New Year....more of the same crap

I think its funny how much effort the drug companies put into "solving" simple problems. Let's look at obesity. A recent article in the Orlando Sentinel (Wednesday, December 29th, 2010) talking about how a Japanese drug company is partnering with "local researchers to fight obesity".


This kind of stuff just drives me crazy:


Although most obesity drugs on the market today target the brain — in hopes of controlling a person's appetite — those types of drugs often have serious side effects, including depression. Researchers at Sanford Burnham and the Translational Research Institute are taking another approach: Trying to make a person's muscles burn more fat.

"We're looking at ways to turn on fat-burning," said Dr. Steven Smith, scientific director at the Translational Research Institute. "The idea is that we can help people lose weight by turning on the fat-burning and fat-oxidation mechanisms."


Ways to turn on fat burning? Are they serious? How about going for a run!


Listen, I'm not stupid. I am no rocket scientist but I know darn well that it is VERY hard for some people to lose weight. Some people it's very much harder than others. But, guess what people? Crap this this is why!


Let me explain.


We are reminded everyday by clever marketers how EASY weight loss is. Just try their products! Just 8 minutes per day! No diet and exercise! Take this pill! Drink this shake!


It's all CRAP!


Long term weight loss takes commitment on so many levels... SO MANY LEVELS. Pill and diets and machines don't work! What works is having a long term plan and a coach. THAT is what works.


I wish the Japanese money makers, ahem, drug companies, ahem "firm" finds a new drug to stop obesity. 


In the mean time while you're waiting for hell to freeze over try not eating sugar, walking for 60 minutes 5 days per week and doing 2 of my workouts per week. Yes, people it is that simple.

Pied Piper

I don’t know why I have the image of the Pied Piper in my mind. It really makes me laugh; the thought of it. Can you envision it?

Down the Main Street in your town is a big Gold’s Gym or Anytime Fitness banner parading down the street playing music. In droves people line up. They follow; they don’t know why, they just follow.

I think it’s the guilt that wells up after a year of 5 more pounds or another injury or that sickness that just won’t go away. We are all so vulnerable on January 1^st and the health clubs know it!

For months the clubs have been getting ready to take advantage of you. They know that you are thinking. They know what you want. They know how to make it appear like you are going to get it when you join their gym. They play their music for you to hear. They play it loud. Just like last year... you will follow. Just like last year only about 25% of you will be successful. Sigh….

I have spent MANY January’s in the health club industry. I have worked many long hours and been denied days off in the month of January. Man, the clubs know how to get people in the doors in that month. It is ALWAYS the most profitable month of the year. People are primed and ready to follow.

It’s like a revolving door though because it’s in one month and gone the next.

Every notice how there are no longer lines for the treadmill in March?

OK, you know that this is a good time of year for self reflection, right? You know that one of the first things we think of during self reflection time is….well, your reflection. Since obesity rates keep climbing I will venture a guess that most people don’t like what they see. We want to change but we don’t know how!

Then we see the ads. Yes, the big gyms spend most of their marketing budgets about RIGHT NOW.  They show images of hot bodies and excited kids and fun classes and… blah, blah, blah. You fall for it and there you are in the gym staring at all this equipment and an 18 year old with a cell phone showing you how to use it. A couple of “consultations” (Gyms with real gumption call them “Personal Training Sessions”. Grrrr….”) and you are on your own.

You are on your own. After a couple of weeks of struggle it becomes a chore because you don’t look like the models yet and you are hurt or sick or sore….

The reasons you joined the gym fade quickly. 5 days a week turns to 2 to 1 then….you stop all together.

You pay your membership for a few months because you “going back” then finally you sneak in one day and cancel. (You know they won’t let you cancel over the phone. Smart, very smart)

Does this scenario sound familiar?

What do you say you break that cycle this year?

Come to my classes. You’ll pay about the same. ($125 for 3 months of unlimited classes!) You will get personalized instruction from a FITNESS PROFESSIONAL (One day, a lady, who was trying my class, asked me what I did for a living. It was like a deer in the headlights moment: THIS is what I do for a living; I Eat and breath fitness 24/7/365. (366 on a leap year)) each and every time you walk in the door. You get daily emails. You don’t get lost in a sea of equipment and classes. You don’t have to worry about what you are going to do when you go to work out. It is programmed for you.

What I do is unique and it works. Is it hard? Hell yeah! Does it work? HELL YEAH.

The choice is up to you.

Go to a health club (again) and get lost in a sea of machines that don’t work or come join my program and develop functional fitness, loose weight and look better.

BTW, this is all guaranteed 100% or your money back.

I don’t know. I think I’ll go for the coach with the 10+ years experience that lives and breathes the fitness life over that bicep curl machine…just sayin’.

Why Santa is Fat

So Christmas is just a few days away. Most trainers are out there saying “eat this, don’t eat that, make sure to exercise…BLAH, BLAH, and BLAH”. You don’t need to hear that. You need to enjoy the season. Here is some advice that I found it cyber word. I’d give credit if I know where it came from. I think Santa Clause himself made it up…

CHRISTMAS EATING TIPS

1.  Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls. 

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas! 

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat. 

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission. 

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello? 

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog. 

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day? 

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. 

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by: 

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand and wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" 

Such good advice for the season. OK, I do have some serious advice. On Thursday, December 23rd I am again hosting the annual "12 Days of Christmas" workout in the Impact Center at the Trinity Church is Eustis. Three workout times available: 6am, 9am and noon.

Workout is FREE and open to the public. Come and join us for the coolest and most fun workout of the year!

Have a Merry Christmas a great holiday season!! 

The Secret

OK, so it’s no secret. Actually it’s not even uncommon; it’s not even something you don’t already do. It is something that you do EVERY DAY of your life. Why do you do it with certain aspects but not others? I don’t know either.

So every morning my son’s bus comes. Every morning I arrive a certain time to get his lazy butt up. Normally this takes me 10-15 minutes longer than it should. Regardless he is up and dressed and on that bus everyday at 7:46am. Well… not every day. Several times per year he misses the bus. Lately though I’ve gotten him there.

What do you do on a daily basis like this? Get to work? Eat lunch? Drink a Diet Coke? Have coffee? What is your life just happens because you have a plan and a simple system? Yeah, lots of stuff.

Another example from my life: If you were to walk into my room right now you would find my bed made. Why? Well when I get up EVERY morning I make my bed then go about my day. I do this EVERY day just like I get my kid on the bus at 7:46am.

These things happen because I plan on them happening!

Why didn’t you work out yesterday? Why did you do fast food for lunch? Why are you out of shape? Why are you overweight?

Yes, people, you DIDN’T plan otherwise? What if I went to be every night and didn’t set my alarm? Would my kid get to school on time? No! I set my alarm and have systems in place to make sure he gets where he needs to be.

