Today, I pledged that I would do 1,000 pushups. A few people have asked why? Of course, I responded with, "why not?"
I'll have to admit, I became inspired to do this by a little girl in Isaac's kindergarten class. Yesterday, I was volunteering in his class and I noticed this girl would quietly get out of her chair and do 10 pushups. She did this about every 2 minutes at every single station. She didn't do it for attention nor did she disrupt anyone at the same time.
I asked her why she was doing them, of course shy as all get out, she just shrugged her shoulders. I thought to myself after that, "what an opportunity to challenge my self discipline." Besides, if a kindergartener can do it, I can too!
So here my little self discipline project...
1,000 pushups in 12 hours. I remembered an old statement, "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer- "One bite at a time." So, my plan is to do 50 pushups every 30 minutes. Now that I'm halfway through the day, I can see that I set my sights a little too low. It's funny how daunting tasks suddenly become small once you decide to take them on!
Stay tuned for when I do 2,000 in a day!
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Am I Eating Too Much?
After recently explaining to everyone that the Ultimate Body Challenge involves eating 5 palm sized portions a day, I recieved the question, "Are you sure I am supposed to be eating this much?"
My answer may come as a shock to you. Are you ready...? No. No, I am not sure you are supposed to be eating this much. I have a couple comments to back up this answer-
1. Unless I follow you for 24 hours will I know whether you are over-eating.
2. Just because it fits into the palm of your hand doesn't mean it's worthy of being eatened. A palmful of guacamole is too many calories. It's good fat, but you are officially over-eating.
Basically, what I'm saying is, I can't tell if you are eating too much without seeing what it is you are actually eating. What I'm going to do is arm you with some knowledge so that you can determine whether or not your palm sized portion is too many calories. Remember this, the palm size portion rule is a very, very basic rule. We choose to use it because it's simple and easy for people to catch on to. I highly encourage everyone to take it just 1 step further.
Everyone, and I mean everyone ought to know just how big their tank (stomach) is. Remember the gas tank analogy on orientation night? Do you know how big your gas tank is in your car? If you think for 3 minutes, I bet you can figure it out. You'll divide the cost to fill it up by the price of gas and you've got it. My tank is 20 gallons:).
Now, let's determine the size of tank in our body. This involves you getting up and going to get your body composition. I'll wait...
Couldn't help reading on, could you. No worries, I'm the same way. Just make sure you do it some time soon.
Look at the Nutrient Intake section. Let's say that it says you require the following in a day:
Protein- 73 grams
Fat- 37 grams
Carbohydrates- 110 grams
note- this is for a 135 pound female with 22% bodyfat
Now, take those numbers and divide them by 5 (for 5 meals a day). It now looks like this:
Protein- 15 grams/meal
Fat- 7 grams/meal
Carbohydrates- 22 grams/meal
At this point, should you ever question your palm sized portions, simply look at the nutrition facts on your food and make sure the proteins, fat, and carbs are all within a couple grams of what you figured out.
Here is a question I bet you're wondering, "What if the food doesn't have nutrition facts?" The answer is, "Do a little research." The research you do on the food you eat will be invaluable. If you eat that particular food regulary, you're going to remember exactly how many grams are in that food and you'll know the exact portion size you ought to be consuming. Do this for a couple weeks, and I can almost guarantee you'll know how many grams of protein, fats, and carbs are in all your meals.
A good site to research foods is Nutrition Data. Check out the peanuts. According to this sites information, you can eat about 14 peanuts. Each peanut is about .5 grams of fat. 14 peanuts is 7 grams of fat. Now, you will still need more protein, since 14 peanuts is only about 2.5 grams.
If you throw in a mozzarella stick, then you're getting pretty darn close. Peanuts will put you a little under on the protein, and a little over on the fat. Is it anything to be concerned about? I don't think so, at least for a snack. To make it even closer, lose the peanuts and have pistachios instead. Now we're almost right on our mark for proteins and fat. Toss in a medium sized apple and we're at 25 carbs. That's right on, in my book!
Remember, the following example is for a 135 pound female with 22% bodyfat. To recap, her snack could be:
14 pistachios (for protein and fat)
1 mozzarella stick (for protein and fat)
1 medium sized apple (for carbs)
Happy researching!
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
My answer may come as a shock to you. Are you ready...? No. No, I am not sure you are supposed to be eating this much. I have a couple comments to back up this answer-
1. Unless I follow you for 24 hours will I know whether you are over-eating.
2. Just because it fits into the palm of your hand doesn't mean it's worthy of being eatened. A palmful of guacamole is too many calories. It's good fat, but you are officially over-eating.
