A Christmas gift for you

Until 26th December I have reduced the price of my book Eliminate Your Fear to only $12.95. You can get it at http://www.lulu.com/content/985342

What better gift could there be than to find out how to reduce, manage and even eliminate fear in your life.

What’s normal

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

You're not alone you know.

In counseling you soon realize that a lot of people seem to have it all together on the outside, but on the inside it is a different story.

I remember days when I was a school principal when I felt filled with dread going to school. I never got physically sick because I can't stand throwing up, but I had colleagues who actually did throw up from fear.

Yet they, like me, appeared 'normal' and functional to people around them.

One of my colleagues at a school down the road from mine seemed to have it together pretty well. We used to share similar grievances about work and life on occasions we'd get together, know we were in the same boat, and feel not so alone. Until he hung himself in the schoolhouse he lived in.

What a shock. He didn't have it together as much as we all thought.

So next time you see someone who's normal, or even some one who's a bit off the rails, take a moment to wonder what their world could be like on the inside. You might find yourself changing – becoming more 'normal' perhaps.

Ho Ho Ho

Recently a Santa was fired for saying ho ho ho as it was offensive to the local ladies of the night. This is so ridiculous there must have been more to it than we were told. Anyway when I'm playing the Santa role I say it more than ever now.

Here I am with a special little girl.

Finding victory in little things

Do your dreams seem far away? Does the distance between you and the finish line deflate your motivation?

Did Hilary and Tenseng climb Mt Everest in on step or even in one day?

Often we forget that goals and dreams are not achieved overnight, but rather in a series of small steps. Any progress towards your goals should also be counted as victorious!

Remember life is not a destination but a journey. Stop looking at the end result to bring you the greatest joy. Enjoy everything you can along the way. Celebrate the ways, however small, in which your life is gravitating towards that desired result.
Nothing is guaranteed in life, so make the most of each day and persevere. Remember that the small things in life build up to the bigger ones.

Get up and win

Here is a great poem by Dee Groberg which has been made into a short inspirational movie by Mac Andersen from SimpleTruths.com. Watch The Race movie.

The Race

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

Turkey Time

With Thanksgiving comes the feast on turkey.

I heard somewhere that eating turkey makes you unusually drowsy and wondered if it was true or merely an urban legend. In otherwords, is there actually something in turkey that causes sleepiness?

Well turkey does contain tryptophan, which is an amino acid that is a natural sedative, but in order to produce drowsiness there must be no protein present and tryptophan must be taken on an empty stomach. Since turkey obviously has protein, the tryptophan in it is not likely to make you nod off.

Furthermore, the amount of tryptophan you consumed even during a huge Thanksgiving feast is too small to make a significant difference. Beef and soybeans contain more tryptophan than turkey as well.

I reckon people feel so tired after Thanksgiving dinner because they've just gorged themselves on a huge meal, probably had an excess of carbohydrates as well and imbibed a little alcohol to wash it all down.

Quote

"A healthy body and soul come from an unencumbered mind and
body." - Ymber Delecto

Fat Attack Massage Oils

I love having a massage don't you? They are excellent after workouts. Apart from the health benefits of improved blood circulation and lymph drainage and so on... they just feeeel soooo good.

Now I have heard tell that massage can even help break up fat. I'm still on the fence on this one but here is a massage oil that's supposed to break up fat. Maybe you'd like to try it out.

Combine:

30 drops of essential oils blend
2 tablespoons of almond oil
10 drops of carrot oil

Blend the almond and carrot oil together before blending in the essential oils. Rub it on your stomach, hips and thighs in a circular motion ( or better still get someone else to rub it on!).

Let me know if it works.

Bugs and life wisdom

Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

If you're human and it's a bug day, maybe you should stay in bed and read a good book. If it's a windshield day, go out and conquer the world. Make as much progress as you can while you have the drive. And file the memory of that day away as how you always want and expect your days to be - and keep reminding yourself of it.
If you're really a bug...

Well I guess you're buggered!

Manage your attitude

In the animal world the speed of the leader determines the rate of the pack. That probably applies to humans as well. Certainly for humans... "The attitude of the leader will determine the attitude of the pack."

I'm always on about attitude and thinking right but do you reckon that means I never have a negative thought?

It sure doesn't. I wish I could be that way but I've got this big problem.

I'm human. And like every other human being, I too have doubts, fears, and disappointments in my life. Sometimes they get the better of me for a little while too. But to help others and be a leader, we've got to minimize those times.

Do we need to be perfect and never feel negative? Of course not. But we can manage our attitudes and constantly aim to think the right way. Thinking affects our feelings and then our actions. Never underestimate the influence that our actions and our attitudes have on our team, even if that team is just the people around you.

The Haloween Diet

Last Halloween one of my daughters made some scones and cream to give out to householders as treats. Since it was Halloween she added black food colouring to the scones and to the cream.

Well the scones smelled good and tasted good but they looked like horse droppings and the cream looked like brickies mortar. I wonder how many of her Halloween treats got eaten. I suspect most got chucked away.

There were a few left, which I ate of course because I don't like waste, but I must admit they weren't very visually appealing They tasted good but to look at they certainly didn't get my juices flowing.

Perhaps you could use this idea in your own efforts to avoid the foods that add to your waistline. If you are into baking pies, cakes, cookies and desserts use a generous dose of a food colouring likely to put you off eating the finished product.

After a while you'll get sick of complaints from others in your household and all the food you're wasting. I doubt you'll be over your addiction to those foods and your poor eating habits by then but you never know, it could be a crazy idea worth trying.

Santa Claus message

Last week I went to a training day to be a Santa Claus at shopping centres over Christmas. I was the only bloke there without a paunch! I sure felt different. Some of those fellas were heart attacks waiting to happen.

Now I love the concept of Santa and the fun of it. I love the way Santa is accepting of all races, creeds and values. He is an example of love and tolerance, the two things the world needs most if it is to be peaceful (How sad that in the 20th century over 1 billion people were murdered by fellow human beings.)

Unfortunately though Santa is also an example of poor health and fitness. To most kids Santa is a hero figure who can do no wrong. Yet he is obviously overweight. I wonder what messages we are reinforcing in our children.

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma. While I believe in health and fitness through a lean muscular body, I also believe in the other values he promotes. I dress up and portray the very body shape I help people get rid of.

In the end I suppose a peaceful world of fat people who have associated health problems is better than a world of fit, healthy people who war amongst each other because they have little tolerance for differences.

How to talk to Angels

A client friend of mine asked me about angels and how to talk to them because i mentioned that was another strategy for dealing with things. Now I'm no expert on angels but my wife has acouple of books on them and I read them some time ago. It made me think.

I like to believe there's more to life than just us here on the physical plane and there certainly seems to be plenty of evidence (though much of it is anecdotal) to suggest we are not alone. I think angels are around us. They may not be all white and winged. They may even be in the guise of ordinary people we come across in our daily travels. I don't know. I don't think it matters if you don't have any concept of what they look like.


I do know that when I try to do everything by myself, including finding lost things, for instance, I often get to the point where I've hit the wall. Things aren't working, I can't find what I'm looking for etc. So I just say, "Okay Angels, I give in. I've done the best I can by myself but I need your help. Please help me..." So for me I just talk to them as though they were a friend beside me. Often somewhere at the beginning of the day I just say thanks to them for being with me today and ask them to help me in various ways.

I guess it's like prayer in a way. I'm not a religious person but I find this a comfortable spiritual thing. I can say that when I call on them for help then let go my attachment to whatever it is I want help with, I invariably feel better about it and things do go better. I generally find what it is I've misplaced that's for sure. You can even call upon specific angels by name if you want. Apparently different angels are good at particular things.

Who really knows. Maybe just the belief in them is a source of personal strength. Talking to them... well what have you got to lose? Nothing really. But I do make sure no one else is around to hear me when I talk out loud to them. They might think I'm nuts already but why give evidence to prove it hey.

Truisms

If you lend someone $20 and never see them again, it was probably
a wise investment.

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

How to Curb Cravings

The worst thing you can do to lose weight is to starve yourself. Starving yourself teaches your fat cells to conserve energy (i.e. fat) more efficiently.

Then your body's fat-storing processes become very efficient at the expense of your body's calorie-burning efficiency.

Lowering your caloric intake too much will slow down your metabolism and
you will be defeating your whole purpose of dieting.

