weight loss – Weight Loss and Leadership

Five Habit Combos for Body and Soul

Today at our Weight Watchers meeting we talked about the idea of piggybacking to establish beneficial habits more quickly. Here is a simple example. You need to take medication each day which is an established habit. However, you want to also institute the beneficial habit of drinking sixty-four ounces of water. A way to establish the new habit it to place a water bottle next to your pill container. Presto! Now you have a ready-made container with the right amount of water next to your pill box. You need to wash down the pills and in so doing start on drinking the water you need for the day!

I established these habits in losing 150 pounds in just over a year. You can read more about that journey and the Power of Habit in this previous blog Fat to Fit Again! The Power of Habit. Now with the weight off my body, I turned to heal my soul. My physical transformation healed my body, but my soul was still suffering. I was still at times a curmudgeon and my peace of mind though better could still get rattled. So, I decided to piggyback some new soul habits with some of my firmly established body habits. Here are five of the body and soul habit combos that I do on a daily and weekly basis. My habits will have a Catholic Christian flavor, but you can adopt for your own faith practice.

New Saturday Texas Three Step. I wrote about my initial Texas two-step habit in this blog.The Saturday Texas Two Step! Two years ago, my parish established Saturday morning prayers (called Lauds in the Liturgy of the Hours) combined with Adoration on Saturday in the early morning. This led to my new and improved Texas three-step Saturday ritual. I get up on Saturday at 5 AM and exercise to get as close to my weight target as possible. I then go to my Church and pray for an hour to clear the weight off my soul. After praying (and sometimes Mass), I head to my WW meeting to share wellness ideas with my friends at the 9:30 WW Meeting. And in one fell swoop, I shed weight on body and soul and share fellowship to start the weekend off right!
Mike and Bike. I documented my love of cycling in these previous blogs. Peloton Pandemic Pandemonium, Don’t Stop Believing: A Weight Loss Journey in Three Intervals. Right up there with this love is my respect and admiration of Father Mike Schmitz. He was instrumental in my wellness journey both and body and soul. I started listening to his homilies after a Lenten retreat at our parish retreat and would exercise to his homilies while using the elliptical training. With the launch pf the Bible in the Year podcast, I have taken it to a whole new level with Mike and Bike. At least three times weekly, I put on a 20-minute scenic ride on the Peloton and turn off the sound. I then turn on the daily Bible in the Year podcast and listen to the Lord’s word while circumventing the pathways of Rome, Paris, or the Alps. With each Mike and Bike, I grow in the knowledge of the Lord’s plan for me and build my quads to boot! You can download the Bible in the Year podcast here Bible in a Year if you want to try it.
Marching with Mary. During the month of May, I participated in a fundraiser to raise money for the mental wellness of veterans and soldiers. The StopSoldierSuicide.org fundraiser called for me to March 50 miles during the month of May while carrying a 50 lbs. ruck. My 50+ year old body does not march fast with a 50 lbs. on his back. It was seriously cutting down on my prayer time. I therefore decided to add reciting a silent Rosary while marching. This Marching with Mary practice allowed me to add fifty prayers on each ruck march. In this way, I not only was able to raise money for Veterans, I could pray for them also.
Hinge and Hallow. One of the reasons I walked slow while marching with is weakness in one of my knees. To help this issue, I use a physical therapy application called Hinge Health https://www.hingehealth.com/. This application has a set of tailor-made exercises to help strengthen my knee. While I am doing my Hinge exercises, I listen to the Hallow mindfulness application https://hallow.com/ . This application is an excellent resource for all Catholics and includes everything from The Daily Miracle meditation to Gregorian Chants to books from doctors of the Church. This combination helps me fix my knee and my disposition all at the same time! Here is links to both of them
Exodus for soul (and body). The last body/soul combination is the one that launched it all. Two years ago, I participated with a group of men in my church in Exodus 90. This program is a is a ninety-day spiritual exercise for men based on three pillars: prayer, asceticism, and fraternity . Part of the ascetism practice is daily rigorous exercise, exclusion of alcohol and sweets, and days of fasting. It also includes daily prayer practice. It gave me the idea for the other four practices previously stated. I highly recommend it for all Catholic Men that need a wakeup call for both body and soul. Here is a link to there website https://exodus90.com/.

