WELLTHY Generation Podcast!

55. Redefining Weight Loss and Embracing Culture with Health Coach Samantha Lee

• Naihomy Jerez • Episode 55

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Join us for an enlightening conversation with Samantha Lee, a passionate health coach dedicated to transforming the weight loss journeys of women of color. Samantha challenges the conventional Western diet culture by embracing cultural foods and questioning outdated metrics like the BMI. You'll discover why these traditional standards often fall short in understanding diverse body types and how a broader perspective can redefine your health journey.

We also address the multifaceted relationship people have with the scale and how it can overshadow the joy of experiences like vacations. Samantha advocates for a holistic approach that includes strength training as a foundational element for women’s health. Learn how to navigate the sometimes intimidating world of strength training with confidence, starting with simple bodyweight exercises that build both muscle and assurance.

This episode goes beyond physical health, exploring the emotional and societal hurdles women of color face in prioritizing self-care. Samantha shares her journey of initiating healthier habits within her family, breaking generational cycles, and the importance of self-love. From setting sustainable goals to embracing wellness as a lifelong commitment, Samantha inspires listeners to foster a positive relationship with their bodies and become champions of their own health narrative.

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Thank you so much for listening!


Nai:

Hello friends, welcome to another week of the Wealthy Generation podcast, that is W-E-L-L-T-H-Y Wealthy, and today I have one of my really good friends, fellow health coach, here, samantha Lee, super Lee, sam and I'm really excited to have her on because we're going to get into some juicy conversations that don't run away. It's not for you to run away, it's for you to really try and see new perspectives so that you can enjoy your health journey a little bit more. So, welcome, sam. Thank you so much for being here. Please introduce yourselves to everybody yourself. You're one person, everybody.

Sam:

Thank you, naomi, for having me. I'm really excited to have this conversation. So for everyone, hi, I'm Sam. My full name is actually Samantha Lee, but y'all could just call me Sam or coach Sam. I mean, I am a health coach, but I specialize in weight loss for women of color and I help them lose weight while eating their cultural foods, and so a lot of my story and my own weight loss journey is really stepping away from the Western diet culture and really coming back home to my roots and my ancestors and eating the things that I ate growing up, roots and my ancestors and eating the things that I ate growing up, because in my journey I didn't see any of that in the media that like it's okay for us to have our culture, food, and so that's a lot of the work that I do with my clients so that they can make this lifestyle like sustainable, because once you become healthy, like you got to sustain it for life and yeah. So that's just a little bit about me, awesome.

Nai:

So, sam, the very first thing I would love to start talking about is weight. There is still so much conversations out here about depending on the number on the scale, not really understanding what the number means, expecting that when it is a specific number you will feel a specific way, and oftentimes I feel like, when I ask my clients or others, like why do they think this about this specific number, they tell me stories about 10 years ago, 15 years ago, when they were maybe that number and they felt good in their body or they looked a certain way. Can you share with us a little bit more on how do you see the number on the scale, what it means to you and how do you help your clients if they, if they, express concerns in that way?

Sam:

Yeah, to start off too, I just want to say, like, if you are, like, attached to the number of the scale or you tend to use that a lot as your data point of like this is how I know I'm achieving or I'm doing really well in my health journey, I just want to say like it's normal for you to think like that, because we've been trained to think like that an entire life. You probably have been weighed at the doctors. Your doctors has probably talked to you about BMI, but just so you know, bmi is not accurate. It does not include, like, our muscles and everybody has different types of bodies, right, and everybody has also different shapes and height, and so, like it doesn't accommodate those other variables that's happening in our body. And so I want to put that out there, because if you feel like, like, like you're overweight or your doctor has made these conversations with you, it's just to know that they are coming from a place of using the BMI and the BMI is outdated, right. I also say the BMI is racist too, because it just to know that they are coming from a place of using the BMI and the BMI is outdated, right. I also say the BMI is racist too, because it just doesn't include a ton of data itself. So that's like the first thing, right?

Sam:

Um, another thing that I see what the scale can give you is it's a good data point, but it doesn't show you the whole picture. And I say that because but it doesn't show you the whole picture. And I say that because there's so many different ways to measure health and the scale is just one of them. But also you have to keep in mind that like you're like, that number of the scale doesn't mean like, let's say, if you're weighing like 180 pounds right now, when you see 180 on the scale, it doesn't mean you have 180 pounds of fat. Like you have your bones, your organs, your muscles, like there's so many things and so, like you have to have different forms of measurement to help you feel confident in this journey.

Sam:

And a lot of times that is like body measurements for my clients. Some of my clients have also gotten DEXA scan, and DEXA scan is actually safe. It's just like a regular x ray that you would get the dentist or when you walk through the airport. It's that same amount of radiation, but it gives you more data on how much body mass do you actually have fat mass, bone density. Those things are more like true to the, to the holistic picture.

Sam:

If you're thinking about like am I on the healthy realm of things? And so if you don't have a different way of measuring, like your progress right now, like I would suggest that you have something like that, so you're just not so stuck to the scale to let yourself actually winning your journey right, because if you don't have that, it's going to be really hard for you to move past it. But that's why I also want to normalize, like, if you are attached to the number, there is some sort of stories there from your past or your childhood, or even just doctors comments, and I just want to normalize a lot of people's point of view about that, because it's not something that just stems from you. You were born with it, you were taught that.

