Tracking Your Calories Accurately

THE JOURNEY SO FAR

I haven’t spoken to many people about a lot of this, but I’ve learnt the only way to be able to help other people like me is to be completely transparent myself.

I left out some pretty significant things to try and keep it as to-the-point as possible but here’s the most of it:

– started training in the gym when I was 16 purely to make myself look better.
– basically got addicted to pre workouts, which back then contained amphetamines.
– got told by a doctor when I was 18 that I had depression and prescribed the anti-depressant Prozac.
– studied exercise science in Uni, failed 5 subjects and eventually dropped out to become a personal trainer.
– still taking pre-workout, sleeping and eating poorly, and partying.
– got even more depressed, doctor recommended higher dose of Prozac.
– in hindsight I think my depression was strongly affected by my use of pre-workouts.
– started personal training when I was 20 even though I was overweight, partying and getting sick all the time.
– quit taking anti-depressants cold turkey when I was 21 (don’t recommend), suffered terrible withdrawals and anxiety.
– got prescribed Valium for anxiety but chose not to take them and instead see a psychologist.
– started studying to become an online coach due to feeling burnt out from training 40-50 PT clients a week.
– saw a psychologist for over 4 years, starting with every week and gradually tapered to 6/weekly.
– gradually over that period worked on my mental and physical health through expanding my knowledge and improving habits.
– changed my business name to Muscle 4 Mind as I wanted my personal training to be more mental health focused to help people who felt similar to me.
– still had never spoken to more than a handful of people about any of this.
– changed my mindset around health from being all about ‘looking good’ to ‘feeling good’ after getting to a point where I looked pretty damn good, and felt no different.
– to this day still always working to improve and master mental and physical health, that’s a never ending journey in my opinion.
– decided to move to Bali to pursue online coaching as I felt like Muscle 4 Mind didn’t fit the gym based PT mould.
– finally completed Online Trainer course, a 3 month course that took me over 3 years.
– Now living a lifestyle that is healthy and sustainable, while also helping clients better than ever, but not without bad days too.

Why do I share this? Because I feel like I was let down by mainstream health information. I was let down by the mental health system. I struggled with stigma when I didn’t need to.

I don’t blame anyone, this was just due to my own ignorance. I simply didn’t know better. I also share this because I want people to know that it can be a long journey, and possibly lifelong.

But it get’s better, and it’s worth it. I also share it because I’ve put in work, and will keep doing so, because I believe our life is in our control. It’s played out in our mind, and we have the ability to change our minds. I share this because I want to help people, because I’ve been there, tried to do it alone and failed, and the help of others is the only reason I am where I am today.

So hopefully that helps you get to know a little bit more about me and my story. I love what I do, and I don’t say any of this for sympathy, only to hopefully help or inspire anyone else who might feel something similar.

If you are struggling, just know that that’s okay. If you need help, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone.

Stay healthy and happy,

Charley.

SICK OF GETTING SICK?

First off, go check out my post: The Ultimate Guide to Boost Your Immune System.

NEED A BIT MORE HELP?

These 5 supplements should help!

Vitamin C: Best absorbed from food, with the best sources being Kakadu Plum, Guava, Lemon and Lime, Oranges, Kiwi Fruit, Capsicum and Strawberries.

Otherwise, 1000mg 1-3x a day from supplements.

Vitamin D: We all know where to get this: THE SUN!
Unfortunately in winter that’s easier said than done.

In supplement form, a high dose (5,000iU) of Vitamin D3, combined with Vitamin K2 will maximise absorbsion.

Take this in the morning with food, not at night!

Zinc: Oysters blow everything else out of the water when it comes to Zinc.
If you don’t eat them weekly, try Zinc L-Carnosine first thing on an empty stomach or Zinc Picolinate with food.

Taking Zinc long term may deplete other minerals, so only take it when you need it.

Omega 3: Vital for immune and mental health.
Best food sources are Salmon and Flax seed/oil but most people still benefit from supplementing.

Quality matters! The best option here is a Tablespoon of Nordic Naturals Artic Cod Liver oil with breakfast, it contains Vitamin A and D as a bonus.

Shiitake Mushrooms: Shiitake are the best and most scientifically backed, and can also help with gut health, but others like Maitake, Tukey Tail and Reishi are all good too.

Make sure they are Organic and for immune health, you want the Mycelium (roots)

I swear by MyCommunity Host Defense.

NOTICE ANYTHING?
You can get all of these from whole foods! But if you aren’t, supplements might help.

Remember: supplements are only SUPPLEMENTARY to a proper lifestyle. I rarely recommend supplements before making sure you are on top of the basic stuff.

Sleep, stress, diet, movement. That’s 90% of the equation.

And also please note: supplement quality varies WILDLY. Most likely, the stuff you are getting at Chemist Warehouse is rubbish.

The brands Thorne, Doctors Best and Life Extension are usually pretty good options. Check out iherb.com for a good range at good prices.

Anyway, let me know what you think. Do you have any absolute go-to’s that you take when you’re under the weather?

Let me know in the comments.

SUCCESSFUL MEN MEDITATE

These guys are world class performers. The best of the best.

What do they have in common?

They all meditate.

