Ep. 124 - How One Extreme Reset Sparked Lasting Fitness Habits with Jamie Diaz

If you’ve ever looked at a hard change and thought, “There’s no way I can do that,” this conversation is your proof that the story in your head can be rewritten. We’re joined by Jamie Diaz, an exercise leader who still can’t believe she’s the person other people look to for motivation. Her journey starts where so many real health journeys start: frustration, an all-or-nothing personality, and a six-week fitness and nutrition challenge that felt brutal but quietly rewired her habits.

We get into the gritty, practical stuff that actually drives sustainable weight loss and a healthier lifestyle. Jamie breaks down the brain shift that happens when you remove added sugar, build a routine, and stick with it long enough for your “new normal” to take hold. We talk about cravings, why tracking can teach you a lot (and also mess with your head), and why you cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Then we zoom out to the bigger challenge: balancing discipline with real life, social events, and the fact that total deprivation usually collapses sooner or later.

From there, the story turns into leadership and community. Jamie shares how coaching grew from lived experience, why “slow equals fast” protects your body, and how a small local workout group became part workout, part therapy, and part support system. We also call out the sneaky danger of comparison and negative self-talk, and why taking the next step matters more than doing it perfectly.

If this hits home, follow the show, share this episode with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find the motivation to take their next small hill.

Transcript

Welcome And The Core Idea

SPEAKER_04 0:09

Hello and welcome to Clean Your Fucking House, bitch, with Nancy, Kevin, and Lou. In our program, we get real about the challenges of life and living. Your mind is the most powerful tool you have to ensure you are on your desired path for success and satisfaction. Yet, from the day you are born, you gradually and subconsciously fill it with tons of useless shit that gets in your way. Why is that? How can you clean that mess up? We'll show you how. Get ready to clean your fucking house.

Meet Jamie Diaz And Her Story

SPEAKER_03 0:51

Hi everybody. We have a guest with us today, and this is someone who I've connected with recently as an exercise leader, but someone who inspires me, who I see with vision, with drive, with consistency, and I see her as a role model. So today, Jamie Diaz is joining us. And um really ultimately when we were talking about how she got to this place and what she does as a I say exercise leader, I don't know how you would describe it, Jamie. You can tell us. But her path included some of the same stuff we talk about that everyone trips over when we question ourselves and we doubt our abilities, and we don't think we have the knowledge or skill to do the thing we're doing, but um we find our way forward anyway. So Jane found her way forward and we want to hear her story.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Thank you so much. It's so funny just you even saying that and hearing you describe me. I'm literally cringing right now. I'm thinking, who is this person you are referring to me? Because there's no way it could be Jamie Diaz. There's just no way. So I appreciate that very much, and I absolutely appreciate you um recognizing that or seeing that. And uh of course, it you know, it's that's inspiring to me, you know. I appreciate that. Well, it's interesting for sure. It's listening to you guys talk and hearing what you guys have to talk about. Well, first of all, as soon as you told me the name of your podcast, I was like, sign me up. Yeah, 100% in 100% in. It doesn't even really matter what you guys are talking about because it sounds like this is my jam. And then I first when I listened to and I heard the intro music, I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm never putting this down. But you guys, the things you talk about, it's it's so um, you know, relevant to I think what so many of us are going through, go through, continue to go through. And um, I just love, I just love, you know, hearing the different thoughts about it. So for me to be able to provide anything towards that, we'll see. We'll see in the next hour or so, but but ask away. Totally.

SPEAKER_03 2:54

Well, so I say exercise leader. How would you describe what you do?

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Um, I think I was mentioning that to you a little bit earlier when people do introduce me as you know, their exercise leader or fitness coach or something. It still to this day, I'm like, what are you talking about? I don't do that. I don't do that. Like I never in a hundred million years would have ever expected to be labeled like that, let alone actually doing it. Um, you know, I've I've battled with weight my entire life, you know, always, you know, a lot more on the upside than the downside. And the thought of actually, you know, leading a group towards, you know, into doing these things still blows my mind. But I guess that's that's a that's a fair description. You know, we we um I got into this field very, you know, accidentally and uh learned that I really loved it a lot. And then, you know, and then ultimately, you know, went through a program, lost a bunch of weight, changed the way my mind worked, shifted a lot of things, and then um ultimately became a coach for the for the gym that I was doing it at, which again blew my mind. And then um, you know, COVID happened and the gyms were shutting down for a couple days or weeks, and a couple gals were like, you know, can we just do something in your backyard to get us moving? I said, absolutely not, under any circumstances. No way am I doing that. And here we are, I think five or six years later, still kind of doing the same thing. Um and exercise definitely is, you know, is the guys under what we're doing. You know, we come in to get that done, but I found that it's turned into much more of, you know, a community-based thing and and um, you know, an opportunity for us to all kind of chat about, you know, a lot of the same things you guys are always talking about and moving forward and keep going and and doing the things we don't like to do, how to get out of the things or the spaces we don't want to be in, and and all that. And I feel like that that has helped drive this this you know initiative, help help it's helped keep it going, I think.

SPEAKER_03 4:50

Oh, for sure. I I can say there it's it's a therapy session at the same time, it's a place for people to share things and get perspective on same stuff other people are going through, and it kind of makes it easier to deal with whatever you have at home. Right, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

And just to hear the different perspectives on it and and and and first and foremost, like I feel like you have to bring humor to everything. If you can't laugh at yourself, you know, and I love to be able to laugh at other people too, because it's funny stuff. I mean, you have to bring the humor into it, and and that definitely uh keeps things going as well, you know.

SPEAKER_04 5:26

Yeah, I'd love to hear more about where you were at when you made this change, this turnaround. A lot of our listeners may be in that situation now.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 5:39

And hearing you explain or share, create a visual on what was going on at that time. And then again, how you broke free or moved on. Um, I think our

The Six-Week Program That Changed Her

SPEAKER_04 5:50

listeners would love to hear that.

