Coach's Corner With Justin and Ethan
Welcome to "Coach's Corner with Justin and Ethan," where your health and fitness journey gets a simplified makeover! Join Justin and Ethan, two seasoned coaches with a combined 30 years of experience, as they navigate the labyrinth of health and fitness, unraveling myths from facts to guide you towards success.
In each episode, we dive headfirst into the vast world of well-being, shedding light on weight loss, dissecting diet fads, exploring diverse workout styles, and fine-tuning the often overlooked aspect of mindset. Our mission is to demystify the complexities surrounding health, making your journey not only effective but enjoyable.
Get ready for a lively and informative conversation that feels like a chat with your favorite fitness buddies. Justin and Ethan draw upon their extensive experience, sharing real-life stories from working with thousands of clients. No stone is left unturned as they break down what really works and what's just another fitness fad.
Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or a beginner taking the first steps toward a healthier lifestyle, "Coache's Corner" is your go-to source for practical insights, debunking myths, and embracing the joy of the journey. Tune in for a fun and engaging exploration of the truth behind health and fitness, and let Justin and Ethan be your trusted guides to a healthier, happier you!
Coach's Corner With Justin and Ethan
Staying Fit During Travel and Social Events: Proven Strategies and Practical Tips
Ever struggled to maintain your fitness goals during travel or social events? Tune in to Coach's Corner where Coach Ethan and I unravel proven strategies to keep you on track this summer. We share insights on managing your time and navigating temptations at backyard barbecues, pool parties, and even long-haul trips like my upcoming wedding in Sri Lanka. Learn how to enjoy your adventures without compromising your health, much like our new client Gabe, who found himself balancing his fitness routine while attending a convention.
Preparation is key when staying healthy on the go. We dive into practical tips, such as packing protein bars and shakes, and the importance of reviewing restaurant menus ahead of time. Through personal stories, we demonstrate how a little planning can prevent unhealthy choices and bolster your long-term health goals. From protein-heavy breakfasts to making smarter choices at buffet lunches, discover how maintaining a balance between indulgence and lighter options can make a significant difference.
Ever wondered how to make mindful food choices even in the most challenging situations? Our discussion highlights the importance of recognizing emotional triggers and opting for healthier alternatives. You'll also hear practical advice on reducing calorie intake without sacrificing flavor, like using less dressing or modifying recipes. By framing vacations and special occasions as opportunities to practice being our best selves, we show how personal accountability and restraint can help you stay aligned with your long-term aspirations. Join us for an episode filled with actionable insights and a growth-oriented mindset!
Welcome to episode 25 of Coach's Corner. I am Coach Justin, I am Coach Ethan and at the time of this recording, it is the 4th of July. It is the day of Independence Day, baby. So today's episode is going to be all about managing your time. We're getting into travel season, so people are going to be traveling, they're going to be eating out more, they're going to be going to backyard barbecues and pool parties, and this is the season. You know, in a perfect world, we spend spring kind of like leaning out.
Speaker 2:Yes, of course, winter bulk for men.
Speaker 1:I women too, for sure, but like winter you get strong spring, you lean out it's on, so that by summer you're like yeah, you take off the shirt, maybe, and so, but now, how do we maintain that physique throughout the summer, so that way we don't just blow all of our progress? Yeah, and so ethan and I are going to talk about some tips and tricks to help you guys stay, stay fit, or at least if you're.
Speaker 1:If you're not fit yet and we're trying to get fit, at least not get less fit, as the same maintain yeah and um, some tricks, without having to necessarily like be a stickler to tracking every single calorie, um, but still keeping a keen eye on your food and your lifestyle, so that way you can maintain some health as we get into the summer season. So, unquestionably, yeah. So this is going to be a hot episode, very hot. So, ethan, 103 degrees, do you have any travel plans this?
Speaker 2:year, my man. Actually, this year I'm taking it easy because I've got a tremendous amount of travel in the beginning of next year. Really, where you know, I'm actually going to Sri Lanka, of all places. What the hell are you going there, for you know, I would never have chosen to go there.
