What Is A Grad?
I keep seeing articles about health and fitness and for some reason, many of them strike me as being slightly off. There’s something just a little wrong with them or something that doesn’t quite seem right. The odd thing is that these are articles which, three or four years ago, I would have been nodding along with, agreeing with everything they said. What’s changed? Is it the articles or is it me?
That started me thinking about what kind of articles I want to present here on 60 in 3 and the kind of material you all like to read. Who is my audiance? What are you all like? I’ve been thinking for a while that the average 60 in 3 reader isn’t quite the average person and I wanted to quantify that. What makes us special? What makes us unique? This is what I came up with.
The Grads! That’s us
I’m going to use the term grad or grads to describe you all. First of all because it’s easier than saying the average 60 in 3 reader over and over but also because it has a couple of other meaning. Grad means you’ve graduated. You’ve gotten past all those fad diets, three week exercise programs and two month resolutions. You’re here for the duration and you know that you want to make fitness part of your life. Grad also means gradual, because you understand that being fit doesn’t happen over night.
So let’s examine this a bit more. What does being a grad really mean for me, for you and for 60 in 3?
No Quick Fixes - As I said, being a grad means you no longer believe in quick fixes. You know that fitness is not about the next two weeks or even about the next year, it’s about the rest of your life. You won’t see articles on 60 in 3 urging you to try this workout for the next week or this diet tip for the next month. The only things I’ll talk about are changes to your life that are realistic and can be maintained forever. It’s what you expect and it’s what I intend to deliver.
Why As Well As How - Being a grad means you’re interested in learning more about your body and your health. You’re not interested in just being told “do this!” You want to know why and how this will help. You don’t care to be told “eat more veggies”, you want to know why this helps because this information will help you adapt these tips to your everyday life.
Detail Oriented - Related to the why, you want to know details. It’s great to know that eating less calories will mean losing weight, but where are the details? How many less calories? How many calories in a lb? How do I calculate my calorie intake? I see too many articles out there with simple tips like “eat less calories”. Well that’s great, but what does that really mean? I’ll try to provide those details on 60 in 3.
Big Picture View - This may seem at odds with the details point I just mentioned, but I think it can work well. You see, too many sites and magazines have too narrow a focus. How often have you see a site dedicated to just running? Or just a raw food diet? Or just ripped abs? These things are fine but they need to be part of a big picture. Being fit is about all of these things. It’s about diet and exercise and motivation and a whole lot of other things. I’ll try to deliver that big picture overview that you expect because I think it’s vital. Without it, we get too focused on one area or another and miss the big picture.
Enjoy - Too many articles focus on fitness as a hardship, something to be endured rather than enjoyed. I disagree completely and I think you grads do as well. Fitness and health is a wonderful part of life. There are so many fun and fit activities like hiking, dancing, sports, horseback riding and so on. I just fail to understand how people can see health as a chore. Even going to the gym can be fun if you do it right.
I think the reason many people fail at their attempts to become more healthy is because they think of these attempts as work rather than pleasure. They start with the hard stuff like gym workouts and strict diets, without enjoying the easy stuff first. Well, that’s not me and I don’t believe it’s you either. So I’m going to focus some articles on the more fun aspects of fitness.
Proud and Personal - Last but not least, you’re proud of what you’ve accomplished and what you’re still working on. You’re not ashamed to admit you still have goals. Yes, you still want to lose a bit more weight, you still want to improve your running speed or get better at dancing and that’s perfectly fine. Health is a very personal thing and it’s also something to be very proud of. You know what you’ve accomplished and you’re not afraid to share that with others. That’s part of the reason why I enjoy sharing personal stories here on 60 in 3, because I realize fitness isn’t all about cold hard facts. Sometimes it’s nice to hear of other people facing the same obstacles and struggling with the same difficulties. We can share our experiences with them and learn from their mistakes.
So here’s to you 60 in 3 grads. Thank you for making this website a joy and a pleasure to run. I hope we spend many more days, weeks, months and years together.
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And thank you to those of you who share these articles on sites like Digg, Stumbleupon and others. I appreciate the faith in me and in 60 in 3.
