Meeting Chris Powell

Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a speech given by the one and only Chris Powell at my school (Weber State University).  If you’re not familiar with who he is (or you’re living under a rock), he is the trainer on ABC’s Extreme Makeover – Weight Loss Edition.  Every episode he transforms one person, both physically and mentally, over the course of a year.  It’s incredibly inspirational to watch how he helps these people learn to help themselves.

When I first heard he’d be speaking, I thought “Wow, what an incredible opportunity to get some great workout and nutrition tips!”  I was surprised to find out that out of his entire presentation, only a tiny bit was on actual exercise and nutrition.  The majority of what he spoke about was the mental obstacles a person has to cross to reach their goals.  One of the first things he said was that “The mind must change first, everything else is an afterthought.”  I was so incredibly motivated by what he was talking about that I took 4 pages of notes!

He spoke about setting realistic goals and believing in ourselves, which I think we all know at some level, but is easier said than done.  And when he talked about falling off track (which we all do at one time or another) that it’s important to learn how to “fall without failing”.  That part really resonated with me.  I tend to really beat myself up mentally when I skip a workout or eat poorly and that of course leads to more of the bad behavior because I feel like a failure, so I feel like why bother.  And as a mother, another thing he talked about that really hit close to home was being “beneficially selfish”.  I know I can’t take care of my kids and be a good role model for them if I can’t even take care of myself.

I can’t even begin to translate my entire 4 pages of notes into a short blog post so I won’t even try.  But if Chris is going to be anywhere near you, I really suggest you take the time to go see him speak.  His enthusiasm and passion for healthy living is extremely contagious.  And lastly, I wanted to share something with you to really show you all what a down to earth, awesome guy Chris really is.  Before he spoke to his group of adoring fans, he went to gym on WSU’s campus and led a fitness class for students.  How awesome is that? What a lucky group of students to get the opportunity to work out with such a great trainer.  It was really so wonderful to get the chance to meet such a remarkable person.