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Gotta Run…

on March 29th, 2012 by Rob

I don’t know what it is about running. I did a post not long ago about how it was good for weight loss.

Well, I think it is good for my mind as well. I read something not long ago about people that run (or really, do any sort of physical exercise) don’t need as many anti-depressants. THAT seems like a good thing to me.

But I don’t know what it is about running. I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that DON’T want anything to do with running. I asked someone the other day… they said, “not unless someone is chasing me”.

I just like the chalenge. Not just the physical chalenge. The mental chalenge… going on and on. Not stopping. Just putting one foot in front of the other— when you REALLY REALLY want to stop. But you don’t. You just keep going. I like that. Makes me feel good that I can do it. Makes me feel good when I don’t stop. Maybe that is why it improves my mental outlook.

Get Up!!!! Get Running!! Get a better Life!!

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Best Way to NOT Eat as Much!!

on March 22nd, 2012 by Rob


Eat With Your Non-dominant Hand.

At one time or another, everyone goes a little overboard on snacks—- or regular food for that matter. It seems that sometimes we eat without being aware of the serving sizes— I know this is one of my hurdles that I have to overcome.

I read the other day that some really smart guys got together and did a study. Their research shows you can stop yourself simply by switching hands. They found that their participants who used their dominate hands were simply eating out of habit. It didn’t matter if they were hungry or liked the food. They were like me, just hoovering whatever was in the pantry.

If you grab the popcorn or the chips or simply put the fork in your other hand, it will slow you down and make you a little more mindful of what and how much you are eating.

Slowdown!! Get Up!! Get Moving!!! Get a Better Life!!!

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Will Running Help You Lose Weight?

on March 8th, 2012 by Rob

I certainly hope it does. I have been doing enough of it lately. Running helps you lose weight. In fact, it probably does a better job at reducing overall body size than any other exercise.

Not only will you lose body fat by running, but you’ll also lose a little bit of lean body mass as well. This is more of a problem for extremely long distance runners, but it does play a small factor if you’re running every day. If you’re looking for that lean look, then this is not a problem, and you should run all you can.

If you want to avoid this loss of lean muscle mass, then running every other day will provide you with all the benefits that running has to offer, while limiting any loss of muscle. This will also be easier on your joints— my hips hurt all the time, so I need to take it easy.

The average person will burn about 100 calories every mile while running. This makes it one of the absolute best exercises in terms of calorie burning.

However, running alone doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lose weight. I have said this a thousand times, if you are not watching what you eat, you will not do yourself any good at all. I have fallen into this trap from time to time (like right now)….

When people introduce running into their lives, they often unconsciously start eating more as their body has begun to use more calories than it normally does during the course of the day. Heads up!!! If you do this, then you will NOT lose weight. Remember, we have to take in less than we burn— easy math really.

Running without a healthy diet is counterproductive when your goal is to lose fat. If you don’t consume less calories that you burn, you will not lose weight, no matter how much you run.

So, remember to Get Up!! Get Moving!!! Get a better life!!! But watch what you are eating too!!!!

Oh…. and remember, I don’t have to be faster than the bull, I just have to be faster than you!!! Words to live by.

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No Fun To Do It Alone?

on February 23rd, 2012 by Rob

I see them all the time. Ads on T.V. for the next new weight loss program or item.

Now, not that they are all inherently bad— that’s not the point. The point is that they tout that one of the advantages to the program or the product is that “you can do it at home”, “no need to go the the expensive gym”. “It’s so easy, you can do it in minutes a day, any time of day”.

Well, once again, some of the products and programs are good. But the bad thing here is that they make it sound so effortless. Trust me, it is not.

Also, they make it sound like it will be easy to get up out of bed every morning and do this program or use this product —- no problem.

For me, it was a problem. I know I bought many books and programs and products over the years– none of them worked as well as being in a boot-camp class and being with some friends.

Remember when you were a kid and you were always with someone from your neighborhood… riding bikes or playing baseball or doing one of those other things?? Well, you had someone to share that time with, and it is just as important today now that I am grown. I still don’t like to play alone.

