GHUTV LIVE! Why You Need Protein and How to Get More of It

Well, hello, Get Healthy U TV squad. How are you today? Or those of you who aren't members and are watching, welcome in. This is our Get Healthy U TV monthly Q and A. I'm Chris Freytag, happy to be here today with my right arm.

My left arm, Sam Cam. Hi. Over here. And the lovely Shelley Hawkins. Hi, guys.

One of our trainers that's been with us for several years, but some of you might say, "Well, hey, I'd like to know a little bit more about Shelley." You're gonna be able to talk to her today. So we are so happy to be here. If you are just like scrolling through and you're like, "Wait, who are these people?" We do this once a month, Get Healthy U TV is a streaming service for workouts. We have over 500, probably 600 workouts. We do two live workouts a week.

We have eight fabulous trainers. We have every format. We have a lot of fun. We are authentic. We are all certified.

We are all group fitness obsessed. And various ages, right? It's various ages, we love it. So welcome in. Every month we do this, and we try to come up with a subject that you guys ask about.

We do have a private Facebook group for our Get Healthy U TV members. It's a great group of women who are super active, super supportive of each other, and we have a lot of discussion in there. And we come up with our topics from, you know, Sam Cam will say, "You know, the women have been talking about this. Let's bring it up in a Q and A." So today, we're talking in particular about protein, how to get enough protein in your diet. 'cause I know a lot of women struggle with, "Well, I know I need more protein as I'm trying to build muscle, but I just can't seem to get there." So we are gonna talk about that.

But all questions are fair game, many of you pre-asked questions. Sam has her computer open 'cause she is loaded with information. We never get through everything in an hour. No, we don't because we also ask pre-asked questions. We never do.

It's like we run out of time. So if you would like to watch any of the old Q and As, you can always go back on the website, look under... It's under free content. Yep. And then a Q and A, and you can see.

And last month, we had trainer Patty Knudsen with us. She's one of our newer trainers, but she's not new to the industry. She's been a friend of mine for 25 years, and she's fabulous. So if you wanna find out more about Patty, go back and watch last time. Shelley.

I got a frog in my throat. Yeah. I know you and I... We were all talking right before we came live and I said... You probably feel like you've said to the group before, "Hey, this is who I am, this is where I'm from," blah blah blah.

Yes. But for a lot of the thousands and thousands and tens of thousands of members, they may never have heard that. So, you know, everyone feels like they know you. I get that. We see it in the group where they go, "Hey, I work out with you every day.

I feel like I kind of know you." Right, right. So they wanna know a little bit about your background, so tell them a little bit. Shelley is super interesting because she has taught group fitness on how many continents? Five. Five.

Okay, hello? Yes. So tell 'em a little bit about- Tell me my dreams. How got you got started and where you... Obviously, your accent tells us you're from South Africa.

Yeah, we're from South Africa. Left South Africa in 1996 into Europe. And we've been in Europe, we've lived in Dubai, we've lived in Mexico City. We've been in five states. I've taught...

Oh, in Australia, I did a debut there. My family or my husband's family lives in Australia. Really? I did not know this. Yes, so when we were in Dubai, we traveled there a lot and that was fun.

Never lived there personally, but hey, I mean, who knows? I'm still very young. I can do it. But yeah, I've been doing this forever, and I think you guys know I started kind of into the fitness industry. I just fell into it because of an eating disorder I had when I was 18.

You know, juggling school and getting ready for college and just kind of overwhelmed. And I think most eating disorders start that way where you find you cannot control a lot of what's going on. And so then you find something that you can feel that you've got that control, and you fixate on it. And that's what I did. Anyway, fitness helped me get through that together with a great family support.

And really, I've been doing it now since I... Oh, gosh. I'm gonna age myself now. Oh, for a long time. Long time.

For a long time. 30 plus years. Yes. Well, and here's the deal. You found something that fulfilled your need- Yes, and does so every day.

To feel good about yourself. Right. And that's one of the best things about fitness is mental health. Right. More important than physical eve.

More important than physical, for sure, especially as you get older. Yes. It's one of the wonders of being over the age of 50, you start to realize that. We put ourself in that group. You've taught in a bunch of different states in the United States.

Yes. How many states? Florida. After Florida, I've gotta think about this where we went. Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut and here.

Incredible. Her husband's business takes them all over the place. So you've been super versatile. As a matter of fact, I really admire that about you because I don't know if I would be so versatile. I couldn't, no.

Moving around all the time and not- You have to be though, you have to. You know, the first move is like, "Oh, my gosh, I'm gonna die. My family's not with me, what do I do?" And the first six months, I remember the first move was into Switzerland, and I was so homesick and I was like... And at six months, I got a full-time job, and I worked at an international gym where I got the opportunity to train with David Hasselhoff. Oh, my gosh.

I mean, let's drop some names. I'm not gonna drop it. No, 'cause he's not... Anyway, yeah. Love it.

I love it. A hamburger man. And anyway, so that's where I started. Once I got a job, we found our groove. We had our friends around us.

I said to my husband, "Never again. I don't ever wanna go back to South Africa. Do not take me." Wow. But yeah, we did go back twice on assignment. Awesome.

Well, we've been lucky to have you here in Minnesota. This has been your longest stint, has it not in the United States? We've been here five years. Five years in Minnesota. We have never lived...

In fact, we've never lived in a house longer than we did in the previous house 'cause we've just moved within the states. I know. Of course, you had to because that's what you do. Right, because I love to move. Stay in the state, all right?

I love it. That's fun. So Shelley, do you have a favorite? I know you like 'em all like I do too. Do you have a favorite format?

I do love them all, and I taught... I did a HIIT class this morning and I was like, "Boy, HIIT just gets every single muscle group." I love that for the intensity, but I love the bar. You love the bar. For me, bar is just beautiful. It looks beautiful, that feels beautiful.

Everybody loves doing bar with you. Good. Do you feel like it kind of fulfills your need to be a dancer? A little bit like- Yes. A little bit?

It does and it makes me feel taller, which I need. And it just makes me feel stronger. I had the opportunity of doing a class a while back with another instructor, and she was Pilates trained, and I think I spoke to you about this. Yeah. And her, the queuing, and she just got into the minutiae of every single thing being, you know, all the connective tissue, all the major muscle groups, all the small and the supporting, and I had a brain kind of body connection right there.

And I was like... You loved it. It was beautiful. So we were just talking about Pilates 'cause we were talking about how we need to add some more Pilates. We have haven't done it for a while.

I am Pilates certified trainer. Trainer Patty is Pilates certified. So we need to add some Pilates back in because it really is such an amazing thing, especially for women... Beautiful. Post babies.

Right. And whether your baby is two months or 20 years, it still matters. Speaking of babies, you just took your last baby to college. Yes. How you doing?

It depends on the time of the day. It's hard, it's hard. It is when you become an empty nest. Right, the first... When Caitlyn went, it was hard baby girl.