Speaker 1:You got roped into something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to some crumb bums wedding, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Totally Well. For those of you who don't know, I'm engaged and we're getting married in Sri Lanka on. February 1st Very excited for it actually. Yeah, it's going to be a crazy trip. That one's going to be a doozy.
Speaker 2:It will be a doozy.
Speaker 1:There's no way to get there in less than like 28 hours.
Speaker 2:It's like a 40-hour travel block is kind of expected it's wild In Like a 40-hour travel block is kind of expected in one way or another. Yeah, it is definitely pretty wild. So I got that I actually have another wedding in Nicaragua and then potential plans for some trip to.
Speaker 1:Oaxaca. That's huge dude. That's all in the next year It'll be all like the first quarter Really.
Speaker 2:The Oaxaca trip for me is negotiable because it's Amanda's brother's 40th birthday and she like has to go and is committed, right. It'd be a lot cheaper for her to go if I went with her to like split hotel costs and it's it's there. It's it's on the bottom of the tier list, right, but it's available be fun.
Speaker 1:I want that stuff on my list, yeah that's.
Speaker 2:The other thing is like I would love to go. It's at a nice resort and it's this and it's that.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, let's talk about what maybe you might find yourself, as the listener, getting into here with your travel. I imagine road trips. Yes, I imagine maybe flying back to hometown, that's. I guarantee the biggest one yep, you know, going to the folks and the old, old friends and you know, maybe just some like camping trips say camping trips, you know, weekend wine tasting weekends along those beach days totally, or or park days, if you don't live near a beach.
Speaker 1:Well, let me kick it off with this, because one of my new clients who I'm working with personally, he's uh, his name is gabe, in case he listens so he is a musician and he's doing a, an event in minnesota next week and so he's like justin, everything's going great. You know, he's been with me for like a week and he's already down like four pounds. Just cleaning up food choices. We're just kind of getting into like tracking calories and like focusing on getting him to hit a protein target. So, the one hand, he's really excited because he's for the first time he's seeing progress, his little momentum being created. On the other hand, he's terrified because he's about to leave town for a week and we all know how fragile those beginning stages are yeah, I was gonna say, it's not rooted yet.
Speaker 2:It's no, it can fall off just like that especially when you're only a week or two in.
Speaker 1:It's like one week can can not only just set you back to where you were, but actually be even worse, even worse, yeah, and and destroy all your habits that you're starting to put momentum on so here's what I told him to do.
Speaker 1:I said, all right, you know it, convention thing. So it's like he's breakfast, you're on your own, and there's like kind of like a buffet type lunch, then dinner, you're on your own. But it's also a networking thing. So he's going to be like having dinner and probably drinks, some social components to it. So you know, it's unrealistic to think that you're not going to have a couple of drinks, it's unrealistic to think that you're not going to want to participate. And so, instead of trying to fight against the current, it's like here's the exact strategy. I told him Breakfast is just going to be coffee and protein. So wake up, have your coffee and have a protein shake, or even a double protein shake.
Speaker 1:Like 70 grams just yeah, you will not be hungry for a minute. Then lunch is going to be kind of like this. The staple lunch is going to be like the, the big meal, because you know you got to do your thinking in the afternoon, you want to stay sharp and so I said just take a plate and imagine it divided into thirds one fist size of protein, think like a big chicken breast, or along those lines. One fist size of like a starch, so think rice or sweet potato or beans or whatever, and then one fifth size of veggies. So that would be a pretty hefty full-size plate but probably pretty low cal. Just avoid the dressing, the seasoning, the oils and all that stuff the fried foods yeah
Speaker 1:and then a protein bar in the afternoon, maybe around three or four, as a little afternoon pick me up a snack a couple hundred calories, and then dinner just protein and veggies. Okay, skip the carbs, because you're probably going to have some drinks, and so in my program we always minus alcohol calories from our carbohydrate intake. Right, but accounting for the social time, yeah, right, exactly. So that way, like you're still eating two proper meals and then kind of like two protein snacks, but then you know it's a trade-off, you know, because you can't have, you can't eat uh, everything you want, whenever you want.
