Lost Information

Good Friday to you!

So I've got a lot to learn. Once upon a time I (thought) I knew a lot about exercising and staying in shape. Unfortunately, the information you don't use, you lose, and I definitely haven't been using it. Plus, the prevailing theories about how to stay in shape seem to change every few years, so I definitely need to spend some time learning.

Before I could figure out what to research though, I needed to figure out what the goal would be. Did I just wanted to generally "stay in shape" or did I want to aim for a particular outcome? What would "stay in shape" mean? What would be the particular goal? So I started thinking about all the physical activities that I either enjoy or would like to try: I already enjoy bicycling, softball, volleyball, hiking, and swimming.  I'd love to try a Warrior Dash, Ragnar race, and type of rock climbing that requires safety gear. Since the rock climbing seems to me to be the hardest, I decided to make that the end goal, with a 5 mile obstacle course race as an intermediate step.

So, now I have to figure out how to achieve those goals. I know I'm going to need both cardio and weightlifting. Ultimately, I'm going to need be able to run for at least 5 miles at a time and I'm going to need to be able to lift my own weight repeatedly for quite a while. I know I need to work on the running, but I also know that I'll be bored stiff if I do nothing but jog all the time. So here's where the research comes in:
Is an elliptical close enough to running to be able to do that a couple of days a week in order to save my joints a bit?

If I swim or bike for long distances, will that help my running and\or my climbing ability?
Is playing sand volleyball once or twice a week a good enough exercise that I can skip the gym that day?  
What muscles do I need to build up in order to be able to rock climb (besides "all of them")?
Which particular weights lifting exercise will build those particular muscles?

It's time to begin the research. I'm sure I'll come up with more questions as I research, and I'll need to find those answers too.

I'll let you know what I find out!

 

Nikki

Time wasted

Time is a precious thing, and too often I find myself wondering where the time has went and why I haven't gotten anything done.
Time wasting is something I struggle with lately. Too often we get caught up in our "business" of life that we often seem to be wasting time.
For me, wasting time means being on facebook but neglecting my responsibilities like posting here or cleaning my apartment. It also means losing track of time when I'm spending time with my boyfriend.
Time is precious, we can't ever get that back once it's gone. Ever heard of the phrase, I'll just sleep when I'm dead? Well time I think is much like that sleep that is lost, you can't ever "catch up" on the lost sleep or get that hour that you spent doing anything but what you wanted to back.
There is still hope in making sure time doesn't get wasted or that you come up with a plan to micromanage your time and stay on track with where you want to go. For me that means I need to set my alarm(s) to a specific time and day for certain activities so that I will stay committed to my time. I want to make every moment of my life count. And I don't want to waste precious time that we so often just throw away until something bad happens.
This is short and sweet, so until next time, keep moving forward and stay positive fellow travelers.

I am the Storm!

Happy Monday Gentle Reader! The title might make you have a question or two. I will take questions if you have them.

Yes, you there in the corner. I love your shirt, it's a beautiful color and really makes your eyes pop.

What do I mean by I am the storm? Great question. I'll answer that in a bit, but, first let me read something to you. I can not give credit for the statement because I don't know who said it. As I read it though, it struck a chord in my brain.

Fate whispers to the warrior
"You cannot withstand the storm"
and the warrior whispers back
"I AM THE STORM!"

Simple right? I agree that it is, as everything I (and the rest of the authors) try to do is bring you simple, thought provoking ideas and ideals. Let's see if I can put in words what chord this short statement hit in me.

There are many people out there who will tell you that what you are trying to do is hard, isn't worth your time, or that you simply can't do it. That is Fate telling you, "you cannot withstand the storm." It's your time to shine and be the warrior that whispers...no, whispering never gets you anything, you need to be the warrior who confidently and succinctly screams to Fate that "I AM THE STORM!"

