Where do I begin?

I have had this discussion before but it is the right time of year to re visit it.

Many people are trying to get a plan in place to attack a few extra holiday pounds come next Tuesday.  Otheres are trying to decide how to attack their cardio after a little lay off with the busiyness of the Season.

Some folks are just really bummed out and have the post Christmas blues and they are trying to get back some motivation.

Here is the secret to all of it.

Whatever you are doing today try and make a positive step forward every day.

If you are laying on the couch all day.  Get up and walk to the kitchen a few times...if you are running a mile give a mile and a half a shot a few times next week.

You don't have to make HUGE changes ever just do a little bit more and great things will happen with your attitude and your fitness.

If you are eating out three times a day pack a sandwich for one of your meals next week...those little things will reap big rewards.

Think about things!

Many people are very rash in their decision making at this time of year.

Take time to make up your mind on where you want to go this coming year.

If you quickly say I want to pay off all my debt or I need to lose 100 lbs or I must be off my cholesterol meds by February 1st....what will ahpen is that by February 2nd you will quit and end up in a worse place than when you started 2012!

The last three years I have watched the flurry in the fitness center's up ntil Valentime's Day.  I have seen all the people ordering things at restaurants early in the year only to see them quit the gym by the end of February or beign the Krispy Kremem runs by March.

If you make things achievable and attack the elephant in baby bites you will succeed.

As you head toward the weeeknd think about things you can live with and put some goals in place.  If you put a goal in place that you don't see yourself sticking to through July October or December of next year....scrap it and get a new one!

I am back!

Sorry gang....I know I am never to leave my wing man but I got caught up in family time and forgot about my second family.  My Bad!

I truly hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  My family was very blessed .... now is the time of year to take focus in the last few days of 2011 and decide what you want for you and your loved ones as you head into 2012.

My sugestion is to set a few goals for yourself early in the year that should be easy to attain.  Some positive developments will keep you fired up as you take on the year.  Build in a few stretch goals as well so you can feel tremendous when you achieve them.

I will be back with more detail tomorrow....promise.

I love vacation!

Merry Christmas

This is a very special night and I just wanted to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Enjoy this time and be thankful for all that is around you!

Christmas Eve Eve

I have many people that shoot me emails and ask me questions about fitness and nutrition ever since I lost all my weight.

The amazing part for me is that I would have been the last person anyone asked these questions of a few years ago.

When my wife hears people ask me questions in relation to fitness and nutrition she cringes as she knows I am a work in progress.  I lost 154 lbs pretty quick but it was a lot more about drive and determination...at times those two things were a bit out of control on my behalf.

Many people have asked me if I work out through the holidays or if I take a break?

They have asked if I indulge in candies cookies and sweets or if I abstain.

The truth is I have no real plan or regiment.

I am on vacation until January 3rd.  I will spend time with my family and friends and if I want a cookie or a piece of pie I will enjoy it....if I just don't feel like working out I won't.  This is a 10 day period in my life.  I have made lifestyles changes that will be with me forever.

When you change your lifestyle you never need to worry about a day without a work out or a few cookies here or there.

When you lose your long term focus and you give up you need someone around you as a support system to shake you back to your drive and determination.

As we head intot he highly festive next few days enjoy yourself but don't do anything they may not allow you to keep your life long focus on changing your lifestyle.

Once an addict always an addict.

I am a food addict so I need to be very careful as I enjoy many of my old vices this time of year!

A few days before

the big day!

We are almost there gang!  It is such a wonderful time of the year.  It is my hope and prayer that you are all in a great place mentally and physically!

It is so easy to give lip service to the right thing.  You need to decide what the course is for the rest of your life.

Do not let others dictate what will be your habit or pattern for the rest of your life.

Take control now do not let others define your future!

Mental Strength

I mentioned the inspiration I have received from our friends going through a tough trial right now.

What I would say is that through my weight loss journey and as I watch what my friends are going through currently I have realized without mental strength physical strength is irrelevant!

You must be strong mentally in order to have any shot of accomplishing a challenging goal.

At breakfast today my wife and I were having a discussion about the holidays and loosening up on diet around the holidays.

She said I can't wait until the holidays are over so I can get back to eating right.  I told her to watch the choice of words....she has made a decision to loosen up until the holidays are over.  The holidays are just an excuse to loosen up.

I am fully behind letting yourself go at family get togethers etc. during the holidays......what I don't think is right is blaming the holidays.

We always need to keep in mind that we decide what we want to do and what we don't.  Holidays or not we decide what we can and can't do.  It is much tougher to stay disciplined around the holidays....that said it is ultimately about your mental strength as to whether the holidays become a three week binge or an enjoyable time at a few gatherings.

Inspiration

I want to apologize for the lull in my posts.  I have made a promise to many of you to maintain my accessibility and the last few weeks have kind of spun out of control.

I think I have mentioned to many of you that my favorite time of the year is Christmas....I live in Northeastern Ohio and survive each and every Winter.  I love the holidays so much I would take 12 December's weather and all.

This year has been very different to me.....many of you know a very close friend was in a car accident the tuesday before Thanksgiving.  He has been in a coma since.  His wonderful wife is very close with my wife and his ten year old daughter and my daughter are incredibly close.

Christmas is a great time of year but when you watch families go through what this family has had to endure this holiday season it is hard for me not to be inspired.

This morning my daughter and our friends daughter were at a play practice together their mom was in a need to get to the hospital so she asked if I could take her daughter to the her grandma's after practice.

I said sure it was on my way home......she went on to thank me endlessly.  Here is a lady who has a 6 year old and a ten year old with a husband that has beenin a coma three weeks and she is ecstatic and thankful that I can drop off her daughter.  This ladies strength is amazing.  I am so inspired by people like this.

Many of us cry about squeezing in a 30 minute work out or we can't imagine not putting butter on our toast when we want to shed some weight....things like the example above hopefully bring perspective and inspiration.

Many of us face very small obstacles in our day to day life we just need to take them on!

So much to do such little time!

So my wife and I were living by text today.

She ended up getting in a fneder bender while doing twenty nine other pre Christmas chores.

I first wanted to make sure she was OK which she was....I then went on to explain that a cluttered mind while driving is as bad as texting while driving.

You have to focus on the task at hand no matter what you are doing or the results can be bad.

This time of year many of us have 93 things going on every day.

Take time to remember that none of those 93 things matter if you make a big issue in regard to what you need to do....you want to keep a clear mind...especially while responsible for others.

What do you want?

No not for Christmas.......for life!

Have you ever thought to yourself about what it is you really want.

I think many of us go through life waking up and being busy until we go to sleep and we don't always think about what it is we really want out of life.

I think most people truly want health and happiness.

The amazing thing is that it is within all of our reach.

If we stay focused on the fact that in everything we do we should try and be making steps toward our goal things will all work out.

If you don't know what you really want...take inventory it is that time of year...make sure in the next few weeks you get a handle on what you want!

December

For many this is the toughest month of the year to keep the waistline in check...so many temptations and options to blow your whole nutrition and fitness plan!

How are you doing?

I know it is early but if you can get a strategy together in your mind....one you can live with....you can conquer this month with no problem.

Think about your goal at the end of the month or say by January 4th so you have a fighting chance.

This month more than any other get on that scale routinely keep yourself in check....it is fine to enjoy the holidays...it is fine to put on 5-10 lbs just dont go crazy and put on so much weight that you can't get rid of it for three months!

Keep some type of focus and have goals and you can do it!

Practice?

My daughter is very involved in Tae Kwon Do and basketball right now.

This morning she had practice for hoops from 8-10 and then Tae Kwon Do from 10:15 - 11:00...boy does that type of Saturday morning schedule put a ten year old in a happy mood!  :)

I was able to run her to the different activities so my wife could get caught up on other things.

We had a very interesting discussion.....she was telling me how she hates the first hour of practice because it is all drills....she said she loves the last half when she gets to play the game.  I asked her why she liked TKD so much then since it is a ton of repetition and no games.  She explained she enjoyed the challenge.

This whole interchange with my ten year old got me to thinking how so many people just want to get to the game...we don't want to practice......study......or even read the directions we just want to get on with it.

The trouble is if you go about life just getting on with it and you fail the results can be tragic.  As I explained to my daughter the importance of practice and repetition ans well as gaing enough knowledge to make proper decisions I am sure it wnet in one ear and out the other....heck she is a youngster.

I learned a lot from our conversation and one of the key findings I got is the importance of practice and education in everything we do.  If life is the game and we all truly want to play the game we should spend a ton of time digging intot he specifics that will enable us to win at the game of life.  We should practice and practice to assure success.

If you want to win at the game of life get focused and put some time in!

Can you abstain or say no?

Sometimes you need to look yourself in the face and ask if you can keep yourself in check in a certain environment.