Basically, what I'm saying is, I can't tell if you are eating too much without seeing what it is you are actually eating. What I'm going to do is arm you with some knowledge so that you can determine whether or not your palm sized portion is too many calories. Remember this, the palm size portion rule is a very, very basic rule. We choose to use it because it's simple and easy for people to catch on to. I highly encourage everyone to take it just 1 step further.
Everyone, and I mean everyone ought to know just how big their tank (stomach) is. Remember the gas tank analogy on orientation night? Do you know how big your gas tank is in your car? If you think for 3 minutes, I bet you can figure it out. You'll divide the cost to fill it up by the price of gas and you've got it. My tank is 20 gallons:).
Now, let's determine the size of tank in our body. This involves you getting up and going to get your body composition. I'll wait...
Couldn't help reading on, could you. No worries, I'm the same way. Just make sure you do it some time soon.
Look at the Nutrient Intake section. Let's say that it says you require the following in a day:
Protein- 73 grams
Fat- 37 grams
Carbohydrates- 110 grams
note- this is for a 135 pound female with 22% bodyfat
Now, take those numbers and divide them by 5 (for 5 meals a day). It now looks like this:
Protein- 15 grams/meal
Fat- 7 grams/meal
Carbohydrates- 22 grams/meal
At this point, should you ever question your palm sized portions, simply look at the nutrition facts on your food and make sure the proteins, fat, and carbs are all within a couple grams of what you figured out.
Here is a question I bet you're wondering, "What if the food doesn't have nutrition facts?" The answer is, "Do a little research." The research you do on the food you eat will be invaluable. If you eat that particular food regulary, you're going to remember exactly how many grams are in that food and you'll know the exact portion size you ought to be consuming. Do this for a couple weeks, and I can almost guarantee you'll know how many grams of protein, fats, and carbs are in all your meals.
A good site to research foods is Nutrition Data. Check out the peanuts. According to this sites information, you can eat about 14 peanuts. Each peanut is about .5 grams of fat. 14 peanuts is 7 grams of fat. Now, you will still need more protein, since 14 peanuts is only about 2.5 grams.
If you throw in a mozzarella stick, then you're getting pretty darn close. Peanuts will put you a little under on the protein, and a little over on the fat. Is it anything to be concerned about? I don't think so, at least for a snack. To make it even closer, lose the peanuts and have pistachios instead. Now we're almost right on our mark for proteins and fat. Toss in a medium sized apple and we're at 25 carbs. That's right on, in my book!
Remember, the following example is for a 135 pound female with 22% bodyfat. To recap, her snack could be:
14 pistachios (for protein and fat)
1 mozzarella stick (for protein and fat)
1 medium sized apple (for carbs)
Happy researching!
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
Friday, March 27, 2009
1 Fat Burning Tip I Bet You've Never Heard Of
Dear Friend,
I have a fat loss tip that I bet you've never heard of, but first, let me explain a couple things. We've all heard that having a Lean and Strong body comes from exercise and good nutrition. Let me remind everyone, there are many items to the equation. It's not JUST exercise and good nutrition. If you've followed me, or have done our Ultimate Body Challenge (UBC), then you also know that I am a proponent for revving up your system... getting your metabolism working for you and not against you.
Having a metabolism that is rippin' and roarin' is like owning cash flowing rental property- your money works for you. A faster metabolism will be working for you to ensure food doesn't have a chance to get stored as fat, but rather gets burned up.
There is still another piece to the puzzle though. Let's say we get our metabolism just smoking, does that mean no matter how much we eat, we'll burn it off? The answer is a resounding no. Have you heard of "Calories IN, versus Calories OUT?"
In our Taekwondo class, I was explaining this concept to two of our teenage students before class. Yes, I preach good nutrition in all of our programs;). I explained it like this- How often do your parents fill up their car with gas? (Answer- Once a week.) So, 4 times a month? (Right.) So, that's probably 15 gallons of gas a week, or 60 gallons a month, right? (Right.) Why not just stuff the car with gas and fill it up with 60 gallons once a month? (Uhhh, because the gas will not fit in the tank all at once)
Aren't our bodies very similar to a car? What happens when we put too much gas (food) in our tank (stomach)? If we overflow our tank, guess what happens? The food gets stored as fat. A car is designed for only so much gas, just like our body is designed for so much food.
A car also has a built in mechanism to let the driver know when it's full and empty. Well, a body has one too. The problem with our body's mechanism is that it has a difficult time sensing when you slightly over-eat. Do you have unwanted body fat? Did you get this unwanted body fat overnight? Or, was it a slow accumulation over the course of 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years? Slightly over-eating mulitplied by the number of meals you have in a day, times several years equals that slow accumulation of unwanted body fat.
