“Just what exactly do I have to do to lose weight?” I got this question yesterday from someone that I’ve been working with once a week for over a year. She went on to say, “I’m working out a lot, so what do I have to do?”
Now this is someone who works out hard whenever I see her, and she also has some nice equipment at home. She already had an elliptical and treadmill, and after she started training with me, she added dumbbells, an exercise ball, a rower, and a Schwinn AirDyne bike.
I told her I was afraid she wasn’t going to like the answers, and that she probably already knew them! First, she was simply going to have to do more. While her workouts were great, her body was used to them, and she’d have to add some activity to burn more calories.
She was also going to have to pay much closer attention to what she was eating. She sighed as she began her next round of exercises and said, “I know.”
I probably have a similar conversation at least every other day. We always tend to underestimate how much exercise we need to take off extra weight, and how quickly we can put the weight back on, if we get our eating out of whack.
Most people know what they need to do; they just need a little extra push to get there. People have been asking me for awhile now, so I think it’s time to bring back Biggest Loser “18.”
Over the past few years, we’ve done 17 other community-wide Biggest Losers. Some were small, with just twenty people, and others were huge, the largest one starting with 68 people. Now that one was interesting!
This time around we’re starting Monday, September 16th at 6:00 pm. The first meeting will consist of a fitness assessment, weigh-in and other measurements, and an overview of how the 12 weeks will work. Participants will also get information that outlines the different things they’ll be doing, some examples of good food choices, workouts, and so on.
The goal is always to get as many people involved as possible, especially couples, or friends. We’ve found that people tend to do better if they have someone else to suffer with! It also helps keep them both motivated and accountable.
The cost is $100 for the 12 weeks (13 sessions) and you don’t need to be a member to participate. In fact, many of the participants will have memberships at other facilities like the YMCA, elsewhere, or even do their workouts at home. It’s pretty important that you have access to equipment, though, because we’re going to be using it!
If you’d like to participate, or need more information, contact me as soon as possible, because with or without you, we’re getting this party started! Might as well make it with you! You can reach me at the gym, via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thursday, August 22, 2013
BACK TO SCHOOL
By the time you read this, most of the kids will have started back to school here in town. They’ll have had the big open house for the parents to check things out and meet the teachers, and then a half a day on Friday.
A common joke I hear is when you ask the kids if they’re glad summer’s over and they have to go back to school, they say “no.” If you ask the parents, they say “absolutely! They’ve been in the house long enough.” But almost every kid I ask is actually pretty glad to get started back in school.
I think part of it has to do with going back and seeing their friends, and part of it has to do with getting to learn something new. Think about it. There’s great status in being a grade higher. It’s something to take pride in. As one of my grand-daughters put it, “I’m a third grader now!”
For those kids that are actually switching schools, like from Memorial to Wentz, or Mayo to the high school, it’s an even bigger deal. While they might be a little nervous about things, it’s an exciting time in their lives. Sure, after a couple months, the newness wears off, and it becomes routine. After a couple years, it might even become a little ho-hum.
But there’s always the next year to get their adrenaline pumping again. Some kids actually love the learning, and just want to know more. Others look forward to the chance to play their favorite sport. Some kids just like the social part of things, although not everyone’s going to “fit in.”
Those few that don’t will have a harder time of it, but hopefully, will come out alright too. I happened to be in that particular group, but things worked out over time. The things I seem to remember most, though, are the excitement of starting something new and different.
The anticipation of having another chance to jump in and get it right. And the hope that we can be part of something big; something important. We all did it back then, year after year, as far as we could take it. But somehow, we’ve moved past it into a life that’s more, well, routine.
We don’t often challenge ourselves with anything new, and it’s often tough to get excited about anything. But what if we could figure out how to recapture that spirit.
What if we could get excited about something again. How would that revitalize our lives, our jobs, our relationships? To live each day like it was our first day back in school? Wouldn’t that be something?
If you’d like more information about health and fitness, or to comment on this or other articles, please feel free to contact me through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
A common joke I hear is when you ask the kids if they’re glad summer’s over and they have to go back to school, they say “no.” If you ask the parents, they say “absolutely! They’ve been in the house long enough.” But almost every kid I ask is actually pretty glad to get started back in school.
I think part of it has to do with going back and seeing their friends, and part of it has to do with getting to learn something new. Think about it. There’s great status in being a grade higher. It’s something to take pride in. As one of my grand-daughters put it, “I’m a third grader now!”
For those kids that are actually switching schools, like from Memorial to Wentz, or Mayo to the high school, it’s an even bigger deal. While they might be a little nervous about things, it’s an exciting time in their lives. Sure, after a couple months, the newness wears off, and it becomes routine. After a couple years, it might even become a little ho-hum.
But there’s always the next year to get their adrenaline pumping again. Some kids actually love the learning, and just want to know more. Others look forward to the chance to play their favorite sport. Some kids just like the social part of things, although not everyone’s going to “fit in.”
Those few that don’t will have a harder time of it, but hopefully, will come out alright too. I happened to be in that particular group, but things worked out over time. The things I seem to remember most, though, are the excitement of starting something new and different.
The anticipation of having another chance to jump in and get it right. And the hope that we can be part of something big; something important. We all did it back then, year after year, as far as we could take it. But somehow, we’ve moved past it into a life that’s more, well, routine.
We don’t often challenge ourselves with anything new, and it’s often tough to get excited about anything. But what if we could figure out how to recapture that spirit.
What if we could get excited about something again. How would that revitalize our lives, our jobs, our relationships? To live each day like it was our first day back in school? Wouldn’t that be something?
If you’d like more information about health and fitness, or to comment on this or other articles, please feel free to contact me through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
I'M STILL ALIVE
I was watching one of the regulars work out at the gym this morning. He did a 10 minute warm-up on the Schwinn AirDyne exercise bicycle, and then went back and did some dumbbell curls and presses.
You could tell he was pretty serious about it. After the dumbbells, he moved to the weight machine circuit. He started with the first one, did a set, rested a bit, and then did another set, and so on, spending about five minutes before moving on to the next machine.
All told, he did thirteen machines, which took him about an hour. When I finally looked in on him, he’d moved on to the Kettlebell rack, and was fiddling around with them. He ended up doing 10 min warm-up on the bike, and a little more than an hour in the weight room.
Yesterday I saw him working out in the cardio room. He rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes. Then he walked 30 minutes on the treadmill. Finally, he finished with another 30 minutes on the Schwinn AirDyne. That’s an hour and a half of cardio! Granted, he doesn’t go all that fast, or push all that hard, but it’s still a lot of exercise.
He does this every day. Some days it’s an hour on the bike and treadmill, and then half an hour on the weight machines. Other days, he’ll do it like he did today.
What makes this even more impressive is that he just had his 90th birthday this week. As he says, he made it into the next decade. You’ve probably guessed that I’m writing about my dad.
He works out like this Mon-Sat, holidays included. In fact, the only time I’ve seen him miss in the last few years, was six months ago when he was in the hospital as a result of some seizures and a subsequent fall.
After a few days of testing, some anti-seizure medicine, and a 6 week rehab at Twin Lakes, the doctors released him back to independent living. That same day I took him back to Brookstone, I also brought him back to the gym. In fact, he did his workout first!
He was pretty shaky the first week, but by the end of the first month, he was pretty much back to what he had been doing before. “I just have to be a little more deliberate in my movements in my old age,” he says.
Whenever someone says hello at the gym, and asks him how he’s doing, he always tells them, “I’m still alive.” I guess when you’re 90, you don’t take this for granted.
Some days I need to remind him what to do, and sometimes, how to do it, because he has some short-term memory issues. But he’s always ready to go. Dad says “I need to do it until the day I die.” We’re hoping he gets another decade of workouts in.
If you’d like more information about health and fitness, or to comment on this or other articles, please feel free to contact me through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
You could tell he was pretty serious about it. After the dumbbells, he moved to the weight machine circuit. He started with the first one, did a set, rested a bit, and then did another set, and so on, spending about five minutes before moving on to the next machine.
All told, he did thirteen machines, which took him about an hour. When I finally looked in on him, he’d moved on to the Kettlebell rack, and was fiddling around with them. He ended up doing 10 min warm-up on the bike, and a little more than an hour in the weight room.
Yesterday I saw him working out in the cardio room. He rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes. Then he walked 30 minutes on the treadmill. Finally, he finished with another 30 minutes on the Schwinn AirDyne. That’s an hour and a half of cardio! Granted, he doesn’t go all that fast, or push all that hard, but it’s still a lot of exercise.
He does this every day. Some days it’s an hour on the bike and treadmill, and then half an hour on the weight machines. Other days, he’ll do it like he did today.
What makes this even more impressive is that he just had his 90th birthday this week. As he says, he made it into the next decade. You’ve probably guessed that I’m writing about my dad.
He works out like this Mon-Sat, holidays included. In fact, the only time I’ve seen him miss in the last few years, was six months ago when he was in the hospital as a result of some seizures and a subsequent fall.
After a few days of testing, some anti-seizure medicine, and a 6 week rehab at Twin Lakes, the doctors released him back to independent living. That same day I took him back to Brookstone, I also brought him back to the gym. In fact, he did his workout first!
He was pretty shaky the first week, but by the end of the first month, he was pretty much back to what he had been doing before. “I just have to be a little more deliberate in my movements in my old age,” he says.
Whenever someone says hello at the gym, and asks him how he’s doing, he always tells them, “I’m still alive.” I guess when you’re 90, you don’t take this for granted.
Some days I need to remind him what to do, and sometimes, how to do it, because he has some short-term memory issues. But he’s always ready to go. Dad says “I need to do it until the day I die.” We’re hoping he gets another decade of workouts in.
If you’d like more information about health and fitness, or to comment on this or other articles, please feel free to contact me through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Saturday, July 13, 2013
ROUTINES
At first glance, routines sound like a good thing, and they can be. They can help us establish new habits. They can even give us comfort at times. But sometimes routines can work against us.
Say your routine is to stop somewhere for a few drinks after work everyday. It might help you wind down, but it might also mean you’re on your way to becoming an alcoholic. It could also get you arrested for DUI.
You may have heard the term emotional overeater. This is someone whose routine is to turn to food for comfort when they’re feeling stressed. Obviously, this can lead to being overweight and obesity. So you can see that routines aren’t always helpful.
But what about a healthy routine, like going to the gym every day, and doing your regular workout? How could this possibly lead to problems?
Actually, I’ve seen it happen several different ways. While running is an awesome activity with tons of great benefits, I’ve know many people, including myself, that ran themselves right into chronic injuries.