Nai:

Absolutely. I don't see any real child. Unless they've been spoken to, they don't even think about these things. They are just who they are.

Nai:

And yeah, the BMI was not made for us. It was actually a mathematical equation that they started to use for white men there were soldiers or something like that, and they needed some sort of guide and it was all white men. And then the medical system adopted it and was like hey, let's use it. And, like you said, it doesn't take into account anything else. And a lot of times people are looking at this and they're like oh my gosh, I'm obese.

Nai:

According to the BMI, I'm obese and it's not taking into consideration everything else that you're talking about. So how do you help somebody who maybe has had some of these traumas on just focusing on this number and this belief of oh my gosh, I'm obese based on this, and they're looking at this number on the scale? How do you start to teach them that there is a different way and you mentioned one which was more on the measurement piece, but let's say, guiding them in the sense of mindset, on what should we be focusing on along the way, aside from all the measurement stuff, so that you start to adopt this lifestyle where you are making progress towards your goals and you're and you feel safe, letting go of maybe not looking at that number all the time or it not being what you want it to be in the long run.

Sam:

Yeah, well, the first thing that I always have my clients do is not weigh themselves as frequently as they did before they came to me. I have had some clients that they used to. They weigh themselves every day and so, like for the clients that do weigh themselves every day, we don't go from like an all or nothing approach, because, if you think about it, your nervous system is primed to see that number every morning. So if we take that skill away, you're gonna freak out right, and so it's not about like taking it out entirely, but it's like maybe it doesn't have to be every day, it could be once a week. And I find that for the clients that do it every day, if they do it once a week, it's almost kind of like, oh, like you're building that self-trust that the next time, when you do see the number, like a lot of time, it's just the same Like you're like oh, I'm the same from last week, Like it wasn't that big of a deal to not see it for like seven days.

Sam:

It gives you that realization, like, oh, like I don't have to be keeping an eye on myself all the time, but also it also helps you make better food decisions, because you're not like manipulating your food to manipulate the scale, that's such a good point.

Sam:

Yeah, and a lot of time people do that because they weigh themselves every day. It's like they have to watch, like what they're eating, and that's actually not making like the true eating habits come out, like your unfiltered eating habits, because you have something that you are, you know, trying to control. And so it's like, however many times you're weighing yourself, like let's just bring it down 50%, right, and then when you're doing that, just provide yourself a sense of like safety, like it's not that I'm not gonna weigh myself again, like I have a week, so let's just practice being in the moment, like let's focus on how do I feel when I'm going to have a chocolate for dessert tonight, how do I feel when I like skip lunch if I do skip lunch and like really paying attention to like what your body is saying, because when you don't have that scale as a noise, you are actually more present with the food in front of you, but you're able to like see what your body needs from you. And I'm just saying, like, when you're able to be present, that is where you get the most data about like how you're actually eating and you can get more information like oh, do I need to be on a consistent eating schedule? Or like, do I need to have better food quality on my plate? And the?

Sam:

The mindset that you need to have going into this is like I I'm gonna get to know myself so much better. Like I'm gonna get to know myself so much better. Like I'm going to get to know myself so much better. I am going to also like trust myself more. And when you do this activity from a place of, it's not that I'm going to throw the scale away, but it's like I just want to get to know myself better. You, you're more open to it. It's like you're collecting data for yourself and not for the weight loss itself.

Nai:

Ooh, I love that. I love that, and I want to talk a little bit about something that you mentioned controlling what you eat based on the. I think that's how you said it controlling what you eat or choosing what to eat based on the number that you see on the scale. Yeah, there's been so many times where I've spoken to my own clients and they're like, oh my gosh, I went on vacation and I came back and the scale is the same, or like it went down, or I ate, I don't know whatever it was the night before and the scale was up the next day. Can you talk a little bit more about that? That like strategy, is it something that that works? How should we look at it, then, differently?

Sam:

I mean, like whenever you go on vacation, you are gonna gain some weight when you come back, because just there's so many things happening like different types of foods right, you're holding water, and if you are losing weight, that's great. But also I think like, like it's just one data point, and I think this is where my what is a technical system, sam, comes in with data points like we need a lot of data point, not just one for the whole story, and I always check in like how are you feeling, though?

Sam:

Because if that strategy doesn't actually work for you and you don't feel good, like, let's say, you come back from vacation and you lost a lot of weight, but you actually don't feel good because you didn't get to enjoy your time with your family, you didn't get to drink the pina colada on the beach and you chose water instead.

Sam:

Because you're like I'm trying to, you know, lose weight or just be healthy, be healthy and you didn't really get to like do the things that you love or eat the things that you love, and you kind of find yourself restricting.

Sam:

Then, like that's not a proper way to go about it, because you're not going to be able to do that for every vacation, you know, versus like if you came from a place of like oh, like, I'm gonna go on vacation, I'm gonna try to be intentional, but I'm not gonna like beat myself up when I come back and see what the progress is like, then you go into it with more intention. But also, when you come back, if the number does go up a little bit or it's not where you want it to be, like you're not like um, gonna beat yourself up for it because you have prepared yourself for that scenario before you went. And so I think, like it's a case-by-case scenario, like depending on how the person is utilizing the strategy. From what I have seen is like for a lot of my clients, it's when they use the scale against themselves because they're like using that as like the final tester. Like, am I like doing a good job when really like you're not doing a good job if you're feeling shitty about what you did right and so even if you ate really healthy in the weight drop, if you felt shitty the entire process, like that's not something that you should be proud of because that's also like not good for you and your in your health overall yeah, absolutely.

