Coughlin Inner Circle

Everything Starts with Your Mindset

If you were to visit a Barnes & Noble, Borders & Books or your local grocery store and browse through the magazine section, you’ll notice that it’s littered with countless publications covering everything from fitness, health, weight-loss to bodybuilding and so on.

Each magazine cover you see usually has the same criteria.  A man or woman model chiseled to perfection because he or she has been working out their entire life and they’ve finally graced a magazine cover (whoop-de-freakin-do) or they’ve been airbrushed to the bajesus…to the point where they don’t even look human, so you don’t know what’s real and what’s not.

Then you have the next component to the cover.  The super, over-the-top, audacious headlines.  You know the ones I’m talking about…

“Six-pack abs in Six Weeks”
“7 Secrets to Lasting Weight Loss”
“Get into Super-Model Shape in 30 Days or Less”

…and many, many more. 

Basically, they’ll say anything and everything to get you to buy their magazine.  And they usually succeed in the process.

But what happens next?

The person who buys the magazine flips to the cover story only to be disappointed with the same, regurgitated information that has been printed many times before.  Only this time, it’s packaged differently with a new twist or angle.  Whatever.

Look, if you depend on magazines as a reliable source of info to achieve your fitness and weight loss goals…I promise you, you’re not going to be successful. 

Why?

Well, aside from the obvious fact that they’re filled to the brim with worthless fluff, magazines neglect the most important component of all when it comes to achieving your goals…Having a proper mindset.

If you’re someone who is seriously overweight, has no confidence or someone who has been depressed for years and has lost all hope, having a strong mindset is critical to your success.

You can’t expect to be cured by the emotional lure of a hollow, life-sucking magazine that doesn’t care about you and your situation. 

I’ve told you in the past that 80 percent of your success with fitness comes from proper nutrition while the other 20 comes from effective strength training and consistent cardiovascular exercise.

Well guess what?

100 percent of your success comes from having the right mindset.

That means, instead of living vicariously through trendy, disposable magazines that are filled with empty promises…why not start making realistic, attainable goals for yourself?

And no, it’s not hard.

Ask yourself these questions…

How much weight do I want to lose?
What size clothes do I want to be able to fit into?
What body fat percentage do I want to have?
How will I feel and how happy will I be when I achieve these goals?

Once you have answers to these questions, you need to start programming your mind to achieve them.  And Believe it or not, your mind is VERY powerful.

I was reading something the other day that explained how everything on earth functions at a certain vibration level.  Anything from an airplane, to a tree to your wrist watch sets of a specific vibration.

Yet scientists have proven that the strongest vibration (Even stronger than a rocket) is found in “human thought.”  Pretty interesting…Wouldn’t ya say?

The thoughts you think day in and day out serve as a blue print of who you are and where you’re going in your life.

Understand that whatever your goals may be, you need to constantly be focusing on them.  Write them down on a 3x5 index card and carry them with you everywhere you go.  Repeat them to yourself as you are taking a shower, driving to work or while you’re exercising. 

If you’re shaking your head right now or doubtful this doesn’t work, you’re NOT being serious about your goals. 

I have used this technique in many aspects of my life and let me tell you, it WORKS like clockwork... and it can work for you too.   Start programming your mind for success and you’ll start to attract what you want.  Your focus and determination will be like a lazer-guided missile moving toward its target.  NOTHING will be able to stop it!

Well, that’s all for now my friend.  Have a good weekend!

Yours in Total Fitness & Maximum Success,

Jim Coughlin

P.S.  Something that I am 100% positive will help you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals is the “Home Fitness Secrets to Success DVD course”
I have been tirelessly working on for the past couple months.  I have never been so confident about something in my entire life.  This amazing product is going to blow the doors of anything you’ve ever seen!  Yes, this may sound like hype but I assure you, it’s justified.  Whether you’ve never strength trained before or you are someone who is already in pretty good shape, this program will be the most interactive, hands-on course to ever hit the market – Guaranteed!  Please stay tuned!

