057 | CROSSROADS with Gio Marin, Minister, Fitness Advocate, and Cohost of BUILT by FitBod

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I grew up in a Christian home and I grew up with Christian principles, but unfortunately, people don't always live out those Christian principles, and my parents ended up getting divorced. Long story short, I knew I had a calling to the ministry at the age of 10.

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If I grew up in.

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It's like life and death.

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Whether you're Christian or not, you know there comes a seminal moment in your life where you have to make a choice, the crossroad.

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And I took the right road, and that made all the difference.

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He is GeoMarine, and he is undone.

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Hey friend, I am glad you are here.

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If this is your first episode, I hope you love it.

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I hope that you stick around.

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I hope that you will binge these episodes and get inspired by high achievers who didn't let failure stand in the way of eventual victory.

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If you're a regular, let me just say thanks.

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I've learned a lot about achievement, resilience, and grit in these past nearly 11 months And I couldn't have done it without you. So seriously, thank you That said welcome to another episode of becoming undone the podcast for those who dare bravely risk mightily and grow Relentlessly Toby Brooks a professor of rehabilitation sciences at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Over the past several decades. I've grown more and more fascinated with what sets high achievers apart and how failures can frequently be necessary steps on our path toward success.

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Each week on Becoming Undone, I invite a new guest to examine how high achievers can transform from falling apart to falling into place.

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I'd like to emphasize that this show is entirely separate from my roles at Texas Tech, but it's my attempt to apply what I've learned and what I'm learning and to share with others about the mindsets of high achievers.

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For Bronx native turned Huntsville, Texas minister, Gio Marin, growing up in the mean streets of the South Bronx meant he was no stranger to danger, tragedy, and fear.

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As a teen, he questioned his religious upbringing, and he eventually set off on more than a decade of hard, fast living as he ran away from the calling he'd heard God place on his young life.

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But finally, after losing his job, losing a close relationship, and questioning his purpose, he hit rock bottom, choosing instead for a path toward his purpose.

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In the process, he pursued higher education, met and married his wife, started a family, and eventually found himself through a process of discovery and growth.

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I hope you'll be as inspired by the story of GeoMarine as I was in episode 57, Crossroads.

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Our guest today is a relatively new friend, but in this podcasting space, we quickly learn that like-minded folks align and would certainly consider GeoMarine to be in that category.

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He's joining us from Huntsville, Texas today.

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Geo, welcome.

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Thank you for having me, Toby. It's been nice meeting you.

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Same here. It's really been a cool story how I reached out to Jonica years ago and she in turn linked up with you and Michael and you guys started the show and then did the podcast for you guys and it's been really cool to get to know different people who have their own stories, but at the same time, there are threads of consistency that we can each use as inspiration for one another.

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So you're a minister, also a podcaster, as I mentioned, co-host on the Built by FitBod show, also a fitness personality, and now a plant-based advocate.

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So welcome to the show.

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I always start off with a little bit of a softball.

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Who did you want to be or what did you want to be growing up?

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Well, when I first started, I thought I was going to be a doctor.

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As fate would have it, I married a doctor.

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And so I get my doctor fix through her.

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And we talk fitness, we talk nutrition at nauseam.

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I get to hear the plight of fitness in other people's lives to her clients.

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I do run the small business as far as the business end.

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She's the brains.

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But I ended up becoming a minister.

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That being said, there is a big health component in the denomination I'm part of, where we happen to be the longest lived people in the world.

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We're Seventh-day Adventists.

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If you look up blue zones, you'll hear about us.

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And we're a global denomination, but that health component really intrigued me and my wife to see how spirituality and physical fitness go hand in hand.

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Yeah, I think that's a great point.

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And it's funny to me, I felt like a total hypocrite at times in my life where I was teaching fitness.

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fitness and as a Christian, you know, really locking in to certain aspects and legalism and I'm going to follow this.

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I don't want to enter into that.

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But then, you know, you go to a potluck and it's gluttony all over the board.

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It's like, why are we choosing and picking which part we're going to abide by and which part we're going to conveniently overlook?

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So it's interesting that you say that.

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I'm looking forward to digging in.

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I've listened to your episode, your episode three on the Built by Fitbod podcast.

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We'll certainly delve into your fitness journey, but this one's more about you.

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So start at the beginning, wherever that is for you.

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That's an interesting question because I grew up in a Christian home and I grew up with Christian principles, but unfortunately, people don't always live out those Christian principles.

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And my parents ended up getting divorced.

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Long story short, I knew I had a calling to the ministry at the age of 10, but I wanted to be a doctor.

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That intrigued me.

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At 15, though, something major happened in my life.

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I grew up in the South Bronx in the 70s and 80s.

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If you know anything about the South Bronx in that time, it was a very dangerous place to grow up in.

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And at 15 years old, I had a real critical moment.

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One close friend and two acquaintances were murdered.

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One sister of a friend of mine was found chopped up in a box and that's how we discovered her.

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We were there when they were unearthing the body through behind the police tape line.

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The second basement of our boys club championship winning team ended up getting into a fist fight.

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Nice and even fist fight.

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He won though, but the father in a drunken stupor ended up shooting him and killing him.

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And then another acquaintance was involved in drugs and he tried to get out.

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They didn't like that and they ended up killing him.

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So at that moment, I've been growing up in a Christian home.

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I said to myself, man, if following God leads to this, then I'm going to try folly for some time.

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I went deep into the world, as people would say in the Christian world, and did things I'm not proud of.

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But after 12 years of that debauchery, I would say that I had a moment where I had to make a decision.

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Am I going to be a man of responsibility?

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Am I going to be a man who knows how to take care of himself and others and not abuse friendships and relationships?

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Or am I going to continue down this path?

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Having had a Christian upbringing, I knew that it was time to change, and I did.

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And at that crux of the matter, it's like life and death.

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Whether you're Christian or not, you know there comes a seminal moment in your life where you have to make a choice, the crossroad. And I took the right road, and that made all the difference.

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And that made all the difference. I was a sophomore in high school when my English teacher, Mrs. Young, had us reading poetry aloud in class. I hated it. At the age of 15, I wasn't much for seeing the representation of 17th century English oppression of left-handed carpenters woven into the tapestry of whatever poem we happened to be reading that day. But Robert Frost's Road Not Taken, on the other hand, that was different. To a 15-year-old, I can distinctly recall the unsettling sensation that I wasn't like the author, looking back on life, but instead I was at the beginning.

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The forks in the road all lay ahead for me.

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Those decisions that would ultimately help me end up where I'd be, with who I'd know, doing what I'd chosen to do, they all were not in the years past, but in the years to come.

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Just listen.

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The road not taken, two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both.

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And be one traveller, long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could Where it bent in the undergrowth, Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that passing there Had worn them really about the same.

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And both that morning equally lay, And leaves no step had trodden black.

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O, I kept the first for another day, Yet, knowing how way leads to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

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I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence, Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by.

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And that has made all the difference.

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GeoQuotes one of my absolute favorite works of all time here.

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But unlike Frost, and unlike many of us, the path he took wasn't worn really about the same.

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It wasn't a choice between two options of similar value.

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It was a decision of continued pursuit of self, possibly leading to pain and destruction that he'd seen in his own community for so long, or that of surrender to a calling on his life he'd heard clearly at the age of just 15.

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He chose the latter. And just like he said, it has made all the difference.

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I had to have been difficult to suffer through those things. And as a child, we don't really have the ability to pick and choose the environment that we put ourselves in.

