Ok I felt it was only important and appropriate today to talk about emotions and the attitude we must have to improve our physical and mental health, so we can reach the goals we have set forth.

Let me start by making it clear that I am in no way a doctor, counselor or psychologist.  I’m just your everyday person who is seeking to improve my fitness, overall health-which today includes my mental health.

I feel that life happens and the stress of life overwhelms most of us, and when this occurs we shut down and our goals and aspirations come second to the ciaos in our lives.  Life is a challenge in so many ways.  Our everyday stresses become unbearable and frankly depressing.  We all have our own special circumstances and insecurities, but the ones that are most important that we address are the past emotions that prevent us from living in a healthy present day.

DO NOT SUCK IT UP!  GOOD HEALTH REQUIRES HEALING.

Negative present day emotions affect everything we do, think and feel.  These are the emotions that matter most; because negative self-esteem and the poor emotions that come with it are the real reason that we are seeking for a solution to better our health and lose the fat we have gained from the stresses in our lives.

Stress is the cause for our weight gain; stress is the cause for an increase in illness, disease and cancer.  When our bodies are burdened with negative emotions and stress; our bodies go into survival mode.  If your starving your body of food you wouldn’t be capable of running a marathon, would you?  When we starve our bodies and minds of the needed nutrients of positive guilt free thoughts, and then were not capable of even completing the simplest of tasks, like eating.

Negative emotions have to be dealt with not ignored.  If you ignore your emotions and bury them, they will haunt you in the future and this is in no way healthy.  Dealing with emotions isn’t an easy task.  Emotions are tricky and frankly unforgiving if you don’t deal with them.  I suggest professional help.  Yes, your spouse, friend or co-worker can be a great sound board, but only a trained professional can help you with the issues and pain that you have neglected for so long.

I’m seeking a better life from the aching of physical and mental pains that have got me where I am today.  FAT! 

Fitness is a commitment and a long journey.  No fad diet or miracle cure will get you to the foundation of youth; only your hard work and positive efforts will accomplish such a goal.  It’s your mind that determines how old you are, it’s your mind that creates the drive and determination to be successful.  It’s our minds that give us life, so why are we neglecting our minds, our thoughts and our emotions.

As you have figured out by now, I believe in alternative lifelong healing that has a proven track record of gaining results.  I don’t have all the answers, cause I’m still learning and in the beginning stages of my journey. 

I’m documenting this as my diary of my struggles and accomplishments, so I can better the way I view myself as I am in present day, not how my negative mind chooses to remember me.

I have struggled tremendously the past 4 years with self-esteem, the feeling of failure and not being worthy enough for better things.  This has created low self-esteem and my negative thoughts created a poor body image.  I didn’t respect myself enough to keep my body in the shape and in turn I created an unhealthy overweight body.  This is the image I created with my thoughts. 

My emotions are my thoughts; my self-esteem is a creation of my thoughts.  How I view a situation is critical to my overall health.  Positive thoughts create a determined beast that will reach and exceed my goals and expectations. Negative thoughts and negative past emotions will do just that, create negative results and keep me in the past.  Fat and unhealthy!

We must believe to receive, listen more then we talk and open our minds to professionals that are trained in human anatomy and the mind. 

My attitude about every situation is what will define my results.  I will not ignore my emotions; I will address my negative emotions so I’m able to heal from them.  I will seek for emotional consistency, which is the foundation to my physical bodies overall health.

Today was a challenging day with having an upset stomach.  Actually I did wake up a 6 this morning and Shannon and I went to the gym to only get about 45mins of Cardio in.  I didn't feel well when we went and it took me most of the day is get over the upset stomach.  I'm not sure if it's a bug, my intolerance to lactose, or my stomach to being ready that early to absorb the vitamins I fed my body.

Either way I'm starting to feel better and I really hope that tonight offers me a grand nights sleep and tomorrow I'll be up and ready by 5am to start  my journey to join the early birds club.  Let me tell you this up front though, starting a workout routine so early in the morning when your not use to getting up early is a pain in the ass and will take at least a week for my body to make the needed adjustments.

