Well, it's been a few years, but I've changed the layout of the blog a bit. Won't take too long to get used to it. I've simplified it. I mean, who needs complication, am I right? Of course I am, as I pointed out in my previous blog post, I'm usually right.
Now, to expound upon that very topic. Some people thought I was being a little arrogant by saying that. I wasn't, as a matter of fact, I was saying it as a joke. Satire, if you will. I'm not usually right. My daughters and friends will tell you that I say I am a lot - usually after I'm right about something. Law of averages puts me at being right more often than I am wrong, but truthfully, that doesn't require a large margin to make that claim. Now, trivia questions, that's a different story. I am usually right when it comes to trivia. And Batman.
Well, I'm doing another Q&A session on today's post, so here it goes:
Q: Are you using a personal trainer?
A: No. Unless you count me. I dove in head first into the science of nutrition, the mechanics of exercise, and the physiology of muscle development. A lot of time was spent online and at the library. They won't let you check out some of the reference material I was utilizing, so the library it was for a while.
Q: Do you ever miss a day of exercise?
A: Sure. Despite the rumors, I'm not perfect. Life happens and things happen that just can't be avoided. Honestly I even tried something I hadn't done this past week. I took an entire week for rest. It felt like I was doing something wrong, but surprisingly, my first session back at it - I was stronger. I don't think I'll do this often, but it does support the "Rest is part of the routine" thing.
Whew, that's enough interrogation for today.
I think, to avoid some emails\messages, I'll address the comment I made just a second ago. I do not think that anyone calls me perfect by any stretch. It's called sarcasm, and it's an outlet for my emotions. I use it a lot. I am the first to admit my faults and flaws, although I might do it with, you guessed it, sarcasm.
Well, that's all I have for this week. Next week I'm going to address a pretty serious topic, my divorce.
Until next time dear readers...
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
Life Lessons
I was thinking today, man I've made a lot of mistakes and I've learned a lot from those mistakes in my life. Here are some things I've learned thus far, with no explanations.
- Chivalry will be confused for sexism more often than not.
- Everyone in your life will, at some point, let you down.
- Only you, in the end, are responsible for attaining (or not) a goal.
- It's OK to cry.
- Those whom you care for the most, hurt you with the least effort.
- Sometimes it's not about falling or getting back up, it's about standing.
- If it's not pushing you forward, it's holding you back.
- When it rains, it doesn’t always pour, but you will get wet.
- You can overthink something.
- Between 21 and 65, age doesn’t mean a lot.
- Sometimes, it is ok to laugh at someone.
- People you know will surprise you, this could be good or bad.
- I am usually right.
Short one guys, I apologize. There is actually a lot knowledge in those right there.
Until next time, dear readers...
Thursday, January 18, 2018
I Must Have Been Raised Different
I mean that in a good way. I mean, my parents and grandparents set excellent examples and taught me ideals and beliefs that are, to this day, still amazing. I watch and observe people all the time (not in a creepy way) and behavior today is shocking. I mean look at the way people were in say, the 50s. Not ALL beliefs during that time were correct. I refer to the interactions between people. Between couples. Between family members. People were more respectful. Again, there were things happening in that era that were without a doubt wrong, and I am NOT including those in this example.
Let me be more specific. Today people don't open doors for their partner as much as they should, much less for total strangers. I do. Given the lady part is absent, but I will actively look for an opportunity to open a door for someone. It's second nature. I don't just mean doors to a home or business, but also car doors. It doesn't matter who was driving, get out, open a door and be polite.
People don't show respect. There are many ways to show respect, and just as many ways to disrespect something. Examples? Hats. Generally speaking, hats are for outside only. Definitely wearing a hat inside someones home is disrespectful. Many people will say that there is no reason to take off any hat, it's just an old tradition. It is. This dates back to the medieval era. Knights would take off their helmet indoors, whether at their home or away as a sign of good faith. It showed they were not there to do battle, but as a friend. To me, when I enter someones home, I take off my hat as a sign of thanks for providing me with a roof to be under and protected from the elements, no matter how short the stay may be. I said before that hats were generally for use outdoors only, but there are exceptions. When you are actively (or passively in some cases) listening to someone pray, take off your hat. You don't have to believe in their religion, or take part in any of the related practices (if you feel that doing so would compromise your religious beliefs, whether you have any or not), but show respect for the person or persons that are involved. Same goes for the national anthem. I know there is a lot of controversy regarding that, but I'm not just referring to ours. If you are visiting another country, or are at an event where a different anthem is played, take it off. You are showing a sign of thanks for what has been done to provide you with the life you had, or the life of a friend or even a perfect stranger from another country. The obvious exception is to those countries that are actively militant towards other countries. I know, that last comment could be skewed to say it is for the United States, but honestly, we are mostly reactive, not proactive.
Say Thank You. This one is so super easy, yet most people don't do it. It could be how they were taught (or not taught in this case), or it could be unintentional forgetfulness. When someone does something for you that is any remote sort of kindness, say thank you. If you are unsure if you should say it, say it anyway. Easy.
