We're all different

I went to a Xmas party with my Noosa 50 & FIT group this morning. (Thank you Nancy and Gordon for inviting all of us into such a wonderful house).

We completed an hour of exercise, had some tremendous food and just as good conversation.

The nasty trainer gave out chocolate gifts for everyone's hard work over the last year.

So we are all sitting around the table at the end of a great morning and I thought how different it was from my own family's xmas meals.

And that in turn got me thinking about the other people at the table and were their xmas meals similarly different?

Similarly different???

You know what I mean!

Meal time is the one time when we don't necessarily see how the rest of the world lives.

Only our own family.

I guess it may not be too important to some, but it was really of interest to me as a fitness professional.

I ask people all the time "what is your eating like"?

and they always say "oh yeah, not too bad"

But not too bad, compared to what???

Not too bad compared to a small country?

Not too bad compared to Pavarotti?

That's why counting calories (for some people) is a good idea

Because then you can see EXACTLY how much food is going in.

Don't worry girls, I wasn't counting this morning's calories!!!

Have a think about what sort of importance meal time is at your family's house.

Is it a big event?

Does everyone eat until they can't stand up?

Do you fit in dessert even though there is no room left?

If you do, maybe it's time to make some changes.

I know there is a fair chance we will all over eat during the next couple of weeks, but WE DON'T HAVE TOO!!!

Xmas means down time, relaxing and having fun with loved ones, it doesn't mean CHEW TILL YOU SPEW!

Sorry I had to fit that in some how!

Write your comments and tell me thoughts.

It's supposed to be hard!!!

Do you know anyone who never really tries anything???

And the excuse they give is that it's too hard, or they don't know how to do it, or the worse one...

I can't do that!!!

And yet they haven't even tried it yet.

Believe it or not, some things are supposed to be hard.

If every thing was easy we would never get any self satisfaction out of the stuff we do.

I train people to have a better life - physically.

And for some fatburners clients it is a big shake up to their life.

It is hard!!!

But after a while the things that were once hard are now easy.

It's like lifting a 5 kg dumbell.

Initially it might be quite challenging to lift such a weight.

And there are some people out there that would say...

"I can't lift that"

without even giving it a go.

Then there are others that know they can't lift it but will give it a go anyway

and will continue to give it a go until it becomes...

EASY

and then they move on to the sixes!!!

So because they were prepared to venture into the unknown they have become a stronger person, in this case mentally and physically!

Are you the "I can't" person or the "I'll give it a go" person???

Let me know.

Matt

When I win lotto!!!

How many times have you heard friends and family say"when i win lotto" i will do all the amazing things i want to do.

Do they really think they will win lotto.

Stats show you have more chance of being bitten by a shark!!!

Or is that the 'excuse' they have for not putting their lives on the line and taking some risks to starting their goals.

Here's an example.

No one in particular,

but we all know someone like this.

Let's call him superman (so no one thinks i am talking about them)!!!

So superman tells all his friends "if I won lotto I would buy a brand new house, right on the water with a ten car garage for all my ferrari's".

We all know a superman like this don't we.

Now, is superman ever going to win the lotto???

Of course not!

But would he make any steps towards acheiving his goals of the house on the water with the ferraris without the assistance of the lotto winnings???

NO!!!

So he doesn't really want the house.

See what I mean??

Here's were you guys come in.

Are you someone that says "if I win lotto"??

I know some of you that I train are!!!!

Let's try this,

every time you say "if I win lotto"

physically do something towards acheiving that goal (without the lotto money)

because you know what, if the money suddenly fell into your lap you wouldn't do a thing about your goal.

If you were going to and if you REALLY wanted it,

and I mean REALLY!

you would've started on it by now!

Matt

I don't tolerate it!!!

So I saw Wayne Bennet speak last night.

For those that don't know of him, Wayne is the coach of the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team. He has been with the a grade team since it's exception in 1988.

Which is unheard of in this day and age.

The speech was great.

A few less than exceptional jokes but still great to hear this man (who has a lot of at-home dramas to deal with and still runs one of the most successful sporting teams in the world).

It was on my list of things to do before I die.

I was fortunate enough to meet him and get a photo with him after the dinner.

But the reason I bring this up in today's blog is because of what he said to a question about some of the egos he has to deal with in the Broncos.

"How do you deal with all the over paid 18 year olds"?

"All the big heads"?

"All the drinking, drug and abuse issues outside of the game"?

And his answer was this...

"It is easy to deal with, because I don't tolerate it"

"If I tolerated it in the club, then it would be an issue, but I just don't tolerate it"

I thought that was a great answer to the question and he was applauded by the whole group for such an answer.

And as I left that night, driving home, it got me thinking about all the things in our lives that we just put up with...

Instead of saying "I wont put up with this", we just mould ourselves around the problem.

We lessen ourselves to tolerate the problem (whatever that is, it might be internal (ourselves) or it might be external (family, friends, work, environment...who knows?)

And the way Wayne said "I just don't tolerate it" was said with such confidence, and straight eyed, that you really believed him.

When you tell your kids off, do they really believe you????

When you tell yourself "No more biscuits this week" do you really believe yourself???

When you tell your husband "mow the lawn this week, or else" does he really believe you???

or the wife "be ready at 6.30pm, instead of midnight" does she really believe you??? (tread carefully on that one fellas!!!)

And when none of these things happen, do you tolerate it???

The answer is yes, most times we just tolerate it and mould ourselves around the problem.

But what if we said, "I just don't tolerate it".

Let's look at the biscuit example.

If you said to yourself "no biscuits for this week".

(or beer, wine, choc, pies, donuts, name your weakness)

If you said "I will not have this bad food all week and I do not tolerate anything less"!!!

Then it WILL happen.

If it doesn't happen there are DIRE consequences!!!

