Make Your Weight Loss Resolution Successful

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Did you make a resolution to lose weight this year? Or maybe to get in shape? Or do more walking? Perhaps you said to yourself, "this is the year that I get healthy again." Great! 

Every year my gym begins to overflow with people who have set out to make this year the year they get in shape. In fact, the gym becomes too crowded for those who visit regularly and we look for alternate ways to get in our strength workouts, or change our schedule to use the gym when the "resolution crowd" won't be there. It is what prompted Krista Stryker, the founder of 12minuteathlete.com, a website providing free, incredibly effective high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts and awesome fitness motivation for athletes of all levels, to pen a post on LifeHacker - 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Join a Gym This New Year. If you just paid your membership dues, then don't read that until later this year.

Today's post is not about whether you should have a gym membership. My goal today is to encourage you to really make this year the year you accomplish your fitness goals. You have done the first thing - you set a goal. Now what?

1. Make a Plan

Wanting to get in shape is good, but it's not a plan. It's not even a measurable goal. How about writing down three things you could do to become fit again. Make them small things. For example, if your goal is losing weight, a good, but more specific goal might be, "I will lose 10 pounds by March 31st."  Now you need an approach. Your simple plan could be "I won't eat candy every night" or "I will give up drinking soda" or "I will go for a 20 minute walk every day."  If you need some help coming up with some goals that won't be too overwhelming, you should be able to find one at this recent post over at MyFitnessPal.Com - 101 Health and Fitness Resolutions That Rock.  By the way, while you're there, sign up and add me as a friend.

2. Keep It Simple

When I started back in October of 2010 I only had three goals. Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest. Those three simple statements became the foundation of a new lifestyle, but at the time it gave me specific direction. I didn't set a goal for counting calories, or how much time I should  exercise, or even how much sleep to get.  For goodness sake, I didn't even know what BMI was, and I sure had no idea how many calories I should eat. But I knew I needed a plan that would not be overwhelming. To accomplish my Eat Right goal, I started eating a sensible breakfast everyday, and packing a lunch a few protein bars, and then eating a sensible meal each evening after I got done with 15 to 20 minutes of walking. Take the advice of Coach Stevo at MyFitnessPal in his blog post So You Want to Stop…Ditching Your Resolutions by January 5th.  Set goals that are

• clear,
• simple, and
• meaningful to YOU

3. Commit For At Least 60 Days

Give yourself a chance to develop the habit of a healthier lifestyle. Motivation will only get you so far. You need to commit to your goal long enough for the change you want to make to become a habit. Some say it takes at least 21 days, but recent studies show that some changes take quite a bit longer. You might want to take a read of 6 Ways To Become A Creature Of New Habits over at the Huffington Post.

4. Track Something
You will naturally want to track your weight. Just don't do it every day. Once a week is enough. Same time each week. Write it down in a log. However, don't focus only on the weight. The scales don't tell the whole story, so be sure to track something else like your waist, circumference of your thighs, or how many glasses of water you drink each day.

5. You Don't Have To Be Perfect
I have written about this before because I frequently hear people tell me how they messed up their eating one day, or skipped exercise because they just didn't feel like it. You are not taking a test. There is no pass-fail grade. In her article on LiveStrong.Com titled "10 New Year's Resolutions Trainers Wish You'd Make", Linda Melone quotes a bootcamp instructor who says, "Keep your eye on the prize 90 percent of the time and give yourself 10 percent leeway."  You are not taking a test. By the way, nearly every page over at LiveStrong.Com has a quick calorie goal calculator, but I still prefer the one at MyFitnessPal.Com.

Of course, we could add more items to this list. Let's keep it simple. You've set a general goal that you will now divide into smaller more measurable targets. Each one will be small or simple enough you can achieve by committing to your plan for at least 60 days. Remember, you don't have to be perfect.

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Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest.

Lose 20 Pounds In Three Months

A few days ago one of my friends over at MyFitnessPal asked if losing 20 pounds in the next three months is a reasonable goal. What would your answer be?

My first reaction was surprise. She has been very consistent with her exercise, jogging about 30 minutes three or four times a week. During the time I have known her the photos she has posted on MFP show real progress. With this in mind, I answered that "it depends."