Excuse me? Are you interrupting someone? Are you passing in between someone and something they are focusing on? Do something socially unacceptable or awkward? SAY EXCUSE ME! Again, easy.
I'm sorry. This one isn't really a "manners" thing. It's more of a human being thing. Most people avoid saying this at all costs. It can be an admission of guilt. It can show you have feelings. They just won't do it. Life is hard, don't make it harder by not admitting your faults and correcting them. Do something wrong? Eat the last donut as someone else comes up and reaches for one? Say it. Not rocket science.
I was also taught to treat people with a certain dignity, maybe even a certain degree elegance. Different situations call for different measures. At worst, treat people with civility. I know this is hard in some circumstances, but trust me - it's worth it.
Sorry this one has been one continuous rant. It's been pointed out to me that I have a tendency to rant, so I'll try to resolve that myself.
Until Next Time Dear Readers...
Let me be more specific. Today people don't open doors for their partner as much as they should, much less for total strangers. I do. Given the lady part is absent, but I will actively look for an opportunity to open a door for someone. It's second nature. I don't just mean doors to a home or business, but also car doors. It doesn't matter who was driving, get out, open a door and be polite.
People don't show respect. There are many ways to show respect, and just as many ways to disrespect something. Examples? Hats. Generally speaking, hats are for outside only. Definitely wearing a hat inside someones home is disrespectful. Many people will say that there is no reason to take off any hat, it's just an old tradition. It is. This dates back to the medieval era. Knights would take off their helmet indoors, whether at their home or away as a sign of good faith. It showed they were not there to do battle, but as a friend. To me, when I enter someones home, I take off my hat as a sign of thanks for providing me with a roof to be under and protected from the elements, no matter how short the stay may be. I said before that hats were generally for use outdoors only, but there are exceptions. When you are actively (or passively in some cases) listening to someone pray, take off your hat. You don't have to believe in their religion, or take part in any of the related practices (if you feel that doing so would compromise your religious beliefs, whether you have any or not), but show respect for the person or persons that are involved. Same goes for the national anthem. I know there is a lot of controversy regarding that, but I'm not just referring to ours. If you are visiting another country, or are at an event where a different anthem is played, take it off. You are showing a sign of thanks for what has been done to provide you with the life you had, or the life of a friend or even a perfect stranger from another country. The obvious exception is to those countries that are actively militant towards other countries. I know, that last comment could be skewed to say it is for the United States, but honestly, we are mostly reactive, not proactive.
Say Thank You. This one is so super easy, yet most people don't do it. It could be how they were taught (or not taught in this case), or it could be unintentional forgetfulness. When someone does something for you that is any remote sort of kindness, say thank you. If you are unsure if you should say it, say it anyway. Easy.
Excuse me? Are you interrupting someone? Are you passing in between someone and something they are focusing on? Do something socially unacceptable or awkward? SAY EXCUSE ME! Again, easy.
I'm sorry. This one isn't really a "manners" thing. It's more of a human being thing. Most people avoid saying this at all costs. It can be an admission of guilt. It can show you have feelings. They just won't do it. Life is hard, don't make it harder by not admitting your faults and correcting them. Do something wrong? Eat the last donut as someone else comes up and reaches for one? Say it. Not rocket science.
I was also taught to treat people with a certain dignity, maybe even a certain degree elegance. Different situations call for different measures. At worst, treat people with civility. I know this is hard in some circumstances, but trust me - it's worth it.
Sorry this one has been one continuous rant. It's been pointed out to me that I have a tendency to rant, so I'll try to resolve that myself.
Until Next Time Dear Readers...
Thursday, January 11, 2018
The Cliche You'll Hear the Most this Season and 90 Days Later...
Ready for it?
New Year, new you. I'm not saying it's a bad sentiment, I'm saying it's entirely overused. I'm starting month four of my body transformation, and I totally can relate to this saying. I'm just not going to use it. I'd rather say "New attitude, different me." That sentence itself explains it pretty well. My attitude towards diet, exercise and consistency has changed completely in the last three months. This has caused some relationships I had to change. This has caused my body to change. This has caused my outlook on life to change. I'm not new, I'm different - and to me, that's a lot better.
An update on my transformation - I'm at 184 lbs (my goal was 185) and I am at 17% body fat. My goal is 13% or less. I'm doing very well on my journey. I've met new people, had some actually very meaningful conversations with individuals, and in the end I've came out better each time I left the gym than when I went in.
I think that the effort has been well worth it. I've lost inches where I needed to and added inches where I wanted. Hard work pays off, and I'm not stopping anytime soon.
There have been some questions sent in to me (It's been a month since I last updated, I know. I'm Sorry.), and I want to answer one of them, I'll answer more later.
I've had this question many times - More Weight, less reps or Less Weight More Reps?