Surround Yourself with Success

One of the keys to achieving your fitness goals is surrounding yourself with people who have the same desires, wants and goals as you do.

One of the reasons I married my wife, (gotta get used to saying that) Brighid, is because she is a fitness and health conscious person like I am.

Regardless of whether I’m a fitness professional or not, I know that being with someone who bestows these qualities will help me stay on track with not only staying in tip-top shape myself but also teaching and motivating others to do the same.

I don’t think I’d feel very comfortable sending out a weekly newsletter/blog when at the same time, my very own wife wasn’t working out regularly or eating junk food all the time.  That would be very hypocritical.

Now, you reading this right now may not be married or have a girlfriend/boyfriend. 

Even so, this still applies to you.  When you want to get into great shape, you have to surround yourself with a support system for success, otherwise, you’re gonna be dead in the water.  So this is true with your friends or co-workers. 

If all they do is complain, piss and moan about how they always wish they were in better shape, but simultaneously, don’t do anything thing about it, this is going to make YOU feel the same way and consequently…make your chances for success dismal.

Now, I’m not saying you can’t go it alone.  You can.

Many of my best clients I have trained in the past have in fact been very successful losing weight and/or achieving their fitness goals whether their significant others or friends did the same or not.

But still, this doesn’t mean this made it any easier on them.  And I should also say that to my knowledge, I’m not sure that these individuals are staying on track or NOT since I am no longer training them. 

I’m pretty certain that many are, but the ones who aren’t, I GUARANTEE it’s because the people they’re close to or surround themselves with are not on the same page when it comes to being healthy.

Remember, and I’ll say this again and again and again.  Being healthy and fit is something you maintain for L-I-F-E.  It doesn’t going away like some worthless trend. 

If you’re confining yourself with people who don’t get this point, it’s gonna make it very difficult for you to not only get into shape but also, maintain it.

Why keep going back and forth with your fitness goals?  Why not stay in kick-butt shape – permanently. 

If you start to change your support system and surround yourself with winners…that’s essentially who you’ll start resemble.

Now this is not to say divorce your husband/wife or dump your friends.  No.  It means let them know that fitness and health is IMPORTANT to you.  Let them know how serious you are. 

If they really love and support you, they’ll start to make changes.

Yours in Total Fitness & Maximum Success,

Jim Coughlin

Honeymoon in Aruba Part 5

Well, I’m back with more.  Guess I didn’t realize how long this would actually be if I wrote it all out, but I promise, I’ll wrap it up today.

Alright, back to zi storie…

Day 5

After 4 days in the Aruba sun, my arse was burnt as red as a fire engine truck.  Even though I caked myself with sun block every day, it didn’t matter.

Due to the intensity of the sun and the fact that I sweat enough for three people, the sun block was pretty much worthless.

Not only did I get sun burn all over my body but also on my scalp too…no fun.  So, to start off our fifth day, both Brighid and myself bought some bandanas.  Yes, we looked like Pirates, but, you gotta do what you gotta do…right?

Anyway, we decided to spend most of the day walking downtown in the capital of Aruba - Orajestad. (I think that’s how you spell it)  Surprisingly, there were a lot of nice stores.  Well, at least the one’s Brighid liked anyway…Gucci, Luis Vuitton, Salvatorie Ferragamo…etc.,etc.  We went to a place called “The Paddock” for lunch which was right along the water.  Very relaxing.

We then went to this casino which was near by and Brighid won a couple hundred bucks on the slots, while I lost money, as I always do when I gamble, which is why I never do it.

Later in the day, we got ready for our next event on the Aruba list.  It was called “Kuku Kuduku” which was a crazy-looking school bus that escorted us along with a dozen other honeymoon couples around the local bars to get hammered.  I knew I probably wasn’t going to last because of the drinking, but I still wanted to have a good time. 