Shin splints, inflammation of the plantar (lower) surface of the foot are quite common, especially in newer runners trying to run too many days, or do too many miles. My own issue was with ITB syndrome (inflammation of the side of a tendon on the side of the knee).
Another common problem occurs with someone who’s been exercising for awhile, but just doing the same thing over and over, never changing things up. At first they get pretty decent results, primarily because doing any program is usual better than doing nothing.
But after awhile, their body starts getting used to the routine, and it gets easier because they’re stronger and more efficient at that workout. At that point, they can do the same work, but will burn fewer calories. This is how you can exercise regularly, but still gain weight.
That’s why in Biggest Loser, we always try to ramp things up over the 12 weeks, regularly changing the exercises and the level of intensity. That way the people never get used to the work, and it always continues to be difficult. This burns the most calories and works very well.
Experienced weight lifters and body builders also know they need to change things up if they want to continue stimulating new muscle growth. A good rule of thumb is to do things in 3-4 week cycles, with 5-6 weeks being about the longest you should ever do the same routine.
I like to change things up more often than that, but at 51, my latest goals are simply to stay as lean as possible, and focus on things like explosiveness and endurance, which help me with my grappling and martial arts.
Finally, changing it up keeps things new and interesting. A group of us trained last year for a 12 mile trail run called Tough Mudder, and it was very cool, because we’d never done it before.
A stream that stops moving usually becomes stale and stagnant. Personally, I think it’s much more fun to be around a stream that’s still flowing, unless of course, you have to run through it!
If you’d like more information about health and fitness, or to comment on this or other articles, please feel free to contact me through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Say your routine is to stop somewhere for a few drinks after work everyday. It might help you wind down, but it might also mean you’re on your way to becoming an alcoholic. It could also get you arrested for DUI.
You may have heard the term emotional overeater. This is someone whose routine is to turn to food for comfort when they’re feeling stressed. Obviously, this can lead to being overweight and obesity. So you can see that routines aren’t always helpful.
But what about a healthy routine, like going to the gym every day, and doing your regular workout? How could this possibly lead to problems?
Actually, I’ve seen it happen several different ways. While running is an awesome activity with tons of great benefits, I’ve know many people, including myself, that ran themselves right into chronic injuries.
Shin splints, inflammation of the plantar (lower) surface of the foot are quite common, especially in newer runners trying to run too many days, or do too many miles. My own issue was with ITB syndrome (inflammation of the side of a tendon on the side of the knee).
Another common problem occurs with someone who’s been exercising for awhile, but just doing the same thing over and over, never changing things up. At first they get pretty decent results, primarily because doing any program is usual better than doing nothing.
But after awhile, their body starts getting used to the routine, and it gets easier because they’re stronger and more efficient at that workout. At that point, they can do the same work, but will burn fewer calories. This is how you can exercise regularly, but still gain weight.
That’s why in Biggest Loser, we always try to ramp things up over the 12 weeks, regularly changing the exercises and the level of intensity. That way the people never get used to the work, and it always continues to be difficult. This burns the most calories and works very well.
Experienced weight lifters and body builders also know they need to change things up if they want to continue stimulating new muscle growth. A good rule of thumb is to do things in 3-4 week cycles, with 5-6 weeks being about the longest you should ever do the same routine.
I like to change things up more often than that, but at 51, my latest goals are simply to stay as lean as possible, and focus on things like explosiveness and endurance, which help me with my grappling and martial arts.
Finally, changing it up keeps things new and interesting. A group of us trained last year for a 12 mile trail run called Tough Mudder, and it was very cool, because we’d never done it before.
A stream that stops moving usually becomes stale and stagnant. Personally, I think it’s much more fun to be around a stream that’s still flowing, unless of course, you have to run through it!
If you’d like more information about health and fitness, or to comment on this or other articles, please feel free to contact me through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
ON DEMAND
Things are always changing. That’s normal. But it seems like they’re changing quicker than they used to. We all thought our parent’s music was lame, and that we had the real deal. But the new generation is quite a bit edgier than the last one. There’s something else. I think our attention spans are shrinking.
It might have something to do with the culture. Everything is 24-7, on demand, right now. Fast this, fast that, i-phones, and Droid’s. The technology’s great, I admit it. I’m a junkie too. But even my not quite 3 year old is getting hooked on it.
He watches YouTube videos on DirectV, and even names the one he wants (and wants them now, thank you). He knows the remote does it, but he can’t quite figure it out. That makes him pretty mad.
He can turn on my iphone, slide the thumb over to open the home page, and even touches the icons to open an app but gets mad when I grab it before he calls someone overseas. I haven’t shown him how to use it; he’s just picked it up by observing us. I suppose it’s great that he can do these things, but it kind of worries me too.
I often see kids entertaining themselves with a game on their phone or DS. I guess that’s a good thing, and it does keep them occupied for a little while. But if a kid spends most of his or her time on it, that can’t be
With all this technology, I hope we’re not forgetting to teach kids that it takes hard work and persistence to get somewhere in life. Great DS and phone skills are cool, but they won’t help a kid learn how to answer tough questions in their first job interview.
These cultural changes aren’t limited to just kids either. A week ago, Kathy and I went out to eat at a restaurant, and sat down near another couple we didn’t know. They were sitting across from each other, like us, but they were both on their phones (presumably with someone else).
There was probably a good explanation for it. They both might have been doctors, or lawyers, each handling their own emergency. I hope so, because if the goal was to go out and have a nice meal and spend some time talking together, it wasn’t happening.
And the culture makes it so easy. You can watch your sports team up on the big screen in real time while you eat. If that isn’t quick enough, you can use an app on your phone to get updates with news and scores. You can even get alerts so your phone tells you when something “important” has happened.
On TV, the news has a box with more news within it, along with a scrolling bar with even more news at the bottom. Heck, even our gym is “conveniently 24-7” with members having their own keys so they can let themselves in whenever they want.
I guess I’m getting so used to this new way of doing things, that when a teenager goes out of their way to communicate with me verbally, it’s quite a surprise. The other day, one of our member’s sons came over and said hello, and asked me how I was doing! He’s all of 13 or 14.
He then asked me about my workout, and started comparing that to what he was doing! He was so polite and engaging, that I couldn’t help but be impressed. He had great communication skills, and a great work ethic in the gym, which I’m sure will translate to other areas in his life.
I remember thinking, that I hope my two year old will grow up to be that polite, and work that hard. That would be great. I’m going to try to do my part. Now if I can just keep my iphone away from him.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions about the little picture, or comments about the big picture.
It might have something to do with the culture. Everything is 24-7, on demand, right now. Fast this, fast that, i-phones, and Droid’s. The technology’s great, I admit it. I’m a junkie too. But even my not quite 3 year old is getting hooked on it.
He watches YouTube videos on DirectV, and even names the one he wants (and wants them now, thank you). He knows the remote does it, but he can’t quite figure it out. That makes him pretty mad.
He can turn on my iphone, slide the thumb over to open the home page, and even touches the icons to open an app but gets mad when I grab it before he calls someone overseas. I haven’t shown him how to use it; he’s just picked it up by observing us. I suppose it’s great that he can do these things, but it kind of worries me too.
I often see kids entertaining themselves with a game on their phone or DS. I guess that’s a good thing, and it does keep them occupied for a little while. But if a kid spends most of his or her time on it, that can’t be
With all this technology, I hope we’re not forgetting to teach kids that it takes hard work and persistence to get somewhere in life. Great DS and phone skills are cool, but they won’t help a kid learn how to answer tough questions in their first job interview.
These cultural changes aren’t limited to just kids either. A week ago, Kathy and I went out to eat at a restaurant, and sat down near another couple we didn’t know. They were sitting across from each other, like us, but they were both on their phones (presumably with someone else).
There was probably a good explanation for it. They both might have been doctors, or lawyers, each handling their own emergency. I hope so, because if the goal was to go out and have a nice meal and spend some time talking together, it wasn’t happening.
And the culture makes it so easy. You can watch your sports team up on the big screen in real time while you eat. If that isn’t quick enough, you can use an app on your phone to get updates with news and scores. You can even get alerts so your phone tells you when something “important” has happened.
On TV, the news has a box with more news within it, along with a scrolling bar with even more news at the bottom. Heck, even our gym is “conveniently 24-7” with members having their own keys so they can let themselves in whenever they want.
I guess I’m getting so used to this new way of doing things, that when a teenager goes out of their way to communicate with me verbally, it’s quite a surprise. The other day, one of our member’s sons came over and said hello, and asked me how I was doing! He’s all of 13 or 14.
He then asked me about my workout, and started comparing that to what he was doing! He was so polite and engaging, that I couldn’t help but be impressed. He had great communication skills, and a great work ethic in the gym, which I’m sure will translate to other areas in his life.
I remember thinking, that I hope my two year old will grow up to be that polite, and work that hard. That would be great. I’m going to try to do my part. Now if I can just keep my iphone away from him.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions about the little picture, or comments about the big picture.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
YOU'VE STILL GOT TO DO IT
Last week, I had a couple people ask me when we were going to do our next Biggest Loser program (“18”). When I told them we’d probably do it in the fall, they were obviously disappointed, because they said they were hoping to get started now.
So I told them that even if Biggest Loser wasn’t until the fall, they could do it now. I’d give them all the materials the group gets. I’d feed them the workouts so they knew what to do each week, and we even spent some time talking about how to start tracking their food intake in a daily calorie log, online, or with one of the numerous phone apps available these days.
What they were looking for was some motivation and accountability. I told them they could weigh in each week, just like in the group. They could take beginning measurements, and if they were really serious, have someone take a couple pictures of them in some tight workout clothes (front and side view).
They could put a picture up on their mirror that would serve as amazing motivation. The truth hurts sometimes, and pictures as they say, “tell a thousand words.” Each month, they could take a new picture, and they’d be able to see the changes as they happen. Along with new measurements each month this would give them a chance to see their progress even if the scale wasn’t cooperating, which happens sometimes.
We also talked about letting other people know what they were doing so they’d have additional accountability. The more people you tell, the more pressure you have to get it done.
I even gave them some first assignments. They were supposed to do a simple first workout (go for a walk), and then get back with me so we could do their initial weigh-in, body fat, basal metabolic rate calculation (tells them their minimum needed calories each day), % of water, and other measurements. It’s been over a week and I still haven’t heard back from them.
What makes this frustrating for me, is that they’d already overcome several of the biggest obstacles facing them. They’d recognized they needed to do something. They’d located someone with a program (me). They even took the next step of making contact to get things going. One of them even joined the center. We spent quite a bit of time talking about it.
