Evan Sanders's Blog, page 81

Everything You Need To Know About My 14 Week Fitness Journey

There have been a handful of people asking to really break down what my 14 week journey looked like, what I did, how I trained, and how I lost 30 lbs in 100 days. So, in an effort to cover everyones questions all at once, I’m going to write a blog on it and tell you where I am going next with this as well.

For those of you who don’t want to read anything about this, you can also check out the two videos I did on the process etc. The first part is about the mental side of everything and its background.

The second video is more about the specifics of the workouts.

But for those who are interested in reading about the journey, here we go.

The 100 day journey was an effort to strengthen my mind and chase a dream that I have had since I was in my first years of high school. Countless times I had failed because of my mind. Not because I wasn’t willing to work hard, not because I didn’t have the tools, but because I didn’t believe that I could actually do it and to top it off, I thwarted my efforts by consuming crappy food…further eliminating my chances of success.

So I decided that I had nothing to lose and that I was going to give it one final go. Keep in mind, this was on the brink of giving up completely and sitting at my heaviest weight, 218lbs.

Nutrition

What was step one? I took my measurements: arms, chest, legs, hips, waist, neck etc and found an application for my iPhone that would help me track every single piece of food that I consumed throughout the day. For this, I used a fantastic app called Lose It which you can find here that can scan the barcodes the food you eat and track how many calories yo hare consuming. Check. This was a very very big integrity keeper as I had everything right there in front of me and I could also see how many calories I had left in my budget every day. When you can see the number in front of you, you tend to keep the bank account balanced.

Food. This is probably the most important part of the entire thing. Just so you know, a calorie is a calorie…and weight loss is all about caloric deficit – what goes in must be less than the energy you expend throughout the day. However, all calories are not created equally. Think of it this way, if you own a Porsche 911 Turbo and you put crappy gasoline in it, you are going to get crappy performance. However, if you put great fuel in the tank, you are going to get as much mileage out of that puppy as possible. So i focused on the quality of the food that was coming into my system. All lean meats: chicken, red meat, turkey, lamb, beef and a ton of different types of vegetables. I like frozen vegetables because you can pack them easily into tupperware when you are meal prepping and they are quick to cook. Plus, with frozen veggies, you get the best value because they don’t rot and you can combine a ton of them.  For carbohydrates, during the first 7-8 weeks of my journey I would eat brown rice, white rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes etc.

What I cut out. The list is pretty long, but in all I completely, and I mean completely, cut out extra sugar, soda, alcohol (with a few exceptions) processed foods, candy and fried food…basically anything that doesn’t either walk the earth, swim in the oceans, or grow from the ground. I had never done this before and I can tell you that after the cravings passed in the first week I started feeling fantastic. The tank started running much cleaner.

Meal prepping.  This is huge. I would meal prep my food every 3 days for the next 3 days to keep everything pretty fresh, but mostly to keep myself on a schedule of success. Knowing that you have pre-planned foods and meals in the fridge that are within your caloric budget is fantastic and takes a lot of the guessing game out of the equation. Meal prep! Buy yourself some tupperware and get after it.

Cheat meals. For me, this process was about getting a grip on my love for eating bad foods and making the choice to have a healthier diet. So I actually only cheated once, on my birthday, over a 14 week stint. Not having a cheat meal was more mental than anything and I wanted to make it through 100 days as best as I could. Some recommend cheat meals once a week etc. Honestly, if you can go without it, go without it.

Sauces. This is something that I learned farther down the line. Sauces are great…they can make your food taste fantastic and spice up your life…BUT, sauces can be very very high in sodium and also littered with excess sugar carbohydrates. You can get yourself in trouble with sauces…and when I cut those out halfway through my journey I became a lot less bloated from the sodium, which I will get into next.

Sodium. Ah sodium. The FDA recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Do you know how much sodium you’re probably putting in your body a day? Probably 2 to 3 times that amount. That’s what I found out, and when I cut the sodium down (or monitored it more closely) I started to feel even better. The Lose It app allows you to monitor your sodium, so make sure you do that.

Water. There are many different arguments for how much water you should drink a day. I just made it my personal rule to drink a gallon a day considering how much I was working out and how much I sweat. When you have a good amount of water in your system, you stay hydrated and your muscles function better.