She went and I felt like I'd lost an arm, and we dropped Ethan off on Tuesday, and I was very cool and calm because, you know, he's all about, "Don't fuss, mom." And as I walked out the room, and I looked up and he was on the seventh floor, he's waving to me and I'm like, "That's it." And all the way home I cried. And yesterday, I had a really bad day. Yeah, it's hard. Today's okay. And you know, there'll be those days in between, but they are your babies.

They are your life. They are everything and everything's revolved around them. And now, it's our turn. Now, it's your world. And I got my husband and I.

Yeah. Good luck, right? Good luck. Well, that's awesome. So you know, we like to share with you guys, and all of the trainers are in the private Facebook group so they're always around to answer questions and give advice and talk a little bit about what they do.

You know, we have the pleasure of all living in Minnesota together. Our trainer team does. We get to see each other on a regular basis. Yeah. And catch up with life.

So I think it's really fun. We're trying to.. For those of you who are watching, we're gonna bring in a different trainer every month as best as we can in the next few months. So that you hear a little bit from them and feel like you have a little blip insight into their lives. Understanding, right?

Yeah, and now, Shelley and I are neighbors. She moved into my hood, so. I'm sitting on the porch yesterday, and I hear, "Shelley," and there's Chris. And Roxie. You're not gonna be able to get away from me.

And Roxie, I was like... You'll always see her walking. I love it, I love it. So much fun. Okay, well, we wanna get in to the whole protein discussion.

We have some other questions that are unrelated to protein that came in. So Sam, start firing 'em off. Is all protein good protein? It's the first question. Is all protein good protein?

No. No because here's the thing. Is all food good food? It depends on what you think of as good. I hate to say things are good and bad, but anything that is highly processed is gonna have more additives, chemicals.

Hydrolyzed soy is a big no-no. Any kind of GMO soy. There's just so many protein products that are so highly processed that I would not call them a good source of protein or they have food coloring in them or weird stuff like that. So yeah, no, not every protein is created equal. How much protein do you actually need every single day?

Well, that depends on how much you work out too, right? It does because protein feeds your muscle. I think something that's really important to get through is that protein doesn't build muscle. How do you build muscle? Break it down.

You burn it down, you break it down. Yeah, break it down. You gotta lift weights, and you know that we are all fans of lifting weights, but protein feeds those muscles. So after you've broken down the muscle fiber, now you fuel the muscle with protein, amino acids. Protein is made of amino acids, and therefore, it helps to repair and rebuild and recover.

Yeah. And maybe you notice if you've had a really hard workout, and you get no protein, do you ever feel dragging or- Yes, yes, heavy. You just feel like you're lethargic. And that's so important to get that back into that muscle and to feel that up again. Right.

So we all talk a lot about getting our protein in after our workout. So think of this, protein fuels muscles, protein builds and repairs muscles and helps you recover. Protein is made of amino acids. All proteins are a little different. Animal products are made from what they call the essential amino acids.

So you get the nine essential amino acids in all animal products. Which is why animal protein is a pretty decent protein if you're trying to get all the essential amino acids, which are good for muscle repair. Plant-based products don't have all nine essential. But here's the thing, you don't have to freak out, and you don't have to get stressed 'cause if you're eating a variety of plants, you are bound to get all nine of them in at some point during the day, and it will all come out in the wash as they say. But that's why animal product is really good for muscle repair, but there are so many vegan athletes.

Yeah. There are so many vegetarian athletes that can get plenty of protein in during the day. So, you know, no problem. Can I just get your take on this 'cause this is something I've been thinking about for a while, and we've been watching a lot of livestream. Well, streaming stuff.

And they're talking about, you know, beef and chicken and pork and that everything nowadays is moving towards farms and even fish. I'm having a hard time eating any of that at the moment. Having watched all of the stuff or the process that goes into it. You're not alone. Right?

A lot of people will say... Interestingly enough, I've watched some of those documentaries where they show how chickens are... You know? Yeah. You know, I don't even wanna go through the whole- Mass-produced farming.

Right, mass-produced. And you start to go, "Oh, my gosh, gross." I don't know why that doesn't gross me out, but I get it. A lot of people find that they're like, "Ooh." And that's how some people turn vegetarian. Well, that's what- It's watching- Plant-based, yeah. That stuff.

But one of the thing I've been concerned about is I do enjoy poultry myself. I love seafood. I do like red meat every so often, but I don't eat that much. Right. Maybe once every two weeks or a month or something.

Yeah. However, it's about the quality of that protein source. So there is mass-produced, you know, feeds of, you know, fields of animals. There are, like for instance, I'll just use eggs as an example. You can see.

And the problem is this has all become marketing gimmick. It's so hard to decipher. Sometimes you feel overwhelmed. But when it comes to eggs, you'll see just eggs. Okay, eggs.

So how fairly were those chickens treated? And again, this is just a subject, I'm not placing any judgment- No, no, no. On anybody. You know, buy whatever eggs you want. But were those chickens in cages?

Were they just sitting in their own excrement? Were they, you know, not fed well or were they unhappy? Did they ever see daylight? All of those things come into play, and then you'll see cage free. Well, I watched a documentary that said cage free doesn't mean happy.

No. Just because they didn't have a cage, they could be smooshed in there and still not be happy. So the thing you need to look for in eggs is pasture-raised. Yeah. Meaning that those chickens were walking around on a pasture and they were, you know, happy, and again, some of you might sit there and go, "What do you mean that animal was happy?

Who cares?" It matters to some people. It's all about how you think about it. Well, it matters, right, to what you put in your body. It matters to the quality of what the product is. Animal products have been feeding humans for centuries.

Centuries. So now when I buy eggs, I look for pasture-raised. Right. You know, same thing with grass-fed. Do you want grass-fed beef or do you want, you know, what do you call it?

Feed where they give it corn- Oh, the corn fields that have being... Yes, yeah. At the end. And I had a conversation with a farmer that I actually knew and he said, "Well, I pasture-raised the whole time. And at the very end, I corn feed them just to get a little extra weight on them before I slaughter them." And he's his own guy, he's his own farmer.

He sells cows to individuals. You know, where you can buy half a cow, this or that. Again, I'm not qualified to speak on all of this in depth, but what I am saying is there's a lot of opinions that come into play and you have to decide. I do buy grass-fed. I try to buy the best beef that I can if I buy it.

So these are all... That's a really good question. Yeah. Farm-raised fish versus wild caught. Oh, my god.

The antibiotics, that's another thing. Really, at the moment, I'm eating lettuce and even that has been sprayed. No, no, I'm not really. I'm not really, but it does freak me out. We saw this whole thing again, and it's...

Oh, goodness, grave me. Netflix is killing me at the moment. Turn off the Netflix. I'll just say turn it off. No.

But my daughter, she text. She's like, "You gotta gotta watch this." I'm like, "Okay, let's watch it." Oh, now, I'm not gonna do... Farm fish. Fish, yes. And you watch how disease they get, and they've got all these weird things growing on them and then they have antibiotics, and it's a spray.