Losing fat just becomes more and more difficult. And even if you are
exercising regularly this can happen. Curbing your cravings is the first best thing to do to help you lose weight. And the best way to do that is to use the techniques for releasing. One of these is Emotional Freedom Technique. You’ll drop that feeling to munch on a goodie quick smart.

Eat after exercise

After you've worked out you need to replace the energy used up. Carbohydrates are best for glycogen replacement. And you'll need some protein for muscle growth and repair.

The best time to eat is after your workout. Too much before a workout doesn't get used as fuel in the workout, might leave you feeling full and lethargic, and you'll probably end up not even doing it. Or you'll put in a half-hearted effort.

And if you're one of those who work out during your lunch break, you'd be wise to work out first and eat afterwards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Whenever I feel like exercise, I lie down until the feeling
passes." - Robert M. Hutchins

Answer to Chris

It's been suggested that eating whey protein right before a workout might have a beneficial effect.

Whey protein is certainly the superior protein powder. Whey proteins are highly digestible. They have an even better amino acid profile than egg whites, so whey protein has the highest biological value of any protein. It’s absorbed, used and retained better. This makes it more tissue sparing, making it a benefit to people as they diet, age, train or have illnesses or disease.

It’s high in BCAAs which are the aminos most oxidized during exercise and it may even decrease soreness in muscles and assist in recovery from athletic activity because of its quadra-peptides which have pain killing qualities. It may also contribute to bone cell growth, potentially strengthening all the bones in the body.
Whey protein also boosts the body’s ability to fight infection. Intense training lowers immune system response but whey boosts immune response. It helps build up the body’s own antioxidants by raising the levels of glutathione, an essential, water-soluble antioxidant that protects cells and neutralizes toxins.

It inhibits the growth of iron-dependent bacteria, scavenges free iron, can block the growth of pathogenic bacteria and yeast, can stimulate the beneficial intestinal micro flora and has antibacterial properties.

Now in this day and age we are so busy that it’s difficult for most people to eat the recommended six meals a day. This is where protein powders are a great help. It is much easier to have a breakfast a lunch and a dinner and three protein shakes in between.

But the best time to have it is probably in the 90 minute window after your workout as that is when your body needs the extra protein to repair and build up the muscle tissue after the workout breakdown. If you’re going to have anything before the workout it needs to be carbohydrate high rather than protein high, in order to fuel the workout.

The other good time to have it is before bed so your body has building nutrients to work with while you sleep. After all a late night snack of carbs isn’t needed unless you are going to be exercising in your sleep.

Thank you

How can you make a difference? Simply try to become a better person. You can choose to make a difference each and every day simply by saying thankyou.

Here is another inspirational, thought-provoking, 3 minute movie that truly captures the essence of making a difference through appreciation.

To watch the movie, click on this link: The Simple Truths of Appreciation Movie

Eating before workouts

You need energy to work out right?

The energy you get from working out comes from glycogen, a substance that is stored in the body in muscles and the liver.

It's not a good idea to eat a big, filling meal then workout. After a big feed your body wants to direct blood and energy to the digestion system, not the muscles so you won't feel much like exercising mentally and your body won't either.

If you're really hungry before working out, have a piece of fruit, a glass of juice, or even a baked potato. But if you work out for an hour or less anything you eat right before a workout really doesn't have enough time to get into the form of glycogen. The workout's over by the time the fuel's coming available.

The most important time to eat is after a workout, when the muscles are depleted of fuel and hungriest for nourishment and replenishment.

Be better

Here is a short movie to inspire you to be even better than you are. Make it a great day.

Anyone care?

If you think nobody cares if you're alive...

try missing a couple of car payments.

Breaking the cycle of failure

Our life evolves by one experience building upon another. In effect we "live and learn". Unfortunately more often than not we learn the wrong things. And it's generally pretty much a subconscious process so we don't even realise the sorts of things we’re 'learning'. Often we learn to be fearful instead of learning to improve.

We all make mistakes in life. Do you learn from yours?

Or do you have a cycle of making the same old mistakes over and over? I reckon if you keep coming across the same type of people who annoy you, or you keep getting the same problems and issues popping up... then life's trying to give you a message... WAKE UP MAN! You still haven't got it! You haven't learnt the right thing yet.

Perhaps you want to lose weight but always seem to fail, never seem to finish your reports at work, or have a hard time following through on your obligations. Examine some past failures and review where you went off track.

Above all, don't mistake an experience of failing with your identity... "I am a failure," It's an all too easy trap to fall into. No one is perfect all the time. Take what you have learned and apply it to the next situation.

New slants on life wisdom

Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their
shoes.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and
he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

And finally...

Always remember that you're unique...

Just like everyone else.

Fat people

"If the poor overweight jogger only knew how far he had to
run to work off the calories in a crust of bread he might
find it better in terms of pound per mile to go to a
massage parlor." - Christiaan Barnard

I look around and see overweight people everywhere. It's not a pretty sight and very sad when you realise that just about every one of those people would prefer to be slim. (You might have guessed I don't really believe them when fat people say they are happy with their size - it makes it easier to live with yourself if you can convince yourself you're happy about it.)

But what's even sadder is they're all pushing stuff uphill - and it's runny stuff as well.

Why?

Well everything is working against them. Food manufacturers and sellers load food with fats, salt and sugars because the western world's taste buds have been conditioned to want those more and more. People want instant gratification more and more hence more fast foods are eaten. And even the weight loss industry is against them. The whole shebang is geared toward making a buck out of all the poor miserable suckers who want to lose weight, but struggle with it.

The industry is worth billions and the people behind it know that for every one that does make it to the slimmer side, there's a hundred left who will continue on with their losing battle, buying the latest pill, formula or program with a promise.

In the end though, as bitter a pill it is to swallow, for most people losing the battle, the reason lies within their own minds, emotions and resolve.

Persistence

Last night I woke up to the lovely sound of gentle rain on the iron roof just outside my bedroom window. I was really enjoying being snug and comfortable and the sound of the rain.

Then my cat was there right outside meowing over and over again, because he wanted to get inside I suppose. His sound was a bit annoying because I just wanted to hear the rain, but I had to admire his persistence. For some reason I took the situation as a message to be persistent myself with something I'm faced with at present. So I ignored the cat and was more persistent than he was so he eventually went away.

I hope that's an omen that if I'm persistent I will eventually conquer my challenge.

Pushing it

I love that feeling of fatigue after a good workout. But if you can't keep a conversation going while doing your exercise routine, you might just be over doing it.

Exercising is a good habit but you don't have to kill yourself.

By walking, running, swimming, cycling, and lifting weights your heart rate will increase and strengthen your heart and lungs. You'll also breathe deeper and get more
oxygen into your bloodstream. Your muscles will tone and strengthen and you'll feel good.

Don’t be like Mark Twain who was known to have quipped: "I am pushing sixty. That is enough exercise for me."

Dark before dawn

It’s always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

Seriously though, life can sometimes seem pretty tough. You get tired, lose focus, wonder what’s the point and why bother trying. When I do crisis counseling, believe me, there are plenty of people out there like this.

It’s small consolation to know that there are always others even worse off. So what to do? The only answer is changing the feelings and the thoughts. Easier said than done I’ll grant, but it can be.

How?

Using the tapping techniques I use in coaching and counseling can help take the sharp edge off lots of those feelings and thoughts. Give it a try. You have nothing to lose.

Thousand mile journey

You've heard the saying, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Well it could also be said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a flat tyre."

Sometimes the prospect of exercising or sticking to a healthy lifestyle diet leaves you with a feeling similar to the thousand mile journey because of a broken fan belt and a flat tyre.

If this is how you feel when you start out, guess what?

You won't stay on your program more than a week... and that's being optimistic!

You absolutely must get those feelings right before you start. What are the strong reasons for doing it? Have you written them down and written your goals? Have you got someone to encourage you to keep going when you want to quit? Do you have a system to check progress and inspire you on?

That thousand miles can be made to seem less if you approach it the right way. And if you do, before you know it, you'll have done it. I'm with you if you want to start.

Where's your focus

"There are lots of people in this world who spend so much time watching their health that they haven't the time to enjoy it." - Josh Billings

The same goes with lots of things in life. We can miss a lot of the enjoyment from it by being too focused on getting ahead. Don’t get me wrong – it is important to have goals and take action toward them but it’s how we go about it that makes the difference.

