Set a monthly reminder

I went to my health club today, and it was packed with people getting started early on their New Year’s resolution to improve their health and wellness. Actually, they probably all just feel guilty about the case or two of cookies, sweets and stuffing they had in the last 8 days. Hey, we all do it---including me. I have been paying for it at the gym, trust me.

However, I know that in early February, the club will clear out again, and the regulars will still be there. If this sounds like it could be you, take a simple step to remind yourself once a month to stick with it.

Subscribe to a health, fitness or wellness magazine. Once a month, it will arrive in your mailbox with a picture or some hard body on the cover. Inside, you will find recipes, routines and tips to get healthier. For less than $15 a year, it is an easy way to get a nudge and a refresher once per month. Here are some of the ones I like:

• Men’s Health
• Men’s Journal
• Shape
• Prevention
• Self

These are just a few examples, and you can find a more comprehensive listing here.

Lose a can a week

The NY State Health Commissioner, Richard Daines, is creating a controversy by advocating a tax on sugar laden sodas. Critics are spending a great deal of time pointing out why this is not fair, but I think he is right on with his main point.

It has to start somewhere. Take a look at the video and judge for yourself.

Best diets

There was a recent story on MSNBC about the Top 10 Diets for those of you trying to lose a few pounds in 2009 (and beyond). There are some great choices in here, but you should keep in mind a few Rainmaker rules about diets:

1. Diets should be simple. If you need to study a book that requires you to learn chemistry and dietary science, it is too complicated for most people to absorb.
2. Diets should be cheap. You do not need to purchase "special food" to lose weight. Now, it it is preprepared and delivered to you, that is OK. You are paying for convenience. However, if a diet plan is trying to sell you their "magic ingredients" as the only way to lose weight, run away.
3. Diets are not fun. There are no shortcuts. Sorry, but if you are not hungry during a diet period, you are probably not doing it the right way.
4. Diets all work the EXACT SAME WAY. You need to consume less calories than you expend. These diets all have different ways to do it, but there is no escaping this mechanical fact. If you burn more than eat, you will lose weight. I do not care what your metabolism or genetics are (see any Survivor episode for verification).

You should select a diet that fits your lifestyle and is something you will commit the time and effort to complete. If you are not ready mentally, don't start a diet just because the calendar says it is the beginning of a New Year. Going on a diet is a mental exercise and starting before you are ready will just make you question whether ANYTHING will work for you. It will, but you need to choose your time and diet tool carefully.

Get out your calendar

You are waiting until the holidays are over to start that diet/exercise/clean living plan of yours, aren't you? Well, since you are so big on your calendar running your life for you, get it out. It is time to start making plans.

For the next 30 minutes, plan out the days you are going to exercise as well as the time of day. Write (or type) them in your calendar RIGHT NOW. These are appointments you are going to keep with yourself. If you had a business meeting next month, you would write it down, set reminders and not schedule anything else during that time. Do the same thing for your fitness plan.

Do it now.

Thanksgiving damage

OK, I did it, too. You told yourself you would be good, but you went and made a glutton out of yourself on Thanksgiving. Depending on who you talk to, the average Thanksgiving dinner has 3000-4000 calories. Did you have some wine and snacks before dinner? Add that in, too.

However, I am not going to lecture you. Thanksgiving is about spending time with family and loving life. Eat up and make yourself miserable. If you want to save some calories in some of the recipes by using low fat substitute ingredients, go for it. I am of the opinion, and personal habit, of eating like it was going to be my last meal on Earth.

The question now is what are you prepared to do about it after the fact? A true rainmaker would have the discipline and intensity to compensate for it. So, for the next 10 days, I want you to do the following:

1. Workout 8 times and add 10 minutes to each cardio workout and/or 1 extra set to each resistance exercise
2. Eat 250 less calories per day. That is the equivalent of one big bowl of cereal with milk or about one Powerbar. You can do that.
3. No alcohol.
4. Do not gorge yourself again. Be good.

After 10 days, you will have made up for your piehole stuffing by just doing a tiny bit more (or eating a little bit less) than you do every day. That wasn't so hard, was it?

BREAKING NEWS: diets are no fun and don't work

Not exactly a news flash, is it?

I should clarify the headline of this post a bit. Diets actually DO work if you are talking about losing weight. However, if your goal is too STAY thinner, they have a worse success rate than most Middle Eastern peace treaties. There are many reasons for this, but the one I think is most important is the fact that diets, no matter which one you choose, are a temporary regimen of absurdity followed by a great deal of hoping that the weight never comes back. The concept of diets does not pass any reality test. Consider if a co-worker, Cindy, made the following statement to you:

"I have not been doing well at work lately. I have let a number of things slide. So, for the next 2-3 months, I will work 12 hours a day and not take any breaks whatsoever. Once I get to what I feel is a comfortable level of achievement, I will go back to taking breaks, chatting at the water cooler and start my regular work routine again."

Who would like to guess how things will be for Cindy three months after her little project? I think she will be right back where she started. It kind of sounds a lot like this statement:

"I have gained 20 pounds. I have let my eating and exercise habits slide. So, for the next 2-3 months, I will diet and work out seven days a week and not have any sweets or fast food whatsoever. Once I get to what I feel is a comfortable weight, I will go back to my usual dinners, going out with friends and start having my regular lunches with co-workers again."

I would expect Cindy is going to see that 20 pounds again within a year.

Diets fail because they are temporary solutions to systemic lifestyle problems. For most people, the reason they are gaining (or can't lose) weight is related to one of the following issues:

• Their food portions are bigger than they think
• They put too much extra stuff on their food (cheese, butter, cream, sauces, etc.)
• They are eating food that is exceptionally dense in calories
• They are not counting liquid food (alcohol, soft drinks, juices, etc)
• When they diet, it is such a miserable experience that they cheat at the drop of a hat

Read this article about why diets fail and see if you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

Funny thing about aging

On MSNBC.com, I ran across a funny quote about exercise and aging:

"...In myself I've come to notice that aging comes in spurts. I've asked others, and they pretty much agree. I'll look the exact same way for a decade, and then — wham! — God hits the progeria switch and for two years the downhill plunge begins anew.

And then it stops again.

My body will plateau for another decade, until the next time it decides to collapse a bit more. Which is funny, because in a weird plot twist, I'm probably in better shape now than I was at 20. Many reasons: I quit smoking in 1988 (though I could start again right now), I stopped eating crap two years ago, and last year, I finally found a gym that doesn't allow music: no John Cougar Mellencamp blasting at maximum volume while circus freaks in harem pants and the thong equivalent of a T-shirt make those embarrassing orgasm noises while bench-pressing the mathematical squares of their IQs. Instead, I can think and enjoy my time working out without a massive sonic brain invasion. It makes all the difference. And what do I think about in the gym? Muscle tissue breaking. And then I try to decide whether to rebuild or pack it in. My ligaments are iffy about whether they should snap or strengthen. My body tries to decide whether to age or become more powerful. And as a control freak, it bugs me so much that a lot of this stuff is beyond my control. Exercise, sure, but at the end of it, instead of looking thinner, I may merely look gaunt. Or haggard. Or — ironically — my age..."

