Sit! Stay!

Imagine how skinny you would be if you only ate when you body needed the nourishment. If your'e like me, you eat when your not hungry. If your'e like me, you frequently eat to feed something other than your body. On any give day, I eat because I am tired, lonely, bored, sad, happy, annoyed, aggravated, frustrated, excited and the list goes on. . . and on . . . and on. I think a lot of people eat to feed an emotion. The problem is that food doesn't actually feed the emotion. In fact, it usually makes things worse or simply replaces the emotion with another emotion like guilt or shame. Even worse, is when guilt and shame tote along their traveling buddies fat and flab. blech.
So what do I do? Just everyone else does. I eat too much and then resolve to do better tomorrow. Of course this is a paradox because it's always today. To those who have played this game, you know tomorrow never comes. You think it will but, it won't. And therein lies the problem. You THINK! Hah! This is not about thinking. This is about emotions. Emotions and intellect speak totally different languages. You can't reason with emotion.
So what can you do? The answer is surprisingly simple. Be your own dog trainer. Since the part of your brain that drives emotion is a lot like the brain of a puppy, dog training can be just the ticket.
In her book, "US: Transforming Ourselves and the Relationships that Matter Most" Lisa Oz talks about a brilliant technique she uses to put the brakes on emotional eating. She calls it, appropriately enough, Sit! Stay!
To begin she makes a rule that when she finds herself about to emotionally eat, she stops and thinks, "Stop what you are doing and sit down." This is brilliant because it is so easy and it gives the emotional brain a little jolt. Why would the emotional brain agree to such an obvious ploy to keep it from wolfing down brownies? Because Lisa has made a deal with the emotional brain that goes something like this, "If you stay here for one minute, just one, and you still want to stuff our face. I promise to be OK with it."
Then the magic happens. With this jolt, the emotional takes snooze. Frankly, it is all too aware that the intellectual brain is gonna start yammering on about . . . blah, blah, blah, Zzzzzz.
Now, with the emotional brain fully disengaged for a minute (remember just a minute), all you need to do is ask yourself some powerful questions.
Not difficult questions, just powerful. Of course, these questions only work when you answer them honestly.
Question 1, "What exactly do you want?" Maybe the answer is that stale brownie from last week. That's OK. As long as the answer is honest and specific. Saying you want to forage around the kitchen for something sweet and gooey is not specific enough.
Question 2, "How do you feel right now?" The answer "hungry" is out of bounds. "Hungry" is not an emotional state. Name your emotion. This is usually not a pleasant emotion. The answer is rarely, "Awesome, ready to take on the world, thank you!"
Question 3, and this is a kicker, "How will you feel right after you eat what you want?" Be honest. You've been here before and you know exactly how you're gonna feel.
Fourth and final question, "How are you going to feel 10 minutes after you eat?" If question 3 doesn't get you, question 4 should get you thinking.
And there it is. Thinking. This whole thing is about slipping your emotional drive into neutral long enough so that your intellectual brain can knock some sense into you.
Still "hungry" after all this? Fine, you made a deal after all but, you didn't say the terms of the mini-feast weren't negotiable. This is great time for the intellectual brain to make healthy food suggestions to the emotional brain. You may remember that the emotional brain is just waking up at the end of the agreed upon minute. It's still a little groggy and therefore easily influenced. So, bring up the fact that there is a great lookin' salad in the fridge and, you never know, the emotional brain may just go for it. No matter what the outcome, this is great habit to work on.

Update your operating system!

