Nutrition Made Simple Podcast Episode 13: How Kenny Daniels Lost 62# With CrossFit & Nutrition Coaching At Portside Fitness

Nicole Aucoin (00:04):
Welcome to the Nutrition Made Simple podcast. At Healthy Steps Nutrition, we believe something as fundamental as nutrition, shouldn’t be complicated. This is why we focus on a simple habit-based approach when working with clients. I’m your host, Nicole Aucoin, registered dietitian and founder, Healthy Steps Nutrition, CrossFit HSN, and HSN Mentoring. I’m also the author of the Healthy Kids Cookbook, 100% kid-approved recipes for the whole family. My kids and I actually wrote the cookbook during the pandemic and it is available on Amazon.

Nicole Aucoin (00:39):
In this brand new podcast, we will be teaching you how to take one step at a time to becoming the healthiest version of yourself. Today, I’m so excited to be sharing the story of Kenny Daniels. What I love about his story is that his coach created a plan for him that was so simple. People think if they want to be successful with losing weight, they have to change all the things right now. But in reality, he did the exact opposite of that and he lost over 60 pounds in seven months. Yep. 60 pounds. Can you imagine losing that much weight in only seven months? That’s nothing.

Nicole Aucoin (01:18):
He said it over and over again. It was so, so simple. We’re going to be talking about exactly what he did during this podcast. It really came down to one thing, his coach being consistent with trickling information to him and not overwhelming him with too much at one time. That is our goal at Healthy Steps Nutrition. I personally have a goal that I want clients to tell me, “That’s it. That’s all you want me to do?” Yep. That’s it. Be consistent with that one thing. Then I promise I’ll add the next thing to the plate.

Nicole Aucoin (01:53):
In this episode, Kenny and I discuss his journey to losing over 60 pounds in seven months. How his coaches, Sarah and Melinda from Portside Fitness helped him and what was vital to his success when changing his lifestyle completely. We’ll get to this episode right after this message.

Nicole Aucoin (02:14):
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Nicole Aucoin (02:39):
Enjoy this story with Kenny Daniels. Kenny Daniels, welcome to the Nutrition Made Simple podcast.

Kenny Daniels (02:49):
Thanks. Thank you for having me.

Nicole Aucoin (02:51):
I am so excited to share your story. You are a nutrition and PT client of Portside with Sarah and Melinda, who have run HSN for awhile. Melinda’s actually part of our mentoring staff and you just have such an inspiring story that we had to get you on this podcast and share it.

Kenny Daniels (03:10):
I’m so excited to share it. It’s been a life-changing six months, that’s for sure. Something I didn’t think I was capable of. I’ve achieved the goal I set and I’m continuing to make progress. I’m excited to tell my story.

Nicole Aucoin (03:27):
I love it. Let’s walk me back to six months ago. What prompted you to come to the gym?

Kenny Daniels (03:35):
To be honest, the pandemic was a big catalyst and finally realizing I needed to do something. There were people my age who, other than their weight issues or having issues with COVID and it really scared me, being something that I could have prevented. Overall, I just wanted a healthier life, a healthier attitude and a healthier mentality. I think this year was the wake up for me.

Nicole Aucoin (04:03):
I think it was a wake up for a lot of people. I think we’ve seen so many trends of like, “Hey, I’m stuck at home. I have no idea how to cook. I have no idea what’s right for me to eat and I need someone to help me.” You signed up for personal training and ended up being a part of the nutrition program as well as Sarah. Walk me through, what were your goals? What did success look like to you six months ago? You said, “I hit my goal.” What was that goal?

Kenny Daniels (04:30):
Well, I had several goals. The first one is going to sound a little funny, but I wanted to be able to walk into a clothing department and actually buy something that I liked, because of the way it looked, instead of just being able to fit me, to find something that was in my size. That was a goal.

Kenny Daniels (04:52):
Also, I had a number in mind of where I thought I should be, weight-wise. Where I thought I should be in order to be healthy. That was another goal. Also, I’m a caregiver for my father and that played a big part in this progression, because I need to be able to take care of him. If I’m not taking care of myself, he needs me or other people need me, then I feel like I’m just letting everyone down. There were a lot of goals, but that was my mindset going into it, that and the pandemic. I just knew it was time for a change.

