Category Archives: Healthy aging

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.

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

Accelerate Your Weight-Loss

Want to accelerate your weight-loss initiative?

By burning excess calories and stubborn body fat?

And building lean muscle?

Cool!

exercise for life to accelerate your weight-loss

We’re going to discuss exercises you can do in the privacy of your own home, with very little space required (except for the walking).

And these are great if you’re short on time.

Of course you should always consult your primary care physician before beginning an exercise or nutrition program.

If you’re new to fitness or you’ve been sedentary for some time, you should start slow. And put more of an emphasis on your form than the number of reps.

Then as you learn the moves, do a few more reps, add weight, or go a little farther each time your exercise. And remember to breathe.

Here are 6 exercises along with a modification for each, based on your fitness level.

  1. High knee pull-downs – Standing up straight, raise your hands over your head and reach to the ceiling. Pull both hands down to your chest and make a fist. At the same time, drive your left knee up as high as you can. Return to the starting position and alternate knees. (Start slow but after a few days, increase your speed and the number of reps). High-knee-pull-downs accelerate your weight-lossModify: Jumping jacks – I don’t think this needs an explanation.
  1. Squats – Standing up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and parallel with each other, squat down without leaning forward. You can stick your arms out for added balance. Return to your starting position for a count of one. Repeat while maintaining your balance. Make sure that your knees are not tracking out beyond your feet. If squats are new to you and feel awkward, try facing a wall which will prevent you from leaning too far forward. body-weight-squats accelerate your weight-lossModify: Lunges – Standing straight up with your feet shoulder width apart and parallel with each other, take a big step forward with your left foot. Keep the ball of your right foot touching the ground as you lunge forward maintaining your balance. Dip your right knee down to the ground. Push forward to stand up on your left leg. Bring your right foot up, next to your left one. Alternate by taking a big step forward with your right foot. Dip your left knee to the ground, then push forward to stand up on your right leg. Bring your left foot up, next to your right one. Repeat to exhaustion. (You can also keep your back leg straight instead of dipping down which will give you a different stretch and burn).
  1. Mountain climbers – Start in a push-up position with hands and feet shoulder width apart. Holding this position, drive your left knee straight towards the front of your body. Return your knee back to the starting position. Do the same with your right knee, then continue alternating left and right. You may need to start at a walking pace. After you build up some endurance, do these as fast as you can at a running pace. And be sure to breathe. Mountain-climbers accelerate your weight-lossModify: Oblique crunches. Lie on your back with legs straight and about 3″ off the floor. Hands behind your head with fingers locked. Pull your left knee towards your right elbow while simultaneously driving your right elbow towards your left knee. Alternate back and forth. Repeat to exhaustion.
  1. Plank – Get into a push-up position on the floor, but instead of placing your hands shoulder width apart on the floor, lean on your forearms with your hands out in front and face down. Your forearm and upper arm should form a 90 degree angle. With a straight back parallel to the floor, hold this position for as long as you can. Make sure that your back remains straight with no arch up or sag down. Your ability to hold this position for longer amounts of time will increase the more times you do this exercise. planks accelerate your weight-lossModify: Same thing but do your plank from your knees (instead of your feet).
  1. Push-ups – Start with your hands shoulder width apart and face down on the floor with your feet together and back straight, parallel to the floor. Lower yourself maintaining your straight back, parallel to the floor, until your chest makes slight contact with the floor. Then push yourself back up to the starting position. Do as many as you can. Focus on tightening your core, maintaining good form, and breathing out as you push “up”. Push-ups accelerate your weight-lossModify: Same thing but do your push-ups from your knees (instead of your feet).
  1. Power walking – I’ll describe this as walking with a purpose and a sense of urgency. Like you need to be somewhere and you’re in a hurry (just short of running).Power-walking accelerates your weight-lossModify: Walking at a slower pace; especially if you’re a beginner. Take it down a notch or two. Something is better than nothing.

You will need to change the order of these 6 exercises to suit your muscle groups better. Start with push-ups. Then move to squats, mountain climbers, lunges, planks, and high knee pull-downs. And then work up to at least 3 sets. You can integrate power walking as a “pre” or “post” workout routine.

