Deep Fried Porkchops!

This morning I drug myself out of my comfy bed to do the "Jingle Bells" run in downtown Portland with 2 of my 3 boys.  This physical exertion sort of took my guilt away for some not-so-great eating choices during the past two weeks.  I just returned from Alabama where I'd been visiting with relatives after the death of my grandfather (mentioned in my previous post).  The raw emotion of sadness and loss really wreaked havoc on the body.  My stomach was in knots and I actually felt guilty for eating.  "How could I eat when my grandfather just died?", I asked myself.  Well after a few days of this thinking, my hunger really set in.  After the funeral, all of the family gathered for a rememberance luncheon.  This was really nice and I must say that southern buffets are very different from Yankee buffets.  I can't say that I've ever eaten deep fried porkchops at a Yankee buffet!  Sugary sweet tea is gladly sold in gallon jugs at the grocery stores and offered at all restaurants and stocked in nearly everyone's refrigerator. The stress and turmoil in the days following really threw me for a loop.  I missed my wife and the boys and I was still grieving the loss of my grandfather and feeling a deep sadness for my grandmother who is basically confined to her bed and/or wheelchair at a local nursing home. 

Eating right was in my mind but it definitely wasn't ranking high on my to-do list.  Near the end of my 12-day trip it had sunk in that I gained weight.  I normally weigh myself every single morning so that I can keep tabs on my body.  I could feel my one pair of jeans that I brought beginning to tighten.  I finally weighed myself and I had gained a steady 3 pounds.  Now if you recall that 3500 calories equals one pound...you'll see that I ate about 10,500 too many calories during that 12-days!!!  10,500 divided by 12-days equals 875 excess calories per day.  My normal daily requirement is about 1800 calories.  Anything extra turns to fat in my body.  So the homemade apple dumplings with a scoop of ice cream on Thanksgiving, the two glasses of sweet tea, the Hardees hamburger on the way to pick up flowers, the shared milkshake that was offered when I was thirsty etc. all really did add up!  Remember "The Creeper" blog earlier?

We all have our bad moments and times in our lives.  We all slide and do things we shouldn't.  We all want to taste grandma's homemade apple pie.  We're only human.  However, we need to make sure that we get back on the wagon and monitor ourselves and our eating habits.  Knowing our daily caloric intake requirement is very important in monitoring ourselves.  For this reason I'd visit my main website at http://www.mojoefitness.com/ and click on the "self-assessment" or "automated self-assessment" tabs for help in computing your own caloric intake needs.  Anything in excess turns to fat!  Today's run with my boys is a start to get me back on track with good habits. 
"Don't Eat Like a Goldfish".

My Grandad Died Today

The starter pistol fired and the boom echoed.  The young runners readied themselves on the starting line of their regional cross country meet.  The 5-minute warning to the race's start.  Thin legs dancing quickly.  Warming up in the cold Oregon rain.  Dots of mud spattered on their hind ends.  Restless anxiousness.  My 11-year old son Conner among them all.

My cell phone rang.  The screen displays “Grandad”.  I knew this call.  My mom and dear Ethel on the other end.  Crying, sobbing.  Grandad died.  His body now limp, at peace and with the Lord.  83-years of life gifted to this man who I knew as “Grandad”.  To most he was Mac, to his parents, brother and sisters..... “Bo”, to his grandmother and his birth certificate, St. Elmo.

The starter pistol fires again.  100 pairs of legs go clamoring, dodging puddles, jockying for position.  A display of life in its extreme.  I standd in the mist amid the thunderous parental calls: keep you pace, make your move, take that hill!  Feeling alone despite the bombardment of life.

3000 miles away Grandad's spirit lifts.  No longer is he confined to his aged and ailing body that had served him so many years.  For now Grandad...you are everywhere.  With Jesus.  I call out in only a way that a spirit, an angel, would know--- Hey Grandad, are you there?  You're free now!  You made it to the other side!....  To see your mom and dad, your brothers and sisters, including your brother Bill who died on D-day...who's death over 60 years ago still brings you tears.

