Eating really hot foods has never really been my thing. I mean I can handle basic hot sauce but nothing too advanced.

However, I’ve always been extremely competitive. This put me in a pickle when a friend invited me to his house for a “Hot Ones” wing challenge.

He had 9 men coming to his house to eat wings drenched in consecutively hot, hot sauce.

After each wing, a question is asked and a discussion takes place.

If you’ve never heard of this, Google “Hot Ones” challenge and you can see celebrities like Shaq taking part in this.

I hadn’t heard of it until I was invited to one.

At first I figured I would just go for some male bonding and not participate but when I got there my competitive juices got the best of me. I decided to give it a go.

I was pleasantly surprised when I made it through the first 7 wings without too much difficulty.

#8 was a different beast. It was called “Mad Dog” and it did quite a number on me. Before officially tapping out my entire face went numb and I had to run out of the house and down the block, it was burning so bad.

I wasn’t sure it would ever get better. Thankfully it did.

While I immediately regretted my decision to eat the “Mad Dog” drenched wing, there was a surprising benefit.

Since that day, I have extreme confidence in eating hotter foods. If my wife makes something that’s a little spicy I’m not worried at all. In fact, since the “Hot Ones” challenge, I’ve almost become a snob.:0

It reminded me of an important concept.

It’s crucial to make yourself uncomfortable at times.

Whether it’s lifting heavier weights than you’re used to, running a little longer, or sacrificing your favorite foods in the short time, you’ll be better for it all.

Human nature causes us to like comfort. The problem with that is that success often lies right outside our comfort zone. It may be a difficult conversation, a new workout program, or making different foods. You certainly don’t have to enter a “Hot Ones” challenge.

What do you need to do get uncomfortable in today?

To be clear, that subject line has nothing to do with my mother so keep reading.

A concept was popularized a few years ago regarding people’s “Whys.”

Simon Sinek didn’t create the idea but his book Start with Why gave it legs!

In a nutshell the principle is something Victor Frankel stated in his classic book, A Man’s Search for Meaning. He said, “If your why is big enough you can endure any how.”

Let me use myself as an example. As you can imagine I have some pretty serious health and fitness goals. They involve me taking some pretty serious action in terms of workouts, nutrition, and rest. I won’t get specific on the goals because that’s not what’s important here. What’s important is my WHY. The reason for my goals are pretty powerful (to me at least):

I have 3 little girls and a great wife I was lucky enough to marry. I’m in the final stages of my thirties. I not only want to do what I can to be around for them but I want to feel my best in terms of energy and strength. I also want to be the best leader in other areas of my life and I realize that without my health, I’d be severely limited.

It’s because of this WHY that I’ll do things like say no to engagements that stretch me too far, work out every day regardless of how busy I am, avoid desert food most of the time, and prioritize my sleep and rest.

Unfortunately, my back locked up really bad this morning while working out. It brought me to my knees. Not fun. It was partly my fault as I felt a twinge and pushed through anyway. I also didn’t warm up properly. Very embarrassing to admit. It’s extremely frustrating to have a set back like this but my WHY will keep me going and focusing on the things I can control. The rest I will trust God with.

Everyone’s why is different. I encourage you to think about yours. Once you connect with it, it will give you the passion you need to follow through even in the midst of life’s challenges.

Here are a few recent WHYS some of our members have shared with me:

• I don’t want to turn into my mom – One woman was telling me that she has a similar body to her mother and she doesn’t want to turn into her. It was no disrespect to her mother but she spent years taking care of others while neglecting herself. You see, nobody wins in that scenario and the daughter (our member) recognized that.
• My thighs are touching – Another recent new member hated the feeling of her thighs touching together. The pain of that feeling is driving her towards positive action.
• Daily function – A male member just told me how important daily function was to him. He’s 61 and still has a pretty active job. He noticed his legs giving out a bit in terms of strength and endurance which drove him to put in the work and improve his situation. As an aside, he’s down 3 belt loops!

These are just examples. You need to find YOUR why.

If you’re comfortable, I’d love to hear yours.

If you are trying to lose weight, just doing cardio is not the answer. Sure you will lose some weight but until you introduce resistance training to your program your metabolism will never change. Check out this quick video where I explain the science behind that.

I was recently talking with a new member and she shared what had been holding her back.

You see she used to be in what she considers “good shape.”

