A new episode of a Mind For Fitness Podcast is now available. In this episode, Ean discusses if it is best to get off of sugar by going cold turkey, or by decreasing gradually.
Monthly Archives: January 2015
I Have to Take Off My Wedding Ring–Again!
I was 21 years old when I first put on my wedding ring. It fit perfectly. it was not too tight nor too loose.
However, many years later (at the age of 37) I had to take off my ring. It was a sad day. My fingers wear so bloated that it was causing me pain. I had to face the truth, I was too fat to wear it. I reluctantly took it off and kept it in a box next to my bed.
But then came a happy day. Two and a half years later, I had lost enough weight to put my ring back on my finger. Not only was I happy, but my wife was happy too.
But now, I have to take my ring back off again. Not because I am too big, but because the ring is too big! I realized this when my ring slid off my finger while in the grocery store. I dove for it like it was the one ring to rule them all. I slipped back on my finger and noticed that my knuckle was barely big enough to keep it on.
What this means is that I am now skinnier than I was when I got married! I do not bring this up to brag, but I would be lying if I said I was not pleased to report it. However, I do mention this because it is a reminder that all my sacrifices and hard work is, in fact, paying off. I am very close to my weight-loss goals and want to encourage all of you to stay the course.
The ring will not stay off forever. I will get it re-sized. But it is nice that I have to get it taken in and not expanded.
Stay strong, my readers, and never give up!
Five Reasons Your Low-Carb Diet is Failing (AMFF, Podcast)
A new episode of A Mind For Fitness is now here. In this episode, Ean gives the top five reasons why your low-carb diet may not be working.
Another Attitude That May Be Keeping You Overweight
Since the new year, I have heard a lot of people talk about losing weight. Of course very few will take any sort of action toward getting healthy. But, there will be a group of people who attempt to change their weight for the better. Out of this group, a minority will succeed. But the majority will, unfortunately, fail.
This year, however, there has been one attitude in particular among those who want to lose wight that has caught my attention. It’s an attitude or a belief that if followed will most certainly result in failure to lose weight.
What is this attitude? It is best reflected in the statement, “All I need to do is make a few healthier choices.” What is the problem with this belief? I will get to that, but before I do, I want to make a quick exception regarding this belief.
If you have an ectomorph, or a mesomorph body type, and you have twenty pounds or less to lose, then you may be able to make a “few more healthier choices” and still get good results.
However, if you have more than 20 pounds to lose, and/or you have an endomorph body style, you need to do more than just “make a few more healthier choices.”
So what is wrong with this belief? First off it is is vague. What constitutes “a few more healthier choices”? Is it one low-carb meal a day? Is it cutting 50 percent of your bread out of your diet? Is it working out more than once a week? The only thing this belief offers is vagueness.
There is also another way this attitude is vague. It does not tell you what is nutritionally healthier. Some may think that eating less fat and more carbohydrates is a way to “make a few more healthier choices.”
Finally, there is a big dose of denial with this attitude. If you do have more than 20 pounds to lose and/or you have a thicker body style, you have to stop fooling yourself by thinking your excess weight is a result of a few bad choices. You health is not going to be fixed by a few more good choices.
In the end, following this attitude is just a cop-out. It is not taking your health seriously and leads to disappointment. If you have had this attitude, give it up. It will do you no good. Take control of your life and take control of your health.
Will I Get Fat Again?
I ran across this old picture of myself. Upon looking at it, a fearful thought came to my mind–will I get fat again?
My whole life I have yo-yo dieted. I have had times that could be considered a successes in weight loss. That is to say, I would lose weight and sometimes a lot of weight. However, those successes were always short lived. I would eventually and inevitably regaining the weight I had lost plus a few more pounds.
What brings this up now is that this photo was taken at a time when I was loosing weight. But, like I said, the weight I lost was not permanent. This thought caused me to think about my current weight loss status. Or to put it another way, what makes me think I have lost the weight for good this time?
This is not the first time I have had this thought. During the first year of my serious weight-loss journey, I was constantly wondering how long I was really going work out and stay on the diet. But then the first year passed, and I continued to do well.
The second year was also stressful.But I was always asking myself: Was this going to be the year I gave it all up and went back to being overweight? But the second year passed and I did not go back to being overweight.
This third year has been less fearful. I have only worried about relapsing occasionally. And my thought is: A little fear is a good thing. It reminds me that I need to keep looking a head and that I can gain weight again if I do not keep myself in check. Seeing this picture did scare me. But that fear made me remember all the reasons I lost weight in the first place. Fear can be a good thing.