Speaker 2:I mean, if the you kind of have to practice a little restraint you have to.
Speaker 2:I think you know it's interesting hearing it because it's like what's coming to me just in my own mind as a reflection is like you just have to have a plan. I think, right, right, because it's the, the whole saying if you don't have a plan, you plan to fail. Yes, exactly right. And there's like and almost like, because of the momentum we were talking about, it's like the ability to just go off the rails and lose it all. So easy, it's so easy.
Speaker 1:It's so easy. It's like a switch goes off in people's mind, Like as soon as they head to the airport. It's like, oh, I'm at the airport.
Speaker 2:Or I'm hungover or I had a stressful day, and it's all understandable that those are, for whatever reason, challenging moments to our grind. Right, I mean, I get it, I live them, but I think it is it's like the understanding that some type of intention like has to be at play. And it's not to say that you have to be super strict and just eating your own food from the grocery store in your hotel room, right, but that like, at the same time, if you just let it all go, you're gonna let it all go. Yeah, right, you have to have like a like one bungee cord, one it's breaking it's breaking out of all or nothing thinking yeah I'm okay, because it's like beginners are notorious for this.
Speaker 1:All or nothing thinking it's like all right, well, I'm either going to be terrible to hang out with at this convention because I am bringing my Tupperware with my chicken and rice and my protein powder. I'm that guy, I'm that guy, and then I'm going to go home at five when it's over and not socialize.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:What's the point of living at that point? On the other end of the spectrum. It's like all bets are off, fuck it. I'm just going to go ham and you're getting bacon and eggs and pancakes. Continental breakfast yeah, burgers and fries for lunch. You're going to a steakhouse for dinner and drinking six bottles of wine or glasses. It's like, well, that's what probably got you into this mess.
Speaker 1:so, but the answer is in the middle and it's just like allowing yourself to have a growth mindset, because if you ask people, do you have a fixed mindset, do you have a growth mindset? What do you think people are gonna say, oh, I got growth. But then you see that you observe them and it's like you're the exact opposite of what someone who has a growth mindset would do Right.
Speaker 2:They might have flashing moments of growth, but most often people operate out of a fixed mindset.
Speaker 1:These, like fitness, is not a binary, it's a continuum.
Speaker 2:How much?
Speaker 1:Think of it as it's like analogous to like saving money. Like anything is better than nothing, right, yes, well, if I can't save a thousand a month, I won't save anything, right well, what if you? Say 500 like is that not? 200 is that not like good, like what are you talking about? But people think that way with with, with fitness and nutrition, all the time. It's wild it is.
Speaker 2:it's like one you know, because you'll have. Maybe you do go out to brunch and have all the bottomless mimosas and chicken and waffles and then you're just like, oh, what have I done? All right, fine, I'll just have some more pizza for lunch.
Speaker 1:Yeah, fuck it. I already chopped off one toe Might as well, and even if the day goes, to waste.
Speaker 2:It's this like perpetual momentum machine where it's like, okay, fine, maybe the whole day went to shit, that happens. But then it's like monday rolls around and you're like, well, fucked yesterday up, so I'm just gonna, you know, yeah, give, give it all out we all have that internal dialogue with ourselves.
Speaker 1:We all have that voice that's going oh, you're kind of hung over today. Maybe you should just like eat something that you want to like, soak it up or whatever, like the bullshit narrative that you tell yourself it's psychologically going to satisfy you. It means nothing, yeah, you know. So. There's no soaking up anything. It's just that you feel like shit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is going to make you quote feel better, which it might like. It might be like oh wow, this is so satisfying to eat, this fried chicken sandwich.
Speaker 1:But that's what it is, it's just and then, like all these, like bad habits and decisions just start compounding and you don't even know who you are anymore and it's just this, like jumbled bundle of conditioned vicious cycles, you know like. You have no idea what's up from now so so I think that the takeaway then in this is like we want to have fun, we train yeah, because we're not bodybuilders, but we don't have.
