A parent has many proud moments in his/her life and in the last 24 hours I have had two of those proud moments.

Abby, my five year old, asked to have her training wheels taken off of her bike last night. I was nervous for her as many of the kids were playing [...]]]>

A parent has many proud moments in his/her life and in the last 24 hours I have had two of those proud moments.

Abby, my five year old, asked to have her training wheels taken off of her bike last night. I was nervous for her as many of the kids were playing where we were teaching her to ride.

She made the leap of faith and conquered her fear and began to ride. Of course, she would sway back and forth, but she kept trying.

In some ways, it felt like she was growing up instantly. She had independence. She was free! I was proud that she focused on achieving her goal even when I was ready to give up.

Abby’s success inspired her brother to try. Nate, who is four, starting riding his bike today while I was at work! How amazing. Two kids taught to ride their bikes within 24 hours.

Last night I was able to see the fears in their eyes, but today I can imagine and hear the giggles of their success.

Do you have fears? What do you need to conquer? Can you imagine the joy of success when you do conquer the fear?

It’s loaded with guilt because some parents feel if [...]]]> This is a powerful question and one that every parent who has student loan debt will have to decide at some time in their financial journey.  This is certainly one of the most asked questions in personal finance and one that can be loaded with guilt.

It’s loaded with guilt because some parents feel if they don’t save for college then they are going to be sending their kids off to college with debt.

Should I pay off my debt or save for college?

The answer is pretty simple: pay off your student loan debt.  If you don’t pay off your debt now then you will be paying off your debt when you should be retired and thus will become a financial burden to your children.

I’m not an advocate of borrowing funds for college, but in the event that money will have to be borrowed it is easier for a child to borrow for college than you for retirement.

Another popular question is, “should I save for college while paying off my college debt?”  The answer is very simple: No!

This is going to sound silly, but have you ever tried to mop the floor while cleaning the windows?  It gets pretty challenging doesn’t it?  Can you achieve this miracle of mopping and cleaning the windows at the same time?  Sure.  Will the windows be clean to the best of your ability no?  Will you experience a spill onto the freshly mopped floor?  Probably.

It’s a silly example, but if you focused on the floor…you would have a clean floor.  If you focused on the windows, you would have clean windows.

The same is true with your personal finances.  If you focus on paying off your student loan debt then it will get paid off.  If you focus on saving for college for your children then you will be successful.  If you try to do both at the same time then it will be very difficult to achieve.

The bottom line: determine your focus and go for it.  Spend some time in prayer, plan it out, and run as hard as possible to your goals.

Quite often I get asked, “Do I need to supplement?”  This is a great question and the very brief answer is “Yes.”

If our diet isn’t perfectly balanced, and as most people living a busy lifestyle it isn’t, then it will be difficult to have all the vitamins and minerals [...]]]>

Eating a well balanced diet of various fruits and veggies is the key to a healthy diet.

Quite often I get asked, “Do I need to supplement?”  This is a great question and the very brief answer is “Yes.”

If our diet isn’t perfectly balanced, and as most people living a busy lifestyle it isn’t, then it will be difficult to have all the vitamins and minerals that our body needs.  We will be deficient in certain areas based off of our dietary habits.

The quality of our food supply has diminished drastically in recent years.  Not only are we eating more processed foods that are designed as addictive drugs, but the vitamin content in fruits and vegetables aren’t the same as they once were due to the soil quality and amount of chemicals used in their growth process.

Now, let’s assume for a minute that they food quality is sufficient.  Just because I’m an advocate of supplementation doesn’t mean that I’m against eating real foods.  Eating real food is the key to having a sustainable healthy lifestyle.  One can’t assume that to be successful you would supplement every meal and every snack for the rest of your life.  I’m a fan of eating fruits and vegetables, preferably obtained through a local organic farmer, and eating various grains and lean healthy meats.

Recently, I have been reading up on “Eating for your blood type” and would recommend that you take a look at that study.  I’m an “A” blood type so the diet that is best suited for my blood type would be a Vegan, Vegetarian, or Mediterranean diet.  Ironically, I have eaten that way for the Beachbody Ultimate Reset and loved it.