SPEAKER_01 5:51

Yeah. Um and and it's interesting you say that because I still don't even really feel like I've broken free. Um, but so basically, I I don't even know how many years ago, probably about maybe uh somewhere around 13 or 14 years ago, um, there was uh a couple of my friends had gone to this this gym that they were doing. And they go early in the morning. It sounded ridiculous and crazy to me. And but they were running a promotion. I'm like, mama loves a good sale, so I'm just gonna do this. I'm gonna go in there and I'm like, for $99 for six weeks, you know, you have this exercising and this kind of meal program type thing and this accountability, all those things. And I was like, let's give it a whirl. And part of my personal, part of my very addictive personality is when I go in, I go 100% in. So I went in and I, I mean, literally, I I wanted to die. I mean, I my family hated me, my friends hated me. I mean, because I went all in. It's like I'm gonna do the exercise, I'm going to do this, you know, this meal plan, which was basically I don't even know how a bird could survive on it. And um, I just went all in. And I I really believe, because I've thought about this a lot, um, I really believe there's something magical about um that that period, that six-week period. Somewhere in that time, my brain made a shift. And it wasn't a very, you know, it wasn't like noticeable to me at the time, but something happened where my brain kind of uh it just shifted. Like all of a sudden, um, I think, I think, well, A, I think sugar has a lot to do with it. I think that messes with our brain in ways that, you know, we're seeing now are are very detrimental. But I think once you take that out of your diet and um and you need it less, and once you get that routine in, and once, and once you start seeing that progress, it's like, wow, you know, oh, this this is working. This is working. And then all the things you hear about, you know, like you can't out-exercise a bad diet. And that is so true. You mean you can go to that gym seven days a week and you and you still, you know, put the bad food in, it's not gonna work. You're not gonna see any, you're not gonna see any results. So I think somewhere, some something magical happened in that six weeks, or did for me anyway, where there was a brain shift. And um, I thought, no way, absolutely not, would I ever put myself through anything like that again. Again, I mean, it was like I would go to bed at five o'clock at night because all I wanted to do was eat and I knew I couldn't, and I was so sore, I couldn't move. I mean, I was about 250 pounds when I started the program and um didn't think for one second that there would there would be any changes. And and it happened. And then, you know, I think I think we all naturally love to see that, you know, we love to see that progress. We love to see, you know, the the the shift in the scale, you know, our clothes fitting better, we're moving better. And to me, that was just like I I just kept chasing that. So the way this program works is you do those six weeks, um, and then and then the next there's two five-week sessions, and you're kind of, you know, there's a lot more flexibility there. They want you to keep exercising and do and you know, eating right, but there's more freedom. And I was like, absolutely not, I will never do that again. Ever in my life would I put my through that through put myself through that again. And then the next six-week program started and was literally that morning. I went to the class and I'm like, I'm doing it again. And I went the whole six weeks, you know, and that means no alcohol, no carb, or well, little limited, limited carbs, sugar, dairy, alcohol, um, all that. You know, it's really super, super clean eating. Now that's really not sustainable. I mean, who wants to live like that? It's like, you know, you come, you become, and I realize at that point, I'm like, either I can be fun or I can be skinny, but I cannot do both. I'm not, I don't even want to do both. It's just impossible because you know, everything is out there. Eating is such a big social part. It's, you know, I enjoy it, I love it. It's everything. And then when you take that away, you feel robbed. And I did notice that, you know, it would, it took a it took it the first year, and I I think I lost about 100 pounds in that, in that, in that year. And when I was doing it hardcore, a lot of things were compromised. My friendships, you know, nobody wanted to be around me because I would, you know, be eating my beet salad in the corner. And after that, when you get to that point and you realize, you know, is this sustainable? And I think everybody expected it to not be. And I'm not suggesting that I'm in the same place I was that long ago because it's impossible. For me, it was impossible. I can't do it. But then you start to learn, you know, moderation and balance. And, you know, you keep moving forward with the new patterns. I do firmly believe it takes a certain amount of time. And I've done the research on, you know, we've all done the research on this. It takes a certain amount of time to develop a new pattern, right? You can't just try something for two days and then expect to keep doing it. But once that pattern's developed, for me, it just kind of stuck.

SPEAKER_03 10:36

And now, do I the first six like the second six weeks have an even higher level of shift, right? Like you felt that shift from the first one and then you dragged yourself into the second one. And it sounded like there was a whole new tier of new, even newer feeling and newer revelations that made it.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

Absolutely. And then you're you're you have a whole new normal. Like, for example, you know, uh like before this, you know, it's like, oh, it's absolutely a hundred percent normal. You have to have that sweet treat after you eat. You know, when you eat, you have a piece of candy, you have ice cream, you have something. Then when all of a sudden your sweet treat becomes, you know, a half of an apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter, that becomes your new normal. And that, and then I found myself really looking forward to that, you know. And it's like, you know, if you could do something, yeah. And but I do think it takes that

Sugar Cravings And Food Tradeoffs

SPEAKER_01 11:30

time. It takes that you you can't do it two or three times and then expect it to be your new normal. But once it does become your new normal, it it's just easier. It just it you don't have to think about it.

