Please…Don’t be Stupid. Brain

“I don’t not understand what I do; for what I want to do I do not do; but what I hate, I do”                -Paul Romans 7:15

Let’s assume for a moment that you have ignored all of the information I’ve given you (which would be really stupid).

Chances are that you were one of two things; “offended” by what I said (please don’t be stupid), or you think "your body" doesn’t work like that.

Ok stop!

That’s the problem!

The problem is not your body…it’s your head!

That’s right…your head!

Think of the body as a computer screen. It just projects the script coming from your programing. So if the programming is flawed, the images on the screen will be flawed too.

How stupid would I have to be to think changing the screen would help? Ok…so suppose I’m stupid. I go ahead and try another screen…same thing.

It’s not the screen, it’s the processer.

In the world of human cognition, the brain is the processor. If you change the programming, the body will follow. It’s a FACT. (I’m kinda big on facts)

The brain is one of the largest and most complex super computers known to man.  It’s made up of more than 100 billion nerves that communicate in trillions of connections called synapses.
(Let’s keep this simple)

The brain is made up of many specialized areas that work together:

-The Brain Stem is between the spinal cord and the rest of the brain (Base of the brain). Basic functions like breathing and sleep are controlled here. (The autonomic system)

-The Limbic System is the mid-brain area. The limbic system supports a variety of functions including emotion, behavior, motivation, long-term memory, and olfaction. Emotional life is largely housed in the limbic system, and it has a great deal to do with the formation of memories. The brains pleasure system (Nucleus Accumbens) is also housed here. Whenever we use the linguistics, “fun” “excitement” “good” “happy” “orgasmic”; dopamine is flooding the NA. This is an important note. Anything that affects the brain in an immediate positive way, guarantees our return…Regardless of potential consequences.

-The Neocortex is the outermost layer of brain. The neocortex is the executive director of our brain that does its best to discern the desires of the limbic system. (Logic and Reason)

I started this topic with a quote from Paul. The quote is about the human struggle…the fight…the self-judgment…the condemnation.

Before I send the next part, please read over and over and familiarize yourself with the three main brain structures: (I'll explain the Id, Ego, and Superego on the next post)

-Brain Stem (ID)

-Limbic System (Ego)

-Neocortex (Superego)

The first step…knowing your computer; the second step… is understanding the programs you’ve created.  You cannot change what you do not acknowledge.

Personal awareness precedes personal transformation

Please…Don’t be Stupid. Running

Lady: I’ve been running and can’t seem to lose weight.

KH: What are you eating?

Discussion over  *This type of person still believes she can out-work her mouth

Lady: I’ve been running and my butt seems to be getting flabbier.

KH: Sprinting?

Lady: No, jogging about 45 minutes to 1 hour 5 times per week

KH: That’s why you butt is getting flabbier. The adaptation to aerobic training is to reduce the size of muscle so that our body becomes more efficient (burning less calories at work and rest). The glutes atrophy (shrink) so that you’re more efficient. Running actually reduces your RMR, making this a very ineffective way of losing weight.

Discussion over  *My comment was calling her baby ugly. Rather than accepting the facts and moving forward with a new specific program, we lash out at the person who trying to give us valuable information…drop the ego and don’t be stupid

Lady: I like how her legs and butt looks. Why doesn’t mine look like that?

KH: What kind of exercise program are you doing?

Lady: Running

KH: Well…She lifts weights. That’s why her legs and butt looks like that. Not only does resistance exercise give you a nice tone look, but the added muscle increases your caloric expenditure at rest. Now you have a body that works for you so that you don’t have to works as much for your body.
Wouldn’t you rather workout less to have more?

Discussion over *A lot of times the person who avoids resistance training is concerned about building big bulky muscles. This is the conundrum of exercise…the very thing we need to be doing to reach our goals seems counterintuitive.

Lady: What about gluten?

KH: (one eye brow cocked)

Discussion over  *Gluten has as much to do with your weight gain as a rear-view mirror has to do with your motors horse power…stop eating so much!

When it comes to exercise and weight loss, emotions typically rule over logic and reason. We continually mistake motion for action with little or no thought of specificity? We think we can participate in any physical activity and a specific action will occur.

I always compare it to studying for an English test and being pissed because you flunked the history test. What were you expecting?

The two key components to “every” successful exercise program are Specificity and Overload. If you want to be a better runner you run. If you what to reshape your body you lift…if you want to lose weight you eat less…if you want to lose FAT you eat balanced meals every three and a half hours.
If you want muscle tone, you have to work the fast twitch fibers (FT). FT fibers are the fibers you see closest to the skin and have the greatest potential for hypertrophy (growth). When you see a tight butt or firm legs, you are seeing a muscle that has been pushed hard with relatively heavy weight for 8-15 reps.  Let me also add that a muscle which is full and toned is a muscle that is saturated with glycogen (carbohydrates).

