This coming February will be my one year anniversary of “starting that healthy stuff” as some people would say. Last year on February 4, 2013 (Also the day of the Superbowl), I set out on a quest to better myself in the health department. I wasn’t satisfied with how I started to look physically and mentally I was tired of being a fat pig. I was never obese or overweight, but just unsatisfied with how I looked. “Salsa” would be the perfect term to describe my physical appearance at the time, not huge, but chunky in certain places.
It’s now December, and I’ve lost over 50 pounds since. My weight went from 189 to 140 in August, and my weight has maintained at that number ever since. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished because this was a personal goal I kept to myself that I didn’t really want others to know about. So what did I do? How could a young college student accomplish such a feat that many grown men and women struggle with? Well, that’s what this post is for. As we crack into 2014, here are five tips to anybody looking to change their lifestyle, lose weight, and become a healthier person. Enjoy. 1. Multitask. During my early years of college, I would wake up and watch my morning fix of sports news while eating a fat bowl of cereal in my dorm room. Now I do that while on the treadmill in the morning (except without the cereal obviously). Just think, if you love reading or listening to the news, consider the different ways you can go about doing that while contributing to your goal. Go on a walk while listening to your favorite news station, or even a run. It works. This is very important. 2. Gain confidence. This is essentially one of the biggest keys to accomplishing your goal. You can find confidence in yourself in the oddest ways, seriously. Understand that it’s a process and you will get the results in due time. If you like looking sexy during your workout, buy some cool Nike gear, but make sure you earn the right to wear that stuff by putting in the work. Also, if you have a reason behind why you’re working out, let that boost you. Want to accomplish your goal in remembrance of somebody? Have a girl you want to impress? Well, there you have it. “Put your life into a positive perspective, we are not defined by our pasts.” – Kim Kardashian 3. Do your homework. I cannot tell you how many people I see today that think they know what they’re talking about regarding fitness but have the slightest clue. Twitter is a huge resource. Follow nutritional and health pages because a lot of times they can give you the answers that you seek. Know what you’re putting into your body and understand the proper exercise techniques before doing them. Plus, you’ll be able to pass along that knowledge to others like some guy that posted this. Ask questions, don’t be afraid to use Yahoo! Answers. Plus, I love giving further advice to others. 4. Fit it into your schedule. The whole argument saying you don’t have time is ridiculous. MAKE TIME. If you work an eight hour job and are typically tired by the end of the day, workout in the morning. Get it out of the way early. Boom. It’s not illegal to go for a run or walk outside in the morning if you don’t have a treadmill. Make those sacrifices to get your workout in daily. Respect yourself. 5. What you eat is the most important factor. Of course I saved the best for last, right? This is the biggest key and the determining factor into whether or not you will lose weight. Period. Shop smart, and increase your water intake daily, it cleans your system and makes you less hungry. Incorporate fruits and greens into your diet. Add things like, spinach, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms into your eggs to charge them up. Please, do your homework on what is actually good for you to eat. If you mess this factor up, everything else you do is completely pointless and you won’t accomplish your goal. In case you haven’t noticed, I really love talking about this stuff. It’s always great to share my knowledge with others and pass down what I know. I’m not perfect, I’ve made my mistakes and have had my struggles but ultimately I picked myself back up. That’s what it’s all about. You don’t have to be this indestructible fitness machine, but understand your limits and comprehend the balance you need to find regarding your health. Oh, and please, remember, losing weight isn’t just a short-term thing, you want this to be a lifestyle change for the long-term. For questions, always feel free to send me an email at: arongyohannes [at] gmail [dot] com.
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As some of you may already know, three years ago on this exact date I discovered that the most important person in my entire life was no longer alive. Three years ago on December 26th, my brother Samson passed away in his Milwaukee apartment. I still remember that day as if it were just yesterday. It’s still so vivid in my eyes. My brother passed away at a very early age, just a few years before hitting 30. I was only 17 (Still a baby) when I dealt with his passing and I’m sure that will forever be the toughest moment of my life. But as time rolls on, we continue to grow for better or for worse. For example, during the previous times when I wrote about the death of my brother, I would fight back tears, and that’s not the case at all this time.
Samson never had the chance to see me graduate from high school, nor get my license, or even see me become a young sports reporter covering our hometown Milwaukee Bucks. Samson shared that same passion for sports that nobody else in my family has. Don’t get me wrong, my siblings all love sports to death as well, but Samson was clearly the runaway die-hard fan (He loved his Pittsburgh Steelers). My point is: There are many things my brother will never be able to experience with me because he’s no longer here. The most amazing thing that I’ve been able to understand over these last few years is that deep down, Samson and I share a lot of traits that nobody else understands or realizes. It’s not obvious to the naked eye, and I like it that way because only he and I can share that understanding. Sometimes I sit and wonder how our relationship as brothers would be in today’s modern universe. The person I am today is obviously completely different compared to 2010, so I think my growth mentally and physically as man (especially this year), would be so interesting with him. But unfortunately, that can’t happen. So as you spend the holidays with your loved ones, cherish the moments you have with each other. Yes, that might sound a bit cliché but I don’t think a lot of people understand the context behind it. I think with how crazy our world/country can be at times, the value of life itself and the relationships we have with one another is undervalued. So if you can, find that deep understanding with your sibling like the one that I’ve recently discovered, but before it’s too late. Happy holidays. The tension between the athletic and residence departments at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has finally come to an end. Students who live on-campus were notified via email that an additional charge would be added to their student accounts if they wished to have housing during winter break. Some of those students were athletes, who are forced to stay on the campus due to practice and games.
There was an immense amount of outrage from athletics towards the residence life department once they discovered their athletes would have to pay the charge. Students had the option to sign up to stay on campus during winter break from December 15, 2013 to January 3, 2014, or from January 4, 2014 to February 3, 2014 and then be charged $150 for either time frame. They also could choose to stay over both time frames and pay $275. The majority of athletes would need to stay during both time frames. The student athletes certainly expressed their frustration. Nearly every student athlete had no clue that these changes were made this year in their housing contract. "I wasn't aware of it until the email came out." Volleyball player Meghan Conley told me. All athletes are not allowed to have jobs, so being able to pay the fee was virtually impossible for most. Wrestler Jake Armellani told me, “I’m a broke college student, I can barely afford to go to Walmart on certain days. It’s just ridiculous, I have obligations. I’m here as a student athlete and I have obligations to my coach to be here when he asks me to be.” Friday morning I talked with George Holman, who is the Director of Residence Life at Parkside. After reaching an agreement between him and the athletic department, he explained, “We just identified a way to accommodate the student athlete where they won’t pay the expenses.” Holman told me that he came to this agreement with athletic department staff members Tammy McGuckin and Tamie Falk-Day. Student athletes will need to sign up for their costs to be covered. “We just came to a solution for how those costs will be covered.” Students at Parkside are on winter break from December 13, 2013 to February 4, 2014. |
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