westufit.com Blog

Our world is bursting at the seams with new technologies attempting to help us communicate with one another, yet it seems that the average human being is losing their ability to be social.  Interesting, isn’t it?  I grew up in the age of AOL and AIM where you could chat with your friends over the internet using a confounding new language full of LOL’s and TTYL’s.  I don’t actually believe I have ever said LOL and meant it in the presence of an actual human being; and if I ever do, I give you full permission to punch me in the jejunum.

It makes my brother laugh when I have to ask him what language he is speaking when he texts or tweets me.  It just makes me feel old.  I think I will experiment with this new youth language.  Instead of telling my wife “I love you”, I will just say 143.  She will probably respond with “XME?” (XME= excuse me).   People think doctor’s handwriting is hard to read and understand now, just wait until they start texting patients their diagnoses and test results in abbreviations.  I’m sure it will be much better!  “XME, IAAD & u hv NADT.”  All you will think is “OMG, wat da heck iz NADT?” (IAAD =I am a doctor, u= you, hv= have, NADT =not a darn thing, wat=what, da= the, heck=heck, iz= is).

This world is an amazing place and technology has made it even better.  How much better is always up for debate, but don’t let your technology get in the way of a good old fashioned face-to-face conversation or phone call.  We’ve all substituted a quick text so we don’t actually have to speak with that person. It happens. Heck I am certain I have texted/been texted by a person in the same room as myself.  Weird, I know.  I am about as certain saying that text talk is a great way to communicate as I am in saying the couch will be a nice place to sleep after I try the “143″ instead of saying I love you to my wife.

Communicate people! Sit in front a friend/family member…..even Skype!  The face-to-face contact will mean so much more, I guarantee it.  Don’t lose the ability to be social. It is what separates us from the animals.  Actually some animals are much more social than we are, probably due to the fact that they don’t have thumbs to text with.  Go be social. TYVM & HAND. (Thank you very much and have a nice day).

Yes those are all real abbreviations, the internet told me so.

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” -Amelia Earhart

What truly is the most difficult in regards to creating change? I can go around and make a lot of decisions to act but then the hard stuff begins which consists of the work and effort that go into making the aforementioned decisions meaningful and worthwhile.

Amelia, I applaud your life achievements and what you stood for but I am going to have to disagree with you here.  I can’t bring myself to disregard the tenacity and mental fortitude that are necessary in order to invoke change in your life.

Decisions determine the path you take but “the rest” takes you down the chosen path, over the rocks and through the obstacles that may get in the way.  Sometimes those rocks are boulders and other times they are merely pebbles but no matter the size you have to be able to get past them.

Your tenacity is what allows you to get things accomplished.  Better yet, your tenacity is what makes you get things accomplished.

Look around and study those who have accomplished great things.  They have an insurmountable will, a determination that is unmatched and unstoppable.  It’s within each of us.  We just have to tap into it.

Maybe Amelia was just downplaying tenacity so she wouldn’t give up the secret to her success.  Perhaps she was just trying to reach her goals before she let others in on her success.  No matter her reasoning, she knew the role her tenacity had in her success.  She was a leader and role model and earned each of her accolades.  If only we could be so “lucky”.

March Madness

Spring break makes March fun and all, but the NCAA basketball tournament, known as March Madness, makes it great.  March Madness is three weekends of documented decreased productivity at work, high fan excitement, and most importantly the Cinderella story of the underdog.

I highlight the underdogs not only because they are what make the tournament so fun to watch, but because so many people find themselves rooting for the “little guy colleges” that they probably couldn’t locate on a map.  These smaller schools are often overlooked by the higher ranked teams they face.  The media frequently states that these teams can simply enjoy being in the tournament because they “have nothing to lose”.

What is nothing to some is EVERYTHING to others.  Just because they are ranked lower doesn’t mean they don’t want it just as badly as the team they’re up against.

Underdog stories are everywhere; Rudy, Rocky, the 1980 Miracle on Ice, David vs. Goliath, and the cartoon superhero named Underdog are all examples of underdog stories (the dog I am not so sure about, but his name matched).  The movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is another, although its historical factuality is debatable.

