In lieu of the current events that are happening in different parts of the world, one song comes to my mind suddenly because I think its message fits perfectly with our current situation. The song was written and composed by Michael Jackson in 1992 entitled "Heal the World". "Heal the world Make it a better place For you and for me and the entire human race There are people dying If you care enough for the living Make a better place for You and for me." I believe making the world a better place starts with ourselves. Being compassionate is one of the best traits that we can show to others. If we start putting ourselves in the shoes of other people, we will gain an understanding of their feelings and we can then act accordingly. In times of distress, fear runs amok and hope seems to be lost. Let us be the light to those who are hopeless! Spread love and positivity instead of hatred and negativity. As I end this topic, I remember one of the stories that I've learned in school: An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered them to bring in a bundle of sticks, and said to his eldest son: “Break it.” The son strained and strained, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none succeeded. “Untie the bundle,” said the father, “and each of you take a stick.” When they had done so, he told them: “Now, break,” and each stick was easily broken. Sticks in a bundle can’t be broken but sticks taken singly can be easily broken. The same applies to people. "There is strength in Unity." Please share this article so we can spread the good news. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ Photo Source: http://bit.ly/2rPIemo Last March 2016, I recall that I weighed in at about 66 kilograms. I was at the lowest point in my life and my belly was noticeably bigger that time. Exercising was my way out of being miserable and out of shape. Now, I think it is time to share with you another important aspect of self-improvement which is nutrition. Exercise and nutrition work hand-in-hand. Yes, you can exercise without fixing your old eating habits but the results will not be amazing. The same thing holds true with fixing your old eating habits without exercising. I am not much of a "weigh yourself everyday" guy but I am 66 kg or 146 lbs at the moment. I've equaled my weight one year ago but my body composition now is totally different as far as what my eyes can see. I can probably give you a long list of tips on how to lose weight but bear in mind that every person's body is different. What works for me may not work for you that is why I've narrowed my tips to the most general ones. 1. Ditch the scale - Don’t weigh yourself every week or worse, everyday. I think it’s best to weigh yourself every month or two. You don't want to feel anxious once you've learned you've "gained weight" after eating. For me, the best time to weigh yourself is in the morning on an empty stomach. 2. Do Strength Training - As we age, the muscles that we don't use weaken over time that is why it is very important to do strength training at least twice a week on top of your cardiovascular exercises. Another thing is, more muscle exertion equals more calories burned. More calories burned equals weight loss. 3. Eat mindfully - You don’t have to track every single food that you put into your body unless you are joining a physique competition or something else. Eat 4 or 5 times a day, each meal consisting of a good balance of protein, carbs, and fats. Stop eating when you are almost full and chew your food well. 4. Treat yourself once in a while - Dieting can be hard that is why every two weeks or so, treat your body with foods you’re normally accustomed with (comfort foods). ☺ 5. Don’t stress yourself - Life is full of ups and downs that is why we should keep on being positive no matter what the situation may be. Try adding yoga to your workouts and the habit of meditation. That's about it. The shorter the better because too much information will only lead to confusion. Don't do things especially building habits at the same. Focus on one habit at a time for 21 days and then you can move on to the next. I try not use the word diet as much as possible because diets only work for a short period of time. Make eating healthy a lifestyle and your body will thank you a lot. Let me know what topic you would like to see next time. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ Warming-Up before a workout is very important because it gently prepares the body for exercises by gradually increasing the heart rate and circulation; this will loosen the joints and increase blood flow to the muscles. Stretching the muscles prepares them for physical activity and prevents injuries. The warm-up is also a good opportunity for an individual to prepare themselves mentally for the game ahead and for a team to work together prior to the start of the game. Source: http://www.nsmi.org.uk/articles/injury-prevention/warming-up.html The Warm-Up of the Champions is divided into two parts; the Initial Warm-Up and the Main Warm-Up. If you have very limited time, do the Main Warm-Up only. Do these exercises with as little rest as possible but do not sacrifice speed for quality. Let's get started! --- Initial Warm-Up --- Huggers (16) - With your feet shoulders width apart, raise your arms straight like a T and act like you are hugging someone. Alternately switch your left hand over right to right hand over left for a total of 16 repetitions. This exercise is great for warming-up the chest and shoulder muscles. Wrist Rolls (8) - Clasp your hands near your chest and rotate your wrist 8 times in a forward motion and then 8 times in a backward motion. Polka Stretch (8) - Step your right foot a couple of inches forward and land on your heels. Make sure you have a slight bend on the left knee but keep your right leg as straight as possible. Bend at the waist and reach your right foot with your left hand in a controlled manner making sure the abs are tight and your back is straight. Repeat with the other leg and then alternate again to complete the 8 repetitions. Leg Swings (8/8) - Grab a chair or lean on a wall and swing your right leg all the way up to your waist in a controlled manner. Swing your leg in a backward motion and repeat this for 8 times. Afterwards, Face the chair or the wall and swing your right leg with an in and out motion for 8 times. Repeat the whole sequence with the other leg. Fire Hydrants (4/4) - Get down to your knees on all fours and bend your right foot up. Move your right hip in a circular motion inward for 4 times and reverse the motion for 4 times also. Afterwards, do the same thing on the other side. Scorpions (4) - Lie down on the floor with arms extended like a T. Bend your right foot up and carefully reach your left hand with your right foot by twisting your right side of the body. Do this for 4 repetitions and then do the same thing for the other side. --- Main Warm-up --- Run in Place (16) - Bring your right knee up to the height of your waist while you bring your left hand forward at the same time. Repeat the same thing on the other side by creating a running motion for 16 times. Jumping Jacks (16) - Bring your feet together and place your hands on side. Slightly bend your knees and jump a few inches from the floor. You will simultaneously lift your arms up and try to clap above your head. Jump back to your starting position and repeat for 16 times. Twist and Pivot (16) - With your feet shoulders width apart, pivot both of your feet 45 degrees to the right. Bring your hands to the height of your chest and flare your elbows out. You will twist your torso to the left while you also pivot your feet 45 degrees to the left. Repeat this movement for 16 times. Arm Circles (8) - Raise your arms straight like a T and close your fist halfway leaving your thumbs out. Point your thumbs forward and create a circular motion for 8 times. Afterwards, point your thumbs backward while still maintaining the half-closed fist and create a circular motion for 8 times. Chest Openers (8) - While still maintaining the half-closed fist with thumbs out, place both ends of the finger on your temple while flaring your elbows out. Bring your elbows close to each other without losing contact from your finger and temple. Repeat this movement for 8 times. Double Knee Pull (8) - Bring up your right knee to the height of your waist. Grab your right knee with two hands and carefully pull the knee towards your chest twice. Switch knees and do the same movement while alternating for 8 times. Double Pigeon Pull (8) - Bring up your right knee to the height of your waist but this time, flare your knees outward. Grab your right foot with both of your hands and carefully pull it towards your chest twice. Switch feet and do the same movement while alternating for 8 times. Double Quad Pull (8) - Curl your right foot and grab your ankle with your right hand. Carefully pull your ankles towards your lower back twice. Switch feet and do the same movement while alternating for 8 times. _ After you have completed the warm-up, rest for a few minutes and you are now ready to start with your workout. How did you find this warm-up routine? I would like to hear them from you. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ Me and my best friend had a blast once again for shooting two videos in one day. We both had busy lives and our schedules didn't usually match because we belonged to different careers. We were both amazed with the finished product that we had done because the ideas in the video were conceptualized on the same day of its production.