Nai:

I totally agree with that one. It's it's not get getting the results when you're not even feeling good about it and you're beating yourself up is no way to sustain like a health and wellness lifestyle. I'll say that much. Okay, so you are a personal trainer as well, and I cannot wait to get into this conversation about strength training, because it's something that, yes, it's super important, and the conversations are getting louder and louder about women lifting heavy things and doing strength training, and I sense that there's this feeling of overwhelm in a lot of people when it comes to this conversation. So can you please share a little bit more with us? Why is strength training important or not, and is it as complicated as people make it seem to be?

Sam:

Yeah, yes, I'm excited about this too. First off, I just want to say I feel like I feel like we're getting a throwback, because I feel like the health weight loss industry right now is going back to 2016, and I say that because around that time, that was when strength training started, um, booming for women, and it was like, oh you, you should lift weights, because lifted weights doesn't make you buff, and I just feel like it's coming back around again. When people are talking about it, I feel like the past couple years has been about like hit, like high intensity interval training, circuit training, crossfit and running, and now it's like strength training again. So I just feel like seeing the trends come back around is kind of funny, um, but in terms of strength training, I think it is valuable for everyone in their bodies, especially for women, and that's because, as we get older, we also lose muscle mass and, naomi, I know you, you and I have had conversations about this, and so we want to preserve that as much as possible, because having more muscle means we also have a higher metabolism, and so if you want to be able to eat more and not worry about gaining weight, or even if you just want to feel better, right, like muscles are gonna help you do that and I and I should probably have like a shirt that says muscle saves lives, because I say that so much but I talk about how, like you know, like when you're in your 90s, like you want to be able to like sit down on your toilet and get back up and so it's also like uh, as you're getting older and you are losing muscle, naturally you want to be able to preserve them, because you want to be able to do the basic things as you get older, which is like sitting down, getting back up or just like the lifestyle that you want, like reaching overhead or picking something

Sam:

up from the floor or just watching your grandkids, if you want to have kids and that has kids, you know, and so there's like all these little oh, maybe you want to go play with your friend. Like I'm thinking about when I'm like 60, 70, I still want to go out with my friends. We could go. We could go out for brunch, like I want to be able to take myself, and so, yes, like strength training is important in that way, and it's also like good aesthetically, like if you're someone who like want to lose weight but you don't want to just look flat and you want to have some definition like that needs muscle.

Sam:

Muscle is what creates the definition like I remember yeah, I remember when I like lost a ton of weight I was so surprised, like that I got to my goal weight, but I didn't look like how I thought I did in my head because I didn't have a lot of muscle at that time. I was like what I thought it just you just have the curves automatically, like no, you, you actually have to build the curves, right you heard that.

Nai:

You heard that. If you're listening, this is a very important point. Weight loss does not equal curvaceous body. You might end up looking like you do not expect that that certain way. Anyway, go ahead. That was like a disclaimer I had to do that's why, like.

Sam:

That's why, like it's so important to incorporate some sort of strength training, because if you're just focusing on weight loss, you aren't going to lose weight, but you might not look like how you would want you know when you get to that goal weight, because you need some, your body needs some texture and some definition too as well.

Sam:

If that's, if that's your type of body type, um, but I will say like, I think a lot of times, because people are getting so overwhelmed right now because of you know the trend and I think because of the scientific things behind it, I think the one thing I just want to say as you're listening to this, if you want to get into it, is, you could just start off at home. It doesn't have to be that big of a deal. I think people think that strength training means you have to have weights with you, but if you are someone who are really like just new to this, you using your own body weight is also hard. Yeah, like squatting. I don't know how much you weigh right now as you're listening to this, but like, if you're like 150, you're squatting 150. Because that's your entire body, and so it's also like realizing that you doing body weight workouts is also strength training because you're lifting yourself.

Sam:

So I just want to lay that foundation out if that, if it feels overwhelming to you to step into the gym, if you feel a little bit of gym intimidation.

Sam:

I know I felt a lot of gym intimidation, like I'll go in and I'll be like, who are all these?

Sam:

Like hockey jock people, like the jock boys right in there, or just like people who knew what they were doing, and I just go in there kind of clueless and so like recognizing that body weight is also some form of strength training.

Sam:

Now there is going to be a point where, like, you're going to get stronger and you can't use your body weight anymore because it doesn't feel as challenging. And when you get to that point then yes, you can get a gym body weight anymore because it doesn't feel as challenging. And when you get to that point then yes, you can get a gym. But what I often find is like when you get confident and comfortable with your body weight training, you can step into the gym and it won't feel as intimidating Because you have built that muscle rep but also you have built that confidence in you and it's not as scary as it used to be. And then work out from there. But I think the overwhelm, like you said, comes from thinking that you need to go from sitting down on your desk all day to like lifting four to five times a week at a gym, when really that's a very drastic change. That is not sustainable anyways.

Nai:

Yeah, absolutely, and something that you like, starting off with your own body weight, or however you want to start YouTube videos um lifting up like cans of beans I don't know, I've used like really ridiculous things. Yeah.

Nai:

Rice bags detergent containers, soup, my suitcase when I was traveling, um. So just to say you can get creative. But the most important thing to build is that habit. You cannot get to being like you said.

