I heard a phrase the other day “A person starts by having habits then the Habits have the person.”  This is so true and we all have habits both good and not so good.  The trick is to become of the Habits that we want to change and find ways to make changes or even break these habits.  It takes approximately 21 days for a new habit to set in.  After this magical 21 days you will not have to think about it as much to perform the same activity.

It does not matter if you are trying to lose weight, start a new workout routine or you want to read more books these 3 tools below will help you change or create new and better habits.  Imagine by the end of this month you could be locked into a new Habit that you have created.  It is in your grasp so lets get started.

1)  Get more Sleep.

Millions of people are not getting the sleep that there body requires and when they do sleep it is not a quality sleep so we wake up tired and unfocused.  Bad sleeping habits lead to a myriad of health problems and has been linked to obesity, ED and even marital problems.  There is not a magic number but there are some guidelines that we can go by based on your age.

So tonight start with a set bed time and do not deviate for 21 days.  It is also recommended that you do not eat or exercise within 2 to 4 hours of your bedtime.  The increase in blood flow will disrupt your REM cycle.

2) Write it Down

Creating a log of the habits that you want to change is one of the quickest and best ways to keep track of your progress.  When I have a new client that is looking to lose weight the very first thing I will have them do is to start writing down everything they drink and eat.  This simple step automatically brings your habits to the front of your mind.  When there is a sheet of paper laid out after the day for you to see that you are eating 3 honey buns and drinking 4 moutain dews in a day (this was my experience) it will be a shock.  The only cost associated with this is a small notebook and pen.

3) Have an Accountability Partner

We make promises to ourselves everyday that we do not keep.  How many times have you said “Self, tomorrow you are waking up at 4am and getting your workout in before the kids get up!”  Then the next time 4am rolls around you roll to the other side of the bed and just say “Maybe tomorrow.”  Now if you had a friend that you knew was going to be knocking on your door at 4am reading to workout that would change things.  Find someone that you can talk to about the challenges and changes you want to accomplish.  It is best if you can talk, text or email them everyday for that needed encouragement.  If you can not find a person local or you would just like to have another accountability partner please contact me.  A little secret I will let you in on is that helping you actually helps me.  I know that if I am not eating right or working out then how can I encourage or help someone else to do those things.

If you start with these 3 habits then there is nothing you can not change over time.  These are very easy things that you can do but the danger is they are also very easy things that you can not do too.  So tonight set your bedtime, write down what you did that day and find an Accountability or Success Partner.  So tell me what habits would you most liek to change in your life?  Leave a message in the comments.

In my state of Alabama we have the sad distinction of being the 2nd Fattest state, and that is not a ranking we should be proud of. According to CalorieLab in 2011 Alabama has a population that is 33% obese. When you dig into the statistics even more Alabama is the overall fattest state when you combine the Overweight and the obese for a total of 70% of the population. These are staggering statistics that will take generations to reverse but the key is to start now.

I am currently sending in my Specialist in Fitness Nutrition Certification final so I can better help the clients in my personal training. These individuals are working on goals to lose weight or to get ready for a specific event. The clients that I see now have a belief that “dieting” is a temporary thing and when they reach their goal they can just go back to the old way of eating. The first goal is to train my clients to use real food and to cook for themselves the majority of their meals. It is easier for them to eat something out of the box instead of preparing a meal.

My clients also have a sense that eating “healthy” is a very complicated thing and that it will cost a lot more. I start by having them keep a food journal for a week without changing anything in the way that they eat. This exercise allows them to become aware of what they are eating and will show me what kind of foods they tend to like. At the end of the week I take the food journal and work up a basic meal plan that includes the types of foods they like and I’ll make the substitution for whole food sources whenever possible. Depending on the client this might be a very gradual transition so that they can see quick success in the way they feel and perform at work and other activities.

It is a challenge in Alabama because so many people are overweight and obese that a person of normal weight will appear “skinny”. The food choices will also seem weird if they are not fried or cover in some way. It is a long journey but it is worth the effort to be able to help just one person live a healthier life by helping them with their nutrition.

*Source of stats are from Calorielab.com

We ran a 5K race this weekend and my wife Jenda told the story much better than I could.  Enjoy!

–Matthew

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Several weeks ago, my family decided we would run a 5K together.  We invited some family friends to run with us, and they excitedly accepted the invitation.  As time drew nearer, the excitement of the run lessened, however, both families thought the other family wanted to run and didn’t want to back out.  So, there we were…all 9 of us, registered for a race that we weren’t really pumped about.  (Granted, as far as I know, no one dreaded the race, we just would not have registered had we not already committed.)

Race day came and everyone partnered with their “running buddy”.  The course was nice and flat and the weather was as nice as it could be for an Alabama summer morning.  I was so excited to have Matthew and the kids join me for a run.  I love to run and I love my family, so to have the two together was simply perfect for me!  I look forward to the time when Scott (my 3 year old) joins us too!

