Investing in Your Health

"When you invest in higher education, you increase your worth in the corporate world. Similarly, your worth increases when you invest in your health."

Recently i was talking to a friend about eating right and exercising, and he said something that stuck out to me. He said, "Isn't it funny how so many of us make school and work a priority, but when it comes to our own health we don't have the time....what investment is more important than your own health?"

Currently i'm finalizing my degree at the University of Utah in Health Society and Policy. This degree has been fascinating because of how interdisciplinary it is in regards to health. However, in all my various courses the theme or overall consensus has been the significant relationship that exists between higher education, income, and health. When you invest in higher education, you increase your worth in the corporate world. Similarly, your worth increases when you invest in your health. How so? Because healthy individuals who maintain a higher quality of life increases their life expectancy.

If you're a religious person, your self worth is most likely based on your belief in divinity. This is good because it establishes a baseline of the truth that you are of great worth. But since life is all about making the most of your time, it's extremely important to make health one of your top priorities. Why? Because health enables you to accomplish your life's work, and lengthens the time you have do it.  

All in all... love yourself enough to invest in your health.

You're worth it.

Introduction

"It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose hope when you're not seeing a change on the scale. Especially when you're limited on time, money and energy."

In August 2012 i decided to register for a marathon training class at the University of Utah. Up until that time the longest run i had ever done was five miles; a run i had completed while serving a mission in North Carolina. My mission president always ran five miles every morning, and i really admired that.....so i made it a goal to run five miles at least once before heading home. So naturally on the Saturday before leaving from NC to UT, I got up at 4am and ran the five miles. Prior to my mission I did a little bit of track in junior high school (ran the 400) but that was it. I was more into basketball than running. Still kind of am.

So back to this marathon class. It started at 7am every Tuesday and Thursday and was a hour and a half long. I took the class thinking it would be a great way to get fit, and since the class was less than two hours long it didn't seem too intimidating. I told myself, "How much running can we really do for an hour and a half?" The first day of class our running instructor asked each of use to explain to the other runners why we loved running and why we elected to sign up for the class. When it was my turn to speak I said something like, "I'm not really sure why i'm in this class because I'm not a runner, but maybe i'll learn to like it?"

For the rest of the semester I got up at 5am every Tuesday and Thursday morning just so i could be up at the U by 7am. It was surprisingly fun. I got to rub shoulders with people who were preparing for actual marathons, and I noticed how much healthier, happier and less stressed i was feeling day to day. I was right. We only ran about 3-5 miles each class. So it wasn't that bad at all. Since that time however, I haven't stopped running.

In January 2013 i joined the Salt Lake City Track Club. "The Salt Lake City Track Club is an athletic organization that provides for the association of persons interested in personal health and wellness through the activity of running. The Club's primary focus is distance running, but all types of runners are welcome" (SLCTC).

I registered for their Winter Series race where every two weeks there was a race: 5k, 10k, 15k. It was like $30 bucks for all three races. Downside? Every single race we ran was during a crazy blizzard. Here are some photos:

   Not the best photo of me, but "image is nothing, thirst is everything" right?

My red pants are visible between the orange and neon guys.

 This guy beautifully illustrates the 15k blizzard.   

I would definitely recommend the Winter Series to anyone. It's a great way to start the year off right whatever your fitness goals are. Even if you're not much of a runner it's really fun to participate. They had people from all ages, shapes, and sizes. There was even a guy doing the race in a wheelchair. I'm planning on doing it again next year.

So what in the world am I doing with this "Legit and Fit"  blog?? Awhile ago I lost a lot of weight by eating right and going to the gym, but when I was done I got bored. Which of course meant...I was slowly gaining the weight back. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose hope when you're not seeing a change on the scale. Especially when you're limited on time, money and energy. So now I'm trying to focus on fitness accomplishments; the doing, not the becoming. This mentality has a peacefulness to it. I highly recommend the same mentality to anyone else trying to stay fit. As long as you are progressing you can have peace of mind that you are improving. If you maintain that peace of mind? Then you'll become what you're hoping to become. 

When I was in High School I came up with the quote, "Without love there is no hope. Without hope there is no progress. Without progress life is wasted." I have found this to be true in my life. Love makes you feel valued. If you don't love yourself and others, the purpose and meaning behind your life can fade. I find that i am the most hopeful for the future when I feel love for myself and others. Then as i hope for the future i get more things done and I progress.

So from now on, each blog post will either be about love, hope, or progress. The progress portion? I hope to focus more on fitness achievements and goals. Love and hope will probably get more on the spiritual/mental side. Overal, my goal is to help motivate and inspire myself, and hopefully others at the same time. Thanks for listening. Future posts won't be so long.  

