Variety is The Spice of Exercise

I can remember back to the days when I was very into bodybuilding. The number one thing that I learned, was to change up my routine as much as was feasible. This did two important things. Firstly, it attacked my muscles in different ways. I changed up exercises, and I varied the amount of weight that I would use. I would sometimes lift very heavy, with few reps, and a little more time in between sets, and sometimes I would lift relatively light, do more sets, and have less rest in between the sets. The second thing that was accomplished by doing this is that it kept working out interesting.

When I was younger, I played so many sports, and was in good shape almost as an afterthought. However, as the years go by, I’m not as active as I was as a teenager, and life’s responsibilities don’t always give me much time to do my workouts. Therefore, it’s important to me that I keep it fresh and interesting. Today, I’m not trying to become Mr. Olympia, nor am I trying to become a professional baseball or basketball player. What I do now is try as many different types of exercising as I can. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few things I love above all else, bicycling and yoga. However, it’s important that I keep myself versatile. It not only keeps it interesting, but it helps me meet new people, and it helps me keep an open mind. There’s always something new to learn. You just never know when you will stumble across a new way of keeping fit. There are truly 100’s of ways to get some exercise. In what ways are you currently working out? If you haven’t started yet this spring, what are you waiting for. Come check out my site for some ideas, and inspiration. We really do want to help. We really do want to hear your success stories as well. We can truly all learn from each other. Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Having a Blah Day, Don't Make it Worse

Are you having a blah kind of a day? If you live up here in the northeast, I know the weather is definitely not like it was the past few days. We had 4 unseasonably hot days, and today it’s chilly and rainy. Hopefully you were outside a few times during the warm spell, and got some exercise. I know I sure did. Also, if you were near as busy as I was since Friday, I know you’re probably a little tired today. I was outside on my bicycle for the first few times in the past week, and combined with my very hectic schedule, I’m kind of tired today.

Point is, I’m not going to burn myself out today, and do anything too strenuous. I caught up on a bit of sleep (remember I deliver newspapers still, so I get up at 2:30 am on average, 7 days a week). I’m going to stretch and meditate some, but other than that, I’m going to take it easy. I know from experience that my body just needs to rejuvenate today, more than anything else. And I know there’s nothing wrong with that. What I’m not going to do, is, eat unhealthily. I just don’t like to do that ever. I also know that there’s many people out there who don’t eat as well as I do. And if you’re also having a day where you’re sort of taking it easy, don’t let your mind take you back to the days when you were totally out of shape, and you were inactive and you added insult to injury by eating badly.

If you notice, I even gave you the benefit of the doubt and presumed that you did get outside in the past few days and worked out a little. If you did or if you didn’t, either way, there are days that are just easier to indulge in poor nutrition than others. If today’s one of those days, try to be conscious of what you’re doing, and don’t start to feed the monster. Once you start to really cheat, it gets harder to stop, because on top of your body craving the nasty food, your mind will make you feel bad for eating poorly, and we all know what we can do if we have a pattern of emotionally eating, and we start to feel bad about ourselves. The best way to not go down that road, is to not to start to go down that road. That’s why I said, be conscious of what you’re doing, and keep yourself busy if you start to think about that ice cream, or those greasy potato chips. Whether you’ve just started to take good care of yourself, or haven’t started yet, but want to, check out my site. Become informed. Get some tools to help you in your journey. What you can’t do alone, we can do together. Also look for my updates on Twitter! Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

This is Not a Race. This is Not a Spectator Sport Either

I’m sure people are quick to put down internet sites, and anything to do with internet marketing. I’m sure there are lots of scams out there, but there are also many great people, putting out lots of good information and offering wonderful products. I bring this up to say, the average person may not know how to get started with an exercise program. If you worked out in the past, or played sports 10 or 20 years ago, but not much since, you may not know how to safely start, given your probably fairly bad state of fitness. The point is, many, many people need a little bit of help, be it informationally,with products, a partner to work out with, or just something to guide and motivate them until they have a better understanding of what to do. Also, as we start to get in a little bit better shape, we can do more savy exercises, and we can push a little harder. I’m not going to try to hard sell you. I’m also not going to pretend like I’m not trying to get you to check out my site, because I am. However, whether you check my site out, or someone else’s, I truly want everyone to be fit. My site might not be for everyone. There’s many of us out here. Bottom line, I do want to make some money, but my passion for being in shape is what comes first. Again, I hope you check us out, but, also, don’t put off working out because you don’t know where to get help from.