But somewhere along the way, they ran into something that got them off track before they could even get started. Both of them had already told me that motivation was their biggest problem. I’d told them that even if they were in a Biggest Loser group, they still had to show up and get it done.
I have a lot of respect for them for coming in and sharing their problem with me. That took a lot of courage. And hopefully, something will change for them, and they’ll be able to get things going. But in the end, it always comes down to getting started and sticking with it. You’ve still got to do it.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions about the little picture, or comments about the big picture.
So I told them that even if Biggest Loser wasn’t until the fall, they could do it now. I’d give them all the materials the group gets. I’d feed them the workouts so they knew what to do each week, and we even spent some time talking about how to start tracking their food intake in a daily calorie log, online, or with one of the numerous phone apps available these days.
What they were looking for was some motivation and accountability. I told them they could weigh in each week, just like in the group. They could take beginning measurements, and if they were really serious, have someone take a couple pictures of them in some tight workout clothes (front and side view).
They could put a picture up on their mirror that would serve as amazing motivation. The truth hurts sometimes, and pictures as they say, “tell a thousand words.” Each month, they could take a new picture, and they’d be able to see the changes as they happen. Along with new measurements each month this would give them a chance to see their progress even if the scale wasn’t cooperating, which happens sometimes.
We also talked about letting other people know what they were doing so they’d have additional accountability. The more people you tell, the more pressure you have to get it done.
I even gave them some first assignments. They were supposed to do a simple first workout (go for a walk), and then get back with me so we could do their initial weigh-in, body fat, basal metabolic rate calculation (tells them their minimum needed calories each day), % of water, and other measurements. It’s been over a week and I still haven’t heard back from them.
What makes this frustrating for me, is that they’d already overcome several of the biggest obstacles facing them. They’d recognized they needed to do something. They’d located someone with a program (me). They even took the next step of making contact to get things going. One of them even joined the center. We spent quite a bit of time talking about it.
But somewhere along the way, they ran into something that got them off track before they could even get started. Both of them had already told me that motivation was their biggest problem. I’d told them that even if they were in a Biggest Loser group, they still had to show up and get it done.
I have a lot of respect for them for coming in and sharing their problem with me. That took a lot of courage. And hopefully, something will change for them, and they’ll be able to get things going. But in the end, it always comes down to getting started and sticking with it. You’ve still got to do it.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions about the little picture, or comments about the big picture.
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
THE BIG PICTURE
It seems like we get almost immune to hearing the news these days. There’s so much coverage, from all over the world, and its 24-7, day after day, to the point where we can almost tune it out. Many times we do.
Another 50 people killed in roadside car bombs in Iraq; just another day over there. And there were over a dozen people dead gang related shootings up in Chicago. But down here, are we going to the game tonight? What are we having for supper? Somewhere along the way, we’ve become a calloused people.
Still, something caught my eye a little while ago. They found a woman, still alive after 17 days of being buried in rubble after an earthquake in Bangladesh. Oh, another one of those. It seems like we’re always hearing about earthquakes. But then I saw the death toll. At that time, it was over a thousand people!
This had happened several days ago. I didn’t even know they’d had an earthquake over there, and I’m a news junkie. I often catch several hours a day, between watching cable news while working out, working at the gym, or listening to the radio in the car.
Even as I was reading the story about the girl they’d found alive, something in me was horrified that I hadn’t been horrified. It had all somehow just slipped by me.
At that moment, I realized I needed to stop and offer up a prayer for… all those affected. And also for myself, that I’d be a little more aware of people that are hurting, whether they’re halfway around the world, or here in our own neighborhood. And I started paying attention.
We all hate to see people in trouble and suffering, especially if it’s someone we know, or are close to. It’s been about a week since the massive tornado that nearly wiped out an entire community near Oklahoma City. For a few days, the devastation dominated the news cycle to the point where that was all you saw on cable news.
A huge number of families lost everything, much like in the other natural disasters we’ve seen over the years, but this was particularly compelling due to the shear scope of things. But it was the people we didn’t hear from that surely had the more heart-wrenching stories.
These were people who had lost people. Perhaps the most horrific story was where all those children were crushed in the rubble of that grade school. We just can’t comprehend what that must be like, but we can all identify with the families who have lost loved ones.
And what do you do when something like that happens? I’m amazed at the human spirit that can somehow rise above things like that. Even in the worst of times, some are able to maintain their hope and the faith that “even though this is really bad, God will help us get through it.”
You’ve probably seen stories about parents who have suffered a tragic loss like in a school shooting, but then turned that grief into a foundation that helps others in the memory of their lost child. It helps bring meaning to their loss, and lets their loved one live on in another way.
Over the years, we’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with the little picture around us. In my world, that’s teaching people how to learn how to focus, get healthy, and protect themselves, all worthy things. But I’m starting to become aware that there’s something higher. God help us learn to be a little more aware of the big picture going on around us.
If you’d like to help the recovery effort in Oklahoma, there are easy ways to do it, like contributing to an organization like Samaritan’s Purse, Red Cross, or even the United Way. It just takes a minute to help groups who can be our hands and feet working down there and making a difference.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions about the little picture, or comments about the big picture.
Another 50 people killed in roadside car bombs in Iraq; just another day over there. And there were over a dozen people dead gang related shootings up in Chicago. But down here, are we going to the game tonight? What are we having for supper? Somewhere along the way, we’ve become a calloused people.
Still, something caught my eye a little while ago. They found a woman, still alive after 17 days of being buried in rubble after an earthquake in Bangladesh. Oh, another one of those. It seems like we’re always hearing about earthquakes. But then I saw the death toll. At that time, it was over a thousand people!
This had happened several days ago. I didn’t even know they’d had an earthquake over there, and I’m a news junkie. I often catch several hours a day, between watching cable news while working out, working at the gym, or listening to the radio in the car.
Even as I was reading the story about the girl they’d found alive, something in me was horrified that I hadn’t been horrified. It had all somehow just slipped by me.
At that moment, I realized I needed to stop and offer up a prayer for… all those affected. And also for myself, that I’d be a little more aware of people that are hurting, whether they’re halfway around the world, or here in our own neighborhood. And I started paying attention.
We all hate to see people in trouble and suffering, especially if it’s someone we know, or are close to. It’s been about a week since the massive tornado that nearly wiped out an entire community near Oklahoma City. For a few days, the devastation dominated the news cycle to the point where that was all you saw on cable news.
A huge number of families lost everything, much like in the other natural disasters we’ve seen over the years, but this was particularly compelling due to the shear scope of things. But it was the people we didn’t hear from that surely had the more heart-wrenching stories.
These were people who had lost people. Perhaps the most horrific story was where all those children were crushed in the rubble of that grade school. We just can’t comprehend what that must be like, but we can all identify with the families who have lost loved ones.
And what do you do when something like that happens? I’m amazed at the human spirit that can somehow rise above things like that. Even in the worst of times, some are able to maintain their hope and the faith that “even though this is really bad, God will help us get through it.”
You’ve probably seen stories about parents who have suffered a tragic loss like in a school shooting, but then turned that grief into a foundation that helps others in the memory of their lost child. It helps bring meaning to their loss, and lets their loved one live on in another way.
Over the years, we’ve gotten pretty good at dealing with the little picture around us. In my world, that’s teaching people how to learn how to focus, get healthy, and protect themselves, all worthy things. But I’m starting to become aware that there’s something higher. God help us learn to be a little more aware of the big picture going on around us.
If you’d like to help the recovery effort in Oklahoma, there are easy ways to do it, like contributing to an organization like Samaritan’s Purse, Red Cross, or even the United Way. It just takes a minute to help groups who can be our hands and feet working down there and making a difference.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions about the little picture, or comments about the big picture.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
I CAN'T BECAUSE...
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say something like: “I know I really need to get up there and get started on an exercise program, but I just can’t because…” (enter excuses here). So here are the top 10 reasons NOT to go to the gym. I’m serious! These are all things I’ve heard. Drum roll please.
10. I need to get in shape before I come up there so I won’t look out of place.
9. I need to get in shape first, so it won’t be so tough when I start exercising.
8. I can’t come up there, because people will see me, and I’m shy.
7. Too many people will be looking at me.
6. Until I get past this ____ (various illnesses and ailments), I just can’t do it.
5. I just don’t ever get any results.
4. I just can’t find the motivation.
3. Every time I start an exercise program, I just end up stopping anyway.
2. I just work too many hours.
1. I just don’t have the time.
Remember, all of those are actual excuses I’ve heard. Now I’m not trying to belittle people who have very real situations that come up from time to time that just make it impossible. I’m talking about those times when the excuses don’t really hold water.
Recently, I was talking with an interesting couple who are both in their seventies. She’s long since retired but he’s still running a successful business. Because I see them both at the gym regularly, I was wondering what made them different from other couples their age, so I decided to ask them.
She told me that in her case, others in her family were pretty active, so she’s always tried to stay in shape. She said her husband realized the other guys his age were dying and he was the only one left!
When I talked to him, he said he was blessed with good health and wanted to keep what he had. He told me “you’ve just got to make yourself do it” and went on to say “as soon as you stop doing it, you’re done.” I think he’s right.
I’ve talked to many people who were inactive, got overweight, developed high blood pressure and diabetes and then had to start taking medicines for those conditions. This resulted in them gaining even more weight, and now they have serious knee and back problems that pretty much keep them from moving at all. In their case, they literally can’t do it.
It’s much better to get started now, before it’s too late and those excuses become real. If you’re already doing it, you better not quit. I have more to say about this, but I can’t, because… I’m out of time!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
10. I need to get in shape before I come up there so I won’t look out of place.
9. I need to get in shape first, so it won’t be so tough when I start exercising.
8. I can’t come up there, because people will see me, and I’m shy.
7. Too many people will be looking at me.
6. Until I get past this ____ (various illnesses and ailments), I just can’t do it.
5. I just don’t ever get any results.
4. I just can’t find the motivation.
3. Every time I start an exercise program, I just end up stopping anyway.
2. I just work too many hours.
1. I just don’t have the time.
Remember, all of those are actual excuses I’ve heard. Now I’m not trying to belittle people who have very real situations that come up from time to time that just make it impossible. I’m talking about those times when the excuses don’t really hold water.
Recently, I was talking with an interesting couple who are both in their seventies. She’s long since retired but he’s still running a successful business. Because I see them both at the gym regularly, I was wondering what made them different from other couples their age, so I decided to ask them.
She told me that in her case, others in her family were pretty active, so she’s always tried to stay in shape. She said her husband realized the other guys his age were dying and he was the only one left!
