Shawn Stevenson: Welcome to The Model Health Show. This is fitness and nutrition expert, Shawn Stevenson, and I'm so grateful for you tuning in with me today. I just got off the plane returning home from the beautiful state of Utah, alright? I was there doing a couple of events, and I've got to tell you, this was like the best air I've ever breathed in, in my life. It was amazing. It reminded me actually of the movie Spaceballs for whatever reason. I'm driving through Utah, got these beautiful mountains, and I thought about Spaceballs. And by the way, if you don't know about this movie, it's a classic. It's kind of like a parody of Star Wars. And so instead of like this Jedi spaceship fighter plane, they're flying around in a glorified RV with wings. It's amazing. And there's a scene in the movie, because oxygen is like super valuable at a premium, and the guy cracks open a can of Perri-Air, right? Air, like air in the can. So anyways, classic movie, and I was like, "We could bottle this up. We could can this air up." But I was there for an event with my good friend, Eric Thomas- Dr. Eric Thomas who's been on the show several times. And man, I'm telling you, just incredibly powerful. You could not be in that building and not have your life transformed. Absolutely amazing. And that experience, you know I've been really wanting to help to share that in as many places as we can, and guess what? We're coming to San Francisco next, alright? Take Control Conference is coming to San Francisco, so get your tickets right now. Head over to www.TakeControlWithET.com. Alright? www.TakeControlWithET.com, use the promo code 'HEALTH,' you're going to get an exclusive, no one else is getting this, 10% off of your ticket, alright? So if you're in San Francisco, the surrounding area, come hang out with us. This is going to be an absolutely game changing event. We're going to be talking about taking control of your finances, taking control of your relationships, of course I'm going to be there talking about taking control of your health and fitness. And just that experience of immersion, and being in the room with the number one speaker on the planet, I've never seen anything like it. He is by far the very best in the world, and it's just something really special to see, but also he gives so much for you to walk away with. And I just can't wait to hang out with you, so come and see us. San Francisco, August 26th, coming up soon here. So get your tickets, alright? This is going to sell out for sure. So get your tickets, San Francisco, we're coming. Alright? Also when I was on the road this time, I had the genius idea- because you know you get kind of concerned about bringing liquids along with you, you know? I've got my emulsified MCT oil that I always use at home, and I just never really bring it on the road with me. I'm just kind of concerned. This time, I just put it in a freezer bag, rolled that bad boy up, because I didn't want to miss it. I love my MCT oil, the emulsified MCT oil from Onnit, you know? It's something I can add to my coffee, add to my hot teas. It makes it taste amazing but here's why it's so important and why I love it, especially when I'm traveling. Number one, MCT oil has been proven to have a thermogenic effect that positively alters human metabolism. So this helps to optimize your body's ability to burn fat. Burning fat for fuel. So it's been found to help your body to kind of shift gears, and instead of burning sugar, to burn body fat, and also to produce these ketone bodies as well. It can help you to kind of stay in that ketogenic state if that's your target, or just help your body to run at a more optimal place with your metabolism period. That's number one. Number two, this is one of the big reasons that a lot more research is definitely coming down the pipe about MCT oils' benefits for helping to support your microbiome, alright? So creating a positive environment, a beneficial environment in your gut, specifically gut bacteria because it's been found to have the capacity to combat harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites. Alright? MCT oil can take- that sounded a little bit like Game of Thrones there. Did you hear that? MCT oil has that capacity, alright? This kind of glorified rainforest we have in our belly. Ripe with trillions of bacteria and fungi and some other stuff. Alright? You've got to make sure that that environment is conducive to friendly flora kind of running your vessel, alright? Not getting into a state of dysbiosis where the 'bad guys' are taking over. Now we all have a ratio of what we consider opportunistic or kind of unhealthy bacteria. But healthy microbiome will keep that in check because everything has a purpose. Another reason I love it, also this is essentially instant cell food because MCT oil- medium chain triglycerides bypass normal digestion and can effectively go right to the cells to provide you with cellular energy. That's right. Instant energy without all of the crazy- what is in an energy drink? When I went to an event, I saw it was like a Monster sitting on the table. And it just was like, "What are you doing? What are you trying to do?" Monster. And I remember there was- didn't Nelly have one? I'm in St. Louis right now. Was it Pimp Juice? Pimp Juice, and we had Crunk Juice. Come on now, alright? So we know that that stuff, all of these synthetic nutrients, synthetic sources, this is something from a real whole food source extract, those medium chain triglycerides from coconut, alright? So check it out. The reason I love this one specifically is because it's emulsified so it's like a coffee creamer. They've got a new almond latte flavor. I promise you, you want to get this one, alright? It's amazing. Vanilla, they've got strawberry, coconut. They've also started coming out with some savory MCT oils as well that you can mix into your salads if you want to do it like that. Alright? So it's one of my favorite things on the planet, smuggled it into my suitcase, and all was well, and I had my favorite perfect cup in the morning to start my day on the road. So head over to www.Onnit.com/model. That's www.Onnit.com/model, and you're going to get 10% off of everything that they carry including the emulsified MCT oil. And on that note, let's get to the iTunes review of the week. ITunes Review: Another five-star review titled, 'The Podcast of Overflowing Positivity,' by BMSSmith15. "I was introduced to The Model Health Show at the end of 2017. I was at an extremely low point in my life and Shawn, along with other influencers, gave me the push to change my life for the better. Shawn has a simple yet intriguing way of explaining the complexity of the human mind, body, and spirit. I never thought there were people in this world whose life mission was to arm the people with knowledge to not only take over their health, but to live a positive life. I'm always challenged by Shawn to do better, and even when I feel like giving up. Thank you will not suffice for what this show has brought to my life. I will forever be grateful and will dutifully share the important messages you provide us to everyone I can. Thank you." Shawn Stevenson: Awesome. Wow, that is so powerful and thank you. Thank you for taking the time to share that, and to share a little bit of your insight and experience. I appreciate that so much. And everybody, thank you for heading over to Apple Podcasts and leaving reviews for the show. If you've yet to do so, please pop over and do it. Do it. Alright? Or wherever you're listening to this, whatever app you're listening, if it's Stitcher, or if you're watching the YouTube video, leave a comment. Alright? Let everybody know what you think of the show, alright? I appreciate it so much. Now listen, on the road in Utah, I also had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with a good friend of mine, Drew Manning, who I've known for many years now. And he's been on the show a couple of times, and I'll put those in the show notes. We got the opportunity to go and train together at a place called Gym Jones. Alright? World famous gym, alright? This is where like the actors from 300 trained, Henry Cavill who played Superman trained there, and so it's kind of got that kind of gritty vibe to it. And we documented that whole experience on Instagram if you follow me over there. So it was just a great time, and then we headed over to the studio and we got this episode in that you're about to hear. And there are so many nuggets of wisdom packaged into this episode, and I think it's going to be an incredibly valuable experience and with lots of take-aways to go and apply to your life right now. So without further