January 2009 Archives

Kim commented on the post, I see a rainbow on the horizon, and I wanted to share my response with everyone because I think we can all learn something from someone committed to change.

I agree David's story is pretty impressive. He's very articulate and demonstrates great writing skills without having had the access most of us enjoy, to formal education.

He's very committed to turning his misfortunes into successes. What I find particularly inspiring about David is that he never adopts a victim's mentality. He sees his problems as challenges that require him to hold himself to higher standards. I would like to add that he recognizes the importance of accepting help but he knows that nothing comes your way without engaging yourself in the process of growth. As he mentioned in the Christmas fund article, he frequents the Montreal Urban Community Sustainability Project. This is a phenomenal place! He prepares his own food with other youth and they learn to eat better and share community concerns.

When you have such great challenges ahead, it's so important to set small goals that propel you in the direction of your greater goal. This is the primary focus of our work together. What can we focus on right now with the resources we presently posses? We all have tools to implement the changes we want. It's really just a matter of uncovering them and not focusing on what we don't have. Work with what you have presently, and for now, that's enough to get started. I think people have a tendency to focus on what they don't have available to them and use that as an excuse to not get started.

I think a lot of people don't go to the gym because there's a pervasive popular myth that you have to be there for at least an hour.

I'd like to reassure you that you can have tremendous gains in your physical conditioning with half hour workouts 3-4 days a week. Fifteen minutes of cardio and fifteen minutes of weight training is all it really takes. People's biggest problem is that they don't want to practice better nutrition so they're obliged to spend hours doing cardio. The sad part is their efforts are futile. You can't possibly burn off all the calories of careless eating. This might have worked when you were younger, but it doesn't work anymore.

Doing cardio workouts indoors can be quite tedious, so you'll love high intensity intervals. Select your machine of choice. It doesn't matter if it's the treadmill, elliptical, or bike. Start off with three minutes of low intensity warming up. After the three minutes you increase the intensity substantially and keep it going for two minutes. After the two minutes of high intensity, lower it back down to a much more moderate pace for two minutes. Repeat the two minutes high intensity followed by the recovery two minutes low intensity for the accumulation of the fifteen minutes.

Follow up the cardio with a full body, weight training circuit for the remaining fifteen minutes. This means choosing about five exercises that you do back to back with no rest in between. You repeat the five exercise circuit about three-four times.

You can't go wrong with this method. It works great on so many levels. It respects your limited time, prevents gym boredom, and you walk out feeling energised not pulverised.

I can't overstress the importance of good nutrition. Over eating or eating the wrong foods are the very reasons that you feel you have to spend so much time at the gym, and not having time is your primary excuse. Make time for the gym by just eating better.


Before you do any exercise, you should get full clearance from a health professional.

There are plenty of statistics that support the claim that the vast majority of people, wish they were more healthy.

Numerous people resolve to get fit at the start of each new year, and often don't succeed. I think we can agree that many of us really do want to feel and look better. So what's the hold up?

I'd say many people have tremendous conflict with their reward systems. Healthy choices don't usually produce immediate appreciable benefits. Eating more healthy and exercising will certainly produce benefits, but you may not see or feel them in the short term. Making decisions that have a delay in the reward when challenged by the temptation of immediate satisfaction can be a real deal breaker.

Food is just too satisfying in the short term while the obscure idea of a healthier you 6 months from now just can't compete.

What you need is feedback that encourages you to continue with your goal, especially when you feel the rewards are not evident. I have a few suggestions to help you make your fitness goal stick.

-Perhaps you need to reward yourself in the short term for healthy choices you make. Don't use food as a reward. We really need to get away from seeing food as compensation. Money that you save from preparing your lunch and not eating fast food should be put into a daily savings account. At the end of the week you can use that money to treat yourself to something you really like.

-Don't just focus on where you think you've messed up. You can't relearn how to live and make new choices in one day. The big question is, can you stay committed to change even when you feel the disappointment of temporary setbacks?

If you're trying to change your behaviour, you can improve your chances of success just by spending more time with people that exhibit the behaviour you'd like to have.

There's plenty of data to support that people have a tendency to conform to the popular norm of their social group. If you have lunch with people who have a tendency to over eat or eat poorly, there's a good chance you may as well. This example demonstrates just one circumstance but it can be applied to just about any behaviour. Just remember that you are more likely to conduct yourself as those you share your time with.

I'm not advocating breaking up a friendship over your BF's love for Twinkies! The purpose of this post is just to make you aware of the contagiousness of people's choices. This can actually be an empowering concept as it demonstrates that you're equally responsible for how you influence those around you.

