One of the most important things that we can do for ourselves is to stay on track. This I have found is the toughest thing to ever do. We get so excited about making changes and then we realize that there are so many things to keep track of and it becomes very difficult.

I want to try and help you through this of course and one of the things that I have always found about Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig is the tracking and accountability to yourself. To try and help you through this I have created a food journal and found a menu planner that should help you.

Menu Planner

We try to do menu planning for our dinners every Sunday so that we can make sure that we can get our eating figured out for the weeks dinners. This is a job that my daughter and I have taken on after years and years of my wife figuring out and making dinners. This Menu Planner that I have here will help you by giving you space to decide what you are going to eat ahead of time so that you don’t just wing it (always bad).
http://www.fitnesstipsforlife.com/goto/menu-planner

Food Journal

I created this food journal so that you can track every day what you eat, and make sure that you track your water, fruits, vegetables, and protein. I have also added a couple of lines for energy and attitude (rate yourself on a scale of 1-10) and there is a bottom section that is to track your exercise. Remember this is for tracking. You can learn all over my blog what to eat and when but I will get into that again in another email for you. The last thing that I think is really helpful is journalling, Try and journal how you are feeling and what you did well or poorly with by just writing it on the back of the paper. Each page has three days worth so you will have to cut it in three.
http://www.fitnesstipsforlife.com/goto/food-journal

These are critical I think to help you eat and exercise better and stop those starts and stops that really break your motivation. I hope they help and if you have any questions or ideas to make them work better for you please let me know, I want the best possible stuff out there to help people.

fitness guy

Well don’t know what to call this as we are so many seasons in but Biggest Loser 2011 seems good?

Anyway we are about three episodes in to the new season I guess and there has been lots of interesting drama and Biggest Loser 2011 has been fun to watch for the first time in a while for me, maybe just my motivation but I am liking it.

Trainers on Biggest Loser 2011

Biggest Loser 2011 Trainers

This season we have our old standby Bob Harper but also we have two new trainers; Dolvett Quince and Anna Kournikova. We knew what to expect from Bob Harper and he has been tough and successful but he seems to be letting the new trainers get lots of attention as well.

Dolvett Quince – Dolvett has been a great trainer and a great character. He seems to be a great trainer and super tough, pushing all of his team really hard in the gym and not giving them a chance to slack off but listening to what their bodies are saying and not their whining or mental weakness.

Out of the gym Dolvett Quince has been really great with his team. Teaching nutrition, being excited for the future, being a friend and confidante and making sure that the team members understand that he is there for them. Can you tell that I am a big fan of Dolvett Quince?

Anna Kournikova – I never understood why Anna Kournikova would be a coach on Biggest Loser 2011 but now we get to see after a few episodes how she thinks, coaches, and brings to the Biggest Loser as a trainer.

Poor Anna Kournikova got saddled with the older people which through testosterone dropping in peoples bodies as they grow older makes her job really really tough. Not fair Biggest Loser producers! Anyway to be honest I don’t tink that in the gym Anna shows a lot of emotion, she does not take crap but her team has to follow her direction and she got a couple of whiny people right out of the gate. So far Anna’s team has lost two people but really I think her emotional attachment is her greatest strength and over time (she is not an experienced trainer) will be her increasing knowledge of training others and her background of success that she can communicate.

My Favorite Biggest Loser 2011 contestants

I am enjoying watching all the people of nthe Biggest Loser thins season. I tend to find that early in the season it is hard to follow everyone so I just watch passively and start cheering later in the season. Here are the people that I have really noticed so far.

Antone – Antone is a whiny bitch when he is working out. I love watching him push and push and cry and then take it up a notch. This guy is great and does not give up. With all hiw weight I expect that Antone will od well this season and I look forward to watching more of his backstory as well being a former pro athlete

Jennifer – Jennifer is just plain fun and gets really excited about the weigh ins which is pretty important. Being in the background on TV I think that she tends to see things from the outside so she will be able to play the mental game well later on. Fun to watch and she keeps losing which is great to see.

