On Sunday…

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How Preparing A Sermon is Similar to Writing Blog Posts

Kids …

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T.I.L.I.I

Is it …

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Saying No

Sampras had a 31 match winning streak  going for him at Wimbledon. He wanted to defend his title and win the crown once again.  But Federer produced a tennis performance that snapped Sampras’ streak and hopes. And people were shocked by Sampras’ defeat. I consider this match as the one that turned Federer’s career around. A sign of things to come. And the breakthrough came at Wimbledon. He cried like a baby when he won his first major title, Wimbledon in 2003 against Mark Philippoussis.

From that point on, men’s tennis turned in to the Roger Federer show. He played finals after finals and had either Lleyton Hewitt or Andy Roddick at the other end of the net. No matter who he faced, he just was too good a player. His greatness was eveident in 2004 when Federer won three out of four major tournament singles titles, did not lose a match to any player ranked inside the top ten, was victorious in every final he was in and was named ITF Tennis World Champion. He posted an impecabble win-loss record of 74-6 and captured 11 titles. He repeated the feat of winning three out of four Grand Slam singles tournaments in 2006 and in 2007.

In as much as I admire the man for what he has done for men’s tennis, I soon grew tired of watching him win. With all the success that he reaped, men’s tennis became stale, boring and predictable. Women’s tennis became my staple to watch as it was more fun to see who between Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters would end up on top. I felt that Federer needed something like this, a rival that can really test him, push him to the limit and win at times. Just like Pete Sampras had Andre Agassi to contend with. Someone who will not make things easy for Federer to win a match against him. My bet was Rafael Nadal.

Nadal came into men’s tennis at the right time. Five years younger than Federer, he was Federer’s antithesis. The master of grass against the king of clay, the cool Swiss and the fiery Spaniard, the finesse all around player and the powerhitting baseliner, the king of men’s tennis and the successor to the throne. Nadal’s impressive record of six Grand Slam singles titles built  around four consecutive French Open wins has made him a worthy rival to Federer.

It was therefore quite a shock when Nadal was able to beat Federer in Wimbledon last season, ending Federer’s record of consecutive Wimbledon titles at five. People did expect the Spaniard to win a title in other court surfaces aside from clay while Federer is still playing but nobody expected that it would happen so soon. Perhaps Federer thought Nadal’s win over him was more of him (Federer) making mistakes rather than Nadal making great shots. Nadal’s impressive Wimbledon win made Federer’s U.S. Open victory a sweeter experience for Roger.

Federer’s shedding of tears at the Australian Open awarding ceremonies surprised me. Was it a sudden realization that Nadal has the tools to beat him? Or was it a realization that Nadal has simply gained ground and is better than him? Things got weirder when Nadal apologised to Federer for defeating him! One thing for sure though, both men do respect each other a lot.

Follow the live tennis scores at ScoresPro.com/tennis/

HR Changing all the time Abstract

            It is a greatly overused cliché to say that ‘the only constant is change itself’ but it is very clear that business keeps changing and that the HR role within business is changing in many ways.

            Business has always changed, of course. The main point today is that change is so rapid. Some industry commentators call the Human Resources function the last bastion of bureaucracy. Traditionally, the role of the Human Resource professional in many organisations has been to serve as the systematising, policing arm of executive management.

            In this role, the HR professional served executive agendas well, but was frequently viewed as a roadblock by much of the rest of the organisation. While some need for this role occasionally remains – you wouldn’t want every manager putting his own spin on a sexual harassment policy, as an example – much of the HR role is transforming itself.

            In most large organisations, HR is still responsible for ensuring all departments harness the potential of their people and engage them in the successful delivery of organisational objectives.

            HR achieves this responsibility not only by providing world-class services and support for individuals, but by working in partnership with the business to execute people strategy, maximising employee engagement, and leading and managing change.

            More recently the focus in many cases has been around efficiency and value for money. However, in addition to driving down costs, HR needs to lead departments in improved people management by enhancing and developing skills and capabilities. Providing effective leadership, and helping managers achieve more by working smarter rather than harder.

HR Changing all the time Introduction

            It is a greatly overused cliché to say that ‘the only constant is change itself’ but it is very clear that business keeps changing and that the HR role within business is changing in many ways.

            Business has always changed, of course. The main point today is that change is so rapid. Some industry commentators call the Human Resources function the last bastion of bureaucracy. Traditionally, the role of the Human Resource professional in many organisations has been to serve as the systematising, policing arm of executive management.