Like I said in the title, (you thought I wasn’t getting to this), this is not a race. That’s why being properly informed is key. There’s so many reasons to know what you’re doing, but probably the most important is that I know it’s so hard for so many to even start a fitness program, or to maintain it once they do start, that to get injured because of carelessness or impatience , could just derail someone for a very long time-both mentally and physically. I’ve talked about balance before, and here is an important balance. You need to take care of yourself, starting now. You need to get some exercise in your life, starting now. However, maybe you need to see a doctor first. Maybe you’re way out of shape, and you need to progress very slowly. It’s hard to find the right mix of all this. And perhaps most of all, if you’re near the beginning of getting in shape, it’s hard to do just enough to make some progress, and not stop so that you’re a spectator once again. It’s not easy. Nothing worthwhile is. If being in wonderful shape, and for me that means physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, were easy, I wouldn’t appreciate it. However, and you can print this in your local newspaper. It’s harder to get started than to maintain it, if you do it properly. Please check us out for some help. We really do care what’s best for you. If we don’t know an answer to a problem, we’ll find out who does. Also, follow my updates on Twitter. Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Are You Taking Advantage of the Warm Weather

I don’t know how warm it is in other parts of the country, but I can tell you it is down right hot here in the northeast. Almost too hot, too fast. Regardless, just wanted to pose the question, are you taking advantage of the warm weather, and getting outside to get some exercise? I can almost hear people saying, well, it’s just too hot now to workout. And you could argue that if you’re way out of shape, you should take it very easy. However, you just don’t want to find yourself making yet, another excuse. I’m not asking anyone to go out and run a marathon. Lord knows, there’s no way you could even walk 26 miles. The point here is that if you’ve been telling yourself that once the winter weather is over, you were going to finally get up off your butt, then it’s time to do something.

It really is a fork in the road situation. This is it. You’re at the end of the long road where you didn’t have a choice. Of course you could have been going to a gym, but I’m talking to the many people who don’t like that sort of thing, or would like to go, but don’t feel they’re up to that, yet. You are at the crossroad where you can bear left, or bear right. Once you start going down the road of continued inactivity, it can, and probably will be hard to crossover. The battle is in your mind as much as anywhere. You’ve really got to make the right choice, Now! For more help, information,and ideas, please see my website! I just know how hard it is to get started. If you don’t start now, you will continue to come up with more, and more excuses why today isn’t the day to start. And don’t even try to make the excuse that you just got home from work, and you really don’t have the time. If you’re out of shape, you shouldn’t be doing much anyway. Just go outside, and walk a few blocks down, and either a few blocks back, or a few blocks to the right, and then make your way home. If you’re really out of shape, take it very slow, and consider seeing a doctor before you do too much. Please go check out my website, and let me know, either way, how you made out. You can sign up for free newsletters, and fitness tips, and while you’re there, let me know if you haven’t gotten up the courage to get started yet. Don’t get down on yourself. That’s the worst thing you can do. Just reach out for some help. What we can’t do alone, we can do together. I've got to go, I'm going for a bicycle ride. Follow me on Twitter. Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

I'll Never Take Anything For Granted Again- Yea Right

I hope not to be misunderstood here. The title suggests a hint of sarcasm. I’m truly not in a sarcastic mood. I belong to a recovery fellowship that I owe my life to. I’ve been clean 13 and a half years, and a bit more. I’ve gone to meetings in the same area for all of my recovery. I’ve known some of these people for the entire time. Others come, stay a while, go back to using, and then hopefully come back. And there’s always some that come in for the first time. I’ve very, very tired, so I’m probably dragging this on way too long before I get to the point. Last night, one of these people that I’ve known for the past 5 years or so, died on the back of her boyfriend’s motorcycle. She died instantly. He, last I heard, is in critical condition. I wasn’t even great friends with her. Mostly because we don’t live close by, and both lead very busy lives with children and all. She was such a lovely person, and I can’t believe she’s gone. Just like that. She didn’t have a chance. It’s not fair.

