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MikeHarris's Blog

Cold Weather Cardio!

One of the things I wanted to do more of this year was working out outdoors as much as possible. I had in mind cycling and running for cardio, and doing some body weight exercises on some low tech obstacle courses near home. Well, right now the park that has the equipment I planned to use is partially underwater, but I haven't figured out a great excuse to avoid outdoor cardio just yet!I've always said that when it comes to cardio, I HATE IT! I a...

January 3, 2009 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Is "Food as Fuel" a Good Strategy, or is it "Fuelish?"

I see it a lot, the saying on the guestbooks, the message boards and the forums that "You have to start looking at food as fuel or you will always have problems with the recommended diet." WIth all due respect to those who advocate this strategy, I think it is flawed and that it simply won't work--at least not in the long term. Here's why:1. We all already know that food is our fuel.  The problem is that some of us simply don't car...

December 30, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Inspiration--Choose the Source Carefully!

There are several ingredients to a successful transformation. Certainly one of them is a strategy to keep yourself inspired. But, getting your inspiration from the appropriate source is key to how it will work for you.For example, I think I can list on one hand the number of people I know who were inspired to start a transformation program from reading a medical article on weight loss or dieting. And, though it certainly is a life-changing view, ...

December 29, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Getting Ready to Get Ready!

I have a complete workout studio in my basement, squat machine, power blocks, free weights, assist dip/pullup machine, treadmill and exercise bike. But this morning I'm heading to the YMCA to work out. Why? I'm getting ready to get ready for my new challenge.What I mean by that is that I'm going to do some circuits on the machines at the Y, concentrating especially on the ones that work the body's core. Unless you have a strong core, which you ge...

December 29, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

The Most Misused Word in the English Language!

It's only my opinion, but I think the word "hope" has to be the most misused word in our common language.  The dictionary definitions of it make pretty clear that hope is a combination of desire for something to take place in the future and a confident expectation that it will come to pass.  But, when most people use it, it means almost the opposite.For example, I see this phrase often on message boards regarding dieting ...

December 28, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

She's No One To Mess With!

[This is a copy of a blog posted this morning on the body for life website--about a transformation team member, Denise Taylor. I hope you all enjoy it!] Did you read that title and wonder who I was talking about? I hope so, because the answer may surprise you a bit. I am talking about Transformation champion Denise Taylor of Sellersburg Indiana.  Getting to see her again at the Tennessee Champion’s weekend and getting a big h...

October 14, 2008 | comments (4) | Uncategorized

Describing the Indescribable!

This is a rerun of my regular blog on the body for life website. Much of it is about transforming events in general, so I thought you all might enjoy a read of it. It is about the Tennessee event that just took place this last weekend."In essence, the title of this blog is what I’m trying to do. The 1 1/2 day experience of the Tennesse Fitness weekend is over; I’m home again; and I’m still processing what all went on there....

October 13, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

The Incredible Value of Community Events!

Here's a blog I posted on the Body for Life web page, about an event that also includes Bill Phillips, so I hope it is appropriate for here as well. I'd love to meet some folks from Transformation.com at this event!Friends, in all honesty this is NOT a commercial promotion. This is, however, a message that I hope will move you to make a decision that may well change your whole life.  Let me explain.I did BFL at a C+ level for a few years, us...

September 16, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

The Need For Memory!

In the Bible, the word "remember" occurs 166 times. In the book of Deuteronomy alone, where God is telling the Israelites to remember what He did for them, and how to do that,, the word occurs 16   times. History clearly records both in the Bible and elsewhere what happened to the Israleites when they forgot what God had done, and started living by their own rules instead--and it wasn't good! The guestbook over on the Body for...

September 7, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Binge Eating and Its Effect on Your Transformation!

When I was drinking, I had no real control over how much I drank or when I would stop. Once I started, it got out of control rather quickly. Though I no longer drink, I still can find the same problems with another "drug."Interestingly, I find that not only I but many of you as well do EXACTLY THE SAME THING, only with food! In other words, once you decide to break the diet, you don’t just have a little extra--you just go crazy wi...

September 5, 2008 | comments (5) | Uncategorized

WHY Is It So Hard?

