Posted by Michael Hartzell on Tue, Mar 09, 2010
Ashley Fox has a thing or two to say about my big loser Mike adventure. Of course as I paid for my zero calorie ice tea, I glanced at all of the freshed baked goodies in the cabinet she pointed to.
The outstanding staff person Ashly Fox said: "As long as you can fly with just one seat? You're OK." That became her pitch for me to "go for it".
Could this be true?
Have I lost perspective somewhere and set the bar too high? Isn't life about the little things? Like those delicious baked cinnamon rolls she again pointed to (while she repeated her quote?)
Maybe this is where the true issue lies. It has nothing to do with weight loss, it has to do with seats on an airplane and other conveniences.
In case you are wondering, I made it out of the specialty Bakery in the Bellevue mall without so much as a nibble on the pastries.
Thank you Ashley Fox for your great service, smile and quote. (not for the temptation though)
Two more days until weigh in. Keeping priorities and knowing the big picture goal (which is about health, well-being and relationships) will certainly help one stay the course.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Sun, Mar 07, 2010
Don't be laughing so hard the next time you hear a friend talking about how supplements from a health club in Auburn, WA improve health. Take a look at new scientific research.
Is the added cost of supplements you hear about from friends and media "worth it"? The health supplements scientific study shows you in an easy to understand study.
Read the full story behind the image at Information Is Beautiful and check out the interactive for yourself.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Sat, Mar 06, 2010
Preparing the details for Vision Quest fun with a Tug o War before the Biggest Loser VI weigh in. What a relief, its the personal trainers (not us) who compete.
Ready for competition.
Time to Rumble
Who's ready?
Is it muscule or skill?
Or food supplements? Fitness Trainer against Fitness Trainer.
Or is it in the wrists and hands?
Or in the mean face you can make to the other person?
I am very glad it's not me pulling that rope! oh look! There is my trainer!
Who is she up against?
Ok. You don't get to see the winner (or losers). Sorry.
Fun is over. It's time to get to the weigh in. (shoes off is ok?)
They debate the rules. Shoes off is ok.
That was fun! Great entertainment. Better than a TV Show!
Thanks to team Vision Quest, I feel inspired to get some cash ready. I know who to bet on next time.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Tue, Mar 02, 2010
Ever heard of Matt Hoover? You know, the Biggest Loser Winner? Someone who is an inspiration for each personal trainer in Auburn?
Here is his book.
Need inspiration? Want to learn from someone who was the jock, became the jock's worst nightmare, and then won the Biggest Loser Competition on the TV?
Here is your chance. Here is Matt Hoover's book.
How about instead of following my slow and steady progress (though humorous), follow Matt's escapades on his blog. (Or do both.) 
Matt is a local in my area. Inspiring to say the least. Have you thought it was time to change your life? You might have something special here. Book, Blog, and he is on Twitter too! BiggestLoserMat.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Tue, Mar 02, 2010
Looks like the health club in Auburn, WA I have been going to (Vision Quest) is making my pants fall down. Here is my question for this: Why doesn't a fitness / health club such as this offer clothing for sale? Maybe some workout outfits? (The photo above IS NOT a photo of me.) 
Since the members are obviously going to have changes in their dimensions it seems logical that fitness clothing, at the very least, would be available. Don't you think it would be even better if they were at a discount based on how much weight was lost? (Or muscle gained.)
No worries, looks like I can order online. Good ole' Amazon has these fancy shorts.
As a person is shrinking, at what stage are new clothes on the to do list?
Is it best to get temporary clothes during the shrinking process? Suspenders? A large blanket? What to do?
I know you are wondering. You weighed in Mike. How much? Where you at?
So far, after four weeks the total loss from the official scale is seven pounds. The fitness / health club in Auburn, WA Biggest Loser VI competition summary:
- Avg. workout time per day: 40 minutes.
- Average calorie intake per day 1750.
- Other activity? Nope.
- Cheat? (Ok, a few times)
- Missed workouts? One.
- Dissapointed? Yes.
- Satisfied? Yes.
Progress continues even through the bumps.
Persistency and consistency will continue.
Will I make it? Or will I quit? My days are so full, will I be able to make it every day? Or will projects and clients snag me away?
What about you? If I can lose 7 pounds in 30 days. Seems like you could too!
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Thu, Feb 25, 2010
Restaurant marketing vs. weight loss. The battle is on the street. Which will have better business success? Which will you resist?
First of all, there is too much conflict. How can a person battle the mixed messages? No wonder we have such a difficult time. Which is the best marketing message to think about? Seems to me Baskin & Robbins wins.