They were playing this LOUD carribbean music as we were driving and everyone got a set of maracas.  I made Brighid almost cry from laughing so hard as I cheered goofily along with the music theme.  I laughed hysterically as well.(you had to be there)

Before we started the bar-hopping, the bus drove us to a former senator/delegate of Aruba for dinner.  The place was very nice.  We also had a really good meal and we were able to meet some friendly couples.

Once we got back on the bus…things started to go down hill.  Why?  Well, our host for the evening (Hela aka “Mama”) was a bit koo koo. 

She had been drinking heavily the entire night and once she started to TAKE OFF HER CHLOTHES in front of everyone, (No, she didn’t get naked) Brighid and I were pretty much done.  Imagine.  This is Hela’s or “Mama’s” LIFE.  She does this every-day.  Being an alcoholic is what she gets paid to do.  I felt really sorry for her.

Brighid and I got out of there as soon as we could.  Although, we didn’t know where the heck we were, we luckily were able to get a taxi back to our room.

Day 6

For this day, we decided to rent a car and travel around the island.  Our first stop was the “California Lighthouse” which was named after a ship called the Californian, which was said to have received distress signals from the Titanic, as she went down in 1912.

We then went to this restaurant nearby called “La Trattoria El Faro Blanco” which I think, next to natural pool, gave you the best views of the island.

The next few hours we checked out some churches and at the same time were annoyingly followed by a tour bus the entire time.  After that, we got lost for another few hours, which is what we expected would happen, but it was still fun.

To end the day, we went to yet another restaurant called “The Flying Fishbone” which was neat because you got to be seated right next the beach.  The food was good too and that was pretty much our day.

Day 7

Our last day was spent primarily how the first day was, relaxing and eating on the beach.  The highlight was definitely when we got to feed some iguanas.  That was really cool.  Other than that, Brighid and I had a romantic dinner along the beach and reminisced on what a great time we had.

And that folks is THE END.  I hope you enjoyed it. 

As promised, here are some pictures from our honeymoon.  The captions were done by Brighid.  Here is the link – http://brighidandjim.weddingwindow.com/index.cfm?fa=photo#

By the way, you do see me holding a glass in one of the pictures…but I only had like a sip…just to make Brighid happy. :)

Have a great weekend!

Jim Coughlin

P.S. I will be sure to show you some wedding photos once I get them.

Honeymoon in Aruba Part 4

Hope you’re enjoying this.  Like I said, there are a BUNCH of fun details, so I don’t want you to miss a thing.  Days 1-3 were definitely awesome, but Day 4 was the highlight of the entire trip! 

Back to the story…

Day 4

This day was by far the best and most entertaining of the entire honeymoon.  Most of it was a “Safari Tour” around the entire island that lasted about 9 hours…well, I think it should have been 6, but I guess we got more than our money’s worth. 

I knew right from the beginning that it was going to be something that was very memorable.  Why?

Well, when Brighid and I first arrived at the Safari place aka “ABC Safari Tours,” we both signed a liability agreement that ensured the safari company was not responsible for anything that happened during the tour…even if we DIED. 

Yes, I know that sounds a bit daunting, but we figure…ahh, what the hell…it’s only a safari tour…how bad can it be?

I guess we spoke to soon…as we had NO IDEA that we would be driving one of the jeeps around the island. (Well, not me…two 50 year-old guys decided to volunteer)

There were three jeeps on the tour all that fitted about 10 people.  One, in which the tour guide drove, and the other two, we, the honeymooners followed along.

Our first stop was an “The Ostrich farm.” Before we got to see the ostriches, the tour guide (Claudio) gave us his spiel how he was born and raised in Aruba…had done the tour 2,000 times…told us a bunch of lame jokes…blah, blah, blah…Show us the ostriches already…and after his loooong talk…he finally did.

Man, it was my first time I had ever seen a wild ostrich and I now know why they are the biggest birds on earth…those suckers are huge!