Certainly stay focused on what you want, but never focus even in the slightest on what is NOT wanted. When we think about what we don’t want and what we are trying to avoid that’s when we start to attract those very things and miss the enjoyment we could have.

So as a simple rule of thumb, if you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing, check where your focus is.

Calorie cutting tips

When cooking a dish with both vegetables and meat, reduce the amount of meat by 1/3 and increase the amount of vegetables by 1/3. You won't notice much difference in the meal size or enjoyability but there will be fewer calories and fat.

Use spices and herbs for flavoring rather than butter or rich sauces to spare the calories. Garlic, basil, oregano, and thyme add lots of flavor without the fat.

Eat beef jerky, carrots, other raw veges and celery sticks instead of chips and cookies.

Diamond comes from coal

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. - Plato
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It can be very frustrating to struggle and toil to achieve your goals but repeatedly meet with setbacks and failure. Margaret Thatcher once said "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it," and she was absolutely right.

You have to believe that you will succeed! Never admit defeat as long as there is still time to accomplish what you set out to do and you are still able to put in effort.

Your greatest asset is patience; your greatest weakness is succumbing to the desire to give in and quit. Banish discouragement and feelings of impossibility by working hard, doing more, and not giving in! A diamond was only made beautiful after hundreds of years as a lump of coal being succumbed to great pressure and intense heat.

How to let go

In the personal development world we always hear, "think positively," and "focus on the positive". But anyone who's human knows that it's virtually impossible to let go of all the negative stuff we've accumulated over the years.

Einstein once said: "You can't solve a problem on the level of the problem."

Meaning, if the problem is with your thinking, you can't solve it by thinking it away!

So what's the answer...?

I'll tell you what it is, but you have to make me a promise:

You have to promise you'll keep an open mind.

I've been broke, depressed, anxious, sleepless, and terrified.

There are so many books on healing, success and personal empowerment - and I've read lots of them.

But after years of reading and trying self improvement methods I found myself still stuck. It's not that they were worthless, but that they all required willpower. Therein lay the problem for why they didn't work as well as they could.

You can't just get rid of negative thinking with effort of will. That self-sabotage won't stop by wanting it to. Subconscious beliefs and drive thoughts and negative emotions that cause us to sabotage ourselves despite our best efforts.

Well, I discovered the most powerful, life-changing technique on the planet for neutralizing those emotions. It is the missing ingredient to the Law of Attraction.

The ingredient that allows you to immediately let go of everything that's holding you back from achieving what you deserve.

What is it?

It's a simple technique based on ancient Chinese medicine that's been used for thousands of years which I use in my capacity as a counselor and performance coach.

Pick up a copy of my latest book "Eliminate Your Fear" and find out all about it.

Good mottos

I visited a cyberfriend at drowseymonkey.blogspot.com and I really like her attitude: "Do something good today, or don’t do something bad – as long as you do it with humour."

As I say to all the kids I teach, "If you can't say anything good, don't say anything!" She has a good motto don't you reckon?

Wouldn't it be great if the rest of the world had similar mottos to ours. Maybe there wouldn't be so many idiots who jump on the horn whilst driving, or give the finger or verbal abuse at the slightest little thing that irritates them.

I guess it all comes down to another motto of mine; Change the way you think and you change the world. I'd love to hear about any other great mottos you have to make the world a better, more peaceful place. Make it a great day.

How to get the flat stomach

Last time I said fat cannot turn into muscle and muscle cannot turn into fat! However, you can lose muscle tissue and you can gain fat cells. That's what happens to most people.

So if your goal is to narrow your waist line and have a nice flat stomach, the first thing you need to do is decrease the layers of fat that are sitting on top of your abdominal muscles. We all have a flat stomach; it's just some people’s are covered by excess fat. Basically, the leaner you are the flatter your tummy and the closer you'll get to displaying a six pack.

The most effective way to flatten your stomach is a combination of strength training (with an extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, intense workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel). Exercise contraptions cannot eliminate the layer of fat that lies on top of your abs. All they can provide is some variety to the exercises you do.

So you know what you've gotta do hey? Get sweaty, pump some iron and eat right. Also see my article on the missing aspect of reducing the stomach flab that I haven't mentioned here.

Fat & Muscle not the same

Despite all the good information that's around about losing weight, I still hear of people trying to trim their waistline by doing abdominal exercises.

The focus is on thinning the waistline. That's fair enough but success means using a wider approach than just exercising the abs.

You need a basic understanding of what it is you are trying to trim down. We're talking here about the difference between fat and muscle.

Fat around your waistline is excess calories and is primarily stored in layers on top of your muscle tissue. It is a completely different substance and cannot possibly turn into muscle. Muscle is made up of fibers that contract or shorten to produce movement. They in turn can never turn to fat.

Exercising that area will strengthen the muscle tissue that is all around that area contributing to good core strength. Exercising that area alone won't do much to get rid of the flabby spare tyre. I'll tell you tomorrow what will.

Growing up

"The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up". - John Maxwell, author and public speaker

Life is about experience. That’s how we learn. We can blame painful lessons on inexperience, youth, and other people, but once an adult, you must claim your choices and their consequences as your own. Taking responsibility is sometimes a hard pill to swallow.

Life is all about attitude too. Negative attitudes affect your life by creating cynicism, a pessimistic outlook, and often a lack of confidence. Take note of the ways you are escaping responsibility for your attitude. Do you continually blame situations, friends and family, or life in general for your poor mindset?

Certainly the world around you has influence on you, but how you respond to that world is up to you.

When I don't respond well, my life becomes painful... all the more painful in fact because I know I'm responsible (even if other s are involved). In short, whatever I get, I've set up the attraction for. Becoming a mature person means taking control of your emotions and attitude. Keep your attitude right and life will respond accordingly.

What I have to be careful of is not beating myself up. Accept responsibility, get a kick in the pants, then pick up and move on - that's the thing to do. I find the Emotional Freedom Techniques help me get through those times and back to the right attitude a lot quicker.

Storing up for the winters of life

"Be wise in the use of time. The question in life is not how much time do we have. The question is what shall we do with it." - Anna Robertson Brown, author.

One of Aesop's most famous fables that’s even been made into a movie, is about an encounter between a grasshopper and some ants. All summer long the ants had been toiling away, saving up grain for the long winter. All the while the grasshopper merrily - yet foolishly - squandered his time without a care in the world, making no provisions for the cold winter to come. Of course the grasshopper found himself starving and begged the ants for food. They replied, "Since you were foolish enough to sing all the summer, you must dance supper-less to bed in the winter."

Leisure time is certainly important for rejuvenating an overworked mind and body, but bone idleness is just a step away from foolishness. Think about the future that you deeply desire for yourself. Plan and take action towards it. There's nothing wrong with stopping to smell the roses, as long as you keep moving along the path.

In working out I regularly have a layoff for a week. Sometimes, generally over the winter period in fact, I ease off for a bit longer. That's just because it's colder and darker in the mornings and unless I'm really disciplined I don't get up as early.

But I always get back into into it sooner or later. I've stopped and smelled the roses, maybe for too long at times, but then kept moving along the path to a great body and good health. Anyone can do it.

No big deal, celebrate anyway

A friend was telling me she talked at her local library in front of 10 people a while ago. She said, "I was scared for the first few minutes and then I relaxed a bit and it went okay. And now, they want me back! I'm still a bit scared but excited."

Now a lot of people aren't going to think it's any big deal you speaking to 10 people at the library. But that's ok. They don't get it you see. What's big about it is you do it even though it's scary.

This is the 'Magic of Thinking Small' and celebrating your small victories.

This is how to get things started. Small steps. Tiny victories. These tiny steps build your confidence and give you the power to stretch yourself even more.

These steps are worth celebrating because they're the first steps to building something great.

You were born to do something great.

There's greatness inside of you. Discover it.

How? Start by thinking about what you enjoy, where are your strengths and passions.

As long as you don't beat yourself up, you'll realize you really do have great things to offer others.

Breathe From the Diaphragm

Have you ever watched a baby breathe? You'll notice that their belly expands with each breath. This is how humans are supposed to breathe, from the diaphragm. The baby's diaphragm is creating a suction that pulls oxygen into the lungs.

