Logical Weight Loss

I heard a phrase this week that really stuck with me. Here it is:

You can have success or you can have excuses, but you can only choose one.

Then I thought about that. There are times when we accept circumstances and stop trying to find a way around them. There are times when we don't quit, we take negative consequences as feedback (instead of failure) and we keep moving toward our goal.

Jim Rohn once said, "If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.”

If your hands are full of excuses, you don't have any room for success. So let's look at some of the top excuses.

I Don't Have The Money

I eat from the "value menu" and I can't afford organic. I get this, but you can purchase a family package of chicken (for me about $5) and bake this (not fried). I use the Pressure Cooker XL and (just like the informerical) 20 minutes I have great tasting, healthier chicken. I still take off the skin. You can purchase frozen vegetables (or canned) and have a protein (chicken) and a carb (vegetables) ready to go for a healthy meal. That meal (for me) is $3.75.

I Don't Have Time To Cook

This is where we need to start the stopwatch on your phone the next time you go to get some "fast food." You drive there, wait in line, in some cases get asked to pull over, wait, only to get the wrong order. You go to a restaurant. You wait to be seated, wait for the waitress, wait for yours drinks, wait for the waiter to come back, wait for your food, wait for your check. Sure, I get it. You don't have to do dishes. How long does it take to put your dishes in the dishwasher?  Then get the family involved in cooking and start your stopwatch. I think you'll find you save time (and money, and calories) eating at home.

I've Never Done This Before

There are tons of things you've succeeded at that you'd never done before you tried. You'd never walked before you did, never driven a car before you first got behind the wheel, never had a job before your first one.

I Don't Know How

One word: Google. No Internet? One Word: Library. Don't have a library. It is as simple as eat less (and eat better), and exercise more.

The Conditions Aren't Right

Zig Ziglar once said, "If you wait for all the lights to turn green at the same time, you will never make it to work.

I Don't have Time To Work out

For me, weight loss begins with the food. In regards to working out, I have done workouts that lasted 7 minutes and I've felt results. Who doesn't have 7 minutes?

I Don't Have a Gym

You don't Need a Gym. You can use your own body weight to get yourself in shape using just your body. You can even deal yourself a workout just using your body with FitDeck Bodyweight

I Don't Have a Babysitter

Do you have a TV? Then you do. Again, you can make this happen. You might even have the kids exercise with you and be the role model of health. 

Exercise is Boring

Get some music, and pump up the jams. the workout will be over before you know it. Listen to some podcasts. Not sure how? Check out www.learntosubscribe.com to find out how you can use free software to listen to podcast on your phone. 

I Need a Coach or a Partner

Over 60% of Americans are over-weight. See if any of your friends need to lose weight. 

I Don't Want to Get Pumped Up With Weights

First of all, getting pumped up takes time. It's not like you're going to go to the gym once and wake up and go "Oh my! What have I done?" Secondly, there are ways to lift weight for muscle more than size. 

Please Supprt the Show by visiting www.logicalloss.com/support as Dave is currently unemployed

So I've always had my eye on a TRX system. But at a price point of $189, it was a bit too rich for my blood. So when I heard Jillian Michaels has endorse the RIP60 tool, and then I saw where it clocked in at $75 I was inticed. A couple of quick YouTube videos later I was sold. The piece looks super solid, and that's because it is. It comes with 8 DVDs, a meal plan, and a wall chart.

The DVD are well put together but the guy on the video really lost me when he kept reminding me that my body was a river of energy on disk one. It's a little too Berkeley for me. I just wanted someone to show my what exercises to do. The warm was 30 minutes of a 60 minute workout. I didn't have the  patience for this (or the fitness) and I tapped out after 20 minutes. For the next two days my legs were killing me, so if you're new to fitness, go in lightly. The workout it delivers.

