The diet is coming, the diet is coming

I know, this title makes me sound like Paul Revere or maybe Chicken Little. And the title might be a bit misleading as it should be more about "lifestyle" than diet, but "the lifestyle is coming" is way too long and may provoke a million other controversial thoughts that I really don't need right now. To make one thing clear, I am not Chicken Little. I might better depict "Chicken Fat", and some of you my age might remember that exercise album they played in school.

I do have a great Chicken Fat story. I started out as a PE major at WVU and had a class called "Elementary Rhythm and Games" in which college students played tag, redlight/green light and the dreaded Chicken Fat song. Once an elderly man was walking past our class and loudly protested that higher education was a waste.

Now that the intent and title have been clarified, let me tell you the WHY a lifestyle change is in store.

REASON 1: Change is growth. My household is about to undergo a huge change. My wife is re-entering the workforce.  I will put aside all the reasons I need therapy for this and focus on the fact it can potentially help our finances and God placed an opportunity in front of her. Life around here will change and I need to change with it. This change may be the boost I need to get my ever growing butt into gear literally and figuratively. I will not disclose ALL my thoughts here as that will rob me of future blog material. All I can say is do not be surprise and be very afraid.

REASON 2: Reality. Height and weight charts do not lie. I can rationalize all day long but the reality is I am way too large. I did pray for a growth spurt last night and hoped to awaken at a little over 8 feet tall but that did not happen. Also, my frame is what it is. I know the truth of my frame size. It is time to accept the height and weight chart and do what it takes to get to that weight range. Also, recently I met a cardiovascular surgeon who gave up surgery to help people change their lives. We had a nice discussion but I could the excitement in his eyes as he was mentaly doing my open heart surgery. It is time for a change.

REASON 3: Do what I say. For the love of Pete, I am a nurse practitioner with a strong background in exercise and exercise physiology. I read Muscle and Fitness when it was in black and white. I have read countless, boring exercise and fitness sources FOR FUN. I have a huge knowledge base and I seem to hide it pretty well. It is as hidden as my abs.

Are there others like me? Statistics say yes. My observations say yes as well as I find myself quietly comparing my girth to others I see. I sincerely want to help them. I know where they are and how they feel. I first must "walk the walk" if I want others to get healthy.

And by initially announcing this on a blog, I am risking public humiliation and accountability. But, on the other hand, not too many read my ramblings. Yet.. there is so much more to come.

Give up or give in

Remember the story of Elijah and the widow? Elijah instructed a poor widow to make him some bread. It seemed like a simple request but for this widow, the request was more than she could imagine. A drought had absolutely ravaged the land and food, flour and oil were scarce. The widow had done all she could do with what she had and sadly had resigned that she and her son would die.

I cannot imagine what her life was like a few days or even a few weeks before the fateful day in which she knew she would die. She would prepare a last piece of bread and she and her son would die soon thereafter. I am sure she prayed and worried and held out hope that something amazing would happen. I bet the morning she thought would be her last broke her heart. She undoubtedly looked at her son and wondered what would his life have been like if her husband had not died and if the drought had not ruined the land.

Then Elijah shows up and asks her to do something impossible. Up to the moment that Elijah insisted, the widow had a choice. This choice would change her life forever.

She could either 'give up' and die or 'give in (to God)' and live a life that would forever be immortalized by a Biblical account. The "woman who never ran out of oil" had a living testimony the rest of her life.

God asks us to give everything to Him. We are to praise Him when things are great and we are to praise Him when things are really...crappy. In addition to praise, we are to give Him our worries, troubles and concerns. If you grow up in Appalachia like I did, you will hear a million times to leave whatever bugs you "at the foot of the cross."

But why does it happen that we just 'give up' sometimes? Frustrations grow and multiply to the point it clouds our vision and we take our eyes of Him. Despair breeds hopelessness and hopelessness causes us to lose all expectation of a miracle or a higher calling.

Giving in and giving it all to God takes courage and faith. When we are weak, He is strong. When we cannot take anymore, He is willing to do what we need. Our stressors are well within the ability of God to handle. We just have to remember that and remind others when they are feeling overwhelmed.

Just Breathe

"Cause you can't jump the track,we're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table"

These lyrics come from Anna Nalick's song Just Breathe (2AM). It has been a very long time since I blogged. The last entry occurred just prior to an event that I looked forward to more than just about anything and that event ended up full of heartache and disappointment. That experience led to a deep fog covering me and my entire being. Sadness, professional disenchantment, bills, financial worries, IEP meetings, aches, pains, illness, weight gain, and a million other things began weighing me down. Yesterday, I had no idea that I would write a blog today because I had the MOAM--Mother of All Migraines. In fact my head is still sore.

