baf october 2025 newsletter
Being Your Own Superhero Means Saving Yourself
In my 20s, a “perfect” Saturday night meant hopping from bar to bar, listening to bands, chain-smoking, and talking trash about everyone and everything. I thought that was the life. And to be fair, in the folly of youth, this was a cacophonous, cathartic, glorious… almost innocent time. But so many wasted days—recovering in a haze of regret, feeling like garbage—told me I was living on borrowed time. Deep down, I knew the party needed to end.
The strange thing was, I never wanted to go home. I thought that feral side of me would always be there, restless and insatiable.
Fast forward to age 39…
Now, my perfect Saturday night is heading into the gym after hours, blasting divorced-dad rock, and not stifling a single grunt. In words of Walt Whitman, “I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.” To an outsider, I look completely unhinged. To me, this is absolute freedom.
So that wild side never left—it just evolved. I’m still unconventional, but the way I express that energy has radically changed. And it didn’t happen overnight. Far from it.
For years, the harder I tried to “clean up” my life, the harder I rebounded into old chaos. Paradoxically, what helped the MOST was accepting this part of me—learning to forgive myself for being human, even giving myself permission to be a little “crazy.” The more I accepted, the less I needed those destructive outlets.
Instead, new desires started to eclipse the old ones:
I wanted to travel the world.
I wanted to go back to school.
I wanted to master every CrossFit movement to Rx standards.
Shifting my focus from what I didn’t want to what I did want was the turning point.
Breaking the Cycle
I often meet folks who are brutally hard on themselves about past or current lifestyle choices. But here’s the truth: beating yourself up will only lead to more heartache and disappointment. The fact that you are initiating a conversation with me, expressing a desire to change is fantastic. You’ve got to start celebrating the tiny victories instead of beating yourself up for perceived failures. I tell people all the time, in your movement practice— just as in life—failure is your best friend! If you find yourself in a deep hole physically or mentally, if you fight every day for what you want, every failure makes you one step closer to success.
Celebrate small wins. Reframe failure as your greatest teacher. Every stumble is a step closer to success—just keep moving.
So how do you actually break the cycle?
Well… I don’t have the answer for you there. I’m just another flawed human sharing what’s worked for me. But here are a few things that worked for me:
Accountability: When you invest money, you’re more likely to follow through—use that to your advantage.
• Sign up for a race
• commit to an unlimited gym membership
• take a college course or
• buy new workout gear
Disrupt routine: Changing your environment can break thought loops and give perspective. “Wherever you go, there you are” is true—but a new setting helps you spot old patterns of self-sabotage.
• Take a trip to a new and exciting place, be a stranger in a strange land. I just checked, a flight to Costa Rica costs $182. Or Whatever, you don’t have to go far… check out the North Shore!
• Hike, commune with nature. Contemplate where you fit on this big blue spaceship in this infinite universe. Relax, it turns out you’re not that important!
• Go on an Adventure in Your City. Go down a new road, visit a new cafe, weird little shop, randomly go see a show and you have no idea what it is.
Seek out to a friend. It’s ok to reach out to others when you need support.
• find a workout buddy
• call that awesome friend you haven’t seen in a while for a coffee date… But don’t just use this as an excuse to vent about stuff you’re both already ruminating about, that just makes your both psychic vampires. Instead… talk about something cool! Like music, movies, food, something new that you’ve learned, or a funny story.
Care for something other than yourself. Getting our of your own head can be as simple as putting another living thing’s needs before your own:
• A pet
• a plant
• even a difficult person in your life who might actually need only 5 minutes of your attention to feel seen and heard.
The Fine Line Between Discipline and Addiction
We all have coping mechanisms—smoking, drinking, bingeing, starving, people-pleasing. Ever think, “I shouldn’t do this,” and then do it anyway? That doesn’t mean you’re weak—it means you have a strong capacity for habit.
Isn’t it funny that if we routinely do something that’s harmful to us, we brand it as “addiction”… but if it’s something that’s HELPFUL to us, we call this “discipline”? So the good news is that if you easily form bad habits, you can just as easily form GOOD habits, you just need to find the cheat code.
Instead of trying to erase your tendencies, redirect them. Put that relentless energy into art, music, writing, restoring furniture—or (drum roll….) FITNESS. The “impulsive” part of you isn’t a curse; it’s a superpower once it’s tied to something positive. After participating in your new good habit, you will have done something that offers both Short term Gratification AND Long Term Benefits.
My main mission with Beyond Adaptation Fitness is to help people create positive associations with exercise, and I think I do a good job at making my workouts approachable and fun so that participants don’ t have to “work themselves up” to come to class. However, there will come a time when maybe you DON’T feel like coming. When you find yourself lacing up your shoes, walking out to your car, and driving to the gym/class even though every part of your is like “hell no, not today… it’s too late/I’m tired/I ate too much today/ I feel gross/ the week is already a bust” you have made a POWERFUL breakthrough that’s going to make it a little bit easier to make that choice the next time you’re on the fence. That “doing something despite not wanting to do it” part of you is working for you now, not against you. Because it’s a HABIT. And you will never wake up the next day thinking “wow, I wish I hadn’t gone to the gym yesterday.” You’ll be proud, you will have proven to yourself that you DO stick to your word, you fulfill your promises to yourself… and you’ve just saved the day… so that makes you a superhero!
A Final Word
Sharing my story isn’t about saying, “I’ve arrived.” Far from it. I’m still learning, still failing, still pushing. The journey never ends. There are always new dimensions to explore—and for me, movement is the medium.
If I can be your guide, even in a small way, then I’m fulfilling the mission of Beyond Adaptation Fitness.
Announcements
City Park Weekend Warrior Series
Currently Week 6 of 8 in our strength block. Join us Fri–Sun at 11AM. Small group cap: 5 people.
Next block: Calisthenics & Conditioning! Discover new ways your body can move.
Ongoing! Sign up via form to connect with a BAF buddy. I’ll connect you; you set the time.
Private Training
Limited spots available for Mobile Personal Training. Please reach out as soon as you can, 1-2 weeks ahead will give you the best chance of securing your desired spot. For long-term interest, let’s secure a standing appointment.
If you’ve enjoyed training with BAF, I’d love a review! It makes a huge difference.
Nutrition Corner: The Coffee Creamer Conundrum
If you have trouble hitting your protein goals for the day, reducing the sugar/fat in your diet, your caffeine ritual may be both your problem AND your solution... The caffeine is not the problem, but what you’re putting in it may be! If you like to put sugar or cream in your coffee or tea, (and let’s be real… who doesn’t?), here are two recipes you can use that can replace sugar and cream with protein!
Protein Iced Coffee / Cold Brew
8–16 oz cold coffee (200–400mg caffeine… careful!)
4-8 oz unsweetened Almond Milk
1–2 scoops Vanilla or Chocolate Protein Powder of your choice.
Blend until smooth, pour over ice
Protein Matcha Latte
1 tbsp matcha (210mg caffeine)
1–2 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder of your choice.
Optional boosts: 1 tsp spirulina, 1 tbsp maca powder
Blend with 16 oz water, serve over ice
These blends keep me alert, satiated, and light during the day. If weight loss is your goal, substituting protein shakes for meals during the day (with or without the caffeine) can help cut calories without sacrificing satisfaction. Just remember to eat a nice meal at least once a day with lots of vegetables.
And don’t forget to hydrate—caffeine is drying!