And they spray it and the guys suited up and you think, "Okay, that must be harmful." And this, to me, is... It's gonna be harmful for us eventually, right? So you've just gotta be- Exactly. So choose wisely. It's all about your own...

You have to be... I mean, sometimes grocery shopping and sourcing out food is a job. It's hard work. I mean, it's a job. Yeah.

I go for... Always try to go for wild caught fish because that's going to make a difference. So it kind of goes back to your question, is all protein created the same? No. Are all co carbohydrates created the same?

No. Are all fats created the same? No. And it goes back to what I have been teaching since the beginning of my career of the two Qs. Quantity and quality.

So the quantity matters. Energy in, energy out. Yes, that principle will always be a part of science. But the quality really matters. Whether you eat 60 calories of orange candy or 60 calories of an orange, I think we would all agree that there is a difference in the nutrients being delivered to your body, so that's what it boils down to.

How much protein should somebody eat that is trying to lose weight? So how much? So again, like protein... Protein doesn't make you lose weight. Carbohydrates doesn't make you lose weight.

Fat doesn't make you lose weight. It's the combination of how many calories you have during the day and what type, quality, and then how much energy you expend. So it's not like how much protein should you have to lose weight? It's how much protein does your body need to repair and recover your muscles, and then have all of your bodily functions work properly. The recommended daily amount is about...

And there's a range. And this is very interesting 'cause fitness and nutrition is not black and white. Never. And for us type A people, it's just so hard 'cause we want rules. But for protein they say somewhere between a half a gram to a gram a day per pound of body weight.

So if you weigh 140 pounds, that's saying you should have somewhere between 70 and 140 grams of protein a day based on your eating habits, your ethnicity. I mean, some people are Mediterranean or they tend to eat a lot of this kind of food or that kind of food. Italian, yeah. Yeah, Italian or whatever it might be. So it depends on what your family's eating habits are, how hard you're training, what you're training for.

Pro athletes will go much more than one gram of protein a day. They'll go 1.5 grams of protein. Some will even go... Endurance athletes that are doing crazy stuff will go two grams of protein per pound of body weight, just two feed those muscles enough amino acids to stay healthy, but protein doesn't make you lose weight. Choose protein sources that are going to support your weight loss goals.

And you know, when we talk about weight loss, we've talked about it so many times, really just try to avoid processed food and sugar. I mean, that's really the culprit. Insulin spikes are really the biggest issue for people when they're trying to lose weight. Yeah, calories in and calories out. Yep.

Expend it. Should you eat protein before or after your workout? Good question. I do like that one. After your workout is what we call the window of opportunity.

Before your workout, you really want energy. You need a little bit of glucose to convert while you're exercising. Let's get into that question then about the... Are you burning fat? Remember that one?

Oh, yeah. From yesterday. So you need some converted glucose in your system to burn your fuels. You have two fuels in your body. You have a little bit of carbohydrate, which is converted carbohydrate, which becomes glycogen or you have fat, and those are the fuels that are burning while you're exercising.

If you run outta glucose, and you have no glucose left in your system because you are on an empty stomach and your glucose tank goes dry, you start burning muscle. You cannot burn fat without the presence of glucose that is just pure science. So when your glucose goes dry, your fat stops and then you start burning muscle. So that's why a lot of people that are training for a marathon, and they'll go, "I feel like I'm losing muscle." Well, the question is, "Are you running on an empty stomach? Do you have any glycogen 'cause your body will go to that?" But that being said, protein after the workout to fuel the muscles, the window of opportunity has always been anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours.

Yes. So if I'm not gonna... I exercise, and I know Sam doesn't, you probably do mostly also, exercise in the morning. Yes. I know you do some afternoon stuff.

Yeah, but not my favorite. So I eat my breakfast after my workout. Me too. And so therefore, my protein source comes right after the workout. I don't really have to worry about that window of opportunity 'cause I'm gonna eat right after.

If I... The work to exercise at a different time, and I wasn't gonna eat, then I would purposefully eat some protein just to fuel my muscles during that window of opportunity. Speaking of, what is your favorite, 'cause we are morning people, breakfast? What's your favorite breakfast? Do you have a favorite breakfast?

Oatmeal. Oatmeal? I do love my oatmeal. I love oatmeal. I love my oatmeal.

Still cut straight up, sometimes a little brown sugar. Do you do overnight oats? No, I don't. You don't? I'm lazy like...

I am so... No, I am lazy. I am. I feel like that's actually not lazy. Well, I mean, my meal of choice is oats.

For dinner, get me walking down to the local salad bar, and I love that too. You do? Right. I'm about convenience. I'm not good at prepping.

She tells the truth over here. She tells the truth. I love it. I do, I'm not... I love a protein shake because I get my 20 grams of protein and I like sweets, so I'm like "Hmm." You know, a little fresh fruit in there.

I mean, frozen fruit, a banana. You know, you get that. You kind of cure that sweet taste. And then I'll throw some like seeds and nuts in there for crunch, and then I'm getting a little extra healthy fat and protein and so it rounds it up for me. What do you do for breakfast mostly?

Mostly, I do protein shakes. I do do overnight oats. I make 'em for my boyfriend and I and I throw protein powder in it to have a little bit extra protein in it, so. And you do a plant-based protein? Yes, yep.

Yeah, because she- It feels better on the stomach, and my boyfriend is vegan. So it's easier to make one meal instead of two. And he's an endurance athlete, and he is all vegan. So really there is a case for animal protein and plant protein. There is no one right way to do it.

It's what works for your family. But that was a really long-winded answer for when to eat protein. I do wanna go back to that though. Somebody yesterday was saying to us, Shelley, they wrote in the group when we said we'd answer today is, "How do I know I'm burning fat? I wanna be in that fat burning zone because I'm trying to burn fat." That fat burning zone is what you call a marketing gimmick.

About 10 years ago, you know, marketers were like, "Hey, people wanna burn fat. Let's call it the fat burning zone." And it is based on science, there's a little science behind it. But it became this thing like get in your fat zone and people are like, "I wanna be in my fat zone." Dumbest thing ever. How do you really feel, Chris? "Me too, me too," everybody said.

You have two... I just said it. You have two kinds of fuel that your body burns when you are moving your body. You have converted sugars, which is glucose and converted carbohydrates which become glucose, then glycogen, and then you have a fat. And so they're always burning like this, but glucose is the pilot light for fat.

So if you have zero glucose in your system, you cannot burn fat, you burn muscle. So you always want a little bit in that tank. In the morning, I'm in a fasted state when I go to workout because I haven't eaten in like 10 hours. So what I will typically do is I just eat like a banana. a quick, you know, and I always...

Someone said to me, "Why do you always say a half a banana?" Because sometimes I don't know what it is about Minnesota. The bananas are- Big. Big. Right. They are.

I don't need a whole banana. So I eat like a half a banana with a cup of coffee and that's just enough, simple carbohydrate to top off my tank, and I've got plenty of energy. So I'm not saying that you should eat a meal before you work out. I'm just saying you should have some glucose. Athletes, my son who played a D1 sport, they would keep track.

