My Birthday – Weight Loss Update
Well another year as come and gone and as of today I am officially 33 years old. I like to use these special days to celebrate the highs and reflect on the lows of the previous 365 days.
This year I finally got a new car! After 10 years driving my old Pontiac Sunfire I picked up a new Ford and I love it. Paid for in CASH!!! I might add, which was a huge change from 10 years ago when I leased the Sunfire and financed the buyout afterwards ( Never again!). Dropping that amount of money in 1 day is both exciting and nauseating at the same time.
I was able to make the purchase thanks in large part to my online income which has really taken off. I’ve learned a lot about the IM business and all that time I’ve spent creating, promoting websites and services has really paid off. I am now proud to say that my online income matches my offline income which is huge!
My weight has been steady over the last year not great but measuring success isn’t always about the numbers. For example I’ve learned how to properly use herbs in our family dinners to provide flavor without adding sugar, salt or fat. That in it’s self is great but I’ve also learned to cook, I mean really cook not just re-heating. This has been a huge savings to the wallet and the waist line.
Some Failures and Scary Moments
Now for the lows 
First and foremost my job. The company I work for was hit pretty hard by the recession and was looking for ways to cut costs. Meaning job cuts.
Many departments were affected and mine was no exception. At one point I was offered a package or a chance at one of the few remaining positions. I turned down the money and was offered the job, many of my friends were not so lucky.
This all happened 2 days after I bought my car. Life has a way of bringing you back to reality like that.
Around the end of May I re-injured my knee playing basketball. Not the end of the world but it took a lot of the momentum out of the progress I was making with improving my cardio fitness.
As always though I try to find something positive from a negative situation and I used the off time to develop and very simple and effective workout routine. I will be using it as part of my new 8-week fat loss program, so you can look forward to some progress reports and if it works as planned I may turn it into a downloadable eBook.
That is pretty much it. It’s been an interesting year and I’m looking forward year 33 being even better.
How is your year going?
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No One Is Coming To Save You
That title sounds very pessimistic doesn’t it?
But I’ve phrased it that way for a very specific reason. Because I believe it’s true.
I have always been amazed at our ability to be comforted by false hope, this is something I have done myself hundreds of times. Let’s face it we all want to believe that there is something or someone looking out for our interests, and that “they or it” will eventually come to our rescue and solve all the problems (or at least the major ones) in our lives.
To be completely honest for the vast majority of us, there is no one coming to save us from our problems, no leprechaun with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
At first you may think I’m talking about religion and while I’m sure you can apply this argument to that field, that is not what I am referring to here.
The best example that I can think of is the popularity of lotteries! Is Lady luck on your side? (don’t worry this is related to weight loss at the end)
Lotteries – Solutions for your Financial Problems
I live in Canada and we have dozens of lotteries available for us to play daily and weekly. The most popular one is lotto 6/49. Basically you pick 6 numbers between 1 and 49 and for $2 you have a chance at winning a few million dollars.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 14 million to 1. You have a 99.99% chance of not winning the jackpot. Yet, millions and millions of Canadians play it twice a week, some spending hundreds per draw on these tickets. (I’ve been stuck behind them in a line before)
The lottery for so many people is that great false hope. People know that the odds of them winning the jackpot are astronomical but they play it anyway. Why and why is it dangerous?
Besides the lost money, which can add up to thousands over a lifetime, I believe that the lottery and other games like it give people an easy way to avoid doing the necessary work needed to succeed in life. (financially speaking anyway).
Earning a comfortable living* is not an easy thing to achieve, it takes education, it takes a lot of effort on your part and if you are looking to start your own business a lot of time and money.
Add in the easy access and convenience of credit cards to debt amounts that seem to compound every month and you get many people giving up or avoiding the problem all together.
They stop taking action, instead of trying to change their habits they consoildate the debts only to have them pile up again. They are waiting to be saved rather than trying to save themselves. You think the last thing people in this position would do is throw away a few more dollars on the lottery, but believe it or not from what I have seen firsthand in some cases their “lotto budget” increases as their debt gets bigger.
Obviously I’m not a fan of the lottery, but what makes it worse and angers me is the way in which it is promoted. The Lotto 6/49 slogan is “Just Imagine” meaning just imagine what you could buy with millions of dollars, which just fuels the fantasy and imagine the bills/debts you can pay off “if” you win.
6/49 is advertised everywhere and has just become a part of our Canadian culture. While they technically promote winning the jackpot and its ability to dramatically change your life, there is always this underlying fear that goes along with it. “What if your numbers come up and you didn’t play?”
The Answer To Your Biggest Question
Ok Steve enough with the Lottery rant, how does this relate to losing weight and trying to live a healthy lifestyle?
IT relates like this: Just like the lottery people are looking for the easy out when it comes to losing weight, instead of money problems they are waiting for the “FAT” problem to be solved.
1. They want to lose fat without doing the necessary work to burn the fat.
2. They want to eat fewer calories without having to eat less food.
3. They are waiting for someone to answer their biggest weight loss question, “how do I lose weight” and give them the solution to their greatest desire “I want to lose weight”. In essence they are waiting to be saved.
