60 in 3 Reboot - Step 1, What Does Being Healthy Mean To You?

I haven’t updated this site in almost a year because I’ve been busy with quite a few other things. I tried out a fashion blog but decided I knew nothing about fashion (something my girlfriend would heartily agree with). I’m currently writing a self improvement blog and we’ll see how that goes. Still, every few weeks I think about 60 in 3 and I miss it. I miss talking to all of you about my workouts, eating plans and exercises. I miss hearing from you about your questions, your triumphs and challenges. A few weeks ago one 60 in 3 reader wrote me an email about how inspired this site had made him and the success he had in losing weight and getting in shape. That clinched it for me, I knew I had to get back to this place and to all of you.

So here’s the plan. I’m going to start posting on 60 in 3 on a regular basis. New posts will be up every Monday just in time to distract you from coming back to work. Topics will be the usual, exercise, workouts, eating, weight loss and all the rest. If you have questions or suggestions for articles, please feel free to send them my way. In the meantime, I thought I would start this reboot with a quick series of articles on how to get started. Which brings us to today’s post, getting started…

Step 1 – What Do You Want?

What does being healthy mean to you? Does it mean losing weight? Does it mean being able to run a mile in under 15 minutes? (you laugh but that was one of my original goals). Does it mean looking good in a bikini? Does it mean dropping your cholesterol levels or your blood pressure? These are all very different things and in many cases they might actually require different techniques, eating plans, training methods and life changes. So which of these matter to you?

Write Them Down

Take a moment to write down what being healthy means to you. These phrases will not just determine what sort of changes you need to make in your life, they will also serve as motivations and goals, so make them realistic, specific and measurable. For example:

• I will take two inches of my waist by May of next year
• I will lose 50lbs by next April
• I will fit into my old pants by next Easter
• I will be able to run a mile in under 10 minutes by next spring
• I will get a clean bill of health from my doctor when it comes to my blood pressure by my next physical in June of 2011

Check For Conflicts

A lot of times we write things down without really thinking about what they mean. We put down things like “I want to bench press 300lbs by next summer” right next to “I want my back to be healthy by next June”. Well, those two are probably mutually exclusive. Not necessarily so, that’s true, but most people who have back injuries should focus on those before they move on to lifting weights. Another common mistake is to make things unrealistic. For example, it’s simply not realistic to lose more than 1 to 2lbs of weight per week. Sure, you can do it, but it’s not healthy.  Still, don’t worry about this too much right now, we’ll focus these goals a bit more as we go along.

Last But Not Least

Keep your goals with you. This isn’t meant to be a one time exercise for you to get rid off as soon as you’re done. These goals will guide you for the rest of your life in some cases. So keep them with you, frame them, put them on your computer background, print them out and hang them by your bed, do whatever it takes to keep them in mind.
Next Monday we start getting our butt in shape

A Walk In The Sunlight

It’s 8am, I’m alone in the office.  I’m frustrated by my inability to finish this homework.  I’m lonely, upset over the hole in my life.  My body feels strained by the lack of workouts last week.  All of this leads to anger, rage, sadness, frustration and a whole host of other negative emotions.  What do I do?  I put on the iPod and head outside.  Sunlight and music, my new found friends.

They’re there when I’m sad and they’re there when I’m tired.  They wake me from my stupor and cheer me up from my depression.  The warm sunlight feels so great on my face and the wonderful sounds of powerful music emanate from the headphones and keep me company as I walk.  It’s like an escape from all that is bothering me.  I take the first step down the path, listen to the first song and I’m lost in wonder.  My thoughts race every which way as I lose myself in dreams, hopes and aspirations.  The problems I face seem smaller somehow when I’m faced with the grandeur of the outdoors and my energy level perks up with the music.  The emptiness inside is filled with warmth and the solutions to my issues dance in front of me.

