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As David neared 30, a culture of social eating and drinking and an immobilizing sports injury had caught up with him. He was too young to accept a version of himself he was unhappy with and too old to keep making excuses.
Meet David
David is 32 years old and works in finance in Charlotte, NC. Like a lot of young people, David spent his twenties not thinking much about his diet or long term health.
“I knew nothing years ago. I had a horrible diet. I joke with my dad, I probably have more vegetables in a month now than I might have had in a year in my 20s. I just didn't care to learn.”
“I was just living. I was eating out too often and drinking on the weekends and just living life without thinking about consequences in the long term. I was injured but it wasn’t anything too serious to me, some tendonitis in my knee. I basically couldn't jump or run. I could have easily done sit-ups and push-ups and all that. I just used it as an excuse to not do anything.
"I woke up one day and saw a picture and thought, ‘This is not who I thought I was or who I wanted to be.’ That’s when I finally started to take things a little bit more seriously.”
The Right Tools
They say knowing is half the battle. The same way someone would turn to me for financial advice, I knew I needed nutrition experts to help me get my diet dialed.
“I’ve used Trifecta on and off for like 3 years. It's been a good run. Around the same time I first started with Trifecta I bought the RP template and started listening to their podcasts and reading some of their white pages.
"It's not really rocket science, it's just something that you just don't really think about unless you're in a place where you want to see results or make a change.”
I had tried other meal delivery companies in the past but it’s the quality and precision of Trifecta’s Meal Prep proteins that work for me.
“I've done other ones where they send you the whole meal and I like the convenience of that but I noticed they didn't hit the exact macros that they suggest.
"I like that I can control my sodium intake with your meats which have very little and then fill out the rest of my diet around them. If I really want to be dialed, that makes a lot of sense for me.
"The passion starts to come when you start to see the new muscles or the fat go away, and then you're motivated to learn more and kind of feel out what works for you and your body. The combination of Trifecta and RP has been very helpful.”
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The Right Inspiration
Once I found a diet I was happy with, I needed to incorporate exercise that was going to keep me engaged. According to me, people too often make the mistake of punishing themselves with their diet and fitness routines when they'll have more success if they find things they enjoy. I enjoy a mix of functional training and boxing.
"The important thing is finding whatever your body responds to."
“For some people that's lifting weights. Some people it's running. I just found that the boxing is kind of a combination of cardio and strength and the gym I go to does a really good job of making every day different and fun where it's not just the chore of going to the gym.
"I get excited to have the alarm go off super early every day and get there to see friends and it's like the highlight of the day now where working out used to be a dreaded moment of the day.
"Whether it's the food or the workout, once you find something you enjoy it's much easier to stick with it when it's yet. Not, ‘I’ve got to do it.’ It's what I want to do because I like it and it makes me feel good."
The Right Motivation
For me, the why is as important as the what. Setting tangible goals, passing milestones and creating memorable achievements are all key to maintaining the day-to-day.
“I am a big believer that you have to always be looking forward to something. Otherwise, you're gonna probably go backward. There's always got to be a carrot dangled in front of you that you’re chasing.
“I am at the weight I would like but want to get stronger and faster and always be training for something.”
"This past winter before the last cut I said, ‘Alright, I'm in a pretty good place now, but let's try to take it to the next level and not go backward anymore, not have the two steps forward every spring, one step back. Let's keep the progress and make it a priority.”
Staying committed to progress means being smart about how you budget your time and calories. While having fun is important, I know that facing fewer distractions in your lifestyle will help maintain a positive trajectory.
"I think that gets easier as you get older when there's fewer distractions, fewer social distractions and quarantine actually was kind of helpful for not having the temptation of drinking and eating out all the time. It was an excuse to do nothing or really improve your life."
The Right Attitude
Excuses are the biggest obstacles people have to get around. Excuses convince us of certain outcomes when in reality, the future’s in our own hands to change.
"Looking back at some of the pictures from three and a half years ago I never would have thought I would have been there but also never would have thought I’d be where I am today It really goes to show, over time, anyone can be whatever version of themselves they want. You just have to decide.
"I started making little changes and then some of the bigger ones within the last year or two. Gradually over time I’ve really become fully committed to never even having close to a relapse.
"I’ve had a lot of little setbacks along the way. I tore my hamstring, I had a grade 2 ankle sprain, I have COVID right now. There's always going to be an excuse but everyone has obstacles. Everyone has challenges. You’ve got to find a way. I made a lot of excuses for years before and I realized everyone is battling something."
UPDATE: David beat COVID and is feeling great!
The Right Routine
With the combination of RP's template and our carefully calculated food, I am able to laser focus my diet. What works for you may be different, but what's important is having an understanding of the nutrition you need and how much you're getting. Trifecta is the easiest way to find consistency and caloric discipline in your life.
"I’m on maintenance with RP currently. I finished a cut right around the end of May and I'm actually almost exactly the same weight as the end of my cut. I'm at 149 pounds and I've been slowly increasing up the carbs. They've got me at 160 grams of protein, 330 grams of carbs and 65 grams of fat on workout days. I'll have around 230 grams of carbs on a non-training day.
"My go to now is the bison, salmon and chicken. I think it's a good mix of red meat, white meat and fish and I try to have those for my three meals a day. I’ve got my subscription on a delivery every three weeks now. I get like eight pounds of meat and freeze them and pull out two or three pounds at a time."
The Right Priorities
My experience with RP has taught me a lot but at the end of the day, it’s all about the basics of eating right and putting in the time. If your expectations are on track, your potential is limitless.
“I've learned a lot from RP and I’m still learning. They're kind of advanced but it’s really about keeping it simple.
"There are all these supplements out there that people are spending money on when you really just need to try to have whole foods and focus on the essential macros and micronutrients. Spend the extra money and time you save on things that you can control and that are going to give you the results, not the weird supplements that add up."
"Keep it simple. There are no shortcuts but anything really is possible.”
If you're ready to face your future but aren't sure where to start, Trifecta can help you too.
