![Recommend [CoachRick]](http://s3.amazonaws.com/arkayne-media/img/badge/logo-recommend-badge-medium.png){kind=icon}
This morning looked like yet another rainy day in Boise, Idaho. I decided if I was going to get in my exercise today I had to either take the bike or walk. It looked like rain so I decided to walk while I could and get my exercise done on the way to work. Little did I know how enjoyable it would be.
Image via Wikipedia
When you don’t walk around your neighborhood much you miss things. These are things you might drive by every day but you just don’t really notice them. Sure you see the neighbor’s yard with the flowers and the gardens being started. But you miss something. You miss the smell of the flowers and the sound of the earth waking up in the early morning.
Image via Wikipedia
So on my 2.5 miles into work I enjoyed several flowers, animals and even some funny human behavior. Imagine watching a bike rider who with all the gear and gadgets it was obvious that they were riding for their health and the environment, however when you look at the see-thru pouch of their backpack you see a load of soda and junk food. I find it amusing that they would work so hard to keep in shape and fuel their body with junk. But everyone makes choices I just observe.
Another added benefit was how clear my mind was when I got to work. I enjoy the mornings as that is my most productive time of the day, but this morning was even better. My energy was ramped up as was my metabolism. It made for a great start to my day. I even made it to work 10 mins early even though the boss wasn’t here today to see it.
It wasn’t all roses but it was all interesting. There is a segment of the walk that goes through where many of our city’s homeless hang out for early morning coffee and donuts (yeah don’t get me started on food programs) but even this has it’s own sights, sounds and things to learn. I just keep walking and looking around to stay on task to get to work because there but by the grace would I be.
Lesson for the day everyone is I burned off over 300 calories on the way in. I felt great. I improved my body and my health. Better yet, I was reminded of how great the earth is during a time where all I hear is bad news and how we are destroying our planet. I got to enjoy the peace and solitude of walking and seeing all that has been created around me. I got more familiar with my neighborhood at a pace slow enough to enjoy an observe the beauty of life around me.
Peace of mind, exercise, and some lessons along the way. Not a bad way to start a day. What can you do for all of that? Share your ideas with us!
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=80770413-2587-4ffd-aac5-9a9df66f2b65)
Walking to a first place win
This month has been a new milestone for me. I have won two first place awards in sporting events in one month. Now for many of you that would seem like old hat. I knew your types and their abilities my whole life. I just was never on a first place team or came in first on any sporting event in my life. This month I received a first place ribbon in a 5k walk for my age bracket and our volleyball team won the university staff tournament for staff appreciation week.
Now for you folks that have been good at sports getting 2 first place awards in a month might seem small. Stop for a moment and imagine being in your 50’s and never having taken first place before. Twice in one month seems like a life changing event. In fact it was due to a lifestyle change that it came about.
I now know why people who are good at sports seem to walk a little taller. It feels good to compete honestly and win. Win with humility and not in their face but win none the less. Imagine a whole lifetime of never winning and you understand why someone might give up the idea of ever winning at anything. I have lived my life thinking I would never win. It did keep me from trying until the last couple of years.
Still moving at the end
After I lost my weight someone suggested trying for a 5k run. My first one I did some training and came in better than some but didn’t place at all. The great thing was it keep me focused in trying to improve. I found I could get faster. I found I could run longer. I found that I could train for a purpose that was as much about me as it was the people I was working with to improve their health and fitness.
The results are, it continues to motivate family and friends to do more for their health. They remember when they couldn’t get me off the couch, or to garden, heck even sometimes to just go visit somewhere. I was too tired. I was too sick. It gives them hope. I get the benefit of enjoying more life. I believe because of my choices to lose weight that people in my life and those yet to come along will live longer, more enjoyable lives. And that my friends is a prize worth winning.
Tobey and April not far behind
I say if I can do it I can help someone else do it. What say you? Your comments are welcome!
No this is not an article on how to raise pot and lose weight, it is about growing your own food and getting some exercise while doing. An added benefit has been some quality time with both my wife and son as we work together to completely redo our backyard.
For the last 4 nights (with many more to follow) we have been working on moving what would be a dump truck load of dirt around the yard. Because our back yard was part of the Boise river many, many years ago, it is full of rock of various sizes. We have to shift the rocks out as we prepare it to go into some raised beds we are doing square-foot gardening with this year. There is also the digging out of spots to put the new sifted dirt into the raised bed area.
