Don't Skip Rest Days!

I'm so proud of myself. I'm taking not one but two rest days in a row. 

Expert lifters will tell you: Muscles grow during recovery, not during training. Rest days also provide a necessary mental break from training. Plus they uniquely lower your overall systemic fatigue. 

Rest days aren't a sign of weakness or lack of dedication. They are a non-negotiable component of proper training. They allow you to recover effectively, prevent burnout, and ultimately achieve better results -- like maybe catching a big wave in Hawaii or summiting a tough peak in the Alps. 

You grow when you rest.

So rest. 

😉

Getting to Know Jesus

When you look for a "doctor father" to guide your Ph.D. program, you'll try to get to know everything you can about him. Ideally you should have at least one interview with him in person. But for a well-rounded picture, you'll need to spend time talking with his associates and former students. This should give you a fairly balanced impression of who he is.

In trying to get to know Jesus Christ, the same method applies. You begin in the Gospels, reading what Jesus said about himself. A red letter edition of the Bible can be helpful here. In addition, you'll want to read what those who knew him best had to say. John's Gospel is a good example. He interpreted Jesus' life as only a close friend could. 

Then there's Paul. Though he never met the earthly Jesus, his epistles are full of reflection and commentary. He knew the Savior well, and he wants us to get to know him as well as he does.

I'd give anything to able to talk to Jesus in person. But I know that won't happen until I see him face to face. Until then, I can still see him clearly through his word. So can you. 

The Prayer of Jabez

I love the story of Jabez in 1 Chron. 4:9-10. It's a cameo appearance if ever there was one. The man is basically a nobody, a bit player on a huge stage. But one day he decided to ask God to give him bigger challenges and to expand his territory. He wanted more opportunities out of life, and he got them.

That's exactly what happened to me 11 years ago after the death of my wife. I asked, and he granted my requests. 

My friend, God is eager to do the same for you. If you're content with the rut you're in, maybe it's time to pray that God would enlarge your horizon. A relationship healed, a past memory erased, a sin forgiven, a habit broken, an alienated family member reconciled, a financial setback reversed, a feeling of inferiority replaced with a sense of self-worth -- nothing is too hard for God. Christ himself said so. "What is impossible for people is possible with God" (Luke 18:17). 

Nothing is too difficult for him. 

Achieving True Mastery of an Exercise

If you're new to lifting, you don't learn good form overnight. It takes hundreds if not thousands of reps to achieve true mastery of an exercise. If your form isn't perfect during the first month or two of your training, I wouldn't necessarily call that a terrible thing. But by the one year mark at the latest you should definitely be on point. 

The truth is that you need to spend dedicated time and effort to actually learning a movement. You shouldn't be just loading weight off the bat. This is why there are so many injuries from weight training. So my recommendation is to spend your first few weeks and months learning good form. Choose a weight that's not very challenging and just see if your form improves week after week. In learning how to perfect a band-assisted pull up, for example, this might involve how to retract your scapula before beginning the movement or being sure to lower yourself all the way back down so that your shoulder blades are stabilized before beginning to pull yourself up again. Next you might want to work on proper breathing or keeping your legs fairly straight while you're performing the exercise. 

Even if you're a few years into your fitness career, don't just automatically think that you already know everything you need to know about having good form on every single exercise you do in your program. Record yourself (as I did today) and make sure that your form is similar enough to a trusted professional. 

You have to be fully in control of the movement at all times, not only on the concentric part, but on the eccentric part as well on the way down. Moving forward, always have the mindset that says you can be performing that movement better and listen to your body if you're feeling any pain or undue muscle soreness, which might be a sign you're doing something wrong. 

Hope this helps! 

It's Your Birthright to Run

Got a grandson who LOVES to run. So every chance I get I send him (via his mom) vids and pics of my "exploits" haha. 

His name is Chesley and we are planning on running our first kid's mile together this summer. 

Eventually he'll probably take after his Papa B and begin running the High Bridge Trail himself. 

After all, ya never know who you might run across. 

Anyhoo, after 9 miles I was able to get in today's steps. 

Such great fun!

