The Right Body at the Wrong Time by Lou Haskins

This blog discusses being healthy in America today.

 In the The Right Body at the Wrong Time series, we are working through the six steps of behavior change needed to make a permanent,  new healthier way of life. The last post covered step #5, maintenance.
This would be a good time to read the previous posts so you can relate  to the earlier steps in the process. 

In fact, step #6, permanent process is the last step in decision making. 
Your brain is the means to achieving the final step. 
Here's why.

To get to this point, step #6, you have:
Moved from ignorance and/or denial to awareness.
You have educated yourself and now understand just how crucial taking charge of your own health is.
You continue to research and learn about what it takes to be healthy in today's society.
You set goals and progressed to a state of healthful well-being.
You've seen amazing improvement in appearance, physical capability and medical health markers.
You have a support network that gives you feedback and encouragement.

At this point, success is achieved through vigilance.
You can actually eat a piece of chocolate layer cake with ice cream. 
You can actually go a week without exercise.
However, your brain will NOT allow you to continue these behaviors. 
That's because you have a NEW rnormal; a healthy lifestyle.
Whereas before you used to dread exercise, crave junk food and  ignore well-meaning people trying to inform and help you; now, everything is reversed! 

I call it flipping the switch.


To assist you with the permanent process, there are many tools. 
Here are some examples.
Exercise log.
I put this together so that the three main types of exercise can be tracked on one log sheet.
Notice stretches are mentioned AFTER the exercise. That's because doing it this way builds muscle faster and lessens chance of injury. 
Stretching a cold muscle is NOT a good thing. How many years have you heard that you should stretch first? 

Ideas become accepted dogma simply because some expert or authority thinks it's logical,  Others, including organizations join in, and it becomes accepted practice, even though no science has been done to prove it correct.
The correct order is: Warm-up, at least ten minutes.  Then do the exercise you planned to do,  and then stretch.
Your muscles will thank you for it, and there's less chance of injury.
 
For aerobic or cardio, about 80% of your maximum effort gets the best result.
For fat loss, the effort needs to be LESS, about 70%. 
If you work too hard, too fast, the body taps into it's glycogen stores and uses carbs first, making fat loss more difficult.  
That's why a good moderate to fast walking pace, about 3+ miles per hour is great for fat loss. The elliptical machines and/or rowers are excellent as well and have the added benefit of no impact; easier on the knees and ankles.  

For resistance/strength training, 10-12 reps of weight that is about 20% of your intended goal gets the joint ready to go. Then, do as much weight as you can, for just a few reps! Intensity is the key to effective weight training.


Then, it's time for a good stretch. Each muscle group should be stretched right after you exercise it!

 Here's another simpler log that helps you stay on the track.

Other exercise myths and misunderstandings will be covered in future posts.

The point is, keep these logs visible! On the door of the fridge, on your way out, places where seeing them will remind you to do the exercise..

Also keep track of what and how you eat.
 Here's two examples, one detailed, the other more simple. Choose what works for you.

Personally, I hate calorie counting-for me all I have to do is see what's going in my mouth, and I can adjust to get the result I'm after-lose fat, gain weight etc. (This is after 3 years of educatiing myself on food)
The simple log plan? Just write down everything!
If you BITE IT, You WRITE IT!
You review your notes after, say, four days or a week and you'll be surprised.  
Then, pick the bad food easiest for you to reduce or eliminate and start there.

Follow what has been discussed in this blog and you'll accomplish your goals.

There are many websites that can help, many with advertisers trying to sell you "special weight loss food". 

DON'T fall for that! 

The websites offer really good info, but you don't have to pay for any of it. You'll see as you navigate through the various areas.

So, in phase 6,  Permanent Process, you're doing everything you need to do to be healthy and fit. It's part of who you are!


IT"S A BEAUTIFUL THING!

Next and last installment on the decision-making process and why it's so difficult, is the event we trainers NEVER mention to our clients as the they progress and become happier and more confident---
RELAPSE- it happens.
I'll tell you why, and how to deal with it.