My own experience tells me that it is definitely possible to lose that much weight in 90 days. In fact, I lost almost 60 pounds in the first three months after I changed my lifestyle. The answer to the question, "Is it possible?" is Yes; but, she was asking if it was realistic. That requires a little more thought. Losing one pound requires burning about 3500 more calories than you eat. A quick calculation means that my friend will need to burn 5,250 calories more each week than she eats. That's a daily deficit of 750 calories. That's a whole meal or about 75 minutes of cardio over and above what she is already doing. Or some combination of the two.

There's another factor; where is she now compared to where she wants to or should be? If she had 40 pounds to lose (and I didn't think that was the case based on her progress), then losing 20 in three months might be a little more attainable. However, she had already done a BMI calculation concluding that she needs to lose 21 more pounds to be at her ideal weight. I can tell you that my last 20 was much harder to lose and keep off than the first 20. In my case, it took about six months to lose the first 100 pounds, but it took eight months to lose the next 60.

I know that my friend can do it, and I am confident that she will maintain that weight when she reaches goal. Why? Because I know that she is not "going on a diet" but instead is committed to a lifestyle of being healthy.

Be sure to eat breakfast, and take a Clif Bar with you.

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Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest.

Forget about getting skinny

Both photos were taken on Florida beaches, and both were taken by Cheryl, the love of my life. The fat guy on the left was in the Tampa area back in 2008. The skinnier dude on the right was seen on Deerfield Beach last month. The difference in weight is 162 pounds. The loss was accomplished without a special diet or program. The fat me simply started eating breakfast, packing some snacks and lunch to the office, and walking every day. That was the entire program. No calorie counting. No exercise plan. Just eating regular sensible meals and doing some kind of physical activity every day.

Over time I did learn a lot about the food I was eating, and how to make sure my daily diet was balanced. About 25% protein, 55% carbs, and the rest as good fats. I found MyFitnessPal.com, which has tools to help track what I was eating and how many calories I was burning through exercise. It helped me calculate my BMR and set realistic goals. BUT, and please trust me on this, I didn't start that way, and neither do you. Just decide to change your life and eat right and exercise. Use a piece of paper to track your weight about once a week. Once in while take your waist measurement. If you want to do more, click "The Tools" link at the top of this page.

DO NOT WAIT TO BECOME AN EXPERT. JUST DO IT!  That is your take-away today; if you don't like how you look today, then start living each day differently. Eat Right! Exercise! The weight WILL take care of itself.

Keeping It Off - An Update at Two Years

Two years ago I was in Long Beach, California for the annual AHCA convention. Because walking the short distance between two convention hotels was really difficult, when I returned home I asked Cheryl to help me start losing weight. I had no particular plan in mind other than to ask that she remind me to eat breakfast and pack a lunch. 

Fast forward two years to last weekend. The picture at left was snapped Saturday, October 6, after finishing a 5K. If you look at the photo of me from two years ago taken by my friend Julie Natzke you can see a difference of 160 pounds. The next day I drove to Tampa for this year's AHCA meeting.

After the four hour drive and the five hours in meetings I checked into my hotel, changed into jogging shorts and took off for a short two mile jog. That's how I keep it off.

When I attended last year's AHCA show in Las Vegas I was at 222 pounds. This year at 207. That was still enough difference for those who had  not seen me for a year to ask the usual questions. What did you do to lose all that weight? What  program are you on? Regular readers and friends know my answer is always "eat right and exercise."

I don't mind answering those questions. Losing weight and getting in shape is simple. Eat right. Exercise. But during this year's convention there were three or four people who wanted to talk about how they do it, compare notes about what works, what their routine is and what my routine is. My favorite question came on the last day of meetings when a long-time friend turned to me and asked, "So, how are you keeping it off?"

The man who asked me is in his 70s and in reasonably good shape. As we talked about what we both like to do for exercise he shared that during the last year it has been difficult to maintain the routine he likes. He knows that he will need knee surgery and possibly hip surgery. Because of  that he said his walking has been difficult, but HE KEEPS DOING IT. And there's one of the secrets of staying in shape. Don't give up.

If you want to lose weight, or maintain your weight, do something. When I started two years ago it was applying some basic math. Burn more calories than I ate. That meant cutting back my meals to sensible portions and doing some kind of exercise. At 367 pounds about the only thing I could was walk. First a quarter mile, then a half mile. A year later I did a 5K in 48 minutes. One year after that, last Saturday, my 5K time was 41 minutes. This morning I walked to the pool store to get my water tested. Four miles round-trip. 68 minutes and 599 calories. That's what I do to keep it off.

