2859: Earn It by Steve Kamb of NerdFitness on Personal Growth Requires Dedication, Consistency and Resilience

[00:00:00] Überlass deine gesunde Ernährung und die Gains nicht nur deinem Bauchgefühl. Denn bei der Ernährung gaukelt uns unser innerer Schweinehund manchmal ganz schön was vor. Sag stattdessen Hallo zu deinem neuen Coach, Yasio. Yasio ist die meistgenutzte Ernährungs-App Europas, made in Germany. Egal ob Massephase oder ein bisschen Abnehmen, tracke Kalorien, Proteine, Carbs, Fette, Bewegung und Intervallfasten. Und mit den Tasty-Rezepten bist du ready für deine Ziele. Let's go! Lade die Yasio-App jetzt herunter.

[00:00:30] This is Optimal Health Daily. Earn It by Steve Kamb of NerdFitness.com. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik, reading you some of the most popular health and fitness blogs out there with permission from the websites. Let's jump right into today's post from Nerd Fitness as we optimize your life. Earn It by Steve Kamb of NerdFitness.com.

[00:00:55] A healthy life is a wonderful thing. A healthy life cannot be handed to you. It cannot be donated. It cannot be purchased, borrowed, or stolen. A healthy life doesn't come from a bottle of pills, surgery, or a machine. A healthy life can't be obtained in, quote, just 15 minutes a day, three times a week. A healthy life isn't redistributed from those who have won to those who don't. A healthy life must be earned.

[00:01:21] I'm going to tell you why that is the greatest freaking thing in the entire world. And when you come to this conclusion, the conclusion that you don't need somebody else's permission to get healthy, that you don't need to buy some magic bullet, you suddenly realize that there's nothing stopping you from getting started other than yourself. Yeah, it's going to be a challenge. It won't take just a week of hard work or even a month. It might take a year or two or five. You're going to struggle. You're going to have days where you want to give up. You're going to have days that make you wonder,

[00:01:50] is this worth it? Ask Joe if the 10 months was worth it. The smile on his face says yes. Ask Saint how he felt on his wedding day after reaching his goal. Ask Stacey how she felt when she deadlifted 315 pounds for the first time. Ask Ryan how he felt when looking in the mirror and saw a new man. It's always worth it. Remember this, the longer it takes you to reach your goal, the more obstacles you have to overcome.

[00:02:18] The more challenges you face along the way, the more you'll appreciate, respect, and cherish your healthy life. Self-respect doesn't appear out of thin air. Like a healthy body, it has to be earned. As Henry Rollins will tell you, quote, I have never met a truly strong person who didn't have self-respect. And you know what? Getting strong isn't easy either. It requires hard work, dedication to the cause, and consistency in your efforts. I love that about exercise. It's the great equalizer.

[00:02:47] In the gym, on the track, or in the park, our social status, wealth, and level of influence doesn't matter. It makes no difference what kind of car you drive, if you live in your mom's basement, or if you have a level 90 character in World of Warcraft. When you exercise, none of that matters. You know what does matter? Are you faster than you were last month? Are you stronger than you were last week? Did you set a new personal record? Are you better off today than you were yesterday? No matter how small the improvement,

[00:03:14] if you can find a way to be better every single day, a few weeks from now, you will be a completely different person on the inside. As time goes on, your outward appearance will start to reflect that new inner strength you possess, and that new level of self-respect. I get a few hundred emails a week from people who are taking their first steps towards a healthier life. More often than not, I can tell within the first few sentences of an email who is going to be successful and who won't. The people that won't be successful, with their first attempt at least,

[00:03:44] say things like, 1. How long will it take before I lose 50 pounds, or get some abs, or fit into these pants, fill in the blank? They are only interested in the results, and aren't really interested in putting in the time and effort to get there. 2. I know what you said to do, but I can't, fill in the blank, strength train, give up this food, make this change, etc. These are people who are afraid to try new things or make changes, and thus would rather keep doing what they've always done.

