The western world is fat, isolated and unhealthy
There it is, I said it.
It’s not like you had to be told that.
You already knew it.
We’ve never been more comfortable.
But more than comfort, the opportunity to grow, learn and evolve has never been so available.
Still, in spite of the riches our modern world offers, it seems so many have fallen prey to quick dopamine hits — processed sugary foods, mindless scrolling, Netflix binges, alcohol binges (Netflix with alcohol binges?).
I’m not going to extrapolate the data because I don’t need to.
I know from first-hand experience.
For those who have taken the time to read my story, you’ll know I’m all too familiar with cheap dopamine.
Through years of toiling with anxiety, depression, addiction and feelings of not being enough, some greater power within summoned the wherewithal to seek solutions.
Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means a perfect human. Far from it, in fact.
But with deliberate action, I have developed in areas that have served to objectively improve my quality of life.
This means that without having to exert ‘willpower’ or ‘motivation,’ over the last 7 years, I consistently:
- workout almost daily
- maintain around 10% body fat while eating whatever I want
- engage and improve in activities that I actually enjoy (strength training, soccer, yoga, running, calisthenics, etc)
- play soccer at a level close to my peak college-playing days even though I’m in my 30s
- steer clear of drugs and only consume alcohol minimally (1 – 2 drinks per week max)
- engage in a balanced social life going out to bars, dinners and gatherings while maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- meditate, journal and reflect to develop deeper awareness in pursuit of a higher self
This is a far cry from the 22-year-old version of skinny-fat Kam who masked his insecurities with drugs and could never stick to anything worthwhile longer than a month.
If I had to summarize the catalyst for my transformation in one word, it would be this:
Fitball.
In the early stages, it was an easy solution to a simple problem.
- I wanted to continuously improve my soccer abilities.
- I wanted to build muscle.
- I was tired of going to the gym.
- I didn’t have time to do it all.
This is what Fitball started out as.
If you haven’t read my origin story, you can read about my aha moment here.
Fitball was the creation of a specific-type of soccer-inspired HIIT workout.
This ignited a spark in me that completely altered my relationship with fitness and health.
So I want to expand and share some insights per what has been working for me over the years.
My objective with all of this is to lead a happy, healthy lifestyle through self-discovery and growth.
The following lessons have allowed me to remain consistent in pursuit of a higher self.
I hope they will do the same for you.
1). A Cheat Code To Gainsville
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Pumping Iron introduced the world to bodybuilding. I remember watching videos like this where people were awestruck by this obscure and mystifying activity.
Fast forward 4 decades and the landscape has drastically changed.
Our world is rife with gyms and workouts.
Most people equate getting in shape with the following:
- Gym 3-5 times per week
- Hop on a treadmill
- Move weight
- Eat clean
I’m here to challenge this assumption.
Creativity has fueled the fitness industry as of late.
Yoga paddle boarding, disco cycling, HIIT boxing, break dance fighting, you get the point.
With all the opportunities at your disposal, I believe it’s your responsibility to explore your options until you either miraculously stumble upon the love of your life (in exercise form) or at least discover something that is mildly amusing.
Once uncovered, build a schedule and get involved.
This abides by James Clear’s principle from Atomic Habits of ‘make it easy.
The easier it is to perform a behavior, the more likely you are to do it — that’s how you start to build momentum.
And you’re entitled to mix and match.
I gym multiple times per week. I also do the following:
- soccer
- yoga
- run
- Fitball workouts
- occasional CrossFit
- occasional Pilates
I have created a unique workout schedule that caters to my proclivities and it’s worked well for me.
2). A Life Full of Flavor: The Fruits of Improvement and Variety
I was 14 the first time I stepped foot into a gym. From that period until around 26, the best I could do was stick to a routine for 2 months.
I call this yo-yo exercising.
After weeks in the gym, right around when I would start to see modest results, I would get this felt sense of boredom.
Something along the lines of,
‘Okay, I’m seeing some muscle definition, but all I have to show for this is…bigger muscles? Like what else can I do besides…well, flex?’