ado, here's my good friend, Drew Manning. Right now I'm hanging out in Salt Lake City, alright? I'm here doing an event with my good friends, my people, my family, Eric Thomas, CJ Quinney, who's also been on the show, and they're just the best in the world. But I could not come to this city without seeing my guy, my family as well, my brother, Drew Manning. Drew's been on the show before, and so we're getting a chance to hang out. We had an incredible workout which we'll talk about today I'm sure, but you know, he's just one of the best people out here doing it, and his story is incredible. And of course we'll put past episodes with him in the show notes for you. But you know, one of the things I mentioned to Drew that's very, very strange, I had never seen before, I'm driving down the highway and I see that there's a runaway truck exit. It says 'Runaway Truck Lane.' Like how is this a thing, right? We're not in an action movie, like brakes are going out going down these mountains, but apparently it's a thing. You know? And so of course there's going to be some people listening like, "Yeah, I've seen that before." I've never- mine eyes hath not seen such a thing before. I'm just like- it made me nervous, you know? And I was just like doing the math, like is a truck going to go on a 45-degree- you know? And so it just really kind of freaked me out. But you know, other than that, such a beautiful place. The mountains, and I see these slopes. Another thing that's kind of freaking me out, like people do this when the snow is here? So you know, just again- but a beautiful place. It's pretty hot here, it's kind of similar to St. Louis without a little bit of the humidity. But such a beautiful place, and a big shout-out to everybody in Salt Lake City. Eventually we'll do an event here. We've got one coming up here that I'm here for, but I'm going to be just kind of hanging out, but we'll do like an official- of course we'll have to get Drew involved too, and do an event here soon. So stay tuned, and on that note, let's get to our special guest and our topic of the day. Our guest today is the one and only, Drew Manning, alright? He rose to fame for his crazy experiment that he did, crazy and brilliant experiment that he did several years back, and created this Fit2Fat2Fit journey where he intentionally gained over seventy pounds. And him being a fit guy his entire life, and gaining this weight, and experiencing what it's like to actually be in a state that he had never experienced before, and he had been working with his clients over the years, and just really couldn't understand what it was really like to go through that. And he'll tell you, he doesn't know everything that there is to go through that experience, but he definitely can touch it now. He's gotten much closer to it. And he shared that experience, he documented it, and it blew up, alright? It was everywhere from late night talk shows like The Tonight Show, to everywhere in major media, and that was part of it. The second part of the Fit2Fat2Fit journey was losing that seventy pounds- seventy plus pounds, and he documented and shared that as well, how you can get from this state of being so disconnected and kind of just in a state where your body's really out of shape and struggling, and man, it was such an incredible thing. New York Times bestselling author, my man here, just such a great inspiration and a great friend, and I'd like to welcome back to The Model Health Show, Drew Manning. What's up, man? Drew Manning: Shawn, man you're awesome. That's like the best introduction I've ever had. Shawn Stevenson: I'll take it. Drew Manning: So thank you, man. Shawn Stevenson: It's my pleasure, man. Drew Manning: It's an honor to be back on, man. It's always good times with you, and thanks for coming out to Utah. Shawn Stevenson: Well thank you for also inviting me to Gym Jones. Drew Manning: Yeah, man. How was your experience there? You didn't- so did you die? Shawn Stevenson: Right, but did you die? Drew Manning: But did you die? Shawn Stevenson: Yeah, no it was a really awesome experience. Like it's one of the best gyms. It's just got that vibe, you know? We had an incredible workout, and we had our guy, Calvin, who's in the studio with us as well. Drew Manning: Calvin Noel. Shawn Stevenson: And he's been through a pretty incredible journey as well, and so right now he's working to get probably about- what over 100 is your goal? 100 pounds? 300. But your goal, your weight loss goal. Yeah, so he's getting back into it, and getting that support. And so what I want to talk about, and kind of kick things off, our experience together. We were doing certain things, you had him do variations, right? Drew Manning: Yeah. Shawn Stevenson: Why did you do that? Drew Manning: That's a great question. So here's something that I learned from Fit2Fat2Fit. Bringing it back to what I learned. I learned a lot of valuable things from that, but the biggest thing I learned was even me just gaining seventy-five pounds and then trying to lose it was way harder than I thought it was going to be. But I remember being smart about how I was going to lose the weight. Rather than just jumping in and doing bench press, and deadlift, and pullups, and pushups, the things I knew I could do, I took my time with my approach. And so instead of just jumping right back in and possibly hurting myself, I started out very slow. And with Calvin, man you've got to understand for his journey, he's lost weight before, he's gotten down to like 250, looked amazing, had a family tragedy, gained the weight back, and now here we are on his journey of trying to lose the weight again. But the past year or so, all he's focused on was just nutrition. That's kind of all I wanted him, was to focus on, was just getting those good habits down in nutrition, and he's lost almost 150 pounds just by doing that. But now, it's time for that next phase of now let's get your body moving a little bit, but I'm not going to throw him into- So Gym Jones is this notorious gym for training the cast of 300, Superman, these celebrities. Navy Seals come from all over the place just to train there. So I couldn't just bring Calvin into that kind of environment and be like, "Alright Calvin, you've got this." Shawn Stevenson: "This is Sparta!" Drew Manning: "It's on your head! This is Sparta!" So I wanted to start off really slow, but also set up wins for him so that he felt that he was making progress, right? And he could do hard things, especially in that gym. So he might not be able to do the muscle up, like we could do, or the jumping squats that we could do, but just getting him to get his body moving, doing functional movements was really important for him. And so that's why I had him do the modifications so that one, he wouldn't die on us, and like be so sore he couldn't move the next day. But also helping him build his confidence to know that he could hang with us, do a challenging workout for him at his level, and that's the beginning of his journey. That's the first steps up that mountain. Shawn Stevenson: That's so beautiful, man. You just said it, he can hang with us. Drew Manning: Yes. Shawn Stevenson: And he did, and one of the things that he affirmed is just being here with us, it makes it easier in a sense when you have people supporting you. You know? And I want everybody to point their attention to if you feel like you don't have the support, trust and believe there are people around in your community, or even this is why we do this, and having shows like this, to put that positive feedback in your ear. And I love the fact that these are variations of things we were doing, you know? It's just like everybody can do these things, but just a slightly tweaked version for you, for where you are right now. Drew Manning: Yeah. Shawn Stevenson: You know, like you mentioned we were doing pullups, and you had him grab the rings, and do a version of kind of leaning back and pulling himself up with the rings, you know? So starting where he is, but also giving him a challenging stimuli. Like we got him in his discomfort zone. We got each other in a discomfort zone. Drew Manning: That's right. Shawn Stevenson: And that's what it's really all about, man. It really is a great feeling to have that kind of comradery. Drew Manning: Yeah, man. And I think people's perception of health and fitness needs to change, right? We think we need to be these top level Cross Fit athletes, or these Lebron James, or Kobe Bryants of the world where they're doing these hard crazy things that you see on YouTube sometimes. Or like you have to look like a body builder, or lift like a body builder. It doesn't have to be that