I currently use a handful of supplements on a regular basis.  I utilize Shakeology as a meal replacement, a weight loss accelerator, and a disease fighter.  I have watched it give my wife balance and drastically increase both of our energy levels.

For workouts, I utilize Energy and Endurance on days when I’m going to do strength focused exercises.  This has natural caffeine so I’m only concerned about the push on strength focused days not cardio days.  I also utilize P90X Results and Recovery post workout on strength days to help with muscle recovery.  Additionally, I utilize an Omega-3 supplement.

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There were three major reasons Santa brought the kids hip water bottles:

I have found a handful, no pun intended, of ways to avoid hitting those restaurants that are sure to ruin a great weigh in!  Here [...]]]> Even after losing weight and admittedly with a ways to go, I still find that I have an urge to overeat!  Am I the only one?  I don’t think so!

I have found a handful, no pun intended, of ways to avoid hitting those restaurants that are sure to ruin a great weigh in!  Here are my top five ways to avoid a binge!

1. Grab some H20!—Water is often what our body is really craving.  The eight cups a day model is so old school and is for the person who weighs 120 pounds!  Especially for weight loss purposes, we should be drinking half of our body weight in ounces a day.  So, if you weigh 300 pounds then you should drink 150 ounces.
2. Get moving!—I’m not saying you need to do a full workout in the middle of the day, but stand up and stretch, go for a quick walk, jump around!  When we get our
   

   This is what we look like when we overeat!

   bodies moving, good endorphins are released to help counteract that negative spiral that is occurring between our ears!

3. Are you hungry or craving something?—Being able to answer that question will certainly be able to keep us from overeating. When we are hungry we will eat anything including healthy option like fruits or vegetables.  If we are craving something, typically trigger foods, then we need to be able to recognize that it is a negative craving and find something to take our mind off of the craving.
4. Portions!—Portion control is a huge (again no pun intended) when it comes to trying to be able to live a healthy lifestyle.  I’m working toward and trying to teach my family to live a lifestyle of healthy choices, not a diet.  Diets are temporary and this is a lifestyle that will last a lifetime.
5. Pray!—MC Hammer said it best when he said, “You got to pray just to make it today.”  I know you are singing the rest of that song right now!  It is truth.  Sometimes we need to step back and recognize that God is in control and we are His body.  We are here to carry out His mission and part of that is taking care of His temple.

What do you do when you feel that you are about to go over the edge?  What tips do you have for me?

Have an awesome and healthy day!

What has happened since then?  We had baby number four!  Matthew was born on November 20th and the entire process was interesting.  Yes, [...]]]>

Nathan and Joshua meeting their new little brother Matthew.

Has it been awhile or what? Life sure is crazy these days!  Well, let’s get started we have a lot to catch up on since I last wrote I think in October!

What has happened since then?  We had baby number four!  Matthew was born on November 20^th and the entire process was interesting.  Yes, I said baby number four.  One would think that being number four that he would just fall out.  Nope!  That would be too easy!  This dude stuck around past his due date!

We were not big fans of “induction” in the normal sense of the word.  You know…using drugs to push him out.  So, God bless my wife Terri, she had her water broke and then put on her walking shoes and trekked through the hospital.  I’m pretty sure I broke a sweat trying to keep up with her while holding the I.V.  Literally, within about three hours Matthew James was born close to 10 pounds!

He has been a rock star since! As the fourth child we have broken all of the rules pretty much since day 1.  He sleeps with us, with a blanket, on his stomach and I’m pretty sure all three of his older siblings have fed him food….I’m just kidding on that one (I think!).

While we were in the hospital for his birth, I was running in and out to attend job interviews, get the kids to Thanksgiving, and back to take care/be with Terri.  Thankfully, we had awesome family help during this time and everything went great.

I ended up getting a new job as well!  This is how the next couple of months played out: baby on November 20, last day at old job December 14, new job on December 17, and then a trip to Richmond, IN for Christmas, three Christmas celebrations here locally!  Whew!  I’m tired just writing about it!