We get smarter and wiser as we age, so make sure you take advantage of it with your exercise program, too.

How much time is this going to take?

The government periodically updates it recommendations as to how long and how should exercise. I have been usually disappointed in their guidelines as they seem to be catering to the lowered aspirations and busy schedules of the typical American. Honestly, it seems like they are sometimes giving suggestions more befitting someone getting over a severe illness or a 90 year old based on such minimum requirements.

The recent standards are a little more realistic. For example, it suggests that for slimming down, you need to do a MINIMUM of 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous exercise to see any real, lasting benefits. This is a stark change from past guidelines that encouraged people to take a stroll around the neighborhood (frequently after a huge dinner) a couple of times per week. Remember, in many countries around the world, walking is not exercise. It is transportation. I am sure people in these countries would have a nice chuckle at the thought of Americans considering a 20 walk around a gated community as some major expenditure of effort.

The president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine, James Pivarnik, had a great quote that spells it out in simple terms: “If you want to get fitter today, you have to somehow overload where you are now.” If you are not feeling overloaded, you probably are not doing enough. You will only be able to maintain a minimal level of fitness when performing a minimum level of effort. You know that is true when it comes to your career, and it applies here as well.

To take a look at the latest recommendations and how they can help you achieve your goals, read this article from MSNBC.

30 pounds less of Thom

Thom Singer is an old friend of mine from my days living back in the The Great State of Texas. He is a highly successful businessman, consultant and visionary with a knack for staying ahead of the curve year after year.

He had a great post on his blog about the challenges of staying fit when it seems like your Outlook calendar and its evil helpers, appointment reminders, and running your life for you.

SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: Wellness and the Busy Person

Tip of the day: be careful with tips

Lots of people ask me for tips on how to start and exercise program or improve their performance. I have found that sending them articles, detailed plans or scientific research quickly gets ignored. Most people want tips, checklists or some other abbreviated form of knowledge that cuts to the chase. I am not sure if this is due to our society's short attention span or if people just want a simple, easy way to accomplish a arduous task.

So, I will offer tips on how to eat, stay in shape, get motivated and so on. Tips work well when they are used as summations of concepts that will change your behavior. They do not do the work for you. In fact, a tip should be an action item that requires an immediate response.

Consider this great passage from an article in Psychology Today:

"When do tips work? When we do. Change takes focused attention on relevant facilitating behaviors (hopefully these are the behaviors captured in the tip), as well as a great deal of sustained effort. We all know how this goes - two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, three steps back, two steps forward . . . a moment of success . . . then back to the work at hand. New habits are established slowly and they are hard won and well deserved. Anyone who tells you anything else is trying to sell you something, and there's lots of that going around - fitness without real exercise, diet without fewer calories consumed, increased well being without a conscious choice to live differently."\

What if someone asked you how to become a successful rainmaker in your career and you said, "Here are a few tips: work hard, stay late, impress the boss and make a difference in the business. That's all there is to it." You would not find it very helpful despite it being accurate. Do not think simple tips on how to get in shape of any better. There is a great deal of effort behind each of those items, and there is no shortcut to success in any endeavor.

Take the gym with you

If you are working long hours, weird hours or seemingly 24 hours a day, getting to the gym can be too stressful or unproductive for my fellow rainmakers. By the time you take the elevator, walk a few blocks, check in, change clothes (and then reverse the process after you are done), you have wasted an enormous amount of time. But, that is no excuse not to exercise. One hundred years ago, there were no gyms, but people were very active. I assume you are not pushing a plow or pitching hay up into barn like our more active forefathers, so we have to find other ways to keep moving.

Take a look at this workout plan from Men's Fitness. It contains routines and exercises that you can do with and without fancy equipment available.

Print out two copies. Keep one in your suitcase outside pocket and one in your top desk drawer at the office.

Trash day

I have a simple task for you today, but you are probably not going to like it. There is a conspiracy going on. It is in your cupboard.

There is a bunch of snacks, treats, and goodies that seem very innocent, but they are secretly plotting against you. They want to keep you fat, your energy level low and continue to challenge your self esteem. Too bad you have hands, and they don't.

Open up your cupboards RIGHT NOW and throw out every single thing that should not be in a healthy person's house. These are the excuses I expect to hear (and why I am not listening to them):

1. Yes, food is expensive, but you are successful and can buy more.
2. Yes, everyone deserves a treat now and then. But, you are purging and starting over. Go replace it with healthier alternatives tomorrow.
3. Yes, you can do it later, but you won't. Do it now.
4. Yes, it seems wasteful, so go write a check for $100 to your local food bank to make yourself feel better.
5. Yes, this is extreme, but all change starts with a sudden transformation.

Trust me, you will feel better starting tomorrow.

Ruining your diet before 8 a.m.

Mom always told you that you needed to start your day with a good breakfast. Well, so did Kellogg's, but I think your Mom had more of your best interests in mind. As usual, Mom was right. Research has shown that eating breakfast gets those glucose stores in your brain working, so you can have a productive day at work. Breakfast also tends to have a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals since people usually eat simple, natural foods (oatmeal, cereal, eggs, toast, etc.) and not things out of a bag or a box. In addition, your body is famished. If you ate dinner at 7 p.m. the night before, you have gone 12-14 hours with no fuel by the time you get to work!

However, you can ruin your diet for the whole day by eating the wrong things for breakfast. For example, did you know that eating an order of large hash browns from Burger King is the equivalent of gorging yourself on 12 chicken wings? It is about 20-25% of your calories for the day that you have wiped out in about 6 bites.

Men's Health magazine compiled a list of the worst breakfast fast foods. Take a look at it and see if you spot some common items in your weekly intake.

Now that you are sufficiently freaked out (as I was), visit the Breakfast Research Institute's web site to see what you should be eating. Start your day on a positive note by following their guidelines instead of trying to figure out how the heck you are going to burn off all those calories later.

Does smart equal fat?

Well, the title of this posting should get your attention. I have not lost my mind, but a new study by Laval University found that your mind engaging in deep thought might be responsible for a few of those extra pounds.

It seems that being at the office for 12 hours day AND engaging in heavy duty intellectual work is a double whammy against that bikini body you want. In the study, students who were offered all the food they wanted after difficult academic tests ate almost 30% more calories than those sitting on the couch. There was even a marked difference between students taking easy tests versus hard ones.

