Become A Change Optimist

I am an eternal optimist and that certainly helps when you are trying to motivate people. It is especially helpful when you are asking people to change their bodies and change their lives. I am blessed to get an inspirational email and a good article that I saw recently was, “Become a Change Optimist” and here is a little excerpt”

“Everyone experiences change–it may be a job change, relationship change, health change, or a change you’ve initiated that suddenly seems daunting. If you find change difficult, you’re not alone. Many people think change is hard. But it’s possible for the change you’re going through to be easier, smoother, and less stressful–you can find the positive in transitions and learn to love your life more…you can become a Change Optimist.” Continued…

A Muted Tooted Horn

I don’t much like people who talk about themselves. Bragging is really, really annoying and I stop listening. But, I must admit that talking about what you have been able to accomplish in the right way is a great way to inspire and motivate other people. That is the essence of the Beachbody Message Boards - not to brag, but rather to inspire.

In my world, most success stories revolve around losing weight and I find a lot of satisfaction in being able to read and hear so many great success stories. These are people that I see and work out with in the virtual SuperGym where I am a proud member. People are always upbeat and always trying to do their very best in every workout that they do. I wish that all of you would at least become a free guest member so that you know what I am talking about and can experience it yourself.

And so it is that I only offer a muted toot of my horn. Not because mine is not a significant success story, but rather because it is success story that far fewer people can relate to in a world plagued by obesity.

Twenty three years ago this month, I had a car accident that transformed me from a super healthy, elite runner to a sickly, whiney, angry guy who struggled every day just to get through life. After three years, 13 different doctors and botched treatments and a botched surgery, I was diagnosed with CFIDS - a chronic illness that was a side effect of all of the “mistreatment” that I received.

At my worst, I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs. At my best, I was finally able to work as a personal trainer because the lifestyle gave me a way to be fit, since my ability to run had all but deserted me, and at the same time help other people with their fitness. But the overriding fatigue that I felt made life for me an act of will every day and that will was often tested.

Personal training, as I got older, was less feasible as an occupation and I turned to the Internet as a way to express my passion for fitness and as a way of making a living. I became a Polar Authorized heart rate monitor dealer and did my best to be successful. But that business, with it associated high level of stress, began to erode the gains that I made in my health and when it failed, I realize now, it was a very good thing.

So my success story began in late December 2006 when I heard about becoming a Beachbody coach. I signed up as a coach, bought P90X so that I could start working out at home and not have to beat myself up every day because I couldn’t run like I used to, started using Beachbody products, lowered my stress by becoming a coach and saw my health gradually being restored.

Now, just over a year later, I consider myself to be completely healthy. I feel no effects of the CFIDS whatsoever and in fact, at 57, work more than 60 hours a week, work out 6 - 7 days a week, take no prescription drugs and thoroughly enjoy my life as a full time Beachbody coach, supporting his family, including his 3 1/2 year old daughter Grace and 1 1/2 year old daughter Carly.

I hope that my success in overcoming a chronic illness will inspire you to overcome your challenges. Exercise and good nutrition and a low stress lifestyle combined to restore my health. It will work for you, too, if you are ready to make the commitment to change.

My First (and only) Boston Marathon

Twenty four years ago, I ran the Boston Marathon. The longest race I had run prior to that was the Nike New Jersey 10 Miler in March 1984, where I had met a woman who had qualified for and was running that year’s Boston Marathon a month later. We drove up together and stayed at the apartment of a friend of hers and on marathon morning had breakfast and then went to the staging area where the buses would take us to the starting line in Hopkinton. I was, as usual, dressed in running clothes and on the bus ride to the start, I was asked too many times, “Hey, what kinda time are you going to run today” or “Is this your first Boston” or “How many marathons have you done”.  Since I had never run farther than 13 miles in a training run and was neither qualified to run nor entered into the marathon, my stock response became, “I’m just holding her sweats” hah, hah, hah…

Well that got pretty old and not very funny after awhile and I started to think that maybe I should just run as a bandit (you know, one of those people who is too cheap to enter a race and they run without paying and without a number). Okay, not really a bandit, but rather a guy whose ego was being damaged and was willing to give it a shot to see if he could run 26.2 miles and on a day that was 38 degrees and raining just so he wouldn’t have to be the guy holding his friend’s sweats.