Now, Terri and I are finding balance between our relationship with God, each other, and our children while maintaining our fitness.  Terri started a Brazil Butt Lift Challenge with a group of friends and they had great result.  Meanwhile, I’ve been taking to the gym and doing P90X off of my iPhone.  It is certainly a challenge to find that perfect balance, but we are doing our best.

I hope to be more consistent with my blog and keep you updated on my weight loss journey.  I have to be honest with you and let you know that I have gained some weight during the last couple of months.  I haven’t lost focus of my overall goals, but I have let the stress get to me.  I’m back up to 295 and that is the baseline for my next sprint to lose the rest of this weight.

How do you stay focused?  Do you have any favorite recipes?  What about quick and efficient lunch ideas?

My question to you, do you really think [...]]]> I recently read an article that indicated that the White House was trying to create an additional tax cut that rewarded the average American with nearly $400 a year in tax savings and a married couple would receive $800 a year in order to stimulate the economy.

Too often stores close! Who is responsible for the lack of business?

My question to you, do you really think a tax cut or a government stimulus plan could really boost the economy?  I think that idea is pretty silly to be quite frank with you.

Let’s analyze the tax cut and then talk about real stimulus. So, after this tax cut married Americans are looking to get an extra $800…for the entire year! So, to put this in perspective, each individual will get approximately $400 or $7.69 a week.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH $7.69 A WEEK?

What do you think the average person will do with an extra $7.69 a week? Do you think they will save it to make an additional big purchase they didn’t plan on? Do you think they will save it?  Pay off credit card debt?

I can tell you what they are going to do with an extra $7.69 a week!  They are going to eat it! When people dig into their pockets and find money they didn’t expect to be there then they are going to blow the money.  The problem is at $7.69 since a week, most Americans, one-third whom are obese, will choose lunch over doing something smart with their money.

A FREE LUNCH WILL INCREASE HEALTH CARE COSTS!

This stimulus or “free lunch” will cost the tax payer a more in possible health care costs.  According to HealthyAmericans.org, by 2030, medical costs associated with treating preventable obesity-related diseases are estimated to increase by $48 billion to $66 billion per year in the United States.

“The loss of economic productivity could be between $390 billion and $580 billion annually by 2030.  Although the medical cost of adult obesity in the United States is difficult to calculate, current estimates range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year.”

DID YOU SEE THAT! A HALF OF TRILLION DOLLARS LOST IN PRODUCTIVITY!

SLOW DOWN! The loss of productivity could be nearly a half of a trillion dollars based of our obesity! Do you see that!  Our free lunch in 2012-2013 is going to cause us to lose a half of a trillion annually in productivity.

WE OWN OUR ECONOMY

Could our weight affect our wealth?

The reality is that the only thing that is going to “boost” our economy is Americans picking themselves up, dusting themselves off, and saying “Let’s Roll.”  It is time for us to stop waiting for the Government to take care of our situations.  We have been having this discussion since 2008.  Don’t you think it is time to take things into our own hands?

Build something, invent something, make the World better and you will be compensated for it.  Add extreme value to your company and you will be rewarded for it.  Become indispensable and you will be rewarded for it. I wrote previously about how I thought this could be the Direct Selling Revolution and I’m still convinced that is a possibility.

Take ownership of your economy and your personal situation and our economy will be improved.  This is how we will get back to feeling good about what is happening day in and day out.

What are your thoughts? How do you feel about the economy? What about obesity rates? Feel free to comment below!

I haven’t said that yet to my kids who are 4, 3 and almost 2, but I’m sure that statement isn’t far from my mouth as I teach them about being positive, encouraging and optimistic human beings.

However, I have been close [...]]]> “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all!”

I haven’t said that yet to my kids who are 4, 3 and almost 2, but I’m sure that statement isn’t far from my mouth as I teach them about being positive, encouraging and optimistic human beings.

What is your response when people ask, “How are you doing?”

However, I have been close to saying that to many people in the general public.  I try to take a happy, go lucky, everything is good attitude daily into the world and in fact, if you listen to my voice mail, it says “I’m busy livin’ the dream!”

I know that the world that we live in isn’t all peaches and cream, but I think it is important to bring a little sunshine into the world.  I think a smile can add good energy to my day and those around me.

