Train Your Brain

Our brains are crazy things. It's amazing what they're capable of! Just think of all the functions it performs every single second of your life! But did you know that you can train your brain to increase your will power?


According this this article from the Boston Globe, it is possible to train the decision-making portion of your brain in an area called the prefrontal cortex:

"Those striving to complete a marathon, a diet or a doctoral dissertation can gain the willpower to help reach their goals by doing little self-control tasks throughout the day, like fixing their posture, avoiding curse words, or controlling their temper at home.... Neuroscientists believe these acts reinforce neural pathways in the brain’s prefrontal cortex that help us say “yes’’ to our goals and “no’’ to procrastination and temptation."

What?!? So you're saying that I can train myself and my brain to say "yes" when I need to say "yes" and "no" when I need to say "no?" Get me on that training program pronto! In my case, I need to be saying "no" to a lot of the bad food choices I make and "yes" to getting my butt to the gym first thing in the morning!

The article also goes on to say that your brain is more or less has a holding tank for will power. Exerting yourself with a morning workout and a long, decision-filled day at work could leave you depleted, exhausted and ornery by the time you get home at night. However, an extra dose of sweets can help you power through the rest of the day. 

I find this fascinating and encourage all of you to check out that article. It also obviously makes me wonder what I can do to increase my will power. Since the article says that those who exert self-control in dieting and weight loss usually excel in other areas of life, I wonder if those who excel in other areas of life succeed in weight loss as a result...

But just like training your legs and lungs to run longer and be stronger, it's going to take one decision at a time to train your brain to aid you in making the decisions it needs to help get you where you want to be. So I'm going to try to focus on the self-control it takes to do the little things every day. Of course I'm going to continue striving to accomplish my health and fitness goals, but I'm going to pay more attention to the little, minute decisions that will train my prefrontal cortex.

What do you think about this article? 

I Need a Plan!

I like having a plan. I like schedules. I enjoy check lists and spreadsheets. Call me weird. I don't even care. It's how I stay sane and on the straight and narrow. If I ever finished all my lists and plans I don't know what I'd do with myself.... Probably think up a NEW plan!

Anyway, as I try to get my running legs back and slim down, I need a plan. While I was training for my half marathons, training plans were a no-brainer. If I didn't have a plan, I'd be sure to fail. Or at least be forced to clutch my aching side and limp to the finish line. But I don't have any races scheduled so far this year...so what plan should I follow?!?

So I've decided to try one of those "Couch to 5k" programs. It may not be the 'official' program, but I'm guessing they're all pretty similar. The one I'm doing is "5k 101" and can be found online here or as a podcast on iTunes. I just started yesterday and am looking forward to doing it each Monday, Wednesday & Friday. (They also have a 10k program!)

Now I think that it took some sort of pride-swallowing before I was able to start a 5k program. I look at the running schedule and think, "I've run four half marathons...I don't have to start from square one with a 5k plan! Run for 2 minutes at a time then walk? That's for baby beginners!" Well...unfortunately that's where I've regressed back to at the moment. And it's something I have to accept.

So I'm going to own the program and do it perfectly. I really want to get back up and running by the time spring rolls around so I can just strap on my shoes and hit the road for hours at a time.

I've also started putting together the foundation and frame of some sort of weight lifting program as well that I can do on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays when I'm not doing the 5k program. I'm hoping to focus on two muscle groups a day with 2-3 exercises per group. That's about where I'm at now...lots of work to do! Any advice/tips you have on lifting programs would be much appreciated!

I also just finished a YouTube video letting my subscribers know that I've been doing all this fun blogging as of late. Also want to give a big "thank you" to everyone who's been reading these past few weeks and giving me feedback - I'm having so much fun!

Knowledge vs. Action

I'm a sucker for knowledge. I enjoy learning new things about topics I love or at least have an elevated interested in.

I have endless sports statistics, players and games in my head. I know music lyrics that I don't even WANT to know - just turn on any Will Smith song and it will automatically start coming out of my mouth. I went to two men's conferences on back-to-back Saturdays this last month and enjoy reading books on how to be a good leader and husband. And I also read endless websites, articles and blogs on running, losing weight, training schedules and whatever else I think I can use to further my journey to 199 pounds.

