Today we welcome DeShawn Fontleroy of Sports Mastery. Sports Mastery was created to bridge the communication gap of between the student athlete and their parents and coaches. He begins by mentoring athletes first on how to overcome fear and then by making the most of any obstacle or setbacks they may face. All while challenging their sacrifices and social conflicts to help them reach their goals.

DeShawn begins with many of his clients by first explaining the process of fear, followed by a list of everything that they find to be a fear in their own life. Common fears are rejection, criticism, ill health, poverty etc., which as DeShawn says, “Are all taught by our friends, family and environment.” He describes the only true fears we’re born with is the fear of heights and of loud noises. These are fears engrained in us, but not often found when looking at what cripples us on a daily basis.

The true definition of fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous and likely to cause pain or threat.

DeShawn says, “The opposite of confidence is doubt and fear.” Your desire to improve has to include overcoming that fear factor if you truly want to overcome the emotions that are holding you from acting towards your dreams.

Many of us have these fears when it comes to making lifestyle changes or even a taking a break from things like sugar, caffeine, alcohol and refined carbs. It’s easy to wonder if you’re even capable. Well, you are!

Christa’s corner stones to fitness:

• Daily Movement
• Eating healthy
• Positive mental thoughts with Mind Zoning® and meditation
• Community

Life comes with challenges and the brain likes to go back into old habits in these times in an act to keep you safe. If your setback is a place that returns you to community it will bring you back to a place of progression. Being a part of a community, with mentors or what DeShawn calls a “corner man,” that always demonstrates acceptance and inclusion, will make you feel welcomed no matter where you are in your journey. This support will fuel you forward.

Sports Mastery Champion’s Blueprint

• Legacy – This isn’t solely on what your goals look like, but how do you want to be remembered for the work you’ve put in? What are you doing every day which will reflect this?
• Vision – When you have goal, what does it look like when you get there and how is it going to feel? Visualizing this goal will help your brain to follow that specific emotion, making it far more achievable when you get to work.
• Mindset – What systems and strategies are you going to have in place for success and for setbacks? Success intoxication, as DeShawn describes, is when you fall back into an old mindset or set of habits when achieving a goal quickly. Keep moving forward!

The Power of Community

Both Fitlandia and Sports Mastery are deeply ingrained in the concept of community as a fundamental component to success, including the need to be deeply intimate with yourself. This intimacy includes all your accomplishments and your weaknesses. It’s important to know how to recover without feeling guilty when setbacks occur and to have that community of people in that time of need.

Recovering from setbacks quickly:

• Have a plan in place so when you do have a setback, you immediately know what you’re going to do to recover
• Have a couple people who keep you humble no matter how successful you are
• Have a few “cheerleaders” you can always turn to

DeShawn says, “It’s all about planning for success and knowing what you’re going to do when fear creeps in so you can get back to the road moving forward.”

Make sure to list out your fears, work towards your goals by accepting the wins and the setbacks and go to iTunes and rate Fitlandia and Sports Mastery both with five stars! And if you haven’t already, click to join the closed (but completely open to everyone) Facebook group to be welcomed into the community!

For more of Sports Mastery, check out DeShawn’s Podcast and make sure you download his PDF to learn basic definitions and workbook assignments that will help determine your fears and how you feel and deal when challenged or threatened with them. You no longer have to deal with the bear of fear, “You just have to do the work”!

Thank you again to Portland Community College’s Institute for Health Professionals Functional Nutritional Program for sponsoring today’s show! This wonderful program is one year and 100% online making it doable for the busy entrepreneur who wants to integrate more holistic nutrition into their practice or if you’re just starting out. This program can completely boost your healthcare career in nutrition, just like Christa did back in 2015. The course is taught by practitioners who are experts in their fields who teach a science based curriculum; and for a well-rounded perspective, also incorporates traditional wisdom such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. To learn more or to enroll for the next course starting September 25th, check out PCC’S functional nutrition program.

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Welcome back to the Fitlandia Podcast! Today we have the pleasure of meeting with Thubten Comerford for another inspiring story of weight loss and transformation.

