Like many Americans, as I entered middle age (I really don’t like having to use that phrase), I found myself facing many of the same health and lifestyle challenges that many have to deal with. My weight was rising, my family life was busy and complex with children in college, high school, and pre-school, I was faced with numerous professional uncertainties, and I still ate like a 10-year old. Stress was everywhere. Despite exercising regularly, I found that the other factors in my life were contributing to me being a part of the 67% of Americans who are either overweight or obese. While I would need different strategies to attack the family and professional challenges, I decided to tackle my physical well-being head on.

I first saw the P90X infomercial in a hotel room several years ago, ironically after getting up early to run. There they were – mostly ripped people doing pull-ups by the dozens, jumping around doing cardio work, and doing strength training right there on the DVD. I could tell it was a real fitness program, not a fly-by-night “lose 6 inches off your waist by wearing this vibrating belt” nonsense. And then there were the testimonials. Real people who were appearing to make real changes in their physical well-being. Sure, we all might want to go from bodies like the Pillsbury Dough Boy to Lance Armstrong, but I was a collegiate athlete, have completed 2 marathons and 6 triathlons, and averaged running about 800 miles and biking about 400 miles annually, so I wasn’t naïve to what it would take to make the impact that I wanted. I had no allusions that given my starting point, I would end up looking like Tony Horton, but I wanted it to be more than a diet. Don’t get me wrong – my primary objective was to stop having to wear my fat clothes all the time – but I also wanted the changes and benefits to be more reflected in my lifestyle.

Taking The Plunge

So after Christmas, I ordered the P90X program and made plans to get started. The cost wasn’t bad (approx. $120), and I equated it to about 2-3 months of a gym membership. When the order arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that in addition to the fitness DVD, the program also included a detailed nutrition guide that was also tailored to each phase of the P90X program. So I committed to getting up at 4:45 am during the week (4:30 on Yoga days) and making a difference in my fitness in about an hour a day.

On January 11, 2010, I began. Through the course of the program, it became clear that this wasn’t rocket science, but there was clear science and methodology to it. You work hard and eat right (ok, eat better), you see results. It was like having my own personal trainer in my basement that I could access at my convenience.

My Stats

I completed the 13 week program in 15 weeks, losing 1 week to the flu and another to a week of travel, but the results are below and I am pretty pleased. You can also see me daily workout summaries on Twitter.

                                             Prior to Day 1 Baseline                                      After Day 90

Resting Heart Rate                           60                                                                    54

Pull-Ups (unassisted)                       1                                                                      8

Vertical Leap                             Baseline                                                                +2”

Push Ups                                           40                                                                       52

Toe Touch                                        -2”                                                                     +5”

Wall Squat                                  1 min 19 sec                                                1 min 35 sec

Bicep Curls (25 lbs)                          12                                                                    18

In & Outs (Abs)                                  43                                                                    70

Yoga Sessions                                     0                                                                      16

Heart Rate after 2 minutes of heavy aerobic exercise

Time 0                                                157                                                                 157

Time 60 sec                                       119                                                                 115

Time 120 sec                                    105                                                                 101

Time 180 sec                                    98                                                                    93

Time 240 sec                                    93                                                                    86

Weight                                                207.6                                                              184.0

Waist                                                  38.0                                                                34.0

BMI                                                     29.0                                                                25.7

Total Investment: Approx $345 ($120 for P90X DVD, $25 for pull up bar, $20 for exercise bands, $180 for recovery drink & protein bars from GNC).

Fun Facts

Push Ups Completed: 1,243+

Pull Ups Completed: 1,943

Ab Reps Completed: 6,186

Bicep Curls: 1,509

Number of times I puked: 0

Number of times I came close to puking: approx 5

I admit it. I’m a procrastinator when it comes to some things and one of those things was getting a will. I bought do-it-yourself software. I even went to so far as to load it onto my computer, but I ran into some sections where I needed help and tabled the project.

Surprisingly, the answer to this problem was right under my nose – at work. I’d heard about the employee assistance programs (EAP) offered through work and decided to call.

As it turns out, EAP provides legal resources, including guidance on creating a will. So, I’m now filling out the legal forms and will meet with a lawyer shortly to seal the deal. The best part is that the service was free.

Although I sound like an advertisement, I’m recommending the EAP/work-life services program to co-workers. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a project on the backburner that stays there because of lack of expertise or the ability to take the first step. EAP offers help with:

• Legal issues
• Financial issues
• Family issues
• Daycare/eldercare
• Personal and work challenges (including stress, depression, conflict)

If you are ready to tackle that problem that’s been lingering, you should check with human resources to find out if EAP is offered where you work.

Read more about EAP programs.

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We all dread the annual winter sickness.  It comes, usually without warning, and stays longer than we want.  We’re sniffly, sneezy, achey and in general malaise for much longer than we can afford to be. Even when things start to clear up, we still don’t feel quite 100 percent.  The thing is, all that can be avoided if we keep our immune system running to its fullest potential.  In addition to regular, and I do mean regular exercise, the best way to stave off sickness is by making sure your body is running on the best fuel possible for the dark days and long nights of winter.