Nicole Aucoin (05:34):
I love it. I think your first goal, “Hey, I want to be able to walk into a store and buy what I want and feel confident wearing it.” I want to feel good. We had someone on the podcast who’s lost 200 pounds recently. She said her biggest success was being able to walk into her closet and pick anything that she wants in her closet and feel like I can rock this. I think we all want to feel that way. We want to feel confident in the clothes and in our skin, right?

Kenny Daniels (06:03):
Yes. It makes a huge difference, just waking up and being able to feel good about how you look and to take on the day with that kind of mentality. It really gives you an edge going out into the world and it’s helped a lot. I can’t think of an aspect on my life that honestly it hasn’t improved.

Nicole Aucoin (06:27):
That is incredible. Let’s take a deep dive into that. Give me some examples of things that have improved because of the weight loss. We haven’t even discussed how much weight we’ve lost yet. Maybe we should talk about that first. How much weight have you lost in the course of six to seven months?

Kenny Daniels (06:44):
Right now I’m at 65 pounds.

Nicole Aucoin (06:47):
Holy cow.

Kenny Daniels (06:47):
It’s roughly about 10 a month. But you know, Christmas hit, so it slowed down just a little bit. I made it through Christmas and yeah, I’m approaching 70 pounds.

Nicole Aucoin (06:59):
Wow. What’s your end goal for how much weight you want to lose at the end of all of this?

Kenny Daniels (07:04):
I want to be able to keep a healthy range of 200 to 220. I don’t want a specific number constantly, but I want to be able to monitor myself. When I reach my top threshold to be able to pull myself back, look at my choices and get to that weight again. That way I’m not putting a goal out there that I can’t meet, because my weight constantly fluctuates.

Nicole Aucoin (07:30):
I love that. The best part of losing 60 pounds is that it wasn’t like you went on a super restrictive diet to do so.

Kenny Daniels (07:40):
No. No. That was the problem before. Even the word diet, it brings up the idea of you can’t, you can’t do this, you can’t do that. Sarah and Melinda really helped me realize that it’s not so much a diet as a lifestyle change. It’s the power of knowledge, of what the food does, what types of food you should be eating, how they help you throughout your day and the health benefits.

Kenny Daniels (08:10):
A big thing is just being able to stay on this track, have this lifestyle change. But also, when there are times where I may be celebrating, or I may be going out, not making myself feel guilty because I eat something, that at that moment may not be part of my lifestyle change, but I know that I’ll get back on track and that I can enjoy myself.

Nicole Aucoin (08:32):
Absolutely. You hit the nail on the head. The more you think about diets and what you can’t have, the more you automatically want to have those things, right?

Kenny Daniels (08:40):
Correct.

Nicole Aucoin (08:40):
If I tell you, “Kenny, we’re not having any cookies now where you’re going to figure out a way to have a cookie today.” Instead, okay, can we focus on a positive relationship with food? Can we focus on all the awesome things that we can have while having a healthy lifestyle. And if we want a little something, when we’re out for an event or Christmas or the holidays, and we have it and move on. Right?

Kenny Daniels (09:03):
Exactly. It really helps the stability of just life in general, because you’re always going to be tempted. If you know, if you have confidence that you know what you’re doing, you know you can get back to your routine. It kind of gets away from the guilt of giving in on a celebration or for Christmas, because you know you can jump back. It builds your self-esteem with your nutrition. It builds your self-esteem about your health. It’s easier to make the right decisions in the long run.

Nicole Aucoin (09:34):
I love it. You mentioned Sarah, Melinda both have really helped you on your journey. Walk me through, was this the first time that you’ve ever worked with a coach for fitness and nutrition?

Kenny Daniels (09:47):
It was not. Back in 2008, I was able to lose some weight, but I did not have the nutrition aspect. I was simply going to the gym and working on my fitness there. I did see some progress, but of course, the weight instantly came back, because if I missed a day or even still going to the gym, the weight would never consistently drop, because I wasn’t making the right decisions nutritionally. I didn’t have the knowledge then. While I did have some success back then, it was not permanent. I also felt like I was doing it for the wrong reasons. Whereas now, with Sarah and Melinda, not only do I have the exercise and the gym training and I’m working on strength, but more importantly, the knowledge of proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. The gains are just unbelievable.