The other dumb thing about the unit, is although it is built like a tank, the harness is designed to have you putting your weight so that you are leaning in the direction that the door closes. Now I don't know about you, but every placed I've ever lived, my bedroom door opens in. This means I have to exercise in the hallway with my weight pulling the door closed. While this works, I had to mount it to my bathroom door, and watch the dvd in my bedroom. Not convenient. It does seem that the best place for this is not on a door (even though they give you a nice cover to go over the door) but more in the basement where you can tie it to the rafters

My solution was to purchase a $5 app called Virtual Trainer Suspension - Virtual Trainer I like the app. You have all sorts of exercises group by fitness level and you can easily see what muscles are worked. I group a bunch of exercises together (some for legs, some for arms and chest) and got to work. The Virtual Trainer app would count of when to start doing an exercise and when to stop and rest. It doesn't count reps, you specify in second how long you want to do an exercise. This worked, and I was using my phone. The next time I'm going to use my iPad.

While I'm happy I bought it, and it definitely delivers a great workout. As I'm not using the DVDs, I could've done with something like the Gravity Straps from GetFit (sold on fitmoo) For $40 and bought the app and saved $30.  If I didn't want the app for exercises I could have got the fitdeck cards FitDeck - TRX Suspension Trainer for $15. Other options are the G strap Pro (in blue or red for $49)

All in all I'm glad I got it. Not a ton of buyers remorse, and I see myself using it even though I don't have a basement or a DVD player in the hallway. It is built strong, it versatile, and it setup in minutes (as apposed to my old Total Gym where half my workout was dragging it out from under the bed, setting it up, etc).

Listener Comments:

Happy 2016 Dave!
I love, love, love your podcast. I’ve been listening since June 2012. I’m so incredibly proud of you eating for health. Dumping sugar. Dumping empty calories from fast “Fraken” foods. Working more activity into your daily routine. Taking care of yourself.

I lost my weight (50 lbs) early on and I keep listening to podcasts like yours to stay motivated in my Sugar and Starch dodging lifestyle. You are always upbeat. I love your voice, your corny jokes, and fun sense of humor.

I’m writing to challenge you to keep pod casting, at least monthly, for a year AFTER you hit your goal weight. Staying on target after you are rocking your (insert size here) jeans turns out to be tougher than I anticipated and I’m really looking forward to your insights.You are always so full of tips, tricks and heartfelt sharing of your trials. You turned me on to FitBit (pedometer on steroids) and I look forward to your tech reviews. Keep it up for 2016!

So happy/ proud/ encouraged for you finally eating like a person who gives a damn about themselves and their world.
Thank You for sharing with all of us.
Best ,
Laura in Oregon

David S. Ludwig has a new book where he looks at how we treat obesity currently and if there is science to back up the way we treat this condition. His groundbreaking studies show that overeating doesn't make you fat; the process of getting fat makes you overeat. That's because fat cells play a key role in determining how much weight you gain or lose. Low-fat diets work against you, by triggering fat cells to hoard more calories for themselves, leaving too few for the rest of the body. This "hungry fat" sets off a dangerous chain reaction that leaves you feeling ravenous as your metabolism slows down. Cutting calories only makes the situation worse-creating a battle between mind and metabolism that we're destined to lose. You gain more weight, even as you struggle to eat less food. ALWAYS HUNGRY? turns dieting on its head with a three-phase program that ignores calories and targets fat cells directly

I actually like the new show. It focuses on a bunch of what appears to be fad diets, but in the end they all seem to focus on quality foods, and exercise. The diets that didn't, didn't seem to have as much impact. I don't think the Paleo or on the other side Vegan are the way to go. Everything in moderation, and focus on protein, fruits and vegetables. I like My Diet's Better Than Yours (Thursdays nights on ABC) because it focuses more on food than something like the Biggest Loser (which is also back). You also need to get your head in the game, and there is one diet that is called the No Diet Diet. That program focuses on getting your brain right. 

