There is no such thing as a "magic diet" and "instant weight loss". There are only "fad diets". We don't used the word "diet" in LifeFit. We talk instead about balanced nutrition, nutrition plans, and lifestyle change. The key to weight loss really is reorganizing you life using the 3 Success Rules.
1. Dedication
2. Intensity
3. Patience
However, we do have tips to share on weight loss.
1.) Partner up with a spouse/significant other. Couples who "diet" together are more likely to succeed. Sharing dishes and eating nutritionally together helps the other partner stay with the plan. Figure out a nutrition plan together, write it down in your journal, and then support each other. See what happens after 6 months!
2.) Afraid of the gym? I've heard some of these "excuses" from our members. Are you using them?
> "I'll have to exercise in front of much younger people."
Grab a partner. Think of ways you're superior to them - more experienced for instance. Go when there isn't a crown, like 6am in the morning.
> "I'll embarrass myself."
Take a beginner's class. Don't sell yourself short. Heavy folks can use the equipment just as easily as slim folks.
> "I'll be wasting money."
Track your attendance or use a fitness log, and reward yourself when you reach a goal. Remember Success Rule #1.
You can do it!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sucess Rule #3: Patience > Committment to your plan
Fear possibly? Fear of pain? Legit. :) Fear of what people may think of us exercising or eating right? Not legit. :( Change? Success? All these are excuses we use, because we're afraid, but ultimately what are we afraid of?
Being uncomfortable!
Being uncomfortable is not bad. Change is not bad.
We want change, but we're afraid of change. Think of changing your life and creating new life balance not as change, but recalibration. Cars have to be tuned. Homes have to be updated. Computer hardware and software becomes obsolete. The same applies for us. These are just analogies, but help to make sense of what we need to do. Our bodies change. Nothing we can do about that. Our life styles change. There is something we can do about that. Recalibrate your life. Recalibrate your eating habits and your exercise habits. Recalibrate how you live your life. We can all commit to recalibration from time to time can't we?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Intensity > Energy!
OK. Everybody's gotten down showing up right? No? Then back up and let's get that one down. Dedication...."First you have to show up!" Now that we've gotten that one out of the way, let's get back to Intensity and energy that we've been focusing on this week. Sleep, exercise, healthy diet. That's how you make sure you've got energy to get after it day in and day out. I like coffee. I used to like Red Bull and Mountain Dews. All provide energy boosts, not really energy, and now doctors and nutrition experts are coming out with out these things aren't good for us. I've pretty much given up sodas, but I still love my coffee. The thing is, I don't depend on it. I just like it.
The human body is like a big self-charging battery. (You guys have all seen the Martix right?) Kidding aside, it's just an easy way to think about what we're talking about today. We're a big battery. Batteries lose power with use, when left in the cold, when placed in water, etc. The idea is that outside forces drain energy from a battery. The same is the case for us, only the outside forces are things like stress, lack of sleep, hard work, etc. Now, how do we recharge a battery (if it is rechargeable and not a throw away), you plug it in to a power source. The strong power source (to a point) the quick the battery recharges, or...the better quality the battery the quicker it charges. I know an iPhone battery lasts all day, but only takes 45 minutes or so to recharge. What we need to do is to work to turn our bodies into quality batteries.
How do we do this? Exercise, eating right, getting consistent sleep. You know something funny? This all works together. If you can't sleep, rather than taking sleeping pills or using other artificial depressants, look at your diet. What are you putting into your body? Are you using a high quality "charge"? Exercise. When you exercise, you wear yourself out. Don't most of you sleep better after a really active day. Well, try that over an extended period. I guarantee you that you'll find sleeping easier. Now, I realize that some nights you've just got to much going through your brain and you sleep fitfully. Don't let that force you out of your exercising routine. Stay with it and you'll be right back on track and sleeping good. Believe me, I did it in the most stressful of environments. A doctor gave me a bottle of Ambien when I was overseas. I took them for a month. Got pretty dependent on them. Realized what I was doing and made myself stop. You know what? I slept fine anyway. I ate right, exercised every day, and got the proper amount of sleep. No sleep problems.
