By John Y. Brown III, on Fri Dec 21, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET  #TeamJYB3:
Diary entry for Day (not sure but a lot…about two weeks) in my decision to lose 15 pounds (or at least 10)
THE DECISION
I’m doing better with my diet and even starting to exercise. In fact, lifted weights a few minutes each of the last several days.
I enjoy lifting weights. It’s intense and painful and over quickly. Other forms of exercise take too long. I saw one guy rolling around on a giant ball for about 15 minutes in the gym. I never knew what exactly was the point. If he was working out some body part or just trying to see if he could roll himself around on a giant ball from one corner to the other. Or perhaps it was some form of a parole sentence involving public humiliation for a crime he’d committed.
 Regardless, I like weight lifting. Not heavy weights, mind you. Those really are a pain to lift in any form or fashion. But the polite and nonthreatening level weights. Bigger than the dainty silver ones but smaller than the large industrial sized ones.
I even got pumped up a little. You know, that’s bodybuilder talk for when blood is pumping through muscles during a workout. It felt good and I like the endorphin kick. But what if really got into this weight lifting and bodybuilding thing. After my 3rd 5 minute weight workout, I looked online at bodybuilding competitions for men 50 and over. Of course, it’s only been 3 workouts and I’m nowhere near the point of anyone taking me seriously as a competitive bodybuilder. But the fact I worked out three days in a row worried me and forced me to make a bold decision today.
No matter how fit I get, I WILL NOT become a competitive bodybuilder in the Men over 50 category.
It was a decision that had to be made –and quickly. Slippery slopes happen in every area of life. And I could see this was going to be a dilemma at some point for me and I wanted to resolve it now.
I worked the bag (punching bag) a little the past two days and enjoyed that too. And, yes, if you are wondering….I’ve also decided that I will not become a competitive boxer in the Men over 50 category.
I’m just trying to keep things simple. And lose 15 pounds (or at least 10).
I’m not ruling out competing in the over 60 category. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
By Josh Bowen, on Thu Dec 20, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET The old saying goes, “An apple a day will keep the doctor away.” Well, didn’t they tell Eve not to eat the apple in the Garden of Eden? Well, she did and with good reason, they are good for you! I’d almost say they are the perfect fruit, packed with antioxidants, fiber and overall taste. Your mother was again right when she said eating one will keep the doctor away; apples are packed with Vitamin C (almost 14% of the daily value) to help keep the immune system strong and efficient. Here are the top 6 reasons why you should be eating apples daily:
- Apples are packed with fiber (4.4 grams per medium apple). Fiber allows the body to blunt the fat storing effects of insulin and keeps blood sugar in a stable place.
- They provide 14% of your daily value in the immune-boosting Vitamin C
- Are low in calories (95 calories per medium apple) and can satisfy hunger.
 Josh Bowen
- Research has shown that people who eat apples on a regular bases are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome (heart disease and diabetes).
- Apples can increase your endurance. Quercetion, an antioxidant, has shown to increase the amount of oxygen that is available to the lungs.
- They taste good! Especially with a little peanut butter!
I am big believer in food as a source of healing for the body. We can get a lot of raw vegetables and fresh fruit more so that we can through processed foods. Apples are packed with good nutrition and should be taken everyday!
By Jonathan Miller, on Tue Dec 18, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET #TEAMJYB3:
Phat Americans.
The Anti-Immigration Movement in the US may have an unsuspecting ally.
The article I just read (click here) now shows obesity is a greater food problem than hunger. That’s a big story. But not nearly as big as the “story behind the story” –that I suspect may be true.
Americans gaining weight is nothing new. Buy why are we gaining weight so consistently and deliberately? I think it is because you can’t argue with the fact that obese Americans simply take up more space than if they were thin. And then there is the other seemingly unrelated issue: That being an American and “vocally anti-immigration” is uncomfortable at best and somewhat hypocritical at worst.
The first time I realized I had mixed feelings about immigration and found myself agreeing with Lou Dobbs, I weighed 165 pounds. That was 27 pounds ago.
I still haven’t articulated any of my concerns. But i have taken concrete anti-immigration in other ways. Making sure I physically take up more space as an American—space that could easily be filled by a very skinny illegal immigrant. At first it was only subconscious…but the harder I find it to lose weight, the more it got me to thinking about my real motive for over eating since watching that fateful Lou Dobbs interview several years ago.
 It just all makes so much sense now.