And I’m sure they have a lot more strains on their time than any of us.

Tim Ferriss has interviewed hundreds of the top level performers and found that meditation was the number one thing that they had in common.

90 percent of them practiced in in some form every day.

And I’ll vouch that after doing it for 3 years myself, I still feel like I’m only scratching the surface of what it could offer, but I also notice it’s impact on every aspect of my life.

Concentration, sleep, emotions, clarity. The list goes on. It’s a meta-skill. A skill that improves all other skills.

If you don’t know these names, they are some of the people I regard highest and look up to most.

– Tony Robbins: performance coach to high performers.
– Lebron James: top 3 best basketballers of all time, and still a good role model and father at the same time.
– Tim Ferriss: 5x best selling author, interviewer of high perfomers in one of the most successful podcasts out there.
– Jerry Seinfeld: creator of seinfeld, stickler for good habits, almost $1B net worth.
– Ray Dalio: Billionaire and author or best selling book Principles.
– Joe Rogan: one of the most influential people in the world at the moment, jack of all trades.
– Hugh Jackman: wolverine. Neeed I say more? Genuinely all-round good guy.

If these guys can and do do it every day, what makes us think that we wouldn’t need to? Drop the idea that it’s not for you. It’s probably just hard and you don’t want to. You’d benefit from it. You just need to find the type of practice that works for you.

It’s sharpening the axe that is our mind.

And the quality of our mind determines the quality of our life.

So let me know in the comments, do you meditate? If yes, what benefits have you noticed? If no, why not?

Here’s a little insight into my life and mindset at the moment.

I’m not saying it’s right and I’m definitely not looking for sympathy, but here’s how I’m looking at the current situation.

We packed up our life completely and put everything on the line to move to Bali in February. Both myself and my partner Paige had successful business’s back in Melbourne. Nice house, friends, family.

Life was pretty good, comfortable and easy.

Moving to Bali meant sacrificing all of that, but we still felt it was worth it to pursue growth from outside the comfort zone and chase our dreams.

Unfortunately, Coronavirus has thrown a spanner in the works.

Paige only got to do one day of makeup before all weddings were cancelled and I only got to coach one week at a new (awesome) gym before gyms closed and wedding were put on hold.

Paige lives for makeup and I love being able to work with people and help them improve.

I did come here to focus mainly on my online coaching business, but that is still far from being at the point where I can live comfortably from the income.

With jobs taken away, most businesses and attractions closed and no possibility of family or friends being able to visit anymore, it was definitely a hard choice to make, whether it was worth it to stay or not.

Combined with the feeling of being trapped in an island in a developing country, we are committing to what is likely to be a year without seeing loved ones or being able to work or earn much income.

You could see it as a waste. You could see it as a whole year, that was supposed be the best ever, wasted.

But what benefit lies in that?

Yes this year will be challenging. For everyone. I know there are people who have it ten times worse than I do.

But still, I had my anxious, fearful and panicked stage. When we had to decide what to do, and when I was also terrified of catching the virus (which I’m not anymore) there was 3 days in a row I didn’t sleep and felt terrible.

Talking to others actually only made matters worse. It wasn’t deliberate, but everyone saying how dangerous it would be to stay, how long this will last and projecting their own fears only made everything amplified.

I had to turn inside myself and focus on what I have learned helps me.

Firstly I had to start being more grateful.

2 minutes every morning and night before bed id put my hand on my chest and think of everything I was grateful for. I use this as like a negative brain override, using positive thoughts to override negative ones. This helped me get to sleep and start the day off well.

I had to disconnect from certain people and media. I left Facebook groups, limited time on social media, avoided news and was careful about who I talked to on the phone.

I really became strict with my daily habits. Exercise, mediation, journaling, reading etc.
With more free time and less excuses, this became easier.

I’m now proud to say that I feel a lot better than what I did, and because of that I can be a better person for the people around me.

I also had to feel like it was being productive and progressing. I think this is the big one.

I started working on something. I’ve focused on doing at least 1 hour a day on an online course that has been in progress for almost 3 years. I’ve made more progress this month than I had in the last 2 and a half years. I also made it my goal to post once a day on social media, to contribute rather complain.

I’m very lucky to be in the position to get to work with clients online and help them with their health, especially at the moment.
But the conversations I have been having with them have been just as beneficial for me, even if they don’t realise it.

Speaking with them has given me purpose, and it’s given me more meaningful human connection.

Even if you aren’t a coach, you still have the opportunity to help others and benefit yourself at the same time.

Everyone is struggling right now, and you never know how important a conversation you have with someone might be to them.

FaceTime with someone, listen to them, and sympathise with them. Remember that you have the ability to change how they feel. This is probably going to be more helpful than any coach could hope to be.

Don’t add fuel to the fire of fear and negativity that burns at the moment.

I think everyone can benefit in some way from the current situation. I don’t believe you have to come away from it with a new side hustle or a new skill, but maybe you might start calling people more. Maybe you’ll build in slow new things into routine. Maybe you’ll connect better with the people you love with. Maybe you’ll learn to be ‘bored’ or still better.

With a positive outlook, this can be a time of growth and even happiness.

We just have to take care of ourselves, and support one another.