What other benefits are there to making sure we recharge our bodies properly? No illnesses. Look around. Who are the folks that are never out sick? I bet you anything it's those folks that eat right, exercise regularly, and seen to handle stress the best. Less illness. Less injuries. Take care of your body, the battery and you'll see what it does for you.
That's all for this week. Feel free to post your own comments or ideas. See you all next week.
The human body is like a big self-charging battery. (You guys have all seen the Martix right?) Kidding aside, it's just an easy way to think about what we're talking about today. We're a big battery. Batteries lose power with use, when left in the cold, when placed in water, etc. The idea is that outside forces drain energy from a battery. The same is the case for us, only the outside forces are things like stress, lack of sleep, hard work, etc. Now, how do we recharge a battery (if it is rechargeable and not a throw away), you plug it in to a power source. The strong power source (to a point) the quick the battery recharges, or...the better quality the battery the quicker it charges. I know an iPhone battery lasts all day, but only takes 45 minutes or so to recharge. What we need to do is to work to turn our bodies into quality batteries.
How do we do this? Exercise, eating right, getting consistent sleep. You know something funny? This all works together. If you can't sleep, rather than taking sleeping pills or using other artificial depressants, look at your diet. What are you putting into your body? Are you using a high quality "charge"? Exercise. When you exercise, you wear yourself out. Don't most of you sleep better after a really active day. Well, try that over an extended period. I guarantee you that you'll find sleeping easier. Now, I realize that some nights you've just got to much going through your brain and you sleep fitfully. Don't let that force you out of your exercising routine. Stay with it and you'll be right back on track and sleeping good. Believe me, I did it in the most stressful of environments. A doctor gave me a bottle of Ambien when I was overseas. I took them for a month. Got pretty dependent on them. Realized what I was doing and made myself stop. You know what? I slept fine anyway. I ate right, exercised every day, and got the proper amount of sleep. No sleep problems.
What other benefits are there to making sure we recharge our bodies properly? No illnesses. Look around. Who are the folks that are never out sick? I bet you anything it's those folks that eat right, exercise regularly, and seen to handle stress the best. Less illness. Less injuries. Take care of your body, the battery and you'll see what it does for you.
That's all for this week. Feel free to post your own comments or ideas. See you all next week.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Intensity > A new tough work-out program!
My brother Joe is an Army ROTC recruiter and instructor. He introduced me to a work-out program that they do with their cadets. It kicked my butt! I've started doing this work-out as part of my total work-out once a week in the gym. You've got to try it!
1. Start out with a 2 mile warm-up run. Run at a moderate pace not at your normal "push" pace. If you're just getting started working out, walk/run. You can substitute with the Elliptical or Bicycle. The idea is to get your heart rate up and start sweating.
2. Next is the circuit training piece. Do each circuit from start to finish with no stopping.
Circuit -
> 10 pull-ups
> 20 push-ups
> 30 sit-ups or crunches
> 40 air squats
Rest 3 minutes between each circuit rotation, and then go again. Do as many circuits as you can in 30 minutes. This is a total body work-out. I promise you that you'll feel it! Moderate your pace and rest periods as you need to.
Modifications -
> Pull-ups: Set-up a bar at a squat rack about chest level. With your feet/heels on the ground, do a reverse push-up. Touch your chest to the bar.
> Push-ups: Knees on the floor
Try it out and give me some feedback. Like it? Dislike it?
1. Start out with a 2 mile warm-up run. Run at a moderate pace not at your normal "push" pace. If you're just getting started working out, walk/run. You can substitute with the Elliptical or Bicycle. The idea is to get your heart rate up and start sweating.
2. Next is the circuit training piece. Do each circuit from start to finish with no stopping.
Circuit -
> 10 pull-ups
> 20 push-ups
> 30 sit-ups or crunches
> 40 air squats
Rest 3 minutes between each circuit rotation, and then go again. Do as many circuits as you can in 30 minutes. This is a total body work-out. I promise you that you'll feel it! Moderate your pace and rest periods as you need to.
Modifications -
> Pull-ups: Set-up a bar at a squat rack about chest level. With your feet/heels on the ground, do a reverse push-up. Touch your chest to the bar.
> Push-ups: Knees on the floor
Try it out and give me some feedback. Like it? Dislike it?
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