This week, I'd like to share some lessons I've been learning from Buddy, our 14 month old Golden Retriever. I'm sure the Dog Whisperer would have lots to say about these things, but here goes anyway.
A cute little 2-month old puppy soon becomes a large force of nature, rivaling even the strongest willed and most energetic 3 year old child. In fact, it's pretty much like having another 3 year old, without the vocabulary. When you see "cute", unless you're committed to the long haul, turn around and run.
Human Lesson: Nothing will ever be as easy as you think it will be. (It's still worth it though).
Library Books are expensive when you have to buy them. Apparently, 50 chew toys aren't enough to satisfy this need. Any book left out on a counter sooner or later becomes number 51. After the second book, we use the cabinet now to avoid yet another $30 fee.
Human Lesson: Whatever your vice, don't just leave it laying around. I can always sniff out a leftover cookie, and I'm sure to make short work of it too. Just like Buddy and my books.
No matter how many times he's come up short, he's always going to try and catch that next bird that he scares up. You've got to keep a pretty tight rein on things, even when you're just out there for potty-time. At a newly trim 74 lbs, Buddy's quite a force to be reckoned with, especially if he gets the jump on you.
Human Lesson: Never give up, and keep reaching for that goal. Even if you don't make it, you'll get lots of exercise.
Finally, when we first got Buddy, we followed the directions on the dog food. That's what you're supposed to do, right? Wrong. With all the extra calories, and less activity due to the winter weather, Buddy was starting to get fat!
So on the advice of our vet, we slowly cut back his serving sizes, adding some vegetables like green beans and carrots to make up the difference. We also get him outside several times a day so he can really get moving. He even goes swimming in the pond (which is another story). It's been working too. Last weigh-in, he was down about five pounds!
Human Lesson:
Don't count on "regular" serving sizes and portions to keep you thin. We probably also need to get moving more ourselves.
Some people who've been moving include our Biggest Losers. Brian Bradley finished first this week, losing 4.6 lbs and 2.0% of his body weight. Lori Hollingsworth was second, losing 3.1 lbs and 1.9%. Matt Murphy placed third, losing 5.3 lbs and 1.6%.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
DON'T LET EM QUIT!
"But I don't want to go." If you're a parent, you've probably heard this a time or two. Given loud enough, and with enough frequency, even the toughest parent can begin to waiver. Truth be told, we've said those words ourselves a time or two.
It's easy to quit. Especially these days. Kids are so busy, with so many activities, that sometimes they just get tired. Likewise, parents are often glad for the break when seasons end, or even when a child stops an activity. But the real secret to success in youth sports is that the season never really ends.
Parents with kids on traveling teams understand this. They've made a commitment to it. For these kids, their skills continue to grow. They get to test themselves against other kids just as interested. It's no surprise that these will be the go-to kids when they hit the varsity level.
But what about the kids who don't have that level of interest or ability, and never will. How are they going to learn the life skills that come with competitive sports? Where will they face challenges that help them learn how to overcome, and be successful in life? And how are they going to stay in shape?
Most experts agree that we need to be active everyday to keep fit. Just look at a 3-5 year old. They're little balls of energy that almost never seem to stop. They're also rarely overweight. It's later that we usually see a problem, when their movement slows down, and television and iPod game time increases. If they're not in an organized sport, their weight gain can be even more pronounced.
That's one of the reasons I love our summer BooT CamP for KidZ, and our Karate for Kids programs. These classes, and others like them around the country, give kids a chance to stay active, and to learn all those other life skills too.
For me personally, I can tell you that martial arts changed my life. I was a sick, asthmatic youth who wasn't allowed to even participate in gym class. As a result, my focus was mostly on music, because it was pretty unlikely my piano would ever cause an asthma attack.
After high school, I was finally able to get in the gym, and also into a martial arts program they offered there. New medicine for asthmatics helped out at just the right time, too. Over the years, I just kept on training, ultimately becoming a Master Instructor and 6th Degree Black Belt. When people ask me how I got that far, I tell them "It's simple. I just never quit." I still haven't.
Out of the hundreds of kids I've worked with over the years in our Karate for Kids programs, I've never had one tell me later that they were glad they quit.
Now as adults, they often tell me they wish they'd have kept on going.
I've also never met a black belt who wasn't grateful for the lessons they learned along the way:
Hard work pays off.
Courtesy and respect make things go smoother.
Confidence breeds success.
And no one does it all by themselves.
If you're thinking about quitting, think again. And if your kids are thinking about quitting something, stand strong and help them look past the short term. It could have lasting consequences.
Some people who haven't quit include this week's Biggest Losers. Cheryl Funkhouser finished first, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.9% of her body weight. Mary Jo Becher and Heather Watson tied for second, losing 2.5 and 2.4 lbs respectively, both losing 1.4%. Pam Kelly lost 2.2 lbs and tied for fourth place with Christy Henry, who lost 1.8 lbs, and both losing about 1.0%.
It's easy to quit. Especially these days. Kids are so busy, with so many activities, that sometimes they just get tired. Likewise, parents are often glad for the break when seasons end, or even when a child stops an activity. But the real secret to success in youth sports is that the season never really ends.
Parents with kids on traveling teams understand this. They've made a commitment to it. For these kids, their skills continue to grow. They get to test themselves against other kids just as interested. It's no surprise that these will be the go-to kids when they hit the varsity level.
But what about the kids who don't have that level of interest or ability, and never will. How are they going to learn the life skills that come with competitive sports? Where will they face challenges that help them learn how to overcome, and be successful in life? And how are they going to stay in shape?
Most experts agree that we need to be active everyday to keep fit. Just look at a 3-5 year old. They're little balls of energy that almost never seem to stop. They're also rarely overweight. It's later that we usually see a problem, when their movement slows down, and television and iPod game time increases. If they're not in an organized sport, their weight gain can be even more pronounced.
That's one of the reasons I love our summer BooT CamP for KidZ, and our Karate for Kids programs. These classes, and others like them around the country, give kids a chance to stay active, and to learn all those other life skills too.
For me personally, I can tell you that martial arts changed my life. I was a sick, asthmatic youth who wasn't allowed to even participate in gym class. As a result, my focus was mostly on music, because it was pretty unlikely my piano would ever cause an asthma attack.
After high school, I was finally able to get in the gym, and also into a martial arts program they offered there. New medicine for asthmatics helped out at just the right time, too. Over the years, I just kept on training, ultimately becoming a Master Instructor and 6th Degree Black Belt. When people ask me how I got that far, I tell them "It's simple. I just never quit." I still haven't.
Out of the hundreds of kids I've worked with over the years in our Karate for Kids programs, I've never had one tell me later that they were glad they quit.
Now as adults, they often tell me they wish they'd have kept on going.
I've also never met a black belt who wasn't grateful for the lessons they learned along the way:
Hard work pays off.
Courtesy and respect make things go smoother.
Confidence breeds success.
And no one does it all by themselves.
If you're thinking about quitting, think again. And if your kids are thinking about quitting something, stand strong and help them look past the short term. It could have lasting consequences.
Some people who haven't quit include this week's Biggest Losers. Cheryl Funkhouser finished first, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.9% of her body weight. Mary Jo Becher and Heather Watson tied for second, losing 2.5 and 2.4 lbs respectively, both losing 1.4%. Pam Kelly lost 2.2 lbs and tied for fourth place with Christy Henry, who lost 1.8 lbs, and both losing about 1.0%.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO SUCCEED
"You have to put yourself in a position to succeed." We used to hear this all the time from Dad when we were growing up.
He said it when I was getting tired of school. He said it when I didn't want to go to piano lessons or practice my violin. He said it anytime I wanted to quit anything.
Once I made it into college, he never seemed to mind when I changed majors, even after the fifth time. He said whatever I wanted to do was fine, as long as it was legal. But he always insisted I be as prepared as possible, so I'd be in a position to succeed.
I've often wondered what he meant by succeeding. Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to try a lot of different things. Some were successful; others not so much. But it's all been interesting, and I think I've finally figured out what Dad was really getting at.
It wasn't about which career, which job, or the type lifestyle I could get. It was about the effort. It was about doing my best, and not giving up, even when it was hard. Particularly when I didn't feel like it.
A World War II veteran born during the Great Depression, Dad understood the value of hard work and persistence. That whole generation did. They knew how to gut it out, day by day, doing the hard work you do that to achieve something, or make something better.
It worked too. Our industrial base and ingenuity helped win the war, and it took us a long way in the decades since. But sometimes I wonder if we've been as successful in transmitting that work ethic as they were.
We want everything so fast these days: fast food, faster news, and immediate status updates. Recently someone told me they had to lose 30 lbs by the time they went on vacation--in just a couple weeks! Yeah, they do it on television, but they live on a ranch with no kids, no minivan, no job. Just weight loss.
I told them they probably just didn't have enough time, but to just get started, and do whatever they could. I didn't want to discourage them, but really, how long has it taken them to gain the weight? Why do we think we should get such dramatic results overnight?
Our leader in Biggest Loser "20" has lost just over 35 lbs in eight weeks, which is fantastic. But you need to know that she's been walking 6 miles EVERY morning, and then coming in and doing the regular workouts every night. I've seen her do them. She's one of the only people I know I who actually prints out my daily workout and brings it to the gym.
When people are a little unhappy because they aren't quite getting there fast enough, I tell them to look at her. See what she's doing. "If you want those results, maybe you need to try that." And remember, it's not so much WHAT she's doing, it's how she's doing it. It's her work ethic. She found a plan she could do. She takes full advantage of it, (to an extreme), and she's totally committed. She just doesn't stop.