Nai:

Going from sitting at a desk all day to expect yourself to be at a gym five days a week which I'll get to in a second is a drastic change and it's a habit to build.

Nai:

And if you're going five steps ahead of yourself then it might be really hard to stick to it. So what I always encourage people to do is start to build that habit. If you say you're going to work out, then start doing those squats in your house and build the habit of exercising then where you do it is not that big of a deal, because now you've already started to build that habit. So now maybe you've graduated to doing a group class, or you've graduated to hiring a personal trainer or to doing weights on your own. So just know that there are levels and the most important piece, I believe, is to build that consistency wherever it's helpful for you to stick to, to the program or whatever the habit is. Now, something I mentioned is, oh, going to the gym five times a week realistically speaking, sam, how often and for how long do we need to be hitting the weights or doing some sort of exercise? What does that look like? And is it just strength that we should be doing?

Sam:

Honestly. I mean, if you want to get into strength training, one hour a week is good, Like I have a client right now that I see weekly for an hour and she is in her 40s, like late 40s. So I'm just gonna say that out there in case you're like I'm too old for this. It's like no, she's in her late 40s and she's never lifted weights before.

Sam:

When we started she could barely lift 10 pounds and then now she's squatting like over 130 pounds that's amazing and it's only been like about eight months, so like once a week, right, but like she was able to do that starting, like she got there around month three, four. So I just say that because, like, if you can't squeeze it in as much as you know what people are, you like, four to five times a week, just dedicate one hour to some sort of lifting, some sort of using your body other than cardio or, you know, walking and anything like that. It could be just as a simple body weight workout that you find on YouTube or something, a simple body weight workout that you find on YouTube or something. And in terms of like other things, like, if you want to, if you could dedicate one hour stream training. That's all you need, that's all you need.

Sam:

And then the other days that you have available, let that be activities that maybe you do enjoy doing. Maybe it's like volleyball, maybe it's like a fitness class or yoga or orange theory or um, you know some sort of like swimming class or something like that, but like if you could just dedicate one hour a week, that's enough, and I I just say that because I I think people need to hear that more. Like it doesn't need to take a long time for you to get strong, but also doesn't need to take like a lot of your time throughout the week to to get into this momentum of building muscle and preserving your muscle.

Nai:

you know, at this rate, yeah, I have to say that when I first started my journey, uh, I I think for women, age is important. Age is important to mention because there are very big shifts in hormones that kind of dictate different strategies. So when I started, I was 30 and I only had time to go to the gym for strength once a week and it was a group class and that got me amazing results. I was going from nothing and from having two babies to an hour a week and the thing is that I remain consistent with that and consistency can look any which way for you, but that was. I was like that's what I have time for and that's what I'm going to stick to. So that consistency adds up, it pays dividend and it's like compound interest. It will build on each other.

Nai:

My gym routine looks a little bit different now because it's like almost like nine years later, but it works, especially if you're going from just starting off. Yeah, like again, there's different levels. Was this something similar for you? I know you've had like your own, like what's it called Journey with fitness.

Sam:

I when I first started out. So I actually started out with Insanity, and if you don't know what Insanity is, it's beach body Insanity, it's HIIT, interval interval training. So it's high intensity, circus style.

Sam:

You literally have no breaks in between while you're doing exercises and then I went into strength training and at the time, because I was in college, I had a lot of time, um, between classes, uh, and so I was able and I and at the time I also was working out on the weekends when I didn't have classes so I was actually working out between five to seven times a week and I would take at least an hour and a half to two hours because I was like this is a, this is my free time, I can do whatever I want.

Sam:

And then after I graduated, I was still hitting the gym, but I it went down to like an hour, to like about an hour and a half after like stretching. And then now, because I'm kind of like in my running era, like I just love running, right now I don't strength train as much as I did. Back then it used to be like four to five times a week, and then now it's been like twice a week, and then I'm running the other two days, the other two, three days. And so I have noticed a big difference, because when I transitioned from like strength training to like running right away, I kind of did like a full on all or nothing. So I went from like strength training to to like running with no strength training, and then I finished like my 10k, 5k and my half a marathon doing that and I'm like I I learned how that made my body felt, like I feel like if I was strength training while I was running, at the same time I would have been stronger in my races, and so I saw the like.

Sam:

I saw the effects of that earlier this year when I just didn't do strength training as much from January to June, and then I started implementing it again this, you know, recently, because I'm running for a 10k again soon and I've noticed a really big difference. And so I say that because, like because I've been on the other side of the spectrum where I was really like high intensity and then I went from like just having a strength training era and then now just running, and then now I'm doing a blend of everything. I'm seeing like a big difference on like, when I have it, when I don't have it, how my muscles feel, how I feel, and like the strength, because strength training has helped me run faster and better. But also so good.

Sam:

I have noticed like I'm able to eat more and not have to worry about gaining weight, cause right now I don't want to gain weight, right? If you guys are in a place where you don't want to gain weight, strength training is going to help you do that, and right now I'm only doing it twice a week for like 45 minutes, so it's not something that's taking me like a long time.

Nai:

Yeah, absolutely. I'm so happy that you've had those experiences and you shared them with us, because there are um situations where people are like I only want to run, that's all I want to do. Why do I have to do this? And, as exactly what you said, it's all complimentary to each other there. There needs to be this flow because running is important and so, with strength training, they both hold value. They're complimentary to each other as an in addition to like active recovery days and mobility and all those things. But I'm glad you shared the experience on how no, actually, and including the food to like all these things together make me a better athlete.