I remember some 7 or 8 years ago, another amazingly beautiful spirit from our program died. She was the wife of a man who used to be my sponsor. She was the kindest, gentlest sole I ever knew. She used to pick pennies up off the ground and if they were on tales, she would turn them right side up so that someone else could pick them up and presumably have good luck. She was a smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died very quickly. I remember when we held an informal recovery meeting at this hall, right after her ceremony, I shared that I was never going to take anybody, or anything for granted, ever again. This woman, and her husband, had touched my life so profoundly, and I just couldn’t believe she was dead. Even though she smoked, she had had a clear chest x-ray just a few months before she got sick. I felt so empty inside and I vowed to learn something from this. But I didn’t. I did for a while, but then I always seem to take my life, my health, my children, my family, my clean time, for granted. I actually think I don’t, but for the most part, I do. I’m always so busy with responsibilities to slow down enough to really appreciate every little thing that happens in a day. I actually think I’ve been doing better with this. I’ve been really taking good care of myself. There’s just so much more that could be done in this area. There just never seems to be enough time. As I’m typing this, I ‘m thinking of so many people that I know, mostly in our fellowship, that I haven’t stopped to really talk to in a while. I don’t believe it’s God’s will that she is gone, but there has to be some kind of purpose. I’m surely not God, so I can’t answer this. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself. I think I do gradually get better and better with living life to the fullest. Some day I will do this with every breath I take. Good bye beautiful sole.

Exercise, Exercise, Come on Everybody Do Your Exercise

I don’t know how the weather is where you live, but if you’re anywhere near where I am in the northeast, I know you’re having a beautifully, warm, clear bit of weather. Winter’s over people! It’s time to stop putting off that exercise. I rode my bicycle for the first time yesterday. I had to wait a bit because of the weather, and because of my cyst-removal surgery. And I just ate a plate of salad, and I’m getting on my bicycle again. Just a short ride around our lovely little river town here. The point is, it’s time for me to ride. And it’s time for you to get outside and do something. If you haven’t been to the doctor yet, why haven’t you been yet? Everyone else, (and everyone who is young enough to know they can just have a bit of a workout), let’s go! Come on! Let’s do this! If this is your first bit of exercise, just a short walk for a few blocks. If this is still one of your first few workouts, take it slow, but do it. If I have time, I’ll post something later. If not, look for me on twitter! Also, if you’re still struggling for motivation, or are suffering from an injury and can’t work out just yet, check out my site for some great ideas. You can still treat your body to some good nutrition! Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Don't Let Fear Stop You From Working Out

This is sort of the opposite side of the street compared to yesterday’s post. I’m not saying that all fear is bad. Good fears would be, for instance, of a raging fire, or of a huge bear walking through the woods next to your campsite. It would even be reasonable to have some fear if you were coming off of an injury. What I really want to talk about is the irrational fear that paralyzes many people who weren’t into athletics when they were younger, or haven’t worked out in many years.

This fear of feeling out of place, or of not being good enough, especially if you go to a gym to workout, can be devastating. And though it probably has it’s basis in irrationality, it is very real because it can keep you from doing what you need to do. Here are a few simple suggestions:

1-If going to the gym intimidates you, try to hook up with a friend. Working out with someone can give you a sense of comfort. This is even better if your friend has some sort of recent experience with working out at the gym.

2-If there is noone you can work out with regularly at the gym, there are many, many things you can do that don’t require being at the gym. Walking, using bands, are just a few possibilities. See my website for more ideas. Chances are if you’re not comfortable at the gym, you may have not worked out much in the past, so starting off slow, simple, and easy is best.

3- Once you’ve worked out for a bit, maybe you can give the gym another try. It’s really not as bad as you have it in your mind. Many people there are in great shape, but many aren’t as well. If you can take some deep breaths in the car before you go in, that would help calm the nerves. Then go right to the office and inquire about working out with a staff trainer. After a few workouts, the trainer will feel like an old friend. They know what they’re doing, and, they truly know how you feel and want to help.