[00:04:12] It's less scary and sounds easier. 3. I know what I'm supposed to do, but I don't have time to do it. These people have not made their health a priority. And 4. I read what you said, and then I read on these 47 other blogs conflicting ideas, so I'm confused and need to research more. 4. These people will never get started, because they're too busy collecting information, rather than taking action. When people ask for advice, and then push back after I give it to them,

[00:04:42] I can't help but think of a quote I read recently. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. If what you are doing is not working, do something else. Conversely, these are the emails I love to get. 1. Hey Steve, I took action today. I cleaned out my cabinets of junk food. I signed up for a gym membership. I started training. I cooked my first healthy meal ever. You'll hear from me in 3 months with a success story.

[00:05:10] Or 2. I'm doing this for me. Not because my doctor said so. Not because my friend said I was getting fat. In fact, they tell me I'm crazy because I'm already quote too skinny relative to them. Not because I'm trying to win some contest, but because I want to respect myself and look in the mirror and be proud of what I see. And 3. Steve, I read what you said to do and for the past 6 months, I shut up and did it. Here's my success story. That one was one of my favorites. I'm not saying my advice is infallible,

[00:05:39] but the people who tend to have success aren't afraid to jump in and figure it out along the way. They have grit. They understand that there's no perfect time to start, no perfect diet plan, no perfect workout plan. They understand that getting started is the most important thing. They read articles about strength training and then go to their gym and learn how to deadlift and squat. They see a success story and say to themselves, hey, that person was just like me. I can do what they did. I'm going to start. They think back to previous attempts they made to get healthy,

[00:06:08] realizing that failure is only a failure if nothing is learned from it. They make small adjustments and try again. The people who have success aren't afraid to fail, aren't afraid to step outside of their comfort zone, and aren't afraid to make an investment in themselves. So, I have a challenge for you. Do one thing that scares you. Go to that workout rather than sleeping in. Cook a meal today rather than taking the cheap and unhealthy way out. Make one decision today that makes your life better in some way. Looking in the mirror with pride

[00:06:38] at what you see is one of the greatest feelings in the entire world, and I know that self-respect and confidence can carry over to every other aspect of your life. Go to bed proud tonight, knowing that you're on the path to a healthier life. Wake up tomorrow knowing that the day is full of potential and possibilities. And then, get started. Nobody will give you permission. Nobody will serve it to you on a silver platter. You are solely responsible for your future, and the future is effing bright.

[00:07:10] You just listened to the post titled, Earn It, by Steve Kam of nerdfitness.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Have you ever wondered if your calendar age truly reflects your body's health? I'm passionate about taking control well-being, which is why I joined 23andMe Plus Total Health, a revolutionary longevity platform that's transforming how we approach preventive care. What makes this different from traditional health care? It starts with advanced genetic screening, giving you insights

[00:07:40] into potential health predispositions. But it doesn't stop there. You'll get comprehensive blood testing throughout the year, helping you understand how your health changes over time. One of my favorite features is the biological age tool, which I found fascinating, and I think you will too. It measures how your major body systems and organs are aging. And the best part? With lifestyle changes, we could potentially reverse this number. You'll also work with clinicians who have specialized genetic training to create a tailored

[00:08:10] preventive health plan that fits your unique needs. It's like having a roadmap for your health journey. Advocate for your health today. Go to 23andme.com slash OHD for 10% off. That's 23andme.com slash OHD. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. As I was reading this to you, I realized to myself, wow, when I was first diagnosed with my chronic disease,

[00:08:39] that was totally me. Afraid to jump in. Afraid to try something. Afraid to take that first step. I don't know if I can pinpoint what exactly I was scared of. Probably a ton of things. But I'm so glad that I finally did take that first step. That I finally took control and said, I'm going to change my health status for the better. And like Steve mentioned, there will be times when you fail. There will be times when you don't want to do it anymore. And I can absolutely relate. I'm human. I'm the same way. But you know what? Like I said the other day, ask the why.

[00:09:09] Why are you bothering? Why are you even doing these things? It's because you want a better life for yourself. And sometimes reminding yourself of that can get you back on track. Alright, that'll do it for Thursday's episode. I'll be back tomorrow for our usual Friday Q&A. So stay tuned for that where your optimal life awaits.