SPEAKER_03 11:40

Yeah. Did you have things you went back to that didn't even taste good anymore? Because once you did that cleanse, of the amounts of sugars and dairy or whatever, like your body all of a sudden what you thought was good isn't actually good. It doesn't taste good and it and it didn't feel like you're like, okay, I've had enough. Yeah, to let go of foods.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

Yeah, I mean, there's definitely things that I at least in the time let go of. And then you just you kind of make smarter decisions. You know, you just want it to be. And my husband gets on me on this all the time. He's like, I don't get it. You know, you you won't eat this candy bar, but you'll drink a bottle of wine. I'm like, Yeah, that's my choice. I mean, that is my choice. And I'm I'm giving up one. And I'm not saying I'm I'm you know, I'm gonna be perfect, right? I'm not even close to perfect. Like, I don't want to give that up. I don't want to give that up, but I'm okay giving up the candy bar or the you know, something like that. So then I think it's it's it's more about um, you know, I guess prioritizing things, maybe. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:38

Just whatever you just said, right? And Brian being able to choose.

unknown 12:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 12:44

Is it that you don't that you don't miss the candy bar anymore and you may have been eating it, say, for the wrong reason, if that's even the right way to put it, or you know what, every now and then maybe I'll have a candy bar, but I'm not going to let that start a cycle of now having a candy bar every day, same time kind of thing. Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:03

Which path so that's a really good question because what I've learned specifically with the sugar, it's it is a downroll spiral immediately. Once you bring that sugar back in, it's like your body, your brain, whatever it is, craves it. So I definitely don't do without it all the time, but I'm just far more selective about it. So it's not that I don't want it, because I definitely want it sometimes more than others, but I'm more selective about it. It's like, I know, I know, I know if I have that now, I'm gonna keep wanting it and I'm not gonna be able to stop it. Crazy. So I think it's more trying to to control that than it's not, but but I also do think once you get that out of your, once you get the sugar out, I do believe it's a drug. I do believe like it behaves the same way in your brain that drugs do. And I think you know, once you once you eliminate it, you don't have that need for it, and then it's easier. But the second you bring it back in, you know, then you just you just keep needing it more. So that that one I tried to be careful with again, but I I have no problem drinking a bottle of wine. I'm sorry, I should say glass. That seems extreme. But I was wondering about the model. Well, but unfortunately, I'm not really joking, but yeah, it's it's a lot.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

Um, I would say there's no shame in that. Um, Lou, what would you say was your experience? Because you had a period of time where you really need to exist.

SPEAKER_04 14:29

Now, Jamie, my experience was not as what I'll say, uh uh what's the word? I didn't lose as much weight as you.

SPEAKER_03 14:36

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 14:37

But I felt my brain went through a similar experience. Yes. And I I imagine that's probably the case, whether we lose 2550 or 100, whatever the case may be, 250. Maybe at some point it's, you know, uh in other words, a win is a win. I was down 50 pounds after going through a period of my own life. This was back in 2018. But I just remember, and this was my initial question to you was actually, when you were at that spot where you made the turnaround, what was going through your head? Because I just remember getting to a point where I was like, I just can't do this anymore. I'm tired. I can't, I feel like I can't focus, think properly. It was so impactful in so many ways. I'm like, I and I and I knew it, but as you mentioned, sugar, salt, another big one, is our are killers in that way where they become addictive and then it gets harder and harder to don't throw, don't throw my boy salt in the category of sugar.

SPEAKER_01 15:39

Don't throw those beef sticks out the window just to I guarantee there's a shitload of sodium in those things. Oh, 100%.

SPEAKER_04 15:46

Yeah. Well, and you know what that in so the bottom line with the question for Nancy is I I I might as you shared, I was yeah, right with you because I I knew what I went through as well. Um, but what I'm sort of curious now, and not to I hopefully I answered your question, Nancy, but not to completely pivot, because I am a little curious, and I don't know how much into the food side you have done your research and all that, but like is every sugar bad or only certain types? Is every salt bad or only certain types? Because it almost feels like one or the other or both are in everything.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

So how do we absolutely and it's that you bring up such a good point because when I was being super extreme, you know, we started um using my fitness pal to log everything, which I think in one hand was really helpful because it became a window to really see. Because here it was like I thought I was doing really good. And and specifically about sugar, well, you put in the strawberries that you're eating, you put in the pineapple, you know, and all of a sudden, you know, we were supposed to be saying under 25 grams of sugar a day. Well, that's impossible to do if you're if you're having fruit. I mean, it's impossible. So then, so then my mind at the time was like, I can't have any fruit. Well, that's not really smart. I mean, obviously the sugar that you're getting from a fruit is far different than a Snickers bar, right? I mean, it's just it you can't even relate the two. But if you and then I did hear from somebody at one point, you're you're not gonna get fat from eating bananas, right? But when I was in that, when I was in that super calculating, like extreme, I have to stay under these 25 grams of sugar. I actually did give up fruit. But then you realize you need fruit. I mean, it's good for you. So, yes, there are different sugars and different things. I don't know so much about the salt. I'm not, I am the salt, the whole salt thing confuses the heck out of me because I don't understand the difference between pink Himalayan, sea salt. I like, I don't get it. I don't understand it. But salt is an issue, and and that's not one that I've really focused on very much myself. And same thing with carbs. There's good carbs and there's bad carbs. And that's just a process of going through, you know, and kind of researching it and knowing again, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why a sweet potato is okay, but a regular potato is not. Like I just I don't understand all the mechanics of it. But I love you, have a good day. Um, I um I understand, I understand, uh, I don't understand it, but I know what I've researched. Like I know that I know to kind of follow those rules. So there is there is a method to that madness. And there's a lot of you know, nutritionists, dietitians, and and and they know all that stuff, but I'm not sure. And then I don't know if you find the same thing, but what's really good for you one day, all of a sudden is killing you the next. And it's like, what what do we keep up with? And and where do we get the right answer from that?

SPEAKER_04 18:40

Eggs and coffee. How many times do we keep going back and forth with those two? I'm like, come on, I'm waiting for the day they say sugar's okay for you.

SPEAKER_01 18:48

Yeah, it's not gonna happen. You two, we're all holding on to that one.

