Went to the cinema and watched the A-Team today. Watched the TV series when I was younger so was looking forward to it. Came away from the movie a little disappointed, pretty poor story and the usual Hollywood wanted to change the story. They could easily have kept it in Vietnam, no need to modernise everything! Overall though it was enjoyable and evoked a number of laughs.. which is why I saw it.
There were a couple of cameos at the end by the original Face and Murdoch. Jessica Biel was pleasing to the eye (don't tell the wife!). Liam Neeson is as usual enjoyable to watch but the gold star goes to Sharlto Copley (famous from District 9) who was pretty funny as Murdoch, even if the accent seemed a little too South African at times! BA Baracus was pretty well cast as well.
Anyway, worth watching if you have fond memories of the TV series. Looks like we're in for some good movies this year. Avatar is still the most visually stunning and enjoyable film I've seen since Lord of the Rings.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
June 12th 2010 Daily Update
Spent the day at the cinema and shopping so didn't start exercising until far later in the day than expected. Still managed to do a reasonable work out and weights today.
Lunch was some noodles and vegetables. First time in a few weeks my lunch has left me hungry! Could be that I missed my mid morning snack due to cinema and shops.. I have some almonds now I'll carry around with me. Otherwise may have been lack of protein with lunch, either way, wasn't so good.
Strength exercises where the usual.. back, ab crunches, push ups, dumb bells, etc. Will push it up a notch once the home gym arrives. My sit ups and push ups are pretty weak...
Hula hooping today has given me a bruise on the side of my waist. My wife makes it looks so easy, guess I'll get the hang of it at some point!
20 minutes interval training on the elliptical
30 minutes interval training on the recumbent bike
40 minutes gentle training on the elliptical
stretching calf muscles on the foam roller really helps, no soreness in them now.
734 calories burnt on the machines (8784 month to date). Felt a little fatigued today, may have been the eating getting out of sync. Dinner was lentil soup and wholemeal bread plus grapefruit juice.
Lunch was some noodles and vegetables. First time in a few weeks my lunch has left me hungry! Could be that I missed my mid morning snack due to cinema and shops.. I have some almonds now I'll carry around with me. Otherwise may have been lack of protein with lunch, either way, wasn't so good.
Strength exercises where the usual.. back, ab crunches, push ups, dumb bells, etc. Will push it up a notch once the home gym arrives. My sit ups and push ups are pretty weak...
Hula hooping today has given me a bruise on the side of my waist. My wife makes it looks so easy, guess I'll get the hang of it at some point!
20 minutes interval training on the elliptical
30 minutes interval training on the recumbent bike
40 minutes gentle training on the elliptical
stretching calf muscles on the foam roller really helps, no soreness in them now.
734 calories burnt on the machines (8784 month to date). Felt a little fatigued today, may have been the eating getting out of sync. Dinner was lentil soup and wholemeal bread plus grapefruit juice.
What limits us?
So why the blog title... and will I share (my view!) on the answer...
I'm a firm believer that it is not what happens to us that defines who we are but the way we act (or react) to the things that have occurred. If we purely go by what happens to us we run the risk of perceiving ourselves as 'victims of circumstance/environment' and this empowers our environment to control us. If we however accept what has happened and then choose how we act (or react), we then take control and empower ourselves. These are just words that are easy to write, the proof is in living them. This is not to say we should not empathise with people when 'bad' things happen, we are human. Open any newspaper and you'll read stories about war, rape, murder.. you'll also read stories on heroics, whether it is someone wrestling down a gun man, or someone's own conquering of a fear, illness or other misfortune. I'd also suggest not reading the stories about the celebrity gossip and scandal... there are better ways to spend your time, such as focusing on your own life rather than theirs...
Therefore the answer to the question as to what limits us... it is ourselves...
My experiences have so far shown me that whether we look at the work environment or the personal environment the barriers we usually say prevent us from doing things are those we create ourselves. All of these are excuses.. let's be clear on that.
On the personal side people will often say:
I've been gifted, some would say lucky, over the last few years of my career to be at the right time and the right place.. luck does play a part. The result is a rapid move up the corporate ladder. I had a choice in January 2007 of joining one of two companies, a small consultancy (which is my career background), or taking a change and leading a small internal application development team of ~10 staff. I chose the latter option because it was different, a new experience, and I wanted to see if I could do it.