Don’t feel discouraged if you decide to not give the gym a try. It’s really only something you should try if you’re afraid to go there. Just getting over the fear would be a great victory. They are great, don’t get me wrong, but they can be expensive, and there are many things to do that can be done at your own convenience. As you work out more and more, you might find that your fears subside. Maybe you have fears in other areas of your life as well. There’s a chance that your confidence may be boosted a bit as you get in better shape. This very well could spill over into other areas of your life. For further help, you may consider yoga and meditation, as they help clear the mind, and help with feeling more in control. This might also boost confidence.

Overall, it’s important to note that there are many, many tools you can use to help build up your body, mind, and spirit. As I always say, start slow, set realistic goals, and don’t have unrealistic expectations. If you’re out of shape, and a little (or alot) down on yourself, it’s probably taken you a long time to get there. There is hope though. There’s lots of hope. You just have to get started in the right direction. Don’t do it by yourself. Educate yourself. Get a physical if you haven’t in a while, then just start doing some walking. It’s the right time of year. No more excuses. Please check us out if you need help. We have bi-monthly newsletters, and daily success tips. Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Don't Overdo It

It’s hard to hold back if you’re really feeling good while working out. It’s especially hard if you haven’t really pushed it in a long time. Everything might seem to be calling for you to dig down deep and give it all you’ve got. However, if you’re not in really great shape, you might be setting yourself up for injury.

I’m not trying to be a doomsayer or anything like it. Believe me, I know the benefits of being in shape and feeling good about yourself. It’s my calling to spread the word about good health, fitness and nutrition, both by my example, and my words through my blogs and my website. I’m sure there are many people who might read this and say, what are you talking about. No pain equals no gain. Well, everything is relative. And what is important to note here is the level of fitness and expertise of the person working out.

Many times we are not good judges of what we’re doing. Whether we don’t have the skills to know better, or we’re caught up in the passion of the moment and don’t make a rational decision, either way, we may injure ourselves if we’re not careful. I also know through many years of experience, that many, many people are not fit. Whether they don’t want to be, or have tried and have given up, the facts are that if you’re not in good shape, it’s hard to maintain a regular routine. It would just be a shame to derail one’s possible limited ability to stay motivated to workout, with an injury that could have been avoided.

What works best is to be smart about your fitness routine. The best way to do this is to do research, especially if your background in this area is limited (again, please check out my website for lots of great information). Once you have a better idea of how you want to get started, it’s best to set some realistic goals. These should also be adjusted once you start working out, and you have more information about yourself, and your current fitness levels.

I know I am always happy and grateful if I’ve worked out. As long as I put the emphasis on the fact that I did do something positive rather than perhaps, just staying home on the couch eating potato chips, then I can build on that. It’s so difficult for so many people to keep it going, and overdoing is not a way I want to have to shut down my workouts. It’s a good idea to spend some important time evaluating my workouts and making sure they are helping me achieve my goals. And if you’re in your 40’s like I am, maybe the most important thing is that I stay as active as I can, and I spend more time just appreciating that I’m healthy enough to be active, and I have the willingness to keep it going. When I take it slowly, and just gradually increase my workouts, then, I always exceed my expectations. Remember that tortoise, well, he always gets to where he’s trying to get to. Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

We Can Get Too Caught Up In The Numbers

Maybe it’s because I’m older and wiser now. Maybe it’s because I move more deliberately now, so I’m not so much in a rush to get anywhere. Maybe it’s my strong faith in my higher power that allows me to give where I am today, it’s proper due. What I’m talking about is our society’s fascination with numbers. And more specifically, our fascination with how much we weigh, how much weight did we lose, how far did we ride (I’m a cyclist), how fast did we ride!

It’s not my job to place a judgment on anyone, cause lord knows I made my share of mistakes in this lifetime. I also remember being very caught up in numbers as a youth and a teenager. I was even obsessed with numbers as it related to the statistics of professional athletes. I used to be able to quote just about any baseball players’ lifetime and season home run and batting average totals. I just worry about how so many out of shape people get discouraged because they are not losing weight fast enough, or are not getting in shape quick enough.

I’ve found what works for me is a word that is so hard to achieve, yet it really can be the key to a whole new life. The word is Balance. It’s what allows me to stay more toward the center, rather than drift way over to one side or the other. This might seem abstract, but I’m telling you, it truly works, but just like anything, it is a skill that has to be cultivated. It’s like, the first time I shot 10 foul shots in a row, I surely didn’t make all 10, but years of practice later, there were many times I did.