So, find some friends…. or make some new ones in a class and…

Get Up!!! Get Moving!!! Get a Better Life!!!

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Go Ahead… Eat That Beef!!

on January 28th, 2012 by Rob

When I was doing the People Magazine interview… the first one, the reporter asked me what I ate. She wanted to know if fast food was a problem for me. I could not deny that I did eat some fast food, but I told her that this was not the real problem.

For me the real problem is Steak. Yep… I try to eat it as often as I can. The problem for me before I lost any weight was that I was eating it three times a week… and I was not exactly eating a lean cut. I like rib-eyes- the most marbled part of the cow I think.

Well, as it turns out, I really just have to modify my steaks a little. You see…Harvard researchers recently discovered that while eating processed meats like hotdogs and bacon can contribute to heart disease, there is no such risk for people who consume only unprocessed meat. And many studies have linked protein consumption with weight loss.

Also, meat is one of the only dietary sources of vitamin B12, which helps your body make blood cells and maintain a healthy nervous system. But here is the tricky part– Eating too much saturated fat has been linked to heart disease, so go ahead and eat that steak, but make it a NY strip or something even more lean. And eat it only once a week.

Remember to Get Up!! Get Moving!! And Get a Better Life!!!

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Eat Your Whole Wheat Bread!!

on January 23rd, 2012 by Rob

I know… It’s not as good. It really isn’t. But, it IS good enough.

A couple of days ago, I had to use some white bread for something. My wife had bought a loaf for some recipe she was working on (don’t ask me why she didn’t substitute whole wheat) and I was out of bread. I REALLY wanted a ham sandwich. So, I did the substituting. It was REALLY good.

When people ask me how I did it. How did I lose the weight. Part of that answer is WHOLE GRAIN.

So, don’t let anyone tell you that bread will make you fat. A recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that overweight people who obtained all of their grain servings from whole grains lost more belly fat than those who skipped the whole grains altogether.

The thing is- or one thing is that eating whole grain has a lot more fiber… and fiber fills you up and keeps you filled up.

Oh, and make sure to NOT buy the “fake” wheat bread. Check the label and make sure that the word ENRICHED is nowhere to be found in the ingredients list.

Remember to Get up!!! Get moving!! and Get a better life!!!— and eat that whole grain.

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Hard to Believe.

on December 17th, 2011 by Rob

Why do we buy so many of these really big meals… burgers… fries… and the dock your jet-ski drinks??

Well, one reason really surprised me. As a matter of fact, I am still not sure I beleive it.

Here is the deal: Marketing researchers at Northwestern University tell Time.com that studies suggest jumbo portions are a way for people that feel helpless to enjoy a “momentary catharsis”.

In other words, ordering a super-size meal is a way that people with low social status (and perhaps a low income) to feel more powerful and important.

Researchers note that throughout history, people with more money (and thus status) have the biggest houses and the most food. Well, it seems that perhaps that trend is continuing in the 21st century.

Subjects in the study were shown video of people ordering meals. Then they were asked to rate the people (from a status standpoint) based on what they ordered. Across the board, the people that ordered the large meals were rated the highest.

Additionally, subjects were asked to think of a time when they felt disadvantaged… or taken advantaged of. Again, the hypothesis rang true. Given a choice of small, medium and large smoothies- same results… guess what: They ordered the large.

Perhaps this is ANOTHER reason that obesity rates are highest among people with lower incomes.

Remember, Get up!! Get Moving!! Get a better (smaller) Life!!!!

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You Better Sit Down For This!!

on December 15th, 2011 by Rob

O.K.- Weird article a couple of days ago. But here is the deal.

Some really smart guys got together and did a study on sedentary lifestyles. Seems like heart disease is not the only thing we have to worry about.

It seems that sitting for long stretches of time- work, or like me in the car- or even at home in an easy chair, increases your cancer risk. Even if you work-out regularly.

But, here is the good part—- Even breaks as long as one minute can help lower the risk.