When someone says to you:

It's too hard. You say to them, what that is worth the time and pain is easy?
It isn't worth your time. You tell them, I decide what is worth my time. You have no power to slow me down or make me feel worthless.
You simply can't do it. Say to them, I decide what I can do! You have no power over me or my ability to get something done.

Be the storm. Does a storm stop because we don't want it to rain? No! A storm stops once it has run it's course. This is your time to be the warrior and be the storm. Rage until you reach your goals. Be merciless until you top the mountain!

That said, do not forget yourself and your loved ones. They are sometimes Fate, but, they will always be your guidance through the debris and foam that your storm will create. Be strong, be relentless and be the storm.

Until next time Gentle Reader,

Jaxion Rebel

All Evil Needs

Hello Fellow Philosophers!

Deep thought for today. "All that Evil needs to win, is for Good people to do nothing." Let's see if I can work it into the blog today shall we?

Let's start with the assumption you are on the side of Good. (Not an easy assumption about me some days. To that my husband can attest!) Being the good person you are, you've realized that what is good for your body is to have it working to such an extent that you are happy. Whether that is losing 5 pounds to fit into that new dress you've been obsessing over, over losing 100 pounds to live a happier healthier life with your family.

Now, what about the Evil and how it pertains to health and exercise?  This can be found all around you. Sometimes subtly, sometimes right in your face. We get mixed messages from friends, family, and our society. "I love you just the way you are. You don't have to change a thing." Great! I feel the need to change my life and get healthier. Will you love me then? Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no. Sometimes not knowing how people will react will send us on a feeding frenzy of anxiety.  And what about the world at large?  Fast food restaurants on every corner. "Food Porn" shows on many stations. (Man vs. Food. Personal guilty pleasure.) "Eat and indulge and range free till your hearts content. No repercussion and of course society would not dare judge you!"  Really, because I don't know about you, but I've seen enough insurance companies out there that will charge you an arm and a leg if you don't meant their criteria.  Your BMI is too high. You get to pay more for insurance. You smoke?  Sorry, let's double, ah heck, triple that insurance cost for you!

So, what is a person to do? Are we doomed to swallow what this society is feeding us? Sit and do nothing while watching our loved ones buy into all that hooey? I don't think so. There are those that fight back. We have those who have made it there mission to help others. People who open gyms to give us a safe place to improve ourselves. Personal coaches who want to be there to get your life back on line. And then there are those who lead quietly by example. The neighbor down the road you see walking every morning and then energetically playing with their grandchildren in the evening. That friend who lost so much weight to be there for their family now finding a new love for life and all things fun.

Whether you choose to fight Evil toe to toe, or be that quiet guide and motivation to those around you; remember to fight the good fight. We are all counting on you! Change your "nothing" into something!

Stepping off my soap box for now,

UltimateJinx007

Distractions happen

Greetings fellow travelers,
Have you ever been distracted from the task you are trying to accomplish? Do you ever feel like you can't focus on one thing or maybe you just have too much going on at once?
For me, distractions are something I face every day lately. Like being distracted with facebook and seeing all of my fellow colleagues in business making their dreams come true and me not doing that. I feel some days lately that I've been too distracted to workout or even eat slower and properly eat good foods. It just seems like perhaps I have had too much personally going on in my mind and physically at home.
So with distractions being so easy to get lost or lose focus on what is important, how then do we compensate or get the train back on track? For me it takes a lot of clearing of the mind and simply uncluttering my head. I know that sounds far fetched and crazy, like how do I do this, you make it sound so easy? Well it is easy, the way for me to clear my head is to totally dive physically and mentally into a single task, which then gives me the clarity and focus I need to get rid of distractions. For me usually that means drawing or doing a simpler task like reading a good book.
Those are a couple of ways to "declutter" or rid oneself of "distractions." Another way is to write down a set of goals or tasks you want to accomplish each day and only doing that day's task list. This will help you see exactly what you want to accomplish that day and might even help you get more motivation.
I know it might seem crazy, but do you have a topic you would like me to cover for next week fellow travelers?
Well if not, you know I'll be here, moving forward, staying positive and loving what the universe is doing for me in my life.
Until we meet again in the universe, carry on and stay positive :-)