Yet even though we breathe non-stop every day all day, most people have forgotten how to breathe properly.

As we get older, many of us unconsciously switch from natural deep diaphragm breathing to shallow chest breathing.

To experience diaphragmatic breathing, place your hand on your waist. Take a deep breath and expand your belly; your hand should move outward as you inhale and inward as you exhale. If you practice this, you will find that it gets easier and easier to take deep, full breaths from your diaphragm.

Your most important choice

What is the one thing that would truly make you happy? It might seem like an easy question when your mind immediately yells out 'money' or 'a better job'. But deep down what are you seeking?

Could it be peace of mind?

After all, feeling happy is a mental thing. In fact feeling anything is a mind thing sparked by our response to events around us and the thoughts we think.

It begins with accepting yourself, your life, and your circumstances. Then making choices to focus on the positive, your hopes and dreams and refusing to entertain fearful thoughts. Back that up with positive action to keep you busy working toward what you want rather than trying to avoid what you don't want.

During this life you'll have many hard days - long work days, sleepless nights, worrying about the future, etc. Where you put your focus is your most important choice. This week, think about the joys of your life. Find creative ways to enjoy the little bumps in the road.

Breathe deeply

You can live without sunlight for years, without food for weeks, without water for days, but without oxygen, you will die in a matter of minutes.

There’s no doubt oxygen is life. Your body runs on oxygen. The more oxygen you put into your lungs, the more energy you will have. To have a healthy body that is full of energy, one of the things you can do is develop the habit of deep breathing.

Most people only breathe into the upper part of their lungs. Notice how you breathe. You will probably find each breath is fairly shallow.

So make a conscious effort to breathe more deeply and you'll get:
* More energy
* Less stress
* Stronger immune system
* Better mood
* Improved quality of your blood
* Better elimination of toxins
* Rejuvenated glands
* Better posture

Go on, take a big deep breath now.

Happiness

"A great obstacle to happiness is expecting too much happiness."- Bernard de Fontanelle, French writer.

We’re always looking for happiness aren’t we?

Most of the time we think of it as something 'out there' to be found. Happiness is really just a state of mind, not a way of life or a destination that you'll reach one day. Bumps in the road of life are to be expected, and we mustn't let them ruin our days.

A typical pattern of thinking is that if a combination of factors would just fall into place THEN we would finally be happy. But in reality satisfaction can only come from within. It is a mental game played within your head between your hopes and your fears.

When you let the fears win you are unhappy. When your hopes and sense that everything will be okay wins, you find happiness and peace of mind. So refuse to even contemplate your fears and focus instead on believing that you'll be okay.

Amazing mind

The Phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan miund.

Acordnig to rscheerchers at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy , it denos't
mtater in waht oredr the ltetres in a wrod are, the olny ipnoatmt
tihng is taht the frist and lsat leteer be in the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a
porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by
istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day guys.

What a great opportunity to remind yourself of the reasons why you strive for something better. Whether it's a better body, a better income, a better life in whatever way, the emotional reasons why are most important.

And this is also a good time to contemplate the relationships in your life. Living is really all about relationships. Do what you can to positively add to yours today, or repair any that are strained or damaged. Don't wait till it's too late.

My daughters often make their own cards to me. I treasure them more than any bought ones I've ever received. And my daughters are in their twenties!! Somtimes they even make up little booklets. They're priceless. Make it a great day fellas.

The sacred self

"The body is a sacred garment," according to Martha Graham. "It's your first and last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honor". In the Garden of Eden, eating was modeled as one of life's most pleasurable experiences. But then Eve took a bite out of that apple and ever since then men and women have been at war with food.

But I don't think weight problems are God's way of punishing humankind. Perhaps your weight issues are really a symptom of something else - boredom, depression, regret, or rejection maybe. At the root of many issues is our self-loathing at worst, our self-indifference at best.

Food is not the enemy. We are. Break the cycle of dieting and replace it with loving yourself enough to make good choices about your diet. Examine your eating habits this week. Are you honoring your body with your food choices? How can you love yourself back to a healthy relationship with eating? One way is to use Emotional Freedom Techniques. Take steps now towards defeating the natural compulsion or craving that might take you down a path of regretful eating.

Failure for growth

In strength training and fitness, progression is the name of the game. However, as you continually test your limits of accomplishment, whether that's reaching a new level of leanness, increasing your muscle mass or obtaining a new strength maximum, you can fall prey to the belief that you must push yourself to the point of complete 'failure'.

Failure is in fact promoted by many bodybuilders as part of a training strategy. This is the point where you reach a level of fatigue and exhaustion that causes your muscles to literally give out and you can't complete another rep.

One of the biggest problems with training to failure is that the more fatigued you become, the more your form begins to break down. Strict form helps keep you from injury. When your form breaks down, that is when injuries are most likely to occur.

When performing your exercises, always be conscious about form, especially as you begin to get tired toward the end of a set. You could terminate your set at or before the point where you notice that your form breaks in the slightest, and that is usually a couple of repetitions before reaching muscular failure. A training partner is very useful to keep an eye on your form as you go to failure and to keep you safe. Also, don't go to failure on every exercise in every workout. Remember, your muscles like variety.

But you can continue to improve your workouts and thereby your physique and performance without ever training to failure. Try increasing repetitions and or resistance or even density instead. The simple advice of slowing down the tempo and focusing on form will increase results and help keep the doctor away.

Instant gratification

We live in an age of instant gratification don’t we? We want success instantly. We want to change things instantly (even though we generally resist change that puts us out of our comfort zone). Well here is a humorous story for the case for changing more gradually.

A 45 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.
While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God
she asked, "Is my time up?"

God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."
Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a
face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck. She even had
someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth! Since
she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make
the most of it. After her last operation, she was released from the
hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by
an ambulance.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had
another 43 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the
ambulance?"

God replied: "I didn't recognize you."

Cereal time

For years I've enjoyed cereal as an evening snack, much to the amusement of others at times. Well now I could be vindicated.

Scientists at Wayne State University had a sample of 58 overweight nighttime snackers where half of them ate a 150 cal bowl of cereal and low fat milk 90 minutes after dinner and the others ate as usual.

This worked out an average of 140 fewer calories than they usually ate after dinner. They lost on average around 2 pounds.

Bear in mind the study was funded by the Kellogg Company. I'm sure if the results came out any other way they wouldn't have even reported it.

They do say the cereal type doesn't matter. It's obvious to me that what does matter is the caloric intake, regardless of the food (though calorie for calorie, natural, fresh, unprocessed foods are always better than refined foods due to the higher nutrient value).

So whatever you snack on, remember, overdo your calorie needs and you're setting yourself up to overdo your waistline!

Wildlife warrior

My brother Len is a real wildlife warrior. For the past 20 years he has selflessly devoted his time and money to the caring of injured and orphaned birds of all types.

He started BIRO (Birds Injured Rehabilitated Orphaned Association) many years a go and found a band of loyal helpers to assist him in his quest.

He nurses about 800 birds a year and happily shares his knowledge with whoever will listen.

Congratulations go to him for being nominated for The Courier Mail and The Sunday Mail's Pride of Australia medal.

He deserves it as over the years he has put every spare dollar he's had into looking after our wildlife, even to the extent that he lets go the maintainence on his own home so he can better provide for these poor birds. Though he is greatly respected by those who also care about animals and many support his efforts if they can, few people really know how much Len sacrifices in order to do what he does. He's a real credit to the world and I'm proud of him.

Five simple rules to be happy

Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
Live simply and appreciate what you have.
Expect abundance without attachment.
Give more.

NOW...
Enough of that wisdom...
Remember the story of the donkey a couple of days ago? (When life tries to bury you)

Well here's a new ending to it.

The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him.
The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM THE LESSON:
When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

One wish

A man was riding his Harley along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and in a booming voice, the Lord said; 'Because you have TRIED to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish.'

The biker pulled over and said, 'Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want.'

The Lord said; 'Your request is materialistic, think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking, the supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help mankind.'

The biker thought hard about it for a long time. Finally, he said; 'Lord, I wish that I and all men could understand our wives. I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, and how I can make a woman truly happy?

The Lord replied; 'You want two lanes or four on that bridge?'

When life tries to bury you

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.

The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; It just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. So he invited all his neighbours over to help him.

They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.