-If your group goes out for lunch most of the time, you should start preparing your own lunch. Your choice will be made in advance at home and not spontaneously in a food court being affected by other people's choices.

-If you have a family or share your life with someone and they don't necessarily have an exemplary approach to healthy living; you have to be extra disciplined. Don't try and change them, this is your goal. Remember, behaviour is contagious and if you're disciplined, they may come around eventually.

-Show your leadership, and take the lead of the group. Demonstrate discipline and pride for the great choices you're making. If you see others adopting healthier practices; you're a natural born leader.

The decision to change is the triumph of the first great battle; but the war isn't over.

The decision to change is the most critical decision of all. Without the decision, there's no departure from your present state. What determines your success is the perseverance one must demonstrate to stay focused on the goal, especially when we haven't yet experienced the rewards.

When we decide to implement changes in our life, we need to understand one critical fact. The decisions we made in the past that weren't congruent with our present intentions can still come and confront us. Despite our desire to change, our past keeps reminding us that it won't let go easily. The good news is that plenty of people have overcome self limiting behaviour and so can you.

What can you do to stack the odds in your favour?

-Don't let people pigeonhole you in the past. You're decision to change is a pact with yourself. It really has nothing to do with anyone else. People may not recognize you're changing your ways, it doesn't mean you're not changing.

-Constantly remind yourself of the little changes you're making. It's the little things that accumulate to make a big difference.

In the beginning, you'll often experience reminders of your past conduct, and it can make you wonder if you'll ever actualize your goal. With perseverance, your new choices will come to fruition and you'll begin to see the results of a decision you made; not too long ago.

Hopefully you're up for a good challenge, and if you don't remember the last one you participated in; I'd say you're due.

I'm aware that people for a better part are feeling the stress and fatigue of modern day living. Our natural tendency to counteract this dilemma is to withdraw and shun additional stresses that can potentially wear us down more. Essentially, people are just trying to make it through the day. This way of living can perpetuate a defeatist attitude and make you see any challenge as an unwelcome stressor.

The problem is that if you don't challenge yourself to actualize what your life can be like with new possibilities, you'll be stuck in a permanent rut. What you see as inconveniences now are the actual instruments that reveal new possibilities.

As I always say, "start with one thing." I challenge you to take up one of the following calls to action, and discover the possibilities they'll produce.

-Stop all negative talk. Catch yourself when you're doing it and stop right away or you'll find yourself always surrounded by other negative people. Talk about your problems in a constructive way and look for solutions.

-If you're presently going through hard times and things are feeling out of control, focus on the things you can control. What can you control? The tidiness of your apartment or home, nurture your relationships, avoid negative people, and maintain your appearance.

-Absolutely stop making excuses for yourself. Every time you hear yourself justifying unbecoming behaviour, stop and take full accountability. It takes courage to feel totally responsible for oneself, but without this step you'll never embrace that life is what you make it to be.

Weight loss cookie? Cardio treadmill junkie? Portion control policy? How come this stuff's not working for me?

More often than not, when I meet people who struggle to lose weight or fall short of their well intentioned lifestyle changes; they haven't yet realized that success is in seeing the big picture.

The big picture is you learning how to make better choices for yourself. Once and for all stop following ridged systems that praise fast results. Likewise, it's not a good idea to try and emulate the experience of an overweight celebrity who's fallen off the wagon one to many times.

The only way you're going to accomplish this goal, is to figure out what choices you can commit to. Anyone can make extreme choices and maintain it for a short time. That's precisely why gyms are at maximum capacity from January 6th to February 2nd.

Pick one thing that you can commit to today. Don't pick your greatest battle, let's go simple. It can be something like eating a proper breakfast every day, cut out deserts, or eat 2-3 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. I strongly urge you to resist committing to more than one thing at a time. Once you feel you've integrated the change into your routine, start with the next goal.

If you're tired of falling off the wagon yourself, maybe it's time to put extreme to bed and start with just one thing.

If you can't sustain one adjustment to your lifestyle over the long run, you risk being trapped in the cycle of short term extreme with no long term gain.

I had the pleasure of having lunch with my friend Dan today. He shared a truly inspiring story with me.

He just recently returned from Zimbabwe where he was working on a project. Dan told me that before his departure he felt that he had to mentally prepare himself for the challenges that lay ahead.

To his astonishment, despite the poverty and suffering that gripped these people, they inspired him with their brilliant smiling faces. He said that contrary to his initial belief that this would be emotionally draining; he felt great power from the people of Africa! He floored me when he said that their positive energy and brilliant smiles fuelled his strength to help them.