They would monitor their glucose, and they would know how many grams of glucose they were going through per shift on the ice. And they were like aware. Their coaches were aware like, "You are running outta glucose. You need to refuel, you need..." And on the bench, they are refueling so that they can stay at tip top. That is scientific.

It's scientific. So there is science behind it, but marketers just glommed onto it. So the bottom line is it doesn't matter if you're burning fat or sugar, what matters is you're burning calories. And at the end of the day, a calorie deficit helps you to burn body fat all over your body. So get out of the worry of like, "Am I in the right zone?" You know, the fat burning zone is like a lower...

You burn more fat when your heart rate is low. Right now, we are burning more fat than sugar because our heart rate is low. When you speed up your heart, and you're doing a HIIT workout, you're burning more sugar than fat because of the higher heart rate. But at the end of the day, who cares? I'd rather have my heart rate up, burn more calories, right?

Right, and burn fat. Yeah, you know what? It's all a choice. It really is a choice. And to your point, it is just a fad.

It's like... And there was one thing I remember going through the training, it was like, "Okay, you're in zone one, you're fine. You're in zone two. Zone three, you're touching on that fat burn. Here we go, here we go.

Say goodbye to fat." Yeah, that's not how it works. I mean, there used to be people at the gym that would come up and go like, "My fat burning zone. I'm not allowed to get my heart rate over 125 because I get outta my fat burning zone." I'm like, "Does that sound like good advice to you?" No. You're gonna have to walk from here to Seattle to bring your fat. Just take your heart rate up, you're gonna be fine.

Hit the road now. No, not good. Exactly. What do you do... Just in talking about that, what do you do?

Because I get a lot of people walk up and say, "What can I do about this?" I mean- Oh, the meno patch? The menopause belly. That's not even- Yeah, I just... Here's the thing. Belly fat, I will never tell you the belly fat will disappear easily.

It doesn't. No. It is the most stubborn fat. For a lot of women, I just said menopause because for a lot of women, Shelley's age and my age, the body fat, you know, it seems like it settles there as we age, which is hormonally-related, lack of estrogen. It will settle to the middle, and it is the hardest fat to remove.

And so here's the thing, if you've always had fat on your abdominals, and I'm not meaning this from a point of discouragement, but it's gonna be very hard to create a six pack. Right. Because that is the hardest fat to remove. If you've always had abs and then, you know, you gain some weight, but then you can probably go back to it. I mean, it's all about fat placement.

You definitely can lose weight in the middle, no problem, but it's not by just like twisting or doing sit-ups. Your body loses fat overall. So you have to just let it, you know, burn off the fat, and it will start to come off in different spots. You can't just spot reduce. You can't go, "I want to take fat right here and remove it." Because we all would do that if we could.

We would. And it's hard, and let's just get to this point where it's like, okay, when you're 60 years old, are you walking around in a bikini? Most likely not. So really does it matter? You're not 60 yet and yes, you will be.

I was gonna say. I don't think I will be. I don't because I think, you know, your skin starts to change, your body starts to change. It just- Oh, yeah. It is what it is.

I'm not discouraging anyone. I'm just saying don't feel bad about yourself because you have a few extra pounds in your midsection. For God's sake, nobody cares. And really you can dress for success. You cannot spot.

I mean, nobody can see your abs unless you're showing them, so just be proud of yourself for what you can do. Love it. Thank you. Yeah. Now, I know what to say.

Right. You tell them, stand loud and proud. Chris is. All right. We have a member saying she has to take thyroid meds right when she wakes up, and she can't eat for an hour.

She works out first, then eats an hour after she works out. Is she burning muscle instead of fat since she works out on an empty stomach? Well, how empty of a stomach? When did you last eat? Some people...

Like I said, I'm kind of fasted for 10 hours because on most days, I'm not eating right before bed, but if I... Like on a weekend, I eat right before bed 'cause we might go out to dinner and eat later. So then I have, you know, left... You know, you turn through about 70% of your glucose tank. If you go for a full like 10 hours without eating.

But you have an issue, you have to do your thyroid medication. So maybe what you should do is... No, I don't think that... I don't know what you have left in your glucose tank. This is all so scientific, but a few little electrolytes could help you, even having some sodium, potassium, magnesium.

I use these little Nuun tablets, they look like Alka-Seltzer. I throw it in my water, especially for my 5:30 AM workouts because it's just rough. You need it. It's rough. Yeah.

But I notice that I have a little pep in my step when I have a few electrolytes. It just gives me that extra oomph. And then you get your breakfast in after I think you're fine. All right, let's see. Would love to hear some quick snack options to try for that afternoon crash that sometimes people experience throughout the day.

Yes. Yes, what do you think? Do you have snack favorites. Baby carrots. I love baby carrots.

And hummus. I love hummus. I love hummus. Gotta have hummus. Yes.

Yes. I do love a handful of almonds. And I also love cashew nuts. and I know, but it's my go-to, I love cashew nuts. Cashews are good.

It's like, "Oh, it's so much..." You know, you hear this always, whatever you choose, there's gonna be somebody that says, "Oh, no. that's not great for you. You should do this." And I think it's just very individual. I know that I have a crash, and it usually happens at about 4:00, and I'm like, "Okay." And I start to be like, "Okay, I need something now," and that'll be my go-to. That'll be it.

No sugar though. Not too much because, you know, that would be... I think the temptation to go for a sugar is high. Is high, very high at all times of the day. I would always opt for sugar.

I would. I just love sugar. It's kind of funny because- But in moderation. Maybe my mom is watching this and she would say, "Well, we didn't have a lot of sugar in the house." I'm like, "Yeah, we did." We grew up with sugar. All that sugar.

My favorite snacks like you, I love like veggies and hummus. I'm obsessed with hummus. As a matter of fact, my daughter started making her own homemade hummus back when, you know, she was younger and lived at home and we called it holy hummus because she made big batches. We'd call it like holy moly. We'd be like holy hummus.

And I haven't made my own lately, and it's so darn easy. I really should go back to doing that 'cause it's so easy. With veggies, carrots, I love cruciferous vegetables. I know a lot of people don't, but I do. And there's so many healthy, healthy properties as well as protein in the cruciferous like the cauliflower, broccoli, you know, cabbages, Brussels sprouts, that kind of thing.

I reach for nuts and seeds all the time. I make my own nut mix. I have brought it here before. I've shown people. So I do pepitas.

I love pumpkin seeds. They're high magnesium, high in selenium. So I always do pepitas. I always do pistachios. You love cashews, I'm obsessed with pistachios.

I have been my whole life. Okay. I love pistachios. I throw in some chocolate chips like some cacao chips. I'll throw in some like slivered almonds, and that's like my go-to.

Same thing, I'll just grab a handful- Shaved coconut. Because it's got that healthy fat, and it has a little protein, and it's satisfying. Sometimes it's more than a handful though, right? Because I know, I'm like that. I'm like, "Oh, and just one more and just one more." And then I'm like, "Okay now." That's way better for you than eating like Doritos.

