Tag Archives: resolutions

Inspiration

Compete against yourself

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By David Tepera, May 17, 2017

As most of you know, I have helped countless people with diets, fitness and weight training. A very common mistake I hear from most people is the desire to compare their bodies with other fit people.

First of all, that person has probably been exercising for years and you’re just getting started. Maybe that person looked like you in the beginning. Who knows, so stop comparing.

I continually explain to people to only compete against yourself. You know how you looked yesterday, so today needs to be better.

What’s your personal best? Take each day and do a little more. If it’s cardio, perform an extra 10-15 minutes. If you’re on a timeline, then add intensity. The same goes for weight training.

How many of you think in order to get ripped abs, you must perform tons of situps? Wrong.

I rarely will do any abdominal exercises these days because I’m competing in physique contests. I’m trying to keep my waist line as small as possible, so I don’t want to add extra muscle to my obliques, which are also known as “love handles”.

Now, don’t get me wrong because I used to be known as the ab-guy. I would do all kinds of crazy abdominal exercises, especially the abdominal reanimater because of its core strengthening.

But hopefully, most of you already know, ripped abs are built in the kitchen. Believe me, 85 percent of a six pack is from diet alone.

Ok, now it’s time for you to set new goals. We live on the gulf coast and swimsuit weather is here. Don’t compare yourself to others because that only gives you disappointment.

Also, stop criticizing yourself for current status. Only give yourself encouragement and compliments.

Each morning, look in the mirror and tell yourself, “Look at that fine, sexy person. Oh yes, I’m turning heads today.”

I know lots of people who didn’t get serious about weight training and diet until their mid-40s and beyond. Just recently, a 58 year old lady friend of mine, who’s been training for about two years, told me that she’s never looked this good in her entire adult life. Her confidence level is through the roof.

So now, it’s your turn. It’s never too late. Challenge yourself to compete each and every day. The only person who’s going to benefit is you. Your life will change. I promise.

Inspiration

Sunny days are here

by David Tepera – March 8, 2017

Lately, I’ve been flying across the country for multiple speaking engagements. My last trip was to Orlando, Fla., and the weather conditions leaving Houston forecasted torrential rains.

To say the takeoff from the runway was turbulent would be an understatement. The airplane rocked side-to-side as we fought our way skyward.

Of course, the pilot and flight attendants made sure everyone on board was aware of the situation and to hang tight until the plane can push through and over the clouds.

This happened to be a day trip, so most people were visually glued to the window. The astonishing part of this whole experience was when the plane broke through the rain clouds into an extremely bright sun with incredible vivacious blue skies.

You could hear the sighs of relief along with joyous sounds as passengers witnessed Mother Nature’s beauty. It was at that moment, you knew everything was going to be OK.

Over the past few months, I’ve been helping several people food-prep for upcoming physique competitions. During the first month, it’s similar to a turbulent plane ride. You’re trying to get acclimated to eating extremely healthy up to eight times a day.

Yes, you’re getting plenty of food, but it’s frustrating and difficult staying on course. But once you start seeing the results, you’re able to break through the rainy days and see the bright blue skies. You finally realize it’s going to be OK and you’re on the way to diet success.

Can’t we all apply this to other parts of our lives? Doesn’t this happen at work, home and relationships?

How many times you’re busting your hump at work and no one is giving you credit? Then finally a supervisor takes notice and a pay raise or promotions become available.

Maybe you’re dealing with a personal situation with a friend, relative or spouse. You must be the bigger person and have a mature discussion and work through the issue. It will almost always resolve where the relationship strengthens because of your actions.

Don’t let the cloudy, raining days keep you down. Just like a crazy plane ride, you’ll eventually bust through to the brighter side.

I want you to realize that life is an adventure that takes us on a journey of emotions. Just keep pushing forward because sunny days and the reward is within reach.

Inspiration

Use ‘fast break’ to score in life

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, January 10, 2017 

If you’re not familiar with the term “fast break” in basketball, it’s when the offense moves the ball up the court as quick as possible to score before the other team’s defense can set up. This is usually done with one or two passes.