SPEAKER_04 18:53

Well, you know, the thing with the sweet potato, one thing I think I've heard a rule of thumb, and I I always thought this was maybe just a bit of a joking thing, but maybe it's true is the darker the green and the the the greens and oranges are good.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_04 19:06

So I'm like, okay, potato not so green, not so yellow, orange. You're right. Sweet potato, orange.

SPEAKER_03 19:11

Yeah. You also need to eat the rainbow though. Like variety has so many benefits for all the different things that each of those foods

All In Versus Balance Over Time

SPEAKER_03 19:20

the purple ones, the green ones, the yellow ones, the red ones. You need them all, but there is moderation depending on I'm not a nutritionist either, so I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Jamie, you mentioned a couple comments so far, kind of about like friends or family or adjustments or environment, I guess were my takeaways. I'm wondering if you can elaborate kind of on that side of changing up your life and your lifestyle, and maybe some things you've learned that you would give yourself as advice, or for our listeners that are thinking of taking, you know, maybe an extreme step, something to really um jumpstart change. And we always talk about like baby steps, but I feel I'm resonating with Jamie because for me, like changing up my life was waking up at 4:30 and going to the gym.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Like it was just like that. I was like, I'm fucking doing it, and I stuck with it and I thrived, the community piece. But everything changes, like the things you used to do with your free time change, the people you hang out with changes a lot. So, like, what was your experience with that? And what advice do you think could have made things easier for you during that transition if you knew it then, like you know it now?

SPEAKER_01 20:35

Well, the first thing I think of is um balance and moderation. But in saying that, I also I almost I'm gonna contradict myself because I agree with you. Sometimes you just have to go all in. Like you can't, you can't just dip your toes in and like kind of dabble with it. You're not you're you're not going to get the results, whether whatever that means, whether you want your results to be, you know, weight loss or or time better, whatever that is. Yeah, you won't see that. But I almost think you you kind of have to go through that jump start to allow the opportunity for that shift to happen. So I imagine with you, like you're saying your one of your changes was getting up and going at 4 30 in the morning. How long did it do you think it took you for that to become your new normal and be okay with it?

SPEAKER_00 21:24

It was pretty quick for me because luckily I found something. Well that's not okay. So I started years and years ago going and like trying to lift weights or do some cardio, not nearly as consistent. I fucking hated getting, especially the cardio piece. Once a few years ago, I started doing it and going to do jujitsu. And that resonated so deeply with me that it motivated me to keep going. And it was like I would look forward to going to bed early so that I could wake up early and go and have energy and feel good and recover and all that stuff. But at that point in life. I hadn't hit what I consider to be my rock bottom yet. And I'm wondering if you feel like that's where you were. And it was like, you know what? I'm going to be fucking uncomfortable regardless. So I'm either going to be uncomfortable in my fat fucking body and feel like shit, or I'm going to be uncomfortable waking my ass up early and sweating it out.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Absolutely. Absolutely. I I can't say definitively if that um if that was it for me, because one other thing my husband tells me all the time is, you know, I'm only happy when I'm most miserable. So exactly what you're saying, like I'm be so fucking uncomfortable when I'm doing this, but I'm just gonna do it. Like to me, that's kind of a comfortable place. Like it's like what's that?

SPEAKER_03 22:46

It's the reward that comes from it. It's like what you're gaining from it is where the happiness comes from, I'm guessing.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Yeah, it is. And then and then just, you know, being able to do things better or easier or but I think the key there is to not let that go. You know, you can't do that for a year and then say I'm done. So there has to be that driving factor that keeps you, you know, motivated and pushing. Like, I mean, still to this day, if I go a couple days, you know, without doing some sort sort of movement or anything, like I'm I'm a basket case. Like I just, I can't even, you know, it it just consumes my thoughts, it consumes my mind. And I'm like, I have to move, I have to do something, I have to lift some weights, I have to do something. And that could be part of that like addictive personality as well. But it's like I don't, there's no, there's no end game here, right? This isn't going to stop at any point. And I and I wanted to ask also, Lou, I think you were saying, you know, when you when you were going through that journey and you got you got to a point where you're like, I can't do this anymore. Were you doing like an open-ended journey? Or was it because I'm I'm wondering if that whole six-week thing for my mind played a role in me being able to get through to that and then do it again.

SPEAKER_00 24:05

I was wondering that too. What came to mind for me for from like for you is that time you went back and you were like, I'm not fucking doing it, but then you're like, I'm doing it. You didn't overthink it, right? You didn't I'm taking action. What was your question? I totally distracted myself.

SPEAKER_01 24:22

No, no, but but see, and that you just bring up such a good point, and I think that's part of it because I've watched and I've been around these people that that I mean, it's so intense. And to me, that became very unbecoming. I it was off-putting to me, and I'm just like, this is too much. But then when you don't overthink it, I think that's a really good point because I didn't I didn't in that particular moment when I when I decided I wasn't gonna do it, and then and then that morning, literally that morning, I was like, fuck it, I'm doing it again, I'm just gonna do it again. And I didn't put that much thought into it, and then I just did it. But I think when you overthink it, you talk yourself out of it.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

100%. Your question was about goals. Uh-huh. It changes. Like I I originally went because I was like, things kind of aligned, and I had been putting it off for 20 years. I wanted to start doing it. And I just ended up being like, I'm doing it. I didn't really have a goal in mind with it. I was just like, I'm gonna push myself, yeah, and I'm gonna get uncomfortable. And going back to the candy bar thing, and what came to mind for me with you, Jamie, is like, and I'm kind of putting myself in your shoes a little bit, I'm resonating with it. It's like when you consistently do things to push yourself out of your comfort zone, it makes it easier to prioritize your word. You keep using it makes it easier to prioritize because you know, eating that candy bar is gonna create an additional challenge. Absolutely. Like, but I'm already being proactive and choosing the challenges I'm facing. I'm not gonna choose another one.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Absolutely. And in saying that, we're talking about not having it, but in my world, I also allow it so many times. Like, I I mean, I will sit down, I will, you know, there are I mean a few nights a week, and I'm like, I why do I keep eating this? And I'm like, well, because I want to right now. I want to right now, and I will deal with that later. But I know there's gonna be dealing with it, but I'm like, just just do it.

