February is National Heart Month. This makes perfect sense due to the fact that valentines falls on this month. There are so many different meanings for the word heart. For example if someone says he showed a lot of heart, they are implying that the person had a strong will to achieve or succeed. He has a big heart suggests that the person is generous or sensitive. He has no heart may mean he is shallow or unsympathetic. The symbol of a heart represents love. Saying someone is heartless may actually suggest that they are evil. One of my all time favorite uses of the word is in the movie Rocky 1 where Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) says if you want to win “Ya Gotta Have Heart”.

I have spent the last 25 years attempting to help people learn how to look and feel their very best through exercise and good nutrition often forgetting about my larger and much bigger purpose in life and that is to help them discover the joy of living a healthier lifestyle as opposed to the results from it.

When I was 15 I was on the thin and flabby side and have the pictures to prove it. When we settled down in Texas, it was a monumental transition moving from the east coast to a huge Dallas High School. My early indoctrination and inspiration to lift weights and exercise came from the school running back on the football team. Ironically he was relatively new to the area himself but he was an athlete, had a build way beyond his age and model good looks. His name was Dave Lucas and he would later become one of the best friends of my life. His father had played professional football for the New York Giants and while I was far from an athlete, which you had to be to use the school weight room, David would sneak me in after school and on the weekends and show me how to lift weights properly. This was 1978 and I can tell you now he was light years ahead of his time on exercise and nutrition.  The guy studied this stuff way before the age of the internet. He would read everything on the subject he could get his hands on. In time I learned he had a good reason to be passionate about his body and his health. He had congenital heart disease and his own father had died of a heart attack at age 36. David was the oldest son of six children. I really took to the weights and before long my own body started responding.

One day David said he wanted to share something with me but no one could ever find out. I said sure and he said I mean it! No one can ever find out and you can never share this information with anyone ever at anytime. I’m like Ok, what could be so important? He said his cholesterol is over 450 and they are going to have to run a number of tests on him over a long period of time in an effort to arrest the problem. He was adamant that this never get repeated or in all likelihood he would not be aloud to play football and his family had agreed to keep it under raps, they knew sports were everything to him. Then he said I don’t want this to come across like I’m negative but as my best friend I want you to know that I am not going to live a long life unless there is a scientific break through. As I started to talk he said please don’t say a word. I am prepared to become as fit and healthy as I can and live my life to the fullest and have long accepted my potential fate.

The guy was such a passionate person and truly was my first trainer and inspired me in so many ways. He was one of the most popular guys in school yet chose me as I chose him to be best friends with. Unlike many high school friendships that grow apart quickly after graduation, David and I remained in close contact and continued to speak on a regular basis for many years to come. To this day no one could make me laugh as hard as he could. I would literally be sore the next day in my abs from laughing so hard. Among many of his passions from his family, dog and friends, he was crazy about sports. I was very instrumental in getting him his own radio show on the station where I broadcast my “Weekend workout” show. I really loved this guy and just writing about him makes me smile, brings a tear to my eye and warms my “Heart”.

David jogged 5 miles everyday rain or shine and often took his golden retriever with him. I wasn’t sure if David was the marring type but then one day he informed me he had met the love of his life. I was happy for him and knew she had to be a special person. David died of a massive heart attack 3 days after proposing to his beloved girlfriend. He was jogging with his dog at the time of his death. He was only 36. He died the same week, month and age of his father before him. His family while prepared were devastated and his friends in utter shock.

Last year I called his mom and took her to lunch. It had been over ten years since David’s passing and I guess a parent never really gets over the loss of a child. It was good to see her nonetheless and I knew David would appreciate the fact that we continue to stay in touch. For the first time I shared the secret that David shared with me over 30 years ago. I never ever told anyone until that day! She looked at me like she had seen a ghost. While she of course knew his condition she had no idea he knew his own fate.

I still think about David from time to time. He would be proud of what I have accomplished and even prouder to know he help start it all. He taught me much more than pumping weights. He believed in me in spite of my academic challenges and lack of athleticism. In spite of knowing his own fate he went above and beyond to learn about health and fitness in the small hope that medical science might catch up to his unique situation. Today we now know that early symptoms such as David’s aren’t the only answer. Heart disease is still one of the biggest killers on this planet. Now it is your turn to have a healthier and happier heart. Maybe the bigger reason David came into my life is for me to become the voice to help guide others to a healthier existence. Now it is your turn!