After Dan left my studio, I thought about this amazing story and it spoke to me emotionally on so many levels. It demonstrated that even when our lives appear broken, we still possess the instruments that can empower others to help us. It is our behaviour and actions that determine who we will attract to assist us in our challenge.

To think that nothing more than a smile can be the source of energy that can call people to action.


Photo by Daniel Séguin www.genestho.ca

Dan met this extraordinary woman near Johannesburg, where she started a children's library in the impoverished Township of Alexandria. She's since setup a beautiful garden around the library. The garden produces enough food for the children to eat, as well as a little extra that can be produced into healing creams and consumables.

Whether your goal is to change jobs, get fit, or be happier; if your energy is low you'll significantly diminish the likelihood of success.

If you're desperate for change but you simply just don't have the energy to get to it; you may want to spend the next few months getting yourself into a "fit for change" state.

-There's nothing more effective at helping your body to recover than sleep. The amount of sleep you require is very individual. If you feel dragged down you should be aiming for at least 8 hours per night. You're pre-midnight hours are vital, so get to be early.

Remember to gauge the amount of sleep you need by how you feel. Don't let other people be your guide; you have to find out what your needs are.

-Clean up your nutrition. I have plenty of posts here at betterme that cover this subject. Nutrition doesn't have to be complicated. Eat nutritious food that's as close to its most natural state as possible. Lots of fruits and vegetables will help your body to repair and detoxify which will help build your energy. Stay away from processed foods as much as you can.

-When you're feeling dragged down, moderate exercise can help to restore some of your energy. This is not the time for overly ambitious resolutions to get fit. Remember, you're getting fit for change. You can start to actualize your fitness goals once you get your energy back. For now, walk outdoors, take a dance class, or commit to using stairs more often. Just try to expose your body to a bit more physical activity and you'll notice it's quite energising.

Sleep, eat healthy, and start moving more. That's a resolution that'll eventually bring your other goals into plain view.

If you're one of the many people that suspects the extreme approach to weight loss is not going to be sustainable; this post is for you.

We've all read stories about the person who came to the realization that they were no longer happy with their poor physical condition. With their fist waving to the gods above; they swore they were going to get fit no matter what. They put everything on the line and through sweat and hard work; they attained their goal and all else was history- Then, there's the rest of us. Very few people actually have these epiphanies and such extreme approaches make for great magazine articles or reality TV shows but are not representative of the average persons experience.

I understand that when we make the decision to get our lifestyle in order; we want to bank on the initial feelings of determination. I agree the powerful drive we feel at the onset of challenging ourselves to get fit can push us over that initial hump. It can also become the culprit of which causes you to quit when the initial excitement calms down.

It's in the initial phase of getting your health back on track that you're building the platform that will support your approach. If starting full out seems like the thing to do; go for it, but have a back up plan for when your busy life seems to take over your well intentioned war on the bulge.

I suggest to Just keep one or two features of your approach going as you try to find that sheer determination you had last week. Even if it's as simple as not eating sweets, or just getting one or two exercise sessions in during the week. These are the little sparks that will allow the fire to be lit again. The small things create the momentum for sustainability.

You shouldn't let weight loss be your primary motive to get in better condition. The slow process of losing weight will be too discouraging and the gimmicky weight loss program to speed up the process may work quicker; but you risk regaining the weight in the long term.

Perhaps you need to try and see this from another perspective. What if we considered that weight loss in itself is not a goal. Maybe weight loss is a side effect of the result of working on other goals. My experience has shown me that people who loose weight and keep it off are those who change their behaviour and focus on improving their attitude toward themselves.

I really want you to explore the idea that treating your body poorly is often a reflection of a more destructive behavioural patter that you hold yourself in.

-When you're angry, you need to express that your angry without shouting and putting people down. Poorly managed anger can cause very self destructive behaviour.

-When you're sad you absolutely need to recognize that it's a perfectly normal emotion and talking about it with someone you care about can have an enormous impact on helping you to understand your feelings. Sadly; emotional eating is very common.

-Being withdrawn from people will cause feelings of isolation that can have a negative impact on how you view yourself in relation to others. Slowly make an effort to be with people.

-Cut out negative self talk. In the beginning, just recognize when you're doing it. In time you'll not only catch yourself when you're putting yourself down; but you'll notice it naturally begins to diminish in frequency.

The bottom line is that you really need to start managing your behaviour, because it's your behaviour that dictates how you act and therefore is the motivator of how you act toward yourself.



If you are overweight you should consult your health care provider to determine if you suffer from a medical condition.