There is a saying that goes something like “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”  The coaches of long shot teams preach this concept daily.  It is easy for those on top to get complacent and satisfied.  That is why it is crucial to never stop working hard and competing in life to get what and where you want.

Achievement may seem improbable or difficult at times, but it is NEVER impossible.  Your success depends on your mind frame and determination.  Your hard work WILL allow you to achieve your goals and push past your competitors on the hard court of life.  Rudy finally got to play, Rocky beat Apollo Creed, the 1980 US hockey team defeated the more talented Soviets, and (insert your underdog story here).

The underdogs attract our attention and enter our hearts because we can relate to them.  Each of us has been counted out, even by ourselves at times.  Do the unthinkable!  Shock the world!  Better yet, shock yourself and push yourself past what you think you’re capable of.  If you find it to be difficult, just start the Rudy chant in your head.

The world is full of underdog stories.  If you don’t believe me, just turn on some NCAA basketball this weekend to catch a glimpse.

Is the life you're living worth the price your paying for it?

Seriously.  Take a look at your health - your body, face, blood pressure, weight, energy and your ability to simply move.  Are you truly happy with the current state of your physical health?

You can probably say that your physical health doesn't slow you down that much.  If we take a look at most of our jobs, they don't require much physical effort over the course of an 8 hour work day.  It's more mental than physical so you operate at half capacity and can get away with it.

But what if you were attacking your days with just 20 or 30% more energy than you have today?  You see, great performances (pursuing your career, caring for your loved ones, weekend sports, dating your spouse, playing with your kids, improving your health, living a life of purpose) are not about continually expending as much energy as possible.

No.  Great performances are about the ability to expend energy at very high levels for measured periods of time, offset by periods of rest and renewal.  Great performances come from within.  By owning your own change, you become PROactive with your life instead of REactive.  It takes focus.

The problem in the world we live in is that focus, our undivided attention, is under siege.  We have never had so many avenues available to distract ourselves - email, texting, facebook, twitter, blogging, LinkedIn, TV, and on and on the list could go.

The great challenge of our times:  The ability to delay gratification and put aside short term indulgence for long-term, focused value.  Own your own change by starting in a new direction.  Here's what happens when you start a new direction: your self-esteem increases immediately!

Starting in a new direction could be as easy as eating an apple.  An apple a day could make you the healthiest you've ever been as part of the commitment to that new direction.  Nobody has to be around and you don't even have to announce it to the world.  Munch on the first apple and say this is the beginning of a healthy lifestyle that will give me the vitality to do whatever I want for the next 30 years.

Now if you eat an apple the second day, you almost become delirious.  You say "WOW...I'm on my way!"  With just 2 apples?  YES!  "I did it yesterday and I did it again today."  This is proving to yourself, without an audience, that you're in control.  You're on your way to the healthiest you've ever been.

That's how easy it is to change the direction you're traveling.  It's a small, daily journey to change direction.  The choice is yours.  As Gandhi once said "Be the change you want to see in the world."  Don't wait for someone else to take the lead.  Be bold.  Take action.

Own your own change!

“Don’t resent growing old.  Many are denied the privilege.”  – Unknown

Let’s talk about the MASSIVE elephant in the room for a second: Growing Older.  About the only thing in life that comes to us without effort is aging.

Everywhere you turn, products and services are trying to help you defy the aging process.  Pop this pill to boost testosterone; rub in this cream to wipe out wrinkles; eat this “special” berry to live longer. You could detox for 3 days to increase hormone regulation and drink this tea / juice / “unique” formula for anti-aging benefits (all claiming to provide youthful results).

We are a world obsessed with looking, feeling and (sometimes) acting young.  Most of us are in denial about growing older.  We think we’ll always be able to play strenuous sports, travel anywhere we want, or continue working 12-14 hour a day.  Just assume that if something goes wrong, we’ll be able to fix it.