But my problem comes whenever I try to APPLY all of this information.

Why does this happen? Why can't I follow the simple process of learning and then doing? Does the hard work and dedication scare me off? Do I feel like I need to finish other things before focusing on this? Do I just love fast food and soda that much?

It's tough having all these questions and not knowing what the answers are.

All I know today is that I have two, great days under my belt and I'm feeling confident. And I think that's the important thing for me - confidence. If I don't believe that I can actually lose all this weight, then I never will. If I get down on myself for having a bad food day and therefore skip the gym and get all down on myself, I'll just keep yo-yoing like I have been for the last three years.

Even though my actions don't always communicate it, losing this weight is very important to me - probably too much, to be honest. I get very hard on myself when I slip up which, instead of motivating me and getting me to the gym, actually sends me to the fridge or to the grocery store. I need to learn how to take small failures and turn them into positive actions.

And I promise not just to KNOW that, but to DO it as well!

Are my mindless wanderings getting annoying yet? :)

The Secret to Success

Efficiency

It's something that I used to spend WAY too much energy on (and still do, to a point). I make checklists, make plans, make schedules, make spreadsheets only to end up remaking plans, remaking schedules, etc. This goes for work, for chores around the house and especially for setting a plan to lose weight.

But should I be focusing on being the most EFFICIENT I can be? 

Instead of trying to be perfectly efficient and not waste any time, I think it may just be more important to be perfectly consistent instead. If you consistently keep the same routine and discipline yourself to get to the gym in the morning, make it to work on time, have your meals at similar times of the day and get enough sleep every night, the efficiency will come as a result of your consistency.

If you form good habits, only good results can come from it. This has been an issue for me over the past year or so. I can have spurts of greatness, but can't hold myself to a consistent schedule and plan for more than a couple of weeks.

So that's my goal. One day at a time, one meal at a time, one decision at a time. Get enough sleep every night and get to the gym on time in the morning. Eat a good breakfast before work and keep the snacking at bay while sitting at my desk all day. (The latter point is my biggest downfall.) But I'm also going to be putting together a plan of sorts so I know what I'm supposed to be doing at the gym every morning.

What kind of routine actions do you do every day to make sure 

you're as healthy and fit as you can be?

Why I Want to Do This

When you're in a rut when trying to lose weight (or in my case, a 3-year rut), it's important to sometimes revisit the reasons that you're trying to slim down. Are they valid reasons? Are they logical reasons? Are they selfish reasons?

I was spitballing with a fellow YouTube Weight Loss Community member about the motivations and reasons behind our desire to lose the weight. While some may sound selfish, there are others complementing them which are completely unselfish. While some seem illogical and stupid, there are plenty others that make complete sense.

I feel that you need a variety of motivators in your journey to keep you looking where you need to look. If you only had one reason to hang your hat on, it may be easier to eventually put it on the back burner because it's "only that one reason" and go back to your semi-destructive habits. But if you're constantly reminded of your motivators, it's hard to shake off the feeling and ditch your goals.

So that being said, here is a list of some of the motivators and goals that I have corresponding to my weight loss:

• To gain self-confidence
• To have to buy all new clothes
• To dress in nice clothes rather than big jeans and sweatshirts
• To run a marathon
• To look (and feel) good
• To not have to worry about genetic heart disease
• To live a healthy and active lifestyle
• To be able to have a story I can share to inspire others
• To be able to say "I did it!"
• To attempt some level of triathlon 
• To feel comfortable and have fun playing team sports again
• I'll add more as I think of them

What are YOUR reasons for your goals? And your goals definitely don't have to be just to lose weight - I mean ANYTHING!

Change Is Hard

Tonight I've had an epiphany of sorts.

I've made it a habit of trying to breakdown my screwy mindset with this whole losing weight process. I know that I can achieve my goal physically (because I got went from 240-215 during the summer of 2005), but I feel that something needs to click mentally before I can get back to that.