Guess what? Tomorrow I will wake up, make my bed and get my kid to the bus stop. It’s already planned. What are you doing for a workout tomorrow?

What hour of the day are you dedicating to making yourself physically stronger? WHAT HOUR??
Here is what you need to do and you need to do it now. Look at the next 5 days of your life. PLAN one hour each one of those days to walk, or lift weights or attend a class or DO SOMETHING that will make you more fit.

If you haven’t tried one of my classes then you need to. They rock!

FREE week: December 27th – December 30th!

12 Days of Christmas FREE workout on December 23rd! Come give it a try! 6am, 9am or noon!

Sabotage

Do you think that everybody wants to cheer for you? Do you think that all your friends and family are going to support you and love you no matter what? You are naïve if you think that.

You will be sabotaged.

When you are down I truly believe that people are there to help. There will always be someone to lend a hand or lent a buck. When you are down people want to help you. It’s human nature to lift up those that are lower than you. It’s human nature to help others to your level.

Did you catch that last part?

People are ALWAYS going to be there for you as long as you aren’t ahead of them in some way. When you get ahead of them then the survival instinct overwhelms the process. We don’t like to be behind. We are competitive by nature. We want to win. Losing sucks. Winning at all costs is ingrained in our fabric.

I honestly don’t care if you believe me. It is the truth.

I have a client that I used to work with that was a heavy lady with a heavy husband. I remember her telling me that her husband was going to sabotage her. He didn’t want her succeeding! He didn’t want to be the fat guy with a thin wife AND he didn’t want to work hard to improve himself. She was confused. He wouldn’t do that! Sure enough; she saw it happen. “Hey, honey I picked up pizza and those chips you like!”

Alarm clocks don’t shut themselves off.

“You know you really should spend more time with the kids and me…”
You get the point. I see it all the time. Unless both partners are committed to working out, one is almost always going to sabotage.

Friends do it the same thing. “Hey, we are going to the China Buffett for lunch. Want to come?”

Here is a SHOCKER. The candy jar is always full at work. Does that stuff just reproduce?

People will offer you a hand out of sympathy and pity. I believe people in their hearts want to help. People also become jealous. People also develop envy. As soon as you go past them with your successes the game changes.

Now they want to bring you down.

Like I said I see it all the time in fitness.

Where else do you so this?

At work? You bet! It’s more obvious here. The dude down the hall wants the promotion! Who cares how close you are with he and his family. He wants the promotion and will walk all over you to get it.

What about your relationship? Some people are so unsure in THEMSELVES that they sabotage YOU so that they look like the good guy.

“I think you are going to leave me.” When someone says this to you it is sabotage. They may not think it; but it is. The thought has been planted. The seed is sewn. Eventually we can make others do what we think as long as we believe it. This is a hard fact to accept but it is true.
The real destructive relationship sabotage occurs when someone is bitter and so lonely in their lives that they want you to feel the same.

She will support you when you are hurting, yes, but as soon as you start to succeed in a relationship she will do whatever she can to bring you back down. She will ask the questions that plant the seeds. She will cast doubt when doubt is not there. She will arrive under the cover of friendship to stab you in the heart to make herself feel better about her inability to be happy and content.

Welcome to my cynical world this morning. Being positive is good. Having a good attitude is necessary for a good life. There is, however, the reality evil out there. For every fan on your sidelines there is an enemy lurking.

Sometimes evil wears a dark coat; but not always.

Sometimes evil goes to bed with you every night.

Sometimes evil smiles at you.

Sometimes evil even stares at you from the mirror.

The evil of sabotage is out there. It’s everywhere; be aware. Now I am….

Running on Empty

Today’s’ article could be considered a Part 2. Or not. Whatever. Here is the link to “Part 1”:

http://yourbestfitnesscoach.blogspot.com/2009/11/mad-as-hell.html

This was written after I had won a lame race in Clermont. I ran really slow but yet finished way ahead of the next person. Some people thought I was wrong to be mad. Most people just didn’t realize how much the quality of runners has gone to pot.

Trust me. It has. I have proof!

I ran around 67 minutes for the 10 Miler in Clermont last year. Again, most people thought that was good but I KNEW otherwise.

The other day I was digging though some old papers and I found a newsletter from the club that I used to run for: Cape Cod Athletic Club. The newsletter had some results!

Back then they used to put on 5k fun runs hosted by members of the club. The entry fee was like $3 and there was plenty of food and beer afterwards. Now, let’s be clear: There events were at people’s houses. No sponsors. No real awards. No water stations. No police escorts; just club members showing up and following arrows around the neighborhood. What follows is the top 10 from one of those fun runs:

5k Jingle Jog. December 22, 1992.
1. Scott Yakola 15:08
2. Andy Rogovin 15:54
3. Rick Copley 16:11 (I had all my hair then to!)
4. Barry Merrill 16:35
5. Ron Cavage 16:55
6. Don Bates 17:08
7. Troy Stack 17:19
8. Carl Tourjee 17:24
9. Mike Sellars 17:37
10. John Davidson 17:39

Do I need to go on?

I was in this race and others from that winter. It was cold and the courses were crappy. What is with the times? Don’t even ask about the distance. It was a legit 5k.
A few weeks ago I won the Faith Lutheran 5k in Eustis. I ran 17:56 and won by quite a bit. Where are all the runners?

When I was 19 I was obviously faster than I am now. I ran in the 15:40 range at my fastest. When I was running the circuit then Carl Toujee wasn’t any good! Ha! We all thought he was slow. 17:24? Really! Now he would win every local race and be thought of as fast.

So what happened in the last 20 years?

I grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. There was a running race every weekend all year round and there were NEVER less that 50 people in a race! Most of the bigger weekend races had 100-500 people. Why did 10 people show up for the race in Tavares a couple of weeks ago? Why did only 5 people break 20 minutes in the Faith Lutheran Race?

I have some theories. What is yours? Please leave a comment below and click FOLLOW in the upper left hand corner of the blog page!

Life 101

We are born.

Our parents love and nurture us. They take us to church. They teach us right from wrong. They make us play outside. We are taught respect and manners. We are fed healthy meals and we get plenty of exercise.

As we grow we go to school; we do well in school. Sometimes we make the honor roll and other times we don’t. We play and love sports. Our team wins the league title and vies for state honors. We graduate high school and enjoy the experience.

We go to college. We have fun and we learn. We do an internship with a big company and get great recommendations. We meet the love of our lives.

After college we find a “real job” and work our way up. We get married to the love of our life. We exercise and eat right so we are thin and fit.