way, right? It can be very simple, very basic, and you'll still see results. So it's just getting people's perception of like the all or nothing mentality like, "Either I'm going to be Arnold, or I'm just going to be a couch potato," right? There's a lot of in-betweens there of success. So it's just getting people to change their perception of health and fitness. It doesn't need to be this crazy extreme thing where you're suffering, dieting down, and you're killing yourself in the gym to look a certain way. It can be about self-love and loving who you are now while you're working on a better version of yourself. Does that make sense? Shawn Stevenson: Yeah, I love that so much, man. That just made me think of something, which it's very difficult today, to have that sense of self with social media, you know? Because you just see all these extremely fit people and it's just like, "I can't be that." So I just went to the store with my wife, and she just was blown away, and so was I with the marketing. Drew Manning: Oh, yes okay. I know what story you're talking about. Shawn Stevenson: They're not showing- like the models, they're thick, or they're- you know, they have things that we would call imperfections, you know? Having some fat, this kind of- that's real. That's more normal, you know? Like we have these ideals that we have to be this- and it's perpetuated even more with social media today with certain people, you know? Certain celebrities. But we do want to encourage people to be healthy of course, but encouraging abnormal psychology about your body and your appearance, I think it's a pretty big issue. Drew Manning: And that's the hard part is because people think healthy is six-pack, 5% body fat, look like these Instagram models. When in reality, your version of healthy on your body is going to look different than my version of my healthy on my body. Yes, obviously having less fat on your body generally is healthier for every single person, but it does not need to look the same for every single person. So that's what I'm saying is changing people's perception of what health and fitness is. You don't need to look like an Instagram model to be healthy, right? Live the healthy lifestyle, make those things habits, and let the results kind of take care of themselves over time as you stay consistent living that lifestyle rather than dieting down to look a certain way, and in a way you're killing yourself in the long run. It's changing that perception of what our health and fitness should look like. Shawn Stevenson: Man, we need to support that. We need to celebrate it, and that's why I just want to make this special kind of shout-out to do that whenever we possibly can. You know? If somebody's making progress, you know because like you said, that version of healthy is different for different people, and letting them know how beautiful that is, or how great they look or feel, and they can have that correlated feeling that comes along with it. Because if it's health, you start feeling better, but if you see in the mirror like, "I'm not this ideal thing that I think I'm supposed to be," you miss out on- because that creates that kind of learned helplessness in a way. People give up because even though they're feeling better, things are changing, they're getting to a better genetic expression, but they're like, "I'm not like this," and so they stop. You know? Or, "I might as well have some red velvet cake," or whatever. You know? And so- but just taking that time- so everybody listening, please keep that in mind, and if you can today even, just celebrate somebody else. If you see them on social media, just let them know that they look beautiful, you know? Let them know that they look good, that you're giving them a big shout-out, and you're just giving some acknowledgement. Drew Manning: Yeah. Shawn Stevenson: You know? And so with that, that's a good kind of segue- whenever I say 'segue,' I think about Paul Blart. Drew Manning: Oh really? Shawn Stevenson: Because he's on the segue- never mind. Drew Manning: I remember. Shawn Stevenson: So what I want to talk to you about is with this- even just our experience today, what are three things that you feel- because a lot of people listening, they know that it's difficult when they're doing stuff for themselves, and getting healthy, and then they see their friends and family might be struggling. Drew Manning: Yeah. Shawn Stevenson: You know? And they're maybe not even interested in improving their health, and they maybe don't think that there's even a possibility. That's just you doing your crazy thing. Right? What are three things that people can do to help to motivate the people around them - their friends, family, even if you're a trainer - what can you do to help to support people to get them to be more motivated about their health and fitness? Drew Manning: Yeah, so the number one thing that comes to mind is to be the example. And this is where it's hard for people because it's almost similar to religion where you find something that makes you feel good, it's changed your life, you want to preach it. You want to share it with those that you love. And so similar with nutrition, health, and fitness- like a new diet, "Oh, I'm losing all this weight," you want to push it on people, and you want them to feel the same things you're feeling. But sometimes, especially with loved ones, it can be- they can become defensive, right? And they can kind of be turned off by it, and when you try and push it on them they get more defensive, and they're like, "No, I'm good with where I'm at. I don't need that in my life." And it's hard, because it makes you sad because you're really trying to do a good thing for them sometimes, right? So one is just to be the example. You don't need to use your mouth, just be the example with your actions. Actions speak louder than words, and that's so true. Two is to support them. If they do come to you and they're like, "Okay, I do want to do what you're doing," be supportive 100% about that. We talked about having a support system, right? A support system, what that does in my opinion, is it gives people love, encouragement, letting them know that they're worthy of making these changes, but also every once in a while, kick in the butt. It's a balance of those two things. You need both of those. And so one is be an example, and then being ready to give them support when they come to you. The third thing in my opinion would be empathy. This is what my brand is built on, and the reason empathy is so powerful, first of all, this world needs more empathy. If people had empathy for other people, there would not be a lot of the violence, and wars, and hate towards other people because I feel like if you truly try and understand it from someone's perspective- their perspective, and walk a mile in their shoes like they say, it's a really powerful tool to help motivate somebody. So here's what happens in the fitness industry. We have all these healthy fit people, who sometimes are genetically blessed, they work really hard for these bodies, but then you have people over here who are overweight, and kind of been that way for years. And these people over here think, "Oh it's so easy, you just eat less, you work out, and it's not that hard. What's wrong with all these people who are 'lazy'? Why don't they just put down the food and go to the gym?" There's a lot of judgment and misunderstanding that goes on, on both sides. And these people over here could have all the knowledge, they know how to count macros and calories, and do the right workout for their bodies, and they could have all the scientific knowledge in the world. None of that matters if they can't relate to this audience over here. And right now there's a big gap, and I feel like nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Right? And if they feel like you have empathy towards them, and you can understand their perspective first, they're going to be more willing to listen to what you have to say, so they'll be more willing to listen to the knowledge that you have. But if you come across as putting them down, judging them, and you don't have the empathy, it's just going to cause more divide in my opinion. So I feel like empathy is a very powerful tool in the fitness industry and just in this world in general. Empathy is something that all of us need more of to better understand where people are coming from rather than judge you from an outside perspective. And so for me, I try and be empathetic towards other people, not just in the health and fitness industry, but just in general because I think that's what's going to change this world. Shawn Stevenson: Yeah, man that's so powerful, man. That's so powerful. That reminds me of this statement that 'questions are the answer.' Right? 