Weight and the "gut"

I recently went to my doctor when I got the first week of Feb 2008 and had to fly for business within a few days. I was worried about having the flu and flying across the country.

During the checkout two things popped up, both of them probably being related. 1st was weight. I am 6'1''. and have always been around the 200lb mark. I had ballooned up to 249! The doctor said my blood pressure was borderline high also. This was a real wake up call for me, not that I had not noticed the spare tire i was packing! I decided that I was not going to leave my wife and kids any earlier than the good Lord wanted me to. Here what I did and the results so far.

DIET:

• I switched from Coke to Coke Zero or Coke Zero Cherry. I used to drink a 1ltr Coke before lunch, have another 20oz for lunch and then have a glass or two when I got home. Three things I cut out or way down: Sugar, Calories (800 down to zero per day), Caffeine(helps with the blood pressure). I still have to have the one Coke Zero in the morning for the wake up caffeine.
  
• Sodium. I really try to watch it now. I paid no attention to it before. You would not believe how much sodium is in lunch meat or salad dressing!
• Cereal. I started buying cereal based on the nutrition labels. I eat Special K with Strawberries, Grape Nuts, Honey Nut Cheerios, Raisin Bran etc. I cut down on portions for cereal too. If the serving size is 1cup then I try to stick to that, maybe just a little more. Healthy cereal has so many benefits. Balanced nutrition, low fat, high fiber, low calorie, etc. I also try to substitute cereal for ice cream or another "bad" snack. If I get hungry after dinner then I grab a small bowl of Raisin Bran instead of a piece of cake.
• Salads. I try to eat at least one salad a day. I either eat them with a little meat on them(grilled chicken or steak), or I just put some bacon bits, a little shredded cheese, non-fat croutons, and low fat, low sodium dressing. I also try to mix up the salads. Dole has a good variety of mixed greens and other types of salad mixes, pre washed and bagged.
• Water or flavored water instead of sports drinks or pop. I drink 1 or 2 32oz. Powerade Option Low Calorie Sports Drink(only 10cal per 8oz serving)
  
• A little red wine (1 glass) when we are out to dinner.
• I am not obsessive about "dieting" either. I will enjoy a "regular" meal with the family every now and then, but I just am trying to eat smarter.
  

EXERCISE:

• We got bought an exercise bike almost two years ago. I never really used it. I like bike riding outside and found the stationary bike incredibly boring. Since Feb I have used the stationary bike 3-5 times a week for 30min. I use the weight loss interval program and try to stay at least 10 rpm ahead of the level they want you at for that section of the workout. I also use either my laptop on the bike with a hand made shelf and bungee system, or I use my BlackBerry to watch movies or listen to music so I don't get too bored.
• I also make sure as soon as I finish my ride to do 3 or four sets of 10-25 sit ups, usually in a 25, 15, 10, 10 interval. I have also started to mix in some free weights.
• We won some passes to the local gym at the KCSA auction and I plan to use that on weekends and evenings that my wife does not work.
• I am looking forward to getting out and biking on the roads again. I want to work my way up to a 50mi ride this summer.
  

RESULTS SO FAR:

• I feel great!! I have so much more energy. My back does not hurt. I do not get winded walking up stairs anymore.
• I weighed myself recently. 232! It feels like more. I am not too worried about the number. If I can lose the belly, feel better, control the blood pressure, and strengthen my body the I will be OK with that. If I settle in at 215 or 220 with all of the above then great.
• I also had a physical recently. Cholesterol, blood pressure, etc were all right in line.

I will post more later about my progress.

Failed again

Well, I guess I failed again. I promised to post to this blog "regularly"(still not sure what that means) Either way posting once in 6 months cannot be called regular. I will be posting a column(blog post) on mobile tech and my opinions soon. I got a BlackBerry and I have some thoughts about it and other digital world things.

Students today.

I recently attended a ground breaking ceremony at Kalamazoo Christian High School. They are adding a new science wing to the school which will enable the kids there to actually begin experiencing some of the technologies that they will encounter in colleges.

One of the speakers said something that struck a cord with me. He said that the learning our students will do in that new wing and throughout the school will influence the direction of our society for years to come. One of the main things that KCSA can provide for students that public schools are not right now is a sense of responsibility. Far too many schools today feel that they have to be the parent and the teacher of our young people. They emphasize the person over the community. Individual achievement is promoted more than community progress. Student are taught if it feels right and you feel good about yourself then it must be OK. What are we teaching young people?

A friend of mine recently alerted me to these items on the Web:

First is a web site by Oakland County, MI Judge Michael Warren called America's Survival Guide. The subtitle of this site is "America is slowly committing suicide." I agree with his assessment.

The second is a video done by students at Kansas State University.


This video is right on the money. Having a teenager I can tell you that this video really hit home.

facebook.com Safety

Note: This guide focuses on safety while online to help parents and young people. While some of the things I talk about may apply to other sites like myspace or xanga, I am going to specifically talk about facebook here. I will also be focusing just on the safety aspects not the overall functionality.

Basic setup:

• Account – facebook ask you to use your real name (first and last) as your account name. This will be displayed on your page and will also show up in searches as part of your basic info.

• Email – facebook asks you for a email and confirms that email is your by asking you to click on a link sent to that email. This becomes your default email for facebook.