Before the fast break originated, the team that was scored on would sulk and take their time in-bounding the ball while the other team was celebrating their score. Plus, it gave the fans time to scream and yell at the opponents.

Once teams started using the fast break, it was catching defensive players off-guard and quieting the fans.

It’s really embarrassing to be celebrating while the other team scored right back at you. It’s kind of like, “in your face, chump.”

You know, sometimes life will score on you, too. But, instead of whining and licking your wounds, you must react quickly to counteract the situation.

You might have just lost your job, and now you’re scared due to financial insecurity. This situation is critical, so you must fast break to new employment.

Yes, you can be upset and play the blame game, but immediately update your resume and get moving.

Remember, even when you obtain another job, it may take up to another month before you receive your first paycheck. Obviously, a fast break is crucial in order to pay your bills that are piling up.

Years ago, a friend of mine, who I’ll call “Connie,” lived along the Gulf Coast. She had lost her job in the hotel and restaurant business. Connie wasn’t in any hurry to find another job because, according to her, there’s tons of opportunity in that business.

Well, after about a month without income, Connie started applying, but every hotel had filled their positions. Now, she was in panic and confused on what to do next.

You see, Connie lost her job in May when all coastal hotels and restaurants were hiring for the coming summer tourist season. If she would have started a fast break, then unemployment wouldn’t be an issue.

A comedian once said, “I have enough money to last a lifetime. I just need to die next week.”

Today is your wake-up call. Tie up your sneakers, put a game plan together, and fast break down the court for a life winning slam dunk.

Diets, Fitness, Inspiration

What are you waiting for?

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 

Every one of us has goals or life experiences we would like to accomplish. But for some reason, we continue to give excuses that keep us from pursuing them. What are you waiting for?

Typical excuses include; my kids are too young, after kid’s college, when I retire, next year, I need more money, I’m too old, too fat, yada-yada-yada.

Listen, none of these are acceptable because real goals require small steps and planning. So really, the right time is now.

If you need more money for a purchase or dream vacation, then write down all of your spending. How much more money could you save by cooking instead of dining out or cutting back on alcohol and tobacco?

A friend of mine went through a divorce and became a single parent. The extra expense and responsibility of young kids forced him to give up drinking alcohol and cook balanced meals. He told me that for the first time, he was able to start a savings account.

Look in your closet. I’m sure there are clothes and shoes never or barely worn. So, stop buying more clothes and rotate your wardrobe more often. Ok, I know there’s a lot of people upset with me right now. Sorry, don’t let your spouses read this article.

The beauty of goal setting for losing weight and getting in better shape is that you can start immediately. You need to accept that you’ve been lazy and undisciplined, but don’t beat yourself up over it. We’ve all had our share of bad habits and self-destruction.

After work, before you go home, drive straight to the gym. Have your workout clothes and sneakers in your car. We all know that once we’re home, there are too many excuses that keep us from going to the gym. Don’t let those excuses have a chance.

If you don’t have a gym membership, then go for a walk, run or bike immediately after work. Once you’ve prepared and eaten dinner, you’ll become too lazy.

So what are you waiting for? Tomorrow is too late. Start the road for accomplishing goals today. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you. It’s your life and you deserve it. You’ve earned it.

Inspiration

What choices will you make today?

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Friday, July 29, 2016

Each morning, we wake to a full day of choices. Every thought and every action is based on a series of choices.

One of the greatest beauties of being human, is we get to make our own decisions about how we live our lives.

You get to decide on clothes, cars, neighborhoods, friends, spouses, diets, exercise and so on. But, most importantly — how you treat others.

Whatever and wherever you are in life, is due to all the choices you’ve made to date. Now think about that for a moment.

If you’re not happy or you’re miserable, then maybe it’s time to change your thought process by being a more positive and caring person.

Take a hard look in the mirror, reflect on yourself and understand why life hasn’t gone as planned.

To turn it all around and get back on track, start by changing your stinking thinking. Recognize when your thoughts are negative and find something positive to focus on.