Thubten Comerford has come a long way from his elementary school days when his mother placed him on the Cambridge Weight Plan and he was constantly being reminded he was bigger than the other kids in his class. Growing up active but not athletic, Thubten always struggled with his weight. Upon entering college, he was in the early stages of substance abuse due to conflicting religious boundaries relating to his decision about coming out about his sexual identity. Thubten describes himself at that time as, “a “hot mess.” With no attention being paid to nutrition, he gained the "freshman 50” during his first year of college. He left school soon after and joined the National Guard and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After leaving the military, he went back to his parents’ house for a short time and then returned to school only to find himself living in a fraternity house, which escalated his negative drinking habits.

A few years after college Thubten became a practicing Buddhist Monk. While traveling and still struggling with his weight, he found himself reading Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo’s, Eat Right 4 Your Type and was quickly motivated for change. He soon dropped 50 pounds by eating right for his blood type and after starting a prescribed diet, dropped another 50!

Today, Thubten is 29 years clean and sober, describing it as a yo-yo rollercoaster journey that so many of us can relate to regarding dieting and self-mastery. He has lost another 40 pounds this year, on what he calls “the potato-based coffee diet” and is working to share his impactful story.

Books like, Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales, by Penn Jillette, have inspired Thubten during his transformation journey. He’s learned it’s about finding what works for his body while being aware that things change depending on time and environment. Today he knows how to be mindful of his actions since they are often related to deep-rooted thought patterns and forgiving of himself when working past negative emotions or during a setback.

As an avid entrepreneur, Thubten was searching for his next career endeavor when he asked himself, “How do I do food as a business that is an expression of me?”

With his vast knowledge of business and marketing, culinary skills and understanding of video and YouTube, he recently started producing a cooking show, Thubten’s Kitchen, a 13-episode, multi-segment program that will launch soon on YouTube and be formatted for network television. His Facebook site is live, and has more information, but here’s what each episode offers:

• The first segment is a culinary training program where expert chefs come into Thubten’s Kitchen and teach him (as the student) to prepare their signature plant-based dish.
• The second segment is with a farmer in the field.
• During the third segment, Thubten meets with an artisan making a plant-based cured or fermented ingredient.
• The closing segment concludes with Thubten making a wonderful plant-based dish using all the ingredients from the episode.

The business allows you to pick and choose the cured or fermented ingredients, including Thubten’s own line of products. There’s also a monthly pop-up episode, available on Feastly Portland where Thubten shares his very own recipes and plant-based meal tips.

Stay tuned for the Thubten’s Kitchen website for his great information on weight loss, healthy eating and everything nutritionally plant and nutrition based.

Closing Tips:

• Start somewhere and do something – measure something small that you can feel positive about
• Eat the rainbow and increase your plant based meal options
• Stay connected with Thubten and his favorite canine companion through Instagram for videos, food as they continue to work on launching his show and website!

Feeling overwhelmed on how to break free from a sugar addiction, join our 7-day No Diet Detox challenge for FREE. It starts with awareness. Sign up today!

Huge shout out and thank you to today’s sponsor, Portland Community College and their holistic nutrition program. This 100% online program is 1 year and provides students with science-based principles while integrating in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda for a well-rounded perspective on nutrition to start your healthcare career in nutrition or to supplement into your current holistic program. Christa did this course back in 2015 which launched her into creating what Fitlandia is today! To learn more or enroll for the next course starting September 25th, check out PCC'S functional nutrition program.

This week Christa is joined by Daniel Thomas, CEO of Evolution Eat, to help you release the guilt of a sugar addiction. Daniel is also partner and cofounder of Rich 20 Something, an education platform for millennials and entrepreneurs. Daniel teaches a counter-intuitive strategy to weight loss, dieting and lifestyle transformation that’s all about mindset, habits and skill development. Where self-development meets diet and wellness, Daniel helps individuals all over the world connect with their truest selves to begin a life of control over their bodies, minds and spirits; releasing all guilt from the past.

