My Fleep:
Health
Health
Want to Lose Weight? TV Can Teach You How!
Every hour you spend watching television represents a great
opportunity to jump-start a new healthy lifestyle.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of TV. Eight years
ago, I shot mine and never looked back. At its best, your
television is a time waster and purveyor of mediocre
entertainment. At its worst, it is an addictive villain
that debilitates your body and numbs your mind. So, take
aim…. but don't shoot yet.
By carefully observing the culprit that's killing you, you
can learn more than you can from all that annoying "good
advice" you've been getting about how you need to lose
weight and get in shape.
Through the creation of "couch potatoes", television is
recognized as one of the main contributors to our ever
expanding waistlines and flabby physiques. If you look
closely, you will see how TV does additional damage in less
obvious ways.
Television is not only "anti-activity" but it undermines
creativity, initiative and productivity. Understand how
this happens and you will discover three principles which
can lead you to an active and healthy lifestyle. All you
need to do is to see how TV works to mold your ways…. and
then do the opposite:
1. TV IS A PASSIVE DIVERSION. It requires nothing of the
body and precious little from your mind. Biologists will
tell you that inactivity promotes atrophy; your muscles
wither and the systems that support your body weaken in
response to the lack of demand placed upon them. Your
brain follows suit. Month after year after decade, the
deterioration continues until finally, your machinery just
grinds to a halt.
WHY NOT ENGAGE THE WORLD FULLY? Make active participation
in life your mantra. Seek out just one new activity (or
renew an old one) that you will enjoy and that keeps you on
your feet. Shoot hoops, learn to juggle, volunteer to
teach a class, try woodworking. Get interested in
something and get involved. Physical and mental activity
stimulates growth; choose growth and you choose to live.
2. TV IS VICARIOUS ENTERTAINMENT. In TV Land you can have
it all; Heroic men, beautiful women and daring athletes
live lives of excitement, glamour, mystery and romance.
You can share their dreams in your dreams. But next year
you will still be in the same old rut, sitting in the same
old recliner and probably be five pounds fatter.
WHY NOT PURSUE THE LIFE YOU DESIRE? Include in your mantra
a commitment to make dreams a reality. List the things
that you would most like to change about yourself and your
situation. Pick one of the smaller items. Write down the
steps necessary to make this change happen. Get help if
you need it. Always get support from those closest to you.
Set a date to get started and go for it. Now, do the same
thing with a health or fitness goal. Don't let the
imaginary characters on TV live your life for you!
3. TV IS MANIPULATIVE AND SEDUCTIVE. Programming is
cleverly designed to get your attention and keep you glued
to your seat so that advertisers can work their magic on
your mind. Commercial and social messages, both subliminal
and obvious, mold your thoughts and values. (This is
particularly evident among children and the uneducated).
Of course this doesn't affect you! Well, try telling that
to yourself when, bleary-eyed and at an hour past bedtime,
you reach for that big bag of chips, wondering when this
terrible "B movie" is going to get better.
WHY NOT FACE YOUR REALITY? Be scrupulously honest with
yourself. Beware the seductive power of self-delusion.
The entire world is trying to manipulate your thoughts and
actions, so don't do it to yourself. Study the list you
made of things you would like to change and figure out
exactly why you haven't acted sooner. Why do you waste
time watching television while life passes you by? Make
this the turning point when you honestly evaluate your
physical condition. Need some help? Get a physical. Need
some more help? Get a qualified personal trainer and buy a
session with a dietitian.
One of the prime excuses people make for not taking care of
their health is that they don't have the time. If you
watch television in the evening and on week-ends, here is
an unexpected bonus: All the time you need is right there
in front of you. And it is encouraging to know that truly
busy and successful people don't watch much television!
Now that you're about to get on the right path, please, go
ahead and shoot the darn thing!
----------------------------------------------------
Howard McGarity is a “Human Performance Specialist”,
Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach who has
studied biology, nutrition and exercise science for most of
his fifty-six years. He designs online fitness programs for
MyVirtualGym.com as an effective way to help busy people
manage their priorities and get permanently lean, strong
and healthy.
Get a free e-course, "The Five Fastest Ways to Fitness" =>
http://www.MyVirtualGym.com .