'Questions are the answer,' because so often, especially if you have a certain amount of knowledge, you just want to throw it up on people basically, right? And so people ask- like one of the reasons that I've been successful in my career is I lead with questions. I'm not just here to- 'This is my thing.' Let's ask questions and find out how you can serve. Find out what the real issue is. Find out what can be done in the first place before you tell them what to do. Right? So the statement is to seek first to understand, and then to be understood. Drew Manning: Yeah. Shawn Stevenson: So if you can understand where somebody's coming from, you can cater that message, you can cater- slightly change even a texture of how you say it to make that impact. You know? This is not rocket science, but if you don't allow somebody to share where they're coming from- so it's not just being empathetic, it's actually listening, you know? Like basic things, you know? And I think that's so powerful, man. Drew Manning: And not just listening- sometimes we listen to respond rather than listen to understand. Right? Sometimes- there's a difference, and I think that's where some people struggle with it. And so how do you get empathy? Like for me, I did something crazy that I don't think is necessary for everybody to have empathy. But like you said, asking questions first and listening to understand instead of listening to respond. Like, "How am I going to respond to this question?" And as humans we do that all the time. I know if someone's giving me a statement, they're trying to prove a point to me, I'm like, "I'm going to say this, and that's going to cause them to be confused, and I'll totally win this debate." Right? We do that. We listen to respond instead of listen to understand, and I think that's how you start to build empathy, you know? You don't need to do anything crazy like Fit2Fat2Fit, although that worked for me, but be creative with- like go spend time with people, and talk to them, and ask them questions, and listen with a true heart of wanting to understand where they're coming from, and I feel like that's how you're going to help them rather than tell them what to do. You know? "Eat less, work out. What's wrong with you? Just do it." Right? That doesn't work, and I promise you, it doesn't. Shawn Stevenson: And also sharing your experience as well. Like your story, your points of struggle. I think that's so valuable in communication, so it brings you onto the same wavelength. It's on your arm, right? Can you share what that says? Drew Manning: So it says, 'Vulnerability is strength,' and thanks for pointing that out because I was going to bring that up as you were just mentioning that. Shawn Stevenson: Paul Blart, segue. Drew Manning: Segue, I love it, man. Now I'm going to go watch that movie again. You know, I learned this from Brene Brown, I'm a huge fan of her books, changed my life. Vulnerability breeds vulnerability. So the more vulnerable you are with other people, the more vulnerable they will be with you, the more trusting they will be of what you have to say. But if you can't be vulnerable with other people, it's going to be hard for them to open up to you as well. So be the leader in that, and be vulnerable with them. It's scary, right? Because you're telling people your weaknesses. You're telling people the things that you don't want people to know sometimes, and it's really scary because society culture tells us keep those things hidden, no one wants to know those things, those things will make you look weak, and that's the mentality. That's the lie that I grew up with, and it took me thirty plus years to figure that out before it changed my life. And so shout-out to Brene Brown, man. She saved my life with some of these things, and that's why I have that tattooed on my arm, and I think that can be a powerful tool in health and fitness, but also just in life in general. Shawn Stevenson: Absolutely. So let's shift gears- so we were looking at how can we inspire and help motivate people outside of us. What about for ourselves? What are a couple of things that we can do with our own psychology to help to ensure or keep that fire going, to take care of our own health and fitness? Drew Manning: That's a great question, and I'll tell you this first of all, people from an outside perspective think you and I just have that motivation and inspiration all the time, and that it's easy to just live that way. And it probably is easier than most people, I'll be honest, but we struggle with the same motivation sometimes. Like there are some days where I'm just like, "Man I know I should meditate, I know I should do my positive affirmations, or my gratitude journal, or I know I should go to the gym. I know I should eat this food versus that food," but there are some days where I'm like, "You know what? Screw it." Like I don't know, like I'm stressed out, and I want a break from it sometimes. We go through those moments as well. It's not like perfection all the time. But for me, what I found works for me, is one, making sure your 'why' isn't just about aesthetics, like wanting to look good. That's cool, that's a cool motivator for a season or two, where you're like, "Okay, I want to get ripped, I want to get shredded, I want to get skinny." That'll last for a period of time, but I promise you, you're going to get burned out if that's your 'why.' You've got to find a 'why' that's bigger than just wanting to look good. So you've got to dig deeper than that. And so for me, sometimes I get burned out of like lifting the same way, doing the same bicep curls, and like pushups, and bench press. Like for me, I've got to find something that's going to challenge me in a different way. And so what I've found works is getting out of my comfort zone, forcing myself to get out of my comfort zone. So the past two years, what I've done is I sign up for this thing called a triathlon I think is what it's called. I think people actually do this as a sport. For those that don't know, it's where you swim, bike, and run for fun, and you pay money to do it, right? I'm totally kidding, I know what a triathlon is. But I've never done one before in my life, and the first year I did it, I was kind of forced to do it. I was asked by a sponsor to, "Hey, do you want to fly out to Hawaii and do a triathlon?" They're like, "You work out, you'll be fine." I'm like, "Um, okay. So how long do I have?" They were like, "It'll be in two weeks." So I'm like, "Oh my gosh." So I showed up, I suffered through it pretending like I knew what I was doing, I was getting passed by eighty year olds, and it was very humbling. Let's just say that. And so the next year I signed up for it, and I actually trained for it. But it forced me to train in a way I've never trained before, something out of my comfort zone, something I know that I suck at. So be open to doing things that you suck at, that you know you suck at, that it will challenge you in a different way to keep you motivated and inspired. And I think it's finding things like that throughout your life to stay motivated sometimes. Especially when it comes to health and fitness, because sometimes working out can seem like a chore, sometimes it can be therapy, and it can be a very positive thing. It just depends about your perception, but for me I've noticed like if I just force myself to do something that I've paid money for, and I've signed up for, and I've kind of put it out there on social media, I'm going to do it. And I think that kind of accountability helps to motivate me, and inspire me, even though there's days where I'm like, "You know, I just want to sit at home and watch cartoons on a Saturday morning." You know? And eat cereal. Shawn Stevenson: What was your favorite cereal growing up? Drew Manning: So growing up, we had eleven kids, and we didn't actually have cereal. Shawn Stevenson: Of course I'm going to ask this person this question. Drew Manning: Yeah, so we didn't- like we thought those were for like the rich kids. We never got cereal. So later on in life, especially during Fit2Fat2Fit, Cinnamon Toast Crunch was my go-to thing, man. Like there's something about it when it hits your lips. Shawn Stevenson: Yeah, yeah that's- we call it those crack squares, man. You know? That's the serious like- that's the hit or quit right there. Drew Manning: Sometimes we had the Corn Puff? Or the Puff Corn? You know? With no sugar. Shawn Stevenson: It's Pops. Drew Manning: Yeah, Pops. Shawn Stevenson: 'Gotta have my Pops.' Yeah, I know all those commercials. Drew Manning: But not the ones with the frog. Not the ones with the frog. Shawn Stevenson: Oh I know what you're talking about. Yeah, just don't- just give me a break, Mom. Drew Manning: Exactly. Shawn Stevenson: You know, the other day I did a show, and we'll put it in the show notes for everybody, and I was talking- just getting back to basics about taking control of your health and fitness. Drew Manning: Yeah. Shawn Stevenson: And I was talking about how we lost control in the first place, which for us, it's our environment, you know? Like you don't know what you don't know, especially if this is what you do as a family unit, and you grow up in it. Like I just thought it was- I didn't know cereal was any different from wild caught salmon. It's just something you eat. Drew Manning: Yeah. Shawn Stevenson: And so- but having that engrained as my lifestyle of eating so much sugar, just to even start the day, it literally changed my genetic expression, and it also changed my psychology in how I approach things. Of course now we know like food manufacturers, they're adding all this- they have taste scientists, flavor scientists working right now as you're listening to this podcast to find ways to make you chemically addicted to the food so you keep coming back and buying more. And it's legal, you know? We had Mark Hyman on the show and he talked about- he had a meeting with the Chairman- the head guy at Pepsi. Drew Manning: Wow. Shawn Stevenson: And he's just- they were having dinner, you know? But he starts telling him, "Yeah, we're very excited. We found a way to create human taste buds in the lab, so we can just find which-" And Mark is like, "Should you be telling me this?" So it's crazy, man, but that's how we lose control. And in the episode I talked about some of my favorite cereals, you know? And I definitely- man, it was the- we didn't have Captain Crunch. We did when I lived with my Grandma, we had a little bit more money. When I lived with my Mom, we had the off brand stuff. So it wasn't Captain Crunch. I said it was like Lieutenant Crunch or something. Drew Manning: Lieutenant Crunch. Shawn Stevenson: My brother was like King Vitamin. It was called King Vitamin. Not Captain Crunch, King Vitamin, and it didn't quite dissolve- like the Captain Crunch just falls apart. This leaves like a little bit of paper in your mouth. You know? So yeah man, just coming through that, and having this kind of evolution, and I'm so glad you brought up those couple of points. What about support for us? Because we talked about being support for others, and how important that is, but what about for us? Drew Manning: Yeah, so what I've found what works for me, is- and it's weird because social media can be good and bad. Like for me, I found a lot of support through social media, and that's kind of why I announce things on social media, because people will check up on me, you know? They'll ask me. Like recently I just bought- and this is kind of unrelated, but I bought The Rock- I mean The Rock sent me his headphones that he just launched. I'm totally kidding, I wish he did. But I bought his headphones and I was like, "I'm going to put these to the test and I'll let you guys know what I think." And I forgot about it, and of course ten people were like, "Hey, what about those headphones? Should I get them?" You know? So people are listening, and they keep you accountable, and so that's why I post things on social media, because I think for me that keeps me accountable. I don't really know if I need support as much as someone who's struggling to live this lifestyle. For me, I have the self-discipline to do it. Like growing up wrestling and playing football, I kind of grew up with that self-discipline to push myself, but I need someone to keep me accountable. I don't know if I need someone there all the time to tell me like, "Drew, you're worth it, to fight for your health." For me, it's different than someone who's trying to fight for their life sometimes. Shawn Stevenson: So I think- and something that you still do, is you continue to educate yourself, and like keeping yourself surrounded with good people who are kind of on the same path, you know? And that kind of support that way as well. Drew Manning: Yeah, and that's actually a good point because I do feel like listening to podcasts, interacting with people like you. Over the years, my social network of those types of people has grown tremendously, and I'm always learning new things from them, and yeah, I think that is a sense of support for me to continue to- like you said, upgrade. To continue to upgrade yourself throughout this life. A year ago to now, I've definitely upgraded myself in a lot of different ways. Five years to now, 100% right? You know? And I continue to elevate or upgrade, like you said. Shawn Stevenson: Yeah, and speaking of upgrade, we talked about this before the show because I'm doing it more now on schedule, but we kick ourselves when we're not taking advantage of Thrive Market. Drew Manning: Yes. Shawn Stevenson: Right? Like you've been missing some months of like ordering your stuff, and then you end up paying so much more at Whole Foods or whatever to get the same thing. And so I'm a huge fan of Thrive Market. I just ordered some stuff before I left, and have you- I know you've had the Paleo Mayo from Primal Kitchen. Drew Manning: Yes, 100%. It's so good, man. Shawn Stevenson: It's absurd, man. Drew Manning: Primal Kitchen is my thing, that's the stuff I love from Thrive Market the most honestly, because that's the hugest price difference I see. Shawn Stevenson: Yeah, do you do the spicy chipotle lime? Drew Manning: Spicy- yes. I do both. I do both, but the spicy, man, mixing that in with my eggs and my vegetables afterwards is like- I love spicy. Shawn Stevenson: Yeah. We can put it on anything except King Vitamin. Drew Manning: Yeah, except for cereal. I don't know if that's going to fit in there with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Shawn Stevenson: But it just goes with everything, it's so good. Have you had the garlic aioli? Drew Manning: I have not yet. Shawn Stevenson: Yeah I just tried that one, too. They're all good but they're spicy. But anyways guys, listen, you save money, 25% to 50% off what you would pay at great- I'm glad they exist, but places like Whole Foods, where there is a substantial markup, you know? It costs more to do things right today, which is kind of crazy, you know? As far as food manufacturing because of government subsidies, because of the way the market works, lobbying, you know? It's just- it's kind of a Labyrinth, you know? It's kind of a crazy environment right now. And I think I knew a girl named Labyrinth. Drew Manning: Really? I thought that was a movie. Shawn Stevenson: Just like- it was a movie too. Drew Manning: That was her name? Wow. Shawn Stevenson: But you know, yeah just thought I'd throw that out there. Labyrinth Complicated, alright? So we have that going on with our food system right now still. But there's a shift taking place where folks are becoming aware that this does matter. Like there is a difference with what I eat and what's going to happen with my genes, with what's going to happen with my hormones. It's that waking up period, you know? Like for many of us especially, when we're kids, we don't know the difference. It's just food is food. And so having access to this, but at- straight up, I don't know how Thrive Market is even making money. Like when I talked to the founder in the very beginning, I was like, "I just don't understand, man." Because I'm saving so much money, I just didn't get it. And like I felt uncomfortable. And so what I would do is- and they also have like there's the option- like you can donate, you know? So I was like donate money, like just to make myself- because I felt uncomfortable, you know? I was like, "Is this right?" You know? But they really put their heart and soul into sourcing, getting the best products, and curating them from the very best companies and making them available at those wholesale prices. And it's just really amazing. So you save 25% to 50% off what you would pay at a retail store for everything from like coconut oil, your avocado oil, snacks for the kids, and so many different things. And they're adding in more and more options as well, and by the way guys, in addition to that if you go to www.ThriveMarket.com/modelhealth together as one word, so www.ThriveMarket.com/modelhealth, you get an additional 25% off your entire first purchase. Alright? That's crazy. Plus free shipping, plus free thirty day membership, and you just keep the membership because it's just going to keep on paying you back over, and