Grandad, I'll always remember the times we had together.  As a young boy I'll remember the pedaling “hot rod” you bought for me with that attached orange flag so cars could see me.  That skinny white flag pole was too long so you cut it down to size.  You gave me the cut short end and colored the end with a black marker to make it look like the ash on the end of a cigarette.  Mom and dad weren't impressed.

Letting me sneak a sip of your beer and me pretending that I liked it.  The little dogs you and Nana (Netti) always seemed to have.  You pretending to be a drunk driver in that big boat of a car you use to have.  “Grandad!  Be a drunk driver”, I'd say.  You'd laugh and swerve the wheel from left to right, back and forth.  I'd giggle and laugh...all of course while standing in the back seat (this was about 1975 and I don't think they had seatbelt laws back then).

I remember how you and Nana would spoil my sister and I.  We really had it made.  In Phoenix you lived just a few blocks away.  This was a kid's dream.  My mom would call you--- “Ricky's headin' your way”, she'd say.   I'd pedal fast on my little yellow bike.  The kind with hard rubber wheels that don't need air.  With the pedals that could go backwards without braking.  You and Nana would wait at your front door watching for my approach.  Faces smiling.

I remember playing with your vice grips.  It seemed like minutes, but I'm told that in adult time it was for hours and hours.

Then a divorce.  Loading the moving truck quickly after school one day with my dad.  Whisked away.  Gone.  No more memories made.  Clinging only to those old ones just said.  Repeating them mindfully, over and over so as not to forget.

About 25-years later, thanks to Yahoo People Search, I was back home.  Sweet home Alabama.  My mom, Nana (Sister), Grandad, and Granny (or Grandmama) too!  Alive...still alive!  What a treasured gift.  With my wife Darby and our 1-year old twins, Conner and Keenan in tow, I was able to reconnect with you Grandad...and all of you.

The past years with you have been cherished.  I've relished meaning in our discussions as well as just sitting with you and enjoying your presence.  Watching cops and eating boiled peanuts.  I've etched the sound of your voice into my mind...”Heyyy Rick 'em”, “Hey Rickaroo”, “This world's goin' to pot!”, or “Can you believe that joker?!” (Joker was his word of choice when referring to bad guy on Cops).    Or on my last trip here with my 7-year old Kyler, Grandad took us to Michael's pond to go fishing.  When a cottonmouth started to slither in towards my son I yelled, “snake!”.  My son's legs running in the air so quickly that his body appeared to hover before his feet touched the ground.  And grandad replying from a distance, “I'll get my gun”.  I had no idea he brought a gun or even had one for that matter.  He handed me this little pistol, wrapped up in a handkerchief.  It probably hadn't seen the light of day in 30 years.  But it worked and we took care of that Joker!

I won't forget is how we ended all of our long distance phone conversations, “I love you” or “I love you too”...depending who said it first.  We had a true bond.  We all knew he was old we treated every conversation as though it could be our last.  Only two days before he died, he reminded me with a weak voice, “I love you Ricky”.  

Grandad you were meticulous.  Everything you owned had its place.  You took care of your possessions, your daughter and your wife for so many years.  I'd call your house and if you didn't answer I'd call Nana's (Sister's) room at the nursing home where you'd always answer.  You stood by her side until the end when you were no longer able.  Your life of servitude, your loyalty to your wife and daughter.  All characteristics of a truly good man.

I had so many good times with you.  A few years ago you drove me to the cemetery to show me yours and Nana's newly purchased grave site and tombstone.  We circled and drove around trying to find it.  After a awhile I asked, “Is there someone that'll know where it's at if you're gone?”  He laughed and said, “Well I'll sure know where it's at!”

Grandad, you've completed this race course called life.  The hustle, the buzz, the energy of living.  My son and all those runner's finished their race.  Muddy, sore and tired.  Just as you did Grandad.  I love you.

R.I.P.- 4/28/27- 11/20/10

The Creeper

Ok, yes this is freaky.  I just want to make a correlation.  Imagine you just got home after a long day at work....putting your things away, preparing dinner, returning phone messages....all the while The Creeper lurks, waiting for the right moment to deliver a sinister deed.  The worst case scenario could be an unexpected death.