The best part was when Brighid and I got to feed them…that was cool!  You would stand right next to the fence holding a bucket of…well, whatever they feed them…and they started crowding around you and pluck away.  (The pictures we took will give you a better idea…stay tuned)

Next stop was a stone building called “The Bushiribana Ruins”…which were the remains of a gold shelter that was built of natural stone in 1825 and functioned for most of the 19th century…nothing special…although, it really bothered me when I saw that some of it had been vandalized with graffiti…can’t people just leave stuff alone?

Next stop was the “Natural Bridge”…which is one of Aruba's most popular attractions. The bridge was a formation of coral limestone cut out by years of pounding surf, and was one of the largest of these types of spans in the world. 

We took a BUNCH of pictures and footage on the camcorder here.  The views were amazing! 

While I was filming, a BIG arse wave crashed on top of me and caused me to cut my foot on some sharp coral…but I got everything on film… so I guess it was worth it. ;)

Next stop was lunch…Claudio (the tour guide) had told us during his lecture that we’d be eating all-american food…ribs, grilled chicken, french fries…the works…so when they got around to serving us I was expecting a crap load of food…but instead I got 2 ribs, a chicken wing and a couple fries served with some steamed vegetables…as hungry as I was, I could have eaten 5 servings! 

I asked.  “Are there seconds???”  Claudio and the people serving the food just looked at me like I was joking.  I guess that meant no seconds.  That’s ok, I ended up eating some of Brighid’s meal…hehe.

Our next stop was “The Quadiriki Caves”…where you got to see a bunch Arubian drawings of people, fish and other objects…z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z…exhilarating stuff, let me tell you. :)

Next stop was “Baby Beach” which was fun.  The beach was beautiful, with white powder sand and calm turquoise water.  We got to go snorkeling again and see some cool fish…definitely very enjoyable. 

The last a very best stop on the safari was called “The Natural Pool” or "conchi" called "Cura di Tortuga." (don’t ask me how I remembered that)  It was a secret, hidden pool on the coast surrounded by rocks. 

The insane thing was, to get to the pool, you literally had to drive your jeep up and down the rockiest mountain you can possibly imagine. 

Then obviously, once we got to the pool, we’d HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN!!  I still don’t know for the life of me how are jeep was able to successfully navigate through the terrain…it was nuts! 

This was definitely part of the tour, where I saw my life flashing before me…it was CRAZY…b-u-m-p-y is not accurate enough of a word to describe how rough the ride was!!

Once we got to the location, it was like something you see in a dream…seriously…the sights were like nothing I’ve ever seen before.  Though I feel like we almost died getting there…after checking out all the beautiful scenery…it was totally worth it! 

To get to the natural pool…we had to walk through a bunch of slippery rocks…while we were doing this…I was filming the entire time.  Brighid kept telling me to put the camcorder away, but I didn’t listen…I HAD to document this!  It was so much fun!

We headed back up and down the mountain (barely) and the tour was over.  WOW!!!  Again, the safari was definitely the best part of my honeymoon!

To end the night we went to a restaurant called “Texas De Brazil” where they served you like 2 pounds of different kinds of meat…though I barely had anything as I was zonked from the safari trip.

Back with more tomorrow…

Jim Coughlin

Honeymoon in Aruba Part 3

Ok, I’m gonna try to cram as many details as possible about my honeymoon into this part, so you fully understand how much of a friggin BLAST I had…and because there are sooo many details, there may be a part quatro.

But before I get into it, I know some of you reading this right now don’t really care about my wedding and/or honeymoon and primarily want fitness and health information. 

Well, if you feel this way, I encourage you to check out my previous articles/success tips on this page – http://www.fitnessandresults.com/jimcoughlin_articles.php or you can simply view my blog archives on this page.

Sure, I do include some stories of myself (like I am right now) in my previous articles, but I think you’ll find that when it comes to fitness, health and motivation info…NO ONE is as informative, entertaining, straight-forward, caring or is as honest a person as I am.  You’ll be hard-pressed to scour the internet and find newsletters/blogs as good as mine. 