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But as we get older, then we do. And we've got the ability to pick who we surround ourselves with and the environments in which we find ourselves.

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So how did you go from that environment to where you are today and points in between?

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What were the thought processes behind leaving the Bronx ultimately to where you are today in Texas?

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Yeah, my parents were divorced, as I mentioned, and so I decided to move.

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As a 15-year-old, that's a big decision because a lot of us are tied closely to our mothers.

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We're momma's boys growing up as kids.

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But I decided at that age, at my own, because my mother had to work two jobs, so I would hardly see her.

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She'd come home, cook dinner, then leave to her second work.

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So I decided my dad was well off, very well off, and so I decided to move with him to New Jersey.

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And even though my wild streak continued with him, I was in a better environment.

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So there was no dangers of any type of retaliation or anything that can get me murdered or killed.

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It was just boys being boys in New Jersey.

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Well, my father really provided much structure.

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But the godsend was my stepmother, who basically I've known since five years old.

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And she's really, I would say, if there's anything as an angel on earth, she was it.

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She really guided me. She really came around me. She really nurtured me. And I credit a lot of my sensibility and responsibility to her. My father was the bedrock, the financial provider, but she was the emotional stability and the strength of the family.

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And to this day, I have a great relationship with her and she really turned my life around.

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Yeah, it's important to have people like that that we can turn to.

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During that time, you mentioned you were in a rebellious phase.

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Did it cross your mind that this is not it?

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That those temporal pursuits were counter to your larger purpose?

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Yes.

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Let me tell you a story.

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Even though she was nurturing me back to a good, stable frame of mind, finally, after 12 years of living the life that I no longer live.

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What broke me was I got fired from a job.

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I was working as an investment advisor, but I was doing things that ethically aren't necessarily wrong, but were kind of sketchy and definitely illegal.

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I was in a relationship that everybody thought we were going to get together and last forever.

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That broke up.

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I was estranged from my father, even though I was living in his house.

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I hit rock bottom, and God basically said, look, you did it your way for 12 years.

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Why don't you try it my way?

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And having hit that rock bottom on top of that, I lost $80,000 in the stock market.

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I was playing with stock options.

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Don't do that, that's worse than gambling.

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I don't gamble either, but stock options are very dangerous and easy money, easy come, easy go.

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And so having lost my job in a rocky relationship, estranged from my father, losing a lot of money in a short period, I finally hit rock bottom, and the Lord basically said, okay, I'm going to try it my way or continue, you know, hitting your head up against the wall. And that really changed things around.

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So, it's been said that rock bottom taught you?

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What has failure taught you that success never could have?

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You know, it's funny you bring that up because the book of Ecclesiastes says that it's sometimes better to be in the house of mourning than in the house of laughter.

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And what it taught me is that truth is paramount.

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Christianity or some other religion, what stands out the most is truth. You have to pursue truth and be real to yourself. You have to be honest with yourself because no one can be as honest with you as you are with yourself. And so, having hit that rock bottom, I knew that I was in my previous life doing things out of feelings or desires or lust.

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I had to pursue truth.

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And once I started pursuing truth, things started changing, not only in my outside circle, but most importantly, inwardly.

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I was becoming the man I had always hoped to be.

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And that was simply by the pursuit of truth in all topics, not just religion, but in nutrition and fitness, in relationships, anything that people have opinions on, I wanted to pursue what the truth of the matter is.

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Not everything is black and white, not everything will be clear, but eventually there will be enough information to persuade you to one side of the equation.

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And as long as I'm doing that, I know I'm on the right track, even when I make mistakes.

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Yeah.

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And once we hit that rock bottom, we'd like to think that it's just a steady climb out of the pit, but certainly there are highs and lows.

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One of my favorite sayings related to this comes from a comedian by the name of Mark Lowry, and he says that, you know, when bills come due at the end of the month, that's just life.

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When your water heater starts leaking and it floods your basement, that's life.

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When your kid gets cut from the athletics team or your car breaks down on the way to work, that's life.

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And Jesus says, I came to give you life, more abundant.

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And the idea is we're not immune from struggles and trauma.

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If anything, maybe we're even more exposed.

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We're more of a target to things because it's one thing to say we believe something, but the proof and the truth is in how we respond in those moments when things don't go our way.

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And so once you emerged from that season of life, something happened, you made new relationships, you got new jobs, you've steered down another path.

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So I guess the question from there is where did you go after that realization that this was not the way and I'm going to turn and orient in another direction.

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Well, at that point, the truth had become so important to me and in relation to God that I decided as an older person, 27 years old, to enroll in college for a ministerial degree.

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And so I ended up going to a denominational college in Collegedale, Tennessee, which is just 30 minutes north of Chattanooga. And I studied there the ministry, and I felt that this was exactly answering the calling that I felt 10 years ago. From there, I ended up going to Berry and Springs, Michigan to get my master's. And in our denomination, it kind of works like the NFL draft, I ended up getting drafted by the Texas conference because it's a global denomination.

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I like to tell the story real quick of a friend of mine who ended up getting drafted by Bermuda and his church had a parsonage, which is a house that comes with the church, and his backyard was the beach and across the street was a golf course.

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We were all jealous.

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But I am happy to be in Texas because Michigan is cold, and I've been here ever since 2008.

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That's cool.

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So in your episode on Fitbod that I listened to recently, you made mention of the fact that you're a late father and that you and your wife had trouble conceiving.

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Walk me through that season of your life.

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I know a lot of people struggle, whether it's with pregnancies that don't happen or those that do, that lead to all hosts of tragedy. I mean, that's a common issue for a lot of people that I know really struggling with conceiving and childbearing. So talk me through that. Yeah, that's a story we love to share. And here's why. Because we are always been, our internal numbers have always been great.

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Even though there was a period after having our kids that I gained 55 pounds and I had to lose, we have, prior to that, we have always been in good shape.

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Internal numbers, my cholesterol, her cholesterol are less than 120.

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Blood pressure is great.

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Everything checked out.

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We tried to conceive after our first year of marriage.

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We got out of debt, paid off our medical student loans.

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But then the months kept accruing and no conception.

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And so we started to worry, we started going to fertility doctors.

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People worry that plant-based males don't have enough sperm count.

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Well, my sperm count was so high that the doctors marveled.

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She checked out great.

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So the question was, what's wrong?

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Why aren't we conceiving?

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Long story short, my wife, being a medical doctor of internal medicine, she took it upon herself to explore every avenue of what could be leading to our infertility, because physically everything checked out.

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There was a small journal that spoke about celiac disease, that is the inability to process gluten and infertility.

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However, my wife didn't have any symptoms of celiac disease.

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Looking back now, her only symptoms were infertility.

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So you can imagine that was a surprise to her.

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Every once in a while, she would have loose stool, but she just thought, hey, maybe I ate something that upset my stomach, no big deal.

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Well, she ran her own blood tests for celiac disease.

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Now, on normal markers between one and three, hers came out as 31.

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So at that point, she was like shocked because she had no other symptoms.

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People with celiac disease may have rashes or skin edemia and things like that.

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So she then got a second opinion, an endoscopy, where they take a camera down your stomach and look at your stomach lining.

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Coincidentally, the colleague who did the endoscopy, he himself discovered he had celiac disease six months prior.

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So the moment the camera hit her intestines, he knew she had it.

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Because celiac, picture a tire, a brand new tire that has thread.

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Well, your intestines, if healthy, have healthy thread.

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But when you have celiac disease, it's like having a bald tire.