If I get so caught up in a destination, then I will miss the blessing. If I get so caught up in I want to, or I need to lose 50 pounds, then, I can lose balance. If it becomes an obsession, especially if the pounds aren’t falling off as fast I think they should, then I could get discouraged. Or maybe I’ll crank up my workouts a few notches, or skip a few meals. Do you see the point? I’m not saying we shouldn’t have goals. They should be realistic and achievable. We need to remember that as we get older, our metabolism changes. Therefore, weight loss might not be so easy. For more on all of this, you should go To My Site!

What I’ve found works for me is I have simple goals. I have a few short term goals of distance I want to ride my bicycle in the next 2 months. However, my more important goal is to workout and eat healthy everyday! That’s it! Some days I do better than others, but if I don’t take, it, or myself too seriously, I can enjoy myself, and this journey, rather than getting so caught up in the destination. I’ve also learned positively, and absolutely, that so many people don’t stick with their workouts. I know that so many of them get discouraged because they think they should be somewhere other than where they are in regard to their workouts or weight loss.

I’ve also learned that if I have balance in my workouts, and in my life, I will be much better off. If I get so caught up in my workouts, the rest of my responsibilities can pile up on me. Then, if I get discouraged about my fitness program, I could drop it for a while to take care of the mountain of other things that are awaiting. The problem here is that there’s just the possibility of too much frustration, and not enough continuity, or balance. If I am JUST grateful for the willingness I have to want to be a healthy person, I will not stress over this. I can then be ok with where my 2 feet are right now. At this point, I can hear that redbird chirping up in the tree above me, as I walk by. I can see the children playing in their yard as I ride by on my bicycle. I can feel good and positive about what I’m doing, rather than what I’m not. When I have my head up, I can then see the beautiful blue sky above me, rather than having my shoulders slumping because I’m dejected because I didn’t lose the 10 pounds last month that I set out to. The only thing I see now is the dirty ground, and the only thing I feel is the weight of the world on my shoulders. It’s a shame because it is a beautiful day. It is that time of year when the birds are singing, and the children are out playing, and those that are feeling ok with themselves are out there taking it all in. Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Getting Psyched for Spring

Well, it wasn't my intention to not post anything all weekend, but a never-ending series of responsibilities kept me busy all weekend. Anyway, it's another cold, rainy day here in the great northeast. It's been 10 days since my cyst/skin tag removal surgery on my back, and I'm itching to get out there on my bicycle. I'm almost glad the weather is bad because I don't think I could stop myself from riding, and I probably need another few days of taking it easy. I do however believe that for some reason I'm supposed to wait another day or 2, so I will.

Until then, there's plenty of good things I can do for myself. I've got a fridge stocked with healthy food, which I've found is key. If I don't have junk food laying around, I can't eat it. I also will be doing some wonderful stretching, meditating, and perhaps a bit of yoga. Wow, life is wonderful. I know there's so many people who struggle with taking good care of themselves, and I truly feel for them, as well as feel very blessed that I've been given the willingness to want to keep fit. For me, it's definitely a lifestyle thing. The less I wonder off course, the easier it is to stay on the path. When I'm fit, I can't imagine being any other way, and I feel like I have so much energy and passion to be able to lead the busy life that I do. For more information, ideas, or motivation, please check out my site. Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Having One of Those Days?

I’m actually not having a bad day at all. It’s not like everything that could have gone wrong did. Actually, quite the contrary. Everything went smooth as could be. Let me explain. It’s not that I don’t have one of those days once in a while where murphy’s law takes over. However, what I’m getting at is that I had so many responsibilities to take care of that I just had to put my own needs on the back burner.

My mom is recently home from her snow birding in Florida, so, when it’s my weekend with my children, I usually try to go over to her house. However, she lives 45 minutes away, and my oldest daughter is away at college without her car. So today was the day I rounded up my kids, and we headed down to see grandma. It was a lovely day, however, with work, (I still deliver newspapers 7 days a week), there wasn’t a whole lot of time for me to take care of me. I didn’t get to do any exercising, or any meditation, and I have to get up at 2:30 am, so I have to get to bed soon.