 

The Right Body at the Wrong Time by Lou Haskins

This blog discusses Being Healthy in America Today

This is another segment of The Right Body in the Wrong Time - we continue the discussion of making Behavior Changes and why it is so difficult.

In the previous posts, (see archive) we went through the first four steps in the decision making process that leads to permanent change, precontemplation, contemplation, planning and action. 
This was the easy part! 

Now, after all this self-education and awareness, we put ourselves to the test of steps five and six,
Maintenance and Permanent Process.
Many of us get to this point;   now, you're going to see what it takes to make it your way of life!

This is where we want to be! 
ON CRUISE CONTROL!!! 
we can start and stop when we want, resume or even accelerate, and best of all COAST!

If it were only this easy! Just think, never worrying about what you're eating, never weighing yourself, not keeping volumes of charts and exercise schedules or calorie counting......why, everybody would look good and be healthy!

Just like these settings in your car's system, maintenance and permanent process allow you to do just that. The good habits become so ingrained, that they become second nature. You are so intellectually committed, you know that if you don't do this, your health will fail! 

 Maintenance- This is achieved best incrementally! 

Earlier, I described a typical all-or nothing approach. The kind I had tried.
It usually fails.
After all, the idea is to feel good, NOT miserable! Also important, is making progress that turns into habit.
How do you do that?

Set attainable goals, write them down and refer to them, and chart your progress.

A real-life example that worked for one of my clients. 

After the example we'll go through the elements that made it work.

(If you haven't read the previous posts in this series, The Right Body in the Wrong Time, now would be a good time to do so.)

This person was morbidly obese ( BMI 40). She had diabetes and metabolic syndrome. 

Docs are now calling this diabesity.

I talked with her.  Just listening is one of the most important things a trainer can do, btw. 

She was worried and depressed; she had tried so many things and nothing had worked. 

She was at the point where she knew if something wasn't done,  a health crisis was imminent!

She said she lived in a second floor apartment;  and, at the end of the day, climbing those stairs was really hard.  

BEFORE any commitment by her, or formal training by me, I made a simple suggestion: 

"When you climb those stairs, as you get to the top, step back and do one more. You can do that, right?"

She thought for a second, and said,  " Well, yeah, I guess I could do one more."

"OK.  Put up a piece of paper on the door, count those steps as you climb, each time write down how many you climb, and add one more each day," I told her.

"After two weeks, add them all up and you'll be surprised at how much extra exercise you got."

Off she went, looking determined, I thought.

A couple of weeks or so later, I saw her again. 

After only two weeks, there was a noticeable weight loss in her face. 

Even I was surprised! She was excited, and I was eager to have her tell me what happened.

 She had lost seven pounds. 

  She was climbing more stairs than the original goal.

   She was going for short walks.

    She even changed her habit of going straight to the refrigerator when she entered the apartment.

NOW she had a chance of making the changes required to live her life instead of just existing! At this point, training by a professional would increase her chances of reaching Permanent Process,  but is not absolutely necessary, because the criteria for sustainable change are being met.

They are:

1. Motivation-This person knew, as mentioned in previous posts, that a  health calamity was near.

2. A simple initial task - that the person agreed she could do.

3. Keeping a record- right on the door at the top of the stairs, pretty hard to ignore!

4. Progression-incremental increase is easier. (inch by inch, life's a cinch-yard by yard, life is hard)

5. A sense of accomplishment-she's keeping the record and seeing her steps increase every day.

6. Control- The feeling of helplessness and being unable to deal with issues disappears.

The BONUS effect-there are often unexpected positive events that occur in the process, a cascade of good things that further motivate the person to continue to improve. She started taking extra walks and stopped eating as soon as she got home.

In this case, the previous behavior was to eat as soon as she got in the door. The heightened  awareness and sense of accomplishment blunted that self- destructive desire and eventually eliminated it. 