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Well, those celiacs, the thread, is what absorbs the nutrients.

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And the body requires a lot of nutrients to support the growth of a child.

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And her not getting proper nutrients because she had celiac disease prevented her getting pregnant.

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She got tested in May of 2014.

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We went to one of our denominational graduation.

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There was a man there named John Baxter who asked me innocently, hey, do you and your wife have children?

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And we were like, no, and I explained to him.

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He said to me, look, meet me at the church tomorrow.

00:23:00.920 --> 00:23:05.400
I feel impressed by the Lord to pray for you.

00:23:05.400 --> 00:23:11.599
And the four times I've done this, the people have conceived within six months.

00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:20.000
That next day he prayed over us and I just felt the power of the Holy Spirit upon us.

00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.000
And that was made by that September within the six months.

00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:31.000
Now he made no promises, but he said the times I have done this within six months people have conceived.

00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:35.000
That September we conceived our daughter Hannah.

00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:53.480
between going gluten-free since that November and that prayer, Hannah was conceived actually on September 11th of that year, 2014, and then she was born on May 29th, 2015, and we have two other daughters since.

00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:55.160
And so the Lord has blessed.

00:23:55.160 --> 00:23:57.559
She's been gluten-free since then.

00:23:57.559 --> 00:23:58.599
We take it serious.

00:23:58.599 --> 00:24:25.960
And the reason we like sharing this, not only to give praise to God, but there's a lot of women who my wife has encountered or read about who end up getting to menopause childless only to discover they had celiac disease. And not saying that would have got them pregnant, but it's at least something that makes you think about, had they gotten gluten-free and discovered it sooner, would they have been able to conceive?

00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:34.119
And we like sharing that because struggling with infertility is very gut-wrenching, especially for the woman.

00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:38.880
If the man checks out to be fine, then the woman's the one who takes that burden.

00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:48.559
And my wife always wanted to be a mother, and she was really feeling sad that it wasn't gonna become a reality.

00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:51.400
And that's why we are forever grateful.

00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:55.099
And we named the firstborn Hannah, which means God is gracious.

00:24:55.099 --> 00:24:57.900
Such a powerful story.

00:24:57.900 --> 00:25:08.700
During this time, and I'm not sure of the timeline, but I know from your story that you found yourself in a condition that you didn't like.

00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:12.900
You saw yourself in the mirror and you weren't happy with what stared back at you.

00:25:12.900 --> 00:25:42.359
Your body composition levels weren't where you wanted them to be. And you had a bit of a, I don't know if it was conviction or epiphany or whatever you would call it, but you changed and you decided to put your health as a priority. So talk me through both the nutrition, the fueling side of the equation, and then the training and the fitness side of the equation. So I was always thin, in shape, played a lot of sports, baseball, football, basketball, golf.

00:25:42.359 --> 00:25:43.680
I play a lot of golf now.

00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:45.160
Well, I used to play a lot of golf now.

00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:47.359
I have three kids, but I still play.

00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:48.359
I'm still active.

00:25:48.359 --> 00:26:06.200
During the pregnancy, because we were so worried about her pregnancy with Hannah, is because most people who are pregnant normally have their highest rate of miscarriage in the first trimester.

00:26:06.200 --> 00:26:12.559
However, with people who have celiac disease, the highest rate of miscarriage is second trimester.

00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:17.880
That's when the body requires the most nutrition to get those vital organs built.

00:26:17.880 --> 00:26:24.240
And so we were kind of stressed, wondering what's going to happen, even though we had the Lord's blessing behind us.

00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:28.299
There's still, you know, we're human.

00:26:28.299 --> 00:26:31.440
We have moments of doubt.

00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:36.799
She started eating a fourth meal to make sure she was getting all the nutrients.

00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:39.599
Well, I started joining her on that fourth meal.

00:26:39.599 --> 00:26:42.279
Being worried about her, I stopped exercising.

00:26:42.279 --> 00:26:45.759
I stopped playing golf because I walk, I don't take a cart.

00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:59.660
And between the pregnancy and by the time we had our second child, I stopped exercising and all that and I ballooned up to 55 extra pounds.

00:26:59.660 --> 00:27:17.920
Normally, I was, you know, anywhere between 150, 170, but I got to 199.5 and I got scared that I didn't want to cross that 200 number for myself.

00:27:17.920 --> 00:28:09.240
What happened to be that one day we were at the swimming pool in our community and there was a man who was a couple of years older than me at the time when I made this change. I was 47 and he looked ripped and I knew he was older. At that time I was 47 he must have been like 50. And I remember looking down at myself and seeing this big old flabby belly, and I pitied myself. I felt pity for myself. And I snapped out of that real quick, because I'm a man who's always taken responsibility for my actions. And after that brief few seconds of pity, I knew I had to change. And I knew I eat healthy, I'm plant-based, but I never tracked and I never worried about how much I ate.

00:28:09.240 --> 00:28:14.240
I ate till I felt full, but something had to give.

00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:20.000
At that time, I wasn't lifting weights, I was just walking or playing golf or playing basketball.

00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:22.400
And I didn't like my physique.

00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:27.400
So I decided to track what I ate and started to lift weights.

00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:37.799
And when I tracked, the first day I tracked, a cup of rice and a cup of beans, and I saw how small it was, I thought I was going to starve.

00:28:37.799 --> 00:28:40.400
I was like, man, I can't do this.

00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:52.299
But by the time I added the salad, a little sweet potato, and then I had frozen blueberries and applesauce as a dessert.

00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:53.480
I felt satisfied.

00:28:53.480 --> 00:28:55.500
And I was like, wait a minute.

00:28:55.500 --> 00:29:00.700
And I realized then that I was way over eating, even healthy stuff.

00:29:00.700 --> 00:29:05.099
If you overeat healthy stuff, you're still gonna gain weight.

00:29:05.099 --> 00:29:07.059
So tracking became a passion.

00:29:07.059 --> 00:29:20.200
And to this day, speaking of consistency, I don't recommend everybody to be like me, but I've tracked now every meal for 1,200 plus days.

00:29:20.200 --> 00:29:24.759
And I love it, not because I have to, but I love the stats.

00:29:24.759 --> 00:29:28.819
So I know how much protein I'm getting, how much carbohydrate, how much fat.

00:29:28.819 --> 00:29:31.759
And so that's started the journey.

00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:37.000
And then I started weightlifting, and that's when it really took off.

00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:42.680
I think for a lot of people, the thought of tracking your food is almost like budgeting.

00:29:42.680 --> 00:29:46.200
It's like, if I don't look at the numbers, I can do anything I want.

00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:51.079
But it doesn't change the reality that the numbers still aren't what you need to function optimally.

00:29:51.079 --> 00:29:53.359
I'm super impressed by your number.

00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:58.480
I think we use the same, if you're still using Lose It, that's what I started with, so a lot of my recipes are in there.

00:29:58.480 --> 00:30:01.480
So I'm at like 460 days in a row of tracking.

00:30:01.480 --> 00:30:06.359
But once you get that streak, it's like, I gotta keep this thing going.

00:30:06.359 --> 00:30:08.619
And so for me, you're right.

00:30:08.619 --> 00:30:12.160
It's an awareness of portion size, for one thing.

00:30:12.160 --> 00:30:19.640
It's also an awareness of just how lacking in nutrients a lot of the things that I enjoy eating are.

00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:25.119
And you look at your macros for the day, you're at your caloric levels and you've had 20 grams of protein.

00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:32.500
And you're like, how can I possibly build muscle when I'm giving my body nothing in raw materials to do so?

