Q: What’s the #1 struggle real estate professionals face with health and fitness?
A: Mindset and structure. Most agents are “all or nothing,” struggling to maintain healthy routines amid busy, unstructured schedules. Structure, not perfection, is the key.

Q: Why does health matter for real estate agents and leaders?
A: When you take your health seriously, your business gets better. Health boosts energy, focus, and performance in every area—Shannon has never seen someone get healthier and have their business fall apart.

Q: What’s the biggest mistake people make when trying to get healthy?
A: Majoring in the minors—worrying about tiny details instead of focusing on the basics: protein, sleep, water, movement, and meal prep. The basics drive results.

Q: What’s the minimum effective dose for starting a fitness routine?
A: Three days a week of strength training, scheduled as non-negotiable appointments. Build the habit and confidence with consistent, manageable sessions.

Q: What about nutrition—what’s the most important thing to focus on?
A: Protein is the foundation. Aim for 0.8–1g per pound of body weight (or goal weight if you have a lot to lose). Build every meal around protein, focus on whole foods, fiber, and meal prep.

Q: How important is meal prep and planning?
A: It’s everything. Having food prepared is the #1 thing that drives results. Don’t eat on the fly—prep meals ahead or use a meal prep service to avoid unhealthy choices.

Q: What about cardio and steps?
A: Don’t overdo cardio—start with a baseline of 10,000 steps five days a week. Cardio is a stimulus, not a punishment. Increase steps gradually if you’re starting from a low baseline.

Q: How should agents fit healthy habits into a busy schedule?
A: Time block workouts and meal prep just like appointments. Find the time that works best for you and make it non-negotiable. Track your workouts for accountability and progress.

Q: What’s Shannon’s advice for real estate professionals who want to get healthier?
A: Start with the basics: schedule three strength workouts a week, prep your food, prioritize protein, and track your steps. Don’t get lost in minor details—consistency and structure are what matter.

Shannon: [00:00:00] We major in the minors, so people think it’s all these tiny things that are actually affecting them when it’s not. If you are not eating fruit at all, and then you’re worried about blending your berries, that’s not it.

Shannon: If your diet is just crap and then you’re worrying about like these little outside things, the basics are what matter. 

Suneet: What is up everybody? Welcome back to another episode of the Reside Platform podcast. I’m your host today, Sunni Agrawal, and I am joined. This is gonna be a fun one. I am joined with my friend, real estate agent and leaders all over North America’s friend. Shannon, she Shannon, how’s it going? 

Shannon: It’s fantastic.

Shannon: It’s a new year, right? 

Suneet: It’s a new year. 

Shannon: Year, 

Suneet: yeah. You must be busy. [00:01:00] 

Shannon: You know what? Yes. So we’re doing a challenge. We always do this every year. We do a challenge at the beginning of the year for our current clients and then anybody who needs a little motivation to start, we do a $12,000 cash prize giveaway challenge.

Suneet: Wait, there’s money on the line. Yeah. 

Shannon: we, you know what’s so funny? ’cause people ask what is different between your challenge and because we’re giving away money and then regular coaching, nothing. Nothing is different. Zero. It’s just we wanna be like, okay, here’s some money to get it together. So yes.

Shannon: Yeah. Super busy this week. 

Suneet: Awesome. So for everyone listening, if you couldn’t tell Shannon, is a fitness coach, a nutrition coach, an elite health coach, she’s a Bikini competitor and goes out and Aren’t you prepping right now for something? 

Shannon: Yeah, I’m 11 weeks out as of tomorrow, 

Suneet: 11 weeks out from a fitness competition, ladies and gentlemen.

Suneet: And yeah, Shannon has really earned a place working [00:02:00] in this scene in the fitness, but also she works with like a ton of people in our real estate community as well. What percentage of your clients you think are from this, real estate mortgage industry? Shannon 

Shannon: 99. 

Suneet: you got half a person that’s not or something.

Shannon: Yeah. 99. 99% I would say because, there’s just a, such a need for it in the space. So we kind of integrated ourself in this, through my father-in-law, John Chap Black, he saw the need for, yeah. I always have to say my father-in-law, it’s so funny because I will meet people out in public and I like at the gyms and stuff like that, and they’ll be like, oh, what’s your name?