That means that once an hour, even if it is for just a minute— Get up!! Get moving!!! (walk to the water-cooler, pace during a phone call or go see a colleague instead of sending an e-mail) and Get a Better Life!!!!!!

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Turkey Day!! 4 Ways to Get Through It!!

on November 21st, 2011 by Rob

I just read on my handy day by day trivia calendar that there is a day in the U.S. that surpasses Super Bowl Sunday for food consumption. Thanksgiving. Well, that does figure. The whole thing was built on the assumption that the way to celebrate and give thanks is to eat yourself into a diabetic coma. Fair enough… I like to do that on Thanksgiving and then watch some football as I fall asleep. It makes for a good time.

Well, if we can, we need to watch it. I am not saying that we shouldn’t have a good time and eat as much as we want on Thanksgiving. But the fact of the matter is that we seem to just keep on going right through the new year.

See- it’s the leftovers… all the Turkey sandwiches and turkey and dressing and all the other ‘’stuff” that we eat for the rest of the next two weeks.

Then you know what happens, you start in on the holiday parties. Yep, it can get pretty out of hand. Then Christmas comes along and we do it all again…. just 3-4 weeks later. Oh, and don’t forget new year. Have another cocktail.

Well, what we need is a little help getting through these situations. Here are some strategies.

1. Don’t go hungry! Eat a little bit BEFORE you go to the holiday party. That way you won’t over do it when you get there because you are so hungry.

2. Shop smart- When you go to the store to get some of the stuff for turkey day, get WHOLE WHEAT CRACKERS, LOW FAT COTTAGE CHEESE, SKIM MILK. Shaving a few calories here and there can really make a difference.

3. Enjoy the meal. I always try to pick the things that I like the best… and skip the things that don’t really do it for me. For example, I can live without green bean casarole in the sea of mushroom soup- but live without the pecan pie??? Forget it. I will skip the beans and have a small piece of pie- because that is the second part of this- watch your portion sizes. If you don’t have the pie (or whatever it is that really does it for YOU) then you’ll just end up pissed off—- then you might go on a pie bender. (That is what I would do).

4. I say this time and again during the year- and it goes double for the holidays. Don’t beat yourself up. It is normal to want to eat some of those special things durring the holidays. If you do slip up and do something you shouldn’t, give yourself a break and start over immediately. Don’t wait till after the new year.

Finally- remember to work-out during this time of year. It is so easy to say “To heck with it, I will start again in January.” Don’t do it!!! Keep going. Start again immediately.

Get up!! Get moving!!! Get a better life!!! Even during the holidays!

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Why Are We a Fast Food Nation!

on October 10th, 2011 by Rob

These days we all walk into fast food joints (I know I pick on McDonald’s a lot- but they are easy to pick on)… and we see a lot of choices. In fact, we see some healthy choices.

Remarkably, we see more and more healthy choices every day from these guys…. including McDonald’s. We see salads and we see fat free and low fat dressing. We see grilled chicken as a choice, instead of the fried variety.

But here’s the thing. Even though we have all this to choose from, still, most people opt for the burger and fries. Why is that?

I think there are a couple of reasons.

1. Food addiction. I think that this is more prevalent that we think it is. It is a tough one because we HAVE to eat. It is impossible to stop. It is easy to stop doing Cocaine… well, not easy to stop but you know what I mean. You don’t HAVE to have Cocaine to live.

2. Lack of self-esteem. Now, obviously this is not an across the board truth… but it is for me. When I was at my heaviest, I was not liking myself very much. I was struggling with depression and eating was a way to self medicate.In order to lose weight, in order to take better care of myself, I had to change the way I was thinking. I had to RE-FRAME my thoughts. I never would have thought that losing weight would help me that much, but I did. I am more confident as a Father, as a Husband and as a Professional person… now that I have lost weight.

This lack of self-esteem was very elusive to me. Very hard for me to see it until it was in the past.

These two go hand in hand. Once again, not necessarily the case for everyone that is overweight, but it was for me.

Remember, Get up!! Get moving! Get a better life!! Even if you are not sure that you need it!

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