Daniel didn’t always associate with such positive principles or self-discovery. He describes growing up as a difficult time of being overweight, allergic and inflamed, feeling as if he had no control over his overall health.  With a loving mother who saturated him with love and food, he was quickly tied into an unhealthy relationship with food. Being an only child, Daniel often felt bored and lonely and found a reward loop with food that made him feel loved and entertained but lead to a reliance on food for fulfillment and to displace boredom.

This pattern continued for years after attending the best private high school in New York City, Georgetown University for undergrad, and almost stepping into Law School, as Daniel felt immense pressures to perform. He continued to gravitate towards things like caffeine, sugar and illegal uppers as a dynamic to feel better instead of looking for a solution from the inside.

When discovering the Paleo Diet, (before it was a hip thing), Daniel found it was the first time he had sunk into an “embodiment of control” over his emotions, cravings and old habits. He says that Evolution Eat was created almost by accident when the community surrounding him were so curious about his new discovery that as Daniel taught himself he built his practice by coaching others simultaneously.

Daniel says, “The second you can be honest about who you are, we can actually connect and help each other.”

He dives deep with his clients, as he states on his Website’s About Me, “The process of mastering a skill, diet, mindset, or lifestyle requires relentless effort, deep focus, and enthusiastic concentration. You must go deep to get something out of it.”

This is married with one of his core values of transparency as that it sets the stage to promote change. Being aware and externalizing your fears, guilt, shame or setbacks allows you to objectively look at it and release it from defining you any longer. Many of us live in fictional worlds and are never able to make a change or impact because we’re constantly maneuvering around what others think.

As we’ve discussed in other podcasts, everyone is so different and learning what your triggers are and the emotions that follow them, will continue to vary.

Daniel’s tips on how to bounce back from cravings:

• Be aware and understand your dependencies - it’s incredibly important to be aware of the foods you consume as they may bring you down through addiction or bring you up through health.
• Approach new ways of lifestyle with a new perspective - instead of focusing on the things you must eliminate, embrace the mindset of eating more of the good stuff! When your blood sugar dips, you need to fulfil up with protein and healthy fats, and LOTS of it.
• Treat the journey as a long process and a skill that you can develop. When you make a mistake don’t carry it with guilt but invest in that mistake, it takes time!
• Get out of your fixed mindset - no one is going to be perfect all the time and that’s okay.
• Become curious about what’s happening in your environment when you’re craving sugar.
• Educate! Immerse yourself in self-development of your awareness, mindset, external demands and habits.
• Plan by prioritizing yourself - be proactive while planning food out and stick to it.
• Implement a keystone habit - this is something that is good for yourself that you commit to every morning that brings you closer to connecting with the world from the inside out.
• Meditation - trust that you’re all you’ll ever need to make yourself completely well!

“Living healthily is a skill you can train, it’s not a race to some desired outcome.” Daniel states.

There’s a solution to every single problem and we can change our lives at any second through Mind Zoning® and meditation, connecting with community, healthy eating and daily movement. Daniel does this every day by running down to the beach by his house at 4:45am, meditating for 20 minutes and then jumping in the freezing water. This daily practice sets him up for success, whatever his day may look like. His healthy routine is on his own terms which ensures he’s following his intentions and goals.

To connect with Daniel, make sure you check out EvolutionEat for mini courses, newsletters and blogs, or connect individually by emailing him at daniel@evolutioneat.com.

And, don’t forget to head over to the Fitlandia Podcast  on iTunes and subscribe, rate and review us! Make sure to put in your keystone habit about how you’re starting your day off right. We can’t wait to read them!

Feeling overwhelmed on how to break free from a sugar addiction, join our 7-day No Diet Detox challenge for FREE. It starts with awareness. Sign up today!

Huge shout out and thank you to today’s sponsor, Portland Community College and their holistic nutrition program. This 100% online program is 1 year and provides students with science-based principles while integrating in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda for a well-rounded perspective on nutrition to start your healthcare career in nutrition or to supplement into your current holistic program. Christa did this course back in 2015 which launched her into creating what Fitlandia is today! To learn more or enroll for the next course starting September 25th, check out PCC'S functional nutrition program.