This is me looking a head
Seriously! One of THE Best Low Carb dishes I have had!
The other night I had one of the best low-carb meals in my life! I am serious, and I am not exaggerating. Also, it was an easy recipe and would love for all of you to try it. As I share this with you, I want to make it clear that I am not the author of this dish. I’m just passing on the goodness.
Take flank steak and pound it out as flat as you can get it. Season it to your liking. Spread some Dijon mustard on the inside of the steak. Then, lay down two to three pieces of provolone cheese. Also, cover the stake with sauteed red-peppers, onions, and garlic.
Next, role the steak up tightly. Finally, wrap bacon around the steak.
Now, it’s ready to go into the oven. Place it in the oven on a center rack and heat oven to 350. Let it cook for about an hour or less depending on how you like your steak cooked.
After it comes out of the oven you can let it rest if you wish. Cut and serve!
If you try this recipe, please let me know how you liked it!
A Mind For Fitness podcast My Concerns With Paleo
In this episode, Ean talks about a new years mentality that could be keeping you overweight. Plus some of the concerns he has with Paleo.
I Was A Teenage Sugar Addict
I love sugar. In fact, some might consider me a recovering sugar addict. While I have overcome my addiction though mental effort and proper diet, I still have quite a sweet tooth.
Was I Really An Addict?
I’m not really sure I could classify myself as an “addict.” However, I did eat a lot of sugar. This consumption was particularly pronounced during my teenage and young adult years. While I do not know how much sugar I consumed on a daily basis, I have an interesting story from my past that will help illustrate just how much sugar I would use.
I think I was about thirteen years of age at the time. During this period of my life, I would often have two bowls of cereal for breakfast. One bowl would be a sugar cereal. Some thing like Captain Crunch or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The other bowl would be a “non”-sugar choice. Something like Wheaties or Cheerios. I would add sugar to these latter choices because I just could stand the taste of them with just milk.
One morning I decided to eat the “non”-sugar cereal first. And of course I added my regular amount of sugar to the bowl. I ate the cereal and drank the milk. I was ready for my second bowl. It would be the sweet cereal this time. I did not need to add sugar because they were sweet enough on their own.
Upon taking my first bite, I realized that the milk was rotten! I had eaten an entire bowl of cereal and sour milk without even realizing it. How could I have not noticed? I had added so much sugar to my cereal that it covered the taste of rotten milk! That is a lot of sugar.
In a Better Place
Reflecting back on how much sugar I use to eat makes me appreciate how much healthier I am now. I still love the taste of sweet things. But now my cravings are under control and the future is looking good. I never want to go back to being a sugar addict.
A Mind For Fitness, Post Holiday Report
A new episode of A Mind For Fitness is available. In this Episode I talk about how much weight I gained during the holiday season and what I’m doing about it. Also, my new motivation for the new year. Hope you enjoy!
Getting Yourself Motivated For the New Year
When it comes to weight loss and working out, different people are motivated by different things. For example, someone can sit and watch a documentary on weight loss (like My 500 Pound Life) and not be motivated to change their life at all. While others, cannot even sit still through such a show. When the documentary ends, the latter group will be motivated to take action and change the condition of their health.
Today’s blog is going to be somewhat autobiographical. While I cannot address what motivates everyone to take steps toward fitness, I can talk about one of the things that motivates me. The truth is there are lots of things that motivate me to strive toward fitness. Today, however, I am going to address just one–workout equipment!
What I Got for Christmas
This is particularly relevant to me because I just got a slue of equipment for Christmas. And none to soon at that. I have let the holidays get the better of me and have gained between 7 to 9 pounds. I am ready to get back to it! And now I am motivated as well.
I love receiving workout equipment and helps. I just get so excited over it. I am one of those people who have to tear into the stuff right away and start using it. This year I received (from my loving family) a ten-pound medicine ball,
lift grips for better push ups,
A DVD set on working out,
and…the mother of all…. a Weider Pro 6900 that does just about everything.
A Consideration For the Reader
I know what it takes to motivate me. One of those things is (as I have mentioned) new workout equipment. Knowing this about myself has helped me keep my weight and fitness in check. There have been several times when been less enthusiastic to work out or stay on a healthy eating plan. Picking up a $4 work out DVD has kicked my butt back into gear on several occasions. So my questions for the reader is this: What motivates you to take action? And how can you use that knowledge to take help yourself action today?
Advanced Weight Loss Resources 