00:30:32.500 --> 00:30:34.920
And so tracking has been important for me.

00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:37.259
It brings accountability.

00:30:37.259 --> 00:30:42.240
And I don't know, I mean, I won't say gone are the days where people have gym communities.

00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:47.519
I know that, you know, CrossFit has flourished because of that social aspect.

00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:55.960
But in this day, you can have that virtually and you can use an app like lose it and you can share that with someone for accountability.

00:30:55.960 --> 00:31:00.720
You can use an app like FitBot and have a combined workout all over the globe.

00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:05.599
That's a super cool thing that technology has allowed us to do.

00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:12.400
You started tracking and that moved the needle a little bit, but it wasn't really what you expected.

00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:18.240
You really thought that all I got to do is lock in on the nutrition and all my results come.

00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:20.400
And that wasn't necessarily your experience.

00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:24.000
So talk me through the resistance training side of the equation for you.

00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:32.079
Yeah, you mentioned that and that's good because a lot of people think cardio is the way to go.

00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:39.079
And look, we need to keep our hearts healthy and we need to do cardio.

00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:42.519
But if I had to choose one, it'd be resistance training.

00:31:42.519 --> 00:31:43.680
And here's why.

00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:51.480
Not only have I read a lot about it, when I first started tracking my calories, I was walking three miles after every meal.

00:31:51.480 --> 00:31:53.519
Since I work from home, that's feasible.

00:31:53.519 --> 00:31:54.940
And I walk it pretty fast.

00:31:54.940 --> 00:31:58.180
I take about less than 45 minutes to walk that.

00:31:58.180 --> 00:32:26.240
And so I would walk three miles after every meal and the weight was coming off, but the look still looked the same. So I was still what you would call skinny fat. I still looked flabby even though I was losing weight and I didn't like that look. Then through research and through asking my wife, being more specific with my wife and asking her questions and doing reading, resistance training, putting on muscle is the key.

00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:33.279
So I ended up getting a cable machine and a Peloton bike right before the pandemic hit.

00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:36.160
And since I work from home, the gym's being closed.

00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:38.960
I like working by myself at the heart of it.

00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:41.460
I'm an introvert, so I like my alone time.

00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:53.000
And it was once I started lifting weights that I began to see the results I wanted.

00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:58.119
I was not just losing fat, but I was recompositioning my body.

00:32:58.119 --> 00:33:02.000
And that's where the FitBot app came in because I was clueless.

00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:09.759
I was always afraid of weights simply because you hear horror stories of people getting hurt, especially if they're working out by themselves.

00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:16.279
And so I found an app called FitBot, which allowed, which programmed for me.

00:33:16.279 --> 00:33:20.940
It told me what to do, and it gave me videos to show proper form.

00:33:20.940 --> 00:33:24.519
And once I started incorporating that, I got hooked.

00:33:24.519 --> 00:33:38.160
I went from three days a week weightlifting to my current six days a week weightlifting from Sunday to Friday, and I'm at 94 straight weeks of six days a week lifting.

00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.400
That's key.

00:33:39.400 --> 00:33:41.319
You have to be consistent.

00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:45.940
Without consistency, you're not going to see the maximum results or the results you want.

00:33:45.940 --> 00:33:46.779
Yeah.

00:33:46.779 --> 00:33:53.599
A lot of people talk about how, oh, I wish I could get motivated like you are, or I wish I could do what you do.

00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:55.640
And to me, it's not a question of motivation.

00:33:55.640 --> 00:33:57.859
Anybody can have motivation for a moment.

00:33:57.859 --> 00:33:59.700
It's discipline that makes the difference.

00:33:59.700 --> 00:34:06.579
So how have you been able to lean into that and cultivate those habits when the motivation evaporates?

00:34:06.579 --> 00:34:07.539
That's a good question.

00:34:07.539 --> 00:34:20.099
And I was speaking to a friend of mine named Benjamin Lundquist, who will be on the Built by FitBod podcast, and he talked about that motivation is needed, but discipline carries the day.

00:34:20.099 --> 00:34:23.940
And so the motivation for me was I didn't like the way I looked physically.

00:34:23.940 --> 00:34:34.940
But eventually, once you start gaining your goals, well, I went from 35% plus body fat to 12.4.

00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:38.340
You would think, okay, I'm done.

00:34:38.340 --> 00:34:40.980
But this is about becoming undone, right?

00:34:40.980 --> 00:34:51.599
This is about changing, not reaching a goal, but this is a lifetime journey.

00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:56.599
And so on the days I don't feel like it, the alarm clock still goes off at 5.30.

00:34:56.599 --> 00:35:00.719
I have personal reflection time or devotional time.

00:35:00.719 --> 00:35:05.559
And after that, the gym door opens whether I feel like it or not.

00:35:05.559 --> 00:35:10.360
Nobody takes feelings into account when it comes to brushing your teeth in the morning.

00:35:10.360 --> 00:35:11.800
You just do it.

00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:13.920
And it's the same way with fitness.

00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:45.079
For me, it's gotten to the point where I've exercised, even when I had COVID, I would do maybe just hammer curls, just five, or I would just go for a walk, or I would just do some mobility or some stretching, but I wasn't gonna lose that streak and I wasn't gonna let COVID or anything stop me for that matter, because even when you're sick, you're still well enough to get up and walk to the bathroom.

00:35:45.079 --> 00:35:50.119
Well, get on the treadmill for five minutes and do something.

00:35:50.119 --> 00:35:54.960
And you'd be amazed how quicker your body recovers when you stay active.

00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:56.639
You're absolutely right.

00:35:56.639 --> 00:36:17.599
As you're talking, I was reminded of this concept of living above the line. And so the line of choice says that we can default into ease and relative comfort. So the model says that it's blame, excuses, and denial are below the line thinking.

00:36:17.599 --> 00:36:21.440
And so like you said, I'm sore today, that's an excuse.

00:36:21.440 --> 00:36:26.000
Or I'll do it tomorrow, I don't really need this.

00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:31.519
You know, that below the line thinking is default and it's simple and it pulls us away from goals.

00:36:31.519 --> 00:36:36.840
Above the line thinking is accountability and ownership and responsibility.

00:36:36.840 --> 00:36:42.719
And I love the visual of no one ever questions whether or not they should brush their teeth.

00:36:42.719 --> 00:36:46.960
We need to take that approach to taking care of our fitness.

00:36:46.960 --> 00:37:18.400
I'm frequently surprised, I don't know if surprised is the right word, but people will have the discipline to Do a lot of things that unhealthy living Requires them to do so I know that's within them to have the discipline because they're doing the hard thing when a fit lifestyle or making healthier choices It's just a different direction of discipline. And so what would you tell someone that they hear your story and they're like, Oh yeah, it must be easy for you.

00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:26.159
You're a small fit guy and you've made these healthy choices, but it's not easy for me, obesity runs in my family.

00:37:26.159 --> 00:37:33.719
And what do you tell someone who isn't quite on board with the ownership side of their own fitness?

00:37:33.719 --> 00:38:03.000
You have to find your why. And for me, eventually, when I dug down deep, my why was I needed to be a fit body so I could be a fit mind. When your body is fit, when your mind is fit, meaning you're reading, you're staying active, you're pursuing truth, then everything flows from there. You want to have a better golf game? Be fit.

00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:06.000
You want to have a better marriage? Be fit.

00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:08.000
Wait a minute, how does that help marriage?