For whatever reason, I have an intrinsic desire beyond aesthetics: to demonstrate what else my body can do.
I want to be able to:
- do a handstand
- sprint faster
- perform a single-legged pistol squat
- deftly dribble around an opponent with a slick piece of skill
In essence, what I’ve found works is the act of improving in things that I find worthwhile.
Ironically, nowadays I appreciate the aesthetic quality of a lean, strong body.
The fact I can see improvements across multiple dimensions is what fuels my commitment.
This is where exercise becomes play.
Getting lost at the gym or on the field, testing and toying with different movements and skills — this is ultimately much more fulfilling
And because it’s fulfilling and fun, it’s become a nonnegotiable.
3). The Virtuous Cycle of What, How, and Why
A curious thing I noticed about myself:
If I’ve been healthy, I’m more likely to make healthy choices. The opposite is also true.
It’s not like I’m perched with a protractor, calculating the expected health value of my next decision. Rather, it’s more of a subconscious process.
If I worked out 5 days in a row, I’m more likely to eat the salad. I’ll stay away from my friend’s vape. I’ll refrain from having a glass of wine on a Wednesday evening.
The deeper down the health rabbit hole I go, the more consistent my decision-making becomes.
This is the holy grail of transformation — identity shift.
This is the thesis of James Clear’s Atomic Habits: If we fixate on doing certain habits on a daily basis — working out, eating clean, refraining from alcohol — over time, these behaviors chip away at our self-perception.
Eventually, we transform from a person who does healthy things to a healthy person.
Here’s the nuance: A healthy person doesn’t require willpower to enforce healthy habits.
But we don’t just get there with the snap of a finger.
Identity shift is a challenging process and along the way, a lot of people call it quits.
So we need to be equipped with some strategies to keep us on course.
To start, what is it that you want to achieve at a basic level?
You need to have some sense of direction as to where you’re going.
Do you want a six pack?
Do you want to lose 20 pounds so you can feel confident in a swimsuit?
Write it down at it’s most superficial level.
This is your north star – this is the WHAT.
Next, we go back to a previous lesson — you must enjoy your workouts!
Experience has taught me that finding something you enjoy (or at least don’t hate) is complimentary to building positive habits.
If I can reduce the friction of showing up, I’m less likely to give up.
This is the HOW.
The last one is the most important — the WHY.
The WHY elicits a strong emotional response beyond the superficial.
Losing 20 pounds to look good in a swimsuit could be masking a deeper desire to be admired by your partner again.
I call this the Virtuous Cycle of What, How and Why and it’s instrumental to understand if you want to achieve long-lasting transformation.
To help explain the gravity, I’m going to take a step back.
Two eternal drivers in life are to be happy and healthy.
In pursuit of these, people often look for short cuts. They want to lose 25 pounds tomorrow without having to do anything.
And it can be done. I’ve seen it first hand.
The culmination of pain and short-term discipline has often led to dramatic weight-loss, but it comes at a price.
Studies have shown that up to 80% of people who lose weight quickly regain it within five years.
This is not wellness. This is yo-yo dieting. And this is often the consequence of not having your WHAT, HOW and WHY dialed in.
Sustainable progress is a long-term play that goes beyond just knowing what you want and how you’re going to get there.
If all you needed to get in shape was a goal and content, then the world would be full of fitness models.
Unlike the days of Pumping Iron, we’re inundated with fitness-related content. Yet, a vast majority of people struggle with their health.
Fitness is less to do with which curls develop the long head of the bicep and more to do with self mastery.
This means understanding what you want, how you’re going to get it, and most importantly, why you want it!
Journal, read, write, study, dig deep within.
And once you think you have it figured out, remind yourself of it — daily.
Losing weight, building muscle, improving at a skill — these are more mental pursuits than they are physical.
If we can overcome ourselves, we can be consistent, and consistency is the most important supplement you can take.
In the words of Alex Hormozi, ‘What makes you extraordinary isn’t what you do, but how long you’re willing to do it for.”
This is what I’m after. For you. For me. For us.