When I talked to him, he said he was blessed with good health and wanted to keep what he had. He told me “you’ve just got to make yourself do it” and went on to say “as soon as you stop doing it, you’re done.” I think he’s right.
I’ve talked to many people who were inactive, got overweight, developed high blood pressure and diabetes and then had to start taking medicines for those conditions. This resulted in them gaining even more weight, and now they have serious knee and back problems that pretty much keep them from moving at all. In their case, they literally can’t do it.
It’s much better to get started now, before it’s too late and those excuses become real. If you’re already doing it, you better not quit. I have more to say about this, but I can’t, because… I’m out of time!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
KEEP PADDLING!
I remember many years ago when I was a teenage camp counselor at a YMCA camp up in Reading, MI. After a long hot summer filled with young excited campers, our camp director arranged for us to take a week long canoe trip down the Manistee River in upper Michigan.
It was a great end to the summer. They drove us way upstream and we put in about six days traveling time from where we ended up. We had a good time camping and canoeing, and I learned a lot about both.
It wasn’t that big a stream, certainly not a big river, but there was definitely some current. Since we wanted to go downstream, it was no problem. Just relax and drift while the current pulled us along.
Sure, we had to do a course-correction now and then; a little dipping of the paddle here and there to keep in the middle of the stream. But basically, we paddled just enough to keep things on track.
Now when we had to get to the shore to make a portage around a log jam of downed trees and branches, we had to paddle a little bit more to get over there. Plus it took some work hoisting those canoes up overhead and carrying our gear through the woods on the obviously well-used portage trails. That was pretty hot and sweaty.
Even at the end of the day, though, while it took a bit of work setting up our campsite, it quickly became routine, and we could get it done pretty quickly with little trouble. All and all, it was a fairly easy proposition without much difficulty.
But as we got further and further downstream, the current picked up a little, so we traveled faster, with even less effort, except if we wanted to get over to the shore. Once, it got pretty exciting when we went through this small section of falls and rocks.
As we came around a bend, we realized that we were passing our landing site for the night. Tat was interesting. Even though we’d had advance warning that it would take a bit of work to get back over there, it still took us by surprise.
Now we had to paddle back upstream, against the current, which took a lot more work. At times, we seemed almost to be standing still. But little by little, we worked our way back over to the opposite shore, upstream. By the time we got there, we were toast. But the camping that night was awesome. We’d earned it.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: “You’re either moving forward or moving backward, but you’re never really just standing still.” Life often pulls us along, but we don’t always like where we’re going. We end up reacting to things as they come along, making course corrections as we have to.
When things go wrong, and they will, it takes a lot more out of you. When you need to dramatically change your direction, you better get paddling.
It’s a lot harder losing weight than maintaining, and it’s much harder gaining strength than losing it. Both take lots of time and work, but you can get there. You’ve just got to be willing to buck the stream!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
It was a great end to the summer. They drove us way upstream and we put in about six days traveling time from where we ended up. We had a good time camping and canoeing, and I learned a lot about both.
It wasn’t that big a stream, certainly not a big river, but there was definitely some current. Since we wanted to go downstream, it was no problem. Just relax and drift while the current pulled us along.
Sure, we had to do a course-correction now and then; a little dipping of the paddle here and there to keep in the middle of the stream. But basically, we paddled just enough to keep things on track.
Now when we had to get to the shore to make a portage around a log jam of downed trees and branches, we had to paddle a little bit more to get over there. Plus it took some work hoisting those canoes up overhead and carrying our gear through the woods on the obviously well-used portage trails. That was pretty hot and sweaty.
Even at the end of the day, though, while it took a bit of work setting up our campsite, it quickly became routine, and we could get it done pretty quickly with little trouble. All and all, it was a fairly easy proposition without much difficulty.
But as we got further and further downstream, the current picked up a little, so we traveled faster, with even less effort, except if we wanted to get over to the shore. Once, it got pretty exciting when we went through this small section of falls and rocks.
As we came around a bend, we realized that we were passing our landing site for the night. Tat was interesting. Even though we’d had advance warning that it would take a bit of work to get back over there, it still took us by surprise.
Now we had to paddle back upstream, against the current, which took a lot more work. At times, we seemed almost to be standing still. But little by little, we worked our way back over to the opposite shore, upstream. By the time we got there, we were toast. But the camping that night was awesome. We’d earned it.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: “You’re either moving forward or moving backward, but you’re never really just standing still.” Life often pulls us along, but we don’t always like where we’re going. We end up reacting to things as they come along, making course corrections as we have to.
When things go wrong, and they will, it takes a lot more out of you. When you need to dramatically change your direction, you better get paddling.
It’s a lot harder losing weight than maintaining, and it’s much harder gaining strength than losing it. Both take lots of time and work, but you can get there. You’ve just got to be willing to buck the stream!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Saturday, May 04, 2013
STOP DIGGING
Did you know that fat cells never go away? Sure, you can lose the fat, by burning it for fuel during and after your workouts. The fat will come right out of the cells when needed, but the cells are still there, shriveled up and much smaller than before. I like to imagine it like they are now simply “shrink-wrapped”.
But if you stop working out and start letting your diet slip through the cracks, those fat cells are not only still there, ready and waiting to receive “new fat”, but the pathways to store the fat are right there and easy to access too.
Once you’ve been overweight, your body is very accommodating to new fat. Even your metabolism will quickly adjust back to the original lower levels, helping you get and stay fat again. This is so common it’s called “the Yo-Yo syndrome.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people mount a huge effort, losing 50 pounds or more, only to see them six months later with all that weight back on. Often, they’re even heavier.
I even see the process starting a little closer to home. It’s very easy to put 5 pounds back on in a hurry. Just get a little lazy, or miss a few workouts. Couple that with letting your diet slip a little bit (read cookies here), and presto, you’ve put on 5 pounds in just a couple weeks.
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. If you address it, you’ll be able to turn it right around. If you let it go, it will take over and take on a life of its own.
It’s kind of like the spiritual side of life. Get a little lazy in your faith, and pretty soon, you’re making small compromises. Let it go a little longer, and before you know it, you’re having a King David moment, looking over the roof at your own Bathsheba.
If you don’t know the story, King David was a great king and warrior in the Old Testament. He fought and won many battles, starting with the giant, Goliath, at a remarkably young age.
Something happened, though, that caused him to stay home “at the time when kings go forth to battle.” That was probably his first mistake, but things happen. The problem came when he went for a walk on the roof one evening and saw a beautiful woman bathing.
He should have walked away, but instead made a deliberate choice to ask about her. His advisors tried to steer him away, telling him she was married to one of his captains but by then it was too late. He was already too far down that road to turn back, and he told them to send her to him. He was the king, so they did, and then he did. It gets worse from there.
We have to be vigilant and guard our hearts and minds. I think we need to guard our stomachs too. If you’re like me, we just can’t keep cookies in the house. We probably need to pray more as well. And we probably need to keep going forth to battle (read working out here).
The secret is to keep a close eye on things. If you start to see you’re slipping a little, you need to start taking action now, not later. It’s much harder later. If you catch it early, you can make some small adjustments and get things back on track.
It’s never too late, though. After a lot of pain and suffering, even King David found redemption and was still considered a man after God’s own heart. Remember the old saying: “If you’re in a hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging!”
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
But if you stop working out and start letting your diet slip through the cracks, those fat cells are not only still there, ready and waiting to receive “new fat”, but the pathways to store the fat are right there and easy to access too.
Once you’ve been overweight, your body is very accommodating to new fat. Even your metabolism will quickly adjust back to the original lower levels, helping you get and stay fat again. This is so common it’s called “the Yo-Yo syndrome.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people mount a huge effort, losing 50 pounds or more, only to see them six months later with all that weight back on. Often, they’re even heavier.
I even see the process starting a little closer to home. It’s very easy to put 5 pounds back on in a hurry. Just get a little lazy, or miss a few workouts. Couple that with letting your diet slip a little bit (read cookies here), and presto, you’ve put on 5 pounds in just a couple weeks.
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. If you address it, you’ll be able to turn it right around. If you let it go, it will take over and take on a life of its own.
It’s kind of like the spiritual side of life. Get a little lazy in your faith, and pretty soon, you’re making small compromises. Let it go a little longer, and before you know it, you’re having a King David moment, looking over the roof at your own Bathsheba.
If you don’t know the story, King David was a great king and warrior in the Old Testament. He fought and won many battles, starting with the giant, Goliath, at a remarkably young age.
Something happened, though, that caused him to stay home “at the time when kings go forth to battle.” That was probably his first mistake, but things happen. The problem came when he went for a walk on the roof one evening and saw a beautiful woman bathing.
He should have walked away, but instead made a deliberate choice to ask about her. His advisors tried to steer him away, telling him she was married to one of his captains but by then it was too late. He was already too far down that road to turn back, and he told them to send her to him. He was the king, so they did, and then he did. It gets worse from there.
We have to be vigilant and guard our hearts and minds. I think we need to guard our stomachs too. If you’re like me, we just can’t keep cookies in the house. We probably need to pray more as well. And we probably need to keep going forth to battle (read working out here).
The secret is to keep a close eye on things. If you start to see you’re slipping a little, you need to start taking action now, not later. It’s much harder later. If you catch it early, you can make some small adjustments and get things back on track.
It’s never too late, though. After a lot of pain and suffering, even King David found redemption and was still considered a man after God’s own heart. Remember the old saying: “If you’re in a hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging!”
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
KEEPING YOUR EYE ON THE BALL
Last week we looked at seven steps to getting started. Over the next few weeks, I want to take a look at some things that can help you keep your mojo going.
The first thing I want to talk about is having a real goal in mind. Make it specific and measureable if possible. This means you have to have a target to focus on. If it’s pretty vague, you’ll probably get vague results. If it’s pretty direct, like you’re going to lose 15 pounds by the start of summer, then you have a better chance of achieving it.
It also helps if you absolutely, positively, just have to do it! It’s got to almost kill you if for some reason you don’t do it. When failure is not an option, you have no choice but to succeed.
Knowing what you’re aiming at helps you focus so you can hit what you’re aiming at. Imagine grabbing a bat and just going out, chopping wildly at the air, hoping a baseball will fly by so you can hit it!
Write down your goal. If you’ve written it down, it’s much more likely that you’ll get it done. This applies to simple, daily tasks, short-term goals, and even longer term goals that might take up to six months to a year, or more.
Once you have your main goal, see if you can break it down into several smaller, more manageable bite size goals. Make a list of objectives to hit along the way. If the main goal is to lose 15 lbs over the next three weeks, then that means each week you need to lose 5 lbs.