I mean, it's way better for you. You're gonna feel better. Yeah, I love Mike and Ikes. Candy. What do you go for when it comes to snack?

I go for the hummus and carrots are my, actually, go-to right now. And then I just love fruit and anything avocado-based, like anything avocado. And you're allergic to nuts. I am allergic to nuts. So I wish like everyone...

You know, 'cause I do struggle a little bit with getting enough protein in for how much I am working out. And everyone's like, "Just grab some nuts." Well, I can't. Anaphylactic shock, I will not make it. So I can't turn to that, but I love... Like guac is a huge thing.

So if I'm not on an hummus kick, I'm on a vegetable. Guacamole. And guacamole. I will always take an apple or a banana with me anywhere. And I know it's not protein, but it's a good and healthy snack.

Yeah. So yeah, fruit veggies are like my thing. That's your emergency snack, right. Yeah. You can eat beans, right?

I can eat beans. I have- Veggies are- A love hate relationship with too much of beans, so. Because I have this cookie recipe that's garbanzo beans. That I can handle. It's garbanzo beans, mashed banana, oats, baking powder, a little bit of vanilla, a little bit of...

I use monk fruit for the sweetener, that might even be it. I'd have to look at the recipe. I think you have to put the recipe on online first. Oh, my gosh, it's so good. And then I put in some cacao chips, and I...

Oh, my gosh. It's so good. Okay. I have a couple of those kinds of recipes that I have perfected, muffins, cookies. We were just talking about it in one of our Q and As.

We maybe... Our next Q and A's gonna have to be a baking show. Oh, dear. Yeah, we have a kitchen here. I'd be taster.

Do you wanna be the taster? I'd be the taster. We'll invite you to come and be the background taster. I'm fine with that. Okay, and what's next?

Chris, they do have a question on where you get your cacao chips. I buy them at the grocery store. The brand is Sun... Oh, my gosh. Why can't I remember?

It's called Sun. Sun something, Sun food, Sun something. It's at Whole Foods. They're 75 or 85% cacao. No, I'm making that up.

I think they're more like 55% cacao. Sun & Well. Nope, nope. They're in a brown... Brown, duh, chocolate chips bag.

I wish I could remember, but I think they're either 55 or 65 because I prefer to have like 75 or 85, but you can't really get chips in that. Let me look what... Hy-Vee sells them as well. Sunfood. Yeah, they are Sunfood, but that's not it, so.

Not it. Interesting. There also is a brand called Lily's. Lily's, that's my favorite. Lily's uses monk fruit or stevia to sweeten 'em, so they're a little...

But they aren't as high in cacaos, but they're good. They're good. Listen, we talk about the 80-20 rule. You don't have to be perfect. You can't be like, "Oh, I'm never going to eat this or never..." Enjoy your life for goodness's sake.

Life is about, you know, people and food really. It is. So enjoy yourself, but you know, everything in moderation. And so that's why, like I love sweets, so that's why I have this fun cookie recipe, and don't get me wrong. One of my son's girlfriends was around and I said, "Hey, taste this." And she goes, "Okay." And I go, "Do you like it?" She goes, "Well, no.

I'd rather have a cookie." And I'm like, "Okay," but I love it, you know? So everybody's different. Everybody's different, but... If you were trying to lose weight, should you lift first and then cardio or vice versa? Does it actually matter?

Oh, my. We have a whole blog about this, Sam. The answer is, again, it's a marketing gimmick. It doesn't matter, what floats your boat. Me personally, I like cardio before muscle because I get fired up.

I'm motivated. I get my endorphins going, and then I'm ready to lift weights. And that's why I like all of our GHU TV classes where we combine them all 'cause it's constant, but I would always pick cardio before weights. How about you? Same thing.

And why, because of the motivation or- I just feel like it wakes you up. It gets your blood flowing. It gets that oxygen going, and then you can really settle into a heavy weight and a few... You don't have to do thousands of reps. We speak about this too.

Heavyweight, less reps after the cardio. And if you want a cardio, guys, tack it on at the end. Right, I love it. Always easy. Always easy.

Yeah, how about you, Sammy? I love cardio first before weights. I have done it the reverse, and I will say, I feel when I do weights first and then cardio that like my legs are actually just like... They feel more tired. They're heavy.

Yeah. Because if I'm gonna do a bunch of squats and stuff, like I've already kind of got tapped into that muscle. So again, doesn't matter, it's just what feels best. I have done both, and I would just prefer to do running first. Nice.

Let's just say, you have to be aware in this world that we live in now, that marketing is very strong in every genre of everything. So if marketers can glam on too, "You need to do this first and then do that," they're gonna do it. If they can tell you that you're gonna burn fat, they're gonna tell you that. I mean, and so you have to like kind of take it all in, and then, you know, and- I think too with marketing, it's an 80-20 rule as well. 80% of it is just garbage and thumb suck, and 20%, she'll get into the fact, but work and do what suits you and find your groove.

Don't worry about what people are saying, I think we worry. So protein is our big, you know, discussion for today. Let's talk about BiPro. People are wondering, Chris, there's three different kinds of BiPro, which one did you use? Let's hit that.

So we do have a discount code for you guys with BiPro. They are our sponsors all the time and our partners. It's been about 10 years that I've been working with them. I do love their protein powders and their protein waters. So there you can see on the screen is the discount code to get 20% off all the time.

If you are a GHU TV fan, you get to use that BIPRO20GHU all the time. So they have three different powders. They have the Elite, the Renew, and the Bold. Personally, this is just me personally, I'm not as huge of a fan of the flavor of the Renew. The Renew is really good for an older crowd.

Somebody who has a really sensitive stomach or after surgeries, et cetera. The Bold, to me, again, this is not an absolute, but it's a little bit more of a younger crowd that might like that. I think about my kids because they are just going to mix protein powder with water, shake it up and drink it. They're not gonna put it in a blender with fruit and all that stuff. And the Bold has other carbohydrates added in to make it more like a meal replacement.

So if you are looking for that meal replacement, that's the Bold. I love the Elite. I've always been a fan of Elite. It is just whey protein. Some of you have said, "Well, in the vanilla and chocolate.

There's some stevia. There's some natural flavors." They do make an unflavored. The unflavored is literally unflavored. You taste it, it is unflavored. I love the unflavored because when I put it in a blueberry shake, I want my blueberry shake to be blueberry, not vanilla.

I want my mango and pineapple shake to be mango and pineapple, not vanilla. So I have always loved that... When I'm baking cookies and I wanna add like one of these... Ooh, that cookie recipe might have protein powder in it. Now, that I'm...

We'll get back to you on that. I like unflavored because I don't wanna add that extra vanilla or chocolate, but some people are just tried and true vanilla and chocolate people. So try it out. I think it's easy on the stomach. To me, it's whey protein with no additives.