When I’m asked how I’m doing, I often reply, “Livin’ the dream!”  I can’t believe the negative answers I get back from that occasionally.

“What dream? I’m living a nightmare.” “Man, what are you on?”  Seriously, I have to be “on” something in order to be “Livin’ the dream?”

“I wish I could live the dream.”

Well folks, I’m here to tell you that you can live the dream.  The bottom line is this!  I wake up every day and my feet touch a floor in house that has a roof on it.  I have a Lord and Savior that has done so much for me that I can’t even begin to possibly pay it back.  Talk about being in debt!

I step into the shower each day and am thankful for what I have.  I have my health, my family, my relationship with Christ and the ability to have positive and energetic attitude.

Life was meant to be fun; shouldn’t we enjoy it while we are here?

Listen, I understand that this is a tough time in our world.  We have unstable political climate, unemployment is through the roof, relationships are hard when we are financially distressed and it is becoming more and more difficult to manage our health.  The reality is it starts with you when you step out of bed every morning.

What if I was in a hiring position and you told me you were living a nightmare?  Would I want to hire you? No way!

It is often said, “Fake it until you make it.”  I’m not telling you to live your life “fake,” but share your dark moments with those that you are close to not just those who are passing by.

Do you struggle to project a positive attitude? Or are you a light that shines?  Comment below and share your tips with me!

Think about the athlete who trains for the Olympics or even for the opportunity to play Major League Baseball.  They practice fundamentals of the game consistently.  The sprinter practices coming out of the box over and over.  [...]]]> More and more lately it has become relevant how much mastering the fundamentals helps in achieving our goals.

How does your family stay consistent in the fundamentals of life?

Think about the athlete who trains for the Olympics or even for the opportunity to play Major League Baseball.  They practice fundamentals of the game consistently.  The sprinter practices coming out of the box over and over.  The shortstop takes ground balls constantly all the way up to the time of game.  Minutes before the first pitch and you can see guys who have been playing ball for years, still working on the fundamentals of the game.

I think the habits we see from professional athletes can be carried over into so many different parts of our lives: parenting, our health, and certainly our wealth.

Kids demand consistency!

Think about it!  Have you ever tried to get an extra errand done with a kid that is on a schedule! Whoa! Big mistake!  We as parents have so many things on our plate and trying to force a kid off of their schedule even for a day will have major ripple effects in the way the house will be managed for the next 24-48 hours.  Children need us to be consistent in the fundamentals of their scheduling, nap times, food times, etc.

I’m notorious around our household for trying to push one more thing in that could possible push the kids over the edge.  Our children need me to be more focused on the fundamentals of their time schedules and helping them grow to be stronger.

What happens when your lifestyle loses focus on the fundamentals?

You know being healthy doesn’t have to be difficult.  It becomes hard when stress and emotions take over our brains and we lose focus on the basics of what we need to do.  It truly is a math game and what you consume you need to burn.  Luckily, our bodies burn the fuel all day long and if we find a way to get some extra exercise in then we have increased our burn.

The mathematical aspect of weight loss really has helped me deal with the emotions of something so daunting as losing 100 plus pounds.  A pound of fat is the equivalent to 3500 calories.  So, if you want to lose a pound of week then burn 500 more calories each day than what you consume.

As long as we stay focused on the fundamentals of being healthy everything else is gravy, no pun intended.  Yes, there are “smarter” calories than others, for instance, what is in Shakeology, is power packed with nutrients.  But, really it is a math game especially for those of us with a lot of weight to lose.

Be consistent with your financial plan!

Basic fundamentals here include setting a budget, balancing your checkbook, and reviewing it frequently to determine if it is working!  From a bankers standpoint, many of these things don’t happen in most houses on a regular basis.  The people who can do these fundamentals things on a consistent basis will be very successful in achieving their dreams!

I don’t write these things to preach, but more as a reminder for me.  I struggle on a daily basis with all three aspects.  I know that consistently and dominating the fundamentals will lead to major successes.  Yet, sometimes I find that emotions and stress get in the way.

How do you eliminate emotions and stress from your life to help you achieve your goals?