the conclusion that I can loosen up a bit and not be as stiff as a board so that my readers will not get bored easily. Having a different perspective now makes me try to do a lot of things some of which I didn't imagine myself capable of doing so. Therefore without further ado, here's our Stephen Curry Rexona Commercial 2017 Parody. Enjoy! Credits to Rexona Philippines and The NEW My Julia Advertising & etc. for the original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvOTBTs4kgo Thumbs up if you LIKED it and Share if you LOVED it! Until then, stay tuned! ☺ I would never forget the post of one of my fitness inspirations, Steve Weatherford, a Super Bowl champion and fitness enthusiast, on Facebook in 2015. He said: 24 hours 1440 minutes 86400 seconds This is the only thing that is fair in life... Every person gets the same amount of time in a day. How you use it is entirely up to YOU. Isn't it amazing how we all have 24 hours per day, yet some of us are way ahead in life? How and why is it possible? Steve also mentioned in his post that there are two ways on how we can use our time. You can either INVEST or SPEND it. An investment yields a return. You will receive more after an investment. If you spend it, you will never get anything back. Turning off the TV, phone, and computer while engaging with your family and friends is one form of investing because it will nurture your relationship. Other forms of investment are:
While going to drive thru's, watching TV, partying, hitting the snooze button and sleeping in are forms of not spending time wisely. As I close this topic, I would like to add the quote at the end of Steve's post; "Don't count the days, make the days count! You have 1 life to live. One opportunity to build the life you have always wanted. Don't waste it spending your time, invest your time doing the hard things NOW! Make those conscious decisions part of who you are. The hardest part is starting. Once you create those habits, it's not something you have to think about, you just DO IT because that is your habit!" You could follow Steve Weatherford on Facebook here And check out his Arm Training Program here Now who's motivated to workout? I know I am! Until then, Stay tuned! ☺ Some of my life's great ideas come when I am washing the dishes. I remember when I was young, my mother used to scold me and my brother for not washing the dishes properly. I actually hated it because I didn't have the concept of constructive criticism that time and I didn't want someone raising their voice on me. What I did was, I remembered what my mother used to scold me about: "Are the plastic containers still oily?" - I wash them with soap twice or thrice to get that good squeaky clean sound. "Are there traces of hardened food bits on the plates?" - I make sure to let those plates soak in water for a while and thoroughly scrub it after a couple of minutes. "Is the kitchen top dry?" - I always remember to wipe the kitchen top after washing the dishes. "Are there no traces of water when returning the dishes back?" - I make sure to wipe them dry with a clean towel before returning them to their corresponding place. If there is a dish washing competition, I can humbly say that I will win it! I'd be the overall champion in different cleanliness categories. Why do I have the confidence to say that? Because I did everything to be the best in that area. Which brings me to the lesson I want to remind myself and share with everyone that you will be great if you keep giving your best in everything you do in life. Funny thing is, my brother and I used to point fingers on who's going to wash the dishes when we were young. That was why my mother made a schedule on who's going to wash the dishes during lunch time and dinner time. Today, I am most happy to volunteer to wash the dishes because I have come to loved it. I even play a background music while washing the dishes to make it even more interesting. ♫ The second lesson I've learned is that you should do things you hate gradually and in time, you would find that you'd be looking forward to doing those things. It also reminded me when I was
The final lesson I want to share is to make things interesting while doing them even though you hate or dread them. Like the example when I was doing the dishes, I listen to music and before I know it I have already finished washing them in a breeze because I was engrossed with the beautiful melody. Another thing I love to do when washing the dishes is to evaluate my life goals or think of ideas that will improve my life. Interestingly, the idea of creating a website named Habit Whisperer came up from, you guess it, washing the dishes. To summarize; 1. Give your best in everything you do in life. 2. Do things you hate gradually and in time, you will find that you'll be looking forward to doing those things. 3. Make things interesting while doing them even though you hate or dread them. Remember these three lessons and you'll be surprised how your life will become much easier. I was surprised by how as simple as washing the dishes has taught me valuable lessons in life. Do you know someone who hates washing the dishes? Show this to them and they might have a change of heart. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ The best time to workout is like a war between two opposite factions. One says it's better to workout in the morning, the other one says it's better in the evening. Do I think there is a third faction? Maybe? I believe they are the ones who workout in the afternoon. Peter (blue): I believe working out in the afternoon solves both your problems. After the dust has settled and the smoke has cleared, maybe it is time to find out when is the best time to workout by analyzing each schedule's pros and cons. *Disclaimer: these are all based on my personal experience. Working out in the morning: Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Despite having one con higher than working out in the evening, I prefer working out in the morning because it has been a habit that I've been doing ever since. Do I never workout in the evening? The answer is no and that is because the key to what I am trying to explain is, workout when it is very convenient for you. There are days when my schedule doesn't allow me to workout in the morning that is why being flexible is also beneficial. The take away lesson here is find a schedule that will fit your lifestyle and stick to it. You can also experiment for 30 days or so to see if you're better as a morning exerciser or an evening exerciser. Let me know when is the best time for you to workout. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “Just like in bodybuilding, failure is also a necessary experience for growth in our own lives, for if we're never tested to our limits, how will we know how strong we really are? How will we ever grow?” I am very fortunate to have been introduced to weightlifting and exercise at a very young age but I've dreaded training to failure because it made my muscles hurt and sore for days. Times have changed now and I've been incorporating training to failure on some days just to push the limit of what my body is capable off. Not so long ago, I was afraid to tell my stories of failure to my family and friends. I was embarrassed that I've experienced such events in my life. But come to think about it now, there were a lot of wonderful lessons to be learned after failing. I've watched a School of Greatness interview of Sara Blakely, the owner of Spanx. The vibe of that woman is very refreshing and inspiring. She sold fax machines door-to-door before for seven years and one day she thought that this wasn't going to be the story of her life forever that was why she pursued the idea she had before about a comfortable women's undergarment and the rest as they say is history. She is now running one of the most successful and well-recognized brands in the world. If you want to know more about her story then you should watch the full interview by Lewis Howes below. (her smile really captivated me to watch this interview) During their back and forth conversation, Lewis mentioned that he thought a movie, a couple of years ago was about her life. Sara said it almost was minus the dysfunctional family and they both had the laugh. The movie they were talking about was titled Joy. It was a biographical comedy-drama film, written and directed by David O. Russell and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, about whom the story was loosely based as a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire. The movie was very inspirational because I could relate with the countless failures of the protagonist in the story. In the end, she also became successful after going through a lot of ups and downs in her life. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill I believe the common characteristic between Sara Blakely, Joy Mangano, and every successful person in this world is having the courage to get up after a defeat. That for me is one of the biggest lessons I've learned and I'd like to share it with everyone. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ I was feeling nostalgic yesterday. I didn't know why but one of my thoughts told me to watch the movie Watchmen again. For some reason I thought this was a Marvel movie but I was surprised to see the logo of DC Comics in the opening credits. I hadn't finished the 3 hour movie yet but I could tell that I understood the movie better now than when it was released before. When I was about to sleep, the chorus of Make Damn Sure by Taking Back Sunday kept playing in my head and I was quite surprised also that I still knew some of the lyrics. I rewatched the music video on YouTube this morning and I thought I'd take you on a trip down my memory lane. This blog post was inspired from the devotion I read today from The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer. She said: "It is easy for us to get caught up in looking at how far we have to go in reaching our goals instead of celebrating how far we have come." It really rang a bell inside me because I had been busy chasing my goals and checking every item on my never-ending to do list but I still felt unhappy to where I was now. This reminded me that sometimes, I just needed to look back from where I've started to see how much I've improved ever since. The music I've shared earlier was a reminder from my college days that I was a very emotional teenager. I've listened to emo songs, rock songs, and screaming loud songs because I didn't know how to express myself with everyone. I always felt different and needed to have my own space. Those songs were outlets of my anger that I couldn't explain back then. In 2009, I found K-pop (Korean pop music) and that opened up a new level of weirdness. Imagine listening to an upbeat and catchy song but you couldn't understand the lyrics because it was of different language. Despite the weirdness, I still listened to a lot of K-pop songs and since YouTube was blossoming also at that time, K-pop videos were easy to find. This was the period where I felt very accomplished because I did good since transferring to a culinary school and I was ready to take on the kitchen industry. Gee by Girls' Generation and My Heaven by Big Bang were two of my first K-pop music videos that I've listened to. If there's one song that could summarize my work experience from 2014 to 2015, it would be the song Love U More (RAC Remix) by Sunday Girl. It was very memorable for me because I remembered that most of us from Todd English Food Hall Manila would dance to that beat even though we were busy. (Your dance moves would never be forgotten Chef Ryan de Jesus!) This year, I can't think of a more fitting soundtrack of my life than the opening song of Attack on Titan Season 2. It depicts one's struggle in the song intro but you can tell that it will lift you as the song builds up through the chorus. Shinzou wo Sasageyo by Linked Horizon My life isn't perfect... it has a lot of ups and downs but despite that, I am glad I've encountered these trials because they helped me to become a better person. No matter where you are in life right now, it pays to look back to where you've started. Only then can you realize how far you've come in this wonderful journey called life. Thank you for joining me on a trip down my memory lane and the chance to share my life's music with you. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ |
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My name is Gelo Amurao. I created the Habit Whisperer because of my desire to help people improve themselves, by creating one good habit at a time. Archives
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