WDS

3 Tips To Help With Your Resolution

on January 12th, 2012 by Rob

A 2007 survey by Franklin-Covey found that 4 of 5 people abandon their new year’s resolutions. In fact, almost a third of them don’t even make it to February.

Well, I have preached this before, don’t make resolutions. Make a lifestyle change.

Here are three tips to help you if you made one:

1. Confuse your muscles- do different things… don’t get bored. Keep your body guessing.

2. Set a goal- don’t just say, “I want to lose a few pounds and get fit”, say- “I am going to lose 25lbs by the first of April”. Make it specific and measurable. Oh, and it might help to write it down.

3. Join some group fitness classes. The group will hold you accountable and who knows, you might make a friend and WANT to come see them at the gym.

Remember, Get Up!! Get Moving! Get a Better Life!!!!

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Millsaps Cross Country Fund Raiser

on January 10th, 2012 by Rob

Check it. About that time again. And this one is for my friend Andy Till. Come on out and join us if you can.

Race is February 11th at 9:00am!!

This is an open 5,000 meter cross country race. You can walk it or run.
Feel free to form a team with friends or compete individually.
Proceeds benefit the Millsaps Cross Country and Track & Field Team.

Awards:
* Top 10 male and top 10 female receive medals.
* The overall male and female winners will receive gift certificates for pizzas
from Pizza Shack and gift certificates for shoes from Fleet Feet.
* 18 and under male and female will receive trophies.
* Masters and Grand-Masters male and female winners will receive gift
certificates for pizzas from Pizza Shack.
* The winners of the team divisions will receive gift certificates for two large
pizzas from Pizza Shack.
* The first male to break 15 minutes and the first female to break 17:45 will
receive a $500 gift certificate to Fleet Fleet.

Directions to Choctaw Trails:

From Jackson – I-20 West towards Clinton, take the Springridge Rd Exit,
left on Springridge Rd for 1.5 miles, left at McRaven Rd (stoplight), drive
1.5 miles and Choctaw Trails will be on your left.

Team Divisions:
Teams are made up of 5 runners and the top 3 times will be averaged.
There is a male and female division.

Contact Coach Till if you have any questions. andy.till@millsaps.edu
www.msracetiming.com

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How Kids Learn to Hate Food-

on December 28th, 2011 by Rob

Well, the good folks in Congress have done it again.

A couple of weeks ago, Congress killed the Department of Agriculture’s new food guidelines that would have increased the amount of fruit and vegetables in school lunches. This was after Schwan and ConAgra spend millions “convincing” our Congressmen and Women that it was a bad idea. Oh, and they also lobbied to continue to count french fries as a vegtable… and the sauce on pizza as a vegtable. Pretty hard to believe.

Now some said that it was “not up to the nanny state to tell us what to eat”. And by the way, I think that the nanny state is a problem in this country. There are too many instances where the government is getting into our business where it does not belong. However, in this case—- do we really need ConAgra telling us what to eat??

Don’t get me wrong. I love a good french fry as much as anyone. But I just think that it is too much to ask for these corporations to “do the right thing”.

Remember kids!!! Get up!! Get Moving!! And Get a Better Life!!!

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This Is All You Need to Know!!

on December 25th, 2011 by Rob

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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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What is up with this??

on December 11th, 2011 by Rob

A couple of days ago, I was strolling through Walmart… minding my own business and I came across this bigger size of chips. Now, this picture does not really capture it. This is just an example of a larger size- I promise, next time I am in there I will get a picture of it and post it here.

My point is… it seems like we are ALWAYS getting a NEWER BIGGER SIZE of things. Doesn’t matter if it is Frito-Lay or someone else- Bigger is always better right?

I think we need to back it down on this stuff.

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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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Act As If

on November 16th, 2011 by Rob

Fake It Till You Make It

This is something that I have said many many times. And it really is something that I live by. It doesn’t matter if it is weight loss or speaking in public or some other situation…. I try to “Fake it till I make it”.

The phrase is often associated with Alcoholics Anonymous even though it does not appear in either of the books that form the foundation of the AA program, Alcoholics Anonymous or The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. AA to Z; An Addictionary of the 12-Step Culture describes it as a “suggestion often made to newcomers who feel they can’t get the program and will go back to old behavior. The suggestion implies that if the newcomer acts according to the steps and teachings of the program, then the program will begin to work and the anxiety will fall away”.