I hear gasp! The dreaded C word

Shaping and toning your body is simple:

1. Training specificity… (Your goals don’t care about your feelings)

2. You lift weights 8-15 reps to failure. (No light weight high rep stuff…circuit train is not strength training)

3. You have to eat a lot of carbs. (Not donuts, cookies, white bread, or cokes…don’t be stupid)

4. Sufficient protein to repair damaged tissue (1 gram per lb. of lean body mass)

5. Program... 45 minutes of weight training followed by 15 minutes of cardio (at a 70% of your max heart rate) three times per week is all you need to achieve that lean tone body you have been working for.

If you are saying right now, “my body doesn’t work like that” or “I get too muscular”

Please…don’t be stupid!

Please…Don’t be Stupid. Metabolism

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism is a process in which our body regulates bodily functions and converts what we eat into energy.

Resting Metabolic Rate:

Even when we’re resting (RMR), our body needs energy for all its autonomic functions. (Breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells)
RMR is the most important component in weight loss.

There are several factors determine your basal metabolic rate:

-Muscle mass. The bodies of people who are larger or have more muscle burn more calories, even at rest. (That includes overweight individuals…very high RMR) Think about it; a V-8 burns a lot more gas than a V-6 motor.

-Gender. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than do women of the same age and weight, burning more calories. (Important message for women…build muscle!)

-Age. As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight, slowing down calorie burning. (Important message…maintain muscle!)

RMR Alert:

-70% Resting Metabolic Rate your accounts for the largest percent of the caloric expenditure you burn every day. Let me repeat…70% of your caloric expenditure is at rest!
In addition to your basal metabolic rate, two other factors determine how many calories your body burns each day:

-20% Physical activity. Physical activity and exercise…such as playing tennis, walking to the store, and playing with your kids, account for the rest of the calories your body burns up each day. Physical activity is by far the most variable of the factors that determine how many calories you burn each day. (Activity and nutrition equals a lean tone body)

-10% Food processing (thermogenesis). Digesting, absorbing, transporting and storing the food you consume also burns calories. The greatest amount of caloric expenditure comes when you combine carbs, protein, and fat in each meal. (Mixed meals also controls blood sugar which allows the body to burn fat all day)

Maya Angelo once said, “You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better”

Now that we know better…let’s do better!

Please…Don’t be Stupid with your Nutrition

Nutrition 101:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Most of us have fasted (sleep) for 6-8 hours so our body and brain is low on fuel. If we don't eat breakfast, our cortisol levels get higher as the morning goes on. (Burning muscle…lowering your metabolism)

Carbs:
If we eat only eat carbs (pastry, orange juice) our body releases insulin and burns sugar (no fat). It’s not that the carbs are being converted to fat as much as much as it’s the body protecting the brain from too much glucose. It focuses on the sugar first, fat second.
(Our brain is our body’s number one priority.

It can’t have too much or too little glucose. Our brain needs a minimum of 120 grams per 24 hours. This doesn’t include what your muscles needs for fuel. When your pituitary senses too much glucose, it triggers an insulin response…too little glucose it triggers a cortisol response. Eating a combination of all the macronutrients helps to stabilize this process. This is the way EVERYBODY's body works)

Protein:
If we eat only protein (eggs, sausage) our body releases cortisol because once again… our brain needs glucose. So the protein we eat becomes a fuel source for the brain (protein gets converted into sugar so the brain can function properly). This process is called gluconeogenesis. Protein primary purpose gets diverted, and therefore is not available to do its main job (repair muscle).
The science of nutrition says all meals should include a carb, protein, and fat.

For fat burn, muscle repair, increased energy levels, and a strong immune system, mixed meals are the most favorable for a healthy body.

Please…Don’t be Stupid. Nutrition

…Sigh

Darwin said, “Ignorance begets confidence more often than does knowledge”. When it comes to the field of health and fitness, this is definitely true.
Everyone’s an expert when it comes to nutrition: housewives, plumbers, electricians, and faux trainers…just ask them. Hell… you don’t even have to ask…they’ll tell you!

Imagine the job that you do right now.

Let’s say you’ve been a plumber for 10 years, or you’ve made huge sacrifices by attending college for 4-6 years. I would say in either case you would be considered an expert in your field.
How stupid would I have be to argue with a plumber or a college professor? Pretty stupid huh?

Well, welcome to the world of health and fitness.

“Mary lost weight doing low carbs”

“Sally did a detox diet and lost 10 pounds of undigested spackle” (What the hell is spackle?)

“Maybe my B-12 levels are low” (Maybe they are, but what does that have to do with 20-50 extra pounds?)

Now here’s my predicament…if someone states something about nutrition that is incorrect, should I say anything? Or do I just remain silent?