Speaker 1:We're not stepping on stage. We want to have fun. We train. We're not bodybuilders, but we don't have. We're not stepping on stage. You just want to look good and have fun and enjoy our lives and be healthy A hundred percent.
Speaker 2:And it's like the opposite end of that spectrum, it's like letting it all go. And us, you know talking about that human condition One. It's about relatability. It's like we all have it, even the people that are the most disciplined have it. They've just overcome it, and so I think it's like one. It's like recognizing that we're all in it together and you're not special, yeah, in a way. Oh, you aren't yeah, no, everybody.
Speaker 1:Anybody who thinks that like they're not special or they're not special, they're special anybody who thinks they are special, 40 and slip. Yeah, anybody who thinks they're special. It's like. You know, at the end of the day, nobody defies physics. If you stick your hand in a fire, you're going to get burned. Yes, that's just the way it's going to be. Yep, if you try to walk across water, you're going to sink into it.
Speaker 2:Have you ever seen?
Speaker 1:Criss Angel, and if you eat less than your body burns, you're going to lose weight. You're going to lose weight. Yeah, the opposite of that is true as well. And so these are just the law of thermodynamics. It's the facts of life. No one defies physics. And so it's like all we have to do is look at it as like there's going to be seasons in life, like All we have to do is look at it as like there's going to be seasons in life, like there is a guy that I follow for a minute and he'd always speak like what's the season that you're in right now? And I love that framing because it's like okay, I'm in a season where right now, like you said, for example, you're not traveling for a minute, you're just kind of hanging around. So, like you know, this could be an opportunity, a season where I'm not going to be pulled away from my home base for months, where I'm in control of my house, where I can choose at least what's happening with my food.
Speaker 1:I can cook, I can do all these things, and so it's like this season might be one of travel for some people when it's like, okay, well, now is not the time necessarily to like If you got like something going on every single month, then you know what can you do. It's not well, I can't do my 100%, so I might as well not even participate. It's like no, no, no, no. What can you do? It's like turning it from a binary to a continuum and it's like Gabe, my client, for example, how many days are you going to be there?
Speaker 1:Five, five scoops of protein in a Ziploc bag and bring it with you? Five protein bars five scoops of protein in a Ziploc bag and bring it with you. Five protein bars, bring it with you. You're just setting yourself up for success. Do you know the restaurant that you feel like you're going to be hanging out at? What if you pulled up the menu and spent 90 seconds just taking a look at the three or four restaurants menu that you're about to go to, just so you can start that little process in your mind of like, oh, i'm'm gonna get the grilled chicken sandwich when I go, even if it's in the uber ride over.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's that opportunity, right, and so it's. It's like the again, the, the two ends of the spectrum of like letting it all go and like not being that person that doesn't enjoy life, or is the guy with the tupperware at the convention?
Speaker 2:yeah right, like it's unrealistic. I don't think most people are going to want to like. Why go on vacation if your vacation looks exactly the same as your home life? Totally Right, there's a component of that, but it's like at the same time, to that point right, even on the Uber ride over you can just look at the menu of the restaurant you're going to and without question, in a 30 second scan, probably be like best choices appetizer. That just in general right. You can just see just right off the bat.
Speaker 1:Totally like an ounce of preparation I said that wrong like an ounce of of, of a prevention, is worth a pound of cure.
Speaker 2:All right, I have to edit that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and in this instance it's like the prevention is just taking a peek.
Speaker 1:Okay, just mapping it out. What is this four-day road trip? Look like where are we gonna go? Can I is it? Is it so crazy to bring a cooler with, like you know, some pre-made snacks and protein shakes and shit like that in there, just so you're not like tempted to just go and get a double double with fries on the road?
Speaker 2:because you're hungry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're just like it's oh, man, and then you rash like because you're like well, I don't have anything else and I'm hungry, so I guess I have to. Yeah, but had you act? But if this is important to you, if fitness and if health is who?
Speaker 2:you want to be, if losing weight, if some component of this journey you have to understand, this is an identity you possess.