- Image via Wikipedia
Come to find out the approximate calories per hour for a 150 pound person (not me) is 350 calories per hour. For me it is closer to 460 but we will use the 350 number to illustrate a point. One hour of digging would then equate to the following food intake to put things into perspective: The numbers on the right under the Cals column are the calories per serving.
These numbers from Calorie Count at About.com
| Quantity | Description | Cals |
| 1.3 | Grande Starbucks Caffe Latte – Made with whole milk | 272 |
| 0.5 | McDonald’s Big Mac – With cheese | 704 |
| 4.3 | Glasses of wine (3.5 fl oz) | 79 |
| 1.2 | Snickers Bar | 273 |
| 1.6 | Cans of Coca-Cola | 207 |
| 11.3 | Carrots | 30 |
Translated, it means that it would take a 150 person two hours of shoveling to burn off a Big Mac or 1.3 cups of a Grande from Starbucks. We wonder why 15 mins on a treadmill and a few other exercises don’t cut it for weight loss. It all depends on energy in versus energy out. I tease my wife that each night I have earned the right for a donut. Truth is donuts are once in a while treats these days and figured into the total for that day. Unlike in the past where it was nothing for me to eat 6 or more in one sitting and eat the rest of my meals that day.
Lesson for the day, it takes a whole lot more effort to burn off calorie dense food than it does the few minutes that it takes to eat it.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=6d190b91-8ba3-4888-834c-d666c15951b2)
This last week was the first time in months that I was feeling so bad I had to take some time off from work and workouts. I came down with a cold or flu and just before that I had pulled something in my back during one of my last weight trainings. Reminder to self remember to stretch more. So imagine for a few short moments coughing and sneezing with your back spasms that would normally bring me to my knees if I could just get out of bed. That was just two days ago and this morning I was back up and walked out 2 miles.
No, I am no superman. I did have to dig in and find that hero I wrote about recently. I had to get back at it as soon as I was able. Why you ask? Well because it was the workouts and the weight loss that turned what would have been a full weeks worth of illness to just half a week. That’s right my recovery was faster because my body was stronger. It wasn’t hauling around an extra 100 lbs. It was not in the constantly worn down condition of no sleep and no reserves. When I got back there where still people out from the same or similar bug.
- Image via Wikipedia
I went and got my back adjusted as I had gotten it out of alignment. Feels much better today. Again a recovery that would normally take a couple of weeks before I would even think of going back to working out. In talking to the chiropractor we talked about recent vacations he had taken this last year and I commented that I used to think that action, fun-filled things like hiking and snorkeling where out of the question for me just one short year ago. That this last year I had hiked the Grand Canyon for the full day and loved every minute of it. I look forward to my next tropical vacation where I can get back in the water and enjoy the fish and swimming without feeling like I was going to run out of breath.
To answer the question I used for the title, I realized on my walk this morning that the way to recover is to start back at it. It doesn’t matter if it was illness or lack of weight loss that slows us down. It doesn’t matter that we are discouraged or feeling a bit let down. It matter how we overcome that feeling. It matters that we do what we can do. Last week it was keeping the hands out of the chocolate jar at work. This week it was going for a walk rather then slacking another day. All of it based on choices that stacked up over this last year that made it even possible to do it in the first place.
That’s right loosing weight and working out made me stronger and recovery was faster. Small price to pay to have along with it more energy and determination to keep going. What goal are you working on today? What are you willing and able to do to get there? Think about it and DO Something about it today!
On my journey to help myself it now occurs often in my life that I am helping others. It is not often that I write about family because I don’t want to be the one to pressure them to get fit. I want to be an example and not a nag (you know what a nag is, an almost dead old horse that has been badly beaten). I also believe (to quote another horse analogy) you can lead someone to the well but you can’t make them do anything.
Now before I give you the impression that the person I am writing about is stubborn and not wanting to get healthy let me clear that up. I am writing today about my wife. She has been the most wonderful, supportive, understanding, caring, loving, and the list goes on and on. I do not deserve the beauty and the joy that this woman has brought into my life. And truth be known it was wanting to spend a much longer life with her that motivated me to start all this. She would also be the first to recommend me as a coach to someone else, but knows that I can be much more patient with someone outside my immediate family then someone that lives in the same house with me.
She patiently waited (times are tough and money tight, but it is getting better :=) )for me to release the weight and get off my program. She puts up with all of the comments like “Hey look how much I lost this week!” or the infamous “Do you see that new little muscle poking out here and there?” She has put up with it all and just waited.
