Sunday, July 31, 2011

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!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

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!

Friday, July 29, 2011

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!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

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!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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!

Monday, July 25, 2011

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!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

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!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

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!

Friday, July 22, 2011

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!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

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.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

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!

Monday, July 18, 2011

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!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

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!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

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!

Friday, July 15, 2011

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!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

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!  :)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

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.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

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!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

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!

Friday, July 8, 2011

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!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Hungry or Bored

We can learn so much from kids!

The summer can be long and boring at times for kids...other times it is the most entertaining fastest moving time of the year.

My daughter wants to eat when she is bored so she is always "hungry" or "starving"!

She must have gotten this from me as I am always wanting food when I am bored.

The difference is knowing when you are truly hungry and when you just want to eat.  My wife struggles with this as she hates to see my daughter upset.  I told her we have a simple test.....my daughter tolerates apples and oranges but she loves chocolate, cookies, etc.

If you put a bucket of apples out and say whenever you are hungry grab one......you find out quickly whether she is hungry or bored.

If you are truly hungry or starviing you will eat the apple if you are just bored....you probably want a snack.....isn't it funny how the mind works?

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Protein for breakfast!

Early travel morning again so the Wednesday post comes this evening.

If you are struggling to make it to lunch without snacking try and boost your protein at breakfast....egg whites are awesome...ading some peanut butter to toast or oatmeal is another but protein will absolutely help keep you satiated as you go through the day.

If you are having troubles getting to lunch take a shot with this strategy I bet you will notice a HUGE difference.

Hope is not a Strategy

I know many of you have heard this before but there is no greater truth I know of.....when it comes to weight loss....fitness levels.....financial security.....family issues......the only good strategy is a well thought out planned approach that has a defined goal and creates an idea for you and your group of what good or achievment or success will look like.

Next time you have anything put in front of you....a task someone gives you ................ a goal you set for yourself personally or professionally.....take a moment to put your strategy together.....no matter what you engage in your success or achievment rate will skyrocket if you take some time to think before you jump into things.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Enjoy your Fourth!

Independence Day is here and it is a time for all of us to reflect on the opportunities we have been given in this great Country.

No matter what you will do today or who you spend the day with make sure you are thankful for everything that has been put before you.......every day all of us face challenges and obstacles that don't make for an ideal day but when all is said and done even in those circumstances we have a choice as to how to take on the challenge ahead of us.
Use today as a launch pad of empowerement for your summer....enjoy the day and enjoy the people around you!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

What is in a name?

So you are trying to lose weight....you roll up on a meal with vegetables, salad and pasta as the components......BEWARE!

There have been studies done that have proven that when it weight loss mode the mind gets brainwashed at times and if the above meal was listed as a salad youwould jump in and feel like you were making a good healthy choice whereas if it was the same meal listed as pasta you would make another choice.

If I call a donut a vitamin it doesn't make it good for me so even if you are trying to lose weight it is still on you to look into the nutrition of something.....the world is littered with "low cal" "healthy" "natural" choices...these are all titles it is still up to us to take responsibility for our choices.

Keep this in mind on your journey and you may find some pounds hidden oout there you can lose just by educating yourself!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Patience/Self Control!

These are two HUGE attributes.

When you lack either bad decisions can follow.

I took my kids to the water park this morining and we headed in a half hour early with our season passes....went right to the biggest ride only to wait in line because lightening was viewed a few miles away.

As season pass holders we get in a half hour early...that perk is important on a 90 degree day.  My kids did not let this setback ruin their morning....we waited in line and had fun when it opened...they then went with me and we rode all types of water slides with no wait...the crowd was very light for a Saturday...they could have complained or jumped out of line and made the day tough but their patience and stay the course attitude enabled the three of us to have a great day.

Think about this in your life...how often does a little bump hit you early in the day and you start making bad food decisions out of emotion........maybe you skip a work out.

Maybe you just do something that ruins the day......learn from my kids like I did this morning don't let outside influences impact your life you can choos eyour attitude and behaviour in any situation...stay the course!

Stay positive and stay on track!