Speaker 1:Now. It's not something you do, you know, monday through Thursday, and then you can fucking blow it out of the water Friday through Sunday, like because you will never see progress. Yeah, but it's like, okay, we're going to have dinner at this restaurant tonight. I'm going to have two or three glasses of wine, so then maybe it stands to reason. Breakfast might just be a protein shake.
Speaker 1:Lunch might be a turkey sandwich and some veggie, because you know you're going to be plowing down 1,200 to 1,500 calories for dinner and you have to, and if nothing gives, then you're going to be over and you're going to come back from your vacation frustrated because you blew it 100.
Speaker 2:What was it was as a an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure what I also.
Speaker 2:My mind was like an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of repair. Yeah, right yeah, I don't think it needs to be edited. I was like I think there's still value there. It even you know it happened to me yesterday. So in the in a previous episode we talked about habits and food timing and I talked about how I eat late at night, most often because I get home from work. So yesterday I was going to an evening massage that I hadn't had in a while. They've been traveling.
Speaker 1:Again, in case you guys don't know, ethan gets massages every day, every day at least he's so rich.
Speaker 2:He gets a massage every weekly standing massage appointments, multiple therapists, by the way. They all, they all offer something different yeah, mostly just fix his mindset, yeah but I was. I was stopping at Trader Joe's on the way to pick up a few things and it was funny because it was just happenstance. But I didn't validate my ticket, so I had to go back up, which is annoying.
Speaker 1:It was what it was.
Speaker 2:We've all been there. But in that moment of checking out to getting in my car, I just became starving and I knew I hadn't eaten a lot that day. I knew and so I had like a double protein scoops in my car. Oh, shit.
Speaker 2:So I was ready. It was going to be about a 40-minute drive. They're in the Palisades, they're out there a little bit, which is fine. So I was ready, but I knew that wasn't going to be enough. Like I was like hungry, hungry. I just did not have food prepped that day and my day just went on and so I really had not eaten a lot that day at all. You know, I'd had some protein, I had like a yogurt, but I was just like I was fucking hungry.
Speaker 2:I needed a meal, right, and this protein shake just wasn't going to do it. I was about to go do a couple's massage. I was going to do two massages back to back and I was like I just can't, this isn't going to work. So as I went back into Trader Joe's to validate my ticket, I was like I need to eat. I'm like I'm at that place where I'm going to fucking pull over and get a double-double Like it's like the hunger is hitting me now in this magical 15-minute window. Oh yeah, through and just have the protein shake, but on that drive home I'm gonna want to get the double double. I know, when I get home I'm gonna just eat fucking everything. I'm gonna eat the food I got prepped. I'm gonna eat some rice crackers.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna get some fucking dumplings out of the freezer like I don't know, it's just gonna, it's just gonna go off. And so I was like, okay, this isn't gonna work. So I went and I looked and I'm like I need something. I didn't have immediate and so I got a wrap. But what I also did was sat there and looked at every fucking wraps protein content and I was like which one has the highest protein?
Speaker 2:And it just so happened to be that the one that had the highest protein was also like one of my favorite flavors, but I was ready to just eat whatever one it was, because none of them are going to taste bad Like. None of them are going to be like oh, this is tuna salad. But it was like still those kind of decisions, and so it's just that to me is like a good example of like. It wasn't my best. I wasn't prepared per se, the moment happened, but I still made the best decision that I could. Totally In the moment I still prioritize protein. I made sure that I got something in and you know, I guess when I got home, I only ate half of the food that I had prepped.
Speaker 1:Totally. Yeah, yeah, and that's the takeaway. It's okay, so maybe you do have to go through a drive-thru. Well, every fast food restaurant has like a grilled chicken sandwich. Now, right, and you might want the big juicy bacon guac burger, but we're talking the difference between, like a 1,500-calorie gut bomb that you're going to immediately regret versus a 600-calorie grilled chicken sandwich that maybe you know isn't as good, look good, as the burger that your husband or wife is eating next to you, but you're gonna finish it and you'll be like you know, I feel pretty good actually yeah and it was.