Running in a race without a number is frowned upon by other runners, because they paid and you didn’t. Running Boston in 1984 amongst less than 4,000 other runners meant that you had qualified with a pretty good time in the marathon and that is why you got to run the race. My thinking was that if I started in the back, then very few people would notice me and that when I stopped to get water, everyone else had already had a chance to get theirs (it is even worse if a bandit takes water at a water stop).

At the mile, which I passed through in 12:00 pace, my plan was working to perfection. I wasn’t being yanked off the course by an official (it used to happen) and with the rain and cold temperatures, no one seemed to notice me. I had told my friend that I would try to catch her by 10 miles (I don’t know what I was thinking that I was going to do after that, since it was still 16.2 miles back to Boston) and I just kept running and looking at people’s backs trying to find my friend.

Ten miles passed, then 13.1 miles then Heartbreak Hill and 20 miles and all I kept thinking was that my friend was really having a great race because my time was pretty good and I had passed other people in our running club from New Jersey.

The lowest point for me in the race, besides not catching my friend, was that when I really wanted the finish line to finally be there, there was one more turn and a little ways to go. I did finish, however, ran 3:00:40, was wrapped in one of those shiny Tyvek blankets at the finish and ushered away from the finish area because, you know, I was a bandit.

And there I stood, elated but deflated, having been beaten by my friend and thinking that this was worse than the ride up when I was just a dry, warm “sweats holder”. But the worst was yet to come. Glancing around, I saw my friend hop over one of the yellow police tapes and I was then totally crushed. Not only had she beaten me, but she had the energy to hop over a police tape when I could hardly move.

The happy ending to my first (and only) Boston Marathon story is that my friend had actually dropped out at 10 miles and taken the bus back. In trying to keep my word and catch her, I had focused entirely on my commitment and the miles just breezed by making it by far the most enjoyable marathon that I have ever run!

Dollars and Sense of Being a Fitness Coach

I am a full time Beachbody Coach and I love what I do. I live and breath health and fitness and I am a role model to everyone around me. I’m 57, don’t take any prescription medications, no Aleve or other anti inflammatories,, don’t have aches and pains, etc. etc. and I sure don’t feel old in any way. I love having a home based business and I love the concept of what I do and wouldn’t think of doing anything else.

I want you to understand the dollars and the sense of what I do and to think about whether it would be something that you would love to do, too.

Would you like to have a home based business?
Would you like to have a home based business that helps people lose weight, get healthier and get fitter?
Would you like to have a home based business that helps people lose weight, get healthier, get fitter and you make money?

If you answered yes to all three, then keep reading. If not, then being a coach wouldn’t make any sense to you.

Question: How much does it cost to start your business?
Answer: $39.95 for a Coach Starter Kit containing essential sales and marketing material and literature to help you build your business.

Question: What are my monthly expenses for being a coach?
Answer: $27.91.

Question: What do I get for $27.91 a month?
Answer: $14.95 pays for your personalized e-commerce site to promote your business and service your new customers. It will be the same as mine in format and you just put in your story - click here for sample website. $12.96 pays for a full Team Beachbody Club membership with all of the benefits, information and fitness and weight loss tools available to members.

Question: What are the benefits of being a coach?
Answer: You get a 25% discount on all Beachbody product purchases. You get a 50% commission on every person that you get to sign up as a Team Beachbody Club member. You get a 25% commission on all of your customer’s product purchases. You get a 15% commission on all of your Team Beachbody member purchases.