The kids come. We buy a house. We have two cars and two kids. Our kids are awesome. They love us. They live the ideal lives that we lived. We marry off our kids and retire at 65 to travel and enjoy life. One day in our late 80’s or 90’s we simply go to bed one night and never wake up.

This is the ideal life.

This is a load of crap. Life is not like this for 99% of the world.

We are born. Our parents are too lazy to breast feed us so we are fed Soy based “formula” which is loaded with garbage. We pump in way to many vaccinations all at once because the drug companies make more money that way. We get sick over and over again because our immune system is totally messed up because of what I just said.

Our parents yell at us or ignore us. Our teachers aren’t fair. We get bullied. We smoke. We drink. We have sex. We get hurt. We get cut from the team. Some of us die. Some of us end up in jail. Some of us end up pregnant.

We may or may not go to college. We may even get kicked out of college. Some indeed are lucky enough to graduate and get real jobs.

We get fired. We can’t find work. Our spouse cheats. We have too many kids. We can’t have kids. We get divorced. We get cancer. We end up homeless. We declare bankruptcy. We look down one day to realize that we are 300 pounds.

OK, some do make it through their 20’s doing well. All the above can have in your 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

One day you have your fairy tale the next day the love of your life walks in and tell you he’s had a baby with another and he’s gone. Now you are single and broken hearted….

STOP.

ENOUGH.

This is even depressing ME. There are some very clear and distinct points that I want to make today. This is going to make perfect sense and YOU already know this.

Life isn’t perfect. Life is what you make it. Life can also be VERY cruel. Life can be unfair. I’m still depressing you aren’t I? Sorry. Working on my point still.

Let’s make a list. Lists are fun. Here are 5 points that I want you to take away from this article.

1. Life is not a fairy tale. You want a fairly tail? MAKE ONE! Nurture your relationships. Follow your career passions to the end of the earth. Eat right. Exercise EVERY day. Not in a job you’re passionate about? Either make it your passion or find a new career. Out of shape? Call me 352-989-6795.

2. Life is not life like the movies. The happy endings are possible yes BUT you need to come up with those yourself.

3. The world is not ideal so we can’t be idealistic. What does that mean? When we are young we can, till we are blue in the face, say “I’ll never get divorced” or “I’ll never declare bankruptcy” or “I’ll never be homeless” or “I’ll never root for the Red Sox” or whatever. The reality? Life sometimes goes crazy and you have to do what you have to do. Circumstances cannot be predicted. I don’t mean that it is OK to do the above things BUT sometimes we need to accept what life has done.

4. Learn. If we don’t learn from life then we are losing the battle AND the war. It’s OK to lose some battles BUT we can’t lose the war. A happy and good life is possible no matter what. (That is what the war is; metaphorically speaking)

5. The future is perfect. What does that mean? Whatever happened in the past is not the definition of you. The definition of you is what happens in the future. Make it a good one. It is up to you.

Don’t live your life with regrets about the past. Live your life with passion for today and anticipation for the future. Do your best to do the right things and make the right choices.

And what if bad things happen again? Well then pick yourself up and fight on. Each day is a new day. Each day has promise and hope…. and the possibility of disaster. What fun would life be if life was all promise and hope?

Need help organizing your life in a way that lowers the chances of disaster? Please call (352-989-6795) or email me (rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com). I can help. Like my article? Please comment here and share to Facebook!

My Tribute to My Dad

My dad was a great man.

Though he is now gone the memories that I have of him will live on in me forever. Not only did my father give me his name, but also he gave me everything else.

I would like to share with you today the memories of my father Richard James Copley.

My parents divorced when I was just 3. It must have been an awful time for my dad. When I was little I was living with my mom in Connecticut and my dad lived in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He made the 3 hour drive down Rte. 44 as often as he could to visit his only son for just a few moments. As I become a single parent myself I know how hard it is to not tuck in your little boy every night. I am blessed because my little boy is only 3 miles away. How torturous it must have been to him to have his little boy 3 hours and 3 states away.

He was always there for me in those years though. As I grew older he would come and pick me up so I could spend the weekend. I remember the feeling of warmth and comfort being with my father in his home on a Friday night after that long drive. I never thought in those days how much harder it was for him to drive it both ways…. and to have to put all that gas in a car that could break down at any moment.

When things were important to me they were important to my dad. When I was fascinated with the Hardy Boys series we used to go to the Hyannis Library to get some books for while I was visiting. During this time I asked him what the word “lad” meant. For a long time (I think many years) he called me “Lad”.

When I started playing sports my dad knew that he couldn’t go to all my games. He did ALWAYS go to the last game of the year when I played little league.

As the years rolled by my passion for sports grew. My dad’s passion for supporting me grew at the same rate.

I remember with pride the first day I outran my dad in a sprint. I was like 6. I remember wanting to pass the football with my dad. I know he hated it but he did it anyway. Until that I day he through an errant pass and I ran into a tree; becoming a bloody mess…. I guess his passion for sports ended at support.

That’s what I needed though. I always needed someone to cheer for me and that’s what my dad did. He became an amazing father.

He was quirky about certain things. One time he gave me a bent up shovel to clean up some trash in the basement. It took about 10 seconds for him to accuse me of bending his shovel. Really Dad?!? You gave me a bent shovel.

Another time he accused my sister Deb of drilling a hole in the porch with one of his drills. Teenage girls apparently are notorious for drilling holes in porches.

Years later I remember my dad calling the police when he couldn’t find things. He was convinced that people stole his tools. One time the police were at the house filing a report while I walked in the basement with my friend River. River picked up a drill off the workbench and said, “Hey didn’t this get stolen”. We waited for the police to leave before we told my dad. Guess he forgot to look on the work bench for his drill.
When I was old enough he started sending me bus tickets instead of picking me up. For years I rode that bus from New London to Hyannis. For years I couldn’t stop smiling as I got off the bus. I tried but I was always so happy and proud to see my dad.

For years I was an unhappy and lonely little boy trying awkwardly to find my way. From my entire childhood I can say that the moments of safety and pure joy were the moments that I spend with my father.

We never went to Disney. We never stayed in nice hotels. We never went to theme parks. We never flew anywhere. For us vacations were spent driving to Bangor, Maine or Conway, New Hampshire. The joy that I felt sleeping in a van with my dad in the woods of Millinocket, Maine I cannot express in words. While my dad didn’t provide me with lots of things and spend lots of money on me he did teach me the value of living in the moment and enjoying the gifts all around us.

While my dad didn’t always buy me “stuff” he did make sure that I got what I needed. When I wanted my first mountain bike I asked him to buy it for me. He said “no way in hell”. (Or something like that) Instead he made me work for it. For almost a month a carried ladders and slapped on paint to earn the $400 to buy a Shwin Mountain Bike.