4). Left and Right. Like Day and Night. That’s What Makes the World Go Round
My primary motivation is to lead a happy and healthy life.
Anytime my faculties are singularly focused for too long, I become unhappy.
If I’m working, exercising, dating, drinking disproportionately to other things, it throws me off my path.
See, through a deliberate process of self-inquiry, I’ve discovered how I operate so I can avoid such fates.
Just to caveat, even though I’m not overly fixated on exercise, I do tend to lean towards a healthy lifestyle.
With that said. It’s only part of my life.
Yes, I workout regularly.
But I also..
- frequently socialize with friends
- spend time with my family.
- cook.
- travel.
- meditate.
- go on dates – yes, I’m single ladies 😋.
- work a regular 9 – 5 job
Some people want to dedicate an inordinate amount of time to a single pursuit; all power to those people.
I’ve found that’s not sustainable for me.
Experience has taught me the best way for me to achieve a happy and healthy life is through balance.
Yin and Yang.
This insight has served me well.
5). Non-negotiables of Time Management
When life become busy, exercise often gets thrown on the back burner. Time spent at the gym is time away from kids, friends, partners or work.
But if you start to view wellness as nonnegotiable (which if you’re reading this, I hope you do), then surely there are ways around the time dilemma.
So I want to provide some simple solutions that have worked for me.
After all, I created Fitball to scratch a personal itch.
- I wanted to build muscle
- I wanted to improve as a soccer player
- I didn’t have time to do both.
1. Enjoy your workouts
I’ve mentioned this ad nauseam at this point, and you’re probably thinking ‘how is this relevant to time management.?’ But hear me out.
It’s a very simple equation.
If you look forward to your workouts, then the likelihood of procrastinating or blowing them off goes way down.
In fact, you’re more likely to expressively dedicate time to the activity.
Simple as that.
Enough said. On to the next one.
2. Have a Plan
Knowing what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it is the most effective strategy for scheduling workouts. Luckily, the level of effort required to do this is minimal.
A little bit of proactivity goes a long way. It’s a simple as:
- Find a workout plan (buy or use the endless supply of free content on the socials)
- Know which workout your doing on any given day
- Plan time for that workout
- Stick to the plan
3. Make it social
We often swap exercise for time spent with loved ones. Why not combine them?
Exercising socially is one of the best activities you can do together.
Better yet, if you’re a parent with soccer players in your ranks, what better way to encourage their development and spend time with them than by doing a Fitball workout together?
If you implement these 3 principles consistently, I guarantee you’ll rarely miss a workout.
6). Don’t Fork Yourself.
You can’t outwork a bad diet.
Everybody knows this, so I’m not going to harp on this section.
Not to sound braggadocios, but I eat whatever I want.
Here’s the punchline though — I enjoy eating healthy.
I like the way it tastes, the way it looks, the way it makes me feel.
I also love Kinder Buenos, Sour Patch Kids and raw cookie dough.
And I indulge them often.
But 80% of the time, I’m eating clean.
I don’t count calories. I don’t subscribe to any dogmatic nutritional principles. I’m not high-protein or low-carbs.
I also don’t overeat.
I sometimes intermittent fast.
I keep the alcohol consumption to a minimum (this is a big one).
And I workout regularly.
I’m by no means an expert on nutrition, but I like to think this is one area I get right without much effort.
In future posts, I’ll share more details with regards to my dos and don’ts.
For now, just know that diet is very important.
To Recap…
I’ve added some fancy titles for creativity purposes, but in essence, I want to summarize my principles for sustainable, long-term transformation over the last 13 minutes.
In Layman’s terms.
- Find activities that you enjoy (or don’t hate)
- Adding variety or improving at a particular activity are a reinforcing agents
- Develop a deeper understanding of yourself : why do you want to get in shape, lose weight, build muscle, etc.
- Balance is a key ingredient to overall health and happiness
- You must be deliberate and strategic in managing your time
- Diet is crucial when it all boils down
This is my modus operandi — it’s worked for me.
Feel free to use it.
Get Involved!
— Kam