After years of putting others first her fitness is only a fraction of what it once was.

She said that stopped her for a long time. She didn’t want to face the fact that she was so far from where she wanted to be.

But that didn’t help and her condition only got worse.

Thankfully she finally decided to make a positive change and come in.

She is making great strides and is feeling better than she has in a long time.

Has a thought process similar to this ever derailed you? I know It has me.

I was recently sidelined for a while with a shoulder injury.

I was never the strongest guy in the gym but I remember being able to bench press 265 pounds for a few reps. Since my shoulder was injured for months I couldn’t do a lot of pressing. Today I started with just 95 pounds on the bar.

That could be perceived as pretty de-motivating.

If you really think about it, what’s the big deal? So what if you used to be in better shape! That kind of thinking isn’t productive. It’s all about where you are now and what you’re doing to improve.

The reality is we’re all going to deal with different setbacks, frustrations, and limitations.

Don’t let them get you down. If you keep dwelling on the negative you’ll never make progress.

While obstacles are no fun, they are a part of life and ultimately make us the person we are.

I encourage you to embrace them and be the best you can with what you have.

Love, love, love this recipe! (1) because they are delicious. (2) because they are so versatile! Throw a few of these on your salad for lunch. Serve as hor d’oeuvres at your next party (I suggest some tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping). Makes a great appetizer as shown in pic. Or throw them on top of some zucchini pasta and it tastes just like your Italian Grandma’s spaghetti and meatballs! OK, may be a bit dramatic on the last comment, but perhaps your health conscience Italian Grandma LOL. Make them the night before so all the flavors have plenty of time to meld! (Bonus: You also save some food prep time the next day.)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• Juice and zest of ½ medium orange
• Juice and zest of ½ medium lemon
• Juice and zest of ½ medium lime
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for sautéing
• ¼ tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. kosher or fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp. ground red lentils
• 25 small skewers or picks, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey with the juice and zest of the orange, lemon, and lime. Add all herbs and olive oil. Season with chili powder, salt, and pepper, and stir well.

2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3. The following day, take bowl out of the refrigerator, and allow turkey it come to room temperature.

4. Crack the eggs into the bowl with the turkey, add red lentils, and mix until fully combined.

5. Using your hands, make 25 golf-ball sized meatballs!

6. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, and sauté the meatballs for 4 minutes per side, until crisp and golden.

7. Enjoy!

Success is not a straight line. You should be expecting challenges with your goals. Even if you get discouraged or have a set back you must keep going. Decide what you want and keep taking action to get there!

I guess I’m qualified to write on this topic since my wife and I have 3 kids 7 and under.

I’d like to start off by saying that while parents of little ones have unique challenges, those who don’t have children certainly don’t have it easy. It frustrates me when people say things like, “People who don’t have kids have it so easy. They can work out any time they like.” That’s not always true as everyone has a full schedule with things that are important to them.

With all that said, here are 7 thoughts on staying in shape with young kids or even infants.

• Make time – It might mean saying no to other things that you would like to do. For a season, you’ll really have to prioritize your values.
• Modify workouts – Parents of little ones are often tired. I know we are. Not every workout will be world class and that’s OK.
• Simple body weight routines – It might bit be easy to always get to the gym. Simple body weight exercises like squats, push ups, and planks can be done from home and go a long way!
• Set goals – Even if your goals aren’t as ambitious as you’d like, set a goal so you’re working towards something.
• Mini-workouts – As a parent of young kids, you might not have an hour of uninterrupted exercise time. Consider breaking down your workout to 2 or 3 10 minute segments throughout the day.
• Nutrition – While your workouts may not be world class for a period of time, make sure that you don’t neglect your nutrition. You’ll need to eat plenty of lean protein, fresh fruits and veggies, and healthy fat to not only fuel your workouts but to be the best you can for your little one (s).
• Keep things in perspective – Give yourself some grace if you can’t do as many workouts as you’d like. Yes, try your best and set high standards but don’t beat yourself up if/when you’re not perfect.

Having young kids can be exhausting but we know that it’s more than worth it. Follow these tips so you’ll not only look and feel your best but you’ll be setting a great example for your family.

This video has some great tips from Billy and Melissa on how to cook for different tastes and diet levels. The kids rarely want to eat steamed vegetables, Melissa has some great ways to make sure the whole family is happy and she’s not stuck in the kitchen all day.