He paid the taxes but I earned that bike.

Years later he’d help me buy my first computer the same way.

Years later he’d help me buy a car that way. My dad ALWAYS made sure that I had what I needed but ALWAYS made sure that I earned it. Thank you for that lesson Dad.

When I was 14 years old I grew fond running. I remember the first summer that I lived with him on Cape Cod. I wanted to run as many road races as I could. He apparently thought this was a fine idea. He took me to a dozen races that summer. He paid every time and never once complained about the money, or getting up early and sitting around bored while I slogged through 5 mile and 10k races. He was the ultimate supporter. Again, thank you for that Dad. This summer of running road races led to my lifelong passion for running.

Years later I remember listening to my dad when I broke up with the first girl that I dated more than a year. He told me, “time heals all wounds”. Even though I was 2000 miles away in Colorado I knew he was with me. Those words meant so much to me.

My life was falling apart then but I always knew that I had my dad for support. This fact helped me sleep at night. Just the thought of my wonderful father has always pulled me though the tough times. It worked in 1996 and then it worked again just this summer. As my dad’s life was winding down my life was falling apart again. One of the things that got me through as my marriage ended was the thought of the strength my father has shown and the supports that he has given. Sometimes words don’t even need to be said. Sometimes just that he is out there is enough. Going through life now without him is going to be a challenge. A challenge that I will be able to face knowing that he would want me to.

I lived with my mother from age 3 to 14 but always yearned to be with my father.

Finally in 1987 I moved to Cape Cod to live with my dad.
Cape Cod is where I still call “home”.

In high school I became a runner. I don’t think it is a coincidence that I finally found my identity, that I hold to this day, when I started living with my dad.

I remember the day in 1989 when my team won the state championship in cross country. As I hugged my teammates I was happy. When I hugged my dad the tears started to flow. My biggest fan was always there to show pride in me. I appreciated that Dad. Thank you.

Now and forever, coming home is going to have a different feel with my father gone. The sadness of his loss will be in part of my heart forever. I am sure going to miss him.

I could go on a lot more about the support and love that he showed through the years. I literally could go on for hours and not do this great man justice.

My father took great pride in his kids and his grandkids. He loved us all and showed in so many, many ways. He wasn’t one to give money but he was always there to meet us halfway. He couldn’t ever solve our problems but he was an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on and bearer of great wisdom.

He was always quick to offer his adult children a job or a place to stay. He was always quick to offer to help paint our houses, sheetrock a wall or loan a ladder.
I worked for him for years. He always had work for me to do and sometimes paid me well. I guess those first few years I was young and sloppy…. (I’m sure this is true and I’m sure I’ll admit to it someday…)

I am lucky. Many people don’t get a chance to say goodbye to people that are important to them. As my Dad’s health deteriorated over the last two years there were many times I wanted to tell him how I felt about him. There were many times I wanted to say my goodbyes. It is just so hard to do that to someone that is living. Finally one day last week I knew it was time.

On Friday morning I sat down at my lap top put into words what I had been thinking about all my life. I am so proud that I was able to write my dad a goodbye letter.
This is part of what I told my dad:

I said, “I am proud that you are my father. You have provided me with everything that I have every needed from a father. You have been truly all that I could ever ask for. You have taught me how to be a good person and a good man. You have taught me how to work hard and how to achieve my goals.

I am everything I am today because of you. For this I say, from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU.

Please know that I am praying for you today and every day. I am deeply saddened that I am so far away in these days when you need me more than ever. Please know that I may be far away but I am close to your heart as you are to mine. I think of you every second of everyday. I love you more than you'll ever know and I am thankful to have your name and to be your son.

I look back on my 37 years and I see you every step of the way. You there at all the good times and all the bad times. You cheered me when I was on top of the world and you supported me when my life came crashing down. You were always there. You are the most important person in my life. Again, I say thank you.

I could go on and on about the good that you did for me; the support, the love, the trust....

You will always be in my heart. I want you to know that.

I give this to you today as a good bye. Not forever but for now. You're time on this earth is coming to an end. It's OK Dad! You have done your job! You lived a great life and raised 4 amazing children. Dad - when you are ready you can go. It is your time. God is waiting for you. I will be there with you again someday.

We are all born and we all die. It's what we are in between that what matters. You have lived a life of worth and value. You have made a difference. You have loved and been loved. Now it is time to go see what else is out there. It is time to say goodbye to this trip and start the next one. It's all up you Dad. It's up to you when you want to go. Janice is going to be alright. I will make sure of it. Debbie, Karen and Lori will be OK. We have all cherished our lives with you. The end is so hard but it is necessary. Dying is part of living....

Thank you for life Dad. Thank you for everything that you have done for me. I will be thankful for you forever. You are the most amazing person that I know. I love you. You can go whenever you are ready.... you have won the race. You are the champion. You are my champion.”

I have tried today to do my best to pay tribute to my dad. My words cannot do justice to the greatness of this man’s life and his legacy.

He is the best father that I could have ever imagined.

He was an amazing husband to the love of his life Janice.

He was a remarkable grandfather to his many grandchildren.

His light shined on this earth for 69 GREAT years. He’s moved on now but his memory will be with us all forever.

To conclude I want to say thank you to my sisters Lori, Karen and Deb. I want to also offer my whole hearted thank you to Janice and to my cousins Michael, Dan and Kristen. The care you were able to give to my father over the last years of his life leaves me with a feeling of awe. I am humbled by the support that you gave him for so long. I know that it was so very hard. Thank you so much.

I hope you all were as affected in a positive way by Richard Copley as I was. Thank you all for being part of his life. He truly was a great man.

My tribute to my dad has been for you. Now I need to say something for me and…. for MY son.

Colby: I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to be to you the father that my father was to me. I will be everything you need in the good times and in the bad times. I promise to do my best to be the father that you need me to be. I am honored to have had the most amazing father in the world. Now I will carry on the legacy… my dad’s legacy.

… so that someday, many, many years from now, when my light stops shining YOU will stand in this very spot, in front of MY friends and family and say… my father was a great man.

Rick Copley – November 16th, 2010

Someones growin' a set

Recently I’ve had some spirited discussion on my Facebook page about a new regulation in San Francisco regarding the banning of the McDonalds “start obesity early” a.k.a “Happy” Meal. If you are a friend of mine you can see the comments by CLICKING HERE.

If you are not a friend then you can request to be my friend here.

The link to the article can be found by CLICKING HERE.

OK, done clicking?

This a great argument for which I have to take the side of what’s right and kinda ignore principle and politics.

I am a republican/libertarian and believe in small government. For the most part I don’t want them involved. This cannot be an all or nothing view. The government needs to help in MANY, MANY ways. We can’t just get a bunch of dudes from the bar together to go fight wars. The government does that. We all don’t come running anymore when a house is burning down. We have the government for that.