Have a very happy Valentines!

Yours truly,
Larry North

My Mom Beverly has struggled her entire life with weight control issues. Even as a child she was often referred to as fat Bevy. As a result it did not take long for her to become extremely self conscious of her weight. She never wore a swimsuit, rarely would allow for her picture to be taken, did not eat fattening foods in public, etc… I will never forget going out as a child and someone making a rude or snide remark about my mom’s weight. She always would have the same reaction of pretending like she didn’t hear it or doing a fake laugh or giggle as to show it did not hurt or bother her. Trust me when I tell you, people can be down right cruel! However when we would return home she could barely hide back the tears until we reached the front door and then the emotions would overflow like a water fall. She was always on a diet or the latest “Fitness Fad fraud” gimmick in an effort to lose weight. I remember her wearing thick rubber gloves when handling fatty meats because she believed the fat could absorb through her skin. As a boy I was so perplexed at how such a warm hearted and beautiful person could feel so horrible about herself and her weight. I was as confused as she was and knew I never wanted to live my life like that. The sensitivity training I developed from the love I had and still have for my mom would turn out to be a very valuable gift later on in my life for my chosen occupation and career. I knew all to well what people went through who struggled with their weight. Unfortunately it did not stop outside the home, it was worse inside. Why? Because people with low self esteem tend to attract a certain kind of person in their life and in my mom’s case she hit the jackpot with my father. At any given moment he could and often would push what I call her fat buttons. It could be subtle as insinuating that she would never stick to a “new” diet or as cruel as a very derogatory name.

The operative word for my mom is struggle. She like many people from her generation struggled with their inability to achieve a normal or publicly acceptable weight. They were easy pray for marketers as they still are today. Will power has never had anything to do with success as most dieters would like to believe. For decades most people have and continue to use useless and bad technology. Plain and simply put, DIETS DON’T WORK! Along with sensitivity training I also have developed a gift for seeing beauty in most everyone I meet. However the sensitivity training I acquired, was as result of the fact that people were actually doing something about there situation, as opposed to nothing at all.

Today there is something very terrible going on in our society. Obesity is by far the single worst problem this country faces today. More than terrorism, the financial crisis, crime and anything else you can think of. It becomes more perpetuated when huge celebrities like Oprah suggest that you should accept being obese as if someone should accept being poor. The media isn’t much better by taking advantage of reality shows such as “Biggest Loser” and the over weight bachelor or bachelorette. Globally foreigners can spot an American by how fat they are. To me this is plain sad.

Did you know that when our parents received a physical in their early 20’s or 30’s they were classified into 1 of 3 categories, thin, average and overweight. In the 80’s the medical community added obese and today 2 more categories have been added severely obese and morbidly obese. What is next monumentally obese? This leads me to “Obese is the new thin”. The other day my fiance Brenda needed to run into Target to pick up a few things and I decided to wait in the car. I started watching people exit out the front doors and chose to count how many overweight deconditioned people were leaving the store before I saw a fit person. I lost count at about 2 dozen before a fit person walked out and it was Brenda. She is a person who chose to do something about her own weight issues. She very successfully has gone from a size 10 to a size 2 and remained that way for over 5 years (www.larrynorth.com and check out testimonials). Many people past and present have experienced a feeling of hopelessness regarding their weight issues. The feeling of hopelessness is the feeling that there is no solution to your problem. Today there is a solution. I know this to be a fact, I see and experience it first hand every single day of my life!

In an effort to help you address the potential problem with obesity I am going to provide you with a sarcastic satire of suggestions that will help you become obese at a much more rapid rate than you ever thought possible. It might only take you to follow one suggestion to accomplish this task or if you want guaranteed results follow all of them. If you wish to prevent obesity in your life and in your loved ones lives all you have to do is the opposite of what I’m suggesting.

1) Drink sugary sodas and lots of them. There are a whopping 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 oz can, so drink the 32 oz bottle every day and you will have close to 30 teaspoons of the all time number one fat nourishing ingredient called corn syrup. In fact drink as many high calorie beverages that you can get your hands on, from soda to juice, beer, high calorie coffee drinks, etc… Do this and you are on your way to obesity.