The HALO effect- When despair and depression are replaced with success, you feel so terrific, you can do anything! That's a good place to be!

The concept of ONE MORE-Getting in the habit of pushing yourself, just a little each time, pays big dividends.

At this point, a trainer can help her stay on track, give her support, info and resources to continue her self-education, and emphasize that only SHE can take charge of her health.

The trainer would make sure she did not focus on weight; that rate of loss ( 7 pounds in two weeks) would actually be unhealthy over time. 

The trainer would also explain body composition; and why it is a better indicator of progress.

Reminder! As mentioned before, if the steps mentioned in previous posts are followed, it's possible to do this yourself!

A lot of us like the extra support, knowledge and motivation a trainer can provide. 

That's OK too! 

This person has since moved to Mississippi, and we've lost touch, but I'm confident she has the motivation, strategies and behaviors in place to lead a healthy and fit life.

I said in the last post I would include a picture of how I look now.
In the first pic, I'm 60 years old.

Now, at age 71, I'm healthier and younger.

At University of North Florida, I was tested at age 69, and met the standards of fitness for a man

35 years old! 

Folks, I have been there! Let me help you take control  and make the journey to health and fitness!

 The next post will be about Permanent Process-how to put the whole concept of health and fitness on CRUISE CONTROL and fahgeddabout it!

 

White Bean Ratatouille

           White Bean Ratatouille -  Healthy & Delicious!

  

Ratatouille is a dish of cooked vegetables that originated in southern France. 

It is hearty and satisfying, like comfort food, with none of the guilt. This version contains white beans which add protein and have a wonderful texture. Serve it hot or cold, either way this dish is sure to please! 

Yield: 8 servings

Here's what you need:

    * 1 large-size globe eggplant, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
    * 1 tablespoon water, for sautéing
    * 2 medium-size red onions, sliced
    * 3 medium-size zucchini, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
    * 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch squares
    * 4 garlic cloves, minced
    * 1/4 cup dry white wine
    * 1 cup vegetable stock
    * 4 tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped (or 2 cans - 15 oz each – fire roasted diced tomatoes)
    * 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
    * 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    * 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    * 2 bay leaves
    * 2 (15oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
    * Salt and fresh group pepper, to taste
    * 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

   1. Steam eggplant cubes for 10 minutes. Heat the water in a large-size sauté pan, add onions and cook, for 5 minutes.
   2. Add zucchini and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes. Add steamed eggplant and cook another 5 minutes, then add garlic.
   3. Add wine and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-high and stir in tomatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   4. Add beans to skillet, stirring well to combine. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender but not mushy and liquids have thickened, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
   5. Remove skillet from heat, remove the bay leaves, and stir in chopped basil.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 195 calories, 1g fat, 38g carbohydrate, 11.5g fiber, and 9.5g protein.

The Right Body in the Wrong Time - By Lou Haskins

This Blog Discusses Being Healthy in America Today


This Segment:The Right Body in The Wrong Time. 
 We continue the discussion  of making BEHAVIOR CHANGES, and why it is so difficult.

The last segment concluded with the statement, "The next funeral I attend may be my own!"

That realization came when I decided to get some term insurance to better protect my family. I figured a couple of hundred thousand  dollars more would do. I went online and filled out a form for some term insurance. It was cheap!
A company rep called, and said they would send someone out to  interview me.
They did.
I met him at the door.
He took one look at me, put a tape measure around my waist and said, "We'll be in touch."



True to his word, a few days later, I got a letter from the company telling me they declined to insure me.
Even this experience didn't really register, I was in denial (precontemplation).


But! A couple of days later my sister-in law stopped by. I opened the door wearing a favorite old terry cloth robe.  

The Defining Moment! 

SHE INNOCENTLY SAID,  "Lou, are you playing Santa Claus this year?"