You get the drift.

Should the government really be restricting what we put into our bodies? Isn’t that our right and our choice? Yes and no.

Let’s look at a perfect example from years past. How about a battle that the government is winning; or at least not losing.

Smoking.

Smoking rates have gone WAY down. Sure there are still many morons that choose to smoke. Has the government helped to lower the rates? You bet they have!

Who else remembers smoking areas in schools, on planes, busses and airplanes? Gone, gone, gone and gone. How about taxes? A pack of smokes used to be wicked cheap. Now it is super expensive.

Do you see ads on TV anymore? Nope. The government made laws against that. I think all these regulations and taxes had the very good benefit of bringing smoking rates WAY DOWN.

I am good with that.

Now what about happy meals? Should be really give toys with a “meal” that only resembles food in smell and sight? These foods do nothing but kill you. Watch Supersize me. That dude gained 17 lbs in 30 days. Gross.

I don’t believe in too many regulations but some are needed to protect the ones that cannot protect themselves.

Sure it’s the job of the parents to feed the kids the right food. People make these mistakes and buy this crap for their kids all the time. It’s wrong. Do they have a choice? Yes. Should we as a people help them make that choice?

Yes!

Parents raise there children not to murder; true? So since the parents “got it” why bother having laws?

The food giants are taking advantage of the consumer at every level. It is a travesty and it needs to stop. What we are doing isn’t working. The government needs to step to the plate. They need to do something.

What will 90% obesity look like in this country? It’s coming if we don’t get some control. Remember the government is US. They represent the people. If these food giants are being money grubbing bullies then WE (yes, the government) need to step up and say enough is enough.

Enough is enough.

The government needs to get out of bed with the food industry and start doing what is right. We need to start outlawing chemicals like high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and red dye number whatever. Someone needs to grow a set around here.

Kudos to you San Francisco! Thank you for doing SOMETHING. What has Obama done? What did Bush do? What did Clinton do? Nothing, nothing, nothing.

A game is not one on the sidelines. Time to get in the action….

10 am to 11 am

What are you doing today 10-11am? When the clock strikes 10 is it still 9am or even 9:59am? Of course not! It’s a new minute!

Just think every hour you get 60 new minutes to work with. That’s amazing! Such potential!

My message today is going to be brief. It is going to be simple. But it is going to be powerful!

The Gettysburg address is by many considered to be one of the greatest speeches of all time. 256 words. That’s my limit today. Go.

Please leave what you did yesterday in yesterday. Leave the 9 o’clock hour in there! 10 am is a whole new hour.

We need to not let the little irritants in life stick with us. They shouldn’t! This is a choice!

Did you screw up yesterday? Fine. Don’t screw up today.

Did you make a mistake? Fine. Learn and don’t do it again.

Stress and negative emotions can cause every negative ailment known to man. Leave these things behind! Start each day with a RENEWED sense of purpose and enthusiasm!

Heck! Begin each hour this way!

What’s done is done. The future is always bright when you don’t allow the darkness of the past to rule over you!

The sun comes up whether you like it or not. Yeah, so can your attitude!

Part Three: The way it should be

OK, part three. Put your seat-belts on.

So in Part One I talked a little bit about the crap that I ate at lunch when I was a school boy. Part Two featured the crap that my son eats for lunch in 2010. Fantastic stuff. Neither one of us enjoyed simple nutrition at lunch time. No kidding.

Today I want to tell you how our kids CAN eat a healthy supportive meal at lunch time. It’s really pretty simple. Does it really matter… uhhhhh YEAH!!

Kida are fatter today than 5 – 10 – 20 – whatever, years ago. Is this fact open for argument?

Is it because of school lunches? Even I am not naïve enough to believe that is the sole or even the main cause. I do, however, think that it matters and that it is a factor.

Let’s look at two ways that can help our kids to eat a lunch that enriches and nourishes their bodies.

Brown bag it. OK, you don’t send your kid with a brown bad anymore. Technology allows for more efficient lunch packing. They sell lunch boxes at Wal-mart and Target. You can get a simple ice pack there as well.

OK, so what do you put in their new shiny lunch box?

Drink: Water. NO THEY DO NOT NEED JUICE OR SODA OR MILK. Please. They need water to live. End of story.

Snacks: Fruit is AWESOME! Lots of energy and nutrients! An apple perhaps; or a banana. (If you send a banana make sure it is protected. Banana and ice packs do not go well together!!) Also you should include some veggies. What kid would not like a sliced up cucumber or green pepper in his lunch box? Fantastic! A few handfuls of nuts it GREAT as well! Good protein and fats to keep the energy up!

Lunch: Tupperware rules. Leftovers with brown rice, veggies and some meat will help them to have energy for the rest of the day! How about a salad with some beans? Mmmm. A sandwich is acceptable at long as it doesn’t involve mayo or white bread. A turkey sandwich with mustard, tomatoes and lettuce is a good option. Tasty and nutritious!

Dessert: NO DESSERT NEEDED! HA! We want to be nutritious not destructive!

Notices there are no pretzels or potato chips or pasties or candy? No soda! No juice! No white bread! No micro wave! Support their bodies with healthy food!

Now you know how to pack your kids lunch. It’s easy and it’s simple. Pack it the night before and send it off in the morning. You could add so much quality you your kid’s lives by doing this. Now do it!

So that can the school do? Does it really matter?

The school systems for the most part of so indoctrinated into the governments corrupt food system that it doesn’t matter what I say.

In a perfect world here is what the school do:

1. Eliminate milk and chocolate milk. REALLY?? Do baby cows go to your kid’s school??

2. As a matter of fact the only fluid the schools should serve is WATER!

3. Home make all the food! Crazy I know that cafeterias COOK food. This may cost a fraction more but why not? How about a salad bar? That’s craziness. Pure craziness.

4. A piece of grilled chicken, brown rice, veggies and a piece of fruit. Uhh… doesn’t this just make sense?

5. Eliminate all food items that suck. Tater tots? Pizza? Get real people. This garbage they serve in the school systems isn’t food. Its profits for the food industrial complex. Would it be so bad to support local farmers and not Phillip Morris and Nabisco?

Is it really the truth that the ones in charge of our kids nutrition are the food companies and the kids?

The kids? Yes, the kids.

I know what people will say. “My Jonny won’t eat whole wheat bread” , “My Jennifer likes her milk”, ”Brown rice is so bland”….. blah, blah, blah. Whatever.

The kids “needs” are nutrition and nourishment. Their wants are candy and beige foods. Who’s in charge anyway; you or your kids?