Working Out

I went for it. I mean, really went for it. For the first 4-6 weeks I was working out every day, no days off, with cardio roughly 3-5 times a day on the stair master for 30-45 minutes. My splits followed  Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms, Legs…with 600 reps of abs done every day and then would start over again in the week. This was hard. Really hard. If you are just starting out, remember that I have been lifting weights for years and have built myself up to this regimen and that you might need to take a couple days off in there. I am just giving you an idea of what I did.

Lifts.

 Right off the bat, if you are looking for someone who can give you fantastic guidance please go to Greg Plitt’s website. He has been a virtual mentor for me for almost 2 years now and is one of the top natural male fitness models in the world. I love his mentality and he teaches a you a ton for only $10 bucks a month. His workouts are fantastic as well.

For the first 4-6 weeks I lifted as heavy as possible. I chose 7 difference exercises, 3-4 sets per exercise, and did 4-8 reps a set.

For the next 4 or so weeks I lifted for volume, which means that I chose those 7 exercises, did 4-5 sets per exercise and did 15-20 reps a set.

The last 4-6 weeks I lifted a combination of the two to keep my body guessing. By this point I was just so happy to get into the gym and continue my routine that I had a little more freedom to “enjoy it more.”

Supplementation

You have to remember that supplements are meant to supplement your diet – not replace it. That being said, here are the list of supplements I took and what they do – briefly.

Pre-workout: caffeine and a vitamin blend that really gets you going for those 5 am workouts

CLA: been shown to help in the burning of fat

BCAA: building blocks of protein

Whey Protein: helps you build muscle

MultiVitamin: covers all the vitamins you need

That’s it. Go online to find out how much you need for your body!

A Note On The Process

As the days went by, things became easier in terms of staying on track with my nutrition and my workouts. However, you are going to hit a wall somewhere in between day 0 and day 100 where what you “were doing” is no longer good enough. Weight loss is going to stop and you are going to wonder why? Honestly, without knowing you personally or seeing your diet etc, I can’t tell you why. However, I am going to tell you what I did.

Around week 8 I got measured for my body fat percentage and I was at 7%. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to see that! However, this was right at that time of “the wall” for me and I had to figure out how to get down to my goal weight of 186 lbs from 195. The lowest I was at the end of my fitness journey was 189. That last 10 lbs is known to be the hardest to lose . It was at this point where I started researching my butt off. I read everything – well pretty close to as much as I could to find answers. This is when you start learning about carb-cycling, carb cutting, ketogenic diets, and everything else out there that the world of fitness has to offer. But this is a wall and you will hit it – so just be ready for that – and be ready to pick up a few books to start learning.

Your workouts need to change. If you fall into a rhythm, so will your body. Mix it up and challenge yourself. This process is all about seeing how far you can take your mind and your body – so have fun with it and struggle your butt off.

Finish. The best feeling in the world is finishing something you have started. While that may sound silly, we start things all the time and don’t finish them. Follow through all the way to the end and give your best effort throughout the entire journey. When you get to the finish line, you will have not just given yourself a new body, but you will have given yourself a new mind – one that loves to dream. That’s what this whole process did for me. I have learned to dream big again and follow through to the finish line.

Where Am I Headed Now

After hitting 189 lbs in full photo shoot prep mode, I have taken a couple of weeks to sit back and think of what I want to do with myself now. Today actually, I started my new fitness journey, another 14 week process to now build the body I have dreamed of. If the first 14 weeks were about my mind, these next 14 weeks are about building upon that foundation and building the body. I want to see how far I can take this and will always remember the first 14 weeks of this journey.

If you have any questions, please please please comment below. I would love to help you out as much as possible and send you in the right direction if I don’t know the answers. I hope you liked this.

Evan Sanders

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Do What You Say You Will Do

http://thebettermanprojects.com/

Live bold. Dream Big. Dare greatly.

Without integrity, we are nothing.

Doing what you said you were going to do is one of the most valuable lessons you will ever learn. Because without actions behind your words, you really are nothing – just a talking head. There’s a reason why everyone says “talk is cheap”…that’s because it is!

Don’t be a talker. Be a doer.

Join the movement of men and women looking to inspire and change the world – http://btrman.me/M5mxt5

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Perfection Is The Enemy Of Done…But

 

My teacher once said “Perfection is the enemy of done.”