Dad was right. We have to put ourselves in a position to succeed. This week's Biggest Losers have certainly done that. Lori Hollingsworth finished first, losing 3.5 lbs and 2.0%. Christy Henry took second, losing another 2.6 lbs and 1.3%. Brad Adams was third, losing 2.4 lbs and about 1.0%.
He said it when I was getting tired of school. He said it when I didn't want to go to piano lessons or practice my violin. He said it anytime I wanted to quit anything.
Once I made it into college, he never seemed to mind when I changed majors, even after the fifth time. He said whatever I wanted to do was fine, as long as it was legal. But he always insisted I be as prepared as possible, so I'd be in a position to succeed.
I've often wondered what he meant by succeeding. Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to try a lot of different things. Some were successful; others not so much. But it's all been interesting, and I think I've finally figured out what Dad was really getting at.
It wasn't about which career, which job, or the type lifestyle I could get. It was about the effort. It was about doing my best, and not giving up, even when it was hard. Particularly when I didn't feel like it.
A World War II veteran born during the Great Depression, Dad understood the value of hard work and persistence. That whole generation did. They knew how to gut it out, day by day, doing the hard work you do that to achieve something, or make something better.
It worked too. Our industrial base and ingenuity helped win the war, and it took us a long way in the decades since. But sometimes I wonder if we've been as successful in transmitting that work ethic as they were.
We want everything so fast these days: fast food, faster news, and immediate status updates. Recently someone told me they had to lose 30 lbs by the time they went on vacation--in just a couple weeks! Yeah, they do it on television, but they live on a ranch with no kids, no minivan, no job. Just weight loss.
I told them they probably just didn't have enough time, but to just get started, and do whatever they could. I didn't want to discourage them, but really, how long has it taken them to gain the weight? Why do we think we should get such dramatic results overnight?
Our leader in Biggest Loser "20" has lost just over 35 lbs in eight weeks, which is fantastic. But you need to know that she's been walking 6 miles EVERY morning, and then coming in and doing the regular workouts every night. I've seen her do them. She's one of the only people I know I who actually prints out my daily workout and brings it to the gym.
When people are a little unhappy because they aren't quite getting there fast enough, I tell them to look at her. See what she's doing. "If you want those results, maybe you need to try that." And remember, it's not so much WHAT she's doing, it's how she's doing it. It's her work ethic. She found a plan she could do. She takes full advantage of it, (to an extreme), and she's totally committed. She just doesn't stop.
Dad was right. We have to put ourselves in a position to succeed. This week's Biggest Losers have certainly done that. Lori Hollingsworth finished first, losing 3.5 lbs and 2.0%. Christy Henry took second, losing another 2.6 lbs and 1.3%. Brad Adams was third, losing 2.4 lbs and about 1.0%.
Tuesday, June 03, 2014
QUICK WORKOUTS CAN BE VERY EFFECTIVE
We've passed the halfway point in Biggest Loser "20" and I have to say, it's been pretty interesting. Our leader, Christy Henry, has lost an amazing 32.8 lbs, and she's done it in just seven weeks. Another has lost about 25 lbs, and we have several who have lost around 15 lbs.
I've really tried to mix things up with this group. They've done a couple of tough new kickboxing workouts, with weights, ropes and other exercises mixed in. They've done a workout in the park where they also ran there and back. Last week, they even took on a hill run, up and down the overhead bridge (by the football field), complete with battle ropes at the bottom!
But during each Biggest Loser, I like to introduce a concept called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Always a tough workout, HIIT keeps making a comeback in fitness circles because it allows you to burn a lot of calories in a fairly short amount of time.
This week their HIIT workout was about 28 minutes long, based on doing a hard minute of work followed by an easier minute for recovery. They did a 7 minute round on each of four pieces of cardio equipment: a Treadmill, Rower, Elliptical, and an AirDyne bike. Here's what each round looked like:
1 min warm up at 50-60%*
1 min at 70%
1 min at 50-60% to recover
1 min at 80%
1 min at 50-60% to recover
1 min at 90%**
1 min at 50-60%
*of a maximal effort.
**just short of having to stop.
After completing that seven minute round, they moved to the next piece of equipment, repeating the same routine. While a person could complete several rounds of a HIIT workout on a single piece of equipment, I wanted them to experience it on a variety of things. It also keeps it interesting and is pretty good for the body too.
Shorter workouts are becoming the norm, due to busy schedules and other time constraints. For example, Monday's popular boot-camp workout was based on a protocol created by a well known exercise physiologist named Tabata. It calls for eight intervals per exercise, for 20 seconds on and just 10 seconds of rest. It's only four minutes per exercise, but it's pretty tough. We did seven stations, eight sets each, for a total workout lasting just 28 minutes. I think they found it challenging.
Even the latest workout DVDs have been trending shorter, like the super popular T-25 series, which is just 25 minutes in length. The newest version of P90X3 has also shortened their workouts to just 30 minutes, 6 days a week. In both cases, they were responding to the main reason people either didn't finish their program, or didn't even start it at all: people reporting that they just didn't have enough time.
This week's Biggest Losers have found the time for some good results. Brian Bradley finished first, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2% of his body weight. Jennifer Bowers placed second, losing 4.2 lbs and 1.7%. Matt Murphy was third, losing 4.6 lbs and 1.4%. Christy Henry finished fourth, losing 1.8 lbs, and Brad Adams was fifth, also losing 1.8 lbs, both losing about 1.0%.
I've really tried to mix things up with this group. They've done a couple of tough new kickboxing workouts, with weights, ropes and other exercises mixed in. They've done a workout in the park where they also ran there and back. Last week, they even took on a hill run, up and down the overhead bridge (by the football field), complete with battle ropes at the bottom!
But during each Biggest Loser, I like to introduce a concept called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Always a tough workout, HIIT keeps making a comeback in fitness circles because it allows you to burn a lot of calories in a fairly short amount of time.
This week their HIIT workout was about 28 minutes long, based on doing a hard minute of work followed by an easier minute for recovery. They did a 7 minute round on each of four pieces of cardio equipment: a Treadmill, Rower, Elliptical, and an AirDyne bike. Here's what each round looked like:
1 min warm up at 50-60%*
1 min at 70%
1 min at 50-60% to recover
1 min at 80%
1 min at 50-60% to recover
1 min at 90%**
1 min at 50-60%
*of a maximal effort.
**just short of having to stop.
After completing that seven minute round, they moved to the next piece of equipment, repeating the same routine. While a person could complete several rounds of a HIIT workout on a single piece of equipment, I wanted them to experience it on a variety of things. It also keeps it interesting and is pretty good for the body too.
Shorter workouts are becoming the norm, due to busy schedules and other time constraints. For example, Monday's popular boot-camp workout was based on a protocol created by a well known exercise physiologist named Tabata. It calls for eight intervals per exercise, for 20 seconds on and just 10 seconds of rest. It's only four minutes per exercise, but it's pretty tough. We did seven stations, eight sets each, for a total workout lasting just 28 minutes. I think they found it challenging.
Even the latest workout DVDs have been trending shorter, like the super popular T-25 series, which is just 25 minutes in length. The newest version of P90X3 has also shortened their workouts to just 30 minutes, 6 days a week. In both cases, they were responding to the main reason people either didn't finish their program, or didn't even start it at all: people reporting that they just didn't have enough time.
This week's Biggest Losers have found the time for some good results. Brian Bradley finished first, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2% of his body weight. Jennifer Bowers placed second, losing 4.2 lbs and 1.7%. Matt Murphy was third, losing 4.6 lbs and 1.4%. Christy Henry finished fourth, losing 1.8 lbs, and Brad Adams was fifth, also losing 1.8 lbs, both losing about 1.0%.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
ALL AT ONCE, OR A LITTLE AT A TIME?
So you've decided you need to make some changes to your diet, and add some exercise. Do you go ahead and just totally revamp everything? Knock out all the junk, quit the pop, clean out your cabinets and refrigerator and start fresh? Do you throw yourself in a total fitness program? Or do you do these things incrementally, one thing at a time?
Just like everything else, it depends who you talk to. Some experts recommend just doing a big reset, and starting over, so hopefully several things stick. The idea is that you may backslide in some areas, but you'll have some other positive changes still working for you.
Other experts suggest it may be more beneficial in the long run if you start with something simple first. The idea here is that it's easier to implement something small, and then something else, so you slowly gain momentum. Small changes add up over time, and also become habits.
So which way is best? I think it can depend on a couple things, like your personality and even your life history. Both can have a lot of influence on your potential success.
Let's start with personality. If you're a Type A kind of person that likes lots of control and micromanages things, then maybe the complete overhaul is for you. You can just dig in, and through force of will make it happen. If you're a little more relaxed, though, you might let some things slip through the cracks. In that case, you might be better off sticking with one change and focusing on that for awhile.
But history can have something to do with it, too. If you're new to dieting and working out, it's possible that you can use a big reset in your life, and a jumpstart to get the ball rolling. But if you've tried lots of diets and exercise programs, maybe you need to focus on one or two small changes. For example, going for a 20 minute walk, and trying to cut out the pop. After you learn you can sustain it, then you can add something else.
Personally, I lean toward the Type A, lots-of-control way of doing things, but that's just me. Usually, I just need to get a project started, and the rest kind of falls into place. But sometimes, it's just too big to do in the short term. Then I have to take bite-size chunks out of it. Drives me crazy, but I'll do it. So you can see that sometimes you might use a mixture of BOTH approaches.