Sam:

Yeah, yeah, but it's like you can't get there unless you're consistent, right.

Sam:

And so that's why it kind of goes back to like, if you are not even working out right now, that just dedicate yourself once a week. And I think, like when I coach my clients on that for the first time sometimes and I don't know if you feel this way with your clients too, naomi they'll be like sam, you only want me to work out once a week. That's not enough. Like I'm not gonna get to my goals fast enough, and I'm like well, do you think doing three or four is gonna be something that you can keep up with, you know, for the next month? And they're like no, and it's like okay, then we gotta start with one, because one is gonna become two and the two is gonna become three.

Sam:

And I think we all underestimate that, because we all have this like perception about, like what our dream workout routine look like.

Sam:

Like.

Sam:

Maybe you follow people on Instagram.

Sam:

You're like, oh, like I want to be able to lift like her, or I want to be able to run as fast as she does, and you have this like idea that when you work out, that is your routine, but like you can't get there unless, like, you work with what you have right now and the only way you're going to get to your dream workout routine is the once a week if you're not working out at all right now, right, and then I've also talked to clients where they're walking like three to four times a week and I'm like, all right, let's swap some of those walks with something else.

Sam:

And they'll be like, and I'm like you're already working out four times a week, you just need to swap it out like this is where you like swap habits and then you add and layer things on and it just it makes it easier for your brain to comprehend that this is simple to do, because when you are overwhelmed, it's just because you're trying to jump too many steps forward, and I think we all need to just recognize that's what causes overwhelm.

Sam:

It's not necessarily like the information itself.

Nai:

Yes, let things work themselves out. Set yourself up for success. I feel like it's another way to do it, because if you already if just thinking about where are you going to find time to do this three times a week, and you haven't even started and it's not part of your habit and you're getting used to it, it's going to be so stressful, is going to defeat the purpose. And then, when you can barely make it to day two, it's going to be so stressful, is going to defeat the purpose. And then, when you can barely make it to day two, it's going to feel like failure, like, oh my gosh, you see I can't do this, it's not for me. But if you focus on that one day a week, like Sam is saying, and you start to meet that goal week after week after week, then it's like damn, you're proud of yourself, you're sticking to it, you see that you can do this. And something that has happened with me is I have wanted to increase my days at the gym.

Nai:

My body requires it at this point and I did only start with one day and then, I tried for two days and just keeping that in mind, like, oh, I would like to add a third day, let's see how I can. Things just worked out in that way where I just remained curious and I was like, let's see where I can do this, and I also, because now I do have a personal trainer. I would talk to him and I would be like, hey, these are the goals. And he knew that too, and together we helped, like me, find more time where I can do that. So just give yourself the time, right?

Sam:

Yeah, give yourself the time. And like, if you add it on another day, it's just like if you're already doing once a week and you want to add on a second day, like Naomi, don't add another hour at like 15 minutes yeah, you know what I mean.

Nai:

Like it doesn't have to be a full day of a workout that you've already done, right, and something to that point. Um, just use your environment to move. This is another thing, like it doesn't have to be in a dedicated space all the time. I love, um, I'm in New York city, so it's just a little bit different if you're commuting and walking, but it's like, use the stairs at the office instead of the elevator or whatever building you go into, If that's accessible, go out for those walks, get off a stop or two from the bus or the train or the subway, wherever you're going. So there's just simple ways to incorporate movement in your day, throughout your day, throughout the week. That doesn't have to be specifically at the gym that can benefit you so much. I mean, you can do squats anywhere.

Sam:

Yeah, you do in your shower if you want to. Oh, my gosh water gets in your eyes.

Nai:

No, no that sounds.

Sam:

I don't want people slipping and falling well you're standing right, but I mean you're not. Yeah, just don't do it where it's safe.

Nai:

Caution do it outside the tub when your feet are not wet, but I do that all the time. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see me in bathroom stalls like squat's cool.

Sam:

I think it's just like priming. The main thing that I think we're taking away from this conversation is just train your body to move. Like when you have become like so, like not movable I don't know if that's a word like when you've just not have moved in such a long time, your body is going to not know what it's like to move again, and I think you just need to really be like okay, like this is what we're meant to do, like we just got to keep moving. And you'll notice too, once you start moving you don't want to sit still. Like sometimes I have a hard time sitting still because I'm like I need to go, I need to move, because I'm I'm feeling like I'm not myself, and so it's just a learning your body and then learning it again unlearning your body and then learning it again.

Nai:

Oh, I love that. Yeah, the movement jitters, okay. So what about if you are, you know, just very unmotivated to start and you just feel like you're destined to follow your family's path into disease or into obesity, overweight path into disease or into obesity, overweight? Because this is just what you see over and over again and as, let's say, first gen women of color maybe this wasn't modeled for us growing up, or something like that and you will be the first, like the first, to incorporate these habits. Not only that, you're also battling with so much societal pressures and misinformation and just guidance that maybe does not apply to you. How, then, do you start that conversation in making this new path for yourself, your future family in movement, when this has never been your thing and you're just like already disqualifying yourself and saying that you're just going to be where your family is?