Second of all, this photo is from Friends of Irony. Go there. Vote for this photo. It is a classic and represents America at its best. Friends of Irony is great!
Third: If you have a business with problems such as shown in the photo? Talk to Dr. Bruce.
I wonder. Which are you going to choose?
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Thu, Feb 25, 2010
...and on and on. "Which is harder? Business success or weight loss?"
Talking to myself it seems during workouts. It has been four weeks into the Biggest Loser Competition at the Health Club in Auburn, WA Vision Quest? So busy working on writing a book and helping people with business success I can't remember the days slipping by.
The eliptical machine seemed to go on and on. A voice in my head: Doesn't weight loss seem hard? Immediately I answered myself with a question: Is growing business hard? To that I said "no, Planning, Patience, Persistance is Perfect parts of a Plan."
Not to be out done, I shot back another question: "Is it worth the time and trouble? Each day I can't seem to tell the difference." Of course the voice in my head would not let that alone and responded back: "No Mike, you can't tell. It is a little like ice melting, grass growing and like marketing for business success."
How easily memory fades when life is uncomfortable. So many choices of other more preferable fun activities pop into the head when in doing a thing over and over again. The voices kept me entertained.
Why does logic escape the mind? We know for a fact that exercise and eating well is good for the body. FACT. We know that reaching out to hundreds of people a day to make invitations to grow a business is healthy. FACT. We are certainly an emotional creature to give in so easily to whim's and slight discomfort. (and boredom)
With memory drifting back to four weeks ago. On my second day I could not go five minutes on the eliptical machine without getting very sweaty, winded and gooey leg. (OK, that was a confession)
Today I went 18 minutes with heart rate never over 130. Yes, I was tired but is that an improvement of 300%?
Four weeks ago I started with 10 pounds on the weight machines and was tuckered out after only 15 pushes/pulls/presses. Of course the personal trainer Sara made me do three sets, not just one. When did I become such a wimp?
Today I have increased the weight to 45 pounds and did 4 sets of 25. (100 is a good number) In four weeks it seems there is more strength?
Have I pushed it hard with hours in the gym?
I have never exceeded 40 minutes for any of the workouts (except when my sister got me talking one day). You know where my work out calendar is posted and I have only missed 2 days thus far.
The diet works well for me with five "meals" a day. I have substituted meats for meats and fruits for fruits on the meal plan my personal trainer Sara laid out for me. (nope, she doesn't know. My secret. Don't tell her)
I have on ocassion become a little hungry and nibbled a bit outside the meal plan. (confession #3, don't tell Sara)
Tomorrow is the weigh in. Regardless of weight loss, there is something happening. I can tell when I bend over. (it is easier)
Growing sales, having better relationships, reading a book, hiking up a mountain, growing flowers. There seems to be a theme. Time and patience. Persistancy and consistency. Over and over. Again and again. One step forward is still forward and they add up.
Be in a hurry and you risk having short term results, shallow relationships, missing the point, slipping on the trail, and weak stems on flowers. Have a sense of urgency but don't fire then aim.
Tomorrow will be weigh in. It is my measure of success. It becomes a recorded event. Again, a parallel tomy otherworld. Business success requires measures, time frames and tracking the results. Can we now say that losing weight is nothing more than another business venture? Instead of doubling sales, there is a doubling of fitness?
I think it is time to shop. Something for to listen to audo books with. I hear the Kindle will read a book to you. The Kindle DX is going to be my choice. (larger screen and more books!)
Or I could get audio books and play them 
on an ipod mp3 player.
Click and check it out.
If I do well on the weigh in? Thinking of giving myself a reward. What do you think?
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Sun, Feb 21, 2010
Well, we hope so, right? Big loss for loser? To be sure the Health Club in Auburn, WA keeps me on track, they gave me a special diet. Cross that and instead say "meal plan".
Today I snuck (yes, I snuck) into the refrigerator. I was curious is all. A jar of pickles sitting there looked particularly delectable. Ok, anything looked pretty tasty after a workout today. Oddly the jar said; "Zero Calories". This can't be right, can it? Seems to me that food has to have calories.
Sure enough, I was right. Calories are in food even when the package says zero. However, when the calories get so low that the amount is negligible the FDA says "Hey there, it's close enough, just go ahead and put zero calories down for that."
This perks my interest and maybe yours, too? Weight loss by eating food with less calories? Maybe even zero calories? (almost zero) What a concept. (But not new.) Where the heck are these foods with low and no calories?
