“Can Positive Action Infect Other Parts of Your Life?” Insanity: Day 27 of 60

My wife said something to me this morning that has prompted this question.  It’s a good one.  Can positive things from one aspect of your life bring about positives in other areas?

What prompted it?  She came down the stairs and I was in front of the TV watching the morning news.  I was doing my “Ab Ripper X” routine on the carpet.  It was odd for her to see me there because I usually work out in my “man cave” in the basement.  Today, however, is the first day of summer for my kids and my son had some friends sleep over to participate in a Lord of the Rings movie marathon, otherwise known as the “Nerd Hobbit Convention” (that’s MY term…not theirs). 

So there I was, in a strange place, plugging away at the 350 exercise, 17 minute routine.  My wife said, that she had been talking to a good friend of ours, Maureen Kayata , who is a spiritual therapist specializing in hypnotic regression and therapy as well as being a psychic medium.  The conversation between them had been focused on people making highly concentrated efforts for the better in their lives and how that results in the person manifesting positive things in the other parts of their life.  The basis of this is that you can create your own successes but it starts from an energy you kick off from inside you.

My wife said, “I think that’s what you are doing.”

I was a little struck by the thought because, honestly, I have been working so hard to make the best health, fitness, relationship, and work choices that I haven’t even given it much thought.  Apparently, that is part of the process.  When you stop to think about what you are doing, you kind of blow the karmic effect.  But, if you focus on the journey, and the right decisions, and leave the baggage behind, you can harness the positive energy and, like a magnet, more positive is drawn to you.

Conversely, of course, if you focus on the negatives the inverse happens.  Negative is drawn to you.  It could be from many different areas of your life.

If you live your life in swirling patterns of drama from bad relationships…

If your work environment is toxic but you refuse to leave it…

If you have family members that are toxic influences but you refuse to just separate from…

If you have addictions that are swallowing you…

If your health and fitness are so poor that it’s affecting the rest of your life…

All of these things have the capability to bring out the worst in you and manifest negative energy and bad results in your life.  If you find ways to eliminate the bad and live your life with the most positive decisions and actions, you will get to a point where everything starts to flow in the right direction.  At least, that’s the theory.

Does the theory hold any water?  I don’t really know except to say that my wife’s observations are grounded in some very real things that I have done in my life over the past four to six years.

Some of it actually started many years ago.  There were family relationships that have rollercoasted up and down for various reasons.  When they got toxic to me…I just let them go.  It wasn’t easy because along with the pain, there was also some very happy times.  But I had to weigh the good versus the bad and then make a very hard decision.  It didn’t come without loss and regret, but, overall, I think it ended up being a positive thing for me as a person.

Then about six years ago, my work life became stressful in a way that was dangerous.  Coupled with my failing physical health, my work stress had me take a couple of ambulance rides from my office to the hospital.

The first decision was to change the things I could change the easiest.  Believe it or not, the easiest thing was my weight, health, and fitness.   Why was it the easiest?  Because it was the one thing that I could control and change that no one else, so long as I didn’t let them, could affect.  It was the one thing that was totally up to me.  I went out and found a liquid diet to get the weight off and then found the right fitness routine and eating style to keep the weight off right up to today.

Once I was physically set, I made a decision to stop the partying I was doing.  Before the weight loss, my life had been full of family and work parties that had me indulging far too much in alcohol.  When I lost the weight, I had to stop.  The negatives from the alcohol went far beyond the physical effects…I found there were effects on my personal relationships as well.  I decided to make the party lifestyle a thing of the past.  To be realistic, you don’t have to cut it out completely, you just need (I think) to have a line.  What you do is up to you anyway…this is my story.

Last, I decided that the job I had done for years needed to change.  I loved the job when things were going right.  The job was absolutely the most stressful thing I had ever done when it was bad…and it was bad a lot.  The successes did not outweigh the misery.  In other words, “The juice was no longer worth the squeeze.”

The net result of all of this is a new job where I am happier working than I have ever been.  I have a fit and healthy body that, honestly, is kind of very cool to me because I have never been this fit.  My life has relationships that I treasure and memories I can comfortably recall with the happiness that they merit.  I wrote my first novel, a Christmas book of almost 450 pages.  Last…and I think this is what my wife was seeing…when I want to do something positive at this point, I seem to almost be able to make it happen.  Good things seem to be following me and finding me.  It’s kind of cool.