SPEAKER_00 26:19

I mean, you can't, you can't you realize the consequence, yeah. But sometimes you just gotta sit down, have the candy bar, and drink a bottle of wine.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 26:29

The whole bottle, a whole bottle, and you know what?

SPEAKER_01 26:31

Sometimes too. I mean, hour somewhere. But I do think I think total deprivation, I think that total long-term deprivation is absolutely non-sustainable. You you just can't sustain that. Not me anyway.

SPEAKER_03 26:46

No, and I you can choose knowing that what you're doing is not sustainable, but it's uh a hurdle you're gonna cross.

SPEAKER_00 26:54

Absolutely set unsustainable temporary goals, you know, like doing a six-week boot camp.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_00 27:02

Probably not realistic forever, constantly back to back to back, absolutely pushing yourself 100%. Yeah. But you can challenge yourself to do something beyond what you think is possible. And what it sounds like too, Jamie, is like you became a different version of yourself. So I wrote down like you mentioned like you feel like you haven't broken free. And what I like about that is that you probably have broken free from some original challenges that you face, but you've become a different person. So that goalpost is further along because now to accomplish what you were thinking of years ago would be super easy for you. So now you're like a different human being where it's like I'm gonna keep on pursuing challenges and accomplishing new and new new goals.

SPEAKER_01 27:51

That's exactly right. It's a different version, although the old habits and the old thoughts, I don't know if they ever go away, you know.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

Well, you can fall right back into things.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

Absolutely. Absolutely. And it's really easy to do that. It's so easy to do that.

The Hill Challenge Mindset

SPEAKER_01 28:10

And back to that, like you you talk about getting through and just you know pushing through, and you're gonna do this and that. Nancy, that reminds me of that. Um, you know, we have this little hill in our in our backyard almost, right? It's that little. And this hill has been been the top of conversation from so many of us, right? It's it's it's a hill, it's a challenge, but it's about a 10-minute challenge, right? And so many people I talk to, not including you, Nancy, because you don't seem to take issue with it at all, but the majority of people won't even begin to step up that hill. And I don't, I don't get that because I'm like, literally, this is gonna be 10 minutes of your life. You are gonna feel so much better when you're done with it. It's inner, you don't have to, I mean, there's so little effort involved with it, except actually getting up the hill, right? That's the effort. But if you can set your brain to look at it, I mean, again, I've had this conversation with so many people and they're telling me no, like I look at it and there's just absolutely no way, no way I can do it. And I'm like, well, I look at it and go, and I just keep my head down, and I'm like, I'm gonna be done with this in a few minutes. Like it'll be water under the bridge. So I think, I think, you know, somehow developing that mindset, and then that that could turn to anything. That that could, you know, doing your hour in the gym, or it could mean saying no to the second serving or whatever. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

And when we get older and our time is coming to an end, we're gonna look back and we'll probably regret all the little hills that we didn't try to climb.

SPEAKER_04 29:35

Maybe you could play some Kate Bush music while you're doing the hill challenge.

SPEAKER_00 29:41

Can you sing a piece of Kate Bush? I'm unfamiliar. If I only could and make a deal with God. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_04 29:50

Stranger things. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

Running up that hill. Nice.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

But so that's like a mindset shift, that's a character shift, is saying yes and just doing and challenge. And what I really like about like the physical activity goals is that through action, especially with physical activity, I feel like if you just get moving, absolutely, it's so easy. Like for me, it was I had to get the fuck out of my house at 4 30 a.m. It's like wake up, roll out of bed, take a pee, take my pre-workout, get out the door. Yes, I had to do it. If I was there for five minutes, I can come up with a million excellent reasons that I should take the day off every day.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

Absolutely. And that that's what I think people are more comfortable with.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Yeah, and that's what I like about the morning too. Yeah, for me, because I'm an overthinker. It's like going after work when I'm already stressed out. I'm gonna have a shitty day, depending on how my perspective is that day, right? But you just wake up, it's like I already carved this time out, I have no excuses.

SPEAKER_01 30:59

Right.

SPEAKER_00 31:00

You know what I mean? Just go.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

Now, let me ask you on the days that you oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

I'm having only because I think you have to also know that

Stop Comparing And Keep Modifying

SPEAKER_03 31:10

you can't necessarily be at the level of everyone around you, and that has to be okay too, because when we go up the hill together, Jamie might be up the hill in 10 minutes. I will not, but I will take the pace that I need to get there and I get there, and I have to be okay with that because I wouldn't go if I thought I had to do that. Well, that's like the comparison to others versus like you, you know, and that whole thing is doing better than you did last time anyway, you know, to the gym or doing a new thing because they don't want to be compared or and I think that comparison is very dangerous.

SPEAKER_01 31:44

I think that that that comparison, um, not only a lot of times is it unattainable, but then it could it could also deter you. Like it's like, you know, yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean, and that that's another thing, you know, when when my husband and I go up that hill, we are not at the same pace, and he tries to think we are, and we are not even close. And every day he has an excuse, but at least he's still doing it. You know, you can't compare. You can't compare.

SPEAKER_04 32:07

Even um even comparing uh what how we do it now or how long it takes for us to do it versus years ago, I shared this on an episode not that long ago, that even within my own life, my exercise routine back when I went through my own journey, 2018, that's a while ago. Yeah, I had gone through some ups and downs, and then in trying to reconnect with the same routine that I had before was extremely challenging. And I'm like, I'm just at a point now where I have to adapt and change and do something else. It's just the way it is, but that was tough to deal with, and I had to say, sometimes still is but right, so nothing wrong with that.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

In that case, do you you just you're able to adapt it?