The answer is Cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is your body's overflow mechanism. CCK is a hormone that is released in the presence of proteins and fats. This is why people can devour an entire pizza or large bowl of pasta when they are starving. It's pratically all carbs (undesirable carbs, too). The CCK hormone was never released, or it took too long.
The key is to include a healthy source of fats with every meal. In the UBC program, we advise students to eat some nuts or other source of "good" fats with every meal. Again, this ensures that we don't overflow our tanks when eating, and also gives us that satisfied feeling.
I hope you benefited from one of our UBC's strategic eating principles.
The last Ultimate Body Challenge Before Summer begins this Monday. To learn more about this program, visit-
The Last Ultimate Body Challenge Before Summer
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html
P.S. If you want to ask some questions right now about the UBC, call Kendal at 559-1424.
I have a fat loss tip that I bet you've never heard of, but first, let me explain a couple things. We've all heard that having a Lean and Strong body comes from exercise and good nutrition. Let me remind everyone, there are many items to the equation. It's not JUST exercise and good nutrition. If you've followed me, or have done our Ultimate Body Challenge (UBC), then you also know that I am a proponent for revving up your system... getting your metabolism working for you and not against you.
Having a metabolism that is rippin' and roarin' is like owning cash flowing rental property- your money works for you. A faster metabolism will be working for you to ensure food doesn't have a chance to get stored as fat, but rather gets burned up.
There is still another piece to the puzzle though. Let's say we get our metabolism just smoking, does that mean no matter how much we eat, we'll burn it off? The answer is a resounding no. Have you heard of "Calories IN, versus Calories OUT?"
In our Taekwondo class, I was explaining this concept to two of our teenage students before class. Yes, I preach good nutrition in all of our programs;). I explained it like this- How often do your parents fill up their car with gas? (Answer- Once a week.) So, 4 times a month? (Right.) So, that's probably 15 gallons of gas a week, or 60 gallons a month, right? (Right.) Why not just stuff the car with gas and fill it up with 60 gallons once a month? (Uhhh, because the gas will not fit in the tank all at once)
Aren't our bodies very similar to a car? What happens when we put too much gas (food) in our tank (stomach)? If we overflow our tank, guess what happens? The food gets stored as fat. A car is designed for only so much gas, just like our body is designed for so much food.
A car also has a built in mechanism to let the driver know when it's full and empty. Well, a body has one too. The problem with our body's mechanism is that it has a difficult time sensing when you slightly over-eat. Do you have unwanted body fat? Did you get this unwanted body fat overnight? Or, was it a slow accumulation over the course of 5 years, 10 years, or 20 years? Slightly over-eating mulitplied by the number of meals you have in a day, times several years equals that slow accumulation of unwanted body fat.
The answer is Cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is your body's overflow mechanism. CCK is a hormone that is released in the presence of proteins and fats. This is why people can devour an entire pizza or large bowl of pasta when they are starving. It's pratically all carbs (undesirable carbs, too). The CCK hormone was never released, or it took too long.
The key is to include a healthy source of fats with every meal. In the UBC program, we advise students to eat some nuts or other source of "good" fats with every meal. Again, this ensures that we don't overflow our tanks when eating, and also gives us that satisfied feeling.
I hope you benefited from one of our UBC's strategic eating principles.
The last Ultimate Body Challenge Before Summer begins this Monday. To learn more about this program, visit-
The Last Ultimate Body Challenge Before Summer
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html
P.S. If you want to ask some questions right now about the UBC, call Kendal at 559-1424.
Monday, March 23, 2009
7 Days Left and Counting... Are You In Or Out?
The "Last UBC Before Summer Hits" is beginning in 7 days...
We had an absolutely awesome January UBC! Our attendance was the strongest it has ever been over the entire 10 weeks. Sure, some 6 am classes that only had 4 people made us wonder what happened, but when 15 people showed up the next day, we knew if everything was just peachy.
We're excited that so many people were happy with their results. We're even excited for those that admittedly bagged the nutrition, ate whatever they wanted, but loved feeling energized and stronger.
Now, we must have a serious talk... we're at that crucial point of knowing whether you're in or out for the next UBC before swim suit weather hits. This go around, we are offering former UBC students a discount to continue in the program. The tuition is $269.
Here is the link to follow in order to get registered and paid online.
I Love UBC... Sign Me Up Again!!!
I look forward to seeing you again really soon! Remember, the program begins again next Monday, March 30th.