The research showed that blood glucose levels were actually lower after periods of deep thought, and the body demands glucose be replenished. The brain cannot produce its own glucose, and brain cells requires twice as much as other cells.

So, what does this mean for you if you have a job that requires you to be mentally sharp every day? As always, you need to have a strategy to compensate for it:

• Realize that after a long day of thinking for a living, you are going to be starving. Do not chow down an entire Thanksgiving dinner 10 minutes after you get home. Eat slow and eat healthy.
• Keep snacks in your desk drawer and eat a little something every couple of hours. One of those little sleeves of peanuts you get at the convenience store or a piece of fruit should do the trick. Don't let your brain glucose tank get too low.
• If you think a lot, you are going to eat a lot. That means you need to exercise a lot. Pretty simple concept. So, do it.

Lawyers, bankers, executives, doctors all think for a living. But, being deep in thought all day can be dangerous to your health, so use that mental powerhouse of yours to make a plan to deal with the reality of being so profound.

You have the time to workout (part 2)

I am not trying to drive this concept into the ground, but if a presidential candidate can it the gym, so can you. What I liked about this article is the description of how Senator Obama breaks his workouts into several sessions throughout the day. Obama is a little bit on the ambitious side, so his dedication should not be a surprise. You can argue with his ideas and political policies, but you can't argue with his seemingly limitless vigor and capacity to handle the most arduous of schedules.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

"Make a Man of You"

Some of you may remember Charles Atlas, the original strongman who helped 97-pound weaklings stop getting sand kicked in their faces. Atlas began marketing his regimen back in 1922, and it is amazing how many of the principles are no different than they are today. Now, a few of these principles are really "out there". But, take a look at this article by a reporter who decided to resurrect this ancient fitness gospel.

My point of all this is to show that you do not need to be looking for a new "silver bullet" diet plan or exercise machine to improve your fitness. The principles that WORK have been around for a long time. If your program does not include the basic tenets of proven routines, you may want to rethink your approach.

12 Minutes

I know you are busy. Your colleagues are watching. Your clients are demanding, and you demand the best from yourself. I understand that it is hard to find time to exercise and invest in your own fitness. For many people, it is lucky to make it into the Top 10 of your daily "to do" list.

All I ask is that you dedicate a few minutes a day to your own health. Less then 10 is not worth the bother. Fifteen or more feels like too much time. So, give me 12 minutes. Try one of the following when you feel like you just can't fit a workout in:

• Run on a treadmill for 12 minutes. Warm up for two minutes and then start a moderate pace on a zero incline. Raise the incline every minute by one-half of a degree until you hit 12 minutes and try to maintain the same pace.
• Pick one exercise for the following body parts (in this order): quadriceps, hamstrings, chest, back, triceps, biceps, abs. Now, perform 10 repetitions for each exercise, one right after each other, with no more than 15 seconds rest. Repeat one time.
• Take your jump rope and complete the following circuit: 50 jumps, 10 pushups, 50 jumps, 10 crunches, 50 jumps, 10 lunges. Repeat this until the 12 minutes is up.

You are not going to win the Tour de France or give Michael Phelps a run for his money with these 12 minute routines. However, they will help you maintain your gains on busy days. Get creative and devise your own mix of exercises. All it takes 12 minutes, high intensity and the discipline to be consistent about it.

Hunting down a gym

If you are a road warrior for work like me, you know how hard it is to try and find a decent gym when you are away from home. The recreation center I belong to at home is not Muscle Beach in Venice, CA, but it is where I feel most comfortable.

Use this simple tool to locate a facility that will cater to your location and needs when you are out of your comfort zone. I know from personal experience that having to use a crappy hotel gym, with equipment that looks like it is from the 1970's, is a big excuse for skipping a daily workout.

Once you find a place on the road you enjoy, make sure you book a hotel close to it from now on. You can always take a cab to your meetings in the morning. Most people won't take a cab across town to their workout.

Time for another plate (part 2)

In my last post, I discussed how to know when to increase the resistance on a particular exercise. In short, when it becomes easy, move up. So, how does this concept translate into helping your career?

Most people have heard the phrase in business that "if you are not growing, you are dying." I have two corollaries to this common sense axiom:

1. If you are not learning, you are getting dumber. There is a reason that many professions require continuing education credits. The world changes. If you do not keep up to date on the latest changes, you cease to become a technical expert. You become a history expert. The same principle applies to knowing the latest scoop on your clients, competition and the market. If you are not constantly in front of the players, you are working with outdated information. In effect, you know less and less every single day.
2. If you are not generating new business, you are losing business. Companies merge, clients are fickle and bad luck happens. Nothing is guaranteed in sales except the fact that you constantly need to prepare to replace clients. You will need to be able to adapt and adjust to remain effective against your competitors and other viable alternatives to your services.

In both corollaries, there is a common theme: when it gets easy, it is time to move up. The passage of time is the tyrant that demands your constant vigilance. With a fitness program, you can reach a desired state and try to maintain it. In your career, you can't because others are trying to take your gains away from you.

So, when you know the most you ever have and have more clients than you ever dreamed, it is too easy. Add another plate.

Time for another plate?

One of the questions I get asked most about resistance training is, "When is it time to add more weight?" A good rule of thumb is when using the current weight becomes easy. Of course, easy is a very subjective term. I am a hard head, and my threshold of a task being arduous usually involves an bruise, limp or a story I can tell for the next 20 years. For others, they fall off the "hard" cliff when the first beads of sweat appear on their furrowed brow.

So, I will give you Darryl's Law when it come's to easy. Let's say you are doing three sets of 12 repetitions of a dumbbell bench press. If you can do the same weight, in good form, for two consecutive workout sessions, it has become too easy. Move up your resistance 5-10 percent next time. Not so tricky of a concept.

OK, some side notes:

• Do not try to move up more than 10% in back-to-back sessions. Your muscles may be strong enough, but your connective tissues and joints may not be quite ready yet.
• More weight affects your balance. Take it nice and easy next time until you feel comfortable.
• If there was a day where you should take extra time stretching, the session where you are moving up weight is the day to do it.
• It will seem a great deal harder than last time. That is the point. In a few sessions, it won't anymore!

Some exercises are more complex than others, so it might be hard to move up 5-10% and still maintain good form. Also, some machines have weight plates that go up in greater than 5-10% increments. In both cases, try moving up to the new weight for the first set and then back down tot he previous weight for the next two. During the next session, do the next weight for two sets and the old weight for one. Within a week or so, you will be at your new personal best!

One other note, if you are never able to move up (e.g., stuck on 11 reps for the last three months), it is an indication you are not training with the right level of intensity and might be letting your mind shut you down early. You are at the gym to work, so push it!

In the next post, we will talk about how this principle applies to your career as well...