Salt Lake City Track Club." Salt Lake City Track Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.

Free Heart Screenings This Saturday

I work for the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center. It is one of the nation’s premier heart centers, and has renowned heart experts in more than a dozen heart specialties, including artificial heart/mechanical support, heart rhythm disorders, structural heart disorders and heart surgery.
 

This Saturday, February 9th, from 9 a.m. to 1 pm we are hosting a community Healthy Heart Fair where you can get your hearts checked out for free.

Here’s what you can do:

• Free EKG screenings, cholesterol and glucose tests, and blood pressure and body fat analyses will be performed by specialists.
 • Heart experts from the Institute will cover the latest treatment options and newest cardiac technology.
 • You and your kids can check out a Life Flight helicopter and EMS and fire trucks from Murray City Fire Department.
 • Interactive presentations and workshops will cover these topics: – How Do Diabetes and Obesity Affect Your Heart? will be presented by cardiologist Kevin Walsh, MD, at 9 a.m. – How Do I Know If I Have a Healthy Heart? will be presented by cardiologist Hannah Raasch, MD, at 10:30 a.m. –
A Cooking Demonstration: The Best and Worst Foods for Your Heart will be presented by Jennifer Burns and Amanda Hindoian at noon 
• You can pick up a FREE COOKBOOK filled with heart-healthy recipes. Its recipes have been reviewed by certified dieticians and specialists from the Intermountain Heart Institute and include over 50 heart-healthy options including snacks, appetizers, salads, soups, and main dishes. The book also gives you great ideas for how to replace unhealthy eating habits, and add more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to your diet.     
  
 There’s no need to register for the fair — but make sure to help pass the word. If you’d like more information, call the Intermountain Heart Institute at 801-507-4701.

Mashed Potatoes & Health Reform

Perhaps this has happened to you before. You sit down to enjoy a tasty meal, and somehow the topic of health reform finds its' way into the conversation. Even the baby in the high chair has an opinion about the American Healthcare system. You ask someone to pass the mashed potatoes but instead you get a big ol' fat serving of politics. There's no need to reheat this conversation in the microwave, because it's already heated!

After awhile you notice that everyone has their own opinion about what should or shouldn't happen, but no one is really talking about solid facts. In short, no one really knows what they're talking about.     

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation website is one of the most reliable sources on healthcare reform in the United States. They even have a health reform timeline that explains what specific changes have been made and what changes will be made in the next several years:

http://healthreform.kff.org/Home/KHS/Timeline.aspx?source=FS

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Now when words start flying at the dinner table, you can use your knowledge on health reform to persuade people to do their own research, and to get someone to seriously pass you the mashed potatoes.

Week#13 - Under 180!

On February 14th, I made a new goal to weigh 180lbs or less by April 1st. Since then I have spent a lot of time working out and eating better, and I'm very happy to report the results. I think i'm done posting my weight online though. I feel like i've reached my goal to be better and I hope I can continue to be healthier by working out and eating better. Stay tuned for new adventures of exercise. Just no more scale photos. ha-ha.

7 Ways to Reduce Your Risk for Heart Disease

For the past couple of years I have been a cardiovascular analyst for Intermountain Healthcare. I have reviewed thousands of charts for people with heart disease. It has been an eye opening experience for me. Why? Because of the number of people that have no idea that they have heart disease, and the statistical analysis that proves that they have the ability to reduce and/or destroy the power of this disease in their lives. In prior posts I have mentioned that heart disease runs in my family. I never met my Mom's dad because he died of heart disease when he was forty-nine years old.

Well...if you're like me, then you are at a higher risk for heart disease based on nothing you can control. This means that whatever you CAN control is extremely important. In that light, here are 7 ways to reduce your risk for heart disease:

#1- Quit Smoking: Smokers have more than twice the risk.
#2- Get Fit: Absolutely anything you can do to become more active will help.
#3- Improve Cholesterol: Get blood work done and consult with your Doctor.
#4- Control High Blood Pressure: Get a check up and consult with your Doctor.
#5- Control Diabetes: Healthy diet, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, ect.
#6- Eat Right: Low salt, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and refined sugars.
#7- Manage Stress: Use exercise, and other natural ways to relieve pressure.

So there ya go. Each of these things can reduce your risks. I hate heart disease, and I hope to dedicate my life to its destruction in my life and in the lives of others. Thanks for reading!

Week#6 - Valentine's Day!! (191lbs)

Back on January 2nd (after watching The Santa Clause) I set a goal to weigh less than 192lbs by Valentine's Day. After six long weeks...I reached my goal. Which means I killed my Santa within! But what do I do now? Set another milestone? Weigh less than the Easter Bunny by St. Patrick's day?