I am not saying this to brag, boast or toot my own horn, but rather, to show you how CONFIDENT I am and my ability to help YOU become everything you want to be when it comes to improving your fitness and health…regardless of if I tell you stories or not.

But if you aren’t convinced after reading my stuff, you’re more than welcome to unsubscribe or stop reading…you’re not going to hurt my feelings.  Either way, I wish you all the best in your pursuit of life-long health and happiness.

Alright, enough of my rant…on to the honeymoon.

Day 1

Our flight to Aruba was about 6-7 hours.  Though, had it been a direct flight, it would have been shorter…we stopped in Atlanta first.

Once we arrived at the Bucuti beach resort, Brighid napped for a couple hours, while I was busy snapping away pictures of everything in sight.  Every where I looked seemed to be a picture waiting to be taken. 

As I said to you in part 1…the place was freaking paradise.  I must have taken close to 400 pictures during our stay.  I also was busy playing around with the camcorder, trying to give my best narration of what I was filming.  It was fun as hell.

Later in the evening, we went out to dinner to a restaurant that was right behind our hotel along the beach called the “The Pirate’s Nest.” 

Yes, I had me a steak and fries…and it was damn good too!  (Rule #1 – You CAN and HAVE to splurge on your Honeymoon)

Brighid wasn’t really hungry and had some of mine…as she usually does.  Aside from the food being good, it was VERY windy, so we literally had to hold on to everything on the table. (True Caribbean weather) This of course didn’t stop the many glasses of water being spilled on our table.

Anyway, we went back to our room and called it a night.  Though, as usual, Brighid fell asleep first at 11pm, while I stayed up until about 1am.

Day 2

Our first official full day in Aruba was spend at the beach - relaxing, eating and swimming from 10am - 4pm.  I still couldn’t get over the fact how green the water was.  Brighid joked and said that at any moment Jack Sparrow from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” was going to show up.  Pretty funny.

Later in the evening we went to a restaurant called “Iguana Joes.” 

Why?

Because Brighid had heard from a friend that they served “Fried Oreos” for desert.  I thought it sounded disgusting, but Brighid really wanted to have it.  Though to her dismay, they didn’t have the ice cream (it was made w/ ice cream) that night, so it was not to be.

We flagged down a taxi to head back and to our surprise…it was a Mercedes. 

We noticed during our dinner that every single taxi was a nice car and the reason (I know now) is because 75% of Aruba’s income is from tourism, so, you could say that being a taxi driver is one of their highest-paying professions.  The cab drivers were also very friendly.

Day 3

Our third day was spent snorkeling from 10am -3pm.  I had gone scuba-diving before but never snorkeling.  To my surprise, snorkeling was really F-U-N! 

You’re not bogged down with equipment like scuba-diving.  Plus, you have the option of coming up for air…whereas with scuba-diving, you really have to train yourself to breath into the apparatus while under water.  For me, it was very difficult at first.

We went to three locations including two shallow, in which we were able view beautiful tropical fish and coral reef and 1 deep, which showed us a shipwreck.(can’t remember the name, but I know it was northwest part of the island) 

The shipwreck definitely freaked me out a bit, fearing a skeleton would pop out at anytime (if you were there you’d agree) but once I saw all the fish, I felt better.

When we first got into the water at each location, Brighid kept swimming ahead of me like it was a race or something…her reason, “I don’t want to miss anything.”  I said – “This is our honeymoon…we’re suppose to be staying together…right? ;)…lol… Boy did that work, because she stuck by my side the entire time after that.  Pretty funny.

Anyway, we went back to our room, showered and then headed off for a romantic sunset cruise on a sailboat around Aruba. 

Now mind you, we had not eaten anything since 1 pm on the snorkeling expedition, so, at the time of the sunset cruise it was 6pm and we were STARVING. 

We were hopefully thinking that the cruise would have dinner…well, this was not the case…champagne, chex-mix and finger food was all they had. 

