Anabolic Lifestyle: "Many Ways to Skin a Cat"

"Many Ways to Skin a Cat"

Diet:
    I can't tell you how many times I've heard this cliche and very old adage!  It's something that has come up a lot lately in different aspects of my life.  I've had many people approach me about dieting wanting the "secret" or the "one true" diet, but in this regard there are many different diets a person can utilize to achieve their goals.  On a professional level I help people develop dietary habits that fit them on an individual level while taking into consideration metabolism differences, insulin sensitivity, activity levels, muscle mass, health history, etc, but I have found that some people will do their own thing and make excellent progress.  You may be asking why that is and usually it's because the diet the person has chosen has the right amount of calories to gain or lose weight and the person just so happened to choose a type of diet that fits their metabolism and insulin sensitivity.  Obviously it's easier to have a professional do this so you won't be in a "hit or miss" type dilemma and so you can make steady progress throughout the diet.

Exercise:
    Resistance training and Cardiovascular training can also be this way.  A person may choose just the right routine right off and make steady progress but again they may not and could be just spinning their proverbial wheels.  There is one more thing though that I have found in common with people whom choose their own diets and exercise programs and make steady progress.  They wholeheartedly believe in the diet and exercise program and because of this they will put all the effort they possibly can into it to make it work. 

Belief:
    We could argue over the semantics of why some systems work better than others, but it's hard to debate with somebody that truly believes in "their" system.  Belief in a system is extremely important.  It takes out a lot of stress spent on wondering if what you are doing is just right for you.  Also, it will make you work very hard and as people say, you can get great results on an awful program or diet if you put 110% effort into it!
     Belief brings me to another point altogether.  I've had opportunities lately to speak with people about their world views, specifically their belief or non-belief in God.  Many people believe there are many "ways" to God.  For simplicities sake I'll just call this Salvation though many people would call it becoming a god, finding paradise, becoming enlightened, etc.  Many different religions have a focal point or god that they worship and have many different methods of making peace with this focal point or god within their given religion.  My main point normally for these people is that there are not "many ways to skin a cat" when it comes to the God of the universe!  Jesus said that only through him will you have salvation:

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Many people will normally argue over this and say God doesn't exist, that Jesus was not God in the flesh and God would never doom His people to hell.  

First of all God has revealed Himself to every man:

Romans 1:19-20 ^"since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

Secondly, Jesus is God in the flesh:

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 
John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." 

Finally, God doesn't doom anyone to hell.  Matter of fact, He wants all people to come to repentance:

2Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Now, you can "believe" as hard as you want in your system which you believe will bring you Salvation outside of Christ Himself, but if you are wrong then you're in a heap of trouble. If you are wrong then going against God is sin and not accepting His sacrifice of His only begotten son leaves you with no choice but hell.  God doesn't doom you to hell you doom yourself with an eternity spent without Him.  In retrospect there aren't always "many ways to skin a cat".  If you need help with your diet or exercise regimen then seek out a professional.  If you want salvation then the speak with the only "pro" that can bring you salvation, Jesus Christ!


To God be all Honor and Glory!

Anabolic Lifestyle: Fitness Trainers/Nutrition Specialist VS Popular Media

Fitness Trainers/Nutrition Specialist  VS  Popular Media

    I notice so many people that become aware of their poor health and decide to correct this.  This is a great thing but so many people immediately go to popular media such as magazines, TV ads, internet ads and various other "resources".  The problem with this is the amount of misinformation contained within these resources.  Popular media is about making as much money as possible with as little effort as possible.  Don't get me wrong, a specialist trained in Fitness/Nutrition is also trying to make money but a true professional is going to try their utmost to help you achieve your goals while still being cost effective for you.  They genuinely care where as popular media could care less as long as you pay them.  Below is a list of differences between Fitness/Nutrition Specialist and Popular Media:

Fitness/Nutrition Specialist                      Popular Media
    

Tailored to fit your schedule, preferences and goals	Gives a cookie cutter routine that does not take the individual into account
Lower rate of injuries	Higher rate of injuries
Wants to improve peoples’ quality of life	Wants your money
Will point out contraindications (exercises you shouldn’t perform and foods you shouldn’t consume)	Don’t care whether something will hurt you or not
Utilize tried and true information grounded in research and applied sciences	Always jumping from one fad to the next
Debunk myths	Create myths
Can help you with fat loss, strength, muscle building (hypertrophy, mobility, flexibility, pain management and improvement at a specified task (sport/daily activities)	Usually geared towards weight loss or building muscle
Can prepare you for popular training	Don’t normally have any preparatory period before beginning popular training
Help you understand the reality of what it takes to achieve your goals	Give false promises
Take into consideration your physical attributes, abilities and pre-existing conditions which may cause limitations	Assume you can handle whatever they tell you to do
Take into consideration your health/medical history and gear your diet towards your goals and specific body chemistry	Gives a cookie cutter diet which may make pre-existing health/medical conditions worse

This is by no means an exhaustive list or even always right but I have found for this to be the trend.  Always be wary of popular media and strive to find the best specialist you can within your budget to achieve the best results you possibly can.  I myself go to other specialist in my field to continue to educate myself and ad to my toolbox so I can better help my clients.  I want to perform at my utmost since God calls me to do so.

  2 Thessalonians 3:10  “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”
Do all things in Christ,

Rick Haven