It's everyone's birthright to run. There's something magical about both of your feet being in the air at the same time. Ready to feel this yourself? Find a trail and go for it! 

Overweight? I Get It.

Overweight? I get it. I've been there. But something changed. I was tired of a lifestyle that kept me overweight and out of shape. When I made the commitment to drop from 35 percent body fat down to 15 percent body fat, it wasn't for vanity but for discipline. It was to gain control over old habits. And everything started to shift from that point on.

Getting lean is difficult. It's a war against your old identity. But if you can do it, even just once, it will change you forever. 

Before you start, you need to know where you are right now. When I first committed to getting lean, I took photos that genuinely made me cringe. 

But here's the truth. Clarity is power. I didn't like what I saw, but those pictures I took were the fuel I needed. I couldn't believe that I had let things slip so much. The camera doesn't lie. I began to track my weight daily, not to obsess over it, but to see the trend. This is where your "why" needs to kick in. You ask yourself, "What type of person do I want to be? Someone who gives in whenever they get hungry? Or someone who's building discipline?" This isn't a temporary diet phase. This is a lifestyle change. If you want to be lean then you have to become the type of person who lives an active lifestyle. This kind of disciplined mindset just bleeds into everything else in your life. 

The fittest people don't just work out. They see themselves as people who respect and take care of their bodies. If you want to have a great physique you have to change your identity. You need to take a long look at yourself in the mirror and decide who you want to be. Don't just say "I want to lose weight." Say, "I am an athlete in training." Go ahead. Write it down on a sheet of paper:

I AM AN ATHLETE.

Then prove it to yourself with small wins each and every day. Think of two guys trying to quit smoking. One of them is offered a cigarette and replies, "No thanks, I'm trying to quit." The other person is offered a cigarette and says, "No thanks, I don't smoke." The second person has adopted an entirely new identity, and their actions are just going to follow suit. 

The same applies to fitness. If you have to force yourself to go to the gym, it's not going to work. But if you start saying, "I am an athlete who never misses a workout," suddenly the gym is just a part of who you are. 

So who do you want to be? Someone who forces himself to follow a diet? Or someone who's just doing what an athlete does? Most people fail because they don't know how to make this pivot. 

Fitness is about building a foundation for success over every aspect of your life. If I can do it at my age, you definitely can do it as well. 

When A Is the New C

"Praise is warming and desirable. But it is an earned thing. It has to be deserved, like a hug from a child." -- Phyllis McGinley.

The message from the educational elites is clear:

• Don't give Ds or Fs.
• Inflate your grades to be more "fair."
• Boost test scores to get parents off your back.
• Your standards are too high.

I'm not about to do it. Not on your life. If I have to, I will give you a D or an F. Unearned grades help no one.

It should be no surprise that grade inflation has followed students into grad school. Some profs hesitate to grade accurately because they fear student evaluations,. Students are now accustomed to cherry-picking easy-grading teachers while administrators turn a blind eye. (Lowered standards = more students graduating.) Parents are stunned when their more-than-average children are failed.

Today I'm working on my final grades for the semester. I have mixed feelings about the process. The true goal of learning is not a grade or a degree. Unfortunately, grades and degrees are now little more than proxies for a genuine education. The result has been the inflation of both. So grade-assigning has its weaknesses. But unearned grades are even worse.

If you get a bad grade, don't act as if your professor is Scrooge or suspect him or her of being unfair. I'll never forget the first class I got a C in when I was in college. It stung. I needed that wake up call. Thankfully I had a prof who rejected sham work. 

For the record, I oppose grade inflation, but I am 100 percent in favor of rising grades. I am grateful that, for the most part, the students in my classes receive consistently high scores. But they work for their grades. Deep down, I believe they share my support of a grading scheme where a C is still average. 

How to Get In Your Daily Step Count

If you're trying to get in your daily steps, you might try to do what I do. Use the gym's treadmill to get in the number of steps you want to walk daily. 

For me, that's generally a minimum of 20,000 steps. That usually takes me about 3 hours. After about 10,000 steps, I take a coffee break to get some caffeine on board. 

Often I will finish by walking on the YMCA's outdoor track. 

