Doable Weight Loss Effort

There are millions of weight loss plans and diet trends available to anyone who doesn’t live under a rock. So why do so many people still struggle with their weight and vital statistics? For starters, most people don’t understand how a body works and even less understand how their body works. I’m no expert but I am a student of life so I explore what I don’t understand and devise a way to effectively apply it to my life.

Weight gain happens when you continually take in more calories, especially calories from fat, than your body can use as fuel or send out as waste. Everyone is different. We have different family genetics, physical abilities and limitations, metabolic rates, and lifestyles. So when it comes to diet and exercise, we need to spend some time exploring ourselves in order to derive what will work best for us. There is no one size fits all weight management plan. There are those who can’t do Tai Bo, P90X, or Insanity workouts. There are those who are allergic to honey, cayenne pepper, and/or lemons for crash dieting. There are those who are diabetic or disabled that can do neither. However, each journey begins with the first step – no matter how small that step may be. Here are some tips to help you start.

Diet

·         Focus on the timing and distribution of your meals. Eating several small meals evenly distributed throughout your day instead of overindulging 2 – 3 times daily boosts your metabolism. Avoid late night eating, especially unhealthy snacking.

·         Keep fluids fresh in your body by hydrating and urinating often. Make water your beverage of choice and drink lots of it. Add a little lemon juice for taste. Avoid sodas and excessive amounts of juice. Alcohol does contain calories. Don’t hold your bladder until the last minute. Go as often as you can or are allowed by your situation.

·         Fresh is best. Choose to eat raw fruits and vegetables and consume them as soon as they are cut to preserve their vitamin potency. Eat hot foods and cold raw foods in separate feedings to aid rapid digestion.

·         Track what goes in and out. Record everything you eat in a journal even if only for a short period of time. This will keep you mindful of the good and bad things you are eating and easily adjust your diet. Track your bowel movements to ensure that your body is discarding its waste regularly.  

Exercise

·         Numbers are relative. Don’t worry about how much weight others can lift or how many repetitions they can do. What they can do is relative to their size, experience, and possibly supplements and/or chemicals.

·         Focus on execution. Doing 10 optimal weight repetitions through your full range of motion with the correct form is worth twice as many bad reps at twice the weight. Also, injuries can result from incorrect execution.

·         Stretching is essential to maintain flexibility and prevent injuries. Stretch before, during, and after exercising. Stretch everyday even if you don’t exercise.

·         Education eliminates fear. There are many myth-conceptions about weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise. Attention Women: Lifting weights will not turn you into He-Man. Attention Men: Sit-ups alone will not turn your keg into a six pack. There are many many more but spend some type researching what you want to achieve from exercising and you won’t be scared to go full steam.

These tips are far from everything. With a little focus, effort and discipline, weight management will become more doable.

-- Wood Butler, Jr.

The Power of Thought

"A man left to his own thoughts too long will ponder his way to success or depression."

Thoughts are power. They are the power to create, to heal, to destroy, to depress. It is important to be aware of the power your thoughts have. All thoughts have the potential to become your reality. 

So what do you want your reality to be? One of prosperity or of poverty? One of success or of sacrifice? We were created as thinking beings for the purpose of defining our own destinies. We determine our destinations with our minds. Make a resolution that TODAY you will spend some time thinking about what you really want. You can never have what you want if you are unclear of what it is. And, if you already have it and are unaware that it is what you truly want it still will not benefit you until your realization. 

Often times, we let external circumstances, people, and events skew our thinking. This happens when we have not spent enough time in our own mind. Time spent talking internally, breaking down what is important to us. Is it God? Is it Family? Is it Money? Is it Success? All of these things have a major place in life and your focus on one can greatly affect all of the others. Who says which is the most important? We do. 

Think about it.

Change Your Entire Life In Just 24 Hours. Read “It’s Always Today,” The Self-Empowerment Handbook. Available in paperback and Kindle formats.

Available online at:

Hollawood Publishing                               www.hollawood.com

Amazon                                                   www.amazon.com

Abe Books                                               www.abebooks.com

Alibris                                                      www.alibris.com

Barnes and Noble                                     www.barnesandnoble.com  

Better World Books                                  www.betterworldbooks.com 

Books Inc.                                               www.booksinc.net

Books-A-Million                                       www.booksamillion.com

Herbs In A Basket                                    5740 Brook Rd, Richmond, VA 23227

Powell’s Books                                        www.powells.com

Schuler Books and Music                          www.schulerbooks.com

Fourth Quarter - Crunch Time!

Fourth Quarter - Crunch Time!