That stuck with me for a long time. This morning, for whatever reason, that thought came right back into my mind and I expand upon it. He is right…perfection is the enemy of done. When you try to make everything perfect and constantly leave the thing unfinished because it is not perfect enough…it can completely disable your ability to actually finish it. But here was my thought.

Perfection is the enemy of done, but don’t let “done” destroy your efforts towards perfection.

To be able to do the best you can with what you have…and then to try again and again to make it better is an asset not a liability. Eventually, you are going to have to put your work out there for the world to see, but you should do as much as you can in the time you have to make it the best possible thing you can create. I learned that with my first book. Would I make some changes to the process if I was doing it all over again now? Yes of course. But I tried to make it as perfect as I possibly could have back then and this is all I could ask for from myself.

Psychologists have this phrase called “pillars” that stand for things that people have that they think they need in order to create. For instance, a writer might only be ably to write with a $300 pen and will not write if he/she doesn’t have it. That is a prime example of a pillar. Because without that pen, they cannot write. However, a writer without a pillar who understands that creation is the most important part of the game will write with anything and everything around them. Hemingway used to write with crappy ballpoint pens on tissue paper – you have no excuse.

Pillars give you an excuse not to do something. In fact, pillars may be a sign of unrealistic perfectionism. We have to keep ourselves open to creating things and getting comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Our most inspired moments may come at times that we have no ability to do what we usually do when those moments come. Sometimes, embarrassingly enough, I rap lyrics into my iPhone when I have an idea come up into my head. They might make it into a post somewhere down the line, but the point is, there is nothing preventing me from getting those fiery ideas down somehow and utilizing them in the future.

In the end, there are only a few excuses for not creating (especially if you are a creator). It becomes even more important that you create especially when you consider how you would feel if your ability to make things was suddenly taken away from you. Wouldn’t that be awful?

Often my passions for things come up against this mental wall of how hard it actually is to do what I am attempting to do. But in the end, I always try to find a way to battle through. Last night I went through that in a big way and this morning I came out on top. I delivered on my promise. And that is what it comes down to when you are chasing your dreams. Delivering on your promise…day in…day out.

It’s going to be hard. It’s going to take everything you have and even more. Your dream is built for a person that you are going to be transformed into. Understand that there are going to be significant growing pains along the way – mental and physical.

Go get em’

– Evan Sanders

 

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Good Friends Are Hard To Find

The ones that really really care about you, they will always be there. Everyone else will be in and out of your life. That’s totally fine. Know that it is part of the process.

Good friend are hard to find, but when you find them, oh man do you have to hold onto them for as long as you can. It’s easy to be seduced by the new shiny object on the block, but you cannot forget the diamonds you already have.

I’ve been there a million times, and at least now in my life I have found the value in devoting my time and energy to the people who truly love me.

http://thebettermanprojects.com/

Live bold. Dream Big. Dare greatly.

Join the movement of men and women looking to inspire and change the world – http://btrman.me/M5mxt5

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I Hear Them Laughing

I hear them laughing. I hear them talking about me like it wouldn’t come back to me somehow. I hear them saying “He can’t.”

I can…I will

Every time I hear them laughing, I use that. I use that feeling inside to drive them further. I’ve heard things…things that they probably thought were said in confidence to another. Unfortunately, those things traveled and they landed in my ears. I’ve heard the opinions of people who used to love me telling others that they hate me.

Those words stung like a deep cut and out bled my past.

But I use it.

I take all of it and wrap it up tightly and force it down within, knowing exactly where I placed it, so when I need it I can light it on fire to propel myself to the next level. Whatever is left I use and use again. These things are necessarily matches, but more like reusable batteries. You can slam them into the walls of your soul and they can fuel you for days, weeks, months on end when you need them.

And that is what life has taught me – it’s never been about the perfectly sunny days, but about how to be your best in the deepest and darkest of them all. How to transform, when needed, into the black night hawk that soars through the sky continuing his search for his prey.

A man with goals flies in the same way.

I am not the type of man who builds his worth on the acceptance of others, nor will he fall because of their criticisms. I am a man who will rise and fall by his own hands and work sending my end product every day up to the heavens for judgement. When you know who you are creating for, you must also remind yourself that judgement can only be brought upon by them. Not by the opinion of man. Man judges by the failures in their hearts rather than seeing the purity of something that someone has created.