The next step is figuring out how you’re going to do it this week. Next week doesn’t matter if you don’t lose the 5 lbs this week. What’s it going to take to make that happen? What actions do you need to take each day to make this a realistic proposition?
If you need some help making new habits, it might be helpful to have a checklist that you look at every day. It could be as simple as something like this:
Morning walk (15-20 min) ____
Breakfast (400 cal) ____
Lunch (400 cal) ____
Snack (150 cal) ____
Evening workout (45 min) ____
Supper (400 cal) ____
Snack (150 cal) ____
4-5 bottles of water/day ____
Good self-talk today ____
Read something to help ____
Encourage someone else ____
At the start of each day, take a look at your objectives. Even experienced pilots still perform pre-flight checklists—they don’t want to miss anything that might be important.
At the end of the day, take another look at it. Did you get everything done? Did anything slip through the cracks? At some point, those things on your list will become much more automatic, but for awhile, it might help you to check things off.
Each week, measure your progress. If you did enough work, you’ll hit your goal. If you didn’t, you won’t. Be honest either way. If you made it, that’s awesome. Give yourself some love. If you didn’t, what do you need to do to turn it around? Make a decision to do better next week, and then do it!
Next week, we’ll look at some other strategies to help you get what you want. Until then, feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
The first thing I want to talk about is having a real goal in mind. Make it specific and measureable if possible. This means you have to have a target to focus on. If it’s pretty vague, you’ll probably get vague results. If it’s pretty direct, like you’re going to lose 15 pounds by the start of summer, then you have a better chance of achieving it.
It also helps if you absolutely, positively, just have to do it! It’s got to almost kill you if for some reason you don’t do it. When failure is not an option, you have no choice but to succeed.
Knowing what you’re aiming at helps you focus so you can hit what you’re aiming at. Imagine grabbing a bat and just going out, chopping wildly at the air, hoping a baseball will fly by so you can hit it!
Write down your goal. If you’ve written it down, it’s much more likely that you’ll get it done. This applies to simple, daily tasks, short-term goals, and even longer term goals that might take up to six months to a year, or more.
Once you have your main goal, see if you can break it down into several smaller, more manageable bite size goals. Make a list of objectives to hit along the way. If the main goal is to lose 15 lbs over the next three weeks, then that means each week you need to lose 5 lbs.
The next step is figuring out how you’re going to do it this week. Next week doesn’t matter if you don’t lose the 5 lbs this week. What’s it going to take to make that happen? What actions do you need to take each day to make this a realistic proposition?
If you need some help making new habits, it might be helpful to have a checklist that you look at every day. It could be as simple as something like this:
Morning walk (15-20 min) ____
Breakfast (400 cal) ____
Lunch (400 cal) ____
Snack (150 cal) ____
Evening workout (45 min) ____
Supper (400 cal) ____
Snack (150 cal) ____
4-5 bottles of water/day ____
Good self-talk today ____
Read something to help ____
Encourage someone else ____
At the start of each day, take a look at your objectives. Even experienced pilots still perform pre-flight checklists—they don’t want to miss anything that might be important.
At the end of the day, take another look at it. Did you get everything done? Did anything slip through the cracks? At some point, those things on your list will become much more automatic, but for awhile, it might help you to check things off.
Each week, measure your progress. If you did enough work, you’ll hit your goal. If you didn’t, you won’t. Be honest either way. If you made it, that’s awesome. Give yourself some love. If you didn’t, what do you need to do to turn it around? Make a decision to do better next week, and then do it!
Next week, we’ll look at some other strategies to help you get what you want. Until then, feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
SEVEN STEPS TO SUCCESSFULLY GETTING STARTED
People often ask me, “Why it is so hard to make changes?” Perhaps an even better question is: “How do we make changes permanent?” It’s so easy to drift back into the same old habits and undo any changes we’ve made. It’s also easy to give up on a process that might take longer than you expected.
Over the years, I’ve noticed a pattern in people making significant changes to their lifestyle under a wide variety of circumstances. There seem to be seven steps that people need to take if they’re going to get the job done.
This includes people going back to school to change a career; people trying to overcome addiction; people working on their debt snowball; and perhaps the most common, people trying to lose a little weight and get into shape. While they’ve not all been successful, it seems like most people had better odds if they hit each one of these seven steps. I know I’ve written about these before, but I get so many questions about it, I thought I’d reprise them for you:
1. Unfortunately, there often has to be a crisis of some sort to get our attention. It often takes something going wrong before we wake up about things. Health problems often push people into making changes in their diet and exercise, but it’s a whole lot easier to get started before you develop problems like diabetes or high blood pressure. Sometimes, someone else’s crisis can be our wake up call.
2. This brings us to an awareness of our situation. We have to realize a need before we can make a change. What you need can often be different than what someone else needs. It can be as simple as concluding that you need to take off a few pounds and tighten things up, or it can be as big as realizing you need to lose 100 lbs or you develop diabetes or a heart condition.
3. Just knowing you need to do something doesn’t get it done, however. You have to make a decision to do it. This is different. Without a decision, nothing gets done.
4. You’ve got to have a big desire to get it done. It’s going to take a big desire to get past all the obstacles that are going to come up. There are lots of things we know we should be doing, but it takes a different amount of motivation to actually do them. I’ve heard it said that until your “want-to” becomes a “have-to” it’s going to be really hard to make the changes you need.
5. Once you’ve made a decision, you need to get some information. There are lots of programs out there, with tons of information available through the internet and in books and magazines easily available. One of the best sources of information is with someone that you know and trust who has already been successful. Mentoring with a knowledgeable friend who has your best interests in mind can often make the difference between success and failure.
6. You’ve got to be accountable to someone. The more people who know about your plan, the more likely you are to accomplish it. This is called getting leverage on yourself. Your team can help keep you on track when you start drifting off the path. Your mentor can help you in this area as well.
7. Finally, and this is perhaps the most important part, you’ve got to actually just get started. All the preparation in the world doesn’t matter if you never begin the journey. You will never hit your target if you can’t actually pull the trigger. O.K., maybe one too many metaphors, but you get the idea. You’ve got to actually DO it.
Next week, we’ll take a look at how you can keep your eye on the ball (whoops, another metaphor). Until then, I hope you’ll feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Over the years, I’ve noticed a pattern in people making significant changes to their lifestyle under a wide variety of circumstances. There seem to be seven steps that people need to take if they’re going to get the job done.
This includes people going back to school to change a career; people trying to overcome addiction; people working on their debt snowball; and perhaps the most common, people trying to lose a little weight and get into shape. While they’ve not all been successful, it seems like most people had better odds if they hit each one of these seven steps. I know I’ve written about these before, but I get so many questions about it, I thought I’d reprise them for you:
1. Unfortunately, there often has to be a crisis of some sort to get our attention. It often takes something going wrong before we wake up about things. Health problems often push people into making changes in their diet and exercise, but it’s a whole lot easier to get started before you develop problems like diabetes or high blood pressure. Sometimes, someone else’s crisis can be our wake up call.
2. This brings us to an awareness of our situation. We have to realize a need before we can make a change. What you need can often be different than what someone else needs. It can be as simple as concluding that you need to take off a few pounds and tighten things up, or it can be as big as realizing you need to lose 100 lbs or you develop diabetes or a heart condition.
3. Just knowing you need to do something doesn’t get it done, however. You have to make a decision to do it. This is different. Without a decision, nothing gets done.
4. You’ve got to have a big desire to get it done. It’s going to take a big desire to get past all the obstacles that are going to come up. There are lots of things we know we should be doing, but it takes a different amount of motivation to actually do them. I’ve heard it said that until your “want-to” becomes a “have-to” it’s going to be really hard to make the changes you need.
5. Once you’ve made a decision, you need to get some information. There are lots of programs out there, with tons of information available through the internet and in books and magazines easily available. One of the best sources of information is with someone that you know and trust who has already been successful. Mentoring with a knowledgeable friend who has your best interests in mind can often make the difference between success and failure.
6. You’ve got to be accountable to someone. The more people who know about your plan, the more likely you are to accomplish it. This is called getting leverage on yourself. Your team can help keep you on track when you start drifting off the path. Your mentor can help you in this area as well.
7. Finally, and this is perhaps the most important part, you’ve got to actually just get started. All the preparation in the world doesn’t matter if you never begin the journey. You will never hit your target if you can’t actually pull the trigger. O.K., maybe one too many metaphors, but you get the idea. You’ve got to actually DO it.
Next week, we’ll take a look at how you can keep your eye on the ball (whoops, another metaphor). Until then, I hope you’ll feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
HOW TO EAT FOR WEIGHT LOSS
If you’re getting in all your workouts and burning a bunch of fat calories, AND you’re hitting your minimum daily calorie target, then there’s only one other thing to look at. What kind of foods are you eating?
First of all, if you know you probably shouldn’t be eating it, you’re probably right. You shouldn’t be eating it, or at least much of it. It’s probably alright to eat a little bit of most anything. Our problem (especially guys), is that we tend to way overdo it.
Three duplex cookies won’t make you fat. It’s only 130 calories. If you’re in balance, you’ll just burn it. Unfortunately (personal experience here), three cookies turns into nine cookies. Nine turns into nineteen cookies. Now that will make you fat!
So, knock off the pop. Cut back on the sweet tea, and just don’t keep cookies or chips in the house. If you can do that, you’ll get a lot farther on your weight loss program.
Drink some more water. Your body needs more than you think.
If you like beer, and drink a lot of it, you’re going to have problems losing weight. You might have other problems too, but that’s another article.
Once you’ve taken care of the junk, and the things that you know aren’t good for you, then you can start making some healthier choices. Every meal should have some protein for building muscle and bone, some complex carbs for long-lasting energy, and some fruits or vegetables for quick energy, fiber, and lots of vitamins and minerals.
Good protein sources include chicken and turkey, lean cuts of beef or pork, fish, and low fat dairy products like milk, eggs, yogurt and cottage cheese. Protein shakes are also a good food choice, especially after your workout. You need much more protein than you think.
Quality complex carbs take longer for the body to break down, and include whole wheat and other whole grain breads and cereals, oats or oatmeal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, whole grain pastas, and some beans. One portion or serving will be good enough.
Fruits and vegetables pretty much speak for themselves. The more variety and color the better. Unless you’re diabetic, you really can’t go wrong with more fruits and greens. If you’re diabetic, or have another medical condition, then you need to consult with your doctor.
Here’s what our typical well-balanced breakfasts look like in Biggest Loser: Oatmeal, half a banana, and a low fat yogurt. Or whole grain cereal, 2% milk, and some fresh fruit. You get the idea. Replace any category with anything else in the same category and you’re good to go.