3 Simple Rules to Rule Your Life

I was thinking about what I wanted to do for a topic this week and I kept coming around to the same thing...a list. A list of something, that was the problem a list of what. I was out on Google+ and a friend of mine (online friend) Jim Cullum had posted his 3 rules for your day. I read his list and thought, yes that is a perfect list for each and every day. So I'm going to take his list and mold it into what we do here and that is to give you food for thought for every day of your life. I would like to give a shout out to Jim, so check out his website here.

Without further ado, we begin.

Rule #1: If you do not GO after what you want, you'll never have it. ~Never a more true statement has been made. Let's break this down and figure out what we can learn from this simple statement. Think of this in the classic a rolling rock never gathers moss. Meaning that (from a standpoint of weight loss and exercise) its hard to gain weight if your always moving. Whether you are trying to lose weight, get more in shape or just want something, you have to go after it. Have you ever heard about the guy who gets rich, gets in shape, gets the girl by just sitting around? Yeah, me either. Remember that if you really want something, you have to work for it. If you could get what you want sitting around doing nothing, this country would be full of people who are fit, in shape and could eat chocolate for all meals. It sounds great, but, it just doesn't happen.

Rule #2: If you do not ASK, the answer is always NO. ~Again, we look at how we can work this into the theme of this blog post. Simply, let's give you this scenario. You're at the gym, you see this person who is in shape the way you want to be. They seem friendly (or they don't), why not ask them what their routine is? I know sounds scary doesn't it? Here is where we need to look deeper and see what the possible results of such an inquiry might be.

"Excuse me sir, I am working at getting in better shape and you look in shape to me. Could you give me a few pointers in how you got to where you are?" (Of course, nobody talks like this, but, you get the point.)

Response #1: I'm really busy, I don't have time, but, there is a trainer that works here. - Not what were looking for, but, does it hurt us? No.
\
Response #2: (Really the worst of all) No. - Not what we are looking for, but, does this make us bad people for asking? No. Have you lost anything by asking? 30 seconds. No, you just need to realize that it's OK to ask, the WORST thing that will happen is they say no.

Response #3: Sure! What is it exactly that you would like me to show you? - Awesome it's a win/win. Remember once I said a workout buddy is awesome? this may be a shoe in to a new workout buddy.

Rule #3: If you do not STEP FORWARD, you'll always be in the SAME PLACE. ~I don't think a whole lot of explanation is needed here, but, I'm going to explain anyway. It's what I do and I really like hearing myself talk! Let us start out very literally, your standing still, you never move, you are destined to be in the same place forever. Simple right? Maybe, maybe not. Think of it in this way. Think of the step forward as CHANGE. Then think of the same place as NOT CHANGING. You have a bad diet or no exercise regiment or both. You decide to work out and you do it, you work out everyday, but, you don't change anything else in your life. Yes, working out is a great thing, but, how long do you think you will continue to workout if you change nothing else?  See where I'm going here? It won't last long. Why? Because you're not changing your outlook, you're not changing the core of the issue you have and that is lifestyle.

Three great rules to think about. I have been all day. I hope you find something in my ramblings that may strike a note with you. I hope that you find something to hold on to and help you.

Until next time, Gentle Reader.

Jaxion Rebel

Ideals and Ideas

Hello Again My Avid and Astute Readers,

I know you missed me. I heard you crying out for more of my worldly wisdom. I can hear you asking where have you been? On a soul searching mission to Tibet?  Lost in the academic world of renaissance Europe? As wonderful as that sounds, I'm afraid nothing quite so grand. I've actually been trying to protect my town from zombies, but more on that later.