Sam:

Yeah, I this is a really tough one, because I I mean, I'm just gonna say the hard truth as you're listening to this. It's like whether you choose to stay where you are or whether you choose to change, they're both going to be just as painful.

Sam:

They're both just going to be as uncomfortable. It's just which uncomfortable do you want? And I say that from a place of deep love, because that is something I had to go through in my own journey as well. Right, like I remember, just like seeing my parents never taking care of themselves um, I'm actually, I was actually the one that forced them to go to the gym, because at the time, I couldn't get a gym membership unless I had a guardian. I'm like you guys need to sign up so I can go. So I actually forced my parents to go to the gym, but I grew up seeing them like overwork themselves a lot.

Sam:

My parent, my mom, took care of us all the time, like we were like her entire life, and so, like I just knew that if I wasn't going to be the first one, like I was just going to end up like them, like I'm going to be like a burnout mom, I'm going to be someone who's always overextending myself, and I didn't want that.

Sam:

And I think what got me out of that to feel motivated to take action for myself was like if I could help myself, I knew that I could help them and I know, like, as women of color, as much as we don't want to be like our you know our parents, or we don't want to have the same health state as them, or we like we. There's a lot of things we don't want to have exactly like them. We have to recognize that in order for us to get out of that place like we have to also be a little bit selfish and work on ourselves first, so that we can bring back and and help our people in our community. And because a bunch of us have big hearts, we are community-led people. We're always going to do that. But it starts off with you right, and so if you're feeling like super unmotivated or just in this very defeated place, I do want you to like acknowledge your emotions around that, normalize it and hold space for yourself. That it does.

Sam:

It makes sense why you feel this way, but I also want you to know that it's not your fault, um, it's the system's fault yeah and I think, like, when you come from that perspective of, oh like, the reason why my parents don't know how to be healthy is not because they did on purpose. Our parents never did it on purpose. They just don't have the information or the knowledge or, like, the language right to like speak to doctors or to consume the information that we can consume now, and so, like, they literally like did their best. And I think, when you see it from a place of the way the system is built, it's for us to really like get into like it's I'm gonna say that again it's like the system is built for us to rely on medication, as much as you don't want to hear, and so like, of course, we're not going to get accessible health information and so like, of course, this is why, like, our parents may be at the place that they are, because they just don't know how to get out of it, and so, when you can have that amount of sympathy for yourself, you can also have that amount of sympathy for the people that you love, and then you can want to change from that place, but it has to be from, uh, like, I want to do this because I love myself and I love my people more than like I. I want to do this because I just want to look good and I don't want to lose some weight like. Like that's not going to really like push you during the hard times, you know, um. So like. That's like the first piece of it. And then the second piece that I want to like add on to that is your family is not going to like it.

Sam:

When you're the first one, they're gonna make some comments. They're gonna be like oh so you think you're so cool now because you're eating healthy. Or they're probably gonna be like, oh, so you think you're better than us now. But that's the process and that's why you have to have a really big why on why you're doing this. I know that sounds super basic, but like you have to have a strong why like eye on why you're doing this. I know that sounds super basic, but like you have to have a strong why. Like why are you doing this? For the version of you right now? Like, how would that change your life today? Like, if you had a better relationship with food, you had more muscle, you looked like how you want to look in the mirror. How would that change today? And then why do you want to do this for the 90 year old version of you?

Sam:

because I always think there's a version of you right now, and then there's a 90 year old version of you, and then why do you want to do this for the people that you love? And if you can answer those three questions, like you gonna be fucking motivated. Yeah, like it's. It's like finding the reasons to do this for yourself, other than like because Suzy lost 50 pounds in like 30 days on YouTube and you just want to be like that.

Sam:

You know, Like it's so much deeper than just the physical look, and I think you have to see it in that way to move you, Because otherwise you, Naomi, you and I would not be here if it was just all about the looks no, I don't think it would have lasted this long, absolutely not.

Sam:

No and I think it's surprising to people when we say that. But it is true, it's like now we're doing it and we're helping people and we're in our journeys right, but it's like we we do it because we want to live a long life. I know you're doing it for your kids, too, and your family, but also like it's just the people that come after you too, but you can't think about other people yet until you can think about yourself.

Nai:

Oh, that's a good one.

Sam:

So that's why you have to do it for yourself first. When I started my journey, it was all for pure selfish reasons. Me too, actually.

Nai:

Yeah, now that you mentioned that that is so true. And then it just evolves, but like it's always pure selfish.

Sam:

So you gotta be fucking selfish like if you don't want to end up like your parents with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure.

Nai:

Like I said, there's no shame in that the system did not support them to have that kind of access right then you got to be selfish yeah, I, I want to add on to that because that's such a good point and I feel like there's this, uh, I don't want to say like a generation gap if you're like your first gen, but this is this disconnect more because, let's say, if your parents were back although, like I feel like every country now is just like susceptible to freaking capitalism and ultra processed foods and all these things but originally, how our families would used to live in their countries of origin was a lot more what's it called Like encouraging to be in a state of health just by living your everyday life. And coming to America, a lot of things changed. So maybe your parents, grandparents, were in survival mode. They did not have access or the language, like Sam said, or the time it was a lot on survival, and now they were presented with all these conveniences that America brings, and now we're seeing how corrupt these systems are and how our parents maybe did not get the access to build these habits because they were literally had to focus on other things that were meant for their survival and and other cultural things like maybe putting themselves last.