In the end, how you get there probably doesn't matter, as long as it's moral. There are lots of ways to eat better, and lots of ways to workout. Many different plans will get you there, if you just stick it out. So what really matters is: "Did you get the results you wanted?" If so, then great! If not, then reevaluate, recommit, and renew your efforts.
Here are some people who had a good result this week. Cheryl Funkhouser was this week's Biggest Loser, with a loss of 3.8 lbs and 2.3% of her body weight. Brooke Bishop placed second, losing 4.7 lbs and 2.2%. Haley Johnson finished third, losing 4.2 lbs and 1.7%.
Just like everything else, it depends who you talk to. Some experts recommend just doing a big reset, and starting over, so hopefully several things stick. The idea is that you may backslide in some areas, but you'll have some other positive changes still working for you.
Other experts suggest it may be more beneficial in the long run if you start with something simple first. The idea here is that it's easier to implement something small, and then something else, so you slowly gain momentum. Small changes add up over time, and also become habits.
So which way is best? I think it can depend on a couple things, like your personality and even your life history. Both can have a lot of influence on your potential success.
Let's start with personality. If you're a Type A kind of person that likes lots of control and micromanages things, then maybe the complete overhaul is for you. You can just dig in, and through force of will make it happen. If you're a little more relaxed, though, you might let some things slip through the cracks. In that case, you might be better off sticking with one change and focusing on that for awhile.
But history can have something to do with it, too. If you're new to dieting and working out, it's possible that you can use a big reset in your life, and a jumpstart to get the ball rolling. But if you've tried lots of diets and exercise programs, maybe you need to focus on one or two small changes. For example, going for a 20 minute walk, and trying to cut out the pop. After you learn you can sustain it, then you can add something else.
Personally, I lean toward the Type A, lots-of-control way of doing things, but that's just me. Usually, I just need to get a project started, and the rest kind of falls into place. But sometimes, it's just too big to do in the short term. Then I have to take bite-size chunks out of it. Drives me crazy, but I'll do it. So you can see that sometimes you might use a mixture of BOTH approaches.
In the end, how you get there probably doesn't matter, as long as it's moral. There are lots of ways to eat better, and lots of ways to workout. Many different plans will get you there, if you just stick it out. So what really matters is: "Did you get the results you wanted?" If so, then great! If not, then reevaluate, recommit, and renew your efforts.
Here are some people who had a good result this week. Cheryl Funkhouser was this week's Biggest Loser, with a loss of 3.8 lbs and 2.3% of her body weight. Brooke Bishop placed second, losing 4.7 lbs and 2.2%. Haley Johnson finished third, losing 4.2 lbs and 1.7%.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
WHEN "I WANT-TO" BECOMES "I HAVE-TO"
Why can some people stay in shape while others struggle with their weight? And why can some do it for awhile, but only awhile?
I've spent years watching people come and go. I've also spent years watching the same people keep coming back for more.
Some people just "have to do it." They love the process. They love working out and getting sweaty. They come to love the challenge.
These people are pretty well connected with their bodies. They're constantly monitoring the situation. If they see things going South, they quickly make adjustments and fix the problem.
No surprise, it's the ones that can't seem to commit to a daily routine that struggle the most. They try this new program, that new diet, and the latest hot new DVD series.
But tight schedules make it tough. Pain makes it worse, and of course, life intrudes. They're in for awhile, and then they're out. But every now and then, someone breaks out and finds their way.
They make the changes, and then make them stick. They keep a routine until it becomes... routine. They're more encouraged by their successes, than discouraged by their failures.
They've finally joined the ranks of the "have-to's." It's become important to them. Maybe even critical. They now "have to" do it.
Life still has lots of mysteries to me, but I'm pretty sure of three things: God is not dead, Jesus still saves, and when your "I want-to" becomes "I have-to", that's when you'll find your breakthrough.
The participants in Biggest Loser "20" are experiencing their own breakthrough, with a month under their belt. First place went to Lori Hollingsworth, who lost 5.4 lbs and 3.0% of her body weight. Brian Bradley and Heather Watson tied for second, both losing 1.6% and 4.0 lbs and 2.8 lbs respectively. Cheryl Funkhouser placed fourth, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.3%.
I've spent years watching people come and go. I've also spent years watching the same people keep coming back for more.
Some people just "have to do it." They love the process. They love working out and getting sweaty. They come to love the challenge.
These people are pretty well connected with their bodies. They're constantly monitoring the situation. If they see things going South, they quickly make adjustments and fix the problem.
No surprise, it's the ones that can't seem to commit to a daily routine that struggle the most. They try this new program, that new diet, and the latest hot new DVD series.
But tight schedules make it tough. Pain makes it worse, and of course, life intrudes. They're in for awhile, and then they're out. But every now and then, someone breaks out and finds their way.
They make the changes, and then make them stick. They keep a routine until it becomes... routine. They're more encouraged by their successes, than discouraged by their failures.
They've finally joined the ranks of the "have-to's." It's become important to them. Maybe even critical. They now "have to" do it.
Life still has lots of mysteries to me, but I'm pretty sure of three things: God is not dead, Jesus still saves, and when your "I want-to" becomes "I have-to", that's when you'll find your breakthrough.
The participants in Biggest Loser "20" are experiencing their own breakthrough, with a month under their belt. First place went to Lori Hollingsworth, who lost 5.4 lbs and 3.0% of her body weight. Brian Bradley and Heather Watson tied for second, both losing 1.6% and 4.0 lbs and 2.8 lbs respectively. Cheryl Funkhouser placed fourth, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.3%.
Thursday, May 08, 2014
INSPIRATION CAN BE FOUND ALL AROUND US
It's easy to get tunnel vision sometimes, especially when we get busy. But if we'll take a moment to pay attention, inspiration can often be found all around us. Here are a few things I've found noteworthy in the last couple of weeks. They're in no particular order; they just happened to catch my eye, and impressed me.
Last Saturday, a friend of mine named Roy won his first MMA fight in the 1st round by a technical knockout. This means the referee stopped the fight because the other guy wasn't intelligently defending himself anymore.
That's probably because Roy had taken him down and was hammering on him pretty good. I think what impressed me the most, was that a couple days earlier, Roy told me how he saw the fight going. It went exactly that way. Now that's working your plan!
I've now seen three different kids do a cartwheel-back handspring-back tuck combo, which is an amazing thing to behold. Perhaps the most impressive one, was the FaceBook video I saw of Karrington up in Chrisman on the gym floor, without mats! I know it's taken a ton of work for these kids to get that tumbling run down. Awesome!
A couple days ago, I was watching a friend roll our lawn. He owns this special machine that looks like those machines they use when they pave the highway. He sits up on it, and it's five times heavier than the biggest roller I could pull behind my mower!
After years of mole holes that were more like gopher holes, Marc had it looking like a golf course. He said he takes pride in keeping the lines straight, and doing a good job for people. Nice!
Ten years ago, Tim fell victim to a disease that attacks the myelin sheath around the nerves in his spine, making it hard for him to use his lower limbs. Recently, he had a long hospital stay in the hospital, sedated and on a respirator with double pneumonia and sepsis, a serious bacterial infection in the blood!
They gave him a 20% chance to live, and said if he hadn't been as strong as he was, he wouldn't have made it. Now he's back in the gym, trying to get back to where he was. A few days ago he said, "I have to do it, I've got to do it. It's more important to me than most people." I think he may be right.
Something else that always impresses, is our short list of Biggest Losers this week. Brian Bradley was first, losing 5.4 lbs and 2.1% of his body weight. Jan Poynter placed second, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.0%. Bailey Bradley finished third, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.6%. Kit Kirby and Christy Henry tied for fourth place, losing 3.6 and 3.2 lbs respectively, and 1.5%.
Last Saturday, a friend of mine named Roy won his first MMA fight in the 1st round by a technical knockout. This means the referee stopped the fight because the other guy wasn't intelligently defending himself anymore.
That's probably because Roy had taken him down and was hammering on him pretty good. I think what impressed me the most, was that a couple days earlier, Roy told me how he saw the fight going. It went exactly that way. Now that's working your plan!
I've now seen three different kids do a cartwheel-back handspring-back tuck combo, which is an amazing thing to behold. Perhaps the most impressive one, was the FaceBook video I saw of Karrington up in Chrisman on the gym floor, without mats! I know it's taken a ton of work for these kids to get that tumbling run down. Awesome!
A couple days ago, I was watching a friend roll our lawn. He owns this special machine that looks like those machines they use when they pave the highway. He sits up on it, and it's five times heavier than the biggest roller I could pull behind my mower!
After years of mole holes that were more like gopher holes, Marc had it looking like a golf course. He said he takes pride in keeping the lines straight, and doing a good job for people. Nice!
Ten years ago, Tim fell victim to a disease that attacks the myelin sheath around the nerves in his spine, making it hard for him to use his lower limbs. Recently, he had a long hospital stay in the hospital, sedated and on a respirator with double pneumonia and sepsis, a serious bacterial infection in the blood!
They gave him a 20% chance to live, and said if he hadn't been as strong as he was, he wouldn't have made it. Now he's back in the gym, trying to get back to where he was. A few days ago he said, "I have to do it, I've got to do it. It's more important to me than most people." I think he may be right.
Something else that always impresses, is our short list of Biggest Losers this week. Brian Bradley was first, losing 5.4 lbs and 2.1% of his body weight. Jan Poynter placed second, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.0%. Bailey Bradley finished third, losing 2.2 lbs and 1.6%. Kit Kirby and Christy Henry tied for fourth place, losing 3.6 and 3.2 lbs respectively, and 1.5%.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
WINNING
I love winning. Everybody does. But you can't always be the winner. Still, you can often learn from the experience.