Now 3-4 years on, whether through hard work, luck, talent, timing and likely all of these and more, I find myself running a global team of ~600 staff for the same organisation. I'd never have guessed or hoped this would have happened. I'm learning a lot about myself, my strengths and my growth areas each day. Am I qualified to do this role, do I have the experience... does it matter? To me no it does not, so long as I am not sinking beneath the waves and I am using the opportunity to learn and grow then this is an opportunity not to throw away. Do I have fears? are there times I think I can't do it? when I make my own self-imposed barriers.. of course there are.. Do my team see this, perhaps, perhaps not.. However by reviewing my perspective I (almost!) always find that the things that I believe are limiting me are just in my mind. By changing the angle with which I am viewing the situation I can find a way to move forward...
So my message to anyone who reads this blog, is not to choose to be a 'victim' but instead to 'choose' how you act to the circumstances around you. Stop making excuses that you know, deep down, are excuses that you can overcome, and instead take control, take control of your lives, your surroundings, help those around you to step up or..... if necessary, if those around you are holding you back, change who you associate with, or at least take a break from some of those that have a negative influence on you.
We each have two destinies... the one we are living, and the one we choose...
I ask you to choose...
And acknowledgment and thanks to my wife for being so supportive during the last few years. The career journey mentioned above coincided with meeting my (now) wife. Maybe she is my good luck charm! Irrespective, she has supported me and helped me to demonstrate I have the 'courage to lead'. To my wife, thank you for sharing this journey!
I'm a firm believer that it is not what happens to us that defines who we are but the way we act (or react) to the things that have occurred. If we purely go by what happens to us we run the risk of perceiving ourselves as 'victims of circumstance/environment' and this empowers our environment to control us. If we however accept what has happened and then choose how we act (or react), we then take control and empower ourselves. These are just words that are easy to write, the proof is in living them. This is not to say we should not empathise with people when 'bad' things happen, we are human. Open any newspaper and you'll read stories about war, rape, murder.. you'll also read stories on heroics, whether it is someone wrestling down a gun man, or someone's own conquering of a fear, illness or other misfortune. I'd also suggest not reading the stories about the celebrity gossip and scandal... there are better ways to spend your time, such as focusing on your own life rather than theirs...
Therefore the answer to the question as to what limits us... it is ourselves...
My experiences have so far shown me that whether we look at the work environment or the personal environment the barriers we usually say prevent us from doing things are those we create ourselves. All of these are excuses.. let's be clear on that.
On the personal side people will often say:
- 'I don't have the time'. We all have the same amount of time.. 24 hours a day! It is how we choose to use it that counts... It is not about having the time, it is about making the time.
- 'I don't have the money'. Perhaps a trickier one, but whether it is getting fit, spending time with the family, having a holiday... these things can be done on a budget. How much do many people spend on alcohol, cigarettes, pizza and fast food, smart phones, designer clothes etc a year.. add it up.. it is a lot. Yes there are many families who live below the poverty line, let's acknowledge that, money can make things easier (or harder) however it isn't the barrier people make it into being.
- 'I don't know where to begin'. With the access to Internet, free public libraries there is a wealth of information out there. To get a successful result takes planning and time, so do some research. It stimulates the mind, it empowers you to make your own decisions and be in charge of your own destiny rather than just be a victim and do what you're told.
- 'I'll do it tomorrow, next week etc'. back to time again.. most likely the number 1 excuse!
I've been gifted, some would say lucky, over the last few years of my career to be at the right time and the right place.. luck does play a part. The result is a rapid move up the corporate ladder. I had a choice in January 2007 of joining one of two companies, a small consultancy (which is my career background), or taking a change and leading a small internal application development team of ~10 staff. I chose the latter option because it was different, a new experience, and I wanted to see if I could do it.
