Eye of the Tiger - Let it Rest!

Greetings MIIS Family,

It seems that everywhere you look - online or off - someone is talking about the so called Tiger Woods scandal. I'm not going to go into great detail about all the allegations; that's been done enough already. What I want to do is write about what most are not, perhaps because it's not as newsworthy: Tiger's humanity.

I know I've raised a few eyebrows with that phrase but I really want to voice my opinion about this whole thing. First, Tiger is a human being and regardless of his status he is still pone to make mistakes like the rest of us. If he were just some run of the mill golfer or any other average Joe no one would care, outside of his immediate circle, what he did.

Secondly, who are we - the average Joe/Jane TV viewer - to judge Tiger for what he's accused of doing? I'd bet that more than half the people that are snapping and snarling about how much of a bad man Tiger is have or are currently doing the same thing or something similar. How much better the world would be if we offered up a prayer or kind words for Tiger and his family that encourage healing and a sincere recognition of the pain caused (to himself and those around him).

In today's society it is much simpler to jump on the bandwagon with everyone else and blame him as though we know the man personally. None us, save for those closest to Tiger know the true story and what's behind his alleged actions. Even if it's confirmed that he's done exactly what the media has claimed who are we to judge him?

Finally, today I say we free ourselves from wasting our energy on judgment and refocus it on something more productive...like, I don't know...celebrating Christmas? I mean it is the season to give, right? Let's give Tiger some peace so that he and his family can sort through this difficult moment in their lives. As a human being doesn't he deserve it?

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael
MIIS

Image: AP Images

Maximize Weight Loss Goals with Exercise

In a recent study of 52 obese men with an average body mass index (BMI) of 31, Canadian researchers demonstrated the power of exercise as a weight loss tool.

One group of men dieted, consuming 700 calories per day less than they needed to maintain their weight. Another group walked or jogged on a treadmill at 80 percent of heart rate maximum for about an hour each day, long enough to burn off 700 calories.

After three months, both dieters and exercisers lost the same amount of weight - about 16.5 lbs, or eight percent of their body weight.

Exercisers, however, lost more abdominal fat (4.2 lbs) than dieters (3.3 lbs).

Exercisers also did not lose muscle mass the way dieters did, and got the added benefit of improved cardiovascular fitness.

A third study group kept their weight stable by burning off 700 calories per day with exercise, but making up for it with an extra 700 calories of food.

Although these men did not lose weight, they did lose visceral abdominal fat, which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

So the moral to the story is get out and get going! Diet alone may take off the weight but diet combined with exercise is a sure fire way to maximize your weight loss. The folks at You Can NOW! Coaching can assist you in getting the most out of your fitness routine or work with you to design a plan to fit your needs. Contact us today!

Yours in Health

Flossie Alexander
Life/Weight Loss Coach


About Flossie: Flossie is currently a member of the National Association of Professional Women and Toastmaster’s International. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach and a Certified Wellness Coach with a successful track record in leading organizations and individuals into achieving healthy lifestyle goals. After overcoming obesity, losing 165 pounds in 18 months, she has developed a passion to help others through public speaking and one-on-one weight loss coaching. Visit Flossie at http://www.youcannowcoaching.com to start creating your new healthy lifestyle and lose unhealthy weight permanently.

New Blog: Half the Man I Used to Be!

Hello to all my WONDERFUL readers!

I've decide to chronicle my weight loss journey in a separate blog which you can visit here:

Half the Man by 2010

If any of you out there in My II Sense land are working on developing a healthier you please connect with me there and let's share the health. :)

Meditate on This: "It's effortless for me to eat healthy".

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael
MIIS

Surviving Bad Holiday Eating Habits

Grandma’s apple pie with an aroma you can’t resist. Mounds of mashed potatoes calling your name.  Pork & Beans with the prized fat swimming in the middle.  Mom's potato salad slathered in mayonnaise. Pudding with the fixings and delicious.  Candy galore.  How do you survive the calorie-latent holidays without gaining 10 or 20 pounds?  This is a question we have all asked for decades and seem to interestingly forget we even thought about it when the Holidays finally arrive.  Here are some concrete tips  to stay in control of your eating and not have to worry so much if your pants are still going to button a week from now.

    * Start the day off right with a hearty breakfast - Eat a big breakfast full of nutritious food the day of the special family gathering (which I might add you should be doing every day anyways!). Oatmeal with some fruit and a veggie omelet cooked in olive oil will start your day off just right!

