Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas


Wow what a great day this has been!  Time with family, friends, significant persons is invaluable.  There are times when the person we connect with the most has to be physically away at this time.  In these times, we should draw upon our spiritual energy - it's more powerful than we may think.  The power of positive thinking and the power we have to recall our thoughts of happy times in our lives can be controlled.  Some use music to aid in the focus of this power that we humans have.  I just saw the movie AVATAR tonight and it was great.  Definitely had a theme of how we are all connected by an inner spiritual power that leads back to an incredible source of peace, courage, happiness, and love.  It is the energy that we call upon at times when things must be done for the greater good of us and our neighbors around us or for our family.  It is the energy that gets us over the hurdles that attempt to hinder our forward progress.  Stay focused and commit yourselves to keep trying until you get it right.

Monday, December 14, 2009

FOLLOW UP


In this day of unemployment and dismay I have noticed an escalating trend.  People don't take the time to follow-up.  It's a small courtesy and a simple gesture of respect to show that you're acknowledging a discussion that you had with someone.  Following up is the responsibility of both parties and both should agree on a date and time at which the follow-up discussion will take place.  Get in the habit of following up no matter if you are committing yourself to do something or agreeing with someone else to take some action.  In time you will see that following-up promotes progress and that progress promotes positive thinking - keeping you out of the rut.

The Holiday Season is Upon Us


Hold on to your hats and buy buy buy.  Tis the season to be jolly, however even in these times there are those who may be going through some difficult times.  Pay it forward when you can and share a positive outlook with someone.  Things are not as dire as they may seem because the time you have now is what you make it.  Be sure to be thankful for the little things - they all add up.  Obstacles to your progress are just there to show you and others how much it matters to you - keep moving in a positive direction even if you have to take a step back to regroup or re-evaluate your situation.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Time to Rest

During this holiday season, it is important to remember to take some time to rest.  Listen to your body.  When you are well rested you can handle stress better and also take the time to deflect any instigators of aggravation.  Meditation is very key to having a good life balance in my opinion.  So take some time - maybe 5 minutes for each half of your day.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

VENT


It's important to be able to vent your frustrations of the day at the end of the day or soon after the moment of crisis happens.  I'm listing this topic so that all may come to this posting and vent about anything that's bothering the sanity of your life circle.  Life is not easy and we all have different burdens to bear.  It is important to keep a sound head and think about how the change you didn't expect can be transformed into a positive event - a new beginning.  When we vent it out clarity comes into the scene and a new path can be formed on your route to happiness.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

DECEMBER IS HERE


Hello friends.  It's a new month and despite the hurdles we have encountered this year it is important to remember that we can grow from our trials and tribulations.  Take a positive look at your changing world both professionally and personally.  Start to make your plans for the new beginning next year as for some of us the month of December will be a month of transition.  Holidays are coming up - Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas.  The gift of giving and sharing and loving should be your focus.  Get ready for your fresh start!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

DON'T BITE OFF TOO MUCH

It's important to realize your limitations. Assess yourself as far as how much you can handle in a day. Consider taking the time to plan moments for meditation among your day to day list. All of us don't need to workout everyday but there may be certain things you can think about doing while in any location. For example, contract your abs while in a sitting position - at your desk, in the car, at the doctor's office. Facial exercises before and after brushing your teeth. These are just a few things to think about.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Monday, November 16, 2009

HAVE A COFFEE


I am personally not a connoisseur of coffee but this year I have certainly been exposed to the many different quality levels.  Locally here to Rochester, I enjoy a cup of espresso with my favorite almond nut danish.  I have in fact discovered that a cup of coffee before I go on the treadmill helps keep me interested in doing it.  Before I go to the gym, approximately 45 minutes, I will drink my coffee and my protein shake.  Espresso has always been my coffee of choice, usually a double.  I was shocked to hear someone next to me order a triple espresso – I’ll have to move up to that level next time.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY

In this day and age it's important to balance your life with work, play, and alone time.  Remember that through your adversities that you are not the first nor the last to go through the issue.  Seek out people to talk to and try not to get stressed out about what others might say or how they may act.  I find that reverting to listening and taking in what they have to say helps me to keep an open mind.  Alone time is important as well - it can be sometimes difficult if you're in a place where people you know can have access to you so branch out and find a new place to meditate.  I believe in the exercise of the mind (through yoga or a board game), body (through physical fitness), and spirit (through meditation) is essential.