Where strength comes from

Any of you that know me well know that I adore (Governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger. Whether or not you think the man is a bit too brash, cocky or on the wrong side of the political aisle, you have to admire the fact that he has achieved in every single thing he has ever set his mind to do.

Today's posting is very brief. It is a link to quote from the Austrian Oak. I could not say it any better, so I will just stop typing.

Fatness equals forgetfulness?

Most people that read this blog depend on their mind for work. Their intellectual horsepower is what clients and colleagues value (in addition to that winning personality of yours). So, you should take notice of a March 2008 study in Neurology magazine that showed how an excess of abdominal fat in midlife increases the risk of dementia in later years.

Take a look at what you earn per hour and multiply it by the number of hours you work in a year. Having five extra years of being at your mental peak equate to a mountain of money. Exercise may may be essential to maintaining your livelihood as well as your youthful appearance.

Laymen's guide to diet plans

Oh my goodness, there are more "foolproof" diet plans out there than you could shake a tasteless, boring carrot at. All of us are definitely in the wrong business. It seems like anyone with some type of initials or suffix after their name can create a plan, market it and sell a million books. It does not really matter if it actually works. By the time most people find out it might be a false yellow brick road to a six-pack, the next diet comes out on the market.

Avoid any and all diets that have these kind of fanciful statements or marketing techniques:

• Lose weight and never exercise!
• Never be hungry!
• An easy way to lose unwanted flab!
• An overuse of the words melt, vanish, disappear or effortlessly
• Before pictures where the before picture is someone not smiling, very pale and in bad lighting
• After pictures where the person is flexing or standing sideways

This recent article about some of the more popular diet plans of the last year explains some of the options you have. They all have similar themes:

• Restrict caloric intake
• Eat healthy foods right off the ground or right off the farm
• Plan your days and track your progress
• Make it a permanent change to your eating habits

Your body is a machine that is desperately trying to maintain homeostasis. If you are overweight, it means you consumed more calories than you needed over time. The only way to lose weight is through caloric restriction and increased caloric expenditure. You have to create a caloric deficit in order to make your body burn off the excess weight that affects your health, looks and self-esteem.

Diet plans are just strategies to accomplish what I just mentioned. They are not magic formulas or shortcuts. If you want to lose twenty pounds fast, cut off an arm. If you want to lose twenty pounds for good, make a plan, execute it, track your progress and continuously make adjustments based on the results and changes in your lifestyle.

Relax or ride the stress coaster?

There was a detailed study in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine about the differences in how elite and non-elite performers deal with anxiety before competition. Their findings showed that non-elite performers tended to use relaxation techniques while elite performers embraced their anxiety and channeled it into their psychological preparation.

Before you read this study, I wanted to give you a few preparatory statements about the study:

• It was specific to rugby, a high intensity, team-oriented sport
• The study is highly technical, so scroll down to the very bottom and read the sections labeled Conclusions and Key Points
• Elite and non-elite refer to levels of individual ability

The takeaway from this study is that you do not have to be an elite athlete to prepare like one. The findings show that the use of imagery and verbal self-persuasion are needed by all athletes to perform at a high level. In short, you should welcome the anxiety you feel before the big event and use it to better prepare yourself for the task ahead of you.

Model the best in the world

People are always looking for a magic formula or hidden secret to becoming more fit, excelling in a sport or breaking their own personal best. Luckily, there are researchers, coaches, athletes and others who do nothing all day except try to find out how to enhance human performance to a level that has never been matched.

The Olympics is a great demonstration of this ongoing experiment. You may not be a fan of the badminton or table tennis, but you cannot deny the fact that every one of these athletes are better prepared--physically AND mentally--than anyone else in the world. Even things like table tennis count: everyone can play it, but not everyone can play it at that level.

No matter what the endeavor, if you want to be successful, model those that are considered the best. Some of them are gifted athletes that have genetics and technique that none of us could ever match. What we can take away from them is their work ethic, focus and the advice that they get from their coaches.

Read this article about how to perform more like an Olympic athlete. Some of the common themes I noticed from all of the recommendations:

1. There is no need for fancy machines or exercises. A few cones, a jump rope or your own body weight will do.
2. Changing it up is critical to long term success. You get stuck in a rut by refusing to vary your routine. Variables to change include time, speed, weight, volume, order, etc.
3. Balance and form are essential to maximizing output and efficiency.
4. Core muscle strength makes all the other muscles capable of performing better.
5. Add power and reach to every stroke/stride instead of a greater volume of inefficient ones to make up for it.
6. Proper stretching and preparation reduce injuries, decrease recovery times and improve performance.

It may not get you a free trip to London courtesy of the USOC, but might help you achieve a new personal record that you can try to break next month.

Performance is reality

If you have been watching the 2008 Summer Olympics, it is hard not to be inspired by the accomplishments of U.S. swimmer, Michael Phelps. As of this posting, he has won more gold medals than any other Olympian, and he still has a few races to go

However, I think the most awesome thing about Michael is his mental attitude. To see what I mean, read this. You will be impressed at his work ethic, discipline and intensity.

He referenced a quote by Harold Geneen that motivated him: "...words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality."

One other thing impresses me about him. Despite all the medals, accolades and sponsorship dollars, he is still the first in/last out of the pool every day.

So, think you can make it to the gym for 30 minutes today? I thought so.

Get moving. You'll feel better.

I just read a study, conducted by the University of Georgia, in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics that found that inactive people who stated that they were frequently tired from their daily routine could increase energy by 20% while decreasing fatigue by as much as 65% by simply participating in regular, low-intensity exercise.

Read more about it here: Exercise for Energy: Workouts That Work

New job equals flab?

A recent study by CareerBuilder found that 45% of new workers have gained weight shortly after starting a new job. In fact 12% have gained more than TWENTY pounds.

There are many reasons for this. People tend to eat out more often, work long hours and skip their time at the gym when they are trying to become Masters of the Universe at their new gig.

Read this story to get some suggestions on how to avoid becoming a weight gain statistic. Sometimes being aware of what could happen is the best type of preventive medicine.

