Tuesday, May 31, 2011
17 Year Anniversary
It's not what you think... today was my 17th anniversary of starting work at State Farm.
Drove a red Saturn to the lot that day... and today.
Ate lunch in the cafeteria then... and now.
Headed home to the insane party-rocking student apartment... today back to the condo.
Wore glasses... now contact lenses.
Worked for Rusty Hendren... today too (after a few tours of duty with others).
Weighed 150... add ten pounds.
Wore a suit... wore jeans.
Single... married.
That summer I wrote a collection of career goals which I still have to this day. Wanted to finish actuarial exams in 10 years, finished in six. Wanted to retire at 50, will probably clear that one by plenty as well, God willing.
There were some incredible breaks along the way, exams undeservedly passed, jobs opening up timely. My worst day at this job is better than the best at a thousand other ones. A book's worth of lessons learned about leading, respecting, failing. The State Farm career has been a life-altering gift that I intend to honor for its duration in great thanks.
Drove a red Saturn to the lot that day... and today.
Ate lunch in the cafeteria then... and now.
Headed home to the insane party-rocking student apartment... today back to the condo.
Wore glasses... now contact lenses.
Worked for Rusty Hendren... today too (after a few tours of duty with others).
Weighed 150... add ten pounds.
Wore a suit... wore jeans.
Single... married.
That summer I wrote a collection of career goals which I still have to this day. Wanted to finish actuarial exams in 10 years, finished in six. Wanted to retire at 50, will probably clear that one by plenty as well, God willing.
There were some incredible breaks along the way, exams undeservedly passed, jobs opening up timely. My worst day at this job is better than the best at a thousand other ones. A book's worth of lessons learned about leading, respecting, failing. The State Farm career has been a life-altering gift that I intend to honor for its duration in great thanks.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Exercise For The Eyes
From Yahoo! Health:
These simple exercises will help you maintain optimal vision and may also keep those annoying eye floaters at bay. Perform these exercises first thing in the morning, before bedtime, or any time your eyes feel fatigued. Make sure that your hands are clean and that your mood is relaxed. Commit to daily practice and you may just see better results within one month.
• Warm your eyes. Rub your palms together to create heat, and then place them against your eyes for five seconds. Repeat this three times.
• Roll your eyes. Start by looking up and then slowly circle10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise.
• Focus. Hold a pen at arm's length, focus your eyes on it, and slowly bring the pen closer until it's about six inches away from your nose. Then slowly move it back, keeping your eyes focused on the pen, 10 times in all.
• Massage your temples. Using your thumb knuckles, massage your temples in small circles, 20 times in one direction and 20 in the other. Repeat the same actions above the mid-point of the eyebrows at the forehead, then below the eyes on both sides of the bridge of the nose.
• Take a mini-nap. Put your head back, close your eyes, and relax for three minutes.
These simple exercises will help you maintain optimal vision and may also keep those annoying eye floaters at bay. Perform these exercises first thing in the morning, before bedtime, or any time your eyes feel fatigued. Make sure that your hands are clean and that your mood is relaxed. Commit to daily practice and you may just see better results within one month.
• Warm your eyes. Rub your palms together to create heat, and then place them against your eyes for five seconds. Repeat this three times.
• Roll your eyes. Start by looking up and then slowly circle10 times clockwise and 10 times counterclockwise.
• Focus. Hold a pen at arm's length, focus your eyes on it, and slowly bring the pen closer until it's about six inches away from your nose. Then slowly move it back, keeping your eyes focused on the pen, 10 times in all.
• Massage your temples. Using your thumb knuckles, massage your temples in small circles, 20 times in one direction and 20 in the other. Repeat the same actions above the mid-point of the eyebrows at the forehead, then below the eyes on both sides of the bridge of the nose.
• Take a mini-nap. Put your head back, close your eyes, and relax for three minutes.
Eating Mistakes That Squash Workout Results
From Yahoo! Shine:
I’ve been the sports nutritionist for three professional teams and numerous athletes in my private practice, and whether you head to a 9-5 job each day and work out when you can, or you earn a living exercising, the right nutrition plan is the real key to results. Here are five mistakes that may interfere with getting the most out of your training time:
Drinking a Protein Shake Before a Workout
Protein is digested much slower than carbs, so too much pre-workout can give you stomach cramps and prevent the carbs you need for fuel from getting absorbed and becoming available to your working muscles.
The Fix: Reach for a smaller quantity of protein, along with slow burning carbs pre-workout, and choose higher protein shakes, snacks or meals afterwards.
Exercising on an Empty Stomach
It's physiologically impossible to burn pure body fat - during aerobic exercise you burn a combo of carbs and fat. When carbs aren't readily available, your body is forced to break down its own muscle mass and convert it into blood sugar. That means by skipping, you may end up eating away at your own muscle instead of building it!
The Fix: If you don’t like the feeling of food in your stomach when you exercise stick with a liquid, like a small smoothie made with unsweetened frozen fruit and organic skim or soy milk.
Overusing Energy Bars
Overusing them can cause you to "eat back" the calories you burned exercising, preventing you from seeing results. A lot of my non pro athlete clients grab a bar post workout and eat a meal a few hours later, which may be overload when you consider that many bars are the equivalent of a turkey sandwich - and most people wouldn't eat a turkey sandwich, then sit down to chicken stir fry a few hours later.