Now 3-4 years on, whether through hard work, luck, talent, timing and likely all of these and more, I find myself running a global team of ~600 staff for the same organisation. I'd never have guessed or hoped this would have happened. I'm learning a lot about myself, my strengths and my growth areas each day. Am I qualified to do this role, do I have the experience... does it matter? To me no it does not, so long as I am not sinking beneath the waves and I am using the opportunity to learn and grow then this is an opportunity not to throw away. Do I have fears? are there times I think I can't do it? when I make my own self-imposed barriers.. of course there are.. Do my team see this, perhaps, perhaps not.. However by reviewing my perspective I (almost!) always find that the things that I believe are limiting me are just in my mind. By changing the angle with which I am viewing the situation I can find a way to move forward...
So my message to anyone who reads this blog, is not to choose to be a 'victim' but instead to 'choose' how you act to the circumstances around you. Stop making excuses that you know, deep down, are excuses that you can overcome, and instead take control, take control of your lives, your surroundings, help those around you to step up or..... if necessary, if those around you are holding you back, change who you associate with, or at least take a break from some of those that have a negative influence on you.
We each have two destinies... the one we are living, and the one we choose...
I ask you to choose...
And acknowledgment and thanks to my wife for being so supportive during the last few years. The career journey mentioned above coincided with meeting my (now) wife. Maybe she is my good luck charm! Irrespective, she has supported me and helped me to demonstrate I have the 'courage to lead'. To my wife, thank you for sharing this journey!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Calories, body fat, weight, BMI and other ramblings
A quick surf of the internet or review of fitness books will provide a wealth of information on calories, fat, BMI, losing weight, building muscle and other perspectives. Often it is confusing, contradictory or useless for the average person.
My philosophy is to use the information as a guide and determine what works for yourself. If necessary consult a physician or other trained professional however your body belongs to you and you therefore need to be the one making the decisions and taking responsibility...
Measuring Calories being burnt with exercise
While I measure the calories I burn during cardio exercises on the gym machines this is purely as a way of gaining some form of comparison for each of my work outs. Just spending 20 minutes on a machine is not going to help with measuring progress if that is all you measure. One day you may use level 5, the next level 1 yet you'll have no way of remembering or improving. While not perfect, and also flawed, I try to use calories as the basic measure I use on gym cardio equipment.
A 20 minute high intensity workout that burns 400 calories will still be 'better' for you than a 30-40 minute gentle workout that burns 400 or 500 calories. The aim is to get the heart beating, work the muscles and the lungs, get sweating and push yourself. However this is harder to measure, so I typically keep the machine on the 20 minute interval/high intensity work out and try and push myself that bit harder to burn more calories (as measured by the machine) each day. This shows some degree of progress.
I'm now averaging between 500-1000 calories a day (depending whether a week day or a weekend) on the cardio equipment. That's useful however is it possible to convert that into more meaningful information, such as how much weight I will loose? Some people and books will say yes, others no.. The basic fact is that the calories being burnt will help, however there are plenty of other factors...
The typical view is that there are 3500 calories per pound of body fat. In order to lose just one pound of stored fat we need to burn off 3500 extra calories. Unsure if body fat differs per person but this is a good view. So if I burn around 3500 calories on the machines each week I should be able to burn a pound of fat a week... right? wrong?...
Wrong.. It depends on how much you are eating, your muscle mass and many other factors... This brings me to my next point... I'd recommend not to be fixated on calories. It is a useful guide but also flawed and open to misinterpretation...
Measuring Calories being taken in with food and liquid
It is pretty difficult to measure every calorie that you ingest accurately, it is not worth trying. However a a broad guideline the typical human (if one exists) should take in between 2000 and 2500 calories a day. Typically women will have the lower end of the scale and men the upper end.
However there are a number of modifications to consider:
Weight
I'm aiming to be 70kg / 154lbs... except I'm not.. I'm actually targeting to be around 14% body fat, down from my current 21%. I just happen to know that unless I try and really bulk up my body like a body builder (not interested!) that at 14% body fat I will weigh around 70kg. Hence for me, measuring my weight is a useful guide on progress, however it is not my real target. I know this from past experience of what I weighed when I was at 14%.
Why is measuring weight flawed? Well fat is less dense than muscle. That means that I could have a higher weight than expected if I build more muscle and lose far. i.e. my weight could conceivably increase even though I am losing fat... Hence weight alone is flawed.
BMI
BMI, or Body Mass Index was invented between 1830 and 1850 by a Belgian called Adolphe Quetelet. It was seen as a useful mechanism for judging whether someone was Underweight, Normal, Overweight or Obese.