2) Fried food. Eat anything that’s fried and when you cook don’t bake broil or grill, FRY it, if possible deep fry it. Foods that are healthy for you such as chicken, fish and veggies throw in the fryer because why eat something that is good for you when you can grease it up. If you want to get real creative on your quest to obesity fry stuff that is already fattening like Oreos, Twinkies and ice cream. Special note; if you fry chicken keep the skin on because it is virtually all saturated fat.

3) DON’T EXERCISE! Keep all activity too a minimum. Always stand instead of walk, sit instead of stand and lye down instead of sit. Another useful tip is to drive endlessly in the parking lot to find a space closer to the door instead of parking further away to cause you to have to walk. Never take the stairs when there is an escalator or elevator close by. If you join a gym, game over.

4) Make all fast food establishments a staple in your diet. Always use coupons and discounts such as 2 whoppers for $4.00 and then eat both at one sitting. If you order a large French fry and a milk shake you will have consumer enough fat and sodium to last for 5 days. Why wait 5 days when you can accomplish this task in 1 meal? When ordering pizza delivery always orders fatty meats such as pepperoni and sausage with extra cheese. When you get a second pizza free or half price eat it first as an appetizer before you finish off the big brother pizza.

5) Eat till the wee hours of the night preferably foods that are salty, crunchy and sweet. Be creative and find foods that are all 3 in one. Ideally bring in as much processed junk food into the house as you can fit into your cupboards so it is there when you have the urge to splurge. Better to be prepared when that urge hits you.

6) Starve yourself!!! I know what you’re thinking. How can you ever reach the goal of obesity if you starve yourself? I’m not really meaning for you to “diet”, just miss breakfast, skip lunch and let your hunger slowly build to the point that you would eat your own arm if you could. Then when you get home you will literally rip the refrigerator door right off the refrigerator. When you starve yourself you will become so ravenous that you will literally become a bottomless pit. By now you should be way on your way to having a larger waist line than you ever thought possible. However order your cloths quickly on HSN or QVC because did you know that XXXXL and XXXL are the first sizes to run out?

7) Above all have a self defeating attitude. Tell yourself convincingly that you have tried everything known to mankind and nothing has ever worked for you and nothing ever will. Blame it on your parents or anyone else you can think of. Use works like NO and can’t freely when discussing the subject of health, wellness and vitality. The way to measure your success with obesity is if your habits have spilled over to your kids. The minute you see that they have followed the path of the person they look up to the most, you have arrived. The good news depending on how you look at it is it won’t take long!!!!!!

In all honesty I’m physically exhausted writing in such a sarcastic and negative style. I’m almost tempted to push delete and not send this because it is so not me. I love and care for people just like you and never in recorded history have I ever written such negative advice. The current state of affairs with this subject truly saddens me. Maybe this wasn’t the best approach to convey my message but currently I just am at a loss to get into some of your heads and am willing to try just about anything. I could have gone on and on and on but I just had to stop.

In closing my mom is beautiful and arrested her weight issues many years ago. There is hope out there but you must believe in yourself, the messenger and above all the message. I am here for you as is our entire wellness team. If anyone was offended by this article it wasn’t my intention and if you feel you fit into the obese or one of the other obese categories I will personally see to it that you receive priority treatment.

LOVE and PEACE,

Larry North

JoyLynn Hailey Reed, Ph.D.

We all know what motivation is, right? If we are trying to eat healthfully and we turn down French fries, we tell friends we are motivated. If we exercise, we are happy that we are motivated. But do we really know what motivation is and understand how it works?

Philosophers and psychologists have studied motivation for hundreds of years and learned that it is complicated but not mysterious. We can understand motivation and use it to our advantage. The next time you say, “I’m just not motivated to exercise,” you could realize that motivation is not an on/off switch like a light.

So, what IS motivation. There are so many ways to define and explain it but let’s start with this:

· Motivation = What you expect to get from something + What you value about it

If we are talking about healthy eating, we might say:

· Motivation for healthy eating = Feeling energetic + Valued because energy lets me make it through the day

If we are talking about exercise, we might say:

· Motivation for exercise = Looking leaner + Valued because I like to get compliments

We become less motivated when either we don’t expect to get anything from our efforts or we don’t put a high enough value on what we will get. Thinking about the healthy eating example, if we do not believe that eating healthy foods will give us more energy, we do not have a reason to do it. Or, maybe we believe that choosing good food will energize us but we think we already have enough energy every day. If either of these thoughts is true, we won’t worry about eating healthy food.