Nicole Aucoin (10:44):
I love it. Their goal and all of our coaches, our goal is to keep it as simple as possible. You are like saying everything that we hope for in a nutrition client. I feel like this is a lifestyle. I feel confident. I feel like I can do this no matter what happens. It starts out with what Sarah did at the beginning to build that confidence with you. Right?

Kenny Daniels (11:07):
Right. The key was habits. I mean, it wasn’t this overload of… Everything that I’m doing now, if I look back seven months from now, and I was required to do them on day one, I wouldn’t have made it. But it’s this habit of, “Okay, you don’t eat breakfast. You should. Let’s talk about healthy breakfast. Let’s work on that this week.” Develop a habit of a healthy breakfast.

Kenny Daniels (11:32):
Maybe two weeks later, we start developing other healthy habits. Don’t develop healthy exercises at the gym. Maybe go to the gym once more during the week. You’ve gotten used to it once, try twice a week, try this exercise. Before you know it, your life is nothing but healthy habits. You get so used to them that doesn’t seem overwhelming.

Nicole Aucoin (11:52):
You’re right. You’re 1000% right. If you keep it simple and you just focus on one thing at a time, you start getting confident. You’re like, “Yes, I can do this. This is happening. I’m starting to see the results.” I think most of us, and it’s not our fault, because I think marketing companies do a really good job making it look like you should lose 10 pounds in 10 days or these crazy numbers. But you’ve lost so much weight by really something so simple as one habit per week and focusing on something like the plate method. Right?

Kenny Daniels (12:30):
Correct. The plate method. It was so simple. Melinda and Sarah did a great job explaining it to me. It’s easy. I’m not a cook or at least I’m not good at cooking. That has always been an issue for me. How do I… ? Because if you go out and try to get healthy meals, one, they’re hard to find, and two, sometimes they’re really expensive. “How do I cook at home and still feel like I’m getting nutrition and still feel like I’m living this healthy lifestyle.”

Kenny Daniels (13:04):
They taught me that it’s not complicated. I fill up half of the plate with amazing veggies that I know are good for me. I fill up the other half with a wonderful starch and lean meat and there you go. It doesn’t have to be something off of Food Network. It can be something that is just simple enough to make me happy and feel good about my nutrition.

Nicole Aucoin (13:27):
I love that. You’re right. Most people do not have a ton of experience in the kitchen. Cooking the food network recipes might be just a little bit overwhelming for most. What’s your favorite thing to cook right now? What’s the simplest recipe you like to make using the plate method?

Kenny Daniels (13:49):
I’d have to say, I tried to grill asparagus the other day.

Nicole Aucoin (13:55):
Okay.

Kenny Daniels (13:56):
That was a lot of fun. Tasted great. I also got an instant pot, which I would recommend to anyone if they’re looking to spend more time at home cooking. I’ll cook some really nice brown rice, then what we’ll do is I’ll just take a dab of humus and mix it with the brown rice. It’s and amazing taste. Maybe a little salt and pepper and yeah that has turned into my favorite meal, for sure.

Nicole Aucoin (14:23):
I love it. Simple. The Instant Pot is great because it’s super fast. Most of us don’t have all day to spend at home prepping and cooking a ton of meals. Right?

Kenny Daniels (14:34):
Correct. Exactly right. It’s in fact, I think I bought a second one so I can have two going at the same time. It makes it so easy. Yeah. I’m a big fan of that. But even if you don’t have an Instant Pot, the idea is, it’s super simple. You can go anywhere, Sam’s, Walmart, and find fresh vegetables. This is because Melinda and Sarah spent so much time equipping with the knowledge of what to look for and what you can buy and making sure that you understand that it’s not complicated.

Kenny Daniels (15:09):
It really has changed my lifestyle. In fact, I was thinking about six months ago, my lunch for today might be a drive-through at Popeye’s. But today it is asparagus with what was actually, I told you, asparagus with the brown rice and lean meat. I’m looking forward to it. I know it’s going to taste great. Even better, my energy level is going to be sustained through the day, because I don’t have a huge carb, sugary overload. All of a sudden I drop at two o’clock and try to cram coffee and wonder why I’m so tired.