Back when I was younger, I traveled quite a bit to sparring competitions. While I had my share of first place victories, more often than not, I took second.
Some of those losses were due to mistakes, and even chance. But sometimes, they just had my number. I have to say, even I was impressed with some of the ways they beat me.
One year, I made it to the finals at Disney World in Orlando, FL. It was only the second time in 15 years that I ever made it to the finals at a national event.
This time, we were about even when WHAM, out of nowhere a spinning heel kick blasted through my guard. It knocked my right hand down, broke my nose, and cracked my cheekbone in two places. Now that was a nice kick!
At that point I couldn't really stand up, so I just sat down right there in the ring. Obviously, I couldn't continue, but I didn't want to say I quit. So when the referee asked me, I simply said, "I resign." Smooth answer.
A few years later, after I'd taken some first responder training, I realized I'd probably experienced my body going into shock. Significant injuries can do that sometimes.
A good friend drove our rental car to the hospital where they said "Yep, it's broken!" They gave me antibiotics for the ensuing infection, from a plane ride home with an open sinus cavity. They also referred me to a specialist to see if surgery would be required. Yikes.
Fortunately, my nose wasn't bent quite enough to require re-breaking. And the specialist said the two cracks in my cheekbone would heal on their own. While one side of my face was pretty numb for a couple of years, it really could have been worse.
For years, friends would kid me about getting a "Reuben sandwich." That was the guy's name, and we even became friends later, although we never competed together again.
The next year, they made face protection mandatory at all national events. Later, they extended it to regional tournaments, and finally to all sparring at the local levels too.
I was told my face actually "helped launch a thousand face shields." All these years later, it's probably tens of thousands of kids' parents who don't have dental surgery to worry about. Now that's a win for everyone!
This week's Biggest Losers were Christy Henry, who lost another 6.8 lbs and 3.1% of her body weight. Brian Bradley placed second, losing 6.2 lbs and 2.4%. Matt Murphy was third, losing 5.0 lbs and 1.5%, and Pam Kelly finished fourth, losing 3.4 lbs and 1.4%. Of course, I think they all were winners!
Back when I was younger, I traveled quite a bit to sparring competitions. While I had my share of first place victories, more often than not, I took second.
Some of those losses were due to mistakes, and even chance. But sometimes, they just had my number. I have to say, even I was impressed with some of the ways they beat me.
One year, I made it to the finals at Disney World in Orlando, FL. It was only the second time in 15 years that I ever made it to the finals at a national event.
This time, we were about even when WHAM, out of nowhere a spinning heel kick blasted through my guard. It knocked my right hand down, broke my nose, and cracked my cheekbone in two places. Now that was a nice kick!
At that point I couldn't really stand up, so I just sat down right there in the ring. Obviously, I couldn't continue, but I didn't want to say I quit. So when the referee asked me, I simply said, "I resign." Smooth answer.
A few years later, after I'd taken some first responder training, I realized I'd probably experienced my body going into shock. Significant injuries can do that sometimes.
A good friend drove our rental car to the hospital where they said "Yep, it's broken!" They gave me antibiotics for the ensuing infection, from a plane ride home with an open sinus cavity. They also referred me to a specialist to see if surgery would be required. Yikes.
Fortunately, my nose wasn't bent quite enough to require re-breaking. And the specialist said the two cracks in my cheekbone would heal on their own. While one side of my face was pretty numb for a couple of years, it really could have been worse.
For years, friends would kid me about getting a "Reuben sandwich." That was the guy's name, and we even became friends later, although we never competed together again.
The next year, they made face protection mandatory at all national events. Later, they extended it to regional tournaments, and finally to all sparring at the local levels too.
I was told my face actually "helped launch a thousand face shields." All these years later, it's probably tens of thousands of kids' parents who don't have dental surgery to worry about. Now that's a win for everyone!
This week's Biggest Losers were Christy Henry, who lost another 6.8 lbs and 3.1% of her body weight. Brian Bradley placed second, losing 6.2 lbs and 2.4%. Matt Murphy was third, losing 5.0 lbs and 1.5%, and Pam Kelly finished fourth, losing 3.4 lbs and 1.4%. Of course, I think they all were winners!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
I had a neat conversation with someone the other day. It was their first day back in the gym after spending the winter in Florida.
First of all, how cool is that? Not just Florida, but Florida during the blizzards! He said they were just lucky. I think he makes his own luck.
We were talking about older people and how to get them into the gym. He said he was working out because he doesn't want to be back in a wheelchair.
Twelve years ago, a serious medical issue knocked him down, but apparently not out. It was tough going for awhile, though, and he said he can still feel it a bit on the one side of his body.
During his rehab, he stayed focused on a particular goal. He wanted to walk over a large skyway bridge down there, that was big enough for ships to pass under. It took lots of work, but he finally made it, both there and back!
He went on to tell me he's pretty sure he'd be back in a wheelchair if he didn't work out. So he and his wife come in regularly when they're home in Paris. When they're down South, they frequent a gym there.
It seems to be working. He's a great example for people of all ages. Twelve years ago, he was determined to make it back. Now 80 years young, he's still back!
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Terra Ogle, who lost an amazing 14.0 lbs and 7.0% of her body weight. Christy Henry placed second, losing 10.2 lbs and 4.4%. Bailey Bradley was third, losing 4.0 lbs and 2.8%, and her dad, Brian finished fourth, losing 6.0 lbs and 2.3%.
First of all, how cool is that? Not just Florida, but Florida during the blizzards! He said they were just lucky. I think he makes his own luck.
We were talking about older people and how to get them into the gym. He said he was working out because he doesn't want to be back in a wheelchair.
Twelve years ago, a serious medical issue knocked him down, but apparently not out. It was tough going for awhile, though, and he said he can still feel it a bit on the one side of his body.
During his rehab, he stayed focused on a particular goal. He wanted to walk over a large skyway bridge down there, that was big enough for ships to pass under. It took lots of work, but he finally made it, both there and back!
He went on to tell me he's pretty sure he'd be back in a wheelchair if he didn't work out. So he and his wife come in regularly when they're home in Paris. When they're down South, they frequent a gym there.
It seems to be working. He's a great example for people of all ages. Twelve years ago, he was determined to make it back. Now 80 years young, he's still back!
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Terra Ogle, who lost an amazing 14.0 lbs and 7.0% of her body weight. Christy Henry placed second, losing 10.2 lbs and 4.4%. Bailey Bradley was third, losing 4.0 lbs and 2.8%, and her dad, Brian finished fourth, losing 6.0 lbs and 2.3%.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
GETTING IT DONE
Getting it Done:
Biggest Loser "19" finished last week with some nice results. Several lost over 25 lbs and two lost more than 30 lbs during the twelve weeks. But the completion rate has always been 50% at best. Sometimes it's as low as a third of the group.
This has held true for 10 years, regardless of the season, the day we've done it (Mon, Fri, Sat), or even the time of day. It's held true with winners ranging from 25 to 60 years of age. It's even held true whether we eased into things, or hit the ground running.
For whatever reason, about half the group never finishes. As you might imagine, this bugs me. I've even thought it could be me, but enough people have loved the program, that I figure I'm not the reason either. So I decided to ask what kept them going, even when they got busy, injured, discouraged or just plain didn't feel like it. Here's what the top ten had to say (in no particular order):
1. "I wasn't about to start something I couldn't finish."
2. "Something about having to check in each week just made us accountable."
3. "Having someone tell me what to do helped a lot."
4. "Once I started seeing results, I got excited."
5. "I saw other results besides just the numbers on the scale: my clothing changed and I could do a lot more."
6. "I got with workout partners, took some nutritional supplements, and used a fitness app on my phone."
7. "I just watched what I ate and worked out."
8. "Family support kept me in."
9. "We all celebrated victory together in the group."
10. "I was just determined not to quit."
On Monday night, I told the new group in Biggest Loser "20" that for whatever reason, only half usually finishes. Then I asked them, "Which half are you going to be in?" Almost everyone said they're going to finish. Guess we'll see in 12 weeks.
Biggest Loser "19" finished last week with some nice results. Several lost over 25 lbs and two lost more than 30 lbs during the twelve weeks. But the completion rate has always been 50% at best. Sometimes it's as low as a third of the group.
This has held true for 10 years, regardless of the season, the day we've done it (Mon, Fri, Sat), or even the time of day. It's held true with winners ranging from 25 to 60 years of age. It's even held true whether we eased into things, or hit the ground running.
For whatever reason, about half the group never finishes. As you might imagine, this bugs me. I've even thought it could be me, but enough people have loved the program, that I figure I'm not the reason either. So I decided to ask what kept them going, even when they got busy, injured, discouraged or just plain didn't feel like it. Here's what the top ten had to say (in no particular order):
1. "I wasn't about to start something I couldn't finish."
2. "Something about having to check in each week just made us accountable."
3. "Having someone tell me what to do helped a lot."
4. "Once I started seeing results, I got excited."
5. "I saw other results besides just the numbers on the scale: my clothing changed and I could do a lot more."
6. "I got with workout partners, took some nutritional supplements, and used a fitness app on my phone."
7. "I just watched what I ate and worked out."
8. "Family support kept me in."
9. "We all celebrated victory together in the group."
10. "I was just determined not to quit."
On Monday night, I told the new group in Biggest Loser "20" that for whatever reason, only half usually finishes. Then I asked them, "Which half are you going to be in?" Almost everyone said they're going to finish. Guess we'll see in 12 weeks.