The Fix: If you’re going to eat within an hour of the end of your workout skip the bar, or go for it and pare down the portions in your next meal.
Not Eating Enough “Good” Fat
Every cell in the human body is partially made out of fat, including muscle, so "good" fat is needed to heal and repair post workout - without it you can stay sore and fail to see an improvement in strength and muscle tone.
The Fix: Include small portions of foods like extra virgin olive oil, avocado and almonds at every meal, and be sure to include a daily source of omega3 fatty acids.
Buying Into the Afterburn Myth
While it's true that you will torch more calories in the hours after a workout, for most women it amounts to just an additional 50 calories burned, not enough to sanction a splurge (note: a medium original Pinkberry = 230 calories).
The Fix: My general rule of thumb: the 50/50 principle - if you’re trying to trim down you can afford to add about half the calories you burn to your usual intake, preferably about 50% before to help fuel the activity, and half after, for recovery. For example, an hour on the elliptical burns about 500 calories (for 150 pound person), which means you can safely “spend” an extra 125 cals both before and after hitting the gym – that’s the amount in about one slice of whole grain bread spread with one tablespoon natural peanut butter before, and a half cup each nonfat Greek yogurt and sliced strawberries topped with a tablespoon of sliced almonds after.
I’ve been the sports nutritionist for three professional teams and numerous athletes in my private practice, and whether you head to a 9-5 job each day and work out when you can, or you earn a living exercising, the right nutrition plan is the real key to results. Here are five mistakes that may interfere with getting the most out of your training time:
Drinking a Protein Shake Before a Workout
Protein is digested much slower than carbs, so too much pre-workout can give you stomach cramps and prevent the carbs you need for fuel from getting absorbed and becoming available to your working muscles.
The Fix: Reach for a smaller quantity of protein, along with slow burning carbs pre-workout, and choose higher protein shakes, snacks or meals afterwards.
Exercising on an Empty Stomach
It's physiologically impossible to burn pure body fat - during aerobic exercise you burn a combo of carbs and fat. When carbs aren't readily available, your body is forced to break down its own muscle mass and convert it into blood sugar. That means by skipping, you may end up eating away at your own muscle instead of building it!
The Fix: If you don’t like the feeling of food in your stomach when you exercise stick with a liquid, like a small smoothie made with unsweetened frozen fruit and organic skim or soy milk.
Overusing Energy Bars
Overusing them can cause you to "eat back" the calories you burned exercising, preventing you from seeing results. A lot of my non pro athlete clients grab a bar post workout and eat a meal a few hours later, which may be overload when you consider that many bars are the equivalent of a turkey sandwich - and most people wouldn't eat a turkey sandwich, then sit down to chicken stir fry a few hours later.
The Fix: If you’re going to eat within an hour of the end of your workout skip the bar, or go for it and pare down the portions in your next meal.
Not Eating Enough “Good” Fat
Every cell in the human body is partially made out of fat, including muscle, so "good" fat is needed to heal and repair post workout - without it you can stay sore and fail to see an improvement in strength and muscle tone.
The Fix: Include small portions of foods like extra virgin olive oil, avocado and almonds at every meal, and be sure to include a daily source of omega3 fatty acids.
Buying Into the Afterburn Myth
While it's true that you will torch more calories in the hours after a workout, for most women it amounts to just an additional 50 calories burned, not enough to sanction a splurge (note: a medium original Pinkberry = 230 calories).
The Fix: My general rule of thumb: the 50/50 principle - if you’re trying to trim down you can afford to add about half the calories you burn to your usual intake, preferably about 50% before to help fuel the activity, and half after, for recovery. For example, an hour on the elliptical burns about 500 calories (for 150 pound person), which means you can safely “spend” an extra 125 cals both before and after hitting the gym – that’s the amount in about one slice of whole grain bread spread with one tablespoon natural peanut butter before, and a half cup each nonfat Greek yogurt and sliced strawberries topped with a tablespoon of sliced almonds after.
Practice Makes Elite
"The critical reality is that we are not hostage to some naturally granted level of talent. We can make ourselves what we will. Strangely, that idea is not popular. People hate abandoning the notion that they would coast to fame and riches if they found their talent. But that view is tragically constraining, because when they hit life's inevitable bumps in the road, they conclude that they just aren't gifted and give up. Maybe we can't expect most people to achieve greatness. It's just too demanding. But the striking, liberating news is that greatness isn't reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone." - Geoffrey Colvin
This same article reiterated the widespread findings that 10,000 hours of practice - spread consistently and daily (weekends included) over a period of years - is a minimum characteristic of elite performance. For the calculator-averse, that works out to about 4 hours per day for seven years, or 3 hours a day for ten.
This same article reiterated the widespread findings that 10,000 hours of practice - spread consistently and daily (weekends included) over a period of years - is a minimum characteristic of elite performance. For the calculator-averse, that works out to about 4 hours per day for seven years, or 3 hours a day for ten.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Checking It Out
Since I wrote my last check and had to order a new supply, I took a quick look back through the ones I'd written since I ordered my last batch (in 2005). During those six years I've written about 260 checks... less than four a month. Fair to say that debit cards are central to my lifestyle!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)