To get back on track, lets first talk about ideals. We all have ideals. Ideal job, ideal vacation, ideal boyfriend/girlfriend, ideal time to have that mid-day siesta. And, while ideals are nice, sometimes it means we set the bar just a little too high. And once we realize we can't reach it, we get discouraged and give up. Maybe not true for everyone, but I know when it comes to me it can be all too true.

Ideally, I want to work out 6 times a week. I want cardio and weight training, and a fun hobby like hiking or scuba diving or Geo-caching. Sounds great huh?  Well, this is where life comes in. I have a job. I have a family.  I have to sleep at some point. So, when do I get time to do all of this? Right now, not ever! Ok, maybe not ever, but certainly not right now. Discouraging? Yes. Insurmountable? No.

That is where Ideas come in. I may not be able to do all of this, but is there some way I can incorporate more of this into my humdrum life? Some way to whip this rolly-polly body into shape without being overwhelmed? Yes!  Thanks to Spring finally having sprung, I can get out more. Especially during the day. That means I can walk during my lunches. I can get in some exercise while getting away from cubicle world. That's a win in my book any day. And I've got kids with spring fever. Time for tag and playgrounds and rough housing. May not be official "exercise" to some, but to me it sounds like a whole lot more fun!

And fun is the name of the game this week. Remember my zombie comment earlier? Well, I downloaded a new app that is part running app/part story. And it's fun! Know what that means? It means I'm much more likely to do it! What a great idea. And I'm all about ideas this week. 

So, any ideas you want to share with us? What is working for you? I'd love to hear back from all you crazy kids out there following our merry adventures.

Until I have more ideas to share,

UlimateJinx007

It starts with a dream

Good evening to you fellow travelers,
Have you ever had a dream of being something great or doing something great? Or perhaps you have stopped dreaming altogether. That is where we begin today, starting with a dream.
For me I've always been a dreamer of sorts and always searching to follow my heart. Right now one of my dreams is making this year my sexiest year yet. It might sound silly to you that I would say that making this year my sexiest year yet is a dream of mine, but we all should have dreams big and small. I have found the bigger the dream, the bigger the desire to finish/make it a reality. So for me while getting in shape and toning my body is my goal, making myself feel sexier than ever before is my prime focus. 
For those who know me, or who have recently come to know me know that I am not very self confident when it comes to my self image. It's taken a lot of hard work and a lot of mental changes to get where I am today. However it started with a dream. A dream to be more fit than the week before, a dream to lose weight and keep it off. A dream to love myself and how I look even in my off days.
There may not be a lot I know yet but what I do know is that starting with a dream may seem silly to some but from my experience it is key to anything in life.
Keep moving forward, stay positive and see you soon fellow travelers.

Hurdles

Greetings my friends...I'm now 40 and still feeling fine. Had a great weekend, I really did, but, it was littered with hurdles. What do I mean by that? Well, lets take a small trip with me through my weekend.

It started Friday, it was my birthday and I took the day off of work. I was going to go work out, but, then nothing worked out and working out was sidelined. I thought that would be ok, since I'm doing a musical over the weekend and I was bound to get exercise, dancing and running around like a fool. Which is probably true if you take out the food I ate on my birthday. Let's just say it really wasn't on diet.

Saturday, we had a birthday party with our families for myself and my wife. Her birthday is this coming Friday. There was a lot of food that was not on the diet again and though I worked to be "better" I failed. Remember, the times I have written about failing? Here is one of those times. I didn't workout, because we had to get the house ready for guests and then after that I had to do the show again.

Sunday, between being over-tired from going out and celebrating with friends for the big 4-0 birthday, let's just say again exercise was out. I did the show again and then went home and crashed. I did nothing much of anything. I was a lump. Which brings us to today...

Monday, I got up to go workout and have been in pain all day. Not sure what is going on, but, I'll get through it. No exercise today. However, here is the plan going forward...

