The Final Piece of the Puzzle (Part 2)



    

          Last post I laid the ground work for this series "The Final Piece of the Puzzle"; now I would like to start digging a little deeper. I mentioned that the word "exercising" is a turn off for many people. They hear that word and think running, treadmill, weights, and traditional methods that have been used for many years.  I am not knocking the traditional methods by no means ( I do a lot of them), but there are many ways that can assist in helping you keep fit or get in fit that perhaps you never thought of.  From my viewpoint there are three things to consider when fulfilling that final piece of the puzzle:

• Enjoy It!
• Be Consistent!
• Be Realistic!

           First let's talk "enjoy it".  Are you really going to be committed to do something that you do not enjoy? Your mindset needs to change from it being a chore to something you enjoy and look forward to. The easiest way to change the mindset is to find something that you enjoy doing that would help increase your metabolism. There are so many options and opportunities out there that I believe there is something for everyone. It does not have to be formal or even organized. No ...sitting on the couch watching television does not work! No....twelve ounce curls do not work either! Remember, the key is that it needs to be an activity that would increase your heart rate which increases your metabolism.           

          Next on the block "be consistent".  Whether you are in shape or out of shape, odds are you did not get that way overnight. Please do not expect to see change overnight either.  Just like the term "dieting" is fading away and being replaced with the term "lifestyle change", getting fit should also be a lifestyle change. In fact my entire blog is really geared to a lifestyle change.  That is why it is important for you to enjoy the journey on getting fit (or staying fit). One of the most common downfalls I see are people who start off ambitious but end up quitting because they do not see immediate results. Worse yet, people may see some immediate results but then plateau. They get discouraged and quit. I will most likely address this plateau issue at a later time. For now, just remember be consistent no matter what!

     Lastly "be realistic"! Your expectations and your goals need to be achievable. Don't set that bar too high or for sure you will want to quit. Build your confidence first by setting small goals that you know you will achieve. As your confidence grows, perhaps challenge yourself a little more. Not only be realistic in your goal setting, but be realistic with your schedule. Whatever activity you choose, you do not have to do it for two hours straight. In today's era, we are a society always on the go and seldom have much time to ourselves. That is a problem in itself and a topic for another day. More important than the length of time you spend, is how consistent you are.  Just for an example, 30 minutes four to five times a week is better than 90 minutes twice a week. We all have different schedules, so only you can decide how to be realistic with your schedule.

           So there you have it, enjoy it, be consistent, and be realistic. If you can accomplish all three, then you are on your way to reaching your full potential. See ya next post!

The Final Piece of the Puzzle

          For those of you who have been following my blog from the beginning, I have a few questions for you. Are you mentally ready? Are you giving your body the right energy? Are you ready for the final piece of the puzzle to reaching your full potential? For those of you who have not been following me, I would encourage you to check out my archive posts. My next series of posts, although important, are not as important as my first two series of posts. The subject of this series will be maximized by having a proper mindset and giving your body the proper nutrition. Have you guessed what the final piece of the puzzle is?

          Ladies and gentlemen, coming in third place and making the podium is KEEPING FIT! Wait ….don’t go anywhere! Notice how I did not say exercising? The word “exercising” is a turn off in many people’s eyes. Although I personally like the word and use it often; I like to approach this from a different angle. The truth of the matter is that keeping fit and exercising is synonymous. Thank God for spell check because I just hacked that word all up J  In keeping fit you physically allow yourself to do the things on this earth that are important to you. Your odds of reaching your full potential and fulfilling your purpose are much better than if you are not fit. I have heard of too many people that have not been able to reach their dreams or do some things they have always wanted to do because their body just will not allow it. You can only abuse your body for so long before you start feeling the effects from not taking care of it. Let me start by saying IT IS NOT TOO LATE! No matter how young or old you are, make today the first day of the rest of your life and embrace change.