When people find out that you have lost 200 pounds they ask a lot questions. The most common question is, “How did you lose it?” followed closely by “How long did it take?” I can understand why people ask those particular questions. They want to know exactly what to do to lose weight and for exactly how long they will have to do it. The less time the better and then back to business as usual would be ideal for most people. I don't blame them. I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, weight loss doesn't work that way. Not lasting weight loss anyway.
One question that took me completely off guard was when a seemingly sweet little old lady asked me, “How did you ever allow yourself to get that fat?” Ouch. That question really hit me hard. Not just because she used the "F" word, but also because of my weight loss history. What I don't often discuss is all the weight that I lost (and gained) prior to losing this last 200 pounds. I had been on diets since I was about five years old and I had plenty of success losing weight. The problem was the weight always came back. Does that sound familiar? All told, I had lost and gained a total of about 500 pounds on my way to my top weight of 410 pounds. The idea that I had actually "allowed" this to happen over and over again made me a little sick.
After the initial sting of the question wore off (it took about two years), I decided I should answer it. I realized this decidedly irritating question needed to be answered precisely because it was so irritating. Answering irritating questions, as I have come to understand, has the unique ability to unlock hidden wisdom. I knew if I could find the hidden wisdom in how I "allowed myself" to become over 400 pounds, it would not only help me to stay at 200 pounds, it would help a lot of people to lose weight and keep it off.
The first thing I realized was my body weight is simply a result in my life. A result of my actions. While this idea made perfect sense to me, it also made me really uncomfortable. I think it bothered me because I know I choose my actions. Did I choose to spend most of my life fat? Did I choose to regain weight after every successful attempt to lose it? Did I "allow" myself to be over 400 pounds or did I choose it? I hated being that heavy. I hated everything about it. I hated the way the rolls of fat hung around my frame. I hated the way other people would look at me and whisper to each other. I hated the physical limitations that my size put upon me. I hated the psychological pain. No, I did not choose any of that. While I certainly understood the role of my choices in being overweight, I knew there had to be more to the story.
As I started to really observe my own past and present behavior, I noticed that all of my actions came from someplace. Everything I did (or didn't do) arose from an impulse in my brain, a thought. Even my seemingly "mindless" habits were simply automations of behaviors that all began with a thought process. I even noticed that sometimes when I tried to change a habit, my thoughts would kick in and sabotage my efforts. This was even more irritating to me because I consider myself pretty smart. How could my thoughts betray me like that? Clearly, there was even more to the story.
Wait, did say thought process? Yes, I did.The actions that lead to the results in my life arise from a thought process. A process that begins with a belief or set of beliefs. Once I understood that, it became crystal clear to me that my beliefs lead to my thoughts lead to my actions lead to my results. (Beliefs --> Thoughts --> Actions --> Results) What was beginning to unfold was a system that determined the way I operate. Just like a computer, my mind has an operating system that underlies the results I experience in my life.
This explained why simply changing  my actions (as with diets) never gave me lasting results. Actions are one of the LAST steps in the operating system. When you try to change your life by forcing new actions on yourself, you short circuit your operating system.
Armed with this new understanding of my brain's operating system, I began to observe that each aspect of  my life had it's own operating system. In fact, every result in my life could be directly linked to an operating system. I had an operating system that determined the quality of my relationships, the money in my bank account, the condition of my car and, yes, the condition of my body.
In some cases, a specific result in my life was determined by more than one operating system. This is particularly true when it comes to body weight. It became apparent that there is an operating system that creates eating behavior AND another operating system that determines body fitness. The interaction of these two systems literally sets body weight like a thermostat sets the temperature in a room. Any attempt to change body weight by changing actions without updating those underlying operating systems was doomed to short-term success at best.
Look at it this way, imagine you are in a room that's too hot. You go over and open a window but when the temperature in the room drops, the thermostat turns the heat on. When this happens, two things occur. One is that the room returns to the original temperature and the other is that an incredible amount of energy is wasted. Does remind you of a past dieting experience?
Probably the most important realization I discovered about operating systems was that there is a special system for the process of change itself. All humans have the ability to grow and change. How else do you explain the ability of a relatively weak, naked ape to thrive under such a wide variety of environmental conditions? The problem is that most people don't actually change. They can change, but they don't. Our world of modern connivence has made it unnecessary for us to adapt to our environment in order to survive. As a result, our "change" operating system runs sluggishly.
While adapting to the world around us may no longer be critical to survival, it is essential in order to thrive. Those who are able to "re-invent" themselves are usually the most successful among us. Think about it. Steve Jobs re-invented himself in order to come back and save Apple.  In fact, business magnates, entertainers and public figures have to constantly evolve so that they can stay on the top of their game. When they don't evolve, they're no longer effective and they fade away. In essence, it is a functioning "change" operating system that allows them to consistently be on top as opposed to being a one hit wonder.
After all my contemplation, studying and work in helping people achieve weight loss success, it occurred to me that most people have a lot more control over their operating systems than they realize. Those that have been successful with lasting weight loss methodically update their "change" operating system first. Once they have a functioning "change" system, they use it to update their eating and fitness operating systems. Finally, they install one additional operating system that locks them into permanent weight loss. I call this the For Good Operating System. If you want to lose weight and lose it For Good you need to install these four necessary updates.
In my next article, I will reveal some critical elements of the "change" operating system. We will then use that information to design your operating system update, If you're interested in losing weight for good, you're not going to want to miss it.
Bio - -
Dr. Russ L’HommeDieu is a doctor of physical therapy and success coach who has lost half his body weight. He not only went from 410 pounds to 200 pounds, he has maintained it for over a decade. He has spent the last 10 years helping literally thousands of people to lose weight and keep it off. He is particularly proud of clients that apply his operating system updates in other areas of life and enjoy financial, business and relationship success, to name a few. Currently he is finishing his much anticipated self-paced audio program called "Lose Weight Good! Retrain your brain & become a person that NEVER has to diet again."  He is also a highly sought after trainer / motivational speaker and as a former stand-up comic, his programs are not only fun, they're transformational. He been invited to speak at many conferences and events including Hartford Hospital and Harvard University and now, if he is available, you can book him for your event. You can follow him on facebook at www.facebook.com/losewt4good and his website is:www.loseweightforgood.org His email is docrusspt@gmail.com