I arrive back feeling refreshed and renewed.  My problems are still there but I feel more ready to face them now.  The walk gave me a break which my body and mind sorely needed.  I don’t feel tired now.  I feel full of energy, ready to face anything which might come my way.  All the ideas I had during the walk flutter about me, waiting for me to write them down and start working.  Even better, my body feels good now that it’s had a chance to stretch out and get some sunlight.  I no longer feel cramped and alone.

And the cycle is broken.  The emotions get better as I work on my problems.  The urge to do something stupid fades away as I focus my new found energy on implementing my ideas.  The need to drown my sorrows in caffeine and sugar fades away.

Banishing Darkness From The Light

There’s an old Israeli song, typically sung on Hanukkah which was a favorite of mine when I was a small child.  The chorus involves all the singer stamping their feet to the repeated singing of “go away darkness, go away before the light”.  That always made me feel better as a small boy, especially since I was afraid of the dark.

There’s a part of me that remembers that song now and understands it as that little boy did not.  There’s something scary about that darkness, about not knowing what’s in front of you and we tend to want to fill that darkness with familiar and comfortable things.  And so we eat “comfort” foods.  Things like ice cream and chocolate and fried dishes.  Food that makes us feel loved and appreciated, perhaps because it reminds us of better days or perhaps because it stimulates our bodies in ways that mimic happiness.  Whatever the reason, there’s a better way.

Sunlight and music, combined with walking.  A magical combination that’s better than any amount of fried foods and ice cream.  This is just one way which I’ve found to cope with stress.  Just one way which doesn’t involve overeating or doing something destructive.  There are many others.  I’ve also found that conversation is a far better coping technique than binge eating.  Find a good friend and talk.  Trust me on that one.

There’s More

I look at this post and compare it to the one from last week and I can see how much I’ve changed over the past few years.  I’m encouraged.  The problems are still there, some old and some new.  Some issues have been resolved and some new ones have emerged.  Overall though, I cope with my issues in a healthier and less damaging way.

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For those who are curious, I highly recommend the music of Rob Dougan for times like these.  Great sounds perfect to sooth your mind and body.

I Am A Failure…

Oh, those deadly words, I have failed.  My goals lie shattered at my feet and my dreams are ruined.  Everything is gone, hope are dead and lost.  What happened you ask to bring about such dire consequences?  What horrible thing could have occurred that would ruin my future and demolish my best laid plans?  The answer is simple, I went back to diet coke.

Yes, that sweet sweet taste of caffeine laden chemical water lured me into its warm embrace one more time and today I found myself buying not one but TWO bottles of Coke Zero while waiting for my flight out of Austin airport.  I am a failure and the shiny black and red bottles are evidence to that failure.  Surely my life is done.

But Wait!

What about my other carefully laid out goals?  What about my incestuous love affair with chocolate?  Has that too returned into my life?  what about my old habits of consuming two medium domino’s pizzas for dinner?  Am I back to the chicken kickers?  And if not, isn’t my failure to kick the Coke habit a signal of my complete lack of willpower?  Should I not give in now while I can still do so gracefully and kick back with a bag of Lindt Truffles and a bucket of KFC?

Not So Fast…

Yes, the Coke is back, however, not as bad as it was before.  While I did drink some around lunch time, I no longer consume it all day long.  Also, while I may still imbibe my addictive chemical water, I did in fact kick the sugar habit.  I’m chocolate free now and plan on staying that way.  What about my exercise habits?  Still going strong!  What about my increased consumption of vegetables?  Yep, still good.  What about my decreased consumption of processed junk food?  Not a bucket of KFC or a carton of Domino’s in sight!  So am I really a failure?

Of Course Not!

A good baseball player has a batting average in the 300’s.  That means they get on base around 30% of the time.  A good basketball player has a free throw average in the high 60’s.  Barack Obama lost quite a few of the early primary contests and even some of the later ones.  Napoleon won most but not all battles.  Spielberg puts out amazing movies but he also puts out the occasional piece of dreck.  So why am I a failure because I had a bit of coke?