Lunch can be as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat with some fruit. Or a 6” chicken sub on whole grain bread with lots of veggies. It’s the same idea. Take one thing from each category.
For supper, we’ll take some meat, poultry or fish; add one serving of complex carbs, and round it off with lots of vegetables. The gals usually need about 3-4 oz of the protein, while guys will need 6-8 oz. Remember, stick with one serving of the complex carbs, and load up on the veggies.
Like the song says, “This is how we do-oo it.” Work out like a dog, knock off the junk, and eat balanced meals in the right amount for you. I’ve seen hundreds of people lose weight over the past 17 Biggest Loser programs, and hundreds more in the gym. You can do it too!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
First of all, if you know you probably shouldn’t be eating it, you’re probably right. You shouldn’t be eating it, or at least much of it. It’s probably alright to eat a little bit of most anything. Our problem (especially guys), is that we tend to way overdo it.
Three duplex cookies won’t make you fat. It’s only 130 calories. If you’re in balance, you’ll just burn it. Unfortunately (personal experience here), three cookies turns into nine cookies. Nine turns into nineteen cookies. Now that will make you fat!
So, knock off the pop. Cut back on the sweet tea, and just don’t keep cookies or chips in the house. If you can do that, you’ll get a lot farther on your weight loss program.
Drink some more water. Your body needs more than you think.
If you like beer, and drink a lot of it, you’re going to have problems losing weight. You might have other problems too, but that’s another article.
Once you’ve taken care of the junk, and the things that you know aren’t good for you, then you can start making some healthier choices. Every meal should have some protein for building muscle and bone, some complex carbs for long-lasting energy, and some fruits or vegetables for quick energy, fiber, and lots of vitamins and minerals.
Good protein sources include chicken and turkey, lean cuts of beef or pork, fish, and low fat dairy products like milk, eggs, yogurt and cottage cheese. Protein shakes are also a good food choice, especially after your workout. You need much more protein than you think.
Quality complex carbs take longer for the body to break down, and include whole wheat and other whole grain breads and cereals, oats or oatmeal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, whole grain pastas, and some beans. One portion or serving will be good enough.
Fruits and vegetables pretty much speak for themselves. The more variety and color the better. Unless you’re diabetic, you really can’t go wrong with more fruits and greens. If you’re diabetic, or have another medical condition, then you need to consult with your doctor.
Here’s what our typical well-balanced breakfasts look like in Biggest Loser: Oatmeal, half a banana, and a low fat yogurt. Or whole grain cereal, 2% milk, and some fresh fruit. You get the idea. Replace any category with anything else in the same category and you’re good to go.
Lunch can be as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat with some fruit. Or a 6” chicken sub on whole grain bread with lots of veggies. It’s the same idea. Take one thing from each category.
For supper, we’ll take some meat, poultry or fish; add one serving of complex carbs, and round it off with lots of vegetables. The gals usually need about 3-4 oz of the protein, while guys will need 6-8 oz. Remember, stick with one serving of the complex carbs, and load up on the veggies.
Like the song says, “This is how we do-oo it.” Work out like a dog, knock off the junk, and eat balanced meals in the right amount for you. I’ve seen hundreds of people lose weight over the past 17 Biggest Loser programs, and hundreds more in the gym. You can do it too!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
WHY CAN'T I LOSE WEIGHT? (PART TWO)
Last week I told you about a common question I get all the time: “Why am I not losing any weight?” I always ask a couple of questions in return. The first question was “Are you getting all your workouts in?”
I went on to talk about how sometimes you just need to do more to get that weight coming off—even if you’re already pretty active. Not too long ago, I was in what most people would call pretty good shape, but I still was able to lose 35 lbs—mainly by adding what I like to call my “bonus” workouts.
I was pretty active to begin with, but by adding that “bonus” workout every evening, I was able to maintain regular weight loss. It can be as simple as just walking 20 minutes in the morning. In my case, I like to ride the bike every evening after supper.
It doesn’t really matter what you do. What matters is that you’re moving more than you were before. Over and over, I’ve seen people who do this lose more weight than people that don’t.
Usually, when people complain about their lack of weight loss, they haven’t been getting all their workouts in, but sometimes, they have. So what then?
Someone made a great comment on Facebook last week: “You can out-eat any exercise program.” This is true, although I think it applies more to men than women. But there’s another factor that often comes into play, especially for women.
Coincidentally, right after I finished last week’s article, I was folding towels at the center when another woman asked me basically the same thing. After we covered talked about exercise, I asked her a second question: “Are you hitting your minimum?”
After talking with hundreds of women about this over the years, I’ve learned that most women (perhaps 9 out of 10) aren’t hitting their minimum, even if many of them think they’re eating too much. While most guys tend to overeat, most women don’t eat enough.
It’s very easy to prove, one way or the other. There are lots of smart phone apps and web sites that make it easy to track your calories these days, like www.calorieking.com ; www.myfitnesspal.com ; www.mynetdairy.com .
We have a scale at the gym that measures body fat, belly fat, hydration levels, metabolic age, and BMR (basal metabolic rate). Don’t confuse this with BMI, which is an index that compares your weight to norms based on your height.
BMR is a measure of the number of calories your body needs every day, based on your frame (height, weight, and age), and it’s very accurate. I like to call it your “minimum” since most people can identify with that easily.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, women should never fall below 1,200 calories a day, regardless of activity level. This is because your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) requires at least that many calories just to maintain normal body functions. For guys, it’s around 1,800 calories.
So she showed me her weight loss sheet that tracks all the parameters, and I looked at her BMR, which was right around 1,300 calories. When I asked her if she was eating at least that much, she told me “well, I’m having a hard time getting to 1,200.”
This is very typical, especially with women who have been cutting back, trying to lose weight. Here’s the bottom line. If you don’t hit your minimum, your body somehow makes it near impossible to lose weight.
Your metabolism will slow down, and you’ll have a hard time burning fat for fuel. I’ve seen it time and time again. But as soon as you start eating above that threshold, your body somehow adjusts again, and you’ll start to lose weight.
The secret is picking a moderate amount of calories above your minimum so you feel comfortable throughout the day. For women, a comfortable margin is usually between 1,500-1,650 calories. Guys tend to lose weight easily between 2,000-2,400 calories.
So now you know the first thing: you probably have to do more. The second thing is: you have to hit your minimum. Since overeating is pretty obvious, if you’re doing that, knock it off!
Next week, we’ll talk about what to eat while you’re hitting that minimum. Until then, feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
I went on to talk about how sometimes you just need to do more to get that weight coming off—even if you’re already pretty active. Not too long ago, I was in what most people would call pretty good shape, but I still was able to lose 35 lbs—mainly by adding what I like to call my “bonus” workouts.
I was pretty active to begin with, but by adding that “bonus” workout every evening, I was able to maintain regular weight loss. It can be as simple as just walking 20 minutes in the morning. In my case, I like to ride the bike every evening after supper.
It doesn’t really matter what you do. What matters is that you’re moving more than you were before. Over and over, I’ve seen people who do this lose more weight than people that don’t.
Usually, when people complain about their lack of weight loss, they haven’t been getting all their workouts in, but sometimes, they have. So what then?
Someone made a great comment on Facebook last week: “You can out-eat any exercise program.” This is true, although I think it applies more to men than women. But there’s another factor that often comes into play, especially for women.
Coincidentally, right after I finished last week’s article, I was folding towels at the center when another woman asked me basically the same thing. After we covered talked about exercise, I asked her a second question: “Are you hitting your minimum?”
After talking with hundreds of women about this over the years, I’ve learned that most women (perhaps 9 out of 10) aren’t hitting their minimum, even if many of them think they’re eating too much. While most guys tend to overeat, most women don’t eat enough.
It’s very easy to prove, one way or the other. There are lots of smart phone apps and web sites that make it easy to track your calories these days, like www.calorieking.com ; www.myfitnesspal.com ; www.mynetdairy.com .
We have a scale at the gym that measures body fat, belly fat, hydration levels, metabolic age, and BMR (basal metabolic rate). Don’t confuse this with BMI, which is an index that compares your weight to norms based on your height.
BMR is a measure of the number of calories your body needs every day, based on your frame (height, weight, and age), and it’s very accurate. I like to call it your “minimum” since most people can identify with that easily.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, women should never fall below 1,200 calories a day, regardless of activity level. This is because your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) requires at least that many calories just to maintain normal body functions. For guys, it’s around 1,800 calories.
So she showed me her weight loss sheet that tracks all the parameters, and I looked at her BMR, which was right around 1,300 calories. When I asked her if she was eating at least that much, she told me “well, I’m having a hard time getting to 1,200.”
This is very typical, especially with women who have been cutting back, trying to lose weight. Here’s the bottom line. If you don’t hit your minimum, your body somehow makes it near impossible to lose weight.
Your metabolism will slow down, and you’ll have a hard time burning fat for fuel. I’ve seen it time and time again. But as soon as you start eating above that threshold, your body somehow adjusts again, and you’ll start to lose weight.
The secret is picking a moderate amount of calories above your minimum so you feel comfortable throughout the day. For women, a comfortable margin is usually between 1,500-1,650 calories. Guys tend to lose weight easily between 2,000-2,400 calories.
So now you know the first thing: you probably have to do more. The second thing is: you have to hit your minimum. Since overeating is pretty obvious, if you’re doing that, knock it off!
Next week, we’ll talk about what to eat while you’re hitting that minimum. Until then, feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT?
I had a Facebook question recently that I thought I’d share with our Beacon-News readers too. She said, “I’ve been working out on the treadmill since mid January, and also been watching what I eat, but I really haven’t been losing any weight. Can you give me some tips?”
First of all, I had to congratulate her, because she realized there was a problem, set some goals, and took some action. She’s also made it through a couple months and established some good new habits.
This is no small point. Lots of people run out of gas after just a couple weeks—especially if they’re not seeing any weight loss. In her case, it probably comes down to tweaking things a little bit, or trying to do a little bit more.
In our Biggest Loser groups, if someone isn’t losing, I always ask them two questions. Are you getting all your workouts in, and are you hitting your daily minimum (calorie goal)? Usually, the first answer is no.
Keep in mind that in Biggest Loser, we ask them to do two workouts a day. There’s the normal cardio or weight routine every day in the afternoon or evening. But there’s also the wakeup workout which can be as simple as just walking 20 minutes (roughly a mile) in the morning before you start your day.
Just adding that second workout often adds a pound a week to their weight loss. Said another way, it takes most people from losing just a pound a week, to losing two pounds a week—or more!