Now imagine neglected health....in a constant state of rush, hurry here, hurry there, fast-food along the way, late for work, not enough drive time to get from here to there, worrying about $$ for the broken clothes dryer, another night with 5.5 hours of sleep.  The worst case scenario...an unexpected death.

A lifetime of bad choices leads to the grand finale....a big bad consequence.  What are some things that you can do to live a healthy lifestyle?  1) Get to a healthy weight (I can help you with this).  2) Kick any bad habits like excessive alcohol, tobacco or caffeine use 3) Regular exercise (I can give you some free workouts or ideas if you'd like) 4) Good sleep 5)  Good eating habits (I can help you with this too).  The Take Shape for Life program uses the "BeSlim" philosophy: Breakfast- Exercise- Support- Low fat meals every 3 hours- Individual plan- Monitor

A huge key in the eating portion means knowing your caloric intake requirement.  You can go to http://www.mojoefitness.com/ and click "self-assessment" or "self-assessment (in Excel)" to calculate your caloric intake requirement.  Now, if your body requires 2000 calories per day to maintain your current bodyweight, and you're eating about 2500 calories per day, over the course of a week that's 3500 extra calories.  In the science world, 3500 calories = 1 pound of bodyweight.  In other words, you'd gain one pound per week, four pounds per month, or 48 pounds per year if you continued on that course!  Obviously most of us don't eat at this excessive rate....but what if we just ate 100 too many calories each day?  Not a huge deal right?  This is where The Creeper comes in.  The weight gain is so subtle, so slow, so smooth and unassuming.  Like a hunter stalking its prey....until it's too late.  The deed is done.

Don't let The Creeper creep up on you.  Know your weaknesses, counter them, fix them, repair them.  And then stay vigilent...monitor.  Getting to your goal weight is not enough.  Affix a set weight limit that you will not let yourself exceed.  Monitor it every single day on the scale.  Establish good habits.  Don't be polluted by outside sources.  And God-willing.... live your one life on this earth to its full potential!
Joe, http://www.mojoefitness.com/

D-Day and My Great-Uncle Bill

In rememberance of my great-uncle, Cecil "Bill" McLendon, whom I never had the chance to meet.  He died on D-day during the invasion of Normandy.  Like in the opening scene of the movie "Saving Private Ryan", he died on an amphibious landing craft after he and his crew struck a mine.  He was 19.  To this day my now-ailing grandfather gets tears in his eyes when he remembers the loss of his brother Bill.

Veteran's Day.  A day to remember those who made the sacrifice.  To remember those who never had to fight but loyally trained and stood at the ready to be called upon.  To remember those who were called upon and made it home to share their stories with loved ones.  And for those who fought and are no longer with us here.  So we shall meet again....

Super Humans on You Tube!

Check this out....some amazing feats of human skill.  There may be a few doctored clips but a lot of others that really do seem amazing for us mere mortals!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0Cazxj_yc.
This next link shows our Parkour instructor, Adam, in this awesome video.  He's like Spiderman!  He runs a training facility here in Beaverton.  It's one of the few sporting activities that I can do along side my boys.
http://www.revolutionparkour.com/

Some Police Work Stress

I've had a abnormally busy few weeks with a lot of work, overtime and nights with little sleep.  My first night of a long work-month opened with a gang shooting and a death (http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=128550735921901300).  This has led me to the topic of stress.  Obviously we all experience stress...work, death, arguments etc..  We've all experienced it.  I'm no expert on this topic but I believe that my job as a deputy sheriff allows me to witness some of the most stressful things that anyone will ever witness.  Here's an example:  this past summer I had a particulary stressful week with a huge number of calls at work that included a 4-year old that nearly drowned and seeing the upset family, pulling an injured suicidal transient out of the river and later that same day, trying to help a 14-year old live after he collapsed on the beach.  He died.  Then watching his mother touch her son and cry over his body.  Then thinking about my own family and worrying.  There were other incidents too but I think you get the picture.  This stress adds up.  Throw lack of sleep, irregular work hours, other activities etc. into the mix and you have a real stress volcano brewing.