Mike – Mike lost big this week, 17 pounds I think and being a teacher and football coach he knows what it takes and I always see him working hard and not complaining, just quiet in the background on Annas team.

Ramon – When I first saw that a tattoo artist would be on I cringed. I have no tattoos but my wife has plenty and we watch those tattoo shows and they are cocky bastards. Ramon is not. What a lovable guy, fun, outgoing, and a great friend to everyone when they let him.

The only problems that I find with Biggest Loser 2011 are the same complaints I have had for years. Recaps after commericals (chubby people don’t have memory NBC?), obvious product placements, and especially the scripted way that each episode is setup, same as every year since the show began.

How about you? What are your highlights so far? I am thinking that this season Biggest Loser 2011 will be a good one although they still need to change things up with the staleness of the shows setup.

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I have been wondering this week what to write as my motivation has been a bit down lately and I did not want to infect you with it. So I have decided to write a little message about why I have been down and what I have learned about my back problem over the last few weeks.

Early in August I went one night to the local skateboard park with my son. Jaiden is 7 and likes to scooter, skateboard, and ride his bike at the skatepark like most kids his age like to do. I have no experience on a skateboard and just like and guy I want to prove my youth and virility and I failed.

I fell and hurt my back

Well today, just over three weeks later I am finally about healed. I hurt my back really bad falling off that skateboard and knocked my pelvis out of place. This led to physio, pain killers, not much exercise for the last few weeks. I have had a lot of time to be thankful for the opportunities I have to exercise, do what I want for exercise, and live a healthy lifestyle most of the time. I hope this thankfulness sticks cause it makes me respect my situations and pushes me to make the most out of life.

This is what I have really learned out of this ordeal

1. Make the most of every day. I am secretly not that excited about going to the gym some days and not as excited as I could be on street hockey days. That will now change. Feeling the endorphin rush, the excitement of a personal record, and the comaraderie of team and even individual sports will drive me like never before.

2. I will respect my body. There are lots of times where I will just eat terrible and think that I can run or ride to burn it off. I am now expecting myself to use my body as a tool, a temple, and a respected piece of person equipment. I will feed it fuel, push it like a machine, and give it treats for good behavior

3. I will keep my core strong. We all know that our core from hip to chest and right around the torso is the most critical parts of our bodies for strength and for stability. The trouble is that in the quest to build a six pack using crunches and lef raises we may not even realize that the most important muscles of the core are the Transverse Abdominus, a muscle that wraps right around the inside of the abdomen (don’t worry I will do some videos on working these muscles).

I know that my skateboard accident was not a real health scare like many people run into through their lives but to m, a guy that tries to pride myself on my healthy lifestyle it was a real shock that a little fall could mess me up so badly. One of the biggest problems mentally was the feeling that I did not have any control over my own body. I had been limping around, walking like an old man, and having to rest myself and watch how I moved for more than two weeks and for me that feeling of helplessness was a real wakeup call.

I think you will see a lot more of these kinds of posts from me in the future as I try to pull us all toward a daily dose of pushing ourselves to be better than yesterday

Fasting isn’t something you should try without much thought and preparation. For most people, fasting is an incredible experience that helps you feel renewed and rewarded. For others, fasting is fraught with untamed cravings, headaches and feelings of failure because they couldn’t see it to the end. Learning how to fast safely is all about choosing the plan that’s right for you and your lifestyle.

There are so many available fasting plans ? and you’re sure to find one that suits you and that you reap huge rewards from. Any fasting program you choose should begin by deciding what your motivation is for fasting. It could be that you want to begin a weight loss program on a clean slate, cleanse your body for health reasons or for spiritual reasons. Find a fasting plan that fits what you’re trying to achieve to make sure you won’t be disappointed at the end.

Then, check with your doctor to make sure that your body is ready and able to handle the particular fast you chose. Ask him or her for tips you can use to ensure that you realize everything from the fast that you’ve envisioned.