With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.

The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!

Shake it off and take a step up.

Flavor without fat

Today I have a bit more on fat for you.

Fat and sugar laden foods today have changed our tastes. It’s what we’re used to now. But in the obesity battle we’ve got to change our habits.

Search for lite or reduced-fat versions of condiments, like dressings and sauces. One serving of lite mayo has fewer than half the calories (85) of regular mayo (200), but is almost identical in taste and texture.

Skimp on butters, dressings, and creams, using just enough for taste. Flavor with salsa rather than butter, and forgo the "secret sauce" on your burgers.

Use fresh or dried herbs to add flavor to foods without excess calories and fat. An added bonus from herbs is that studies show that spicy foods, flavored with red peppers or chilli peppers, may boost metabolism and help you to stop eating sooner.

Hold the fat

Here's another quick tip on improving your diet.

When cooking, limit the amount of oil you use by using a non-stick pan. You can also use sprayable oils (avoid substitutes and go for the real olive and canola oil sprays) to coat your pans with virtually zero calories.

Instead of commercial aerosols, you could even get a pump action mist sprayer, available in department stores, to evenly distribute 1/2 teaspoon of oil or salad dressing, compared to the 2-3 teaspoons that you would usually pour on for the same purpose - a saving of 100 calories.

You could also blot the fat from greasy foods like pizza or burgers. One could easily soak up a teaspoon of grease, 5 grams of fat, and 40 calories from two slices of pizza alone. Keep doing these things until they are automatic habits. Stay well.

Don't cut all fat

It's important to remember that not all fats are bad. Certain oils (olive, canola), and nuts are nutritious and healthy to eat. However, fat does have more than twice the calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein (9, 4, and 4, respectively).

Generally, people consume too much fat (and too much food overall) and the wrong kinds of fats, which means excessive calories.

With all the processed foods of today and the availability of fast food and packaged food, fat is the easiest part of our diet to fill. Unfortunately most of it is bad fat. So focus on cutting them and reducing overall calorie consumption. Stay feeling full on water and low calorie natural complex carb whole foods.

How to make Law of Attraction work

The Law of Attraction is a big issue at the moment. You've probably heard the hype about "The Secret". They all make it sound so easy to achieve your dreams in only weeks...

Well it could happen and maybe for some it does, but it's probably not going to happen for most people as quickly as the gurus promise it will.

Why?

Well, what most people are teaching about the Law of Attraction is incomplete.

See, the Law of Attraction dictates that you won't attract positive things into your life if you're holding on to negative beliefs about yourself; and you won't attract success if you're holding onto negative emotions, like anger, fear, guilt and jealousy.

Unfortunately few people really how to effectively let go of those negative beliefs and emotions.

In my capacity as a counselor and performance coach I use the most powerful, life-changing technique on the planet for neutralizing those emotions. It allows you to immediately let go of anything that's holding you back from achieving what you desire. It's actually based on ancient Chinese medicine that's been used for thousands of years.

Pick up a copy of my latest book "Eliminate Your Fear" and find out all about it.

Mind power

I'm always on about the power of the mind and how thoughts are real. Well in June 2004 a completely paralyzed man underwent surgery to implant a small sensor in his brain that enables him to play video games, write email, change TV channels and open his curtains - using only his thoughts!

Richard Normann, professor of bioengineering at the University of Utah, invented a tiny sensor that detects neural activity in the brain. This lead to the development of the Brain Gate Neural Interface System. At present three external computers on a cart are needed to process the signals from the sensor into signals like a computer mouse. Eventually these processors will be small enough to fit inside the patients body and be wireless.

So see. Thoughts really are real. With our technology we can detect them and now even harness them, albeit in small ways, to control devices. Amazing to think what the future holds.

Replacing calories

When cutting out high-fat and high-calorie foods, replace them with fruits and vegetables. These essentials are low in calories, but high in volume, fiber and nutrients, so they give a feeling of fullness. They make great snacks and are easy to pack.

Stick to whole foods as much as possible. A potato is a better option than an order of fries, just as an apple is healthier than a slice of apple pie. Make your choices foods you enjoy eating and give yourself plenty of variety so you stick with the good habit.

Weight loss and health really is pretty simple! Maybe not easy... but simple!

Start slowly

It's great to feel that enthusiasm of starting your exercise program. But it's very sad when people stop two days later because they overdid it and can hardly move from the soreness.

When starting out or returning after a layoff, do much less than what you're capable of. Take a 20 minute walk instead of a run. Use lighter weights and just one set of the weights. You might feel like it's not enough, but it's a good start.

If you feel no soreness then increase the intensity a bit on the next workout. The increase alone will actually help you feel more motivated because it's progress (even if you're still not at the level you used to be).

Work smart before you work hard.

Do you need a reason?

Why do people exercise?

The obvious answer is for better health.

But you can exercise to become a better exerciser - just to improve at something.

Or you can exercise to become a better mother, a better father, doctor, teacher, or a better friend - because it makes you feel better in yourself so you can feel better toward others and be more able to 'play' with them.

Or you can exercise just to become BETTER.

Now that’s an accomplishment to be proud of.

Simple Truths of Service

Today there's a movie for you. It's only short.

It's an unforgettable true story about a young man with Down's Syndrome who changes the culture of a grocery store by being creative and giving the customers more than they expect.

http://stservicemovie.com

Understand your energy cycle

Want to know one way to keep yourself motivated on your exercise program?

What’s that??

You aren’t on one!!!!

Crikey you’d better get onto one quick smart!

Anyway where was I?

Oh yeah - staying interested in your exercise program can be aided by a little bit of awareness of your body.

There are peaks during our days. Even during the week. Become aware of when your energy is highest. Try to complete your workout around those times when you feel stronger and more likely to feel good about yourself.

Simple eh? Okay? Go for it!

Just show up

Feeling lethargic?

Just get into something that's a bit active. Even if it's only getting up off the couch to start with. Move. Go to the gym, a class, or the park.

Once you're there, it's hard to say no. The more you hang out on the couch the harder it is to get up from. Maybe fresh air and sunshine has something to do with it.

98% of life is showing up.

Stabilize

When you look at the way most people eat and how inactive they are, it's not surprising so many people are overweight. But did you know that the main reason people struggle with their weight isn't their inactivity or poor eating habits? These are certainly important factors, but there is an even BIGGER one.

It's the first and simplest factor to maintaining a good body weight.

What is it?

It's your blood sugar levels.

The key to shedding the excess pounds is to stabilize your blood sugar. And this doesn't just apply to people with diabetes. The reason we get fat is because we are supplying our bodies with more energy than it needs at any particular time. It's a supply and demand issue.

For more information on this read this article.

Master this and your struggle with weight will be over.

Do we need a reason?

Why do we only have parties for each other when one of us gets married, has a birthday, or retires?

What would most of us do without our spouses, brothers, sisters, confidants, and shopping, lunching and traveling friends?

Let's celebrate each other for each other's sake!

Someone will always be prettier, more handsome or smarter than we are.

Their house will be bigger.

They will drive a better car.

Their children will do better in school.

And they’ll seem to have more than what we do.

So let it go, Be Happy! And love yourself and your circumstances.

Think about it.

The prettiest woman or the most handsome man in the world can have trouble in her or his heart.
And the most highly favored person on your job may be unable to have children. And the richest person you know, who has the car, the house, the clothes… might be lonely.
And the word says if "I have not Love, I have nothing."

So, again, love you. Love who you are.
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say

"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!"
I like that!
"Winners make things happen.
Losers let things happen"

"To the world you might be one person,
But to one person you just might be the world".

Exercise for the non-athletic

Here are some more novel ways to expend energy if you're not much into exercise.
Putting your foot in your mouth
300 Cal/hr
Pushing your luck
250 Cal/hr
Jumping on the bandwagon
200 Cal/hr
Adding fuel to the fire
160 Cal/hr
Climbing the walls
150 Cal/hr
Jumping to conclusions
100 Cal/hr
Dragging your heels
100 Cal/hr
We all engage in some of these from time to time hey?

Friends

You've probably seen crowd control police linking arms to hold back a crowd... why do they do that?

Because linked together they are stronger.

Alone they might be pushed aside, but together they stand strong.

All of us..
Old and young...
Near and far...
Hold special memories of good times we've shared.