 
Wait! Santa is old and FAT!  Hmmm...the truth HURT!                                                               


I went from the precontemplation to the planning and action phases in a hurry!
Only this time,  a revelation came with it!
If I didn't change, the disastrous loss of my health was imminent!


I started with the internet.  Anything and everything I needed and you need to make your chamge happen is there, and it's FREE!
It's important to point out here that the changes I made were done incrementally! 
It wasn't easy, but now the driving force of knowing my health was at serious risk, carried me forward.

FOOD

Take a look at the link below. It's at the USDA (US Dept of Agriculture) website.
The amount of information there is mind boggling!  We're paying for it, so why not use it?
It is a wonderful resource http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/

YOU BITE IT, YOU WRITE IT! 
I kept a food diary - It should be two weeks or more, (everything that passed my lips !)
I gradually replaced simple sugar and  calorie dense foods with whole foods containing more fiber. 
I started reading every food label.
More importantly, I started eating a LOT less commercially manufactured food.
I took the salt shaker off the table.
I began to learn from reading labels and that self-education process I mentioned earlier; just how much BAD stuff was in what I was eating. I got a sense of how many calories I was eating. 
The food diary was a real eye opener! Like everyone else, I didn't think I was really eating THAT much! Just that knowledge alone makes you start to scale back what you eat and how much.


Need a food diary?
Go to :  http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/tnrockyrun/feedme.htm
 Presto! There it is. Just print it out!
Go to the food pyramid: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/tnrockyrun/feedme.htm
Make a copies of the food pyramid while you're there, and  compare what's recommended to what you  eat.
It's a good place to start. By the time you get to the final process, (the sixth decision making step), you'll be tweaking that food pyramid to suit you personally.  One size does not fit all.
Just start writing down everything that goes in your mouth. 
We do a lot of what's known as mindless eating. When you see what you eat written down, well,  you'll be surprised!

Remember, there is no magic bullet,"special diet" or "clogged colon" cure!

You must take charge of your health!
During this process, you begin to feel in control. This is really important!
Instead of vague wishes to lose weight, or wasting your money on bogus pills or mail-order food, you are the one shaping the plan for yourself. That's why it works!  
And, it costs nothing!


You're making a lifestyle behavior change. You HAVE to believe that NOT making the change will lead to really a bad outcome for you! If you don't think that, you'll be a short term success, with  relapse waiting to happen.


A reminder here - we are not talking about losing weight, we're talking about being healthy!


I like to watch  the TV show, Dancing With the Stars! 

In 2007, former supermodel Paulina  Porizkova was eliminated in the first round. I remember what her pro dance partner said about her, "She's deceptively unfit!"


But she looked good! 


Being healthy is more than appearance or looking thin. Health is not the absence of disease, it's about having the strength and vitality to do the things you want, anytime you want, all your life. 






So, now, if you are spending time each day learning about healthy food, and you are starting to take control of your eating, what about exercise? 

 With my new-found knowledge, I made up my own pre-breakfast yoga/strength routine and followed it every day (almost) 
I began doing strength training.
Like food, exercise is best begun slowly and increased incrementally.  

The failure scenario I described earlier, which I had done countless times, always resulting in re-gaining weight and being in poor physical condition, has to be avoided.


Start with the link here that takes you to the President's Council on Physical Fitness.
http://www.adultfitnesstest.org/ 
This is another wonderful free site that gets you into the action mode.

Here, I'd like to make a point. If you know you need to improve your physical self, and you've gone through the first three decision making phases, Precontemplation, Contemplation and Planning; up to now, it falls into the category of good intentions. 
  
You CAN proceed to the Action phase and do it alone. 
But, it would be like swimming an Olympic pool carrying a bowling ball-possible, but VERY difficult. 
At this point, a good step for many people is to make an investment in your health and future with a premier establishment that employs qualified professional trainers; such as Body by Design Studio. (voted Best in Raleigh, 2009),   



We'll talk about phase five, maintenance, and six, what I call permanent process.
Oh, and, the 7th phase, the one we don't LIKE to talk about.
At Body by Design Studio, you and your training professional form a team with one task in mind:  
for you to meet your goals!
 