6 Easy Ways to Get Started with Your Morning Workout

Did you ever wonder how those "exercise people" do it? I mean they seem to have just as busy a life as you yet, they manage squeeze in some kind of exercise just about everyday. They look so healthy and have such cool and exciting lives. In just one short conversation you hear all about their adventures climbing mountains, trail biking, kayak picnics, blah, blah, blah. As you listen with an odd mixture of wonder and contempt the only thing you can think to bring to the conversation is a juicy bit of gossip about the latest celebrity naughtiness and arraignment.

Where do they get all that energy? Maybe it's the exercise? Your doctor says that just a little exercise would do you a lot of good. You figure that's right but you just can't seem to fit it in.
How do they do it? Chances are, they do it in the morning. While there is no evidence that exercising in the morning is "better" for you, there is a great deal of evidence suggesting that people who exercise in the morning are much better about getting it done. All that really matters about the time of day you choose to exercise is that you actually exercise. "Morning exercisers tend to stick with their exercise habit," according to Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist of the American Council on Exercise, "By doing the bulk of exercise first thing in the morning, you get your exercise in before other distractions can intrude. We can all relate to that -- because once the day gets going, it's hard to get off the treadmill called life."
Here are six tips for helping you to go from couch potato to a jumping lean bean by establishing a regular morning exercise habit.

1. Set more than your alarm.
Beeep, beeep, beeep, beeep - - Fwop! You slam your hand on the snooze bar and that's your entire workout for the day. While experts agree that it is important to start small (see tip number 2) "snooze bar slams" probably aren't going to help you shed any pounds, finish a 5k or summit any mountains. While setting your alarm is good, it's usually not enough to overcome the impulse to limit your workout to several reps of snooze bar slams. Before you go to bed, try setting these things as well.
*Set the appointment. Treat your exercise time as you would an important business meeting or an appointment with you doctor. Don't be a no-show. Be on time and ready to go.
*Set the activity. Figure out exactly what you are going to do. If you are going to the gym, think about which machine you are going to use and for how long. If you are going to do an outdoor activity like biking or running, plan the route in advance. It is also a really good idea to have a plan "B" just in case your first plan is scuttled by weather or an "out of order" sign on your favorite machine at the gym.
*Set out your workout clothes. Decide exactly what you are going to wear and set the clothes in a place where they are easy to find in the dark. This may not seem like a big deal but it is. When you set your clothes out, it helps you to get started faster and gives you less time to bail out. Plus, if you don't workout, that frickin' pile of exercise clothes will haunt you. If you stick to your plan and keep the clothes there, they will remind and motivate you.
*Set your mind. Do a mental run through of your new morning routine before you go to bed. Imagine yourself hopping out of bed, grabbing your gear and getting to it. This only works if you focus on the positive aspects of the workout. Nothing will torpedo you faster than imagining your gym as a medieval torture chamber. As you do your mental run through, think about how accomplished you will feel, who you are going to meet at the gym and the trip to the coffee shop after (see tip #6). I kayak so I love to imagine the majestic sunrise or gliding past flocks of waterfowl as they fly just inches above the water.

