An excuse is like an...

A lot of folks have made the comment that Mandy & I are inspirations for them to get healthier. I have to wonder though, are they inspired enough to start doing something to change their health? Can they get past the easy excuses of time, money and the "I can't", and find the will power to do whatever it takes to say "I can" and begin the change? Do they want it bad enough or are you willing to slowly kill themselves?

My Excuses at 360 lbs were:




1) "I can't run."

I couldn't 2 years ago, well, not very far anyhow. I had to change something else. I had to change the way I ate first.

 "I don't like to walk." - I still don't, but I do it because my dog, Rango, needs the exercise. I found a reason to suck it up and do it anyhow.

2) "Low-fat/healthy food tastes like crap." 

This was just false. You can find healthy options that taste great. Don't believe me? Ask me to send you copies of the recipes.


3) "Diet Soda sucks."

I still think it does, but it was a way to ween myself off the sugary drinks, and now after knowing the effects of aspartame, I only drink water and sometimes iced tea.


4) "I hate video workouts. Those people aren't real."

I still think this and I think video workouts are an easy excuse to not workout. "Oh, I'll do it later tonight..." and that never happens. Invest a few dollars and time in your health and build an exercise routine that will work for you. Find a gym like mine that let's you pay monthly and doesn't make you sign a contract. Buy used workout books on Amazon.com. I got two $20 books for less than $5 each on there. I use these to build my own routines. Don't want to spend any money? Go to YouTube and the web and look up routines that you can do at home, in the park, at work or at the gym.

5) 
"I can't afford it." 

You could afford that new flat screen TV, iPhone, iPad, Video Game system, and anything else that keeps you sedentary. Look, if you want it you'll find the money to do it. Sell off all those old workout DVDs, treadmills, and video games you never use and get the money.


"I have kids" - Do they not need exercise? My mom and dad made us go play outside, mainly because we were annoying, but none the less, it was exercise that wore us out. Take them with you - HEALTH MUST BE A FAMILY AFFAIR - everyone MUST join in. Go to the park and make them push you on the merry-go-round or swing, get them to run up and down hills, play catch and intentionally make them chase the ball. Wear them out so they're ready to go to bed and give you some peace and quiet.

6) "I have health issues."

Mandy has so many health issues. You go ahead and try to play that excuse with her — Fibermialgia, Gastroparesis, Asthma, and the list goes on. She pushes through and the exercise actually helps her.



7) "I have bum joints, busted legs, or physical conditions."

OK, then change your eating habits and find LOW IMPACT workouts you can do - they exist.




Do you get where I'm going with this? It's all excuses, NOT REASONS. Like my Grandpa always said, "Excuses are like butts - everyone has one and they all stink!"

020813 A Quick Note

100: That's a Not-So-Round Number

I had a personal best this morning on the treadmill. Ran a full 10 minutes nonstop at 4.5 miles an hour. I also hit the 100 lb. lost mark! Posting this on my facebook page led to a comment that I thought would make a pretty good blog post. So, here it is...

Honestly the Diet and Exercise is easy ... it's the will power to eat better and the dragging your butt off the couch or out of the bed in the morning that is hard. I lost 60lbs just by eating better using the weight watchers app - no meetings - you know me I'm not so touchy-feely with about my fat. I understand that people overeat for many reasons, a lot of them mental. I stress eat - but really - it's flipping that switch in your brain that says hey I can eat that doughnut OR I can eat a bowl of oatmeal and 4 bananas and actually be full and not be craving more food. Stop shoving the bad food past your lips and make a change for the better. 