If you have issues keeping yourself in line in any given scenario...abstain from the situation.

It is hard to do but the right thing to do......if you can't just say no.....follow the advice you would give a child or anyone else and just say no or get away from the situation.

Eating too much nasty food is just as bad as anything else you may just say no to so just do it!

Kick Off

How do you get your day going every day?

I have found it is not about what do I need to do to start the day.

For me it is very important to keep the end in mind.  If I get up each and every day and I know what the finish line looks like I have no problem getting there each day or as I travel through life.

The big issues I run into are when I leave the goals for myself vague and undefined it is very important to know where you are going....if you are not sure where thie finish line is you will never be able to mark your progress.

To start or take a long break...that is the question!

So the long break we all enjoy around Turkey Day is winding to a close!  Now is time for the decision.  Do you shut it down and enjoy the next few weeks of partying, eating and being a bit lazy or do you get back on the horse and watch what you eat the next three weeks and stay active before many of the holiday celebrations begin.

I am a HUGE proponent of staying focused on your food and fitness regiment over the next few weeks.  My strategy the last few years is to stay focused until I take off for the holidays....I have a wonderful 10 days or so around Christmas and New Year's that I will chill out and enjoy food and fellowship.

No need to make it a month long event that will take three months to bounce back from....I would rather enjoy ten days of rest and relaxation and fight my way back in three weeks.

All of us have our own strategy.  As long as you understand the more time you take to enjoy things and slow things down multiply by about three in the time it will take to bounce back.

There is no right or wrong plan of attack just have a plan of attack!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a great day of great food, great company and reflection...so much to be thankful for!

Last Tip/Trick

This should be an easy tip/trick to follow.

Many of us have very odd schedules on Thanksgiving....some have our big meal as a late lunch....an early dinner at times even a late dinner.

The one thing you need to remember is to eat every few hours.....if you are eating the bird at 1:00 don' try and starve yourself until 1:00 before pigging out...you will have effectively slowed your metabolism and set yourself up for a mongo binge.

You may want to eat smaller snack portions but feel free to enjoy food every few hours so you don't go on an eating rampage after starving yourself.

One Day

Another tip or trick around the holidays is to try and make the holiday the event to relax and enjoy all the special grub.

Many people will shut it down for weeks and pig out......very hard to get back on the wagon if you let it go too far.

This next month or so is a great time to reflect with and enjoy family and friends.

Keep in mind that you don't need to eat and drink away every day you are with all those special people.

Talking, visiting and just being together can be far more rewarding.

Our culture is one that emphasizes celebration with food.  That is fine if you can handle the hard work of getting energized and re engaged around a fitness and nutrition regiment come Janiary.

Make holidays and birthdays special days instead of special weeks and you will always look forward to them and you will feel GREAT about yourself!

Living to 122

I read an amazing article today!

It was in reference to longevity.  The article was a study around what it took and what went into people living longer.

The findings were that it was 70% Environmental and 30% genetic.

That is very interesting.

The environmental piece is based on how you live.....food you eat.....exercise.....just what you do day in and day out...the other 30% comes down to genetics.....some people have genetics that will allow them an extra 10 years.

The 70% part is interesting in that if you watch what you eat and you are active on average the people they studied lived 8 to 9 more years.

That is a lot in my opinion!

Plate Reversal!!!!

Here is another key component.....whether it is a day to day buffet or a Thanksgiving feast this is a tip that can be a life changer.

If you are ever in an all you can eat environment.....do a walk through and scope things out before you get a plate....see what the options are.

If you do a once through and you see what healthy options are there that you can enjoy.....fruits, veggies, lean meats etc.  Then you can scope out the stuff you really like.

Make sure you fill up a plate with the healthy stuff eat it first and sit a few minutes...then go back and get a helping of the things you enjoy that are not so healthy...you will find you have no issue getting a bit smaller portion and feeling satisfied if you get that stuff second.

My wife is big on salads so she gets a mongo salad and then she goes after the other stuff the salad fills her so she doesn't gorge on the other goodies.

Use the same strategy on turkey day....your challenge is understanding what the healthy options are and you need to factor in how the food is prepared.

Thanksgiving here we come!

I will try and give out some of my best tips in the week heading up to Turkey Day!

These will not be revolutionary but the basic nature they have about them will make them do able year in and year out instead of a one time event when you are in weight lss crisis mode.

The great thing about a holiday is that most of us get some extra time in the day.

Unless you are the host of a get together you should have some time for yourself.  If you are the host physical labor/activity won't be an issue.

As youhead into the holiday carve out some time for a walk in the morning and agian in the evening if possible.

Just a simple walk if you are not used to doing it can do so much for you.

Try and get a good 45 minute walk in early and then another half hour in the evening.....walk with a family member or friend you don't get to see all that often....waht a great way to build in some activity and spend time with someone you don't get to see much!

What can I eat, and still lose weight?

If I could only tell you how many times I have been asked this question.

The sad thing is I always have the same answer.

If I could answer that question for everyone I would be a billionaire.

I can share with anyone that wants to put the effort in what to eat daily to lose weight but for people to blindly ask you what they should stop or start eating without spending time with me and really talking through their lifestyle is too hard.

Everyone wants the tweet type answer in the twitter genre we live in.

When it comes to weight loss there is no tweet that will suffice.

There needs to be good specific questions around solid specific goals.

When you know where you want your individual goal to be and you will be honest about activity and daily food intake it is pretty easy to put the weight loss equation together.

What I have found is that most people want the answer but they are not willing to truly share daily calorie intake or activity.

It is not until you are willing to understand those components and share them with someone that you can get help.

One Bad Day

Do you follow it up with another bad day or use a bad day to focus on getting back on track.

I have been speaking with people that allow a slip to take them totally off track in the quest for happy healthiness.

The key to staying healthy and happy as you head trhough life is to remember it is a marathon not a sprint.

One good day will never define you and one bad day won't either.

Take a look at a week or a month and focus on making the right move or decision 8 out of 10 times.  Have eight good days to two bad and you will be just fine.

Don't let the one bad day turn into four.

If things start slipping jump on the scale or look at some images of where you don't want to go.

If you keep jarring yourself into these type mind sets you will be more apt to stay on course!

Just not fair!

Not sure if many of you are Biggest Loser fans or not.

They touched on an interesting concept this week.  They had a Dr. on from John's Hopkins that studies the Psychological part of eating.

It was pretty interesting.  I was 288 lbs at my high point and I am at 165 lbs now....up 30 lbs from my low point of 135 lbs.

I thought the Dr.s input was spot on from what I have experienced and it validates that our bodies just are not fair!  :(

The Dr. explained that if you took a lean person and an obese person and put a cheeseburger infront of them the craving to eat it would be much greater for the obese person.  If they both ate the cheeseburger the satiety would be much higher in the lean person.  This means to offset the craving the heavy person needs to eat more cheeseburgers to feel satisfied whereas the lean person can eat a cheeseburger and move on.

Doesn't seem fair does it......another testimony to the good things in life (your health) don't come easy!

To make things worse they went on to explain that it takes about 4 to 6 weeks to re wire your brain for positive eating habits and it take about two days to lose that programming.

Why can't it be the other way around?  :)

Holiday Plans?

Everyone seems to be working on a plan for the holidays.  Many people relax their eating habits as they head into heavy party periods!  Other people try and increase fitness to head off all the Christmas Cookie damage to the waistline.

Some folks cash in the chips from Thanksgiving until January and let the chips fall where they may and then get back on the horse!

I am not sur there is any right answer.

I firmly believe it comes down to the person.  Some people need to stick with their regimen because once they stop they never go back.  Other people have no problem at all taking a break and then jumping back on the horse.

The only advice I can give, and it comes from painful experience, is that life is too short.  Figure out a plan that works for you and enables you to enjoy the holidays.

If you become a bear to be around at the holidays because you are OCD on working out or counting calories.....seek help!

It is not that big a deal.  Come up with a plan you can live with for the next few weeks.

Feel free to share your thoughts with others on here....there is no right or wrong on this one.

Meeting a Friend

Here is another tip/trick.

As you head toward the holidays it is natural to get together with frinds and family.

Many times those get together's will revolve around food.

That is OK.

You can start to look at it a bit differently.  If you are meeting someone for breakfast, lunch or dinner think about meeting for a quick bite and then catching up over a walk.

Nothing wrong with grabbing something at Panera or wherever you want to go to enjoy a quick sit down and then walking outside or at a mall or something while you catch up after food.

It is great to be with people you care about but it doesn't always need to be chowing and sitting on a couch.  Enjoy breaking bread and then plan to get up and get moving somewhere.

TV....good for your weight loss and fitness!

I hope that caught your eye!

