When our eBook, The Total Health and Fitness Makeover released last week, Erik wrote this on his Facebook page:
Today is SO exciting! Our book is finally on sale!!!
About a year ago Stephanie and I were driving back from New England and she was answering emails from our readers. At the time, I had been reading Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and I sort of joked that she should write a Total Health and Fitness Makeover. She quipped back that it would save her a lot of time with responding to emails. The next 9 hours (VA is a long way from Portsmouth, NH) we talked about the possibilities. A little over a year later here we are–the book is actually for sale.
Stephanie wrote much of today’s blog post about the mysteries of carbs and fat but she also talks about this amazing project we have dedicated so much time to, the culmination of over 12 years of trial-and-error, countless hours reading, training, and experimenting…we are just so happy it is actually available for purchase.
I really thought it would be easy when Erik mentioned writing this book. I thought I would sit down and within a few hours, hash out “how to get healthier.” Erik designed our Table of Contents:
- Motivation
- Who the book is for
- My back story
- Things I did Wrong
- Stats on obesity, health, diseases
- Nutrition
- Proteins
- Fats
- Carbs
- Sugar
- What/how/when to eat
- Sample meal plans
- Lots and lots more
- Exercise and Movement
- Assessments
- Mobility
- Walking
- Jogging/Running
- Sprinting
- Lifting Weights
- Hydration
- Inner Peace
- Sleep
- Stress Reduction
- Personal Growth
- Additional Resources
- Grocery Lists
- Tools to help your transformation
- Printable logs and sheets
- Start Here Start Now
- 12 Weeks to Fit
- Lots and lots and lots more
When Erik set up the rough draft of the table of contents, it wasn’t quite this evolved, but this is where it quickly went. And I still thought this would be easy. I talked about this stuff every day. And he was going to help me write it. He even asked me–I believe it was in October, if we could have the book done by December so that we could get it out in the new year–when everyone was making their resolutions to be healthy.
I still believed this was 100% possible.
But the more I wrote, the more I realized I had to say. And every time I wrote a section, Erik would come up with five more ideas to implement into the plan.
We branched out and got information–recipes, tips, motivational stories–from our Strong Figure Ambassadors; we designed a workbook that coincides with the actual book; we even created a “Get Started Now” section within every chapter of the book so that our readers wouldn’t just “finish reading a chapter” but would know exactly how to get started with each bit of information provided.
We included resources from Chiropractors and Physical Therapists, Nutritionists and Dietitians. We provided success stories from people who have had to make similar life-changing transformations, and we even included bonuses like “Pregnancy and Health” tips and “Yoga for Better Sleep,” all written by fantastic ambassadors of our site.
We created an “Insiders” Facebook group who helped us proof a couple chapters and give us feedback on the direction of the book and then in the midst of trying to write, research, write, and research some more; Erik started learning about the book launching process.
The next thing I know, it’s April of the following year, and our Table of Contents is now over four pages long.
We can’t just write and hit publish?!
When I sat down to write this book last year, I thought it might take time and dedication, but I had no idea it would take almost a full year to put together. I didn’t know that we would be changing our plans, consistently adding more and more information to every section, combining more research, including more authors, creating more projects, and pushing back deadlines. In fact, I got so tired of the project at times, that Erik started putting me on deadlines.
Steph, I need you to get the protein chapter for the workbook done by Friday. I need the personal growth chapter and next week’s blog post done by Monday. I need pictures for your tupperware and food prep section included so that I can format by next Thursday.
The book wouldn’t be done right now if Erik hadn’t taken on the role of CEO of our little biz. All those freebies you’ve been getting over the past couple of weeks? That’s all Erik and what he has learned from the book-launching research he has been doing. And this post, our final post in our last stage of our launch strategy, right now, is part of the launching plan for the book.
That’s right…this is our last post about the book for a while. After today, we’re taking the book off the market. So you will definitely want to pick up your copy today.
I can’t believe the book is here, is out, and we still have so much more we plan to do with this project in the future.
But I guess that’s all part of the journey, right? The journey isn’t complete just because the words are on paper. The journey is complete when YOU have become successful too. When YOU know how to live your life as healthy as you can make it and when YOU find the success that you’ve been searching for. And I suppose that’s why we aren’t stopping until it’s done. Until you’re done.