Recently I spoke with a friend of mine that recently retired as a deputy sheriff.  He told me that ironically, upon his retirement, instead of feeling excited to enter a new chapter in his life, he actually felt a huge sense of loss and hopelessness.  He felt that he no longer had anything to contribute to society.  His life had no meaning.  Well, without going into too many details, he overcame this by getting a part-time job that he enjoys.  He likes helping others.  

After this hopelessness was lifted, he also felt something else lift.  The shackles of stress.  Strangely, he didn't even realize this stress was there until it was gone.  He said that it's a sad fact that he didn't know how much stress he carried on a daily basis until the stress was gone.  It was like an actual weight was lifted and he no longer had to carry it around.

I wish I could help you all reduce your stress, but honestly, I'm not sure I know how quite yet!  I'm still in the phase of recognizing it and trying to be aware of it.  I hope you all can too.  Obviously things like shifting your focus to doing things you like can help: taking a well-deserved mini-vacation or even 30 minutes of alone-time, doing your favorite hobby etc. is all nice but you ahve to make the time for it.  That's key.  Talking about what's stressing you out is helpful too.  Somtimes making a MoJoe blog and venting to cyberspace helps :).  

Another key is maintaing your own health.  If your body were a video game character this would be your "health points".  Too many hits and your body fades until it beeps...then oops, new life or dead.  Game over.  When a "life zinger" gets thrown at you, your body will expectedly become stressed and open you open to minor ailments or prolonged sickness.  

Bird Legs

This week I'll divert away from the TSFL (Take Shape for Life) book. Today's subject is "bird legs". My grandfather is 80-something years old. He's a thin guy and never had issues with being heavy. A couple of months ago he had trouble getting out of his favorite chair. He had a few falling episodes and couldn't stand up on his own. He went to the doctor expecting some kind of nerve damage or other complication. During the exam, the doctor poked, prodded and examined my grandfather. When the exam was complete he told my grandfather, "I think I know what the problem is....feel down here [gently grasping my grandfather's thigh]". The doctor continued..."there's no more muscle".

I've attached a photo of a friend's legs taken only 10 days after his knee surgery. He is flexing his legs, however you can see that his right leg (the one on the viewer's left) is smooth and lacks muscle definition. My friend said he lost this muscle after only 10 days of inactivity!

This is what can happen to us as our bodies grow older. Our muscles slowly deteriorate to the point that we can't do things for ourselves. I don't want someone to assist me in the bathroom when I'm an old man!

Yesterday I spoke w/ an elderly woman at work. She told me how she and her husband have felt increasingly vulnerable as they've gotten older...vulnerable to sickness and vulnerable to possible violence or muggings when they're in public. Sadly, today an 80-year old man, who's wife died 2 years ago, said, "I'm just waiting to die".

On the flip-side, I routinely talk w/ some "tough ol' guys" that are out fixing their wire fences and putting in new stove pipe at 80+ years old! What is it that separates these men (and women) from those others that are either "waiting to die" or simply don't care about their health? I think it's about living a healthy and productive life with purpose. To get out and use our minds and our bodies to their full potential. When we eat junk that clouds our minds and makes us tired, or when we give up and don't take care of ourselves after an injury, we aren't living up to our potential. TSFL (Take Shape for Life) is all about living up to our potential and it offers the tools to get us there. Of course there are many roads to the end. I believe that TSFL is one of those nice scenic "roads" that can extend our joyride.

For those of you that are at the phase of adding exercise into your routine, feel free to call or email me and I'd be glad to send TSFL clients a free copy of my MoJoe Fitness DVD, "122+ At-Home Exercises". You can see a preview of 8 of the exercises on YouTube (there's a link on the homepage of my website, http://www.mojoefitness.com/).