Just as most people won’t buy a product they don’t want or need, most people won’t do something that doesn’t give them a valued result. The problem is that most of us feel guilty for the “shoulds” that we don’t do instead of realizing that those things are not what we WANT to do.

Is there something that you would like to be motivated to do? To accomplish it, start by analyzing your thoughts about it. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What exactly is it that I want to do? Remember that specific motivations are better than general ones. For example, “I want to walk for 20 minutes today” helps with motivation more than “I want to exercise.”

2. What will I get that will make me happy or make my life better in some way? For example, “if I eat more fruits and vegetables, I might not have to take as much medication as I take now.”

3. How much do I value that outcome? Is it worth my time and effort? For example, “I definitely want to spend less money on prescriptions every month so I can save for a trip.”

The next time you think about something you “should” do, analyze your motivation and decide whether it would give you a valuable outcome. This can free you from feeling guilty and let you focus on what you ARE motivated to do.

Tip: Get a motivation notebook where you can write down the things you think you “should” do and keep track of their outcomes and how much you value those results. This step can tell you a lot about what motivates you.

In the “new” economy, stress levels appear to be at an all time high. This certainly applies to most people under the age of 38. The truth is stress is stress regardless of what generation you were born but lets face it our parents for the most part had it much more difficult than us. In my organization young people make up the norm of my employee population. They have been raised in a new generation much different than generations before them. They cannot remember life before cell phones, laptops, internet, high def and high tech video games. They also have been brought up in a society with abundance. My father use to say that life at its best was still a struggle. I never have agreed with that statement but he did have a hard life. Most of that hard life was brought upon himself. Now his father was murdered, he grew up dirt poor but such is life. He chose to be a victim and as a result lived his entire life feeling sorry for himself and as if the world owed him something.

Lately everywhere you turn there seems to be a report in bad news. For example the stock market, housing, unemployment, layoffs, war, natural disasters and much more. Face it bad news sells! Everybody processes this information differently from person to person. We all handle the stress in our lives differently from person to person. I personally have witnessed a person completely coming unglued because they gained a few pounds or had a small fender bender, yet the very same person stayed calm while being informed of very tragic news such as a layoff or even a death of a loved one. I’m not a therapist and I do comprehend why this would be the case but I have also witnessed the complete opposite.

I took my first CPR training course in 1983 and will never forget lesion number 1 as long as I live. I have even applied this lesson to my personal and professional life. Lesson 1- In an EMERGENCY always remain calm and clear the room of people who are not! Irrational and frantic behavior only makes the situation worse. This is not to say I haven’t popped my own cork occasionally, after all I am a rather large and intense man but when my back is up against the wall I tend to stay calm and relaxed. When I do catch myself starting to feel sorry for myself I generally realize that there are many more people suffering at a much greater degree than me. There is a very old famous quote by an unnamed author ” I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes until I came upon a man with no feet”

With much practice I have learned to stop stressing over things that are completely out of my control such as all the things reported in the news or other peoples behavior or actions. I also know that doubling my efforts on the very things I can control will help minimize any potential setbacks or damage that surrounds me. By exercising, eating healthy, setting new goals, managing my time better and most importantly working on maintaining a positive attitude and staying happy is the true secret in handling stress. There is no question that we are all wired differently. Some people appear to not be able to be anything but pessimistic and negative. In all honesty I’m glad my CFO is that way but in spite of the way she is wired she chooses to be a happy person. Being HAPPY is a choice. It takes a lot of work to be happy and positive each and every day. I don’t want to sugar coat the fact that true happiness takes vision and hard work. It is a routine and a process that you talk yourself through on a daily basis. The reason it takes hard work and commitment to be happy is because when you take 2 steps forward it is easy to get knocked backwards on any give day I believe it may be difficult for some of you. It may take more work than you ever imagined with a huge payoff for you and your loved ones GREATER than you ever thought possible. Now it is your turn to stretch your emotional muscles farther than ever before and truly no longer sweat the small stuff.