The argument that the kids have a choice to eat well is ridiculous. You put an apple or a piece of candy in the face of a kid it’s candy all the way. They don’t think like little adults; they think like kids. We need to be the adults and make that choice for them.

Would you specifically like help with your diet or the diet or your children? I can help you. I can come to you and design a custom menu for you and the kids that will support and enrich. Please simply send me an email or visit my website and we can set up a custom consult: rick@yourbestfitnesscoach.com .

Set a goal this week to do something to empower you and the kids to do better. Even if it’s just one meal. A set in the right direction is a step in the right direction!

Do your best. This is the one thing that you can always do.

School Lunch: Part 2, Colby does lunch

My kid. Your kid. Our kids. We send them off to school with money for lunch. The theory in my mind is that since, well, it’s SCHOOL, they will be informed and have some good choices to make at lunch time. In my mind the choice they get is carrots or broccoli, brown rice or baked potatoes, chicken or turkey…

Yeah, no, this isn’t the choice they get.

In Lake County it’s a choice between crap and healthy food.

Food laced with sugar and addictive chemicals or healthy food.

Food that makes them feel GOOD (at least for a while) and healthy food.

What choice is your kid making? I’m not even going to pretend my kid makes the right choice. He surely does not. What the heck??

In my sons school system there ARE HEALTHY OPTIONS! Salad and fruit is available. Do you really think a 10 year old going to choose salad over pizza? I… don’t….think….so.

What kid is choosing steamed corn over tacos? How about celery over pizza? That’s the choose Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Friday it’s Hot Dog or Hamburger. Mmmmm.. nutritious. No choice needed there apparently. By the way, this is all online:

http://lake.k12.fl.us/16511031095838583/lib/16511031095838583/October_Elementary_2010.pdf

What do we put our kids on the bus to do?

Really. Think about this. Do we put them on the bus to go sit for 6 hours and be bored and hate school? Do we send them off to learn or not?

At the end of the day what is the most important thing?

I mean THE most important thing. How about our health! Learning math and social studies is vital I do know. What good are they when you are dead at 50 from a heart attack?

I would argue that our health is the most important thing in the world. School is such a fantastic platform to teach our kids how to eat.

Instead we feed them pizza and get them addicted to crap.

So sad.

The overly processed and artificially flavored foods are good for several things. First off, and most important, of course, is that there foods are cheap and SOMEONE is making a wicked profit.

OHHH – KAY.

Maybe that really isn’t THE most important thing but doesn’t it seem like it?

What else? Yeah, the kids love the food! You wouldn’t want the kids unhappy, right? You wouldn’t want them complaining about all this healthy food! (You know they would!)

So the food fills them up because they like it. It gives them energy for a while so they can finish the day. Wahoo!

Of course it’s devoid of any and all nutrients and it puts them on the road to obesity, diabetes and heart disease…

So to sum up today’s article I will make three points.

1) The kids do have a choice but my guess is that they aren’t making the right choices because they are kids and not mini adults. The will take taste over healthy 10 out of 10 times.

2) The school and the governments are lap dogs to the food industry. Watch “Supersize Me”. There are school systems out there that make all their food from scratch and it doesn’t cost any more. It is a sad sham!

3) You should send your kid to school with a brown bag lunch. I’ll talk about that in Part 3.

The same people that supply our kids with lunch everyday also supply the prisons with food. That’s fantastic. Or not….

School Lunch: Part 1

School Lunches: Part 1, Rick does lunch

I remember school lunch was as a time to be social and stuff my face with as much food as time would allow. I honestly have no idea what I ate for lunch was I was in elementary and middle school. I remember liking it though so it must have been bad for me. I do remember a teacher once telling me that pizza was the healthiest food in the world because it had the all the food groups. Oh boy…

I remember exactly what I ate in high school.

Of course I drank milk. Why in the world would they serve pasteurized cow milk to kids in school? Are we insane? Are out kids calfs? Do we really NEED to fatten them up?

The low grade milk that we serve our kids at lunch is ridiculously unhealthy.

OK, milk to drink. Then it was some sort of steakum type, thin mystery meat dealio with 2 packets of mayonnaise. I’m pretty sure I had two of those. Awesome. I believe I put pepper on it as well. Oh that is so gross. Yep. That is that I ate five days per week for 4 years.

But wait there is more.

That cost a buck twenty five. Oh what to do with my 3 quarters left over?

You know it. I bought three nutty bars.

Really? Are there nuts in those things?

OK, look at what I had for lunch. Any nutrition there? Nope. I was an athlete. You’d think I would have had a clue. Apparently not.

Lots of calories. Good for me as an athlete but what about people that weren’t athletes. I was in high school in the late 80’s and early 90’s. This is about the time that the obesity levels started to sky rocket.

Nutty bars or an apple. Hmmmm…

I wanted taste and quantity. I made horrific choices because I could. Do you think your kids are making better choices? You tell me.

I can remember enjoying lunch. I can also remember crashing big time towards the end of the day. By the time 2pm came around I was snoozing! Somehow I managed to run everyday. I’m sure I was surviving on the undigested bread and mayonnaise that was festering in my belly. Yuck!

I have no idea what the choices were for lunch at my school. I found what I liked and that is what I ate everyday. That’s what your kids are doing I’m sure. What does your $2 buy our kids. Part two will look at what kids in Lake County are eating. Yum!

Ben does life

On January 1^st 2009 Ben was 358 pounds.

He was sad and depressed.

His girlfriend left him.

He was lonely and his life was not what he wanted it to be.

One day he went for a run. 358 pounds and he went for a run. It wasn’t a long run. It wasn’t a fast run. It was what a 358 pound man could do for a run. It was slow and painful.

The next day he did it again.

Ben became inspired.

By February 1^st he had lost 24 pounds. Whatever his inspiration and motivation was didn’t matter. Ben had the fire. He had the desire.

He ran a 5k and was so happy and proud that he did more races and eventually completed a triathlon.

Ben was not done. In 6 months he had lost 100 pounds. He had lost the weight but found himself. Now he wasn’t satisfied and wanted more so he became a marathoner. Yeah, the 358 pound guy lost weight and did the Boston Marathon. That’s just awe inspiring.

Then something happened.

In 11 months he lost 140 pounds. Then came the setbacks. He gained almost 30 pound by the first of the year. In one year he had lost 140 pounds but gained back 30. He was going in the wrong direction.

Ben became inspired again.

So inspired in fact that he signed up for an Ironman.

On August 29^th, 2010 Ben, as a 245 pound man who was 113 pounds lighter then he used to be, stood on the starting line of Ironman Louisville with 3000 other people. Of course one of them was me. For the next 17 hours one by one 500 of those 3000 people would quit. For whatever reason all these people didn’t make it to the finish line in 17 hours.

I made it.