The answer to solving the lottery/money problem is the same for solving the weight loss problem: YOU TAKING ACTION. You already know that you need to exercise to burn more calories, you know that you need to eat at least 1500 calories per day consisting of good healthy nutritious food like Fruits and veggies, lean meats, low fat dairy products, whole grains and indulge with the occasional treat, (1500 calories of burgers and fries won’t cut it).
(For finances I take the “curb your spending and increase your income/investments” approch)
So get off your ass and do it already, stop waiting to be saved and save yourself.
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New Years Resolutions 2010
It’s that time of year again! Time to reflect back on what you have accomplished over the past year and set your goals for the New year.
First off, yes I know it has been a looooong time since I put up a post here, and guess what? One of my resolutions for 2010 is to post at least once per week (even if they are short but direct to the point posts)
Why You Need to Make Resolutions
In the past week I have received 8 emails from various sites (Prevention etc…) all saying not to make a resolution for 2010. I think that is total BS.
I make resolutions every year and while most don’t stick I do benefit from everyone of them. Sometimes failing at something is the best thing for you.
Not resolving to change or improve on something in your life to me is the same thing as not having a dream or goals (resolutions are really just broad goals for the year). What is the point of living if aren’t working towards a better life for you and your family/friends?
Resolutions For 2010
Weight Loss
Weight loss, improving my overall health and fitness is always at the top of my list. This year I am mixing things up a bit though. I have followed a lot of commercialized diets and weight loss programs in the past. While I did see results with most of them, nothing really stuck. The weight came back.
I have enough knowledge and experience in losing weight that I have come up with my own eating plan. I have it all ready to go and starting on Jan 1st I will be following it strictly which should be fairly simple since it is tailored around my 9 to 5 lifestyle. I am still following the big workout plans, starting with Tony Horton’s 10 minute trainer as a fitness kick start which will be followed by the restart of P90X. (stopped early due to injury earlier this year)
I plan on turning the eating plan into a downloadable ebook, but only after I see the results for myself.
My goal for 2010 is to get under 180lbs and 17% bodyfat. Very achievable I think.
Run a Half Marathon
It has always been a dream of mine to run a full marathon. I have no idea why I hold that as my fitness holy grail, as I don’t always enjoy running. I’ve ran a bunch of 5k races and a few 10k’s over the past few years. But for some reason I have never committed to taking the next step and training for or running a half marathon. September 2010 I will complete my first ever half marathon. (either the Toronto half marathon or the Scotia waterfront half marathon)
Those are my 2 weight loss and fitness resolutions.
Just a couple of quick non health/fitness/weightloss related resolutions for 2010:
1. Increase my online income to $2000 a month (shouldn’t be too difficult)
2. Become consumer debt free (again). 2008 and 2009 were bad year’s employment wise for my wife and we had to stay a float with credit. The end of 2009 has been great and things are back on track 2010 will be even better financially.
I actually have a great system for dealing with debt and without it things could have been much worse than they were.
3. Increasing my online presence. Over the past few months I have fallen right off the map. Few posts if any, no commenting on my favourite blogs and I haven’t responded to comments on this blog for a while. I haven’t created any new sites/projects in a looooooong time either. 2010 that all changes.
What About You?
What are your resolutions for 2010? Are you even going to make a resolution?
Let me know what you think, I will be responding to all comments.
Steve
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Winter Weight Loss vs. Summer Weight Loss
Living in Canada I get the full effects of the 4 seasons. From the bitter chill of winter to the hot and humid summers. Since I’m not a huge fan of spending all my time in the gym, I need to get outdoors and that means I have to deal with the elements.
Reviewing the past few years of my weight loss journey I wanted to see which season has been the most effective for losing weight and why? Here are my thoughts on Winter weight loss vs Summer weight loss.
Summer Weight Loss
These are some of the positive activities that I can do during the summer time (May – August, Yes I know summer starts in June)
Running
I’m an avid runner, 5k’s and local runs around the neighborhood are what I enjoy and in the summer time it’s fairly easy to get 5 runs a week in. The nights are comfortable and with the sun setting after 9pm I’m able to finish my runs before the sun sets. This is a huge psychological boost for me plus I’m able to burn a ton of calories and I’m not sitting in front of the TV.
Team Sports
Softball and Basketball are 2 team sports that I love to participate in (despite injuring my knee playing basketball that sidelined me for 3 months). Basketball in particular really gets your heart pumping and utilizes muscles you forgot you even had. Outdoors courts are everywhere and you can even get a great workout playing alone.
Softball is not considered a big calorie burner as half the game you’re sitting on your butt. But I like to play in Tournaments that go all day. I end up playing 4-5 games in a day and that eats up a lot of calories.
Yard Work
I don’t have a huge yard but it is big enough to keep me busy all summer long. Cutting the grass, gardening, trimming, pruning and pulling the damn weeds (Canada has a ban on pesticides for use on lawns and it’s killing me).