We've shared...
our hearts
our time
our secrets
our fears
our hopes
and our dreams. And we've had our share of hard times when our friends were there to help us feel better.

Let us never break the chain of friends!

Knowing you have friends who'll stand by you makes you stronger.

I’d like to be considered a friend who’ll stand by you when you’re finding it a bit hard to keep going. Doing that is part of my business as a performance coach in fact. Besides that though I’ll still do my best to encourage you through my blog for free.

So have a good day and go out and see if you can add to someone else’s day.

Be happy

Our emotions control and direct how we feel as well as how well or how poorly our bodies function.

The great Mike Brescia in the early 1990s used to go into nursing homes and senior living facilities and test the hearing of the residents over several days at a time.

In one particular facility, everywhere you looked were dogs and cats roaming the halls... and you could even hear birds singing in some of the rooms.

When he asked the director about it she said that in every long-term nursing facility where pets were allowed the residents flourished... many symptoms of old age were reduced or eliminated altogether, and less medication was needed over all.

Why?

Because everyone was happier...

And that particular facility was located next door to an elementary school. So one day a week, the little children would visit all the elderly residents, going right into
their rooms and talking and drawing and singing for the old folks...

... and on those days, even LESS medication was needed for all purposes especially pain!

So it goes to show that it is vital to keep your mind focused on positive and happy things as much as possible.

Always have goals to work towards every day and make sure you notice what you did right... praise yourself for your achievements, however small and your body will reward you with feeling better and staying healthier and you’ll live a longer, more productive life.

Make it a great day!

Water, alcohol and fat

The best weight loss drink is free!

To lose a pound of fat per week, which is a good healthy rate of weight loss, all you need is a 500-calorie deficit per day, This can be achieved by exercising more, reducing calories, or preferably, a combination of both. Instead of a diet, choose a healthy lifestyle, one that is easy to stick to.

The first easy strategy to reduce calories without giving up the pleasures of eating is to drink water rather than alcohol.

Alcohol contains around 7 calories per gram. We all know about the drink driving and embarrassment that can result from excessive alcohol consumption. But even moderate amounts of alcohol can lower your self-control when it comes to food.

Limit your alcohol intake and your body will thank you. Save it for a post-meal indulgence, rather than drinking it before or with food. Studies show that alcohol lowers inhibitions and self-control when it comes to eating. So people who drink before meals eat more than those who wait to drink after finishing a meal.

Drinking water throughout the day, before, and during meals helps curb your appetite. Often when people think they are hungry they are actually thirsty. Thirst of course indicates dehydration.

Dehydration can slow metabolism, but the process of drinking water and the body warming it up to body temperature involves energy and burns calories. Plus, if you are well hydrated your body will have least 10 minutes more energy for exercise (according to a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine).

Awww... do I have t-o-o-o-o-o?

Do I really have to exercise to lose weight?

The short answer... yes!

The long answer... well it is possible to lose weight without exercise but where that weight comes from becomes important.

The problem with a diet only approach is the loss of lean muscle tissue. Up to 30% of muscle can be lost!

This loss of muscle lowers metabolism by around 20% (say around 300 calories a day) because its the muscles that burn fat.

Even though millions of people take up dieting, only about 1% achieve any lasting success. The secret to successful long term fat loss is to change the diet and do exercise, both resistance with weights and aerobic training. This burns calories as well as maintaining muscle and metabolism so that future fat burning is assured.

Sorry about that. So make sure you find some form of exercise that you can enjoy at least a bit. As you do more and fitness grows you will be inclined to exercise more in different ways. Come on guys, I know you can do it.

Guessing short

Studies show that people tend to underestimate how much they really eat every day.

Do you read food labels? This is a key to healthy portion sizes. The portion sizes on some packaged foods may seem just right for one person but in fact a closer look will reveal that the package includes two or more servings, which doubles the caloric content.

If you have trouble stopping at one serving buy single-serving packages of your favorite foods for built-in portion control, or measure out single servings into baggies or containers. Those big meal sizes are a habit and can be changed.

When you decrease your caloric intake you generally end up feeling deprived so make sure you graze between meals on healthy low calorie snacks, and drink plenty of water. Also reduce the time interval between meals if you can.

After familiarizing yourself with portion sizes, be sure to measure. Be exact if cooking at home, but when eating out, think about common objects. A serving of meat is the size of the palm of your hand. A medium piece of fruit is similar to a baseball.

Halfway

Well here we are... halfway through the year.

I love halfway points. To me they signify the home stretch. It's just a mental trick to motivate myself.

On a journey, once you're half way you may as well keep going because it's as far back as it is to go forward.

In resistance exercise for example, while I know that it's the reps in the last half of the set that hurt the most they also do the most good. So halfway marks the the most productive part of the set.

Also, my mental attitude is that if I can get halfway then I can get the rest of the way. This helps a lot with perserverance. Naturally I still have to keep my common sense and know that this is not an infallible truth. Sometimes we get to a point where we can't go any further. Like climbing a cliff - just because I get up the first bit doesn't guarantee getting up the next bit.

The point is, it's how we perceive it that counts. The good thing about halfway points is that they can sometimes be adjusted. Age 50 is halfway if I hope to live to 100. Once there however I don't really want to think I'm in my declining years so why not adjust the halfway mark to 60! After all, it's okay to change your mind isn't it?

It's a bit of a mind game. So what if someone thinks you're a bit whacky for playing it. If it helps you keep going, stay enthused, perservere and progress, then it's worth it. After all, success is all in the head. How we think determines everything.

If halfway helps, use it. If this only helps until the halfway point then cheat and change the game once you get to the halfway point! Maybe adopt the mindset that it all gets easier, or you can take it easier after the halfway point. It doesn't matter.

In the game of life, a lot of the rules can be made up by you to suit yourself. Sure you've still got to follow a lot of other rules you didn't make up, but you can still pretty much play the game the way you want.

Get the RAS on your side

The subconscious is your faithful servant. It is completely neutral and impartial. It will carry out any instructions you give it.

The problem is, we keep giving it conflicting instructions.

You see, many of us are still running negative programs we picked up as children when our non-conscious minds were totally open and impressionable. As we grew up we formed beliefs. Our RAS (part of the brain called the reticular activating system) seeks evidence that validates those beliefs. Our beliefs lead to habits of thinking, which, over the years result in reinforcement of the beliefs through repetition of our own negative thinking.

As it turns out, our own thoughts, repeated daily, are one of the primary ways that our "mental computer" can be programmed on a sub-conscious level, which is the level of beliefs, habits and automatic behavior.

To change your results, you must overwrite old negative programming and install positive new programming into your subconscious.

This can be achieved through such techniques as written goal setting, positive self-talk (affirmations), and mental imagery (visualization).

You will meet resistance from the sub conscious however. One way to counter that is to use the EFT tapping technique.

If any change is to occur you must alter this programming so the RAS allows your world to change.

What creates your body?

Metaphysics & brain science have merged and proven that positive thinking and goal setting literally create your body and your entire life experience.

For years, positive thinking and goal-setting were criticized as new age stuff.

But recent breakthroughs in neuroscience along with greater understanding of mental laws prove that the thoughts you think literally turn into the events you experience, the material things you possess... AND even the health of your own body.


We now know there are specific parts of the brain, such as the reticular activating system (RAS), which call our conscious attention to things that are important to reaching our goals and filter out those things that are unimportant.

The RAS is activated by the "programming" which is in our subconscious in the form of beliefs. These beliefs cause the RAS to filter out what doesn't fit with our belief system. This is why people have so much trouble accepting the change desired from positive thinking and the affirmations that accompany goal-setting.

We are discovering that our brain is cybernetic in nature, which means that it is literally like a computer, waiting for a program to be installed.

Our sub conscious mind is the "power center" and the programming that drives the RAS to filter out what doesn't fit with our belief system can be changed. How do we change that programming? Well that's the big question isn't it? How do you go about it? I'll give you my ideas tomorrow.

Power of Attitude

You’ve heard it before. Attitude counts. It above all else is what determines your life. Here is a 3 minute movie for you. The pictures alone make it worth watching. Have a great day.

Metabolic jump starter

Here's a quick weight loss tip guaranteed to jump start your metabolism.

One of the easiest ways to increase your metabolism is
to perform 10-15 minutes workouts twice a day.

