Fit For Life: Are You Worth it?

Saturday, May 06, 2017

Matt Espeut, GoLocalProv Health +Lifestyle Contributor

 

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Matt Espeut

Someone asked me what I did for a living, and I told them that I run Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, the best fitness and fat loss facility around. In this facility, my team and I help people achieve their health and fitness goals with great workouts, nutrition plans, and constant mental motivation and encouragement. I then went on to explain that we instill a community environment so folks feel like they are part of something, and not doing it on their own. Then they asked what I charge to belong there, and I told them. Their reply was “Oh, it’s a high-end gym; I can't afford that.” I immediately replied with this question….

Can’t afford it? Don't want to afford it; or you don’t value your health? Those were my questions back. I said that I don’t consider it a high-end gym because folks are not paying for a posh gym with hardwood floors, fancy locker rooms and water fountains. What they are paying for are results - and we are a results-driven facility. It’s the coaching, mindset, and community support, not the facility that gets people to achieve their goals. So, no, it’s not a high-end gym, but more of an accountability coaching program.

Most gyms don't give prizes for good attendance because they don't want you to go, but we do, because we want you to achieve your goals. High end is a term usually used by very well to do folks, and it implies all sorts of amenities that have nothing to do with fitness, health and success.  My programs have value to people wanting to reach and maintain their goals, regardless of their financial status.

My facility is lined with painted cinderblock walls. I do not have a fancy waiting area, towel service, or expensive motorized equipment; we focus more on the outcome than the fluff stuff. My programs are priced so everyone can afford to have a personal trainer without paying a steep per session price tag, because we conduct each session as a group personal training workout, where you get coached and motivated to push hard and unleash your full potential during your workouts. 

 

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Let’s look at what people spend their money on that nets zero, or even a negative return. 

 

Hair and nails. Yes, it’s important to look good, but when you color your hair, you are applying toxic chemicals to your scalp, and applying toxic paint to your nails. You will look good, but at what cost? Monetary cost per month - $150 minimum.

Eating out. Yes, we need to eat, but eating out usually means that you are not eating the way you would if you packed a healthy lunch; and in some cases, you may be tempted to have a cocktail or two. Do this several times a week and the cost can run you somewhere around $160 a month.

Coffee. I love my morning joe, but the one “small” I get from Starbucks cost me $2.11 daily, which equals around $60 monthly. And that’s just a black coffee without the fancy stuff!

Clothes. Once again, we need these things, but a new wardrobe for every season? I know that most women’s jeans range from $80-180 per pair, so if you average a few pairs per year, plus shoes, and tops, I would guess that clothing habit will be around $200 per month (and I know I’ll hear how low that estimate is!)

Alcohol and tobacco. If you are a smoker, you are spending close to $300 a month with a pack a day habit. If you go out for drinks once a week, that can run you well over $150 a week.

Electronics/Cars/Etc. iPhones, iPads, laptops, expensive automobiles, cable TV, etc.

Medication. Necessary when you get sick, and the cost can be astronomical, both monetarily and emotionally. Not to mention lost work time. (How about not getting sick in the first place?)

Get the picture? The point of this article is to explain what things cost, and what folks spend their money on, and to make you think long and hard about what you are worth, and what’s important enough for you to invest in. Many folks will not flinch or hesitate to spend money on consumer goods that will either harm them, or have a net zero return on their investment. These are the same people that will scoff at the idea of spending an extra 15-20% on quality organic food, or spending $100 on a massage treatment, and these are the people who will consider a program that will guarantee them ultimate health and fitness “high end”

I have an uncle that I helped years ago. I wrote him out a nutrition plan full of organic food and a plant based protein supplement. He went on to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks. But then he complained that it was too expensive to eat that way, and today he’s extremely overweight, has diabetes, and can’t even work due to his poor condition. He’s sick all the time from the numerous meds, and is in danger of dying before he hits retirement age of 65. And the worst part is that my aunt is suffering along with him by always taking care of him and watching his demise. So much for the expensive meal plan that would have not only saved him from the misery that he lives in now, but would have improved the quality of his life, and everyone else around him.

I know that my program isn’t for everyone. There are only a small percentage of people that value their health and fitness, and my place is reserved for them. It’s only for the people that are ready to achieve success, and conquer their fitness and fat loss goals as fast and efficiently as possible. It is a program for action takers that are willing to “invest” in themselves to become a better version of themselves. The program is reserved for folks that see the value of great health and fitness. It’s for the person that realizes that they can’t do it on their own, or have no desire to learn how to work out on their own. 

 

So, no, we’re not a $10 a month facility. I won’t devalue my facility to appeal to the masses, or the tire kickers that are always looking for a deal, or something for free. My program is reserved for folks that feel like they are worth the investment to look and feel their best. The folks willing to spend their money on something that will bring them a positive return on their investment. I say return on their investment because when you join my facility, you are investing in yourself.

I read a book that compares assets to liabilities and the definition of a liability is something that you spend your money on that nets you zero return. An asset is when you spend your money, or invest in something that will bring you a positive return. I have a program that is valuable to someone wanting to make a change in their lives. You are not paying for material things that will make a facility seem nice, but you are paying for an outcome that is beneficial for a lifetime.

So I consider what I do for a living is run a coaching program, not a gym. Not a with no soul. My clients and my team have created much more than just a gym. What are you spending your hard-earned money on? Are you investing in something that will net you a positive return, or are you spending it on items that will cause more harm than good? It all boils down to how you perceive what you are worth.

Are you worth the investment or not? It's not what you have in the bank that determines your worth, it's what you are willing to invest in yourself that dictates how you value yourself. My clients all know what they are worth, how about you?

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Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one

 

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