BMI is flawed but can be used as a guide. BMI doesn't measure your fitness and some people find it easier to stay light, even if they are very unfit (i.e. walk up a slight hill and they'll be breathing heavily). The two main challenges with BMI often mentioned are:
Body Fat Percentage
So this is why I use body fat percentage as my main goal. There is plenty of information on the internet available to read however a typical range is shown below from the American Council.
There are other tables and charts available on the internet which also vary by age and other factors. Body fat percentage also has issues and flaws, ultimately I'm not just looking to weigh 70kg, have 14% body fat.. I'm also look to be 'fit', have stamina and be able to jog a brisk 5-10 miles without suffering a heart attack.
My philosophy is to use the information as a guide and determine what works for yourself. If necessary consult a physician or other trained professional however your body belongs to you and you therefore need to be the one making the decisions and taking responsibility...
Measuring Calories being burnt with exercise
While I measure the calories I burn during cardio exercises on the gym machines this is purely as a way of gaining some form of comparison for each of my work outs. Just spending 20 minutes on a machine is not going to help with measuring progress if that is all you measure. One day you may use level 5, the next level 1 yet you'll have no way of remembering or improving. While not perfect, and also flawed, I try to use calories as the basic measure I use on gym cardio equipment.
A 20 minute high intensity workout that burns 400 calories will still be 'better' for you than a 30-40 minute gentle workout that burns 400 or 500 calories. The aim is to get the heart beating, work the muscles and the lungs, get sweating and push yourself. However this is harder to measure, so I typically keep the machine on the 20 minute interval/high intensity work out and try and push myself that bit harder to burn more calories (as measured by the machine) each day. This shows some degree of progress.
I'm now averaging between 500-1000 calories a day (depending whether a week day or a weekend) on the cardio equipment. That's useful however is it possible to convert that into more meaningful information, such as how much weight I will loose? Some people and books will say yes, others no.. The basic fact is that the calories being burnt will help, however there are plenty of other factors...
The typical view is that there are 3500 calories per pound of body fat. In order to lose just one pound of stored fat we need to burn off 3500 extra calories. Unsure if body fat differs per person but this is a good view. So if I burn around 3500 calories on the machines each week I should be able to burn a pound of fat a week... right? wrong?...
Wrong.. It depends on how much you are eating, your muscle mass and many other factors... This brings me to my next point... I'd recommend not to be fixated on calories. It is a useful guide but also flawed and open to misinterpretation...
Measuring Calories being taken in with food and liquid
It is pretty difficult to measure every calorie that you ingest accurately, it is not worth trying. However a a broad guideline the typical human (if one exists) should take in between 2000 and 2500 calories a day. Typically women will have the lower end of the scale and men the upper end.
However there are a number of modifications to consider:
- If you do very little exercise then you probably want to be reducing your calorie intake a little
- If you do a lot of exercise you want to be increasing your calorie intake
- If you're trying to lose weight (i.e. fat) then aim to have a 500 calorie deficit a day between what you intake and the exercise you do. Trying to do a crash weight loss rarely works in the long term.
Weight
I'm aiming to be 70kg / 154lbs... except I'm not.. I'm actually targeting to be around 14% body fat, down from my current 21%. I just happen to know that unless I try and really bulk up my body like a body builder (not interested!) that at 14% body fat I will weigh around 70kg. Hence for me, measuring my weight is a useful guide on progress, however it is not my real target. I know this from past experience of what I weighed when I was at 14%.
Why is measuring weight flawed? Well fat is less dense than muscle. That means that I could have a higher weight than expected if I build more muscle and lose far. i.e. my weight could conceivably increase even though I am losing fat... Hence weight alone is flawed.
BMI
BMI, or Body Mass Index was invented between 1830 and 1850 by a Belgian called Adolphe Quetelet. It was seen as a useful mechanism for judging whether someone was Underweight, Normal, Overweight or Obese.
BMI is flawed but can be used as a guide. BMI doesn't measure your fitness and some people find it easier to stay light, even if they are very unfit (i.e. walk up a slight hill and they'll be breathing heavily). The two main challenges with BMI often mentioned are:
- The average human is statistically in 2010 than they were in 1830 and hence the formula needs to be adjusted
- BMI doesn't distinguish weight due to fat and weight due to lean muscle. With muscle being more dense than fat many sports athletes would be rated as Obese by BMI even though they have very low body fat.
