A little over a month ago we posted a rant related to Mead Johnson & its misguided attempt to make sugar addicts out of our toddlers. I thought it necessary to pass on the good news. We in the blog-o-sphere have successfully made our voices heard! Its proof that maybe every once in a while the little guy can make a difference.
As of June 10th Enfagrow Premium Chocolate will no longer be available for purchase.
Related Links:
Parents Throw Tantrum over Chocolate Formula
Sugary Drink Taken Off Market After Outcry from Parents, Nutritionists
Chocolate toddler formula pulled after nutrition debate
Celebrating all minor victories,
TTH
This mix of fruit & nuts is perfect! There is only one ingredient that is optional and both versions are still better than anything you can buy pre-made.
How do I know this is the best mix you’ve ever tasted? I know because I tested it on some real finicky eaters and succeeded in “tricking” them into eating healthy.
The story goes something like this: TTH and crew were at an active living event and whilst watching said event I pulled the magic mix from my bag. I asked a fellow spectator if her kids wanted some and she informed me that they wouldn’t eat it because they didn’t eat “stuff like that”. My first thought was, of course, related to our nation’s growing problem of allowing the children to decide what they eat rather than the parents setting good examples. Somehow I succeeded in getting the kids to take a handful (I probably resembled a guy in a van trying to coax a child with a piece of candy) and to everyone’s surprise, they ate it! But wait there’s more. After consumption of the mystery mix I found one of the little sneakers reaching into my bag for more. SUCCESS!
The mix didn’t come in a fancy colorful package. It wasn’t tagged with a Nabisco, Keebler or Pepperidge Farms logo. It was in a re-used plastic baggy. Take that multi-million dollar marketing campaigns…I tricked my audience with flavor!
I should mention the recipe below isn’t just a favorite for the kids…it’s a favorite for everyone! Mix it…eat it…share it…repeat…
Ingredients
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup pistachios
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup tart cherries
*1/3 cup granola
Approx. 1/8 cup dried sweet cherries
*Optional ingredient
Suggested Serving Size: ¼ Cup
Coaxing children without candy,
TTH
Tags: granola, homemade, tart cherries, trail mix
I really didn’t know how to dive into this subject because I was literally speechless, or more accurately, type-less when I read that toddlers are the newest guinea pigs in an ongoing science experiment being conducted by the largest companies in the world. How do you tackle a national health crisis when the largest corporations (in this particular case it’s Mead-Johnson) are programming our children to crave sugar? But wait, there IS an upside. Ready? “omega-3s for brain development, 25 nutrients for healthy growth, and prebiotics to support the immune system”. HAHAHA, thank you clever marketing groups and food scientists! I’m pretty sure that the old fashion milk does the same thing.
The Situation
Before I go any farther I guess I should explain. Mead-Johnson likes to make money. The only way to make lots of money is to come up with schemes to make consumers feel like they are missing out on something they truly don’t need. It’s not entirely unexpected because nobody starts a business without the intent of profit. After all, it is the American dream! It’s funny, because my dream (as an American) has nothing to do with catchy one liners and fonts on a package. It’s not about endorsements or stamps of approval. And it sure as hell isn’t about targeting a group of individuals who have no decision making capabilities but are so fragile that the true decision makers (parents) will do anything to help ensure their best interests. And by anything, I mean fall for marketing campaigns that cause panic and create the willingness to make spontaneous, uneducated decisions! These companies’ actions have, in turn, created multiple groups and researchers who are dedicating time, effort and funds trying to explain why our population is experiencing negative health trends (not to mention keeping this blog going, so why am I complaining right?). Maybe they (researchers) should look at the obvious answers…I hate to say it but this one is more common sense than science. If you can’t identify the problem when you see chocolate milk for toddlers then maybe you shouldn’t be trying to solve or explain these types of troubles in the first place.
The Product
Ingredients for your 12-36 month old are:
- Whole milk
- Nonfat milk
- Sugar
- Cocoa
- Galactooligosaccharides (prebiotic fiber)
- High oleic sunflower oil
Think of this you crazy Mead-Johnson folks: you didn’t have this formula when you were growing up & how did you turn out? Is your brain developed? Immune system ok? Did you grow? Actually, maybe the “developed brain” is a bad question to ask, I mean you are feeding chocolate milk to babies for a buck. Those same babies will then be featured on Jamie Oliver’s food experiment as the kids who can’t put down the chocolate and strawberry milk in the school cafeterias.