I am fascinated, as a body for life participant for eight years now, and from hanging around this website for several weeks now, by just how enthusiastic people get at the outset, and also by how quickly the enthusiasm fades at some point. Why is that? I suppose some of the drop out rate is just part of human nature. It's easy to enroll in something that seems at first to cost you absolutely nothing.  Then, once you realize that it's fr...

September 2, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

What I Learned This Summer!

I was thinking of all the poor kids going back to school, whose first written communications assignment was called "What I Did this Summer," when I came up with the title of this Blog!I like learning--much more now than when I was younger and should have been learning. When I try to learn more about fitness, I have three primary resources I go to: 1. Current books and magazines on the topic: 2. People involved in the area I want to know...

August 28, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

Believing In Yourself--Keeping Your Self Promises!

This is a rerun of an old blog from the past. It is old, but the principles in it are timeless. SAY IT OFTEN ENOUGH, and YOU BEGIN TO BELIEVE IT YOURSELF! How do you achieve what Bill Phillips called the “power mindset?” Well, as Bill points out in the book, it begins with getting organized and ends with keeping self-promises. That’s all true. But there is another dimension to it as well, that is a part of keeping self-promises....

August 20, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Pain is Inevitable--Suffering is Optional!

 This is a series on principles and laws that will help or hurt you as you transform--depending on whether you choose to abide by them, ignore them, or intentionally violate them!  Yesterday's principle was you will reap what you sow. What you do will come back to you. It is the bedrock principle of the others we will talk about this week.Today's topic is particularly applicable to a transformation, but also to life in general. &qu...

August 18, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

What You Do Will Come Back to You!

The title of this blog is a restatement of the old principle that you will reap what you sow.  It is such a universal and predictable phenomenon that in some circles it is referred to as “the law of sowing and reaping.” Let’s see how it works in a transformation challenge, shall we? First of all, what Bill Phillips called the universal law of reciprocation is essentially the same thing as the principle that you will reap wh...

August 18, 2008 | comments (0) | Uncategorized

Knowing Your Own Motives and Desires

Here is a blog I posted for my champion's blog on the BFL website. I think it has application to this site as well, so I hope you find it helpful. I think that most of us are pretty lousy judges of our motives, and those of others, and of our desires. It's not that we don't have good motives and desires, it's that we don't really know what they are.  Here are a couple of examples from my own life. As I walked down the hall to ...

August 15, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

Increasing Your Capacity!

 Title: What is Your Capacity?Description:I used to do legal work for companies that built nuclear-fueled, electric generating plants in this country, and one of the things we were always dealing with as we worked with regulatory agencies was "capacity." Because these plants were extremely expensive, the regulators had to determine not only whether the proposed plant had enough capacity to warrant its expenses, but also how it...

August 14, 2008 | comments (5) | Uncategorized

PICKING YOUR BATTLES CAREFULLY!

Most people have more responsibility around the home than I do these days. But, just because the kids have all finally left, it doesn't mean I don't have battles to wage that can distract me from the Transformation lifestyle. And that's what most battles do--distract us, rather than solving anything. The first key to living an organized, peaceful life is knowing when to disagree, when to go to battle, and when to just overlook something...

August 13, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

Cleaning Up Your Hard Drive!

CLEAN YOUR “HARD-DRIVE” FIRST!The power mindset that Bill talks about so much in his writings is in essence an “operating system.”  It is designed as a set of principles that must become a part of your daily operating methods if you are to be successful in your transformation and new lifestyle.However, there are old ideas, and some defective ways of looking at things that must first be “cleaned” out of you...

August 12, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

Shining Faces of Transformation!

My friend Dave Wendel, a pharmacist from Poplar Bluffs Missouri, and a 2004 Body for Life jump start winner, shows old photos of himself when he tells his transformation story. Some of the ones that are really startling are old driver's license photographs. It doesn't even look like him, that big guy staring into the camera with a furrowed brow and kind of a sad countenance. Today, his photos reveal an entirely different looking and entirely...

August 12, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

A Champion's Response to Adversity!

It occurs to me that the time is drawing near that people who are seriously working hard on their transformations here will experience an attack of adversity. It happens to us all, but when it happens, it can be devastating if you let it. Though the blog below was designed for and posted on the BFL site, I think the information is equally applicable and inspiring to those doing this challenge, so I hope you enjoy this, and that you find some appl...

August 8, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

How The Mind Works!

