The Victim Mentality

Nothing is my fault...I am a victim...
Some folks are so externally motivated that they lose all self-empowerment. Such people lumber through life, making excuses about why they can't achieve a goal. Fat people are notorious for this.

I am fat, because of my genes, the GMO foods, life stress....or some other psychological "factor"...

BULLSHIT! 

The main "factor" is an open mouth. At day's end each person is either self-empowered enough to govern their choices or not. Nature cares nothing for our "factors", platitudes, good intentions or excuses. Nature just is. And nature rewards good choices.

It's simple: calories in vs calories burned. That's it! 

We all have a calorie limit, and once it's discovered, we work with it. I can change my actions but not my defective, putrid genes. And our obesity issue in our nation is not a gene problem but an action problem. The progress we make is the result of unaltered genes but altered actions.

At day's end, our bodies remain the one area of life where most have near total control. Excuses can't take away from the notion of calories in vs calories burned. When I eat too much, I get fat. There has never been anything mythical about what remains the end truth in any effort to avoid or cure obesity.

As always, the ball's in our court, and we can either play the victim or play to win.

ALL IS POSSIBLE! 

Get your sleep!

I remember sleeping more when I was young.  Somewhere in my mid-20's, I started getting less sleep. It started when I went into business and began dealing with the real pressures of life. My health suffered, but I did not see the actual effects until my late 30's.

I GOT FAT!
This obesity was the result of poor nutrition, lack of exercise and crappy sleep. We all know to eat right and exercise, but are you sleeping well?

I had to directly address the sleep problem just like the more obvious concerns like diet and exercise.
The damage was severe but not something I was unable to tackle.

My degeneration had been a slow creep that lasted until age 45 where I went from 190 pounds up to almost 280 pounds. I was a borderline diabetic, suffered high blood pressure, high cholesterol, had to use a C-Pap to breathe at night and looked and felt horrible all the time. Something had to change, so I decided it had to be me.

It was simple but hard. I did not take any supplements or subscribe to any “diets”.

I ate lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and low fat dairy – simple. I trained both cardio and strength daily as well as addressed the sleep issue. My progress was 50% nutrition and 25% exercise and 25% sleep and overall rest. We need all issues addressed to reach our health and fitness goals.

Today, I am in my 50's with the health of guys half my age. If I can do it, so can you!

ALL IS POSSIBLE! 

Intermittent Fasting

I tried Intermittent Fasting over the last 12 months with solid results in weight maintenance and a loss of body fat. So what is Intermittent Fasting?
My program was a meal plan involving clean eating with 16 hour periods of fasting most days.
It was 16 hours of no eating with an 8 hour eating window. Two days per week I'd fast 24 hours.

My results were slow but sure. I lost 2 inches around my belly with no change in weight.
There is much information on  Intermittent Fasting. Egg-heads debate it's virtues endlessly.
Here is a link to get you started if you're interested in learning more:
CLICK HERE: A Beginner's Guide To Intermittent Fasting

I was not much interested in  Intermittent Fasting as a debate subject. My only desire was to get results, so like much of what comes out, I gave  Intermittent Fasting a go. It's no miracle plan, but over 12 months I saw solid improvements. Further, I was able to eat clean and keep my calories within my daily limits much easier.

It worked for me; case closed. I doubt I'll ever go back to eating any other way.  Intermittent Fasting will remain a staple of my overall program of health and wellness. Try it...but BEWARE!

Like all things relating to fitness and health, there are loads of cagey ways for you to spend money needlessly. Don't feel like you need to buy a bunch of shit from some Intermittent Fast guru who'll complicate what is actually very simple. Just read up the link above, decide whether  Intermittent Fasting is for you, then make a plan.

At day's end we are responsible for our health, and our bodies reflect our level of discipline, work ethic, attention to detail and self worth. You are your own walking billboard, and we must sell ourselves before selling our ideas. Make your self marketing all it can be as you work to become your best.You'll look good, feel great and live well. That's what life is all about.

ALL IS POSSIBLE! 

Sugar

We're a nation of fat bodies, because of sugar.

And we are without excuse, because we've always known about the danger of hyper sugar consumption. It was old news 50 years ago when Jack Lalanne warned us on TV....

Here is our major disconnect. Without sugar, salt and fat, you die. Our bodies need this to function, but too much causes new problems. In the age of plenty we get 10 times our individual need which is why we have more fat people now than ever. 

You couple our shit diet with the laziness trend, and what are we left with?

