Hi Brett! Please tell us about yourself. 

I am an Alaskan boy. I’ve lived in Anchorage for all of my schooling, and I was born here but for several very formative years (right after birth through right before Kindergarten) I lived in Petersburg, Alaska which is in the Southeastern part of the state. 

I love to ski, both cross-country and downhill so global warming really gets me down.  Fishing is an interest that I’ve managed to turn into a bit of a side job and some FF members have been hooking up with me for fresh shrimp. 

In fact, that Prince William Sound Spot Prawn season starts here in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait to get back out on the water! 

We will be selling shrimp direct from fisherman to friends and family which is such a privilege. I suspect this year will be a short and crazy season and it will be going on at the same time as the FF Spring Transformation Challenge, so that will give me a good framework for staying focused on fitness goals during what is usually a crazy time of year for me.

Fun fact- my fantasy baseball league has a “trophy” that is an original painting by Jose Canseco, the guy who blew the lid off the steroids scandal in baseball with his book Juiced. Now that Jose and I have a relationship through the art world we are talking about “nutritional supplements” consultation. Feel free to ask me about it, but nothing in writing. 

Jose Canseco painting our fantasy baseball league trophy.

My wife Brittany and I have two young boys, Brian who is 5 and Benson who is 2 and they fill our lives with humor, to say the least.  

How long have you worked with us, and what initially inspired you to seek us out?

Credit here goes primarily to my wife, Brittany, who has been working out with Figarelle’s for around 5 years now. 

The Dunkers (Brad and Krissy) have been huge role models and supporters for both Brittany and I as well as absolutely awesome neighbors.  

I love exercise but I have had a beer gut most of my adult life.  I’m learning so much about weight training, an area where I know very little. 

What are some of your favorite muscle groups to train, and why?

My lungs? I like endorphins but I also like to do citizen racing in cross country skiing in particular so developing my endurance can make me a little less slow in those events.  

Racing for me isn’t about winning I just love doing it.  I’ll be joining the FF Lost Lake team this year so that will give me an opportunity to scratch that itch this summer and I will be incredibly psyched if I can get my hip mobility to a point where I can run the whole thing.   

How about a few of your favorite exercise? What do you enjoy most about them?

Squats? I’ve avoided doing squats because I’d been concerned about hurting myself.  Steph has me working my way into the exercise which has been awesome.  

My friend Erik Peterson also once told me that while squats can be risky if done incorrectly they are one of the best exercises you can do.  He was a heck of an athlete so I’m sure he was right. 

With Steph’s help I hope to get to the point where I’m 100% confident with that exercise going forward for the rest of my life.  Watching myself learn how to do squats has been a bit comical but it is getting better. 

We know consistency is key, what tips would you give anyone struggling to stay consistent?

I suggest finding the time of day that works best for you to work out and carving out that time for yourself with very few exceptions.  For me that is quite early in the morning.  

The best advice I could give would be to try to, if at all possible, make your work commute part of your exercise.  When I get to ride my bike to work I always get a least some sort of a workout in for the day and feel great doing it.  

Who or what inspires you?

I am a teacher, and the teachers I work with at Dimond High School are so intelligent, they inspire me daily. 

I lost my father in an accident when I was in 9th grade, and his example inspires me because he loved life and was frankly very good at living. Some of my uncles, as well as other close friends of my father’s continue to live in the way he did which is a life filled with adventure and success here in Alaska. I find their examples to be a huge source of inspiration as well. 

What is your nutrition strategy like? 

I guess I’m the fad follower here, but I’ve been experimenting with Keto the past three months. I went pretty hard for it during January was off it from mid-Feb through now and am currently transitioning back to it.

I try to get plenty of high fiber vegetables along with the obvious fat and protein while eating Keto- so avocados and flax seed are regular things.  

I can’t say that it is truly healthy but I do find myself eating less…..and cutting most of the beer out has been good for me too.  

I have also been reading a lot about intermittent fasting over the past couple of years. I have gotten more consistent with trying that since the beginning of this year as well. 

There is was a good article in Science magazine about it November 2018 called “A Time to Fast” which consolidated and supported some of the things I had been reading about to make me think there really is something good not only for weight loss but for a multitude of other health benefits.  

What are some of your preferred ways to rest and recover?

A sunny day in Girdwood, Alaska skiing and relaxing with my family.

What are some things you are most proud of accomplishing in the past 6 months?

I had some fasting goals that I met which felt pretty good.  Most of my goals are regarding projects that are still in process so making progress toward those goals, which I have been able to do, makes me feel good.  

What goals are you working on in 2019?

I have definite fitness and weight loss goals.  I would like to get my weight down to the point where 200 LB becomes my new “normal” which would be really awesome.  

To set an even more ambitious goal I don’t know if it’s impossible for me to get down to the kind of weight I was in high school.  I’d love to get the weight off my joints so I can continue to do the hiking and skiing that I love to do over the next few decades.   

I’d like to ski quite a bit faster in next year’s Tour of Anchorage ski race. I am working on some labs and lessons for my advanced placement environmental science class that I teach.  

Brittany and I have some important financial planning goals that we are working on and I have some goals for my fishing business that have been taking some time.  All of these are progressing and I look forward to completing them over the next couple of months.