Plate and Jug Size

Lots of people have problems with portion control. Actually, its easily identifiable that the problem isnt portion control, but rather self control! Either way, one of the "cheats" that goes around is to use a smaller plate. Some nutritionists and dieticians even say to use a particular type of plate that resembles what I bought for my infant!

Recently I made a vow to myself to drink more water. And what better way to jumpstart myself that with the additional accountability of Lent? While many people were giving up soda and Facebook (gasp!) I decided to add something necessary... Water!!! Although not a Catholic, the idea behind giving something up for Lent is pretty admirable. Do without something you consider a vice, or an idol (something detracted worship from God) for a specified period of time, the 40 days between Passover/ Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.

I decided to add a gallon of water. A gallon is 128 ounces. Multiple sources have said rather than the traditional 8 cups of water (8 x 8 fl oz= 64 oz) that a more accurate equation would be taking your weight (or your ideal weight), change it from lbs to ounces, and cut it in half. For example, someone at 200 lbs, should drink at least 100 oz of water. I am currently at 185, wanting to stay between 190 and 200. So, a gallon being 128 oz is perfect!

I tried with cups and even water bottles. True story, it was easiest to drink the 128 when it came form one container. It was hard doing it in a day with the cups and water bottles, but yesterday I was able to do it in while watching the Oscars when drinking from a gallon jug. Thats's right. It looks like a milk jug. Im drinking straight from the jug (sorry Mom!) and its so much easier!

Next ime someone tells you you cant do something...

Next time someone tell you that you can't do something, think about these people:

Suze Orman was $50,000 in debt.
Steve Jobs was fired from his own company.
Jillian Michaels only returned to personal training because she was fired from as a talent agent.
Mark Zuckerberg was a kid with no friends.
Thomas Edison figured out 999 ways not to make a light bulb.

Martin Luther was excommunicated.

Muhammad Ali was jailed and his boxing license revoked.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

Jim Braddock was in dire poverty.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer was hung just days befor his concentration camp was liberated.

Jim Carrey used to live in his car.

Martha Stewart started by making cookies in her basement. 

Kevin Smith sold his comic book collection and had well over $50,000 in credit card debt to make Clerks.

Oprah was an impoverished child who was sexually abused.

Coco Chanel was an orphan forced to be a seamstress.

Tony Robbins was told time after time that the huge tumor on his pituitary gland was going to kill him.

Danica Patrick dropped out of high school at 15.

Making the Same Mistakes

It is nothing we haven’t ever heard before. The difference between making a mistake and experience is that experience something you have learned from. Quick bible history lesson here, the Jews and even Christians made lots of mistakes. From Adam to Paul, the Bible is filled with people learning the same lesson. We cannot do better than God’s provision. Sadly though, people today are still making the same mistake. When will we start gaining experience?

Adam and Eve’s mistake was not disobeying God; rather it was thinking that they could be on the same level as God. This was a mistake that the Hebrews made over and over again during their exile. They took 40 years to make a trip that should have taken less than a week and a half. They made this mistake several times over. The Spirit of God left Saul because he ignored the counsel of God and used his own and those of worldly advisors. Jesus cautioned against this in each of his parables. Paul reminded us time and time again to warn us not to make this same mistake! He wrote of humility. The humility to realize that we are not equal with the Creator, but are the Creation.

So why, is it then? That in regards to our health, the form of worshipping God by taking care of the temples he has given us (1 Cor 6:19-20), we have decided to fill our temples with food designed to be better than God’s design. Why is it then that our shelves are filled with imitation foods that are sold to us with “more protein than an egg” and “1/3 less fat than natural butter?” Like the Hebrews having to take the “scenic route” of the Arabian peninsula, we are paying for our mistakes, week after week. Not just in the rise in childhood obesity (which is sickening) but also in more variations of cancer and man made diseases than ever before. Treats are made of every imaginable deviation, including the increasingly popular (gulp!) Bacon Shake, which by the way, contains no actual bacon. There is an actual industry where the partakers are known as Flavorists, scientists responsible for fooling us into believing that something tastes a particular way. Bad food is cheap and food that is good for you is considered elitist and not a necessity.

Pray to God that we may learn from our mistakes and start gaining experience. Perhaps we can take preventative measures and pay less for true food than cancer treatments and chemotherapy.  Consider eating right, exercising, and the general welfare of our bodies as praise to God. Thank Him daily for the vessel He has given you. You would not fill a 2012 Porsche Cayman with cheap imitation gas, so why do that with a machine that performs harder and stronger every day? Stop the mistakes and gain experience!