When I lost my 35 lbs, I did the same thing. I was already pretty active with great cardio and weight routines every day, so I took one of our Schwinn Air Dyne exercise bicycles home and rode it every night for at least 30 minutes.
Many times, I did 45 minutes or even an hour. I figured I was going to sit there and watch TV anyway, so I might as well do something while I was sitting. Two years later, I still do it every night and I’ve kept the weight off. (I also do 20-30 minutes most mornings).
So that “bonus” workout is the ticket, because it helps you burn more calories. In the end, it’s math. If you keep your intake the same, and simply add some extra calories out each day, by the end of the week, you’ll lose another pound or two.
Now this doesn’t mean that you can eat more. It means you’re trying to burn another 500 calories a day through activity. If you do it seven days, you’ll have burned 3,500 calories which equals a pound of fat.
Next week, I’ll address the second question: “Are you hitting your minimum (daily calorie target)”? This is more important than you might think. Until then, feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
First of all, I had to congratulate her, because she realized there was a problem, set some goals, and took some action. She’s also made it through a couple months and established some good new habits.
This is no small point. Lots of people run out of gas after just a couple weeks—especially if they’re not seeing any weight loss. In her case, it probably comes down to tweaking things a little bit, or trying to do a little bit more.
In our Biggest Loser groups, if someone isn’t losing, I always ask them two questions. Are you getting all your workouts in, and are you hitting your daily minimum (calorie goal)? Usually, the first answer is no.
Keep in mind that in Biggest Loser, we ask them to do two workouts a day. There’s the normal cardio or weight routine every day in the afternoon or evening. But there’s also the wakeup workout which can be as simple as just walking 20 minutes (roughly a mile) in the morning before you start your day.
Just adding that second workout often adds a pound a week to their weight loss. Said another way, it takes most people from losing just a pound a week, to losing two pounds a week—or more!
When I lost my 35 lbs, I did the same thing. I was already pretty active with great cardio and weight routines every day, so I took one of our Schwinn Air Dyne exercise bicycles home and rode it every night for at least 30 minutes.
Many times, I did 45 minutes or even an hour. I figured I was going to sit there and watch TV anyway, so I might as well do something while I was sitting. Two years later, I still do it every night and I’ve kept the weight off. (I also do 20-30 minutes most mornings).
So that “bonus” workout is the ticket, because it helps you burn more calories. In the end, it’s math. If you keep your intake the same, and simply add some extra calories out each day, by the end of the week, you’ll lose another pound or two.
Now this doesn’t mean that you can eat more. It means you’re trying to burn another 500 calories a day through activity. If you do it seven days, you’ll have burned 3,500 calories which equals a pound of fat.
Next week, I’ll address the second question: “Are you hitting your minimum (daily calorie target)”? This is more important than you might think. Until then, feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Monday, March 11, 2013
HOW TO KEEP THE RESOLUTE IN RESOLUTION!
Fitness programs often get derailed before they’re really began, and how when life presses in, they’re usually the first things to go. This week I’d like to give you five tips to help keep you going when the going gets tough.
1. Speak out your goals frequently – there’s power in the spoken word. It’s even Biblical. When God spoke, things happened. Say what you want to do. Tell other people. Continue to tell yourself. The squeaky wheel gets the most grease, so you might as well be the wheel, squeaking to yourself. Remember “The Little Engine That Could” from our childhood? He said “I think I can, I think I can.” And then he did.
2. Write down your goals – there’s power in the written word too. People with written goals are more likely to achieve them. They’re also helpful reminders about what we need to do. If I don’t write something down, forget about it. Too many things are trying to get our attention. Write it down.
3. You need to have a reason behind the reason – this is the goal; it’s why you want to achieve the goal. This gives the goal meaning. For example, say you want to lose weight. Ask yourself why you want to lose the weight. Perhaps the answer might be “so I can look better.” Then go deeper. Ask yourself why you want to look better. Maybe that answer is “so I can feel better about myself.” See how it works? The deeper you go, the more likely it is that that goal will have staying power.
4. Be accountable to someone else – this will help keep you honest, and perhaps even keep you out of trouble! Someone once said we should try to live our lives as if someone was always watching. It applies to working out too. It’s easy to push when you’re working out with someone else. If other people know your goals, and how important they are to you, they’ll be able to help you stay on track.
5. Finally, give yourself a reward – even though the goal itself is often a reward, it can be great fun to do something to celebrate your success, even if the success is measured in small increments. If you just went down a pants size, go buy yourself a pair of skinny jeans. You earned it! If it’s a bigger goal, plan a bigger party. That might give you the extra juice you need to stay the course.
I hope these tips help a little bit. Let me know. Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
1. Speak out your goals frequently – there’s power in the spoken word. It’s even Biblical. When God spoke, things happened. Say what you want to do. Tell other people. Continue to tell yourself. The squeaky wheel gets the most grease, so you might as well be the wheel, squeaking to yourself. Remember “The Little Engine That Could” from our childhood? He said “I think I can, I think I can.” And then he did.
2. Write down your goals – there’s power in the written word too. People with written goals are more likely to achieve them. They’re also helpful reminders about what we need to do. If I don’t write something down, forget about it. Too many things are trying to get our attention. Write it down.
3. You need to have a reason behind the reason – this is the goal; it’s why you want to achieve the goal. This gives the goal meaning. For example, say you want to lose weight. Ask yourself why you want to lose the weight. Perhaps the answer might be “so I can look better.” Then go deeper. Ask yourself why you want to look better. Maybe that answer is “so I can feel better about myself.” See how it works? The deeper you go, the more likely it is that that goal will have staying power.
4. Be accountable to someone else – this will help keep you honest, and perhaps even keep you out of trouble! Someone once said we should try to live our lives as if someone was always watching. It applies to working out too. It’s easy to push when you’re working out with someone else. If other people know your goals, and how important they are to you, they’ll be able to help you stay on track.
5. Finally, give yourself a reward – even though the goal itself is often a reward, it can be great fun to do something to celebrate your success, even if the success is measured in small increments. If you just went down a pants size, go buy yourself a pair of skinny jeans. You earned it! If it’s a bigger goal, plan a bigger party. That might give you the extra juice you need to stay the course.
I hope these tips help a little bit. Let me know. Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
SOME TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED IN 2013
Well it’s a new year again. 2013. It sure seems like 2012 didn’t last very long. The years seem to last forever when we’re younger, but as we get a little older, they just seem to shoot by. But here it is—another opportunity for another fresh start. Of course, if everything’s going exactly the way you want it, don’t change a thing!
So the first step is to evaluate how things went for you last year. Did you have some new goals? Did you achieve them? Is there anything that stands out that needs to be addressed? Are there any changes you need to make?
How’s your health and fitness? Is your weight where you want it to be? How do you feel? Are you eating right and working out regularly? If not, maybe now’s the time to get started.
We always see lots of new people in the gym in January and that’s great. It’s perfectly fine to have a New Year’s resolution. Just make sure you stay resolute in February!
If you’ve never worked out, or it’s been a long time since you’ve been to the gym, here are a few tips to help you get things going:
• Start slowly and do less than you think you should be doing. That will help keep you from getting hurt, or from being so sore that you won’t ever want to come back. This applies especially to people who’ve worked out in the past. Don’t expect to be operating at the same level you were at before.
• On your cardio days, start with walking and then do some short one-minute intervals where you try to go a little faster, or perhaps even a short jog if possible. Do some walking as a cool down afterward. Every time you come in, do a little bit more.
• If you’re getting started with the weights, focus on the machine circuit for a week or two. It will give you a good full body workout and is a very safe way to get started. After that, you can start working some free weights into your workout.
• Don’t forget to eat a little something 45-60 minutes before working out, especially if it’s going to be a vigorous workout. There’s nothing worse than getting light headed and feeling like you’re going to throw up on your first day in the gym!
• Bring or buy a bottle of water and drink it periodically during your workout. If you wait until you feel thirsty, it’s too late—your body needs it sooner than that.
• While research really doesn’t show a performance benefit to stretching before working out, there is a benefit to doing a light warm-up, or light reps before lifting heavier weights. Your joints will thank you. Do some light stretching of your muscles after you get done!
• Slow and steady wins the race. Look at things from a year-long perspective. What do you want to accomplish this year? Then set your goals accordingly. Get started, and don’t quit. Make adjustments when you need to, but don’t quit. Keep the resolute in your resolution. Happy New Year!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
So the first step is to evaluate how things went for you last year. Did you have some new goals? Did you achieve them? Is there anything that stands out that needs to be addressed? Are there any changes you need to make?
How’s your health and fitness? Is your weight where you want it to be? How do you feel? Are you eating right and working out regularly? If not, maybe now’s the time to get started.
We always see lots of new people in the gym in January and that’s great. It’s perfectly fine to have a New Year’s resolution. Just make sure you stay resolute in February!
If you’ve never worked out, or it’s been a long time since you’ve been to the gym, here are a few tips to help you get things going:
• Start slowly and do less than you think you should be doing. That will help keep you from getting hurt, or from being so sore that you won’t ever want to come back. This applies especially to people who’ve worked out in the past. Don’t expect to be operating at the same level you were at before.
• On your cardio days, start with walking and then do some short one-minute intervals where you try to go a little faster, or perhaps even a short jog if possible. Do some walking as a cool down afterward. Every time you come in, do a little bit more.
• If you’re getting started with the weights, focus on the machine circuit for a week or two. It will give you a good full body workout and is a very safe way to get started. After that, you can start working some free weights into your workout.
• Don’t forget to eat a little something 45-60 minutes before working out, especially if it’s going to be a vigorous workout. There’s nothing worse than getting light headed and feeling like you’re going to throw up on your first day in the gym!
• Bring or buy a bottle of water and drink it periodically during your workout. If you wait until you feel thirsty, it’s too late—your body needs it sooner than that.
• While research really doesn’t show a performance benefit to stretching before working out, there is a benefit to doing a light warm-up, or light reps before lifting heavier weights. Your joints will thank you. Do some light stretching of your muscles after you get done!
• Slow and steady wins the race. Look at things from a year-long perspective. What do you want to accomplish this year? Then set your goals accordingly. Get started, and don’t quit. Make adjustments when you need to, but don’t quit. Keep the resolute in your resolution. Happy New Year!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
BEATING THE HOLIDAY BLUES
While the holiday season is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration with family, many people get depressed during the holidays. I’m sure part of it has to do with the season.
As we move into winter, with all that cold and gray outside, it’s easy to forget the smiles we have in spring and summer. Even fall with all its colors, seems far away.