00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:12.000
Well, when you feel good, you have more confidence.

00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:14.000
You have more stamina.

00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:20.000
You have more appeal, not only to the people on the outside, but to your own spouse.

00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:27.599
And so, when your body is right, your mind will be right.

00:38:27.599 --> 00:38:29.440
Because everything flows from there.

00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:42.800
You'll be better at your job, you'll be better with your friends, you'll be better at everything because the most important reason I work out is not to look good or feel good, but it's to have a clear mind.

00:38:42.800 --> 00:38:53.679
And when your mind is clear, then finding truth or pursuing truth, because none of us is perfect will become an endeavor that is easier to do.

00:38:53.679 --> 00:39:15.519
So there's a verse in the Bible 1st Corinthians 10 31 whether you eat or drink or whatever you do do it for the glory of God. Well when it comes to fitness eating is important and then you add that whatever you do well resistance training and I do it for the glory of God. So I would tell that person, find your why.

00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:18.800
You have a why that will change your life.

00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:22.679
And when you find that why, keep it ever before you.

00:39:22.679 --> 00:39:35.280
Write it down, put it on your home screen, put it in your gym, do something about it, keep it ever in front of you, and never let your feelings dictate your why.

00:39:35.280 --> 00:39:36.599
That's powerful.

00:39:36.599 --> 00:40:03.159
I know one thing I want to be clear is I'm not fat shaming or unfit shaming anyone. We're all on our own journeys and genetics will determine the extent of response to healthy nutrition choices and healthy fitness choices. So everyone is on their own journey and my point, my goal is to point out that discipline is within each of us. It just manifests in different ways.

00:40:03.159 --> 00:40:19.320
So if you can muster the discipline that it takes to brush your teeth every day, or if you can muster the discipline it takes to make your bed every day, you're really just redirecting it. If you want to say, I'm making my fitness a priority, I'm making my health and my self care important.

00:40:19.320 --> 00:40:24.320
And it's that dull analogy of the oxygen mask in the airplane.

00:40:24.320 --> 00:40:35.039
If I don't fix mine and take care of myself first, I'm not going to be able to help the people that I care about, the people that are around me.

00:40:35.039 --> 00:40:55.360
We talk about this with my students in prioritizing your health, making good decisions, even while you're in grad school, because that's where habits start. You'll have habits as a child in your parents' home, but they don't really take root and turn into your habits until you're out of that environment.

00:40:55.360 --> 00:41:03.400
And so for a lot of these students, if they're not on their own for the first time, they're definitely on their own in a different environment for the first time.

00:41:03.400 --> 00:41:11.500
And so let's be purposeful about cultivating habits that are going to serve you as opposed to letting habits sprout that are going to harm you.

00:41:11.500 --> 00:41:13.039
And that's really the approach.

00:41:13.039 --> 00:41:14.039
Yeah.

00:41:14.039 --> 00:41:15.039
And I want to be clear.

00:41:15.039 --> 00:41:15.880
I'm not fat shaming.

00:41:15.880 --> 00:41:19.679
I have friends who have developed friendships that I could joke around with them.

00:41:19.679 --> 00:41:22.239
Hey, they make fun of the fact that I'm bald.

00:41:22.239 --> 00:41:24.059
So that's within friendships.

00:41:24.059 --> 00:41:26.940
But I do want to jump on what you said.

00:41:26.940 --> 00:41:30.039
Look, health is so key.

00:41:30.039 --> 00:41:35.440
You talk to millionaires, like I mentioned, I used to be a financial advisor.

00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:42.880
At the end of their life, they would give it all away to be healthy.

00:41:42.880 --> 00:41:49.599
Health is wealth and everything flows out of health.

00:41:49.599 --> 00:41:52.739
You'll be better with your kids, you'll be better with your grandkids.

00:41:52.739 --> 00:41:57.840
If you could spend time with them, if you can get up and walk with them, still pick them up.

00:41:57.840 --> 00:42:03.719
I remember a couple of years ago, there was a powerful commercial of an old man lifting weights.

00:42:03.719 --> 00:42:08.760
And at first he started with only, I think, one pound or five pounds.

00:42:08.760 --> 00:42:15.639
And then at the end, the whole point was that he was getting ready to lift his grandchild up.

00:42:15.639 --> 00:42:16.639
But that's a commercial.

00:42:16.639 --> 00:42:21.280
Let me tell you a true story of a friend of mine named Samuel Lopez.

00:42:21.280 --> 00:42:25.280
He got impressed by the Lord to get in shape.

00:42:25.280 --> 00:42:28.760
This man couldn't do but 10 push-ups max.

00:42:28.760 --> 00:42:31.280
He was in his late 50s.

00:42:31.280 --> 00:42:35.519
He started feeling impressed that he had to work out.

00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:37.480
And he didn't understand why.

00:42:37.480 --> 00:42:43.880
But lo and behold, he obeyed and he started working out, cycling, lifting weights, checking his nutrition.

00:42:43.880 --> 00:42:48.719
Long story short, his wife ends up developing cancer.

00:42:48.719 --> 00:43:17.000
And the petite nurses couldn't pick her up and take her to the bathtub to Wash her and he realized then that he could He would pick up his wife. He would bathe her and he knew then why the Lord Earlier on prior to his wife's cancer diagnosis told him to get in shape and to this day His wife has since passed but to this day, he has stayed in physical shape.

00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:25.579
He even did a whole bike ride around the island of Puerto Rico and he finished like third place in his age.

00:43:25.579 --> 00:43:38.639
But when people realized that his bike didn't have any bike shoes or that he didn't have any harness, they were even more amazed because when you're clipped to your bike, you have both legs helping you.

00:43:38.639 --> 00:43:42.659
Or when you're strapped to your bike, you have both legs helping you pedal.

00:43:42.659 --> 00:43:48.500
But when you don't have that clip to the bike, it's only one leg at a time, basically.

00:43:48.500 --> 00:43:51.900
And he finished like second or third place at his age.

00:43:51.900 --> 00:43:55.219
So you never know why you need to be physically fit.

00:43:55.219 --> 00:43:58.820
And so start now, it's never too late to start.

00:43:58.820 --> 00:44:00.019
I'm a testament to it.

00:44:00.019 --> 00:44:03.460
I'm 50 years old and I'm in the best shape of my life.

00:44:03.460 --> 00:44:11.300
Yeah, you don't realize the importance of it until it starts to slip or until it's suddenly taken from you for sure.

00:44:11.300 --> 00:44:26.260
And I think for a lot of listeners, it's daunting to think about, okay, you know, 20, 30 years since I was in peak shape in high school and I've slowly eroded into what I see today and it's discouraging.

00:44:26.260 --> 00:44:39.159
But the awesome thing is, and I've heard this, and I don't believe that it's supported in the literature, but it certainly makes for a good quote, is that a month of dedication can undo a year of neglect.

00:44:39.159 --> 00:44:48.840
And so if it was 20 years of neglect, then 20 months of focused effort will dramatically change who I look like.

00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:53.000
And so in a way, we can turn back the hands of time.

00:44:53.000 --> 00:45:05.000
Thankfully, it's not a one for one. If I haven't taken care of myself since the day I graduated from college and I find myself 40 and out of shape, I don't have 20 years to get back into that shape.

00:45:05.000 --> 00:45:39.559
But the beauty is I don't need it. My body is a resilient, magnificent creation, and it will respond to the stressors that I put in front of it. I also love the fact that I heard you mention the word fueling and training. You know, exercise sounds punitive. People think I'm going to go on a diet and I'm going to exercise and that sounds like punishment for wrongdoing. And if we really want to make this a lifestyle, it's about fueling. I fuel my car to take me on a journey. That's not And likewise, I don't exercise, I train.

