Jay Shetty - Nimai Delgado

1) Fitness coach Nimai Delgado talks about his journey towards embracing his belief in a plant-based, vegetarian lifestyle and how it eventually led him to finding his purpose. Despite growing up in Mississippi where being vegetarian was not common, he stuck to his beliefs due to his upbringing with spiritual values centered on compassion and respect for animals. He eventually transitioned to competitive bodybuilding and won competitions, leading people to ask him how he achieved success without animal products. He started sharing his experiences and teachings online, which led him to finding his passion for helping others embrace a plant-based lifestyle.

2) Nimai talks about his experience with transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle and the importance of education when it comes to understanding the nutrients needed for a plant-based diet. He believes that education is key to ensuring that you obtain the right nutrients, such as protein, B12, and iron, and that it all comes down to finding a diverse range of plant-based foods that will cover any nutritional gaps. Delgado also expresses his regret in not transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle more gradually, and highlights the unique perspective he gained from growing up in a faith-based community that prioritized a vegetarian lifestyle.

3) Nimai talks about his unique upbringing in a spiritual community in South Mississippi. He describes the challenges he faced growing up in a community that was vastly different from the typical Southern culture that surrounded it. These challenges led him to develop a healthy mindset, where he does not judge people and appreciates differences. Delgado pursued a degree in mechanical engineering to achieve financial stability as he did not want to face the same financial anxiety he grew up with. He explains that most of us pursue careers that come from a pain we had in our childhood or our past.

4) Nimai speaks about how his engineering job did not energize him and did not bring him joy or fulfillment. He found himself thinking about the other life he wanted for himself and realized that doing something you love and making money were not mutually exclusive. He decided to drop the logic and follow his heart and gut by pursuing his passion even if it did not seem to make sense. He found his joy in the gym and learned to enjoy the process of developing himself physically and mentally.

5) Nimai shares his journey and talks about his experience in dealing with the stress of the workplace and finding his true passion in fitness. He emphasizes that the contrast of doing something he didn't like gave him the clarity to find something that he did, and he doesn't regret any painful or challenging experience that has shaped him to who he is today. He approached his career switch with an engineering approach, creating systems and processes to make it financially feasible, including partnering with a software engineer to develop a whole platform that can serve thousands of clients at a time.

6) Nimai discusses how every experience, even difficult ones, can be useful in building skills and developing resilience. He explains how he views challenges as opportunities for growth and believes that every experience happens for a reason. Delgado also talks about his journey into bodybuilding and how it began as a way to address his insecurities, but evolved into a passion and a means of self-care. Winning his first show motivated him to further excel, and now he teaches others how to build muscle and maintain a fit lifestyle without consuming animal products.

7) Nimai discusses his journey from being a successful bodybuilder to realizing he was attached too much to the identity and validation of being a bodybuilder. He discusses how the ego can be a tricky thing and once you shine the light of awareness on it, it can dance into the shadow and become even more insidious. Delgado reflects on how his growing popularity and exposure to people's negative comments affected him mentally and made him realize that he wasn't doing it for the right reasons anymore. Despite being used as a poster boy for veganism and plant-based lifestyles, Delgado wanted to be a source of inspiration for those who wanted to live this way and show that people can coexist with different perspectives and views on life.

8) Nimai discusses the importance of knowing when to quit and move on from something that no longer serves an individual or others. He talks about how the coaching process helps clients discover and recognize their own power and potential, which leads to self-belief and the motivation to keep showing up for their physical health. Nimai was able to break through mental blocks with fellow coach and friend Koya Webb while working together during the pandemic, and he credits a supportive coaching relationship as essential to growth and progress.

9) Nimai talks about the importance of being compassionate and patient with oneself and others when learning new things. He emphasizes that meeting people where they are and helping them make small incremental changes that compound over time can make a big difference. He encourages his clients to exercise the muscle of self-compassion and understanding that failure is part of the formula for success. He believes that just as in fitness, external goals can only be achieved through an internal journey of overcoming the inner critic and being kind to oneself.

10) Nimai emphasizes the importance of finding intrinsic motivation instead of just focusing on results. He stresses that enjoying the process of fitness by finding activities that bring joy is key to maintaining consistency. Nimai also highlights the importance of self-reflection and listening to oneself in order to live in alignment with personal goals and values. The final five questions in the video are answered by Nimai in one sentence, including the best fitness advice he's ever received ("just be consistent").