I did manage to eat well at mom’s. I ate a nice salad, and didn’t overeat, which isn’t easy to do because she usually puts together a decent small feast. Before I left, I did get my bicycle out of the basement, and as soon as my back is completely healed up, I will be ready to start riding again. This is the real point here. I’m choosing to look at the positive side of this wonderful day. I spent the day with my family, and I did do some other small things for myself. A positive attitude is hard to achieve sometimes, especially if being negative is the norm for you. However, for me, having a positive attitude is the Most Important thing for me to have. Without it, I would not survive in this crazy world. Without it, I would not be able to maintain some of the wonderful things I’ve achieved in my life, especially the willingness to take good care of myself. I have to sign off for now, as I’m pretty much wiped out. I suggest you check out my site for some more great tips on health, fitness, and nutrition. Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

It's Almost 100 Per Cent Mental

If you’re overweight, and/or out of shape, you may be looking at the wrong things to try to get you started in the right direction. Yes, you may get discouraged if you look at yourself in the mirror, or get out of breath by just walking down a flight of stairs, but the real problem may very well lie between your ears. If you don’t feel good about yourself, you’re probably suffering from low self-esteem.

The good news is that there are some good things you can do to get yourself out of the doldrums. The first step is to admit that you’re down. It’s always good to start from the beginning, and if you don’t get with the truth, it’s hard to know where you’re really starting from. Now you can take a deep breath, a sigh of relief if you will, because you don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not. Now you can get started moving forward. At this point, the sky is truly the limit. You can go as far as you want. You just might need a little, or alot of guidance. See my website for more information, or just keep reading my blogs (you can go back and look at some of my past blogs as well). A great tip is using daily affirmations. For more info, check this out, you won’t regret it. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Staying Healthy No Matter What

I’m not tying to be presumptuous and say I can control whether I get sick or hurt or not. The idea here is that I can’t control some things that go on in my life, but I can control what food I put into my body. For instance, as my last post talked about, I had some minor surgery on Friday. All is going very well, and I should be able to resume normal activities in the very near future. My point here is this, I still had some important decisions to make about what I was going to eat. And I’m happy to report, I passed with flying colors. Even going to an out of state soccer tournament didn’t throw me off. While everyone else ate nasty, greasy breakfasts, I ate healthily from the salad bar.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m taken out of my routine (no matter what the reason), I sometimes find myself wanting to use this as an excuse to get completely off track. I could have rationalized some poor eating by telling myself, well, if you can’t work out, may as well really live it up for the next few days, then you can get back on track. This might sound like a good plan, but, deliberately trying to get way off the norm is not a good idea, especially if you have a past of struggling to maintain a good fitness and nutritional regimen.

Actually, if I really take a deeper look at this (which I won’t have a chance to do if I impulsively eat poorly), if I’ve developed good eating habits, the old, unhealthy foods are just not appealing anymore. I, now, look forward to that delicious salad. I no longer crave salt on my food. Matter of fact, if there is salt added on, it actually tastes nasty. Just like we adapt to our surroundings over time, our appetite adapts. If we no longer eat lots of fried, fatty foods, then, we no longer crave that stuff, and, actually can really come to loathe it. But just like we can gradually change our eating habits to be healthy, we can also reverse that trend if we’re not careful. Especially if we can’t work out like we’re used to. If you’re struggling with your nutrition, or have just started on the right path and want to continue on, you should visit our site! We want to hear about your successes, or if you need some help, we can surely point you in the right direction. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Be Back in a Few Days

Well, even though I've been posting on this site only a few days now, I have to take a short break. I'm having a simple, out-patient procedure done on my back to remove a couple of small cysts. I'll be having it done tomorrow, but, I have so many things going on, and I have a crazy job (hopefully only temporarily) of delivering newspapers, and I can't even take off, so I'll have to say see you in a few days. Wish me luck, and try to keep your workouts, and good eating going. For more information about fitness, health, and nutrition, please check out my site! Bye for now. Be healthy, safe, and happy.

Don't Worry, Be Positive

Just a few thoughts about trying to stay positive. I can only speak for myself (though I know I’m speaking for many), when I say when I’m not taking good care of myself, I’m not feeling good about myself. And I’m not speaking of just a few days of not doing the right things. If you’re overweight or out of shape, you know what I’m talking about.