• Network – This is the main group or network as facebook calls it that you will be put into. In a college or high school format this will display the name of the school along with the anticipated graduation date.

• Info – You have the option of have a number of things displayed on your profile page (main page). Everything from political and religious views, to relationship status and even phone, email, and address info are there to put in if you want.

Privacy settings:

From the privacy page you can restrict access to what is availible in a search of facebook or you can even limit certain people from seeing certain things.

Friends:

This is the main function of facebook. A friend can see your profile page, send and receive messages, write on your wall, view your photos, and generally have any access to your information that they want.

Adding Friends:

A friend is added to your list after they friend request is made. You have the ability for 1 month to view that persons profile page to help you determine if you want to add them to your list. You can also ignore the request or even have the person blocked from the privacy settings page.

Staying safe:

• NEVER add someone to your friends list that you have not met in person. A friend of a friend does not count. Someone who says they go to your school, church, Girl Scouts, etc, does not count as knowing them. If you have not physically seen them in real life then they may not exist.

• NEVER give out your phone number to someone online that you have never met in person. Phone numbers can be traced to owners and owners can be traced to addresses.

• NEVER call someone you only met online. With caller id systems now they will have your number and can trace you.

• NEVER arrange to meet someone you only talked to online, IM'd, called on the phone, emailed.

• Meeting someone online is not meeting them. As far as you know they may not be telling the truth.

• NEVER post any personal information on your site.

• NEVER post any personal information on your WALL.

FOR PARENTS

facebook.com seems to be one of the most secure and user friendly of the social networking sites out there. One of it's major safety valves is also one of it's major vulnerabilities. In order to have access to another person's profile page with more personal information you need to be added as a friend. The power to approve friend requests lies solely with the account holder. facebook.com says it does not allow accounts for those under 13yrs of age. This means teens 13 and up have to make the decision of who to add to their list of friends.

What should I do as a parent to keep my kid safe and not have them sneak around?

First the danger in not letting them any access to a social networking site like facebook.com can mean that they will sneak around behind your back to do it. They will get on at a friends house, neighbors, relatives, library or even school.

If you decide to let your kids have a facebook.com account then do it with them. They might not like you having some access to their personal page, but it can be a good compromise.

Here is what you should do:

• Create your own account. You can use the local area you live in as your network.

• Add your child as a friend and make sure they accept your request.

• Check your child's profile page over very well.

• Check the friends your child has listed. If you do not know who they are then look into it.

• Work with your child to create a profile that can be safe.

• Check your child's profile page on a DAILY basis. You can get an alert on your home page when they add new friends or applications.

• Keep the lines of communication open with your child. Make sure they are comfortable coming to you when they do not feel right about something.

• Don't take any of their or your concerns lightly. There are far too many Internet predators out there to now. Err on the side of caution.

• In order to keep you child from hiding things from you do not bug them about every little thing on their page. This can cause them to regress and hide their Internet activities from you.

Use your instincts and your judgment. If you feel you really cannot trust your child on the Internet then install some type of URL blocking or key logging software. This can alert you to any access your child has on the Internet. You can get detailed logs and even screen shots of what your child is doing.

The best policy usually is to work with your child to learn how to use the Internet safely. They need to know what dangers are out there and what to look for. You need to stay vigilant.

Freedom explained by one BadAss Marine.

Here is a great video by one BadAss Marine. It is done in rap style. Sounds like poetry to me.



Here is a link to go directly to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBflQLa75C8

Common ground: Win - Win

Common ground: The art of negotiating is dying. With today's big box stores that you can buy just about everything in, people have forgotten how to negotiate. That permeates all aspects of our society. The first and most obvious one is in purchasing major goods: cars, boats, houses, etc.

The two most common tactics are:

• "What is your cost? So I can know how much money you are making." Very weak standpoint. It puts the retailer in the position of weighing your value to him as a customer. If he prices his product to high over the cost then he will alienate a customer and loose the sale. If he cannot close the deal on a reasonable margin then he will pass, something that no business owner wants to do.
• "What is your best price right here right now. You have one shot to get me. If I don't like what I hear then I will go elsewhere." Again, it appears the customer is acting from a position of strength. After all they hold the checkbook right? The problem with that tactic is the customer may leave and go to another store, but may end up paying a higher price from the second store. He cannot return for the first offer right? He rejected it and will actually likely pay more if he has to save face.

The Win - Win scenario is dying in our society. True successful negotiating results in a win for both parties. This is illustrated in the retail or financial world everyday. It has much broader implications in our everyday lives. We are teaching our young people that it is my way or the highway. Getting along with others involves knowing when to compromise and when to hold your ground. Winning an argument or negotiation by crushing your opponent accomplishes nothing. You have alienated and destroyed the relationship you had. True compromise allows both sides to claim a win.

Here is a good book that I have read on this subject: The Win Win Negotiator

YouTube Missing Children Channel

YouTube has partnered with The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) to help find missing children. This is an awesome use of one of today's most popular internet sites.

If have time, browse the videos that are posted there. Sometimes a picture does not convey all of the aspects of a person, but video footage can trigger memories like nothing else.

Check it out: Don't You Forget About Me

If you have a missing child and want to post something on YouTube then click here for instructions.

I believe that God has given us the knowledge and ability to make a difference in our world. This is an example of a technology that was used for entertainment and frivolous activities before that can do some real good in this world.