I have a piece of advice I give to my friends looking to do the positive but are unwilling to release the negatives in their lives, “You can’t drive to the destination of your life’s journey while you are staring in the rear-view mirror.  You will either go too slow, or drive right into a ditch.  Either way, you won't get there.  If you really want to get there, you need to lighten the luggage, keep your eyes on the road, and put your foot to the floor.”

More simply said, from my brother John, “Let go or be dragged.”

Do you think there is anything to this?  Maybe, just maybe, you should give it a shot and see what happens?   

What do you have to lose?

THE WORKOUT:

Ab Ripper X this AM but it is also my Insanity off-day!

"Fitness Workouts Training What Have I Learned in Four Weeks?" Insanity: Day 26 of 60

Beachbody Insanity.  Tonight is the end of week four.  Next week is a recovery week and then it’s four more weeks of even more intensity on the workouts.  I am currently getting my head straight for it.  The last couple of days have been really successful as I adjusted my sleep, nutrition and hydration.  I also learned a few things about Insanity that BEGINNERS may want to read about…as it comes from the four week experience.

HYDRATION: I have drunk lots more water lately and it has helped.  It has been evident in many ways…I sweat earlier in the workout and more profusely.  I know…very pretty visual.  My muscles get warmer more quickly and I feel more flexible.  It has helped through things like the squat jacks.  Drink your water during the day and cut back on caffeinated drinks because they are diuretics (they dry you out).

NUTRITION: I had to adjust this too.  No adjustment to the Oatmeal/AppleSauce/Raisin blend I have in the AM.  Lunch changed a little.  From the book “Eat to Live” I got some good advice to add beans to my salad for protein and energy.  That has helped.  I also added about 4 more ounces of meat to dinner as a supplement to my Shakeology blend.  Before I blend up the Shakeology, I have chicken or some kind of fish.  The added calories has actually helped me push harder and it is showing up.

SLEEP: I have been exercising earlier in the PM.  This has allowed me to fall asleep by 11 to 11:30PM and is giving me more rest than what I have been getting the last three weeks.  Your body needs recovery time.

You have to discipline yourself to do these things or you are sabotaging your efforts.  I KNOW I have to and should be doing them and still kind of let it fall by the wayside.  You can’t if you want this program to work in a way that is both efficient and effective.  When it isn’t going right, it can feel very wrong.  What I mean by that is that if you find you have to force yourself through every workout, it will become something you hate to do and you will begin to find excuses to quit.  So take care of your habits and take care of YOU.

Now…for you BEGINNERS.

WATCH YOUR FORM!  My biggest mistake in this program was not watching my form on the exercises and just kind of adapting to the moves.  Just some examples here:

One.  In the first week, my calves and lower thighs were killing me.  Yes, there is a physical adjustment curve to the intensity of new exercises.  BUT, and this is a biggie, I really hurt the process by not stretching and not using the right form in the squat part of the routine…any squats.  Power squats, squat jacks, etc.  You name it.  Make sure when you squat that your knee is NOT out over your toe.  When you do that, your tendency is to be on the balls of your feet and your heel ends up off the floor.  It makes your calves tight and overworks that muscle.  Make sure your core is tight and your butt should drop back and down, not just down.  Make sure your heel is square on the floor.  Your knees should never be bent at more than a 90 degree angle or you will over stretch the thigh muscles above the knees.  It takes a while to get this form right but work on it or you will pay.  You want to get this right because if you don’t you will start to think it is just “too hard for you” and convince yourself that you should quit.

Two.  Stretching.  The other reason my legs were killing me is that I was not stretching properly.  Something they, in my opinion, do NOT emphasize enough is the “WHY” part of these stretches.  There is a lot of work impact on your (do I need to repeat this?) calves and lower thighs.  The calves in particular, need to be stretched properly.  Make sure in your stretches that you keep your legs straight.  When you have to extend the leg, extend it completely.  Don’t shortcut it.  If you do, the muscle stays contracted and tight and never properly loosens.  You will pay for that unstretched calf.  If you have to, stop the DVD and stretch until you feel you are ready.