Making a Decision
Jamie Oliver’s attempt to get that sh#$ out of the school cafeterias should have opened a few eyes as to what kind of challenge we have in front of us. For those who didn’t see this, kids who were instructed by their teacher to drink white milk, drank white milk (even when flavored milk was available)! It’s amazing the influence an adult has over a child! It is almost like their little brains are sponges absorbing everything…oh wait, they are!!!
I need to make one thing very clear so I don’t hear about it later…I love chocolate milk. I drink it after many workouts because it does have benefits. It also has some drawbacks which I am aware of and still make a conscious decision to consume. What’s the big difference between me and an infant (I heard that 
)? The difference is I’m old enough and educated enough to know the consequences of my actions. Your baby has no choice! You give him/her that supplement and you have undoubtedly created another soldier in the obese army.
I will say it’s not just Mead-Johnson but this one really got under my skin. There are more than a few products you see on the shelf that are promoting benefits without highlighting the risks. I’m not going to mention any others but believe me when I say that as a group, we are all way too gullible when it comes to who we trust with our health. Next time you pick up your favorite “healthy” snack ask yourself if the suits at corporate headquarters wanted you to be healthier or if they wanted to post a quarterly profit? Hmmmmmmm…I wonder. I’m sure they have my best interests in mind
Babies don’t look cute with brown milk mustaches,
TTH
I probably should have tackled this issue a little earlier, but better late than never! Heart rate (HR) training is often over-complicated and intimidating, so I have decided to give you the formula needed to achieve what most of us want with a very simple explanation.
I have found that when an ordinary person decides to become extra-ordinary they usually tackle too much, too soon. TTH Guy was no different. At first, the thought of training for targeted HR “zones” was overwhelming. So, I decided the all-out effort (“Zone 5”) was best fit for me because I was motivated, stubborn, and willing to flat out destroy myself. It turns out that in order to improve my performance (okay, I’ll admit vanity was also a factor because I really wanted to look the part), I needed to take a step back. I needed to become efficient at burning fat before I did ANYTHING else. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. HR zone training can be an effective tool in achieving your goals, but there is a much simpler way to improve recovery, burn fat, and increase power. It’s all about knowing your max aerobic heart rate. Whether your goal is to “beat the bulge” or become a top adventure enthusiast, that HR is the missing piece of the HR training puzzle.
The explanation is very basic and has proven its worth by earning multiple World Championships. I don’t care how much data you collect in the lab, if something has repeatedly shown it works then why would we try to change it? There has been much debate over HR training and the appropriate path to take in order to achieve desired results, and the research has yet to produce the results seen by the above-mentioned World Champion (6X).
So here it is (according to “The Grip”, his coach, & now TTH Guy)…if you want to teach your body to burn fat and perform more efficiently, the following formula is all you need (for now):
1) Subtract your age from 180. That’s it!! Okay that’s not exactly it, but pretty close.
2) We need to make a couple adjustments based on current fitness levels and age. From your calculated number from step #1, choose one of the following that best fits your current fitness level:
- Subtract 5 more beats per minute (bpm) if you currently don’t work out.
- Subtract 2-3 more bpm if you work out up to 2 days a week.
- DO NOT adjust the number if you currently work out 3-6 times a week.
- Add 5 bpm if you work out 7 times or more during a week and have repeated this routine for at least the past 365 days.
3) We now have a target HR based on fitness level but need one more adjustment to compensate for age. So from your new number:
- Add 10 bpm if you are under 20 yrs old or over 60 yrs old.
- Add 5 bpm if you are 20-25 yrs old or 55-60 yrs old.
- DO NOT adjust number if you are between the ages of 26 yrs old and 54 yrs old.
The result is the magic number. Use this max aerobic heart rate to dictate all workouts for a few months, and you will no doubt start to notice the difference. If you reach a point where you think improvement has stopped, then shoot me an email and I will explain (or maybe just write another article about why a plateau is never a plateau) what to do in order to continue improvements.
Training at 15_ bpm (in an effort to preserve my age, I will not be providing you with that final #…although, if you follow TTH at all there is another article somewhere in the archives that would give it away),
TTH Guy
Tags: aerobic, heart rate
You’ve bought every contraption from the infomercials. You’ve spent hours doing the work. You still don’t have the magazine cover abs. I feel bad for everyone who is in this situation because I know you’re trying. Unfortunately you are either uninformed or have been misinformed at some point; even an extra hour in the gym isn’t going to change the outcome (unless you are very lucky and stumble upon the solution). The “stumble upon” approach is the reason people state that “some people are just built differently” or “he/she has good genes”. Nope, you’re wrong!