Gym shopping

Joining a gym is a step in the right direction for many rainmakers who are committing to a healthier lifestyle. Web MD wrote a great article on how to select the right place for you. I will add a few of my personal tips and suggestions:

1. Be realistic about location. The more committed you are to fitness, the further away your gym can be your office or home. People that cannot bear to miss a day will drive across town to go. People that are just getting started usually won't and will use the distance as an excuse not to go. Since people who are committed tend to also be in better shape, there is a good rule of thumb you can use. Your gym should be no further away than the distance you could physically run. In other words, if you are just getting started and could only run a couple of miles, the gym better be close to your home or office or you won't go regularly. As you get in better shape, and more committed, it can be further away. I am not saying you should run there. I am saying your level of fitness is a guide to what lengths you will probably go to get there.
2. Be aware that most gyms are run like car dealerships. It is a hard core sale environment behind the scenes. There are daily sales contests, incentives for cash up front, and a big board in the manager's office to keep track of how the "membership consultants" are doing. Keep that in mind when you are being sold a membership. You are the prey.
3. Visit the gym during the time you pan to use it. You need to see what peak time is like and how busy it is. Are there machines available? What does the crowd look like? Are personal trainers and their private clients hogging up some of the open areas you may use? Peak times are usually in the early morning and right after work from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday.
4. Do not be swayed by amenities you will not use. That swimming pool looks great. But, do you swim now? Gyms with amenities like pools, hot tubs, towel services, unlimited aerobics classes, free toiletries and the like are always pricier. If you use it, that's fine. If not, you are subsidizing someone else's membership.
5. Work out with people who look and act like you. Membership attrition is commonly over 50% per year at many gyms. The ones that stay are usually the ones who are most comfortable there. And, the staff will represent servicing the majority of the members who stay. So, if you join a gym full of pharmaceutically enhanced meatheads, expect the staff to encourage hardcore power lifting routines. If it is full of executives, you can expect more professional and thoughtful assistance.

How many miles did you just drink?

I was recently at a Starbucks in NYC, and the line was snaked out the door. People are craving that caffeine jolt. They are also in many cases getting a heavy sugar jolt whether they know it or not. If you have never looked at the calorie content of your favorite java beverage, you should. With some of the totals I saw, you should be considering how many miles you need to do on the bike/treadmill/elliptical to counteract that little pick me up.

Oh, and on a side note regarding the "I will worry about that tomorrow" philosophy when it come to business development (or your fitness plan), read this article. Even Goliath will someday stumble, so today is the time to get started.

When you only have 30 minutes...

You are late for work, you missed your train, and you have back to back meetings all day. You are busy, there is no denying that. However, most rainmakers are busy. Have you ever met one that brags about the hours and hours of free time they have? Not likely. So, why do some of them seem to have time to exercise?

You probably could do some better time management, but I will let you sort that out. If the President of the United States can find time to run, so can you. Yes, I know, you can insert your favorite joke about the other political party here.

If you are pressed for time you need a strategy, contingency plans and a whole lot of intensity. Here is a quick article on a tough 30 minute cardiovascular workout. You can apply the same concept to resistance training. The key is to minimize rest, maximize intensity and get back to your pressing schedule as fast as possible.

Food should not come in perfect rectangles

Here is a quick tip for the week. Try to go an entire day without eating ANYTHING that comes packaged in a box or a bag. I am not talking about the bags you bring stuff home in. If you try to eat foods just as they came out of the ground, off the farm or out of the sea, you might be shocked as to how filling and satisfying "real food" can be.

Remember, 100 years ago this is how everyone ate. Fish, beef, chicken, freshly baked wheat bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, real butter (I know it is hard to find not in a package, but I will cut you some slack on this one) are all on the menu.

I do not think most people want to rely on this approach for all meals for the rest of their lives (it is hard and no fun), but a day of returning to the basics is very enlightening. You learn to more careful with your choices rather than taking the prettiest box off the shelf that promises to be ready in 5 minutes or less.

Don't Let Calories Be a Bully--Push Back!

People do not set out to get fat. No one tries to make their butt get bigger over time. I have never heard someone say, "I am going to start now on a grand plan to be 30 pounds heavier just in time for my 20-year high school reunion."

I'll be honest with you. Managing your diet and caloric intake over time is not fun. It is a constant seesaw battle between good sense and good eating. I am not the person that will tell you that eating a few celery stalks is the same as eating a plate of nachos. It's not. Nachos taste a whole lot better (especially with guacamole).

However, the same could be said for a number of choices we make in life. Think about that roommate of yours in college whose textbooks right before mid-terms still made that new, crackling sound when you open them. Sure, it was easier to watch TV, start your weekends on Thursday at 2 p.m. and play Frisbee on the quad. Look where you are in your career today versus them. Choices matter, and sometimes you do not see the results until they are mercilessly compounded over time.

So, how do people end up 30 pounds heavier in 20 years? It is the results of bad choices compounded over time. Let's work backwards to see how most people get there...

• 30 pounds of fat = 105,000 calories
• 105,000 calories/20 years = 5250 extra calories per year
• 5250 extra calories per year = 101 extra calories per week

That's right. If you consume the equivalent of one banana per week more than you need (or can burn with exercise), after 20 years, you will be 30 pounds heavier. I do not care if it is from carbs, protein or sticks of butter. Gaining and losing fat is a simple, mechanical process that is dependent solely on whether or not you consume more or less than you need to maintain your body's daily demands. How is that for "not fair"?

Most people get extra poundage from one of the following scenarios (some people participate in more than one):

1. They eat way too much consistently on a daily basis relative to what their body actually needs. This is mostly due to bad choices (willpower) or caloric content/portion size (ignorance).
2. They do not exercise on a regular basis or intensely enough to counteract occasional splurges.
3. They are unaware of the "transactional" calories they are consuming throughout the day (20 extra calories here, 50 extra calories there, etc.).

The good news is that all of the above scenarios are under your control. There was a great article on MSNBC.com that talks about tactics to eliminate calories in increments of 100 or more. Read it and use the knowledge starting with your next meal.

Make no mistake: you are in a daily battle to keep those pounds off your beautiful body. As we age, become busier and get more sedentary in our lifestyles this gets even harder. So, when calories try to push you into becoming something you don't want to be, take control and push back!

Turning your muscle building switch on

The benefits of exercise compound the more you do it. Check out this video that talks about a BYU study about the chemistry behind burning fat and using glucose through regular, vigorous exercise.

As always, please forgive me for any commercials that may run in the beginning of videos I supply from other sites!

You Probably Are Not as Busy as Her

I know, I know, we all are very busy people. Fitness tends to take a back seat to a number of other pressing issues (even though I cannot think of a more important issue than your health), but I do understand.

Take a minute, take your Bluetooth headset out of your ear, and let's put things things into perspective. We all have time for things that are important to us. I am sure doing that big deal or prepping for that big case is going to keep you awake for days. However, the prize (money, the spotlight and sense of accomplishment) is worth the effort.

Your personal fitness regimen is no different. Think of the prize instead of the arduous tasks that lead up to it.

You are no busier than the person in this article. Your career is no more important than this person's. I guarantee it. Somehow, she finds the time.

So can you.

101 year old marathoner

OK, so what is your excuse now for not being active? The video below talks about a man who still works very day, plays in a band, contributes to worthy causes and just completed his FIRST marathon at age 101.

His wellness regimen that includes lots of smoking and drinking isn't one for the textbooks. However, his determination and drive certainly is.

