Author: Bill

My wife was watching The Discovery Channel the other night. They were profiling two women who were undergoing a series of surgeries to reduce their weight.

They initially weighed 600 pounds…each.

Rhetorically, my wife asked while shaking her head in disbelief, “How do you get to weigh 600 pounds?”

My mental answer was, “Systematically.”

Think about the process that it must have taken for these women to reach such a lofty “goal.”

They had to devote themselves to a rigorous program of years of physical activity avoidance.

Their moto? “Never stand when you can sit and never sit when you can lay down.” (of course, I’m just guessing here)

Not only that but just think about their commitment to their eating program. Multiple meals per day of calorie dense non-nutritious foods. Certainly more than the typical 3 squares a day. Day in and day out. Eating when you don’t really want to eat, but rather just eating when it’s time to eat.

Then of course there’s their support system. I mean someone had to bring them food and encourage them to eat after they lost the ability to walk to the kitchen and get their own food, right?

This whole process didn’t take place over just a few weeks. It took YEARS to get to this level of physical “development.”

So what we have here is couple of people that followed a very simple plan consisting of synergistic behaviors that led to an amazing result.

Sounds a lot like the ultimate fitness (fatness?) plan, eh?

They were so close. They had a system and with a few small changes they’d be the picture of health instead of having to buy two seats on an airplane AFTER a surgically-induced 300 pound weight loss.

The System:
1. Devote yourself to a program of regular physical activity based on your fitness goals
2. Eat frequent, nutrient-dense meals that are supportive of your training and goals
3. Spend time with like minded people with similar interests and goals
4. Repeat forever

It is that simple.

Later

Success doesn’t smell sweet.

Actually, it smells a lot like a sweaty t-shirt.

Later.

P.S. this could be an original quote?

My favorite group of athletes to work with are those that are almost great.

The great ones are great no matter what they do. Yes, it’s true…it’s not the yoga.

The almost great have genetic gifts, but to be truly great, they require a much greater devotion to their preparation. In other words, they work harder for their success.

They ask questions like, “What else can I do.”

They say things like, “I’ll do whatever it takes!”

They NEVER make excuses and tend to blame themselves for failure on any level. It just makes them work that much harder to succeed.

To be the best you can be at anything, I think you need to maintain the “Almost Great” mindset.

What else can you do?

Strive to be Almost Great.

Later.

Phiiiiiiiillllll!

Yes, it’s that time of year again where I wish my good buddy Phil, the happiest of birthdays.

It’s also the time of year that I make a feeble attempt to convince my good buddy to move back to Nap Town, The Circle City, the home of the Brickyard….Indianapolis.

See Phil bolted from the fine state of Indiana soon after graduation from PT school. Seems he felt it necessary to spread his wings and become the guy he wanted to be.

It worked (as much as I hate to admit it…was a great move on his part).

Phil has become an outstanding professional as well as a great man. He also not too long ago married just the right gal, Julie (Uh, you kids do actually live in the same city now? I also like the burgundy wall in the living room :)) .

Could he have become the man he is by staying behind with the rest of us?

Yeah, but it wouldn’t make as good a story now would it. Where’s the legacy if you don’t take the calculated risks?

Congrats on another degree (how many is that now?), keep running (you ran the Indy Mini-Marathon in a couple hours, right? I cover the same distance in about 15 minutes because I take a car like all the other normal human beings), and hopefully we’ll see you soon.

For all of us in Indy, Happy Birthday.

Later

P.S. So, uh, Phil, when you think you might be moving back to Indy?

Adam Campbell, super-guy at Men’s Health Magazine, has taken my advice an shifted to using a stand-up desk (SUD). I must say that it sure is pretty.

You can check it out here: http://thefitnessinsider.menshealth.com/

Perhaps Adam’s co-workers are on to something and these SUD’s should come with an optional urinal attachment to raise productivity even further, eh? (don’t forget the small rack with anti-bacterial wipes!)

Of course, the female workers may get a tad jealous because most likely there’d only be a “mens” version.

The female version would cost WAY to much to produce with all the fuzzy seat covers, potpourri and candle holders, matching decorative privacy curtains, towels you don’t actually get to use and such.

Later