If I can do this, you can too.

Be sure to eat breakfast, and take a Clif Bar with you.

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Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest.

I cannot do everything, But still I can do something.

“I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

- Edward Everett Hale

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Many years ago a wise friend of mine, Charles Crim, gave me a piece of advice I have never forgotten. "Doc, all you can do is all you can do."

There are two lessons in that bit of truth.  At the time I needed to know that there would always be more work to do than I would be able to get done. I would like to say that I instantly understood that I should give myself permission to go home at the end of the workday with things undone. I did not. It took me several years. If this was an article about productivity or planning we could spend some time talking about how important this truth is to understanding how to get things done. But, today I want to share the other lesson from that simple statement.

I can do something.

If you are struggling with how to lose that extra weight, or gain some muscle, or change the world, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge and not know what to do next. That soon leads to thinking you can't do anything and you are stuck where you are.

Don't you believe it.

When I was 367 pounds - grossly overweight - I knew I had to do something. I could start by eating sensibly. And I could start walking. I didn't know then what I know now about eating and exercising. What I did know is that I could start with what I could do. Cut back on the size of meals. Drink more water. Go for a walk.

It works!

This morning I weighed 203.6 pounds; in the last twenty months I have lost 163 pounds and built up some pretty good muscle mass. Even though I can't even remember the last time I saw those numbers on the scales - high school probably - but the two lessons from Charles' statement still guide me. There are days when I can't do everything I want, but I can do all that I can do.

And if you want to change the world while you are at it, take peek at this web site that gave me the idea for today's post.

“I am only one, But still I am one. I cannot do everything, But still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do… | Fulfill Your Life Purpose

Be sure to eat breakfast, and take Clif Bar with you.

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Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest.

You Don't Have to Have Fancy Scales or Know BMI to Lose Weight

BMI = Body Mass Index. You have probably heard of that one. Regrettably I report that my BMI still says that I am overweight. According to the calculation, I should weigh nine pounds less than I do today. Am I stressed about that? Not in the least because my body fat percentage is now down to 15.2% which means the percentage of muscle in my body has gone up. YEAH!

That is really exciting for me. One year ago my body fat reading was at a whopping 37%. Go ahead; you can say it. I was fat. Neither one of us needed me to get on the scales to figure that out. Just look at the picture of me at the top of the page; the one with fly rod in hand looking more like a whale than a trout fisherman. Seeing the photo didn't get me to change. It was two years later when I saw how GREAT Cheryl looked after losing 80 pounds that I finally started doing something about it. BMI and other three letter abbreviations did not factor into the decision and they did not factor into the plan to do something about it. What I am trying to explain to you is that YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW MUCH MORE THAN TWO RULES - EAT RIGHT. EXERCISE. More to the point is that you need to eat a little less and you need to exercise more. I can't tell you how many calories or how much exercise. Knowing your BMI will only help you set a goal. Knowing your body, and having some knowledge about BMR will help you decide what date to put next to that goal. You should probably talk to an expert, including your doctor. And before you start any serious weight training, talk to an expert trainer like Monica. BUT DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU ARE DOING TODAY. Even if all you do is start recording your weight every day, or writing down your waist size once a week, or quit drinking soda pop, or throw away the salty snacks or sugary comfort foods. Don't get me wrong; I am not suggesting any of those things FOR YOU. But I am saying that what I finally accepted was the fact that I was fat, and did not want to be fat. More important, I wanted to change my lifestyle so that I would never be fat again. You can lose weight fast on a crash diet. And just as quickly put it back on. Been there, done that. I wanted a new healthier life. I wanted to feel like I did when I was in my 20s. I wanted to look as good as my beautiful wife. And be able to enjoy being 60+.

This morning I showed Cheryl how to use the new scales. We talked about the various readings it tells us. It is nice to know that her body age is 34, which I have been telling her for some time. She looks marvelous. You can also look great. And you don't need the scales with bio-impedance scanners to get there (but you can get the same ones at buy.com).  It is nice to know that a year ago my BMI was 38.1 and today it's so much lower. For my friends at JourneyGym.com, you will want to know that my body fat percentage has dropped two points during the first six weeks of the 70 day challenge. Thank you.

Chery and I are about to head to the beach to enjoy our new skinnier selves. Have fun today!

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Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest.