Every hour you spend watching television represents a great
opportunity to jump-start a new healthy lifestyle.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of TV. Eight years
ago, I shot mine and never looked back. At its best, your
television is a time waster and purveyor of mediocre
entertainment. At its worst, it is an addictive villain
that debilitates your body and numbs your mind. So, take
aim…. but don't shoot yet.
By carefully observing the culprit that's killing you, you
can learn more than you can from all that annoying "good
advice" you've been getting about how you need to lose
weight and get in shape.
Through the creation of "couch potatoes", television is
recognized as one of the main contributors to our ever
expanding waistlines and flabby physiques. If you look
closely, you will see how TV does additional damage in less
obvious ways.
Television is not only "anti-activity" but it undermines
creativity, initiative and productivity. Understand how
this happens and you will discover three principles which
can lead you to an active and healthy lifestyle. All you
need to do is to see how TV works to mold your ways…. and
then do the opposite:
1. TV IS A PASSIVE DIVERSION. It requires nothing of the
body and precious little from your mind. Biologists will
tell you that inactivity promotes atrophy; your muscles
wither and the systems that support your body weaken in
response to the lack of demand placed upon them. Your
brain follows suit. Month after year after decade, the
deterioration continues until finally, your machinery just
grinds to a halt.
WHY NOT ENGAGE THE WORLD FULLY? Make active participation
in life your mantra. Seek out just one new activity (or
renew an old one) that you will enjoy and that keeps you on
your feet. Shoot hoops, learn to juggle, volunteer to
teach a class, try woodworking. Get interested in
something and get involved. Physical and mental activity
stimulates growth; choose growth and you choose to live.
2. TV IS VICARIOUS ENTERTAINMENT. In TV Land you can have
it all; Heroic men, beautiful women and daring athletes
live lives of excitement, glamour, mystery and romance.
You can share their dreams in your dreams. But next year
you will still be in the same old rut, sitting in the same
old recliner and probably be five pounds fatter.
WHY NOT PURSUE THE LIFE YOU DESIRE? Include in your mantra
a commitment to make dreams a reality. List the things
that you would most like to change about yourself and your
situation. Pick one of the smaller items. Write down the
steps necessary to make this change happen. Get help if
you need it. Always get support from those closest to you.
Set a date to get started and go for it. Now, do the same
thing with a health or fitness goal. Don't let the
imaginary characters on TV live your life for you!
3. TV IS MANIPULATIVE AND SEDUCTIVE. Programming is
cleverly designed to get your attention and keep you glued
to your seat so that advertisers can work their magic on
your mind. Commercial and social messages, both subliminal
and obvious, mold your thoughts and values. (This is
particularly evident among children and the uneducated).
Of course this doesn't affect you! Well, try telling that
to yourself when, bleary-eyed and at an hour past bedtime,
you reach for that big bag of chips, wondering when this
terrible "B movie" is going to get better.
WHY NOT FACE YOUR REALITY? Be scrupulously honest with
yourself. Beware the seductive power of self-delusion.
The entire world is trying to manipulate your thoughts and
actions, so don't do it to yourself. Study the list you
made of things you would like to change and figure out
exactly why you haven't acted sooner. Why do you waste
time watching television while life passes you by? Make
this the turning point when you honestly evaluate your
physical condition. Need some help? Get a physical. Need
some more help? Get a qualified personal trainer and buy a
session with a dietitian.
One of the prime excuses people make for not taking care of
their health is that they don't have the time. If you
watch television in the evening and on week-ends, here is
an unexpected bonus: All the time you need is right there
in front of you. And it is encouraging to know that truly
busy and successful people don't watch much television!
Now that you're about to get on the right path, please, go
ahead and shoot the darn thing!
----------------------------------------------------
Howard McGarity is a “Human Performance Specialist”,
Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach who has
studied biology, nutrition and exercise science for most of
his fifty-six years. He designs online fitness programs for
MyVirtualGym.com as an effective way to help busy people
manage their priorities and get permanently lean, strong
and healthy.
Get a free e-course, "The Five Fastest Ways to Fitness" =>
http://www.MyVirtualGym.com .