Shannon: I’m like, Shannon Chela, and they’re like, oh, are you related to John Chela? I say, yeah, know any realtors or anybody in this space that I meet, they know who he is so 

Suneet: well. I think there was a real need too, [00:03:00] because everybody was asking John about fitness all the time. So when you and Alex, when you and Alex came on board, it was super needed and the timing was awesome.

Suneet: And I know the impact for many, like some of your guys like transformations, not some, like everyone I’ve seen just stole. Wow. Like success stories is, yeah. You guys got a good system. And I think I told you that when I first met. I was like, I like the way you guys do it. So good stuff. I love seeing you guys.

Suneet: growing success in this. It’s so awesome. 

Shannon: I appreciate that. 

Suneet: working with professionals in this space, people who are often driven, often busy, and definitely under a lot of pressure. Where do you see that struggle when it comes to health? 

Shannon: So number one thing always, and it’s in anything that you do, especially any type of coach.

Shannon: People think it’s different when you are a [00:04:00] health and fitness coach, but it’s the same as mindset. it’s all mindset. With everything you do in life, every goal that you need to achieve, it’s switching over that mindset that they have. So it’s either, I mean, there’s the, there’s a couple types of individuals, but what I see mostly is I’m all in or I’m not doing it at all because they have this, like, if I’m not gonna do something.

Shannon: 110% kill myself, then it’s not worth doing. So sometimes we have to work through that because it’s either you are seeing great results or you’re just like the opposite end of the spectrum, right? Because yeah, they don’t wanna feel like they’re failing, so they just don’t do it. So they’re like, I’m gonna do anything ’cause I can’t do this 100%.

Shannon: so I work on that with people. And it’s really just making them understand that if they take their health more seriously, their business will do better. it’s this, [00:05:00] you’re, I’ve never had someone get healthier or sober. Not that the, you need to be sober, but any of those things that go along with it because, and their business fell apart, never once.

Shannon: It always gets better. So. 

Suneet: Yeah, I mean, I think what happens, and you nailed it, is like people get into real estate and like when I first got licensed, I was in incredible shape. I was super lean. I had just done like two rounds of P 90 x. shout out Tony Horton changed my life. but then once you get in the real estate, like.

Suneet: Skipping the morning breakfast just to run to the office on a cup of coffee, and then like you’re in between a showing and you go right through and I’m gonna curse on purpose the fucking drive through and get whatever you can and eat it in the car and then go to the meeting and then, oh, it’s real estate.

Suneet: there’s a happy hour at [00:06:00] least four days a week. Right. And look. I still consume alcohol. I’m very responsible and smart around it, which is something I had to learn to do right? But a lot of brand new realtors, this is the first environment. You’re an independent contractor, you can sleep in, and I feel like the habits just, even if you had them go downhill.

Shannon: Yeah, human beings need structure. So like they, even if they act like, oh, I don’t want anybody to tell me what to do, you like to thrive, you need structure. And without structure, people that’s, they like fall apart. So when they come into this space where now they’re responsible, I see this a lot where they’re responsible for their own schedule, for their, even in like business.

Shannon: They’re brand new. It’s hard to be responsible for your own schedule and keeping yourself on track. That’s why the highest level people,everyone have coaches. Coaches have coaches. Everybody needs a capability for anything, so I always [00:07:00] think it’s really good to have somebody from the outside, regardless of whether it’s your health and fitness, even in just your business who’s mentoring you.

Shannon: Just to be able to see the things that you can’t see on the day to day or call you out on your bullshit, Yes. 

Suneet: the accountability, here’s the thing, and what you said about structure is like super true, right? It took me. Several years to figure out a couple of things as my energy and how I perform through the day.

Suneet: A big part of that is how I take care of my body, both in rest and diet, right? The better I eat, the cleaner stuff I eat, I won’t have AFRI crash at noon or a crash again at three, right? I’m not drinking like 10 cups of coffee to get through the day and no water, right? and I’m getting whatever kind of.

Suneet: Like food, I can grab like that affects your energy. Maybe if you’re like in your twenties, maybe less, right? But after that, it [00:08:00] affects your energy. 

Shannon: You know what, it’s wild. ’cause I, and I say it proudly, like I’m in my forties, I’m 43. I don’t care. Like, because people are like, oh my gosh.

Shannon: And I’m like, I don’t care. I do not lie about my age. I wear it super proud. 

Suneet: Yeah, you should lady. You should 

Shannon: I, I feel better in my forties than I did in my twenties. Me too. 

Suneet: So much. 

Shannon: So much better. And for years I had an issue with that where like in the afternoon I just thought in life I just needed naps.