The last few days I haven’t been my old self. I’ve been quiet at work, seemingly disinterested around the home, and feeling tired a good deal of the time as well. I really couldn’t put a finger on it until this morning--but I knew something wasn’t quite right.Well, this morning I got some news I had been waiting for, and had been worrying about as well. It was just news--neither good nor bad--but it was information I neede...

August 8, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Always Challenging Yourself--Using Forward Vision!

I wrote it in my journal last night--circled it, highlighted it, dated it and even wrote in the exact time. The entry reads, " PB! Single lift BP, 215, 8-6-08, 7:50 P.M.!" This short entry memorializes the fact that last evening I did a 215 pound bench press of one lift at my home gym. It may not sound like a big deal to most people. Heck, there are some bodybuilders who start their warmup sets higher than that! But, for me, a 62 year o...

August 7, 2008 | comments (0) | Uncategorized

What Does "Stay Focused" Mean To You?

We toss phrases around all the time, and soon enough these become a part of the accepted lingo of the discipline in which we are writing. In transformation challenges for example, we refer often to things like "focus", "intensity," "power mindset," and the like. For this blog, I'd like to suggest what focus really should mean in the context of a transformation challenge. Clearly, "stay focused" does no...

August 6, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

ADVERSITY COMES IN DIFFERENT DISGUISES!

I liked Dusty's blog today, about trials, which is basically the same thing as "adversity."  Everyone has the darned things, whatever you call them, but your response to them should vary, depending on what caused it or what type of an adverisity it is.For example, a trial such as illness really requires no response except to avoid making yourself worse, and to get whateveer medical help you need to feel better. A trial such as the ...

August 5, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

HOW DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF?

HOW DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF?O.K., so you don’t really talk to yourself—not out loud anyway. But you certainly talk to yourself in the way that you think about some things. And how you talk to yourself in your thoughts will tell you nearly everything you need to know about your likelihood of completing a successful transformation. Self-talk reveals attitudes about yourself.For example, a thought that  says  “I must have...

August 1, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Men v Women!

There are truly more differences between men and women than just estrogen and testosterone. But, most of the real differences between men and women are communications issues. Here are my top ten of those, differences, from my completely unbiased, objective viewpoint as a man.  TOP TEN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN!10. TOILET SEATS: There are two positions. You want it down, and we need it up, most of the time. Up is the obviously appropr...

August 1, 2008 | comments (4) | Uncategorized

What Does Character Have To Do WIth It?

What Does Character Have to Do With It?  Everywhere you look these days character is exposed, and usually it’s not a pretty sight! Professional athletes and referees are accused of illegal drug use, prohibited sports gambling, and even game fixing. In politics, it seems to be a regular occurrence that an officeholder is accused of conduct inappropriate to their office, such as taking illegal campaign contributions or misusing their off...

July 31, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Fear--Graduation Day!

FEAR–GRADUATION DAY!Well, this is payoff day--the day that we finish up with fear. Today is the closing ceremony, where we’ll talk about how to replace fear and maintain a life of freedom from fear. Once you rid yourself of your fears by doing what we talked about yesterday, you MUST intentionally replace them with something. If you don’t, something will end up replacing it anyway. Nature abhors a vacuum, and an empty human spir...

July 30, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

Fear, and How To Conquer It!

Yesterday we examined chronic fear from the perspective of how it affects our everyday lives and how we deal with it. Most of us deal with it by denying we have it, projecting it on others, or medicating ourselves with food or drugs so we don’t have to face it or deal with it.Well you can continue to deny it, project it, or medicate yourself over it, but in the long haul it will not go away or lose its hold over you. In fact, for most peopl...

July 29, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Fear, Part Two of a Series on The Biggest Enemy to Success!

The speaker said he could easily sum up the root cause of every one of his life’s failures in just one word,"fear." I was there when he said it, and I was seated where I could watch about half the audience without turning around. What I saw was most interesting--the vast majority of that audience was nodding in agreement, as though to signal that they they understood and empathized with what he had just said. This speaker was a wa...

July 28, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

The Biggest Enemy of Success in Life!

This is a rerun of a blog series that I did over on the Body for Life blogsite a couple of times. Feedback tells me that it was very helpful for a lot of people, and I think it is worth doing again.I want to talk about something that has derailed more challenges than all the other things put together. It not only derails challenges, it tears up relationships, increases the chance of life-threatening diseases, causes us to break our prom...