            In this role, the HR professional served executive agendas well, but was frequently viewed as a roadblock by much of the rest of the organisation. While some need for this role occasionally remains – you wouldn’t want every manager putting his own spin on a sexual harassment policy, as an example – much of the HR role is transforming itself.

            In most large organisations, HR is still responsible for ensuring all departments harness the potential of their people and engage them in the successful delivery of organisational objectives.

            HR achieves this responsibility not only by providing world-class services and support for individuals, but by working in partnership with the business to execute people strategy, maximising employee engagement, and leading and managing change.

            More recently the focus in many cases has been around efficiency and value for money. However, in addition to driving down costs, HR needs to lead departments in improved people management by enhancing and developing skills and capabilities. Providing effective leadership, and helping managers achieve more by working smarter rather than harder.

            The role of the HR manager must parallel the needs of the changing organisation. Successful organisations are becoming more adaptable, resilient, quick to change direction and customer-centred.

            There are an incredible number of pressures in today’s organisations including:

Environmental pressures such as increasing globalisation, rapid technological change, and tougher competition; Organisational changes such as new organisational alliances, new structures and hierarchies, new ways of assigning work, and the high rate of change, itself; and Changes in the workforce, including employee priorities, capabilities, and demographic characteristics.

            Within these pressured organisations, there is a need for (and opportunity for) the Human Resource function to play a critical role in helping organisations navigate through these transitions. In order to play this role, however, HR has to enjoy a real and perceived value that’s appreciated by managers and workers alike.

            The role of Human Resources has been evolving for some time. The shift from “personnel” to “human resources,” for example, was part of the movement to acknowledge the value of employees as an organisational resource, and was an attempt to remove some of the stigma that was associated with slow, bureaucratic personnel departments.

            This shift in label was accompanied by a call for HR to become a strategic partner with the leaders of the business – to contribute to significant business decisions, advise on critical transitions, and develop the value of the employees.

            Interestingly, the trend of companies outsourcing Human Resource functions continues to gain steam. There is talk that by 2008 outsourced HR departments will be common.

            The mere fact that outsourcing is an option, is prompting some people to reassess traditional HR job functions. And, in itself, that’s not a bad thing. After all, being an HR professional is no longer exclusively about handling payroll issues, negotiating contracts and benefits or training supervisors and executives.

            It’s more about sitting next to the chief executive, making recommendations about what functions to outsource, developing long-term recruitment and retention strategies and finding ways to save the company money.

            HR professionals today need to understand what the products and services are, who the customers are and who the competitors are. It’s essential for the HR professional to get out of the office and be involved in making things happen in the business.

The changing face of HR

            Earlier an HR manager’s position was considered to be a highly authoritative position. Every employee developed a sense of tremor in their fingers when they were called into the HR’s cabin. If anybody was asked earlier that who is the HR ? they said that the person ‘who hires and fires’. The role of the HR manager earlier was to select the right candidate, review the performance of the candidates and dismiss the employees who are inefficient or disloyal to the company.

            But the role of an HR manager has changed drastically now. An HR manager of a firm has multiple responsibilities. The main objective of the HR department today is to retain the employees of an organization. Even if the candidate wants to quit from the job a number of questions are imposed to the candidate such as ‘ why does he want to quit the job? Or what factors made him dissatisfied about the organization? Or if he is resigning due to his genuine reason, then is he ready to join the company again when needed? The factor of attrition is become a very important to the organization. The companies suffer losses if they loose the candidate.

            But today, due to the factor of recession some of the companies are again laying off the employees. But until this September, the opportunities in a business organization were flooding but they were not finding candidates in an organization. Lets hope that the job opportunities again come to the same pace and the employees find jobs easily.

Here are five survival strategies:

Balance Interdependence and Autonomy. The HR manager and department must project an image of operational objectivity and privacy defender while performing their overall management function. The HR professional must also develop a capacity for “detached involvement,” that is, being sensitive to personnel issues and individual employee concerns while resisting the rescuer role. If you’re always taking work home – literally or emotionally – your personal/personnel boundary will start to erode. Reach Out to Specialists and Consultants. Resist the urge to be Rambo or Rambette. This involves taking things too personally, processing a significant downsizing or upgrading a computer system by yourself. Reach out for expert support such as an Employee Assistance Program counselor, especially with seriously disgruntled or dysfunctional employees. For widespread department tension consider using a corporate change/critical intervention consultant. Balance Administrative Work and Human Relating. Beware of becoming a solitary HR number cruncher who’s sequestered in an IT fortress. Don’t lose the human touch. Periodically, walk around your shop and swap stories with folks on the work floor. Bridge the gap between management and employees. Rotating different hats will also help you follow my maxim, “Fireproof your life with variety!” Encourage Independence by Setting Boundaries. These three boundary-setting strategies will enable the HR manager to successfully juggle various roles and responsibilities: Delegation. Monitoring (not micromanaging) employee performance is vital. Balance the Triple A, – Authority, Autonomy and Accountability – which are critical management and stress tools. Education. Help others not to be so dependent on your indispensable knowledge. Training for employees and supervisors on HR-related procedures, Web site information negotiating and self-initiated employee data gathering, etc., is vital in today’s time- and task-driven environment. Separation. Generate the space-time dynamics for optimal performance of HR. Balance accessibility and boundaries with “closed door” time; design a form and function office layout that allows for vital interdependence between HR and employees. One HR department installed a dartboard on a back wall for stress relieving fun and friendly competition. Model the stress management mantra, “Giving of yourself and giving to yourself!”

Maximize Team Meetings.

            Productive team meetings are essential to share logistically and emotionally demanding workload for the HR manager and his or her staff. Meetings should to be more than time and task-driven staffing; build in a 15-minute “wavelength” segment. Use this segment for the group to grapple with emotionally tough personnel issues – dealing with pink slips, reorganization uncertainty, turf battles with other departments.

Let’s begin with a list of HR-related stressors: 

Availability and Accountability. While HR may be a separate department, it is hardly an island on corporate waters. Company personnel believe they should have some representation through HR and that HR should be at the beck and call of all employees. Beware of HR professionals who establish a rescuer role and take every personnel problem home. Burnout is less a sign of failure and more sign of giving yourself away. Objectivity. The challenge for an effective and widely accepted HR department is to maintain some functional independence. The HR professional must also be somewhat detached from yet, also, be an objective and concerned advocate for management and employees. Problem solving (not just numbers crunching) is an important force in an organization. Multiple Roles. The HR manager/professional often plays many roles – from coach and counselor to cop and confessor. And, if that’s not enough, he or she must also be the organizational or interpersonal safety net or back up when there are breakdowns. For example, manager-supervisor-employee relations, reorganization such as a downsizing, outdated or illegal policies and prejudicial procedures, etc. Disgruntled Personnel. As outlined above, there are HR demands and responsibilities aplenty. The proverbial icing on the cake is negotiating problems with people who have grievances about a supervisor, pay, evaluation and promotion/termination issues. Certainly it can be emotionally and professionally rewarding to rectify a significant personnel problem. Still, chronically providing service to angry customers can all too easily result in a case of “brain strain.”

Transitional Glue. Especially in times of rapid or volatile change – mergers, downsizing, rapid startup and growth – the HR manager becomes a company cheerleader (or that stress confessor). He or she often helps folks sustain morale in the face of an uncertain and vulnerable future. The HR goal is to not allow the company’s “esprit de corps” to regress into an “esprit de corpse.” 

            The HR Manager may become the messenger, helping employees and supervisors interpret reorganization pronouncements from the management mountaintop. Sometimes the HR leader must assume the Moses mantle while the employee tribes wander for a period in the transitional desert. Anyone for the training class on “Parting Really Large Bodies of Water?”

Crisis Management. The HR manager must realize that when certain crises are outside his or her sphere of “hands on” influence, he or she must resist the “solo savior syndrome” role. Believing you are the center of your corporate solar system is a potential danger because all organizational life depends on your energy source.

When downsizing trauma evoked racial tension and threats in a federal government division – pulling a KKK Web site off the Internet and playing a Louis Farrakhan tape in public – HR called me in. As a critical incident specialist, my role is clear: to stop the vicious cycle before it turns violent and to lay the groundwork for productive conflict resolution and team building.

            A specific stressor came to my attention recently: confidentiality. One particular incident involved an HR manager who was unsure of how to respond to a supervisor’s breach. 

            This supervisor unprofessionally, if not illegally, shared with her employees that a colleague had been hospitalized for mental health reasons. Such a breach is like a computer virus that can contaminate everyone’s operating system and security. The HR manager’s standing as a leader was on the line, not just the supervisor’s. 