It's natural to grieve your old lifestyle when making a shift into healthy eating, daily movement and positive thoughts. You're forced to look at old patterns and learn how to let go of old coping mechanisms. In today's show, we've pulled the webinar archives to repost this important info. We look at the Transtheoretical Model of Change as well as the 5 Stages of Grief to explain this process so you're better prepared to cope with emotions.

What we can learn from models of change and stages of grieving when setting health goals?

As a Functional Medicine Practitioner working with my patients to overcome their health challenges and create positive change, I have to be aware of mind set and my expectations regarding their wants and needs.

It is never as simple as “tell me what to do and I’ll do it” or “this is the plan and these will be the outcomes.” Creating health is really about changing lifestyle and that involves transformation of not only the physical, but the mental and spiritual practice that we engage in every day.

If you have had involvement with Psychotherapy or studied psychology in school you may have heard of the following two models. While I have not studied these in depth I have used these to help myself and my patients understand where they are in their desire to change. No matter how much we associate transformation with what we do i.e. exercise, diet, sleep, therapy etc there is no denying that how we feel about the process is more telling of our future success or failure.

What has grief got to do with change?

First introduced by American Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying, the 5 stages of grieving has been useful in navigating people through the grieving process. While these stages are not meant to be a complete list of all possible emotions people will experience, they are helpful when facing a life-altering undertaking such as losing 100 pounds for example.

In the transtheoretical model, change is a process involving progression through various stages. When setting goals that are life changing people forget to take into account the process and commitment that is involved. I feel that checking into these various stages can be helpful in committing to the process.

While both models are controversial in their validity I feel that both patient and practitioner can use these stages to gauge commitment and track change so as to best reach their goals.

1. Denial & Precontemplation (Not Ready) – The person is trying to shut out the reality or magnitude of his/her situation, and begins to develop a false, preferable reality. People are not intending to take action in the foreseeable future, and can be unaware that their behavior is problematic. Unfortunately, this is where most people sit for too long until their health affects them negatively daily. For example a patient who is insulin resistant but not yet diagnosed as diabetic – “They have pills for that – I’ll be fine.”

2. Anger & Contemplation (Getting Ready) – People are beginning to recognize that their behavior is problematic, and start to look at the pros and cons of their continued actions. They recognize that denial cannot continue and may become bitter, the patient is very difficult to reason with due to misplaced feelings of rage and envy. The patient can be angry with self, or with others, especially those who are close to them. Certain responses of a person undergoing this phase would be: “Why me? It’s not fair! I don’t want to give up my wine.”; “Why do I have to do this? Jane lost weight without having to do any of this!”

3. Preparation & Bargaining (Ready) – Patients intend to take action in the immediate future, and may take small steps toward behavior change. This often involves bargaining where the patient hopes that they can somehow avoid going down the path the practitioner has chartered for them. Seeking to negotiate a compromise is normal and it is important for practitioner and patient to truly examine whether this patient is ready for the next stage. Example: “OK so I’m cutting out sugar but chocolate brownies made with honey are fine! Right?”

4. Depression & Action – I know this sounds like a stalemate but I often see patients acquiring new healthy behaviors only to withdraw. “What if I succeed in kicking my diabetes?” “What if I really do lose 100 lbs?” Their friends can change, along with their habits, their clothes, even their problems. It is natural to feel sadness, regret, fear, and uncertainty when going through this stage. Feeling those emotions shows that the person has begun to accept the situation. Becoming a different person requires an immense amount of courage!

5. Acceptance & Maintenance – Patients have been able to sustain action for a while and are working to prevent relapse. At this stage they have come to terms that they are better off this way and the changes have become the new lifestyle. This typically comes with a sense of peace, a retrospective view of self, and a calm stable mindset. I often hear “I can’t believe how much better I feel. I won’t go back to the way I used to eat!”

6. Termination – Individuals have no temptation to return to their old unhealthy habit as a way of coping. They are happy with the path they chose to follow and are comfortable with themselves and have been accepted by their peers old and new. This is ultimately where a good practitioner would want their patients to reach. While termination sounds final it is here that a doctor and patient build a lasting relationship built on mutual admiration, trust and satisfaction. It is here where the true reward lies.