For me, when situations aren’t going well, I’ve trained myself to find all the reasons to be thankful. I recognize life could be so much worse.

This starts first thing in the morning when I wake. My first thought of each morning is, “Wow, I’m alive and I get to go out into this beautiful world today.”

It took some time, but once I forgave everyone who wronged me, unnecessary stress vanished. Now, I find beauty in everyone and life has never been better.

My kids have learned to interact with people because I’m always striking up conversations with total strangers. To me, everyone has a story, plus I’m truly interested. That’s why I share so many stories in my column.

Just remember, your thoughts become actions, and your actions will determine your true character. That character is how we perceive you.

So, what choices will you make today? Choose to be happy because you can turn your life around with just one choice.

Inspiration

Stop giving excuses

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2016

As young kids, we all learned to give excuses for not being able to accomplish something. It was typically due to keep from getting in trouble with parents.

The sad part is there’s still a lot of grown adults using excuses for reasons of being overweight, unemployed, in bad relationships or having destructive habits.

If any of this applies to you, what’s your excuse? Guess what? No one really cares about your excuses. All you’re doing is making us feel better about ourselves because we are giving the world our best.

Now don’t get me wrong, I was an excuse-guy for way too long. Once I owned up to all my faults, I was able to blame the only person responsible — me.

Don’t wait for tomorrow. Take action this very moment. Rewards come through time, work ethic and character building.

It’s time to make healthy choices in all aspects of our lives. If you’re going to the gym after work, then there’s no time for the local bar. When you help perform household chores and show appreciation toward your spouse, then marital relationships will improve.

Quit being lazy and start grocery shopping for healthy foods that require cooking. We live in a society where people want everything fast. That’s why fast-food restaurants are flourishing and more than 40 percent of American adults are obese.

Now get off the couch, step away from your laptop and iPhones, and get your bodies in motion.

Accept that you made bad decisions yesterday because today is the first day to kick this world’s butt. Punch your excuses in the face and become a champion.

Yes, I will run into road blocks, but I’ll turn them into opportunities.

From this day forward, I will fight for my destiny because it’s up to me. At the end of each day, I will give myself a high-five for my determination. I’m beautiful, I’m smart, and have a passion for success.

Look out world — I’m back with a vengeance.

Diets, Fitness, Inspiration

Flip your thinking to accomplish goals

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Probably, the most challenging component of losing weight is getting our diets in order. Americans are bombarded with fast-food marketing, large food portions and unlimited buffets.

So, as we are determined to lose weight, we continuously say to ourselves, “I’m not going to eat fast foods, fried foods, doughnuts or any unhealthy foods.” But what really happened is those particular foods salivate your brain, which in turn creates more cravings for them.

You must be more positive and proactive by saying, “I can’t wait for lunch to eat a grilled chicken or seared tuna salad with dark green crispy lettuce.” Keep repeating the desire for healthy foods and your body will want them.

The same goes to your workouts. Most people dread knowing they need to exercise after a day of work. You need to flip your thinking and get excited knowing the gym is a reward for a productive day.

In the morning, I lay out my gym clothes and charge my headphones. It’s my reminder that it’s another amazing day because I GET to exercise.

Let’s apply this type of positive thinking for all parts of life. You should wake up each morning excited knowing you have a job. You get to provide for your family and have a quality of life.

Once, my daughter Daylyn dropped an expensive bowl in the kitchen and it broke into many pieces. She looked at me with much concern. I thought about it for a moment and told her, “I didn’t like that old bowl anyway — good riddance.” We both laughed and cleaned it up together.

Now think about that. No matter what the situation was, that bowl was not coming back. I decided to not ruin her day or give myself unnecessary stress. Daylyn loves to tell that story and will probably, one day, use the same scenario with her kids.

Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back, breathe deep and realize how incredible life is.

I can’t take back what happened yesterday, but I’ve got full control of what’s happening now.

Stay positive and be kind to all.

Diets, Inspiration

Today is the heaviest you’ll ever be

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, May 24, 2016

David Tepera

David Tepera

In previous articles, I’ve written about my 17-year-old son Dylan and his journey to gain muscle mass.