ANSWER: A nation of fatties! 

Our bodies are the one sliver of life where each can affect the most control, and a fat body denotes gluttony, laziness and self hate. It's like wearing a banner that reads DEFECTIVE!

If you are to become the best version of yourself, it begins with the obvious: 

EAT LESS - MOVE MORE!

Simple deal...

And sugar moderation is a good place to start.

ALL IS POSSIBLE! 

Middle Age Wellness

I saw an old guy in the gym lifting. 

He was huffing and puffing his way through a strength training routine I would have thought belonged to a much younger man. He seemed to be struggling. Oh well...to each his own.... 

I went back to my own training. 

Somewhere between muscle ups, I noticed him watching me. It was more of a curious glance but nowhere near creepy or strange. I could tell what I was doing baffled this guy, and he seemed curious. I pretended not to notice his continuous interest, because I knew he'd approach when he was ready.

Finally...

"Excuse me", he said. "I was noticing your bar routine. That's very impressive. How old are you?"

If I had a dollar for every time this happened.....lol

Turned out my new friend was a former weight lifter who was trying to get back into it but just couldn't work through his old strength training program. He felt weak...and his joints hurt more than before.  

WELCOME TO THE HUMAN RACE! 

As we age, our bodies can no longer tolerate the stress that produced results for us at age 22. I remember achieving insane lifts 30 years ago that'd cripple me today. I just can't do it, and too many old guys like my friend here try to recovered their youth doing the only thing they know to do: LIFT HEAVY! 

What usually happens is either an injury or lost resolve, but the result is the same. An old guy just quits trying and resigns himself to obesity and the ravages of  Father Time. The key to success is an altered training routine geared to achieve realistic goals more oriented toward overall health and wellness - not peak lifts. 

It's a hard transition. Inside every old guy is his younger self screaming "LIFT HEAVY YOU WUSSIE!"

I get it. As a man in his 50's, I understand my limits and  resolve to achieve peak fitness that still surpasses 99% of the male population but won't break my body. It's not easy.

You must unlearn most of what you learned in your 20's which is when most guys reached their peak. The rules have changed. You must realize your body's needs, adjust your expectations and set goals that increase fitness and raise health and wellness. It's not about the man in the mirror or your maximum squat but your quality of life.

Ignore this reality, and you're in for a long, hard ride. Receive and embrace this truth, and....

ALL IS POSSIBLE! 

Listen To Your Body

Yesterday was my official "rest day", so I wake up feeling less than  refreshed, and  something is just not right. Learn to listen to your body. My written program says that I am to bike 25 miles followed by a swim and some calisthenics strength training.

Guess what?
It's just not happening. I still feel burned out and my joints ache, so today is another rest day, and today's routine will bump back 1 day. This is how things go sometimes. We devise what we believe is the best diet and exercise program only to discover that it might over-reach. Those who try to push through anyway find their performance suffers and the risk of injury is high.
Again, listen to your body.
Our fitness is for life, so it's never a race. Those who race with nature come in dead last eventually.
Don't be that guy.

ALL IS POSSIBLE~! 

Meal FAIL!

Yesterday I noticed my grown son had some friends over for burgers and dogs....and there were leftovers...

I was preparing my morning oatmeal with blueberries.....and well, I ate four chili cheese dogs and three cheeseburgers...
I felt like a complete hog, and as fabulous as it was going down, my whole constitution suffered all day. Why did I give in? The answer is simple though shameful. I am weak! I tried to resist and even had my twin boys eat up just to be rid of the temptation. That helped, but then my third son totally let me down by eating cereal instead. "Who eats burgers and dogs for breakfast?"

That's all it took.

I think the whole house heard my disgusting moans of pleasure as I ate...and ate...and ate....
Now I get why some people induce puking after a binge. I was tempted. One finger down the throat, and my problem is solved!

But no...that's not the answer...

Instead of a bulimic purge, I went for a 2 hour bike ride followed by a gym workout and 4 miles walking. This morning I have no ill effects in terms of bloat. One fail won't derail my progress, but when we allow our base nature to rule day after day, progress stalls, and we regress.

That's most people.

My point today is that a fail in diet or training is not the end the journey. It's merely a delay. If you're like me, you engineer plenty of mistakes, and so you learn, gather energy, change and move forward. That's what winners do. Let's never be defined by our worse days but by overall, earned results in time.

And if you have a bad day, suck it up. Tomorrow is a clean slate, so begin again.

ALL IS POSSIBLE!