SPEAKER_04 32:55

Yeah, well, and I'm going along with you know what, it it it it just means um doing something's better than nothing.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 33:03

And even if I can't do the same things I did before, and granted, some of those things, I mean, are really up there. Like, you know, at one time I was benching 240. I'm just not not can't 245, whatever it is, with double plates on each end. Just can't do that.

SPEAKER_00 33:16

225. Right.

SPEAKER_04 33:17

225. See, that's how long it's been. Um, but it and and even some other aspects of it, like back then, I could be at the like my I had a morning routine as well, and I could be there easily two hours. And at that, I needed that long. I it just went by. I'm doing what I love and a little cardio, a little of this, a little of that. I was doing Tabata, I was doing a lot of different things. And I was like, oh my god, wow, two hours later, and I'm still feeling good. Not really, I guess maybe it's not like I was really huffing and puffing and sweating and killing myself at first, maybe, but then after a while my body adjusted. But I'm like, even some of those things, the movements are tougher for me now.

SPEAKER_01 33:55

Interesting.

SPEAKER_04 33:56

But I'm like, that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

You know, see, that's great. Because and that's what I think a lot of people do when it but when it becomes tough, instead of you know, modifying or doing something different, you just give up altogether. And that's that's where the trouble lies. You can't, you just you can't do that. And if you keep that momentum going, even though it looks different at different phases of your life, and um that to me was really hard too, figuring out or becoming okay with oops, I've fallen in this bad habit for a day or two days or three days or a week or whatever. But knowing that that was only temporary because that would scare me. You know, if I fell out of that, it would really, really scare me. But it's like now I think I've been doing it long enough. It sounds like you guys too. It's like you've been doing it long enough that you know that you're not going to let it just fall completely out of your life. You're gonna keep pushing forward. And I think that I think a lot has to do with that, with you know, the longer you do it, the harder it is to really let go of it, maybe. I think you build a sticking with it.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

Yeah. At least for me, like building a certain level of trust for yourself.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 35:04

It's easier to like take those days off. I've mentioned to Lou and Nancy on previous episodes that if something does come in the way now, like I don't beat myself up over it, you know, because I know I've been kicking ass for me versus before when I would be very inconsistent, and then it's like, well, I was gonna go this day, but blah blah blah blah blah. And now I'm feeling like shit, yep, even though maybe it's out of my control. So like being able to execute the majority of days where I can allows me to have grace with myself on the days I cannot.

SPEAKER_01 35:44

Absolutely. I think that's I personally think that's very, very important. You're still maintaining the consistency and allowing, like you said, the grace for when that doesn't happen for whatever reason.

SPEAKER_02 35:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:55

You know, whether it's you know, what for whatever reason, and then you just get right back to it.

SPEAKER_04 36:01

Certainly the mind shift aspect that you shared early on as well, uh, is a huge part of that. You feel like I still have the control, I'm not falling back into something where I was once and didn't like where I was. I'm just having a a pause, whatever you want to call it, but I'm still in control and oh it'll return tomorrow, the the day after that, whatever the case may be.

SPEAKER_00 36:23

That's a good point, though. Like I forget what that was like of feeling like you're not in control almost, like I'll never be able, I'll never do this, or like just not realistic statements, but shit talk to yourself.

SPEAKER_04 36:36

And the shit talk itself is so damaging. I mean, just like I'm saying, I can't do this, forget it. You already set yourself up for failure.

SPEAKER_00 36:42

But again, like the more challenges that you choose, because there's going to be challenges, some outside of our control, the more that you choose and the more that you conquer, like you build up this strength and endurance and fortitude to be able to say, like, no matter what life throws at me, like I'm gonna be fine. Tornadoes. Yeah, totally fine. I don't want to challenge the tornadoes. Yeah, great.

SPEAKER_03 37:09

Don't don't jinx

Learning To Coach Without Injury

SPEAKER_03 37:10

it. So I love this aspect. We're really focusing on how these experiences have been for oneself and how you pull yourself forward in the ups and downs of it. And then how did it evolve to leading others? Like knowing how to design workouts that encompass all the body parts and include cardio, include small and large muscle. Like, where did all that come from along the way?

SPEAKER_01 37:35

Uh, for me, that was just going through the process and knowing knowing what worked and what didn't for me, and also knowing what worked for me and how I was being coached, because there were certain things for me that were a total turnoff, and there were certain things for me that were very motivating. And that's a hard thing to do when you're in a group environment because everybody requires something different. Um, but when you have, you know, walked the walk, so to say, um, it's easier to know when to push and when to take a step back. And I think that that is really important because um it's hard. If this were easy, everybody would be doing it. You know, everybody would be doing it. And it's and it's not, and it and it becomes tiresome, not just on your body, but you know, it's a lot. So I think kind of keeping things fresh and changing them up and knowing, like, um, you know, when we're doing it so so much, I'm trying to figure out what I'm trying to say here because um I I think I think you have to go through it to understand it, right? And I think it's the same thing when we when we develop that um that that shift in the brain, there's no magic pill that we can just take and and everything's gonna shift, right? So having gone through it and went through the pain, went through all that, you kind of know better. Is the only way I can explain it. I mean, of course, I went through I went through certifications and things like that and did the the background, you know, like did the education on that. And that's all well and good. But similar to the food we eat, I think one day doing, you know, uh a side lunge is good for you, and the next day it's going to destroy your knees. Like you have to be really careful. And I think all of you have mentioned what you know your body's limits are, what you know you can and can't do. I think that is so important. And one of my favorite things is when the girls that I'm working out with, um, know they're listening to their body. You do not have to pick up a 50-pound heavier weight to be successful, in my opinion. I would rather you see, and I was just saying in class today, slow equals fast. You know, go slow, watch your form, watch your body. That's going to equate to strengthen other arenas. You don't have to, you know, compromise your form because so you can say that you were able to lift this much weight. Sometimes it's it's it's ineffective and counterproductive because I've watched way too many people get hurt and it's just it doesn't work. So I think, I think, and then he, of course, hearing all the complaints from everybody, what they hate the exercises they hate. I mean, my list of exercises I'm allowed to offer at this point is pretty much like 10 different exercises because they make it known, the ones that they can't stand and won't do. And I'm like, well, or they'll say, I need a modification. I'm like, okay, what what what pain do you have? Well, I just don't want to do it. Well, that's a whole different story. That's a whole different story. But, you know, it's definitely a different environment to be doing group training than than private personal training, because the private personal training you're doing, you know, very calculated, very focused. Um, and here you're just trying to, you know, appease the group. And that means, like you said earlier, Nancy, we have to make modifications, we do adjustments, you know, everybody has different strengths. And I think, yeah, I think just going through it, knowing, knowing how it feels.