I have continued to care for my aching knee and I'm just now starting to feel the benefits of therapy.  I called today and made the needed appointment with our family Chiropractor Dr. Ryan Nienaber at Boones Ferry Chiropractic.  He does such a wonderful job keeping Shannon and I so balanced and in tune.  I honestly wish I could recommend Ryan to everyone I met, he's just that great at what he does.  Alternative health and therapy is a must for me.  Today wasn't the best workout, but I'm not discouraged cause I'm doing the needed work to reach my goals.  Not everyday is a great day in the gym but my consistency will pay-off.  in 

I'm trying really hard to find my FAT pictures from the past year so I can post them on my sight to show my progression.  I feel as though airing my dirty fat laundry in important for reaching my goals.  It will hold me accountable and motivate me to reach deeper when I'm not feeling 100%.  If I can't find a picture in the next few days I'll post my current photo and my dream body photo and go from there.  I have to start somewhere.  I just really wish I had a picture from when I was my heaviest of 215lbs.  So it's obvious I was a camera dodger during my fat days.  Not a good place:)

Today starts a new month and new months begin with new goals, not to mention new aches and pains.  March is a month that I need to kick up the intensity of my cardio workouts, and begin being more religious on my dietary intake.  My food intake is most important this month because, coming in April Spring will be upon us and I MUST reach the goals I have set for myself.

My first goal for the month of March is to dramatically increase my duration and intensity of my cardio workouts to burn more fat.

 My second goal is to increase my lean protein intake and reduce my red meat intake and simple carbohydrates to ensure I maintain the lean muscle mass I have worked so hard to gain.  I need to maintain a more balanced diet of lean protein, vegetables, legumes, beans and high fiber foods. 

The third goal is to concentrate on more structured sleep patterns, attempting to join the “early bird workout club”.  This will allow me to get more done in the day by getting my workouts out of the way and secure the more lean muscle mass.

My goals to good health aren’t all about gaining just muscle mass, it’s also about strengthening my tendons, ligaments, and supportive muscles that give my body the needed strength and balance for overall health and fitness.

Today, I completed an intense chest workout, but felt I just need a little more.  I kicked up my treadmill work out by pausing the treadmill every 5 minutes and doing 40 pushups.  I ended up doing 20mins on the treadmill and taking my chest muscles to a needed failure.  Yes it was a good day in the gym.

Well, I didn’t start today working out at the gym like I hoped I would have.  Life happened as I said earlier I wouldn’t let happen.  The good news is I have a terrible itch that only the gym can scratch.  I will make it to the gym tonight, and I will reach the goals I have set for myself.  Oh, that’s right I haven’t set any formal goals.  What the hell am I doing? 

It’s obvious to me that there’s a ton of things we must do to properly prepare for a healthy success, but one of the most important is : setting goals.  We have to have a goal to strive for, a goal that keeps us motivated to redeem the ultimate prize.  Our goals have to be simple and easy for us to accomplish.  I need to start setting my goals to set me up for success and not for failure.  My short-term goals have to be short enough to accomplish in a few weeks, this giving me the opportunity to be rewarded for my hard work and preparing my motivation for my long-term goals that lie ahead.

First, we have to commit to getting healthy.


 I have made the commitment by doing the work.  I have started this blog to hold me responsible in my commitment to getting healthy.  Also, I have positively changed how I view exercise and the importance it has in my life.

 Second, we have to commit to an event that holds us responsible for our goal. 

 For example I have committed to competing in the Oregon Warrior Dash in September 2011.  This is my long-term goal.  I have 7 months to prepare, allowing me time to get in shape and heal from any injuries I might encounter along the way.  Also, I’m not a professional in the fitness world, so I know that I will be making mistakes along the way.  

“Success seems to be connected with action.  Successful people keep moving.  They make mistakes, but they don’t quit” ~Conrad Hilton~

This is a new beginning, so I will start today with my simple goals.  I will stay on task and along the way I will adopt more goals to challenge myself physically and emotionally.

Today was a great day at the gym, but I must admit it is very difficult NOT doing traditional cardio workouts.  This bum knee is feeling better, but since it’s been a nagging injury for the past 6 months I must take care of it and stop rushing into intense knee bending exercises like lunges and squats. 

I know that I’ve been working hard on my cross-training and resistant training, but now I need to work harder with less rest in between sets to allow myself to build endurance while staying off the treadmill in order for my knee can heal.  The great news is my knee therapy exercises are working and I’m excited to see how my knee feels four weeks from now.  The crazy thing, I originally injured my knee playing keep away from my kids on the play ground.  I mean really!  Couldn’t I have a more exciting story to tell?  Like a ski accident, skateboard trick gone bad or even falling while saving a poor helpless kitten from a tree.  NO, it had to be my old ass hurting myself while playing with my kids.  NO BUENO!

I had a wonderful dinner made for me tonight by Shannon.  Thank you for being such a wonderful cook and magnificent workout partner.  And thank you for giving me my gut of love, if it wasn’t for your beautiful food I wouldn’t be writing this blog.  Just kidding, you’re not responsible for my over-indulgence and lack of physical activity.  I am.