Last week we got her on program. Not without some trepidation however. Once concern she had was how badly I was going to watch her every bite. I had to reassure her that this was her journey and not mine. I am only there for her when she has questions about her progress. I would help her with encouragement and only give advice when asked. I gave her my word. She began her journey.
Well this weekend was her first weigh in. Now me the caring husband wanted her to see double digits as is often the case between water retention and the beginning of any change in eating. We use a scale that calculates body fat percentage, water percentage and muscle mass percentage. I knew from her starting weight and percentages she is not one to retain water and so I wondered what her first number would be.
Well that morning she got on the scale and as I looked over her shoulder I paid close attention to her number (although quietly as I could). She had lost 6 pounds her first week! Now it was not the double digit number I had hoped for her and I guess I showed the disappointment on my face. She asked me if I was disappointed with her weight loss. So I had some explaining to do.
I explained that in fact no it was a significant weight loss for her first week. That in looking over her first set of numbers the 6 pounds was most likely very real for her and not just water weight. I was very happy! But that brought up the important question, was she happy with her weight loss and paying such close attention to the program. She grinned and said of course, who wouldn’t be happy with 6 pounds of fat gone?
So I wrote this all up for a lot of reasons. First as a reader of my blog you now know I have had several of the people that are most important in my life on the program. I am extremely proud of my wife and love watching her get healty and knowing I will have her around for maybe years more because of this shared journey.
I believe it to be the best way towards optimal weight loss and long term health benefits that come from being at your healthy weight. I also wanted you to see how careful I am with each and everyone I work with. It matters to me that you are successful and happy with your journey. We all know many of us had enough disappointments in our lives. Last but not least of it all, when it gets right down to it, the most important question is “Are you happy with your progress?” That will always be the answer that directs your success. It will be what gets you to follow your plan and do what is needed to get to your goals.
Do you need a coach? Not for me to answer. I just know that the success rate goes up exponentially for those you have support and make lifestyle choices after completing their weight loss phase. Won’t you join me on that journey? Either way be blessed today, enjoy the ride life has presented you with, and find a way each day to be happy to be alive.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=0dff9841-67dd-4c21-bf94-f9cbff2bc340)
I have been plowing though studies and articles on ketosis, weight loss, and if there is an permanent effect on metabolism after low calorie dieting. Doing my best to plow through the myths and get to the facts on fast weight loss. I decided after plowing through all the articles that I needed to take a break. You see as always the “experts” choose to disagree on the “facts”. But more on that later.
- Image via Wikipedia
I came back from a 30 minute brisk walk to eat my salad with chicken bites and 4 small crackers. I have to laugh at the fact I am even eating vegetables on a daily basis these days and enjoying them more all the time. This coming from an ex-vegetarian after figuring out that wasn’t going to help me loose weight either after trying for 4 years. But I digress, I sat down a bit tired and thought to myself about all the exercise I had gotten in today already.
Started the day with a complete circuit training full body workout and 2 rounds. Now this is with my son and he keeps telling me we need to do it faster to get the full benefit. To me, it is an hour and half workout that leaves my whole body feeling “pumped up” and fully worked over. Then I am riding the bike to work, it is about 3 miles by bike but 5 miles by the way a car would go, so I am not really sure how long it is. Let’s just say it takes about 15 mins of good pedal pumping to get there. Then there will be the ride back tonight.
- Image via Wikipedia
As I took another bite of my delicious chicken salad and enjoyed each bite of the 4 crackers I realized that less than a year ago I would have been lucky to complete the 30 minute walk at the pace I had walked it. Now let me be clear today is not a normal day and I don’t recommend it for anyone else. It felt good to me but like I said a year ago it would have had me crying like a baby. I just keep learning every day that my body does what I ask as long as I take care of it. The walk was for pure enjoyment of the day (it is beautiful in Boise, Idaho today), not because I was driven to burn off another meal before I ate again.
I wrote today in gratitude. Thankful for those that helped me get to this point. Thankful for the blessings of getting healthy, especially before I could have lost it all. And most of all thankful for the opportunity that one simple day of my life may inspire someone else to try just a tiny bit harder in their journey. Grateful for the knowledge and the ability now to pay it forward.
For those of you that may stumble across this post. There is hope in becoming stronger. I am and never have been a super disciplined man. I just am a simple person on a mission to get to a point of knowing I am in the best health I can be. Wanting one more day with my wife, my son and my friends and willing to work to get as many days as I am blessed to receive. Each day a blessing!
Loading...