This fast-paced world can wear the body and the soul. Use the art of habit piggybacking to fight back and build a better you!

3 out of 5 Ain’t Bad – What to Do When Eating Out!

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It’s 3 days after Thanksgiving, and you are tired of turkey and leftovers. So, you decide to go out and eat or order on UberEATS. What do you do to stop adding to the pounds? Here are 5 proven methods to stop from overeating when eating or ordering out!

1. Track before you attack. The first rule is always to figure out what you will have before departing. Most restaurants now post nutritional values in menus on their website. Read the menu, pick your menu items, and record the calories before departing. Like a good soldier, never eat without a good plan of attack.

2. Bring it to Boots! Portion control is the key to keeping your weight down and your friends happy. In my case, my friend is a bear/dog named Boots shown below.

I always think of my buddy Boots when craving a big steak. I then make a conscious choice. I eat 5 oz. instead of 10 oz of a Porterhouse, cutting my calories in half and making my dog leap in delight! This trick also works with humans, but it is more fun with dogs. Half your plate and make your friend feel great!

3. Stop the cravings at the Concierge. Rule 3 works best when traveling, but is easily modified during the current pandemic. I had access to a concierge lounge back in BP (Before Pandemic) time, when I was traveling a lot for work. I would hit the concierge lounge and load up on vegetables before going to a restaurant for dinner. Many times, I would skip dinner and just eat in the concierge lounge. I lost over 100 pounds following this trick. I swear by it! The approach still applies even with limited or no travel. Eat some vegetables or small appetizers at home before ordering or eating out. Fill up on veggies, instead of filling out on steak and burgers!

4. Eat like a Plebe. The faster you eat the more you repeat (think Buffet). When I eat out, I go back to my training and eat like a Plebe! We learned to eat slow at West Pont, by squaring our meals, so we would not wolf down food.

Here is how you square a meal. You lift your fork straight, bend your fork at a 90 degree to your mouth, straighten your arm back out, and then bring you fork completely down. You do not bring your fork back up until you completely chewed your food. On top of this, you needed to take small bites to be able to recite knowledge to senior cadets without your mouth full. All served to slow how fast we ate, and cut down on our food intake, while practicing good manners. 35 years later, I still eat like a Plebe.

5. 3 out of 5 Ain’t Bad. I cannot claim this last rule, since I learned it from a colleague. Every meal at a restaurant usually includes 5 options: bread, appetizer, entrée, dessert, and alcohol. The simple rule is to keep it to three!. Either Bread, Drink and an Entrée or some other combination. Remember scrap 2 and keep 3! While I can’t claim this idea, I can confirm it works and claim the below song parody to emphasize. Make like Meatloaf and remember.

I want you,
But I don’t need you,
And there ain’t no way I am ever going to eat you,
Now don’t be sad,
Because 3 out of 5 ain’t bad!

Three Out of Five Ain’t Bad

Waking Up to Your Why

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Each morning I wake up with a why in my heart and head; sometimes two! What is a why? A “why” is the motivation for taking on something difficult and the purpose for doing so. A why drives you forward even when you feel you can’t go on. Why’s are imperative to change a bad habit or get out of a rut.

I did not always have a why nearby. I did not have an overall cause or purpose from 2007 to 2014. I wandered without a why, for those seven years. In the process, I gained over 100 pounds, lost my drive, and in general was a bear to be around. The years of wandering without a why are described in this blog: Fit to Fat: Lessons Learned While Doubling My Weight

Then three things hit simultaneously at the end of 2014 that got me back on track. First, I learned that I had a serious health issue caused in part by my weight. Second, I received an invite to my 30^th West Point Reunion. Third, I received a discount to Weight Watchers (now WW) through my company. The three combined to develop that first why. I decided to lose weight and increase fitness to look presentable for my 30^th reunion and regain my health!

I was introduced to the power of “why” at Weight Watchers and have expanded my understanding through my own story and experience. Here are 4 things you need to implement your unique why.

1. Visualize Your Why. It is important to have a visual representation as to the outcome you want to obtain. A visual representation serves to remind you why you are making the change and helps to keep you motivated when times get tough. One way to do that is to create a Vision Board; a series of pictures and text snippets that visualize your goal.