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" -- WEEK ELEVEN
After eleven weeks, we finally had both warm weather and enough daylight showing, so we took the workout outside. As always, the Park-to-Park workout was pretty challenging, especially for those new to running.
It started with a run from the gym to the park on Wood St. where they did 15-25 reps each of push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups. Then they ran North on High St. over to Sunrise Park.
This time they did the push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups, but also added 15-25 reps of pull-ups on the jungle gym. Then for extra fun, they climbed across the jungle gym too, just like the kids do!
Then they ran over to the football field where they hit it all again with a few special twists. First, they did a set of push-ups, and then they did walking lunges all the way across the field. That got their attention, and their legs burning too. Once there, they did some more push-ups, a sprint back across the field, and another set of sit-ups.
Finally, they got to run up across the overhead bridge across the railroad tracks, and then back to the gym. But that wasn't the end. First they had to do a final set of push-ups, body squats, pull-ups, and sit-ups.
For those who had only run inside on treadmills, it was kind of eye-opening. It's a little harder running outside in the wind, and also with hills. It's also more fun, especially when you throw some other stuff in there.
This workout was sort of an introduction to outdoor events like Warrior Dash (5K) and the longer Tough Mudder (10-12 mi). With spring arriving, we're going to do much more work outside in the next Biggest Loser!
This week's winner was Brooke Bishop, who lost 3.0 lbs and 1.4% of her body weight. Sarah Mitchell was second, losing 1.8 lbs and 1.3%, and Rhonda Arthur placed third, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.1%.
Biggest Loser "20" starts on Monday, April 14th. Sign up now!
It started with a run from the gym to the park on Wood St. where they did 15-25 reps each of push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups. Then they ran North on High St. over to Sunrise Park.
This time they did the push-ups, body squats, and sit-ups, but also added 15-25 reps of pull-ups on the jungle gym. Then for extra fun, they climbed across the jungle gym too, just like the kids do!
Then they ran over to the football field where they hit it all again with a few special twists. First, they did a set of push-ups, and then they did walking lunges all the way across the field. That got their attention, and their legs burning too. Once there, they did some more push-ups, a sprint back across the field, and another set of sit-ups.
Finally, they got to run up across the overhead bridge across the railroad tracks, and then back to the gym. But that wasn't the end. First they had to do a final set of push-ups, body squats, pull-ups, and sit-ups.
For those who had only run inside on treadmills, it was kind of eye-opening. It's a little harder running outside in the wind, and also with hills. It's also more fun, especially when you throw some other stuff in there.
This workout was sort of an introduction to outdoor events like Warrior Dash (5K) and the longer Tough Mudder (10-12 mi). With spring arriving, we're going to do much more work outside in the next Biggest Loser!
This week's winner was Brooke Bishop, who lost 3.0 lbs and 1.4% of her body weight. Sarah Mitchell was second, losing 1.8 lbs and 1.3%, and Rhonda Arthur placed third, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.1%.
Biggest Loser "20" starts on Monday, April 14th. Sign up now!
Saturday, March 01, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" -- WEEK SIX (KICKBOXING)
We reached the halfway point in the twelve week program, putting Week Six of Biggest Loser “19” in the books. The turnout was really excellent this week, possibly because it was kickboxing week.
Everyone always loves the kickboxing class because it’s such a great workout (it’s common to burn 500-600 calories). There’s also a lot of hitting things, which is great for stress. While one or two of the participants have often done some kickboxing, the majority of the people haven’t, so we always start from scratch.
First we do what I call the Duck-Duck drill. This is where the people gently swipe at each other twice (L & R) while the other just ducks the punches, and then they switch, back-and-forth. It’s a good drill that helps them learn how to react to a partner.
Then we cover the basics: Jab, Cross, Cover, Cover. Typically, I’ll have them work on the techniques just in the air, all facing the same direction. Once they start getting comfortable, the next step is always to add movement: Skip-step in, Jab, Cross, Cover, Cover, Skip-step back out.
To add some zing, I’ll have them change directions quickly between combinations, and also break things up with partner sit-up and push-up drills, and the dreaded command: “Sprawl!” Whenever they hear this, they’re supposed to drop down into a pushup position, and then pop right back up. It’s really designed to keep somebody from taking you down, and it’s a killer!
Finally, we throw in some knee strikes, front kicks, and round kicks, and the prep work is done. Then we do it all again, but with partners holding two square targets. This lets them learn to focus their techniques, and also have some fun hitting things. We’ll do 30 seconds of a drill, and then hand the targets over to their partner, switching back and forth before changing drills.
At the end of the class, I always do one minute rounds where the partner feeds them different looks with the targets, and they have to react with the proper moves. It’s always challenging, and it adds some realism and intensity to the drills.
Later, participants can get 12-16 oz boxing gloves, and do all the techniques on a heavy bag too. They’ll typically do 3-5 minute rounds on the bag, with lots of movement in-and-out, and around the targets. Personally, one of my favorite workouts is to do 10 five minute rounds on the heavy bag, with a quick drink and towel break in between each round!
Our Week Six Biggest Loser was Michelle Clark, who lost 4.6 lbs and 2.8% of her body weight. Cheryl Redman placed second, losing 1.3% and 2.8 lbs, and Brooke Bishop finished third, losing 1.1% and 2.6 lbs.
Everyone always loves the kickboxing class because it’s such a great workout (it’s common to burn 500-600 calories). There’s also a lot of hitting things, which is great for stress. While one or two of the participants have often done some kickboxing, the majority of the people haven’t, so we always start from scratch.
First we do what I call the Duck-Duck drill. This is where the people gently swipe at each other twice (L & R) while the other just ducks the punches, and then they switch, back-and-forth. It’s a good drill that helps them learn how to react to a partner.
Then we cover the basics: Jab, Cross, Cover, Cover. Typically, I’ll have them work on the techniques just in the air, all facing the same direction. Once they start getting comfortable, the next step is always to add movement: Skip-step in, Jab, Cross, Cover, Cover, Skip-step back out.
To add some zing, I’ll have them change directions quickly between combinations, and also break things up with partner sit-up and push-up drills, and the dreaded command: “Sprawl!” Whenever they hear this, they’re supposed to drop down into a pushup position, and then pop right back up. It’s really designed to keep somebody from taking you down, and it’s a killer!
Finally, we throw in some knee strikes, front kicks, and round kicks, and the prep work is done. Then we do it all again, but with partners holding two square targets. This lets them learn to focus their techniques, and also have some fun hitting things. We’ll do 30 seconds of a drill, and then hand the targets over to their partner, switching back and forth before changing drills.
At the end of the class, I always do one minute rounds where the partner feeds them different looks with the targets, and they have to react with the proper moves. It’s always challenging, and it adds some realism and intensity to the drills.
Later, participants can get 12-16 oz boxing gloves, and do all the techniques on a heavy bag too. They’ll typically do 3-5 minute rounds on the bag, with lots of movement in-and-out, and around the targets. Personally, one of my favorite workouts is to do 10 five minute rounds on the heavy bag, with a quick drink and towel break in between each round!
Our Week Six Biggest Loser was Michelle Clark, who lost 4.6 lbs and 2.8% of her body weight. Cheryl Redman placed second, losing 1.3% and 2.8 lbs, and Brooke Bishop finished third, losing 1.1% and 2.6 lbs.
Monday, February 24, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" (WEEK FIVE) -- INTERVAL TRAINING
Interval training is one of the most effective ways to get in shape, stay in shape, and for our Biggest Losers, weight loss. Interval training workouts are also usually pretty quick, which is good if you’re running short on time.
The first type of interval training used five stations in a circuit: KettleBell swings, Box Jumps, Dumbbell Curls, Ball Smacks, and Assorted Ab exercises for 45 seconds on each, with 15 seconds rest while moving to the next one. This was done for a total of four rounds. You can always change out the exercises to make a completely different workout.
Last week they did some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in the cardio room. They each started on whatever equipment they happened to be using (treadmill, elliptical, rower, recumbent bike, Schwinn AirDyne, or stair-stepper). Here’s what it looked like:
• 2 minutes warm-up
• 1 minute “harder work”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “even harder work”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “really harder”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “as hard as you can go”, 1 minute “recovery”
(Repeat on different equipment four times)
This week they incorporated both high intensity cardio intervals together with circuit training intervals to create a monster workout. These can be the most difficult. Here’s the basic one they started with:
Run ¼ mile on treadmill
25 push-ups
25 body squats
25 sit-ups
(4x)
Note: Try to do each ¼ mile run faster than the one before.
Our Week Five Biggest Loser was Sarah Mitchell, who lost 3.2 lbs and 2.2% of her body weight. Rhonda Arthur was second, losing 3.8 lbs and 1.9%. Michelle Clark placed third, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.2%.
The first type of interval training used five stations in a circuit: KettleBell swings, Box Jumps, Dumbbell Curls, Ball Smacks, and Assorted Ab exercises for 45 seconds on each, with 15 seconds rest while moving to the next one. This was done for a total of four rounds. You can always change out the exercises to make a completely different workout.
Last week they did some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in the cardio room. They each started on whatever equipment they happened to be using (treadmill, elliptical, rower, recumbent bike, Schwinn AirDyne, or stair-stepper). Here’s what it looked like:
• 2 minutes warm-up
• 1 minute “harder work”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “even harder work”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “really harder”, 1 minute “recovery”
• 1 minute “as hard as you can go”, 1 minute “recovery”
(Repeat on different equipment four times)
This week they incorporated both high intensity cardio intervals together with circuit training intervals to create a monster workout. These can be the most difficult. Here’s the basic one they started with:
Run ¼ mile on treadmill
25 push-ups
25 body squats
25 sit-ups
(4x)
Note: Try to do each ¼ mile run faster than the one before.