There are a few items you need to invest in to get the most from any fasting plan you choose. First, you should purchase a juicer rather than choosing from juices at the supermarket. Fresh, rather than pasteurized juice is a better fit for fasting. Sometimes they’re difficult to locate, but if you can buy organically grown fruits and vegetables rather than those available at most supermarkets, do so. They may cost a little more, but the quality is worth the cost. When you purchase teas, choose only from the wide variety of organically grown, herbal teas.

While it’s okay and even recommended to exercise during your fast, it should be limited to non-stressful or low aerobic movements. Walking or stretching exercises are best during the fast ? but take it easy. If you don’t feel like exerting yourself ? don’t. Fasting is different for everyone. Some people are energized and others feel lethargic.

When the fast is over, be aware that your body has just gone through a major renewing and rejuvenating experience. The thing you don’t want to do is begin eating foods high in carbohydrates, sugars, additives or drinking alcohol, carbonated beverages and dairy products such as milk. If you do indulge in these foods and drinks immediately following the fast, you may experience bad reactions such as stomach and other digestive problems.

Fasting should be the first step you take in developing a healthier lifestyle. When you learn how to fast in a safe manner, you’ll end the fast with feelings of self-esteem (after all, you’ve just completed a process that involves depriving yourself of one of life’s main comforts and necessities to achieve a goal) and pride for what you’ve accomplished.

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How can you be Fit over 40

Last week I turned 40 and as part of the process of reaching another one of those ages with a 0 on the end I decided to take a look at what I should do differently with my health and exercise.

Yes, I know, age is just a number and it is more important to treat your body well, but there are health and fitness issues that will make a difference in exercise, for example we produce less testosterone naturally as we get older so it is more difficult to gain muscle.

As I was looking for information I ran across an eBook called Fit over 40. Fit over 40 is a very interesting eBook written by Jon Benson and Tom Venuto. The reason that this book is interesting is that it is not just a do this, do that, eat this, don’t eat that, type of book. Instead this book is big on motivation and shows you a better way to reach your goals. The way the book uses is through example.

Here are the three sections of Fit over 40

Fit over 40 Part one

Jon Benson describes his struggles and successes and how he was able to transform his body and health. And further Jon lays outs some great principles

• BodyWorks: Strength Strategy
• Inner Fuel: The Taste of Health
• I Can See The Valley: New Hills, New Horizons
• Begin and Believe
• Post-40 Training Tips

Fit over 40 Part two

This is the exciting meat of this book. Now that we have a basis for looking at how it looks and feels to be fit Jon Benson takes us through biographies of 52 people over 40 that have a great health and how they got that way, some were very sick and some were healthy but the important thing is all of these people are people that we can really relate to in one way or another. This way we do not have to look at pro athletes as an unreachable standard of how to get in great shape.

Fit over 40 Part three

This is where Tom Venuto of burn the fat feed the muscle fame kicks in. Tom Goes through the five pillars of Anti Aging:

• Pillar 1: Weight Strength Training
• Pillar 2: Aerobic Training
• Pillar 3: Learning To Be Flexible
• Pillar 4: Lifelong Nutrition
• Pillar 5: Recovery and Renewal

After going through this and helping us realize what a big part the mental game is in getting fit we now have a well rounded process for getting, keeping, and improving lifelong health.

Conclusion of Fit over 40 Review

Fit over 40, I believe is a great read and reference book for almost anyone over 40 years old. In comparing Fit over 40 to burn the fat feed the muscle, I find that this book is less in the actual workout regimen but is much better in role models. It is always easy in popular culture to find the freaks, the people over 90 that do triathlons, or the young kid that swims the English Channel. But what about the rest of us? How about the people to old to be pro athletes (although the book has a couple) but still young enough to be incredibly fit and healthy?

Any day that you are having motivation problems you can come back to this book on your computer and read about someone that is just like you and has overcome what you are struggling with.

I really recommend Fit over 40 to keep your motivation and for $39.00 it is a great value.

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Tonights biggest loser focussed on a few issues. To begin with the people were all encouraged to not cut calories to lose weight. The teams lost a lot of weight the first week and to contiue at that pace there is always a motivation to cut calories so that you can do even better. One of the coaches said the losses would stop because their bodies would stop if they cut back their calories.

