Monthly Archives: December 2015

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Sleep, Weight loss

Let’s Step Back In Time…

I hope you had an awesome Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of year).

Let’s take a trip back in time. In your mind. To this time last year.

Back_in_time

Do you remember setting your 2015 goals? Can you recall how excited you were to set some new, lofty endeavors for the coming year? Did you stay focused, overcoming all of the inevitable challenges, obstacles and setbacks?

So how did you ultimately do?

Goals_checklist

Good or bad, now is the time to reflect back. Celebrate your wins and learn from your losses. The feedback is invaluable. Even if you missed your target, there is still something to learn about yourself. And take with you into next year, or with the next goal you set.

Do you simply need to extend the date of completion? If so, do it. Then review your progress and get back to it. Or perhaps you need to re-work your plan and start over. It’s okay. You have important information. So consider that a win and create a new plan.

I learned to embrace failure this year, thanks to this blog. Nothing happens until you take action. And you may not get it right at first. But if you “embrace” those early mistakes, you will figure out how to improve and make it better. It’s part of the process.

Remember, progress, not perfection. It’s powerful.

But most of us don’t want to intentionally fail. Or look bad in front of others. And I’m not suggesting that you go out of your way to mess up. Instead, focus on your growth; not your mistakes. Accept that you may not get it right the first time. Then learn from each experience and improve your skills along the way. And you will never look back.

It’s a lot easier to sit on the sidelines, critiquing or criticizing the mistakes of others. But what does that get ‘ya? For the record, I’m expecting more missteps this year. Just sayin’…

So what’s the takeaway here? Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is unfortunately something that carries a negative stigma. But it shouldn’t. Unless you make the same mistake, over and over.

Embrace_failure

Think about some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned. Was it from someone else that told you what to do or not do? Or did you have to mess up and learn it for yourself, the hard way? You can use both types to your advantage.

Back to your 2016 goals. I’d like to end this post with some valuable advice from Darren Hardy on how to NOT FAIL this year when it comes to your 2016 goals. It’s called The Honeymoon Phase.

In closing, I would like to wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. And I also hope that you get to fail a few times in 2016. Cheers to your growth and great health!!!

Thank you for sharing your time with me. 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? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Sleep, Weight loss

No Cookies For Santa This Year

We are deep into the holiday season. Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are in the rear view mirror, and Christmas and the New Year are right around the corner. With holiday parties galore.

Busy_holiday_season

These are supposed to be happy times. But they can be challenging and stressful. Even more so if you’re trying to lose weight. Or in the home stretch of achieving your 2015 weight-loss goal.

But don’t worry. You can do this without a negative impact on your healthy lifestyle. Eating clean, even during the holidays is well within your control. It’s just gonna take a little more discipline and planning than usual. ‘Cause there are more temptations lurking at every turn. So learn to say NO!

Let’s start by linking back to our Thanksgiving post. In it you will find actionable ideas and tips to help you manage the “eating” part of the holidays. Adding to this list, you can:

  • Prepare healthier appetizers and meals. If you’re going to a holiday party, consider bringing something healthy instead of a traditional holiday dessert.
  • Minimize your alcohol intake. Alcohol equals empty calories. And enough of it can help you make bad decisions about your food choices that you will later regret.
  • Eat healthy snacks throughout the day to keep hunger pains at bay. Things like raw veggies, fruit, nuts, and seeds. And consider preparing these in advance to save time.
  • For a list of foods to avoid, link back to a previous post here.

The-benefits_of_great_health

Need some ideas for healthy snacks? Here’s a brief list:

  • Raw veggies – sliced peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, radishes, cucumber, celery, grape tomatoes… And use caution with the dips and sauces. Best to go naked if you can.
  • Fruit – Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, sliced apples, kiwi, bananas, grapes… And olives (yes, they are a fruit).
  • Peanuts, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia… Just be sure to watch the calories and salt. Nuts are high in healthy fat which makes them high in calories. So stick to a handful or two a day.
  • And zip-lock bags let you take all this good stuff on the go.

Here’s an article that I found online. I don’t know the company but the author makes some similar and valid points. It’s called 12 Healthy Ways to Survive a Holiday Eating Frenzy.

And finally, instead of leaving out a few cookies with a glass of milk for Santa this year, teach your kids a valuable lesson by leaving him a small plate of raw veggies with a glass of water. Just sayin’.

Merry_Christmas

Thank you for sharing your time with me. 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? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Sleep, Weight loss

Do You Have This?

metabolic_syndrome

Ok, I’m getting off my soapbox from last week. This week I’d like to talk about an all too common and deadly disorder that was discovered in the past 20 years. It’s called metabolic syndrome.

I say common because it’s so widespread. The American Heart Association reports that 47 million Americans have it. And despite being so prevalent, it’s a condition that not many people know about. Even the experts debate about it because it consists of multiple risk factors.

But one thing is for sure. If you have any of the risk factors, you have a higher possibility of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And as your age increases, so does your risk.

So what exactly is metabolic syndrome?

According to WebMD, metabolic syndrome is not a disease; it’s a group of risk factors. These risk factors include the following:

  • High blood pressure (135/85 or greater)
  • High blood sugar (insulin resistance or glucose intolerance)
  • Unhealthy cholesterol levels (low HDL, high LDL, and high triglycerides)
  • Abdominal fat (waist size of 40″ + for men, and 35″ + for women)

abdominal_fat

Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance appear to be the dominant underlying risk factors. And most of the disorders associated with metabolic syndrome have no symptoms, although a large waste circumference is a visible sign. The primary cause has been linked to obesity and inactivity.