I awakened to a dream that I had stopped by a gas station and bought three, big juicy taquitos. Oh, momma did they look good. When I awakened, I decided I had a choice. I could lie in bed and fight sleep wishing I could get another 5 minutes, or I could get up and restart my running. I have just gotten gotten over an ugly URI so stopping running was not one of conscious decisions of withdrawal that I have been prone to the last couple of months. I laced up the old running shoes (which by the way are as broken down as I am but I don't see a new pair of shoes in my budget anytime soon) and started a new 10K program.

That is when I heard Ms. Nalick's song. Granted, I do not get out much and I do not listen to the radio often so even though it is a critically acclaimed song, it was new to me.

We really cannot jump the tracks. We head down the track of life and the only thing we have control over is the speed of our journey. The hourglass is glued to the table but each grain of sand is precious and has enormous potential. I have sat by and watched too many grains just fall into the heap of used moments. Sure, I would like to slow down the trickle of sand. 

There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout
'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
These mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again
If you only try turning around.

 Later in the song, Ms. Nalick does it gain by adding perspective to those like me who "what if" themselves to death. Even though the song is not a 'chipper' song, I took comfort in the fact that I am not be alone. Funny thing, I advise others all day long on how to gain perspective in their world yet the fog clouds my own vision.

My mental state reminds me of Fargo in the spring when the ground is still covered with snow, the road is wet, but not frozen and the sky is gray from fog. It can be best described as gloomy with a chance of the sun sneaking through the fog. The air was always so incredibly fresh and pleasant. Looking back, I loved those days in Fargo and some of my best running occurred on days like that.

I really do firmly believe that God has things in store for me. I admit, the fog of uncertainty, self doubt and worry still cover my landscape. At least for this moment, I am focused on my cable car headed down the track and I vow to enjoy the view today.

I want to wrestle Shute

You hard core movie buffs from the 1980s may recognize the quote from Vision Quest. I can relate to Louden Swain. Well, except for the obvious differences: he was young, lean and, as the movie plot summary says, Louden "comes of age" in the film. I have certainly already come of age and I am a long way from lean.  In the opening scene, Louden is jumping rope and his hair bounces with each jump. When I recreate the scene, everything but my hair(s) bounces with each jump.

Louden wanted to make a dramatic impact and ended up facing Shute in an epic wrestling match. Shute represented a challenge that would take a superhuman effort to overcome. Hollywood assured that Louden defeated Shute.

In life, I am ready to do something worthy of a real legacy. It is time to face the Shute. I can relate the nuts and bolts of this blog to making a template to beat the Shute.

If you have seen the movie, everyone thought that Louden was nuts. If a person embarks on a life changing adventure, their sanity should be questioned. Chris Columbus--remember he was nuts to sail off into the sunset. Charles Lindbergh was crazy too. Throw Henry Ford and Bill Gates into the deep end of the Looney Pool.

I am ready to take the body, soul, heart and mind mantra to a new level of crazy. And, I since I have little sense, I am going to chronicle the whole journey. It will apply to everything--job, exercise, diet, family...every thing that gets in the way of my maximal experience with my family, my God, my job and my life will be viewed as Shute.

And, if you have never seen the movie, the full version can be found on YouTube. If you have seen the movie, do you remember Louden's best friend's name? And you get bonus points for knowing Shute's first name.

Old School Success

I am constantly looking to do something that improves either my life or the lives of those around me. I am an avid reader and I also find my way on to YouTube at times because I can find inspirational stuff there, too. Recently, I have been fascinated by Jack LaLanne. Now, as a kid, my dad was a big fan of his but I could not get past the cheesy presentations and those freakish jumpsuits. Dad always said LaLanne was knowledgeable and deserved some of my attention. Dad knew I loved all that fitness stuff, but I just never got into him.

This is yet another time that Dad was right. Jack LaLanne knew his stuff and I feel he may be THE best fitness role model of all time. Read and watch some of the amazing things he did, like swimming MILES while shackled and towing boats.. Ironically, the only way I could “swim” miles would involve being towed by a boat. He performed an unheard of number of pushups on a television show. Jack was a stud!

Today, I am going to look at his 10 point plan for success and I am only making a little tweak. The narrative for each point is mine but the points themselves are 90% untouched and all the credit goes to Jack.