Nicole Aucoin (15:43):
That’s the problem that most people have. They haven’t connected the dots between what I eat and how I feel. When you can finally, that light bulb goes off, like, “Oh my gosh, my Popeye’s or my sub with chips is causing me to feel like crap in the afternoon. Now I, all of a sudden don’t want to have it. Right?

Kenny Daniels (16:06):
Yeah. It’s amazing how my body or I guess everyone’s body, able get used to, like you said, like the crap and you don’t realize that your body is tired because of it. And that this feeling that you have can change by just changing what you eat. Now that I’ve gotten used to what it’s like to eat healthy, the energy throughout the day is more constant. I’m more productive. My body just feels better. I feel better than I have since probably high school.

Nicole Aucoin (16:43):
Wow. Most people can’t see right now, and you don’t have to date yourself completely, but how many years has it been since you felt this way?

Kenny Daniels (16:52):
Oh gosh. Well, I’m 35. The last time I felt this good was probably 19,20.

Nicole Aucoin (17:00):
So, it’s been 10 years.

Kenny Daniels (17:02):
It has. You just get used to making those wrong decisions and you tell yourself, “Next year or next week or next month or even tomorrow, but right now I’m just going to go to Popeye’s because I need it.” You convince yourself. It’s a cycle. I’m so happy I’m able to break the cycle. Even if it is a 15-year cycle and that every year I’m telling myself it’s the next year. I finally told myself it will be the next day and it was the next day with Sarah and Melinda.

Nicole Aucoin (17:31):
Man. I have goosebumps right now. It’s so incredible to hear how your life has changed in so many different ways from taking a huge step. It is a big step for a lot of people. You’re right. So many people think, “Okay, I’m going to do this tomorrow. I’m going to do this the next day.” Literally, years goes by and you find yourself in a position where you think maybe I’ve gone too far when it’s never really too far. You can make one simple change, be consistent with that one thing, and then add the next thing to the plate.

Kenny Daniels (18:05):
Right. I think we get into a trap where we tell ourselves age is a barrier to progress. At 35, there may be some people listening that are older, who think, “Well, you’re still young.” But still at 35, you look at people younger who are making changes and you think, “Can I still do that?” That’s a trap that will prevent you from doing so much in life, not just with your weight or with your nutrition. Any day that you make a change for the better is a better day than yesterday.

Nicole Aucoin (18:40):
I love that. I agree with you a thousand percent. You went to the gym before. You’ve mentioned Sarah, Melinda, multiple times during this podcast. How important do you think it was to have a coach and a guide help navigate these new waters for you?

Kenny Daniels (18:58):
Oh, it was probably the biggest factor. I think the reason why I was able to do it is because of the support. I know, it’s because of the support of the coaches at Portside. There’s an accountability factor that helped a lot with my nutrition. Sarah had me take a picture of what I was eating and send it to her. That idea that I was not letting her down, not wanting to let her down, is what fueled me to make the right changes.

Kenny Daniels (19:32):
It’s kind of ironic that we’re so quick to let ourselves down, but when we put it in someone else’s hands and we say, “Okay, I don’t want to let this person down.” It’s amazing the change that can happen. Then, I had support from my coworkers who also go to Portside and my family who saw that I needed to make a change and supported me. Had it not been for that, I’m really not sure I would have had the success I had. It’s super important to have a support group. I’m learning that I did not have that last time. This time I do.

Nicole Aucoin (20:12):
I’m so happy that you found them and that yes, coaches are absolutely amazing. They’re your guide. They’ve been able to help you navigate and just give you the knowledge and education that you need to make mindful decisions without even really knowing it, knowing that you needed that. Right?

Kenny Daniels (20:28):
Correct. I mean, I remember maybe two months after I started, I went into the store and I was wanting to get something healthy. I thought, “I’ll get some orange juice.” Then I remembered a session with Melinda, a nutrition session. We were talking about the hidden sugars that could be found in orange juice. Sure enough, I looked at the back of it and I couldn’t believe how much sugar was in the orange juice. I was better off eating a candy bar.