Many people have also lost loved ones around the holiday time, and that’s got to be terribly hard to deal with. How they get through tough days like that is beyond me. Perhaps that’s one of those things that only God can help with.
And then there are just the blues that come from feeling fat and overstuffed from all the holiday fare—and it’s easy to do. I saw a study once that told how most Americans gain 5-7 lbs between Thanksgiving and the New Year. I believe it, because it happened to me, too.
I was cruising along at a nice lean 168 back in November, and this morning, I weighed in at 173.2 lbs. Not obese by any standard, but it still shows. At least my jeans still fit.
The reason why is pretty simple, I think. With all the stuff we have to do around the holidays, it’s hard to get all your workouts in. And with all that food staring you in the face, it’s almost impossible not to surrender to some of it.
A pound a week multiplied by five weeks equals five to seven pounds, just like the experts say. But that’s not the end of the world. If you catch it, that is. Keep up the same pattern, and it will be 10 pounds by February and 25 pounds by summer!
So it starts today. We can’t worry about the things we can’t control—like the past. All we can do is focus on those things that we can control—like what we do today.
I’ve heard that one thing that helps people through tough times and tough memories is going out and doing something for someone else. It takes their attention off themselves and how they feel.
I think a similar approach can work for those 5-7 lbs, or even more, if you have them. We need to just get out and do something, and maybe renew our commitment to eating right too. This isn’t rocket science; it’s calories in versus calories out.
Who knows? That little action today could help change things tomorrow. It might just help you beat those Holiday Blues! Well, I’ve got to go now—I’ve got to get on the exercise bike and start the ball rolling. See you next year!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
As we move into winter, with all that cold and gray outside, it’s easy to forget the smiles we have in spring and summer. Even fall with all its colors, seems far away.
Many people have also lost loved ones around the holiday time, and that’s got to be terribly hard to deal with. How they get through tough days like that is beyond me. Perhaps that’s one of those things that only God can help with.
And then there are just the blues that come from feeling fat and overstuffed from all the holiday fare—and it’s easy to do. I saw a study once that told how most Americans gain 5-7 lbs between Thanksgiving and the New Year. I believe it, because it happened to me, too.
I was cruising along at a nice lean 168 back in November, and this morning, I weighed in at 173.2 lbs. Not obese by any standard, but it still shows. At least my jeans still fit.
The reason why is pretty simple, I think. With all the stuff we have to do around the holidays, it’s hard to get all your workouts in. And with all that food staring you in the face, it’s almost impossible not to surrender to some of it.
A pound a week multiplied by five weeks equals five to seven pounds, just like the experts say. But that’s not the end of the world. If you catch it, that is. Keep up the same pattern, and it will be 10 pounds by February and 25 pounds by summer!
So it starts today. We can’t worry about the things we can’t control—like the past. All we can do is focus on those things that we can control—like what we do today.
I’ve heard that one thing that helps people through tough times and tough memories is going out and doing something for someone else. It takes their attention off themselves and how they feel.
I think a similar approach can work for those 5-7 lbs, or even more, if you have them. We need to just get out and do something, and maybe renew our commitment to eating right too. This isn’t rocket science; it’s calories in versus calories out.
Who knows? That little action today could help change things tomorrow. It might just help you beat those Holiday Blues! Well, I’ve got to go now—I’ve got to get on the exercise bike and start the ball rolling. See you next year!
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
BIGGEST LOSER "17" -- WEEK TWELVE (FINAL RESULTS)
This marked the end of Biggest Loser “17” for our group, after 12 weeks of training and watching what they ate. After the final weigh-in, the remaining participants once again took measurements of their arms, chest, stomach, hips, legs and calves. The goal was to compare their numbers with what they got in the first meeting, so they could calculate total inches lost.
We also did a fitness post-test, consisting of a minute each of push-ups, sit-ups, body squats, burpees, and mountain climbers. In each case, the participants were stronger and had much more endurance, sometimes markedly so, often doubling and tripling their numbers from before.
They also had to record a final 1 mile walk/run time. It was not unusual to see several minutes taken off their 1 mile walk/run time from twelve weeks ago. Most of them have completed at least one 5 K recently, and several have done two!
This week’s Biggest Loser was Jeremy Whitaker, who lost 3.2% of his body weight and another 6.6 lbs in the final week of the program. He finished off the program with a 6 mile run this morning, and then Garfields for lunch and Texas Roadhouse for Supper! Not to worry – he ate sensibly at both places.
For second place, we had a tie between Nicole Shaughnessy and Betty Payne, both losing 1.2% and also 1.8 and 1.6 lbs respectively. Interestingly, we also had a tie for third place, with Ashlee Hiatt and Johna Todd losing about 1.0% and also 1.6 and 1.8 lbs respectively.
Since it was the last meeting, we talked about how each of them needed to set new goals, whether it’s additional weight loss, or maintaining the results they’ve gotten. If they get out of balance, it will be easy to put that weight right back on. Exercising daily and watching what they eat will be a life-long pursuit.
The overall winner for Biggest Loser “17” was Jeremy Whitaker (no surprise there), who lost 32.7% of his body weight and a whopping 66.4 lbs – a new Biggest Loser record for 12 weeks! His body fat percentage went down by 13.5%, and he lost in excess of 40 inches across his body. He also significantly reduced his metabolic age, now having a body much younger than his actual years, rather than much older.
Nicole Shaughnessy finished the twelve weeks in second place, losing 10.8% and 15.7 lbs. Ashlee Hiatt placed third, losing 10.2% and 17.0 lbs. Johna Todd finished fourth, losing 7.6% and 15.0 lbs. Carla Duke was fifth, losing 4.7% and 7.0 lbs, and Betty Payne finished sixth, losing 4.6% and 6.0 lbs.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
We also did a fitness post-test, consisting of a minute each of push-ups, sit-ups, body squats, burpees, and mountain climbers. In each case, the participants were stronger and had much more endurance, sometimes markedly so, often doubling and tripling their numbers from before.
They also had to record a final 1 mile walk/run time. It was not unusual to see several minutes taken off their 1 mile walk/run time from twelve weeks ago. Most of them have completed at least one 5 K recently, and several have done two!
This week’s Biggest Loser was Jeremy Whitaker, who lost 3.2% of his body weight and another 6.6 lbs in the final week of the program. He finished off the program with a 6 mile run this morning, and then Garfields for lunch and Texas Roadhouse for Supper! Not to worry – he ate sensibly at both places.
For second place, we had a tie between Nicole Shaughnessy and Betty Payne, both losing 1.2% and also 1.8 and 1.6 lbs respectively. Interestingly, we also had a tie for third place, with Ashlee Hiatt and Johna Todd losing about 1.0% and also 1.6 and 1.8 lbs respectively.
Since it was the last meeting, we talked about how each of them needed to set new goals, whether it’s additional weight loss, or maintaining the results they’ve gotten. If they get out of balance, it will be easy to put that weight right back on. Exercising daily and watching what they eat will be a life-long pursuit.
The overall winner for Biggest Loser “17” was Jeremy Whitaker (no surprise there), who lost 32.7% of his body weight and a whopping 66.4 lbs – a new Biggest Loser record for 12 weeks! His body fat percentage went down by 13.5%, and he lost in excess of 40 inches across his body. He also significantly reduced his metabolic age, now having a body much younger than his actual years, rather than much older.
Nicole Shaughnessy finished the twelve weeks in second place, losing 10.8% and 15.7 lbs. Ashlee Hiatt placed third, losing 10.2% and 17.0 lbs. Johna Todd finished fourth, losing 7.6% and 15.0 lbs. Carla Duke was fifth, losing 4.7% and 7.0 lbs, and Betty Payne finished sixth, losing 4.6% and 6.0 lbs.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
BIGGEST LOSER "17" -- WEEK ELEVEN
This was the last meeting with the group before the final weigh-in next week, so I had one last chance to give them another tough workout! You might recall the last few weeks have included High Intensity Interval Training in the cardio room, and also several advanced circuit training workouts in the weight room.
To keep it new and interesting, I took things they knew from each of the past few workouts but combined them all into one giant super-circuit. Instead of doing several rounds of six or seven exercises, this time they only had to do each station one time, but a lot of reps while they were there. The other twist was that they started with a ¼ mile run, and also did ¼ mile runs after each station!
This is a challenging workout for people whether you’re used to running or not. If you’re an experienced runner, treat the ¼ mile runs like sprints and try to increase your speed each time. Then attack the different stations, trying to finish each as quickly as possible.
If running is new and difficult for you, don’t try to go too fast, just try to run the entire ¼ mile. Then when you get to the stations, push yourself there. As an alternative to running, you could do 2-3 minute intervals on an elliptical, stepper, bike, or rower. Here’s what the workout looked like, in case you’d like to give it a try.
1. 25 Pull-ups
2. 50 Box Jumps
3. 50 Kettlebell Swings
4. 50 Pushups
5. 50 Single-arm DB Curls (total)
6. 50 Sit-ups
This week’s Biggest Loser was Jeremy Whitaker, who lost 2.1% of his body weight and 4.6 lbs. Johna Todd was second, losing 1.9% and 3.8 lbs. Carla Duke placed third, losing about 1.0% and 1.2 lbs. Betty Payne was fourth, losing about 1.0% and 1.0 lbs.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
To keep it new and interesting, I took things they knew from each of the past few workouts but combined them all into one giant super-circuit. Instead of doing several rounds of six or seven exercises, this time they only had to do each station one time, but a lot of reps while they were there. The other twist was that they started with a ¼ mile run, and also did ¼ mile runs after each station!
This is a challenging workout for people whether you’re used to running or not. If you’re an experienced runner, treat the ¼ mile runs like sprints and try to increase your speed each time. Then attack the different stations, trying to finish each as quickly as possible.
If running is new and difficult for you, don’t try to go too fast, just try to run the entire ¼ mile. Then when you get to the stations, push yourself there. As an alternative to running, you could do 2-3 minute intervals on an elliptical, stepper, bike, or rower. Here’s what the workout looked like, in case you’d like to give it a try.
1. 25 Pull-ups
2. 50 Box Jumps
3. 50 Kettlebell Swings
4. 50 Pushups
5. 50 Single-arm DB Curls (total)
6. 50 Sit-ups
This week’s Biggest Loser was Jeremy Whitaker, who lost 2.1% of his body weight and 4.6 lbs. Johna Todd was second, losing 1.9% and 3.8 lbs. Carla Duke placed third, losing about 1.0% and 1.2 lbs. Betty Payne was fourth, losing about 1.0% and 1.0 lbs.
Feel free to contact me through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomdolanfitness if you have any questions or comments.
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