Below you see the visual representation of my first “why” that I created at WW on the Hay House Vision Board app (located here Hay House Vision Board). I wanted to do two things as represented in this Vision Board: to lose weight to look decent for my reunion and to get healthy in memory of my parents. Pictures include my company from West Point, a picture of my parents, my WP graduation picture, a picture at near peak weight with a classmate, an image of my family, and me working out in support of my mission! I topped it all off with my class moto “For Excellence We Strive, 85”.

I looked at the Vision Board each day. It drove forward when times got tough. I looked at it after getting through TSA with my CPAP machine, so I could get good rest on a work trip. Or when hitting the hotel gym at 9 PM after work. Or when avoiding a beer and eating vegetables at the concierge lounge. Slowly but surely it kept my eye on the prize as I lost 100 lbs. before the reunion.

2. Adapt Your Why. Once you obtain one “why”, focus on another. Whys are not static. The excellence of today is the mediocrity of tomorrow. A new reason or mission can drive you on to greater things. Here are three of my subsequent “Why’s” to show you what I mean.

First, my reunion served to stoke two new motivations. Having lost 100 pounds, I wanted to lose the other 50+ lbs to achieve Lifetime designation on WW. Second, I wanted to do something to remember a fellow officer who was lost in Afghanistan by supporting returning Veterans. Combining the two, I created my second Why that led to the creation of the McEvoy Memorial Walk in support of the Merivis Foundation. I trained from August to Veterans Day in 2015 to walk 50 miles in one day in support of Merivis and the Young Marines of the Capital Area (read more here Go Big to Get Small – The Art of Improbable Goals ). In the process, this why drove me to my Lifetime weight goal and raised funding for these worthy organizations. Here is a YouTube clip on the walk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaaijB9ybX4

My next goal was to maintain my weight and support the children of St. Jude’s by becoming a Certified Spin Instructor and riding the entire 4-hour St. Jude’s Ride for a Reason. I talk about this motivation in the following blog Spinning is Winning! A Ride for A Reason.

Spinning helped me maintain my weight, diversify my exercise regime, help a worthy cause, and gain a new skill. Now I was ready to play it forward with my current Why.

My current why came about due to two events: a milestone birthday and the ongoing pandemic. Having been given so much, I wanted to pass it on to others. I came up with a new acronym for my Why – CRAFT. The acronym stands for Coach, Religious, Author, Friend, and Teacher. You can read more about CRAFT here 5 by 5, Rumination on a Milestone.

In simple terms, I wake up each day whether in this blog, my continued workouts, or wellness programs paying it forward. It is now my mission to teach others how to heal both their body and soul, especially during this difficult time. To impart what I have learned through example, stories, and wellness programs. Read about one such wellness program called Peloton Pandemic Pandemonium here .

3. Share your Why. When you determine your why, do not keep it to yourself. Share it with friends and family to help prod you on and keep you on track. The ability to share helps you immensely. I am grateful both to my WW Round Rock Saturday group and my sister in law Sheri and niece Rachel for creating Facebook groups. These communities allowed me to share my motivation and progress toward health. Live and share your why with friends to keep moving forward!

4. Wake Up with Your Why. I end with the beginning. Each day you can take concrete steps to wake up with your why. I accomplish this through journaling and meditation. I use the Kindness Journal (located here Kindness Journal) to help prompt me along to realizing my why.

Each day I record three “I am statements” to help me visualize my end goal. Here is a recent example in pursuit of my current why: “I am a devoted coach that passes on the lessons that have served me on my health journey to improve the lives of others”. I also visualize my favorite moment from the day before and list the thing that I will do today to help make the world better. The journal helps me focus on why I was put on this earth. Along with meditation in the form of prayer, I remain fixed and progressing towards my why.

In closing, do not wander and wallow in the unknown without a why. Instead, visualize your why with these four simple tricks and build a better future for yourself and others!

Peloton Pandemic Pandemonium

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The ongoing pandemic is stressful. The recent pandemonium around the Presidential Election even more. What is the anecdote? Peloton Pandemic Pandemonium (PP))! What is that? Read on!

My love affair with spinning is chronicled in several of my previous blogs listed here Spinning is Winning! A Ride for A Reason Back in the Saddle for St. Jude’s Don’t Stop Believing: A Weight Loss Journey in Three Intervals Heroes of Health Series, Episode 2 – Corey the Cycling King. Spinning classes helped me regain my health, brought me new friends, and a new skill as a certified instructor! So, when the pandemic hit, I loss my number one stress outlet. My gym and cycling class were closed. I could no long Clip-In and Tune Out before or after a long day at work. What to do? Peloton!