Here is the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 15
What is the good news? Spinach has 2 calories per leaf. I love spinach. Uh, I guess eating 50 leaves of spinach does not help me much.
Fortunately, my personal trainer Sara created a meal plan (for my diet) and balanced it with foods I love to eat already. Even so, seeing the low calorie food list gives peace of mind for any "emergency".
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Fri, Feb 12, 2010
FIVE POUNDS lost in first two weeks at the
health club in Auburn, WA. They didn't really force me to lose weight. Just trying to get your attention.
Everyone was weighed in one by one. The results were announced over the sound system so that it seemed the whole town would hear. No such thing as privacy during a competition. Guess I shouldn't care. After all, here I am sharing it with the planet.
So, first two weeks lost 5 pounds according to the official weight scale.
Is this good? Think so. I am averaging a 30 to 40 minute workout every day. (I missed a couple.) Length of workout time is expected to increase as I become a lean, mean workout machine. The recommended supplements are part of my new daily routine and, of course, the meal plan. I really like the new meal plan. Meals with less portion five times a day is working out very nicely.
There were those who lost 15 to 19 pounds in two weeks. That is amazing!
Had an epiphany. If you become a wimp it will be harder to lose weight. As a weak wimp, you will not have enough muscle to get your heart rate up before you get tired. So, those who are weak can't seem to exercise long and find it harder to make progress. This is why my personal trainer (Sara) is having me do lower weights with higher reps. Build the wimp into someone with more strength. Then I can really dig in and do something even more awesome.
Wish I could have a dark chocolate gourmet candy bar for each pound I lost as a prize. I will look for another reward instead.
How about a very fancy high tech sweat band to make me look very cool?.
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Posted by Michael Hartzell on Wed, Feb 10, 2010
While daily visiting the
health club in Auburn, WA for the Biggest Loser VI at Vision Quest Sport and Fitness, the mind wandered to my list of dislikes.
Confession time. Here is the nine whine list of Big Loser Mike:
- Don't like exercise. Boring.
- Don't like exercise machines. intimidating.
- Don't like health clubs. Have to get healthy.
- Don't like sweating. Gets smelly.
- Don't like muscle pain. Or any pain for that matter.
- Definitely don't like counting calories. How much? When?
- Don't like being the person with the lightest weights.
- Don't like being publicly unable to lift, push, pull.
- Don't like pushy trainers who want to pump...me up.
This must be why people don't refer to me as jock. It might also be why I am better with people things. Marketing, Math, Management. People, Purpose, Profit. Computers, Collaboration, Connection. These are all good words I can relate with.
Here I am, almost at the end of two weeks, and I am beginning to note some issues with my dislike list. Not sure why.
Looking around the health club it appears my workout area is filled with regular folks.
I do not feel but the slightest muscle pain each morning. That makes me smile.
The sweating seems to be temporary. Who knew?
There are about eight televisions to watch while doing what they call cardio and a little gadget to connect microphones at each cardio machine. It's time to bring a few audio books on an mp3 player into the health club.
Jim (class leader) seems to always be there having a class of some sort. I am astounded at his ability to keep going and do the chants. His ability to keep moving is a show in and of itself as he leads people in a rhythm of movement while keeping beat to the music. How does he breathe, exercise and count / talk out loud all at the same time? Amazing!
No one seems to care that the weights I am lifting are less than an eight year old could pump. Guess they have their own weights to bear. (pun intended)
Thus far I am puzzled. Since I have spent so many years avoiding this health club environment because of what I call the nine whine list, what did I miss? Seems like my nine whine list is more like a lame game? Maybe.
Regardless of the weigh in on Thursday night I have doubled the amount of time before I am out of breath on the LifeCycle machine. (Too embarrassed to share what that is.) I have increased the resistance and number of "reps" on the weight machines. All that and still only the very slightest of muscle soreness. (Again, too embarrassed to share the light weight.)
What could be in those supplements, I wonder?
Time to start a new nine whine list. Vision Quest seems to have broken my view of health and fitness clubs and I can no longer use the old list as a defense.
I started on the first day wondering why I was pooped out after 6 minutes and dragging butt. Only two weeks in and while I am no superman, it is good to feel like there is something good happening.
Take-Aways.
- Burn the Nine Whine List.
- Things are not always as they appear.
- Just 'cause people are crying on TV when working out doesn't mean that is real life. (Oh yeah... TV is always like that.)
- Keep going. Don't waste it. Every day matters.
- The next two weeks I think I can do better.
What about you?
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