The reality of growing older tolls on our minds and bodies:
- Declining strength & lack of energy
- Sagging body parts & increased wrinkles
- Failing vision & hair loss
- Trembling hands & painful joints
- Forgetfulness & loss of hearing

It’s an endless list of stuff that doesn’t work very well anymore.  Is this all that we can expect from growing older?  Or can it be something more?
Growing old has its limitations but if you prepare mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually for whatever comes your way, it will make all the difference.
Prepare now for the challenges that might lay ahead.
Aging will not take you by surprise if you prepare.
Embrace aging as part of the grand plan for life.

Whether you’re 23, 51, 67 or 93 (WUF’s oldest client is!!), you still have a purpose here.  Are we producing fruit that replenishes others or do we complain and drain others that look forward to living full lives? By our attitude do we make the young among us dread growing older?

Growing older doesn’t exempt us from fulfilling our purpose in life.

Look to impact those around you regardless of age. Look for the higher purpose in every circumstance and in every face or voice you encounter daily.  For a wise man once said “the time He has given you is not without PURPOSE.”

Prepare for each day by opening your eyes to what’s going on around you.
- Your smile can be purposeful.
- Your pain can be purposeful.
- Your journey though life can be purposeful.

In a world captivated by speed and instant gratification, our infatuation with relics, antiques, and well-worn jeans seems disconnected. Growing old is authentic, genuine and valuable.  Embrace it.

The measure of life is not it’s duration, but it’s donation.  Don’t retire from life.

You’ve been given the dignity of choice.  You’re not a robot.  The CHOICE:  To be part of who we were meant to be or ALL of who we were meant to be.

Enjoy your purposeful journey as you grow older.

In honor of Leap Year, here are 29 ways to
LEAP INTO PURPOSEFUL HEALTH

• Start writing down your food- It is worth the time and can save you each day from the overeating that is keeping your from your goal
• Cut artificial sweeteners- your body doesn’t recognize the chemicals as anything useful and therefore they can cause inflammation in the body.
• Stop eating out- except maybe for a once a week cheat meal.  The average meal when eating out will range from 700-1500 calories.
• Visit the outdoors- get off the couch and go do something.  As simple as that, put down the phone, turn off the TV and get moving.
• Plan your grocery trips- If you don’t the other option is to follow your stomach which will always lead you in the wrong direction.
• Learn the word “no”- Most of the time when you want something in life ( lower bf percentage) you have to say no to the  things you like but are keeping you from getting it (fast food, alcohol, desert, etc.).
• Get the family involved- Success is much easier when you have a team of supporters going down the same healthy path.
• Avoid the fad diet- They just don’t work! If someone or something is promising you a result that sounds too good to be true, it is!  Starving yourself only leads to a poor metabolism.
• Keep temptation out of the house- Why would you keep cookies, ice cream, wine, whatever your temptation might be, in the house if you are trying to improve your health?!?!?
• Donate the clothes- If you have lost weight, don’t keep your “fat” clothes.  Don’t give yourself that option to go backwards!!!!
• Stop making excuses- If you don’t want to lose weight, then you won’t.  To win in health, you have to change the way you think and your lifestyle.
• Throw away the magazines- Or better yet, don’t buy them.  Women, stop looking at the celebrity magazines with air brushed/ photoshopped females.
• Use accountability- If it is a weekly weigh in, a weight watchers meeting, whatever it is that you can utilize to keep yourself on track, do it.  Accountability works!
• Get on a plan- Rarely do people succeed without a plan.
• Listen to a motivational CD- Why not?  We all need encouragement.
• Unify your life-  Bring health into all areas in your life.  Success will not come unless you truly embrace it.
• Stop mindless eating- Are you watching TV and eating, are you eating off your kids plate, are you just eating because you are bored?  Yes!  Then stop it!
• Use your successes to promote more success- Write down the little successes you have had, they will remind you that you have done a good job and will continue to do so when times look hard or impossible.
• Reward yourself with a treat- No one expects perfection from you, enjoy a treat a week.  But don’t go down the path of always feeling you deserve this piece of chocolate, this glass of wine.  What you do deserve is good health!
• Ignore your friends- If you have negative people keeping you down, run away.  It is amazing what those around you can do to your success.  Many people are intimidated by success; it causes them to be negative Nancy and bring you down with them.
• Subscribe to a healthy cooking website- Many websites out there will send free recipes out daily, sign up and take away the work of you having to search out what’s for dinner tonight.
• Give more- Are you really pushing it in all you do?  Are you giving it 100% in your workout, training, sprinting, and attitude?
• Ask for help- If you are having trouble getting to the gym?  Hire a trainer or meet up with a friend who enjoys working out too.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
• Don’t quit- Consistency has proven to be one of the key components to success.  Success does not happen overnight.  Keep pushing; you already have the momentum going, why cut it off (remember it takes more fuel to get a plane off the ground then to keep it in the air)?
• Write down those goals- And post them where you see them daily.  We all know this is a sure way to head down the right path, yet we are so afraid of doing it.  Why?
• Stay away from infomercials- Whatever piece of equipment they are trying to sell you isn’t going to hold up on the promises it is selling.  Simply put, they don’t work!
• Sign up for a race- We all like a little friendly competition.  Sign up for a race, a tough mudder competition or maybe even a triathlon.   Have something to work towards.
• Read a book- Since you are already interested in improving your health, why not fill your head with healthy information.  When is the last time you read something about someone’s life changing weight loss experience or someone who is still staying active and conquering life with one leg?
• Surround yourself with success- This one came up on number 20, but I feel it is so important to mention again, in a different way.  Those who are just blah about life and health are not doing anything to help you be the best you can be.  Who is that friend that believes in you always, that compliments you even when you feel there is nothing to be complimented about and who is also trying to be the healthiest she can be?  Hang around her, she is good for you!

