June 30 - Monday: Being A Victim

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! 

Saturday - June 29: Do What You Enjoy!

Matching Exercise With Passion

I train about 3 hours nearly every day. Some have said this is excessive, and those same guys will sit and watch 4 hours of TV every day. then wonder why they're fat.
That's most people.

When guys ask me what is the very best, most effective exercises, I can't really answer. Swimming is nice unless you hate swimming. And while there will always be an element of resistance to training, for the most part, you must try to do something you enjoy. Don't merely exercise...play!

OK, biking is the best exercise - better than anything...for me...some days...
Why?
I LOVE BIKING...some days...
I also love MMA, hiking, swimming and playing tennis. My training sessions are me at play,  having fun and earning results with my health and fitness goals. When you hear people say fitness is more about lifestyle, this is what they mean.

DO WHAT YOU ENJOY!
And again, this does not mean that there won't be times when you'd rather just lay down and gel before the TV. You must still engage discipline and work ethic, but matching your training routines to what you enjoy makes the process easier.

I prefer calisthenics over lifting weights; I prefer hiking or swimming over jogging. It's possible some of these activities I hate would indeed be more effective if all I look at is what's on paper. My aim is to enjoy what I do, so what's most effective objectively is totally non-effective if I just blow it off and skip training that day.
And that is most people...

Our goals must be to realize measurable results over a specific time period. END OF STORY!
This ONLY comes through consistent work. Nature does not care about your good intentions, platitudes or excuses. Nature just is...and nature rewards or punishes depending on the choices we make in life.

Find a way to integrate your passions into all that you do. Choose wisely...choose life!

ALL IS POSSIBLE!

Saturday - June 28. Goals: The Key To Success

Goals: The Key To Success

"Goal"
If I could sum up success and achievement in a single word, this is  it.

Most people are without goals in life. They just wonder through the days hoping all works out for the best. Sometimes it does but most times not.
Oh well....

Here's the deal: you can have some success just living life and doing good things; however, if you want to be your best, you need to set goals, make a plan, take action, stay motivated and keep punching. That's it!
It's not rocket science, yet most people just won't do take the effort, and this is why most never reach potential.

When it comes to goals, you must address all areas of your life as though they were spokes in a wheel. A wheel may function with a spoke or two missing, but for optimal performance, address everything in life that matters. The price of success is hard work both intellectual and physical. 

You must write down your goals based on your passions coupled with what is realistic. There are tons of resources available for those seeking to take ownership of their lives by addressing goal setting and achievement. 

Here is one terrific article: http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html

Our purpose here is health and fitness, so you need to know all the target items related to what you seek for optimal wellness. 

• How much should you weight
• What is your best body fat
• Who can support you in your efforts
• Who will hinder you
• What foods should you eat
• What exercises should you do

And on...and on...

To become the best version of yourself, the notion of specific. timely, attainable goals must be carefully considered. Great health and peak fitness does not just happen. You must want it enough to get real about exactly what you desire for yourself, make a plan, take action and see it all through to the end.

Success is a choice...and for those who set goals....

ALL IS POSSIBLE! 

Friday - June 26: Judging Others

Judging Others

Yesterday I saw a fat guy who had eaten himself huge, and he was my height and build. This guy looked just like me at my fattest. I immediately hated him.

And I had to catch myself. AGAIN!
One of my biggest challenges today is in how I view fat people. They disgust me, yet when I was fat, I had actually allowed the self-delusion to sink in to the point of total denial. I was not fat - just big, and I carried it well!
Right?
Well, no, I did NOT! I was FAT -- F.A.T
                                         F=FATAL
                                         A= AWFUL
                                         T= TERRIBLE
One would think if anybody would empathize with other fat people it'd me me, but no...
I JUDGE THEM! 
And these slugs are everywhere, lumbering around the community...eating crap foods...talking... texting and just being loathsome. I see in them everything I hated about myself. At day's end it's more about my own self-loathing - not actual hatred of others. The truth is that my heart goes out to fat people, because I totally understand that struggle, and yet I still judge. I think most people do as well.

Our bodies are the one sliver of life where most have near total control, and when we allow ourselves to get fat and gross, people will judge. That's just reality. Fat is ugly, and a fat body denotes laziness, poor discipline and gluttony. When I was trying to get introspective about this, it suddenly hit me. I had without drama quietly severed all my connections with fat friends and associates.
In life you know guys by the friends they keep, and I have new connections with guys into hiking, swimming, MMA, tennis and training at the gym instead of eating and drinking.

I just don't want to hang with those dying the slow death of obesity. This does not justify being harsh or mean toward others, but it does validate the notion that like attracts like. When a person eats himself fat, people judge. They may not say it, but they do - ALL THE WAY! I am treated by others much differently as a fit guy vs a fat guy. I am treated better, and life is just more enjoyable.

That's just reality, so guys can either suck it up, or take ownership of their health. It always gets back to that. Life is governed by choice...so decide what is important. The world will judge either way.

ALL IS POSSIBLE! 

Thursday - June 25...SLEEP

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! 

Wednesday - June 24: Training Intensity

Training Intensity 

There has always been a single truth regarding exercise: the greater the intensity, the greater the results.
Here is another truth you'd best heed: the greater the intensity, the greater the injury risk. 

When we were young, our bodies were equipped to recover, so injuries were a minor setback. As we grow old, this ceases to be the case. An injury can cripple a seasoned citizen. At some point we need to get real about exercise intensity weighed against the results we seek within reason given our age.

I hate that shit!

There is an old saying: "...inside every old guy is a young guy screaming what happened?" Our minds remember what we used to do, and we still think we can do that. WRONG!
Don't bust up your body competing with your younger self. Our goals should always be to become the best version of ourselves no matter what stage of life we're in.

Too many guys sideline themselves overreaching their intensity level given the realities of those aging bodies. Don't do that!  You must find your zone where attainable goals can be achieved with sensible training that does not break you down. Train hard...and train smart!

ALL IS POSSIBLE! 

Tuesday June 23 - More on Body Re-composition

What is body re-composition?

If you were fat and reached your weight loss goal, body re-composition is maintaining that weight while lowering body fat. And it's a slow process.

I have a weekly routine that involves very specific items related to diet and exercise that seem complicated.
I start on Sunday doing intense cardio with biking, swimming and tennis - about 4 hours total. I eat about 4000 calories that day which comes to a net intake of -1000 calories. In other words at day's end, I have a 1000 calorie deficit. Further, I balance the macro nutrients to raise protein and lower carbs a bit.
Here is the breakdown: 40% Protein, 40% Carb, 20% Fat

The very next day would then be a strength training day where I eat to a 1000 calorie surplus and balance by macro's differently: 20% Protein, 50% Carb, 30% Fat
Any cardio I might do is low intensity, and again, I must eat back those calories for a +1000 calorie net gain.
And this cycle goes on with some rest days sprinkled in as needed.

Here is an article on body re-composition that explains it in more detail.
http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_900/988_body-recomposition.html

And there are various other resources you can research, but I'd stray away from buying anything unless you really need the support of one of several body recomp communities. That's your choice.

The purpose for engaging this method of self-improvement is to have new goals once you reach your target weight . Too many people lose weight, quit on themselves and gain it all right back.
You never want that to be you.

SUCCESS IS A CHOICE!