Why should I give up on everything when it’s just one thing that’s not working.  This is madness and in times past I bought into this mindset hook, line and sinker.  I failed at one little thing and I saw it as a reason to stop trying everything.  I had a bit of chocolate and used that as an excuse to order five big macs.  After all, if they day is already ruined due to that chocolate, might as well ruin it all the way!

Time and again I see people make the same mistakes I used to, which is part of the reason I started writing 60 in 3.  I see them take on an ambitious program of weightloss and fitness.  I see them set goals and divise master plans with a dozen different projects.  Then I see them fail and the chain reaction starts.  One little failure causes a bigger, which causes a bigger which causes abandonment of the whole plan.  Is this smart?  Of course not, but it is human.

Focus On The Successes

It’s time to stop focusing on the failures.  Yes, you’re going to fail.  Accept that now and move on.  If you’re not occasionally failing, you’re not really trying.  Your goals should be something you can only barely achieve and sometimes you’re going to fail.  That’s fine.  Accept the failure, learn from it and move on to try again.  More importantly, don’t use one failure as an excuse to abandon all hope.  Don’t use one setback as a reason to turn your back on all the things that are working.

Yes, I had a coke.  I gave in to my need for caffeine and bought a coke zero.  I’m not proud of that, but I also know that I did NOT buy that bag of M&M’s, I did NOT buy that bag of potato chips, I DID work out yesterday even though I was pressed for time, I DID have a healthy breakfast today, I DID order the salad yesterday even though I was in a Texas bar.  All of these things are a success.  All of them are reasons to celebrate and one, or two, little coke bottles shouldn’t change that.

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If you’re reading this, take a few seconds and let us know about your successes.  Use the comments and write down something you’ve accomplished today.  It doesn’t even have to be health or fitness related.  just write down something you feel was a success.  I’ll start…

What’s A Good Goal?

Answer - A good goal is something you can barely achieve in the time specified.

Notice some important things.

Can Achieve

If my goal is “I want to win the next ms. America contest” that’s a pretty bad goal.  As a 35 year old man, I really doubt I could be Ms. America.  So that’s lesson #1, a good goal has to be achieveable.

Barely

A good goal is something you need to strive for and try really hard.  If it’s easy, it’s not a good goal.  If my goal is to get to 220lbs then that’s a pretty bad goal, since I already weigh 221.  Losing 1lb is meaningless and easy.

Time Specified

A goal with no timeline is meaningless.  I want to reach 180lbs.  Really?  When?  Is it next month?  That’s not achieveable and so it’s stupid.  Is it within the next ten years?  Also meaningless.  Is it by Dec 31st, 2009?  Well, now we’re talking.  That’s achieveable but it’s tough, which makes it a perfect goal.  I would have to push myself to achieve this but I think I could do it.  Alternatively, I could say my goal is to reach 215lbs by end of June.  Again, tough but achievable.  Notice how the numbers change with the timeline.  Something that’s impossible in the short term could be a good goal in a longer time frame.  Alternatively, something that’s easy in the long term could be tough but doable in a shorter time line.

The Magic Three Parts

So remember, when setting your goals:

• Achievable - If it’s not doable, it’s not a good goal.  It may be nice to day dream but those day dreams are meaningless as goals unless there’s a way to make them come true.
• Tough - A good goal must challenge you.  It must not be easy.  It must be hard and push you right to your limits.
• Time based - A good goal must have a deadline.  This deadline will in many cases determine if the goal is too tough or too easy.  Without a deadline, a goal is useless.

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What are your goals and their deadlines?  Would love to hear them through the comments.  Feel free to include non fitness related goals if you want to share.