If I have any steps left, I'll shoot baskets. Being the klutz that I am, I miss about 70 percent of my shots, but that doesn't matter as I'm still getting in my step count. 

Et voila! Here are my steps as of noon today. 

So there you have it! 😄

Two Tips to Take Off Those Unwanted Pounds

When you're trying to lose body fat (as I am), make sure your gym sessions are of a good quality. This is the most important thing to make sure you're keeping your muscle mass throughout this process. If you're going to sacrifice anything when it comes to your gym sessions, sacrifice volume.

Do not sacrifice intensity. Don't just slog your way through your sets either. Do 1-2 really high quality sets of each exercise. Be sure to maintain good tension on the muscle along with solid protein amounts. That will allow you to keep this muscle while you're losing an insane amount of fat.

Also, be sure to get in your daily steps. I easily walk 15-20,000 steps a day. It's not impossible. 

Today's step count. 

Yes, it's a bit challenging at first, but wow, the results are amazing. Walking is the greatest and most underutilized tool for fat loss. When you walk, your body isn't looking for an immediate source of energy to burn as fuel, so it ends up using your stored energy (aka, fat cells) to burn as fuel. It's truly beautiful how much fat you can lose just by walking. It's easy to do. It's sustainable. You recover quickly from it. And it doesn't hurt your joints. 

So to recap: During your workout, make sure that your intensity and form are on point for every set and every rep. Remember, it's easy to get complacent and just go through the motions, so making sure you have that intensity is very important. Also, a commitment to daily walking will definitely help speed up the results, especially if you're not active in your daily job. All of this combined definitely correlated to me losing a lot more fat.

A Simple Lifting Hack

Instead of going to the gym and just thinking "I'm going to hit my back today," say "I'm going to practice pull ups and get really good at doing them." 

That tends to direct people in the right direction because by perfecting the skill they'll get more out of the exercise. With better technique they end up getting stronger versus just trying to fatigue a particular muscle group, which typically results in poor form. 

Just a thought 😀

You Never Forget

The consequences of a death in the family never really end. Not even after 11 years. You feel the effects of the loss especially on days like birthdays and Mother's Day. Even if I were to remarry, I would still feel the loss until the day I die. 

Never have I felt more broken. Yet never have I been more aware of the power of God's grace and my need for it. 

I will alway remember the wife God gave me as a precious gift who will live on in my heart forever. Thank you, Phil Collins, for putting this into words and music. 

Happy Birthday!

My wife would have turned 72 today. 

Becky as a child in Ethiopia. 

Who would have imagined that this amazing person would have said "yes" to me! But she did, and 49 years ago we became husband and wife. I'd ask her again in a heartbeat.

Happy Birthday, sweetheart! 

Fulfilled

The goal of life is to find your gift.

The purpose of life is to give it away.

Tomorrow ends another semester in my career as a teacher. God has called me to teach, and I have tried to be obedient. Teaching is demanding and sometimes frustrating, but it offers the rewards of great joy and fulfillment to those who throw themselves into it with prayer and vision.

All praise to you, O Lord. 

One Habit You MUST Overcome to Get Fit

Gal. 6:9 wasn't written for gym goers. But it might as well have been. Whether we're trying to grow in grace or lose weight or build muscle or overcome a habit or become a better spouse, some incentive is needed for us to keep going. Paul recognizes this. The work of God in our lives is tiring, exhausting work, he says. We are tempted to "become weary" (NIV), "get tired" (CSB), "lose heart" (LSB), "grow weary" (ESV), "get fatigued" (MSG), or "become discouraged" (NASB). I thought alot about that during my workout today at the Y. 

Interestingly, here in Gal. 6:9, Paul's answer to discouragement is based on an agricultural metaphor. (Had Paul once been a farmer?) If, he says, a farmer gets tired of sowing and leaves part of his field unsown, he'll reap only a partial crop. If he wants a full harvest, then he has to finish what he started and then wait patiently for the crops to appear. As someone who's harvested thousands of acres of horse quality hay, I can personally attest to the truth of what he's saying. 