Our Week Five Biggest Loser was Sarah Mitchell, who lost 3.2 lbs and 2.2% of her body weight. Rhonda Arthur was second, losing 3.8 lbs and 1.9%. Michelle Clark placed third, losing 2.0 lbs and 1.2%.
Friday, February 14, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" -- WEEKS 2, 3, 4
BODIES-IN-BALANCE: BIGGEST LOSER “19” – WEEKS 2, 3, & 4
It’s been a pretty busy time around here, what with the winter storm and other goings on, but finally, here’s the skinny on Biggest Loser “19.”
Week Two was another great week, following that amazing first week. Cheryl Redman was the winner, losing an amazing 7.0 lbs, and 3.0% of her body weight. Lori Newlin was second, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2%, and Penny Spinner placed third, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.1%.
I have to say, things went a little south in Week Three. Anytime you get taken out of your routine, something has to suffer. The weather derailed a lot of people, and in this case, it also derailed their weight loss. After an amazing first two weeks, ten of the thirty participants actually gained weight!
It’s not unusual for a few to gain, since weight loss tends to be a little erratic at times. We’ll often see someone have a great week, and then a so-so week, followed by another great week, and so on.
But something else seemed to be going on in Week Three, because it’s pretty unheard of to have a third of the group gaining. And the ones that did lose weight, didn’t lose that much, either. Only the top two put up numbers similar to those we saw in the first two weeks.
My guess is that the weather was responsible for forcing people to miss several workouts, as shown by the low turnout for the weekly Monday night workout. It might also have had an effect on their eating habits, too. Hopefully, as the snow gets cleared away, everyone will get back on track with the program.
The winner for Week Three was Sarah Mitchell, who lost 4.2 lbs and 2.9% of her body weight. Second place went to Brooke Bishop, who lost 2.4 lbs and 3.7%. Rhonda Arthur came in third, losing 2.4 lbs and 1.2%.
Week Four was a better week all around. We had more participation in the Monday night workout, this time doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I’ll tell you more about the workout another time.
It looks like people were able to get their routines established again, because only a few people had a gain for the week, and the average weight loss was much better than the week before. With a month down, it’s time for them to take a look at their original goal to see if they are on track, and make any needed adjustments.
Our Week Four winner was Beth Motley, who lost 4.0 lbs, and 2.1%. I’ve heard through the grapevine that she attributes that to moving their elliptical inside from out in the garage! Penny Spinner placed second, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.8%. Christen Reed was third, losing 2.8 lbs and 1.7%, and Terra Ogle finished in forth place, losing 3.2 lbs and 1.6%.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
It’s been a pretty busy time around here, what with the winter storm and other goings on, but finally, here’s the skinny on Biggest Loser “19.”
Week Two was another great week, following that amazing first week. Cheryl Redman was the winner, losing an amazing 7.0 lbs, and 3.0% of her body weight. Lori Newlin was second, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2%, and Penny Spinner placed third, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.1%.
I have to say, things went a little south in Week Three. Anytime you get taken out of your routine, something has to suffer. The weather derailed a lot of people, and in this case, it also derailed their weight loss. After an amazing first two weeks, ten of the thirty participants actually gained weight!
It’s not unusual for a few to gain, since weight loss tends to be a little erratic at times. We’ll often see someone have a great week, and then a so-so week, followed by another great week, and so on.
But something else seemed to be going on in Week Three, because it’s pretty unheard of to have a third of the group gaining. And the ones that did lose weight, didn’t lose that much, either. Only the top two put up numbers similar to those we saw in the first two weeks.
My guess is that the weather was responsible for forcing people to miss several workouts, as shown by the low turnout for the weekly Monday night workout. It might also have had an effect on their eating habits, too. Hopefully, as the snow gets cleared away, everyone will get back on track with the program.
The winner for Week Three was Sarah Mitchell, who lost 4.2 lbs and 2.9% of her body weight. Second place went to Brooke Bishop, who lost 2.4 lbs and 3.7%. Rhonda Arthur came in third, losing 2.4 lbs and 1.2%.
Week Four was a better week all around. We had more participation in the Monday night workout, this time doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I’ll tell you more about the workout another time.
It looks like people were able to get their routines established again, because only a few people had a gain for the week, and the average weight loss was much better than the week before. With a month down, it’s time for them to take a look at their original goal to see if they are on track, and make any needed adjustments.
Our Week Four winner was Beth Motley, who lost 4.0 lbs, and 2.1%. I’ve heard through the grapevine that she attributes that to moving their elliptical inside from out in the garage! Penny Spinner placed second, losing 3.0 lbs and 1.8%. Christen Reed was third, losing 2.8 lbs and 1.7%, and Terra Ogle finished in forth place, losing 3.2 lbs and 1.6%.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER "19" (WEEK TWO) -- "HOW THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT"
I’ve always heard that if one person is asking a question, more are thinking it, so it’s always good to encourage questions. In Biggest Losers, we’ve been talking about creating a daily calorie deficit. This is where you burn more calories than you take in, so your body will start burning fat to make up the difference.
One of our Biggest Losers picked up a new wristband called the fitbit™. It’s one of several products like it that hook up to a smart phone and help you track your calories, even while you’re sleeping. They run around $100 and can really give you an edge if you’re trying to lose weight.
After using her fitbit™ for a day, Brooke found that she’d burned over 3,000 calories. I told her this was awesome, because now she could start predicting how much weight she’d lose.
She asked me through Facebook if I could explain how the daily calorie deficit works with losing weight. By the way, social media is another great tool that has made it very easy for people to communicate about anything, including workouts and weight loss. So I got back to her on Facebook, through my iphone, while I was riding the exercise bike. Here’s what I told her.
Ok, you asked for it! Here goes.
So you have your minimum calories you need to live (BMR). That was the number on your sheet. Anything you eat over that has to cover your daily activities plus exercise.
If you get moving enough, though, you'll end up in a daily calorie deficit. This means you burned more than you took in. That energy has to come from somewhere so it comes from fat.
Say you need to take in 1,500 calories. But you burned 3,000 according to your fitbit. That means you had a calorie deficit of 1,500 calories. While the numbers don't work exactly like this, it's close enough.
Think of things in 500 calorie chunks. It takes 7 chunks to burn a pound of fat (3,500 calories). So if you have a 500 calorie deficit, it will take 7 days to burn that pound of fat (500 cal x 7 days = 3,500 cal).
In your case, the deficit was 1,500 cal (3 chunks). So you'll burn that pound of fat much quicker, in just a little more than two days.
In fact, if you can keep that rate up, you'll end up burning 3 lbs that week (1,500 cal x 7 days = 10,500 cal). Divide that weekly total by our 3,500 calorie magic number and you get 3 lbs of fat!
You may have seen that the number of 500 cal chunks burned each day corresponds to the number of pounds you'll burn each week.
1 chunk/day = 1 lb/wk
2 chunks/day = 2 lbs/wk
3 chunks/day = 3 lbs/wk
4 chunks/day = 4 lbs/wk
5 chunks/day = 5 lbs/wk
etc...
This is why I like each workout to burn at least one chunk of at least 500 cal. Sometimes, monster workouts can be twice that, burning two chunks, or 1,000 cal.
But those are hard to do, much less keep up over time. This is why the second workout is so important each day.
Now your FitBit will tell you where you are, compared to where you want to be, based on how much you want to burn each day!
Our Biggest Loser this week was Cheryl Redman, who lost an amazing 7.0 lbs, and 3.0% of her body weight. Lori Newlin was second, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2%. Penny Spinner placed third, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.1%.
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
One of our Biggest Losers picked up a new wristband called the fitbit™. It’s one of several products like it that hook up to a smart phone and help you track your calories, even while you’re sleeping. They run around $100 and can really give you an edge if you’re trying to lose weight.
After using her fitbit™ for a day, Brooke found that she’d burned over 3,000 calories. I told her this was awesome, because now she could start predicting how much weight she’d lose.
She asked me through Facebook if I could explain how the daily calorie deficit works with losing weight. By the way, social media is another great tool that has made it very easy for people to communicate about anything, including workouts and weight loss. So I got back to her on Facebook, through my iphone, while I was riding the exercise bike. Here’s what I told her.
Ok, you asked for it! Here goes.
So you have your minimum calories you need to live (BMR). That was the number on your sheet. Anything you eat over that has to cover your daily activities plus exercise.
If you get moving enough, though, you'll end up in a daily calorie deficit. This means you burned more than you took in. That energy has to come from somewhere so it comes from fat.
Say you need to take in 1,500 calories. But you burned 3,000 according to your fitbit. That means you had a calorie deficit of 1,500 calories. While the numbers don't work exactly like this, it's close enough.
Think of things in 500 calorie chunks. It takes 7 chunks to burn a pound of fat (3,500 calories). So if you have a 500 calorie deficit, it will take 7 days to burn that pound of fat (500 cal x 7 days = 3,500 cal).
In your case, the deficit was 1,500 cal (3 chunks). So you'll burn that pound of fat much quicker, in just a little more than two days.
In fact, if you can keep that rate up, you'll end up burning 3 lbs that week (1,500 cal x 7 days = 10,500 cal). Divide that weekly total by our 3,500 calorie magic number and you get 3 lbs of fat!
You may have seen that the number of 500 cal chunks burned each day corresponds to the number of pounds you'll burn each week.