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/blog
We had an absolutely awesome January UBC! Our attendance was the strongest it has ever been over the entire 10 weeks. Sure, some 6 am classes that only had 4 people made us wonder what happened, but when 15 people showed up the next day, we knew if everything was just peachy.
We're excited that so many people were happy with their results. We're even excited for those that admittedly bagged the nutrition, ate whatever they wanted, but loved feeling energized and stronger.
Now, we must have a serious talk... we're at that crucial point of knowing whether you're in or out for the next UBC before swim suit weather hits. This go around, we are offering former UBC students a discount to continue in the program. The tuition is $269.
Here is the link to follow in order to get registered and paid online.
I Love UBC... Sign Me Up Again!!!
I look forward to seeing you again really soon! Remember, the program begins again next Monday, March 30th.
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/blog
Friday, March 20, 2009
8 Students Can't Seem to Find 60 Pounds of Fat
60 Pounds of Fat, Lost, Gone, Shedded Away- Family and Friends are Stunned
During our 6 am session, I did body compositions for 8 students. Collectively, they lost 60 pounds of fat. Keep in mind, these are not Biggest Loser contestants. These are everyday individuals like you and I. Unlike the Biggest Loser whose contestants start at around 400 pounds, our students range from 240 pounds down to 115 pounds.
The exciting part is, we just begun our final testing. I'm just so excited from the results so far. Here are some comments that have been made about the program over the past 10 weeks.:
"I have so much more energy..."
"I feel great and motivated..."
"I've gone shopping in my own closet..."
"Duncan, you owe me money for new pants, since they all don't fit anymore..."
"My [censored] life has improved..."(told to Rachel)
"The UBC has helped my running program..."
"My inner thighs don't touch anymore!"
"I have more patience with my children..."
"It feels sooooo good doing something for myself for once."
Alright, now it's time to relax, do some spring skiing, yard clean up, garage clean up, bike riding, or whatever, because we're back at it in 1 week. A good majority of our UBC students are saying, "I'm not quitting now..." They're ramping up for summer! This next UBC will start March 30th and will end right when school get's out.
FYI- This is the last Ultimate Body Challenge until the fall. If you want to super charge your body, chisel those arms and abs, and roast off that extra luggage in the midsection and rear end, this is it!
Visit http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html to get the whole scoop on the UBC. I hope to see hear from you soon because the last UBC is filling up.
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com
During our 6 am session, I did body compositions for 8 students. Collectively, they lost 60 pounds of fat. Keep in mind, these are not Biggest Loser contestants. These are everyday individuals like you and I. Unlike the Biggest Loser whose contestants start at around 400 pounds, our students range from 240 pounds down to 115 pounds.
The exciting part is, we just begun our final testing. I'm just so excited from the results so far. Here are some comments that have been made about the program over the past 10 weeks.:
"I have so much more energy..."
"I feel great and motivated..."
"I've gone shopping in my own closet..."
"Duncan, you owe me money for new pants, since they all don't fit anymore..."
"My [censored] life has improved..."(told to Rachel)
"The UBC has helped my running program..."
"My inner thighs don't touch anymore!"
"I have more patience with my children..."
"It feels sooooo good doing something for myself for once."
Alright, now it's time to relax, do some spring skiing, yard clean up, garage clean up, bike riding, or whatever, because we're back at it in 1 week. A good majority of our UBC students are saying, "I'm not quitting now..." They're ramping up for summer! This next UBC will start March 30th and will end right when school get's out.
FYI- This is the last Ultimate Body Challenge until the fall. If you want to super charge your body, chisel those arms and abs, and roast off that extra luggage in the midsection and rear end, this is it!
Visit http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com/weight-loss.html to get the whole scoop on the UBC. I hope to see hear from you soon because the last UBC is filling up.
Respectfully,
Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com
Friday, March 13, 2009
A Speech I Gave
Hey there UBCer's. I presented a speech I wrote to a function last night. Check it out at our other blog.
A Speech for YPO/EO Boxing Event
Duncan Richardson
A Speech for YPO/EO Boxing Event
Duncan Richardson
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Quite Frankly, I'm Puzzled...
Quite Frankly, I’m Puzzled…
This morning, on the way to teach the UBC program, I listened to an advertisement on the radio about some drinkable crystals that are tasteless and may help you lose your love handles, tummy fat, etc. They stack the benefits of the product really, really well. But… if you listen to the advertisement carefully, you will notice that everything can just go right out the window because they strategically placed one word that releases all their liability for the product- “MAY.”