(in the Broncos, you would be FIRED on the spot, they know the rules and if you break those rules...BYE BYE)

So what are you tolerating in your life?

Make the choice and say "I do not tolerate this in my life"

and say it with confidence and straight eyed.

You have to mean it or don't bother.

Your choice.

Matt

54 sleeps till xmas!

Well it's only 54 sleeps till the big fat guy comes.

Presents, cheer, food, drink, holidays, food, drink, summer, food , drink and did I mention food and drink!!!

So with 54 sleeps until christmas it is time to stop making any plans for the rest of the year, right???

Cause you can't do anything in 54 days!

Why bother, just start in the new year when you can think about stuff betterer, right?

Cause you can't possibly fathom a new idea or goal in a month and a half - it just wouldn't fit in!

PS I am being sarcastic.

WHY DO WE HIT THE 1ST OF NOVEMBER AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE YEAR IS OVER???

No more people wanting to get fit,

no more "I want to lose x amount of kilos" in some unreasonable time frame

no more I want to do something amazing this week.

Nothing!

Until of course,

after christmas - when everything calms down

Because life will be easy in the new year,

there will be no hassles, no bills, no kids, no dramas...

Wow I can't wait for this whole new year thing to happen- it's sounds great!!!

PS - Sarcastic again!!!

Here's my kick in the butt for you all...

Do something amazing this month

and leave the excuse of "It's too close to christmas to do anything" to the people who live in the fairy tale world of the problem-free new year!!!

Tell me what your something amazing is???

Matt

The fat family

Have you ever been to someone's house where they have those 3 ducks flying elegantly across the kitchen wall?

Or what about the family of ducks that walk along the river bank, mumma duck in front followed by a handful of baby ducklings all traveling closely behind?

Now tell me have you ever been to a shopping centre and seen a family walking along, dad in front, then mum, then big sister and closely trailed by younger brother?

Now tell me have you seen this same family all holding a can of icy cold coke???

I have.

And I had to pick my jaw up off the ground.

Here is a whole family each with a can of over 12 teaspoons of sugar!!!

I mean they could have bought one big bottle and saved heaps!!!

Only joking.

The point I am making is our kids will become adults and they will only know what they have seen and heard.

Why are so many elite athletes sons and daughters of former elite athletes?

Because it is all they have ever seen and heard.

Why are so many rich people sons and daughters of rich parents?

Because it is all they have ever seen and heard.

Why are so many fat kids sons and daughters of fat parents???

You get the idea.

So the question is, what are you showing and telling your kids??

Matt

saying and doing!

Are you are sayer or a doer???

From my experience with training people over the years is that there are a lot of sayers out there.

Here's a good example...

If someone asks you to a party or over to there house and you know you either don't want to go or aren't able to make it - but you still say "yeh, I'll see how I go" That's what we call being a sayer!!!

You know you wont be going to their house but you still say yes because you don't want to say NO.

There is nothing wrong with saying NO.

In fact people will appreciate you (and your time) more if you do let them know exactly what your plans are.

When you say YES but you really mean NO you think you are just being nice, but what happens when you ring the person at the last minute to pull out (or even worse - you don't even ring!) Do you think you are still being nice then?

I don't think so Charlie!

Start being a DOER!!

If you say you are going to be somewhere - BE THERE!

If that's too hard - then don't commit yourself in the first place by being a SAYER!

SAYERS let people down and before too long you will be known for your traits as a SAYER

Does 'the boy who cried wolf' ring any bells'????

DOERS are known for there hard work, integrity, trust and ethics.

Think of your friends and family...

Who are the SAYERS and who are the DOERS??

And more importantly which one have they thought of you as???

The simplest action is more powerful than the strongest words.

Have a great day

keep intensity high and excuses low

Matt

wheels for legs???

I was in Woolies today.

Big Deal Matt!!!

yeh I know...

The reason I bring this up is I was in the fruit and vege section (believe it or not)!
and I noticed a husband pushing his wife along in a wheel chair.

Now she didn't seem to have any noticeable disability ( I understand that it would be hard to see a broken back or something serious like that)

But it got me thinking about all the people out there that get to a stage in their life when they believe their body can no longer deal with the stress of walking? and they aquire one of those walkers (funny term for something that prevents you walking)

Kinda like calling an air plane a 'flyer' or calling a microhone a 'singer' or calling a bed a 'sleeper'.

Sorry, I'll stop :)

My arguement is this,

Why are we so quick to jump into a mobile lounge chair and spend our days on four wheels when (in some cases) a little bit or rehab (strength training, flexibility, balance exercises) would have us back on our OWN FEET!!!

Now before you write in and criticise me because your Grandfather has been in a wheel chair all his life from a serious accident - I can appreciate there are copius amounts of people out there that really, genuinely need man made objects to assist them with their daily tasks.

But my concern is for the people that really could do something about their position (both before them getting their wheels and after)

I struggle with people that just give in to things and accept that they are this way and that's that.

A good example is the obesity catastrophe in this country and other countries across the globe.

The example is this. As the nation gets fatter and fatter. The guidelines for a healthy male and female drops to keep the majority of people in the "healthy" range.

So instead of the problem being fixed, the guidelines are lessened so the problem isn't so bad.

WHEN WILL IT STOP!!!???

Like global warming, we can all do our bit - it's starts with one person

Keep intensity high and excuses low.

Matt

Welcome fatburners

Hi guys,

Well here we are on a blog

Now you can tell me what you think of my ranting each week.

Please use this as a forum for me to answer any questions you may have also.

As always I am here to help, motivate, annoy, inspire, upset but mainly just put down my thoughts, if you like them ... awesome, if you don't ...hey that's fine too

Now go do something different that you have never done before - and come back and tell me about it

Matt Collins