Learn how to train The WHOLE Athlete to avoid burnout and breakdown with The WHOLESTIC Method Coaching program!

• I used to run 3:12 Boston Marathon.
• I did a 10:24 Ironman Canada (Penticton)
• I qualified for Ironman Hawaii World Championship five times.
• I competed in 15 Ironman triathlons from 2001 to 2012.
• In 2013… my world changed.

My packed life as a business owner, top personal trainer, coach, athlete, wife, friend and daughter caught up with me in March 2013.  My life has been different ever since that day on my bike when I had to pull over and start crying as I was not able to create enough energy to make another peddle stroke.

My body and mind was broken from the inside out.

Now I am on a mission to help “Train The WHOLE Athlete To Avoid Burnout and Breakdown” with The WHOLESTIC Method online coaching program, services and speaking gigs.  I am going to help other Type-A personalities who are living life as a race learn why they need to slow down and enjoy the journey instead of their fast paced habits.  We need to take time to RESET, RECALIBRATE, and REBOOT to avoid chronic fatigue, mitochondrial dysfunction and “METABOLIC CHAOS” as we say in our FDN Program (Reed Davis).

Are you broken yet…

or on your way to breaking your body systems down to create internal chaos?

• How do you know if you are creating damage and speeding up the aging process?
• Are you more concerned about your performance in this season over the long run- longevity?
• We have RED FLAGS that our body presents to us but often we ignore them or usually oblivious to the warning signs. 
• Are you taking time out to listen to your body’s signals?

How do you get started training the WHOLE athlete to prevent break down and burn out?

Or… how to you heal, recover and rebuild from breaking down the WHOLE athlete from the inside out?

I created THE WHOLESTIC METHOD program after being influenced by various peers, mentors, podcasts and educational courses. I started learning about metabolic efficiency in 2005 when I was conducting New Leaf Metabolic exercise and resting assessments without applying the nutrition training (yet!) and the influence of chronic stress on your ability to burn fat (“I wish I knew then what I know now!”).  Once I started expanding my training and knowledge outside of exercise with a more “HOLISTIC” type of coaching from USAT coach certification with (mainly Bob Seebohor that created the MET course), then Ben Greenfield’s Superhuman Coach program, followed by Paul Chek’s Holistic Lifestyle Coach program then into becoming a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.  Learning is a never ending process as I study the gut biome, genetics and lab testing (FDN-Practitioner).

Along my educational and coaching journey in 2013, I quickly realized the importance of applying the same information to my own health and well-being.  I realized the “adrenal exhaustion” signals were what I was experiencing – now called “HPA Axis Dysregulation” or hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation.

Now I coach the WHOLE athlete with eight elements or more- and each element impacts another.

NUTRITION:  Eating real food (ideally organic)

EXERCISE:  MAF training to improve metabolic efficiency and HIIT 1-2 times per week when foundation built

SLEEP: making quality of sleep a priority- winding down at night, staying off-line, disconnecting and relaxing

STRESS: identifying external stressors and getting lab testing for identifying contributors to “METABOLIC CHAOS” – our internal HIDDEN stressors = hormones, immune, digestion, detoxification, energy and nervous system.

MOVEMENT & MOBILITY:  Mobility drills throughout the day- move more and sit less.

DIGESTION & GUT HEALTH:  most people have damaged digestion processes so try HCL betaine, digestive enzymes, ox bile and spore based biotics to improve nutrient breakdown and absorption.

HYDRATION:  more water with more sea salt is needed for almost all of us but throughout the day.  Avoid excess caffeinated beverages – limit coffee to two cups per day before 12pm plus avoid chemical drinks as sodas and energy drinks.

HAPPINESS, PLAY & GRATITUDE:  most of us are too serious and tied too tightly- we need to let go of our wall and laugh, play and be silly more often!  Write in a journal each night including three people or experiences that made you happy or grateful for that day!  Perhaps write about what you accomplished that day and what are your goals for the next day!

I used to push the envelope at both ends with my work hours, training clients, my training and my computer time. The old me would wake up around 3:45 am to check emails before training clients 5am to 11:45am then head to masters swim practice or yoga class then head back to 1:30pm clients then to run or bike then home to work… the list when on.

My life was over scheduled and I tried to fit too much into one day- leading to my own breakdown and burn out from the inside out.