Tip For Eating Right - Experiment with Recipes

Cheesy Tuna Melts - 234 calories each serving

When it became obvious to those around me that I was losing weight, even during the "holidays", I started getting the question, "What diet are you on?" I wish I had said the Double D Diet, as in Doc DeVore Diet.  Hmm. That would be the Triple D .

The question was usually asked by someone who wanted to lose weight but didn't want to give up their favorite foods. I am here to tell you that eating right does not have to mean eating rabbit food or tasteless drivel. For me eating right meant quitting all the salty snacks and replacing with regular meals, what my Uncle Buck would call "three squares" a day. For the last 18 months my "diet" has been pretty much the same every day. Eggs and turkey sausage for breakfast. Soup and sandwich for lunch. A pasta dish for dinner along with plenty of vegetables. A Clif Bar for snack in the morning, maybe another one in the afternoon.

But every now and then I spice it up by going over to AllRecipes.Com and looking for something that fits into my daily goals. Eating right can be fun! And tasty! If you get the AllRecipes Dinner Spinner Pro app for your phone, you can even "spin" combinations into view until you find one that you like. That's how I found Cheesy Tuna Melts. So, one Saturday morning I went to Publix, picked up the ingredients (see below) and baked up a batch. This was breakfast and lunch for three days - they warm up nice in the microwave.

Prep time about 5 minutes. Cooking time about 3 to 5 minutes. Three days of healthy meals in just 10 minutes.

Ingredients 1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained 1/3 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 pinch salt 4 English muffins, split and toasted 8 slices ripe tomato 8 slices Cheddar cheese Directions Preheat oven to broil. In a bowl, mix together tuna, celery, mayonnaise and salt. Spread tuna mixture onto the toasted muffin halves and place them on a baking sheet. Top each half with a slice of tomato and a slice of cheese. Broil until cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information Cheesy Tuna Melts Servings Per Recipe: 8 Amount Per Serving Calories: 234 Total Fat: 12.8g Cholesterol: 37mg Sodium: 431mg Total Carbs: 14.6g     Dietary Fiber: 0.3g Protein: 15g VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION  About: Nutrition Info

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Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest.

Eat Right: 50 Filling Foods That Are Good For You

Doc with TLOML, Summer 2008
Before we lost a combined 237 pounds

"What is your secret?" During 2011 that question came my way often. Understandable.  Often it would be followed with "what diet did you go on?"  My answer is still the same. I did not go on a diet. I changed my diet.  The result was losing 157 pounds in 15 months. And, just why do we use that word diet as if it should always be a verb? Is that the reason I failed before, because I used "diet" as a verb instead of a noun? Yes. Diet is what I eat. What I eat is my choice. Choices can be good or bad, positive or negative. In October of 2010 I decided to make smarter choices, healthier choices. YOU CAN DO THAT, TOO. It really is that simple; notice that I did not say easy. So, start making healthier choices. Today I thank my sister, Jackie, for sharing the iVillage blog where she found the article below by Arricca Sansone. Before you read it, jot this down. Eat Right AND Exercise.

The secret to weight loss isn't depriving yourself -- it's making better choices so you feel full longer while eating less

Be sure to get some breakfast, and take a Clif Bar with you.
By the way, have your ordered your JourneyGym yet?

Oh, here's a more recent photo of TLOML and me taken earlier this week. If we can do it, so can you.

The Shameless and Legal Stuff

I am not a doctor. I am not a certified trainer. I am not a professional body builder. I m in better shape and I do know a lot of stuff that those experts told me, but I don't have a paper that says so, and they haven't told me everything they know yet. Or as Uncle Buck said: "You should always consult a professional, like your doctor, before you begin any weight loss program, and you should ask an expert before you try some of the foods and exercise that Cheryl and Doc use." In other words, this blog contains my opinion on what might work and is for folks who are serious about changing their life. It should not be construed as anything more than what I found on my journey, and how I learned to use it. So you have now been warned: Do attempt the journey on your own without consulting a professional or gaining parental approval. And by the way, there is some other legal stuff on this page about who owns the trademarks and photos and copyright stuff. Most of what I have is not original, but the way I package it up IS, so be sure to read ALL of my rules. 

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Rules are simple. Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest. Let me know how you are doing!