About 6 hours after I finished…. Ben made it.

On this proud day I heard the words “…you are an Ironman”. The words were sweet. I cannot fathom how sweet they were for Ben.

A man who overcame the odds to finish the hardest race in the world. Ben went from a depressed 358 pound man to an Ironman in 22 months.

What a fantastic story.

Wow.

Click here to watch the video. Be inspired.

Ultimate Fitness in 50 Words

Eat often

Small meals as close to nature as possible

Nothing artificial

Nothing processed

Protein at every meal

Fruit early, veggies late

All fluid consumed should be water

Exercise every day

Do intense exercise two + days per week

Get lots of sun and avoid toxic substance on your skin

Run

I went for a run just yesterday. I ran for an hour in the semi-cool but yet insanely humid southern swamp like air. The grass was wet and it took about 30 seconds for my socks to be sopping. No worries though. I was running.

My thoughts on this day were in one place and one place only: Running.

Now, mind you, I’m not talking about running is the actual sense. I am talking about running is the figurative or shall I say metaphoric sense.

Running from or running to. Running away and running towards. Success and failure. Joy and hurt. The choices that we make.

When I run I don’t listen to music. I allow and encourage thoughts to come at me like ocean waves. Some slow and gentle and others quicker and more destructive. I run and allow the thoughts to be what they may; calm or upset.

Now I am going to see if I can get some of my thoughts here on this keyboard. You can be the judge.

We run. You run. I run. We run to and away. We run far. We run a little. We turn back. We run and don’t look back. It’s human nature to run. It’s fight or flight. It’s wrong or right. It can be both. We run to survive. We run to live. We hurt others when we run. Sometimes we care. Other times we don’t. We run for ourselves and we run for others.

We run away because we are scared.

We run to because we are hopeful.

Why are we scared?

Think about when you ran. Really. We have all run from something. What did you run from? What good came out of it? Who did you HURT? Did you care? Did you run from a job? One day everything is fine and you are content and the next day you quit and nobody can talk you out of it. Maybe you ran from school. Maybe you ran from a commitment of some sort. How about a marriage? How many of us are married and content one day but running the next day. (My hand is up.)

We run because we are scared. We run because we are afraid of success or we are afraid of failure. Rarely do we admit the whole fear of failure cause but it is there. It certainly is. Trust me.

People run from exercise all the time. It’s ironic I know. One week you work out and eat well the next you are running and hiding because you are scared. It drives me crazy. It is, however true.

What about running to? Here we have the good running! Running to someone or to something. Sometimes it’s too much but sometimes the running shows motivation, spirit and determination. No regrets here!

Sadly, more often than not we run from and not to.

Is running away bad? Not necessarily. Often though is certainly is.

Running away from something can often represent giving up. Sometimes you don’t fully give something a chance before you run and don’t look back.

We have all done this.

I want this to be short and to the point today.

Think before you run. Run when you have to. Bolt if you need to but do it for the right reasons. Always ask yourself, “Is running all that I have left”. If it is the only way then run with all your heart and don’t look back. But is running all you have left? Are you going to hurt someone? Yourself maybe?

Think before you run at or to something or someone. Remember that you can always be hurt by your own enthusiasm and vigor.

The question remains: How do you know? How do you know if running away or running to is right or wrong? You don’t know.

The not knowing is what makes our lives so amazing.

I say risk on the side of risking. If you are not sure how something is going to turn out; stick it out. Try staying with the fitness program that makes you sore. Sign up for that next race even though the last one didn’t go so well. Trust and follow your heart.

I don’t have all the answers and neither do you. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring and neither do you. I do know one thing. I know how to run away and I do know how to run to for I have done both. Every time I run to I feel good and I have no regrets. I can’t say the same for the running away part.

Take this as you will. Remember that life is a journey. When it’s all said and done it’s not the things we do that we will regret. When we are near the finish line it’s the “what if’s” that will occupy our thoughts.

Live each day with passion and if you’re not running to something phenomenal then make your runs the kind that require to lace up and do a tick check when you are done. Just sayin’…

The Fat Kid

Kids are fat nowadays.

Do I need to look up the statistics? I don’t think so. It doesn’t take a slick pie chart to state the obvious.

Our children are getting fatter and fatter every year. Why is that? How do we reverse the trend?

I am glad that you asked because I am going to tell you.

I was driving into the office this morning and I heard something on the radio that kind of made me laugh. I think it was Taylor Swift (who made like $45 million last year, just sayin’…) was doing some sort of fundraiser or awareness campaign to “fight childhood obesity”. That’s ridiculous. She has no idea how to do that. I’m sure that whomever she’s raising money for has no idea either. Rest assured someone is going to make a financial killing by using her name. It all goes back to the money.

When I was in middle school there I was friends with a kid named Tom Collins. He stands out to me today because he was fat. Yep, he was “the fat kid”. If you’re over the age of 30 I’m sure you remember “the fat kid”. Why do you remember this? Yep, there was only one. Tom was “the fat kid” in school.

When I was a freshman in high school I was in a new school. There was a girl named Vanessa. She was the fat girl. I guess there were a few others when I was in high school but Vanessa stands out for the same reason Tom did. Why, you ask? Well both of them left school in the spring one year and came back on the fall THIN! That’s right. Fat didn’t suit them. They didn’t want to stand out any more as the fat kids and took care of that problem.

These days the skinny kids stand out…

So there are two glaring issues here. Why are our kids so fat and how do we reverse the trend? Shockingly I have my theories. I know, surprised, eh?

Kids are fat because of money; simply as that. So many people make so much money because our children are fat. That’s the simple answer.

Kids stay fat because people don’t know how to make them healthy again. Our instant gratification, everyone needs to make a buck society won’t allow it.

This is ramping up to be a very long blog post. Whatever. Read on my friends. Read on.

So who benefits from our kids being fat and unhealthy? The food and drug companies perhaps?

Did you know the four biggest food companies are: Tyson, PepsiCo, Nestle and Kraft? Now you do. Presumably the biggest food companies supply the most food and make the most money. Can you think of a single healthy thing these companies put on our table? Neither can I.

OK, stick with me here.

When kids are fat they have more asthma, “ADD”, diabetes, etc. Do I need to look up statistics here? No I don’t. Do said sick kids need drugs? You bet they do. (OK, not really, but that isn’t the scope of this article)

OK, so fat kids eat more food thus the food companies make more money and they are now sicker so the drug companies make more money.

Is it overly cynical to believe they know EXACTLY what they are doing? You decide.

Over the last couple of months I have had several conversations with people about kids that are overweight. Young kids that are overly tall and heavy. Some of the parents are fit and active and some are not. The common theme is that the kid is like 10 and 130 lbs. Not a good thing. We didn’t have this problem 20 years ago. Why now?