Yep it's been a while. But don't worry...I'm still here! Well it's the 4th quarter of the year and if this were a sporting event, it'd be crunch time. Time to pull out all the stops in a major push to gain or keep the lead. Life really isn't much different than sports so with that said let's talk about knowledge. Have you made significant effort to acquire vast amounts of new knowledge this year? How many books have you read, excluding reading to your child at night?

Today, as we are voting for the office of President of the United States of America, have you been blaming the government for all of your problems and road blocks? I don't believe that one man/woman has that much control over any of us. There's so much knowledge all around us for free. Awareness, listening, and comprehension is the real key to gaining knowledge. I was at a friend's home a few days ago and we were discussing our views of online college courses. Through this conversation I found out that some of the nation's top schools such as Harvard, MIT, Berkley, and Oxford are now offering free online classes. Yes, you read that right. No, they don't count toward a degree from these schools, but haven't you always thought of things you would do if you had the money? Well for these course you don't need money. A few hundred thousand people have already signed up. Check out this article from Boston.com on the subject http://www.boston.com/business/technology/2012/10/15/harvard-launching-free-online-courses-sign-for-first-two-classes/B2aoqlbCfTSY2VH79meYMI/story.html. You'll even get a Certificate of Mastery from some courses. I can't wait to dig into some Psychology classes or even Photography enrichment courses. Just look at this list http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses.

Yes, the internet is full of all types of scams, porn and predators; but don't let that overshadow the wealth of good opportunies for knowledge, careers, and even love. I'm out of breath #yeahwhathesaid!

Be Yourself

A quote from the book, "I Moved Your Cheese"

"Some of the biggest mistakes (people) make in their lives pertains to the majors they chose and the jobs they pursue. Many of these choices reflect external pressure and expectations, rather than careful evaluation by the (person) of his or her own goals and passions. Sadly, many (people) spend (years), and some a lifetime, pursuing dreams that are not their own."    

-- Deepak Malhotra

90 Todays Better

 Every year from the official first day of spring, March 21, to the official first day of summer, June 21, I go on an intense diet and exercise regimen primarily aimed at being in great summer shape. When I say intense I really just mean focused with more effort and discipline than normal. I am by no means a gym rat and I don’t starve myself to be skinny. I just cross reference what has successfully worked for others then apply my own customizations to fit my body, budget, and lifestyle. It’s been working. I still have clothes from high school that I still wear.

I am an author and my book, It’s Always Today (www.hollawood.com), is about motivation to improve oneself at every opportunity. There’s no better time than Today to at least map out your goal, a strategy for achieving it, and take a small step towards it. So, join me in committing to be the best you possible, one today at a time. In this case I’m referring to physical and internal health. For 90 Days plan to GO HARD. Plan to stay focused and disciplined. Plan to be better.

You Should:

Practice balance – It’s too hard to quit cold turkey on foods or habits you’ve enjoyed for 25+ years. Just cut bad foods and habits by at least 50% until you can eliminate them from your life.

Try new things – Understand that doing things the way you’ve done them have gotten you where you are. If you want something different then try something different. I found this Sauna Suit for $5 at Marshall’s.

Invest in yourself – Most of those exercise contraptions you see on infomercials do actually work. Yes, they are expensive but… if you wait until they run their course you can find them used on craigslist, eBay, the trading post, and yard sales or new at Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Ross, Big Lots, and Ollie’s. I bought this Supreme 90 Day 11-DVD program for $7 at Ross.

Dress the part – The reason bankers wear dress clothes is because when you dress professional, you feel and act professional. Wearing gym clothes can improve your attitude and performance. I used to think those tight compression shirts were for show-offs. I bought one on clearance at Sears and let me tell you that it truly makes a difference. To work effectively they must be tight fitting so if you are shy or just have a problem with that wear them under your loose fitting clothes. There are bargains everywhere like these Champion running shoes on sale for $25 at Target.

Change your smoking – If you smoke, smoke half as much until you quit. If you don’t smoke, start. But…don’t buy the cigarettes. Put away the $4 a day you would normally spend per pack and buy a gym membership, a bike, a Power Tower, an Ab Lounge, etc.

You Should Not:

Make excuses – Keep them to yourself. All of us have challenges. If you want to lose weight and get in shape…Find A Way!

Lie about your actions – You’re only fooling and hindering yourself. No one will stone you for going to Krispy Kreme or skipping a couple of workouts in 90 days. Just know you will have to work extra hard to make it up and burn off those doughnuts.

Overdo it – Yes, you must push yourself past what you can currently do. However, overexertion can cause injuries that will undermine all your efforts.

Try to be someone that you just are not meant to be – Everyone can’t (and shouldn’t) be a size 6. Size is not always an indicator of optimum health. Many slim, outwardly fit people have passed away from conditions commonly regarded as overweight illnesses. Pick a realistic size you wish to be and make it your goal.  

