Is fear a good motivator? I don’t think so. Let me explain why. I have helped hundreds of people change their health and fitness. Some were initially motivated to change because of fear of illness or even death. The initial wake-up call may have caused a fear of the unknown, of an unwanted future, but that fear fades fast. Real …
How to be Motivated
motivation – noun: enthusiasm for doing something The definition of motivation doesn’t really explain how to be motivated. When we want to change we often believe that we need to get motivated. Motivation can be elusive if we don’t understand what we want. When we complain we aren’t motivated, we are not talking about what we want right now, but …
Exercise for weight loss? A proven way to get lean.
Exercise does not immediately equal weight loss. You can’t exercise away the calories you just ate. Some calories consumed during exercise will help you keep exercising, but to lose stored fat you need to exercise consistently. It really is that simple. Recently the NY Times reported that fitness doesn’t lead to weight loss. This is old news. Credible fitness professionals …
How To Get Fit
Anytime, anywhere, the key components of fitness for life. When I was in University one of my jobs was at a community fitness centre. It was in a rough neighbourhood. A the end of the day I had to run a chain through all the weights and lock them together. My desk was an old-fashioned wooden school teacher’s desk in …
Strength in the numbers?
If you want to get fit or fitter, what do you need to know? Your weight, waist circumference, body composition? Pace, distance, speed? Strength, power output, force? What about heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, sweat rate, salt production or sleep data? It is possible to track all that data, but is it necessary? Or even helpful? Will it …
What is that meal worth to you?
How many minutes of your life is a hot dog worth? The University of Michigan evaluated over 5,800 foods, ranking them based on the impact on the environment and nutritional disease risk. The good news? Substituting as little as 10% of daily calories from beef or processed meats with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans could reduce your carbon footprint by …
A muscle never forgets
If you haven’t been doing your regular exercise routine you aren’t alone. According to a report by the American Psychological Association, 42% of Americans gained an average of 29 pounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. But, there is good news. New research by the University of Arkansas shows that any training has long-lasting benefits. While the research was with mice, the …
Does sitting erase the benefits of exercise?
Exercise or activity it all adds up. Even if you exercise, being sedentary is a health risk. If you sit all day long then the recommended 150 minutes a week or 30 minutes a day of exercise may not be enough. Researchers from Columbia University suggest that a 3:1 ratio of sedentary to active minutes counteracts the health risks from …
Vegan Apricot Cake
A light German-style coffee cake that can be made with apricots, peaches, plums or other fruit. INGREDIENTS: 1 cup applesauce 1/2 cup natural sugar 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup of organic canola oil 2 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour 4 tsp baking powder 15-20 small ripe apricots sliced in half, pit removed DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350°F Mix applesauce, …
How to be a quitter
An underlying theme coming out of the last year is quitting. More people are quitting their jobs and their old habits. There are many examples such as the ones here and here and here. “Back to normal” isn’t better Quitting what doesn’t work is not failure. If we didn’t learn anything from being forced to examine our lives that would …