A Day In The Life
Thinking back to the post I made on Monday, I think too many people see health and fitness as something to endured rather than enjoyed. They go running in the rain or biking in the snow because they feel guilty if they don’t. They MUST exercise, they MUST eat well, they MUST workout. Well, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. A healthy life is something to be enjoyed, not tolerated.
Do you know what my day looks like today? I woke up early, walked and played with Daisy, my puppy. I then ran errands. I missed breakfast because I was hurrying to a vet appointment. I then ran some errands, made a few calls and worked. For lunch, I had a can of vegetarian chili and a fresh orange I picked in the backyard. After lunch I’m going to a doctor’s appointment, do more work, rearrange a lot of furniture, do some schoolwork and finally go out to dinner with a friend.
That’s a full day, with a lot of very fun things. It’s also a day where I missed breakfast and my workout. Oh no, that sounds awful! No wait, no it doesn’t. I’m still eating healthy and not binging out on candy and cake. I’m still being physically active through walking the dog, walking to the store and moving furniture. My lunch was not in fact a fresh green salad, but so what? It was tasty and, other than slightly high sodium, it was very healthy.
I used to motivate myself through guilt. I would tell myself, “oh no Gal, what have you done? You can’t miss that workout! You MUST have fresh vegetables with every meal! What kind of a person are you? You’re a disappointment!” Sound familiar? Lots of people make this mistake. Instead of rewarding ourselves and enjoying our lives, we tell ourselves to do this or else. Well, I refuse to live that way.
Was my day today perfect? I suppose not, I could have eaten three green salads, ran 6 miles and worked out for an hour. However, I simply did not have the time. Was my day today unhealthy? Not at all. I ate within reason and I moved around a lot. Am I going to do this again tomorrow? Nope, tomorrow I have less to do so I’m going back to the gym. Therefore, I don’t feel guilty at all. I feel great. I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot today and that matters.
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Stop motivating yourself with guilt and negativity. Start having fun, even if you’re not 100% perfect. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured.
When Good Intentions Go Bad
I was driving around Berkeley yesterday, on my way home from school, when I spotted a man jogging in the street. Normally, this wouldn’t really draw my attention. After all, there are almost always people jogging in the streets of Berkeley. However, yesterday was not a normal day. Yesterday was cold and rainy. In fact, it was freezing cold and pouring down rain in Berkeley and here’s this guy running around in his shorts and running shirt. I guess some people would think “wow, that’s impressive dedication” but all I could think was “wow, that’s pretty dumb.”
Running is great exercise, but it does take a toll on the body. At the end of a solid run, you’re tired and your body is exhausted. Yes, many of us experience what’s called a runner’s high, a state in which the endorphins released by running cause us to feel great. However, that’s a trick your brain plays on you so you can keep running without noticing all the bad stuff, likes being tired or being in pain.
That guy out there, running in the rain, he’s not tough and he’s not dedicated, he’s just being silly. He’s putting himself in danger by exposing himself to bad weather while at the same time exhausting his body so it can’t fight things off. He’s also putting himself in danger of accidents which are a lot more likely when the streets are wet. That’s not healthy for anyone.
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So here’s my piece of advice for all of you out there. Yes, dedication to fitness is great and not letting minor obstacles stop you is also great, but use some common sense.
No One But You Can Prevent A Forest Fire…
Ok, so maybe I’m dating myself a bit with that post heading, but it seemed appropriate. If you get the joke, great, if not, look it up :) However, old public service commercials are not actually what I wanted to talk about. Instead, I would like to talk about why we do the things we do.
See, back in 2003, I made a decsion to change my life. I started working out and I also started eating better. I also made other changes. I started paying attention to my career, my finances and my friends. In other words, I started putting my life back together after doing some serious damage to it over a span of many years. I had made a few attempts to do something similar before but they always failed, mainly because I wasn’t doing it for the right reasons.
Before 2003, I would try to fix my my life for someone else. For example, I had a girlfriend during some of these years and I would try to change my ways for her. Or maybe I would realize that I was disappointing my parents and then I would try to shape up so they would think better of me. Each and every time I did something like that, I failed. Do you want to know why? It’s simple, I was doing things for the wrong reasons and trying to change my life to please others. That never works.