All you need to do is challenge your body a little by doing something to get yourself breathing hard. You don't necessarily have to sweat either.

Try running up and down your stairs a few times. Then do as many push-ups as you
can. Follow that with crunches for the abs and maybe some calisthenics (jumping jacks or skipping) then finish up with a few stretches.

Repeat in the evening.

While it's not a full workout, it will up your metabolism for a few hours, making you less likely to store fat and more likely to burn some. And it's better than doing nothing at all!

Some truths

Here is a piece sent to me by my daughter Cassy.

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it everyday. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5 . Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6 . You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8 . Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11 . Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

And always remember....when life hands you Lemons, ask for tequila and salt, and call me over!

Good friends are like stars........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

"Whenever God Closes One Door He Always Opens Another, Even Though Sometimes It's Hell in the Hallway"

I would rather have one rose and a kind word from a friend while I'm here than a whole truck load when I'm gone.

Maybe right now is a good time to let someone know you care.

Nutrient poor foods

I said last time that many westerners are not getting quality nutrition. Our food may be rich in variety but pretty poor in quality. What are these "nutrient poor" foods?

To explain, we'll have a look at bread. Now there are many varieties of bread, but in the days of our grandparents, farmers grew vegetables and grains on local farms and the harvest went straight from the fields to the dinner table. This means bread was baked fresh every day at home with freshly-harvested grains.

As the population grew, farms become bigger and with mechanization and the growth of transport farmers could sell their products to consumers hundreds of miles away.

But then...

They realized this nutritious bread was going mouldy before the consumers even had a chance to buy it. The "shelf life" of the nutritious bread they were shipping was very low. They needed to increase the shelf life of their bread products.

So what did they do?

They found that the bran and wheat germ could be removed from wheat flour to make white bread. Until then bread was made from whole wheat flour, in which these parts are retained and contribute a brownish color.

In addition, the white flour is generally bleached with potassium bromate or chlorine dioxide gas to remove any slight yellow color and make its baking properties more predictable.

Unfortunately most of the vitamins in wheat are removed along with the germ or destroyed in the bleaching process.

So white bread is an example of nutrient poor food and the bread which still has its germ and vitamins intact is the more nutrient dense food.

Since a similar thing has happened to many of the products from the farm, the nutrient poor foods are generally the processed and refined ones.

So look for foods that are closest to their natural state such as fresh fruits and vegetables and other raw foods and you're on your way to better health with more nutrient dense foods.

Quality nutrition

There are more people over 100 years of age on the Japanese islands of Okinawa than anywhere else in the world. It is believed the reason for their longevity and good health relative to the elderly in the western societies is due to the simple foods they eat which are nutrient dense and low in calories.

The human body is an extremely complicated machine requiring a wide variety of nutrients to maintain a constant state of health.

Unfortunately the typical westerner does not get the nourishment needed to properly maintain a healthy body free of disease.

The reason?

We are consuming processed "nutrient poor" foods (more on this next post).
We are getting plenty of calories but not getting quality nutrition. Write down the sorts of foods you typically eat over a week then you’ll be able to see what your nutrition is really like.

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic means "with oxygen," and aerobic exercise trains the body to use oxygen more effectively. Aerobic exercise involves continuous movement of the large muscle groups that causes one's heart rate to increase.

Regular aerobic exercise results in a more efficient heart. Oxygen travels through the blood, and a heart that can pump more blood with fewer beats per minute is a healthier heart. Exercising for twenty to sixty minutes (depending on your fitness level) per session is usually enough for most people to maintain heart health.

Regular aerobic exercise has shown to have a host of benefits in addition to improved cardiovascular health. It can help the body manage insulin more effectively, improve one's overall outlook, and improve sleep, among many other positive side effects.

Aerobic exercise can also help maintain joint and bone strength. You can get an aerobic effect from some weight workouts too when the rest interval is short and the workout makes you breath hard and we know weight-bearing exercises promote bone health don't we?

Remember though that if you want your aerobics to help you get the weight off you need high intensity aerobics.

Pay Forward

Ever feel you've been ripped off? I have. And from a known name in internet marketing that I thought would be safe. Unfortunately their coaching was an upfront payment with no recourse to recovering my funds when they didn't deliver the service.
Ouch! I can tell you that hurt. It still is. And I've certainly felt angry, largely because I was powerless to do anything about it.

My feelings flew in the face of what I believe to be true. That is, through your mindset, you are projecting out energy which will match up with the kind of energy that you are 'looking' for. This thought pattern doesn't and cannot distinguish good from bad and so will match you up with what it's been told to look for. So dwelling on being ripped off only sets me up for more similar experiences I don't want.

They always say, "Seeing is believing." We actually have it the wrong way around. It should actually be quoted as, "Believing is seeing."

Because, what you believe you will see. You must not let unfortunate experiences (which you have attracted to yourself by your thoughts anyway) make you bitter and negative. As tough as it is to let go the desire to 'get even', it is in our own best interests to do so.

An example of this is the movie 'Pay it Forward' where young Trevor McKinney, troubled by his mother's alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father, is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his social studies teacher. The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favour not back, but forward - repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people. Trevor's efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution not only in the lives of himself, his mother and his physically and emotionally scarred teacher, but in those of an ever-widening circle of people completely unknown to him.

Maybe we can keep this in mind and keep on paying the good forward, rather than aiming for payback against those who've hurt us. Maybe the Universe will extract suitable payment from those who've offended us in its own good time. That's Karma!

It starts with each of us! It starts with you!

Log your food

I was once asked by a naturopath years ago what my diet was like. I assessed it as pretty good – lots of healthy foods etc. But when I actually wrote down what I ate as I did it there was quite a different picture presented.

Research shows that keeping a log by recording exercise and food intake is one of the best predictors of successful weight loss. A written record can point out your eating patterns such as eating in front of the TV or in the car, or eating the same breakfast every day. You can find out what triggers (stress, sadness, boredom, time of day) cause you to overeat. A written log can help you identify areas where nutritional changes can be made.

You may find that you are eating fewer fruits than you thought or drinking too much soda, for example. Then you’ll know where you can implement healthy changes. Studies show that people tend to underestimate how much they really eat every day.

In doing so, we consume too many calories without realizing it.

And you know what the result of that is!!

Lombardi Inspiration

Vince Lombardi, the football coach, had the unique ability to articulate the fundamentals of success – for football, business and life unlike any leader I’ve ever heard. The Lombardi philosophy transcends football with strong visions of excellence, discipline, commitment, and winning.

Here is a three minute inspirational movie that shares Lombardi’s keys to success in an unforgettable way; the vintage photos, the great Lombardi quotes, and the rare audio segments from Lombardi giving his famous speech… What It Takes To Be #1. Just click on the link below and enjoy.

Click Here To View The Movie

The Carpenter

Here is a story exemplifying my message over the last couple of posts.

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to
leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife
enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to
retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.

The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an
unfortunate way to end his career.When the carpenter finished his work and the
builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to
the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall.

Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.

The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."

Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

Remember?

When you work, turn out a product that would make you proud--even if you think nobody notices. When you plan your day, make sure it agrees with the healthy direction you want to head. That'll keep that nagging inner voice from reminding you that "something is not quite right here." You may think no one is looking, but somebody is, remember…

You are!

Who is looking?

Do you ever get the feeling that you should be doing something other than what you are when it comes to exercise and nutrition choices. Have you ever felt guilty about doing a half-hearted job on a project or neglected your duty in some way?

Listen to your conscience. It's telling you that you're getting off track. It knows what you're capable of and where your priorities are. If you neglect those standards and get your priorities mixed up your conscience is going to let you know about it.

It's a bit like when you pick your nose or scratch your backside... you never know who's looking.

Well... your conscience is always looking.

Reward yourself more

While straight talk and brutal honesty are often good for getting your butt moving, for sustained motivation, the positive approach will keep you from burning out.

Rewards create a feeling of doing something you want to do, not just what you're forcing yourself to do. Even the smallest of rewards can work wonders as you travel from milestone to milestone, weigh-in to weigh-in.

You could compliment yourself by writing down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you did. Yeah I know it sounds a bit wierd to compliment yourself. It even feels a bit strange at first. But you see you have a lot of inner personalities and each one is like a seperate individual in your psyche but we won't get too deep into that right here.