Speaker 1:It's gonna taste high protein locale. You're on track and those are the, those are the decisions, and that's what I mean when I say this is an identity. Now that you have this, is there's no going back like, because as soon as you break that seal and you and you do have the, the 1500 calorie gut bomb, the next one's just easier to do, and then the next one after that is easier to do, and next you know you're right back to where you started in the cycle just being aware, feeling the hunger, feeling the emotion, feeling the frustration, feeling the defeat and the overwhelm, and then understanding that you're actually not the person feeling it, you're the one observing it, and just punching back a level and just seeing these emotions kind of drift by like clouds and be like you know what deep breath in.
Speaker 1:I'm going to choose my option instead of just reactively, you know, grabbing whatever I can because I'm ravenous. We're not right, we're not feral beasts rummaging through the forest anymore. We have a moment to just think and in that moment, that pause as Cashew would say, it's just that pattern interrupt, creating a little space between stimulus and response. So you have stimulus. I'm fucking hungry. Worked all day.
Speaker 2:I got to drive 40 minutes. It's traffic. That's the stimulus. I smell it.
Speaker 1:I smell the fries, trip, wire, boom, triggered Response I'm just gonna fucking eat, I don't care. But there's no gap between stimulus and response. We're just doomed to repeat this vicious cycle over and over and over again. But if we can just observe these emotions and go okay, like what you just did, all right, let me just take 30 seconds here. Okay, whoa, no protein in that one yeah double the double the calories.
Speaker 1:Oh great, okay, this one's got 30 grams, only 350 calories. Cool, you know what this one it's like that. Those decisions, that that is your trajectory, that's it. And when you look back over the course of a year and you've made 50 of those decisions, or 500 of those decisions, like that could be the difference between you, like going your next vacation feeling super confident and maybe even, dare I say, slipping into a bathing suit on the beach, versus you not wanting to go, making excuses, just wait in the car, being under the umbrella, you know, kind of not wanting to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it doesn't have to be that bad. Like so I got a buffalo chicken wrap that had a Blue Trees dressing and the dressing added like 120 calories. Right, it's one of those little ounce-y cups and of course I used the dressing. But instead of just like slamming the wrap in there and just like scooping it all up, I was like, okay, how minimal amount of a dressing can I do to apply the flavor and get the satisfaction of this blue cheese buffalo chicken wrap? Yeah, and I literally probably used like a third of the dressing. Totally Right, so, and it's that's like 80 calories, 90 calories of the 120 edition that I was able to forego. And the wrap was equally satisfying. I didn't need like gobs of mouthfuls of dressing on this thing. Yeah, flavor wise it was. It was actually really strong and I was totally fine.
Speaker 2:You know it's just that little, like I'm gonna really intentionally fucking dip this thing in here as I'm driving. It's like, okay, you kind of get to have your cake and eat it too a little bit. I got the 30. It was 34 grams of protein in that wrap.
Speaker 1:I was amazed it was great and like that's the thing too when you're making your own food, when you're ordering food, and it comes with this like little, you know ounce and a half of like dressing. Challenge yourself like, yeah, tanya, and I've been doing these recipes, and these recipes are calling for like three ounces or three tablespoons of olive oil and, like you, you know, cheese and cream, and we're like what would happen if we cut all that by two thirds? And so we just had one third of all those ingredients and it turns out it still tastes great.
Speaker 2:It's so enjoyable.
Speaker 1:And that's just hundreds of calories less per day that you're consuming and for most people that probably is your deficit. And so when you're on a road trip, when you're traveling, when you're on your next vacation and you're at a restaurant, like, make those little, seemingly inconsequential choices that really add up big time over the long haul.
Speaker 2:If you're going to have fries, grab one fry at a time. Don't not eat the fries, but just literally pick up a single french fry yeah, once you start grabbing like four at a time.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's so easy to do. You want to get that? Jammed wad of potatoes, and then you go, because when you before now it's like a shovel and you can just like plow, like a whole ounce of ketchup on it and look I get it, and so it's again, it's like, it's like not, don't eat the french fry.
Speaker 2:It's just some little modifications that can all add up, and so, ok, let's get practical, because we've talked about it. Ok, have a plan. Yeah, so we're talking about travel.