A qualified professional trainer will:  
be results oriented,
have the knowledge to select only the exercises that work for you safely.
will allow you to make the most of your exercise time,  
provide needed structure so that you don't get off track.

A qualified professional trainer knows fact from fiction and will not waste your time with fads. 
When you get to the maintenance phase, you can, with confidence, go forward on your own, knowing that the resource is always there for you should you need a refresher.

So, let's recap to this point.
1. You have the right body, but it's in the wrong time. 
2. Our Western lifestyle is dragging us down.
3. You have to get that "epiphany moment",  the one that makes you realize that NOT to make serious changes in your lifestyle could result in a health catastrophe! 
4. You think about, plan, and go into action by educating yourself and taking small incremental steps that breed success and let you realize you are the one in control.

For those interested enough to read this far, my picture, as I look today, will be in the next post.

Recipie: Green Smoothie

 

Here's a smoothie recipe you may not have thought of before. Green smoothies consist of 3 basic ingredients: greens, fruit and water. Have fun experimenting with a wide range of varieties of both the greens and the fruit in order to reap the most benefit. You may be surprised to find that the simple combination of greens and fruit is quite delicious. 
Servings: 1 

Here's what you need...

    •    1 bunch (2 cups) red dandelion greens (feel free to use spinach or any other dark greens)
    •    1 cup strawberries
    •    1 banana
    •    1-2 cups filtered water

In a high speed blender mix the ingredients until smooth.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 199 calories, 1g fat, 47g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, and 6g protein.

NOTE; Don't worry.  Even though  it looks healthy, it really is delicious! 

The Right Body at the Wrong Time by Lou Haskins

 This BLOG discusses Being Healthy in America Today

My thanks to the anonymous gentleman pictured above. It appeared as an illustration in a report that I read about Visceral Obesity.  I hope he has been able to make the changes discussed in this BLOG, and is now healthy and fit!

This continues  Part II: The Right Body At the Wrong Time-Why is Change So Difficult? 

You can also go to  Body By Design Studio website and Body By Design Studio Newsletter to learn more about us and read previous posts on this subject to gain context.

I ended the last post by stating that the planning and action phases, (3 and 4) of the decision making process was where the problems begin.

Let's take a typical example. You want to lose weight. This time, you REALLY want it to happen, so without further ado, one morning, you begin.

It would go something like this. (some of this is from my many failed efforts in the past, by the way)
This is a more or less male example.  Ladies, you can fill in your terms and behaviors, you know what they are!  : )

The Internal Dialogue  - " I have got to get these extra pounds off! I look like a fat slob in these clothes! I'll look like a hippo when I go to the wedding! etc., etc. (you've been beating yourself up until things finally come to a decision climax!)

Your Plan - (such as it is) " I'll start tomorrow! No wait, that's Friday, and I've got stuff planned for the weekend-I'll start Monday.   
No bread, No potatoes, No ice cream or sweets! I know that sweet stuff and all those carbs are the problem.
Exercise! I know I have to do that too! I'll get up an hour early and finally start using those running shoes I got six months ago! I'll run as far as possible and increase the distance each day! That's GOT to get results! Cigarettes, weed and booze? Well, gotta start some where, I'll get to those later.

Action
MONDAY
Morning- Man, it's been a busy weekend!
I went to a great party!
Hell, since I was going to torture myself anyway come Monday, I pigged out on all the good stuff, watched the games on TV and vegged out!

So, now, I got out there and ran this morning, man, that was murder! But, I did get in about a half a mile, better than I thought!
Let's see, with all this running,  I don't have much desire to eat.
I'll skip breakfast,  I really don't care that much about it anyway, and stop at the Starbucks on the way to work. Great! This is working already!
Later-Wow! I made it all day! With no carbs and just some rabbit food, and with plenty of Red Bull, I'm rockin! 