You CAN do it!

Cassie

Remember what it was like to wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy after a solid night’s sleep as a kid?  Is it the same now?  Probably not as the average American adult only sleeps 6 hours, 30 minutes a night during a typical work week.

We seem to have our priorities mixed up here: We say those who work late into the night, sleep only 4-6 hours, and return first thing in the morning are a success.  We say those who leave at normal hours, get 7-8 hours of sleep, and return at normal hours are lazy or not dedicated.

To fully appreciate what a full night of 7-8 hours of peaceful sleep can do for you, let me break it down for you this way:

• Your Muscles:

As you enter a deep sleep, your body releases a surge of growth hormones that stimulate muscle growth and repair.  Without a regular release of growth hormone to your body, you’ll experience weight gain, loss of muscle mass and a decrease in your capacity to workout.

• Your Brain:

Sleep is essential for memory, decision-making , and your attention span.  Why?  When you sleep, you rejuvenate the connection between brain cells.  The longer you’re awake, the more inconsistent they connections become.

• Your Immune System:

The more deep sleep you get, the healthier your immune system will be.  As your sleep time decreases, so do your white blood cells – the kings to fighting off sicknesses.  Sleeping fewer than 6 hours a night will increase your chances of viral infection, stroke, and heart disease by 50%.

• Your Blood Sugar:

Snoozing less than 6 hours a night increases your chances by 4.5 times of developing diabetes.  Enough said!

• Your Mood:

The longer you sleep, the more positive, optimistic, and less irritable and depressed you are.  By feeling more confident about yourself, you’ll be more likely to set bigger goals for yourself and change your entire life – all from regular 7-8 hours of sleep!

I know what you’re saying right now: I function just fine on little sleep.  Really?  If you think you function and operate daily at 100%, just think how much more effective you could be if you slept a full 7-8 hours.  God designed us to sleep when it’s dark and he did so for the reasons stated above.  You can’t defy the laws of physiology.  Your body needs the rest, recover and renewal that sleep brings.

When we are young, you tend to get away with sleeping less.  Over the years though, it catches up with you.   You begin to use caffeine to “get going” in the morning, a mid-afternoon jolt of more caffeine or sugary snack to keep going and then cap the night off with a glass or two of your favorite wine to “help” you go to sleep.