Body Fat Percentage
So this is why I use body fat percentage as my main goal. There is plenty of information on the internet available to read however a typical range is shown below from the American Council.
| Description | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Essential fat | 10-13% | 2-5% |
| Athletes | 14–20% | 6-13% |
| Fitness | 21–24% | 14–17% |
| Acceptable | 25–31% | 18–24% |
| Obese | 32%+ | 25%+ |
There are other tables and charts available on the internet which also vary by age and other factors. Body fat percentage also has issues and flaws, ultimately I'm not just looking to weigh 70kg, have 14% body fat.. I'm also look to be 'fit', have stamina and be able to jog a brisk 5-10 miles without suffering a heart attack.
As ever, whatever method you utilise, it should still be considered purely a guide. Everyone is different! There are plenty of other factors and measurements that can be used however no one method is perfect! Body Fat, BMI, Weight etc are not measurements of fitness, you can have acceptable measurements in these and still be out of breath after a half mile jog...
Vision 6200 HRT Elliptical Trainer
Our Elliptical Trainer is the main cardio gym equipment I use. I find compared to the bikes it lets me burn calories quicker and as I'm not a jogger it is preferable to a treadmill.
We bought ours in Australia, works fine, is fairly stable, has good programs and is quiet. The Sprint 8 program is a good 20 minute pre-set High Intensity Interval training program and it has plenty of other options. Vision Fitness has now replaced the 6200 with the X6200.
We bought ours in Australia, works fine, is fairly stable, has good programs and is quiet. The Sprint 8 program is a good 20 minute pre-set High Intensity Interval training program and it has plenty of other options. Vision Fitness has now replaced the 6200 with the X6200.
June 11th 2010 Daily Update
Came home from the office at the end of another week. I'll need to do some work this weekend to catch up on email however there will be time for exercise.
Breakfast: Shredded Wheat, Raisins, Ground Flaxseed
Lunch: Salad and tuna with balsamic vinegar
Dinner: home made Lentil soup and 2 slices of wholegrain bread
Snacks during the day were a few unsalted Almonds and dried apricots
One scoop of whey protein in a water bottle for the evening exercise
Today was predominantly a cardio/aerobic day while watching NCIS
back hyper-extensions
pathetic attempt at the hula.. have a few more bruises..
20 minutes interval training on the elliptical
30 minutes interval training on the recumbent bike
30 minutes gentle training/cool down on the elliptical
brief set of abdominal exercises
stretching calf muscles on the foam roller
582 calories burnt on the machines (8050 month to date)
Ready for a couple of big days this weekend..
Breakfast: Shredded Wheat, Raisins, Ground Flaxseed
Lunch: Salad and tuna with balsamic vinegar
Dinner: home made Lentil soup and 2 slices of wholegrain bread
Snacks during the day were a few unsalted Almonds and dried apricots
One scoop of whey protein in a water bottle for the evening exercise
Today was predominantly a cardio/aerobic day while watching NCIS
back hyper-extensions
pathetic attempt at the hula.. have a few more bruises..
20 minutes interval training on the elliptical
30 minutes interval training on the recumbent bike
30 minutes gentle training/cool down on the elliptical
brief set of abdominal exercises
stretching calf muscles on the foam roller
582 calories burnt on the machines (8050 month to date)
Ready for a couple of big days this weekend..
Thursday, June 10, 2010
June 10th 2010 Daily Update
Morning meetings so no exercise before heading into the office. Came home and did a mix of strength training and cardio.
Ab-crunches
back extensions
push ups
dumb bells for biceps, triceps etc
squats
20 minutes interval training on the elliptical
30 minutes interval training on the recumbent bike
30 minutes fast pace but low resistance on the elliptical
855 calories burnt on the machines (7468 month to date)
Ab-crunches
back extensions
push ups
dumb bells for biceps, triceps etc
squats
20 minutes interval training on the elliptical
30 minutes interval training on the recumbent bike
30 minutes fast pace but low resistance on the elliptical
855 calories burnt on the machines (7468 month to date)
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