 

ACSM: Realistic Goal Setting Helps People Stick with Exercise

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) holds an annual conference each year, and this year it took place in one of my favorite cities in the world: Nashville, TN! If you have never been to Nashville, take a long weekend and hit the main drag on Broadway. Do not miss the upstairs stage at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. However, you are going to seriously fall off your fitness wagon, so be prepared to make up for it the next week...

I encourage you to take a look at the ACSM's web site from time to time to see the treasure chest of scientifically-based information about fitness, performance and avoiding injury. Most of it is completely free and well documented.

One item I found interesting is the concept of setting small, achievable goals along as opposed to more challenging, long term goals. You can read the release by clicking here.

A former professor of mine gave me this great bit of advice once regarding splitting big tasks into smaller, bite sized pieces. He said, "If students were shown every test, quiz, paper, discussion and group project that they would be expected to do in the four years it took to complete a degree at university, NO ONE would ever enroll. It is too daunting of a task. So, always break it into mid-term or shorter segments. It is not about performance. It is mostly for maintaining your own sanity."

Great advice. It applies to litigating a big case, doing a huge deal or trying to lose 50 pounds over the course of a year (see, I got the fitness angle back in here).

Losing 50 pounds means you have to burn 175,000 calories. That equates to running for 125 hours at a 10 minute mile pace AND finding a way to cut almost 220 small meals (at 400 calories a piece) out of your diet. I think most people would rather think about that in a less intimidating way!

Here are some examples of small, achievable goals you should be setting along the way to your final destination:

• Go from being able to do three pull ups to five pull ups by June 30
• Lose eight pounds of body fat in the next 30 days
• Reduce my calorie intake in my diet by 500 and burn 500 calories through exercise every day
• Go from running one mile in 10 minutes to being able to run it in nine minutes (and enjoy it)
• Burn 7000 calories through exercise in the next 14 days (if you miss a day, do more the next time)
• Lower my cholesterol by 10 points

Take it one step at a time and keep stepping.

Liquid Fat at the Beach

OK, so that was not the most appealing topic headline in the world, but I bet it got your attention.

I have this terrible fear that people must think I am Mr. Have-No-Fun, and that I take great pleasure in chastising people for going out and having a few drinks or a plate of nachos. Trust me, I am not that guy. Anyone who has spent some time with me on the weekend can attest to that!

I do think that most people are just unaware of unhealthy habits and behaviors that they are participating in, so I try to point them out. It is not because you should completely avoid them. It is so you can compensate for them and make informed choices.

For example, let's say you are going to take a trip to the Bahamas with that beautifully tanned body of yours. You are sitting by the pool and decide to have a margarita. It is just one drink, so how bad could it be?

Bad. One margarita can have more calories than eating one and a half Big Mac's from McDonald's. And, if you are like me, you rarely stop with just one. Read this article, but you might want to sit down first...

The Six Most Fattening Summer Cocktails Newsweek By The Numbers Newsweek.com

I am not giving up margaritas. I just know that I am going to have to get my butt down to the fitness center to compensate for it. I also might try some adult beverages that are lower calorie alternatives.

I will have another margarita and make up for it later, and that is because I am armed with the information I need to make a decision of whether or not it is worth it. Seek out information about everything you consume and the activities you participate in. In today's free-information environment, ignorance is no excuse for being fat.

Accelerate Uphill

I originally published this on my friend Larry Bodine's online newsletter, Originate. However, after mentioning it in a few presentations, I got some requests to make it available here as well...


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When a cycling legend like Lance Armstrong comes upon a hill that would make even a goat need counseling afterwards, he has three choices. He can conserve energy until he reaches the top, try to continue at the same pace as before or accelerate uphill. What do you think his strategy would be?

He attacks the uphill.

He is not unlike anyone else who is trying to win instead of just finishing the race. Your position on the other side of the hill, and the long flat stretches that follow, are determined with each pedal stroke on the way up. What can we apply from cycling strategy to marketing and business development?

There are a great number of firms have been enjoying the downhill slope of the market for quite some time. This downhill slope is a metaphor for the relative ease it has been to continue to grow profits year over year in a seller’s market, which is similar to a competitive cyclist coasting down a steep hill. It does not mean they are not working hard, but most people would agree that trying to build a practice in an expanding economy is not as arduous as one where clients are much more aware of the fact that they really do have infinite choices.

However, with a looming slowdown in the business community, many lawyers are staring straight at an intimidating, uphill climb for the foreseeable future. What is your strategy? Should you conserve energy until you get to the top (cutting back on business development time and expenses)? Or, should you actually accelerate uphill (invest heavier in business development)? For the answer, let’s look at why Mr. Armstrong acts the way he does when faced with a similar choice.

Lance has been through a lot in his life, and he has won more than his fair share of contests. So, it is reasonable to think that he does not do things the hard way just for the extra challenge. He employs strategies that are proven time and time again.

Lance knows that extensive research has proven that cyclists who are trying to come out ahead, not just finish, must accelerate uphill. The main reason is that more time is added during the climb than can be taken back on the descent. Everyone can go fast on the descent, especially the larger riders that have more strength and weight.

Lawyers and law firms are subject to the same rules. The larger firms have more resources and people and are harder to overtake during times of plenty. Thus, it is competitively advantageous to accelerate uphill and make up any gaps in profitability when others may be coasting, conserving or just being plain lazy.

However, resources (time, money and attention) are finite, so lawyers need to invest in marketing and business development initiatives that are very focused on group of core contacts and have a measurable return on investment. Like a cyclist using a heart rate monitor or other digital training aid, you should be taking advantage of the latest technology since most of your competitors are.

Winners of the legal industry race will be using technology and digital strategies to be able to focus their efforts on this core group of your contacts, send them pinpoint messages on the topics most important to them individually and follow up with those that seem the most interested in what they are saying. Technology exists today to identify these people down to the individual. This allows a lawyer to spend more time building loyalty as opposed to general awareness. In other words, you should be visiting and talking with your best clients instead of broad prospects more than ever.

This technique for cyclists, known as variable power strategy, means you gain ground and overtake your competitors on the uphill slope. It has been demonstrated that it results in the fastest times. In fact, the steeper the hill, the more effective the strategy is. The same holds true for lawyers facing a slowdown in the economy.

Slowdowns favor the more nimble firm or adaptable lawyer. According to the aforementioned study, “…large cyclists can achieve greater downhill speeds, but overall performance still favors smaller cyclists on hilly courses.” In other words, those that can quickly adapt to the change in the course has the advantage over the hulking megafirm that has to carry all that weight uphill.

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Reference
Swain, D.P. Cycling: Uphill and Downhill. In: Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine and Science, T.D. Fahey (Editor). Internet Society for Sport Science: http://sportsci.org 6 Nov 1998.