Shannon: Like that was, you just needed a nap. It started in high school. Literally after school I would come home and before practice I would take a nap, because I was in sports 

Suneet: and you ate like pizza for lunch, some carb or something. Right? 

Shannon: Right. Because I just ate or didn’t eat. Yeah. 

Shannon: you didn’t, you, there wasn’t enough education or now with social media, which people can, say whatever they want about it.

Shannon: There’s so much information out there. Yes. it can’t be information overload, but the basic [00:09:00] things pretty much between people stay the same as you need to have protein. Carbs are not bad. Like, we, a certain amount of fat is needed for healthy hormone function. Yes. 

Suneet: For your brain, for the money.

Suneet: Making part 

Shannon: fat for your brain. Stop cutting out fat. 

Suneet: Yeah. 

Shannon: You need, and you need sleep to literally live. Be alive. So that can compound over years and start to affect people because and there’s a super rare thing where the people are, I think it’s called super sleepers, where they can survive.

Shannon: But it’s a super rare condition where you can survive on less sleep. And that’s not the majority of the people. So I’m a super secret. 

Suneet: no. Like I remember like. Even John back in the day. Like he’d be waking up at two and posting on social and yeah. Everyone would say, oh my God, this guy sleep. Yeah, he just went to bed early.

Suneet: Right? 

Shannon: Yeah. 

Suneet: Like, like that’s, he still does, that’s hard. You don’t see, right. 

Shannon: He still does [00:10:00] that. I’ll see him. I’ll see him. ’cause when, whenever he is in Vegas, it’s like, when’s he at? He is at the gym first, which in that shows such a level of dedication because. I love to use him as an example because how many coaching clients does he have and how, in his fifties, how many coaching clients does he have?

Shannon: He still works out. He still takes care of his food. He still does all these things and he’s working way harder than all of you. Like you can be done. You just have to have, be that person that wants to do it. 

Suneet: Yeah, and I think, I said, like. The simple things are the simple things and have the most impact.

Suneet: Right. And I think what’s great about you guys is the accountability is what makes it stick. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. 

Suneet: so man, we could just, I have these questions, but I almost feel like we could bullshit just for just the amount of time 

Shannon: you can ask me questions, but you know, I could, this is what I do, baby. I could talk about this all day, 

Suneet: , Let’s get into like [00:11:00] tactical stuff for people. Mm-hmm. maybe someone’s listening and going, it’s, we’re recording this in early January. It’ll probably be out January, early February. People, 

Shannon: oh, do you know today’s national Quitters day? 

Suneet: No. 

Shannon: Actually, 

Suneet: bro Shannon, the gym has been empty this year so far.

Shannon: If you don’t start, you don’t gotta quit. Right. 

Suneet: have you noticed that? 

Shannon: well here’s the thing, like in Vegas, like I have probably five gym memberships, 

Suneet: which we talk about all your gyms every time we hang out. ’cause I love it. I live vicariously through your gym memberships like, okay. 

Shannon: For whatever mood that I’m in.

Shannon: I would say that the busiest day I saw the gym was probably actually January 1st, but not till like two o’clock. It wasn’t like early in the morning. 

Suneet: Oh really? 

Shannon: Yeah, and it was because people were on break, but now people are back at work and trying to figure out how 

Suneet: January 2nd was dead 

Shannon: was because it was, what was it?

Shannon: That was a, it was 

Suneet: Saturday. 

Shannon: Saturday [00:12:00] 

Suneet: it was dead. And then. The Monday after that. So the fourth was dead. 

Shannon: Interesting. 

Suneet: But the fifth was annoying. 

Shannon: I think people are, it takes time, you know what I mean? To figure out 

Suneet: machine, I was so pissed 

Shannon: they’d trying to figure out their schedules and I’d rather that than you like start super gung-ho going into like the tactical, I don’t want someone to start.

Shannon: At a, like I don’t want someone to start as a sprint. It’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. Guys, we have to understand that taking care of yourselves is something you’re gonna do for the rest of your life, not a month or two months or three months. Like these are habits and behaviors I want you to have and just get better as you age.

Suneet: I am so like grateful for my health journey. like. I’d been extremely overweight. I mean, whatever, like [00:13:00] two 40, right? So, but I’m a skinny little Indian guy, so two 40 is really big on me, right? and then I, I did drink and party a lot. I was known for that, and I turned about, 36, 37 and found P 90 x.