I know tons of people at the gym who know plenty about weight training but just don't go hard enough or long enough to get results. Then they blame their genetics. As a person who's struggled to build consistent fitness habits for most of my adult life, I've learned that health and fitness isn't only about intention. It's about showing up. Perfection is the enemy of the good. Something is always better than nothing. However, because we don't see the rewards immediately, we lose motivation. 

I am happy to say that I've gotten myself to the gym 3 times a week for 3 years now. 

My mantra is "little by little." 

I just remind myself over and over again that all I have to do is stay consistent, and step by step I'll get to where I need to be. 

Hopefully the same works for you. Basically, you just have to make peace with the fact that you won't see the gains happen. But they'll be there one day and catch you by surprise. You won't know when. You just have to keep going by faith and trust the process. 99 percent of the battle is just consistently going and doing something without growing weary and stopping.

Thanks, Paul, for the reminder.

Patient Pigeon-Toed Pedestrian Plods Persistently

Just gettin' in my step count, folks! 😁

Why You Must Exercise As You Age

When I officially retired a few years ago, I had no intention of giving up the energy and vibrant health the Lord had blessed me with most of my adult life. There may not be much rhyme to us ancient mariners marathoners, but we've got plenty of reasons not to be content to just sit and rock. I want to walk or run on the beach, then plunge into the breakers with my surfboard. I want to climb tall mountains. I want to do more triathlons. I want to feel my arms and legs and lungs and heart working together in perfect synchrony while I'm lifting weights. I want to sweat and tan and be lean because I know these simple attainments will boost the enjoyment of my final years. When you're running a marathon, you'll often hear someone say, "Every mile is a gift." This is never truer than at the end of the race. You realize that the finish line is near, and you want to fully appreciate every moment.

When you are an accidental athlete like me, you can't imagine a day without moving. Each new day is something to be cherished and nurtured. Most of us past 70 know that life is short and that we need to embrace every day. Little lessons become essentials, like the fact that rest and recovery after a workout is more important than when you were younger. "Long" runs need to be modified to emphasize quality over quantity. We can't turn the clock back, but we can at least slow its effect on the way we feel and look. Exercise isn't just a way to lose weight or get in some cardio. It's our passion, a powerful internal force that in some cases keeps us alive. After all, why shouldn't we keep trying and training to be the best we can be? Yes, we know that our days are numbered. But we don't want to reach the end of life knowing that we didn't give it our all.

This weekend I plan on getting in a 9 mile run. I'll take more time to warm up and cool down than I did a decade ago. I'll run at a steady pace, just happy to be jogging the miles without pain. Exercise has too many positive effects not to like it. I am hungry for more adventures and races. I don't want to die wondering what I could have been capable of if allowed. As long as God gives me good health, I'll keep doing what I do because I love it. 

Below: Getting in my workout today ....

... and my steps. 

A Betrayal of Biblical Scholarship

New Testament scholar C. H. Dodd, in the introduction to his commentary on the book of Romans, wrote "Sometimes I think Paul was wrong, and I have ventured to say so." 

No sir. You have no liberty to do that. The New Testament apostles wrote with special, divine authority. We have no right today to say, "Well, Paul may have believed such and such, but my view is different."

That would be a betrayal of true biblical scholarship.

Mowing Day

And a beautiful day it was! 

Paul's Use of Metaphor in Phil. 4:10

In Phil. 4:10, Paul writes "Now at length you have revived your concern for me" (ESV). The Greek verb rendered "revived" is found only here in the New Testament. The term is a beautiful metaphor. In ancient Greek, the word was used to describe what I see every year here on the farm -- grass sprouting afresh and flowers bursting into bloom, as this photo I just took illustrates.

Hence translations such as "revived" or "renewed" (CSB) seem to fall short. But the New English Bible nails it:

"Your care for me has now blossomed afresh."

Odd that I could find only one New Testament version in English that seems to capture Paul's metaphor. Just another reason to compare many different translations when reading a passage of Scripture.

Have an amazing day! 

Ah. Farm Life

If You Understand This, You Will Get Lean

Any human torso can get from 35 percent body fat down to 15 percent. 

What you need to be successful is the art of delayed gratification. 

This is when you do something time after time without seeing the result. 

That's the approach you need to take with your body. 

