Your Virtual Health & Wellness Advisor

Have you heard the news? extra_extraI’m excited to publicly announce that I’ve started a new blog called Thin2Win (pronounced Thin To Win). I created Thin2Win.net so I could write about health & wellness, which if you know me, you know is a big part of my life and something I’m very passionate about.

This idea came to me after discovering an alarming statistic that more than 66% of the population in America is either overweight or obese. No, unfortunately that’s not a typo.

Despite all of the information and resources available, 2 out of 3 people are overweight. And it’s getting worse, not better. But it doesn’t have to be this way.fat belly

Here’s another disturbing statistic that caught my attention. It’s estimated that for the first time in history, obesity is causing more deaths than malnutrition and hunger worldwide. Until recently, smoking has been the leading cause of preventable death in the US. But some studies are now indicating that America’s persistent weight problem has become the leading cause of preventable death. Poor diet and lack of exercise are the main reasons. And depending on which study you read, high blood pressure and obesity round out the top 3 causes.

[Disclaimer]: Due to the amount of information and conflicting studies online, I could not confirm this statistic with absolute certainty. But obesity is definitely on the rise and so I felt it was still worth mentioning.

My intent here is not to inundate you with a lot of statistics, or make you feel bad if you’re overweight. I simply want tell you about my new site, with the hope that I can help you or help someone you know to find a way to slim down and get to better health. I’ve been fortunate to have found success in this area, so I feel compelled to share and help others succeed at it as well.

I haven’t publicized Thin2Win (until now) because I wanted to have some content available. And after publishing 10 posts, I feel it’s time to start spreading the word and officially launch the site.

What should you expect when you subscribe to Thin2Win? I will publish a new post about health and wellness with weight loss as the central theme, every other Tuesday. But don’t worry, this is not another bogus weight loss site. Although the central theme is about losing weight, my writing focuses on healthy lifestyle changes including good nutrition and exercise; not restrictive diets or supplements.

Some of the content will help you learn how to eat right. Other posts will focus on the foods to avoid. I also want to help you find the reasons to start or continue exercising 3 to 5 times per week. It’s all about taking care of your 2 most important assets – your mind and your body – with good nutrition and regular exercise.

Face it, although we may get a few do-overs or lucky breaks in our lifetime, we don’t get to “trade in” the incredible body we were given at birth for a better one. But you can enhance it with nutrition and exercise. So it’s imperative that we make the most of what we’ve got by taking great care of it and making it better. Use it or lose it!

Think of Thin2Win as “your virtual health & wellness advisor”.healthandwellnessAn online, self-serve, do it yourself resource. I will create and curate valuable content from leading authorities in the areas of health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. My first post will help you understand my “WHY” for doing this, which you can link to by clicking here. I want Thin2Win to be something that:

  • You can incorporate into your existing routine.
  • Helps you get started if you’re not sure where to begin.
  • Becomes a catalyst that energizes you to lead a healthier lifestyle.
  • Provides strategies and ideas to enhance your health & wellness initiative.
  • Motivates you get lean and stay fit.
  • Attacks the obesity epidemic.

By the way, whenever I refer to your “DIET”, please understand that I am not referring to a plan that’s loaded with tons of rules & restrictions. Or a program that you’re going on for 12 weeks for example, in an attempt to lose 30 pounds. Your diet in my opinion includes the healthy foods, liquids, and information that you consume as part of your healthy “LIFESTYLE”. So please abandon any negative meaning you associate with the word diet and replace it with anything to do with your new healthy lifestyle.

And I’ve saved the best for last. In case you were wondering, there is WORK involved if you are truly serious about losing weight and getting healthy. If you’re not serious or aren’t ready to work hard at it, then unfortunately I can’t help you at this time.Runner in ActionThin2Win does not recommend restrictive eating or rigid exercise plans. That’s gonna be up to you based on your likes & dislikes, body type, age, gender, goals and schedule. We are also not a 1 on 1 personal training, nutrition or fitness coach. But I’ll provide guidance and input when applicable to enhance what you’re doing, even if you have a personal trainer.

And as far as the work, there’s no quick fix in our approach. It’s about getting back to the basics. You do need to eat right every day and exercise at least 3 to 5 times per week. The quality of your eating and exercising will be directly proportional to your long-term results.

There aren’t too many things better than an intense, calorie-burning, ass-kickin’ workout. But if you’re out of shape and have been sedentary for far too long, you need to start slow but be consistent, and increase your intensity as fast as possible. sweat-drenched-pushupAnd be sure to get your doctor’s approval before starting any new exercise or nutrition plans. Because intense exercise combined with great nutrition is the only way to accomplish your weight loss goal and maintain your healthy body. All natural baby!

By the way, I personally despise weight loss pills, supplements, quick fix schemes, and extreme diets; and the companies that market and sell this garbage. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry that’s taking advantage of people. If their stuff worked (which it doesn’t, and you knew that), shouldn’t there be a lot less people with a weight problem? Well it’s all bull**** and I hope to raise an awareness that takes a huge bite out of their future earnings and eventually puts them out of business. (Sorry but that stuff makes me nuts!)

In closing, I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. I’d love for you to let me know what you think (good or bad). And if you do like what you see, SUBSCRIBE to the blog, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles. And if for some reason you don’t like what you see, tell me why. Your feedback will help me continue to improve the site and help others.