Peloton for those uninitiated is a virtual platform for cycling and other exercise programs. You can ride with other cyclists around the world virtually! You can do so either on the Peloton stationary bike or by using the Peloton virtual service available on your phone, with your own equipment. On Peloton Live In-Studio rides you can compete with other cyclists on the virtual leaderboard. They have excellent instructors who are fun and uplifting like my four favorites Jenn Sherman, Leanne Hainsby, Alex Toussaint, and Kendall Toole. The others are great too!

I had used the virtual Peloton app as a supplement to my gym spin class. But now decided to get the bike. I loved it from the moment I got it. And it made me think that my fellow work colleagues would love it too. So, I and a friend came up with a virtual stress valve program appropriately called Peloton Pandemic Pandemonium. Each week we pick up to 3 live rides and post the time and date on our company’s local website. People join with our group’s hashtag and we have a fun virtual race. Also, we give each other virtual high fives and chat as we ride.

Peloton Pandemic Pandemonium helps us stay healthy and happy during these difficult times. Here are the three major ways that PPP helps to keep you sane in these insane times:

1. Endorphins! Spinning, especially the Peloton variety is an endorphin rush. The mixture of music and interval exercise brings a flood of endorphins that helps to counter the darkest thoughts. The endorphin- exercise connection is well documented (read here WebMD Article). PPP is the way to crush, despair with an endorphin rush!

2. Tune-in and Sing! I love exercising to music. Nothing is more relaxing and stress relieving then belting out your favorite tunes as you spin. The good news about PPP is you can sing in the comfort of your own home. No embarrassment and no drowning out by the person next to you. But watch out! Singing too loud while biking at 100 RPMs can nearly cause you to pass out. I need to watch it the next time we do another Hamilton (Robin Arzón) or Bon Jovi (Kendall Toole) theme ride. (Need to add Jenn Sherman’s Epic Sing Along Series).

3. Community. Peloton and our company group PPP is a community. We care about each other. We high five when people hit a milestone and pick them up when they fall-down. In addition, theme rides really help celebrate commonalities and share hardships and trials. One of the best such rides is Kendall Toole’s ride on World Mental Health Day which focused on the importance of Mental Health. See my thoughts especially on Veteran’s Mental Health here. Mental Health Thoughts

So, there you have it. Three ways Peloton helps you with the Pandemic and Pandemonium of today! Message me or comment if you would like to participate in PPP!

Getting Rid of Junk Food and Throw Away Values

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I would never say that the current pandemic is a blessing in disguise. It is a painful scourge that has caused pain to many and has dramatically changed our lives. But I would call it an opportunity, if we are bold enough to seize it. An opportunity to reflect on what is important and perhaps change the direction that we are taking individually and as a nation. In that way, it is reminiscent of a personal health scare that I had some five years ago. This event, while extremely negative and scary at the time, changed my life for the better.

Six years ago, I was on a downward trajectory. The bottom hit in 2014 when I was out of shape (350+ pounds), stressed and overworked. I was in Kansas on a work project and I was trying to keep up with one of my colleagues who had offered me a lift to the hotel. I was trying to keep pace with him as we climbed the stairs. On the third flight as we approached the car, I could not catch my breath in the brisk air. It took more than 5 minutes of deep breathing to get it under control. My chest was constricted and heart beating out of control. In that way it had some of the symptoms of the current virus.

Something had to change! Left to my own devices, I would have done what I always done – driven on. But this was something scary and new. The Iron Man’s armor was beginning to rust, and I had to reassess my habits. In this case, one of the habits I had to change was eating junk food. A sugar junkie I used to literally drink Peanut M&M’s as I drove through another 14-hour workdays.

This scare made me make abrupt changes to some of my habits, but not all. Instead of eating junk food such as M&Ms, I switched to apples. Instead of sitting in a chair for 14 hours, I got up and took a walk. Slowly over a year and a half I took off a 150+ pounds and got healthy. But I still retained some bad habits.