            So what is keeping fit? Keeping fit in its simplest definition is nothing more than increasing your metabolism allowing your body to burn off those calories that have been building up. I told you it was a simple definition (my definition).  At my job I often hear the phrase “keep it simple”. I agree with that phrase. Life is not as complicated as we make it out to be. This is why I gave you a simple definition of keeping fit.  The more you understand and less intimidating it appears, the more achievable it seems. You have now just entered into the “World According to Dan”, keep it simple ….keep in fit.



Really! Time to go already! Good thing this is just the beginning of this series because I have a lot to talk about. More importantly, what do you have to share? Remember, we are all in this together and can learn from one another.

Junk In Junk Out (Part 3)

     Enough simplistic talking; it is time to get more complex. Carb complex that is! In the last post we discussed how our body’s process simple carbohydrates quickly; and also burns them quickly giving you a short sustainment of energy.  Complex carbohydrates are completely opposite. Our body processes the complex carbs more slowly giving us a longer sustainment of energy.

     The chart above that I got of the okloseweight.co.uk website list several foods that are naturally high in complex carbohydrates. These types of foods are the best method for getting your carbs. Unlike the simple carbs, these foods contain other nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. Generally speaking, people call the simple carbohydrates bad carbs and the complex carbohydrates good carbs. I am always a bit concerned when I hear of someone going on a carb free diet. Your body needs carbs to help create and maintain energy. Instead of omitting carbs completely, try cutting back making sure that the ones you are consuming are of the complex type or from fruit. Remember some simple carbs are ok in moderation (check my last post).

     A little side note, even though honey is considered a simple carbohydrate; it is a preferred sweetener over sugar. Honey has some nutrients in it where sugar does not. If possible try sweetening your food or drink with honey instead of sugar.

     So to bring the “Junk In Junk Out” series to a close, I found a short Youtube video by HealthiNation that does a great job summarizing what we have been talking about. It even gives a few bits of information that I did not touch. Check it out!

 

     Stay tuned for my next post. Hmmm …since we did a series on the mind, and just finished a series on a nutritional area; can you guess what the next series will be on? Sorry no hints ….just come back next week. However, we are well on our way to reaching our full potential!



 





Junk In Junk Out!

      My last two posts concerning health and reaching your full potential dealt with the mind. Although I only scratched the surface of it, I feel it is time to move on to another area of importance.  Perhaps down the road we will touch more on the mind and positive thinking but let’s move on!  Hmmm …what do you think would be next in order of importance of taking care of yourself?  In my opinion, I believe next in line would be what we put into our bodies.

            To me, it is amazing that depending on what you eat or drink can affect your mood.  It took me a while to reach this point, but now when I eat a lot of junk food my body lets me know it.  Just the other day, I went out to eat and over did it eating at a buffet. Within just a short period, I felt tired and lethargic. Of course, this not only affected my energy level but also my mood.  I felt like I was just going through the motions of what I had to do for that day.  I am sure we all feel this way from time to time. Perhaps if not from unhealthy eating, then maybe when you are run down and sick? I am thankful that my body gives me these signs. It kind of like a check and balance system. Understanding your body and more importantly, LISTENING to your body will go a long way in how to improve your health.

                                               

                        Have you ever experienced the effects of driving a vehicle that has bad gas in the fuel tank?  Although it is the required fuel for your vehicle, it is bad fuel. Because of this bad fuel, your vehicle runs sluggish and may even stall on you.  Our bodies are the same way.  For the most part, whatever we eat or drink, our bodies will try to use it as fuel.  If it is healthy with nutrients, then your body will run stronger and longer. However if it is unhealthy, your body will run slower and with much shorter endurance. 

            So much to say in such short time! Stay tuned in and we will touch more on HEALTHY eating verse unhealthy eating!  Is this good medicine for you? It sure is for me! I know that this was no breakthrough post, but we all can use a reminder from time to time. Feel free to comment and share your experience. We all can LEARN from each other.