    * Have a mid-morning snack - Find the veggie tray that your health-nut cousin Mark brought.  Instead of drowning it in ranch dressing, dip your veggies in some hummus.  You could also make the wise choice of hijacking some wheat crackers with some turkey and cheese (did you happen to bring it in case there is none?).

    * Help set the table - If your grandma needs someone to volunteer to do the dishes, go for it!  The more active and social you are, the happier you are and there will be less of a chance that you will overeat.

    
* Portion control is key during the BIG meal - When it is time to eat the "big meal," serve yourself a little of everything so that you don't feel like you have been deprived of your Holiday food.  It really isn't so much what you eat, but how much you stuff yourself.  You will find out, a little of everything makes you feel more satisfied than a lot of one thing and studies show doing this, you eat less calories.

    
* Second chance at healthy eating - If you go back for seconds, pick healthier foods this time (if you can find any).  Make sure though, you really want it. (Did you have some water with that feast?)

    
* Bring your own healthy dish - If you have to bring a dish, bring one of your favorite healthy recipes so that when you go back for seconds, you know you will find something just for you.  More than likely, you won't need seconds if you have had enough to drink and you ate your food slowly.

    
* Take a little after dinner walk - After your Holiday meal, find a place to take a walk to get your digestion in full gear!  (Of course after you have helped clean up!)  This will help you feel lighter and more energized and this also counteracts the sugar fall you will have from eating the Holiday goodies.

Even though you are used to doing it and everything looks so appetizing (I think this is caused from the lingering Holiday Spirit), DON'T take leftovers home.  If you are having the get-together at your house, pawn the leftovers onto everyone else.  You don't want unhealthy food tempting you in the middle of the night.  (We all know that happens.)

If you do happen to be unable to resist the temptation to over eat just head on over to the  You Can NOW! Coaching site; I'll be happy to help you get back on track!

Yours in Health,

Flossie Alexander

Life/Weight Loss Coach

About Flossie: Flossie is currently a member of the National Association of Professional Women and Toastmaster’s International. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach and a Certified Wellness Coach with a successful track record in leading organizations and individuals into achieving healthy lifestyle goals. After overcoming obesity, losing 165 pounds in 18 months, she has developed a passion to help others through public speaking and one-on-one weight loss coaching. Visit Flossie at http://www.youcannowcoaching.com to start creating your new healthy lifestyle and lose unhealthy weight permanently.

Half the Man I Use to Be

That's me in a photo with my friends Sandria and Mu Shemsu-t during Blog-a-Thon '09.

37. 5'10. 377lbs.

I never thought those numbers would scare me but they did. I recently went to the doctor for a check up (after not having gone in for almost two years! Schedule regular doctor's visits people, for real...) and found out that I'm borderline diabetic, have degererative joint disease and worst of all I had gained almost 45lbs!

They say ignorance is bliss; I mean if you don't know you can be happy, right? WRONG! Ignorance is what it is. I fought going back to the doctor because I didn't WANT to hear what I already knew: I'm severely overweight and need to drop the "other person" I'm carrying around in the guise of extra weight.

I felt a lot of things after leaving that doctor's office - scared mostly - but what i was pleased to find is  the feeling of excitement. Why? Because I had a great lifted off of me named denial and I was now ready to kick weight's ass to regain my health.

As fate would have it, I have already been blessed with someone that will be imparting the gift of renewed health to me...my fellow blogger Flossie Alexander of You Can NOW! Coaching! As if on cue she called me right after I got home and I told her the news. "UH, UH! We can't have that!", was her reply and now I'm on the road again to increased health. By this time next year I will be "Half the Man I Used to Be" in the above photo. My goal is to reach 277 by my birthday and be down to 220 by this time next year.

I may document my progress here or on another blog. I hope that my journey wil inspire someone else to take up the challenge to be half the person they used to be. Let it begin!

Meditate on this: I embrace a healthier me today and everyday!

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael

MIIS

You Deserve A Break

When we find ourselves going through a difficult time, we tend to put our health on hold; health as in fitness and eating the things we know we should be.  Taking care of ourselves is put on the back burner because it just doesn't seem as important as the next stock market crash.  It seems everywhere you turn, we are bombarded with negative news about the economy, our health, our health care costs rising, new diseases, old diseases, and the list just goes on and on.  If you aren't able to take a weekly vacation to "get away from it all", there really is no break from it.  Or, is there?