I tell you this now for two reasons. First of all because I gave a presentation at work today about fitness. I won’t go over the whole thing but if I could summarize the 45 minute long talk, it comes down to two points:
- Motivation is the key to everything
- Only you can make the decision to change
The first point is pretty obvious I think. If you’re not motivated to do something, you’re never going to do it. The second point is more subtle but just as important. It basically says that only you can decide to change your life. Other people may help and provide encouragement but ultimately, the only way to change your life is if you want to. No one else can force you to change and if you’re trying to make a change to please someone else, you’re going to fail.
If you’re trying to get in shape because you wish to make your wife happy or because your friends are pushing you to, you’re going to fail. If you’re trying to get in shape because the magazines are telling you it’s smart or because Gal on 60 in 3 tells you you’ll die at an early age if you don’t, you’re going to fail. The only way you’re going to succeed is if you yourself want to change. You have to willingly and consiously make the decision to change or else it’s never going to work.
The first thing before making any change is to determine if you want to do it. Are you happy with your life right now? Can you see your life in 20 years if you don’t make this change? Are you happy with how you think your life will turn out if you don’t make this change? If you answer these questions and come out with “I don’t really want to make this change” you’re going to fail. It doesn’t matter how much you know that you should, unless you really want to, you’re going to fail. It doesn’t matter that you know the smoking is killing you, or your shopping is bankrupting you or your habits are destroying your marriage or your overeating is causing your health to fail. All that doesn’t matter unless you really want to change. Knowing is not the same as wanting and wanting is what gets you to the doing.
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The other reason I’m saying this now is because I’m going through some changes in my life. I’m realizing that I’m not done working out some of the problems that have held me back. They’re not fitness related this time and so I’ll spare you the details, but the idea is the same. In the past, I’ve never had the will or the motivation to face these problems, I knew that I should, I knew that they were destroying my life, but I never faced them head on because I never wanted to. Well that stops today. I want to fix my problems, I know how and I’m going to do it.
What do you want to change in your life? What’s holding you back?
Women Are Crazy!
Yes, you heard me, women are crazy. Do you know why they’re crazy? Because they allow the media to influence their self perception to the point of harming themselves and I just can’t take that anymore.
Ok, Gal has gone Crazy!
Yes, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but I just get so frustrated sometimes. Two days ago I read the following article:
NOTE: The picture in this article might be considered by some to be slightly not safe for work. Just want you to be aware of that. I have pasted the picture itself to the bottom of this article so you can scroll down if you want a peek at it.
I was awestruck by the incredible life this woman has had. For her entire life she’s bounced from diet to diet, struggling to fit some fantasy land ideal of what the perfect woman looks like. I just don’t understand this. I look at her picture at the beginning of this article and I see a beautiful, confident woman. I see someone who loves herself and her body and yet, most women who I’ve showed this to seem to think she’s still fat. This is crazy!
If At First You Don’t Succeed…
I wrote a guest post on Back In Skinny Jeans a while back where I talked about women and their body image. I said that I didn’t understand why women emphasized “skinny” so much. I was wrong in something I said and a lot of the comments on that post pointed out that mistake. I jumped on this “size zero” fad as wrong and by doing that I mistakenly assumed that people who might be naturally slender have a bad body image. I admit my mistake.
However, I will stand by my original opinion. Too many women allow their body image to be formed for the wrong reason. And yes, there are some men who do this too but it’s primarily women. Is there something wrong with being skinny? No. Is there something wrong with being unhappy with your body because you keep seeing magazines with some insanely thin supermodel on them? Yes, absolutely.
Know Your Audience
Women, let me let you in on a little secret. You’re fine just the way you are. We men are not such complicated creatures as you think. Most of us don’t notice if your butt is slightly large or if your breasts are small. Hell, most of the time we’re just happy that you let us see you naked! 
I’d much rather be with someone who’s body is not supermodel material but who loves herself and is confident in her looks than someone who constantly worries about other people’s perceptions. To me, the core of beauty is self confidence and there is nothing sexier than a woman who is comfortable with the way she looks and isn’t afraid to show it. Most of the men I know think the same way.