The only difference between you and the so-called genetic lottery winner is that you aren’t burning fat and they are. Right about now you are probably saying, “But TTH Guy, I work out hard…I work out for hours…I follow the philosophy ‘No Pain, No Gain’ and still have nothing to show off at the beach.” Well this intensity is the problem! There is nothing wrong with being motivated, but you have to let off the throttle occasionally for the desired results. Now have a seat because it’s time to enter the TTH classroom.
Are you burning fat or sugar?
If you don’t understand the difference between aerobic and anaerobic, then you are probably where I was some time ago. Don’t worry, it’s a quick fix. Well, by quick I mean you can start revealing your six pack sooner once you read this. The fat won’t exactly disappear in 20 minutes…it still takes work. If you are new to the active lifestyle (or just have been an “all-out, everyday” athlete), you need to understand your body will use two different fuel sources throughout activity. The first is fat. The second is sugar. Endurance athletes understand this concept well because burning sugar can only last about an hour. Burning fat, however, will provide you sustainable energy for as long as your mind is able to think straight!
So the real trick is teaching your body to burn fat. How? Stop redlining your workouts! This is a hard concept for some and falls into a category I write about frequently regarding Americans’ desire to overdo everything (you know the attitude…more is better, go big or go home and the previously mentioned no pain, no gain). It usually pertains to portion control and obesity, but in this case it fits right in with the all too common internal demon known as your ego. Just because you max out the speed on the treadmill and run a couple miles, heck even 7 or 8 miles, doesn’t mean you are burning fat! Then you go do 1,000 crunches every other day and say WTF?!? Where is my six pack? Here is the answer to your WTF: You must do aerobic work to burn off that layer of fat. If you do a crazy amount of muscle building (crunches) without getting rid of your fat, you will actually just create a larger waistline without uncovering any definition.
There is much debate as to when this threshold is crossed and you drift into anaerobic (sugar burning) training. But true to TTH policy of “learn by doing”, we have tried numerous formulas and come through with the appropriate way for you to uncover those abs.
It’s as simple as subtracting your age from 180 and using this calculated number as your heart rate (bpm). There are, of course, some minor tweaks that need to be made based on current fitness levels (for a more complete explanation read The HR Puzzle – What’s Your Number?).
So now you know. We all have the same abdominal muscles, but in order to show them off we need to understand how to attack that visceral fat. The answer is keeping all workouts below your max aerobic heart rate.
Six pack revealed,
TTH Guy
Tags: abdominal muscles, abs, aerobic, anaerobic
After numerous attempts to get this recipe from a TTH crew member, I finally coaxed him into actually measuring and recording quantities so that I could share with all those followers looking for a little variety to their normal 3 egg burrito that, hopefully, we’ve all become accustomed to shoveling down our gullets! And of course, these have been consumed on numerous occasions by the crew to make sure we’re giving you the best nutritional options that also taste pretty damn good!
One more thing before we give you the goods…TTH wants you to be confident in all information and recommendations we throw at you and with that in mind, make sure to watch for upcoming articles where we will look into a few of the ingredients in the recipe below. More specifically, the benefits of walnuts & why or why not embrace soy.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups soy milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup wheat germ
1 egg
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 banana
½ cup chopped walnuts
Below are the instructions per crew member “The Diesel” (never one to overcomplicate things):
“Mix it all together and gets the lumps out. Grease up the griddle with a little olive oil cooking spray…makes about 8-10 medium size pancakes. Enjoy.”
Just a reminder, if you have a recipe you would like to share…SHARE IT!
Special thanks to “The Diesel” for this one. I will be over again soon to continue my research on all things food related.
