Fit For Life: The Triple D Will Take You There…

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

I love to watch the food network at night before I fall asleep. I don't watch the news or anything that sends any kind of negative thought process through my head before I nod out for the night. I want the last thought or vision I see to be happy or positive, because when your first or last thoughts of the day are negative it resonates through your day or night, and creates a negative vibe and mindset.

I especially like diners drive ins and dives. This guy drives around the country in an old muscle car tasting all kinds of delicious and disgustingly fattening foods. Although I cringe at some of the stops he makes, because you get a behind the scenes look at how food is prepared, it's fun to watch and the guy is always in a state of pure bliss thought the entire show. He calls the show triple D and the reason I am writing this is because I don't want you to get confused with my version of triple D.

The Triple D!

My version of the Triple D to health and fitness success is – Desire, Drive, and Discipline – not Diners, Drive-ins and Dives… I tell everyone of my clients that my program can't be successful until they are willing to supply all three of these components to their lifestyle. So, let’s go through them.

The first D is Desire.

You need to have the desire to make a change for the better, and it had to come from within. You can't start a program and be successful just because your friends are doing it. Or, because your spouse told you you look a little heavier these days. You need to have the deep down desire to make a change in your life. You may desire to do it so you can be around to watch your grandkids grow up. Or, so you can be more self-sufficient. Or, you may just want to perform hobbies like hiking and gardening better. Whatever the reason, you need to have the desire to do it, and want it badly.

The second D is Drive.

You need to be relentless in your pursuit of your goal, and the only way to achieve success in any situation is to be driven, and willing to make sacrifices. Nothing good in life comes easy, and health and fitness is no different. You need to commit to at least three times a week at the gym and eat clean ALL the time. If you have a lack luster approach to anything you are doing, your end result will always be the same, half asses, or mediocre at best. Being driven means 100% focus and you can't let any excuse stand in your way.

The last of my version of The Triple D is Discipline.

This is the glue that holds it all together. This is required for longevity. You could have the desire to start, the drive to make it happen but without discipline, it won't last. Discipline is the ability to create new habits and stick with them. You need to create a set of rules for yourself, and have the discipline to follow them. Without it you will only be doing what you need to do sometimes, and it takes consistency to achieve your goals. You need to create positive habits and practice them daily otherwise you will never reach your destination.

So my job may not be as blissful as driving a convertible muscle car around the country and tasting fattening foods like in Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, but I like the fact that my Triple Ds create a healthy lifestyle and longevity for people, rather than enticing them to eat crap. In contrast, I sometimes feel like the villain telling you what you can't eat, while this guy is happily stuffing his face on camera, but it is much more satisfying knowing I am creating positive changes in people's lives, rather than encouraging obesity and ill health.

So anytime Guy Fieri wants to put the gloves on and battle for the Triple D rights, I'm ready.

Committed to your success,

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!"

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

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Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android