SPEAKER_03 40:51

Yeah. That makes good sense. And I think also the diversity thing that applies to food as well. You have to have the variety of food or your body will be stagnant. Absolutely. What Jamie brings to class is, you know, there's different ways to do squats. There's different ways to, there's many different arm exercises, and it's not just the tricep and the bicep. There's, you know, there's so many components of that. And we do all the things that work all the things. And I think that's a key difference for everybody, too, and why they keep coming back.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

Yeah, I think that's important to mix it up and and kind of work everything. Because you know, we don't all love cardio, but you got to get some cardio in there. Although, again, uh two years ago it was all about cardio. Now it's like stop the cardio, up the weights. Well, when is that gonna change again? I don't know. So I just find I just find a balance, a mixture of everything is is your best

Community As Workout And Therapy

SPEAKER_01 41:40

bet.

SPEAKER_00 41:41

Jamie, can you touch on the um the aspect of community? You mentioned community, and yeah, I used to be like a lone wolf and try to do all the shit myself. And now that I have experienced that closeness with others that have a similar interest, it's yes. Can you talk can you touch on that?

SPEAKER_01 42:03

Yeah, I think the community is big. I always, whenever I'm talking about this, um again, because people need different things. Some people want want want just this hardcore. I'm gonna work my ass off for 60 minutes and that's it. And other people really want to chat for about 55 minutes and maybe do a squat or two in between. What this little community, and I say little because um it's a it's a fairly small group of us now, but it's really evolved into almost almost like part therapy, part workout, part, you know, you know, recipe exchange. But that is what for for me, that's what kept has kept this little group going. Because um it's like we all need each other, you know, we're we're such a big part of each other's lives now. And, you know, we all live, you know, pretty close to each other and we're all learning from each other. And I think that's the beautiful part of it. It's like none of us, you know, some of us think we know everything, but not none of us do really know everything. And that ability to share these stories, to, you know, and and get physical health out, and it's evolved too. It's like not just our little, you know, our little backyard, but we'll, you know, go to lunches or we'll climb up the hill or we'll do things. And I think having that variety is really helpful. Um, and I will say there's been a number of times where like I'm done doing this, like I've been doing it too long, like I don't think I'm effective anymore. I I you know I'm running out of exercises, but there's a couple people that consistently go above and beyond to thank me for doing what I'm doing, that keeps me going and that keeps our community together. Does that make sense? Yeah. Oh, we've got to have the gratitude and appreciation. Yeah. And it and that to me, that feels great. It's like, yeah, you know, it's like, well, you know, it's kind of hard to arrange my whole day around this one hour where maybe only two people will come, but when it's appreciated, you know, then it keeps you going. And who you have to you have to keep busy. You just we just can't stop.

SPEAKER_00 43:58

I think that also speaks. To your own evolution as well, of you know, at first maybe it was about you and getting yourself to where you want it to be, but now it's become about other people, which is an even bigger driving force, I feel like, than focusing on oneself.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

It is such a driving force. And again, I can't reiterate enough. I never in a hundred million years thought I would be in a position to influence or motivate anybody for anything ever, period. Right. I mean, that just that's how that's how that's how strong I feel about that. And then to be able to do that, to be able to make a little bit of a difference for somebody is so fulfilling on so many levels. And you're absolutely right. It is no longer about me. And I'm not suggesting that I'm I'm changing these people's lives, but it's it's a little element that that is adding value, right?

SPEAKER_00 44:53

You you're having a lot of influence. I mean, just the energy you're bringing talking about all this is contagious.

SPEAKER_01 44:59

Yeah. Oh, I appreciate that. It is, but that feeling, I'm sure we all know it, and especially in in your professions, that feeling is it's just it just so gratifying and so fulfilling. It really does. It really, I mean, that's that's that becomes its own driving force, you know.

SPEAKER_00 45:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:18

It gives back it totally just goes back and forth because then you keep giving it, and that's why we're going. Yeah. Absolutely. And that's a that's a really healthy cycle to be in. You know, that's the cycle I want to stay in.

Negative Self-Talk And Mental Clutter

SPEAKER_01 45:30

We're in it. We're in it, we're in it. And you can't, you can't, you can't lose sight of the power of of your own thoughts and what we're telling our brain, because we, you know, those thoughts that we have, you know, I can't do it, I'm not gonna do it, or this or that, or or all the excuses. And then that starts taking over. Um, and that happens to a lot of people. Um, but that's why I like hearing you guys say, you know, mention that. It's like, don't you got to get that negative talk out because then your brain starts believing it, and then you start living it, and then you know, new or worse habits, you know, follow.