Honestly, you won't change until you REALLY want change. I didn't feel bad at 350, I didn't have high blood pressure, I wasn't uncomfortable, so I just stayed fat. You know what made me change? It was my wife. I watched her loose 60lbs without much effort and I figured Weight Watchers® must actually work, and then I thought - CRAP! She's going to get skinny and won't want to be stuck with a fatty like me (which I know wasn't true - but it was a good way to trick the brain). After loosing 60 myself I started tae kwon doe (TKD), because I hate walking and traditional exercise. I want to do something interesting and fun. That help me loose another 35, and I noticed how much better I can perform in TKD when I exercise more. So, now I'm hitting the gym every morning at 6am so I can perform even better in TKD. You see, It's all about inspiration. Losing weight for the sake of losing weight isn't inspiration. Being able to do something that you can't do now IS. What can't you do now? What do you need to do to be able to do that? THEN GO DO IT! SIMPLE! Quit making excuses. Don't give me your BS reasons! GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND CHANGE! Start small - build up - I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 2 YEARS! Quit trying to take the fast/easy road - it's NEITHER!

 Then again - You're all skinny bastards with working metabolisms... Go eat a doughnut.

Um...Did I say Um?

http://www.rebootwithjoe.com
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Focus

First Video Blog Post

I'm trying my hand at posting a video to the blog....let's hope this works...

UPDATE: This should now be viewable on mobile devices.

The End of the "Fat Bastard"

This is the end of the "Fat Bastard" and the beginning of my Lenten journey in the form of a cleansing fast. Ever seen the movie "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead", yup, that's what I'm going to do for the next fourty days. I plan to eat no solid food and to only drink juice from fruits and vegetables. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy but watch the movie and see if you still don't think it makes sense.

"Who is the fat bastard?", you ask, well, the Fat Bastard is me. Now to clarify, I am not a bastard by the truest definition of the word, but I am fat and for the most part have always been big. I suppose the "Fat Bastard" has been my alter-ego, my way of dealing with pain and rejection during my life. I've always enjoyed making people laugh and being the "Fat Bastard" has allowed me to do that. I've used him as my shield, my cover, my wall, to keep people out. 

So, for those of you who may read this and not know me, I should probably describe the "Fat Bastard" so that you can really know what I'm talking about. The "Fat Bastard" has been my very smart assed persona for quite some time. He was my crutch to deal with hardship. Growing up poor, I didn't always have the stylish clothes, the popular shoes, or the coolest toys. Being the poor kid usually means you become the object for more popular bullies that love to rub your lack material wealth in your face with repeated verbal and sometimes physical abuse. I used the whit to deal with these situations as a child. I wasn't really fat then, but after getting out of school and finding my passion of digital design, my lack of exercise began to take the form of fat. This fat was a heavier burden than just weight. As I became older, I started using food to help deal with the aftermath of the depression that was being hidden by my whit. These two pieces came together to form the "Fat Bastared". He allowed me to not care what others think and to make fun of myself in order to make others laugh. He has been my hiding place.

I grew to love the "Fat Bastard" and even began to love being fat. I loved it so much, that I reached a nice ROUND 350 pounds. Even at 350 pounds, I was never really uncomfortable being fat. It was part of me, it was my friend, it was the "Fat Bastard". So what made me change my mind? Well quite simply it was my muse, my love, and my own personal Saint — my wife, who got me to start changing my course and to start down the path I am on now. It's a path to put an end to the "Fat bastard". She started Weight Watchers and when I saw her hit the 60 pound weight loss mark, I decided I better try to catch up.

So what have I done so far? Well, I've been using weight watchers for almost 2 years now and have lost right around 93 pounds. After loosing 60 pounds I was able to start taking Tae Kwon Do classes, which has been a life long dream. I am also now hitting the gym for an hour every morning. In the search for natural supplements to help in my exercise I ran across a few documentaries that talked about the positive benefits of juicing and since Lent is coming up and I hadn't been able to figure out what to do, "I thought what the heck, let's give it a shot!" So here I am ready to start. I'll try to post everyday, but we'll see what happens. I may even try to do a few videos, but we'll have to see what happens.

So, here we go. Time to say good bye to the "Fat Bastard"...