2. Start small.
The ONLY purpose of the FIRST day of your new morning exercise habit is so that you can have a SECOND day of your new morning exercise habit. That's it. This is about establishing the habit, not about transforming yourself into a world class athlete before breakfast on day one. Those "exercise people" you admire (or hate, or both) have a secret. Wanna hear it? They don't abuse themselves. They have built themselves up through simply being consistent. Start out with something really simple like a 10 minute walk or bike ride. Trust me, build the HABIT first and then, after you are in a routine, then worry about stepping it up.

3. Plug into a network.
One of the most effective ways to keep motivated do anything is to connect with other people. The most basic way to accomplish this is to tell a lot of people about your plans to do morning exercise. As you tell them, think bout how uncomfortable you will feel when they ask you about it (and you know someone will ask), if all you did were some reps on the snooze bar. If you want to step it up a bit, get a workout partner. The buddy system really works for exercise because you will motivate one another. On the days that your a ball of energy and they are dragging their butt, you will likely give it a swift kick for them. As a result, they will be very anxious to return the favor on days when your dragging yours. A partner also helps with appointment setting. You are less likely to ditch your morning walk when you know your best buddy is waiting out in the cold.
Not a big fan of working out with an entourage? That does not mean that you can't plug-in. Try posting your activities on social media. Apps like "MapMyRide," "MapMyRun" and "MyFitnessPal" will keep track of your route including distance and time. This is a great way to create accountability. Many apps will even send you a weekly workout summary.
An even more creative way to use these apps is to take a challenge. This is where you commit to, let's say, ride your bike the same distance as the Tour de France in a month.

4. Give it some love
Ok, so you hate working out but, do you really hate everything about it? Is there anything you could do to put a little love into it? Sometimes this is as simple as just reflecting on what there is to love about the exercise you are already doing. It's so easy to focus on the negative. One thing that works is to mentally break the exercise down. Stop thinking "I just hate exercising" and start contemplating what you don't like about it. Then, think of at least three positives for each negative. So, you hate sweating but you love the way you feel afterward. You love the natural high, you love the bragging rights and you love the feeling of accomplishment. Maybe you can even re-frame sweating as a purging of toxins from your body and begin to appreciate the perspiration. OK, maybe not but, I do.
How about just searching for something you really love. I love kayaking. Did I always love kayaking. No. How could I? I was a 400 pound man. I didn't fit in a kayak. Then, after losing my first 100 pounds, I tried it. That's the key. I tried it with an open mind. At first I sucked at it and didn't love it. I saw potential in it though. I created three positives for each negative and pushed on. Same for trail biking and rock climbing. Still not a big fan of running. I only do that when I am in a hotel with a crappy gym. What are my three positives? 1. I get to do a little sight seeing, 2. I love the rush of endorphins, 3. I feel really accomplished. BTW, there are more.
How about coupling your exercise with something you do love. In the winter, I exercise indoors which I do not love. I do however, love movies and vintage TV. Enter my iPad and Netflix. The rule for me though is that I do not watch unless I exercise. I really leverage this when I workout through half a movie. Then I am excited to workout the next day so that I can see how it ends. Are you a gamer? Why can't you play while you exercise? Music, of course, is a mainstay of the exercise crowd but, so are audiobooks. Why not tone your mind while toning your body?
Another way is find the love is to get help. Do it with someone you love (see tip #3). Not only will you both get stronger but, so will your relationship.