Summer of '05 after my first 10k race (215 lbs)

Do I need to have my world rocked by scary, physical statistics about unhealthy I am? Oh wait, I've been there and done that. Maybe I need to do some physical accomplishment so I can realize what I'm capable of if I put my mind to it. What? I've run four half marathons? Darn...

Sometimes I just sit back, throw up my arms and wonder, "So what needs to click?!?"

Well after talking with my wonderful wife this evening, I think I've narrowed down some things. Maybe I'm scared and intimidated by the lifestyle changes I'd have to endure in order to reach my goal. Could it be that my innate desire to be comfortable and inconvenienced supersedes my desire to put in the work to lose 75 pounds?

Let's hope not.

Does the bad food really taste that good? Nope.  Do I lack support and encouragement not only from family members, but also from those who have accomplished last weight loss before me? Not at all! Am I just being a lazy wuss who doesn't want to "work too hard" to accomplish not only a wanted goal, but a NEEDED one? Now we might be onto something...

Every day that passes is one day closer to my 'goal date' - I need to be making better use of these days!

Me. Gym. 6 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Now Where Were We?

Lately, (especially in the area of weight loss) I've been really good at starting things gung-ho only to fizzle out or give up after a week or two. A recent health & fitness endeavor fell into this category, but it's time to resurrect it and give it new life!

I've actually TWICE tried to do the "90-Day Fitness Challenge" by former Biggest Loser contestants Phil & Amy Parham. If you glance back a handful of posts, you'll actually see some entries pertaining to said challenge. I made it through a solid week of the challenges, but probably only put about 45% of my effort into it.

Before Jason Bourne, I wanted to be Michael Scofield

I'm also the kind of person who likes to begin unfinished tasks from the BEGINNING again. Even though I've seen 3 seasons of the show "Prison Break," I recently started from the very genesis of the series and watch it all the way through to completion. Even though I've already read "The Bourne Identity" as well as "The Bourne Supremacy," I had to re-read them before moving on to "The Bourne Ultimatum" once I got it.

Okay, maybe I'm slightly O.C.D. So sue me.

Either way, I'm giving the Parham's a second chance. And since it's par for the course, I'm starting again from the beginning. But instead of trying to post every day about the challenge, I'll just post once a week showcasing my favorite or most helpful challenges from the previous week.

Sound like a deal? Raise your hand if you care. Yeah, that's what I thought...but it's not for your benefit anyway. Just please read along - because I love watching that little view counter on the right-hand side move in the positive direction. Savvy?

Also, I'll now be posting my weight loss progress in the column on the right of the page. (In case you were curious).

Yours Truly,
Jordan

Post Blog Thought (P.B.T.): Maybe I continue to fall back to my heaviest because of this nagging urge to always start failed projects over from the beginning...

"Obese" & "Poor"

I have a history of thinking that certain things don't apply to me. When I was in 6th and 7th grade, I unfortunately didn't think that my teachers' or parents' rules were things I needed to follow. As a cameraman at sporting events, I figure that regulations and boundaries on regular spectators don't include me, so I can walk all over the football field. 

And for the last couple of years, I thought that the BMI Scale didn't apply to me.

But after visiting Trinity Christian College's new Human Performance Lab and getting some vital statistics tested, I think I need to take off my blinders and face the music...

I'm a big guy.

At Trinity, I found out my Body Fat % (41.7%) and my VO2 Max score (33).

Body Fat % Categories

VO2 Max Norms for Men

After looking at these charts, you can see that my Body Fat % puts me WELL into the "obese" category, and my measly score of 33 for my VO2 Max puts me on the border of "poor" and "very poor." 

But...but...I've run four half marathons! How can I find myself labeled obese and poor?!

I think either I've been lied to all these years, or I've just refused to believe it. 

So what does that mean for today? Tomorrow? 6 months from now? It means that every decision of every day is valuable. It means that my health should be near the top of my list of priorities (behind finding a job and loving my wife), and that it should be a focal point of every day - and especially every meal. 

So here goes nothing!