Question: Are there any more benefits to being a coach?
Answer: Besides having a home based business and helping other people become fit and healthy, yes. Please read the Team Compensation Plan for full details - click here.

Question: Can I work part time?
Answer: Yes, absolutely. You can get a discount on products that you would be buying anyway - vitamins, weight loss products, workout recovery drinks, etc., make commissions by getting your family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers to become members and pay for your monthly costs and make money besides.

Question: Can I actually make a substantial amount of money as a coach?
Answer: Yes. If you are passionate, determined, willing to “walk the talk”, meaning being in shape and being a role model and you embrace the vision of building a national fitness community that is working to ease the obesity crisis and improve people’s quality of life then the sky is the limit. Read and understand the Team Compensation Plan and you will grasp the full potential of this business. Click here to read it.

Question: How do I sign up to be a coach?
Answer: Simply click on this link

Question: Can I contact you if I have more questions?
Answer: Yes, please email me at howtobefit@aol.com or phone me toll free at 866 797-7336

Battle of the Organic Giants

Walmart and Whole Foods are battling it out for supremacy in the organic food business, Walmart having the advantage in name recognition, size and infrastructure and Whole Foods having the advantage of having a better name and being the world’s leading retailer of organic products.

In corporate news, Walmart has announced that “its private-label Great Value milk is now being sourced only from cows that have not been treated with artificial growth hormones, such as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST)” (source: Reuters Health).

In Whole Foods news, they announced that they are launching Whole Earth Generation, a video podcast series dedicated to raising environmental awareness among today’s youth.

The initiative kicks off with a search for six fresh-faced personalities ages 8 to 17 to be considered as hosts of this green-themed series. Children from all over the United States and Canada have a shot at becoming the face of the original online series, premiering March 11, 2008 and running through April 29, 2008.

Beachbody Coach’s Summit 2008

On Friday, March 7th, more than 300 Beachbody Coaches descended upon Anaheim, CA, for the first annual Coach Summit. Celebrity fitness trainers energized the crowd, Top Coaches shared the spotlight, the MDB executive team shared plans and business strategies, a new contest was announced, and most excitingly, the $250,000 winners of the Million Dollar Body Game™ Grand Prize giveaway were crowned. Now that she has had time to reflect on the event, Beachbody Coach Wendy has decided to tell us about her experience.

Rich: What was your first day like at the Summit?

Wendy: We arrived on Thursday morning so that we could attend the afternoon activities with the other coaches. We did the meet and greet and check in and then listened to presentations by a number of the other coaches.

Rich: What did you do after the coach’s presentations?

Wendy: We had a choice of doing a workout with Shaun T, Chalene Johnson or Tony Horton. We worked out with Tony!

Rich: That must have been a thrill. What did you do next?

Wendy: Yes, it was a once in a lifetime experience! Afterwards, we showered and then socialized and had refreshments while the Diamond Coaches had a reception.

Rich: Who did you meet at the Summit?

Wendy: Well, obviously, we got to meet Tony Horton and we also met Carl Daikeler, the CEO of BeachBody and Shaun T and an endless number of people who work for BeachBody and so many great coaches.

Rich: How would you rate your experience?

Wendy: My experience was priceless! I knew it would be phenomenal and I knew we were going from the day it was announced and I am so glad we did. You just can’t put a price on a time to be with others joined for the same purpose of helping other people achieve their health and fitness goals. I haven’t ever felt so united! It’s two weeks today we left and I’m still on a buzz from Coach Summit!

Rich: Has your view of the company changed from your experience?