Working with people from all different social environments, I have yet to be presented with a situation where the client and I could not come up with a plan where they couldn't take  "a break" on a daily basis from their more than hectic life; to find a short interval in their day to mentally escape from the chaos that surrounds them to refuel and rejuvenate their mind.

The question really is, do we really need a full-blown vacation to feel renewed? refreshed? ready to start again?  The answer to that is, no!  (I am really sure this is one of the reasons why Calgon was invented, which proves my point.) Although, it sure is nice to go to our favorite vacation spot, sit on the dock fishing all night to reflect on life while listening to the crickets chirp, to feel the coolness of the night air on our skin, and to count the stars that you can't see in the city.  However, reality reminds us that we only get to do that a couple of times a year and that really isn't enough to keep us as happy as we were meant to be.

Ask yourself how often do you take 10 minutes just to stretch your legs and take a break from the stressful task you have been working all morning on.  I don't mean to go outside with a coworker to talk about how your day got started with the boring as heck manual you have to pull apart and put back together again, but to actually break away from it.  To go outside of the box you inhabit to explore your surroundings and stimulate your mind with something positive and new.

What was your answer?   Well, if your answer was no or not very often, then take it from me, YOU DESERVE A BREAK TODAY and EVERY DAY!  Yes, you!  It is a proven fact that if you break away for a 10-minute "hiatus," you come back revived and ready to go!  Who the heck wants to wait for a vacation to feel alive? To be at our best, it only takes 10 minutes for a brisk walk down the street to smell the aroma of the newly bloomed flowers to breathe some freshness into our day to help us take on the rest of the day as if it just started. 

 
We forget sometimes that life is about living and we get caught up in the every day stressors that it throws at us and then we no longer are living it and it is living us.  If you have found yourself in this predicament, you need a healthy living lifestyle coach to get you living life again!  A healthy living lifestyle coach works with you to get you back on the path of feeling good and looking forward to another day, another week, another year!In he words of Jim Rohn: "Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live."


Be Healthy Every day, You Are Worth It!



Yours in Health,

Flossie Alexander
Life/Weight Loss Coach

About Flossie: Flossie is currently a member of the National Association of Professional Women and Toastmaster’s International. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach and a Certified Wellness Coach with a successful track record in leading organizations and individuals into achieving healthy lifestyle goals. After overcoming obesity, losing 165 pounds in 18 months, she has developed a passion to help others through public speaking and one-on-one weight loss coaching. Visit Flossie at http://www.youcannowcoaching.com to start creating your new healthy lifestyle and lose unhealthy weight permanently.

The Weakening Effects of Being Judgemental

Greetings Readers,

My family and I recently started going to First Baptist Church of Indiana as a means to spend more time together and to strengthen our spiritual connectedness as well. A bus comes buy Sunday morning and picks up various families in our neighborhood and takes us to church then drops us back off after service.

As you would expect there are all types of people that attend attend such a large church because they visit a lot of impoverished neighborhoods to pick people up. So this past Sunday was the first time one of our daughters attended...she was NOT pleased!

The entire trip she complained about how "ghetto" the children were (a large portion of the ridership are kids attending without their parents - sad but true - and they do have difficulty with authority figures on the bus). I tried several times to calm her down reminding her that 1. she was unruly just like the kids she was angered by at one point and 2. it's futile to allow the actions of others to cause us suffering.

Long story short, we get home and I pulled her and another of our kids to the side and tell them that they were being just as negative as the kids on the bus - both of them looked at me in disbelief that I had said such a thing. I went on to describe how they were being overly judgmental of people they do not know. I further explained that some - no - most of the people attending First Baptist are right where they need to be receiving spiritual food that will hopefully lead to their enlightenment and salvation.

I wasn't done though. I continued to drill into their minds the fact that everyone is not on the same level spiritually and you can add to that the fact that not everyone has the same parenting skills to teach their kids better manners. I told them that there is a way to constructively get your point across without belittling the so called trouble makers.

Finally, when we are judgmental we are saying that we are better than the person or persons being judged and that's not the way to be. It weakens our our own spirituality when we do so. As the saying goes, when you point the finger at someone you have to remeber there are four pointing back at you.

Meditate on this: I will exert more understanding and compassion for those I do not agree with.

Have a PERFECT day!

Michael
MIIS