over, and over again. If you're searching for gluten-free, they have everything categorized. Paleo, vegetarian- Drew Manning: Keto. Shawn Stevenson: Keto. All of these different things, you can go search and find so many different items out there. A lot of stuff- there's Paleo granola. Like if you're like, "I want cereal still, Shawn. I had King Vitamin, too." They have Paleo granola. You know? So you're not dealing with all of the inflammatory, gut microbiome destroying monster stuff that's in conventional cereal, you know? You can get some stuff and have that same kind of experience. So head over, check them out, www.ThriveMarket.com/modelhealth. So earlier man, you mentioned it's really important for people to connect with their 'why,' and when you said it, I immediately thought about, "What's Drew's 'why'?" So I would love for you to share that. Drew Manning: I didn't know we were going deep now. Alright, my 'why' for me, and this has to do with my personal story, my 'why' has to do with my two daughters. They're my kind of rock, they're my foundation, the are my source of fulfillment in this life, right? Like being a dad is one of the greatest blessings and gifts that I feel like I've been given, and I feel like that's kind of my calling in life. Fit2Fat2Fit is a calling as well, but like this brings me a whole different level of fulfillment. And so for me, my 'why' of working out every day, and eating healthy, is to be the best version of a father that I can be in their lives, because I know I'm only going to be directly involved in their lives for about eighteen years. Right? And then they're kind of- hopefully moved out of the house, and later on- but like I know I only have a limited amount of time with them, and so for me, I want to operate with the best version of me that I can to them. And like you talked about before, it's like you can't pour from an empty cup. And so for me, that self-care isn't selfish if it's making me a better dad to them. And so I want to give them the best eighteen years I can, and that's my motivation. And I'll be honest with you, I'm not perfect, man. I want people to know like I struggle with motivation sometimes, and I struggled with consistency, and sometimes I take the path of least resistance which doesn't make me stronger in the end. But like we talked about before, like those moments of not being perfect, or of bad consequences happening, they help me grow to a better man, and eventually that helps them grow as well and to become the best version of themselves they can be. And so that's my 'why.' That's my 'why.' Does that make sense? Shawn Stevenson: Absolutely. Wow, absolutely man, I definitely understand. And first of all, your daughters like- you have no choice. They're like the cutest ever, right? And so I'm sure, you know, like both- you're just wrapped around their finger. But it's just still, like you said- and for all the parents out there, and folks who will be parents at some point, understanding it's not about being perfect, you know? Like we're all really trying to figure this stuff out, you know? There's no- there are guides to parenting, but it's not necessarily going to be applicable to you, you know? Like people are writing books on it, but every story is unique and different, and it's just a process of figuring things out. And also I think that the greatest quality in a parent is just wanting to be a parent. Just wanting to be somebody who adds value to their lives. It's really that simple, and walking in that direction, and understanding it's not about perfection, it's about progress. You know? So thank you so much for sharing that, man. I can definitely identify with that for sure, you know? So man, there are so many different things I want to ask you about, but I want to talk about earlier on- there are so many things that come up when you're talking that it's just like- man. You mentioned the gratitude journal, you mentioned- so what does your morning routine look like? That's what I want to know. So what- because I don't know this personally. What are you doing? What is Drew- what does Drew do when he gets up in the morning? Drew Manning: Gotcha. So this is- I try and stay consistent with my morning routine, because I think a lot of successful people have a consistent morning routine, and like they don't budge on it. And for me, being a dad sometimes I'm not always 100% consistent. One of my daughters might have a nightmare in the middle of the night, and comes sleep with me, and then I can't fall back asleep, and then I don't get up at the same time to do my meditation. Shawn Stevenson: It has nothing to do with taking them to see Jurassic World II, by the way. Drew Manning: No, no, no. They don't get nightmares from that stuff. They get nightmares from like Paw Patrol or something. I'm totally kidding. Yeah, they're- I did show them Jurassic World, the new one with the dinosaurs. Shawn Stevenson: Again, it's not about being perfect. Drew Manning: I didn't take them to see Freddy Krueger or like Friday the Thirteenth. Shawn Stevenson: Like my mom did. Drew Manning: She did? Shawn Stevenson: I was five. They went to the drive-in, Drew. You just opened a wound, like I felt it open, like in my chest. Five years old, drive-in movie, double feature Nightmare on Elm Street and Basket Case. Nightmare on Elm Street- true story, man. True story. I'm five. Freddy Krueger was consistently in my dreams for like the next seven, eight years. Okay? Drew Manning: That's the worst. Shawn Stevenson: I learned- this is the first time I've ever had this conversation. My older son, Jordan, I learned how to wake myself up from my sleep, right? Like I would go- like just kind of- I would wake myself up. Drew Manning: Wow. Shawn Stevenson: And my son said something, and he could do it too, my older son. I'm like, "We're like wonder twins! We've got this power," or whatever. But the thing is, like she wasn't thinking about that, you know? How that- and I didn't share it with anybody, you know? Especially in the environment I was in, I just dealt with it. It wasn't until I was like thirteen, and I was in my dream, and here comes Freddy, he's running after me. I'm like, "Listen, man. We've got to stop. You know? You're going to keep chasing me, I'm going to keep running. We're not getting anywhere. You know?" And just like we had this agreement. I was like, "You're really- like you're probably a good guy," or whatever. And that was that. Drew Manning: Probably misunderstood, probably hated on as a kid, you were probably bullied. Shawn Stevenson: Because of your clothes, right? This sweater or whatever. Drew Manning: Your face. Shawn Stevenson: You know? And so that was that, man. It was the end of the nightmares, you know? But anyways, as you were saying. Drew Manning: I was just saying Jurassic Park, go back- oh, the nightmare thing. Kids have nightmares, and that's the thing, like nightmares are real. Dinosaurs were real maybe back in the day, but they're not real anymore. So that's why I took them to see Jurassic World. But anyways, you know that might affect me getting up early and doing my morning meditation, or I might be meditating and they might wake up, or they come and run to me and cuddle with me. I'm like- you know, I'm not going to be like, "Hey," palm to the face, "I'm meditating right now leave me alone." You know? Like I'll cuddle with them, and go make them breakfast. Like I think that's what it's about sometimes, is being in the moment, and kind of going with the flow, and then adjusting, and being flexible in life. But my morning routine normally, let's say in a perfect world, is to get up and I'll meditate right away, and I've been recently experimenting with these red light therapy from Joovv. You know? So it looks weird, it looks like I'm in a horror movie, I've got this red light on me as I'm meditating. And then- Shawn Stevenson: So just talk a little bit about that. What does that do? Drew Manning: So red light therapy, from what I understand, I actually first heard about it from Ben Greenfield talking about it, and then they sent me some lights to test out. It helps to boost collagen production in the skin, it can help improve testosterone levels if you shine it in a certain place. Shawn Stevenson: Drew just pointed at his crotch region. Drew Manning: Yeah, can we just zoom in? Oh, sorry. Totally kidding. But yeah, it's supposed to- Shawn Stevenson: We call it junk. That's it. Drew Manning: Junk. Shawn Stevenson: I was like, "What is the politically correct?" Drew Manning: It's the same loose word probably, right? Shawn Stevenson: I guess. Drew Manning: So those are the two main benefits that I've heard. So it's