90 Todays Better

 Every year from the official first day of spring, March 21, to the official first day of summer, June 21, I go on an intense diet and exercise regimen primarily aimed at being in great summer shape. When I say intense I really just mean focused with more effort and discipline than normal. I am by no means a gym rat and I don’t starve myself to be skinny. I just cross reference what has successfully worked for others then apply my own customizations to fit my body, budget, and lifestyle. It’s been working. I still have clothes from high school that I still wear.

I am an author and my book, It’s Always Today (www.hollawood.com), is about motivation to improve oneself at every opportunity. There’s no better time than Today to at least map out your goal, a strategy for achieving it, and take a small step towards it. So, join me in committing to be the best you possible, one today at a time. In this case I’m referring to physical and internal health. For 90 Days plan to GO HARD. Plan to stay focused and disciplined. Plan to be better.

You Should:

Practice balance – It’s too hard to quit cold turkey on foods or habits you’ve enjoyed for 25+ years. Just cut bad foods and habits by at least 50% until you can eliminate them from your life.

Try new things – Understand that doing things the way you’ve done them have gotten you where you are. If you want something different then try something different. I found this Sauna Suit for $5 at Marshall’s.

Invest in yourself – Most of those exercise contraptions you see on infomercials do actually work. Yes, they are expensive but… if you wait until they run their course you can find them used on craigslist, eBay, the trading post, and yard sales or new at Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Ross, Big Lots, and Ollie’s. I bought this Supreme 90 Day 11-DVD program for $7 at Ross.

Dress the part – The reason bankers wear dress clothes is because when you dress professional, you feel and act professional. Wearing gym clothes can improve your attitude and performance. I used to think those tight compression shirts were for show-offs. I bought one on clearance at Sears and let me tell you that it truly makes a difference. To work effectively they must be tight fitting so if you are shy or just have a problem with that wear them under your loose fitting clothes. There are bargains everywhere like these Champion running shoes on sale for $25 at Target.

Change your smoking – If you smoke, smoke half as much until you quit. If you don’t smoke, start. But…don’t buy the cigarettes. Put away the $4 a day you would normally spend per pack and buy a gym membership, a bike, a Power Tower, an Ab Lounge, etc.

You Should Not:

Make excuses – Keep them to yourself. All of us have challenges. If you want to lose weight and get in shape…Find A Way!

Lie about your actions – You’re only fooling and hindering yourself. No one will stone you for going to Krispy Kreme or skipping a couple of workouts in 90 days. Just know you will have to work extra hard to make it up and burn off those doughnuts.

Overdo it – Yes, you must push yourself past what you can currently do. However, overexertion can cause injuries that will undermine all your efforts.

Try to be someone that you just are not meant to be – Everyone can’t (and shouldn’t) be a size 6. Size is not always an indicator of optimum health. Many slim, outwardly fit people have passed away from conditions commonly regarded as overweight illnesses. Pick a realistic size you wish to be and make it your goal.  

Give up – Perseverance is the key to success. Find a partner, a sponsor, and an auditor to keep you moving forward.

There’re many more do's and don'ts of a healthier lifestyle and we will be discussing a lot of them over the next 90 todays. Getting fit can be fun, hard, expensive, and cheap (and these are not contradictions). Let’s make it a great 90 Todays. Take some before pictures, your measurements, and weight then seal them in an envelope with the date on it. Buy your gym, clothes, shoes, MP3 players, weight lifting gloves, hair scarves, Ben Gay, etc. and let’s get moving.

Finally, you’re probably wondering, what is the workout plan and diet? Well, there is no specific plan. I’ve learned that no matter what someone comes up with, there’ll always be someone who claims it will not work for them. So it’s on you to pick your own plan. Some use P90X, Insanity, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Sweatin’ to the Oldies, Phully Loaded Iso-Abs, Gold’s Gym, YMCA, a personal trainer, or any of many other plans widely available. I normally use Max-OT (www.ast-ss.com) but I will probably use a modified version of it dubbed Lucky 7’s. My diet…A smoothie containing protein, veggies, fruit, oatmeal, and soy milk for breakfast. Salad with avocado, albacore tuna, grilled chicken or salmon for lunch. And a sensible, but enjoyable, dinner which will consist of meat and possibly a sweet potato dish. I’ll post some bargain apparel, exercise equipment, and events soon.

P.S.  I know Spring officially starts 3/20 this leap year, but I’m sticking with my usual 3/21 – 6/21 non-leap year schedule.