Since I lost all my weight I have dramatically cut back on my cardio.

I will share with you one of my top secrets of weight loss and overall fitness.

Use things that take alot of your time for good.

If you like reading the paper or if there are three or four shows you enjoy weekly.

Try and factor exercise into the times you do that stuff.

When I was losing all my weight I was on the bike during Survivor, Biggest loser etc. etc.  If you are going to watch TV do something be active...same thing with reading a book or the paper.

If you take the time you put into those things and get active while you enjoy your hobbies you will be amazed at the quick turn around you can make.

I lost my first 100 lbs in seven months and a good bit of that came sweating it out on the bike while I watched shows on the DVR.

Walking...what is easier?

The number one question I am asked is how to get and STAY motivated.

We are all motivated by different things. You have to find out what motivates you. My main motivation ... wanting to stay healthy and fit for my children. Another motivation is that my fitness program keeps me in shape to be able to do things I enjoy.

Think of all the benefits of a fitness program. Choose the things that matter to you and focus on them. Make a list of all the benefits you will personally receive from your program and make a list of the others that will benefit. (Who else will benefit if you become more fit?? -- Everyone in your life.)

Now make a list of all the excuses you have for not "doing it". Slowly find ways to remove each of these from your list.

You have to make YOU and your fitness a priority.
benefits of a fitness walking program, motivationBENEFITS OF WALKING

Burns calories

Strengthens back muscles

Slims your waist

Easy on your joints

Strengthens your bones

Lowers blood pressure

Allows time with family and friends

Shapes and tones your legs and butt

Cuts cholesterol

Reduces risk of heart disease, diabetes, & more

Reduces stress

Sleep better

Improves mood and outlook on life

Can be done almost anywhere

Requires no equipment

AND it's Free

Every Day

Think about all the things you do on any given day.

There are so many things we do today that are so effortless compared to all the many things people had to do in the past.

I remember going through the airport as a little kid and people actually had to carry their luggage.  There were no people movers...you walked wherever you needed to go.

When Ihad a paper route we rode our bike or what around at the crack of dawn delivering papers we didn't get driven in a car and chuck the papers out the window.  Nowadays most of the delivery folks are actually adaults driving themselves to make some extra money but that is a whole other topic.

The oint of this post is not about boy did I have it tough back in my day.  The point is every day we have many opportunities to make things effortless for ourselves or we can choose the option that may be a bit more work.

Here are a few examples and do with them what you will:

When you are in a building with more than one floor are you searching out elevators and escalators or can you deal with the stairs?  When you are on a phone call are your feet up?  Are you sitting staring at a computer or can you get up and pace a little bit.  When you drive somewhere later today r tomorrow will you circle like a vulture to get the close parking place or will you drive to the farthest point from the entrance park and take a nice leisurley walk in.

We have many choices right in front of us every day that are not crazy work outs but a little extra physical activity can make a huge difference daily.

Selfish?

So we have been told by many different people in many different forms of media that we should work out 30 minutes a day.

Since I began my weight loss journey over three years ago now I have heard every excuse and reason for people not having the time to invest in their own well being.

Many time people explain that they don't have time.

People go on to explain to me how there is only so much time in the day and if they have family, friends and loved ones it would be selfish to take a half hour away from them when they could be spending time together.

I say right back to them if that hlps you sleep at night good for you because that mind set disgusts me.  That is a convenieint reason to not work out period.

It is the exact opposite of selfish to take care of yourself 30 minutes a day.

Do you have any idea how many 30 minute periods it would take to get you an extra ten years on your life not to mention the improvement in quality of life.

If you are out there and you have ever thought it was selfish to take 30 minutes a day to work out....get over yourself.

30 minutes a day could be the most selfless thing you can do for your friends family or yourself long term.

Trust me on this one!

Partner

It is becoming more and more important in a quest for fitness to have an accountability partner or a buddy.

Whether it is walking, lifting or just eating well having someone that you can vent to and just be there for you truly is the difference maker.

As we head into the winter it becomes very easy to make excuses as to why the early morning run or walk should get skipped.

The roads are bad and I don't have food choices so I order a pizza.

If you don't have someone to talk, text or email with in relation to how you are feeling and what your challenges are for the day most often you will make the wrong choice.

It is so much easier to make the tough choice when you are not alone!

Find a trusted partner/buddy as you head into the Fall/Winter.....it will make a HUGE difference!

Holiday Help

Many people get past Halloween and start thinking about Turkey Day and Thanksgiving...some feel overwhelmed and give up any aspiration of losing or keeping weight off!

I am here to say that holiday's are here to be enjoyed!

Week in and week out you will be tempted by different things.

Enjoy everythng in moderation and if you slip up don't fal into a ditch pick yourself back up and get focus.

It is OK to enjoy yourself and have some goodies or take a day off from the gym.

Make sure you make those occurrences exceptions not your lifestyle.

As we wind toward the holidays I will try and add a few tips and tricks to make a difference as you head through the next few months.

The day after!

So it is the day after Halloween!!!!

If your house is anything like mine there is bite sized candy everywhere.

Here is the deal...as much as we may hear it from all angles ............... candy is not poison.

Doghnuts cheeseburgers all those things in moderation are not good for you but give me a break all the vegetables coming your way minus the good organic stuff is sprayed with round up so how good can that be for you.

A few bite sized pieces of candy here and there will do wonders to fight cravings and mentally it will relieve the stress that self deprivation of any goodies brings!

Don't go crazy on the bad stuff but don't lookat all that stuff as a mistake that will end the world if you indulge here or there!

Make what you like to do count for you!

We all only have so much time in the week.

Do you love to watch TV?

Read the newspaper?

Facebook?

Spend time with the family?

Whatever it is you like to do......factor in some movement, action or exercise around it so you really make it count.

Some people spend 4 days out of a month yes...almost 96 hours watching TV!

If you spent a quarter of that tie pedaling a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill do you know the long term benefit you would yield yourself?

Same with the newspaper or facebook.

Time with the family...head to the park or wrestle go to the beach...it is allwithin your reach and in your control...you just need to take a new perspective or approach.

Trick or Treating can be awesome family time and great exercise if you don't eat a candy bar a house on your hike!

Think about things a little differently and the impacts on your life could be amazing!

Get Outside

Colder weather is on the way but that is OK!

There are many studies that are coming out to suggest getting a run, bike ride or a simple walk is better for you if done outside instead of on a treadmill or in a gym.

First off the change in your surroundings will enable you to burn a few extra calories and work out a couple extra muscles due to the wind and terrain changes as well as sudden situations that arise like dodging other runners or crossing a street.

When you do things outside people naturally get a boost in self esteem as they feel better in the "great outdoors" instead of in a sterile gym or basement.

It also helps your brain.........if you start walking in just 90 days blood flow to your brain will increase 15%....this will helping your mental dexterity.  It will also lower your BP and your heart rate.

Get outside and reap some of these rewards!

Have you found your Motivation

I have been speaking with some people that are really stuck in a mental rut when it comes to weight loss and fitness.

I am starting to find that there is much more to understanding why you want be fit or lose weight than actually the effort that you will put into doing it.

Many people want to lose weight or they vow to get fit and short term they are actually successful.

What I want to share with you is the secret.

Anyone can lose weight or get fit short term...until you truly dig into the reason you need to change your lifestyle you won't be successful long term.

You will go up down and all around untilyou find the reason that you truly desire to be fit happy and healthy.

On the other hand you may need to identify what keeps you from being fit happy and healthy....that reason can be as big an obstacle as not having a driver.

Figure out what is in your way mentally or physically and deal with it.

If there is no impedment then get something that will motivate you long term and commit to it...that will make the difference.

The weather will be changing

Don't let weather changes put an end to your fitness routine.

Think about what you will do to stay active as the weather turns for the winter.

If you don't have a plan in place it will be very easy for you to slack off.

If you put a plan in place ahead of time you will be ready.

As long as the temperatures are above zero my wife and I bundle up for our daily walks...below zero it is to the indoor bike and treadmill in the basement.

There is no guess work we know by the thermostat what our workout will entail any given day.

Take control of your day don't let your day take control of you...or the weather!  :)

Always a reason!

People were asked why they don't fill half their plate with fruits and vegetables?

Too Expensive    30%

Don't pair well with the rest of the meal       27%

Half a plateful is too much      21%

They aren't always served    21%

Seems like 69% of the reasons are very controllable.  30% being too expensive may be relative.....the medical procedure you could incur down the road because of an improper diet could be viewed as pretty expensive as well.

I love to eat at buffets....I get three plates of steamed veggies and about as many plates of fruit.

I find the expensive reference interesting since when at a buffet I see mounds and mounds of things on people's plates that are not fruits and veggies.  I think there is a cultural view of fruits and veggies as punitive in nature.