Speaker 1:Vacation is worth a pound of cure. So just taking a minute to think through where you're going to be and then just making even just a mental note of like OK, here the restaurants we're going to go to. Here's what I can order, and then just I think some easy go-tos like is there a way to just get like?
Speaker 2:the half chicken. Yeah, instead of roasted chicken. You get a roasted chicken at dinner steak instead of the fucking ribeye, right you know, avoid fried appetizers like get a shrimp cocktail, get a hamachi or a yellowtail crudo, get you know a tuna pokey or just you know doesn't anything of that nature doesn't have to be seafood, but over calamari, totally that's fried.
Speaker 1:You know, that's a simple choice, yeah I would say, like like dinner time, do your best to stick with protein and veg. If you can just omit carbs or just like reduce the carbs, you're probably going to be okay, because if you're like me and you're like most people, you probably want to have a drink or two at a nice restaurant anyways, or at dinner with your family anyways, yep, so then you're just gonna think of it as like okay, I can do my roast chicken, we can get some like broccolini or whatever, and then I can have a glass or two of wine, maybe a bite or two of the ice cream for dessert, not too shabby, that's a fair trade-off. I think, yeah, lunch maybe get in like a protein and a carb and a veggie. But I would say, just as a rule of thumb, avoid big like stews and and things that you have no fucking clue what's in there.
Speaker 1:No portion control ability right, just look for like a protein, a veg and a carb. Yeah, differentiate it and then breakfast if you can just do a protein, a veg and a carb, yeah, differentiate it. And then breakfast if you can just do a protein and coffee, you're probably going to be okay, and if you just did that like, you're probably going to come back fine, you're probably going to be okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I think it's like. It's like have a plan, don't. Don't forget that you've chosen this path. Portion control think about what you're eating ahead of time. Unless it's winter, go get your steps in.
Speaker 1:Go for a walk in the novel area by the way, even if it is winter, you can get a walking pad for like a hundred dollars on amazon. Now, while you're traveling, though, you're gonna bring that's true, I guess.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know I will. Yeah, you're right, check your walking pad, yeah you know, put it in a brief.
Speaker 1:Alright, all electronics out, it's like desperado honestly, you could bring your bands, your walking pad, your yoga mat, the bands actually make sense.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I think it's just like don't forget that's another one. For me is like it's just so easy to let my movement go, like when I go visit my mom it's winter, you don't let my movement go Like when I go visit my mom. It's winter, you don't budge, it's East Coast. Yeah, I put my pajamas on when I wake up. I might even be sleeping in them. I just get up and I eat that big-ass breakfast that she cooks and then I'm just like Next thing, you know it's 5 o'clock.
Speaker 2:It's time for dinner what happened?
Speaker 1:yeah, holidays are like that, but, but, yeah, but for summer travel. I think like just if, if being fit and healthy is something that you want in your life and you want this person, you want to become that version, yeah, then taking a second and doing what fit and healthy people do by like thinking through okay, well, it's not a binary, like I'm either fit or I'm, or I'm either being healthy or I'm not. It's like how much can you be healthy? Yeah, and that can be making sure that if you do go through, drive through, you you order the grilled chicken sandwich versus the double double. If you are at a restaurant, you maybe just skip the carbohydrates with dinner because you're never going to have a glass of wine anyways, and it all. These things might seem silly, but again, they really fucking add up.
Speaker 2:Even I think it's like, even if you can keep your toe in the water, because I think back to the beginning of the podcast or our discussion, when we were talking about how it just is so easy for a couple decisions to spiral out definitely right, even if 85 of it's lost, like, even if that is the situation because of travel and circumstance, but you still, like, maintain the commitment, even if it's a, it's just, even if it's just 10 000 steps a day or even a 20 minute walk a day, that's like the very bare minimum. There's still some psychological like foot in the door never, it's, it's, you never.
Speaker 2:Let it go all the way, and even if that's the best you could do, and even if that was your best in that moment, whatever it is, you still at least like, keep your like hand on the line. You don't let it go all the way, you don't.