Health and fitness isn't like a mountain you climb and get to the top simply to climb back down again. 

This is a habitual task that you're going to do for the rest of your life, like brushing your teeth and showering. 

You must do these things on a daily basis. 

Maintaining 15 percent body fat is exactly the same. 

Think of your physique as something you're renting, and the rental fee that you have to pay is 8-10,000 steps per day, 3 all-out resistance training sessions a week, and maintaining a moderate calorie deficit. 

That's the rent you must pay for the rest of your life. 

Even if you manage to get down to 10 percent body fat, the lifestyle is the same. 

Your mindset is the same. 

Your weekly activities are the same. 

This is an infinite game you're playing. 

It never ends. 

For the rest of your life you will be doing this. 

You're not following a diet plan. 

You are an athlete. 

And because you are an athlete, you live your life according to that lifestyle. 

You are disciplined. 

You are resilient.

You love going to the gym. 

You love watching how your character is being built. 

And as you look at yourself in the mirror you've actually got tangible evidence that it works. 

This is the way human beings were intended to look and function. 

You've just got to follow the plan. 

(All pictures taken today.) 

Revelling in the Revelations of God!

Reveling in general revelation this morning on my drive into town. 

Then reveling in special revelation. (I began a deep dive into the book of Galatians today.) 

What a way to start one's day!

Paul and Financial Support (Phil. 4:10-20)

Today we finished the book of Philippians in Greek 3. Here are a few random thoughts on Paul's view of financial support based on the commentaries and our study of Phil. 4:10-20:

1. Paul championed the right of an apostle to be supported financially by those to whom he preached.

2. He never renounced that right.

3. He preferred supporting himself and his mission by manual labor. Why?

a. So that he could offer the gospel of grace free of charge.

b. So that no one could ever accuse him of using his ministry as a pretext for greed.

c. So that he could set a proper example for others to follow.

4. Paul had no hesitation to ask for money from his churches, but it was always to aid others and to meet needs.

5. Here Paul expresses his appreciation for the Philippians' gifts but not without reservations and qualifications. (Remarkable, he never uses the Greek word for "I give thanks" in this passage.) 

6. Paul writes in such a way as to neither offend those who gave him gifts nor in such way as to encourage their continued infringement on his general policy of self-support. He combines unswerving determination to be free from the gifts of others with his desire to show his sincere appreciation for the affection that obviously lies behind the giving. 

A few takeaways:

1. The Lord uses generous Christians to help needy believers.

2. A spirit of generosity is not only a Christian virtue but a means and expression of genuine Christian fellowship.

3. God is not unjust to forget the generosity and love believers show to other believers (cf. Heb. 6:10).

4. God delights in seeing Christians take note of the needs of others and generously sacrifice to meet them. Giving to others' needs is "a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God" (4:18).

5. On the other hand, the gospel produces a positive detachment from the things of the world -- its comforts and discomforts alike. 

6. Such contentment is not something that comes easily. It is something to be learned (4:11).

7. Believers can find the ability to meet all circumstances with contentment by virtue of their union with Christ, who grants them the strength to endure the demands of daily life. Paul writes, "I have the power to face all such situations in union with the One who continually infuses me with strength" (4:13). 

8. Every true need the believer might have will be met by God's supply in a measure appropriate to his glorious riches (4:19). 

To our God and Father be glory forever and ever, amen! (4:20). 

15 Percent Body Fat Is a Lifestyle Not an Outcome

Qualities of a Good Teacher

With the semester coming to an end, I thought I'd jot down a few reflections on what it takes to be a good teacher. I've had each of these qualities modelled for me by my own teachers. Good teachers:

• Are passionate about the subject they teach, in which they are acknowledged experts.
• Always incorporate the message "question authority" into their lesson plans (i.e., think for yourself).
• Are able to see things from the student's perspective and teach accordingly.
• Have good social skills.
• Have strong boundaries (i.e., they love helping people but are also able to say a firm "no"). 
• Are consistent with their expectations.
• Are transparent with their standards within the bounds of professionalism.
• Don't worry about appearing "cool."
• Make their class sessions memorable.
• Seek to impart not just knowledge but wisdom.