It is high in leucine, which is the amino acid responsible for muscle synthesis. So finding something high in the BCAA's branch chain amino acids, which is the leucine is important, and that's why I love it. But if you are a vegan of vegetarian, Sam, which one do you use? Do you use a certain brand or do you hop around? I hop around to about three different ones.

So Thorne is a brand that is NSF-certified, so both my siblings can eat it too. And by the way, BiPro is NSF-certified. NSF, yep. Which means certified for sport. Yes.

So the Thorne brand, and then actually Life Time has a vegan that I've just tried. And that one is actually- Plant-based? Yeah, plant-based. And did you use the Organifi? And then Organifi actually...

And that one tastes... They have a vanilla and a chocolate. I've only tried the vanilla, so. Good. Tastes good too.

So yep, there's a lot of options out there. But again, I read the label just to make sure there's not too much extra stuff in there as well. Yes, yeah. Let's see. Does collagen count towards your total daily protein count?

So collagen is made of amino acids, but different amino acids than say a whey protein. So there are 21 amino acids. Let me think. Is it 20 or... No, 20.

There's 20 amino acids, and animal protein is made of the nine essential that leaves 11 others. So collagen has a different amino acid profile. It is not necessarily geared towards building or repairing muscle, but it is geared towards hair, skin, nails, joints, all that good stuff. So the question was can it replace your protein powder, is that what? What was the question?

Kinda be counted as. Towards. It counts towards protein. Yeah. Yes, it does because it is made of the building blocks of amino acid, but it is different than whey protein.

A lot of people have asked me like, "Oh, should I use collagen instead of whey?" And I said, "Well, what's your goal?" You know, it depends on what your goal is. All right, this is a good question. Can you talk about the importance of knowing your why for sticking to a healthy lifestyle, and if that may have changed as you've gotten older? She says her expectations have changed to stay injury free. Can you guys talk about your kind of journey?

Great point. I love it. To stay injury free. I think that's most important. We spoke about this a while back.

I did have a lateral tear in my meniscus. It was about a year ago, and it does talk to me every single day. And does it repair itself? It does repair itself. So you just be careful.

Yeah, they just give you, you know, rehab stuff to do, which I figure we do it in class anyway or in our workouts. But I think you gotta be careful and you gotta be smart because you really don't wanna injure yourself and then end up not able to work out. So as I'm getting older and you know, we do, we all get old. We don't get young. You've really gotta modify but don't use your age either as an excuse.

'Cause a lot of people come to me and go, "Well, you know, I'm 60 and I can't squat." Yes, you can squat, you can do anything. And you know, in group fitness you find this, sometimes some of the different workouts are geared towards older people. No, no, everybody do them. And we give modifications as we do in all this, know your limits and push them. Always push them.

I love it. And I always say too, remember the word modification does not mean failure. No. Modification means change. Modification means I'm going to modify or change that exercise to work with my body.

Maybe you're somebody who had an, you know, 10 ankle breaks when you were a kid, and so you have to be smart about your ankle. Balancing on that one foot is not easy. Or maybe you had shoulder surgery and so certain shoulder things are not good for you. So you should always listen to your body. There's nothing wrong with modifications.

But I would say my why as I've gotten older to that question is definitely I want not just more years, but I want good years. Quality years, yeah. So I start to see older people having less quality in their life because they're impaired because they are overweight or they are inactive, and they can't get their heart rate up or they feel tired all the time or they can't pick up a box and move it to the top shelf because they don't have the strength. And I'm like, "No, I don't want that to be me." I wanna be moving and grooving. I wanna be, you know, doing this and that in my house.

I wanna be picking up my grandkids. I wanna be taking a walk. I wanna go to all the sites, hopefully, with my extended family as we get older. So that is my why. Hiking, yeah.

I would say though I have definitely given myself so much more grace. I was such a type A. I still am a very type A person. She said was. Probably toxically positive.

They were talking about what do you do if somebody's too positive in your life? They were talking about it on "The Today's Show". So I'm like, "Might be me." Oops. But I've just... I'm less hard on myself.

I'm not so concerned as much with what do I look like, what am I capable of doing? I'm like, "You know what? I'm happy with me on the inside." What's become most important for me are relationships. That's like the most important thing in my life. And so in order to maintain relationships, I have to stay in shape so I can live longer and happier.

But you do you, surround yourself too with people that are like you, and it's not an exclusive club or a girls club or whatever. It's more like, okay, you like to go for a walk, you love to work out, you go for a swim, you like to hike, you surround yourself with people that love to do that kind of thing and you set yourself up for success. You really do. Thoughts or recommendations for running on tired or sore legs? This individual is starting training for a marathon.

Oh, good. So she's back to more running days. So she's asking is it beneficial to run on sore legs from a lower body workout or is that considered harmful? Well, you're the runner. What do you think?

Yeah. I definitely think that there are days when my legs are more tired, but I actually feel better if I move them. Now, that is not to say I go and crush them and go for like a HIIT run. I do more of like a walk to a jog to a run to a walk again. Because the more you move your legs, that lactic acid actually, you know- Flushing.

Flushes out and so you do feel better. So I don't think there's anything wrong. Now, if you like can't walk and you're really sore, then maybe take a day off. Literally, just go for a walk or give yourself some, you know, 20 minutes of stretching and yoga. That will do you more benefit than going and crushing your legs again, so really be in tune with your body.

But there's nothing... I don't think there's anything wrong with moving your body 'cause chances are you're actually gonna feel better. Yeah, and the one marathon that I did do. The one. Well that's one more than me.

Yeah, me too. I remember having days where, you know, you did your long run and then the next day you'd be like, "Oh, my gosh, my legs are on fire." I would walk then. Because to your point, moving at least gets the blood flowing. Get, you know, flushes them out. And you know, juice in the joints, just move a little bit, but listen to your body I think is the key.

I was thinking about... Sam, and I don't know if anyone's asked this yet, but I know that one of the comments that comes up in our group a lot is, "What are good protein sources?" Like list protein sources for me, and so I just sat down and kind of wrote like, "What would I eat in a day?" So I wrote it down on my phone. This is what everyone wants to know. What does Chris do? Well, I'm not telling you exactly what I need.

We wanna know play by phone. But like, so... Okay, my microphone is kind of sticking outta my ear over there somewhere. Where is the cord? Oh, it's on this side.

Okay. Okay. So I would say, well first of all, you know, sources of protein, you guys, and you probably all know this, but we just talked about meat. Meat, poultry, chicken, fish, seafood, you know, shellfish, all that good stuff. You were talking about how you felt about it, and a lot of us feel that way too.

There's some interesting documentaries out there. Dairy. So in particular, yogurt is high in protein. You've got cottage cheese. You've got milk sources.

Not everybody eats dairy, to be honest. I eat yogurt. I love Greek yogurt, but I don't really eat a bunch of other dairy myself. I love cottage cheese. Oh, you a cottage cheese?

Small curds, yeah. You're not a dairy... She's allergic to everything, so she's a no. So don't- I could never be married to you, Sam. Eggs are a great source of protein.

