108 – The Beginning

This is the show where I help you live stronger, thinner, healthier, and happier! Today I want to start from the beginning…

When I say beginning, I mean that I want to go way back to before I started podcasting. Close to 40 years ago! I remember sitting in physiology class. I knew nothing about exercise and health. So my professor is up in front of the room and he starts to tell the class about a “different” type of exercise called aerobic exercise. Now remember this is back in the mid-70s or so and none of us knew what aerobic exercise was yet. But this guy looked to be in thin and he told the class that he rose his bike to school every day. He said that when you get your heart rate up to a certain level for only 20 minutes a day for 3 to 4 days a week studies are starting to show that you are much less likely to have any type of heart disease in the future and you will be healthier. As a young kid, I started listening to this guy because I didn’t want to grow old, and sick, and unhealthy. Most of the kids in the class weren’t listening. They were doodling and doing other things. But I was watching and listening to this professor very seriously.

The very next day I went out for a little run around my block. I was in such bad shape, I was huffing and puffing. I was out of breath after just a few minutes of running. The next day I ran a little bit longer and I was still huffing and puffing. As I continued to exercise my heart and lungs every day, I was able to run around my block pretty easily after a short amount of time. I slowly increased that distance and ran a few blocks. Within a few months, I entered a 10K race (6.2 miles). I finished the race in a pretty good time. That was the beginning of my adventure in running. So I have been a runner now for 38 years!! And it’s probably one of the best things I have ever done.

These days I run marathons and ultra events. I am going to tell you now. I have found over many years that you don’t have to be fast. I am proud to be a very slow runner. Being a slow runner is advantageous. You don’t get injured often and you don’t get burnt out. I’m slow and I’m very proud of it. I just reached my 60th birthday this year. And I am in better shape now at 60 then I was at 30!

But it’s not only running. My feeling is when I hear someone say something and I think that person knows something that I don’t know, I listen very carefully. Another example is that someone told me that yoga was good. So I started looking into yoga, and reading up on it, and practicing it. Now I do it often and it has absolutely helped my body, my health, and my well-being. Back when I was in my 30’s and 40’s, I would get back aches all the time and neck pain. And ever since I started doing yoga on a regular basis, I don’t have pain anymore. If I over do it, I may have a little pain for a short amount of time but my pain is pretty much gone. So many people have lower back pain, it is so common.

I used to belong to a gym and paid $50-$60 per month. But I started doing things at home. I don’t have a big home gym. I utilize a lot of things like my floor. For example, I do push ups. I bought a $10 pull up bar that I put in my door way. Pull-ups are a phenomenal exercise for strengthening your arms and back muscles. I also use weights to do things like curls and shoulder presses. I do crunches to work out my abs. But again, this is all in my home gym. I am able to do the things I want to do. And one of my biggest things is walking and running outside. I backpack with weight as well. I try to cross train a lot.

Over the years I have learned that when there is something out there that could possibly help me or help my health, I listen very carefully. I don’t just say, one day I am going to get out there instead I just got out there and did it! When I found out that eating a plant based diet was the healthiest way to go for my life, I didn’t sit back and think maybe one day or start making excuses for why it’s not right.

If you go online I am sure you can find a million reasons why eating a plant based diet isn’t good for you. But guess what? I have been doing it for close to 2 years now. I was a meat eater for 58 years. I have been on both sides and I can say unequivocally that eating a plant based diet is so much  better for our health, for the animals, and for the planet. For example, so many people around the world are constipated because they do not get enough fiber from plants. When you eat a plant based diet you are healthier, your cholesterol levels are normal, your blood pressure is good, your skin looks good, you feel better, you have more energy, should I go on?

The point is, let’s do things! Let’s not sit back and make excuses or find reasons why something is not good for you or why were too lazy to do something. When we hear something that is potentially good, let’s look into it. Do a little bit of research if you like and give it a try! If you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it again.

Another good example is meditation. I heard speakers at conferences say how great meditation was. So I didn’t just sit on the sideline and say maybe one day I will meditate, instead I tried it and I didn’t just try it one time. I tried it a lot. You can’t just do it once and expect immediate benefits. It will make a tremendous difference in your life. You’ll be calmer, happier, and a ton more – there are over 200 benefits to meditation. When I hear something is potentially good for me, I try it. That is how I have formed this lifestyle.

This doesn’t just go for diet, it can go for anything such as financial matters. I listen to Dave Ramsey’s financial podcast. I have been listening to it for several years now. He has taught me things and has convinced that being debt free, spending much less money than you earn, investing the rest, and giving to charity is the best thing you can possibly do. When I paid off my debt, it changed my life. No matter what happens to the economy or what happens to my income, no one can come take my house away or cars away. Nobody can take anything I own because I own it. I don’t owe money to a bank, I own it. It is such a peaceful feeling. When you know nothing can be taken away because you own it all.

This all fits into the lifestyle because I consider myself someone who does things. I am not somebody that sits on the sidelines says one day I’ll do it. No, I do them! Please don’t just sit there and contemplate doing it. Get in there and do it. Chances are it’s going to change your life! Change your life now, don’t wait!

I hope I got through to you today. This is how I did it. I am no smarter than you, I am just one that gets out and does things. I know for sure it will make you life better.

I am your coach and your teacher. You are not alone because you have me. My goal is to change the entire planet even if it takes one person at a time 🙂 Don’t give up! Ultimately if you keep doing it, you will succeed.

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