Remember that your smile, laughter, confidence and tone of voice set the stage around you…

Have a wonderful June!

Larry North

Last month I decided to take you on my personal traveling excursion in an effort to show you how you can get lean while traveling or at the very least maintain your fitness program on the road. Since the warm weather is vastly approaching and spring is in the air, which means it is time to get in shape for summer and for some of us the dreadful swim suit season. This year is going to be different because I am planning on getting you excited about pool parties and beach vacations. In fact I’m in the midst of getting ready for my beach vacation and thought what the heck, I will do as last month and take you through my personal 6 week plan on slimming down for just that special occasion.

I think I have an idea what it’s like being you. Now imagine what it is like being me? I’m about to go on a vacation to the beach with 5 other couples. They all look great for their age or any age for that matter. For some strange reason many people tend to feel self conscious around me in these settings. Go figure! Truth be told I have a tremendous amount of pressure to look good at age 48 and I have more pressure on me than most people to look the part! Go figure! The bottom line is that there is a program that will not only work for me but it will also work for you.

Week 1
In week one I increase my weight training workouts from 3 days per week to 5-6 days per week. It is a more advanced program where I train less body parts in a workout and do more for each body part in each workout. For example, instead of working my entire body at one time I might just do chest and biceps. I also will increase my cardio from 3 days per week at 30 minute sessions to 4 days per week at 40 minute sessions. The only dietary changes I make are to increase my water consumption. In fact it becomes my only beverage outside of a morning cup of coffee during the entire 6 week program. In week one is where I basically reduce all my processed carbs such as pasta, breads, cereals and snacks such as baked chips, pretzels, etc… to zero. I also cut out red meat at this time.

Week 2
I’m actually starting to see and feel results. I keep the weight training the same except my intensity is gradually increasing. I rest less between sets and exercises; I increase reps and or weight and in general am much more focused and much less social during my training sessions. I will add another day of cardio. The only diet change is that I am now preparing all my own food with very few exceptions. I might grill chicken, turkey, fish and cook large portions of rice, beans and steamed or grilled veggies. It may be more mental than physical but I actually believe I can see results daily. If I happen to get stuck where I have to eat out, I will generally get everything steamed (refer to my eating out article).

Week 3
Week three is full throttle time. I am now doing cardio 6 days per week at 45 minutes per session. This may sound like it’s from the files of “Larry get a life” but I’m actually using less to no condiments such as ketchup, mustard, seasonings. Don’t get me wrong, they are perfectly fine to use at this time. For me however I want to relearn to appreciate the actual taste of food. We call this eating clean, in my case really clean! Most people are shocked at how you can develop and acquire a taste or distaste for most foods in a short period of time. I know I’m full board when I actually wake up in the morning and can’t wait to eat my scrambled egg whites and oatmeal. I’m not kidding; I actually crave it the way most people crave cake. My goals are clearly defined and with my new mind set I find it much easier to stick to the program. It is all based on my attitude and knowledge of the program.

Week 4
There are very little changes in my exercise program. I’m bringing bottled water everywhere I go. Non fat dairy such as fat free milk, cottage cheese, fat free cheese and yogurt do fit into the program. However I tend to reduce these foods if I don’t feel I’m as lean as I want to be headed into week 4. Maybe it’s the sodium or lactose that tends to smooth me out. Regardless it works for me. My vitamin and mineral packet is a must because as I reduce things from my diet I want to make sure I’m giving my body what it needs so I don’t solely rely on food alone. I’m a huge fan of carbohydrates and tend to eat a full cup at each meal except in week 4 I reduce it in my final meal. Remember I’m eating every three hours a protein, carb and veggie at each meal starting from the moment I wake up. I have a tendency to be rather hard on myself yet by now people can notice a massive change in my body. I am getting comments like you are looking lean, your legs are cut, what are you doing differently to look so good? These comments really keep me motivated. I also notice something very unusual for an overeater such as myself; my cravings for food I’m trying to avoid have almost vanished completely. It is at this time I know my goals will be achieved and I’m more pumped than ever before!