1.     Faith. This is the tweaked one so we will start with it. LaLanne says to “keep the faith” and he meant to keep the faith that positive things will happen. I see it differently. I say that we should have faith in God.  I get so sick of reading where “God has no place in _______ (fill in the blank). I hear God has no place in work, school, sports, politics, and everywhere else anyone else feels the need to expound. “God bashers” have an open platform and that gets so very old. I work in a prison and I have been told that God and Christianity have no place in what I do in the prison. The way I see it, the depths of Hell on earth mixed with hopelessness and despair is a PERFECT place to interject the message of Jesus Christ.

But I digress. In regards to a success plan, I feel that God and Faith need to be placed right in the center. This allows a person to keep things in perspective and it allows us to worship God the way we were designed. I feel if we center our life on Him (remember, body, soul, heart and mind), we stand a better chance of succeeding on the other 9 points. LaLanne said, “Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you've got a kingdom.”. I feel that this is so true; I am just adding “Make the Lord sovereign over the kingdom.”

2.     Adequate exercise. I love the word “adequate” and that is one that hits a sore spot with me. It must be taken into context with NUTRITION but exercise by itself deserves discussion. I have often teased that I am the hardest exercising fat guy in the world. Sadly, the truth is that I am STILL fat despite running miles, lifting literally tons of weight in my lifetime and all the other stuff I have done. ADEQUATE exercise, to me, is like the Holy Grail. I hear it exists but I have not found it, and I am pretty sure Indiana Jones does not have it. My personal quest is to determine “adequate exercise” and teach all the people I can about what I learn.

3.     Healthy nutrition. If exercise is the Holy Grail, nutrition is Bigfoot. Everywhere a person looks they see a diet or a plan that claims to be better than all others. If you watch the old videos of LaLanne, he is dead on accurate about Americans and diet today. But remember, he wrote that stuff some 50-60 years ago. Goodness knows I have tried just about everything. Some things work for me because I am able to abide by the plan and some do not work for me. All I know is that healthy living free of disease depends greatly on diet and nutrition.

4.     Positive thinking. Again Ol’ jack was way ahead of his time. He pre-dates many of the books, seminars and programs that teach the importance of positive thinking and the law of attraction. Thinking is a process in which we have quite a bit of control. That being said, thinking requires effort or bad thinking will certainly take root. I completely understand that when you feel like crap and your butt is dragging, it proves challenging to be perky, chipper and optimistic. No matter how hard it is to feel positive, put forth the effort and try. If nothing else, your positive attitude may inspire or touch someone who feels worse than you do. You may help them in ways you could never imagine. Think of it this way: positive thinking leads more often than not to positive results. Attitude carries a lot of weight. It boils down to choice. Choose to be positive and better or negative and bitter.

5.     Cultivate good habits. This is one of the points I find easier to talk about what NOT to do. Seems like bad habits for me start with peanut butter. I admit I use it as a crutch. I eat peanut butter when I am mad. I eat peanut butter when I am sad. I could go on with the Dr Seuss lines but you get the idea. Habits can be good, however. Exercise is a habit that has always come naturally to me. Now, I am focusing on changing the habit of eating bad things when I am in the car. At least I no longer buy cakes from the gas station but I have been known to eat a peanut butter sandwich in the car. Today, it was an apple. Bananas make sense to me and I can create this habit by holding back some of my breakfast to eat on the drive.

6.      Groom yourself well. This topic of LaLanne’s program is one of those you just have to take. He was attempting to tell housewives (mostly) the importance of taking care of themselves. In today’s world, I feel it can apply to appearance. We must “dress” the part because all of us should be interested in developing a personal brand. Believe me, if you wear your shorts around your knees and show off your stylish boxers, you are branding yourself. Likewise, if you own a small business and you are out with your family, you should be aware that someone might have a first impression towards you. For this one, I want to add “handle yourself” to the grooming command. Grooming can mean more than your visual appearance. Grooming means your image and you must put forth an image of success.

7.     Smile. A smile means quite a bit. It shows that a person is happy, confident and approachable. The last time I checked, these were 3 qualities that would enhance an image or a business. A smile takes voluntary action. YOU can control it.

8.     Have an erect posture. Jack goes old school again and when I read this I imagine school aged kids walking around with erasers on their head. Oddly, the image is in black and white and sounds like one of those old school films. Jack was interested in promoting the visualization of fitness, health and vigor. It is true, good posture will play a role in maintaining cervical and lumbar spine health. It also will reduce fatigue, especially in trunk and core muscles.