That is where the current pandemic comes in. It is a similar shock to the system. But instead of getting rid of junk food, it has forced me (as I suppose some of you) to reassess and replace junk values with real ones. Chiefly these three:

1. Reassessing Work-Life Balance. I am not sure I ever practiced work-life balance. I was more Work first then life; but the current situation changed that. Work can disappear in a second. If you pour yourself into work only, you lose your identity. And then what do you have when work goes away? Fortunately, that has not happened to me yet. But the situation has caused me to reflect and rebalance. I focus now on life first. That has also rippled into my reactions with others. I used to focus exclusively on work in discussions. But with everyone working from home, it has made me more tolerant and even appreciative of the lives of others seeping into work. Just the other day I had the joy of seeing a colleague’s child sing “Baby Shark”. My kids are all adult and with no grandchildren to date it was fun (although you younger parents must think I am nuts!)

2. Slowing down instead of speeding up. I used to change gears at the moment’s notice. With no restrictions, I would get in a car or plane to meet a friend, take in a movie or fly to a client site. The need to social distance and shelter at home has slowed everything down and took away our freedom of movement. But if you think about it, maybe we were too frantic in the first place. We now have more time to plot our next move and to think reflectively.

3. Appreciating the human touch. I am not one for crowds. Truth be told I am a bit of a curmudgeon. But with the inability to see people real time, I now have a longing to be back with friends and family. I cannot wait to be back in the office and see my colleagues at work or sit with my Weight Watchers group in the studio again. Virtual Zoom meetings can help replace some of the interaction, but it cannot fully satisfy the human longing to be with each other. Springsteen says it best that when facing a world with too few answers:

“You might need somethin’ to hold on to
When all the answers they don’t amount to much
Somebody that you can just talk to
And a little of that human touch”

– Bruce Springsteen “Human Touch”

I would like to close with one a verse of my favorite Irish song. Although I could not sing it with others on St. Patty’s Day, I am hoping the shock of Covid-19, like a thunderstorm in April, can lead to a flowering of new life in May. And we can again shake hands …

Slow Down You Move too Fast

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One of my favorite songs is Simon and Garfunkel’s “Feeling Groovy” and nothing makes me feel groovier than taking a slow walk Saturday around Lady Bird Lake in Austin. The song goes something like this with apologies for some modifications:

“Slow down you move to fast,

Got to make the Saturday last,

Just kicking down Lady Bird Lake,

Austin is great and feeling groovy.”

Here is a picture I snapped last weekend during my weekly trek. These turtles sure know how to Slow Down, bask in the sun, and feel groovy.

While the word Groovy may have been out of vogue since the Seventies, slowing down to regroup is still key to a better life. Even more so in this time of constant noise and nuisance. Nothing restores the soul and the spirit then a good podcast, a crisp wind and nature all around.

Slowing down is the key to the healthy and happy life. I seldom miss a Slow Walk Saturday for the following three reasons:

1. Time to reflect and adjust. When we are running from one task to the other, there is seldom time to reflect, learn from experiences, and adjust. I find that when I slow down and quiet my mind that I come up with the answer that I need. Proof point? I have been so busy with work and life that I have been having writer’s block. A few minutes and miles and I had ten new ideas when I had been stuck for at least a week. Sometimes the best thing when you are struggling for a solution is slow down, quiet your mind and be thankful for the nature all around you.

2. Destress and feel blessed. Nothing stokes compassion and soothes the soul than to experience nature. It is hard to feel hassled when you see 20 turtles sunning on a log or see a bird take flight. It is a wonder this world! Our role is to revel and reflect the love of God in his creation. Not to strive and stifle. Slowing down makes us thankful for the pauses and pleasures that are in each day!

3. Listen and learn. When you are alone with your thoughts and those of a good book, you learn new things about yourself and your place in the world. I recommend to everyone the library application Libby which provides audio books for free if you have a library card. I have learned so much while walking and listening from how Changing your Habit can Change Your Life to How to be 10% Happier. Truly my Slowdown Saturdays have made me a better person!

Life is not a sprint. It a slow walk to the better angels of our nature. So, take the time to slow down and feel groovy.

Let in Snow! 3 Tricks to Stay on Track Despite Travel Woes

2020-01-14Donald Grier1 Comment

Keeping on track with your weight loss journey is tough when traveling under the best circumstances. It can be doubly so when your plane is delayed or even cancelled on a Friday. But it does not have to be! You can stick to your healthy habits with these three tricks.