Common weightlifting mistakes

Let's say one day I decided that I wanted to start practicing law. I had been thinking about it my whole life, I watch a lot of Law & Order and how hard could it really be? Everything I need to know is written in a book somewhere.

Which one of you would like to be my first client?

[sound of crickets]

No one would expect that I would be very good at it because I am a novice, untrained and bound to make some mistakes along the way. However, that is why you hire experts (lawyers) to help you with the law. You don't try to figure it out yourself.

Do you try and do the same thing with your fitness regimen? Read the following article on Newsweek and think about whether or not you commit these common errors. I see them every day at the gym, and it really does not seem to matter how many years a person has been exercising.

The Four Worst Weightlifting Blunders

As the old legal adage goes, anyone who attempts to defend himself has a fool for a client. This applies equally when it comes to your activities at the health club if you do not have the expertise or experience. Seek out a professional who is as much of an expert in your field as you are in yours.

Diet Strategy for the Road Warrior

If you frequently find yourself away from home working on that big deal or legal matter, you know as well as I do that eating healthy is a challenge. You are tempted at every restaurant by meals you would never dream of preparing at home and encouraged to overeat by colleagues and clients. Men's Health magazine published a great article on simple strategies that everyone can do to try and contain the collateral damage you can do to your body in just a few short days when you are away from your nutrition comfort zone.

The Traveling Man's Eating Plan (Men's Health magazine)

YOU are in control of what you eat. You have worked hard for your results, so don't let the demands of visiting your clients infringe upon your hard fought gains.

Machines? Free weights? What should you use?

Check out the following link to an article that talks about the dilemma almost everyone faces if they spend time in a gym: what type of equipment should I be using (if any) to get the best results?

Pumping up your strength routine - Smart Fitness- msnbc.com

By the way, rainmakers, this is usually a bigger problem for you. Part of being so successful in life is finding every advantage you can to get better results. This applies in your career as well as your fitness routine. I talk to people all the time who are convinced there is a "better way" to do things when it comes to exercise. They are looking for that new routine, new piece of equipment or new methodology that is going to unlock the buff body treasure chest for them.

This also is directly correlated to time management issues. Rainmakers want the latest and greatest especially if it gives better results in less time.

So, what is the scoop? Free weights give you a more intense workout because you are required to stabilize the resistance yourself. Therefore, it makes sense that you will burn more calories and create more stress on your body. Stress is good when it causes the body to adapt for the better. It is bad when it hurts your joints or leads to cumulative trauma injuries.

Machines are great for stability and safety, and they also tend to isolate specific muscles. However, when in life do you do isolated muscle movements? When you pick up a heavy box out of your car, do you use just your biceps? No, you do a compound movement that might include your legs, arms, lower back as well as your core to balance yourself in an awkward position.

Rainmaker rule: within reason, making things harder creates more intensity and gives better results.

• Every point of contact with the floor, bench or other means of support decreases intensity (think of doing a bench press while laying on a bench versus a stability ball).


• Having the weights move in a fixed range of motion (think of a bench press machine versus free weight dumbbell bench press) decreases intensity.


• Using a lower number of recruited muscle fibers (isolated movements like a bicep curl versus a pull up) decreases intensity.

Decreased intensity means it takes longer to get the same results. Longer time is the big enemy of the rainmaker.

So, machines have their place, but they certainly do not RE-place free weights and other unsupported movements that will get you better results in less time.

The Might Be a Reason You Stay Fat(article from Men's Fitness)

Sometimes, it is the little things that make a difference in your fitness routine. People spend thousands of dollars on trainers, diets, equipment and health club memberships and still get poor results. Like this article states, more often than not, it is not because you don't have the latest information. It is because you are ignoring the information right in front of you.

And, to be blunt, it usually all boils down to the fact that you are working at a whole lot lower intensity than you think you are...

Keeping score keeps you honest

Let's not kid ourselves. You run faster when someone is chasing you (or you are chasing them). I mentioned in my last post that you should be using a wellness journal to keep track of your activities, challenges and plans. However, it is only a historical document, and, as the saying goes, history always belongs to those who write it. In other words, while you may have the best of intentions, you may not be performing at peak capacity when no one else is keeping score besides you.

Think about the last presentation you gave, case you litigated or deal you closed. When you knew people were watching, and would remember whether you won or lost, you performed better. You probably did more preparation, executed with more intensity and dug deep to win. Why? Because there was someone sitting across the room, who wanted to win just as much as you did, trying to beat you. If this was just a project only you would remember, you might have slacked off just a little bit. That's OK. That's human nature.

So, try to engage in competitive activities as much as you can. Whether it is tennis, racquetball, a 5K race or a pick up game of basketball, engaging in activities where someone else is trying to control the end result will force you to train more beforehand, try harder to win as well as learn from mistakes you might have made. It gives your fitness regimen a purpose.

Rainmakers should not just compete with themselves. They should benchmark others and work hard to get better each and every day. When it comes to exercise, don't just go through the motions. Make the motions count for something by keeping score and making sure the other person knows that you are here to win.

Keeping a journal keeps you on track

So, let's say for the sake of argument that you are pretty dedicated to your exercise routine, make an effort to eat healthy and stay as active as possible. Are you keeping track of all of it? You should be.

A wellness journal is an important tool for long lasting health and fitness. It helps you keep track of your progress, identify obstacles or roadblocks and provide a method to plan your next week's activities in advance. Here are some examples of what a wellness journal can help you with:

• Do Monday meetings sap your energy for late afternoon workouts? Do you tend to skip them? If so, adapt your routine to exercise on Monday's as soon as you wake up or make it a regularly scheduled day off from the gym.

  
  

• Are you making significant, upper body strength gains or are you stuck on a plateau? Looking back in your journal may show you are relying too heavily on resistance machines and may need to vary your workout.

  
  

• You have a three day trip to New York this week and will be stuck in all day meetings. You also have to wine and dine your clients each night. You should already be planning for what you will be doing three days in advance as well as three days after your trip to accommodate for it.

Think about it in terms of your career: do you have the option to just "wing it" when it comes to recording your time, thoughts, notes or key action items? Rainmakers don't do that. If they did, they would not stay rainmakers for very long! So, apply the same rules you have for professional responsibility to wellness responsibility. Keep a journal and use it as a forward thinking, strategic guide.

You say you are fit, but you're still fat? Seriously?

Can you really be 'fit but fat'? Study says no

There is an interesting new study out conducted by a number of Harvard-affiliated researchers to try and find out of you can be technically "fit" even if you are overweight/obese as measured by BMI. The general finding was that even though you can significantly reduce your chances of heart disease by staying active, people with high BMI's were still at a much, much higher risk than thinner, active people.

Statistics can always be read to satisfy a point of view. For example, the study shows that an obese person can reduce their risk of heart disease by over 50% by just being active and never losing a pound! Too bad that person still has a 87% higher risk of developing a life ending heart condition than someone who has the discipline to lose that belly roll.