If you're a teacher, do not read these words and think, "I need to try harder." Teaching -- and living -- like this demands the grace of God. 

Enjoy this Lord's Day! 

The Water Wheel Effect of Weight Loss

Here's an analogy that nicely describes the weight loss process. It's called the water wheel effect. As water from a river drives a water wheel, the wheel starts spinning, which pushes the wheel to pick up more water and the wheel stays in motion. 

From this point on, it takes very little water to keep it moving. The same thing happens with your fitness and weight loss goals. Once you get started with a plan and begin seeing results, you don't want to stop because you know it's working. 

The critical thing here is making sure you are exercising patience, because fat loss can take weeks, months, and even years. 

Hope this helps! 

Today's Incredible Run

Just back from the High Bridge Trail. You all need to come out here and do this run. It's one of the best running trails east of the Mississippi. 

Yours truly in all his glory plodingness: 

It was so peaceful being out there today. All in all, I got in my steps for the day and that made me very happy. 

So did my post-run dinner of chori pollo. After 9 miles of running, I think my body deserved it. 

It's runs like this that remind me why I love running so much: the simplicity of it, the meditative quality of it, and the ability to go as long and as far as you like. That my almost 73-year old body allows for this type of journey is not lost on me. Friend, if able, do it while you can. That thing you've been wanting to do but haven't. Because honestly, there will be a day when you can't. 

Have an emperyal day! 

Today in Civil War History (May 2, 1863)

Today's weather -- hot and humid -- is probably a lot like it was on May 2, 1863 -- exact 162 years ago. On this day, Stonewall Jackson made a 17-mile roundabout march during the Battle of Chancellorsville and brought 30,000 men crashing into the Army of the Potomac's unprotected right flank. The attack eventually resulted in a complete victory for the Confederates, but at the cost of Jackson's death. His men had marched down narrow forest trails to reach the unsuspecting soldiers of the Union XI Corps under Oliver Howard. As March 3 dawned, the Union army still held the advantage, situated as it was between two wings of Robert E. Lee's army. 

The fighting on the third was some of the bloodiest of the war. Its 17,500 casualties was almost as bloody as Antietam. Then the Federals withdrew and the campaign was over. It had cost an aggregate of 30,000 dead, wounded, and missing from both sides.

Two months later, the armies would clash again at a quiet Pennsylvania crossroads known as Gettysburg. 

Can't Come Soon Enough

More training today for Hawaii.

So der Herr will, I fly to Honolulu in exactly 60 days.

Can't wait to surf Waikiki again. 

Don't Forget Resistance Training!

To follow up on yesterday's post about weight loss ....

With a proper diet, adding resistance training can significantly speed up your results. Muscle is what's going to help keep your metabolism high as you lose weight. It will help ensure that you end up looking lean and muscular rather than just skinny after your diet. The means that for the best fat loss and muscle building results, a combination of resistance training and traditional cardio (especially walking) is best. Knowing that strength training can definitely help you burn fat effectively, it's also important that you do the type of exercise routine that is best for it. Perhaps the best thing would be exercises that target multiple muscle groups at once. The more muscles being engaged, the more energy and calories being burned. This allows you to engage all of your muscle fibers, which will in turn allow for a greater metabolic demand. It's also important that the exercises are done at a rather quick pace to minimize the amount of time you spend in the gym. 

The most common training exercises that cover these points include the chest press and the pull up/assisted pull up. But any form of movement or exercise you can do safely and sustainably is awesome. I just happen to love the pull up as my go-to exercise for muscle building and weight loss. That's why, after getting in my steps at the gym today, I went to a local park to get in a few sets of pull ups on a very hot day. 

In the end, resistance training is never going to win a weight loss competition. But it will help you gain muscle mass and even bone density. It will help you burn more calories at rest since muscle is so metabolically active. But no matter what the science says, the best form of exercise for your body is one that you enjoy and can do consistently for the long haul. 

This Day in History

Memories of a Lifetime

Becky's brilliant garden roses reminded me of this beautiful poem called "Should You Go First."

Should you go first and I remain

-- To walk the road alone.