I know this week's update was a bit deep (and late). I just had a crazy day at work a few nights ago in downtown Portland w/ a gang shooting where one person died (I'm a deputy that responded to the scene). So it sort of got me into a contemplative spirit about the lives that we live.  Joe

Inflammation and Diet

This is a photo of Darby's smaller clothes that we retrieved from the attic after she lost 44lbs. with Take Shape for Life.  Her big-girl clothes just didn't fit her anymore.  Ok... some of the clothes were reminicent of the 80's but I didn't mind!  She looked cute in those little shorts!

 I tweaked by lower back this week at the gym and Ibuprofen became my new friend. This drug is used used to relieve minor aches and pains and it's also used as an anti-inflammatory. We all know that when you smash your finger with a hammer or tweak your back or shoulder while exercising, Ibuprofen is always an option.

However, did you know that aside from injuring ourselves on the outside (like with hammer), the food that we eat may also cause chronic inflammation throughout our bodies on the inside? This chronic inflammation is associated with two main killers: cardiovascular disease and cancer (yes, these are some bold killers...ok, bad joke). A link has been found between obesity, inflammation and disease. Page 35 of your "The Secret Is Out" book explains that ""visceral fat" is metabolically active tissue because it releases a variety of inflammatory molecules into our bloodstream". From here, the molecules target our various cells, body organs, joints and central nervous system. Mental illness can even become an issue! Basically every system in the body gets assaulted.

How do we fight this onslaught? Our diet. The foods that you choose to put into your mouth will either help or hinder. It's your choice. TSFL (Take Shape for Life) is about educating and reshaping the way we think about the foods we eat. The worst offenders are white flour food items, soft drinks, heavily sugar-sweetened items, processed meats and of course unhealthy fats. Next week we'll continue with a focus on the fats!  Joe, http://www.mojoefitness.com/
Take Shape for Life Health Coach, ID# 30174810

Don’t Eat Like a Goldfish

This might be my new way to sign out on these (mostly) weekly emails...."Don't Eat Like a Goldfish". Today my son Conner was peeking over my shoulder as I was looking at page 29 our your Medifast Program book "The Secret is Out". That page has a color scan of two brains. He asked what it all meant and I tried to explain the best I could by basically saying that if you eat too much you can get sick and die! Conner replied, "Ohhh, like a goldfish?". "Yes", I said, "like a goldfish".

One brain has larger portion of dopamine (pleasure) receptors than the other brain. Science explains that 30% of the general population has less dopamine receptors which causes us to eat more to feel that same sense of pleasure or fullness. However, about 50% of obese persons possess the brain scan image with less receptors. Less receptors= more eating. Does this mean that we are fat because of pure genetics? Not really, genetics is a definite factor, but as one doctor notes, "Genetics loads the gun, but environment [full of easily obtainable high-calorie foods and lacking access to physical activity] pulls the trigger" (p. 29). The following is taken from a section on page 30: certain foods that are high in sugar and fat stimulate the release of dopamine in a dose-dependent way, which means the more of these food you eat, the more the dopamine gets released. Eating more for satisfaction works to a point, but after that, there appears to be a threshold where pleasure receptors get blunted and no longer recognize the signal". In other words, "Your brain still thinks you're hungry, so you keep eating".

Fortunately, the pharmaceutical grade Medifast meals combined with the structure and support of the TSFL program does two things to help us (even those of us with less dopamine receptors) to avoid the above predicament: 1) the Medifast meals are portion controlled, provide structure, minimizes food choices, keeps you feeling full, and helps break the cycle of bad eating habits. 2) the TSFL (Take Shape for Life) program provides the information and support staff (the nutrition and nurse info lines and me!).

Unless I have a hot topic on my mind, I'll likely email weekly updates that progress through the "Secret is Out" book that came if you signed up under the BeSlim program. For those of you that don't have the book, no worries, you can order the book online just as you would order your meals. Otherwise, we'll slowly chip away and going through this book each week.  Joe, http://www.mojoefitness.com/

There's a Proper Way to Eat Fruit!