So grab the book today while you can–it will never be this price again nor will the workbook be free. And anyone who purchases now will get access to all our future add-ons for a GREAT deal. We aren’t going to stop this project until we feel we have put everything we have to put towards making you better. And if that means consistently updating the info and adding more webinars or whatever–that’s what we’re going to do!
The Total Health and Fitness Makeover is not a diet, it’s not a quick fix, and it’s not something you do for a while and stop when you think you’re finished. It’s just like life: it’s a journey. You don’t just stop living healthy–we don’t just stop writing about how to live. We’re in this together, and for the long haul.
In Thursday’s blog post, we included some of the testimonials that we have already started receiving from people regarding their appreciation for the THFM. We are so thankful that people love the book. After that post went out we received a special email from one of the book’s contributors that we wanted to share with you:
As someone who has a graduate degree in Kinesiology (human movement), has been a competitive athlete, and is a long time fitness enthusiast, I have read countless “how to books”, textbooks, journal articles, magazine articles, blog posts and forum posts about sports, fitness, fat loss, and human performance. There is a lot of good information out there, but there is also a lot of misinformation out there.
I have trained many in my spare time. I often find that when an individual gets that special spark and interest in fitness, the desire to learn more is strong. And I strongly believe that the more informed an individual is about nutrition and exercise, the better choices that he or she can make. The problem I have had in recommending books to people is that many books are either: (a) too technical (because they are textbooks) or (b) too restrictive in nature, thereby forcing the reader to only eat certain foods and exercise in a very prescribed manner. The latter type of book can be nutritionally unsound because certain healthy foods are excluded from the diet. Also, these types of books often set the reader up for failure because the “diet” is extremely difficult to maintain when the user is away from home because available food choices are even more limited.
I love Strong Figure’s Total Health and Fitness Makeover (THFM) book! Why? In my opinion, the best way to pave the way for someone to not develop strong and lasting fitness and nutrition habits that become a lifestyle is through education. I LOVE that this book provides a solid foundation for both nutrition and exercise because it empowers people to make the right decisions for them, regardless of the situation. If a person is traveling and doesn’t have access to the foods they would normally eat, he/she can make informed and proper food choices that support a healthy lifestyle and the individual’s fitness goals.
THFM is not about establishing a prescribed, boxed in approach to eating and exercising. THFM is not about promoting a specific brand of supplements or a specific type of exercise. THFM is not about a fast fix with short lasting results. THFM is about educating, establishing proper and healthy nutrition and exercise habits that become a lifestyle.
Kudos to Erik and Stephanie for producing a product that does what others should have been doing all along. Stephanie’s personal and candid glimpses into her own struggles are real and raw; struggles that many of us can relate to.
Lastly, by joining the THFM team, individuals get exclusive access to a private Facebook group. Not everyone in your life will understand or empathize with your struggles or your journey. But, others in this group can relate and will support you. Some are fitness professionals. Some are starting day one of their fitness journey. But all are here for a common purpose: to support each other and to grow.
I hope you join the THFM family! — Dane Hamada
Don’t forget today is the last day to purchase!
Your Strong Figure Conditioning Workouts for the week–
Workout One: With a 20-minute running clock, complete the following sequence until the clock stops!
With one or two kettlebells, dumbbells:
- 1 Goblet squat
- 1 Row (each arm)
- 1 Clean and press (each arm)
- 1 Lunge (each leg) with weight(s) in rack position
- 1 Floor press (each arm)
- 1 Weighted Sit-up
Complete one of each movement the first round, then two of each movement the second round, then three of each….and so on until you reach 20 minutes.
Workout Two: Complete the following for time-
- 10 kettlebell swings, 10 lunges each leg, 10 sit-ups
- 9 kettlebell swings, 9 lunges, 9 sit-ups
- 8…all the way down to 1 of each.
- If you want extra work, throw in a 100 meter sprint after each round and rest 1 minute before beginning the next round.
Workout Three: For time–
- 30 goblet squats
- 30 push-ups
- 30 lunges
- 30 10-meter sprints
- 30 wall balls
- 30 kettlebell swings
- 30 burpees
If you don’t have equipment needed for any of the workouts, work with what you’ve got! You can do air squats instead of goblet squats, lunges without weights, step-ups onto a couch or chair instead of swings, push-ups instead of floor presses, shoulder taps instead of clean and presses, plank holds, bridges, anything! Pick your areas of weaknesses and attack them.