So, being that I am hardly modest when it comes to food…I loaded up on everything…except the champagne.  Yes, even on my honeymoon, I didn’t drink. 

Why you ask? 

I hate the taste of alcohol as I have my entire life.  Everyone always says – “C’mon…live a little…have a drink…it’ll loosen you up! 

I never understand when people say this.  I always feel like crap when I drink.  Obviously, being a fitness professional, I know why, but to me, there’s nothing fun about it.  I’d much rather be sober and high on life…but that’s just me.

Our cruise guide (can’t remember his name) was great and was a perfect host.  He was very funny and charismatic.  I gave him a good tip too…he definitely earned it!

We ended up at “Iguano Joe’s” again with a Finland couple we met on the cruise.  They were very friendly and a delight to talk to.  Brighid got her wish of having the fried oreos and after that, took a cab back to our room and hit the sack…what a day.

Stay tuned for more…

Jim Coughlin

Honeymoon in Aruba Part 2

Just got back from Aruba yesterday and all I can say is...WOW...what a trip!  It was everything I could have possibly asked for plus a whhhhole lot more! 

Now, before I get to all the fun details of our exciting adventure, I should tell you about my wedding first…this is something I should have mentioned in part 1, but as you probably can guess, I didn’t have a whole lot of time to be sending out blogs…otherwise my better half would not have been too happy. 

However, now that I’m back, I have plenty of time to sit back, rewind and tell you all about it, so here goes…

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

When you think of most wedding rehearsal dinners, at least for me that is, you think of them being formal and not fun.  You think of everyone being dressed up at a fancy restaurant with both the bride/groom’s family and friends segregated at different tables.  This makes the interaction not very good because everyone is stuck at his or her table and the atmosphere ends up being very dry and boring.  No one really gets to meet one another.   

Well, Brighid and I had a different idea. (Ok, an idea that she and our wedding planner had that I agreed with)

Why not have the rehearsal dinner at a bowling alley?  This way everyone would get to meet one another and at the same time, everyone would be having fun.   

Well, turns out - the idea was a huge hit!  There was no tension whatsoever.  Both Brighid and my family/friends mingled and interacted as if they had known each other for years.  The energy was awesome.  Everyone met everyone.  Things couldn’t have worked out better.

This made both Brighid and myself very happy, because we knew if people felt comfortable at the rehearsal, the wedding would be a breeze.

Wedding Ceremony

First of, let me just say that my bride was gorgeous!  Yes, I’m bragging and if YOU saw her on my wedding day, you’d be saying the same thing!  Brighid was absolutely breathtaking.  When those church doors opened and I saw her walking down that aisle with her father, it was a feeling I can’t describe.  I was completely mesmerized.  I had told Brighid prior to the ceremony that I wouldn’t cry, but in that instance, I came very, very close.  It was unbelievable. 

We exchanged vows, however the priest who married us, did it in a very odd way.  He left out the part “I now pronounce you husband and wife” and “You may now kiss the bride.”  We were both a little bit irritated by this, but all in all, in didn’t really matter.  We were finally married!

Once the ceremony was over, we spent the next couple of hours getting our pictures taken.  We completely lucked out with the weather as it was sunny with no humidity.  By the way, I will be sure to send you some pictures of my wedding and honeymoon. (stay tuned)

Wedding Reception

The reception was awesome. It took place on the 42nd floor of the “Nunesday Club” in St. Louis where you could see the famous “St. Louis Arch” clear as day.  Rebecca Boillat, our wedding planner and her team at St. Louis wedding design hit a grand slam.  If you live in the St. Louis area and you’re looking for a wedding planner, I HIGHLY recommend Rebecca Boillat and St. Louis wedding design - http://www.stlweddingdesign.com/  They did a phenomenal job!