It comes down to the two basics. The kids are eating the wrong foods and they aren’t getting enough exercise.

Let’s look the eating part first.

Kids are not little adults. They don’t understand things like we do.

This morning I was getting my 10 year old off to school. We were late and rushing. He goes to the fridge and grabs a foiled package. Before he slipped it into his back pack I stopped him. “What is that?”

Yeah, I knew what it was and I didn’t wait for him to answer.

“You are NOT bringing that to school.”

It was a big ol’ Nestle crunch bar.

“But, Dad, I get hungry during the day.”

As much as my son has been around ME you’d think he’d get the point by now. Kids really do think that a chocolate bar is going to relieve their hunger. Oh man. Yeah, it’s our fault.

Kids want to be instantly gratified just like we do. They learn it from us! Plus they are flooded day and night through the TV with ads and images that perpetuate the myth that we need sugar, caffeine and beer to get through the day. OK, maybe not the beer for the kids. They are being set up for that later.

So let’s reset here shall we? Kids are fat today. They are fat because they eat the wrong foods because they don’t know any better. Plus fat is now normal. Yeah, my kids a little over weight but so are all the other kids.

Eating is only half the story.

Obviously, our kids don’t get enough activity. When I was a kid I played either freeze tag or kickball at recess EVERYDAY. No teacher EVER told us to do this. The games were organized and played because there were no iPods and Nintendo DS’s. Just sayin’. I had PE class 2-5 days per week where we did warm-ups that involved running and jumping. We played organized and games and COMPETED. It was hard and we worked up a sweet. After school I rode my bike or walked to my friend’s house and we build forts, played war and explored. During sports seasons I wrestled and played baseball.

What kid does this now?

My kid comes home and watches the Discovery Channel and plays on Facebook. He is thin and very fit so we must have done something right BUT most kids these days are not.

We live in a different world now and our kids are paying the price; so are we.

How can we reverse this whole trend? We can’t; plain and simple we can’t. We can stop the bleeding though.

The food and drug industry I believe is to blame for the whole ball of wax. They make food that tastes great, lasts from now on, addicts or children and then sells us drugs to make everything better.

The profit margins for food and drugs these days are fantastic. Billions of dollars are spend every year designing and marketing new food and drugs. What is the goal? Health? You are already on drugs if you believe THAT.

The food and drug industries are mandated by stockholders to MAKE MONEY. You and I and our children are paying the price.

How much money do you suppose is spend on marketing and developing healthy food? Broccoli is broccoli; can’t make money there. You can, however, put SpongeBob on a box of gummy bears and sell it to my kid. Awesome. No, it’s sad really.

There are only two solutions to this massive problem. It can either start at the bottom or start at the top.

The top means the government. Yeah, they can actually care and do something about this mess. Show of hands: Who thinks that most elected officials don’t have the stones to stand up to the food and drug industrial complex? Soooo that’s not going to work.

The only other option is to work from the ground up. Yeah, that’s you and me.

“No, I’m not buying you soda.”

“No, you don’t need ice cream after dinner.”

“You can have an apple for a snack.”

“But Billy’s parents let him have candy after school.”

“ Billy’s fat.”

“You’re playing a sport. You pick.”

“But I don’t like whole wheat bread. I want white bread.”

“Let’s see how starving suites you.”

“You can watch TV for 1 hour after our walk around the block…. 6 times.”

Do you get the picture? It’s the little things everyday that make a big difference. You aren’t going to thin your kid out over night but you will if you hold yourself and them to a higher standard. Trust me. Once you start it will be like a snowball.

What follows is a plan. It’s a plan of attack that will keep (or make) your kid healthy, fit and productive. Don’t expect them to jump up and down for joy when you start implementing the plan. They may or may not get it in the next few years. Stand up to them though. Love them by making the right choices for them.

1. Educate yourself and your kids. Make them watch “Supersize Me”. TELL them that broccoli will make them big and strong. Make stuff up if you need to. Tell them Coke puts hair on your back. If they are young enough the girls will believe it!

2. Limit TV. Yeah, I don’t have cable TV in my house. You don’t need to be a dramatic as that but YOU are the parent. Limit use of the TV. Make them pick shows and approve them. No kid should be watching “Family Guy” or “South Park”. Just sayin’.

3. They need to exercise every day. Make them walk to the bus stop. Make them ride 3X around the block. Have fun with this. Time them. Make it interesting in some way, shape, or form. Challenge them. Sign them up for sports! Kids (and, ahem, adults!) need to exercise each and every day. Do it with them!

4. DO NOT BUY CANDY, COOKIES, ICE CREAM, SODA OR PASTRIES. The kids don’t need this stuff. Sure they are likely to get in at a friend’s house. Whatever. Yeah, be that parent. It’s OK. They don’t need a treat. How about you make a treat a banana or something. That’s the ticket!

5. Make them as many meals as you can. If they don’t eat then they get hungry. This actually works. If you have Fruity Pebbles in the cupboard then why would they eat the fried egg, melon and whole wheat toast that you make them for breakfast? Yeah, it’s easier to make a can of raviolis then it is to cook a meal that your kids will likely hate at first. How hard is it for your doctor to tell you that your 10 old has high cholesterol?

6. Pack food for the road. If you are going out ALWAYS bring a cooler with healthy snacks. “I’m hungry”. (they always seem to get hungry when there is a McDonalds in view) “Hey you go. Mmmm. Enjoy your carrots!”They might be mad a first. They get over it.

7. Do NOT. I repeat, DO NOT, step foot into McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Arby’s etc. etc. EVER! Do I need to explain this one? (HINT: Make the watch “Supersize Me”!! (again))

8. Don’t go out to eat very much. It’s OK every once in a while but not very much. It goes without saying that you need to avoid the all you can eat buffets.

9. Don’t let them eat school lunches! Holy cow! They are awful! Avoid sending them to school with money as well. Who knows what they are going to buy!

10. Stand up to your doctor. No they really don’t need all those vaccines or the “ADD” drugs or the cough medicine or the Tylenol. I know this is beyond the scope of this article again BUT do your research. Kids don’t need all these drugs. The more we drug them the fatter and sicker they get. Coincidence? I think not. But the drug companies make lots of money…

OK, you get the theme here. I could go on all day. I will stop soon.

Your kids health ultimately is your responsibly! You have little or no help. The food and drug industrial complex is so not on your side. They say they are but they are not. The government is a pusher. They will not help. That leaves it up to you and I. Be strong! Stand up to the enemy! This is sometimes your kid! Be strong! Stand up and take control. With a little extra effort you can safe your son and your daughter.

We need to do something. Our kid’s health is pathetic. Just sayin’….