People are forced to eat their veggies and in many cases fruit is offered in place of a delectable chocolate dessert or something of that nature so it is viewed as a fall back not a treat.

All these points are just made to get you thinking.

I know it makes me think!

We all need some good news

Seems like all to often as people look for nuggets to motivate themselves all you get is depressing news.

If you eat a burger at Wendy's it will take you three hours of walking to burn off the calories or if you eat a donut at Krispy Kreme you need to chop wood forever to burn the calories.

Other times we are told if we don't get our heart rate up or exercise for an hour a day there really are no benefits.

When these type stories run they tend to upset people to the point that they give up or they lose motivation.

There was a great story that came out last week and it should be very encouraging.
Th good news is that a mere fifteen minute walk daily can add three years to your life.

That news does not promise a new life or the ability to lose 30 lbs in a week but it is a positive affirmation for an attainable goal.

you need to set your sights on something that is do able.

This is extremely do able and the thought of an extra three years should be motivational.

Is it harder to lose, gain or maintain?

This is the million dollar question and the answer seems to be very different depending on whattype person you are.

I can gain weight in minutes not days!  :):)

I can lose weight pretty quickly as well if I need to.

Maintenance to me is where the tremendous challenge lies.

What I have found is you need to give yourself a large window 10 - 15 lbs so that you can go up and down depending on different body composition situations.  Time of month?  Maybe you had a HUGE meal at a Holiday and it takes your body some time to process.....there are going to be large swings one way or another so I think in maintenance mode you have to stay on top of your weight and give yourself a realistic window to go up and down.

Much easier to reign yourself in if you are 8 lbs over your goal than if you slide 20 lbs away.

It is interesting to think about weight loss or weight gain as potentially easier than maintenance but it is the same in many things in life....when driving your car if someone says speed up or slow down that is simple.....if they tell you to stay right at a certain number it is  bit more challenging.

Weight Gain has Nothing to do with food!

Did I just put that in writing?
Yes, if you did not put anything n your mouth you would not gain weight.

That being said if you are able to control yourself and live life moderately you can eat what you want when you want.

Most issues that occur with weight gain tend to have direct relation to some kind of stress.

When you are dealing with things in your personal life that feel like they are too big too overcome many times than not you will veg out on the couch or ou will head straight to food.

It is in these times you must do a gut check and figure out where you are at and what stance you will take in relation to pigging out!

Slow Down

When yuo exercise you look to speed things up.  Take your intensity to a new high any work out you can.

On the other side of this there is one of my favorite activities.....EATING!

This is a quick thought I wanted to throw your way.  Think about slowing down as much as possible when it comes to eating.  This will help your body let your mind know when you are full or comfortable.  It usually takes 20 minutes for your mind to understand that you have been feeding.  the other thing this does is allow you to enjoy and savor your food....if you like to eat why rush?  Take your time enjoy it.

There are three basic levels of eaters.  Slow, moderate and fast.  A slow eater eats 1.5 oz of food a minute, moderate 2.5 oz and fast 3.1 oz.

Man of us have heard to slow down when we eat but there is a new way to think about this which should make plenty of sense to you.

The more food you eat per minute the more calories you are taking in.

As you slow down your eating you are slowing down your calorie intake.

Who would have thought an easy way to cut calories is just to slow down.

Calorie Counts

It is funny that I wrote the note I did yesterday in relation to serving size.

Today in the USA Today the discussed the way teens have no idea what calorie count a meal has.

It is scary to think the larger the meal the farther off the kids were....if a meal was 1500 calories kids thought it was 700  if a meal was 1000 kids thought it was 800 if a meal was 750 the kids thought it was 500.

We are living in an age where we have been conditioned to think if we order a meal it is the same no matter what the size of the sandwich the side or the dessert.

We must understand going forward that the eyes need to tell us when something is larger than the average serving.

We must take responsibility.

Serving Size

How many times do you think a burger is a burger....a baked potatoe......a muffin.....a cookie?

Many of us get caught in the trap of the size of food being the same no matter where you eat it or purchase it.

Many muffins can be three times the size of a true serving.

Cookies can vary by four times the size.....a baked potatoe 2.5 times the size.

The challenge is understanding what a true serving is and in the world today it is very hard to get a handle on this.

Everything is mega sized supersized double sized triple sized it never seems to end!

You need to have a real good understanding of what an appropriate serving is or you will get lost in the Biggie Size/Super Value Size mentality.

The way I got a handle on this was to truly get a feel for what a serving size is.

Whether it be a chicken breast or a piece of pizza you really must get a handle on what a true serving should be or your pant size will blow up as fast as the biggie size.

Next time you go out to eat start thinking about the size of the protions you are served and learn what fills you up.

A burger at McDonald's is very different than a burger at a sit down restaurant...whereas neither are good for you the size and calories differential can be staggering.

Daily Distractions

Here is another tip for anyone that will listen.

Most of us have days that are jam packed and pressure filled from the time we wake up until we put our head on the pillow!

You must find things that can calm you down on a daily basis.


For some it is exercise a walk or a bike ride some light weight lifting.

For others it is reading a book or socializing.

Whatever it is you must have an escape of some sort as Blood Pressure and Stress can lead to many issues.  From weight gain to BP and cholesterol issues stress is bad.

Do you know what you can do to escape?  What can you do to distract yourself from the day to day hassles?

Once you ID your escape you will be way ahead of the game.

Eat Often

Here is another tip from my journey in weight loss.

Many people will be quick to tell you to eat every few hours.

It stokes your metabolism and it slows down your want to eat.

You will hear very often....eat every two hours.

People don't explain as readily what you should eat every few hours.

I am a proponent of a very large breakfast...balance protein, carbs and fiber.

A good example is egg whites, fruit, oatmeal or some high fiber wheat toast.

This type of breakfast will set you up for an awesome day.

Think about it like a night out at the bars.....if you are going out to drink you hear people get a big dinner to have a base of food in their system.  Every day should be viewed like this...start with a solid base!  After that you can mix in fruit veggies and some fiber every few hours....have a healthy lunch and dinner tiening protein and then a snack in the evening.

Shut it down and start over.

Eating often does not mean a cookie or a donut every two hours...sorry to blow up that thought but you have to make good choices.  Find food you enjoy and partake every few hours.  If they are healthy all is good!

HDL

Many people talk about Cholesterol but they have no idea how your ratio of cholesterol is figured out and how you can impact it.

LDL is the bad stuff and HDL is the good stuff.  What you eat has a big role in what your LDL is what you eat and activity levels tend to dictate HDL.

Many of us are pre disposed to high LDL levels genetically.  I can eat clean but if I don't exercise I will always have very high LDL.  I need to get out and walk or do something daily to keep my HDL above average to compensate for a high LDL.

I lost the lottery when it comes to LDL so I have to keep my ratio in tact by having a higher HDL to counter act a high LDL.

Here is the first change you can make in your lifestyle and it should be pleasant and enjoyable....a simple 30 minut walk a day can do wonders for your HDL and you may be surprised what it can do for your mind.

Give it a try.

Does it ever end?

Many of you have been on a weight loss or fitness journey of some sort ....... hence logging into this blog occasionally!  :):)

Many people ask me when can I let up....when does it end?

I would say it really never ends.

Living a healthy and fit lifestyle is exactly that a lifestyle.  You can take breaks from the lifestyle (short ones) you can even change or tweak it but a diet is an event a lifestyle is a process and the process is what will work for you long term.

If you have goals for yourself you may have to really work hard for 2 months or two years to achieve the certain fitness level or weight but at the end of that cycle you still need to keep fotness and health at the forefront.

If you truly long to be fit healthy and happy you really have to choose to dedicate yourself to making good decisions.

I will try and work to give easy lifestyle changes to you over the next few weeks to see if they are things you think you can live with.

Find a way to enjoy what you like!

Whether there are activities foods entertainment options you enjoy....whatever category it might fall into ..... find a way to enjoy.

I have had to work with my wife on this one in relation to food.

I have found that no matter what you desire if you deprive yourself to long you will sway the worng way at some point and not only give in to the temptation but many times it leads t a binge!

If there are things in life you enjoy, that are legal, make sure you allow yourself the activity or thing on occasion.

I LOVE cookies.

If I had to go a few days without a cookie I would be miserable.  My wife has worked incredibly hard to find pretty healthy cookie options for me.  Oatmeal, peanut butter, snickerdoodle it does not matter she has found me options.

This is a great way to go about things don't let a want or a desire upset you just find a good way to partake or enjoy.

If I am going to give in to my cookie temptation.....why fight it?  Come up with a good option you enjoy and make it part of your life....the results will follow!

Life is Good

When you wake up in the morning are you ready to jump oout of bed or do you want to bury your head in the comforter?