Suneet: Did it a couple times and I lost like 80 pounds or something crazy and got in shape and then, and kept on working through that on refining, learning about macros, right? Learning about protein and The result is, I just keep making more money by doing this. 

Shannon: Oh, I love that.

Shannon: Like, I love that relating, hey, there’s so many things that go along with that, right? One, you look better, you feel better, you do more Basically, besides the, like the health, it’s just like, of course your health is better. you have 80 pounds off of [00:14:00] your body. It doesn’t feel good for anyone, And it’s always incredible because people don’t know how bad they feel until they start to feel better. They think it’s normal to feel that way. So those are things I work on with people. They’re like, I never ever thought one, they didn’t think they could ever. lose weight or lose as much weight or, because it’s always limiting beliefs, right?

Shannon: When I talk about it, I’m like, oh, you could get down to this. And they’re like, I’ve been that weight since college. That’s not gonna happen. 

Suneet: Yeah, totally. It’s the story that they’re telling themselves. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Suneet: Right. Love that. so for somebody with a pack schedule, what is like. In your mind, what is like optimal for the nor average person listening regardless of experience?

Suneet: If they wanted to start something like tomorrow, what does that look like? 

Shannon: I always start people at least effective dose so they can build some confidence. Yes. 

Suneet: Thank 

Shannon: you 

Suneet: for saying [00:15:00] that. 

Shannon: Yeah. At least effective dose of anything. So you can, one, build confidence because if you schedule yourself in a way that you’re not going to commit to it, you lose confidence and you quit.

Shannon: That’s it. That’s what happens. So I like three days a week. I want you to strength train. I want everyone to strength train, and you do not have to, be a power lifter. We just need to do some sort of strength training for mobility, stability, all of the good things. 

Suneet: What do you tell all the ladies to say?

Suneet: I don’t wanna look. Too jacked. 

Shannon: , my line. 

Short 1

Shannon: You’re not gonna accidentally look jacked. Like it just, I, I was talking about that with, someone on a discovery call the other day and, I make ’em laugh and feel comfortable and I’m like, this, I’ve been doing it for 20 years. I’m still not big enough.

Shannon: It’s not an accident. It’s just not, it’s not how it works. You’re not gonna lift a five pound weight and build, massive shoulders. It’s just, it’s not gonna work that way. It takes a lot of [00:16:00] time and intention to look that way. And the toned look, that’s muscle. That’s not anything different than building muscle.

Shannon: Like what you just, you’re leaning out, you’re losing body fat and you’re building muscle. Even with guys, I’ve had someone be like, well, I don’t wanna look like, this guy. And I said, it doesn’t happen by accident. It doesn’t just, you’re not gonna end 12 weeks just look like a bodybuilder.

Shannon: It just like, that’s not how it works. So What’s interesting is once they actually start to get into the gym and lift weights, then they. Like those results. I find that they say that because it’s something that’s pretty unattainable, that they’re doing it as like a defense mechanism.

Shannon: Well, I don’t wanna look that. and but also if you don’t wanna be real big and muscular, there’s nothing against that. We do this for longevity and three days a week to start, and we are gonna schedule it as [00:17:00] non-negotiable appointments. Look at your calendar. Everybody’s got a calendar, everybody’s got a Calendly, or 

Shannon: I have it scheduled out in my Calendly. So , this is where it’s at. This is my optimal time that I enjoy going, that I have the best workouts. So by doing that, I enjoy my workout instead, putting it at a time that I hate. I don’t wanna do it like it’s, and it’s where I have food in me. I got a little caffeine in me.

Shannon: I’ve already won the morning with all of my client check-ins or whatever. I had, tasks that I had, a big tasks that would normally be in my way. And like on my mind are done already. That’s for me though, it’s, there is nothing that says that you have to go at a very specific time. I just want the time that feels best for you.

Suneet: Especially as independent contractors. As realtors like you can schedule your day. I have found as a father [00:18:00] of two young children and also I’m really not selling houses anymore. I do meetings all day long. for me that time is first thing in the morning. A little bit of food, little bit of coffee, and in there, that’s what works for me.

Shannon: Right. If that works for you, that’s awesome. And I’ve gone through seasons with it too. Everybody goes through seasons, like the times where I would workout changes, sometimes it was six o’clock at night, sometimes it was 5:00 AM but right now it is like 1230 every day. That’s when I. I not, I’m in there 1230 every day.

