Article

Quick Fixes and America

Written by Shawn Phillips

Topic: Fitness and ExercisePublished April 30, 2008
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Quick Fixes and America

Look, I know it's frustrating and sometimes really depressing to not look the way you want to. Let me tell you a story....

When I worked in banking my waist was around 36 inches. Most people find that extremely hard to believe, but it was true. I was a bit overweight and just really sluggish. My growth hormone and testosterone levels were about 35% to 40% lower than they are today. My self esteem was low and I just wasn't happy with my life. I really felt like crap. We all have felt this in our lifetimes. Maybe you feel this way right now...

Yes, it is depressing. And the temptation to take a drug, or a supplement, to get liposuction, or a stomach staple, becomes greater and greater... Why? Because not having the body you want makes us feel horrible. Maybe this is not the case for everyone, but that's the way it felt for me.

The root cause of being overweight, lacking energy, and being depressed, usually has to do with poor diet and lack of exercise. I say most because there are other reasons why a person could be overweight. Some reasons might be more of a spiritual or emotional nature.

Spiritual would be that the person lacks meaning and purpose in their life. So what do they do? They eat their pain away, they over eat and hate themselves. Emotional would be that a person associates certain emotions or experiences with food. For instance, "I'm stressed so I eat or I am depressed so I eat". I want to address this issue because it is important to unravel the true cause of your current state. For some, a person would only have to change their diet and exercise. For others they may have to reevaluate themselves and their lives.

Let's get back to the quick fixes. Quick fixes never deal with the root cause. They only address the symptoms.

While I was studying philosophy and economics at UCLA, one of the topics that continually came up was "cause and effect". When there is a "cause" there is an "effect". Or when there is an "effect", there must be a "cause". In our case the effect could be being overweight, being depressed, having a low self esteem, etc... Given these effects what would the cause be?

In many cases it is poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of purpose and meaning in life, negative associations, emotional issues, stress, and/or lack of sleep. At this point I would like you to take a moment and begin to think about some of the symptoms you might be having... What do you feel the root cause is? nnn

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About the Author

Shawn is one of the most popular trainers in Los Angeles. He has trained a variety of celebrities, is the founder of Perfect Body, Inc., has been a spokesperson for Time Warner, manages three health and fitness websites, was featured four times on KCAL 9 news “9 on the town”, has appeared on a variety of cable shows, runs a successful personal training practice, and is currently working on an infomercial. His approach to fitness is both unique and compelling. He uses a three dimensional approach which includes the mind, body, and spirit. This approach has been extremely useful and effective to help people lose weight. Shawn’s background is wide and diverse. He attended UCLA graduating with honors in Economics and Philosophy. While attending UCLA, Shawn was a model with the prestigious Ford Modeling Agency. After graduation, was hired by the esteemed investment bank, Merrill Lynch, as an institutional broker and then subsequently transferred over to Smith Barney to become a Financial Advisor. After his 4 year stay in finance, Shawn’s health was diminishing so he left the industry, starting a new career as a Fitness Consultant. Shawn is now an entrepreneur in the fitness industry focusing on personal training, public speaking, fitness modeling, and media. Shawn is certified with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and trains at Power House gym in West Los Angeles. He also does in–home training sessions in the following areas: Los Angeles, Venice, Santa Monica, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Marina Del Rey, Century City, and Beverly Hills. If you would like to read more free health and fitness tips feel free to go to www.shawnphillipstraining.com

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