You don’t need 10 steps or 20 or even five to make sure you are eating the right things at the right times.  Over at HealthCastle.com they narrowed it down to four simple, easy-to-remember tips to help you get properly fueled and free of colds, flus and all other annoying and clingy winter ailments.  Please head over and check out their full article, but for now here are their four steps to eating properly this winter. Take special note of number three, and remember that we just did a post about exactly that!  Here we go:

1. Eat high-quality carbs: Listen to your cravings. There is a reason for them! In the winter, with fewer sunny hours, your stored serotonin (the “feel-good” brain chemical) starts to decline. Your cravings for carbohydrate-loaded comfort foods are your body crying for more serotonin. But be careful when choosing carbohydrates to boost serotonin! Opt for nutritious whole grains and choose high-quality carbs, such as sweet potatoes, pumpkins and squashes.
2. Love seasonal produce: Winter produce may not be as exciting and colorful as summer berries, but there are still many healthy choices available. Work seasonal produce, including pomegranates, cranberries, citrus fruits, purple grapes and orange root vegetables, into your meals. You’ll not only add color to your plate, you’ll pack in some serious nutrition punch.
3. Consider Vitamin D supplements: If you live in the northern hemisphere, consider taking vitamin D supplements. Numerous studies have shown that oral intake of vitamin D can reduce the risk of colon, breast and ovarian cancers by as much as 50 percent. Vitamin D can be found in fortified dairy products, fatty fish and egg yolks. But reaching the recommended level through food alone is rather difficult. Therefore, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends that all adults take vitamin D supplements every day during the fall and winter seasons. Be sure to speak to your doctor before starting any supplementation.
4. Nourish your cold: No diet remedy or supplement has been scientifically proven to prevent cold and flu. However, studies have shown that vitamin C supplements may make your cold milder and shorten it by half a day. In addition, there’s a promising perk for yogurt lovers! A German study found that probiotics (as found in yogurt with active culture) may shorten your cold episode by almost two days.  So keep on eating those “friendly bugs!”

It’s winter but it doesn’t have to be miserable. Before you know it, we’ll be posting about the glory of warm spring weather and how to avoid sunburn!

In my last post, I said I’d follow up on what the Hosparus/Hospice training was like. Hospice offers two types of training based on the role you wish to assume. The first type is a more specialized daylong training session provided to those volunteers who will be working directly with patients and their families.  You’re instructed on the rules and procedures with assisting with patient care and some of the more common situations you should expect.

Since my grandfather passed earlier in the year, I’m not able to interact directly with patient care so it was part of the more abbreviated half-day session for me.  This is the second type of training in which the director thoroughly explains the rules of confidentiality and respect, and sets the expectations of volunteering for the organization.

We reviewed several forms and went through the volunteer handbook.  All of this was done in a very thoughtful professional way, including a very well done and thought provoking video of how Hosparus/Hospice assists patients.  The video had several interviews with former patients discussing what Hospice meant to them.

It was definitely not a feel good video, but it left you feeling very proud of what each volunteer brings to the team and appreciating what a huge impact they have with helping patients finish their lives with care and dignity.  There’s no way you could watch this video and not identify with the importance of the program.  I found myself feeling very fortunate for what I have and the life I live.

One of the interesting things the director mentioned was the longevity of the volunteers supporting the program.  Several folks have been helping out from five to 10 years. They often transition into multiple roles as their interests change.  This is very unusual for a volunteer organization since charities usually experience high turnover and limited flexibility of choices in supporting roles.  I was glad to hear this since I tend to like variety and different challenges and I’m pretty open to help out where I can.

I finished my training and left the office feeling good knowing I had made the right decision to volunteer.  I’m waiting to be contacted for volunteer opportunities, but I’ll probably help out with event planning, the thrift store or public speaking.  I think I can add the most value in one of these areas, but we’ll see what comes up.  I’ll cover that in my next post.

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• Ohio Department of Health launches hospital comparison Web site (medcitynews.com)

I have a problem with going to bed at night, which means I’m usually pretty interested in any sleep-realted study.

So I was all over an article that Anahad O’Connor at The New York Times recently wrote about the connection between activity and sleep latency in children, Really? The Claim: Exercise More During the Day, and You Will Sleep Better at Night.

Apparently a longitudnal study was published this year that shows a correlation between a child’s activity during the day and how long it takes to fall asleep at night.

The findings: It takes an extra three minutes for kids to fall asleep, per every hour of sedentary activity during the day. This can lead us to believe that physical activity leads to better sleep.

So how do you get more physical activity? Here are some things I’ve started doing:

Walk more — Walking is easy and free. When it’s nice outside, I walk around the neighborhood with my kids. When I go to work everyday, I walk from my car to the office. I even like to get up and just wonder around the office throughout the day. The point is to just get up move around.

Play more — My daughter is three now and can play games inside like hide and seek and tag. We also like to play loud  music and dance around together. Follow the leader is an easy game to play, and we can end up spending a good half hour marching around the kitchen table together to the funky beat.

Exercise more — This may sound offputting but it doesn’t have to be hard work. I now spend 30-45 minutes three times a week watching TV on an eliptical machine. I’ve found that watching football, basketball or even MMA while being active makes it easy to keep going psycologically.

Those are my tips. What are yours? How do you stay active during the day to fall asleep easier at night?