This is a neat email that I got regarding the eating of fruit. There really is a "proper" way to eat fruit. There are actually entire books out there on how to eat the proper combinations of food so that our bodies work efficiently. Just a reminder that fruit is not to be eaten during the "5 and 1" fat burning phase. This was one of those odd things that I didn't understand when I researched the TSFL (Take Shape for Life) program. However, I learned that the reason for avoiding fruit in this initial phase is because fruit has a very high glycemic index (lots of sugar). TSFL's fat burning phase is designed to rid your body of that extra nuclear pile-up of sugar and put your body into a fat burning state. Avoiding fruit will help put it into a fat burning state. Of course once you reach your goal weight, there is a "Transition and Maintenance" phase. This transition will allow you to slowly add those fruits, vegetables, dairy and starches that you had previously reduced or eliminated from your diet. I am currently in this phase and I could write a lot more about my positive learning experiences in this phase...but I'll save that for another email! Be sure to call or email when you've reached your goal weight and I'll continue to be there to help you as you transition.
Joe  http://www.mojoefitness.com/, TSFL Health Coach ID# 30174810

Dr. Andersen on Good Morning America

Below is a link to an inteview on Good Morning America with Dr. Wayne Andersen...one of the TSFL (Take Shape for Life) founders and the author of the book, "Dr. A's Habits of Health". I've read a lot of health and fitness books, but this is the book that convinced me that TSFL is the "way to go" when it comes to nutrition. This book and the TSFL program has allowed me to lose 20 lbs of belly fat in less than 2 months, and I'm currently "zeroing in" on getting more lean and fit. Have a great end to our summer!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/keeping-weight-off-11368695

Below is an email from my own TSFL Health Coach, Ginger:

Fall is just around the corner. Are you looking forward to it? Maybe the routine of having the children back in school. Or just maybe the days getting a bit shorter and the weather a bit cooler. How about fitting back into your winter clothes? JEANS…… Does the thought of putting those things on make you feel uneasy? Are you in the size you want to be?

For most of us, summer is a hard time to eat healthy. Those dog days of summer lead to BBQ's, which brings overeating. Alcohol. Ice cream, desserts! Oh My! Our exercise routines are shot because we are not in a routine, or it is just too hot to exercise when we planned to. Are you ready for fall?  As I am sitting here, thinking about this past year. I ask myself, what have I learned. About myself, about the program, about others…….Here are just a few things just to encourage you.

Take Shape for Life works! I have personally seen at least a hundred people over the course of this past year get healthy. Lose weight, get off their meds, feel better then they have in years. Me included!  It is easy to jump back on the plan! Some people get on the program, lose the weight, just to get off the program and eat the way they have been before they started the program. Only to gain it all back. Dr. Anderson and his team at John's Hopkins University have spent years creating and perfecting Take Shape for Life. They have spent as much time, money and energy on the TRANSITION AND MAINTAINANCE program as the 5 and 1. What is the point of losing all that weight just to gain it back? This is your health, why wouldn't you put the time and energy into the maintenance and transition program that you put into losing the weight?

It takes 4 days of hard work to get back on the program! We can do anything for 4 days! We have done it before. I just restarted the program last week and I felt 200% better once I hit the 5th day! My tummy didn't hurt. Less bloated!, More energy! Sleeping better! Not hungry! Less cravings! In control!

When on the program, people are happier! I hear from people weekly telling me about their successes. They are excited because they have gotten off their meds, or have hit a goal they have not see in a while, or are wearing a size they have not see since their wedding. Are they sorry they didn't take a slice of the cake at the birthday party yesterday? NO. There will be a time for that. They are just happy, they were in control.

People need help losing weight! Most people are confused about what program works for losing weight. Look around, people are trying all kinds of pills, programs and other weight loss procedures. Take Shape for Life works and it is not complicated. My report card is my blood work numbers. This year I get an A+ and I can prove it.

If someone you love is struggling with getting healthy for any number of reasons, give them my information or contact me and I can send them some info.  This is your life, live it to the best you can!

If you need help going back on the program. Give me a call. I will make the time to come and see you or chat on the phone and we will get a plan set up for you.  

Joe Graziano

TSFL Health Coach, ID# 30174810

National Academy of Sports Medicine, Certified Personal Trainer

503-887-2939

http://www.mojoefitness.com/