Golf and Mountain Biking
Golf is expensive but a great workout, as long as you are walking the course and carrying your clubs you’re burning a ton of calories. (I skip the carts, including the beer cart….most times 
)
I’ve recently gotten back into mountain biking and wow did I miss it. Trail riding is a huge calorie burner, especially if you have a crappie Walmart brand bike like mine (seriously it only has half the gears it used to have and the remaining ones slip, Hint hint @TrekBikes please send a new one my way ) Trek Bikes are the Nike of mountain bikes.
Outdoor Time With The Kids
My kids are at the age where they want to spend all their time outside riding bikes, playing at the park, going for walks, playing soccer, frisbee etc.. my point is we are always out side during the summer. Weight loss and burning calories aside spending time with my kids is the most important part of my day.
Winter Weight Loss
These are the positive things about trying to lose weight during the winter months (November to March)
Clearing The Snow
We get a lot of snow (the last 2 years almost broke the all-time records) and clearing it is no easy task. Shoveling 6-10 inches every few days is great for burning calories if you’re doing it properly. Plus on my street once you’re done your driveway you help your neighbors finish theirs.
Playing in the Snow
Once you’ve piled the snow it’s time to play in it, with the kids of course. Building snowmen, snowball fights and tobogganing are what make winter and all that snow worth having. Packed snow is heavy and toboggan hills are steep and all that lifting and incline walking help to burn off the excess calories.
Skating
While I’m not a great skater, in fact I can’t even stop, I do like to get out on the outdoor rinks and ponds for a few hours of skating and shinny with friends and family. Plus holding the kids up while teaching them to skate really works the back.
So Which Season is the Best for Weight Loss?
Now while I have to admit I am way more active in the summer time outdoors than the winter time, looking over my weight charts it looks as though Winter is when my weight. BMI and body fat% drop to their lowest points of the year.
There could only be 1 reason for this: FOOD.
Our summers are filled with barbeques, steaks, burgers and hotdogs and drinking with the neighbors. We tend to eat out more often (patio season) and with all the activities I do I tend to eat a lot more than I normally would.
One of my vices has always been nighttime eating, in fact I still struggle with this today and in the summer time it is so easy to hop in the car and hit the drive through or the convenience store for a bag of chips.
I hate the cold I mean sometimes it gets so bad that I feel like moving to Florida or California. The cold is a huge deterrent for my nighttime eating habits and the snow gets in the way of that as well. Unless I’m going outside with a strong purpose and I’m properly dressed for the cold, I stay inside. This gives me time to prepare better meals and plan ahead for the next few days, plus I have an excuse to use the treadmill in the basement.
What season do you lose most of your weight in? Let me know what you think.
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Simple Trick for Exercise Motivation
I have been doing this for the past week or so and it has done wonders for me. 5 straight days of running or weight training.
You know when it comes to losing weight, eating healthy or doing exercise sometimes it feels like I am 2 different people. There is morning Steve, always tired but very motivated and hopeful for having a good healthy day, no junk foods, lots of walking breaks at work, drinking lots of water and looking forward to working out at night/evening etc.. I like this Steve.
Then there is night Steve or more specifically after the kids are in bed Steve. He craves the junk food and does whatever he can to get it. Night Steve is also tired but only when it comes to exercise or meal planning or making lunches/snacks for the next day. For all other activities like working on the computer until 1am, watching movies or driving to the store to get junk food he has boundless energy.
Obviously these 2 personalities clash and for some reason at night after the kids are in bed and it’s Mommy and Daddy time I forget about all the good intentions I had started the day with.
So Simple it Seems Stupid
What I do is this, in the morning before I leave for work is I write myself a note, nothing too elaborate usually just a sentence or a word.
For example yesterday’s note said this “Before turning on the computer run for 30 minutes on the treadmill, you’ll feel great” . I left this on my computer monitor, sure enough last night I came down stairs ready to hop on the computer as usual. I saw the note and immediately it brought me back to when I wrote it that morning.
45 minutes later I had run for 35 minutes and burnt 365 calories. Best of all I did feel great afterwards and I was able to work on the computer guilt free.
The key for me was not to think too much about what else I had to do that night or what else I could have done. Basically not talking myself out of it. I was listening to my motivated self and did what I knew I really wanted to do.
I Don’t Have Short Term Memory Loss
Maybe “forgetting” is the wrong word for my not following through with my good intentions, as I do not have short term memory loss. It’s more like wilful ignorance and I know I’m not alone on this.
My wife thinks it’s funny that I do this and has posted notes around the house with things like “unload the dishwasher” and “change the laundry” mocking me it seems. (Doesn’t work like that honey )
Before you just blow this off as silly or stupid, give it a try first. When you’re motivated in the morning (or anytime you’re feeling motivated) write to yourself and leave the notes somewhere you’ll be most likely to read it or need to read it. (on your fridge,TV, bathroom mirror, in your car etc…). Hopefully this will help you stay motivated or at least remind you of what you really want to do, when your motivated that is.
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