July 27, 2008 | comments (0) | Uncategorized

IT TAKES DRIVE TO MAKE A GREAT TRANSFORMATION!

 I love acronyms, if they make sense anyway. And one that I created for myself to help me understand what I have to put into a transformation effort is D.R.I.V.E.!D stands for Discipline. That means doing the right thing whether anyone is watching or not. It means doing the right workout without whining or cheating every time it is scheduled. It means keeping my portions right-sized, and eating when I'm supposed to. It means journaling and e...

July 26, 2008 | comments (4) | Uncategorized

Denial!

 Denial is a real phenomenon. Though it's most commonly associated with addiction, denial can be present in more benign circumstances. I see it daily in people who have gradually given up on trying to stay fit. Though their body habitus tells me at a glance that they are carrying at least 40 or 50 pounds of excess fat on their frame, often they view themselves as just a little out of shape. They look in the mirror, and thanks to denial,...

July 24, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

How Bad Do You Want It?

Will You Do It, or Will You Just Talk About It?  I have spent a lot of time catching up on reading the guestbook and looking over on Bill Phillips’ website where lots of people are starting their newest transformation efforts. It’s exciting to see all the new people, all of whom are also excited and filled with both hope and energy as they set out to change their lives. Most have lofty reasons for their intended transformations, ...

July 22, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

How to Tell When You Hit a

YOU KNOW YOU HIT A TEN IF---!!Just like the old “you might be a redneck if” jokes, these are for “serious  transformers” who spend too much time wondering if they “hit a ten” during some phase of their physical activity.They are in the usual “top ten” format:YOU KNOW YOU HIT A TEN:10. If, while running that last one minute sprint at your maximum heart rate, everything goes black and you wake up...

July 18, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

On the Road Again!

Going Anywhere?  Today, Ruth and I are going to a resort city in northwest Michigan where some relatives live. After celebrating a birthday and hanging out a couple of days, we’ll go up to Mackinac Island for another day and then head back home. This trip will consume about 3 ½ days all together, and will certainly require some planning to stay up with the challenges we are both on right now.  For starters, I’ll have ...

July 18, 2008 | comments (4) | Uncategorized

Top Ten Ways to Spot an Aging Bodybuilder!

Hey, I’m proud to say it—I’m an old bodybuilder. Not that I’ve grown old in bodybuilding—heck, I was over 50 when I got started! But, next month is my 62d birthday, though I feel much younger, thanks to this program of transformation  that has helped me along the way. Still, though much of my routine is like that of any other amateur bodybuilder or fitness nut out there, there are certain things that are common ...

July 17, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

Know Your Enemy!

KNOW YOUR ENEMY! It’s one of the principles of war and the martial arts. If you know yourself, and you know your enemy, you greatly diminish the chances of losing in battle. And make no mistake about it, a transformation is a battle!But an enemy in a transformation? Who would that be—or what? Well, the “who” can often be that significant other or that person at work who meets your attempts to eat right by bringing donuts e...

July 17, 2008 | comments (0) | Uncategorized

The Lighter Side of a Good Transformation!

NO WONDER YOUR HUSBAND IS CRAZY!Ladies, often I read complaints on here about your uncooperative or insensitive significant other. Sometimes they seem justified, and sometimes I can’t tell. However, having heard from some of the guys I’ve figured out that many of them have just cause for acting a bit—well, “nutty” recently. Just for fun, here are a few of the reasons!1. Last year, after he bought you a new vacuum for...

July 17, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Then It All Slipped Away!

I see it all the time, on the message boards, forums and guestbooks, the same sad and powerless statement:  Here’s one off the guestbook recently. "I had great results. Then, I let it all slip away, and five years later I weigh more than ever." You can just feel the sadness and desperation in those statements, can’t you?The question I wish to pose to all of today is WHY? I don’t mean "why we got fat again&quo...

July 16, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Your Response is Your Responsibility!

Things happen, don't they?  This morning, after waiting 10 days for the local computer repairman to get back from vacation so he could fix my laptop while I waited, I found him unable to even remember who I was, whether he had ordered the part, or even what we had talked about just before I went on the cruise! Well, my laptop is my life--or at least contains everything I need to keep my digital aspect of my life going! As I watched him scrat...