I am a big believer in common sense, simple rules and basic principles:

1. If you are fat, it means you eat more than you need to, so stop it. Stop treating every meal like Thanksgiving.
   
2. If you carry around a bunch of extra weight, it is harder on your joints, bones, heart, and everything else. If you do not agree, have an adult hop on a child's tricycle and ride it around for awhile. Hear that creaking? Think that tricycle is going to last very long? Same concept--not that hard.
   
3. You can eat more calories in 3 minutes than you could exercise off in an hour, so do not fool yourself that a brisk walk around the neighborhood after going head first into a cheesecake is going to offset your dietary carnage.


4. Your body fat level is a gauge to how healthy a lifestyle you are leading. People who are fatter are consuming more than they expend. Period. Don't try to find shortcuts and ways around the simple fact that being heavy shortens the length and quality of your life.
   

Look at the bright side. These simple principles work both ways! Getting healthier is just a matter of controlling your diet, taking the time to lose the extra pounds you should not have gained in the first place and living an active lifestyle. That's all there is to it.

What are you prepared to do about it?

A Quick Packing Tip

Packing for business (or pleasure) travel is always a negotiation between the side of your brain that is practical and the side that is a bit more frivolous. Many of us pack way too many things or do not think through how to economize choices given the limited space that your bag offers.

You know who the main space hoggers are? Shoes. By the time you pack dress shoes, casual shoes, going-out shoes, and so on, a carry on suitcase is half full. Guess which shoes are usually left out? Exercise shoes.

Hey, its a great excuse for why you cannot work out for your entire four day business trip. I will not even go into the fact that you could probably come up with a hundred exercises that you could do with or without those shoes. But, for many people, lacking the right equipment on the road is another roadblock.

Here is a simple tip: tie your exercise shoes together and then through the handle on the OUTSIDE of your suitcase. I travel every week, and I have never been stopped or asked to repack them. It is also amazing how those shoes staring at you all day on the outside have a positive effect on your workout motivation ("well, since I brought them...")

To Run Faster, Triathletes Should Stop Swimming and Cycling?

Ever hear of the Law of Specificity? I will not burden you with the details that only a trainer would be interested in. In layman's terms, it means you get what you train for. That is why Lance Armstrong does not win marathons despite his cycling prowess, and you will never see Tiger Woods holding up a Wimbledon trophy.

If you follow the link to this article recently published in the NY Times, it talks about the challenges triathletes face when trying to excel in three sports. How do you excel in a sport where strengths you build up in one area may actually detract from another?

It is all about balance and making sure you keep an eye on the final metric that really matters. For triathletes, it is total time elapsed. No one cares how quickly you finished the swim if you come in 4 hours behind everyone else. For triathletes, you must achieve balance in training, energy expenditure and modify your personal strategy to address your personal strengths and weaknesses.

Incidentally, the same applies to rainmakers when it comes to their career. Their conflicting "events" are maintaining client relationships, marketing and business development and just plain doing the work. If you get too busy with a deal or engagement, it takes away from your time to do business development. If you spend too much time on finding new clients, you could neglect your existing ones.

Once again it is about balance. The final metric is whether or not you are growing a book of business that you find increasingly enjoyable and fulfilling. It should also allow you ample time to take care of your own health and wellness, so that you can perhaps enter into some crazy competition outside of the office!

Men's Health - Eat This, Not That! - Best & Worst - What's are the worst foods?

Do You Know What You Are Actually Eating?

Admit it, there a number of times that you just don't WANT to know what is in the food you are eating when you go out to your favorite restaurant. It is nice to get away, relax over an adult beverage and for a few minutes just enjoy a meal that may be not so great for you. Hear no evil, see no evil, taste no evil...

However, education and knowledge are some of your best tools to achieve a healthier lifestyle. You may not totally abstain from these foods, but you may decide how many people should be sharing with you. You might also want to consider how many miles you have to spend running to compensate for your "relaxing" meal.

Portion distortion: Know how much you're eating - CNN.com

I would bet that if you are having a hard time losing that extra fat on your waistline despite a great deal of effort, you are not estimating food portion sizes properly. I have found this is one of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to nutrition. Many people are obsessive about worrying about WHAT not to eat (see Atkins, South Beach, Low Fat and other diet plans). I assert that you can eat almost any kind of food you want if you monitor portions correctly and stay within your daily caloric limits.

Try this simple experiment. Pour yourself a bowl of your favorite cereal and try to estimate one serving. Do not measure it out--use the "that looks about right" technique. Now, go back with a measuring cup and see how much you poured. Check the serving size on the side of the box and see the difference between how many calories a serving size is and what you actually poured.

Was there a large gap? If there was, just think how that could happen all day long, with every meal, 365 days a year.

Follow this link to take a quiz hosted by CNN on portion sizes. The results may surprise you, but you will be armed with better information and can adapt your wellness plan to accommodate this new dose of reality.

Top 10 Fitness Time-Wasters

You are a busy, busy person. In fact, one of your most frequent excuses for not exercising as often as you should is a lack of time. Therefore, you should not be wasting any time while you ARE exercising.

Look at some of the tips in this article and just imagine if you ran your meetings or client visits this way (e.g., being too social, wasting time, etc.). You would never dream of doing so. So, why would you do it to yourself?

Six Gym Health Hazards | Newsweek By The Numbers | Newsweek.com

Six Gym Health Hazards | Newsweek By The Numbers | Newsweek.com

I have always thought that sometimes going to a public place to exercise is probably just one step up from a the back of the tour bus for a 1980's reunion band in the middle of the Summer. The items in this article address some common sense issues, and here are a few more quick tips:

1. Get into the habit of keeping a "gym first aid kit" with you. It should include bandages, antibiotic ointment and medical adhesive tape. This does not need to be any fancier than a few items in a plastic baggie.
   
2. Bring your own water. Watch the next three people at your gym use the water fountain, and you will thank me.
   
3. Never sit on the bench in the locker room or the sauna unclothed. Why? Because the guy right before you got there did, too. It sounds like common sense, but I see people who do not follow this advice every day.
   
4. To avoid constantly forgetting to pack things you need, make life easier by just getting two versions of everything you need to get ready after a shower (deodorant, hair product, toothpaste, etc.) and just keep one set of it in your gym bag. This includes shower shoes.
   
5. Do not stand for a nasty facility. Bring dirty conditions to the management's attention immediately or switch facilities immediately. There are too many places that want your business to put up with it.
   
6. Treat everything you touch as if you were in a public restroom at the mall. Act accordingly.
   
7. After you leave the locker room, on the way out the door, use hand sanitizer. Most gyms have it now, and if they don't, carry it in your bag.