Nai:

And it's not okay to be selfish. Like Sam was saying, the initial reason is pure selfish reasons, which is okay. And then here we are, seeing what's happening, hopefully, and wanting to make that change. And it's like man, if you want to make a change, you have to take different actions and, like Sam was saying, you might get those side comments from people I know I definitely have, and I'm sure you have too where you just have to stand strong in your why to keep going.

Nai:

But I feel like this generation has a huge responsibility, because the medical system and society is not set up to foster this health and wellness lifestyle. We have to be very mindful, self-aware and just very present in making these decisions and choosing this for us, so that we can have a little bit or as much impact as we want to, not only on the future generations, like kids, nieces and nephews, like any anyone that you interact with, but also lending a hand to our parents too, like because you wanted to go to the gym, your parents ended up there because you're like, you're gonna bring me here, right?

Sam:

yeah, and like, going back to just, I want to say something for this topic too is like, yeah, the only reason why I can advocate for my parents now at the doctor is because I've done it myself. Like sometimes when my mom goes get her a checkup, and she's like, oh, my doctor says that I have this and I have that, and I'm like, did you ask? Like next time when you go, like ask them about this, or like she'll talk to me before she goes, and she's like, oh, what should I ask her? And I'll like, come and have a conversation with my mom, be like, ok, this is what you need to ask your doctor, this is if they're prescribing you this. And you need to just like getting more information, because I don't know, like I don't know about y'all, but a lot of my doctor visits sometimes they're good, sometimes they're not.

Sam:

Sometimes I feel like they don't give you a lot of information. They're just kind of like everything looks normal, but then things are elevated in your charts and you're just kind of like well, what does this mean? Like, does this mean that it's something dangerous? Do I need to be keeping an eye on this? You know, there's just a lot of things that, and especially women too like we have just such different bodies than men that I feel like now more women research stuff is coming out and they're realizing like, oh, we're just so different and we need to be treated differently from how they're treating men in terms of symptoms, and so, like I'm able to have those conversation with them and then I'm also able to like help my dad with that too, um and like show them how to like incorporate their culture foods into their diet, because when they go to the doctor, the doctor's always like oh yeah, you just need to eat chicken breasts and some broccoli.

Sam:

And like, make sure you don't have rice. If you're gonna have rice, it has to be brown rice or it has to be quinoa or oatmeal. My parents are just like I don't eat those things. You know what I mean. And so it's like, because I'm able to do that for myself, I could do that for them. And I'm not saying that you need to get to a place of doing that like how I'm doing it with my parents, but the more you know how to advocate for yourself, it's just easier to like help your loved ones go through that process and you're able to know, like at least what to ask you know, and it makes the process less stress. But you get more information so you don't get misdiagnosed, and I think that's like the biggest thing.

Nai:

Yeah, oh my gosh, yeah, that's such a good point.

Nai:

If you don't know for yourself, then you're not going to be able to help loved ones for sure. So I said this comment to one of my clients and it kind of made her eye twitch and I just posted about it on Instagram. And I just want to get your way in on this, because I think there's this big assumption that you do this lifestyle, whatever it is, eating, well, you're going to the gym, all this and there's a end point to it, like, oh, you do this for six months and then you're going to get the results that you want and then that's it. You go back to doing whatever it was that you were doing before, because that's so much better, that's what you want. Or, oh, you do this for a year and then that's it, it ends.

Nai:

And I basically told her that the reason why people have such a hard time staying consistent or enjoying this process or this journey is because they believe that there is an end game to it, that there's this line that you don't have to worry about any of this anymore. And I believe that that's not true. There's no end game. We just have to keep going and leveling up. So what are your thoughts on this?

Sam:

I mean, I agree, there's definitely no end game. The end game is when you're no longer in this earth. Yes, that is the end game. Yeah, and I'm pretty sure all of us want to live really long lives, and so there's really no end game. Because here's the thing what you want right now, like in terms of your body and your health.

Sam:

Once you get there, you're going to have different goals. You're going to have different body goals, different health goals. It's always going to keep evolving. Just think about it. Like, if you're in a job right now and they sign you at 80K a year, you're not going to be at 80K all the time. You're going to be like you're going to want a bigger salary each time, right, just because you want it.

Sam:

And so it's not from a place of like when you first start out. It is going to be a place of, oh, I feel like I need this and I want this for my body. You know my body really needs this to be taken care of, but eventually it evolves into this kind of like I desire this for my body now that I know more about my body and my health. Like I even want this for it and I was just telling Naomi that, because I've gone through, like, my weight loss journey maintaining it, strength training, running Now I'm seeing, like I'm getting interested in hormones, understanding that more now that I'm going to be going into my 30s because I can't train the way that I used to train when I was in my early 20s Like I'm even seeing, like the difference of like how my body is changing, and it's not a bad thing, right, but it's just more of like, oh, of like how my body is changing, and it's not a bad thing, right, but it's just more of like, oh, like my body is also evolving as I'm aging, and so that means that my goals are also never ending.

Sam:

Like, yeah, you're learning about your body every single stage as you are on this earth. It's not like I mean it could an end game If, let's say, we just have the same metabolism in our twenties for the rest of our lives, and like we didn't have hormone changes. It must be nice to be a guy, right, cause that's probably how they are.

Nai:

But closer to that.