Everything from the tables, to the flowers to the cake was designed to complete perfection.  When Brighid and I first walked in room where the reception was to take place, we thought we were looking at a masterpiece.  This is no exaggeration either.  Everything was specifically tailored to what Brighid and I wanted.  (I mean what Brighid wanted…it was basically her vision and planning of a year come to life) We could not have been more pleased.

The night flowed perfectly.  As I said to you earlier, because everyone got to know each other so well during the rehearsal dinner, the wedding reception was even better.  The music, the food, the dancing…our wedding was so spectacular; people did not want it to end! 

Brighid and I did not want it to end either.  We had been told by sooo many people that your wedding day goes by in a ‘flash’.  Well, these people weren’t lying.  It went by like a rocket…but it will be a day I’ll never forget and will forever cherish.   

Be back with more on our awesome honeymoon very soon…you won’t want to miss it!

Regards,

Jim Coughlin

P.S.  To all of you have made very kind remarks in regards to my wedding and honeymoon, thank you so much…it really means a lot! 

Honeymoon in Aruba Part 1

Well...I'm officially married and on my honeymoon. 

Brighid and I are staying at the Bucuti Beach resort in Aruba and folks, let me tell you - It's AMAZING! 

I've never experienced anything like this before.  The water is green as grass and warm.  The sand is so soft.  There are palm trees everywhere.  The weather is perfect (well, it's hot and humid, but when you're here, you tend to forget about it)  And talk about PRIVATE.  There's basically no one here.  Kids aren't allowed.  This place is strictly for newlyweds and couples.  It's paradise in every sense of the word. 

We're staying at this beautiful suite.  Brighid picked it out (Gee, shocker huh?)  It's got everything you could want.  Fully furnished living room, kitchen, bedroom...and best of all...internet access baby!

You really have to experience it for yourself to see what I mean.  So to all you newlyweds and happy couples out there, here's the website - www.bucuti.com

Be back with more soon...

Jim Coughlin

P.S.  To any of you who are new to this blog, I normally talk about fitness and motivational stuff 99% of the time, but since I'm on my honeymoon, you'll have to bear with me.

Being Healthy is Your Number One Priority

I’m getting ready for my wedding rehearsal, which is at 4:30 today, and I wanted to send you a quick note before I get back to the chaos.

You would think I would have every excuse under the sun to NOT eat healthy and exercise…Right?

I mean, I’m staying in my new house in St. Louis …which by the way, is completely vacant…so Brighid and I have been sleeping on an air mattress and that’s about it.

My schedule has been crazy…meet with wedding planner this day (actually, multiple days)…pick up tuxes and wedding licenses this day…meet with relatives this day…go buy more stuff for the wedding this day…etc…etc…etc.

Well guess what?

My #1 priority…aside from having an awesome wedding of course… is to BE HEALTHY!

The first thing Brighid and I did when we got settled in at our new house was go to the grocery store and buy food…not junk…healthy food.  I’m talking fruits, vegetables, shredded wheat, skim milk…basically, the bare essentials to snack on and get by.

For our main meals, we found a Subway near by and have basically been going there (Or at least I have…Brighid at times is too nervous or excited to eat) the entire week…aside from a couple restaurants which I had my usual salad or something with chicken or fish.

For my exercise, I have been doing my Coughlin Challenge workouts from my Home Fitness Secrets to Success book - http://www.fitnessandresults.com/homefitness_book.php minus the band and free weight exercises and have primarily been doing body-weight calisthenics…and I feel greeeeat!

My point is…don’t get caught up and make excuses to slack off.

 

No matter what is going in your life, (Yes, even your wedding) always make your health a priority.

Always say to yourself.   “No matter what, I know if I’m HEALTHY and take care of myself…everything going on in my life will take care of itself.  Everything else going on in my life is a FAR second next to my health.

 

Well, my friend, that’s all for now.  The next time you hear from me will be when I have a ring on my finger and relaxing in Aruba on my honeymoon…(when Brighid’s not looking, I may send you a quick note) :-)

Yours in Total Fitness and Maximum Success,

Jim Coughlin