like anti-aging, it's a beauty thing, but also can help with testosterone production. And so anyways, that's why I do it while I meditate, and it's just in my closet right there, and that's where I do my meditation anyways. And then I'll do my positive affirmations. And I know when people think of positive affirmations, they think of that one guy from Saturday Night Live. What's his name? Shawn Stevenson: Stuart Smalley. Drew Manning: You remember his name, good job. Shawn Stevenson: I've got all these random facts, man. I'm telling you. Drew Manning: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough." Shawn Stevenson: We do trivia night, get me on your team, we're taking the trophy. Drew Manning: That was impressive. I just remember, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh-darn it people like me." Right? And it's kind of funny because like it makes fun of it, but honestly like for me, I truly believe words are powerful. Right? And if words can affect us at the cellular level, I feel like- and we can make a positive- like if I say positive words to you versus negative words to you, it's going to impact you, your mood, and your energy. But I feel like if we say positive things about ourselves to ourself out loud, it makes a difference. It really does. And so I challenge people that have never done it, do it consistently for thirty days. It might feel weird, you talking to yourself sometimes in the mirror, or just out loud, talk about the things you like about yourself, that you love about yourself. Things you even want to believe about yourself. You know? There's different strategies to this, but like for me, three to five things is enough. I love who I am, I'm proud of who I am, I'm healthy, I'm strong, I'm worthy of love. Saying those things about yourself, and here I am, I'm a normal dude but it makes a difference in my life. And so if I stay consistent with the meditation, positive affirmation, and then go upstairs, while I'm sipping on my coffee, do my gratitude journal of like things I'm grateful for that day. Sometimes- a lot of the times it's as I'm drinking coffee, I'm grateful for coffee. Or just like- you know, I'm grateful for being a dad. But focusing on what you're grateful for I think is really important rather than like, "Oh I'll be happy when I have this body." Or, "I'll be happy when I meet this goal." But being grateful for what you have now in the moment is really important, because we talked about success without fulfillment, right? You could have all the success, but if you're not fulfilled with what you have now, then you're just going to be chasing for those things that you think will bring you happiness, and then you realize after a time, "Hey, I'm not as happy as I thought I would be. I need something else. I need something bigger than this." Right? So that helps keep me grounded and fulfilled with what I have now. As I'm still- I have goals, as I'm still trying to become a better version of myself. Shawn Stevenson: You know, these are some consistent things, you know, that have been a part of my universe, but I was surprised to hear the affirmation thing. Drew Manning: Yeah. Shawn Stevenson: You know, I'm really surprised to hear that, and I'm so happy that you shared that because it can sound very infomercial, right? But man, what a powerful thing because here's the thing, I think the reason we don't do that is because we know ourselves, and we always are looking at, "You're a great parent, but this." We have a tendency, it's kind of our hardwiring to look at where we're lacking, you know? And I think that it's something that we can work on and evolve out of, and I think we'll be all the more happier for it. I think it's- like hearing your own voice say it out loud, because I'm thinking about it being in your head, and that's a different thing. But hearing that from your own voice, like I'm just- I'm very interested now. Like I want to dive in and look at some research on this, you know? Because- and I know some people will feel uncomfortable just thinking about it. Like looking at yourself, and saying, "I love you" to yourself. Like you know, "You're a good person, or you're beautiful," whatever it is. It's just like- it brings up all kinds of heebie jeebies. Drew Manning: It does, man. I remember the first time I did it, the first few times, I would get chills. You know? Saying it out loud. And it sounds weird, but like it was new to me. And sometimes I'll go through the motions, and it's not as powerful anymore, but it still makes a difference. I notice when I haven't done it for a few weeks, I kind of look down on myself, I'm negative on myself. And I think the other important thing is teaching your kids about that, right? And having them do that. It's so cool, I remember seeing this guy with his daughter in the mirror, she's flexing, and she's saying these positive affirmations, and she's loving it, man. Imagine if every kid had that kind of confidence where they felt loved, and they loved themselves too, the confidence that they would have. I didn't have that as a kid, and it didn't sound like you had that as a kid. Maybe fake confidence, but that true self-love of loving yourself, especially through the teenage years when you're just kind of full of hate. Not hate, but just like trying to figure out who you are, and you want to be popular, you want to fit in with other kids, but just knowing who you are at a young age is really important. I think positive affirmations is really a powerful tool for that. Shawn Stevenson: Yeah, I love that, man. And that's definitely something a lot of people aren't thinking about, utilizing it as a tool, and I love how you said for our kids as well. Because if you think about it, our confidence is so dependent on the thoughts of other people. This helps to really build up that- it's like a muscle, you know? Confidence is a muscle. You know? So that if somebody might- they're having a good day, maybe they think they're looking cute, and then like a five year old is like, "You fat." And they're just like, "What do they mean I'm fat?" At night they're thinking about like, "Did that kid-" You know, like our opinions are so swayed, and it messes with our minds so much based on other people, you know? And I think that especially with social media as well, you know? To be able to develop, and with our kids too, a strong sense of self so that when somebody says something, because they will, that they have something- they have an anchor, you know? Of understanding like, "I know I-" Because my son Braden, you know a kid said something to him, and he's just the most beautiful little boy, you know? And he's such a light, and like you know, we went to- if I drop him off at his school, for example, and then like kids come rushing over like he's N'Sync or something. I don't know why I said N'Sync. Drew Manning: N'Sync. Shawn Stevenson: But they come rushing over, right? But you know, he was hanging out with some kids when we went somewhere, and one of the kids said something to him like, "Loser," or something. And you know, he wasn't really upset but he told me like hours later. He was like, "Hey Dad, such-and-such said that I'm a loser." And my heart hurt a little bit, but I know who I am, and I know who he is, and I just asked him, "Is it true?" He was like, "No." I was like, "So it doesn't matter what he said." You know? But it's because of the groundwork we've instilled in him, and I'm very grateful that- and happy for your daughters that they have you, man. Drew Manning: Yeah, thank you. Appreciate that, man. I think I'm doing the best I can with what I have, with what I know now, and I think everybody is. You know, sometimes we look down on people and think, "Man, they should be doing this. They should be doing that." But if you really dig deep, and you get to know people and understand them, like they're doing the best they can based on their experiences. If you had their experiences, you'd be in the same place, but we don't and so we're like, "Man, just do what I would do." You know? And it's not that simple. Shawn Stevenson: So many things I want to ask you about, but of course we're going to have you back on to talk about- top secret. I won't even talk about it yet. Drew Manning: Top secret. Shawn Stevenson: But I want to ask you about- so what's- for you, like you said, you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, right? Like you do both of them, you know? Like sometimes you'll take the path of least resistance, like you said, but what's so amazing about you is that you will proactively create a challenge for yourself, and I think that's a valuable step in us creating that fulfillment