Yesterday I interviewed Billy Polson on my radio show, WholeBody Talk: http://www.fccfreeradio.com/?page_id=630. Billy is the owner of DIAKADI Body,www.Diakdadibody.com, a beautiful fitness and wellness center is San Francisco. He was named one of the best 100 trainers in the US by Men’s Magazine and DIAKADI has been repeatedly named the top training studio in S.F. When Billy talked about starting DIAKADI, he said, “I wanted a place where people could see the sunrise, where they were happy to come to and felt like a place of healing. I wanted a place where all different types of health specialists were, fitness trainers, massage therapists, nutritionists, life coaches…It has grown into something above and beyond what I imagined!”
Commit to Fit!
DIAKADI recently stated a program called ‘Commit to Fit’ where they provide one year of free fitness training and nutrition counseling to an obese individual. In the show, Billy talked about their first client, Kevin, who, with no money in his pocket and no job, committed himself to living a healthy lifestyle. The results are astounding! You can see photos at: www.diakadibody.com/-/commit-fit/commit-fit-updates/
On Self-Worth
More than anything, Billy said what was most inspiring was seeing the changes that Kevin has made in his self confidence and well being. “People come out hole they thought the could never come out of,” Billy explains. Yes! I see this with my clients, “Polina, I never thought I would be able to do this (run a half marathon, walk up a flight of stairs without being breathless, balance on a swiss ball…) I can’t believe exercise has become an essential part of my life when for so many years I thought it would never be possible…” What else becomes possible when our self conception changes? What else do you think is not possible? A dream job, relationship, having enough time, money? Perhaps these things begin to open up when we let go of the story, “I can’t do that, I don’t have enough time, discipline, support, money…” And perhaps exercise is a way we can begin letting go of these stories…
On ‘Enjoying the Ride’
On the same note, and something that Billy so beautifully talked about, is that so often in our culture we are seeking quick fixes. I know I certainly am, ‘give me a jolt of caffeine so I can get this work down, give me some sugar so I won’t have any more cravings…” But as Billy explains, much like a Buddhist philosophy of non-attachment, let us take the focus off of the end goal and ‘enjoy the ride,’ that is eventually how we can get the results we ultimately seek…. If we want to lose weight, but we see the process of eating well and exercising as a complete chore, then why would we do it? Of course it won’t be sustainable, that’s why diets don’t work. How can we make living healthy enjoyable so we’ll want to keep at it? Billy suggests reveling in the day to day, finding the meditation in the ordinary. “Go to the farmer’s market, find out about where your food comes from, get the story, talk to the farmers, it’s fascinating!” Billy also suggests, “Ride your bike to work, park your car father, or get off the muni a few stops…keep finding ways that you can make your day more active without it feeling overwhelming.” Billy recently started snow boarding, which he loves. Is there an activity that you’ve been wanting to try? A dance class, hiking, Tai Chi? For me, it’s break dancing!!! That being said, I am committing to signing up for a break dance class this week!
On the Importance of Support
Billy and I also talked about the importance of having a support system when embarking on the health journey. Over Eater’s Anonymous subscribes to this philosophy, where you talk to a sponsor each day. More and more I’m seeing how crucial this is for myself, I’ll be so motivated to make healthy changes, and then shit comes up, and I turn back to sugar and caffeine. If I have someone who I can set goals with, who I am accountable to, who I can talk to when the road feels rocky, then accomplishing them feels so much easier. I’m thinking of starting an email support group, where we email each other each morning our goals for the day. If you’re interested, email me at: [email protected]!
As a side note, Billy recommend www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods as a good resource for finding out abouts that we shouldn’t eat that aren’t organic and others that are okay non-organic.
Whew! There’s so much to say! It feels good to get it out! Thank you for reading this far!
Why Knowing isn’t Enough
I asked Billy, ‘we all know we should be eating and exercising right, but clearly knowing isn’t enough, what other key ingredients do you think are necessary for making healthy lifestyle changes?’ Billy said, “They have to want it for themselves. Kevin wanted it, and so he became unstoppable, even in the case of having $10 in his pocket…” More and more I’m seeing this in my own work. In the beginning of being a fitness trainer I often felt disillusioned, “People are coming to me and they’re not losing the weight they want to be losing, what am I doing wrong??” But more and more I realize that I see people 1-3 hours a week, and I will give them all that I can in that time, but the most important thing is in what is happening in the other 23 hours of the day. What is their food like, exercise, sleep patterns, thoughts, love life, relaxation? I will provide the best damn tools, encouragement, motivation that I can, but then its up to each one of us whether to take it or leave it.
The question I am then left with is, how can I help people decide to take these tools on sooner rather than later?
Billy says, “live by example.”