Kenny Daniels (20:55):
I, instead got some coconut water and made sure that I could read the back of the label and that it was healthy for me. It’s that kind of, you’re at the marketing, sugar is so addictive and it’s hidden in just about everything, even things that look healthy. If you don’t have someone that gives you that knowledge and trains you, how to determine what’s good for you and what’s not, it can be easy to pick the wrong thing and think you’re making a right choice.

Nicole Aucoin (21:23):
I’ve talked to so many clients that are shocked by things that they think are super healthy. Then they’re like, “What are you telling me?” I’m so glad that you found that. The other thing that you mentioned in support because we all know that support is more important than people think. Yes, you need a coach, but you also need that circle around you to provide accountability and the guidance and just again, support. You mentioned your coworkers. Talk to me about how they’ve helped you on your journey.

Kenny Daniels (21:55):
They have been members of Portside for a while. They are a good example of what it’s like to live this lifestyle. I see them make healthy choices. I see them go to the gym. I see them workout. I see how much their life has improved because of it. It was an influence and impressed me enough that I reached out to one of them. I said, “Do you think there would be enough room for me a port side?” Of course there was and Sarah contacted me within minutes of me saying that to a coworker. She was on it from day one and Melinda as well.

Kenny Daniels (22:34):
Having that influence from them really kick-started me to make this change. It also kind of showed me, when you sort of try to add more people into your life or surround yourself with people who are also trying to make the same change, there’s this group mentality that can make it easier to succeed. Again, because you don’t want to let people down. They see the change in you. They’re telling you how good you’re doing and you really don’t want to drop the ball.

Nicole Aucoin (23:07):
I love that. I think too, it’s positive peer pressure. “Okay, we want you to do well.” But then you’re also not tempted by, let’s say you had friends that were doing the opposite. They’re going out and drinking or doing lifestyle things that maybe are not in line with their goals. If you’re constantly around those people, it’s going to be tougher for you to say no every day, right.

Kenny Daniels (23:32):
That, 100% correct on that. When you surround yourself with even more temptation, it overloads you. It’s important to have a good support structure that share the same goals and that can remind you of the path you’re taking and give you that support. Yes, I agree.

Nicole Aucoin (23:52):
All right. The last thing I want to bring up, then I would love for you to give all listeners one tip who are thinking like, “Oh my gosh, your story sounds like me.” You mentioned your parents at the very beginning when we talked about your why. You said, “Hey, I am a caretaker and I need to be able to take care of them.” Then you also just mentioned them as part of your support system. They’re there to help you and they understand, “Hey, this is really important to you in this season of your life, getting the help that you need.” We all need help and it’s okay to ask for help. Has this kind of trickled down to them too? Because if they’re close to you and now you’re eating healthier, is it trickling down to people in your household?

Kenny Daniels (24:37):
Yes. My main concern was, my father is 85. He’s got mobility issues. My main concern was, when I’m over there taking care of him and helping him, if he falls, can I stop him from falling and not injure myself? Or can I even pick him up if he falls? That was a huge issue for me, because I wasn’t sure if I could do it.

Kenny Daniels (25:04):
Now I’m confident I can. Unfortunately we did have an episode where he lost his balance, but it was about five or six months into this lifestyle change. I developed strength. I had the proper nutrition. I was able to catch him and put him back up and sit him down. It felt like there was no consequence on my body whatsoever. It felt like a natural movement. I was able to make sure that he was okay and I was okay.

Kenny Daniels (25:34):
Then, also, yes, they’ve seen the change in me. Southern mothers, when you come home, it’s always a feast. They have supported me by limiting that kind of eating whenever I eat with them. We try to focus on healthy options now. They’ve actually benefited greatly too. They’re eating healthier, because of my change and because of how it’s influenced them. They influenced me. I influenced them. It’s a cycle and we’re just growing together.

Nicole Aucoin (26:11):
I love that. I love that. That’s amazing that they’ve kind of adapted to understand how important this is to you and that this lifestyle change in eating healthy and now they’ve kind of transitioned. Because you’re right, so many people and families, mothers, grandparents, use food as comfort for their children and their grandkids. But if you loop those people in to say like, “Hey, this is the reason why. This is how you can help me on my journey to becoming healthier. Can we limit those options that are really loaded with sugar and not have them all the time? Because I am going to get tempted. I’m going to eat them and it’s not helping me progress towards my goals?