There is a large correlation in my estimation for your want to get up in the morning vs.the want to crash and hide for the day!

You need to remember no matter what you are doing or what you are in the midst of nothing is so daunting that you should not look forward to making good things happen that day!

You can choose how your day will go most days......think about it as you head into each and every day!

What a week!

I was in Hawaii for the last week without a computer.

I am very sorry to leave you all hanging without warning.

I thought I would have computer access but I did not.

What a trip I had...my wife and I got to totally chill out.

No exercise just a bunch of good eating.  This was a reward trip so my wife and I worked really hard to be able to just enjoy the week we had away from the routine.

Since I started writing here I have tried to explain that it is not about self deprivation....it is all about enjoying life in a way you can live with so that you can be happy and healthy as you gorw older.

The good news is my wife and I just chilled out and pigged out and we gained a few pounds....that was OK as we had planned on that!

We decided on our flight back that is the way to go!  Enjoy each and every day and if you need to get a few extra pounds off or if you need to shed a few blood pressure points attack those issues when you understand them.

What Matters

Many of us have day to day challenges which call us to priorittize many different activities.

How hard is it for you to decide what matters.

A friend, your son or daughter want to talk but you have a report due.  Maybe those people just want to hang out but there is a show on you really want to watch.

Maybe you have been trying to get a few moments of alone time and they are finally within reach and someone needs your time.

We all have run across these things many days out of our week.  How you deal with things and what you put at the top of your priority list can tell you much about where you are at in life.

Most of us have short term and long term goals.

Many of us have things we want to get done today or this hour and then we have things we hope to have in order donw the road.

I am trying to make it part of my routine to think about where I want to finish and then make sense out of my prioritization.

I am taking Covey's advice and I am going to begin with the end in mind.

Since I have dedicated myself to this approach a few months ago it is incredible the clarity I am starting to get around my day to day activities.

Give it a try as you head through the week.

Think about where you want to be ten to twenty years from now physically and mentally and then put your priorities out there daily you may be amazed at the difference you find!

Football!

Tonight it all started...the NFL is back..I love it!

I was reflecting on how different my life is from five years ago.

Tonight would have ben all you can eat wings a little pizza and enjoy the game.

Tonight I am really enjoying the game but it has no food association to it.

A few years ago if football was on itwas 20 wings garlic bread with cheese and ballgame.

Now I don't use the game as an excuse to overeat...I enjoy the game for what it is an awesome game...if I want to eat great but the game is the game and my decisions on what I eat or don't during the game are or should be seperate!

Get your sweat on!

I will tell all of you if you want the secret to losing weight it is about getting a good sweat on!

Many people have argued with me about intervals....weight training against aerobic etc.etc.

Here is the bottom line...activity is good.....you can walk and you can lift weights and you are all good.  That is much better than doing nothing.

The bottom line though is that if you get a good sweat on you will usually burn 10-15%  in the following 24 hours than you would have if you did not exercise to the point of sweat.

I know this can seem a bit gross but the bottom line is if you are not working hard enough to break a sweat you are doing something but you are not working out hard enough to make a difference in your life!

Choices

We all make them....sometimes we make a thousand or so a day.

Odds are if you are a realist you understand that there are going to be many times you make the wrong choice.

There isn't much wrong with making the wrong choice...there is a ton that can go right or wrong depending on how you react and respond to a poor decision.

Life happens and once you come to grips with that and realize that you aren't perfect and you are going to make bad choices the faster you can get on with your life.

Some people think making a bad choice is something you don't realize until after the fact and sometimes that is true.

Many times we choose to make the wrong choice...that is OK to.

If you always do the right thing you will go nuts and the one day you give in to the worng decision you may really go on a bender.

I am not encouraging anyone to make bad choices i am simply reminding everyone we all make bad choices....accept them and decide how to position yourself to respond differently in the future.

Happy Labor Day!

How fitting a day to look back a bit and think about the many things we have discussed over the last few months.

So many discussions on fitness, nutrition, being a good person and the propensity we all have to struggle in so many areas.

For good or bad we all labor a great deal day in and day out whether it be physically or mentally.  Life is a challenge most every day and that is why a strong healthy focus is so important.

If you stay focused on the positive things that you want to accomplish the labor you endure day in and day out will be totally worth it.

I want to share soe thoughts with you tomorrow on exercise and it can be a game changer for people looking to lose weight so make sure you check back.

Today though take a few moments to reflect on what you have labored through this last year and then think about how you may make this coming year a bit less strenuous and a bit more productive toward your goals.

What do we invest in?

Think about where you spend your time and your money?

Here are some thoughts for you......Buy experiences instead of things......buy many small pleasures instead of a few big ones; pay now for things you can look forward to later.

These are simple precepts but they can go a long way to happiness.

Awesome Text

I was traveling this week and I got a great text from my wife.

She said I took the kids for Ice Cream and it looks so good, how do you do it?

My wife is trying to lose a few pounds for our trip to Maui in a few weeks.

She is so skinny to begin with it is goofy.

I explained to her I am able to abstain from all my vices by looking at most of them as a moment in time...instant gratification....when my kids are enjoying ice cream or a dessert I am enjoying them being happy .......... my focus is on their happiness not on what it would do for me.

If you look at things in that manner you can disarm the temptation.  If yo think about what it means to you the challenge will become very tough.

See happiness through others and don"t think about stuff as what you want.

Have a drink?

Many people get into the discussion in relation having a glass of wine or a beer and how it is positive in relation to heart health.

If you are able to sit down and have a glass of wine or a cold beer and relax with family or friends there is something to that.

For many people one drink leads to a few more and depending who you are wit or the mood you are in stress levels can actually rise.

Nothing wrong with a nice little cocktail here or there in the right environment but it is best if you aren't sure where that one drink will take you to just go out for a 30 minute walk....it will calm you donw and you won't be drinking the extra calories.

Your body loves a surprise

Our bodies are a lot like kids at Christmas....nothing like a surprise.

Whether it is food or fitness your body will get mad at you and it will work against you if you don't switch up your diet and more importantly your exercise routine.

For succes in weight loss and in building muscle you need to keep things fresh and keep switching things up.

Don't just alternate upper and lower body routines...alternate the exercises within the routine.

When you are eating switch your proteins at times....chicken then some black beans maybe a yogurt....keep it fresh!

Shock the system.

All or Nothing!

I was readng a great article this afternoon on heart health.

There were 17 things that should be focused on to keep your heart healthy.

I will mention a few of them as I go through the week but one thing that stood out was in regard to exercise.

The issue that was adressed was the propensity people have to go over the top in relation to an exercise regiment.  Instead of starting with something you can live with long term people jump in and go over the top in relation to the exercise program they start with.

I have preached this for years now in relation to diet as well as fitness.  It is all about lifestyle change you can live with.  If you try and implement short term diets or fitness sessions for a short term goal expect it to be just that a short term result...if you want lasting change implement things you can live with day in and day out!

Interpersonal Development and Food

A few people asked me what I meant by that yesterday.

Here is the deal.  Food calories all that stuff in the grand scheme of things is very basic and easy to figure out.  The mental gymnastics and your development as a person is so much more complex.

It is kind of like math...which I suck at by the way.  You can learn math if you work hard and long enough you can figure it out.

The people that figure out how to use math in life can right their ticket for about whatever they want.  It is not about the knowledge or even the skill set it is always how you apply it.

Think about that with almost anything in life.

What is your food of choice?

Do you stress on calories or try and eat clean.

Had a discussion with a youg lady today she is 24 and she is starving herself to lose weight and she does not understand why the weight won't come off.
I have tried to tell anyone that will listen over the last few years that food here and there keeps you functioning but the interpersonal development is deeper than that!

What do you want to do with your life?

This is a bit off topic but it surprised me a little bit.

I saw an article this morning about the value of education....as my kids are starting school this week I found it eye opening.

The study was on the difference between High School drop out to Bachelor"s Degree in earning potential.

Finding's shocked me.
                                                                    Average Lifetime earnings
High School Drop Out                                     $973,000
High School Graduate, No College                   $1.3 Million
Some College, no degree                                   $1.55 Million
Associate's Degree                                            $1.73 Million
Bachelor's Degree                                             $2.27 Million

Go get that BA gang!

Don't Quit

I have been bummed the last few days.

There are a few people that decided to get their lives back a few years ago....lose some weight and get in shape.

We worked out at the gym back when I belonged and tried to encourage each other.

I had not seen these folks in almost a year.  I bounced into them over the weekend and they had put all their weight back on plus.

I could care less what people weight but if your passion is to get healthey and you work to achieve it I hate to see all that work go to waste.

The funny thing is when I bumped into these two they started apologizing up and down to me.

I tried to stop them but they just kept going.