Monday, November 9, 2009

MILK does a body good

Milk is an important part of your diet.  Cows milk, Soy Milk, Almond Milk, Rice Milk.  These days you can obtain different milks to accommodate your body requirements.  Milk is a great source for vitamin D and calcium.  I work out often so I practice what I preach,

Friday, November 6, 2009

Illustrations and Promotions


Today I've been twittering and having creative thoughts on how I can enhance the photos I currently have with the goal of promoting my DFUNLIFE website and blog.  I worked on a couple pics last night and have laid out a couple good ideas.  I have a bit of a knack for illustration.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

ALONE TIME

My day today has me in a bit of indecision - should I listen to my music through my blackberry or my ipod?  Well... my blackberry allows me to listen to my music through my bluetooth stero headphones.  As long as I remember to keep them charged I'l listen to my music through my laptop or my blackberry.  While I'm working out I listen to my music through my blackberry and my bluetooth stereo headphones - it allows me to run on the treadmill without whacking my headphone wires all the time.

Friday, October 30, 2009

JOINED A NEW GYM

Today I joined a new gym - the YMCA.  The YMCA has really come a long way.  This place is affordable and has brand new equipment that fits today's lifestyle.  I've been a member at some pretty Posh gyms including MIDTOWN athletic club and EQUINOX Fitness (although if equinox had a place in Rochester NY I would join in a second).  It all comes down to great customer service - let's face it...gyms are a dime a dozen.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A CHANGE IN THINGS TO DO

Well the outdoor pool is officially closed at my gym.  They don't have an indoor pool so in my case I'll be without swimming for a few months except for my occasional visits to the local YMCA where there is an indoor pool.  I've figured that I need to intake 3000 calories per day to sustain my winter months 2-a-day workouts.  I have been able to get some good photos of the fall foliage.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

WAKING UP EARLY

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.  I've always been an early bird - a person who wakes up at 5am in the morning.  When I'm really motivated I jump out of bed and head to the gym.  Waking up early and going to the gym helps to speed up my metabolism - it goes hand in hand with getting to bed early.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

MY DIET PHILOSOPHY - A SERIES PART V (final episode)


Expending all this energy you need to make sure you're intaking your necessary vitamins and minerals. This is where the juicing comes in as well as taking a multivitamin. I take my multivitamin in powder form and drink it at least 30 minutes before my morning workout. The brand I use for multi-vitamin is "ALL-ONE". Water intake is important because you'll need it to make sure you are hydrated properly for the treadmill and especially the spin class days (I drink gatorade during spin class). I would suggest at most 4 normal sized bottles per day (16 oz).

An easy thing to eliminate is soda. Also try to minimize your dairy intake. Collard greens are a good source of calcium - on par with milk so that why when I juice I add the collard greens. Collard greens are also a good source of magnesium which is essential for a healthy heart. I personally also eat all bran in the morning so my mid morning snack usually ends up being oatmeal.

Another dietary essential that I adopted in 1994 was I cut out cooking with vegetable oil and switched over to extra virgin olive oil.

To help minimize my dairy I switched over to soy milk but if you don't like the taste 1% cows milk would be a good idea.

Just thought of another snack idea - hard shelled nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.)

I think that covers my basic philosophy. Hope it helps and I will remember to look for a good description of some ab excercises for you.

Friday, October 9, 2009

MY DIET PHILOSOPHY - A SERIES PART IV


If you want to tone up then keep the weight slightly lighter than manageable and increase your reps. Do 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps I suggest. Now one of my techniques when I go twice a day is to split an hour workout into two 30 minute sessions (my light week). Another is to split a 2 hour workout into 1 hour sessions (my heavy week).

Time in the steam room or sauna is also great - if you can start at 5 minutes and work up to 15 minutes. After my workout, I spend my time in the steam room contracting my stomach and sometimes doing some yoga moves.

Trying a spin class at least once a week will help as well...you can trade a treadmill day for a spin class day. I personally need music for the treadmill so getting some sort of mp3 player would be helpful for your times on the treadmill.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

MY DIET PHILOSOPHY - A SERIES PART III
Time on the treadmill also is important. I select the interval workout selection but to start I would set your pace at something comfortable. be sure to warm up prior to running on the treadmill as well as start out at a walking pace and then increase it up to a run. Some people go in the steamroom or sauna prior to the workout to warm up as well. To start try 10mins every other day at zero incline and then increase time each week if you can by 5 minutes till you can get it up to 30 minutes - try a pace of 4.5 or 5.0 on the lifetime fitness brand of treadmill. Before your daily workout, warm-up for 5 mins on the treadmill by walking.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

MY DIET PHILOSOPHY - A SERIES PART II


My heavy meal would be at lunchtime and in the am I would have oatmeal or a high fiber cereal like all-bran. I would have an in-between meal in the am and it would either be another oatmeal packet or a nutrigrain bar or granola bar. Same thing for the mid afternoon snack.