So, remember no matter where you are in life, and in health, be aware of your motivation, set a course, create some systems, build in rewards, keep checking in with yourself, be kind to those around you and especially to yourself, be brave, live life, and stay strong.

Need help getting started? Try out our FREE, 7-Day No Diet Detox. That's right - no dieting! Just 7 days of snapping pictures of your food to begin the mind-body connection.

Christa intros JP Sears to the show and jumps right into some nutritional controversy with the American Heart Association’s assertion that coconut oil isn’t healthy. Christa wanted to get JP’s take on the situation since the topic was all over social media.

Here’s what JP had to say:

“From the bottom of my heart, I would dare say, virtually anything the American Heart Association says deserves to be flushed down the toilet.”

Because of the corporate agenda and funding into research, these studies aren’t for the greater good of people, but instead putting dollars into their pockets. Christa concurs. She points out that there is conflicting info in the industry and JP uses the example of the days when margarine was touted as being healthy.

The Power of Meditation

Christa reminds newcomers to the show that Fitlandia is on a mission to end dieting by first helping people change their thought-patterns using Mind Zoning®. Because these are like guided meditations, she explores the power of meditation with JP.

JP provides an amazing suggestion for those short on time or starting out. Personally, he does 10 minutes per day and focuses on a practice he learned from Thích Nhất Hạnh, which is a simple breathing meditation. As you breathe in, say to yourself, “I’m breathing in.” As you exhale, say to yourself, “I’m breathing out.” This is easy and approachable for anyone to try.

“Meditation is a great service we can give ourselves.”

Christa & JP discuss the challenges with life and busy schedules and that we don’t have to be perfect in our health practices. In fact, being aware and open about our triggers can help us keep moving forward.

“I used to shame the living crap out of myself. How I’m shaming myself is probably more toxic than the cookie I ate.”

End the Shaming Cycle

The shaming cycle can take someone back into an old, viscous addictive pattern, but Mind Zoning® can help, as well as being thoughtful about the benefits of that pattern. Looking at things that feel unhealthy always has an element of comfort and provides a sense of feeling in control.

Christa & JP speak on the power of planning for travel and staying healthy on the road and rely on Whole Foods to help stay healthy during travel and even search AirBnB listings to ensure access to being able to cook their own meals.

So what do Christa & JP eat? It’s similar: focus on veggies, higher on the side of healthy fats, and high-quality protein…and most importantly, don’t follow a dogma and instead focus on growing intuitively with what to eat and learning what’s best from how the body feels.

Christa shares a cautionary tale and that if you’re struggling with sugar, refined carb and/or alcohol addictions then tuning into your body could be challenging and her #1 tip: FOOD JOURNAL.

Self-Sabotage and Unresolved Wounds

Together they get heavy with regards to self-sabotage and looking at the root of self-sabotage. JP speaks to childhood experiences and how we reaffirm disempowering beliefs due to unresolved emotional pain.

Christa adds it’s connected to a lack of self-worth and the need to become aware of traumas. She gets inspired to create a Mind Zoning called “The Journey of Courage.” Doing inner child work can be an incredibly powerful process to healing and moving forward.

JP and Christa wrap up the show speaking to the power of vulnerability and community and/or tribe to help guide you through your transition. Also, working with a coach or therapist can have a powerful impact. He mentions Brene Brown’s TEDTalk on the Power of Vulnerability where she talks about connection and its power in our lives.

“Embrace discomfort. Nobody has ever excelled at anything by avoiding discomfort.”

Connect with all of JP’s awesomeness here:

Awaken with JP website

Awaken with JP YouTube channel

Buy the book: How to Be Ultra Spiritual with JP

Follow on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

Gratitude for today’s sponsor!

Portland Community College Functional Nutrition Program Check out their 100% online functional nutritional program today.

If you’re looking for a holistic nutrition program to connect with others, learn how to connect with your body and overcome addiciton for the next 30-day program with Fitlandia.