30 Day Experiment - Voluntary Simplicity

A week or two ago I wrote a post about sinful indulgence and how good it feels to indulge only rarely instead of every day.  Writing that post got me thinking about my lifestyle and what would it be like to not indulge at all, EVER.  I’ve always believed that a healthy life does not necessarily mean giving up the occasional unhealthy pleasure, but is this true?  Do I hold on to these unhealthy indulgences as a way of rewarding myself with true pleasure or are there better things in life that I could be rewarding myself with?  Would I miss these occasional pleasures or would I eventually get used to their absence and move on with my life?  That is, does even an occasional indulgence count as a habit?  Would I really miss chocolate if it was gone from my life or can I simply not conceive of that possibility right now because I’m so used to it?

So for my 30 day experiment for this month I have decided to cut out my two occasional indulgences.

No More Soda - I occasionally indulge myself with a diet coke as opposed to the water I usually drink.  That’s not going to happen this month.  No more diet coke, coke zero or whatever vehicle it is that I use to get caffeine into my body.

No More Candy - Chocolate or otherwise.  No candy at all for a month.

I’m curious to see if this will cause me to feel deprived or if, after a month, I will simply forget about these things and adjust to doing without them.  By the way, please note that I am NOT a believer in a life lived without pleasure.  That is, I am not trying to deprive myself of everything that is good about life.  I wholeheartedly believe in a life lived to the fullest.  I want to live a life filled with happiness, joy and pleasure.  I just want to know if these two habits are truly pleasurable or if they are simply things I have become accustomed to.  In other words, are they a worthwhile indulgence or are they a distracting habit keeping me from better enjoyment of life’s other pleasures.

What about you?  What’s one unhealthy habit you’ve told yourself you simply cannot do without?  Are you sure about that?  Have you tried?  Why not give it a whirl for just 30 days and see how you do?  That’s what I’m planning to do and I’ll give you all updates as the month goes along.

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Thank you to Body and Fitness blog for including a 60 in 3 article in their latest carnival of all things weight loss. And thank you to Fitbuff for doing the same in the latest Total Mind and Body carnival.

The Zen Of Running

I had the most incredible experience this weekend. Saturday afternoon, I walked to a friend’s house. It’s about 2 miles away and I walk there in about 30 minutes. It’s a fun afternoon activity for me, especially on beautiful days like we had here over the weekend. I usually stay at the friend’s house for about an hour and then head back at a fast walking pace. This weekend though, I tried something different. I’m not sure why I did this but as I left my friend’s house I started running.

It was an easy jog at first but I kept increasing the pace until, about half way home, I was running at my usual jogging speed. I ended up covering the 2 miles in about 18 minutes, which is a good time. When I got home I felt elated. It wasn’t because of the speed or even the fact that I ran although that was some of it. I felt happy because, well, because I felt good.

The Long Road Here

6 years ago I was 70lbs heavier and completely out of shape. I couldn’t jog for more than 5 minutes and I felt out of breath climbing a single flight of stairs. On Saturday, I ran for 18 minutes and felt incredible. But it wasn’t the physical progress that made me feel happy, it was the fact that I enjoyed the run. It was the fact that I WANTED to run. I didn’t have to run, I had already worked out that day, I ran because it felt good to run. It felt good to use my muscles, to challenge my body. It felt good to feel that first drop of sweat. It felt good to finish that jog off with a sprint home and that’s why I felt happy.

I wasn’t just out of shape 6 years ago, I was also out of touch. I didn’t remember what it was like to be physically active. I didn’t remember how much I had enjoyed running around as a child. Now I do and it feels incredible. It feels good to want to be physically active. It feels good to voluntarily run. It feels like my body and I are finally friends instead of enemies.

That’s all changed in the intervening few years. I like being active now, I enjoy working out. I like walking, I like running. All of these things which used to be activities to avoid, are now things I seek out, and that feels great. That run last less than 20 minutes, but it made a huge impression on me. It made me realize how much I had changed and how far I had come.