Even as a young child when the ice cream truck came by I would more likely order a Red, White and Blue “Bomber” popsicle while the other kids would order “Push ups.”
America’s problem with gaining weight began at about the same time there was an increasing concern that we were pushing the immigration limits in the US.
Americans who are selflessly carrying extra-weight must have been doing so—at least in part—as a subconsciously patriotic act to make sure our country stay’s “right-sized”– for our children and our children’s children.
Sure, there is an element of passive-aggressiveness and nativism —and maybe some unflattering stereotyping of “outsiders” (and in a few isolated instances even outright prejudice) we portly patriots are guilty of. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that the only real prejudice we have is being a little too “Pro-American” for our own health.
So, next time you see one of us out and are tempted to roll your eyes at our lack of discipline —ask yourself, “What did I do today to curb rampant immigration in my country today?” It may just give you pause and remind you of the greater goal behind those who don’t believe it’s wrong to be more concerned for their country than their waistline.
And remind you, too, that the enthusiastic gleam you see in our eye– that you assume is our misplaced excitement about our next dessert order— may have more to do our determination to keep one more illegal alien from crossing the border because even though our ideals will always be compelling to others, the practical matter of available space is being decided not “one politician at a time” but “one Hot Pocket at a time. And by those who have courageously taken our “can’t say no” attitude and decided to use if for a higher nationalistic calling.
20 years ago American had about 200 Million Americans. We new our absolute maximum would be about 400 Million Americans. Or 300 overweight Americans. So the next time one of you smug little waif of an American sighs at the heavy guy sitting next to you on an airplane, to holding your disdain. And saluting instead. (And if you really want to “Thank us,” you’ll offer us your peanuts, too).
By Jonathan Miller, on Mon Dec 17, 2012 at 3:00 PM ET
#TEAM JYB3:
Day 5 of diet goal of losing 15 pounds (or at least 10)
The importance of small wins in human motivation
When a person sets a goal (like losing 15 pounds or at least 10), they will face obstacles that discourage them. Like actually gaining weight during the prescribed diet time period instead of losing weight.
When that happens, it’s important not to give up but to instead find “small wins” that are positive indications that the person should continue pursuing their goals.
Today’s small wins list:
1) I found out that in Italy they sell Nutella in industrial size containers (see pic). I did not purchase one…and didn’t even purchase one of these giant donuts with Nutalla smeared on it. I did look inside one of the giant Nutella containers. But for less than 2 minutes.
 2) The rate at which I am gaining weight on my diet is actually slower than the rate at which I normally gain weight.
3) Although the shirt I’m wearing today does feel too tight for me to wear at my current weight, my pants feel OK. (Note: I had the pants taken out recently, so not as hopeful a sign as I might first want to believe).
4) No one has refused to serve me in any of the Italian restaurants because they feared, like an intoxicated alcoholic, “ I had eaten enough already and needed a cab to drive me home.”
5) I considered trying to slyly pretend my “start weight” was higher than it really was so I could at least pretend I had lost weight and not be humiliated by Jonathan Miller beating me. But chose not to try to slyly adjust my weight. (Note: my actual start weight was 193).
6) Since my start weight was 208, I’ve already dropped 14 pounds to 194! (Note: I changed my mind about #5 after dinner tonight).
7) Felt guilty about adjusting weight and, after walking up to Fitness Area got motivated to come clean about #6 being false.
8) I’m not giving up yet! I’m still in this competition.
9) Decided to adjust my goal from losing 15 pounds (or at least 10) to 15 pounds (or at least 7) but only changed one of the two weight goals and initially was tempted to change both and drop second goal to 5. But didn’t.
10) This is Day 5 and can’t last forever. However long it does last, at least 5 of the days are over with.
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Diet update.
Two days of solid progress can be undermined by giving into an instant of temptation.
Remember the hotel relapse scene in the movie Flight, when Denzel Washington, a rabid alcoholic on the wagon for a few days, discovers the miniature vodka bottle in his hotel mini bar?
 He pulls it out and looks at it longingly for a moment. And sternly sits it back on the fridge. And leaves.
And returns seconds later to go on a bender of a lifetime that destroys Denzel’s character and two hotel rooms.
Well, after two days of disciplined dieting and constructive preparation for working out, I had my own “moment” this morning.
At breakfast, before I even realized what I was doing, I caught a glimpse of my dear old friend. Stashed it in my breast pocket furtively….and swore it would be between me and my Facebook post but I’d never breath a word about it to anyone else. I’m staring now….and I’m walking away. Like Denzel Washington in that movie.