TTH
It’s no wonder our nation doesn’t know how to get healthy. When presented with two choices, we always seem to take the “obviously” correct, but ultimately wrong one. It’s like when your girlfriend (or boyfriend, I suppose) asks you a ridiculous question in which you know the obvious and correct response to maintain an easy life with as little friction as possible and therefore you determine it’s the “right” response. Let’s use the “Do I look fat in these jeans?” scenario. The less friction, “right” answer is always NO! (Wow, I’m getting off track pretty quick here, but let’s finish this thought before lashing out at the moron cake eaters who neglected the veggie platter.) So, you say she/he looks great to avoid friction, or what I call going against the grain, and while it felt good at the time, it may have lasting negative effects – after all, ignoring excess weight can lead to lifelong damage to health. For some reason we think feelings are something to always preserve; it’s easier to lie and help someone falsely feel good about his/her self, rather than tell them the truth and help them fix the actual issue. Nope! Stop being stupid, America. It’s about as unhealthy as forcing someone to choose between birthday cake and social acceptance. Which brings me to the point of this posting…
Dumbass cake eaters
Not too long ago, a group of individuals were presented with a choice between healthy and unhealthy. At the same time, the social gathering that accompanied the choice made it not really a choice at all. Here is the situation: A GIANT veggie platter was purchased for lunch to accompany the unhealthy main course (I forget what the main course was exactly, but I do recall that the request for seconds occurred without a single tomato, carrot, broccoli, or piece of celery being touched). The veggie platter was then left out after lunch for the “scavengers,” while a birthday cake was brought out for everyone to indulge in.
Upon entry into said social gathering, I analyzed my two options and chose to go against the grain. I loaded up a plate of veggies to the point where a tomato actually fell off because the poor little guy had no room. And then it happened. I was told (yes, I said told, not asked) to save room for a piece of cake, which was then shoved into my face. In my most polite voice I said, “No thanks, that shit isn’t good for you.” The response that followed is not uncommon, but definitely scary. “WHAT! You have to have a piece of cake. It’s not every day we have cake, plus it’s free.” Apparently, even if something is bad for you, you must take advantage of stuffing your face with it because it’s free!?! I was wondering why no one was taking advantage of the very free, very healthy option staring them in the face. Then I thought to myself that maybe I should stand outside with a carton of cigarettes and tell people to take one for free. Could they really be this dumb?
Long story short, the cake was gone within FIVE minutes (!) of the first piece being cut. The veggies remained on their platter throughout the afternoon (with the exception of the ones I scavenged). I realized my intestines might hate me if I ate 20 servings of vegetables right before an eight mile run, so I packed up a zip-lock bag and stuffed it with whatever I could and left the remainder behind. 
That is a real frowny face people! Think of the time and effort it takes to grow and harvest these quality foods.
Out of approximately 50 individuals, there were two (that’s including myself) who chose to eat healthy. What the hell is wrong with people? Now, it’s no secret that TTH Guy has never liked cake. Even as a child my mom would make me a fruit pie rather than the traditional cake. I guess I’m just not traditional (thankfully).
Do I ever have a point?
There really was no point to this rant, I guess, other than to point out our nation’s health problems will continue to grow at an astronomical rate if we don’t stop these bad habits. Think about that number I gave you…2 out of 50. Apparently, 96% of the general population (based on my one time observance with no statistical significance) would rather conform to tradition than actively pursue health and longevity. I fully expect this nation’s health to continue its downward spiral at an alarming rate because of what I witness every day. Some people call me “Negative Nancy”. They say TTH Guy likes to focus on the negatives and never relays the positive strides we are making in our health. To this my answer is simple…change will come when awareness is reached by those who need to be changed. A simple pat on the back to those doing the right thing will not have a significantly positive impact on our nation. The ones who negatively impact our nation need to be singled out. They need to be held accountable for their actions (or lack thereof). Since 96% of you are the problem, it may sound like a lot of negativity from me, but believe me when I say that I can’t wait for our nation’s trends to reverse so I can start writing something positive for a change!
Making the right choice when there’s an option,
TTH Guy
At TTH we want to get everyone active. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or a gym rat, we need to become a nation of active individuals. I believe one of the hardest hurdles to overcome for a newbie diving into personal growth and development through fitness is what it feels like to be healthy.
First off, being healthy doesn’t mean you feel good all of the time. When you are engaging in muscle building activities, endurance building activities, or fat burning exercises, you are going to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation. You must get out of your comfort zone for personal growth. It is amazing to see someone who is willing to push themselves to these limits because those new “limits” become a starting point. What was once an unreachable dream has become the bottom rung of your fitness ladder. Once you get past the false belief that you have some type of limitations, you’ll begin to long for the sore muscles. Why? Because you finally understand soreness equals growth. Growth equals a new level. The great thing about fitness is there is always a next level.