Bodybuilding.com - Kiyoshi 'The Samurai' Moody: Bodybuilding’s Natural Warrior

This is week #3 of The Journey Gym Challenge. Day 16. A long day, too. When I left the office to head home I was tired, hungry, and just wanted to sit down next to TLOML. Instead, when I arrived, I gave her quick kiss, changed clothes and headed out to the gym, otherwise known as the DeVore Poolside Office, and cranked up a new video from the folks at JourneyGym.Com and got my workout in. And I feel better about myself, just like I always do when I get started. Then I sat down to catch up on Google+, Facebook, Linkedin, Skype, and this newest post over at BodyBuilding.Com. Here is a little snippet from David Robson about a real champion who knows how to stay motivated. Enjoy!

Where do you find the motivation to constantly push yourself to the limit in the hopes of maintaining your position as one of, if not the best natural bodybuilder currently competing?

There are many things that motivate me to keep pushing. These are in no particular order. First, people who say it can't be done drive me to push beyond any limits.
Second, the competitors I compete against (Phillip Ricardo, Mike Waddington, Cleveland Thomas, Panex Pierre) push me to be my best.
Third, I want to make my daughter proud of her dad. She loves talking about me to her classmates and once brought me to show-and-tell.
And fourth, my mother......

Read the rest of the article at:  Bodybuilding.com - Kiyoshi 'The Samurai' Moody: Bodybuilding’s Natural Warrior

OH, and if you have some old photos or scrapbooks from times when we might have been together in the same place at the same time, please send them to me privately by clicking this email link for photos@blogs.docdevore.com. Please! With sugar on it?. Trust me - they won't end up here unless you give me permission.

Be sure to get some breakfast, and take a Clif Bar with you.
By the way, have your ordered your JourneyGym yet?

The Disclaimers, Shameless and Legal Stuff

I am not a doctor. I am not a certified trainer. I am not a professional body builder. I m in better shape and I do know a lot of stuff that those experts told me, but I don't have a paper that says so, and they haven't told me everything they know yet. Or as Uncle Buck said: "You should always consult a professional, like your doctor, before you begin any weight loss program, and you should ask an expert before you try some of the foods and exercise that Cheryl and Doc use." In other words, this blog contains my opinion on what might work and is for folks who are serious about changing their life. It should not be construed as anything more than what I found on my journey, and how I learned to use it. So you have now been warned: Do attempt the journey on your own without consulting a professional or gaining parental approval. And by the way, there is some other legal stuff on this page about who owns the trademarks and photos and copyright stuff. Most of what I have is not original, but the way I package it up IS, so be sure to read ALL of my rules. 

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Rules are simple. Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest. Let me know how you are doing!

Eat Right: A Healthy Diet Doesn't Have To Taste Bad

Probably not eating right!
But tastes great!

What a great night with Cheryl for Valentine's Day! We enjoyed our first trip ever to The Melting Pot. Had a great time. Enjoyed the meal. Good thing I budgeted my calories. Only went over my daily goal by a little. Even with two lobster tails. And chocolate. It is true - you can eat good while eating right. Must be why some folks ask me what diet I went on to lose 157 pounds in 15 months. My answer is still the same. I did not go on a diet. I changed my approach to food. Eat right size portions that match the daily calorie use. Simple math. Calories in minus calories out. If you fear that eating right means giving up good taste then read what Portland born mom, wife and attorney, Robin Descamp, says about it. She writes a blog (journey gym 70-day Challenge: A healthy diet doesn't have to taste bad) to chronicle her (and other's) 70 Day Journey Gym Challenge. She writes:

The thing is, if you want to find good recipes that won't make you large, you just need to do a little looking around.  Oh, how I love the Internet.  I have made several dishes from many different websites over the past two weeks, and you would never know they are not bad for you.  These include Thai chicken curry, panko and pistachio-crusted salmon, Moroccan chicken, and rack of lamb with fresh mint and fruit chutney.

Robin, here is a glimpse of what Cheryl and I ate last night.
Because of last night, I missed working out, but no worry. These days I am more active during the day, and tonight I made up for it with a double length JourneyGym routine that wore me out before settling down with a light dinner and then my keyboard. Remember: Eat Right. Exercise. It's that simple. Did not say it was easy. Now it's time for me to hit the shower, and then cuddle up with a new book from Buy.Com.

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Eat Right. Exercise. Get Plenty of Rest. All of my rules are found at Jan. 22, 2012.

