The Final Fifteen Pounds

We can't always get to our preferred place to workout. That's why I created a workout that teachers can do in their classroom. Here's how it worked for me yesterday.  Goal: exercise everyday. Couldn't. Due to an evening appointment, I was at school until 6:30 PM.  And my mind was tired. So I turned on the TV and got a little work done.  Commercial came on - I did push ups. Or squats.  I break my strength training routine into push days and pull days. Pushes are push ups, dips, squats. Pulls are pull ups, horizontal pull ups, and leg lifts. Yesterday was a push day. Today is a my-arms-and-chest-are-burning day. But in a good way. It's one way I know that my workout was effective. And even when my food is messy messy, I know I can work at keeping fit.  Right now the food is real messy. Lots of good input, but I'm struggling to really stay on a weight loss food routine. Exercises You Can Do In Your Classroom (or office?)... Squats -...

Ever just need a break? Working your brain to the bone (that just sounds weird) and not seeming to get anywhere. That's what I feel like with weight loss right now. I'm finding it very hard to focus on it.  I need some weight loss chats on Twitter or something.  I love education Twitter chats. I wonder if there are any good weight loss chats. Probably. It feel like I need to interact with other people on this to get better at it. That's the way teaching is for me. I interact and get good ideas, and I get better. Especially if I listen. I wanna weigh 173.  But the more I want it, the harder it is right now. Here's what I'm gunna do. Write down some ideas. Writing down all the ideas that come to my head. Do the ones I can just start. Next day, make another list. Write down all the ideas jump on me. Do the ones that say, "Right Now," to me. Review and reflect. Rinse and Repeat. I don't know. Maybe I'm making it too har...

Ever get got at one thing while losing it with another? I'm fussing with this a lot this year.  Exercise habit is churning right along nicely. But drinking a soda everyday. It gets me through 5th period.  I love the kids. Just h aving fits with the allergies.  I worked out last night. Win! And during lunch today. It's a cool workout designed for teachers to do in the classroom. Love it. (I'll share it with you for free if you decide to take the Keep it Cool Newsletter - Stress Relief 4 Teachers ).  The workout cleared my head. And I felt better off.  But I've created this daily habit of the soda. Now I'm having a heck of a time breaking it. I feel better after drinking it, but I know it's ultimately messing with me. So the feeling good is all a ruse. Dang. Well, okay. Need to put my big boy britches on and figure out how to crush the soda while massaging the exercise habit.  This is my whack-a-mole life. In a hurry today. No am...

It's hard to get going. I mean, sometimes it's like opening an old rusty car door that's been sitting out in a field for 8 years.  Right now, the pollen is hitting. And I'm not dripping or headachy or itchy. I'm just tired. It's wiping me out.  I eat dinner. Very pleasant time with my family, wife and five boys. They get going to a karate class. And all I wanna do is sit. Take a nap really. But I thought, I can get on that bouncer for a little while.  I put on an oldish TV show, The Magnificent Seven. BTW, the show choice is important. Don't want something where I need to pay really close attention. It's The Magnificent Seven, I already know the plot. But it also keeps my attention enough that I notice my effort that much. I start bouncing. Don't want to do it. But I get into the show. And in five or seven minutes, I'm warmed up. So I start doing intervals. Real hard for 10 to 20 seconds. Slow it down for 20 or 40 seconds. And I go ...

Brain in slow motion? Mine is today. I am enjoying my fun lesson, but I'm feeling like I'm heaving water to get up on top of the wave.  I enjoyed my family and then slept well last night. Looking for Mr. energy today. I'm having to fight my brain. And I will until I get it humming on all cylinders.  Here's what I'm going to do: Exercise - Yes in my classroom. If you want more information about that, email me and I'll send you my crazy, downright nutty way to exercise in class. Drink water. Need a gallon.  Talk to kids.  Drink a soda . Just kidding. By the way, just found half a soda in my desk from last week! Win! (not that I'm gonna drink it now -- win, because I never finished it. I threw it away. Really.) Take some vitalHerbs . How do you deal with mental sluggishness?  And how do you keep up your enthusiasm all the way to the end of May? Tweet: #mindshiftMay

Peanuts The smallest thing can bounce me off my trajectory. And I don't think it's the thing itself, it's evidence that my mental game needs work. So last week my wife got a good deal on peanuts. We have five boys still in the house; she's always looking for a great deal on food that can fill them up. The lovely Ginger came home with a huge box filled with roasted peanuts. The ones in the shell.  That's good. But I need to monitor everything that goes past my gums. And I think I'm battling that notion right now. The everything part. I want my fat burning factory of a body to swiftly and capably handle every little extra nuisance of fact attraction. Uhh.... It doesn't work quite that efficiently.  So my revised plan to tune-up my mental play is this:  Eat peanuts within the context of a meal.  Eat a measured amount so I know what I'm consuming. Keep a food log until I start losing again Keep walking Never miss a Mond...

When you have a goal. It's important to get going on even the smallest step. Create the habit that leads to the goal. I like this approach.  I enjoyed listening to this podcast on the topic of habits. Start Walking So yeah, I'm driving home after writing the post on walking and I'm thinking to myself, "I told everyone I was going to start walking again."  I went home. Found some kids. Three of my boys went on the walk with me. And we walked for a short half hour. We had a great time. My 17 year old and I discussed his SAT which he was taking the NEXT DAY.  In other words, it was a very good time, a time with family.  When we can take something like exercise and make it a family time, that's a win.  I absolutely love that. How I Change Things for The Better make a decision to do something - in this case walk five times a week start doing it - ease into it write about the experience  share the time with someone else if possible if ...