1 chunk/day = 1 lb/wk
2 chunks/day = 2 lbs/wk
3 chunks/day = 3 lbs/wk
4 chunks/day = 4 lbs/wk
5 chunks/day = 5 lbs/wk
etc...
This is why I like each workout to burn at least one chunk of at least 500 cal. Sometimes, monster workouts can be twice that, burning two chunks, or 1,000 cal.
But those are hard to do, much less keep up over time. This is why the second workout is so important each day.
Now your FitBit will tell you where you are, compared to where you want to be, based on how much you want to burn each day!
Our Biggest Loser this week was Cheryl Redman, who lost an amazing 7.0 lbs, and 3.0% of her body weight. Lori Newlin was second, losing 5.2 lbs and 2.2%. Penny Spinner placed third, losing 3.6 lbs and 2.1%.
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Saturday, January 25, 2014
BIGGEST LOSER '19" -- WEEK ONE
It’s not unusual for people to pick up 5-10 lbs over the holidays. But this can happen several times over the course of a few years, until one day, you realize you’re 40 or 50 lbs overweight. Left unchecked, you can get to the point where now you’re 80 to 100 lbs in the hole.
Now your body is forced to carry all that extra load, which makes everything harder, and can lead to knee and back trouble. Your heart has to work harder too, and you become at risk for other problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart disease.
But not everyone lets it go that far. Some people catch it halfway there, and just need to lose 40 or 50 lbs. Others catch it earlier and just want to lose 15 or 20 lbs. For some, it isn’t even about the weight. They’re just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. So after a few weeks off, and a week delay due to the big winter storm, Biggest Loser “19” started a week ago.
The first step was weighing in, which isn’t a simple undertaking with 32 people. We got their weight and body fat, which tells us how much of them is fat, and how much is lean muscle and bone. We also got their water percentage, which tells us if they’re drinking enough water.
We also recorded their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which tells us the minimum calories they need each day, and also their visceral (belly) fat, which helps define their risk for heart disease and other problems. They also got a homework assignment to take body measurements and pictures so they can track inches lost and other changes over the 12 weeks.
The group took a battery of physical tests, including a minute each of pushups, sit-ups, body squats, burpees, and mountain climbers. Even though it was only five total minutes of exercise, many thought it felt like a “workout” and were pretty sore over the next couple of days. They’ll be amazed at how much easier it is when we throw that test at them again in 12 weeks.
They also had some other tests to do on their own, including a 1 mile walk/run for time, and a minute on the battle rope, a minute of kettle bell swings, and a minute of medicine ball smack downs. There were just too many people to do these all at the same time.
For the first week, the goal was to get moving, twice a day if possible. They did some cardio like walking or riding the bike. Then later in the day, they went to the gym for a more vigorous workout with both the cardio and weight machines.
In times past, I’d tell everyone what to do all week, and then hope for the best. Now, with most everyone on Facebook, I can give them workouts everyday, along with other things that are good to know.
The other main goal was for them to learn how much they were eating, by starting a daily calorie log. Right now, it’s important for them to track their calories so they know if they’re eating too much or too little.
Surprisingly, 9 out of 10 women don’t eat enough (though they usually think they do). Not surprisingly, 9 out of 10 men are overeaters. Tracking it with a daily calorie log on their phone or computer (or even old fashioned paper) will show us the truth, and help them see where they are.
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Shawn Bowers who lost an astounding 12.1 lbs and 3.6 percent of his body weight. Second place went to Rhonda Arthur, who lost 6.8 lbs and 3.2%. Brooke Bishop was third, losing 7.6 lbs and 3.1%, and Sarah Mitchell placed fourth with 4.2 lbs and 2.8%. Chris Redmon finished in fifth, losing an amazing 8.8 lbs and 2.6%.
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Now your body is forced to carry all that extra load, which makes everything harder, and can lead to knee and back trouble. Your heart has to work harder too, and you become at risk for other problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart disease.
But not everyone lets it go that far. Some people catch it halfway there, and just need to lose 40 or 50 lbs. Others catch it earlier and just want to lose 15 or 20 lbs. For some, it isn’t even about the weight. They’re just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. So after a few weeks off, and a week delay due to the big winter storm, Biggest Loser “19” started a week ago.
The first step was weighing in, which isn’t a simple undertaking with 32 people. We got their weight and body fat, which tells us how much of them is fat, and how much is lean muscle and bone. We also got their water percentage, which tells us if they’re drinking enough water.
We also recorded their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which tells us the minimum calories they need each day, and also their visceral (belly) fat, which helps define their risk for heart disease and other problems. They also got a homework assignment to take body measurements and pictures so they can track inches lost and other changes over the 12 weeks.
The group took a battery of physical tests, including a minute each of pushups, sit-ups, body squats, burpees, and mountain climbers. Even though it was only five total minutes of exercise, many thought it felt like a “workout” and were pretty sore over the next couple of days. They’ll be amazed at how much easier it is when we throw that test at them again in 12 weeks.
They also had some other tests to do on their own, including a 1 mile walk/run for time, and a minute on the battle rope, a minute of kettle bell swings, and a minute of medicine ball smack downs. There were just too many people to do these all at the same time.
For the first week, the goal was to get moving, twice a day if possible. They did some cardio like walking or riding the bike. Then later in the day, they went to the gym for a more vigorous workout with both the cardio and weight machines.
In times past, I’d tell everyone what to do all week, and then hope for the best. Now, with most everyone on Facebook, I can give them workouts everyday, along with other things that are good to know.
The other main goal was for them to learn how much they were eating, by starting a daily calorie log. Right now, it’s important for them to track their calories so they know if they’re eating too much or too little.
Surprisingly, 9 out of 10 women don’t eat enough (though they usually think they do). Not surprisingly, 9 out of 10 men are overeaters. Tracking it with a daily calorie log on their phone or computer (or even old fashioned paper) will show us the truth, and help them see where they are.
Our Week One Biggest Loser was Shawn Bowers who lost an astounding 12.1 lbs and 3.6 percent of his body weight. Second place went to Rhonda Arthur, who lost 6.8 lbs and 3.2%. Brooke Bishop was third, losing 7.6 lbs and 3.1%, and Sarah Mitchell placed fourth with 4.2 lbs and 2.8%. Chris Redmon finished in fifth, losing an amazing 8.8 lbs and 2.6%.
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
THE WINTER STORM
It was quite a storm. Especially for us, here in Edgar County. You know it’s rare when you start hearing comparisons to the “Blizzard of 78.”
To me, it starts getting “cold” in the 30’s. Single digits make me start thinking fondly about just freezing temperatures. But when you get below zero, with these crazy wind chills, now we’re talking some serious weather.
How do people deal with this kind of stuff day in and day out, year after year? Imagine living in North Dakota or somewhere else up there? I guess they learn to deal with it, or move.
They dress warm, and live and work smart. They understand how to keep their vehicles running and keep them moving too. They have to, because their lives depend on it. But every now and then, we get a little glimpse into their world.
I took a trip to the store today, to get a few things we missed when we stocked up before the storm. The shelves looked pretty empty. Imagine if the storm had gone on longer. It makes me think we need to stock a little more food in our pantry, just in case.
Remember those folks in the North East last year? Some of them were without power for days. Think of it. No power. No heat. No work. No food. No gas. We were pretty lucky.
Big props to our Edgar County Highway Department, especially their updates. They were the best source of information through the worst of it.
I also admire all the ECHD, IDOT, Ameren, and Enerstar crews, local police, fire, deputies, and other emergency services personnel who got the job done in pretty tough conditions. You know it’s bad, when even they can’t get through!
Perhaps the most impressive to me, though, were the volunteers who didn’t have any affiliation, but did happen to have a truck, a plow, or a snowmobile, and the willingness to use it. There were lots of stories on Facebook that make me proud to be part of this community!
So because of the storm, we had to delay the start of Biggest Loser “19” a week, but finally got underway last week. It's tough sometimes. Things don’t always come easily. But you can get through it. Just like a winter storm.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
To me, it starts getting “cold” in the 30’s. Single digits make me start thinking fondly about just freezing temperatures. But when you get below zero, with these crazy wind chills, now we’re talking some serious weather.
How do people deal with this kind of stuff day in and day out, year after year? Imagine living in North Dakota or somewhere else up there? I guess they learn to deal with it, or move.
They dress warm, and live and work smart. They understand how to keep their vehicles running and keep them moving too. They have to, because their lives depend on it. But every now and then, we get a little glimpse into their world.
I took a trip to the store today, to get a few things we missed when we stocked up before the storm. The shelves looked pretty empty. Imagine if the storm had gone on longer. It makes me think we need to stock a little more food in our pantry, just in case.
Remember those folks in the North East last year? Some of them were without power for days. Think of it. No power. No heat. No work. No food. No gas. We were pretty lucky.
Big props to our Edgar County Highway Department, especially their updates. They were the best source of information through the worst of it.
I also admire all the ECHD, IDOT, Ameren, and Enerstar crews, local police, fire, deputies, and other emergency services personnel who got the job done in pretty tough conditions. You know it’s bad, when even they can’t get through!
Perhaps the most impressive to me, though, were the volunteers who didn’t have any affiliation, but did happen to have a truck, a plow, or a snowmobile, and the willingness to use it. There were lots of stories on Facebook that make me proud to be part of this community!
So because of the storm, we had to delay the start of Biggest Loser “19” a week, but finally got underway last week. It's tough sometimes. Things don’t always come easily. But you can get through it. Just like a winter storm.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Saturday, January 04, 2014
REAL AND LASTING CHANGE!