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#TEAMRP
 Ouch.
But a good ouch.
I woke up Saturday morning after my first workout session with Josh the day before, and I could feel it in my legs.
A good hurt.
It’s been a while since I felt that way.
Over the past few years, I have felt many times a bad hurt — my bulging disk clamping down on the nerve that runs through my left leg, causing me serious pain, the kind of pain that kept me up nights.
Since I fixed that problem though medical treatment and yoga stretching, I’ve been pain-free, cautiously exercising to ensure that I don’t trigger my disk problems again. But that kind of cautious exercise does little to keep me in optimal shape.
Enter Josh. During our first session, we did no cardio, no weightlifting — just a bunch of stretching and exercises where I used my body weight to train and tone. And boy it worked — I hurt. But in a good way.
I will keep you updated as the training continues. And hopefully be able to provide a “AFTER” picture that looks better than the “BEFORE” picture above, and doesn’t involve a body cast.
By John Y. Brown III, on Mon Dec 17, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET What is the posthumous shelf-life of a human life?
(Or the length of time before it is no longer of use, or suitable for sale?)
We all would like to be immortal. Or at least avoid coming to grips with the fact that we are mortal and our time on this planet is finite.
As my first step-father shrewdly put it to me many years ago when I was in college. “Look around this restaurant (there were about 100 patrons). Everyone of here has fully accepted that everyone in this restaurant is going to die one day. Except them.”
 I thought that was very wise. I also never returned to that particular restaurant after that story.
So, now what? We aren’t immortal…but can we leave a legacy? Will people’s memory of us linger on many, many years after we pass?
I got a curt glimpse at that answer a few days ago while getting coffee and eavesdropping on two female customers at the condiment bar. It went something like this.
Lady 1: “Did you not hear? Yes, he had a heart attack and died.”
Lady 2: “Oh, no. I hadn’t heard. That is so sad. How old was he?”
Lady 1: “I think he was 58. Too young. I can’t believe it. He was in the Hawaii and just died suddenly of a heart attack, I heard.”
Lady 2: “That is just so sad. Way too young……Oh, did I tell you I was in Hawaii about 6 months ago…..”
My conservative estimate —at least for these two casual acquaintances— this unfortunate gentleman’s posthumous shelf life was about 11.2 seconds.
Sure we can leave legacies and loved ones will talk about us for longer than 11.2 seconds. But the harsh reality, it seems, is that any credit we hope to make up for in goodwill memories after we die, aren’t going to be worth much at all. And if we want to be well thought of….and have a full life, we’re better off asking what can we do today instead of banking on some pleasant lingering sentiment posthumously.
Unless, of course, we were one of the 100 people in the restaurant that night that believes this is true for everyone else alive. Except them.
By John Y. Brown III, on Thu Dec 13, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET
#TeamJYB3
A change in strategy. The Rope-a-Dope diet.
Much like Muhammad Ali’s brilliant out-maneuvering of George Foreman in the famous Rumble in the Jungle boxing battle, I am
using Ali’s strategy to lull Jonathan Miller into a state of assumed victory (by overeating for several days).
 And then just when Jonathan Miller thinks he has it won, I will bounce from the ropes and like a man on a diet who both floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee, I will …..I will….practically starve myself for a flurry of days until I am declared the winner.
Geez. That’s a terrible strategy.
OK. Scratch that.
Guess I will eat Italian food today like Italians eat it. Not like an American eating Italian food. In other words, they don’t eat for the taste or to fill themselves up so much as because they just look really cool eating Italian food.
Hope that works.
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No other written entries today. Just a video that sums up my activities (and zeal for those activities) today. …
No further comment will be offered at this time.
By Josh Bowen, on Thu Dec 13, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET They say you can never go home again. I would have to disagree.
I am very much “home again.” In 2007 I made a dramatic jump from being a personal trainer to lead 30 plus gyms in 7 states. That ride has recently come to an even more dramatic end. So I decided to go home once again, back to my roots as a trainer and fitness coach. Life has never been better. It has been a challenge but I am glad to be home.
Flashback to 2005 and a very green trainer meet the then Kentucky State Treasurer; a Harvard graduate, accomplished writer, diplomat and family man with a bad back no one could fix. I was the green trainer and your very own, Jonathan Miller was the State Treasurer and Harvard graduate.