Wendy: YES! I’ve gained an even more deeper understanding of Carl and BeachBody’s mission. For me I saw the infomercial for Power 90 and Slim In 6 and started for personal health reasons. Then shortly thereafter came the coaching opportunity which was a great fit for a part time job for me. And even in the beginning I understood our purpose was to be a product of the product and share with others BUT it wasn’t until sitting in that room on Friday at the Summit listening in person to Carl and the vision and learning about the American Diabetes Association endorsing BeachBody and seeing the visual aides on how HUGE a problem obesity and diabetes is for our society that this is no longer about me! I am a part of a solution to a HUGE epidemic and that is POWERFUL! So now my journey is peanuts compared to my journey of sharing with others, I can no longer keep quiet!

So again, YES my view of BeachBody has changed in that I respect and love BeachBody now more than ever and I can’t wait to see the lives ‘we’ as a whole are going to change!

Rich: Thank you Wendy for your firsthand report from the BeachBody Coach’s Summit 2008.

If you would like to learn more about Wendy and be part of her team, please click here.

Entrepreneur Magazine Hot 500 Fastest Growing Companies

I am thrilled to let all of you know that in the Entrepreneur Magazine Hot 500 Companies list for 2007, BeachBody (Product Partners) comes in at # 69!

You can read the details here - http://www.entrepreneur.com/Hot500/Details/69.html - but the bottom line is that Carl Daikeler and Jon Cogdon took $500,000.00 in 1998 borrowed from friends, family and private investors and turned it from a business of 2 into a $139 million business by 2006 with 185 employees by the end of 2007.

As a full time BeachBody Independent Coach, I am part of that phenomenal growth and will be a continued part of their success. If your nature is to help other people and you want to help other people get fit and healthy while improving or maintaining your own fitness as a coach and role model, please contact me at howtobefit@aol.com or call toll free at 866 797-7336 so that you can be part of this incredible success story and start creating your own!

Working Out Just Got Fun Again

The Past
My identity is wrapped up in being a runner. After almost 42 years of running, it is part of my fiber. But instead of being
my best friend like it used to be, because of a moment in time in May 1983, I realize now, that it was starting to be my enemy. Since this article is about the present, I won’t go into the details, but if you want to learn what happened on that day, you can read my “About” story here.

The Present
Fast forward almost 25 years to a day in my life now…
I am an early riser by nature, but until recently, when I woke up, because of my chronic illness, my body felt like it had run a marathon the day before. These days, however, I have more enthusiasm for life and I seem to need a little less sleep because I sleep more soundly. I don’t get tired all the time like I used to, either. Two significant events have occured and one is that I have finally accepted that there are other ways for my physical being to achieve success than just going out the door day after day and failing at trying to recreate a past and the other is that I now have a low stress job. Now there is a present that includes running but doesn’t revolve around solely running and miles run or times run or how many days in a row that I’ve run. It is a big weight off of my shoulders. I also don’t have to
work seven days a week like I used to (unless, of course, if I want to!)

The greater focus now is on a balanced, total body workout that includes doing a strength training workout on DVD (which I had never done before), running, logging into my Million Dollar Body Club member site and joining a group of other people in the WOWY online gym who are also committed to achieving their health and fitness goals. It is also a much more balanced life, too, with workouts that are fun again and that I look forward to doing, being able to workout with my WOWY “friends” and spending time with my family while I work out!

Now, when Daddy (I have a 3 year old daughter Grace and a 1 year old daughter Carly) works out, that means he goes to the playroom/workout room, puts a DVD in the player and starts working out. Instead of being gone for an hour or more to run, he just goes for 30:00 or sometimes not at all. Instead of going out the door and being gone to run, now my daughters can see me doing my workout and I am being a role model for them in the process. And just as an aside, if I am in the middle of a workout and there needs to be a diaper change or there is something that one of them absolutely has to show me, I just push pause.

So what do I get for $2.99 a week as a Million Dollar Body Club member besides WOWY? Twice a week there is a new
episode of BNN TV (on the computer), there is Slim Style (okay, I’m not exactly a GQ guy but it is probably interesting to most people), Thin Kitchen cooking videos (which are great), Trainer Tips from real experts and a whole slew of additional resources including healthy recipes, fitness tools, a wealth of fitness and health articles and much, much more.