At first glance, that almost seems like an oxymoron: words that seem to suggest just the opposite. The words change and lasting don’t seem to go together very well, do they? But look at it this way. If you make an important change, you want it to last, right?
All too often, this is exactly what happens. You’ve probably heard of the yo-yo syndrome. This is where someone loses weight, then puts it back on, loses it again, gains it back, and so on. The problem is we like being lazier and eating whatever we want, more than we want to be thin.
How many of us have worked hard to eliminate our debt, maybe even followed Dave Ramsey’s debt reduction program, only to start using credit cards again when things tightened up. The problem was that we wanted stuff more than we wanted to stay debt free.
In the end, it always comes down to the choices we make. You’re going to do what matters most to you. Good or bad.
Last week we looked at 10 tips to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions. But first you actually have to be resolute about something. That means you have to really want it.
If you don’t want it more than you want what you’re already doing, you’ll keep doing what you’re doing. But if you want it more than what you’re doing, then, and only then, will you start making changes. But you have to do something else first.
You’ve got to change your state of mind before you can change your state of being. You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you think you can, you’re right. If you think you can’t, you’re also right.” Either way, what you think, is what you’ll get.
You’ve got to believe that doing something new will be good for you, good for the people you care about, and good for your situation. So to be really effective, you’ve got to really believe it. You’ve got to have buy-in.
Once you make up your mind, then, get to work. Soon, you’ll start seeing changes. Stay with it long enough and you’ll see more changes. But if you quit, or just do half measures, or a half-hearted effort, the changes will only be temporary. Stay with it, though, and the sky’s the limit.
What changes do you want to make this year? Write it down. Tell your friends. Get started, and don’t quit. That’s how you get real and lasting change! To help you with the changes, Biggest Loser “19” starts this Monday at 6:00 pm. Let us know if you want to participate!
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
All too often, this is exactly what happens. You’ve probably heard of the yo-yo syndrome. This is where someone loses weight, then puts it back on, loses it again, gains it back, and so on. The problem is we like being lazier and eating whatever we want, more than we want to be thin.
How many of us have worked hard to eliminate our debt, maybe even followed Dave Ramsey’s debt reduction program, only to start using credit cards again when things tightened up. The problem was that we wanted stuff more than we wanted to stay debt free.
In the end, it always comes down to the choices we make. You’re going to do what matters most to you. Good or bad.
Last week we looked at 10 tips to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions. But first you actually have to be resolute about something. That means you have to really want it.
If you don’t want it more than you want what you’re already doing, you’ll keep doing what you’re doing. But if you want it more than what you’re doing, then, and only then, will you start making changes. But you have to do something else first.
You’ve got to change your state of mind before you can change your state of being. You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you think you can, you’re right. If you think you can’t, you’re also right.” Either way, what you think, is what you’ll get.
You’ve got to believe that doing something new will be good for you, good for the people you care about, and good for your situation. So to be really effective, you’ve got to really believe it. You’ve got to have buy-in.
Once you make up your mind, then, get to work. Soon, you’ll start seeing changes. Stay with it long enough and you’ll see more changes. But if you quit, or just do half measures, or a half-hearted effort, the changes will only be temporary. Stay with it, though, and the sky’s the limit.
What changes do you want to make this year? Write it down. Tell your friends. Get started, and don’t quit. That’s how you get real and lasting change! To help you with the changes, Biggest Loser “19” starts this Monday at 6:00 pm. Let us know if you want to participate!
For more information, you can reach me via email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
TEN TIPS TO HELP YOU KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS!
The older I get, the faster each year seems to go. Remember when we were younger, and things seemed to take forever? Still, to me, year ends are like bookends. It’s always good to take a look back so you can close the book on things.
Did you accomplish all you wanted to do? If not, did you at least make some progress?
Unfortunately, sometimes we can look around and wonder what we really accomplished. If everything’s the same but everything’s great, then that’s fine. Good job. But if everything’s still the same and everything isn’t great, then you’ve got some work to do in 2014.
If you’ve just been procrastinating, remember time marches on, with or without you. If you feel like you just can’t do it, I’d like to ask “who said you can’t do it? Who told you that?” Just because you haven’t been successful yet doesn’t mean you can’t be, or won’t be.
You might recall last week I told you “Resolutions matter, but what you do matters more.” Well here are ten tips to help you keep them:
1. Know what you want to do.
2. Really, really want it.
3. Do your homework.
4. Break it up into smaller, attainable goals.
5. Stay focused.
6. Don’t let setbacks throw you off track.
7. Learn from your mistakes.
8. Get back on the pony.
9. Take pride in your victories, but know that they’re not yours alone.
10. Use them to gain momentum that keeps building, until you get what you want.
To give you some support, we’re going right ahead with our community-wide Biggest Loser “19” in January starting right after the holidays on Monday, January 6th. Our goal is to have lots of couples, partners, or even just friends, so you’ll have lots of motivation to get there!
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Did you accomplish all you wanted to do? If not, did you at least make some progress?
Unfortunately, sometimes we can look around and wonder what we really accomplished. If everything’s the same but everything’s great, then that’s fine. Good job. But if everything’s still the same and everything isn’t great, then you’ve got some work to do in 2014.
If you’ve just been procrastinating, remember time marches on, with or without you. If you feel like you just can’t do it, I’d like to ask “who said you can’t do it? Who told you that?” Just because you haven’t been successful yet doesn’t mean you can’t be, or won’t be.
You might recall last week I told you “Resolutions matter, but what you do matters more.” Well here are ten tips to help you keep them:
1. Know what you want to do.
2. Really, really want it.
3. Do your homework.
4. Break it up into smaller, attainable goals.
5. Stay focused.
6. Don’t let setbacks throw you off track.
7. Learn from your mistakes.
8. Get back on the pony.
9. Take pride in your victories, but know that they’re not yours alone.
10. Use them to gain momentum that keeps building, until you get what you want.
To give you some support, we’re going right ahead with our community-wide Biggest Loser “19” in January starting right after the holidays on Monday, January 6th. Our goal is to have lots of couples, partners, or even just friends, so you’ll have lots of motivation to get there!
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Friday, December 20, 2013
RESOLUTIONS MATTER, BUT IT'S WHAT YOU DO THAT MATTERS MOST!
I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about their New Year’s resolutions. You’ve probably even made a few of your own over the years. The question is, did you follow through? Did you actually do the things you said you were going to do?
Most everyone has good intentions. We’d all like to see things get better whether it’s at home, at work, in the community, or inside our clothing. I’m guessing that many of us are feeling a little bit snugger in those “skinny” jeans. Maybe even in our not-so-skinny jeans!
You’ve probably heard that the average American gains between five and seven pounds over the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years. It’s easy to see why, with all the extra temptations like Christmas cookies, Egg Nog, and all those awesome leftovers.
Plus you’ve got all that stuff to do during the holidays like all the running around for shopping, kids concerts, and so on. It’s easy to start missing workouts, if you were active. And if you were already struggling with the whole exercise business, it’s easy to let it slide altogether.
Here’s where you just have to have some discipline. Good things don’t always happen to those who wait (although sometimes you do have wait). Good things tend to happen to those who get going, and keep going!
Sometimes I hear people speak a little enviously of others. “Those people are so lucky, they can just do anything they want.” Or, “She’s always so skinny, she can just eat anything.”
But they don’t see how that couple has worked three jobs, tons of overtime, socking money away, and avoiding debt. And that gal has walked five miles a day, everyday, for years, even in bad weather! It’s what they’ve done, that has put them in that better place today.
Having a resolution is great, because it means you’re really resolved to do something; it‘s important to you. It means you have a plan. And telling other people gives you leverage and helps make you accountable.
To help you get some leverage, the community-wide Biggest Loser “19” starts right after the holidays, on Monday, January 6th. If you’ve already made your resolutions, that’s great, for resolutions do matter. But remember, talk can be cheap. It’s what you do that matters most.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
Most everyone has good intentions. We’d all like to see things get better whether it’s at home, at work, in the community, or inside our clothing. I’m guessing that many of us are feeling a little bit snugger in those “skinny” jeans. Maybe even in our not-so-skinny jeans!
You’ve probably heard that the average American gains between five and seven pounds over the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years. It’s easy to see why, with all the extra temptations like Christmas cookies, Egg Nog, and all those awesome leftovers.
Plus you’ve got all that stuff to do during the holidays like all the running around for shopping, kids concerts, and so on. It’s easy to start missing workouts, if you were active. And if you were already struggling with the whole exercise business, it’s easy to let it slide altogether.
Here’s where you just have to have some discipline. Good things don’t always happen to those who wait (although sometimes you do have wait). Good things tend to happen to those who get going, and keep going!
Sometimes I hear people speak a little enviously of others. “Those people are so lucky, they can just do anything they want.” Or, “She’s always so skinny, she can just eat anything.”
But they don’t see how that couple has worked three jobs, tons of overtime, socking money away, and avoiding debt. And that gal has walked five miles a day, everyday, for years, even in bad weather! It’s what they’ve done, that has put them in that better place today.
Having a resolution is great, because it means you’re really resolved to do something; it‘s important to you. It means you have a plan. And telling other people gives you leverage and helps make you accountable.
To help you get some leverage, the community-wide Biggest Loser “19” starts right after the holidays, on Monday, January 6th. If you’ve already made your resolutions, that’s great, for resolutions do matter. But remember, talk can be cheap. It’s what you do that matters most.
For more information, you can reach by email at tomdolanfitness@gmail.com, or through Facebook at www.facebook/tomdolanfitness!
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