Once they gave me every reason in the book they couldn't get the weight off I let the silence be real loud and then I told them how much I want what is best for them.  If eating and chilling out makes them whole...do it up.....if that is not the case then look in the mirror and apologize to yourself not to me.

We all need to learn that accountability....ultimate accountability....stops with us.

Once we realize that any negative behaviour we succumb to hurts us more than anyone else...then and only then we will realize how important our decisions are daily.

Back to School

This is the week many kids have been dreading as they headed through August.

There is some goot in back to school week.

Routine!

We all get back into a routine.....when the kids all go back things seem to fall back in line.  We all know when the traffic will back up due to school buses....we learn when to head to certain food courts for a quick bite at times that dodge the Senior's or the football team prior to practice.

Automation is good for all of us...weekends become weekends again and weekdays have a structure.

Yes I was a kid once so I get the summer break thing but now that I am on the other side.......getting back into a routine is awesome!

Push Ups

All of us can do them.....some of us can do a lot of them a few of us can squeeze out three but it is a tremendous way for a quick work out and you can do them almost anywhere.

next time you feel like you don't have time to do anything hit a few push ups and see how quickly you can increase the max you can do.

Many people use the amount of push ups you can do as a good indicator of your fitness level.  As your age increases the ability to do push ups will usually come down but in your 90's if you are fit you should still be able to do 3-5.

See what you can do right now.....hopefully you can get to twenty....if not make that your new goal.

I started with twenty and now I try and do three sets of 100 every other day.

Took a few years but I got there.

Denial

My wife and I are learning a critical lesson.

I have always discussed with people my 80-20 rule and never dieting all the way through losing my 154 lbs.

That said much of my journey had to do with treating myself and enjoying the things in life I enjoy.  I am a firm believer that you can't go cold turkey on things and the more you deprive yourself of something the better the chances become for a binge or an out and out fall off the wagon experience.

We are pretty strict about the food our kids eat so when we go on vacation and loosen up the rules we all go crazy with sweets and other goodies.

We watch others who aren't as strict day to day and they grab one cookie and look at me sideways when I eat nine.

All this said it is a simple concept...if you go to crazy in deprivation to achieve a goal odds are you won't maintain that behaviour long term and your goal achievement will have been meaningless.

All this said look for balance and stay away from denial....go for moderation.

Inspiration

So many times people find inspiration in the most unusual place.

You aren't seeking things out you are just doing your own thing and inspiration strikes....could be something a neighbor is doing or has done...maybe something you see on the news or hear on the radio.

It does not take a whole lot to become inspired.

We have all felt it we see things hear things or are a part of things that really inspire us.

So good now you are inspired.....what do you do with the inspiration...do you cherish the feeling for 10 minutes....10 hours ......... 10 days?  Do you take ACTION?

Next time you feel inspired by anything......take that opportunity to think about how you might take action and use that inspiration to change your life.

Slow with the posts

I have taken a step back with the posts.

I would love to keep posting thoughts advice and tips every day but I have begun to receive little to know feedback.

Let me know if this stuff is of any help.

Many times it is just a few thoughts I have at the time.

I could go to a few times a week with more substance or somethign to that effect?

Let me know if you have thoughts....if not I will keep the ramblings of a mad man rolling.

Will Power

It is many of our arch enemy....we battle it each and every day.

Once you learn the art of will power control you become unbeatable.

Last weekend we had one of my son's friend go on a trip with us.  My family eats very healthy and we monitor about everything but when we hit the road it is all up for grabs.  The boy that was traveling with us obviously has been watching his intake.

As a person that has done that I understood how tough this was going to be.  With cookies, chips and everything else flying downt the hatch I thought this thirteen year old would succumb to the pressure in about two minutes.

I was so proud to watch this boy master self control throughout the weekend.

It taught me more than I could ever have read in a book it was inspiring and just the kick I needed to realize will power is there for all of us...do you harness the will power or give in and make excuses.....be like the thirteen year old...rise to the challenge!

Gremlins

My apologies gang.....we have had gremlins in the system since Monday.

I think we have it fixed but you have my apologies for any inconvenience.

One thought I had to pass on today was going back a few months and just testing all of you on your focus.

Without focus you will just float down the lazy river and you will end up wherever the current takes you.

With focus you gain direction and the ability to know that you have achieved the goal you had in mind because it was defined.

I have been amazed by people that want to achieve good grades, a promotion, maybe lose weight or build there fitness level.  I ask the simple question about how will you know when you have achieved your goal and people look at me sideways.

I further the dialogue by asking define good grades or how much weight do you want to lose?

What is your plan?

People have this thought that if they think it then it just happens....news flash my froends not so ..... you need a solid focus and you need a better plan ..... if you have a solid plan and you focus on that the goal is a slam dunk!

Food will get you!

If you are anything like me.....food creates turmoil when I am the only person that is going to take on the risk.

I will work with the new league person to understand why they chose there.

Self Control

Ahhhhhhhh.....America!

What a day on the stock market........boy did I hear an interesting correlation on the news today!

They were comparing the West's lack of self control in relation to weight gain and the rising debt.


Quite honestly there is a very obvious parrallel.

We want what we want when we want it and that has lead to unbleievable debt levels along with incredible waistlines....think about it.

If you are unwilling to wait or sacrifice financially to save or get things that are important to you long term are you really going to say no to the late night munchies the doughnuts or the fired foods...probably not.

We must break this cycle and teach our frinds, family and communit that the things in life that are worth living for take sacrifice and effort.

Equality

In relation to food consumption exercise and many other facets of our health and wellness I wish it was an equal playing field.

Quite honestly it is not....many of us are pre disposed to weight issues cholesterol issues etc.

Some of us can lose weight and just keep on losing wieght...others can lose weight by eating things that many of us dream to eat....a bunch of us look at a doughnut or chicken wing and get spikes in our cholesterol.

Some of us eat carbs and balloon up others eat at night and the weight pours on...many times there seems to be no rhyme or reason.

I am here to tell you there is a rhyme and a reason but it is very individual.

We can't look at others and figure this out we need to worry about ourselves analyze and understand ourselves...when we work at this we will understand how to stay happy and healthy.

The longer we look at others or read others books or watch shows about others the more frustrated we will get.  Look at it for you and understand you and progress will happen!

What vs. When

I have so many people that think I am crazy for the eating patterns I am in.

My typical day is to start eating between 7:30 and 8....I then eat every few hours with my last snack around 10:45 at night 3/4 cup dry of quick oats with cinnimon and splenda and then I usually go to bed around 11:30.

I eat fruit oatmeal whole wheat high fiber bread chicken veggies turkey....all these things I eat frequesntly throughout the day.

All the people that say don't eat within four hours of bed and all the other stuff need to realize it is all relative it really has nothing to do with when you eat it is all about what you eat.

If you are big about weighing in for weight loss early in the morning you may not want to eat late as your body has not processed the food but outside of that it is all about what you are putting into your body not when you are doing it!

Enjoy your Saturday!

EAT FREQUENTLY

To lose weight this is imperative...you have to learn to trust it.

I know it flies in the face of what we think "dieting" is and that is why "dieting" is a joke!

My wife is trying to lose 10 lbs and she is already very thin.....the light bulb went off for her when she ate almost nothing the other day and she wasn't hungry...her weight remained the same.

I explained that as she had cut back calories her metabolism slowed...you may feel like you are cutting back but you won't lose weight as your system has shut down!

She started eating some nuts and other healthy calories every few hours and wala....weight started coming off again.....even a ahndful of nuts or some grapes or something every two hours will do wonders!

Trust me on this one.

Walking

Don't underestimate it my friends!

More and more studies are showing walking is a very viable form of exercise.

It can not only help you lose some weight or stay fit it will help your mind!

A recent study was taken and the findings overwhelmingly were on the side of the walkers!

Many of us think of walking as a waste of time but there are now very good examples of walking helping our waistline and it will help our mind as well.

Figure out what and when you need to get out there and get a good walk in each day.

Little Things

All the exercise and fitness gurus say you need to work out at least 150 minutes for appreciable gains.

There is a new study out that gives hope to all the busy people!

The new study goes to show if you are relatively sedentary you can see gains in your longevity by working out 10 to 15 minutes a day.

Certainly for a 14% chance at better long term health we can all put 10 -15 minutes aside.

This study goes on to say if you can carve out time to walk 40 minutes a day you can get a 28% better shot of staying healthy.

These are pretty incredible numbers for minimal time...give it a try my friends!

Compromise

We need to find it almost everywhere....outside of ethics and morales we must compromise and find a healthy give and take in almost every are of our lives.

I have mentioned a few stories of people that are so busy there just is no time for healthy eating or exercise.  I have told stories of people who just don"t care about those issues.

