Psyche & Meditation
Take charge of your life
By Michael O. Cooper
Howdy RealJocks!
I'm Coop, the new life coach for RealJock.com. For the past five years, I've been helping people get focused, reinvent themselves, dream big and have a better lives.
My passion is helping people understand why they do the things they do and how it affects them emotionally. We are driven by our emotions. Emotions are our teachers.
In this article series, I'll help you explore techniques and processes that give you greater insight into your life and health to make both really work for you.
As a little background, I grew up on a Southern farm (yep, I've got the accent to prove it!) with a really strong work ethic. I was thin and frail, a stereotypical "98 pound weakling" for most of my teenage years and into my 20s. Add red hair, freckles and braces, and you've got Alfred E. Newman, Jr. I struggled with gaining weight, putting on muscle mass and increasing strength.
Back then, jocks were my friends, but I certainly didn't fit in with them. I had to wait for my metabolism and body to mature to enjoy sports and working out. I struggled with the embarrassment when hitting the gym for years. Some of you may relate to this, while others may have had an easier path. Regardless of how you got to where you are now, you can make significant changes quickly to enhance your athletic ability and quality of life.
In this series, we'll be covering topics like making time to train, improving the mental component of competition, juggling sports and life, and maybe even some advice on relationships. Rather than rambling on about what I think is important, I'd like to hear what struggles you're facing and what topics you'd like to explore together. Write to me at coopie@realjock.com. Here's to having some fun, feeling great and looking better.
I'm Coop, the new life coach for RealJock.com. For the past five years, I've been helping people get focused, reinvent themselves, dream big and have a better lives.
My passion is helping people understand why they do the things they do and how it affects them emotionally. We are driven by our emotions. Emotions are our teachers.
In this article series, I'll help you explore techniques and processes that give you greater insight into your life and health to make both really work for you.
As a little background, I grew up on a Southern farm (yep, I've got the accent to prove it!) with a really strong work ethic. I was thin and frail, a stereotypical "98 pound weakling" for most of my teenage years and into my 20s. Add red hair, freckles and braces, and you've got Alfred E. Newman, Jr. I struggled with gaining weight, putting on muscle mass and increasing strength.
Back then, jocks were my friends, but I certainly didn't fit in with them. I had to wait for my metabolism and body to mature to enjoy sports and working out. I struggled with the embarrassment when hitting the gym for years. Some of you may relate to this, while others may have had an easier path. Regardless of how you got to where you are now, you can make significant changes quickly to enhance your athletic ability and quality of life.
In this series, we'll be covering topics like making time to train, improving the mental component of competition, juggling sports and life, and maybe even some advice on relationships. Rather than rambling on about what I think is important, I'd like to hear what struggles you're facing and what topics you'd like to explore together. Write to me at coopie@realjock.com. Here's to having some fun, feeling great and looking better.
Tennis86 wrote:
well i just turned 22, i live in hawaii, for school mainly, and as of writing this comment, im in japan studying abroad. for most of my life, i like to experiment with my body, like seeing what i can do, how far i can go. most results turn out bad, not that it damages my body, i just never works to my liking. also im really bad at organizing and keeping a regiment when im doing any kinda plan. i want that all to change i want to get fit, im tired of seeing myself as pathetic and un defined. i cant say that im over weight, im 6'3" and 190 lbs. which is fine. but ive always been embarrased about my body, usually everyone around me is, well hotter than me. i like to work out, but when i try to do it during school, school takes primary over weight training. i can never stay on a set schedule. that and i worry about a lot, stress is not my friend. ide like to change myself but i never know how. i ask friends and i try what they do, but im not them so its a little difficult to find a way to help me. i did do vegetarian for a while, and i felt great, and i biked to work everyday. i lost a lot of weight, but i still look the way i did in high school. i want the baby fat to be gone. any advice?
Mar 02 6:37 AM
gettoknowit wrote:
You're cute.
Dec 29 10:21 PM
blkprep wrote:
I have to say I enjoyed your introduction. I’m a 40 yr old black man from Richmond, VA. I’ve been chunky most of my adult life around a4 waist at around 240-270 pounds. Four rears ago I changed my life. Got rid of the retail job that kept me all over the map, started working out regularly and eating right and over a year lost 50-60#.
For the first time in my life since junior high I was wearing a 32-34 waist. I really felt that my outside was matching my inside for the first time and people were seeing me. Then more life changes. Bf moved in with me and I adopted my son who is now 3 and have been raising him at home. He just started day care full time and I realized how much I’ve let myself go. No I’m a 46 w and 330#. I’ve never been this out of shape and in working with people the difference in how people respond to me is substantial. I’m a wardrobe and home fashion consultant.
We’ve bought a bowflex extreme 2 and have an exercise bike and I’ve begun to work out. However, the joy I used to get doing my 10 mile warm up then training just isn’t there. I feel terrible about the way I look. I have a closet full of beautiful clothes that I worked 2 years to get into and enjoy. I really feel I’ve let myself down and I’m not being the person I can be for myself, my partner and my son.
I’ve tried to do at least 30 minutes a day to get started but getting started seems to be the biggest problem. And I’m still interrupted by the phone and other things. I loved working out and want to make at a core part of my life again. One of the biggest problems is my partner gets jealous if I want to be active and on the go and he is almost sedentary even though he’s younger. I have to be active in my life daily. My entire family is sedentary and heavy. I have no idea how to balance these issues to get my body back and reclaim the joy I feel in living fully every day.
Thanks for your time,
Tim
Jul 26 3:03 AM