Suneet: So you had what, three meals by then? 

Shannon: Honestly, I have usually, so I have collagen coffee, so I get some protein in my coffee. First thing, when I do, I wake up electrolytes immediately. I prefer people start with water and electrolytes because you’re already dehydrated from sleep. I want you to rehydrate then if you wanna [00:19:00] have some coffee.

Shannon: You can, I have a collagen coffee that’s, you know how I like to start my day and then I have more water. 

Suneet: And ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, a collagen coffee means you go get a thing of collagen, get a spoon, and you jump it in the coffee and you drink it. 

Shannon: Yeah. I use collagen creamer. 

Suneet: Yeah. In 

Shannon: my coffee.

Suneet: What is it like 10 grams of protein? 

Shannon: Well, it’s two scoop, so it’s 24. 

Suneet: Okay, so solid. Okay. 

Shannon: Yeah, I have that in, and then after that I like. Since I work out at 1230, I usually will have a meal about an hour and a half before training. That is pretty carb heavy. 

Suneet: Yeah. 

Shannon: My protein, carbs. And then right before training, I’ll have like something that is a quick digesting carb, like a granola bar or a rice cake or something that’s gonna go into my system pretty quickly.

Shannon: Sure. Yeah. And then when I’m ready for workout, 

Suneet: so folks, three times a week, [00:20:00] wake up, start at three times a week, wake up and don’t drink coffee, drink some water. I like. Warm lemon water with Himalayan sea salt and a CV. 

Shannon: Right. Same thing. 

Suneet: I’ve been doing that for 10 years and it’s mm-hmm.

Suneet: Everything. I love that 

Shannon: same thing. Yep. 

Suneet: Especially the a CV. Mm-hmm. Like people aren’t hip a CV, that’s like the fountain of youth folks. 

Shannon: Yeah. You love it. 

Suneet: I love it. I love it. I drink Yes. Probably more 

Shannon: than you 

should. 

Suneet: My wife this, so Okay. Three days a week. How about food? What do I do about food?

Suneet: As somebody listening, 

Shannon: you know what’s really interesting? So diets are all customized, so I never want you to do exactly what somebody else is doing, but there is basic things to start with so that you can kind of craft your own diet, see how it feels, all of these things. You gotta have protein.

Shannon: Every single person I [00:21:00] start is not having enough protein. Yep. Never, never having enough protein. So, and no 

Suneet: one thinks about it like that. 

Shannon: It just doesn’t, and if you’re not having it, it supports every single function in your body, 

Suneet: totally. 

Shannon: Every single function. And when you’re not having it, then your body starts pulling it from like your muscles and things like that.

Shannon: And we don’t want that. So my rule is 0.8 to one gram per pound of body weight for protein. If you get more than that. Great, but I just don’t want you to get less than 0.8. Unless you’re somebody that is trying to lose like 50, 60 pounds, then you can go closer to your actual goal weight in protein. 

Suneet: Okay, so if I weigh 200 pounds, that means I should have 200 grams of protein, maybe a buck 80 on light days, right?

Suneet: But that’s about it. And that’s okay. So I could have one protein shake that’s like 30. I could have two chicken breasts [00:22:00] and some egg whites, collagen coffee, and I’m almost there. 

Shannon: It’s really not as hard as you think. It’s just people aren’t used to focusing on it in each meal. So when you create meals, you want that to be like the star of the dish in every meal.

Shannon: The first thing I’m thinking about is what protein I’m having, and I will let you know. I prefer to eat my protein as opposed to drink protein shakes and things like that. as I get closer to. we talked about how I’m doing competition. I’m gonna start to eat more of it and like, I’ll probably cut out the collagen coffee because I want food Because 

Suneet: you’re hungry.

Suneet: Yeah, 

Shannon: I’m hungry. Yeah. So I want food. So, and I always, if you’re hungry and you’re drinking protein shakes, you need to stop drinking your protein. You need to eat it. Like there, your body, it’s like the, it’s called the thermic effect of food, like your body to digest the food. And if you digest it, you’re not gonna be as hungry.

Shannon: ’cause it’s in your digestion. 

Suneet: And if you digest it, you’re burning [00:23:00] calories, more calories from digesting the food rather than drinking it. And I feel like a lot of people do get that wrong. People of all ages. People like my mom, right? Like, well, oh, I had my protein shake today. Well, yeah mom, I mean, great.

Suneet: That’s not. 