Give up – Perseverance is the key to success. Find a partner, a sponsor, and an auditor to keep you moving forward.

There’re many more do's and don'ts of a healthier lifestyle and we will be discussing a lot of them over the next 90 todays. Getting fit can be fun, hard, expensive, and cheap (and these are not contradictions). Let’s make it a great 90 Todays. Take some before pictures, your measurements, and weight then seal them in an envelope with the date on it. Buy your gym, clothes, shoes, MP3 players, weight lifting gloves, hair scarves, Ben Gay, etc. and let’s get moving.

Finally, you’re probably wondering, what is the workout plan and diet? Well, there is no specific plan. I’ve learned that no matter what someone comes up with, there’ll always be someone who claims it will not work for them. So it’s on you to pick your own plan. Some use P90X, Insanity, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Sweatin’ to the Oldies, Phully Loaded Iso-Abs, Gold’s Gym, YMCA, a personal trainer, or any of many other plans widely available. I normally use Max-OT (www.ast-ss.com) but I will probably use a modified version of it dubbed Lucky 7’s. My diet…A smoothie containing protein, veggies, fruit, oatmeal, and soy milk for breakfast. Salad with avocado, albacore tuna, grilled chicken or salmon for lunch. And a sensible, but enjoyable, dinner which will consist of meat and possibly a sweet potato dish. I’ll post some bargain apparel, exercise equipment, and events soon.

P.S.  I know Spring officially starts 3/20 this leap year, but I’m sticking with my usual 3/21 – 6/21 non-leap year schedule.

Take a Step Back Before Moving Forward

Yes, I wrote about this last January, too, because I just can’t stress how important it is. Please, Please, Please….Back Up Your Files! Don’t do it for me, do it for you. There is no need of forging full steam ahead without securing what you already have. Invest the time and the money into protecting your projects, pictures, music, and any other data that you like having around. If not, you run the risk of never seeing it again. Check around for an external USB hard drive, preferably one that does not need and external power source. Go for a solid-state hard drive if your budget allows. CDs and USB flash drives are cheaper options. Keep your back-up drives in a waterproof and fire resistant container just in case. Depending on your tolerance for sharing your data, online back-up services offer the greatest solution for making sure your files are cared for.

Also, what’s in your wallet? If you looked for your wallet right now only to find that it was lost or stolen, could you recall everything that’s in it? Do you know the policy or membership numbers on your cards? Do you have vital business contacts or discount codes in your wallet? How about a photo that may be the last one in existence? Well I do. But…I have the things that are in my billfold listed and photocopied in a separate secure location just in cast I lose my wallet…AGAIN. It’ll take a little time to get it done but it may cost you more time if you don’t do it now.

Taking this essential step now will prevent you from having to reacquire or recreate your files in the future.

Change Your Entire Life In Just 24 Hours. Read “It’s Always Today,” The Self-Empowerment Handbook. Available in paperback and Kindle formats.

Available online at:

Hollawood Publishing                               www.hollawood.com

Amazon                                                      www.amazon.com

Abe Books                                                  www.abebooks.com

Alibris                                                         www.alibris.com

Barnes and Noble                                       www.barnesandnoble.com  

Better World Books                                    www.betterworldbooks.com 

Books Inc.                                                   www.booksinc.net

Books-A-Million                                         www.booksamillion.com

Powell’s Books                                            www.powells.com

Schuler Books and Music                          www.schulerbooks.com

Now Year’s Resolutions

Nope. Not a typo. It’s always today which means your time is now. Have you had a chance to read “It’s Always Today?” Well if you have then you understand how having clear directions can expedite the achievement of your goals. Setting your GPS (Goal Procurement Strategy) then applying focus, effort, and discipline to the tasks or resolves contained within that strategy is essential for success.

Even luck favors the prepared. I’ve heard it said that New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time since most people are great at starting, mediocre at persevering, and poor at finishing, if quitting doesn’t become a better idea first. This time, scrap the New Year’s resolutions and make your Now Year’s resolutions. Face it; if you can’t start now then waiting until the New Year won’t make much difference. Spend the next 10 days or so setting your GPS. Write out your one year plan for 2012 and your one month plan for January. Go ahead and use January 1^st as your starting point only for ease of record keeping. Live everyday in the now. Review your resolutions, and your budget, often if not daily to maintain your focus. It’s always today. Yesterday this was tomorrow but come New Year’s Day, right now will be last year.

-- Wood Butler, Jr.

P.S. If you haven’t read “It’s Always Today: Change Your Entire Life In Just 24 Hours,” make that a Now Year’s Resolutions as well. It’ll really change your perspective on life. www.hollawood.com/today