Just Do It

I’m not going to preach to you about how you should get out there and start jogging. I’m not going to tell you that you need to change your life. All I’m going to tell you is that the feeling I had as I sprinted home was incredible. It was worth every workout, every jog, every change in my eating habits. It was all worth it just for that amazing sensation. That feeling of my body rising to the challenge and welcoming it. My heart beating faster, my lungs working harder, my muscles contracting to move me along and all of it working in perfect harmony. That’s something you need to experience for yourself and it’s not something I can completely put into words. Once you feel it though, you’ll never want to go back to that person you used to be.

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And yes, this is not the usual 60 in 3 eating or exercise tip.  Sometimes health and fitness aren’t just about tips and tricks, sometimes they’re just about feeling good about yourself.

Honesty Above All Else

I’ve been talking about personal improvement this week and how it relates to fitness and health.  We started out with not caring about strangers’ opinions, moved on to looking within and today we’re going to finish with the most important lesson of all, honesty.

What Is Honesty?

First of all, I’m not talking about your work here.  Believe me, I’m in marketing, considered by some to be a profession rather low on the honesty scale.  What I’m talking about is honesty with yourself and with the people who matter.  Some of that looking within post was all about examining yourself and finding out why you do the things you do.  Well, once you figure that out, what good is it if you’re not going to be honest about it?

My Brother

I have a brother who I love very much.  He’s older by four years and many times throughout my life, he’s taken care of me.  I still remember dragging a mattress over to his bedroom when I was little because I was afraid of the dark.  He’d let me sleep there to feel safe.  In the past ten years, my brother and I grew apart somewhat.  We were both busy with our own lives, both occupied with things that the other was not aware of.  Which made me a bit hesitant when it came to talking to him.

However, there were many things that I wanted to say to my brother.  I wanted to thank him for helping me all those times.  I wanted to ask his opinion on various problems I was facing.  I also wanted to help him out with his own fitness issues that he was trying to face on his own.  And yet, I held back.  We would meet, we would talk, but we would never really talk about anything more than the weather, politics and the occasional movie.  We were never honest and open.

A Few Weeks Ago…

And then something happened.  What happened is private and I’m not going to share it here, but it was a crisis in my own life (which explains these self improvement posts over the past week).  Who was there to help me out and pick me up?  My brother.  All it took was one call and he was back to being the close and supportive brother I thought I had lost.  Since then we’ve talked about everything from our childhood to our personal lives, and yes, we’ve shared our problems.  He’s helped me face mine and I’m helping him with his.

Do you know what it took to do this?  Honesty.  I needed to tell him what was happening and that I needed help.  I needed to tell him what I thinking and what was going on.  I needed to tell him what I was worried about and what concerned me.  It was honesty, plain and simple.  He’s helped him immensely and I will always be here for him.

So…

Ahh yes, so what?  What does all this have to do with fitness and health?  Everything.  Without honesty, you will never fix your problems.  Without being honest with your loved ones, you will never get them to understand what you’re going through.  Without telling your partner that you’re concerned about your and their health you’ll never get them to change no matter how many exercise bikes you buy them.  Without telling your friends that you’re trying to lose a bit of weight because you dream of playing ball with your son, you’re never going to get them to lay off the beer and chips when you’re around.

Yes, you shouldn’t care about the opinions of strangers, but you should care about the opinions of your loved ones and close friends.  They are the ones who shape your life, and without honesty they can’t help you shape it in the direction you’re trying to head.

But It’s Scary…

Oh yes, honesty is scary.  It’s terrifying to talk to someone you really care about and who plays a large role in your life and tell them what frightens you.  I think it might be especially terrifying for men since we’re taught to be strong, be silent and be tough.  Well, guess what?  Being tough won’t make the problem go away, nor will being strong and silent get your family to understand what you’re going through.  Honesty and openess are the key to communication and communication is the key to good health, both physical and emotional.

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Don’t wait 20 years to learn your lessons like I did.  Take the time to be honest and open about yourself.  Believe me, you won’t regret it.

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