Finally, what’s my favorite part of being a Million Dollar Body Club member? In a word - WOWY (okay, so that’s four words - Work Out With You). When you log into WOWY to start your workout (which I do every time so that I have a chance to win that day’s prize), I see all of the other people working out. Monday, for example, there were 162 people all over the country working out at 4:00 pm MT. Just to name a few of the people working out right now, there is Anna in California who has lost 41 pounds, Ryan in Missouri who just started at the beginning of January and has already lost 5 pounds, Janette in Arizona who has lost 11 pounds and so many, many more (actually 56 to be precise). I think that it is just great to see these other members, know what workout they are doing and feel the enthusiasm in their comments. To me this is what being a Million Dollar Body Club member is all about - the camaraderie and fellowship of a national fitness community that can all say, “Working out just got fun again!”

PS If any of you want to log into WOWY, just send me an email at howtobefit@aol.com and I will send you an invitation to work out. It is as simple as that!

Are You Ready For Team Beachbody?

Team Beachbody is not a quick weight loss program. Team Beachbody does not sell weight loss drugs or gimmicky, useless fitness equipment. It is not promoting quick fixes for anything. Team Beachbody is hundreds of thousands of people just like you and me working together in a national fitness community to each achieve our goals and become success stories. If I could have a conversation with you right now, I would tell you every way that Million Dollar Body has changed my life and benefited my family.

As a Team Beachbody Club member, I can count on being able to work out any time of the day or night and have other Club members working out with me in the online gym. Using Beachbody workout DVD’s, like P90X, I have been able to achieve an extraordinary level of fitness. As an Independent Beachbody Coach, I own and operate a very successful home based business, which to me, represents the pinnacle of success because I not only have financial security, but I am at home with my family and I can spend as much time with them as I want and still be able to run a successful business.

What does the Team Beachbody Club offer you? If you are overweight and out of shape, Club members have a wealth of resources available to them like personalized meal plans, healthy recipes, informative videos and useful fitness tools. Club members also have access to expert trainers, get discounts on all product purchases and are assigned a Personal Coach, like me, to answer their questions and guide them every step of the way to achieving their goals.

Do you have a passion for helping others? Do you want to be able to tell other people, like I do, how I have become so fit and successful? Have you always dreamed about having a home based business but never thought that it could be possible? Are you looking for a rock solid opportunity to use your determination and drive to create your own
success story?

If you want to be part of a national fitness community that works together every day to achieve realistic, long term goals through effort and peer support, then you are ready for Team Beachbody. If you want to touch the lives of thousands of people just like you in the Team Beachbody Club, achieve all of your fitness goals and create a network of highly successful coaches like I have, then you are ready to become a Independent Beachbody Coach.

A Wonderful Sight If You Are Passionate About Fitness

I was one of those personal trainers who went to a person’s home (I was just told by a friend here in Albuquerque that that is, “an East Coast thing”) and because of that had a very high success rate. My clients had appointments, I went to their home and they worked out - that means no room for excuses. Only once have I worked in a gym and that was when I first moved here 10 years ago. I really didn’t like it at all.

That was then and this is now and wanting Grace, my three year old, to have a fun fitness activity, I took her to our local gym to see what they offered. They have a class called “Mighty Mites” for 3 - 5 year olds and we went on Saturday and she loved it. That meant that Dad had to dig deep into the mine of confidence in the future and come up with the money for membership. It is and will be worth every penny as I learn more about the opportunities that the membership will provide and as Grace and I take another step in our journey through life together.

The wonderful sight that we saw this morning when we went to the gym this morning at 10:00 was a full parking lot, meaning literally hundreds of people committed to their health and fitness on the first morning of the new year. I am absolutely heartened by the will of the human spirit and body to care for itself and all of the people we saw this morning were a great testament to the strength of that will.