July 14, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Emotional Eating--How You Can Win the Battle!

 "I'm an emotional eater!" That's a quote I hear every day--in emails, on the message boards, and directly from those I talk to about transformation athletics and dieting. In fact, I hear it so often, and observe it in most people I know, that I think it to be a universal thing among humans.Now, I know that when one uses that phrase, they don't mean emotional eating as a good thing. Indeed, they regard what they do as a bad thing. ...

July 12, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Some Divine Moments On The Cruise!

I had not been on a champions cruise before.  I always wanted to go, but to honor my wife, who definitely is not the cruise type, I did not. This year, she said o.k. And we went! Well, cruise type or not, I do know that she loved the people on the cruise, and hopefully that will be enough so that we can go again some day!In the end, every transformation community event is about the people and the stories. My "party" days are pretty...

July 11, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

The (Almost) Forgotten Ones!

The Body for Life Champions Cruise was a blast. Many, many things happened that I want to write about, and it will take days, so bear with me, will you?  One of the truly most inspirational moments came with the announcement of Michelle T as the winner of the cruise transformation contest.  When it was announced the applause and celebration was nearly deafening! Then, Bill Phillips himself presented Michelle with the awards.  I wai...

July 10, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

More Love and Respect!

Good morning! It’s great to be back home again. The days at sea on the Champion’s Cruise were awesome, and I’ll report more once I have an opportunity to truly process what went on, but still it’s always nice to get back home. My message on the cruise was about 10 different points that you need to know to transform both physically and spiritually, and after the talk was over at least 10 people told me that one particular p...

July 9, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Principles to Transform By!

The message below is a summary of what I will deliver by way of a powerpoint presentation on the cruise this week! PRINCIPLES TO TRANSFORM BY! 1. Act your way to better thinking! In spite of opinion to the contrary, you cannot think your way into the right attitude, but taking the right actions will produce the right attitude. Do what you don't feel like doing, and then you'll feel like doing it! 2.When things look the worst, that&...

July 2, 2008 | comments (4) | Uncategorized

Living Life on the Edges!

I think that a well-balanced and well-lived life will find us going to the extremes of life regularly but not often. By that, I mean that we will be doing things and entering into relationships and activities that produce great joy in our spirits, and we will also be doing or enduring things that will cause us great physical or spiritual pain or grief from time to time. Both joy and grief are very intense emotions, and it is difficult to experien...

June 29, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Living the Unexamined Life--Or Leaving a Legacy?

Living Unexamined Lives or Leaving a Legacy?As I get older, I get bolder. So I often ask people, even those I don't know particularly well,  the  "big questions." What are these big questions? Here's an example:"Do you know where you're going when you die? How can you be sure?" Another one of my favorites, and much less intimidating by the way is: "If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what ...

June 25, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Resentment--Old Anger Served With A Side Of Self-Pity!

A book on recovery says that the number one offender of an alcoholic is resentment! Not addiction, not temptation, but resentment! And the same flawed mindset that keeps alcoholics and addicts relapsing can derail YOUR best efforts toward a good transformation as well!Resentment is old anger, that has not been dealt with. It's related to some long standing offense or situation against you that you have not let go of. You let it leave your mind wh...

June 7, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Is A Transformation One of the Passages of Life?

Today was supposed to be a blog about envy. It is half done, along with a half-done blog on resentment, and another half done one on denial. These are the remaining "challenge Killer" subjects, and I wrote on every one of them this evening. But, it’s just not there—there’s something else on my mind I have to write about, or I’ll never be able to finish that series.What is on my mind is the passages of life. Thing...

June 3, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

The "Shallow Transformation" and Why You Need More!

Ever try to swim in water that was too shallow? Or dive? It can be anything from an uncomfortable to a dangerous situation can’t it? Who needs shallow water? Little children, as in the baby pool or the wading pool, right?Well, you probably already see where I’m going with this. In a transformation, doing it for shallow reasons or approaching it in a shallow way will end up with the same effect as the shallow water gig. You’ll be...

May 30, 2008 | comments (0) | Uncategorized

Impatience: The Cardinal sin of a Transformation!

  “Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin, impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of paradise, and because of impatience we cannot return.” W.H. Auden. This is the sixth in a series of mindsets or attitudes that are real transformation killers.               How many times have you seen someone new to the transformation challenge ask a question like this: &...