ON GETTING “HEARD” OVER THE INTERNET:

 I try to do my blog daily.  On any given day, I get anywhere from 120 to 200 views on my blog for the various topics I have covered.  I am approaching 200 blog articles.  200 is really good, but can it be better?  How do you get your message out there when there are just so many?

I am trying an experiment today.  There are three words that are the most searched terms.  FITNESS, TRAINING, WORKOUTS.  I want to see if this blog post gets found a little better and read a little more.  Who knows…maybe we will get more INSANITY participants!

WORKOUT LAST NIGHT:  Cardio Plyometric Circuit.  Went real well.  Getting better at the Basketball drills.

WORKOUT TONIGHT:  Cardio Power and Resistance.  Last one of the first half!!

Have a great day!

"Walking the Talk" Insanity: Day 25 of 60

There is so much noise these days everywhere.  I mean endless, mindless, baseless, and completely unfiltered chatter…everywhere.  As the internet has become the tool of communication choice for folks, the more everyone has something to say and the more everyone thinks their voice will and should carry the day. The most discouraging part of all of this is that, even if your message has real value, and could potentially save lives, it will always fall victim to the “Kim Kardashian Wedding” or the “Octomom.”  Many great messages are falling to the side of the road.  It’s the nature of the game.

So, if you have a valuable message that constantly rings the values of health and fitness…how do you give resonance to that ring?

There is only one real way to do it.  Walking the talk.

The first rule of persuasion or selling is to be able to demonstrate expertise.  It’s the hardest hurdle to overcome.  Nothing fuels the leap over that hurdle like credibility.  If you are a doctor, you are there.  If you are a credentialed Nutrition specialist, you have a distinct advantage.  If you are a certified physical trainer, point for you!  But if you are talking health and wellness, and you have none of these things, you better wear credibility as a suit every day and it starts with looking like you are healthy and fit.  The other key is that, if you are helping people get from unfit to fit, you better be able to relate to and verbalize that journey.

“Walking the talk” gives your message strength and resonance.  Here is another secret.  By “walking the talk” you have a distinct advantage over even those who are actually professionally credentialed!  If you are a doctor, nutrition expert, or personal trainer, and you look like you are not fit yourself…you may persuade some people, but there will always be those who look at you skeptically with one eye cocked.

When I went on the Optifast diet in 2008, the physician running the program was a short, tubby, and kind of jolly looking man.  I have to say honestly that, as he was touting the benefits of weight loss and the value of the program, no matter how good those words sounded, they lost resonance coming out of that rolly polly frame.

Since 2008, many have asked me about my journey.  My blog has been read as far away as New Zealand and some have even emailed me for advice.  The reason they reach out, I believe, is that I practice what I preach.  I have been in their shoes.

I have done a lot of reading and research about nutrition.  I can tell you how the body breaks down food and processes it.  I can tell you how the bad food is processed and stored…and how toxic fat truly can be.  I can talk about the personal issues that being fat can cause.  I can talk about the challenges of keeping the weight off.   I can tell you how valuable exercise can be for you.  BUT, do you know what people respond to more than anything else?  A side by side photo of me in July 2008, in my bathing suit at 285 lbs, and a picture of me in March of 2009, at 205 lbs.

A picture is worth a thousand words.  No kidding.  I know, because I have written HUNDREDS of thousands of words and the pictures do it every time.

My blog helps.  I do have a certain writing style.  Those who know me claim that when they read my writings, they can literally see me saying it.  My writing and my real voice and style carry the same resonance.  Many have called my writing style “graphic”…in the nice way.  They say that when I write about something, it is very descript and you can actually see it happening.  I tell you my entire journey of fitness and many have said that you can feel the work and energy that went into the whole voyage.  It’s a nice complement, because that’s how I like my writing to be seen.

But, in the end, it’s the damn pictures!  Show me.  That’s the world today.  In and amongst all the chatter and blather, you better have something visual to show people.  Because words are cheap.  Hell, they’re free.

Are you walking your talk?  My question today addresses health and fitness but the question and comments apply to whatever it is in your life that you are working to promote. 

If you don’t sincerely believe that your product or service works and is good, or, more importantly, if you can’t demonstrate it, you’re in a tough spot.