Now for the painful part! Just because you are sweating doesn’t mean you are working hard! This is an all too common misconception which immediately leads people to think they are injured when they feel the real work beginning. If I stopped my activities when a broke a sweat, I would never finish an Ironman. I would never backpack into a campsite more than 1 mile from the car. I would never have a body fat percentage below 5%. I like all those things, so I workout past the first bead of sweat. For most who follow the “sweat equals success formula”, congratulations you have successfully become dehydrated! That’s probably about it.
I once wrote that running my first 5 miles was not easy, and that years later those five miles were still not easy. The basic point of this statement is that the pain scale never changes! No matter how fit you are or how many times you have completed a given activity, the pain will always be there. It never gets easier. You will notice physical changes. But in order to get a decent workout and reach the same pain levels as before, you must increase both effort and intensity. In the case of the running scenario, I started my active living running 5 mph. Years later it was 9 mph. The pain was the same but my general physical appearance is “nicer” (for whatever that’s worth). My legs are more defined and as mentioned before, the abs are there, etc…however, my lungs still burn and my shins still tighten. My quads scream at me, and my calves ask me why. The answer to my calves is always the same, “Because I know you can go faster, and I know you can go longer.” And wouldn’t you know it…they always do!
Assigning a number
Here it is – the much anticipated number scale that will be followed by true believers. It will also be scoffed at by the obese (or future obese), likely due to a weak mind and an inability to recognize the potential from within.
0 = watching The Biggest Loser ™ while eating ice cream
1 = walking the dog while carrying 1 lb dumbbells
2 = jogging on the treadmill until you begin to sweat
3 = running on the treadmill, but stopping because you start to feel your feet ache and your shoulders tighten up
4 = ignoring the foot and shoulder pain, but giving up because your feet couldn’t keep up with the speed setting on the treadmill, causing you to catch your toe and hit your face on the control panel. This is the point where you begin to realize you have the potential to do great things, but maybe went out a little too hard!
5 = you feel a nagging pain in your knee that builds to excruciating. You say “F” it and run a marathon anyway. After completion of the marathon, you take some time off because you can’t bend your leg. This is an appropriate level of work ethic and determination; however, your training plan needs some tweaking. You’ve proven pain is a state of mind and anything less isn’t going to give you the results you want/need.
*6 = you trip over a rock on a trail run and break your leg. The bone is protruding from the skin, and you decide your arms are still working appendages; therefore you finish the next 4 miles dragging yourself. Okay tiger, ease up a bit, this was a 1-5 scale. If you get to this level of insanity, send me an email because I would love to have your story posted here at TTH!
The above is an example of one of our athlete’s mentality toward engaging in active living. It’s extreme but has resulted in drastic improvements over a short period.
In all seriousness though, if you rank in the 0-2 range, you are on the wrong track. If you are ranking in at a 3 on the scale, you will never get to the next level but will probably be able to maintain your current condition. If you can push past a 3, you will improve your speed, endurance, and fitness level. Obviously we don’t want you to get hurt, but understanding what others do will help you recognize the real dedication it takes to get to the next rung on your ladder.
Creating the world’s tallest ladder (metaphorically, of course),
TTH Guy
Tags: fitness
Recently we heard the argument regarding modeling, plus size models, and our society’s responsibility to accurately portray what is possible and what is perceived as a desired body type (or as the journalists put it, “impossible”). First off, TTH is not in the modeling business. TTH is here to keep your mind and your body healthy. One of our main areas of focus is mental attitude and perceived boundaries. That is what this article is attacking. I don’t care if you weigh 98, 125 or 160 lbs. The idea behind it is the same.
It is not possible for everyone to be a model. This was the initial problem with the piece put together to bash modeling by someone who thought dieting and being unhealthy was the way to achieve a dream (this belief is wrong #1). Once this person was down to an “ideal” weight, she failed to make it in the modeling industry and became bitter, blaming the unrealistic expectations of photographers, agents, etc…for her failure. What came out of this failure is disturbing!
The “right” answer has become the acceptance of plus-size models and “natural” beauty.
Lazy ass America
In the past 25 years the average woman’s weight in America has ballooned from 140 lbs to 164 lbs!! The warped perspective currently accepted is that since we as a nation are getting larger, so should our models. Instead of highlighting why we have been getting larger over the past 25 years, we are focusing on how to make everyone feel warm and cozy inside and accept “who they are” (this belief is wrong #2). Unfortunately it is too difficult for most Americans to be disciplined; it’s time we realize McDonald’s is now a part of the new modeling equation. Give me a break! It is entirely possible to get back to the 140 lbs we averaged 25 years ago…but this would take discipline.