I'll live in memory's garden, dear,

-- With happy days we've known.

In spring I'll watch for roses red 

-- When fades the lilac blue.

In early fall when brown leaves call

-- I'll catch a glimpse of you.

Should you go first and I remain,

-- One thing I'd have you do;

Walk slowly down that long, lone path,

-- For soon I'll follow you.

I'll want to know each step you take

-- That I may walk the same.

For someday, down that lonely road,

-- You'll hear me call your name.

Some Exciting News

Got some pretty exciting news to share with y'all today. But first ...

As you know, for the past 5 months (20 weeks) I've been on a fat loss journey with the goal of losing my old man love handles and body fat, going from 35 percent body fat to about 15 percent. When I started this journey, I weighed a hefty 240 pounds. I hoped to be able to get that down to 210. That's the equivalent of a 30 pound weight loss. 

Weight loss isn't rocket science. Here's what you need to do to lose body fat in a reasonable amount of time:

• Hydrate with water.
• Stick to mostly unprocessed, whole foods.
• Prioritize protein with every meal.
• Train 3 times a week.
• Walk at least 10,000 steps daily.
• Sleep at least 8-9 hours a night.
• Eat in a 500-calorie deficit.

Doing this while losing fat is called body recomposition. And the neat thing is that you don't need to do anything crazy here. I just did 3 full body workouts each week, focusing on maybe 20 basic exercises, taking each set relatively close to the point where you can't do any more high quality reps. If you do this consistently, over time you're going to make amazing progress. You don't need to be a bodybuilder to build muscle. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to be consistent. As for my diet, I didn't restrict myself to any specific diet plan or food groups. And I enjoyed treats (like Doritos) in moderation. I also got more active overall in order to burn off extra calories. The reason I chose walking as my cardio was that it's an activity I enjoy and actually look forward to. Hitting your daily step count is probably the most underrated habit for losing fat.

During this time I acted as my own coach. This meant:

• I treated myself like someone responsible for his own health and fitness.
• I was compassionate with myself when things got difficult.
• I was firm with myself when I knew I needed to work harder.
• I brought myself back on track when I fell off the wagon.
• And I gave myself the recognition I deserved when I hit a milestone.

Well, today was such a milestone for me. Today, for the first time since I had malaria, the scale read 210 pounds -- my target weight. I'm pinching myself. I can hardly believe it. The number one piece of advice that I always say is that you just have to start. Just get the ball rolling and I promise you that you will learn so much doing it versus trying to be prepared for it. The biggest benefits are going to come from literally just starting.

My fat loss journey was a very gradual thing. I started out losing about 2 pounds every week. But the longer my fat loss journey continued, the harder it was to maintain that pace. For the past few weeks, fat loss was still consistent, but I had gone from losing 2 pounds per week to about 1 pound per week.

Nevertheless, after 20 weeks, I finally achieved my goal. 

Friend, if you can give your best effort today and wake up tomorrow and do the same thing, you'll eventually get as lean as you want to be. Thanks to the grace and enablement of God, I was able to do a decent job at dealing with the excess body fat I've carried and building some muscle on my skinny frame. Yes, I realize that there are literally billions of people on this planet who don't care much about the body fat they carry. Like them, I believe there is more to life than your appearance or your musculature. But I'm here to remind you that if you want to make some changes, that's totally cool too. You don't have to do something amazing with your body. Just go and do something. Go for a walk. You're going to feel a thousand times better. Sure, you'll have tough days. But success is the ability to go from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. No one is coming to do this for you. No one is going to tell you to get out of bed. No one is going to push you forward. This is entirely your responsibility, and you shouldn't expect anyone else to be doing it for you. This is often how I speak to myself. I believe in you and you should believe in you too. 

I hope you have a beautiful day, and I will talk to you soon. 

For the first time in years, I weigh 210 again. 

Happy in America

I was a student at the University of Basel from 1980-1983. Becky and I enjoyed our time living in Switzerland, but we were also happy to get back home. I am definitely more objective about my own country now than before I lived overseas. I think the same thing applies to the study of foreign languages. I often tell my beginning Greek students that in my class they will be getting two languages for the price of one. They'll learn Greek, yes, but for the first time they will be able to truly understand how their own language works. I mean, who knows what a subordinating clause is until they study Greek or Latin? 