9.     Help others. I love this one and I am going to expand this beyond the obvious. Yes, do something for someone everyday that has no possibility of repayment. Be kind, complimentary and supportive. Treat others how you wish people would treat you. Along with this basic concept, go one step farther and do something that takes you out of your comfort zone. For those starting a business or growing a business, we get set in our ways and we do not engage others like we should. You never know if you can help someone unless you simply ask. Strike up a conversation and build rapport with people you do not know. Maybe it is by using the phone or maybe you can market to people that you come into contact. LISTEN to them (which is helpful because people rarely listen anymore) and you will find ways you can help them and bless their lives. More often than not, your business exists to help others, and we will not know how we can help if we do not ask. Comfort zones stagnate growth. Sure, they are safe and keep you where you are. And, well, where you are might be a pretty good place but if you summons the courage to go outside of your comfort zone, then magical things will happen.

10.  Find time to relax. Wow, I am so guilty of ignoring this one. I hear LaLanne say once that Americans are so obese for 3 reasons: Poor food choices, lack of exercise and too much stress and aggravation. Stress and worry can affect sleep and then the whole system gets out of whack. Finding time to relax eludes me. It seems like every second of everyday is already taken and I struggle to find to me to devote to my start ups. Relaxation time, when it does happen, does in fact help keep things in perspective and keep me centered.

Now, these 10 steps are fundamental and straightforward. They make a solid foundation for one who is willing to step up to the challenge. If you look at this and then look at LaLanne’s sample menu and eating habits, this challenge could put you out of your comfort zone literally and figuratively..Success will only come to those who actively seek it..

Genesis and 5 thoughts for goal setting

The Bible leads off with "In the beginning". For a moment, let us take Christianity and Judaism out of the equation. Even the staunchest of Atheists would have to recognize that the Bible, in one form or another, has been around a long time. The Bible's longevity defies understanding as so many other things such as cultures, empires and ways of life have come and gone. There have been billions of copies throughout the ages and this all time best seller started with those 3 simple words.

The beginning of the Bible describes the formation stage of our earth and our universe. God's plans and actions are spelled out and defined. Creation. Wow, that one word carries a lot of weight.

Daily, we go about our lives creating things in our little worlds. Think of the the catch phrases and cliches that revolve around creation. Are you creating new opportunities or are you creating a new product? Maybe you are exercising in the creative arts or praising a new favorite artist for their creativity. Football season is coming and we will hear about how Tim Tebow can create quickly on his feet when 11 guys are trying to catch him. I am sitting here in the dark at 5:30am trying to create a blog that has more than eleven subscribers. (I'm just saying. I suppose that is 77 in dog subscribers, huh?)

Now that we have determined that creation lives all around us, we must look at goal setting. I remember in the 1980s when meetings were held all the time about everything. Guru after guru peddled their "creative" approach to goal setting. Hour after hour were spent reading books, listening to tapes or attending lectures where we all wore "Hi, my name is ___". Each expert put their spin on the topic of goal setting. Many of these gurus are still around and even more are no longer relevant. I guess they did not apply their goal setting to long term goals. And, there is one thing still alive and kicking-The BIBLE.

The way I see it, the wheel does not need invented. Why don't we use what we can find just about anywhere to help us how to set goals for creating something? Hey, if the plan worked for creating the world, surely we can apply it to starting a small business or creating a great meal. Here are 5 lessons we can use and apply from Genesis 1.

1. GET busy! Genesis 1:1 says that God created the heavens and the earth. There were no warm up verses and it does not say that God procrastinated and got started the next morning after a good nights sleep. It does not say that God waited as He analyzed the next step. God got busy. He created. By using the word "created" God took action. So many times, we have great intentions but we NEVER DO ANYTHING. Action produces results. Great intentions create NOTHING. Oh I know, I do not like making mistakes either and if I just make sure everything is just right, then success will follow.

2. Be realistic. God did not make the world and universe in one day. I have no idea why he did not but can make at least one solid argument. The Bible teaches us how to handle life. The Bible answers many questions and can be applied to an endless number of situations. By creating everything in a number of days, God teaches us that creating ANYTHING special takes time. But, what does taking time show us? It shows us the meaning of persistence, consistency in effort, and it allows us to ask God for guidance because He, too, has built things over time.

3. Have a plan. Ah, this takes me back to the "Guru Days of Old". It was Stephen Covey who wrote "Begin with the end in mind." Although we do not have access to God's business plan or blueprint for the creation of EVERYTHING, it makes sense to me that He had a plan. Man was not made first. If he would have created man first, then secondly he would have had to create a life jacket so the oceans could be created. We have ideas and strive to create. Maybe you want to create the dream life. If you do, how do you see the ending?