00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:49.519
And the training is hopefully going to make me better at my day-to-day, whether it's, heaven forbid, lifting my sick wife or lifting a grandbaby, whatever.

00:45:49.519 --> 00:45:55.320
That physical preparation is key in helping me be ready for my day.

00:45:55.320 --> 00:46:07.440
And so I just want to applaud you on what you've been able to do, especially, I mean, plant-based in Texas where brisket is a next level of discipline.

00:46:07.440 --> 00:46:24.360
Let me tell you a story. My first month here in Texas, I had to drive to meetings in Dallas and I saw a billboard that said the five food groups and it was a fork with five different So I laughed and look, I love what you said.

00:46:24.360 --> 00:46:38.039
And to the audience listening, once I started tracking my macros and eating clean, meaning leaving alone the potato chips and all that for the most part, I still indulge in that.

00:46:38.039 --> 00:46:46.360
And matter of fact, I tell you on every Saturday, I have anywhere between 400 to 1200 calories of ice cream, plant-based ice cream.

00:46:46.360 --> 00:46:51.920
So it's not that I don't have fun, but I keep it all within my macros.

00:46:51.920 --> 00:47:16.000
However, once you start fueling your body properly, even in losing 55 pounds, I never felt overtly hungry because you maximize the protein and it saturates you. So I never felt like, oh man, I'm starving, I hate this. This has become a lifestyle. I eat now the way I can sustain for the rest of my life.

00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:18.000
So it's not a diet.

00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:20.000
Like you said, I'm fueling.

00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:23.000
And as far as the exercise, I'm training.

00:47:23.000 --> 00:47:24.000
What are you training for?

00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:25.000
Are you an athlete?

00:47:25.000 --> 00:47:27.000
Are you a football player, basketball player?

00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:29.000
No, no, I'm training for life.

00:47:29.000 --> 00:47:31.000
I want to be fit at 98.

00:47:31.000 --> 00:47:37.000
And in my religious community, who lives the longest in the world, there was a story.

00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:41.519
He has since passed, but he was still doing surgery at 101 years old.

00:47:41.519 --> 00:47:51.679
Think about it at 101 years old, still doing surgery because you have to be of clear mind and your hands can't be shaking. He was assisting in surgery at 101 years old.

00:47:51.679 --> 00:48:03.000
So you can do it. It can be done. But the goal is truth over feelings.

00:48:03.000 --> 00:48:07.500
Your health is going to behave the way you treat it.

00:48:07.500 --> 00:48:16.000
And if you treat it with respect, proper nutrition, proper fueling, proper exercise, your body will respond as you mentioned earlier.

00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:22.000
Yeah. For me, I definitely have not locked in on the nutrition side of the equation.

00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:25.500
I'm consistent in the training, but the...

00:48:25.500 --> 00:48:28.000
And tracking.

00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:36.000
But you can look and see consistency that I am tracking every day, but if you look at the data within it, it's not so hot.

00:48:36.000 --> 00:48:41.000
I like to say a 12-year-old with their parents' debit card at the grocery store.

00:48:41.000 --> 00:48:43.000
And so it's a challenge.

00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:45.000
And for me, it's an emotional challenge.

00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:56.840
It's like I'm going to treat myself with a sugary snack or an energy drink or whatever that go-to coping thing is.

00:48:56.840 --> 00:49:00.159
And I've not arrived there yet, and maybe I won't ever.

00:49:00.159 --> 00:49:03.039
But the point is, I'm continuing to fight.

00:49:03.039 --> 00:49:05.400
I don't want to couch it as guilt.

00:49:05.400 --> 00:49:06.400
It's motivation.

00:49:06.400 --> 00:49:15.500
I aspire to be better, and hopefully I'm a little better tomorrow than I am today.

00:49:15.500 --> 00:49:24.420
So any tricks or hacks or what has served you best in having the discipline that it takes to live this lifestyle?

00:49:24.420 --> 00:49:27.079
I give you two.

00:49:27.079 --> 00:49:31.000
Before I was 100% plant-based, I ate meat.

00:49:31.000 --> 00:49:38.000
And before I gave up meat, I still would eat things like Cheetos and Doritos, which have milk in it.

00:49:38.000 --> 00:49:42.000
And I remember I couldn't give up Doritos.

00:49:42.000 --> 00:49:49.000
I used to eat a whole family-sized bag of Doritos a week, and I couldn't give it up.

00:49:49.000 --> 00:50:00.000
So then a friend of mine invited me to try something, and I did, which was take all my calories but in juice, juice that you made yourself.

00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:26.099
You buy all the vegetables, you buy all the fruit, and you blend it through a food processor yourself and drink that. And for a whole five days, Monday through Friday, all I did was drink natural juice three times, as if it was three meals, three times, and not change anything else. At that time, I wasn't lifting weights, but I was still walking.

00:50:26.099 --> 00:50:27.139
I was still golfing.

00:50:27.139 --> 00:50:32.619
I was still doing a little body weight stuff, pushups, sit-ups, but I didn't change anything else.

00:50:32.619 --> 00:50:34.139
So my routine stayed the same.

00:50:34.139 --> 00:50:37.619
Now, when I did the juicing, I did feel hungry.

00:50:37.619 --> 00:50:46.340
However, the number one benefit that I got at the end of it is that I lost all my cravings for Doritos.

00:50:46.340 --> 00:50:46.820
Gone.

00:50:46.820 --> 00:50:49.820
I haven't had a Dorito since.

00:50:49.820 --> 00:51:18.639
Now, color me, Captain, the cool ranch club gang but the thought of a juice-based reset is intriguing. Maybe not quite as appealing at the moment as a big blue bag of crunchy heavily processed corn and salt but hey maybe it's worth a shot. Well I've been disciplined in tracking what I eat for a while now I still struggle with the quality of what I'm tracking. It needs to be better. If we're dissatisfied with something in our life, like what we eat or how we move or don't move, we have two options.

00:51:18.639 --> 00:51:24.519
Either change it, as Nike used to say, just do it, or change our expectation of it.

00:51:24.519 --> 00:51:25.519
Shut up about it.

00:51:25.519 --> 00:51:28.760
Otherwise, we're just walking around with unaddressed guilt.

00:51:28.760 --> 00:51:37.320
And if I get really honest, I've been a junk food junkie most of my life, so Geo's strategy may be worth a shot.

00:51:37.320 --> 00:51:45.360
And so the point of the juicing is that it clears your palate for things you don't want.

00:51:45.360 --> 00:51:51.639
Having lost that craving, mentally I had no desire for it, right?

00:51:51.639 --> 00:52:01.139
Physiologically, I used to have the craving for it, but mentally I didn't want to eat them, but I physiologically wanted to.

00:52:01.139 --> 00:52:05.280
Having cured the physiological from it, mentally I had already wanted to stop.

00:52:05.280 --> 00:52:08.719
And so I haven't had a Dorito since, and I've cut.

00:52:08.719 --> 00:52:13.320
So perhaps doing something like that, go a week on a juice fast.

00:52:13.320 --> 00:52:17.800
And second, intermittent fasting helped at the beginning.

00:52:17.800 --> 00:52:23.239
If I can share some of my numbers, I had ballooned to 199.5, I didn't want to cross 200.