Many of the issues you will run into in your quest to eat healthier over the course of time will have roots in interpersonal relationships or moods that you must fight to understand.

News flash......most of us like to do things are way.  When we don't get our way we can internalize or act out in a way that creates stress in our lives.

The challenge is to be cognizant of this and to understand what these challenges do in our lives.

When we come to grip with these challenges in our lives and we understand the importance of balance emotionally and physically that is when we truly figure out how to help ourselves.

Start of the Work Week

If you have struggled with diet or workout routines...think about Monday as your re set or do over day.

If you fall off the wagon during the week.  Monday can be your reset day....maybe you have a travel week or a vacation or a family party week where a bunch of get togethers fall in line.

Life will happen and when it does live it....just remember to get back on the pony....if you miss a few days re set on Monday.

If you let things go it will get harder and harder to get back on the horse!

Use this philosophy to keep you on track and you will never spiral out of control!

Self Control

As we head toward the deadline for the Debt situation Nationally the debates and positions of our political parties have been tremendously resonating with me.

The situation we are in as a Nation are so directly tied to our habits as a Country it is astounding.

The Nation is much like us individually.

We all feel very entitled to what we want when we want it!

Whether it be food, relaxation, electronics, automobiles....clothes we want waht we want when we want it and the repercussions never seem to matter...could be weight gain could be debt could be time away from ones we love.

Most of us simply want what we want and we want it when we want it.

As we head toward the showdown on Tuesday with the debt put it in the personal perspective for yourself.  Don't put yourself in that situation personally...whether financial or fitness wise be accountable for every action and you will never find yourself in the position our Country finds itself in!

Good News

My wife talked me into running last night.....we ran two miles no problem!

My concern was this morning....up and out of bed with no pain in the knee!
Maybe you get better as you get older?

Wishful thinking but this made me feel great to kow I may be able to get a few runs in here and there.

Our dof wasn't to happy I htink he likes the walks better than the runs!

Just shows nevr give up and keep trying it is all out there for you!

Running

I have been traveling this week and as many of you know I have signed off running over the last year due to some knee issues.

My wife sent me a note and asked me if I would try and run with her Friday night.  I am up for anything so here is to checking out the meniscus status.

I am willing to try anything but this is a great example of knowing your body.

I would love to be able to run a few miles with my wife in the evening but I only want to do it if t does not leave me hobbling.

I will check back with a status update Saturday morning...here is to not shying away from a challenge!

Treat Yourself

If you get to a point where you are struggling get yourself a treat...clothes...a book....some music!

If you want to enjoy soem snack as a treat you deserve it!

If you have issues with once you start you can't stop....identify the issue and make sure yo keep yourself out of a volatile situation.  For the most part making yourself feel good is very very good for you!

If you don't treat yourself no one else will so if you hit a rut or achieve a major accomplishment take some you time in whatever way you enjoy it!

Motivation

We all need to find it...it is funny where it comes from.

I have found it in mnay different places and many different people.

This week alone I have been touched by a lady that lost 200 lbs in a year with every reason not to be able to...husband had a stroke...she had a full time job....little ones at home but she found a way.

Today I was speaking with a 58 year old lady that rides a bike 15 miles a day.

I asked her why she bikes....she said she used to run  daily but she had a hip replacement in January and now she can't run so she bikes.

These are the things that amaze me.....many people use that at a point to quit she found another way!

Look for things that can motivate you and grab onto them!

What did you do different on Monday

I have an early flight Tuesday so I just wanted to drop a quick note...think about Monday.

What did you do different on Monday from the week before?

Did you eat better?

Work out a bit more?

Were you kind to someone that just needed that extra kindness?

If you look at each day and thikn about doing something a little better than the day before you will be amazed with the outcome!

If you look at it in that manner you will find it is extremely achievable to dramatically change your life!

Start keeping score each day try and beat the last and see where you are at after a week...it will become infectious for you....give it a try.

Own your situation

We were catching up on the extreme makeover .... weight edition....over the weekend!

Some great stories but as my wife and I walked the dogs we agreed on a few things.

Last night we watched the story of the lady that lost 201 lbs in a year...her goal was to lose 250 from her 456 starting point.  She had many issues..she was very heavy...her husband had incurred a stroke....she had two little ones tot ake care of so she had many excuses....she found a way to lose 106 lbs in the first 90 days with supervision..her issue was trying to do things alone....she always had reasons she had to eat the bad foods or cut out the exercise.

I will be the first to say I understand the issue with getting in a workout or always eating right when on the road but it ultimatley falls on me....if I am busy it is just as easy to grab a few chicken breasts at Wendy's or a sub at Subway as it is to grab the cheeseburgers...no matter how bad our situation is we decide what we put in our mouth and we also decide whether to get a few walks in over the course of a day.

You can own your success......make up your mind to do the right thing most of the time and all will be well!

Different Paths

We all have very different paths we take as we travel through life.

Many of us vary widely in regard to affluence as well as othe sociological patterns for our lives.

I know in my weight gain journey I went from college athlete to 288 lb mess down to a scrawny unhealthy 134 lb weakling and back to a happy healthy 165 lb 43 year old!

Fnny thing is at 160 lbs I graduated from high school and here I am back at that weight 25 years later.

As I made my journey there were many ups and downs...things happened in my life that were dark adn I also had the most joyous of occasions in those 25 years with my marriage and my kids.

The big thing we all need to realize is that we all have our demons and we all need to know how to deal with them for us.

If you are addicted to Twinkies.......the bottom line isn't Twinkies there is something else going on so figure it out.

Don't be afraid to look under the surface of issues.  It may be scary at first but that is the only way to get to the bottom of thing!

Calories for YOU!

We all need to remember that whatever our day to day habits are for each of us is what needs changed.  This is a very individual process.

Yesterday I mentioned liquid calories.....for me it is irrelevant as I made the decision a few years ago not to drink my calories.....where this could be a quick fix for someone it is irrelevant to me.

I have been in weight gain mode the last year or so.........if people watch my eating approach there would be no benefit to them if they are trying to lose.

We all have different journeys and very different challenges we face each day....for some people they don't eat breakfast and it slows their metabolism a bunch.  Other people need their chocolate at night and they need to fight to enjoy their chocolate earlier in the day.

Some people have to have their bread or pasta.

What I am trying to get at is that we all have our own issues and there really is no magic potion....you have to look at yourself and what your daily tendencies are and then make adjustments to those.

It is the only way you can truly make a difference in your life...it isn't about others it is all about YOU!

Liquid Calories

BE CAREFUL

Recent studies have shown in the past 20 years the average American takes in more than 300 calories a day in excess of what they used to.

This is a HUGE number....I don't intake calories via liquid I stick to water and Diet Soda.....which is a whole other debate!  :)

If you drink a lot of your calories and you can find a way to cut 300 a day and drink water you could lose 2.5 lbs a month just by doing that and not changing any other habits!

That is HUGE so think about it in that context going forward and watch the weight fall off!

Calorie Counting

When I was in full on weight loss mode I really kept track of my calories.

I travel alot so I relied on details of calories at Wendy's Subway Panera just to name a few.

I would get the you pick two at Panera alot and I remember the difference in the size of the whole grain baguette I would get and it amazed me to think that they could put a standard count on a sandwich like that.

The articles all hit yesterday that explained that restaurants are usually off by more than 10% on their counts 70% of the time.

This makes sense as things that are made by hand have a margin for error.

Use the counts as a guideline and if you are really watching your calories if it looks to good to be true it probably is.......use common sense and remember that just because it says it is a certain amount of calories does not mean that the counts are not higher.

Get to know yourself!

This is an early post for Wednesday as I will be on the road.

It takes alot to truly get to know yourself.

We all think we know ourselves but really getting to know what makes you tick can be hard work.

I discussed eating out in my last post......we eat out for numerous reasons...usually it is something we are doing to treat ourselves in some way shape or form or we are doing it out of convenience.  No matter the reason if you get to know what you like and when you are full and what is really good for you vs. what may be a decent food but it just doesn't work for you.  If you get to the point that you are in tune with yourself around some of those things you will find that this happens the door to many things.....the first of which is balance.

Once you begin to figure out what makes you tick on the nutrition side and if you work at the fitness piece and learn in that area as well you will be amazed with the outcome.

Your body make up may be calling for heavy duty cardio.....it may also be asking you to do some serious weight training.  If you aren't willing to figure it out and listen to your body as you try and find the right mix of food and fitness you will find yourself in a heap of a mess.

You spend an awful lot of time with yourself...how about getting to know yourself!

Eating Out

First I want to say I am sorry about typos and grammatical errors...I am usually in a hurry throwing down my thoughts, as you can tell, and I know I make mistakes.....bear with me!  :)

I eat out at least 4 or 5 times a week with my travel schedule and many people ask me in that environment how do you keep the weight off?