and greatness and not to be complacent. So what's the next challenge for you? Drew Manning: There's a lot of challenges. Shawn Stevenson: I want to talk specifically for your health and fitness. Drew Manning: Oh, for my health and fitness. Oh, okay. I haven't signed up for the triathlon yet next year, I'm open to doing it again, but I'm open to ideas. So if you guys listening have ideas of some kind of challenge you want me to do that's not going to kill me, I'm open to it. I really am. I'll look at all things. So I haven't decided yet what that next challenge is. So do you have any ideas? What's your next challenge? Shawn Stevenson: Man, I'm just- this is about you, Drew. Drew Manning: I was going to say we could do it together. Like a Spartan race, you know? I'm down for a Spartan race or like a Tough Mudder, or something like that. Not 100-miles, not a marathon, like I can't do that. Shawn Stevenson: I'm allergic. Drew Manning: Yeah, I'm allergic to- I love my body too much. Shawn Stevenson: But I know somebody is going to be like, "What was he going to say before?" So prior to be specifying health and fitness, what were you going to say? Drew Manning: There's a few business ideas that I'm working on, and they're kind of top secret too. So I can't really say exactly, but they're- it's challenging me in a different way where I've created this brand Fit2Fat2Fit, and I've been able to touch a lot of people's lives, and the way my business is set up is I am helping people, but I want to help people in a different way where I'm kind of- instead of me teaching the end user of helping them transform, it's to reach the masses in a way where I'm kind of teaching people how to recreate what I did. Not gaining the weight and losing the weight, but in a different way where they're the boots on the ground, and they have their influencers, their audience, and that's how I feel like I'm really going to make a change, is getting other Fit2Fat2Fitters, but maybe not the way you're thinking of where they're gaining the weight and losing the weight, but kind of- an Army is not the right word, but you know. Coaches out there, and getting what my philosophy is, and my theories are on helping people, and really making an impact in this world because we're all on the same team. Like vegans, Ketonians, whatever you call yourselves, like we're all on the same team of wanting to help people be healthy, right? We have different approaches, but I feel like we're all on the same team. And so doing the best we can with what we have, and having that empathy- like coming with that empathy to help people change is what's going to make the biggest difference. So that's my goal, that's my approach, and I'll tell you later on how that's going to come to be. Shawn Stevenson: I love it, man. That's awesome, and it's worked, you know? And so being able to share something that you've done that's impacted the lives of so many people, I think it's incredibly valuable. Where can people connect with you, man? Where can they find you online? Your podcast- you want to talk podcast? Let's talk about that. Drew Manning: Yeah, so it's super simple, www.Fit2Fat2Fit.com. That's my website, my podcast, my book, and all my social media handles. I'll try and keep you guys entertained on Instastories and stuff. I do my best. Shawn Stevenson: Awesome, and the podcast? Drew Manning: Fit2Fat2Fit Experience. Shawn Stevenson: Wherever you're listening to this. Drew Manning: Yeah, just Google Fit2Fat2Fit on iTunes, or just put on iTunes, you'll see the podcast pop up. Thanks to- by the way, shout-out to Shawn Stevenson for inspiring me to create a podcast. Shawn Stevenson: You're welcome, man. You're welcome. I'm just grateful you did. It's a really good show, you're awesome, man. You're one of my favorite people on the planet, you know? Drew Manning: Appreciate that. Shawn Stevenson: And I reserve that- I don't say that all the time, you know? You really are, man. So thank you. Drew Manning: Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Shawn Stevenson: Everybody, thank you so much for tuning into the show today. I hope you got a lot of value out of this. Listen, there are so many nuggets to take away from today, and there were many times that I wanted to just stop and take some notes. But Drew was just sharing so many realisms, so many truths that we look past. And those three keys for ourselves. Identifying that 'why.' When's the last time that you've really done that to find out, "Why do I want this thing?" I think it's incredibly difficult to attain something just because, or just because it sounds nice, or just because you think you should have it. You need to have a very strong connection to it, and something that drives you, because why that matters so much is that when- something challenging is going to happen. If you're doing something that's outside of your paradigm, something is going to come up along the way, but if your 'why' is strong, you will find a way through that obstacle. So that's number one. Number two was proactively doing something to get outside your comfort zone, alright? We are comfort creatures, alright? Humans like comfort, and that's okay. We can get our fair share of comfort, but comfort is the killer for success. Alright? If you're just living your life comfortably, you're not tapping into your greatest. If you're just living your life comfortably, you're not really doing what is necessary. So here's the thing, I've said this before, life is movement. Live is evolution. Life is constantly moving forward unless you're The Flash, alright? Going messing up timelines. But life is moving forward continuously. If you're trying to stay the same and stay in your comfort zone, you're not just staying where you are, you're going backwards because life is moving in the other direction. So really get that through into your spirit, you know? Really get that imbued into your heart. We're not here to be comfortable, we're here to become our best selves, right? And we can have plenty of comfort along the way for sure, but be mindful of that and proactively- when's the last time you did something for the first time? Right? Ask that question. When's the last time you did something for the first time? Maybe it's time. Maybe it's time to sign up for something. Maybe it's time to book that trip. Maybe it's time to look up that new job, whatever the case might be. `When's the last time you did something for the first time? And the last one, and there are so many again, but just in those three keys for ourselves, to continue to have motivation for our health and fitness, it's important. Getting ourselves around people that are on the same mission as us, that's a huge leverage point, but also this- what we're doing today and creating today, being a part of this, immersing yourself, getting these mental messages imbued into your spirit as well, you know? So putting on the headphones, listening in your car, tuning into things that really help to remind you of how powerful you are. It's incredibly important. That helps with that affirmation as well. That helps to give you those tools, those little insights that can change your life forever. You're not going to get them if you're not in the environment, alright? And we have access today to just push play and have that inspiration and that support there for us as well. Alright so every day, do something positive for yourself to give yourself that mental and emotional and spiritual food. Alright? And I'm very grateful that I'm a part of this with you, and that I get to be a part of that section of your story and a resource. So we're going to continue to keep taking things to another level. If you got a lot of value out of this episode, please share it out with your friends and family on social media, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, all that good stuff. You can share it right in the app that you're listening on, and sharing is caring, alright? So make sure to share it up. We've got some incredible guests and incredible show topics coming up, so be ready. Alright? Take care, have an amazing day, and I'll talk with you soon. And for more after the show, make sure to head over to www.TheModelHealthShow.com. That's where you can find all of the show notes, you can find transcriptions, videos for each episode, and if you've got a comment you can leave me a comment there as well. And please make sure to head over to iTunes and leave us a rating to let everybody know that the show is awesome, and I appreciate that so much. And take care, I promise to keep giving you more powerful, empowering, great content to help you transform your life. Thanks for tuning in.