by Kerry Taylor
In a previous blog I mentioned to you that, “Yes, even I struggle." I also mentioned it’s okay to struggle as long as you’re working towards being better and not allowing yourself to continue to struggle in the future.
One of the things in my current life that I have struggled with is my weight and committing to myself with my workouts. Being an athlete all my life, my size was always a benefit to me on the gridiron, hardwood and the track. As I’ve gotten older and those activities unfortunately are not in my life like they use to be, something had to change. My body kept reminding me in its own way that I wasn’t the young man I used to be. I used to be able to do anything I wanted and be good, but not anymore. I got to the point where I had ENOUGH!! And for the past 4 months, I told myself that this is going to change. For those that see me on a regular basis, hopefully you have seen the results of the changes I have made in myself. Since January, I am now down 40lbs. I used to be roughly 300 lbs. Yes, you heard right 300 lbs. I felt I carried it well because most would never guess my weight. The guess was always a lot lower than what it really was. Part of me was proud of that, but the other half was like “Come on Kerry, we gotta eventually do something about this!” So, I did and now I am almost back to my college football playing weight and IT FEELS GREAT!! Yeah baby, time for a comeback! Anyone out there looking for a retired tight end? What I would like to do is share my secret with you because many of you have asked.
1. Hire a Nutrition Coach
That’s right, get yourself a coach. Luckily for me we have a great nutrition coach on staff at 212 Health and Performance. I worked with Alicia for a few weeks to help get me on track and find what works well for me. I took her lessons and ran with them. And because some of you may be thinking in your head, “Well Kerry, what did you eat?” Here is my basic eating schedule:
4am-5am: 1 Cup of oatmeal and serving of Supergreens mixed in 20 ozs of water
7am-8am: 4 – 5 hard boiled eggs, 20 ozs of water
11am-1pm: clean protein and 2-3 servings of veggies, 20 ozs of water
4pm-5pm: clean protein or a good source of fiber, serving of Supergreens mixed in 20ozs of water
8pm-9:30pm: clean protein and 2-3 servings of veggies, 20 ozs of water
This is the basic framework of what I do 5-6 days a week. There is some variance in there throughout the week. I love soup, so I may have some soup instead. Thanks for your help Alicia.
2. Put it in the schedule
Being the owner of 212 Health and Performance comes with its own set of hurdles and challenges. Contrary to what some believe, I do not spend all day working out. When you’re passionate about what you do, you are always trying to find ways to make things better for everyone else that you sometimes lose sight and forget about yourself. I found if I put my workouts in my schedule, it’s more likely I will get it done. Don’t get me wrong, things do come up and I have to adjust on the fly, but if I can get in 20-30 minutes of something in, then I made progress.
3. Be consistent
Consistency tends to have a slightly different meaning for everyone. You know the people that stay consistent unless there is an easy way to get off course. But, for me, it means to stay the course of what you want on a daily basis, stay true to it and don’t waiver. It’s not a some of the time thing. Don’t be afraid to ask others to help you be consistent. When you want to go off track, they are the ones that will help you stay on track.
There you have it ladies and gents, the Taylor get right formula. I know these may not be anything different from what you heard before, but I wanted to show you that if you just apply yourself the results can and will happen. Don’t complicate it. I know everyone has their own set of challenges. The key is to find a way to defeat those challenges and make it work for YOU. Yes, it is hard work and a tough mental game to fight on a daily basis, but it can be done. Just say to yourself, “Self, damn it let’s just get it done.” And no matter how tough, challenging, difficult and frustrating it is STAY THE COURSE!! And I promise you will be where you want to be in the end.
Until next time, continue to live a life 1 degree above everyone else.