Again.. for dinner I would juice a combination of collard greens, spinach, grapefruit, carrots, and blueberries. You dont want to juice too much green leafy vegetables...only enough to fill a glass to a height of a quarter inch from the base of the glass - so in order to do this I always juice the greens first.

if you feel hungry after 9pm - drink water (Evian, aquafina are my choices). alot of times when we feel hunger it is really thirst.

Now in the meantime you want to add an ab workout routine to your workout. I got alot of ideas (enough to fill an hour) from taking an ab clinic class at the gym as well as looking online. But a good tool I use is the BALL. So basically along with leg day, chest day, back day, etc... you need an ab day. I will see if I can find some pics of ab excercises for you.

Friday, October 2, 2009

MY DIET PHILOSOPHY - A SERIES PART 1

OK... to start it is my belief that if you're trying to lose your gut 75% of the battle requires a change in your diet. If you can describe to me what you eat each day for a week maybe I can make some suggestions.

In my case in order to lose my gut I stopped eating past 9pm and I also bought myself a juicer from walmart about 7 years ago. It's a plain jane model but I think the jack lalane model is good enough for what you need.

The thing about juicing is that yes it takes alot of discipline and determination to stick to this diet but if you can do it for 1 month you will see quick results. In my case I started to only have a Juice combination of fruits and vegetables for dinner. Presently I juice a couple times a week but to start I suggest you replace dinner with some juice combination each day for a month.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

THE WEATHER IS A CHANGING


Here in the Northeast the weather is changing.  Leaves are falling off the trees, the wind is blustering, and cold air is coming down from the north.  Stay warm by being active.  Go for a bike ride or a walk or a run.  The key is do what feels good.  Laying around on the couch may be needed if you've spent the last 4 days being active but if not then you have no excuse.  Interact, play a board-game like chess, checkers, or backgammon.  The exercise of the mind is just as important as that of the body.  Sing a song, smile, play an instrument - all these are great things to do to stay positive within yourself.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

10-MILES OF MOTIVATION


Today I had a great workout at the gym.  I worked on biceps, legs, and upper back.  This week is my light weight and high repetition week.  After my workout I couldn't get a ride to pickup my son from school so I decided to walk it, thinking that eventually the bus would come driving by - it sure did and flew right past me.  I nevertheless maintained my focus and drive to complete my goal.  Success and only 15 minutes late.  I was a bit sweatty but for the most part only sore feet.  Part of the difficulty was the 25lb backpack I had to carry along the way.  it's a great day and thank goodness I have my health!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

ANOTHER DAY IN ROCHESTER NY


Ahh. It is Tuesday and my youngest son's birthday.  Got word of another friend losing her job in the next few weeks - looks like the unemployment outlook will get worse before it gets better.  Seems like salaries all around are 30 percent less than they were a year ago.  The picture attached is of the Brooklyn Bridge which I took back in 1985 - I'm originally from BROOKLYN and plan on visiting by year's end.  I hope to have a vehicle by week's end - the reset of my life is in progress and in a positive way.   Today I signed up for T-mobile's loyalty plan for unlimited voice and to be honest it is a big relief not to have to worry about how many minutes I'm using on my cellphone.  I've re-focused my job search to VP and Director of engineering positions; I'll keep you up to date on my progress!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Today is Monday

Monday s here yet again.  The weekend was a good one.  Despite the fact that I'm in automobile transition at the moment I was able to make it to my youngest son's football game.  I've also been practicing my bike riding - what a great exercise!  I did swim today at the gym and had a great workout today focused on biceps and abs.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Take this time to RESET!

Since the economic crash of fall 2008, many people around the world have been faced with making the tough decision to "RESET" their life expenses, careers, and methods of entertainment.  In light of the new direction most of us are face with, it's actually a good thing on the whole.  More people are conserving and recognizing the frills that are not necessary to be happy.  We can be happy with less, get the same accomplished with less, and have more options of having fun since we've done so much cutting back.  Take this opportunity to hit the RESET button of life and be positive in your new direction.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Living Your Life

BE POSITIVE

Many of us have been affected by the economic times.  Ratcheting down our expenses is a must, however it is constructive to take this time to examine ourselves and realize what is really important to our well being.  in my case the things that are important to me are my children, my family, friends, my health.  By focusing on those things, I am able to maintain a good balance of my inner soul between time alone and time with the people I care about.  Meeting new people is also important.  I am into networking with people.  One of my fascinations is the motivation of people to live their lives - what drives people to pursue various activities? In your networking conversations equal communication will encourage trust.  Be sure to maintain a positive tone to the conversation as well.