No....but how about weighing 180lbs by April Fools day? That will give me another six weeks to lose two pounds a week. I like it. If I don't get down to 180 by April Fools...then the April Fool will be ME. So...here we go again. Make comments or suggestions if you have any. Thanks for your support and good luck to everyone else trying to lose weight.

Week#5 - No More Words Javert (194lbs)

Basically I don't have any desire to talk about losing weight. I'm having fun getting fit and that is all I have to report. Thank you and goodnight.

Week#4 - An Annoying Obsession (195lbs)

Your body's metabolism will increase as you build lean body mass. Then you can eat more, and exercise less and your body will continue to burn fat. So what's the key? Get in at least 30 minutes of non stop cardio and then....build muscle!!!! I didn't do too well this week. I only worked out on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. However, my body continues to burn fat.

I've found it to be very difficult to focus so much on losing weight. Not because I don't feel passionate about it, but that I get annoyed with being that type of person. Ha-ha. Too much of one thing makes me feel shallow. So...in an effort to be successful, but also not become so obsessed that I burn myself out...I'm going to treat losing weight like brushing my teeth. Exercise needs to be done, but it's not something worth obsessing over.

I wasn't able to really focus that well on getting rid of stomach fat this week, so....I'd like to try that again for this week. Thanks for listening and please comment with any ideas, tips or suggestions that have worked for you. On to a new week and a new month! I'm not sure if I'll weigh less than Santa (192lbs) by Valentine's Day, but I'll try my best. See ya next Sunday!

Week#3 - Point "A" to Point "Z" (197lbs)

Milestones! Milestones! Milestones!!!

Whatever your goal may be for weight loss, it's extremely important to maintain a positive mental outlook. Getting frustrated or feeling overwhelmed can hinder you as much as a physical injury can.

Sustaining a peace of mind and motivation can be difficult when focus is centered on perfection rather than progression. So...getting from point "A" to point "Z" not "B" is closer to the truth and reality of any weight loss program. It's one step at a time.

In an effort to eat better and to have more energy and motivation to build muscle, burn fat and build endurance for cardio, I started drinking protein shakes. I add almond milk, half a banana, and some protein. It's very tasty and it helps me focus on eating good foods and working harder at the gym. This next week I'm going to really focus hard on burning belly fat. Good luck to everyone and I'll see you next week!

Week#2 - Hitting Target Areas (199lbs)

This week I've been focusing more on cardio and weights. I've also tried to focus on target areas. Most of my fat is in my stomach, which is the worst place to have it. Especially for men. Upper body fat is dangerous because it increases the risk of heart disease. My family has a history of heart disease, so this definitely freaks me out to have a lot of upper body fat. So yeah, I've been working my stomach like crazy to destroy my red zone. On to week 3! This next week i'm going to try and burn 1000 calories a day. I'm sure i'll come short some days but that's my goal.

Week#1 - Establishing Good Habits (203lbs)

3500 calories equals approximately one pound of fat. Since the healthy and most efficient way to lose weight is to lose no more than 2 pounds a week, 7000 calories must be lost each week in order to lose 2 pounds. In addition to that, it's important to build muscle so that your body can burn fat all by itself.

Daily workouts at the Gym, eating less, eating more fruits and vegetables, and drinking plenty of water each day have been my primary focus.

I just jumped on the scale and I have lost my 2lbs for the week, just by working out and eating better. On to next week. This week i'm going to focus more on building muscle and cardio. See you next week!

Weigh Less Than Santa (206lbs)

Right now I weigh 206 lbs. That means I'm a fatty-fat male. Oh geez. Well...that's embarassing. Hmmm....so what do I do? Diet and exercise right? Okay. Well, If I consistently lose no more than 2 lbs a week (losing weight the right way) that means I'll be under 192lbs around the second week of February. AKA....Valentines Day!! So that's it. My goal for January and into February...is to weigh less than 192 lbs by Valentines Day. I'm going to have to work hard at the gym and eat good foods and I'm going to do it dang it! My reward? To have the satisfaction of making another blog post on February 14th gloriously reporting my success. Until then? Diet and exercise so I can weigh Less than Santa!!!

P.S. Basically I'm turning this blog into one of those really annoying how to lose weight blogs and I'm going to document everything that I do. Hopefully by the end of the year i'll at least be at my goal weight of 165. Good luck to me and anyone else out there trying to lose weight.

Killing Santa in 2012

This past Christmas I watched the movie The Santa Clause, and realized that I too had begun a transformation of Kris Kringle qualities.
It was especially depressing when Santa got on the scale and didn't weigh as much as I do...
I don't want to be Santa anymore and I'm going to blog about my journey to destroy my santa fatness! Let the destruction begin!