Speaker 1:You never break the chain of habit.
Speaker 2:Yes, it's never, never sever the chain of habit, even if the habit is trying. I just like you know it's like you're still putting the effort forward to never, never, not do your best. It's just going to vary from day to day and the irony is is that it takes a minute.
Speaker 1:You know we're not talking like you have to sit there and, like you know, track every calorie or expect yourself to know everything you're going to eat on a week-long vacation, but just like taking a couple of minutes while you wake up in your hotel or wherever you're at and you're having your coffee instead of looking at instagram, instead of reading the news. What if you just like, like just looked at the menu, the restaurants you're going to go to that day, or talk to your partner or spouse or friends, like so what are we doing? Where are we gonna go? And just thinking through, like, okay, what I? I found a lot of personal accountability by calling out my, my own, the demons on my shoulder, like what would bad justin want to do? He would want to like fucking, you know, go ham for breakfast, go ham for dinner, drink a bunch of wine, have a big dessert and like, if I just call myself out interesting, it's almost like, oh, okay, but then now, I know it's almost easier to like back into it from there.
Speaker 1:It's like exposing the worst version of yourself, and then you can kind of like step backwards into whatever, like the middle ground is for that day. It could be, so I'm not gonna bring my own tupperware to the party. But I'm also not just gonna like plow through a bunch of like.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna get the lumberjack breakfast yeah with the bloody mary either, just like ah I guess I, and also like it's so corny. But why is this important to you? Well, that's yes. Why? Well, I want, like for me it's mostly just vanity, but like I want to fucking be 40 years old, a six-pack, yeah, and if I'm eating fucking flapjacks and bacon, like I'm just not gonna happen, you know, like I'm just not gonna get that, and so it's like, all right, veggie omelet, yeah, you know okay and I eat it and guess what?
Speaker 2:I'm fine it's, yeah, it's, and it's because, in the end, what'll happen is you'll, you'll leave the vacation and you'll leave the day, and next thing you know it's, and next thing you know it's like ugh, what have I done?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like cheating on you.
Speaker 2:You're back in that airport on the way back and you're just like, well, that was a week, you just know.
Speaker 1:You just know Well, and also, I think too, is like Erased it all.
Speaker 2:Just like I just sketched everything and and it's never worth it.
Speaker 1:You always regret it. You know you're gonna regret it because you've regretted it every year. You've ever done it like. You know this already. Right, it's just like how many times you want to learn that same fucking lesson before you finally clicks.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it's like indulgence are only truly enjoyable after we practice a little restraint. Because if all we ever do is indulge and then the contrast, hedistic adaptation we just adapt to only being indulgent and that's just the baseline now. But if we go through seasons bringing it full circle, where we do practice restraint for a month or six weeks or 12 weeks because we're leading up to an occasion where we can allow ourselves to indulge A you're not going to indulge that hard because you've worked so hard now that you don't even want to go blow it. A you're not going to indulge that hard because you've worked so hard now that you don't even want to go blow it. But also B, when you do sit back at that beautiful beach cabana and you have your fucking cocktail and you're looking out over the water, you go. No shame here, I fucking earned this yes, I can be fully present.
Speaker 2:Yes, fully, enjoyable Right yeah. So, Well, I'm going to eat some hot dogs later. Yeah, yeah. So Well, I'm going to eat some hot dogs later.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm about to go slam fucking cookies. Shotgun of beer, ethan and I got to go shotgun some IPAs. So we got to wrap this episode up. But yeah, so that was it, guys. I hope that helps. Yep, every year it stands to reason you're going to have summer travel, you're going to have holidays, you're going to have birthdays. So instead of waiting to figure things out when life ceases to be life, let's learn how to navigate through that by looking at these inevitabilities as an opportunity to practice who you would be at your higher self. This person you're trying to become, what kind of decisions would they make in these inevitabilities? Because that's how we actually ever, you know grow.
Speaker 1:Couldn't say it better so there you have it. Have a happy 4th of July and we'll catch you next time. Peace out.