Americans (in general) believe everyone is entitled to whatever they want. Um, I want a billion dollars for thinking my blog is the bee’s knees. I’m not going to be given a billion dollars. Maybe I should throw a fit and cry and whine that the health industry “owes” me something because I’m trying my best. That is essentially what we are doing with this modeling garbage.
We now have plus-size manikins because people want to know what clothing will really look like rather than what it will never look like on them. This is the beginning of acceptance for obesity. A new “normal” so people won’t realize video games, fast food, and office jobs are ruining their lives! Yes, I got all that from fat manikins! America, you are lazy. You take the easy way out, and it sucks! The real reason we are moving to plus-size manikins and the idea of “real” body types is that no one wants to put down the double cheeseburgers. Convenience is king. No one wants to work hard for health because they don’t have to work hard for anything else in life.
Here is what really makes me cringe: “natural” beauty campaigns. You know the ones. Be happy with yourself. Don’t worry about the weight gain. It’s what’s on the inside that counts. Yep, that all sounds great, and those things are important! Oh wait, I forgot to tell you that if we continue this belief system, the trend will continue because someone else will be saying these current plus-size models depict an unrealistic size since the average weight in 25 years will be 190 lbs! It doesn’t appear to be rocket science, but most of us are focused on how to live a comfortable 65 years rather than an effort-filled and rewarding 125 years!
In an attempt to not be so negative (although researching and observing the trends first-hand makes it hard not to be), I am going to say the only positive thing that comes to mind…more cushion for the _____. I think you can fill in the blank. One last thing for anyone who thought that was meant to be funny, it wasn’t. It was sarcastic and gross!
Hoping all fat manikin manufacturers go out of business,
TTH Guy
Tags: obesity
If you are like me, then you try to mix it up between active living workouts and the “real” workouts. If you don’t know the difference, then my guess is your workout schedule is very lopsided and includes only active living workouts (which is better than nothing, so don’t stop on account of my ranting today). How do I know this? I know because anyone who actually engages in “real” workouts already knows they are not fun and therefore would know the difference! Let me clarify something – I do actually enjoy them… immensely, but I also enjoy pain…a lot of pain! So for some of us, the only real difference I guess is what kind of “fun” we feel like having on that particular day.
Life is tough and so are “real” workouts
I really dislike the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” You’re probably wondering why because I am one tough SOB myself and would embrace such nonsense. The truth, however, is this somehow implies that at times life is not tough. I am going to relate this to real workouts since it is the only thing I am capable of doing well.
There seems to be some misconception as to what it takes to be extraordinary. Screw extraordinary! Let’s just say what it takes to be healthy and in shape. Individuals who have never pushed the envelope in their lives often are overwhelmed at the discipline and pain people go through to be healthy. They also like to use the copout that this “pain” is what is holding them back from achieving their New Year’s resolution. Sadly, these individuals will NEVER achieve their goals.
It’s pretty simple really. Those who fail are the same ones who believe “when the going gets tough…” This is an automatic set up for failure. If you approach a challenge believing at some point it will get tough and you must push through at that point, then you inevitably believe the challenge will start out easy. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that if it were easy and pain free to get into shape, then I wouldn’t have this blog. Nobody would need encouragement. It’s not hard to convince people to do something fun. You don’t have to enjoy pain, but you do have to realize that without it you will never get to the next level.
Here is a quick little story about TTH guy. TTH guy watched an Ironman one day. The next day he ran 5 miles (very slowly). It was painful. Four years later, after multiple Ironman finishes himself, TTH guy ran 5 miles (approx. 4mph faster than attempt #1). It was painful. That’s the whole story!
1,460 days of working out, and 5 miles is still hard. It doesn’t get easier. My legs are more toned, my abs look amazing, and I feel better than ever, but…I still know that when I enter the gym or head out the front door, it will never be easy. Realizing this will allow you to start with the correct mindset and complete any challenges you feel are worth pursuing. Unless of course the challenge you want to pursue is climbing the corporate ladder, in which case you need a whole new skill set that requires the ability to be an ass kisser (which is another way of saying sell out, not being yourself, or better known as a waste of a free mind). Actually, that’s pretty painful also, so I take it back…every challenge is painful!
For a better understanding of this subject read The Pain Scale.
Always tough and always going,
TTH Guy