More Intro Ideas

This book is not intended to be the be-all-end-all book on fitness. If you want a top-notch book on fitness, you will be pointed there later. If you want specifics on nutrition, there are experts I will direct you to read. This is a book from a person in the trenches of having a typical desk job who lingering in my middle-ages with lots of responsibility in and out of work. This book is designed to help you figure out how you can work fitness into your regular life and why you really want to. It is designed to help you get your mind straight.

It is intended to be a big part of your arsenal in learning how to live a healthy life. I encourage everyone to read others books and articles on fitness when they can. There is something to be gained from every approach. In this book, there will be some excellent resources that I will point you too to help increase your knowledge.

So who will benefit from this book? Just about anyone looking to get fit and hopefully that is you.

Book Intro Idea

A lot of the things that ail you are directly related to the things you eat and the things you do. The extra weight you carry around in the form of unwanted body fat is killing you. You already know that. You know that extra body fat leads to increased chance of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers. I am not going to beat that into your brain any more than you already know from reading the news or watching TV. But what you may not realize is the extent it is affecting your life right now. Excess fat on your body affects your mental health, your self-image, your sex life, your complexion, the effectiveness of your immune system, your energy levels and much more. It can make you more irritable, indirectly affect your relationships, affect your sleep and impact your overall happiness.

I am not a full-time fitness professional. I am a full-time engineer that works in an office. I have a busy job, a lovely wife I want to keep a great relationship with, two kids to take and pick up from school, couple dogs, house and bills .... you get the idea. I used to be very overweight. I wasn't the biggest guy in the world, but I had over 65 pounds to lose and I had to figure out how I can keep living my life but still be really healthy. I do not live at a gym. I have to plan and make things work in my everyday life so being fit doesn't detract from my life ... it has to add to it. It is an investment. The time and energy invested has to be more beneficial to me and my family outside of just looking better.

I present this free book as a practical perspective on fitness.

The goal of this book is to inspire and guide you to making permanent changes to your lifestyle which will improve nearly every area of your life.

I want to help people understand the importance of eating well and exercise at a level where thinking about it comes naturally. I had to figure out what can work within the framework of my life and I think I found a lot of things that can help any person trying to get in shape and stay in shape forever. You will be in shape for the rest of your life because you will have the desire, the know-how and a deep understanding why you want to be in shape.

I want everyone to know that there is not a single person that cannot reach the level of fitness they want. If you are saying to yourself you can't really get lean, you are lying to yourself. We haven't even discussed the specifics, but I am telling you that I believe in you. No matter what age, what your genetic makeup is, you can do it. It may sound corny and fake, but I believe it. There has not been a single person who has not been able to get to a lean physique that didn't really want it. Everyone is different and has different challenges. You may have some cards stacked against you and that only means you may have to work harder. It does not mean you cannot get there ... ANYONE can! Ask yourself, do you really want it?

Benefit: Immune System

Eating healthy and exercising only benefits your immune system. Do you get sick a few times a year or more? Eating well is not a cure-all for sure, but when you eat a good balance of good carbs, protein and fat, your body is better equipped to handle attacks on your immune system.

Personally, I noticed an enormous difference when I consciously made the decision to eats salads regularly. The salads I make are very satisfying. Usually a Greek salad with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, some feta cheese, a nice vinaigrette and olives. Throw in some tuna or chicken or some other form of protein and you are set. I used to get sick a lot more frequently before cleaning up my diet. My experience is certainly not a scientific experiment, but I know without question that my immune system functions better when eating well.

Just remembering that fact helps making eating better a habit that you enjoy ... not a chore.

UPDATE: I came across this article on CNN. It really helps explain why making the changes I did seemed to help me get sick less often. I basically can say I follow this regularly with the possible exception of green tea which I only drink occasionally. But I keep my fat intake at about 25-30% with mostly healthy fats. I take a pro biotic which gives the same effect as eating yogurt. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I exercise regularly. I take a multivitamin. I cannot stress enough that forming these habits will have huge benefits to your immune system.