Shannon: Yeah, we need to, I see it more in women, and I love, I’m a woman, so I’m not calling 

Suneet: anybody out. yeah. She’s not hating. 

Shannon: I’m, I wanna educate and empower and, like, have you understand that, okay, so for example, as I said, I have a ton of new clients because of the challenge right now.

Shannon: And one client is having a huge breakthrough. Because at first when I gave her amount of food, she was like, this is too much. There’s no way I’m gonna lose weight on this food. There’s no way. And what’s happening every day she’s full and she’s losing weight every single day. Like she’s like, I feel full to the point where I can’t even eat more.

Shannon: And her weight’s just dropping 

Suneet: and they’re probably eating less. ’cause they’re satiated, they’re [00:24:00] satisfied from the protein. Protein is satisfying. You ever notice if, ladies and gentlemen, if you eat two chips. You want more chips, that means they are not satiating. S-A-T-I-A-T-I-N-G. 

Shannon: Satiated. 

Suneet: Yes. 

Shannon: Yeah. You wanna be satiated.

Shannon: Like that feeling of like, I ate and I feel like good about it, satiated. That’s being satiated, but also going along with that, what helps you feel satiated is making sure you’re having fiber. Like fiber is so important and there is like even, I don’t like to talk about studies or anything like that, but just know that it’s directly linked to longevity fiber, just so just know that like, I’m not gonna be like, oh, ’cause people will like, oh, well this study says this.

Shannon: We’re not gonna get into that. But it is directly linked to longevity. But on the realistic end of that, things that you can see in real time when you have [00:25:00] fiber, you’re not as hungry. You’re not gonna be as hungry. And because when you’re having those more carbs, ’cause people be like, I’m starving all the time.

Shannon: There are certain foods that rage your glycemic response, which you’re thinking you’re hungry and you’re not. You don’t, yeah. You don’t need more calories. You don’t. So types of foods matter a lot. If you’re tracking your macros and you’re hitting it with a protein shake and ramen noodle, hun, we’re not gonna do that.

Suneet: We’re not gonna do that. Yeah. Don’t look at the amount of fat in those ramen noodles, ladies and gentlemen. Right. It is. And the sodium, it is not good for you. 

Shannon: I want people to eat colorful food and just like it really is. There’s something that’s said about like, just, you know, let’s have fruits and veggies and carbs and meats and the way you feel when you consume foods like that.

Shannon: It’s just, you feel so much better when [00:26:00] you consume Whole foods. 

Suneet: Yeah. Whole Foods, right? Like, I don’t think I’ve had a single process thing except for Quest product in weeks. Right. and it just makes me feel good, like. Eating a sweet potato every day. It’s incredible this week. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. I’ll tell you too, like when I am really, like, I’m on it, but when I’m like really on making sure I’m getting, again, not as many processed foods, like the only thing pretty much I have in the day that is, well, all food’s processed, so let’s just get that outta the way.

Suneet: Sure. But yeah. But manmade or a potato chip doesn’t, it doesn’t come from a tree. 

Shannon: Have a potato. 

Suneet: Yeah. Have a potato. 

Shannon: A potato. Have a potato. Yeah. 

Suneet: Cook that potato in the air fryer and it’s pretty darn good. 

Shannon: Well, I, yeah, and there’s people that are like, oh, the air fryer does this, that and the other.

Shannon: Okay, that’s fine if that’s not your preferred method of cooking. Oh, is there 

Suneet: something new about the air fryer not being good for you? 

Shannon: People always have things because that’s, I [00:27:00] 

Suneet: haven’t been down that rabbit 

Shannon: hole. You gotta, when you post health advice like I do, you, you used to someone saying, well, if you have a histamine issue, the air fryer is not good.

Shannon: And I’m like, okay, well this isn’t for you. We don’t do that. Just put cooking in the oven. I don’t care what way that you cook it, as long as first. But you, it goes back to the line where Alec is talking about the make the smoothie crisis line. You know what I mean? So I’m gonna, I’m gonna explain it to you.

Shannon: Alec is my husband, by the way. So one time he was on stage, he was explaining, I make Alec a blended smoothie every day. That is his breakfast. He’s not someone that is super hungry in the morning. There’s mixed frozen berries in it, protein, powder and juice every day. Same smoothie. so he posts his smoothies so people can see that it tastes great and he’s getting his whatever he needs in from it.