The key for me has been thinking positive and acting positive. There’s 2 schools of thought about which comes first. I’ll say here that they both can. If I hang around people who are in shape, or get inspired somehow (see my website for more info), by people who are fit and in shape, you can start to do positive things first, then sort of train your mind to think positively like these people probably do. Or, you can learn to think more positively, especially about yourself. Positive affirmations are a very good start. The important thing to note here, is that if you’re down on yourself, you may need a little help to get kick-started. Get on the internet, and start educating yourself.

In the vein of thinking positively, let me share this with you. There’s nothing worse than being out of shape, wanting to start something, then just not getting started. Actually, maybe there is something worse. Being out of shape, starting a program, then stopping again. You might need some kind of external stimulus to help you along. However, nothing will be gained by beating yourself up. Let me repeat, nothing will be gained by beating yourself up. Just take responsibility, and move on. It Can be all in the mind. Here’s my point. If I’m in really good shape, but because of a very busy schedule I miss, let’s say, 4 days of working out. I’m not going to feel like a piece of crap because of it. I know I’m going to get back to it. Just like if I’m sick for a few days. I can’t work out, but I know I’m going to get back in the groove. So, if you were going to start, or just did, then got stalled out again, don’t knock yourself further down. You’re already a bit down. Just learn, no matter how, to pick yourself up.

I must be honest with you and tell you something about myself. I lived much of my life with a very big ego. It’s only been in the past 13 or so years, that I’ve discovered how to change that. First of all, I had to admit to myself that I had very low self-esteem. There’s an entire back-story to this that I’ll get into at another time. The important point here is that I had a spiritual awakening. I, for the first time in many years (since I was a confident child, and prolific teenage athlete), was able to look at myself in the mirror, and truly admit who I was. I was a good person, but I was slowly losing myself because of my bad self image. Once I did this, I was able to drop the ego, and start to rebuild myself, little by little.

The point here is that, for whatever reason, we sometimes build up an image of either who we think we are, or who we think others expect us to be. In either case, usually the ego takes over, and we are no longer able to admit some important truths about ourselves. The end result is, large ego=you can’t tell me anything, I already know. If you’re fat, heavy, out of shape, eating poorly, or have high cholesterol, you might be aging poorly, and in poor health. If you need help feeling good about yourself, or if you just need help getting started in the right direction, don’t let your ego get in the way. There’s so many ways to get started, and so many tools you can use. For more help, or more info, or if you just want to share your stories-successful or not, please visit my site! Be healthy, safe, and happy.

It's a Great Day to Be Healthy & Take Good Care of Myself

Well, I survived another busy weekend, and I still can't go for a bike ride cause it's raining cats and dogs. However, I'm using this extra indoor time to do some important things for myself. I've meditated a bit, and, done some stretching and light dumbell lifting. I just wanted to take a few moments out to reach out to anyone out there who is wanting to make a change for the better, but is just not finding the motivation. First of all, I would encourage you to visit my website, and you will find many helpful ideas for you to gain some momentum, if you're having trouble. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. I've found that the biggest stumbling block to getting started is that, we know we should be a lot further down the road than we are. My meditations have helped me see that in fact, I am right where I'm supposed to be. However, I can't use that as an excuse to stay stuck. If I know I'm out of shape, I have to accept responsibility. Another however, I can not, beat myself up over being out of shape. The only thing that will do is, make me feel worse. So, there seems to be a dilemma here. I'm stuck, with seemingly no motivation to start the long journey of getting in shape. I don't know if you caught a very key word that I just said. The word is journey. I've trained myself, (it's takes alot of practice, but it can be done), to not be so focused on the destinations in my life. If I don't appreciate the journey on the way to the destination, then, it was sort of an empty trip. What I've learned to do is, set Realistic Goals, and just try each day, to move toward them. Some days I'll have more success than others. That's where we can help you. Through information, you can educate yourself to what would be a good realistic goal for you. Even reading about health, nutrition, and exercise is better than doing nothing. When you're ready to start your journey, please feel free to look us up. We want to hear from you! Bye for now. Be safe, healthy, and happy.