Dinner time. With my serious calorie deficit for today, I can chow down tonight! I'll just be sure it's plenty of meat, whole grain bread and veggies; the wife's got frozen corn and some  French fries ready to go.

Bedtime - Man, that air-popped popcorn tasted more like air than popcorn, but a couple of Slimjims helped. My total calories had to be 1/2 of what I usually eat!

TUESDAY
Morning Well, I did run today, but my legs are killing me! I don't think I even did as much as yesterday. Well, at least I'm staying on my diet, plus plenty of coffee; and I made it a latte today since I'm burning all these calories!

Noon I'm hanging tough! At the meeting today, cookies looked good and I wanted some, but I didn't touch them.


Dinner time. Told the wife all I want is bacon and eggs. I know from reading the Atkins Diet, I can eat as much of that as I want!


Bedtime  Cantaloupe!
A Low Carb Diet, I read, lets you eat that kind of stuff if you're feeling really hungry

I weighed myself. I lost three pounds!

ENOUGH ALREADY!
 Just writing this is reminding me how miserable I was when trying to lose weight in this manner.
This type of behavior and the variations of it will not allow you to achieve your goal!
There are so many things wrong that it's doomed to failure, it's just a matter of time. 
Let's see....feeling deprived, can't eat your favorite foods or do the things you like, sore and achy all over.........

No Sane Person Wants That for a Lifetime!

Here's why this approach cannot be maintained.

First and foremost, the reason.
I want to lose weight - will not stand the test of time. That's why we always gain it back. 
Remember when I said you have to convince yourself that not making the change would be a disaster? This does not come about by thinking you're getting a little fat, or wanting to look good for the beach or reunion. 
A healthy and fit lifestyle has to be identified as the change that needs to be made. This doesn't come about easily. 
Usually, the first time it crosses your mind is when your faced with your own mortality.   " If I get through this, I'll never______________(fill in the blank) again!"
If you're young when you have this epiphany, it often passes, and you're back at the old bad habits. 
A small, wise percentage of people take action then and there. 

Usually, the next wake-up call is in middle age, when long time family, friends and acquaintances suddenly start dying or suffering injuries.  Heart attacks, cancer, diabetes take their toll; bad backs,  sore feet, digestive problems become common.
Let me remind you, NONE of these are caused by germs or bad luck.
(There will be a post on "bad genes made it happen"  in a future blog post) 

During this period in life, many more people take the hint and adopt healthier lifestyles.

I was not one of them! 

I was 59 in this picture, fast approaching old age!

When I say I know how to help you be healthy and fit, I speak from experience! 

Take a look at the picture at the end of this section to see what I look like now.

So here I am at 59, and I finally wised up!
People I know and love are dying, sick or disabled; and I'm feeling the effects of lugging around all this excess poundage.
I Finally get the message. The next funeral I attend may be my OWN!

to be continued

The Right Body in the Wrong Time - Part II, Why Is Change So Difficult?

WHY IS CHANGE SO DIFFICULT!

If you're finding this blog for the first time, please go back to part ONE of this series to put this section in context.
If you've read part one, congratulations! You're entering the second of a SIX  part decision making process. 
Reading this has moved you from the Precontemplation Phase (1) to the Contemplation Phase (2).
If you continue through this process, you will be making one of the most important decisions of your entire life - taking charge of your own health!

But! Don't stop here!

So far, this is the EASY part!
Many of us think about it, not so many of us manage to follow through.

Take smoking, for example.  
It's EASY to quit smoking!
I did it at least eight times!
The real problem is maintaining the change you want to make!
Before we discuss why this is, I invite you to regard the section below. It was developed by behavioral scientists to figure out the decision-making process; how people develop and sustain the behavior they desire when making the changes.

People like me are trained to help you make the changes in the least disruptive way possible, once YOU decide you are ready.
Take a look at the first two stages.