Nuts and seeds, beans and lentils. I eat a lot of beans and lentils, tofu, tempeh, soy, all good protein sources, non-GMO, protein powder we talked about, even potatoes. A regular potato has about four grams of protein and a sweet potato. I eat a sweet potato every day, two grams of protein. Love sweet potato.

I'm really sad that it only has two. Yeah, but it's got so many other good things, tons of fiber. True. I eat that every day too. So cruciferous vegetables, raw broccoli, raw cauliflower, somewhere between two to three grams for a cup.

And Brussels sprouts, three grams. So if you're eating a couple different sets of vegetables, you're getting some grams in there. Quinoa is the most crazy grain there is out there. Quinoa is the one grain that acts like a protein. It has all essential amino acids in it.

No other grain on the planet has that. It's an amazing grain for vegans and vegetarians. It acts as an animal protein. I love quinoa, eight grams of protein and five grams of fiber in one serving, so you're getting high fibers. I need to get more of that.

Hard boiled eggs, blah, blah, blah. Okay, so if I were like to say, what am I gonna eat during the day? I get up, I do my workout, I have my protein shake, I do protein powder, frozen fruits, sometimes nut butter, sometimes not usually chia seeds, almond milk blended up. I put a couple pistachios and pumpkin seeds on the top. I eat that with a spoon.

I love crunch. I laughed 'cause I'm like I used to love Dairy Queen when I was a little kid. I love those. What do you call those things? Blizzards, that had crunch in them.

So my protein shake is my Blizzard. That's perfect. So I have a protein shake for breakfast. Then I'll usually have a hard boiled egg as a snack sometime in the morning because I'm hungry. Let's see, I was trying to...

Lunchtime, for me, sometimes it's a salad. It's usually leftover vegetables. I'm a huge roasted vegetable girl and a raw vegetable person. I like literally have so many vegetables in my fridge, and I'll dip them in hummus, dip them in guac. I always have some source of protein, whether it's leftover, you know, chicken from the day before or seafood or whatever it is that we have left.

I will often do afternoon snack, and often I like grab nuts and seeds. That's usually my go-to. I always have Greek yogurt at some point during the day. I have a Greek yogurt with blueberries on it and nuts and seeds. Then for dinner, it's typically a protein source.

My husband loves like anything... We grill all the time. Oh, yeah. So we grill everything. Nothing like it.

And then it's veggies, quinoa, whatever. We tend to make like a lot of bowls, you know, like there's this word called the Buddha bowl or a grain bowl where you put in some greens, some grains, some proteins, some veggies, a dollop of hummus. That's my favorite meal. And then at night, I'll often have like turmeric tea, and then I'll have some chocolate because a girl loves chocolate, and that's my day. And I usually get about a hundred grams of protein a day.

Okay, let's address the elephant in the room. Alcohol. Yes. I know it doesn't fall under protein at all. How do you incorporate that wisely?

Because you know, summer is different. Summer is very much about going out, having fun, sitting on the verandas, you know, chatting to your friends, boating. And I know you've got some great recipes for the margaritas, and I've tried them. Yep. It's kind of like your daughter-in-law.

Yeah, you're like, "Eh." I'm like, "Eh, gimme the full 'cause I'm gonna have one and it's gonna be good." So I'm just like... Our skinny margarita though is delicious. It is literally... Look at her face, she's like, "That's not good." It's fresh lime juice. No, it's very good, but I have a certain thing about margaritas.

You like it to be a certain way? Missing something? And if it's not, then I'm done. So to me, then it's like just have it. Maybe I'll play with it.

Just have one. Yeah. Yeah, but our skinny margarita is basically tequila, and then I usually do a poblano pepper liqueur. Spicy. Or some muddled jalapenos with the tequila, and then it's just fresh lime juice, some agave, just drizzle agave, water.

For that sweet. Shake it up in a shaker 'cause it's gotta get all mixed. It's so freaking yummy. But to your point with alcohol, how do you fit it in? I don't drink alcohol every day of the week.

I don't have time. I'm up too early. I don't want to. And so for me, like a drink on a... Maybe tonight we're going out, so maybe I'll have a drink tonight, But I typically just have like a drink on Friday and Saturday night.

To me, it's like, okay, 80-20 rule. I eat really healthy during the week. I mean, so a couple drinks is not gonna kill me. Exactly. But for those who like my husband, he's constantly entertaining for work.

Especially now that we're empty nesters, I'm not, you know, always nagging at him to get home. So he's out every night and I'm like, "How can you do it?" And he will say like, "The alcohol will kill you in terms of your weight." Yes, it does. If you're drinking four or five nights a week, it will get to you. So it is just- Moderation. It's metabolized a little differently than sugar, but it falls more under the carbohydrate.

So stay away from the super sugary drinks. Super sweet. Stay away from the super sugary drinks. Okay, there you go. There you go.

Let's see, two questions here. Is it good to take AG1 before your morning workout? A lot of people would say no because for some people it does start the having to go to the bathroom process, so you might have to run to the bathroom. Make sure you have some time. But it doesn't do that for me.

But I have heard from people who have said, "Yep, they drink their AG1," and they have to go to the bathroom. So to me, it's much better after a workout. I actually look forward to- So do I. I'm driving home from my workout or coming up from the basement and I'm like, "I'm having my AG greens, and then I'm having my coffee. I'm so excited." I feel like it starts my day, and it like gets the energy going.

It gets my energy going for sure. I will say I actually had to have mine yesterday before a workout, but I made sure I had enough time. Good. You know, so if you're gonna do that, give yourself 'cause again it may- Bathroom break. It gets the things going.

Make sure you have a little bit of time so that you're not running to the bathroom. Well, and that's a good thing. It's not a bad thing. No. You just don't wanna be mid workout, right?

You just don't. No. You don't. This kind of goes back to, and you've kind of already addressed it, but somebody just asked, they're finding that it's harder as they're getting older to get rid of the bat wings or upper arm fat. Is there any fitness or nutrition suggestions specifically for that?

Well, we said it earlier, you cannot spot reduce fat. You can't go, "I just wanna remove the fat here." You can't do that. Fat comes off overall as you lose weight, but you can tone the muscle underneath. So triceps, I feel like for my friends who are all kind of late 50s, early 60s, we are all about like, "Uh-oh, do some tricep exercises." Bat wings, yes. That will tighten the skin.

No matter what, the skin's gonna get a little crepe-y and a little looser because that's age. You know, my girlfriends and I, we all look at our skin and we're like, "Wow, how did that happen? I've got all these sun spots," but just keep those triceps working. Keep those triceps working 'cause it will help to keep that skin a little bit more taut. Right.

And help the muscle stay firm underneath so that that skin isn't just sagging around an empty baggy if you will. But you've got muscle there, right? Yes, you've got to. And heavy weights, heavy weights. Yeah, and you do a combination.

I think we all do of like you do your bar classes with the lighter weights, and then you do your heavyweights. So I mean, if you want a real strength work out, I think the heavy, but I do a lot of my bar just straight strength with lighter weights and more repetition. Yeah. And I've always had- You need a combo, I think. Right, and genetically, you know, you do find...