My answer is yes. As long as you're doing the reps, you're doing a lot better than doing nothing at all. This harkens back to the thought that the best way to build muscle is to increase time under tension. Well, I have news for you, you can do that no matter the weight or reps. Treat everything as a concentration exercise. Slow up, hold, slow down. Sure it's harder, but that is the point.
So, there has been a lot going on lately in my life, other than the diet and exercise things. I've met some new people and made some new friends. I'm still holding to my philosophy of not dating. When I meet someone that makes me seriously rethink that philosophy, and the relationship has the foundation for something truly special, then I will set aside that philosophy and test the water. I'm cautious. I've been hurt badly, a couple times actually. I have everything I need in my life and most of the things I want, for which I am very lucky to have.
I have a rant. If you know me, you know one of my pet peeves is fake people. I've friends at this very moment I'm not too happy with. If you tell me (or everyone) one thing, and then proceed to contradict yourself, don't be surprised if I refrain from speaking to you for a while. I'm doing this to save the friendship because I have a tendency to be honest, even when people don't want to hear it. I'm also doing this to see if the contradiction was an isolated incident or not. Don't sacrifice your morals for a temporary (perceived) gain. If you put anything before your morals and ideals, then you are saying that thing is more important, and your morals will crumble away. Ok, I'm done.
I don't want to end this post on a rant, so I'll end on a different note.
January 9th. It's a tough day. My paternal grandparents both died on January 9th. Different years (He in 2006, and she in 2015) but always together. My grandfather and I were very close. He could say just a few words and no matter my mood, I would always smile. Whatever he was doing, as long as I could not get hurt, I could do it with him. There were a couple of times he and I came up with some plans that didn't work out, but provided a good story to tell. My grandmother was always very kind to me. She would make the funniest (and yes, rude) remarks about people or things that were just so snarky and quick witted, that you almost were awestruck with admiration. I miss them both a great deal. That's why January 9th is a tough day.
I know, still not the greatest way to end a blog entry, but what can I say, thats life.
Until next time dear readers...
New Year, new you. I'm not saying it's a bad sentiment, I'm saying it's entirely overused. I'm starting month four of my body transformation, and I totally can relate to this saying. I'm just not going to use it. I'd rather say "New attitude, different me." That sentence itself explains it pretty well. My attitude towards diet, exercise and consistency has changed completely in the last three months. This has caused some relationships I had to change. This has caused my body to change. This has caused my outlook on life to change. I'm not new, I'm different - and to me, that's a lot better.
An update on my transformation - I'm at 184 lbs (my goal was 185) and I am at 17% body fat. My goal is 13% or less. I'm doing very well on my journey. I've met new people, had some actually very meaningful conversations with individuals, and in the end I've came out better each time I left the gym than when I went in.
I think that the effort has been well worth it. I've lost inches where I needed to and added inches where I wanted. Hard work pays off, and I'm not stopping anytime soon.
There have been some questions sent in to me (It's been a month since I last updated, I know. I'm Sorry.), and I want to answer one of them, I'll answer more later.
I've had this question many times - More Weight, less reps or Less Weight More Reps?
My answer is yes. As long as you're doing the reps, you're doing a lot better than doing nothing at all. This harkens back to the thought that the best way to build muscle is to increase time under tension. Well, I have news for you, you can do that no matter the weight or reps. Treat everything as a concentration exercise. Slow up, hold, slow down. Sure it's harder, but that is the point.
So, there has been a lot going on lately in my life, other than the diet and exercise things. I've met some new people and made some new friends. I'm still holding to my philosophy of not dating. When I meet someone that makes me seriously rethink that philosophy, and the relationship has the foundation for something truly special, then I will set aside that philosophy and test the water. I'm cautious. I've been hurt badly, a couple times actually. I have everything I need in my life and most of the things I want, for which I am very lucky to have.
I have a rant. If you know me, you know one of my pet peeves is fake people. I've friends at this very moment I'm not too happy with. If you tell me (or everyone) one thing, and then proceed to contradict yourself, don't be surprised if I refrain from speaking to you for a while. I'm doing this to save the friendship because I have a tendency to be honest, even when people don't want to hear it. I'm also doing this to see if the contradiction was an isolated incident or not. Don't sacrifice your morals for a temporary (perceived) gain. If you put anything before your morals and ideals, then you are saying that thing is more important, and your morals will crumble away. Ok, I'm done.
I don't want to end this post on a rant, so I'll end on a different note.
January 9th. It's a tough day. My paternal grandparents both died on January 9th. Different years (He in 2006, and she in 2015) but always together. My grandfather and I were very close. He could say just a few words and no matter my mood, I would always smile. Whatever he was doing, as long as I could not get hurt, I could do it with him. There were a couple of times he and I came up with some plans that didn't work out, but provided a good story to tell. My grandmother was always very kind to me. She would make the funniest (and yes, rude) remarks about people or things that were just so snarky and quick witted, that you almost were awestruck with admiration. I miss them both a great deal. That's why January 9th is a tough day.
I know, still not the greatest way to end a blog entry, but what can I say, thats life.
Until next time dear readers...
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