Yes. I do, in many ways, live a healthy lifestyle, but there are certainly changes I am wanting to make: Eating for my metabolic types, more organic, clean meats, clean water, cutting out processed foods, working on my alignment and posture. Sometimes all these things feel overwhelming, but today I committing myself to ‘enjoying the ride,’ finding a support system and having patience and compassion for myself! What are you committing to today?
I hope this day finds you in peaceful spirits.
In love and health,
Polina
DIAKADI recently stated a program called ‘Commit to Fit’ where they provide one year of free fitness training and nutrition counseling to an obese individual. In the show, Billy talked about their first client, Kevin, who, with no money in his pocket and no job, committed himself to living a healthy lifestyle. The results are astounding! You can see photos at: www.diakadibody.com/-/commit-fit/commit-fit-updates/
On Self-Worth
More than anything, Billy said what was most inspiring was seeing the changes that Kevin has made in his self confidence and well being. “People come out hole they thought the could never come out of,” Billy explains. Yes! I see this with my clients, “Polina, I never thought I would be able to do this (run a half marathon, walk up a flight of stairs without being breathless, balance on a swiss ball…) I can’t believe exercise has become an essential part of my life when for so many years I thought it would never be possible…” What else becomes possible when our self conception changes? What else do you think is not possible? A dream job, relationship, having enough time, money? Perhaps these things begin to open up when we let go of the story, “I can’t do that, I don’t have enough time, discipline, support, money…” And perhaps exercise is a way we can begin letting go of these stories…
On ‘Enjoying the Ride’
On the same note, and something that Billy so beautifully talked about, is that so often in our culture we are seeking quick fixes. I know I certainly am, ‘give me a jolt of caffeine so I can get this work down, give me some sugar so I won’t have any more cravings…” But as Billy explains, much like a Buddhist philosophy of non-attachment, let us take the focus off of the end goal and ‘enjoy the ride,’ that is eventually how we can get the results we ultimately seek…. If we want to lose weight, but we see the process of eating well and exercising as a complete chore, then why would we do it? Of course it won’t be sustainable, that’s why diets don’t work. How can we make living healthy enjoyable so we’ll want to keep at it? Billy suggests reveling in the day to day, finding the meditation in the ordinary. “Go to the farmer’s market, find out about where your food comes from, get the story, talk to the farmers, it’s fascinating!” Billy also suggests, “Ride your bike to work, park your car father, or get off the muni a few stops…keep finding ways that you can make your day more active without it feeling overwhelming.” Billy recently started snow boarding, which he loves. Is there an activity that you’ve been wanting to try? A dance class, hiking, Tai Chi? For me, it’s break dancing!!! That being said, I am committing to signing up for a break dance class this week!
On the Importance of Support
Billy and I also talked about the importance of having a support system when embarking on the health journey. Over Eater’s Anonymous subscribes to this philosophy, where you talk to a sponsor each day. More and more I’m seeing how crucial this is for myself, I’ll be so motivated to make healthy changes, and then shit comes up, and I turn back to sugar and caffeine. If I have someone who I can set goals with, who I am accountable to, who I can talk to when the road feels rocky, then accomplishing them feels so much easier. I’m thinking of starting an email support group, where we email each other each morning our goals for the day. If you’re interested, email me at: [email protected]!
As a side note, Billy recommend www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods as a good resource for finding out abouts that we shouldn’t eat that aren’t organic and others that are okay non-organic.
Whew! There’s so much to say! It feels good to get it out! Thank you for reading this far!
Why Knowing isn’t Enough
I asked Billy, ‘we all know we should be eating and exercising right, but clearly knowing isn’t enough, what other key ingredients do you think are necessary for making healthy lifestyle changes?’ Billy said, “They have to want it for themselves. Kevin wanted it, and so he became unstoppable, even in the case of having $10 in his pocket…” More and more I’m seeing this in my own work. In the beginning of being a fitness trainer I often felt disillusioned, “People are coming to me and they’re not losing the weight they want to be losing, what am I doing wrong??” But more and more I realize that I see people 1-3 hours a week, and I will give them all that I can in that time, but the most important thing is in what is happening in the other 23 hours of the day. What is their food like, exercise, sleep patterns, thoughts, love life, relaxation? I will provide the best damn tools, encouragement, motivation that I can, but then its up to each one of us whether to take it or leave it.
The question I am then left with is, how can I help people decide to take these tools on sooner rather than later?
Billy says, “live by example.”
Yes. I do, in many ways, live a healthy lifestyle, but there are certainly changes I am wanting to make: Eating for my metabolic types, more organic, clean meats, clean water, cutting out processed foods, working on my alignment and posture. Sometimes all these things feel overwhelming, but today I committing myself to ‘enjoying the ride,’ finding a support system and having patience and compassion for myself! What are you committing to today?
I hope this day finds you in peaceful spirits.
In love and health,
Polina
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