Today I felt it was important and appropriate that I blog about personal responsibility.  I have seen how not taking personal responsibility has caused nothing but negative results in my life and how It effects the lives of others that are close to me.   What I do know is that taking personal responsibility is much harder then enforcing others to be responsible.

Accepting personal responsibility isn’t easy, for you shouldn't blame others for the choices you make.  We all have a choice and we need to live with those choices by living up to them and letting go of the anger, fear, blame, mistrust and insecurity that cause us to make irresponsible choices.  These issues are deep and different for everyone, so look into yourself and take a personal inventory of your life.  This will be hard and enlightening all at the same time.  Address these issues now so you can go on with your journey to better health, emotionally and physically.

Start a more active lifestyle; allowing you a way to build your self esteem.  A higher self esteem has been proven to improve overall personal responsibility in oneself.  Studies have shown that just twenty minutes actively outside each day can increase self-esteem, as well as improve your mood and immune system.  Go outside and play, just be careful to stretch before playing on the play ground with your kidsJ

I’m fully aware of the lagging issues that cause people to cheat themselves and just let life happen.  Well from my experience, letting life happen only brings bitterness and heartache.  Letting life happen forces us to go into survival mode and not take personal responsibility, which ends up creating a power struggle in our lives that ends up not only hurting you but those around you.

Life isn’t unfair; it’s up to you to make the choices that will create your dreams and goals.  You must believe to receive.  I’m starting today by taking personal responsibility by putting on my big boy pants and claiming it’s time I air my personal progression pictures for everyone to see.  I need to gather those pictures (fat pictures) and post them to remind myself of how unhealthy I have made myself by not take the personal responsibility of making my health a priority.

So it’s Sunday and this is my first Good Health Log Entry.  Today I’m taking advantage of a needed day of rest from the gym.  The truth is I have been terrible the past year at staying consistent in the gym or merely maintaining an active lifestyle.   I can contribute my slow gains and lack of fat loss to my inconsistency in the gym and finding creative active events to help me burn fat.  Ok my diet hasn’t been story book either, but I’m still searching for that compromise that allows me to still enjoy good food.  I can say though I haven’t eaten any sort of fast food in the past 6 weeks.  It’s a start; I’ll be positive and commend myself on a job well done.  It’s all about the small triumph’s that allows you the opportunity to a big reward.

I must admit that having a workout partner as dedicated to the gym as I have made my workouts not only enjoyable but much easier to bear.  Thank you Shannon!   Plus, the healthy competition is good for the soul.  Key word here is Healthy.  Competition is good only when winning isn’t everything?  Winning is good and important, but it should never control your self esteem or make you do things that make you look like an ass.  I look forward to doing more research on this topic later and improving my ability to better sportsmanship.

Since I’m not in the gym today and most of my time is being spent sitting on the couch watching the Daytona 500, I feel that it’s important that I reduce my caloric intake tremendously.  I do need to maintain my protein intake and keep hydrated, but I don’t need the extra carbohydrates that will only make me fat.  I really wish I had the fat ass problem, if you know me I only have “tops of legs” no ass.  Why can’t my fat pool in my posterior?

My workouts have been going great, and it’s been pleasant that Shannon has been so open to trying new workouts that I’ve mostly found on http://military-fitness.military.com/ .   In my opinion military workouts do much more than just build vanity muscles, but actually provides overall muscle fitness and good health.  I just know that it’s important to build ligaments, tendons, slow and fast muscle fibers, overall strength, joint health and endurance to be truly healthy.

Ok this journey hasn’t started out totally pain-free.  Actually, I recently have been suffering from moderate aching knee pain.   It all started when I started to increase my intensity on the treadmill.  The truth is I have been struggling with this knee irritation for some time, but usually the pain goes away in a few days.  Not so lucky this time.  So I have vowed to my wife that I will call our loyal and trusted chiropractor http://www.bfchiropractic.com/  Dr. Ryan Nienaber of Boones Ferry Chiropractic- for his profession opinion on the possible damage.

I haven’t called yet but when I do I will update my log with  his assessment.   So till then I have vowed to do my knee recovery exercises that I found on http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/ and limit all knee bending exercises for 6 weeks.  This sucks but I’m tired of the being a reoccurring injury.  Just need to heal it properly so I can stop allowing life to happen.

So now I’m off to get something healthy to eat and burn some fat cleaning the house.  Good Day!