The crazy thing about using alcohol to fall asleep fast is that you don’t realize the disruptive effects it has on sleep later in the night.  After the alcohol has metabolized and it’s sedative effects have worn off, you’ll suffer from a reduction in the total time you actually spend asleep, a decrease in your sleep efficiency and an increase in the amount of time you spend awake throughout the night.  All this prevents you from falling into the deep sleep zone that your body needs to be in to fully recover and repair after a long hard day of work, family, stress, working out, metabolizing foods, thinking, decision making, and fighting off illnesses.

Almost 100% of the population requires a full 7-8 hours of sleep each night.  Insomnia and poor sleep habits are mostly self induced and learned behaviors that you can self correct with a few simple steps.

1. 1. Bedroom environment:
   1. Dim the lights – Insomnia feeds off the glow from the TV, computer, iPad, Smartphone, Tablet, or even the digital clock next to your bed.  The light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone.  An hour before bed, turn off the electronics and read a book or journal.
   2. Chill Out – Sleeping in a cool environment slows down metabolic processes, including the mindless thoughts, to-do lists, and tomorrows stresses that prevents you from drifting off.  Drop the temp to 68 degrees Fahrenheit for starters.  If insomnia is still persistent, drop the temp even lower!
2. 2. Bedtime routine:
   1. Most importantly is to keep a regular sleep schedule – even on the weekends.
   2. Try some Chamomile tea that has calming effects instead of a nightly glass of wine.
   3. Keep your cell phone out of reach at night and the ringer and alert message off.
   4. Spend 5-10 minutes reflecting on the positives of the day by writing them down in a journal.

We were naturally designed to sleep 7-8 hours a night to fully recover for the next day’s hard labor.  Don’t try to convince yourself differently.  When your systems fully rested, recovered, renewed and repaired, you can attack your day with a full tank of energy.

Stop Eating Sugar!!!!

What’s #1 difference about kids today versus when you were out playing in the streets?  It’s not cell phones, computers, iPods, or televisions without ‘rabbit ears’.

The #1 difference between now and way back when is that childhood obesity has doubled since 1980.

There’s a huge increase in feelings of sadness and hopelessness and a decrease in basic daily activity among kids due to the alarming rates of childhood obesity.  Even the multiple risk factors for heart disease and arterial problems are on the rise for children.  These findings are typically found in adults between the ages of 51 to 69.

Children are being diagnosed with ‘adult-onset’ diabetes at such an alarming rate that they have officially changed the named to ‘type 2′ diabetes.

There is a simple solution to end childhood obesity:  You Become a Better Version of Yourself.

It’s basic human nature to pick up on the habits of those closest to you.  If your 5 closest friends are overweight or obese, you’re most likely the same or you’re soon on your way.  It’s the power of influence.  When you decide to step up and change yourself, you not only influence your friends and family, but all of their friends and family as well.

How do you start becoming a better version of yourself?

First you need to accept the fact that you’re an adult and you’re directly and indirectly a role model for kids.  Every time a kid sees you stretching while watching TV, eating vegetables instead of junk food, working out, writing down your goals, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking the first parking spot you come to vs. circling the lot to find the closest spot possible, reading self-educating materials instead of trashy and mindless gossip magazines, and even smiling in the face of adversity, you are having a lasting impact on their psychological make-up.

Next, you have to discover your purpose in life.  It’s time to get back to your core values.  It’s time to live out the values like integrity, humility, vision, excellence, service, inspiration, compassion, tenacity, drive and purpose in your daily life.  Take time to dream again and be bold enough to attack your vision with gazelle-like intensity.

Lastly you have to step up your level of fitness, drop the extra weight that’s been hanging around for years, clean up your diet and practice regular reflecting techniques like journaling, meditating, quiet prayer time, and monthly massages.

This generation of kids will be the first not to outlive their parents if you do not step up and become a better version of yourself.  Today and each day forward, take one small action step to get just 1% better.

Believe in yourself and help make a difference in the lives of millions of kids.