David S. Ludwig has a new book where he looks at how we treat obesity currently and if there is science to back up the way we treat this condition. His groundbreaking studies show that overeating doesn't make you fat; the process of getting fat makes you overeat. That's because fat cells play a key role in determining how much weight you gain or lose. Low-fat diets work against you, by triggering fat cells to hoard more calories for themselves, leaving too few for the rest of the body. This "hungry fat" sets off a dangerous chain reaction that leaves you feeling ravenous as your metabolism slows down. Cutting calories only makes the situation worse-creating a battle between mind and metabolism that we're destined to lose. You gain more weight, even as you struggle to eat less food. ALWAYS HUNGRY? turns dieting on its head with a three-phase program that ignores calories and targets fat cells directly

Available at Amazon.com

See www.logicalloss.com/283 for more

Today we talk about a great tool called the Kitchen Safe that enables you to lock away those items that you crave (cookies, twinkies, Reese Cups) and you can set a time from 1 minute to 10 DAYS. The Kitchen Safe XL is 5.5" Width x 5.5" Length x 10.4" Height. So you can hold chips, cookies, or (and this could make it very useful) TOYS, REMOTE CONTROLS, PHONES. 

So when your child misbehaves, you can now lock their device in the kitchen safe. You turn the dial to the time you need, and then, THERE IS NO OVER-RIDE. So when the child cries to you and says, "I need my remote control for my game" you have no control. You can't over-ride it. "I guess you should have listened to your parents. It's a little thing I call CONSEQUENCES.

The one "negative" side effect is the Kitchen Safe is $59 at Amazon.

which seems a little steep, but on the other hand. If it was inexpensive, you might be tempted to smash it. It's a little less expensive on their website at www.thekitchensafe.com

As the year comes this way, don't go out of the gate at 200 mph, hurt yourself, and then quit. Start focusing on ONE thing you can do this week that would be a step in the right direction. Practice doing it. Then the following week do one more thing. For me, I need to go to bed. When I stay up later I eat more. Even if I'm eating healthy, more calories are more calories. Sleep would be better.

My cousin turned me on to a saying, "It's better to want what you don't have (chips, cookies, etc) then to have what you don't want (20 extra lbs). So yes, cravings suck. But being over-weight sucks more. It's better to want what you don't have then to have what you don't want. 

Thanks so much for a great year. Thanks for all the support!

In a recent story The Sun, she stated, ""I used to drink ten cups [of tea] a day with two sugars in each so I was on 20 sugars a day," she said. "Now I don't drink it and I have more energy than ever." She is also doing a bit more exercise, quit smoking, drinking, and eating better. So in the end, it's not a big surprise. She is eating better, and exercising more. 

Today we also talk about Amy White who got involved by looking at labels, educating herself on what she was putting in her mouth. She realized that while the dollar menu was cheaper now, it was going to be much more expensive in the long run. In the end she lost 60 pounds. Read her full story here

I've been using My Fitness Pal to track my calories.

This week there was some buzz about Amy Schumer and her naked picture in the Pirelli Calendar.

Please note that I'm not saying she is ugly. I'm saying that we may not be as healthy as we think we are and by taking a naked selfy (or a smarter move may be a good hard look in a full length mirror) might be a bit of a wake up call. 

What are your thoughts?

Other Topics in this Episode

How Hi Fat Food Causes your brain to potentially eat itself

Applebee's is tkaing soda off the kids menu

10 Food you should always avoid

Thanks for supporting the Logical Weight Loss Podcast by visiting our Amazon.com link

Today I talk about losing 20 lbs and how its funny how your mind starts to try to talk you out of the strategy that is working. So when I start to think this way, I just say to myself, "Stick with the program, the program is working. Also mentioned on today's show.: Benefits of wlaking 30 minutes a day (source) My Diet is Better Than Yours Coming to About on 1/7 (source) Track your progress with a Fitbit. Prices start at $59.