If I don’t say anything I’m allowing nutritional misinformation. If I do say something I’m a smart ass know-it-all. (Regardless of how respectful I say it)
So what is it about today’s society where someone’s opinion is as good as scientific facts? This is truly the conundrum that occurs when you have access to information, but not the ability to discern fantasy from reality.

What is the answer? Stop it!

(Please watch this Bob Newhart episode)
https://search.aol.com/aol/video?q=bob+newhart+stop+it+youtube+video&s_it=video-ans&sfVid=true&videoId=58F6ADF318B346663DC458F6ADF318B346663DC4&v_t=webmail-searchbox

Ok…so if you’re reading this and you are bothered, great!  The fact that you’re sensitive should be a warning sign that this could be a trait you’re guilty of.

Hopefully you can lower your defensive position long enough to at least entertain the possibility that you may be wrong.

“Please don’t be stupid” is a series of my experiences trying rehabilitate misinformation spread by the health and fitness industry and stupid people.

Please respond…just please… don’t be stupid!

Perhaps

                    “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them”

                                                                                                  ~ Epictetus

Perhaps (Buddhist parable)

Long ago in China there was an old farmer. With the same horse this old farmer had plowed and worked his land for many years when one day his horse suddenly ran away. As news of this reached his neighbors, the old farmer was met with sympathy. Neighbors visited throughout the day saying, "Wow, what bad luck to have your horse run away!"

The old farmer would think for a moment then say softly, "Perhaps..."

The next morning the old farmer awoke to find his horse had returned. With the horse were several wild horses who had apparently followed the horse home. Neighbors rejoiced, visiting the old farmer to express how happy they were for his sudden good fortune.
The old farmer would think for a moment then say softly, "Perhaps..."

Shortly after, the old farmer's son decided to try to ride one of the wild horses. Climbing on the horses back, the boy knocked the animal hard with his leg shouting for the horse to go. Startled, and probably a little annoyed, the horse flung the boy off its back. The old farmer's son broke his leg in the fall. Again, neighbors came to offer their sympathies for the misfortune, "What a horrible string of bad luck you're having!"
The old farmer would think for a moment then say softly, "Perhaps..."

The very next day, military officials came into the village with orders to draft young men into military service. As they went from home to home, rounding up young men, they made their way to the old farmer's house. Upon seeing the farmer's son with his broken leg they decided to move on, leaving the boy alone. Once again, neighbors came to share words of congratulations to the old farmer for the good fortune to have his son passed by.

And again, the old farmer would think for a moment then say softly, "Perhaps..."

 "When the soul cries out, it is a sign that we have arrived at a necessary, mature stage of self-reflection. The secret is not to get stuck there dithering or wringing your hands, but to move forward by resolving to heal yourself. Philosophy asks us to move into courage. Its remedy is the unblinking excavation of the faulty and specious premises on which we base our lives and our personal identity"

                                                                                                                             ~ Epictetus

It’s not what you think; it’s what you don’t acknowledge

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change” – Wayne W. Dyer

7:30 am Monday morning.

Cathy is on her way into work. Setting at the stop light she ponders on the upcoming week. As the light turns to green, Cathy slowly turns left to toward her business. Out of nowhere, bam!

Cathy’s front tire nipped the median; we’ve all done this. We’ve underestimated our position on the road and slightly, or in Cathy’s case, hit the curb.

Unfortunately Cathy’s tire was not so lucky. She immediately calls in to work to let them know she’s running late. She pulls into the new tire store just down the road where Johnny begins to explain the options she has for a tire replacement; Goodyear, Michelin, Firestone. Johnny seems to know what he’s talking about, so she goes with his recommendation. (Goodyear)

Over the course of the next few months, Cathy can’t help but notice how the tire seems to be wearing unevenly. Since she’s out of town, she goes to another tire store where they make another recommendation concerning the brand of tire.  The owner says, “Goodyear tires are good; however, they don’t last as long as Michelins”.

Again, Cathy not knowing anything about tires proceeds with the new suggestion. Unfortunately this occurs over and over…Firestone…Dunlop…Bridgestone…Pirelli…Toyo…etc.
Tire after tire the results are the same.

How many times has this been the theme in our life? We focus on a solution with no effort made toward identifying the problem.

In Cathy’s case, it wasn’t the tire…it was the rim. Since the rim is slightly bent; it causes uneven wear and tear on the tire. You can change the tire 50 times, and the outcome will always be the same.
The moral of this story is we often avoid, deflect, or we’re in complete denial about the root cause of our problem.

There is no doubt about the fact that tires occasionally need to be changed; however, to not acknowledge the primary cause of the wear and tear is to basically accept the fact that life will never change. It will be a continual cycle of misdiagnosed movements that lead us right back to the very place we started.

If we only focus on the solution; we will never find resolution for the problem.