Are You Sleeping Your Life Away?

Let’s face it, we live in a busy world. Demands for our time can be immense, despite seeming innocuous at first. If we’re not careful, a well-planned day that’s going “according to plan” can be derailed in a heartbeat by another person’s agenda or emergency.

Sleep deprivation

We pile on tasks, projects and commitments. This leads to more of our waking hours spent at work. To our credit, we get more done. And so we are given more responsibility, which means – more work.

We say “yes” even though we are already over-booked or spread too thin. It’s like we don’t know how to say no. Sound familiar? Like I’m describing you? Yea, I know; me too…

I used to think that I could work my tail off and get by with little sleep. Hey, I was busy and there was no time to stop; right?

And I definitely didn’t want to be known as a slacker. Burning the candle at both ends was like a badge of honor. But that was delusional thinking.

Then I was fortunate to have discovered the importance of rest. And how crucial rest is to our mind and body by recharging every night with 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep.

The takeaway here is:

If we don’t put boundaries in place, our time can be hijacked without even realizing it. By the way, I used to think I could multi-task too. And by multi-tasking I thought I was being super-productive and getting more done.

Again, I was delusional. But this post is not about me or multi-tasking, so let’s get back on track.

Sleep deprivation

Last year I read the book “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown, which I highly recommend. Greg helps us understand that we can’t possibly do everything. As he puts it, “Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential”.

In this post, I’ve gathered some of the best ideas that have been written on the importance of getting quality rest, and the negative effects of sleep deprivation.

So rather than restating what’s already been written, I will summarize it, include my own thoughts, and then provide links to articles that I hope will be helpful to you.

Sleep deprivation

If you’re not getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep every night, then your mind and your body can not function properly. Your waking hours will be spent in a fatigued, zombie-like state.

And although you may think that you’re doing fine, and able to power through your day in an alert and productive way, studies will prove that you can’t.

Your mind and body need adequate rest to recharge, every night.

If you’re a driven, “Type A” person, you may believe that your shortened sleep patterns are justified. But by working more and sleeping less, you are NOT being the uber productive person that’s getting more done like you think you are.

You’re merely producing lower quality work by operating in a diminished capacity and sacrificing your long-term health & well-being by not getting enough ZZZ’s.

Your energy level during your waking hours will fade. This will eventually begin to take its toll on your mind and body. Your memory and cognitive ability will soon be affected.

This impaired state will impact your work, focus, productivity, relationships, personality, reputation, and your health; as if that weren’t enough.

Can ‘ya hear me?

Sleep deprivation

So what are the negative effects of sleep deprivation?

According to WebMD, they include:

  • Decreased performance and alertness
  • Memory and cognitive impairment
  • Stressed relationships
  • Poor quality of life
  • Occupational injury
  • Automobile injury
  • Editor’s note: You run the risk of sleeping during a meeting, in front of your boss or co-workers (like blue-shirt boy above).

Some of the medical illnesses that result from long-term sleep deprivation include:

  • High blood pressure
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Obesity
  • Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders
  • Diabetes
  • Increased mortality risk

Long-term sleep deprivation also:

  • Kills your sex drive
  • Ages your skin
  • Makes you forgetful
  • Can cause weight gain
  • Impairs judgement
  • Makes you moody, emotional and quick to anger
  • Increases the rate of accidents
  • Decreases concentration & productivity
  • Causes your immune system to operate at a lower capacity

Sleep deprivation isn’t just limited to a personal choice, like working longer hours in an attempt to improve your business or advance your career.

Other reasons that can seem out of your control include:

  • A health or medical condition
  • A partner that snores
  • Sleep apnea
  • Acid reflux
  • Physical pain
  • Restless leg syndrome
  • Frequent urination
  • Stress and worry
  • Jet lag
  • Interrupted sleep patterns that distract or reduce REM sleep

Sleep deprivation

And then there are other causes of insufficient sleep that are well within your control, which include:

  • Caffeine & alcohol consumption just before bedtime
  • Trading sleep for additional time – to work or play
  • Medication and vitamin supplements
  • A pet that sleeps with you
  • Electronics – TV, smartphone, tablet / pad, video games…
  • Falling asleep on the couch instead of going to bed

What can you do to get more ZZZ’s?

  • Exercise
  • Meditate
  • Lose weight
  • Take power naps
  • Go to bed early and wake up early
  • Get healthy so you can reduce or eliminate your prescriptions

If you’re not getting enough sleep every night, over time, one could say that you are sleeping your life away. Let that one sink in. So do whatever you can to make better sleep a priority!

Sleep deprivation

Now let’s take a look at links to some great resources:

In closing, I can’t stress enough how important sleep is to your mind and body. A good night sleep is crucial to your health and well-being.

In fact, getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep every night should be one of your top priorities. Make it part of your daily routine by building it into your busy schedule.

So what keeps you up at night? Have you found a way to overcome it? Share your comments below.

Thank you for sharing your time with me.

I hope you found value in this post.

Now it’s time for YOU to take action…

I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? What else would you like to see in future posts? I welcome your feedback.

What’s your Win to be Thin?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, share it with them. And if you like what you see, SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates when new posts are published.

You can also LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.