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!