You do, you fight genetics. My mom, and God rests her soul, she always had the like, you know, the bat wings. And we laughed, and it was lovely 'cause it was juicy to squeeze, you know, when it feels all squishy. And we used to squeeze it when we were young, but it's genetic and you've gotta work on it. Yeah, you got it every day and food.

And food. Well, it comes down to- Always food, yeah. Always, always. You cannot out train a bad diet. So no matter what, what you put in your mouth is the biggest health decision you make every single day.

And you just have to embrace the healthy habits. The thing I always say is like when people go extreme, when they're like, "Okay, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna follow this crazy diet, and I'm gonna..." It's like okay great. You might have the discipline to do it for a short period of time, but are you doing that for your lifetime? Are you doing that for the next 10 years of your life?

Why not adapt a lifestyle where you're like, "I can maintain this. This is normal to me, and I can do it," and slow goes it. You know, I think what was that phrase that said, "The quickest results are the ones that took the longest," Longest, yeah. You know, you hear that because it's like... It's basically consistency.

It's like saying, "I'm gonna stick with this program and- And make it a lifestyle. And make it a lifestyle. Yeah. Yeah. And if you fall off the wagon, get back on the next day and start again 'cause I used...

That used to do me. I would be like, "Monday I'm good," 'cause Monday I would start it, you know? And then Tuesday I was not so good. On Wednesday, forget about it. I'll start next Monday.

Crazy, crazy. You gonna come over and maybe have something that's not great but the next day get back onto it and start again. At the mental gymnastics, you can do with yourself where you say, "Oh, screw it. I've been eating bad since Tuesday. I'm just gonna keep going." No, so what?

So you have- Right now. A dessert when you go out, who cares? Now, go back to normal... You know, the calories will ebb and flow. You don't have to eat the exact amount every day.

No. If on the weekend you eat 400 more calories a day because you had a margarita or whatever, and then you eat less on Monday, it all again comes out in the wash. Your system, your body is so, in a good way, complicated. There's a lot going on with metabolism and systems and hormones and all that stuff. So just put in the best fuel that you can and live with that 80-20 rule.

I like this question. I don't even know if like we've ever asked Chris this, but what is your favorite part of being a Get Healthy U TV trainer? People wanna know. People wanna know, do you have a favorite? I think it's the community for me.

It goes back to the things I used to say is, you know, I've been moving around a lot. It was hard... It was not hard but I make friends quite easily. But being a part of Get Healthy U TV, it just makes you feel like you've got another family, and it's extended. And actually, we were coming out of the lake the other day, we were pulling the boat out of the lake and I hear, "Trainer Shelley, Trainer Shelley." And it's Barb, one of our GHU TV squad members.

I love it. She's like, "I knew it was you," and we had a quick squeeze and a hug and a love and a goodbye and a thank you and everything, That for me makes... My husband's like, "Oh, gosh. Here she goes, she's gonna be there forever." That for me is a community. I love that.

Yeah, it makes me happy. It's fun when, you know, especially in Minnesota, we do have a bunch of members, and they noticed you. And when Shelley started with Get Healthy U TV, which was, gosh, now it's been years. It's forever. Four years, three years, four, I don't know.

But I remember you were like, "Oh, I don't know if I wanna do this in front of the camera," and then boom, you had it. And our world has changed in terms of technology. Oh, yes. For me, the best thing has been for 30 years I've been making VHS tapes and DVDs. And back in that day when they were VHS tapes, and we didn't even have emails, but I would connect with people and realize that there were people who needed to work out at home that, you know, the majority of our world does not belong to a gym.

It's a staggering number. I heard the stat one time, it's like only 8% of America belongs to a gym. Something crazy like that 'cause you think that everybody does, right? No, only a very small percentage. And I knew that there were women at home, our single parents, who commute, or at least before the pandemic, commute long hours, who have crazy schedules with whether spouses or taking care of parents or living in the city, or maybe they don't wanna waste their money on a gym that's too much money of a disposable income.

They wanna use it for something else. And there were so many people who needed and wanted to work out at home, but they wanted the quality of a good workout. Somebody who could train them, somebody who could help them, somebody who would be their friend and encourage. And so that was like my starter. And I was on cable TV for a very long time, on ExerciseTV, and that was just such a fun part of my life.

I don't know. I just always love that like knowing, like you said, that you're reaching a community of people that you would never reach. Right. How about you? Yeah.

You got thrown right into it. I did. I think community and just all the things that I've learned, not only like about the people around me, but what I've learned about myself even, yes, I taught group fitness before this, but I feel like I have become a different, you know, individual. I think I have a little bit more confidence than I did three, four years ago. I, you know, am able to talk to people.

I used to be pretty shy. I wasn't gonna go talk to a stranger. Now, I'm like, "Hey." So I've learned a lot about myself, but I definitely think it's the community and all the lovely trainers. I feel like we all push each other to be the best versions of us. And last but not least, like I always wanted to do a job where I felt like I was making a difference and whether it is the smallest difference or the biggest difference in their day.

I wanted to do something. Oh, I love it. You know, Chris approached me and got me outta banking, thankfully. Did she look like a banker? She's no banker.

I am not there. So yeah, there's so many great things about this community that keep us going every single day, and we always have new ideas, but most importantly, like you guys come to us with ideas. I'm like, "Okay, how do we make that a reality for everyone who wants that," so. Yeah, we love all your ideas. We take them all to heart.

I saw that format idea the other day. They look pretty. Yeah, people... That was great. I mean, I remember if you are a GHU TV member in the private Facebook group, you guys will come up with ideas for calendars and formats.

We can't always meet everybody's needs, but a lot of them were like, "Hey, that's a great idea. We'll take that on, we will do that for you." That's how a lot of things have come to be. Perfect. Like boxing plus the bar. People were asking us like, "Hey, can you add that combat bar, Chris?

We've seen you use that before on your Instagram." I'm like, "Okay, we're gonna do it." So you know, we are here for you, so this has been fun, I'm sure. Did we get through a lot or no? We did. We got through most of 'em. Yeah.

Perfect. We got through a lot of our questions. Thank you, Shelley, for joining us. Such a pleasure as always. It's always fun to have our trainers with us so that you can hear more from them than, "Hurry up, do another push up," but we appreciate your spunk as everyone says.

Everyone loves Shelley's spunk. And how could you not listen to... I could listen to you talk all day. So could I. It's amazing.

Not me, I hate it. It's amazing. Thanks, you guys, have a great rest of your day or whenever you are watching us. We will be back again in another month in September with another subject more to talk about. If you ever have a question, you can pose it in the Facebook group.

Oftentimes, we'll answer it, but oftentimes other members will answer it. You guys are good resources for each other too. Remember you have a discount on BiPro, always to get the protein powders. So that's what I use every morning in my breakfast. So that's what we know today.

Love that. Have a great day everybody. Thanks for joining us. Bye, squad.