Another thing that both teams worked with was their balance. The competition that they had was a balance based competition going across a thin path over water so to mix things up both of the teams had to really work on their balance. Lastly the teams had their weigh in and the men won today even with a one day handicap.

For drama one of the men on the mens team seems to be sabatoging his team by not taking part in the workouts and feeding the team too much food. Possibly the offending member is trying to cut the teams reliance on the woman trainer and keeping himself in the teams good books so that he will be safe when the have to start voting out their own members.

Tow people were injured but continuing tonight. Of course when people this overwieght are pushing themselves as hard as they are in this competition something has to break. We will see how the teams do next week getting themselves over the hump of a tough week this week

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There are plenty of beginner bodybuilding workouts available online but which is the best? The answer depends on your situation – not just your current state of body fitness, but what you want to achieve.

Most beginner bodybuilders are impatient to get started and skip the most important step – setting goals. As a result, they soon lose focus and motivation. The first burst of energy that starts us on the road to building a great body soon fades away, especially since most beginners quickly wear themselves thin by overtraining. If you do not have clear goals to keep up your motivation at this point, you can easily lose your way.

So take some time right now to write down your goals. Like any goals that you might set in work or life, your goals in bodybuilding should be S.M.A.R.T. – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. Let’s look at what each of these means in terms of bodybuilding workouts.

1. Specific

A specific goal is one that clearly says what you want to accomplish, along with how, when and where you will do it. ‘Get a great body’ is not a specific goal. ‘Go to the gym 4 days a week after work and train to build muscle mass’ is a more specific goal.

Even better, say exactly which muscles you will work on which days, and note down your routine. The routine for your bodybuilding workouts will change as you make progress but the overall goal of going to the gym 4 days a week to build muscle mass will remain the same.

2. Measurable

When you are working toward goals, it is very important to have some way to measure your progress.

If your goal is going to the gym for bodybuilding workouts 4 days a week, you can easily track that in a diary. But with a goal like ‘get a great body’, there is nothing to measure. So if you want to set goals in terms of the physical result, do it in terms of inches gained or weight that you can lift.

3. Attainable

It is important to know when you have reached your goal. That way you can plan a reward or celebration, have a sense of achievement and start thinking about your next bodybuilding workouts goal.

This means that the goal itself, as well as your progress toward it, must be something that you can measure and know whether or not you have achieved. So your goal is to go to the gym 4 days a week – but for how long? The rest of your life? If you think that way, you will never be able to congratulate yourself on having achieved the goal. A month would be good for a beginner. Then set a new goal.

4. Realistic

Your goal needs to be something that it is possible for you to attain in a reasonable period of time. Remember that goals can change. You do not need to start out with the goal of winning the Mr. Universe contest. If contests are your thing, start with winning your division in a local contest. However, if you believe you can win Mr. Universe, then go for that. It is all a matter of believing you can do it.

5. Timely

Whatever type of goal you set, it is good to give it a timeframe. Are you going for this year’s contest, next year’s or two years from now? Be specific about how much time you have to achieve your goal, and you will be set for success in any of the beginner bodybuilding workouts that you choose.

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Succeed With Weight Loss

Motivation is the problem that most people have when attempting to lose weight. While you may be all for losing weight at first, once the going gets tough, many people find that they have a hard time maintaining that motivation. Finding the best ways to maintain motivation is essential to sticking with a weight loss program.

How to Succeed With A Weight Loss Program

Here are some suggestions to help you stay motivated and continue losing weight. These can help you stay motivated. Some of these may even encourage you to push beyond your initial weight loss goals and into leaner weight classes.

1. Write down your goals. All too often, people do not write down their goals and then begin to falter in their resolves. Write down what weight you want to be at and how much weight you want to lose a week or a month.

2. Reward yourself every time you reach a goal. This reward should not be a food reward, but rather a gift reward, such as new shoes or new clothing. Something small for hitting small goals, something big when you hit milestone goals.