Anatomy of a Playlist

I have a friend who is an avid runner, and she runs with no music! Crazy huh? She runs to the sound of the wind. She has the clarity of mind to work through anything that goes on her mind. She often tells me that during these times is when things press on her and she does the science behind working out the problems of life. Most of us, however, are not like her! we need music, if for no toher reason than to fuel us through our workouts! Sometimes when I run, I get into autopilot mode and am able to blast through my workout in a way I could not do without it. A different friend asked me for suggestions for her playlist, and now you know th motivation behind this post.

My playlist generally consists of eight different types of songs. My playlist can be any from just eight different songs, to I once had one well over 120 songs. In retrospect, that was way too many!

Intro: Like the songs playing in an arena as a wrestler or boxer enters the ring. You need a song that says, "I am not here to play or hang out, but to work." This song can set the tone for the entire workout. I like songs like "Lose Yourself," which as well as great music to keep you going, also has some pretty motivational speak to it.

Motivation: As you build moment you need music that will help you to do the same. I call this the Stronger section, because in my playlist, it is often that I use "Stronger" by Kanye West, Britney Spears, and Kelly Clarkson. Christina Aguilera's "Fighter" is also a favorite of mine in this section.

Random Pop Song: I am not a fan of techno , but pop and techno music have some amazing beats. These songs allow you to lose yourself yourself in the music. If you know the words, even better! Then you are not able to doubt yourself through the last few reps, you are too busy singing your lungs out like a 14 year old girl! My favorites include Christina Aguilera's "Dirrrty" and Britney Spears "Toxic" 

Song You Havent Heard In Forever: Nostalgia can do wonderful things! By now you are probably halfway through your workout, possibly getting tired. Maybe even exhausted by the monotnous routine, but there is something that hearing "Eye of the Tiger" or "Don't Stop Believing" does to you. Puts a little pep in your step!

Guilty Pleasure Song: These are songs that you would never admit to having in your playlist, but for one reason or another they put a smile on your face. They remind you that what you are doing here is fun. You drug yourself out of bed to reach a goal, sometimes its this song, and not the motivation song that reminds you about why you are here!

Abnormal Genre: Most of your playlist is probably the same artists or types of music, so it is good practice to keep it fresh by putting a random song in there. Amidst a lot of rap, Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," "Quitter," and "Songs Like This" and System of a Down's "Chop Suey" often pop up!

Power Song: Your workout is almost done! This song gets you though the last little quarter. You are tired, your arms want to give out. You have forgotten what your legs feel like. Until this song comes on. For some unknown reason you show more power through this current state of exhaustion than you did at the beginning! Drake's "Forever", Skillet's "Awake and Alive", and Eminem's "Almost Famous" generally top this part of my workout.

Recovery: Congrats! You made it! This is the antithesis of the song you came into the gym with! This song makes you realize that you are a "bad man!" You gave it all, leaving the gym knowing you gave a full effort! I like "Kevin Rudolf's "I Made It!"  or Jay-Z's "Run This Town!"

So you are going to use a trainer eh?

So, you have decided that you are going to use a personal trainer? Maybe you are just going to use the couple free sessions that came with your new gym membership. Or, perhaps you need someone to push you out of your plateaus. Maybe you see the "gym rats" have something you dont have, but want. Whatever your reasoning behind getting a trainer, they are paid for thier services, but like a waiter, or anyone else. They are paid in your results, you are a walking advertisement for them! They are also paid in your returning to suffer thier company (continue to allow them to train you.) Much like buying a car though, you do want to make sure that you have the trainer who is best suited for you. Here, I just wanted to list a couple things you need to know about trainers: what do they do? What they should not do? And what they should be doing! Most of this is common sense, but still nice to remember!

The trainers job is definitely to acquaint you to the gym. It is thier office, and it could be yours. Approach the gym like you would a job. Or in gym terms, "go hard!" The trainer should show you where the equipment is, but also how it works! This step will prevent yourself from getting hurt! They should show you the proper form which will prevent most injuries. Working out is just 20% of what it takes to lose weight and  tone your body. Your trainer should have some sort of background in nutrition. Just like working out, your nutrition needs should be individual to your weight loss goal. For example, my trainer taught me how to eat when I lost weight, and now that I am trying to bulk up. Your trainer should be mapping out your workout and nutrition. And that map should be individual to our own goals. Your trainer has evaluated where you are, and you let them know where you want to be. Together you create a plan. Deviating from that plan will make your end goals that much harder to accomplish.