Kenny Daniels (26:48):
Exactly. Yes. I think the big thing was there was always a big box of oatmeal cookies with the cream center [crosstalk 00:26:59] table when I come home. For six months I have yet to see a box. Now there’s pears and grapes and pistachios and all sorts of amazing healthy options there instead. It’s definitely influenced them and it’s helped me out a lot.

Nicole Aucoin (27:18):
Thank you so much for sharing your story. You know you took this huge leap of faith to invest time, step into a gym, have a coach, and really invest that time into soaking up as much knowledge as you could to empower yourself and know what’s good for you and what’s not.

Nicole Aucoin (27:37):
You mentioned a couple of times, “Hey, this is not only helped me lose 60 plus pounds, but it’s actually helped me feel more confident, gain more energy in so many other things aspects of life.” I know there’s someone listening to this podcast that is like, It may be the age that you had talked about or something is in their way. What would you say to them to inspire them to take that step as you did?

Kenny Daniels (28:12):
I would tell them to make themselves uncomfortable. What I mean by that is, if we only did things that we felt comfortable with, then we would never achieve our goals. That was a big mindset for me in the beginning thanks to Sarah and Melinda. Is living in that fear of, this is new. These are people here that maybe have less weight or are living better lifestyles than me. They’re doing things that I can’t do. But, you know what, they’re supporting me. They’re helping me. They’re pushing me to be a better person. I can live in this uncomfortable state of mind. I can push myself to become comfortable with these healthy habits. That was the key.

Kenny Daniels (28:54):
When I first started, I could not even run a hundred meters without ice packs. Sarah had to bring out ice packs for my wrists. I was winded. Now I can run well over a mile and still do a full CrossFit workout. I think the change, the key is being able to put yourself in a position to where, yes, the mentality is, “This is uncomfortable. I’m scared. I’m scared if I can do it. I’m scared of what other people are going to say.” Finding it through that and making the right choices and learning the right habits. Then becoming comfortable with your new lifestyle as you see the progression.

Nicole Aucoin (29:31):
I love it. You’ve mentioned Sarah, Melinda throughout this entire thing. You connected with them. You trusted them to help you. You’re like, “Hey, I’m going to do what you say because I know you’re a few steps ahead of me in this process. If I do this, I know the end results are going to pay off.” Man, in seven months, losing such a significant amount a leap, but more importantly, really shaping a healthy lifestyle so that you can maintain those results is absolutely incredible.

Nicole Aucoin (30:00):
Kenny, thank you for coming on the podcast, sharing your knowledge. I think you’ve given some easy and simple tips that people who are listening to this can take action on. I know that you’re going to continue to do amazing things. Inspire not only Portside, but people around the world.

Kenny Daniels (30:16):
Thanks for having me.

Nicole Aucoin (30:24):
I hope you were inspired by Kenny’s story. He didn’t go on a super restrictive diet. He made changes one step at a time that helped him completely transform his health and his lifestyle. I love the fact that he said, “I can’t think of an aspect of my life that Sarah and Melinda haven’t helped me with.” That’s amazing. As a nutrition coach, you really have to focus on that holistic approach. It’s not just about what they eat. It’s about how they manage stress. It’s about exercise and movement. It’s about a support system. It’s truly about grading a healthy lifestyle.

Nicole Aucoin (31:00):
A coach isn’t there to just give you a diet plan or a meal plan. They’re there to help support you every step of the way. A great nutrition coach meets you where they’re at and creates a customized plan that’s simple and sustainable just for you. Shout out to Portside Fitness and their rock star nutrition team for empowering a healthy community one step at a time, with the help of Healthy Steps Nutrition.

Nicole Aucoin (31:28):
Are you looking for a nutrition coach? We would love to help you. We just released a new directory called hireanutritioncoach.com. In this directory, you will find a list of nutrition coaches and dieticians that use our program that is written and backed by the nutrition experts. These coaches have been through training, coach evaluations and have been using the platform for months. Some of them up to five years, they’ve been partnered with Healthy Steps Nutrition. Make sure you click the link in the show notes to get access to free bonuses and to find a Healthy Steps Nutrition coach near you. Until next week.