Shannon: And berries are so good for you have berries. Well, someone wrote him and said, aren’t you [00:28:00] worried about your blood sugar? ’cause you blend your berries. And Alex, like, we have all these crises, we have an obesity crisis, we have this, we don’t have a smoothie crisis like 

Suneet: come. 

Shannon: Yeah, like that’s his famous line.

Shannon: We don’t have a smoothie crisis. He said it on stage and people just lost it. We major in the minors, so people think it’s all these tiny things that are actually affecting them when it’s not. If you are not eating fruit at all, and then you’re worried about blending your berries, like that’s where that’s not it.

Shannon: If your diet is just crap and then you’re worrying about like these little outside things, the basics are what matter. Once you get really into it, like, okay, say you become like super optimal with your exercise and your food and your sleep, and limiting alcohol consumption, making sure you’re hydrated.

Shannon: All of those [00:29:00] other big factors getting steps in. Then once you’re dialed into that, you can be like, let me look at nuances. 

Suneet: Yeah, let’s talk about steps. ’cause you guys, talk about it a lot. And my steps have been light, but I’m okay with that lately. how many steps a day should somebody watching get listening, watching get.

Shannon: Well, I like, here’s the thing. So I wanna meet people where they’re at too. So I would like people to get a baseline of 10,000 steps five days a week. ’cause I do believe in rest 

Suneet: 10,000 steps. 

Shannon: My baseline’s like 12,000. 

Suneet: Okay. Okay. And 

Shannon: I work at home. 

Suneet: Yeah. 

Shannon: So, but here’s the thing. 

Suneet: Maybe you got a walking pad from freaking Amazon.

Shannon: It’s not from the walking pad. That’s not what I use for my cardio. It’s just like from chasing. A husband, a child, and three dogs around the house. but for steps, if you are somebody who is just not moving a lot, [00:30:00] say honestly, you’re getting 2,500 steps a day. We just move that goal up until you get that, because cardio is a stimulus.

Shannon: So I never want someone to start off with. If someone comes to me and they’re doing two hours of cardio and they’re at a thousand calories, I’m like, I have no place to go with you to create stimulus, and I’m not comfortable even doing that. I feed you more and lower your cardio. Like that’s what I’m gonna do.

Shannon: Sorry. 

Suneet: I mean, do you even do two hours of cardio a day when you’re like in peak week or whatever? 

Shannon: It depends. Everything depends. Like right now I’m doing. I don’t really do this. My steps right now, I do 30 minutes of StairMaster, which people think is like the worst thing in the world, but I, that’s, so I will just get steps in year round.

Shannon: But once I actually start to, prep for show, I do 30 minutes of stairs five days a week. 

Suneet: so you guys hear that like cardio, you can do way less cardio. And the [00:31:00] crazy thing is once you begin tracking your steps. doing work in the kitchen, making dinner, washing dishes like that is like about 2000 steps.

Shannon: Yeah, just basic things in the morning. Once I start my day, before I go to the gym, I usually have like 4,000 steps by like 11 just. Walking back and forth in my house, and I’m such an advocate for the AA ring, so I’m obsessed with it. 

Suneet: I have my watch on too though. Yes, 

Shannon: I wear my watch to the gym to track my heart rate, because I wanna make sure in between sets, here’s another tip.

Shannon: I know this, it’s like we’re corralling cats right now. I’m like, I have so much to tell you guys. Just take from this. What? You will just take something from it. 

Short 2

Shannon: When I’m working out in the gym, when I’m doing my strength training. How I advise my clients to do their strength training is I’m not strength Training’s not cardio.

Shannon: So we don’t wanna be like a good workout isn’t determined by like how winded you are after it. [00:32:00] That’s. So in between sets, I am making sure my heart rate is fully returning back down to like below a hundred beats per minute. Just to be able to then maximize. 

Suneet: So back to basically zone one. 

Shannon: Yeah. We wanna maximize the next lift, like be able to recover so that you can progress your training.

Suneet: Yeah, I mean it depends also like how you feel. Like there are times where I will like. Do 45 seconds rest on, a couple of exercise, just try to burn it out faster. Right. But it’s not cardio. 

Shannon: No. And but if you’re doing a squat, you’re gonna want like a minute and a half to two minutes to recover.

Shannon: I 

Suneet: ain’t doing squats anymore, my friend. Yeah, 

Shannon: I’m talking about like compound, like there’s heavier things, so I always wanna progress. So going from that, I have my clients focus on [00:33:00] progressive overload, which is progressing in exercise in any means, like whether you have better form, better range of motion.