Living in Europe was an amazing experience. I loved the history and geography of Switzerland. Equally, I missed the amazing geography of the U.S. Our country is so large that it has such diversity of climate and seasons and topography that it is truly mind-blowing. I've done white-water rafting in Wyoming, hiked Bryce and Zion, climbed the Adirondacks, surfed both coasts, summitted 14,000ers in the Rockies, and run marathons in such amazing places as Utah, Arizona, and the mountains of West Virginia. There are beautiful national parks and untouched wilderness areas everywhere. Many Americans never travel outside of the U.S., not only because it's expensive but because they don't need to. Not when you've got the Everglades, the Grand Canyon, world class beaches, and hiking trails galore. I still think one should see the world if possible. It gives you great perspective. I mean, I will never forget eating dogmeat in Korea and donkey meat in China -- both considered delicacies! But we have a lot of nice things in the U.S. for the everyday man or woman compared to other places in the world. 

So let's enjoy them. 

Approaching the dreaded Veyo Mountain while running in the St. George (Utah) Marathon. 

Weight Loss Versus Fat Loss

So today I wanted to talk with you about the distinction between weight loss and fat loss. As you know, I often refer to scale weight. But scale weight is not always the most reliable or accurate measure of your progress. The reason is that scale weight represents many things, not just purely body fat. It can be influenced by other factors that are constantly changing, such as your level of hydration, the quality and quantity of the sleep you're getting, what you've eaten recently, how stressed you are, and even the time of day you take your weight. All these things are going to fluctuate and so your scale weight is not necessarily a measure of body fat. 

Remember, people try to lose weight essentially to reduce the amount of body fat they have and therefore the scale isn't always going to be a true reflection of that progress in terms of fat loss. You can still be making fat loss progress but the scale weight might not be changing. That's why it's important to use other metrics to assess whether you're losing body fat. This includes taking physical measurements, looking at how your clothes fit, and taking photographs from various angles (see below). Also, if you've been in a weight loss program for a while, at some point your weight loss will slow down and eventually stop. When that happens, most of the time it's just necessary to continue what you're doing, stay consistent, and keep persevering. Recently I experienced a bit of a stall in my weight loss. What's probably happening here is something called metabolic adaptation, which means that your body is adapting to the inputs you're giving it. If you're trying to lose body fat (as I am), what your body will often do is reduce how much energy your body uses in a day to match the energy that is coming in. Since your body now requires less energy/calories to be alive, your BMR (basal metabolic rate) will reduce. All this means is that your body just requires less energy to maintain itself. At this point you might need to recalculate what your maintenance calories are as well as recalculate your total daily energy expenditure. Once you start eating in your new deficit, you should start seeing fat loss progress again. Obviously you can also increase how many calories you are burning, which will increase your BMR. 

Now, if you ask yourself why you should lose weight, that's really a very individual question. Speaking personally, I can say that there are so many positives that have come from my fat loss journey. True, there are many things I'm still working on, and yes, there have been some challenges. But there are immensely more things that are positive that have come from it, mainly that I live in a much healthier and more functional body. Pushing 73, I've found a passion for movement and I enjoy a lifestyle that I absolutely love. 

To close, here are a couple of funny pics from today's workout. In this photo you'll notice that my right ribs stick out more than my left ribs. 

That's due to me breaking these ribs in a surfing accident back in the day. Also, did you notice how skinny the guy in the above photo looks? When you're trying to lose body fat, there's always a danger that you will lose lean muscle mass at the same time. That very well might be the case with me. However, take a look at this picture. 

Trust me, it's the same guy. We're looking at basically the same muscles but from a completely different angle. I don't appear as skinny as I do in the first picture. That's why it's so important to take photos from various points of view and then compare them. The truth is likely to be found only when you assess all of them together. 

Oh, and don't forget the famous "stink eye" picture either! 

We Love Animals

I remember the day when Tolo Tolo and Tinish Koi had their baby. We named him Ishi. He was SO cute.

What would a farm be like without its animals!