I didnt want this section to be a "fire the trainer that does this" section, but its just words of caution if you catch your trainer doing this. Your trainer , like we said earlier, is a hired hand- a professional. You are not paying them to be your friend. They should not be absent during your session! They should be watching you, making sure you are being safe and will be able to use the equipment to perfection even in thier absense. They cannot train you if they are not observing you. They should not treat every client the same. Every client is not the same. They have different needs and different goals. That being said, they should also incorporate different types of fitness into your workout plan! I knew my trainer was a winner when she incorporated free weights, body weight, machines, and cardio into every workout!

I have had a couple different trainers. Some good. Some bad. Here are some of the things that the better ones had in common with one another. They realized I was a walking ad for them. They made sure my form was to the peak of perfection. They knew my progress was like a resume for them. They took pride in my progress. We established short and long term goals. There was not a time where goals were not close to being met and more goals being established. They used the proper form of motivation at the proper time. As for myself, I am a complicated individual, sometimes  I need positive cheeers when I do good. But, for the most part negative reinforcement helps me to improve! As you gain confidence and do more reps, form may be sacrificed. Your trianer should make sure that progress and form stay together, not sacrificing one for the other. Your trainer should also be very good about keeping things fresh! Mine recommended a couple classes including a spin class I fell in love with, and TRX training which wooped me big time! But most of all, the best trainers are based on your needs and thier stregnths. I am so thankful for all of mine!

In short, your trainer should compliment your life. Because, after all, fitness is not jsut one part of your life, its incorporated into every area of life! Your trainer could also be called your Life Coach! Respect them and take in what they have to teach you!

How I did it!

"Attitude is everything, is your worth catching?" This all too familiar maxim has so much truth to it. Its no secret I have a completely different body from just a year ago. Rather than drop stats on you, or tell you what I can do now that I couldn't before, I would much rather tell you how it feels to be in the best shape of my life. I find myself with a different set of "problems." Before, I struggled to find clothes that fit. Today, clothes still don't fit, but now, its because the collar swallows my much smaller neck and the pants bunch up at the waist from all the excess material. It is the price I am willing to pay for the new me. It is not just a physical change. My confidence is up- and without the assistance of "liquid courage." People used to just give me a side hug now fully embrace me! I no longer look like I am in my third trimester. Even my relationship with God is the best it has been in a while too! Namely, I have something people want.

I hear an awful lot of "what's your secret?" and "just how did you do it?" I give them the typical answers (which happen to be true.) Took up running, got my portions under control, and began counting calories, among others. I began a decent exercise regiment. Thanks, to my influence, a few people have told me that they are beginning their own journeys. How exciting for them! Experience has taught me to add a few words of caution for them.

For me, a huge problem was portion control. Though my height always hid it, I almost always never got full. I would be done when my plate was clean or I finished what I ordered, not when I was full. I tried frozen meals for a while, but they left me still hungry. I tried the Subway diet but that doesn't work when you order the wrong kinds of sandwiches, and multiple foot longs at that!Chipotle is healthy food, but is also calorically dense. My average bowl or burrito was as much as 1400 calories. After indulging, I often tried to starve myself, which just forced a heavier indulgence later. So, I would definitely say to pace yourself. I cannot stress how important it is to count calories. It is real easily to find your AMR and BMR online, then you will know how many calories you extinguish every day. Then subtract that from what you ate and drank. You cannot do this without counting calories.  Since one pound is equivalent to 3500 calories, an average daily deficit of 500 calories would mean the scale moves to the left one digit. So don't stress if you don't do well one day, you have 6 to make it up! I know, it can't be that simple- but it is! This is how I was able to eat out and lose weight! My parents would cooking things with one servings being 700-1000 calories. So I would skip out and grab a 6" from Subway (typically less than 300 calories.) The nature of my job allowed me to snack throughout my shifts, allowing me to be satisfied quite often, so I rarely gorged myself.

I'm not Catholic but when Lent came, at the suggestion of a friend I gave up soda. Then after that very rough Lent, I never picked it up again. That was ten months ago. mostly because of the High Fructose Corn Syrup and artificial sweetners. We all have our vices, Mountain Dew was mine! I was going through several 2 liters a day- more than the average person should be drinking water! But why not just switch to diet soda? Those who know me best know I have two speeds, all the way or not at all! I don't do well with exceptions! If I had allowed diet soda I would not have stuck it out. Taking away the fact that though you don't have to worry about calories, diet sodas come with another worry. A big one. The sweeteners. The artificial sweeteners have been thought of as worse than sugar. The sweeteners send a message to your brain making you crave something sweet, which usually ends up with more calories than a soda would have. The sweeteners have also been the link between "dieters" and man-made diseases such as colon cancer. Our livers were not made to cycle the sweeteners. As one health professional called it, high fructose corn syrup and other artificial sweeteners are worse on your liver and kidneys than alcohol. Take how many sodas you drink in a day (or anything with artificial sweeteners in it.) Would you replace each one with a shot of jager? Glass of vodka? Bottle of beer?