00:52:23.239 --> 00:52:28.400
I was 35 plus percent body fat measured by a DEXA scan.

00:52:28.400 --> 00:52:31.360
My first goal was 20%, I achieved that.

00:52:31.360 --> 00:52:41.039
Then my second goal was 15, and I blew past that and ended up at 12.4, but I was only 149 pounds.

00:52:41.039 --> 00:52:47.760
I since went bulking and I got up to 170, but I'm at 15% body fat.

00:52:47.760 --> 00:53:23.000
And so by the end of the year, I want to get down to 10. But in all that time, I've stayed focused simply because I like how I feel. When I made the changes, when I cut out the chips that were systematically in my diet, I still eat chips every once in a while. I don't want to give up the way I felt and the way I look. And so between the juicing, the intermittent fasting, and having achievable, measurable goals has allowed me to stay disciplined.

00:53:23.000 --> 00:53:30.000
That's great. We call them day-ritos in our house because that's about as long as the bag lasts.

00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:40.280
I mean, it's rooted in childhood memories.

00:53:40.280 --> 00:53:53.199
I can remember clear as day, even the sound, it's like ASMR, the sound of a metal glass bottle top Coca-Cola cap tinkling on the countertop sounds like my childhood.

00:53:53.199 --> 00:54:05.679
My mom used to buy the eight packs of Pepsi-Cola in the glass bottle recyclables, and that was a treat for us to get a Pepsi Cola in the glass bottle.

00:54:05.679 --> 00:54:14.519
To this day, if I've had a stressful day, I know where to go where I can get a glass bottle of Mexican Coke with the real sugar in it.

00:54:14.519 --> 00:54:22.119
I'm even purposeful in when I pop that top, I'll intentionally drop it to hear the tinkle.

00:54:22.119 --> 00:54:23.800
It's a multi-sensory thing.

00:54:23.800 --> 00:54:32.559
Food is... It's so easy to think about this like a math equation, and it's calories in and it's calories out, but it's just not that simple.

00:54:32.559 --> 00:54:38.480
It's so closely tied to our identity and our memories from childhood, good or bad.

00:54:38.480 --> 00:54:44.760
And so I've really developed grace in this area for other people and for myself.

00:54:44.760 --> 00:55:16.079
Like, okay, if I'm going to dissolve this one bad nutritional day among the thousand, two thousand, however many ever days I'm fortunate enough to continue to walk this earth, one day isn't going to make the difference. But it's when poor decisions build on each other, it's about habit, it's about discipline, it's about what can I do the majority of the time that's going to dictate and determine what I look like and what I feel like. And so that's been real powerful for me.

00:55:16.079 --> 00:55:18.960
So I totally get the Doritos, man.

00:55:18.960 --> 00:55:19.679
Yeah.

00:55:19.679 --> 00:55:29.360
And look, to this day on Saturdays, I have sometimes up to 1,200 calories of ice cream, a plant-based brand called Natamu.

00:55:29.360 --> 00:55:36.480
The cookies and cream and the cookie, chocolate chip cookie dough, it's a die for.

00:55:36.480 --> 00:55:42.840
But I don't let that derail me Sunday through Friday.

00:55:42.840 --> 00:55:46.559
I just chalk it up, eat it, and keep moving on.

00:55:46.559 --> 00:55:48.559
So talk to us about what you're doing now.

00:55:48.559 --> 00:55:57.960
We've alluded to the Built by Fitbod show, but if listeners want to connect with you and continue to interact with the work that you're doing, tell me about today.

00:55:57.960 --> 00:55:58.960
Yeah.

00:55:58.960 --> 00:56:18.940
I'm glad you mentioned that because not only am I a co-host with my friend, Jonica and Michael on the Built by FitBot podcast, I'm also writing now on Substack, GeoMarine Substack, where I write about life, lifting and nutrition, give different perspective on the written form.

00:56:18.940 --> 00:56:20.380
So I like doing that.

00:56:20.380 --> 00:56:26.059
And let me tell you how changing my health habits have led to certain things.

00:56:26.059 --> 00:56:36.960
Real quickly, like I said, I used the FitBot app to track my workouts, but then that led to the community, where I have a lot of like-minded people who cheer each other on.

00:56:36.960 --> 00:56:40.719
It's one of the best communities in all of Facebook.

00:56:40.719 --> 00:56:43.380
And that led me to connect with Janneke.

00:56:43.380 --> 00:56:50.920
Long story short, I invited her to do a Zoom so we can verbally meet people in the community.

00:56:50.920 --> 00:56:52.760
Michael happened to be there.

00:56:52.760 --> 00:56:56.920
Michael then approached me and Jonica to start a fitness podcast.

00:56:56.920 --> 00:57:02.420
We took that idea to FitBot, FitBot liked it, they ended up wanting to own it.

00:57:02.420 --> 00:57:13.139
And fast forward that relationship, simply because I decided to take responsibility for my health they flew us out here last month to Vegas.

00:57:13.139 --> 00:57:24.880
They paid for everything, they gave us stipends, everything to shoot commercials for FitBot because they wanted to have real users be in their commercials.

00:57:24.880 --> 00:57:38.320
I would have never thought of that, that fitness would lead to such an opportunity. And for yourself, fitness has led to you starting this podcast and networking with other people.

00:57:38.320 --> 00:57:44.219
Here I am, I wouldn't have never probably met you unless I had taken control of my fitness.

00:57:44.219 --> 00:57:46.440
So I'm saying, take control of your fitness.

00:57:46.440 --> 00:57:49.980
You never know what doors it can open.

00:57:49.980 --> 00:57:58.840
And so you might see me, Jonica and Michael in a commercial soon on all social media platforms promoting the app that has changed our life.

00:57:58.840 --> 00:58:05.239
Yeah, for those wanting more information, FitBot takes the thinking out of fitness.

00:58:05.239 --> 00:58:09.880
It doesn't matter if you are an experienced fitness professional or somebody that's never worked out.

00:58:09.880 --> 00:58:18.000
For me, it was beneficial because at the end of teaching about fitness and rehab and things, I didn't want to expend the mental energy that it took.

00:58:18.000 --> 00:58:23.800
I probably could have done it, but it's a done for you, AI generated, you just do it.

00:58:23.800 --> 00:58:33.719
The tracking is really powerful too, whether it's streaks, whether it is maintaining or understanding your 1RMs and how you're trending, absolutely.

00:58:33.719 --> 00:58:38.679
But then for somebody that's completely new to fitness, there are videos for every exercise.

00:58:38.679 --> 00:58:45.820
I mean, I received nothing from FitBod for doing this, but I will say that was a barrier for me.

00:58:45.820 --> 00:58:51.659
At the end of a long day, I knew I wanted to work out, but the thought of crafting a workout was a barrier.

00:58:51.659 --> 00:58:54.780
The thought of going to a gym was a barrier.

00:58:54.780 --> 00:59:03.460
And so I bought my stuff, I found it on Facebook Marketplace for dirt cheap and just kind of accumulated enough so that I've got a gym in my house and now I've got FitBuy to tell me what to do.

00:59:03.460 --> 00:59:08.699
And at that point, there are no excuses left other than put your gear on.

00:59:08.699 --> 00:59:14.219
So for me, the hardest part of working out is putting on the workout gear.

00:59:14.219 --> 00:59:15.980
From there, it takes care of itself.

00:59:15.980 --> 00:59:19.800
And three minutes in, you're like, why was I resisting this?

00:59:19.800 --> 00:59:23.159
This is the best, this is a great part of my day.