Week 5
In week 5 I am now doing 60 minutes of cardio at each session with an increase in intensity. For example if I was walking on a treadmill at a 3.8 pace I now have increased the incline to a 4-5% grade or a speed of 4.2. Other than that there is not much more to do. I do not add ANY table salt to my food. My waist is getting smaller. If my energy levels get low, then I know I’m not eating enough so I may add a meal, increase my portion sizes or add some carbs back in the later meals.

Week 6
I should be right where I want to be for my beach vacation trip and if for some reason I feel I’m not on schedule I will add a 30 minute evening cardio session here and there. Other than that I’m just letting the program do its magic. This 6 week program is ideal if you have 20 lbs or less to lose. If you have more weight to lose just start out an additional week for every 3-5 pounds you feel you wish to lose. I’m not saying you will or should lose that much weight in a week. If you were to turn this into a 12 week program regardless of your weight reduction goals most of you would see great results. I also recommend a cheat meal once per week if anything to allow yourself a treat for all your efforts.

I hope you will give this spring slim down a try and feel free to ask me questions!

Staying lean and fit is not a lifestyle for me, it is my LIFE. I spend a large amount of my time traveling domestically and abroad. Most of the times when I travel it consist of me doing live presentations on the subjects of nutrition, fitness and wellness. How would it look if I were to speak on these subjects and gain weight every time I hit the road? It would look awful and I would lose all credibility. In fact it is the fear of gaining weight while traveling that has helped me develop a full proof plan that will yield great results you when you travel anywhere at anytime.

I feel the best way to share this information is to take you on a road trip with me and show you through each step of the way how I can help you get leaner when traveling. The night before I travel I always make sure to pack my workout clothes followed by preparing several meals such as grilled chicken breast, rice and a veggie. I might prepare some low fat turkey chili and brown rice, etc…I place the food in single serve disposable containers, I place a few protein bars in my carry on and up to a dozen if I’m traveling out side the country. If I have an early flight I wake up early enough to have a protein drink or some scrambled egg whites and a cup of oatmeal. Before I leave the house I place my food that I prepared the night before in a soft cooler that I purchased at Target for $14.99 that keeps cold food cold and hot food hot. I NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT IT.

Most airlines no longer offer food except in business class or on international flights. However all airlines have many food options to choose from provided you request them when you book your flight. After many trials and errors I have determined that the seafood request is by far the best for my eating plan, if you are allergic to shellfish or don’t like fish then stick with the low fat request. I always have my travel agent contact my Hotel or I will pick up the phone and call the Hotel myself to find out if they have an exercise room on site and or a pass for a gym near by. I also ask if there is a small refrigerator in my room and if not to please place one in my room. Ironically I have never been denied or charged for this request.

Upon my arrival my first stop after I leave the airport is to the nearest grocery store. Luckily I have always been able to find one on the way to my Hotel and so can you. I do a quick stop and buy some sliced turkey breast, rice cakes, yogurt, protein drinks (one for each day I’m in town), carrots, bottled water, etc…I rarely have an appointment before 8:00 am and neither do you so it is very easy to get an early wake up call and get in some exercise. Even if it is just 30 minutes on a treadmill and a few sets of push ups. If I have time later in the afternoon I will go to the gym and pump some additional weights. If I happen to have a conference meeting or if any meals are to be catered, I will always make a request that my food be prepared low fat with dressings and sauces on the side. Again to this day I have never been denied and neither will you.

When I’m eating out on my own I generally stick with some sort of Asian cuisine. I will order my food steamed with sauces on the side. My next choice is a mid range steak house like an Outback or Lone Star. I know I can always order a grilled chicken breast dry, baked potato and a side salad with the dressing on the side. Truth be told once you know the art of eating out low fat you can create a great tasting healthy meal at most any restaurant. Remember that mini fried and those disposable containers? They sure do come in handy because I make sure those containers are full with healthy food so I have them for on the day I depart to return home.

I hope you have enjoyed my travel excursion and in summery you now can get leaner when traveling.

1) pack your workout clothes

2) prepare healthy food

3) have disposable containers and a small travel companion cooler

4) bring nutrition bars

5) request low fat food for your flight

6) contact the Hotel for an exercise room or gym close in the area

7) ask for a mini fridge

8 ) go to the grocery store upon arrival

9) ask your host for low fat food

10) special order at all restaurants

11) bring healthy food for the return flight

Best wishes and happy travels!!!