I’m puzzled that so many people are buying this stuff. I know they’re buying it because there is a new drinkable, chewable, swallowable substance out there that “may” melt the pounds right off and all you have to do is nothing. Just drink, watch yourself in the mirror, and BAM… your pants fall right off your hips.
If I were to do a radio spot for out UBC program, I would replace the “may” sentence with something like this- You’ll burn bodyfat and build muscle mass when you do the UBC program. No, "if's", no "and's", and definately no, "may's."
Are You New to The Acrostic- UBC?
Some people reading this may not know what the UBC. It stands for the Ultimate Body Challenge. I’ll start from the beginning for these folks.
What is the Ultimate Body?
We’re striving for it everyday. Even as an instructor of the program, I’m always trying to achieve the Ultimate Body. Having the Ultimate Body is much more than looking hot! Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely part of the program.
The Ultimate Body is body that is free from disease. A body that functions with a clear and refreshed mind. A body that has the cardiovascular endurance to hike mountains, ski all weekend, run circles with your kids instead of them running circles around you. It’s about feeling alive in the morning, and ready to tackle what life throws at you.
Having the Ultimate Body also means being limber enough to touch your toes, or to put your nose on your knees. It’s about having a strong healthy back because your core strength is better and your muscles are more flexible. The Ultimate Body is having greater bone density to fend off osteoporosis.
The Ultimate Body is having more upper body strength. It’s about having more lower body strength. It’s about having a body with lower cholesterol. The Ultimate Body has a strong heart that pumps blood, rich in oxygen, effortlessly to all the muscles and organs. Your Ultimate Body has more muscle mass and less body fat!
The Ultimate Body makes your spouse go, “Yeah… Baby!” We’ll just end this paragraph write here…
Now, we don’t have a lot of time. For two reasons- 1. The next UBC is just around the corner, starting just after spring break and ends right when school gets out. Talk about convenient! In fact, it’s the first UBC ever to be wedged perfectly in between two major school occurrences.
There is one more reason, why we don’t have a lot of time. You’re going to have to visit the following link though…
Why is Time of The Essence?
Ultimately,
Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
Children & Adult Lessons in Taekwondo
The Ultimate Body Challenge
This morning, on the way to teach the UBC program, I listened to an advertisement on the radio about some drinkable crystals that are tasteless and may help you lose your love handles, tummy fat, etc. They stack the benefits of the product really, really well. But… if you listen to the advertisement carefully, you will notice that everything can just go right out the window because they strategically placed one word that releases all their liability for the product- “MAY.”
I’m puzzled that so many people are buying this stuff. I know they’re buying it because there is a new drinkable, chewable, swallowable substance out there that “may” melt the pounds right off and all you have to do is nothing. Just drink, watch yourself in the mirror, and BAM… your pants fall right off your hips.
If I were to do a radio spot for out UBC program, I would replace the “may” sentence with something like this- You’ll burn bodyfat and build muscle mass when you do the UBC program. No, "if's", no "and's", and definately no, "may's."
Are You New to The Acrostic- UBC?
Some people reading this may not know what the UBC. It stands for the Ultimate Body Challenge. I’ll start from the beginning for these folks.
What is the Ultimate Body?
We’re striving for it everyday. Even as an instructor of the program, I’m always trying to achieve the Ultimate Body. Having the Ultimate Body is much more than looking hot! Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely part of the program.
The Ultimate Body is body that is free from disease. A body that functions with a clear and refreshed mind. A body that has the cardiovascular endurance to hike mountains, ski all weekend, run circles with your kids instead of them running circles around you. It’s about feeling alive in the morning, and ready to tackle what life throws at you.
Having the Ultimate Body also means being limber enough to touch your toes, or to put your nose on your knees. It’s about having a strong healthy back because your core strength is better and your muscles are more flexible. The Ultimate Body is having greater bone density to fend off osteoporosis.
The Ultimate Body is having more upper body strength. It’s about having more lower body strength. It’s about having a body with lower cholesterol. The Ultimate Body has a strong heart that pumps blood, rich in oxygen, effortlessly to all the muscles and organs. Your Ultimate Body has more muscle mass and less body fat!
The Ultimate Body makes your spouse go, “Yeah… Baby!” We’ll just end this paragraph write here…
Now, we don’t have a lot of time. For two reasons- 1. The next UBC is just around the corner, starting just after spring break and ends right when school gets out. Talk about convenient! In fact, it’s the first UBC ever to be wedged perfectly in between two major school occurrences.
There is one more reason, why we don’t have a lot of time. You’re going to have to visit the following link though…
Why is Time of The Essence?
Ultimately,
Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
Children & Adult Lessons in Taekwondo
The Ultimate Body Challenge
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