Sure, there are always a few assholes who want a trophy wife 40 years younger than they are, with a small ass, long blond hair and DD breasts, but that’s the exception, not the rule. And no, I don’t understand those men but I think they suffer from a lot of self-confidence issues.
I’m Doing My Best
I’m not a major magazine, nor am I the casting director for TV Shows and movies or the editor of the latest Victoria’s Secret catalog. I have no way of stopping these people from continuing to encourage young women to strive for unrealistic bodies at the expense of their health. However, maybe I can do my little bit with this article.
That woman in the picture, she’s absolutely beautiful. She gorgeous and she’s sexy and she’s very attractive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her and she just radiates the kind of sexy self confidence that I find amazingly beautiful.
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There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to exercise and have a more fit body. Just make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons. If you’re ever in doubt, check out this woman’s smile. That smile is worth a dozen Victoria’s Secret models. No amount of exercise or cabbage soup diets will produce that smile, it comes from deep inside.
The Karen Daniel Story
A few weeks ago on one of my weekend round ups, I linked to a CNN article about a woman called Karen Daniel and her journey to a better and healthier life. To my surprise, I got an email yesterday from her trainer giving me some more information. With his permission, I am printing that information here:
When I first saw Karen Daniel, I knew I was looking at a woman in trouble. At 375 pounds, she took a giant step by entering my fitness center. There I was, face to face with one of the biggest challenges of my life’s work. Her eyes told me that she was desperately serious in her quest for help. She wasn’t just looking, and when she showed up at my front door, I recognized her decision process.
Karen came to purchase an exercise devise. It was a good start, but it alone would not be sufficient to tackle her problem. I expressed to Karen that I could help her, gave her some literature and tried to convey to her that I was sincere. Not too long after, my telephone rang, and it was Karen. She asked if I remembered her, (how could I ever forget her) and asked if I would I be interested in training her. At that moment, our journey began.
First, I conveyed to Karen that this had to be a long term program. If she was looking for quick results, I was not it. If I learned anything in my 33 years of training, enduring results take time, dedication and commitment. In order to effect cellular and behavioral changes, it takes months and years, not days and weeks.
When Karen agreed to pay for one year of trainings up front, I knew I had a willing and committed partner. This was “key” to her success. Over the next two years, Karen shed over 175 pounds without surgery or drugs. She learned the earned value of every pound as she lost the weight. She committed herself early and stayed committed.
To rescue Karen from her plight, I engaged a triple pronged attack: Exercise, behavior and diet. When I train someone, I have a captive audience. In Karen’s case, three hours a week, so she had no choice but to listen and learn.
Exercise: In the chain of diet and exercise, exercise is by far the strongest link. Weight resistance exercise triggers physiological changes within the body without the intervention of drugs. Weight resistance exercise burns calories above and beyond normal movement and develops muscle, which burn calories even in a state of rest. If you could take all of the benefits of weight resistance exercise and put them in a pill, you would have the wonder drug of the millennium.
I practice high intensity weight resistance exercise. When muscles are contracting through their full range of motion against an overload of resistance provided by free weights and machines, they become stressed to temporary exhaustion, or muscle failure.
During the post exercise period (usually 48 hours) the muscle tissue adapts to the stress of the exercise, bouncing back stronger. During the workout, the muscles accomplish real work. As we learned in physics, anytime there is work, there must be an energy supply. In this case it is the stored energy in the fat cell system. One pound of body fat equals 3500 calories of energy.
I train Karen in a high intensity setting, with five second rest periods in-between repetitions and sets. This keeps the cardio-vascular, aerobic, benefiting the heart and lungs and promoting endurance and stamina. Regular cardio-vascular exercise is also an important component of Karen’s fitness regime. Before every workout and on her “off” days, you can find Karen on the treadmill or stair machine.
In the beginning, Karen could not fit in my machines. She was completely de~conditioned. We started by sitting in a chair. I used hand pressure to provide resistance at first. We graduated to free weights and machines when she could fit into them. Each new exercise was a cause for celebration. I constantly moved the goal post. She always accepted the challenge and fought back tears and real pain. I was tough on her, because I was saving her life.