At the time I knew very little about how personal training worked but was very passionate about people and helping them achieve their fitness goals. To that point I had zero experience with injuries and did not really know what to make of Jonathan’s back situation; and on top of that I was nervous I was working with such an intelligent and dignified man.
 Josh and The RP circa 2005 Putting away all my inexperience, I decided to research as much as I could about his condition and was determined to help him. Through trial and error we put together a plan that would help his back and at the same time help him achieve other fitness goals as well. At the end of our road together we strengthen his back and developed a love/hate relationship with a few new exercises (dance, dance revolution, as he called it comes to mind). Through our 2 years working together we developed a unique trainer/client bond and I grew to respect him not just as a politician but as a great person. To this day I have a copy of his first book that has a dedication to me, something that means a lot more than he probably knows.
Fast forward to now. 6 years ago I left training clients to develop and train other trainers, now I am back working full time doing what I love to do. I reached out to Jonathan 4 weeks about training and he had some doctor visits to attend and said he would get with me when he was cleared. The time has come and he is ready and he is not coming alone. Kentucky’s own John Y. Brown III will be participating with us as well. This is a challenge between two very competitive people, destined to get into the best shape of their lives.
With my help and the help of another colleague we are going to whip these two middle aged men into shape. The time is right and the time is now. Join Jonathan, JYB, myself and the other trainers at Fitness Plus 2 as we take you down a path of fitness greatness, weight loss and muscle growth the likes a middle age man has never seen before.
All things through fitness!
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 3:00 PM ET
#TeamJYB3:
I have never been to Italy in my 49 years on this planet. (Not that I have spent time on any other planet. I may have…and just not be aware of it. The point is when I say, “I have never been to Italy before in my 49 years on this planet” what I’m saying is that I’ve never been to Italy. Ever. Just a more dramatic way of sayi ng it. (Note: That’s not really true. I once spent several hours in Italy while traveling abroad about 30 years ago. But you get the point. Really, for all intents and purposes, I’ve never spent any time in Italy.)
Until today. I like it here. The people are like the French (they have style and flair for food and fashion) but they are nice too. And don’t pretend to not know how to speak English when they really do.
I don’t speak Italian. But I am learning to speak English with an Italian accent (e.g. Can-ah I-ah have-ah some-ah spaghetti-ah, please-ah? I am-ah on-ah diet-ah to, um, ah, how do you say…mmm, lose-ah 15 pounds-ah (or at least-ah 10). Or…..emmmm, if you would say here in-ah Italy I am going to lose 6.8 Kilograms (or at a least-ah 4.5 kilograms)
As for details of the diet today, it is thoroughly unimpressive.
So bad, in fact, I wondered briefly if the challenge from Jonathan Miller was exclusive to the United States and might exclude weight gaining (or losing) activities when traveling abroad, i.e. eating. In other words, if I have lost 3/10ths of a pound in the US since the challenge but gain 3 pounds in Italy, upon returning to US I would still be considered as having lost 3/10ths of a pound. I have submitted this inquiry and am awaiting an answer. I’ve also asked if that is not the case but since gaining 3 pounds in Italy is viewed as 1.4 kilogram here, the net gain (I’m arguing) should be 1.1 pounds rather than 2.7 pounds. It’s just simpler than having to do a lot of back and forth converting.
 We treat 1 Euro as about the same as 1 dollar. We should, I am arguing, do the same with the kilogram and pound. Both for simplicity sake and the larger issue of improving US and European relations. And to allow me to eat as much awesome Italian food as I want but only being penalized for about 40% of it. It’s a classic win-win-win.
Note: I did not eat ANY of these deserts. Just took a picture of them. Except I did purchase the desert on the top upper right.
But did NOT eat the entire cannoli. Just a small part of it. Perhaps several small parts of it. But not all. Promise.
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#TeamRP
 I’m not a big fan of dieting. Too often, they don’t work; or if there is a temporary effect, it is immediately reversed after the diet concludes. Additionally, “dieting” reminds me too much of what teenage girls call the rationalization of an eating disorder.
However, my literary agent passed me on a book from another of her clients. In The Dukan Diet, Dr. Pierre Dukan offers a new nutrition paradigm that involves a lot of protein and an much lighter dose of carbs and sugar. While similar in theory to the Atkins’ plans, this version is supposedly much more responsible and can lead to healthier lifestyle habits.
Anyone in the RP Nation familiar with Dukan? Any other suggestions?