Sam:

Yeah, but it's like you know, like we're women, so we have so many things that we have to worry about too. And so you're always, even if you feel like you've reached your weight loss goal or your health goal, there's going to be more that comes after that, because your body is going to change again yes, without you wanting to, and so you're going to have to work with it. So it's all about, like, how can, how can I build this relationship with it when we're so connected that when something feels off, I know and I know what to do with it. Versus like I'm only going to do this until I hit this goal and I'm going to stop, because once you stop, you still have to. Once you stop, once you reach that goal, you're still going to have to maintain it.

Sam:

Like I was just telling Naomi, you can get your blood work done at your physical and get your A1C and your cholesterol and all that stuff that might feel like very like anxious to you and you might have a lot of fear around it and you, you could pass it for this year, but what about next year? What about the year after that? It's like it's always this, like constant thing, and so it's not about when do I get to the end. It's like, how do I do this? How do how do I make this so sustainable, that I don't, that it doesn't disrupt my daily life, that I can always keep up with it. I think like that's the question. It's it's not about waiting until life is less chaos. It's like how can I bring life with me while doing this?

Nai:

oh, I love that. And I would think to myself I'm like what would you Like to me? I just don't even know, like, what are you going to go do? Like I don't know. Like it just baffles my mind a little bit at this point and I think, like, what would I do? What was I doing before? And I'm like, oh, and it was probably like sleeping in, staying out late like this before kids, y'all. I'm like you know 20s.

Nai:

And that's what I was doing. I was like sleeping in, staying up late, going out, drinking, doing all these things, and if I really, if I'm so honest with myself, it felt shitty and I was just doing it because that's what people like my peers were doing and I thought it was a cool thing to do, but it didn't feel good and it wasn't getting me to a place where I wanted to be. I was pre-diabetic before I was 30 years old, so I'm like, do I really want to stop doing what I'm doing, to go back to that, even at a higher speed and rate, because I'm just X amount older now? I don't think so, and something that you mentioned earlier is like you're going to have to kind of pay the price or it's going to be hard one way or another, and it's choosing the heart that you want, and I really truly believe that this hard in a in a wellness journey has so much more enjoyable moments than hard moments, and I don't know if you agree with that, but yeah no, it is.

Sam:

And I think one thing that I want to leave everybody with is even if you don't start now, you're gonna have to start later. There's no like I can't, I'm not gonna start. It's either now or later, like because your going to eventually catch up to you. So even if you don't want to do it right now, you're gonna have to do it later, like. So it's like do you want to do it now? Do you want to do it later? And some people they do want to do it later, which is fine, you know. And there's some people who do it when they get news from the doctors um sometimes they get like a wake-up call.

Sam:

I'm not that type of person. I don't like wake-up calls because it gives me anxiety. I tend to make sure I don't get wake-up calls. But I've had some clients where they they need that wake-up call right for them to do something about it. It just depends on the person. But just know you don't have a. There's not really like a, I don't want to do this and I'm not going to do it. It's like either you're going to have to do it now or later. It's just. That's just how our human body works. So you have to take care of it now or you have to take care of later or accept the consequences that come with not doing anything.

Sam:

Yeah, and I know all of us that's listening to this you don't want to accept the consequence. If you're listening to this episode right now, it's because you want to do something about it.

Nai:

Yeah, yeah, right, if you're searching.

Sam:

Yeah, like if you're listening to health stuff right now and you're trying to figure things out, like give yourself credit for that and give yourself like the pat on the back, like, yeah, like I don't want to get to that point, get to that point, a lot of us don't want to get to that point. You know what I mean.

Nai:

Yeah for sure. With that said, sam, thank you for all of those gems. It was really empowering for me and, I hope, for you, to the listener listening to this and just really appreciating a different way to think about things. I feel like that's how my mind started to change when I would listen to other people's mindset and points of views. I didn't even know that was available to me or it was even a thing. So thank you, sam, for sharing your perspective and your thoughts with everybody who's listening, so that they can gain that from this conversation as well, so that they can gain that from this conversation as well. And if you need support, please tell us how we can support you and how people can work with you and how you can help them and they can reach you.

Sam:

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. This was so fun. I feel like Naomi and I can talk all day long, but we won't talk all day long. So you can find me on Instagram, at SuperlySam, so SuperlySam, facebook, also superlysam, and then I have a podcast called your Winning Journey, so it's on Apple and Spotify. So if you want to listen to me every week about topics like this, you can go subscribe to the podcast. If you want to work with me, I have my six-month one-on-one coaching program, and so this is a program if you want to lose 20 pounds or more, eating your culture foods. At the same time, we don't do tracking calories or restricting in this program. It's all about being connected to your body and creating healthy eating and workout habits. That is sustainable to you in your life right now. And so, to apply, you can visit superlysamcom slash link and then you can book the free sales call there and then we'll chat to see if it's a great fit.

Nai:

Awesome, and I'll make sure to have all of those resources in the show notes so it's super easy for you to reach Sam. Yeah, sam. Any last words, anything you would like to share before we say goodbye?

Sam:

I mean, just go do it. That's what I'm gonna say. You're listening to this episode. You got you listen to an hour of this. You got an hour to do something like next, to move your body.

Nai:

That is a good one. Just go, do it. Choose one thing and go to it. All right, thank you, sam, again for being here and sharing your gems. Thank you for listening and we'll see you next week on wealthy generation. Bye.