Me, the week before he decided to do something about losing weight

Recently a friend, and former co-worker, sent me this photo. She had heard that I was looking for any picture or artifact that could tell the story of going from fat to fit. Or, any of the other thousand stories that we all have to tell. Thanks to Julie you can see what I looked like the week before deciding to finally do something. We were in the LA area for a convention and took our only free afternoon to walk both sides of Hollywood Boulevard. I took her picture; she took mine. The next week I asked Cheryl to help me lose weight by at least eating better. Starting with a sensible breakfast, packing a lunch, and laying off the chips and other snacks at night. That's all it takes to lose weight. Obey rule #1. But to get fit you also have to act on rule #2 - exercise. Let's tell that story another day.

10%OFF Prada, Ray Ban, Persol, Costa del Mar, Gucci - Valentine's Eyewear Sale - Use Code smartglasses

OH, and if you have some old photos or scrapbooks from times when we might have been together in the same place at the same time, please send them to me privately by clicking this email link for photos@blogs.docdevore.com.  Please! With sugar on it?. Trust me - they won't end up here unless you give me permission.
Because you have your fun assignments for the week, I am going dance some swing around the pool listening to some great steel guitar and thinking about all those great memories we have shared. (Send that email.)

photos@blogs.docdevore.com

Be sure to get some breakfast, and take Clif Bar with you.
The Disclaimers, Shameless and Legal Stuff

You may also want to get useful tips on losing weight and exercising at my blog at MyFitnessPal (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/docdevore) or Daily Stories about how to lose weight by only learning two rules - eat right and exercise - then visit Doc's blog over at docdevore.blogspot.com. CYA! (wear sunscreen :)

Okay, the legal stuff. Listen up.

I am not a doctor. I am not a certified trainer. I am not a professional body builder. I m in better shape and I do know a lot of stuff that those experts told me, but I don't have a paper that says so, and they haven't told me everything they know yet. Or as Uncle Buck said: "You should always consult a professional, like your doctor, before you begin any weight loss program, and you should ask an expert before you try some of the foods and exercise that Cheryl and Doc use." In other words, this blog contains my opinion on what might work and is for folks who are serious about changing their life. It should not be construed as anything more than what I found on my journey, and how I learned to use it. So you have now been warned: Do attempt the journey on your own without consulting a professional or gaining parental approval. And by the way, there is some other legal stuff on this page about who owns the trademarks and photos and copyright stuff. Most of what I have is not original, but the way I package it up IS, so be sure to read ALL of my rules. Here they are: All postings on my blogs are the opinions or thoughts by Floyd V. Doc DeVore and are protected by a Creative Commons license; all photos are the exclusive copyrighted property of Doc and any reuse, posting or alteration must be approved or licensed in a manner consistent with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at plus.google.com/108251433034379163350/aboutt. In other words, if you want to use, just ask me.

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(wear sunscreen :

Rule #10: Monica, the Professional Trainer (and friend)

Monica Adams was important to my ability to reach those numbers

When I first talked to Monica about scheduling some weight training sessions at the Recreation Center in Arnold, Missouri, I had not made any other link to her talents. I only knew that she was highly recommended by another friend, and I had checked her credentials. So, when I told Cherl that I had set up fitness training sessions with Monica, she said, "Oh, really. That's great; you know she's the traffic reporter at Fox 2."  Only did then I make the connection to the woman I would watch each morning before heading out to embrace the crowds on 270 North in Saint Louis. (Glad I don't need Monica for that anymore; my commute is now only 2 miles). What I knew is that she was a credentialed and respected personal trainer at the gym where I had a membership.

Need some help with your goals? Call Monica. If you let her, she'll show you how to make those muscles "pop."

Want some ideas? Check these out!


OH, and if you have some thoughts you would rather not share publically, but just need a friend to listen, I would LOVE to listen to how YOU want to LIVE LIFE. Seriously!! Send me an email.

AFreindToListen@trustmeonthesunscreen.com

By the way, all the tools I use are free or cheap and can be yours. Start here.
And you can find Monica and Me at FaceBook.

The Disclaimers, Shameless and Legal Stuff

Thanks for spending some time with me.

 You may also want to get useful tips on losing weight and exercising at my blog at MyFitnessPal (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/docdevore) or Daily Stories about how to lose weight by only learning two rules - eat right and exercise - then visit Doc's blog over at docdevore.blogspot.com. CYA! (wear sunscreen :)

Okay, the legal stuff. Listen up.