And it is true. There is no genetic code of how to act. In other words… it is not pre-disposed. You can do anything you want to do. If you are an introvert, become an extrovert. It is as easy as acting as if.

Get up!! Get Moving!! Get a better life!!

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Build on the TRUTH

on October 31st, 2011 by Rob

I saw the greatest thing the other day!!! I just HAVE to tell you about it. It is about having a track record of success. In other words, prove to yourself that you can do it.

O.K.- let me set this up. Over my lifetime I have participated in LOTS of therapy… and I don’t mean the physical kind. I mean the head kind. (As a matter of fact, I used to write in the memo section of the checks I wrote to my therapist “head shrinking”- you know, she never said anything about it… so I don’t really know if it ever bothered her. I guess not- I mean, one would think that someone in that role would be assertive enough to tell me if it was a problem.)- Anyway…. different story for a different day. But during all that “head shrinking” she would occasionally suggest to me some light positive affirmations.

Now, I don’t want to suggest that positive affirmations don’t work. Heck, I KNOW the negative ones work. (It just seems so much easier to say those to yourself). I do think they work. But what I read might work better.

For years and years, I was trying to change. I wanted to change more than anything. I had a hard time doing it. As a matter of fact, I told myself so many times that I couldn’t change— and I believed it. (That is how I know that the affirmations work). So, it is true that you will believe whatever you tell yourself.

So, here is the deal. I am all about doing things the faster, easier way. What if we set some little goals and ACCOMPLISHED them. Then we could tell ourselves some good things.

Let’s say that you always think that you can’t finish things. Well let’s get to the business of writing some things down and checking them off of the list. Make a point of it. And I don’t mean BIG things. Make it little things.

1. Respond to e-mail from _________

2. Get out of bed and take a walk around the neighborhood

3. Read one chapter of Zig Ziggler book

Like I said, write these down and then CHECK THEM OFF. Then, go back and you will have VISUAL PROOF that you CAN indeed finish some things.

All I am saying here is that it is easier and quicker to believe something if you have 1. Visual Proof that it is TRUE and 2. YOU LIVED IT! That has to be more convincing than just repeating an affirmation that you don’t believe in the first place.

A few years ago, I read a book (which by the way is a fantastic book) called Life 101. You can get it here. There are a whole series of them. In the book, the author suggested that you say all these affirmations (true or not) up to 1000 times each. I rode around in my car doing this for quite some time. (Another by the way- It starts to sound really strange to yourself after you say “I am worthy” about 900 times). Once again, I am not suggesting that I didn’t get ANYTHING out of this exercise, but I just think that my list/check off is a better plan.

Remember, Get up!!! Get moving!! Get a better life!!!

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Change We Can’t Believe In

on October 28th, 2011 by Rob

O.K.- Yesterday we talked about change. We talked about how, sometimes, it is hard- even if it is a welcome one… one we are STRIVING for.

Well, what if it is not so welcome. What if it is like every change that has ever come down the pike at my office and it is NOT that great. What if it is a new boss. What if it is a new procedure, or the new TPS report that has you down.

Well, this I believe is the way to lead your team through that transition. Now, lets get this straight…. there are people out there that have written dissertations on this stuff. But I believe that these are some good, basic rules to live by.

1. More future, less past- This does not mean we don’t learn from the past. We certainly should. But lets don’t dwell on it. Let’s face it, the change is coming- embrace it and move gracefully towards it.

2. More positive, less negative- go at this from a positive perspective. Most every motivational speaker that I have ever had any contact with suggests that your attitude is the most important thing that there is. Well, it is the truth. If you are positive, your team will be as well. What no one ever seems to mention is that if you are negative, your team will be too.

3. More asking, less answering- As far as I am concerned, the golden rule of sales is to “ask the questions”- be extraordinarily informed about your customer’s business and be prepared to form a partnership. That way you and your customer enter into the best of all worlds… the “win/win”. The same goes here. If you have a group that you are trying to lead through change… or if you are just trying to make it through yourself… more information is going to rule the day. Sometimes, when we lead, we feel like we should know all the answers… and we do know some. However, getting the opinion of others is golden.

4. More We, less Me- There is no I in team… well, as the guy on the Right Guard commercial famously said— “Well, there ain’t no we either.” NOT TRUE. As we move through change, we have to be cognizant of the overall goal, the organizational goal. The perspective of great leaders is always about the team and the goals ahead.

Use these tips to move through Change. Remember…

Get up!! Get moving!! Get a better life!! Despite the Change.

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