We all know that our country has 65% of the people overweight. This is attributed to a multitude of reasons. These reasons include more fast food and sugar consumption and less exercise, a recipe for trouble. I have been on diets my entire life beginning as a fourteen year old freshman in high school that was trying to lose a few pounds while on the wrestling team to college wrestling to bodybuilding tournaments to boxing to MMA.
Nearly thirty years later and I’m still going with the diet. My body fat averages seven percent all year and all life long. Believe it or not keeping in shape keeps getting easier year after year. Most people claim their metabolism’s slowed down after age thirty but I disagree because at nearly forty three years old my metabolism seems the same as when I was nineteen years old.
Really, nothing has changed. Granted my face looks much older but that’s it! From the neck down I see very slow but steady improvements year after year. However what has changed is my approach towards getting into shape, it keeps getting easier and more fun believe it or not! Why? Because I make my workouts and diet as fun as possible.
Now I go to the gym to first relieve stress and enjoy that “runners high” and second to improve my looks. Most people only go to the gym to try to look better but the problem with that is that those results are not seen for a while therefore frustration accumulates. If you go to the gym and workout to relieve stress, feel happier, be more energetic throughout the day and to sleep better at night chances are you will enjoy the workout more hence remain happier and more committed which equals better results overall.
Now as for the diet, years ago I would constantly look at my watch as to what time could I eat “steamed chicken and broccoli”. Now a days I eat simply whenever I’m hungry and the foods of my choice but of course they must be healthy. Basically today I have no stress what so ever when getting into shape because I choose the workouts and meals I enjoy most and I go to the gym with the mindset of having fun and relieving stress so the process of getting into or remaining in shape runs smoothly. Today I use this same formula with the clients that I train and thus far it the highest success rate of any other method that I’ve tried.
I call this “workout and meal customization”. What this basically means is designing a diet and workout specifically for taste and lifestyle of that particular person. The foods and workouts that he or she minds the least to do and eat!
Chris Rea
Certified personal trainer and nutritionist
2 time NCAA All American wrestler
Classical Pianist
Proficient in 5 languages
New York Golden Gloves Boxing contender
Stevens University wrestling coach