It is not easy...I try and think about common foods available at retaurants......chicken breasts....baked potatoes.....vegetables........egg whites....fruit etc.

I then make sure I am very kind courteous and polite to my server as we always should be.

Many people want things and come off very high and mighty and downright obnoxious.....for those of you that have seen Tommy Boy there is a method to the madness when Tommy wants wingies.

Have a game plan going in ................. get familiar with locations and dishes you can get served that won't kill you!

If you thikn ahead and treat people well you will be amazed at what you can do.....if a location has the ingregients and you know what to ask for and help them with how to prepare it the sky is the limit on what you can get!

Don't mak your issues everyone else's!

We have been having birthday parties for my daughter for three days and it culminates in her true birthday tonight!

I have had a long road of weight loss and dedication to fitness and I always have to remeber that is my road!

I have made a decision to live life in a certain way.  It is not my place to look down my nose at the person that eats 6 doughnuts or three triple stackers at Wendy's...quite honestly I envy them...I love that stuff I just can't go down that road or my waistline would bulge and my cholesterol would skyrocket!

The reason for this note is to remind you that just like politics religion and most other things in life we all have a viewpoint and we all have an approach that we have chosen to take toward a certain situation.

I have made decisions and stance for myself and my family in a number of areas.....if my wife and kids want to eat certain things or veg out on the coach that is cool....I don't want them to get mad at me if I go for a bike ride so I don't bug them if they want a nap.

Remember that we all have positions on many different things in life and most of us won't agree on 50% of them...just respect others positions even if you don't agree with them and hopefully they can do the same for you!

Importance of understanding your metabolim!

I think many of us underestimate how important it is to understand your metabolism.

This vital part of your weight and ultimate fitness level is overlooked and misunderstood by many.

I recently became a new uncle and my sister's baby is going through some thyroid testing.

My mom and sister have had issues with their thyroid.  This is a key player in slow or fast metabolisms.  Exercise is another key factor that dictates metabolism as well as age and simple body chemistry.

I understand that it takes 3500 calories to gain or lose a lb. and everyone pins their programs and definitions on that.  The difference is that 3500 calories in different bodies with different physiques rect in very different ways.....you all know them ....the people that can eat all day and no gain a lb. we love them don't we!

Then you have people that eat a doughnut and gain a lb. the bottom line is you need to get in touch with how your metabolism is functioning and watch how it reacts to aging weight gain lack of fitness etc.

This is a key in a happy healthy life!

Slow Summer Weekend!

My daughter turns ten on Monday so as my wife prepped for the numerous parties that are going down over the next few days I took my soon to be little lady to a water park!

She and I had a gread daddy-daughter day!

We spent time chilling in the water on a very hot day.....I had time to reflect a bit as she built a sand castle and volcano on the beach and I was thinking about my journey over the last few years....never thought I would feel better physically at 43 than I did when I was 35.

I wanted to check in and see with you all out there....how are you doing?

I only started posting so I could be there for others....I hope some of you realize I am her to encourage and provide some accountability...I truly hope some of my tips and tricks work and I hope you all are having an awesome journey!

Age doesn't seem fair!

It really does seem like as we get older our metabolism should speed up not slow down!

That just doesn't seem fair we have enough going against us as we age....you have to slow down our metabolism to!

I went for a bike ride with my son this evening and we stopped at McDonald's....they have awesome reduced fat ice cream cones....I am 43 and I remember stopping and getting them when I was a kid for .25

We stopped in and they had .50 cones so my son wanted one.....he ate in about two minutes and said .50 can I have another....I said sure....Friday night what the heck...he woofed it down and we went back on our bike ride...i ddin't have a cone as I was still stuffed from dinner.

I looked at my son this evening and he he is athletic and fit and he eats whatever whenever he wants....yes my wife and I eat very clean and he has to partake of that but he has desserts every day and he enjoys what he likes.

It is another subtle reminder that as we get older we have to remember we aren't waht we used to be physically and if we struggle with weight and fitness we need to remeber that!

It is OK to be human!

Nanci Hellmich wrote a few great articles n the USA Today yesterday!

One was about the new choices for kids that some restaurants are putting on their menu's....the other was about the food Mrs. Obama ate on the 4th of July.

It is common knowledge that Mrs. Obama is waging war against obesity so she was a prime target when she had a burger fries and a milkshake on the 4th.  Problem is that people just don't get it.....that is life....we are all humans...a burger fries and a shake don't make you obese.....when that is part of your daily routine your odds increase but it is only when things of that nature become part of your life that you run the risk of obesity.

Becoming obese is not an event it is a process.  You are human and you need to enjoy things in life or you will melt down.......if you don't build indulgences into your weekly routine's you have a better chance of becoming obese when you give up the ship than if you just enjoy things you like a few times a week....that si the 80/20 rule.....make the right choice 8 out of 10 times and enjoy what you want to the other two.

I am a proponent of eat less move more.....if you indulge go for an extra walk that day...many ways around it gang just enjoy yourself and try and do the right thing most of the time!  :)

Fight the good Fight

Another early travel morning so you are blessed with a double post day!

What a night....my daughter plays in a 9-10 year old softball league and her main coach was out of town so I was asked to coach bases.  It was about 90 degrees humid and sunny.....great night for a ballgame!

To make it even better we were playing the team that has not lost.....they run rule just about everybody so I was ready for a wonderful evening....down 13-5 in the 3rd inning I thought we should pack it up but these little girls still had some fight left!  They fought back to 13-11 and then took the lead at 20-14 and never looked back.  My daughter bats third and pitches so it was very nerve racking to watch as a fan but she was as calm and cool as the big boys playing in the All Star Game tonight!

You can learn so much from kids....I have coached many many years and I always tell the kids to never give up try your hardest and great things will happen!

I don't always take my own advice but tonight was another example of how important it is to fight the good fight and never give up.......underdogs do prevail and you can prevail over many things in life if you stay focused and do the right things!

Obesity Rates Rise

I saw an interesting study in the paper this morning.  30 years ago no State had an obesity rate over 15% now more than 12 have a rate over 30%.  This is amazing...it went on to show the difference in men and women with men being more overweight than women.

It also showed that the more education youhad and the more money you made decreased the percentage of obesity.

These are all very interesting pieces of information and I think they go against some common logic....you would think people with more money and higher education would have themeans to eat whatever they want and they may sit at desks or be a bit less ctive than a person that make less money...that being said it looks like the food available to someone that makes less money may not be as good for them?

These studies are always interesting but atthe end of the day you have heard me say it a million times it is all about choices....no matter what money you make or what you situation is in life at the education level you have to decide what you do each and every day and take responsibility for your choices and actions.

Enjoy Today!

We are getting into the middle of the summer.

It is Sunday and to many people that means get together's or taking it a little bit easier than the rest of the week!

Most of us are coming off of a four day work week and we are heading into a busy five day week to make up for any time we had off last week!  :)  Funny how that works...you get time off and then work twice as hard to make it up!

We all need time to rest physically after a work out...that is in fact when the muscle grows after a good workout the growth comes in rest...that is true mentally as well...you need to shut it down relax and reflect....in doing so you will gain strngth physically and mentally!

ENJOY THE DAY!

Don't we all want to belong?

Whether you belong to a group...a family......a team....don't we all want to feel like we are a fit in that environment?

Many of us want to do things our way or be a little different but at the end of the day you want to be accepted.

That being said think a moment about what that truly means in your day to day life.  How many people do you come across each and every day that just need to feel accepted.

Many of us have so many things on our plate we don't like to take the time to help others feel good about their stack ranking in the group or team we are involved with them on but think about how important you can be in people's lives if you think about your feeling or need to belong and you go out of your way to help others in this area.

I have made this a focus in my life over the last few years and you will not be surprised to know that it can help you as much as the folks you are helping...give it a shot this weekend!

Do you deserve a snack?

I am not sure about you but there are many times I deserve a snack!

Think about that statement...when you hear I deserve a snack or I deserve a treat...do the thoughts of doughnuts, cookies or ice cream novelties flood into your brain.

Not sure about you but oatmeal and chick peas aren't the first thing that bounce into my head.

The interesting piece of that is how conditioned we are to associate a snack or a treat with something that may not be good for us.

I will be honest if someone would cut me fruit every two hours I may never eat anything else but it is not associated with a treat or a snack in most of our minds.

Peanut Butter on a banana or apple....delicious but do we think of it as that special treat?

No that is reserved for the double brownie blizzard or the triple chocolate cookie.

I bring up this topic today so you start to think about how you and the people around you are conditioned....it took me a long time to change my thinking on this one but you can do it!

Next time you are jonesing for the cookie or cupcake grab your favorite piece of fruit and see how good you feel!