I am not a doctor. I am not a certified trainer. I am not a professional body builder. I m in better shape and I do know a lot of stuff that those experts told me, but I don't have a paper that says so, and they haven't told me everything they know yet. Or as Uncle Buck said: "You should always consult a professional, like your doctor, before you begin any weight loss program, and you should ask an expert before you try some of the foods and exercise that Cheryl and Doc use." In other words, this blog contains my opinion on what might work and is for folks who are serious about changing their life. It should not be construed as anything more than what I found on my journey, and how I learned to use it. So you have now been warned: Do attempt the journey on your own without consulting a professional or gaining parental approval. And by the way, there is some other legal stuff on this page about who owns the trademarks and photos and copyright stuff. Most of what I have is not original, but the way I package it up IS, so be sure to read ALL of my rules. Here they are: All postings on my blogs are the opinions or thoughts by Floyd V. Doc DeVore and are protected by a Creative Commons license; all photos are the exclusive copyrighted property of Doc and any reuse, posting or alteration must be approved or licensed in a manner consistent with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at plus.google.com/108251433034379163350/aboutt. In other words, if you want to use, just ask me.

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(wear sunscreen :)

EIC Is On Location Shooting New Material

We'll be back with the results of our first week with the Journey Gym.
Until then, remember to Eat Right and Exercise!

NO SWEAT WORKOUT - 5 MIN. from journey gym on Vimeo.

Doc's Rules for Losing Weight (BOOKMARK THIS ONE)

How I Lost 157 Pounds in 15 Months

Be sure to bookmark this page, and then share it. There are links on this page to make that easy to do, and you probably have some other tools for sharing even more places than I know about. Do only two things right NOW!



Bookmark this page. Share this page.

If you have time, click some of the links, or read the rules and send me an email to ask how it works, or better yet, leave a comment here to tell me and everyone else what you learned about why the rule works or didn't work; better yet, just tell me you don't have time to read today because you just bought a JourneyGym like Doc and Cheryl are using, or you did something else even cooler and you want the world to know that Doc really means what he says when he says, Trust Me On The Sunscreen.

1. Eat Right

2. Exercise 

3. Get plenty of Rest
4. GPS Basics - know where you are FIRST - take measuresments; of something.
5. GPS Advanced - now set a goal for WHERE to go

6. Work it out

7. Get some down time
10. Find a friend. Look nearby.
14. Words With Friends - Network with anyone, every day
320. YOU CAN DO IT - beyond your wildest dreams.

GTD - Get things done

GTG - Got to go, or sometimes, Good to Great

TTFN - ta ta for now, or sometimes, BYE or BFN, often used with the first two

TLOML - Cheryl, the love of my life

MLM - My loving mother, Ruth DeVore
Journey - sometimes refers to our first post of the year, sometimes refers to the Journey Gym.

This page will most likely always be under construction. But that's okay, because you have it bookmarked and you can come back later to grab anything add to the list. This URL will be the ONLY page you need to bookmark. When you want the next tip on how to lose one more pound, or gain that pound back, or build muscle mass, or get six pack abs, or get ripped. I promise. Just like I keep saying, Trust Me on The Sun Screen. Wear it.

Now the legal stuff. I am not a doctor. I am not a certified trainer. I am not a professional body builder. I m in better shape and I do know a lot of stuff that those experts told me, but I don't have a paper that says so, and they haven't told me everything they know yet.  Or as Uncle Buck said:  "You should always consult a professional, like your doctor, before you begin any weight loss program, and you should ask an expert before you try some of the foods and exercise that Cheryl and Doc use." In other words, this blog contains my opinion on what might work and is for folks who are serious about changing their life. It should not be construed as anything more than what I found on my journey, and how I learned to use it. So you have now been warned:  Do attempt the journey on your own without consulting a professional or gaining parental approval. And by the way, there is some other legal stuff on this page about who owns the trademarks and photos and copyright stuff. Most of what I have is not original, but the way I package it up IS, so be sure to read ALL of my rules.

Now that we have that out of the way, Trust Me - you can START NOW by obeying rule #1.

Or as Granddad used to say, "do what I mean, not what I say!"

NO SWEAT WORKOUT - 5 MIN. from journey gym on Vimeo.

Are You An IRONMAN? Why, yes, yes I am!

