AT AGE 16, I WAS LAZY—AND FAT. Naturally, then, when I had to choose between “Men’s Powerlifting” and “Body Mind and Spirit” during my junior year of high school, I chose the second.

And it really was PERFECT: I’d read a little from THE TAO, do a little TAI CHI, and of course: meditate, usually with this image of Val Kilmer in Top Gun stuck in my head. Guess what?

A few months later, I was training for admission to West Point.

The importance of visualization and breathing is underrepresented in fitness, but in meditation—it’s paramount. I’ve seen it first hand, training thousands of hours with clients in private sessions. But I’ve experienced it while “butchering” an aria on an audition for the LA Opera, and as an Army cadet: running the muddy fields of Fort Lewis (with a 40-pound ruck on my back)

“It’s not enough to work out and eat right. To make a lasting change, you need to reach inside, connect your mind with your body, and a future vision of who you are becoming.”

This image of Mark Wahlberg is what I chose as “my future self” back in 1997 after moving to L.A. I ‘photoshopped’ my head on Mark’s body, and printed dozens of stickers, putting them everywhere, even on the back of my license.

You don’t have to join the Army, audition for the opera, or pay a trainer to make this connection. You can start with meditation. Be ready to answer this question: what does YOUR “future self” look like?

Nominations for the fourth annual Shorty Awards are underway, and I’ve been nominated for the #SocialFitness Shorty Award, via myTwitter handle: @SamPageLA.    The Shorty Awards honor the best people and organizations on Twitter and social media. Winners are announced at a live ceremony in New York at the end of March. The #SocialFitness Shorty award, sponsored in partnership with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Health. Join In., honors those who help others make healthy choices  through their influence on social media through things like healthful recipes, safe weight-loss strategies, and exercise tips.

To vote you need a Twitter account. It’s super easy to vote, just Tweet something like…

“I nominate @SamPageLA for a Shorty Award in #socialfitness because (you pick the reason)”

Or go to  www.shortyawards.com/SamPageLA and fill out the online form.

Thanks for your vote and your support!

I think it’s strange, how you can miss someone you never met.

For years I’ve wanted to own my own gym. Now it seems that the Universe is putting the pieces together, helping this dream to come to fruition. I’ve identified a location and a great space on Melrose in Hollywood, and I’ve begun talking with the owner of the space. Here’s what I know so far: It’s 1,800 square feet, two restrooms, halogen track lighting, polished concrete floors, ceiling fans. So far, seems pretty close to what I would choose. My current locations have been inside the Hollywood Production Centers, in Hollywood and Glendale. These locations have reflected my own personal design, and as I move ahead with a location of my own, no doubt I’m looking for inspiration from other industrial sources on what kind of a space my own gym might turn out to be. I’ve begun collecting some images of how it might look.

“Even exercise fanatics have a tough time losing those last 20 pounds,” says Bob Greene, longtime personal trainer to Oprah Winfrey.

You already know that it’s absolutely critical to burn more calories than you consume.  But that’s not all. In addition to exercise, eating patterns also affect weight loss. You have to make peace with “feeling” the hunger. You know — that little gnawing feeling you get in your stomach late at night? That feeling actually means that your body is getting ready to “eat the fat.” When you give in to that craving you are effectively “eating your results.”

“If you go into a calorie deficit, you’re going to be a little bit hungry,” says Greene. “People need to learn how to accept that—and be okay with that slight discomfort.” How to ignore a growling stomach? Step away from the refrigerator—and find something else to occupy your mind that still makes you feel good.

Here are a few things I do when those hunger pangs hit:

• Read a book or magazine
• Journal
• Take a bath
• Work on a home project
• Go for a walk
• Sketch or color (I’ve recently discovered pastels, which are like crayons for grown ups).
• Call a friend or family member
• Drink water
• Eat the largest apple you can find
• And when all else fails—take a nap.