“Why is everyone so skeptical of these products?”

“Why don’t they understand that this will HELP THEM?”

“Why do they always say that there are other things that work better?”

“How can I motivate them to make a decision?”

The answer lies with you.  Look in the mirror and ask yourself if YOU believe it.  Ask yourself if you can demonstrate that message.  More to the point, ask yourself if you portray someone who looks and feels better.  Do you?

My old boss Glenn Morin used to have a saying, and he may have heard it somewhere, but he said on a few occasions, “You have to be able to eat your own dog food.”  Now that’s graphic.

So look in that mirror.  Do you “Walk the Talk?”

"Focus on Your Successes" Insanity: Day 24 of 60

The other night, I went to Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.  I went to see the music group America play live.  The fans were very much in my age range…that is to say, they had their teen years in the Seventies and maybe the Sixties.  As I stood there, I struck up a conversation with a podiatrist who is expanding his practice into retail footwear for the ‘pediatically’ (I made that up) challenged.  He had some very interesting insights on this generation of kids we are bringing up.

He said, “Everything with this generation is now.  Now.  Now.”  All they think about (generally) is, “Where’s my stuff?  When do I get what I know I deserve?”  The real point to his opinion was that this generation feels entitled and that they focus on what they ‘don’t’ have and complain far too much about not having it.  I don’t think that is generational though.  I think it is a cultural thing that we are all experiencing in one way, shape or form.  It’s something I try very hard to NOT do, and I will share why.

You cannot be successful unless you are moving in the direction of your goals.  To do that, you need to have knowledge and skill, which we can all get somewhere if we look hard enough.  The other two critical factors, confidence and motivation, can only come from the journey you are on and the other successful journeys that you have had.  Nothing helps breed success like past successes.  They build on each other.  When you have had a few, you then have the confidence that you can have more.  With that confidence, you find ways to self-motivate to achieve the next goal.

It is so easy to focus on what you do not have.  I could do that with my health and fitness goals.  But where would I be?

When I started this journey, I weighed 285 lbs.  That was four years ago.  It has been a long journey getting here.  The life of health and fitness that I now live had to evolve to where it is right now.  It didn’t change overnight, and the reason it worked is because I knew right from day one that it wouldn’t happen overnight.

I went on the Optifast liquid diet with a group of about twenty people.  The diet itself can be (and was) very successful for many.  But, like every other ‘diet’, it works for that period that you are engaged in it only.  To keep the weight off, it is up to you to make permanent and lasting changes to how you live.  Why?  Because if you go back to your old patterns your old friend “Mr. Fat” will be knocking on your door and in no time at all, will be sitting intimately with you on the couch again.  Why, four years later, am I still thin?  Because I knew it wasn’t an “instant cure” right from day one and my focus was life change, not weight loss.

I now do Beachbody health programs to maintain and improve my health.  In addition to the dietary changes I have made (to include high nutrient density foods), I also use their nutritional products.  I have seen awesome results from these programs and products.  P90X took 90 days…but due to some changes I made, I actually did it for 104 days.  I am on day 24 of Insanity.  That’s one-third of a year.  128 days of commitment and exercise every day.  In addition, I follow my diet, which includes the Beachbody Shakeology drink every day.  It’s a long journey.  How do I (or you) keep it up?

Focus on the successes.

I look in the mirror every day for results.  My body isn’t perfect.  Far from it.  I can tell you candidly that when you are 285 lbs and have had a big fat frame, for the number of years that I had one, that shrinking it to the form of the people you see on the DVD’s is very difficult.  Most people who are reversing a lifetime of perverted eating are going to have the exact same issue.  When you have been that big, and you start to lose the weight, it’s like letting the air out of a balloon that has been inflated for a long time.  The shell of the balloon has accommodated itself to that shape and can’t just shrink and depress.  You have fat cells that have been the containers for the fatty substances you use for energy (or not) for a very long time.  They don’t just disappear.  They empty, but they stick around.  Just in case.  Like suitcases waiting to be packed for the next trip.  Only after you have leaned your body for a while do they finally get the message and dissolve and go away.  It isn’t a pretty sight when you look in the mirror.