3. Track your progress. Be sure to draw up charts and write down your weight loss progression. Also consider writing down the number of inches lost as this can change even if the weight numbers do not change.

4. Track your portions and calories. Many times people will follow a diet plan, but will not follow the portion controls the entire time. This will cause you to gain weight, rather than lose it.

5. Keep a journal. Emotional eating is one of the most prevalent reasons that people gain weight. By keeping a journal, you can get your emotions out and not contributing to the desire to eat.

6. Keep a record of your exercise routine. All too often people forget to increase the weights used or change the exercise plan. This will cause you to stop losing weight and lose motivation.

7. Take stock as to why you want to lose weight. If it is just appearance sake, you might find you lose motivation quicker than if it is also about your health and the way you feel.

8. Put up mantras around the house and work place. These are small phrases that will remind you of your goals and how you are going to reach these goals.

With these 8 tips, you will be able to keep the motivation that you need to continue to lose weight. These tips will help you to reach your weight goals and maybe even surpass them as you get yourself into a routine.

Motivation is the problem that most people have when attempting to lose weight. While you may be all for losing weight at first, once the going gets tough, many people find that they have a hard time maintaining that motivation. Finding the best ways to maintain motivation is essential to sticking with a weight loss program.

Here are some suggestions to help you stay motivated and continue losing weight. These can help you stay motivated. Some of these may even encourage you to push beyond your initial weight loss goals and into leaner weight classes.

1. Write down your goals. All too often, people do not write down their goals and then begin to falter in their resolves. Write down what weight you want to be at and how much weight you want to lose a week or a month.

2. Reward yourself every time you reach a goal. This reward should not be a food reward, but rather a gift reward, such as new shoes or new clothing. Something small for hitting small goals, something big when you hit milestone goals.

3. Track your progress. Be sure to draw up charts and write down your weight loss progression. Also consider writing down the number of inches lost as this can change even if the weight numbers do not change.

4. Track your portions and calories. Many times people will follow a diet plan, but will not follow the portion controls the entire time. This will cause you to gain weight, rather than lose it.

5. Keep a journal. Emotional eating is one of the most prevalent reasons that people gain weight. By keeping a journal, you can get your emotions out and not contributing to the desire to eat.

6. Keep a record of your exercise routine. All too often people forget to increase the weights used or change the exercise plan. This will cause you to stop losing weight and lose motivation.

7. Take stock as to why you want to lose weight. If it is just appearance sake, you might find you lose motivation quicker than if it is also about your health and the way you feel.

8. Put up mantras around the house and work place. These are small phrases that will remind you of your goals and how you are going to reach these goals.

With these 8 tips, you will be able to keep the motivation that you need to continue to lose weight. These tips will help you to reach your weight goals and maybe even surpass them as you get yourself into a routine.

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Heavy TV Show

My wife and I caught a new series on A E this weekend called Heavy. The show was pretty good but again it called into question an individuals responsibility to themselves as well as those around them.

Here is the way that the TV series Heavy is setup. Each week there is two people and those two people are huge. There are two trainers and over a few months time each of these trainers work with one of the two people to try ot help them lose weight.

Heavy – The TV Series

I have lots of questions. First, were do they find these people, second are we going to have the same trainers every week, and third are there going to be updates later as to how the people are doing?

First the people – Heavy Season premiere had Jodi, a childcare worker who started at 367 pounds and dropped down to 289 pounds. And Tom who started at 638 pounds and got down to 476 pounds. Both of these people had no real strength and their motivation was lacking compared to the people on a show like Biggest Loser. In fact Tom was living in his bed and had trouble walking to his car in the driveway. Just getting to the gym was terrible for both of these guys so it was great to see them transform into tougher, stronger people.

Heavy TV Series Trainers – My wife and I were blown away by one of the trainers, the guy was very big and ripped. I wish I could find their names but I will have to search some more. The lady trainer was great and tried to motivate Jodi but was having trouble getting a bond with her which was too bad.

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