May 29, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Oh, Ye of Little Faith!

One of the primary principles in a challenge is to visualize the kind of body you want, and the type of life you desire, and to then set specific goals that will take you to or at least nearer to those ideals. There seems to be a very strong correlation between what a person visualizes and works toward, and the outcome of the transformation. Remember Hank Johnson from the Success Stories video? He was the guy who visualized himself with Frank Zan...

May 28, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

A Controlling Mindset--An Asset or Liability in Transformations?

 Author's note; throughout this blog I have referred to our controller as "she." I hate the old "he or she" language, plus, like it or not, about 90% of co dependents tend to be female. This is not to say this blog is inapplicable to men, but only to explain why I chose the "she" pronoun. This is the fourth in a series of mindsets or attitudes that have significant potential for turning a transformation challeng...

May 26, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

"Why Should I Help Someone I Don't Know or Don't Like?"

[The blog below is one that I posted on my champion's blog on the BFL website. I wanted it posted here too, but I want to make a quick point first. Even though I urge everyone to do the law of universal reciprocation acts anonymously I want to make it clear that I'm not taking any kind of a shot at Bill. Bill  regularly  does wonderful things for people without even a thought of personal gain--and I am convinced that the only reason tha...

May 23, 2008 | comments (16) | Uncategorized

Self-Sabotage!

Have you ever seen someone try to make a gadget work, and then when it wouldn't work right,  end up breaking it due to their complete frustration? I have! I have seen a relative actually take a golf club after hitting a bad shot and break it right over his leg.  What we're talking about there is an extreme and obvious example of self-sabotage. What this blog is about, though, is the more insidious form of self-sabotage, so insidious tha...

May 22, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

Putting It All Into Perspective!

We all have those "moments" don’t we, when the old self-pity mechanism literally makes us want to give up? Even as a BFL champion, I am not immune to such goings-on. HOWEVER, I certainly know better than to allow it to take over my life. See, for years, when I was a practicing alcoholic, I allowed self-pity to become my number one motivator, and it became an important part of that syndrome that nearly killed me many years ago.Let'...

May 21, 2008 | comments (4) | Uncategorized

Make Room In Your Heart!

Your biggest challenge in a transformation is to gain mastery over your emotions and motives.   You all know what emotions are. Motives are simply reasons why you did things based on the emotion of the moment. Yes, emotions are great things--they separate us from other forms of life on earth. They help us to celebrate victories, to grieve losses, and to appropriately respond to all kinds of situations.However, and this is a BIG HOWEVER,...

May 19, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

OVERTRAINING--It Might Be More Serious Than You Think!

Here is a blog that I posted today over on the BFL website. It is a little rudimentary, but I try to run it this time of the year, because people who started their transformations in April, wanting to be "beach ready" by now, may have unconsciously stepped up their pace, reduced their nutrients or tweaked the program. Here is is:Overtraining is sometimes seen as a virtue by novices to the transformation challenge scene. They somehow bel...

May 14, 2008 | comments (1) | Uncategorized

I Think Ironman May Be Right!

Every once in a while Ironman, my favorite muscle mag now that Muscle Media is no longer around, gets an indignant letter from a reader who complains about the presence of a beautiful female in the magazine. The complaint is generally that she is "not a bodybuilder" and that she "needs to put more clothes on" and things of that nature. In a good natured way, the publisher of the magazine, who is older than I am even, half-hear...

May 13, 2008 | comments (2) | Uncategorized

Who Is Your Competition?

Here's a blog I posted on my Body for Life website today. Though it is not completely applicable here, the general principles are, so I hope you'll enjoy it.Every once in a while I see a post, or a blog or get an email from someone wanting to size up "the competition." They ask how many might be in their "division," or exactly what I think it will take in order to win. Like I would know! I was so sure I wasn't going to win my ...

May 12, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

FAITH! The Key Ingredient in the Transformation Recipe!

Wow! That comment that Bill Phillips left on my blog from yesterday didn't do much for my sense of humility, but it sure did inspire me! Thanks, Bill. I had no idea you even knew who I was.Another kind of transformation document says this about the kind of mindset we need: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.....Without faith, it is impossible to please God ...."  Without faith, it's ...

May 11, 2008 | comments (3) | Uncategorized

MikeHarris

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