1. When it snows, find a Skywalk! Getting stuck overnight in a hotel because of a blizzard can curtail your weekend exercise routine. I do not know about you but walking on a treadmill just does not get it for me. I like my walks with some scenery and adventure. One way to switch it up if you can’t get outside is to find a mall or even an indoor Skywalk. Last weekend I was stuck in Des Moines, Iowa when my plane was cancelled. Luckily, I did not have to miss my Saturday Morning walk. I found an entry to the downtown Skywalk about a block away. After a brief bout with the sub-zero wind chill, I was soon walking and getting lost in the Skywalk. It was quite an adventure trying to find my way back through the maze of corridors. Also, felt a bit like Maxwell Smart with all the automatic opening doors. When I was finally done, I had five miles in, while braving the cold for only a few minutes.

2. Don’t stress, catch up on your rest! Missing your flight home due to weather can be stressful if you let it. But it also can be an opportunity to catch up on your rest. If you can’t get out of your hotel, catch up on your snooze time. Most of us are sleep deprived anyway and a few extra hours of rest can do wonders for your metabolism. On the flipside, overly worrying can lead to stress eating.

3. If your late, just meditate. You do not have to get caught up in the noise and bustle when stuck in an airport. Most airports have a chapel, lounge or quiet space where you can meditate or pray according to your practice to clear your head. Here is a guide that can help you out. https://www.sleepinginairports.net/

One of my favorite places is the chapel at DFW. But you can also find one of the gates that does not have a flight for an hour. For just type of these delays, I keep meditation applications Headspace, Calm, and the podcast Christian Meditation on my iPhone.

A plane delay or cancellation does not need to be a reason to go off the wagon. Use these three tips to keep on track when travel sets you back!

Mediterranean Magic: 5 Ways to Maintain Weight on Vacation

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Recently I and my wife went on a ten-day Pilgrimage to religious sites in Israel, Palestine and Italy. While I looked forward to the trip, I was worried about gaining weight. We went on a tour in which each moment of the day was planned to include where and when to eat. Hearing stories of how people gained 10 or more pounds on a tour had me worried. I was used to controlling my eating habits by eating primarily at home and tracking my food intake and timing consistently through the WW application. Having lost over 150 pounds on this regimen and keeping most of it off for 4 years, I was facing the unknown. I did not know what food would be offered nor did I know if I could even spell it to find in the application! Also, I knew the all breakfasts and dinners would be offered buffet style. I had avoided buffets since losing the weight because they always have been my nemesis. I had images of Golden Corral with numerous desserts and heavy American food and I was worried I could not control my eating habits.

Well, I should have rested easier, especially in Israel and Palestine (although Italy still posed problems due to its Pastas). The buffets at the Israeli hotels in Tel-Aviv, Nazareth and Jerusalem were a lot different than their US counterparts or those on cruise ships. There were five main distinguishing factors that made the buffets healthier than their US counterparts on the trip:

1. Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables! At each hotel there was an abundance of vegetables. They were fresh and varied. They also were front and center taking the place of the heavier entrees that are in US buffets. Another change were vegetables were available for breakfast along with fruit. For a devoted WW, it was a zero-point heaven and I loaded down with new and varied tastes. I loved the Israeli peppers and pickles that tasted different than those used in the US.

2. The best Hummus anywhere. Sorry Greece. Israeli Hummus is incredible and varied. In the morning there was about 5 types and the evening 7. In the US, I can tolerate Hummus, but it is not my favorite. In Israel, it is a different story! It tastes so fresh and tasty. Sorry American Greek restaurants, Israeli hummus it is where it is at!

3. Kosher food and whole foods. All the food in the Israeli buffet is Kosher and is prepared to exacting standards. It is not processed like its US counterparts and you can taste the difference. In addition, whole foods are bountiful. Nothing processed. Indeed, for the first time, I enjoyed a fish cooked whole from the Sea of Galilee (see below). I was a little nervous but was able to figure out how to eat correctly from a YouTube video! It was delicious.

4. Portion control. I was really worried about the dessert table, but I should not have been. Although I enjoyed a desert each meal, I did not have to worry about overindulging. No large ladles dipped in Apple cobbler or big slices of cake. The deserts were smaller so you could have a dessert and not be tempted by overindulging. The only problem on portion control was the coffee. We had to get up early each day and the coffee cups were small. Also, for some reason, Israeli’s love instant coffee and seldom could I find brewed coffee. Oh well, you can’t have everything.