Weekends Can Get So Hectic

I just started on this site, and I already missed a few days of posting. Not that anyone is really following along with me yet, but still, I want to be consistent. I was just watching a you tube clip yesterday that talked about how people find it hard to keep these going. Which brings me to my point here. I am temporarily (since I lost my job in September), delivering newspapers. This is a rough job, let me tell you. It's decent money, but it's like having a farm full of cows. You can't go very far cause every day you have to deliver the papers (or milk the cows). I haven't had a day off in 6 months, which is not a big deal, yet, though I'm getting to the point where I would like to have a nice long weekend get-a-way. The difficulty for me is that so much happens on the weekends with my children, it's when my girlfriend has off work, and it's also when I deliver the most amount of papers. So anyway, that's sort of why I didn't write for the past few days.
Just a few more quick comments before I'm off to my daughter's soccer game and then hopefully off to my girlfriend's house (she's been sick all week). I just want to say I've been eating healthy as always, though my mom wanted to go to the chinese food buffet for her 79th birthday yesterday. I still ate relatively healthy there, and I got some running exercise while I was delivering. I'm going to get out on my bicycle tomorrow (if the weather holds up). I'm not even in good physical shape again, yet, but as long as I eat healthy, and get a bit of exercise, I know I'm on my way. It's about consistency for me. I don't want to lift 300 pounds again, nor ride my bike 100 miles. I just want to be healthy and happy. If you're out there struggling to take good care of yourself, please check out my site, or just follow along with me as I show you how just a little bit every day, is probably the best way. That's all for now. Be safe, healthy, and happy.

It's Still Great to be Alive

Not much to say today, as I'm feeling a bit under the weather. It's a bit of a shame because I was planning my first outdoor bicycle ride of the season. Living here in the northeast, that first outdoor ride is always exciting, but I just wasn't up for it. My girlfriend got sick at the beginning of the week, and I think I'm coming down with some sort of bug. Oh well, I used this to motivate me to go to the farmer's market after work to buy some fresh vegetables and fruits, and that's basically all I ate today. Well, that's all for now, as it's 9:17 here on the east coast, and I have to get up around 2:15am to deliver the newspapers. Good day to all. Be safe and well.

It seems like a blah day, but it's another beautiful day above ground.

It's raining here on the east coast, and when I got done with work at 7am (I am temporarily delivering newspapers), all I could think about was getting a nice long nap because I didn't sleep nearly enough last night. I wanted to ride my bicycle today, but I think the powers that be somehow knew I needed to just catch up on some sleep.
I used to be a star athlete in high school. I never had to think much about getting or staying in shape. I just loved sports sooo much, and it all came so naturally to me, that being in shape was sort of an afterthought. Since basketball was my number 1 passion, I guess that made it that much easier to be in shape because it is such a physically demanding sport.
Anyway, enough about my expertise from what seems like 100 years ago. A few significant things sort of evolved and I soon found myself in college, and gradually getting out of shape. I stopped growing at 5'8" so basketball didn't seem to be a viable future, though, I loved the sport, and was tenaciously good. The down side was that I played on 3 very losing teams in high school (all varsity level), and I didn't have alot of self esteem. I was mildly recruited by a few schools, but didn't want to play competitively anymore. I can't really remember the reasons why, however, soon after high school, I started smoking marijuana. By the time I went away to college, and was greeted while moving in, by the dorm president with a picture of beer in his hand, and a keg tapped nearby, I found my next true love. Partying and being irresponsible.
For so long I had lived life scared and I never new what was wrong with me. If this were an article about my addiction, I would go into much detail about what I did the next 16 years, but the end of it was, using alcohol and marijuana had consumed so much of me, I had little else left. I did get clean, have been for 13 and a half years and counting, and I attend a recovery fellowship that I will forever be grateful for. I mostly continue going because I want to give back my experience strength and hope to those who don't know yet that their own fear, insecurity, and low self-esteem, continue trapping them into believing there is no other way.
Anyway, what I've found out in my years of recovery is that I truly still do have a passion for being healthy, and staying in shape. HOWEVER, I've found it very difficult to maintain any sort of healthy eating or working out schedule. There's 100's of reasons/excuses why I wasn't able to get back or stay on track, until rather recently. I'm going to continue to share my story with those who want to hear it, and hopefully, continue to share my on-going success (or not) at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If I workout, or don't, or eat healthy or decide to eat that plate of nasty fried french fries, you'll be the first to know. Take care for now all, and please be safe and healthy.