Behavior. Busy with family and a business, Karen developed a pattern of putting herself last, accept for food. Karen had slipped into a canyon of influence and bad behavior that was killing her. She had learned to dispatch her children to perform tasks that she had gradually become unable to do for herself. “Get me this, go get me that” was her constant command.
When Karen began to progress, she was surprised to find resistance from some who were closest, who had controlled her because of her obesity. Often, those on the road to fitness find saboteurs among family and friends.
We explored where her relationship with food went wrong. We learned to put food into perspective and made strategies for her to lead. Instead of being on the outside looking in, Karen put herself into the picture and now participates in fitness-action packed recreational activities, much to the joy of her family. Karen learned to put herself first.
Diet: When I met Karen, I collected “stats” including weight (she weighed more than the scale could measure), percentage of body fat (over 50%), measurements (my measuring tape was too short to measure her hips), resting heart rate and blood pressure. I computed Karen’s caloric maintenance level and determined a sensible caloric defect to establish a new daily caloric intake goal, a critical number.
We had to strictly enforce her total number of calories taken in every day with accountability. Karen wrote down everything she ate, and researched its caloric value. She knew for sure if she was compliant.
We sorted out different types of food. She went on a strict 70% lean protein and 30% low glycemic carbohydrate mix. Karen learned to cook her own food whenever possible, eating a wide verity of fresh, natural food as close to the fresh natural state as possible. If she cooked it, she knew what was in it, and what was in her. Karen learned that the human body has thousands of years of compatibility with fresh, natural whole foods and anytime you deviate from this, you are asking for trouble. Karen now has nutrition down to a science.
Karen has taught me that achieving fitness is possible for anyone. As a trainer, I never know who will stay committed. I learned not to be judgmental about candidates for fitness. Karen has proven to be the biggest surprise. After working with Karen, I know that anyone can do this. There are no excuses. Karen’s story is a powerful inspiration. Karen’s success has brought joy to my heart and re-inspired my passion for my life’s work. Thank you Karen!
Bill Crawford
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Bill Crawford has been a professional fitness trainer since 1977, when he opened his first gym in Los Angeles , California as a pioneer in the fitness boom. He is certified for Musculoskeletal Evaluation and Rehabilitation by the University of Florida.
Today Bill teaches fitness and trains his clients on state-of-the-art Nautilus and MedX equipment pioneered by his longtime friend and colleague, the late Arthur Jones. In fact, Bill’s techniques and exercise philosophies were even endorsed by Arthur Jones.
Crawford owns Basic Training in Scottsdale , Arizona where his clients enjoy his dedication to personal service, state-of-the-art equipment, knowledge and motivational skills at his exclusive fitness center. Crawford’s fitness stories have been featured on CNN, Fox News and countless newspaper and magazine articles across the country. Crawford can be contacted at: iamfitness@aol.com
FrankenFood!!
Are you all recovered from Thanksgiving or are there still some turkey leftovers in the fridge?
I wanted to post this before Thanksgiving but I had a few other things on my mind, so I’ll post this now. Usually I link to interesting articles on the weekend, but I thought this one deserved extra notice. It’s from Wired.com and it discusses how the traditional thanksgiving meal is not even remotely traditional or similar to what our ancestors ate.
Basically, everything that we consider “traditional” for thanksgiving has been modified so much by science that it’s nothing like what these foods used to be. Turkeys which are three times as big and unable to walk or reproduce by themselves, corn which contains more sugar and potatos which contain more starch. All in the name of “bigger and better” but all also leading to “worse for you and unhealthier”.
There is a better way folks. There are farmer’s markets, CSA’s, local organic farmers and any number of websites dedicated to helping you find healthy food. Many of them can even provide you with healthy turkeys. Check out Eat Wild or Local Harvest if you’re interested in healthy organic meat at very reasonable prices.
No, I am not against science or progress, nor do I advocate that we go back to the stone age and live like our long lost ancestors. However, what the food industry has done to our diets is not progress, nor is it beneficial science. It’s pure profit making at the expense of consumers and their health. Avoid their overly processed crap and eat healthy.