People with metabolic syndrome have an increased long-term risk for developing cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and stroke), type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and poor blood supply to the legs.

What can you do to reverse or prevent the serious health risks associated with metabolic syndrome? It starts with aggressive lifestyle changes. You need to:

  • Eat healthy
  • Exercise
  • Lose weight
  • Stop smoking

These changes are all under your control. It comes down to how long you want to live and how healthy you want to be while you’re alive?

healthy_eating_and_exercise

The ball is in your court so choose wisely by developing better habits.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. 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? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Sleep, Weight loss

A Year In The Making…

In_the_newsI am excited to report that it’s been 1 year since I launched this blog. The original concept churned around in my head for a few years until I mustered enough courage to put my thoughts and ideas out into cyberspace. Which is not easy for an introverted perfectionist. More on that at the end of this post.

My initial plan was to find a way to take a big bite out of the obesity epidemic. I was (and still am) motivated to help anyone that struggles with weight issues. I also try to expose all of the B.S. and bogus weight loss scams by writing about natural and effective ways to lose weight. And how to keep it off forever by learning how to make better choices.

Specifically, the minor decisions we make that sometimes result in unconscious auto-pilot choices as we busily plow through our daily routines. But also the lazy ones that seem insignificant in the moment, but compound over time. And how small tweaks can make a huge difference in paving the way to a healthier you. Like choices to eat cleaner, making exercise a part of your routine, and getting adequate sleep to rest and recharge.

When I launched Thin2Win, I didn’t know what to expect or where it would lead. So I concentrated on providing valuable content by writing about practical strategies that have worked for me. My posts are targeted toward people over 40 that are looking to improve their health & wellness. Especially anyone that struggles with their weight.

For the first 6 months I posted every other Tuesday. But then decided that once a week would be better. So now it’s every Tuesday and I expect this to continue over the next year.

I have tried to let this blog “take shape” over time. The theme that resonates most I believe is healthy habits that get results. My primary motivation is to promote a healthy lifestyle that leads to healthier aging, which I too aim for on a daily basis.

Lean_and_strong

Let’s face it, maturity and experience has its benefits. But we would all prefer to be younger than older, right? With fewer aches and pains, a better memory, vitality, and a leaner, sexier body. We can’t turn back the clock but we can improve our physical capabilities. Small changes that will have a big impact on our later years.

My philosophy is simple. I can’t predict how long I will live or what may be in store for me in the future. But I can control what I do now to stay lean and strong so I can eliminate or delay the preventable diseases in my lifetime. Diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension that affect millions of people every year.

I believe that if I “intentionally” live a healthy lifestyle, then I am doing everything in my power to positively influence my health and longevity for when I reach chapters 80, 90 and 100. It’s the compound effect, day by day with massive long-term benefits along the way.

As I look back over the past year of posts, I’ve selected some of the core concepts about living a healthy lifestyle. It seems like it’s about weight loss, but I really believe that to be the natural byproduct of making the right (and sometimes difficult) choices now, so you can have a positive impact on your future. Delayed gratification at its best. And don’t you deserve the best? Here are some of the top posts:

Imperfection_tattoo1
A daily reminder to strive for progress, not perfection – John Dolan style.

This is the symbol for “imperfection”. It’s my daily reminder to strive for progress, not perfection. It’s something I still struggle with but I am making progress and hope it’s beginning to show in my work.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. 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? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Active lifestyle, Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Longevity, Nutrition, Personal development, Sleep, Weight loss

How Does 5 + 2 = 0?

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was great. Filled with family, friends, and fun. And a little rest to recharge your batteries. We all have a lot to be thankful for.

Did you achieve your nutrition and fitness goals? If you did, congratulations. That’s great! If you didn’t, it’s not the end of the world but the clock is ticking. So I would strongly suggest that you reflect back to learn what happened, and what you could’ve done different.

Why? Well, we’ve got a couple more big holidays coming at us this month. And you need to get this right.

results-or-excuses

Unfortunately, things don’t always go according to plan. I am not here to cover up repeated failed attempts with excuses. Or justify obvious neglect or laziness with a forgiving pass. We are each accountable to ourselves, at a minimum. Responsibility rules!

You do have a plan, right? This reminds me of the 5 + 2 = 0 concept I learned from Tom Venuto. Let me explain.

So you work hard all week. You maintain great discipline by eating clean, backed by intense training and getting enough sleep Monday through Friday. But when the weekend rolls around, you derail your week-long efforts unconsciously with a night or two of eating poorly, drinking excessively, and sacrificing sleep. And to go from bad to worse, you probably blew off your weekend workouts too.

I’m not suggesting that you’re not allowed to have fun. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Just keep in mind that a little moderation and some better choices could go a long way here to preserve and maximize the results you achieved all week.

So how do we maintain momentum and ensure that 5 + 2 = 7; not zero? It starts with a conscious focus on your goals and knowing WHY. Why is this goal important to you? How great will it feel to achieve it? Or what’s it gonna cost if you don’t?

Willpower and motivation fade over time. They also check out when the going gets tough, as it always does when you’re striving for something worthwhile. So remind yourself of the reasons this goal is important – to you. It will also help to include the weekend in your plans and routine. Otherwise you’re more likely to make choices you would normally scoff at.

carrot-and-stick

You’ve heard of the carrot and stick as another form of motivation? Lately I find that “the stick” has more meaning to me. But this seems counter intuitive. Like I’m trying to right a wrong. I’d prefer to get back to “the carrot” as my motivator, but it appears to be working in this season of my life, so I’m going with it.

How about you? Can you relate to the 5 + 2 equation? What motivates you more, the carrot or the stick?

Thank you for sharing your time with me. 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? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.