By Lisa Miller, on Wed Dec 12, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET  I hosted a women’s mini-retreat at my house on Saturday, and it was everything I’d hoped it would be — with terrific women ranging in age from 34 to 61. Many of them were strangers to one another when they arrived, a couple having travelled 80 miles to be here; but in just 3 hours, the group had become what many women’s groups become after any heartfelt period of shared time: a sisterhood.
Yes, whether its 30 minutes or 3 hours, when it comes to heart, women of diverse backgrounds inevitably relate to one other, empathize, laugh with, support, and encourage each other, because we share an emotional language of understanding what it means to be this gender. Our stories and contexts of experience might be different, but what’s the same is perceiving life through female eyes and spirit, and extending forward from a long line of female ancestors.
Women like and need time to gather for the purpose of healing. I remember the light-bulb moment of this realization 15 years ago when I read Anita Diamnont’s historically accurate, Red Tent, in which the women of the village lived together according to the moon cycle, about 7 days of each month.
 A get-away every 4 weeks? Yes, please.
I’m still moved by the image of women washing the feet of their “sisters” and massaging the abdominal pain away as they convalesce. That’s what I’m talkin ‘bout.
I’m going into my 9th year of coordinating and facilitating women’s gatherings, and what never fails to happen in the first hour, is a collective settling into togetherness. It’s very much like coming home; and if the facilitator’s agenda is to focus on emotional strength instead of failure, these homefolks become the functional, happy family we always wanted but didn’t know could exist, at least for the duration of the gathering. Even if participants never see one another again, what was shared becomes a sacred experience of connectedness that fostered self-reflection.
I find this incredibly interesting, and though it’s not new (women’s circles go back 1000’s of years), it might be news to some that we do have an unconscious understanding of our feminine-divine need to have sisters. On her way out the door on Saturday, one participant commented, “I really needed to be with other women like these; I’ve been so tired of being with people who complain, but I didn’t realize there was another option. “
After all the gatherings goings-on I’ve observed, what I continue to find special is articulated beautifully by another participant who e-mailed me later saying, “We uplift each other simply by being there. Yet, as each person enters the group with an honest intention of her own forward motion, the whole group moves forward.”
Read the rest of…
Lisa Miller: The Healing of Sisterhood
By John Y. Brown III, on Tue Dec 11, 2012 at 9:15 AM ET
#TeamJYB3:
Day 2 of my new diet to loose 15 pounds (or at least).
Woke up.
First thing I thought of was “I’m on a diet.”
Went back to sleep.
Woke up a second time.
Planned to workout this morning for 4-5 minutes and then have Bran cereal.
Put off workout. Amazed self getting small chores done that I have been putting off for several weeks (trying to avoid working out this morning.
Ran out of time to workout but had most productive morning in weeks.
Seeing this diet program as having great unintended consequences for keeping up to date on routine tasks.
At one point, considered vacuuming to avoid working out this morning. (PS I don’t even know where we keep our vacuum stored)
Ran out of time for Bran cereal too.
Darn!
Not really.
I tell myself I will work out later today—and for 5-6 minutes. To teach myself a lesson to not skip working out.
And I won’t eat a Apple Fritter for breakfast (at least not a whole one).
Weighed myself. I’ve actually lost 3/10th of a pound (at 192.0 down from 192.3)
At this rate, I am going to lose 2.1 lbs per week.
I become concerned because over the course of a year, if this rate stays steady, I will weigh only 83 lbs. If I continue at this rate for a year and a half, I will weigh 28 lbs.
And will need an entire new wardrobe and can’t afford one now.
Decide to go forward with diet anyway.
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#TeamRP:
 A travel day.
Ugh.
Since there is only one nonstop to New York and one nonstop back to Lexington, I have to get up at 5 AM and get home after Midnight to fit in a day trip to the Big Apple for business.
Aside for all of the modern inconveniences of plane travel — rushing to the airport, taking your shoes off, getting irradiated, etc. — it is hardest on my fitness and nutrition routine.
Exercise is out — no way am I getting up 30 minutes earlier when I already have to lose an extra hour of sleep. And it is almost impossible to find healthy things to eat as I am rushing to and around NYC. Don’t even mention the client lunches and dinners where I have to suffer through a salad while my younger colleagues partake of the steak and fries.
At least I will be home tomorrow — I rarely have business trips that last more than two days. I can only imagine what that would do to my fitness challenge participation.
Any tips out there among the RP Nation frequent travelers on how to stay in shape on the fly?
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