My internal body system’s breakdown, or HPA Axis dysregulation -or “METABOLIC CHAOS” as Reed Davis of our FDN Practitioner program terms the combined malfunctioning body systems wasn’t because I was eating high-carb, processed foods or refined sugars.  I was already into eating a “ketogenic” lifestyle before keto was a word or known lifestyle benefit.

After exploring low-carb, high-fat eating along with metabolic efficiency training for Ironman triathlons, marathons and cycling events back around 2005 with metabolic exercise testing then in 2009 with the “ah-ha” moment listening to Bob Seebohor on why do athletes eat so many sugar calories in forms of drinks, gels and bars.  I did experiment not eating before a long bike ride (as explained in my LIFE IS NOT A RACE book!) after teaching spin class- back in 2000 when training for STP = Seattle to Portland bike ride in one day (200 mile ride).  My point is that I was always curious about why we were told to eat so much before, during and after workouts when I had fat to lose and training for hours (plus I would throw up in races when trying to consume so many calories and liquids!).

My journey into being a LOW CARB ATHLETE started many years ago and I regret not educating more athletes along the way especially after my own break down and burnout in 2013.  Instead of coaching, speaking and growing my podcast (FIT FAT FAST starting in 2011- now THE WHOLE ATHLETE) about low-carb, fat-adaptation and metabolic efficiency – I have been operating a fitness studio and training clients full time in downtown Bellevue, WA.  People come to me to move better and look better- as well as get stronger and leaner.

My challenge has always been as a personal trainer- “you can’t out exercise a bad diet”.  I am not able to help a client get stronger and leaner when I only see them one or two times a week.  They usually don’t come to see me to work on their nutrition, sleep, stress, digestion, hydration or gratitude!!  They just want their 30-45 minute training session.  BUT I wasn’t able to help most people as they were not eating right for their metabolic type, they were not going to bed when they should and they were not aware of their digestive dysfunctions or leaky gut symptoms.  People would still want to eat their high-carb food plan, avoid healthy fats and still be stuck on the blood sugar roller coaster.  As a personal trainer for 25 plus years, I have been frustrated as I was unable to help MOST people really become fit and healthy from the inside out.  Chronic stress, poor digestion, lack of proper sleep, and over consumption of dead foods as refined sugars and vegetable oils.

I was not able to help athletes be FIT and HEALTHY… instead my clients, as with most other endurance athletes I see out their on the road and at events are FIT, FAT and UNHEALTHY… or broken from the inside out!  

Vinnie created the most informative documentary to share to the world where we went wrong in our society with carbs consumption and fear of fats… you must watch “FAT: A Documentary”. 

Are you familiar of what I say, and others, the “GOLDILOCKS EFFECT“?

To Train the WHOLE Athlete to avoid break down and burn out, we need to do a little of everything but not too much of anything.  Just the right amount.  Sign up for my online 30-day total transformation program to help improve your performance and longevity via www.debbiepotts.net.  Stay tuned for a new free online course and e-book to learn how to train the WHOLE athlete with The WHOLESTIC Method elements.

We need to exercise to train for our event – but avoid training in the “black hole” and not too much “HIIT” training.

We need to eat low-carb, high-fat and right macronutrient ratios to balance our blood sugar (try metabolic typing test and genetics – DNAFit).  but not too low of carbs that we loose our performance edge.  Once you are fat adapted, you can tolerate a little more carbohydrate consumption on heavier training days as a long bike ride and long run on the weekends.  There is not one size fits all approach as everyone always ask similar questions -how many carbs can I eat and how should I train to lose fat weight… the answer is always “it depends“!

Stay tuned for more information on my new online 30-day group coaching program to help train the WHOLE athlete to prevent breakdown and burn out… or help recover and repair from breaking down the WHOLE athlete starting November 1st, 2019.

I am organizing a meet up and LOW CARB ATHLETE seminar in Kona, Hawaii during Ironman Hawaii race week.

Until next time for more REAL THOUGHTS with DEBBIE POTTS,

Keep up training the WHOLE you from the inside out to improve your ability to burn fat, optimize mitochondria and improve performance in daily life!  Life is not a race… it is a journey so enjoy the ride.  Take more time to reset and reboot the WHOLE you from the inside out by listening to those red flags as your body will tell you when to pause and recalibrate.

Debbie Potts