I also did workout DVDS at home. At least 30 minutes a day. Lots of people walk, but in order to walk enough to cut calories- that is a lot of walking! Who has time for that? It was easier for me to run or do resistance and circuit training. It burned more calories in a lot less time. Plus, I could do it anywhere, including the laundry room at work! When you exercise, my number one tip is to do something that will either challenge you, or that you will enjoy. Those two things will lead to you doing it more consistently. You could just diet, and given the formula above you could lose weight. You'll lose water weight, fat, and even muscle. Plus, if you don't do something to stay toned, you will get flabby and loose skin. Push ups were my thing. Now its pull ups! I used to be so upset that I couldn't do any! So each time I did it, I would try my darnest to beat my previous! Now I can do 50 push ups and 8 pull ups without stopping. Different types too!

You are bound to get tired or burnt out. So, I publicized my results. Then people would comment and ask how it was going. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Either way, for me, their asking was an extra kick in my pants. An incentive to keep it going!

Well, there you go! Just a couple tips to tell you how I kick started my weight loss and redesigning my body. This is what worked for ME! Everyone is different.

Goal Setting, A How To

I am not sure if I should even be writing this little note. For starters, I don't know that I have the time to dedicate to it, and give it the full attention that it deserves, but I can always edit it later. I can, but I know I won't. That is quite the parallelism for goal setting, don't you think? Another reason is I just wrote a blog on my own personal goals. So maybe I should have written this one first? No matter, here it goes!

There is no write or wrong way to handle conquering your goals, but this is what I do. Before starting with a goal (wish I had another word), it is important to decide what that will accomplish. Then we will know that we have the right goal down. Is your goal to fit into your skinny jeans? Is it to be able to drive the 2012 Sportscar? Is it to be a published writer? This goals, as with many are actually results from other goals. For example, I want to wear slim or tappered shirts, so my goals are to have abs and to have broad shoulders. You want a new house or car? What do you need to make in order to afford the payment? And the insurance? and maybe the escrow? Use concrete and tangible goals. Don't use vague terms like "healthy" or "weathly" or "well off," you came up with thsoe terms and you don't even know what that means. Its a true story that small victories lead to big accomplishments, if you don't know how far you have come, how do you know how far to go? 

That leads me to another point, small victories. Sure you are all gung ho now, but your motivation may start

 to fizzle soon. Small victories will keep you motivated! Weight loss is the easiest example of this. If your goal was to lose 10 lbs this month and the month is almost half over, your eyes may not see the change, but one step on the scale and you will see that yes indeed, whatever you are doing is working! This may even motivate you more than when you first started! I am a visual person so I use my small victories to accomplish my bigger ones! With paper I do a time line of my long term goals. Such as school, which the fall semester starts in August, so by May I need to have my student loans under control, so I need so much income by March. Little victories lead to big ones!

Publicize it! Whether you are a public or a private person let people know about it! You know the praise will encourage you to keep going. And now, therre are several people to hold you accountable. Perhaps you are trying to lose weight and a big bowl of ice cream sounds REAL good. Then out of nowhere you get a facebook message from a friend who wants to lose weight to but doesnt have the desire you do. You say good (based on earlier smaller victories) and then she asks how you did it? Ice cream doesn't sound as good anymore, your motivation is re-energized, and you have inspired someone else to do something that could change or even save thier life! Facebook is a great place for that! But also tell other people, they may have success stories. Only word of caution, get an actual support system, not people who tell you you are doing good but have destructive behavior, like offering you things counteractive to your goal. You know what I mean. They see you trying to not be the 2 out of 3 obese Americans yet offer you a second helping at dinner, they know you are trying to get that niecr car, but ask if you wanna go out drinking.

Clear goals, small victories, and a true support system. These are the thigns essiential to hitting my goals. HAve they worked? In the past year I have dropped 70 lbs, went from 24 to just over 11% body fat. Went from gasping when running about a mile to running over 7. A year ago I couldnt do 10 pushups, yesterday I did over 110, and then lifted weights. So, yeah, these methods have worked for me.