5. Fish, fish, fish. I usually do not like fish but here it was varied, plentiful and the main offering. I even ate fish for breakfast! Had my first taste of salmon and pickled herring in the morning and it was surprisingly good!

At the end of my ten-day vacation, I had only gained .2 lbs. while still eating dessert each day. I think I would have lost wait if the entire trip was in Israel, but we also traveled to Italy for 3 days. I cannot resist Gelato and pasta. Also, an Italian cappuccino blows is cheaper than the US and is about 10 times better. Still, gaining only .2 lbs. while indulging in the Gelato’s for three days is quite a coup!

March Back to Fitness!

2019-08-23Donald Grier

Back in my Army and West Point days, I never thought of marching and carrying a ruck in fitness terms. It was a necessity. What you carried on your back is what you brought into combat. The more you put in, the more you were weighed down. The less you put in, the more you ran the risk of being ill-prepared.

Recently, however, I realized the fitness benefits of rucking for civilians. I started carrying a weighted ruck in preparation for the Shadow West Point March back that happened last week. The March Back coincides with the annual 13-mile march back of the United States Military Academy’s Plebe Class at the conclusion of summer Cadet Basic Training. I and about 15 fellow members of the West Point Society of Central Texas finished the march last week. The March included loaded Rucksacks and the Texas Heat! See the picture below. The Weather Channel even filmed a piece about us! I will let you know when it comes out.

Rucking has many benefits and is my latest fitness obsession. There is even a community of Veterans that go on rucking events. It is called GoRuck and raises money for Veterans dealing with PTSD. I am currently training for the next major event near Austin.

Here are the five major benefits of Rucking:

Low Impact. Unlike running that puts stress on your joints, rucking is low impact especially if you pack your ruck correctly.
Burns Calories. It burns 3 times the calories that walking does (even more in Texas heat).
Carry your Hydration. A ruck provides a convenient compartment to store water and remain hydrate. I fill up the bladder from my Camelback in my ruck. It adds weight and prevents me from passing out int the Texas heat!
Low Cost. I bought my rucksack for less than 40 dollars on Amazon. There is no need to get a specialized rucksack unless you want to. To weight it down, I just evenly distributed 5 lbs. weights that I already had in pouches.
Fun and social. I loved marching with fellow members of the Long Grey Line and being out in nature.

Marching with a ruck is not just for the military. Pick up your ruck, lace up your shoes and march back to health!

Listen to Learn and Lose!

2019-07-262019-08-23Donald Grier

Photo by jonas mohamadi from Pexels

Listen to Lose — Photo by **jonas mohamadi** from **Pexels**
Listen to Lose!

When people start on a weight-loss journey, they talk too much. They talk about the latest diet they are trying or the latest fitness craze that they are meaning to get to tomorrow. But talk is cheap. You need to listen to lose! Listen to your heart, listen to your body, and listen to others.

Listen to your heart. The you that you are meant to be is one heart beat away. So, listen what your heart is telling you to do. Do not turn to things that stress you out. The latest fitness craze does nothing if your heart is not in it. It just stresses you out and will cause you to stop when you are discouraged. Instead, do what you love. Also, be thankful for what you have. A thankful heart is a stress free, restful heart. Stress is often the reason for losing sleep and gaining weight. Lastly, strive for a goal that inspires you. Your heart needs to be in it to win it!
Listen to Your Body. Your body knows what it wants. That is the reason too many hamburgers and fries give you indigestion. Feed your body with the good stuff. Choose vegetables and fruit over candy and sugar. Remember, just like listening to someone, you must listen to your body closely to understand what it is saying. You may think is saying I need sleep when in reality your body is saying I need to exercise and get energy, or I am dehydrated, and I need water.
Listen to Others. Some people are struggling as you are and may have caught on to something new that you have yet to discover. Others may have won their battle with weight and have inspiring stories and important teachings to tell. Also, when you have met your target, listen to others to pass on your lessons and to provide you with a reason to stay on track.

Like all things, you learn more through listening than talking. So close your mouth, open your ears to Listen, Learn and Lose!