We all finished in great time!  We all had a great time!  It was so fun!  This was very possibly the best race I had ever run (probably because of my awesome running buddy)!  And to top it off, Emma Grace won 3rd place for female 0-9 years and Clay won 3rd place for male 0-9 years.  They both received medals!  This was soooo cool!  Ryan’s friend Dylan came in 4th for male 10-14 years and Ryan was close behind him in 5th place.   The race no one wanted to run quickly turned into the race we couldn’t wait to run again next year!

How about you?  Have you ever wanted to run and didn’t know where to start?  Do you think you’re too out of shape to run?  Have you just decided that you could never run any number of miles, so you aren’t even going to try?  Well, I am here to tell you that if I can do it, so can you!!!  When I first began training 3 years ago, I could barely run 1 minute.  Really!  I would run 1 minute and walk 3 minutes…and that 1 minute was extremely hard for me.

Here are some tips to help you get started!

Walk it out! – If you feel you are not ready to jog or run, you can walk.  Begin walking for 3 days each week for 20 (then 30) minutes, at a pace that gets your heart rate up.  Continue this step until you are able to maintain a fast pace walk for 30 minutes.

Walk/jog intervals – Once you are able to maintain a brisk walk for 30 minutes, you are ready to begin intervals.  Walk quickly for 5 minutes to get your heart rate up.  Then, jog 2 minutes and walk 3 minutes.  Repeat for 20 minutes, then slower the pace and walk 5 minutes to cool down.

Increase/Decrease intervals-  Decrease minutes walking by 1 and increase jogging by 2 minutes until you can comfortably jog 4 minutes and walk 1 minute for 30 minutes.  At this point, I believe you will be ready to begin the Couch to 5K running program.

Couch to 5K – This is a 12 week program that will prepare you to run 3.12 miles.  http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Believing in yourself starts when we are kids.  One of my favorite memories as a child was playing outside with all the other kids in the neighborhood. The summer's in Alabama are well known for how humid and hot they can be, but I don't remember that at all. I remember riding my bike to the pool, playing rock city (we mounded the rocks as buildings) in our driveway or building an imaginary house with the grass clippings. My sister was always there to bug me and my friends but that is what sisters do right? We did not have central heating and air in our house so my Mom would kick us outside and hand drinks out of the window so we would stop coming in and out all the time. These are a few of my best childhood memories because I used my imagination and really believed that I was going to make a working model of AirWolf out of popsicle sticks and toy car motors. Time moves forward for everyone but I believe that our childhood imagination does not.

Think back to when you were growing up and had wild and crazy plans. Did you believe that you could really make it happen or did someone tell you that it is impossible? It was once believed that a man could never run a 4 minute mile because his heart would explode. Then in 1954 Roger Bannister ran a 3:59.4 mile. Now a 4 minute mile is standard for professional middle distance runners because they believe it can be done. What areas of your life do you believe are impossible to change? Are you stuck in a job? Will you always be overweight?

What is the difference between you and someone that makes millions of dollars a year? It is their belief system. I am sure that you have heard stories of millionaires losing everything and going broke only to make it all back plus more. How did they make it back? They believed they could. This is Exciting news! It means we just need to work on ourselves to get where we want to go! I am not saying think it and it will magically appear but the choices you make daily are based on what you believe. I spent years struggling to lose weight and to be "fit" only to fail time and time again. My problem was not that I was not trying, but that I did not believe that I could succeed. Since I did not believe my choices were based in failure. When I would hit a bump in the road I would bail on the plan and QUIT!

DON'T QUIT! Never quit learning and make yourself better. Spend time with God reading the Bible. Read an motivational book like The Slight Edge or The Compound Effect to open your eyes to new ways to approach life. Your life is full of opportunities waiting for you to reach out and believe. I would not have lose 30lbs in 90 days believing everyday that I was wasting my time. I choose to believe that I was making myself better by the actions of working out everyday and eating right. You can make the same choices starting right now. Take the first step towards that new job. Take your first step to losing 5 or 10lbs. You don't have to walk alone. I already believe that you can do it. Let's succeed together because together we are better.

How many times do you find yourself saying “I don’t feel like working out today.”  I know it happens to me a lot.  I am not a get up early kind of guy so I do all my workouts in the evening.  That means I have put in a full day at work and come home to 4 kids running around the house and a beautiful wife that would like for me to sit down and talk for a few minutes.  Does this sound familiar?  So my mind will start arguing with me about I have put in a long day at work and one skipped workout will not make a difference. 

What do you do when this happens? How many times do you give in to being “tired” and just lay down on the couch.  I know that these are the times that make the difference between being fit and adding on those few extra pounds.  Sure one workout will not break anything but for me it sets in a pattern of laziness that I must fight.  I must choose everyday that I want to be healthier than the day before because each time I workout I am healthier for doing it.  I never regret doing a workout but I usually regret the ones that I miss.  Know I now life happens and miss occur but it should not happen because you have had a long day.  That is the time to get up tell your friends and family you will be back in 1 hour and better yet get your friends and family involved.