Hurdles - Let's get rid of them. I will be working out tomorrow. I will be working out Wednesday morning, and I will be back on my schedule completely by the end of next week. I do have four more shows to do, so I can not promise myself anything, except that I will try. I will facedown these hurdles and I will overcome them.

Remember people, we are all human and we will all fail at some point in our journey. I failed this past weekend. IT WILL NOT DEFEAT ME! I will fail again. It's my determination and my commitment to my lifestyle that I can overcome these hurdles. I hope you find something in here that makes you think...that's me! I know if he can do it, I can do it. I hope that my telling you that this is possible, there is some part of you that believes me and acts upon that belief. Let's win together!

Until next time Gentle Reader,

Jaxion Rebel

April 8, 1976

I know your used to getting a post from the UltimateJinx on Friday's, but, Jinxie is just too busy , so I decided to go ahead and let her have this Friday off.

A day that will live in infamy. OK, OK so not in infamy. However, it is an important date. Why? Well, it is my birthday! 40 years ago today I was born a strong, healthy, baby boy.

I had a pretty normal childhood, the chicken pox, the mumps and other childhood illnesses. The biggest thing I had going against me is I come from a background of a lower middle class family. It means that there wasn't a lot of extra money and you didn't waste. You didn't waste clothes, you got hand me downs. You didn't waste money, sales were everything. Most of all though you didn't waste food. That didn't mean we didn't have foo, it meant if you put it on your plate you ate it. We would hear things like "You're going to sit there until everything on your plate is gone." "You can't have dessert until you finish your meal."  Like the old Pink Floyd song "How can you have any pudding if you didn't eat your meat."

I'm not saying my parent did anything wrong, their parents grew up during the depression. They all grew up without. My dad grew up eating bacon grease sandwiches. I ate a variety of things growing up, somethings looked horrible, everything tasted great. We never had too little to eat, everything we ate was in the most part not good for you. Lasagna, stews, fried chicken and the like. Nothing I was given as a child was good for me, it tasted good. Not the same thing.

I look back now and see why I have the problems I have as an adult with food and weight. It's not like I think anyone did that to make me fat on purpose. I guess what I'm trying to say is this struggle we are all facing isn't just about ourselves it's about those around us that we love. We have to teach our loved ones to eat  the right way as well as ourselves. I am challenging all of you to do this, Exchange one sugar, high carb treat that you normally give to your spouse, significant other, or children with a fruit or vegetable...a fresh fruit or vegetable. They won't necessarily thank you for it now, but, trust me in the long run they will.  

Until next time Gentle Reader,

Jaxion Rebel

Hitting wall...or coming to a fork in the road...

Ever feel like you have hit a wall? Not physically of course but metaphorically like when a writer gets "writers block," or an artist struggles for inspiration.

Well fellow travelers, that is how I've been feeling lately, like I've hit a wall or come to a giant fork in the road. So then the question(s) must be asked when that happens what do you do? How do you move forward and get past it? How long will you be stuck?

Those are not the easiest questions to answer but do not panic there is an answer. For me it is identifying first what caused me to reach said wall or fork, then recognizing the wall/fork for what it is. For example I've often come to a wall in personal growth or with my current weight loss journey, and to recognize what has prohibited me from continuing hasn't been fun. However it was necessary to realize that I had hit the wall because I stopped doing the activities to increase my personal growth and stopped working out as much as well as I have been eating food that is less than ideal for healthy living style. Fear not dearies, I have already gotten myself back on track by getting up earlier to do some workout so I have no excuse and am getting back into better eating habits. As for the personal growth, I've been plugging into more audible books and listening to things that will increase my positive outlook and love for the universe. As for how long you may be stuck well that really depends on you and what you're willing to do to get past it.

So whatever wall you may have hit today, do not worry you will get past this and you will come past it even further than you could've ever thought possible.

Until next time my fellow travelers, stay positive and keep moving forward.