Shannon: You ever seen the, if you ever see ROM, that means range of motion. I just want people, for terms better range of motion, better stability, Did you go up and wait? Did you hit an extra rep? Did you do an extra sett? That’s progression. 

Suneet: Yes, and it’s so important because this is what even myself in different phases of my life is we’re not tracking our workouts and I think that anybody like open up the notepad on your phone and just write what you did.

Suneet: Right? It will make a difference. Maybe not. And how you appear, but it’ll make you fucking feel better. 

Shannon: That’s how you keep going to the gym. Like if you have no drive or no focus, it’s really easy to fall off if you don’t have like a [00:34:00] purpose. So when I put people in a say you go through a fat loss phase, you get to your leanest self, like you’re in a place where you feel really good.

Shannon: Well, what’s next after that? A lot of people fall off of because they don’t feel like they have like a purpose after that, when the next step is going into a reverse diet, building up metabolism, building up lean mass muscle by progressing your exercises and slowly raising your food to help with your training, and that’s the next win.

Shannon: Like, are you getting stronger? Can you have more food? And I even put people in the reverse diet and give them more food and then they start to lose weight and they’re getting stronger. Because just how it works. Your 

Suneet: body is processing everything differently. I love it 

Shannon: that time you’re, the time you give your body in the gym, it just, you’re not gonna get worse ever.

Shannon: You’re just gonna get better and better 

Suneet: and better, and you will make more money, have better relationships, have more fun, have more [00:35:00] energy. Like take it from me. Go to my Facebook from like 12 years ago, ladies and gentlemen, and look at those pictures. It’s funny, I was in great shape and what happened, I made a bunch of money and I met a girl and we got married and that’s my wife.

Suneet: And she got pregnant and a woman moved into my house and now I had butter bread, everything else in the house. So I ended up gaining the weight back and having to lose it again. Right. And, but yeah, I just, the reason I want you to come on, besides being my homie and being fun to talk to is. People come to this podcast and go to the internet to find ways to be more successful across all aspects of their life.

Suneet: And this is like the not so secret. Secret, as like the cornerstone. So last question. What advice do you have for people listening? 

Shannon: I know I’m gonna find one small thing. If you can do anything, if one thing will change everything, [00:36:00] it will be having food prepared. That’s the biggest thing. That is my number one thing.

Shannon: ’cause someone can come to me with a dialed in workout plan already, but, and they’re like, why am I not getting results? Food? It’s food. We don’t eat on the fly. Having food prepared is the number one thing that’s gonna help you. I swear food. That’s it. You can’t get a food prep service. 

Suneet: Yes, there’s,

Suneet: endless amounts. 

Shannon: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

Suneet: You guys make sure you go follow Shannon on social. She’s, her social is really fun. Right now. The one of you looking at yourself on the pulling machine, I died. 

Shannon: Did you? 

Suneet: I died. I showed it to people on coaching calls. I was, look at Shannon. Oh, this is the funniest shit I’ve ever seen.

Suneet: So go follow Shannon on social and if somebody wants to have. A real transformation in their health by dealing with the best trainer that I know. Shannon Chela, where do they reach out to you at? 

Shannon: Oh man. [00:37:00] Well, we’re doing our challenge right now, but let me just pull up The website entries are closed. 

Suneet: Yeah, it’s probably won’t be on time.

Suneet: What’s another good way for someone to find you? 

Shannon: It’s lac wellness.com. 

Suneet: Lac wellness.com. You guys go. Go follow Shannon. Just her social gives you so much good free advice, right? Mm-hmm. And obviously she’s a great person, great to talk to and knows her stuff because like I said, this is the way that you change everything.

Suneet: Mm-hmm. Alright, Shannon, thank you. So we could have talked for hours, bro. 

Shannon: I know. We could just, 

Suneet: I know 

Shannon: we could go over so many things right now. 

Suneet: that just means that we’ll have to do another episode soon. 

Shannon: Yeah. We’ll do another episode. We’ll check in with people in a little bit and see how everybody’s doing.

Shannon: Cool. 

Suneet: Yeah, let’s like do, we’ll do like six months, so we’ll get that scheduled. Everybody go follow Shannon, I hope you got something out of this podcast today. If you did click like and share. Subscribe and share with all your friends, and we’ll see you on the next [00:38:00] episode of the Reside Platform Podcast, esop.