I spent 14 weeks of my life changing, morphing, adapting and adjusting to a dream that I never thought was possible, and I will spend another 14 changing again. I looked at myself and my life and knew I had more in the tank. I knew that I could undertake another journey that could transform my life even more. But what’s the difference now? The difference is that I know what is possible for myself now. I know that I can take it all the way and find the answers I need when I need them.

I can do this.

I can still hear them laughing.

Good.

I need that.

Because I’ll have the last laugh.

– Evan Sanders

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Vlog To A Hero | Dana Linn Bailey | Olympia 2014

Dana, you have done so much for me and we have never met. The fitness motivation is great, but it’s what you have done for my mind and always reminding me to be myself that made the most difference. Keep doing what you are doing. You are inspiring men and women alike.

Oh, and go WIN! #Olympia

http://thebettermanprojects.com/

Live bold. Dream Big. Dare greatly.

Join the movement of men and women looking to inspire and change the world – http://btrman.me/M5mxt5

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More Than A Fan Letter | The Better Man Project

I had to respond to this letter I received from an amazing woman. This video blog is a bit lengthy, but I had to give it all I had. Take a peak, it may be something that speaks to you.

http://thebettermanprojects.com/

Live bold. Dream Big. Dare greatly.

Join the movement of men and women looking to inspire and change the world – http://btrman.me/M5mxt5

More Than A Fan Letter | The Better Man Project is a post from: Inspirational Stories About Life

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A Motivational Video [Chase Your Dream]

http://thebettermanprojects.com/

Live bold. Dream Big. Dare greatly.

Chasing your dream can be one of the most difficult and challenge tasks to undertake. But in my mind, it is one of the rewarding undertakings you can go after.

What makes it so challenging?

The fact that your dream may or may not exist. That’s what has been the hardest thing for me – taking something that only is present in my mind and bringing it into the world.

Join the movement of men and women looking to inspire and change the world – http://btrman.me/M5mxt5

A Motivational Video [Chase Your Dream] is a post from: Inspirational Stories About Life

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Sometimes You Have To Light Your Soul On Fire

I remember waking up on day 100 a couple weeks ago and looking in the mirror and going “dammit I’m holding too much water! I wish we took photos the day before!”…and the voices just went on and on and on. Negative thoughts poured into my head. Then I stopped and gave myself a reality check. I reminded myself that this goal wasn’t about fitness…that was just the byproduct. The goal was about mental health and taking care of my body for once. It was about battling a deep seeded tendency to sabotage my own goals and to ruin the things I tried to build – because at least it was easier for me to say I failed because of myself rather than having the rug pulled out from me by life. I reminded myself that this photo and the others weren’t about the fitness side of it, but rather a testament to being able to put my mind to something and for once in my life follow through all the way to the end. 

These past few months have opened my eyes to possibility and have unleashed a deep desire in me to crave more adventure and see what I am capable of. A long time ago someone close to me told me I wouldn’t be good living in the mountains and woods because my soul would light all the trees on fire. I didn’t believe her then because I didn’t see that in myself. I saw something cold instead. But now, I understand what she was talking about. My heart, soul, and dreams are all on fire and I am ready to take the next step in unleashing that onto the world, in an effort to promote love and passion for others and for your visions. You can do anything you put your mind to, you just need to believe that you can. No one else is going to do it for you. And sometimes, when you have nothing left to burn, you have to light your soul on fire.

- Evan Sanders

Sometimes You Have To Light Your Soul On Fire is a post from: Inspirational Stories About Life

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Listen To Yourself And Find Answers

Listen to yourself and find answers.

If you are going to watch just one video blog from me ever, watch this one.

Chase your dreams. Listen to the voice deep inside you telling you that you can. Make sure to pay attention to the advice that people give you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to take it.

If you define your dream on the opinions of others, you will never reach it. No one truly knows what is inside of you more than you. Listen to yourself and know that the path you are on is the right one for you. Achieving goals and dreams are hard enough as it is – if you listen to all the negative criticism you and let it destroy you, your dream will fall apart at the seams.

The most important thing you can do is to listen to yourself. Your gut feeling is usually right and will take you to places you never knew you could go.

http://thebettermanprojects.com/
Live bold. Dream Big. Dare greatly.

 

Listen To Yourself And Find Answers is a post from: Inspirational Stories About Life

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