BONUS: Incorporate jumping rope into your exercise routine.

This one will cost you about $10 to $15. But it’s well worth it for the calorie burn and the increased stamina you’ll gain over time. Check out the Caymen speed rope, and the Survival and Cross speed rope.

Accelerate Your Weight-Loss

I can’t stress enough about the importance of exercise. Think of it as a catalyst; not only for your weight-loss initiative but also for your overall health & well being.

Exercise provides a wealth of benefits. When you combine intense exercise with eating clean, you will accelerate your weight loss!

And you’ll be amazed at how the weight comes off and stays off, when you give it enough time.

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.

Fitness, Goals, Health & wellness, Healthy aging, Longevity, Personal development, Weight loss

Pain Free at Last!

1 Comment

Do you suffer from chronic pain?

How about frequent bouts with back pain that may have slowed you down or sidelined you?

What about tendonitis, knee, hip, shoulder, neck, or foot pain?

Or a supposed herniated disc?

PainIf you’ve dealt with any of these painful conditions, I feel your pain. For me the pain had become an unwelcome yet ever-present part of my life I just “dealt with”, for what turned out to be a 20-year span.

In addition to thinking “what’s wrong with me”, I was growing more concerned about my future. What would I be dealing with in 20 or 30 years, and how would that impact my active lifestyle?

My workouts were done in pain. And my logic was, it hurts when I workout and it hurts when I don’t. So I might as well just workout.

Not only does it suck to workout in pain, it affects your strength and ability to go “all out”. By the way, I am not telling you this to complain or ask for your sympathy. I’m hoping to get your attention.

And if you can relate to similar symptoms or know someone that’s dealing with chronic pain, I want to help you understand there may be a solution (that doesn’t have to include medication or surgery).PainAbout two years ago, a friend had recommended I read a book called “Healing Back Pain”. I guess I wasn’t ready for a cure yet because I didn’t heed his advice.

Finally this past December I got fed up and couldn’t take the pain anymore. I bought and read “Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection” by Dr. John E. Sarno.

This was a real eye-opener for me. Dr. Sarno offered countless examples about the symptoms of the patients who came to him for pain and that he treated successfully. He provided information about studies he conducted that further explained his concept and the results he achieved.

Some of the cases sounded like he was describing my situation.

Now I was really intrigued to learn more, so I bought his next 2 books – “The Mindbody Prescription” and “The Divided Mind”.

I was already on the road to recovery after reading Healing Back Pain as my pain was fading. But I needed to learn more and became fully pain-free after reading his next 2 books.PainDr. Sarno refers to this process as “TMS”, or Tension Myositis Syndrome. By the way, Dr. Sarno is a Board certified physician. And until he retired a few years ago, he was a Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine on the faculty of the New York University School of Medicine who helped thousands of patients.

After ruling out that the pain is not due to a physical abnormality or something structural, his theory claims that in many cases, the physical pain is a distraction created by the unconscious mind as a way of repressing strong emotional feelings and stress.

These feelings include anger, self-imposed pressure, perfectionism, and stress. Dr. Sarno asserts that our unconscious mind creates physical pain as a distraction to avoid dealing with the more painful unconscious emotional issues.

Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection was published in 1991 and is the second of four books written by Dr. Sarno on the subject. As he learned more by treating thousands of patients, he amended the diagnosis to Tension Myoneural Syndrome to include not only muscle and tendons, but added nerve and tissue as well.PainI am not a doctor; nor am I certified by Dr. Sarno. So I am unable to give advice or provide specific treatments. However, I highly recommend that you go to Amazon and start with “Healing Back Pain” so you can begin to learn about the syndrome known as TMS.

You can also find plenty of information online about Dr. Sarno’s work, including some of the more well-known people he has helped.

The TMS diagnosis may not help everyone. But if you’re dealing with chronic pain, you owe it to yourself to explore his work further and learn more about it.

After all, what do you have to lose?

Here are a few resources you may find helpful:

I wish you all the best in your quest to be pain free.

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.

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

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.