Determination

Determination is the topic of today's post. I had a goal that I was determined to accomplish by this coming Friday. On Friday I turn 40 years old. My goal was to be down officially 150 pounds on that date. I had made my goal and then I gained some weight back. So for the last two weeks I have been working my ass off to make it back down there. As of this morning I am back down to the goal, with a pound to spare. That said, it's now time to set the next goal and to be determined to make that goal.

Yes, you with the hand up?

What do you mean by determination?

Great question! I was just getting to that, but, I'm glad your thinking of these questions.

By determination I mean setting a goal, and getting to that goal and not letting steps backwards discourage you from your original goal. For example, I set a goal to reach 150 pounds lost by my 40th birthday. I have attained the goal twice now. I have to keep it there for the next 4 days. I am determined to weigh less than 342.9 pounds when I weigh myself on Friday morning. Once that is done, I start on my next goal. That very day. That very hour. My next goal I have exactly 124 days to lose down to my next goal of 200 pounds lost since the beginning. I don't know what the goal is exactly yet, it will depend on my weigh in on Friday. I am determined to ride on rollercoasters and other rides when we take my girls down to Six Flags in August. It's right around our anniversary too, so the Six Flags thing is a throwback to our honeymoon. It would be nice to relive those things 20 years after we did it the first time.

I am determined to do what I need to do to make that goal and do those things with my family. I now there will be things that set themselves up to make me stumble, even fall. I just can't let those things keep me down. I think that is part of what I am doing differently this time than I have in the past. I'm not letting little things beat me down. I don't let things stop me from continuing the fight. I have a great team in my corner, the writers here, the people who read this even if they don't say anything, I can tell it's being read because the daily hits continue to grow and soon we will break the 1000 page views.

So today, be determined, set a goal, be determined to reach that goal. You can't let little things stop you, even if they slow you down. Continue the fight my friend. Continue your path to a healthier you. I hope this has something to do with your motivation and determination, even if it's just getting you thinking of them.

Stay Determined Gentle Reader,

Jaxion Rebel

Short and Sweet

Hello my Sweet Little Peeps!

Today's article will be short and sweet. Just like me! 

Did you make it through Easter?  Did you make it through Easter without overindulging? If you did, great! If not, you are in the same gravy boat as me. I like food. I like it a lot! It likes me too. I have food that has been following me around for years. Well, maybe not the food itself, but those tasty treats have been hitching a ride on my ever growing love handles for more years than I care to count. (I have to take off my socks to count that high.<grin>)

So, what should I do? Swear off all sweets? Go cold turkey? Flush every article of food that has any sugar content in my house down the toilet?  I'm going with no. Why? Because I know me. I will panic when I get that craving and send my daughter to the local grocery store or gas station to get me some sweets! Ah, the downside of 24 hour shopping. So instead, baby steps. Remember those?

Know thy enemy. With me, chocolate is the enemy. Know it's usual plan of attack. I  know my trigger points; boredom, stress, and needing something sweet after each meal. I've tried different ways to destroy this enemy, usually the drastic "I'll never eat this again!" That normally results in 5 minutes later raiding my secret sugar stash. Yes I have one. However, I keep making it smaller little by little. I've switched from full sized candy to smaller individual candies. Baby steps.

My first step this time is to head the cravings off before it starts. One piece of chocolate after every meal. Then once I've got that little craving on a leash, I will substitute something healthy after 1 meal a day. Then 2 meals a day so on and so forth. I'm still getting my fix, but in smaller doses. Maybe I'll try fruits. Or if I'm feeling daring maybe substitute an actual vegetable. (The horror!)  Wait, baby steps!

Either way, I will be working on making myself a better person. My body will appreciate the introduction of real health food in my processed food abused stomach. My mind will give me a high 5 for taking control of those bad boy cravings. It's a total body win!

So, with a winning smile I bid you adieu!

UltimateJinx007