Lately, and almost daily, he’s receiving compliments from classmates and random people. This has been very rewarding and has fueled his ambition.

I told Dylan, “Just think about it, today is the smallest you’ll ever be. Each day, you’ll continue to get stronger and bigger.”

Now, how about you? If you’re on a mission to lose fat weight, then today is the heaviest you’ll be.

Don’t get discouraged by what the scale or mirror is reflecting. Just know tomorrow and beyond are days closer to your goal. Even if it’s ounces, each day is still less fat than previous.

Keep in mind, that if you’re also lifting weights, the scale will be discouraging. Muscle mass is much heavier than fat content.

The mirror doesn’t lie, so strip naked and take a real look. Jump up and down to find out what jiggles the most. Come on now, you know I’m not including reproductive parts.

Really, for most of us, all it takes is losing 8-10 pounds, and others will take notice. You, too, will receive multiple compliments which encourages your day and keeps the motivation.

I know, we should get in better shape for ourselves, but it’s still a cool feeling to hear it from others.

Just know, when people take notice of your changes, they’ll be asking questions about how you’re able to obtain it. All of sudden, you’ll become their motivator and expert.

I want you to be excited knowing that even though you’re probably not where you want to be, you’re still on your way to a healthier body.

Please don’t forget to encourage friends, family members and co-workers who are trying to improve their bodies.

Inspiration

Benefits of setting goals go beyond the gym

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, May 17, 2016

One of my very best friends is 69-year-old former body builder Mike Rebescher. Personally, Mike is one of the most successful businessmen I know.

Recently, I had breakfast with Mike and asked if there’s a correlation to his success and years as a body builder.

Mike looked me dead in the eyes with a stern face and told me “absolutely.”

Mike explained body building taught him to be more goal-orientated. It had also pushed him outside of his comfort zone, which built his confidence, mental toughness, strength and strong character.

Mike started dabbling with weights around the age of 12 at his local YMCA, but truly didn’t dedicate himself until he turned 40. I know countless people who’ve given up by the age of 40.

Mike’s body building journey lasted until he was 53, even though weightlifting and staying in shape has been a lifetime commitment.

Mike made it clear that no matter what struggles in life or in business he encounters, he can grind it out because he’s already tested himself beyond belief.

Believe me, that evening I was throwing some crazy weight around in the gym. Even to this day, when Mike attends business meetings and sees the other out-of-shape members, he knows he owns the room.

You see, that statement includes each of us. When you’re the fittest person in the room, you reflect strength, dedication and discipline.

Employers want you to represent their company to which you’ll get the job and promotions. It’s probably not fair, but it’s the way the subconscious mind works.

I know we all don’t have the desire or dedication to become body builders, but hopefully you’ve understood the “take home” message.

For those of us who’ve been around awhile, maybe it’s time to bring back the Jordan slogan “Be like Mike.”

Inspiration

Sometimes, all you need is one more step

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, May 10, 2016

When my daughter brings her clothes to the laundry room, half the clothes make it into the basket. When she cleans her room, there’s typically some clutter in the corner. When Daylyn gets a glass out of the kitchen cabinet, she leaves the door open.

I’ve explained to Daylyn that if she would just take one more step, all tasks would be completed. I know these are small concerns, but it’s amazing how the extra step would make all the difference.

Now this could be applied to all aspects in our lives.

Think about when you’re at work: At the end of day, there might be one small task or project that needs finishing. If you would take one more step and complete it, then you’ve had a successful day. Plus, it creates more available time to finish more work the following day.

Why is this important? It will probably get the attention of your employers, which would lead to promotions and better income.

We all want to lose more weight and get in better shape. How about at the end of training you take one more step and perform an extra set of weights. Or, when going through a cardio workout, you push your body to an extra 10 to 30 minutes. This would at least burn up to several hundred more calories.

Just know, Daylyn did recognize the benefits of one more step and has applied it to her homework and studies.

Now, if we could all take on the “one more step” mentality, how much better and quality of life would we create?