The Author - An Ironman :)

Cheryl, the love of my life, needed a break today. She did not get to lay out in the sun yesterday, which sounded like a hint to me. I am getting better at picking up on those things.  . 

With cameras in hand we headed down the turnpike and tried to catch up with our old friend Kendra before she boarded the Carnival Cruise Ship Velor. We were late, but took lots of pictures anyway. Toured downtown Miami looking for that Latin Ice Cream place that Jay Velasco told me about. Then to the beach. Virginia Key was packed, but we found a place to park. Cheryl laid out in the sun, and I took my Timex IronMan Triathalon Trainer (aka watch) for a walk, first in the water and then down the beach. Still learning to use it, but I did get in 32 minutes of decent cardio. Even pausing to snap about 150 pics along the way, I still managed to get in about a 2.4 mph pace; and how could life get better than walking in soft sand along the beach.

Cheryl and I are looking through the 250+ photos and we have some we will be showing you over the next few weeks to illustrate how to enjoy Rule #2 - Exercise. And if you saw our late post yesterday, we also know how to Eat Right and still eat good.  Great lunch at The Rusty Pelican (awesome food, service). Be sure to check them out. We highly recommend them.

Am I an Ironman? Why, yes. Yes, I am. I have a Timex Iornman Triathalon GPS Trainer to prove it.

Tomorrow we are staying home; chores to do, fire up the gas grill and throw some steaks on. Which reminds me I need to order some more steak. TTFN GTG GTD 4 TLOML

PS: Cheryl, today was the bestest day of our 31 years. Good conversation; sightseeing; and all special because you were with me. And guess what? Dr. John just told me that FedEx picked up our new Journey Gym's. We need to find a place to shoot video of you and me getting ripped. Finally, I should be able to look as good as you do.

Don't forget the sun screen!

Rule #6: Work It Out As You Go

Losing weight is simple. Seriously, it's simple. It is why my sister and TLOML think it's a math problem. And, it's why I say it's just a matter of a Balance Transfer, and "trust me" on this: AOD GETS GTD GTG. And my friends at MFP call it BMR - base metabolic rate, which is why both my sister and I are correct, but why AOD GETS GTD GTG.

When I discuss with my software developer friends, they explain as being a simple ITTT logic puzzle - if that then this. Simple stuff really. David Allen called it knowing your @context and what action to take next to get closer to your goal. All I knew when I lose some weight is that I could probably start by eating right. Seemed logical to me. Calories in, calories out. Didn't have time to exercise, but I could cut back the calories. Wow, rule #1. Simple.  And it worked! With new confidence, in mid-November of 2010, I asked Cheryl what she wanted for Christmas that year. Her answer was also simple, "biceps."  So I added rule #2, Exercise. Still seemed like "if I want that, then do this." If wanted to go from good to great (GTD), then go find the barbells Cheryl had been using because I knew what she looked like after loosing 80 pounds; "fine, mighty fine."

Now, later I will tell you what my friends at MFP call it using things like BMR, BMI, Burn Rate, and other tools, including an app for my Droid. I learned that not only did I understand it my simple way, eat right and exercise, I also learned why my sister and my wife are also correct. I also learned that there are other ways to do both, and then someone told me about Journey Gym. I didn't know enough the first time Berry told more than a year ago, or PK told me three months ago, but when Dr. John called I learned that I could take Rule #2 to a whole new level in 2012 - GET RIPPED and look as good as TLOML. Guess what?

He called me this week, and after we chatted about how simple it is, he told me he was going to send me a couple of Journey Gyms - one for me and one for Cheryl and we are getting pumped because we are going to get a simple tool to get ripped. SIMPLE. That's the essence of every rule you will read about. Eat right and exercise. We'll explore those rules as 2012 goes along, and we promise to share our progress and things we learn. And we will also tell you about Rule #9.  Sorry, no time for that tonight. Got to do #3 so I can be rested - WOO HOO! Cheryl, I can't wait! Let's go check out Dr. John's videos. This is going to be simple fun to getting ripped with the world's first truly portable universal gym..... TTUL

PS: go check it out and come back here and leave me a note (that's a comment; just click the button down there, okay. GTG GTD GTG!  (Trust me on the sunscreen; it is that simple) HEY YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO START WITHOUT ME!  :-)






PPS: Dr. John's blog has a great article on why New Resolutions usually don't work. Check it out.