4. Evaluate your work as you go. After God created light, He was pleased.Now go read that first chapter of Genesis and you will see for yourself that after God created, He evaluated His work. Take time to look at what you are making and creating. Do this as you go so that you can make changes and adaptations to your creation. Life does not offer us many "re do" situations. We cannot just jump in and make a mess of something so that we can start all over again. I know, some people seem to do this over and over, but life is way too short.

5. Rest. Seriously, God took a day off. True, it was His LAST day off, but once man was created and acted a fool, God has no one else to mind the store. Again, the Bible TEACHES us here as God does not need a day off, but He knows we do. I have been guilty of overlooking this. In my work past, 2 days off from one job gave me the opportunity to work another job. I did this so I could pursue the American Dream but ended up with a long chapter of my life that had nightmarish consequences. I guess that is why God created light first, so we could see where we are going if we open our eyes.

I have given you a brief little lesson on goal setting. Please take off your "Hello, my name is ___" sticker.For those of you who did that, seek help. I will not be holding an 8 hour seminar on Genesis Goal Setting...oh, but wait, maybe I will. Then I could sell tapes and books. I must go on line and order a bunch of name tags.

Life According to Ralphie Parker

Who makes late June reference to the Christmas classic A Christmas Story? Ralphie Parker can teach us all about life in 3 simple steps.

LESSON 1: Remember the scene with the bully Scut Farkas? Ralphie tells us that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I am not advocating beating a bully until his nose bleeds but hang with me when we apply that to life. We all have a single life to live. I can speak for me and say I know I do not make the best of it some days. Life is like Farkas and steals our lunch money and makes us scream "Uncle" when our life is twisted into a chicken wing. We all say, "Tomorrow will be different" or "Tomorrow I will start the diet."All that does ia give us permission to undermine our goals by taking advantage of the gas station sale of 2 extra large candy bars for the price of one. Seriously, I am only being a conscientious shopper and I will save one for later (if you really want to believe that).

Ralphie could not take the stress of the bully anymore and he emptied a big ol can of whoop butt on Farkas. When we decide to finally do something, we can change our lives. Like one of my favorite authors Tim Ferriss says, ""Pure hell forces action, but anything less can be endured with enough rationalization." 

So, it is that easy huh? I mean, I am frustrated beyond belief that I have not acheived the level of success I want to in all my endeavors. Sure, I talk about change and I can freely type about change but deep down, I realize that Scut Farkas could have whooped Ralphie in an old fashioned, school yard fashion. Why did Ralphie do it? 


LESSON 2: Ralphie stopped thinking and JUST DID IT. This trips a lot of us up and keeps us stuck in the storm ditch of life. I have heard the saying "paralysis by analysis", meaning that inaction will result if we continually sit and look at all the possibilities. What if I left the security of a JOB and ventured out with an understanding collaborative doc and built a practice based on "me" and my abilities? See, then I will see my self like Ralphie selling pencils but not from soap poisoning but from a waiting room full of crickets chirping. People who really know me know I am "THE idea guy". I have great ideas and know I possess the ability to brainstorm. I have quite the inventory of ideas. All are SAFELY placed on a shelf so I can commiserate about them when I am really old. Think how pitiful (if not pathetic) it would be if we allowed our plans and ideas to dry rot sitting on that shelf. Maybe our dreams would touch the lives of others and not only bless those around us, but also change their lives.


LESSON 3: NEVER forget what you want, even if it could put your eye out. Remember, the dang gun almost did put his eye out! But, you know what? IT DID NOT and he enjoyed the fruits of his dreaming labor. Ralphie never lost sight (pun intended) of what he really wanted.


I guess, for this to happen, a person has to really know what they want. That desire almost becomes a mission statement for your life. I have FINALLY learned that I must pursue my dream like an occupation or career. If you don't, you end up treating your dream like a hobby and a person can surely live without fullfilling their "hobby dreams". Also note that I said "I must pursue" these dreams and I mean that NO ONE else is as committed to your dreams as you are. More often than not, help is NOT on the way. To get the boulder of life moving, one must exert lots of effort. As the dreaded Ms. Trunchbull from Matilda said

 " The distance the shotput goes, depends upon the effort that you PUT INTO IT. PERSPIRATION!"

One life is all we have. We can choose to live (which is far from safe and has many risks) or we can exist (which is safer but less rewarding). One takes courage and the other only requires a pulse. The choice of living is easy to talk about and hard to do while existing is tough to swallow but easy to do.

Wow, this ended up deeper than I intended. Leave it to me to rain on a Christmas classic. What is your favorite scene of the movie and can you relate to Ralphie?