5. Give it purpose.
"He who has a why can bear almost any how." ~Friedrich Nietzsche
Nothing is a powerful as purpose. When you connect your exercise to a deep purpose, it sure helps get you out of bed in the morning.
I truly believe that my life is an example to others. I know when people read my writing, attend my workshops or see my lectures, they assume I exercise. Since it is important for me to "walk my talk," my exercise has a purpose way beyond simply staying fit. I have connected my exercise to my authenticity and my ability to change peoples lives.
I also know that my exercise helps my mental wellbeing. I am all out of sorts when I don't get my workout. This, in turn, keeps me from being at my best that day. Since my mental performance is important to me, so is my exercise. See the connection? The more important connections you make between exercise and what you want or who you want to be, the easier it will be to get off the snooze bar and get out of bed.
How about donating your workout to charity? My favorite motivator is to leverage my workouts for a good cause. This works best when you do it in a way that challenges you. So, don't just sign up for the relay for life and do a few laps on event day. Train for your event as if your performance mattered. If you have never run a 5K before, sign up for a charity 5K and train to actually run it. That means getting serious. Last year, I paddled to the very edge of my comfort zone and went right around Long Island NY. It was over 270 miles of the most challenging paddling I could imagine. The only reason I could do it was because I trained hard and my motivator was the charity to which I committed.

6. Celebrate.
Last but, by no means least, is celebrate. Celebrate every workout! First and foremost, take a moment to inventory all the good things you feel after working out. Acknowledge the feeling of accomplishment and the tingling of your muscles. Whatever the feeling is to you, it is not going to help you motivate if you don't acknowledge it.
Equally important is to create a pleasure ritual at the end of each workout that you can look forward to. Maybe it's a warm soak in the tub. Maybe it's that first cup of coffee. For me, it's that cherished hour at the coffee shop with my Kindle. The key is to make it a true celebration of the workout. If you don't workout, don't do the celebration.
Another hint is not to center your pleasure ritual around high calorie food. So, maybe that post-exercise trip to the pastry shop is not a good idea.

What you can learn about life from the United States Marine Corps

U.S. Marine Corps: A very effective team.
When I was a boy, I wanted to be a Marine. My dad was a Marine and I wanted to be like him. While my life did not take me through Parris Island, dad made sure that the USMC influenced on how I view the world. 
I think one of the things that has impressed me most about the Marine Corps is what they produce: MARINES. Without exception, these guys are a breed apart. Even after 50 or 60 years, they are unmistakably Marines. And I should know, I see enough of these tough 'ol birds in my work with the Veteran's Administration. By the way, no disrespect to the other services. I have met some amazing people that served in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force but, those Marines are a little different.
One thing that makes Marines so remarkable is that EVERY Marine is a brother. From the moment these guys finish boot camp, they are on the team and it is a team they stay on until they die. It doesn't matter to a Marine when you became a Marine, as long as you earned the right to wear the globe and anchor and did not disgrace it, another Marine would have your back. At least that is what I have seen. 
So how is it that the Marine Corps can take just about any young man or woman and create such an effective team? To answer this, I went back to their core values. 
U.S. Marine Corps' Core Values 
The Core Values give Marines strength and regulate their behavior; they bond the Marine Corps into a total force that can meet any challenge. 
Honor 
Honor guides Marines to exemplify the ultimate in ethical and moral behavior; to never lie cheat or steal; to abide by an uncompromising code of integrity; respect human dignity; and respect others. The quality of maturity, dedication, trust and dependability commit Marines to act responsibly; to be accountable for their actions; to fulfill their obligations; and to hold others accountable for their actions. 
Courage 
Courage is the mental, moral and physical strength ingrained in Marines. It carries them through the challenges of combat and helps them overcome fear. It is the inner strength that enables a Marine to do what is right; to adhere to a higher standard of personal conduct; and to make tough decisions under stress and pressure. 
Commitment 
Commitment is the spirit of determination and dedication found in Marines. It leads to the highest order of discipline for individuals and units. It is the ingredient that enables 24-hour a day dedication to Corps and country. It inspires the unrelenting determination to achieve a standard of excellence in every endeavor.

Imagine the power of a personal set of written core values. After reading these values, can you think of how they can be adapted to your life? How about to your relationship to your spouse? I guarantee that only good could come from aligning your personal compass and the compass of your marriage to a set of unifying core values. May I suggest that you start with the Marines? Thanks Dad - - - You may be gone, but your voice lives on in me - you tough old Jar Head.