. Many of the diets out there seemed to strict, had too many rules or required way more time to input calories than I was willing to put into it. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking any of those diets, if it works for you, then embrace it. My wife was never able to successfully, and consistently lose weight until she joined Weight Watchers. The group helps keep her motivated and holds her accountable, and the points system keeps her on the right track. While that worked for her, I on the other hand created a diet of my own. I ate raw fruits and vegetables all day until dinner and I would have a hot meal with meat. I still had carbs in my diet, I still ate bread every so often, oats, Nuts, granola, and had protein bars and shakes. Though the bulk of my daily intake was the raw fruits and vegetables, but the key to all this, was that every weekend my wife and I would go out once or twice and eat whatever we wanted for dinner. I still have a hard time turning away a good burger or pizza, and you shouldn't have to. If you really enjoy something, eat it. Just not everyday, or all the time. Look forward to your cheat meal and work towards it. No healthy person has ever been made unhealthy by one burger or pizza. Regardless, do what works best for you, as everyone is different. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Find something that works for you.

[activenutfitness]

Look to a Better Future

This was me and my mother on my wedding day. I remember that being a great day! I was happy and so was my mother. Neither one of us realized we had a grim future ahead of us. Although it's clear in the photo my mother was overweight and unhealthy, I too was unhealthy. Sure, I was thin, I always use to have an incredibly fast metabolism, but I was terribly unhealthy. During that period in my life I smoked, ate fast food almost daily, and that was the beginning of the point in my life when I started drinking soda, all day, every day. Not to mention, I didn't exercise or do anything physical unless I was at work. My mom struggled with obesity and health related issues during most of my life. The last several years before she passed away, she spent about half of her time each year in the hospital for some health reason or another. Last January, 2016, my mom was in the hospital again, for the umpteenth time, and I began to realize something about myself. I was on the same path to where she was and maybe even a worse one since I smoked at the time. I shared the same eating habits, similar hobbies (one that require sitting on the couch), and not to mention, I shared the same genes. A year later my mom passed on, but I thank her every day for the final inspiration she gave me. Seeing her in the hospital, that time in January, opened my eyes like never before. I realized that, when I was her age, I wanted to be able to get around and not spend all my time in a hospital (who does?). What's more, I began to realize, if, and when we have children, I want to be there for them as long as possible. I loved my mom and I miss her greatly, but she inspired me, to live! I now have a baby boy who is going to need me in his life and I intend to be there. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. If not for you, for those who love you.

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Putting Away Bad Habits

This quote holds a lot of truth for me. I'm an anxious person by nature. I've always found some bad habit to deal with stress. I used to smoke, eat lots of junk food and fast food, drink lots of sodas among other things, and I never exercised. It took a strong desire to want to change for me to put away all those old habits and try to slowly replace them with newer, better habits. Once I began to replace all the junk food with healthier food, I started to feel better physically. Once I began to exercise, I started to feel better both physically and mentally. Overtime, the better eating habits and the exercise began to transform me, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I'm a happier and more positive person now than I ever have been. Although, I'm not perfect, I still eat junk food on occasion, I miss my opportunities to exercise every so often, and I allow negative thoughts and feelings to come between me and my happiness, and honestly, maybe more often than I'd like to admit, but my new slogan in life is, "make better choices more often." So eat what you want, do what you want, but recognize bad habits for what they are and change them. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. There is always room for improvement.

[activenutfitness]

The Active Nuts

By the end of 2016, I had lost 55 pounds, and gained so much more. I gained a physical and mental health I had never had before. I felt better at the age of 31 than I ever did in my teen years. When I was a teenager and a young adult, I smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol frequently, ate overly processed foods, fast food and frozen dinners, and I drank lots of sugary drinks. Not to mention, I didn’t exercise at all. Last year, all that changed, and with it came an idea. My wife actually had the idea of me starting an online store a couple of years ago, although when she first mentioned it, not only did I have no idea what I would sell, but I also had no ambition to do anything about it. Last September, we discussed me starting a fitness apparel store and it just clicked. It would be a great way to keep up with my new lifestyle and hold me accountable. Most importantly, selling my shirts would help people learn more about me and my story, and hopefully inspire change in others. So, join me on my journey to become a fitness inspirational coach and to sell top of the line fitness apparel to all the active nuts out there! Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Join me on this amazing journey!

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My Fitness Journey

Last year I made a decision to better myself. I was at a point in my life I was ready for a change, a drastic change. My mom was in the hospital yet again for another health issue, I was stuck working at dead end jobs, and my wife and I still had yet to get a house to call our own. Since then my mom has passed away and the other things are still the same. Only now, I have changed. In February 2016 (in the left of the photo), I began by looking towards a brighter future, and realizing what I wanted in MY future. I then changed my eating habits. Started exercising. Slowly but surely I began to lose weight, but that wasn't the most important part of what I was doing. I was gaining a newfound health I had never felt before. At 32 years old I feel better than I have my entire life! With this newfound health came lots of other things, a more positive lifestyle, a greater feeling of confidence, and the feeling of being alive, more than I have ever felt before! By July 2016 (photo on the right), I was a different person, not just physically, but mentally as well. My whole perspective has changed! I am now more motivated and ambitious towards my future goals. Inspire change in yourself, make yourself better. Everyone on this planet has room for improvement.