Take a day off from any goal activities. Read a funny book. Find some time to be by yourself. Watch your favorite TV show. Put $1 in a jar every time you meet a goal. When it gets to $50, treat yourself. Make a grab bag of little prizes so when you reach a significant goal, reach in and get your reward!

Make up your own list of rewards suitable to you. Make sure they are special and not something you can have any time anyway.You put in the hard yards, you deserve your reward. You've earned it. Good on you.

Being a positive example

The other day I got out of the car (I was a passenger) into driving rain to help a bloke push his car out of the traffic. I got saturated and was very cold but you know what?... I felt good. It felt good to do a kind thing without any expectation of payback.

In any case I believe the Universe does give a payback somewhere along the line. It's the law of cause and effect. A kindness will often be paid back two-, three- or even tenfold. If not from the person you helped, then from someone further down the 'kindness' chain.

The other thing is though you might never really know the full effect of your actions. One small action could lead to another, which could lead to many and involve many others along the way. Your actions may inspire others to do the same, with far-reaching results that completely outweigh that first effort.

Also when you're a positive example for others you actually benefit yourself. Just like when I felt good for helping someone. And on the health side, when you feel good about yourself you're more likely to feel stronger and look after yourself better. You'll more likely take those small, healthy actions that help you build a healthy body and lifestyle.

So go try it out! Do a kind thing for the next person you meet, and see if you don't get a positive return.

First hurdles

I was thrilled to receive an email from a friend telling me that she’d lost 13kg since I first met her at one of my weight loss workshops. Considering she was 255kg and quite dis-spirited after years of no progress despite her weight loss efforts this is great progress.

Okay it may have taken four months but we must consider that coming from 255kg and making those first gains (or should I say losses?) is the hardest step; those first hurdles always seem to be the highest. And the more obese a person is, the harder it is to get moving in the right direction.

Now that she’s done that much however, there should be NO DOUBT in her mind that she can do it. From here on she can build momentum and make further progress. It’s the beginning of a long journey and she’s on her way.

If you are like my friend Debbie, you can do it too. Just make sure you never give up. If you need a kick in the pants or a gentle word, remember I'm here and you can call help if you need to.

Negative motivation?

Do you constantly nag yourself about eating 'right', berate yourself when you don't, and expect nothing but perfection, no matter how much progress is made?

Most people approach weight loss from a position of "pain". The tools of the trade are guilt, doubt, shame and self-flogging.

Instead of celebrating the 24 pounds they've lost, they see the 6 they still haven't lost.

Does this sound familiar?

The focus is on the negative rather than the positive. It's the way most people were conditioned in their upbringing. Don't do this, don't do that, you did this wrong, etc.

To people used to beating themselves up, it may seem like the best way to get motivated, but consider this: if you attempted to motivate an employee like that, how long do you reckon they'd stick around?

So why try to motivate yourself this way?

Focus on the positives. The progress you did make, however small.

You deserve your support don't you? Then be supportive. You're worth it.

Reward yourself

It's great to get a pat on the back every once in a while. And it's especially needed when you're out of your comfort zone, challenging yourself to improve, nervous about whether you can succeed.

Unfortunately most people are so wrapped up in their own problems they don't give out too many pats on the back so you've got to do it yourself.

Find some ways to reward yourself to pat yourself on the back and encourage yourself when no one else will. Pay more attention to what you do right than what you do wrong.

Make the reward meaningful to you. It doesn't have to be lavish or costly. It could be just settling down to read a good book for a change. Sometimes, the best rewards are those you can't buy.

Small rewards for meeting smaller goals, achieved more often, are more effective than waiting for the bigger rewards that require more work and more time.

By all means celebrate. But don't use food as a reward. Even good food. It's just too risky. Decide how you're going to celebrate reaching your weight loss goal and involve other people. Tell them about it. Plan a celebration that you can anticipate and then keep it within sight all the time.

He who hesitates is lost

There's an expression that goes, 'He who hesitates is lost.'

It's okay to 'look before you leap' and exercise a degree of caution but if you approach a block in the road to your dreams with hesitation, it might resist and break your resolve.

However, if you step forward with confidence, you can climb over that hurdle in your way, even if it's one inch at a time, and pull yourself over the top.

It's all about confidence.

Confidence is what you build by facing problems. Then you know that you can take on anything that comes along.

Metabolism and interval training

Depending on slow cardio exercise for significant fat loss is at the very least, inefficient.

With slow cardio exercise (like walking normally) it takes a long time for you to burn a lot of calories. Using only light cardio training for weight loss could even result in a reduced resting metabolism. Strength training doesn't suffer a reduced metabolic rate.

So what is the solution to burning fat in a faster, more efficient method?

The answer is to burn fewer calories in less exercise time, but with a more intense form of exercise.

Your body burns more calories after intense exercise (when you use intervals) than it does after you do slow cardio and your metabolism will stay high. This is sometimes called the afterburn effect.

How do you do intervals?

Well, you could sprint for 30 seconds and rest for 90 seconds and repeat that for 6 sets - using the bike, treadmill or running outside or even swimming, boxing, or skipping.Within that short time frame the intervals will cause your muscles to go crazy with activity. This crazy metabolism boost causes lots of calorie burning after exercise to get your body back to normal.

The result is you end up burning more fat and more calories in the post-exercise period as your body tries to get things under control.

Just remember though, you can wipe out an entire workout's work in less than a minute simply by eating rubbish food.

Success movie

Here is a slide show of magnificent pictures and inspiring messages on The Nature of Success.

Enjoy!

Weight joke

A bloke steps onto one of those machines that speak your weight and tell your fortune.

“Listen to this”, he tells his wife. “It says I’m energetic, bright, resourceful and a great lover.”

“Yes,” his wife nods, “And it’s got your weight wrong too.”

Steady burn

Have you ever been around a campfire? You've got to keep it going so it's ready to cook over at certain times don't you.

So what do you have to do to keep it going so it's a steady fire?

Feed it, right?

Can you achieve this by feeding the fire once or twice per day?

No you can't, because you'll have a raging blaze after stoking it up and then it dies down more and more until you stoke it up again.

Your metabolism is like this. It works best if it's fairly steady.

Once your metabolism is back up where it should be, it takes continued "stoking" of the metabolic furnace to keep it there. If you starve it of fuel (crash diet), it dies down. So once you get your metabolic fire burning, you've got to keep feeding it fuel or the fire will die down. This means frequent small meals rather than a couple of big feeds a day.

And what you feed it too is important. You can't throw some crumpled newspaper on the fire, it's too quickly burning. For your body this is akin to eating the high GI foods.

You have to keep putting small amounts of wood (the right type of fuel) on the fire at regular intervals or the fire burns out. For your body this means quality nutritious food.

To get your metabolism burning hot and keep it burning cannot be achieved by sporadic, infrequent training, missing workouts or missing meals.

Consistency is the key

If you keep starting and stopping with your exercise program, or skip meals and workouts often, you won’t even get off the ground to increasing your metabolism.

Nothing will undermine the re-building of your metabolism like inconsistency in applying the proper nutrition and training principles every day.

What are those principles?

1. Meal Frequency: eat 5-6 small meals per day. To do this you’ll need to eat about every 3 hours.

2. Adequate Calorie Intake: maintain a small calorie deficit and avoid starvation-level diets (suggested safe levels for fat loss: 2100-2500 calories per day for men, 1400-1800 calories per day for women) Have a substantial breakfast, a substantial meal after workouts and reduce the meal sizes as the day progresses.

3. Weight Training: Basic exercises that include the largest muscle groups such as squats, dead-lifts, overhead presses, and all kinds of rows and core-activation exercises will have a much greater metabolism stimulating effect than isolation exercises like curls, shrugs and, calf raises, etc.

4. Cardio Training: Get the intensity up if you really want to get a metabolic boost. Walking and low intensity cardio is fine, but higher intensity, particularly interval training, is more metabolism-stimulating.

5. Food Types: Select natural, unprocessed foods with high thermic effect (lean proteins like chicken, turkey, egg whites and fish are highly thermic, as are all green vegetables, salad vegetables and other fibrous carbs). Ensure you have protein with every meal.Maximize the low GI and complex carbohydrates and minimize the refined foods.Get plenty of water and stick to low fat (NOT no fat) foods.

Consistency means making it a habit. Before long weight control will be much easier.