Precontemplation simply means you're not thinking about the subject, don't have a clue, or just don't care!  
Some people in this stage can get very angry or defensive. They'll take comments you make as criticism, when, in fact,  you think you're trying to help.   
So, save your breath.  People change when they are ready! 

Until a person becomes convinced that change is needed, until you are aware you have to change, until you feel compelled to change, nothing will happen!
You may try a few times, but that is a desire to make a change. Without a plan and knowledge, the chances of permanent success are not good.
Until you fully embrace the idea that NOT making the change will be disastrous, nothing is likely to happen! 

So, let's say you have reached this point, and you're contemplating.
What's next?
Here are the next two stages.

OK, so now your saying to yourself, "I'm really gonna DO this!"

About this time, "STINKIN THINKIN" starts to creep in.

"I've tried before and I can't stick to it."
" I really don't have time to do this."
" I don't want to go on the cardboard diet!"

This is only natural. After all, you know it's not going to be easy.
Who wants the miserable feeling of failure?
You have enough issues (we all have issues, don't we?) without adding others!

That's why educating yourself is so important!

If you take the time to learn about how the Western Lifestyle is KILLING us, the only possible conclusion you can make is, I HAVE to change my behavior to GET HEALTHY!

A word to those who are thinking, wait a minute! We are living longer than ever!

Define living, PLEASE! 

Does it mean groaning every time you bend down?
Or, lurching an overweight body from chair, to car, to couch every day?
Or, sitting on the couch eating junk food for hours each day while watching TV?
Does living the Western Lifestyle, taking multiple meds, trips to doctors, heartburn, arthritis, fear of diabetes, an imminent heart attack or stroke really LIVING?

I call it EXISTING! 

I had a discussion just yesterday with a dear friend. He's like a son to me, and 48 years old. He's Cambodian. When he came to this country as a teenager, he was unable to speak English. Now he has his own auto repair and sales business. He's doing extremely well.
He looked sad, and I asked him why. 
His answer was,  " All my other older friends  die Lou!  I tell them, NOT smoke, NOT drink, TOO fat! They don't listen!"
He had lost five friends in one year!


There's NO reason a person considered "elderly" can't live a HEALTHY LIFE and do ALL the things a person of THIRTY can do!  
Re-read the above paragraph to understand the alternative!

Okay, I'm realistic. What once I did all night, now takes me all night to do once!
I admit it!
I'm 71 !!!
BTW, Soon, my bio will be available on this blog.

So, maybe an older person, say, over 60,  can't do all the things as long, or at the same pace as one much younger; but any activity should be possible,  
There should be NO physical limitations until and unless a specific medical condition requires it!
Avoiding this is what we are  all about!


Remember, with proper instruction from a knowledgeable, qualified exercise trainer, and  supervision from health professionals if you have existing health/illness issues, the nearly every human body is capable of remarkable improvement; no matter how bad the condition when you start!
The general media is beginning to popularize this, but scientists have known it for years. Now, almost every program structured to treat disease includes exercise, even cancer, arthritis, diabetes and most others. That's because any improvement in muscle tone and cardio-respiratory function improves your existing condition!
Does this sound like a lot of work?

RE-READ THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPHS! 

It really comes down to this - for the rest of my life:

Do I, live healthy and well?

Or, do I  spend years suffering and in misery while circling the drain?

If you have read this far, you are now at the Preparation Phase (3) of the decision making process for change, and getting ready to implement the Action Phase (4).

Below are the last two phases, (5 and 6)

THIS time, your program will be successful!
It will be successful because YOU are taking charge of your health; and, I am going to help you.

You will plan during the preparation phase so that the action you take will result in you reaching phases 5 and 6. 
I will say that I wouldn't have used the word termination for the last phase, it sounds a little ominous don't you think?
How about Permanent Process? I like that better!

Next, we'll discuss the planning and action phases, and why this is where most people get in BIG trouble and FAIL.

To be continued