There are places on my body where I have accumulations of fat that are very slow to respond.  There is an area that was around my belly but now has become kind of like a tire around my lower back.  It’s shrinking and getting there, but slowly.  It has taken a very long time to reduce this.

My point is this.  I could focus on the fitness things that have not just immediately happened.  I could look at the things I really wanted to ‘be perfect’ and be depressed that they are not.  But there are other areas of my body that have had serious positive results.  My performance has also improved.  My health markers (cholesterol etc.) have improved.  If I chose to focus only on the things I haven’t had happen yet, how would my motivation be affected?  I choose (and you should too) to see the real positive results and ingrain that in my head.  Every success recognized contributes to my track record of wins and gives me the confidence that the next steps are extremely achievable.  This goes for health and fitness, but also is for the other areas of your life.   

That’s why you need to focus on your successes.  You need to put those ‘wins’ away like trophies on a shelf and you need to remember them.  You need to recognize them.  When it comes to health and fitness, nothing plays the role of ‘trophy case’ like a mirror.  In a society that pretends everyone should be humble, there are those who will think you are vain for looking at yourself.  Well, when they earn their trophies, they will change their perspective.  Until then, find some noise killing headphones and bask in your own glory.  Find the things you are happy with.  Use that as the fuel for your next win.

 Cardio Recovery tonight and P90X Chest Shoulders and Triceps!

"Hitting the Wall" Insanity:Days 20-23 of 60

When I was doing P90X, I felt just like I do right now.  Worn out.  Serious adjustments were necessary.  I had to change my diet, I had to add good food.  I have to say though, that I am more tired with Insanity than I was with P90X…I am just running down.

A couple of observations…

Sleep.  I am not getting enough.  Last week, I exercised late almost every day due to things that had to be done after work.  This completely threw me off on my sleep for days.  Then, I had to get up early on both weekend days.  My body is simply not repairing the way it should.  I need to focus on getting my exercise done early enough so I can get a good night’s rest.

Nutrition.  I am getting good nutritional efficiency, I just feel like I am not eating enough.  I am actually starting to feel hunger.  I am going to have to increase my food intake…particularly as I ramp up into Phase II of Insanity.  It goes longer and harder so my fuel will have to be a lot better.

Hydration.  I don’t know if it was the New England change of weather or what, but my body is responding differently.  I think I might need to hydrate better.  I know that my routines are always ‘sweat-drenched’ affairs so I am losing plenty of water.  There are some nights when I feel like it takes me a little too long to warm up.  There are two times of the year in New England when I notice my body change to the weather.  One is around the end of May when the weather gets more humid.  The other is around early October when the weather gets really dry.  I can feel the change this past week.

The routines themselves are actually fine…I can go through them most nights without pressing pause.  I may slow down on some of the exercises.  The Plyometric Circuit is a killer on me.  The second circuit with the basketball jumps, the level one drills, the ski hops and the in/outs still is killing me.  By the time I get to the ski hops and in/outs, I am fried.  I am almost considering reversing Phase I and II just to see if I can get full impact from each circuit.  I feel like the second circuit should be done with fresh legs.  Even Shaun T. doesn’t do them all.

Believe it or not, the Pure Cardio with no breaks is actually easier on me than the Plyo Circuit.  I think that’s because my muscles are pooping out from all the work.  It really surprises me that it’s my legs giving me issues because they are stronger than most people’s.

I’m at a point where the routines are kind of blending together.  I have to keep track from day to day because it seems like when I “push play” I always feel like I just did the routine yesterday.  I swear, yesterday I put on the Plyometric Circuit and I put the Power & Resistance on to review and then went back to Plyo…I couldn’t remember which one I did.  I checked my calendar and was still sure I had done the same one two days in a row.  Finally, I just went with my calendar and did the Plyometric…when in doubt, do the hardest one.

I also should mention that I am doing AbRipperX three mornings a week and that I am doing the Chest, Shoulders and Triceps and the Back and Biceps each week as well.

So I feel like I am hitting a wall and I really need to get sleep, eat a little more, and hydrate.

Listen to your body.  If you are in tune with how you respond to your food, drink and sleep, you will know when you have to make an adjustment.

Stay tuned!  I have Pure Cardio tonight.  “Are any of you afraid as I am about for what’s about to happen?”  (you have to do Insanity to get that joke.)