SPEAKER_00 46:00

And even if it doesn't ever completely go away, which I don't know because I haven't gotten to that point. Uh-huh. At least you're able to put things into perspective and just you know, change the lens that you're looking at it with. Like thoughts pop in, we don't control of our all of our thoughts. You know, treat it like a cloud in the sky. Yeah. There it is, and then it's going to be out of you. Absolutely. And having those outlets, those things that resonate with you, that's your time and space you can create for yourself every day. And hopefully it's engaging enough to where, you know, an hour or two, don't worry about any thoughts. Maybe you don't have them at that time. And then the rest of the day you're like, I don't fucking care. Yeah. Think whatever, think whatever, brain.

unknown 46:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:47

It's fine.

SPEAKER_01 46:48

Yeah. I like that notion a lot. I like that notion a lot. And I've been giving to care, I've been learning to care a lot less about things that used to control me, and that was not helpful. And and that the more you give up the control of that, I feel like the things just get easier.

unknown 47:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:05

I don't fucking care. I don't care. You know, I mean, obviously you have to care about things, but I feel like giving up that that control or relinquishing it even a little bit is also, you know, so powerful.

SPEAKER_00 47:18

The more you resist, the more power you give it, right?

SPEAKER_01 47:21

It's absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_04 47:27

Well, you know, when you have a different type of control, you know, you're redirecting to the things you can. You feel you're in a better place for managing, even like Kevin said, I I'm still not completely away from having some level of chaos or clutter in my life. But the clutter isn't this big mess of shit that you're trying to that feels overwhelming to clean up. It's almost like, okay, I was able to tackle half of that crap and clean it up. Now the rest is at least either more manageable or in neat little pockets that I can attach one at a time. It just it's a different mindset that just feels like you are back in control or getting to a point where you are will be in control. So just that feeling alone is motivating.

SPEAKER_01 48:14

Absolutely. I completely agree. And then latch on to the things that motivate us, you know, let go of the things that don't. I mean, I know it's not that easy, but but I mean it seems easy in theory. Yeah, I want to be motivated, and I like motivating, you know. As you said, like the more you the more you get, the more you want to give. And that that's just a good feeling. It's contagious and it spreads. It is, yes, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 48:41

Yeah, so spread the wealth. I think we all just have to be able to be willing to just do the next thing. Take steps and see what comes with it. And it's pretty cool to know that it can be hard. We know we know it can be hard, but hearing a true story of starting in a really hard fucking place. I don't want to do it, I can't do it. I'm gonna just do it without thinking. And now it's just leaving.

SPEAKER_01 49:05

Yeah, yes. And don't give up, just keep moving.

SPEAKER_00 49:08

Never give up.

How To Connect And Join Locally

SPEAKER_00 49:10

Jamie, we'll have your info in the bio of this when we post it. But for our listeners, do you want to shout out where anybody can find more information about you or reach out to you?

SPEAKER_01 49:20

Um, I don't really have anything like that. What do you mean?

SPEAKER_00 49:24

Like social.

SPEAKER_01 49:25

Oh, I'm so I'm so antisocial. I um I don't do any of that stuff. You guys, I suck bad.

SPEAKER_00 49:33

Hey, that's that negative self-talk.

SPEAKER_04 49:35

I know, I know Jamie. As long as you have Spotify and can listen to our podcasts, it's all the matters.

SPEAKER_01 49:43

I do listen to your podcasts, I do do that, and I've been sharing them with everybody too, except we're not gonna let anybody I know hear this one, okay?

SPEAKER_00 49:51

We are zero downloads, got it.

SPEAKER_01 49:54

Yeah, no, I don't, you know, I I technically have a Facebook account, but I'm never I yeah, I I I I I text. I'm old.

SPEAKER_03 50:04

Anybody local to Jamie and me and wants to join, we can figure out how to connect with you and do that.

SPEAKER_01 50:08

Absolutely. The garage or the back door is always opened.

SPEAKER_04 50:12

And I think maybe we can even post a little picture of that hill if uh possible, somewhere. And oh, we can because I'd love to see. I'm curious about that hill.

SPEAKER_01 50:22

I have about 8,000 pictures of a selfie and my husband way far behind me. If we want to post that one, that's probably the same. One time I took a phone call. One time I took a phone call and he he took that opportunity to run up and took a picture of him with me behind him, and he spread that to the world. I mean, it was all over the place. Yeah, I don't know that the pictures give the hill any justice because you can't really tell, but it's a nice look.

SPEAKER_03 50:45

It's hard to tell when you're on it. Like, yeah, and I have shared with the boys, but they haven't really realized it from the one the bottom looking up.

SPEAKER_00 50:52

You're like, yes, if I'm looking for the hill right now on your Instagram.

SPEAKER_03 50:57

Oh, I yeah, I might have just texted it. I don't know if it's in my butt yeah, but we can add a new picture of the hill, and we can certainly, you know, flash Jamie's name. You can join a local class.

SPEAKER_04 51:08

Yeah, and include a Kate Bush sound clip with or not.

SPEAKER_01 51:13

I I just can't thank you guys enough for letting me share this time with you. I mean, I think you guys are amazing. I love hearing what you have to talk about, and I hope that this was at least a little entertaining. I don't know, but uh I cannot thank you guys enough for uh sharing this time with me.

SPEAKER_00 51:28

Inspiring. This is awesome for joining us.

SPEAKER_04 51:31

Yeah, thank you for sharing your story. I mean, that's what you know our listeners crave is to hear real life experiences. And you know, we we've shared ours plenty of times, so we really enjoy when folks join us and share theirs.

SPEAKER_01 51:44

Yes, I appreciate it so much.

SPEAKER_04 51:47

Awesome.

Final Takeaways And Goodbye

SPEAKER_04 51:48

Well, we hope everyone listening has enjoyed this episode. If you want to hear more about Jamie and her escapades, well, as Kevin said, we'll share a little bit of info information. Um, but we hope again you enjoyed it, found this educational and informative, and we look forward to you joining us on our next episode. Bye for now.