00:59:23.159 --> 00:59:28.679
But we have kind of this pre-programmed resistance to do things that sometimes are hard.

00:59:28.679 --> 00:59:32.119
Yeah, it's human nature to not want to do what's right.

00:59:32.119 --> 00:59:37.400
But once you get going, like you said, you wonder why you thought of not even doing it.

00:59:37.400 --> 00:59:38.239
Right.

00:59:38.239 --> 00:59:49.019
And so if I can offer to your listeners, I'll give you a code, they can get a 14 day free trial for the FitBot app and try it out for themselves.

00:59:49.019 --> 00:59:51.860
Yeah, we'll drop that in the show notes for sure.

00:59:51.860 --> 00:59:54.699
So it's been quite a journey.

00:59:54.699 --> 00:59:57.559
What for Gio is left undone?

00:59:57.559 --> 00:59:58.780
Oh, that's a great question.

00:59:58.780 --> 01:00:11.239
For me, for this year, short-term goals, by the end of the year, I want to get to 10% body fat, if not lower, but 10 is the goal.

01:00:11.239 --> 01:00:23.519
And I want to continue to grow my sub-stack because podcasts, I share with two co-hosts, but even doing yours, we can't talk for three, four, five hours.

01:00:23.519 --> 01:00:30.320
Writing allows me to express other avenues that I want to share with the world.

01:00:30.320 --> 01:00:36.400
Because even though I'm 100% plant-based, I don't think people who want to eat meat is fine by me.

01:00:36.400 --> 01:00:41.039
I'm not one of those zealots who say, you're killing animals and this.

01:00:41.039 --> 01:00:42.960
No, everybody is different.

01:00:42.960 --> 01:00:43.960
Everybody.

01:00:43.960 --> 01:00:46.239
Now, there are some trade-offs when you eat meat.

01:00:46.239 --> 01:00:47.800
You got to make sure you get your fiber.

01:00:47.800 --> 01:00:50.880
I wrote an article about that because meat has no fiber.

01:00:50.880 --> 01:00:56.920
But as long as you're balanced and doing it right and you are not seeing any detrimental effects, go for it.

01:00:56.920 --> 01:01:00.900
However, sometimes if there's some detrimental effects, you may wanna make changes.

01:01:00.900 --> 01:01:06.920
But I think together when we listen to each other, we can make the best decisions for everybody.

01:01:06.920 --> 01:01:13.400
So that's what's in store for me, building my sub-stack and trying to get to 10% body fat by the end of the year.

01:01:13.400 --> 01:01:15.039
Not trying, I will.

01:01:15.039 --> 01:01:16.519
Yep. Love it.

01:01:16.519 --> 01:01:18.119
Manifest it, for sure.

01:01:18.119 --> 01:01:19.440
Yeah.

01:01:19.440 --> 01:01:23.559
I love music and the emotions that it can represent for us in life.

01:01:23.559 --> 01:01:26.480
What song would you pick as the soundtrack?

01:01:26.480 --> 01:01:34.199
If we were playing a montage of you over the years, what's the audio in the background?

01:01:34.199 --> 01:01:46.539
I have a specific song, and I'm going to tell you what the song is, but ironically, when I work out, I like to work out in silence, just me and my thoughts.

01:01:46.539 --> 01:01:51.260
But the one song, as soon as you ask that question, but it's unstoppable.

01:01:51.260 --> 01:01:53.139
I'm unstoppable.

01:01:53.139 --> 01:02:03.000
And so my song is Unstoppable by Sia, because now that I have become the man that I want to be.

01:02:03.000 --> 01:02:06.000
Nothing could stop me but me.

01:02:06.000 --> 01:02:10.000
And with God's help, all things are possible.

01:02:10.000 --> 01:02:13.000
Cool. Appreciate that, brother.

01:02:13.000 --> 01:02:15.000
So how can listeners connect with you?

01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:18.000
You mentioned Built by Fitbod podcast.

01:02:18.000 --> 01:02:21.000
You can shoot me the address to your sub stack.

01:02:21.000 --> 01:02:22.000
I'll drop that in the show notes.

01:02:22.000 --> 01:02:28.320
Any other ways you would advise folks to connect if they want to continue to interact with your work?

01:02:28.320 --> 01:02:51.360
Yes, my fitness handles on Instagram is Geomarine7 on Instagram where I post workouts and other fitness-related quotes. And on Twitter, if you like to follow fitness stuff on Twitter, I'm not that active on Twitter, but I do drop my sub stack and episodes there. It's Smith7 at Twitter.

01:02:51.360 --> 01:02:59.559
And so between Instagram, Substack, the Built by FitBob podcast, and Twitter, you can connect with me.

01:02:59.559 --> 01:03:05.440
If you wanna email me, that's fine as well, geo at geomarine.com.

01:03:05.440 --> 01:03:06.380
Awesome.

01:03:06.380 --> 01:03:07.840
Well, Gio, it's been great having you.

01:03:07.840 --> 01:03:11.239
Really appreciate your work and the platform that you've built.

01:03:11.239 --> 01:03:18.880
I'm thankful for the fact that our paths have crossed and if there's ever anything I can do to return the favor, brother, you know where to find me.

01:03:18.880 --> 01:03:21.079
Yes, yes, thank you very much.

01:03:21.079 --> 01:03:30.440
I love, by the way, our developing friendship, but I also love the title of your podcast, Becoming Undone.

01:03:30.440 --> 01:03:35.920
There's so much to dive into that and so I appreciate your podcast.

01:03:35.920 --> 01:03:36.739
Thanks, man.

01:03:36.739 --> 01:03:38.000
All right, bro.

01:03:38.000 --> 01:03:44.360
I'm thankful to Gio for giving of his time and chatting with me about his accomplishments, his goals, and his journey.

01:03:44.360 --> 01:03:48.880
I hope you found as much inspiration from this episode as I did.

01:03:48.880 --> 01:03:52.039
For more info on it, be sure to check it out on the web.

01:03:52.039 --> 01:04:00.400
Simply go to undonepodcast.com backslash ep57 to see the notes, links, and images related to today's guest, Gio Marin.

01:04:00.400 --> 01:04:05.880
If you're listening, I have a question for you this week and I want to hear your answer.

01:04:05.880 --> 01:04:11.199
What accomplishment are you proudest of, yet least likely to share about in general conversation?

01:04:11.199 --> 01:04:20.320
Go to the Undone Podcast Facebook or Instagram pages where you'll see posts with artwork from this episode along with this question and weigh in.

01:04:20.320 --> 01:04:43.000
Coming up, I've got former NCAA All-American and two-time national champion women's basketball player Emma Middleton Morris, Australian non-profit founder Ian Westmoreland, and certified athletic trainer Phil Milan.

01:04:43.000 --> 01:05:01.199
Becoming Undone.

01:05:01.199 --> 01:05:05.239
Becoming Undone is a Nitro-Hype Creative Production written and produced by me, Toby Brooks.

01:05:05.239 --> 01:05:17.960
If you or someone you know has a story of resilience and victory to share for Becoming Undone, contact me at undonepodcast.com.

01:05:17.960 --> 01:05:22.119
Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at becomingundonepod.

01:05:22.119 --> 01:05:26.079
And follow me at TobyJBrooks on X, Instagram, and TikTok.

01:05:26.079 --> 01:05:33.800
Listen, subscribe, and leave us a review at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

01:05:33.800 --> 01:05:35.800
Keep getting better.

01:05:35.800 --> 01:05:44.239
Bye!