Ever-changing Technology and Policy. Like other corporate entities, the HR department must keep up with new software and data processing systems. Having an internal website to share key information with employees is critical. And invariably, getting started technologically takes longer than anticipated. Glitch happens!

With policy, there are always ever-changing requirements or cultural diversity/gender issues mandated by the likes of Congress or the EPA. But let’s not overlook the rapidly changing constrictions from the corporate headquarters to field operations. All these systemic forces can undermine a sense of control for the everyday HR functioning.

Training Demands. The HR team cannot possibly provide individual employee handholding for all personnel issues. Depending on company size, HR should have enough time and staff to provide classroom orientation on HR-related matters. HR managers often need to delegate the training function to subordinates. Individuals must be encouraged to do reasonable data gathering or research or else HR will be enabling inefficient, if not dysfunctional, dependence.

HR managers as change managers

            The role of HR managers has grown from the ambit of payroll, recruitment and training, to more mature and broader areas like competency mapping, succession planning, and crisis and change management. Renuka Vembu asserts how HR managers need to be good change agents themselves

The ‘change’ factor

            As the idiom goes, ‘Change is the only thing that is constant’, it is pertinent more-so-ever in the modern day and age, where organisations have to cope up with a host of factors on the lines of dearth in specialised skill sets, battling attrition, changing business demands and employee needs, increasing competitive edge, etc. The word ‘change’ in itself plays with the psyche of a person. It is certainly not an easy task to change; but then the graver concern is to understand and accept the fact that there is a need for change, and then to embark upon the transformation process. People, the underlying torch bearers and the campaign spear-headers, often contribute to being the key impediment factor. It is about their attitude and mindset towards acceptance, willingness to execute, and readiness to acknowledge the end result.

From crafting to carrying

            The concept of leading by example is not restricted to the immediate supervisors of a team, the middle-level cadre or the senior management. It is something that needs to be extended, penetrated and shown prominent evidence across all hierarchical levels, in all job functions and departments. Since the HR is thrust with the job of recruiting, managing and developing the work force, it is of utmost significance that they not only craft a particular process, but also carry it; they have to make the shift from being a distant observer to becoming an active participant.

            With the changing business dynamics, the traditional role of the HR team has become more evolved, with concepts like succession planning, change management, crisis management, etc. are coming to the foray. Almost all of these factors have a key role of line and strategic HR personnel in it. Given that, it is important for HR managers to be good change managers themselves such that they can in turn guide the process.”

The organisational impact

            As it is rightly said, no organisation can grow without the growth of its employees. Likewise, no effort bears fruit without complete approval and participation of the task force engaged in it. Sharma viewed, “Organisational impact of the failure of HR managers to be effective change managers varies directly with the business impact of the change. Some of the manifestations of such failure can be seen directly in terms of poor business performance, reduction in efficiency and fall in productivity.

Equipping for the transformation phase

            When embarking on a change programme, what are the tools that HR personnel should be well-equipped with? Sharma explained, “I believe it starts with an understanding of the business-HR professionals need to be business professionals first-to be in sync with the business so as to understand the before, during and after of any change (planned or unplanned) in a business process. Then would be understanding how much of this change can be impacted or managed. This would be for three groups that go together viz. the strategic think tank involved (need not be the top guys), the line managers and HR.

Conclusion

            In today’s 24/7, merging, consolidating, “do more with less” work environment, the letters “HR” could as easily stand for “Hub of Reorganization” as for “Human Resources.” In fact, it’s the intersection of the two organizational dynamics, human exchange and systemic change, that accounts for the challenge and performance pressure for the HR manager and other human resources professionals. 

    A person, over time, is confronted by rapidly changing requirements and responsibilities especially related to the welfare, safety and rights of others. He or she may lack sufficient control, authority or autonomy to deal with such demands. When this happens, the result is chronic stress. 

C.Pavithira,M.Phil Scholar, periyar University, Salem-11

San Diego’s Top Certified Personal Fitness Trainer Reveals the essential strategies for lasting weight loss and lifelong fitnessby oksanapet16 Tips for getting maximum Weight Loss and Fitness results in minimum time *Do you want to improve the quality of your life? *Do you want to look and feel better than you have in years – maybe better than you ever have before? *Do you want to protect yourself from disease and injury? And do you want to live a longer, more vital life? I’m confident that you answered “YES!” to each of those questions, just as have the hundreds of individuals I’ve counseled, coached, and trained in my career as a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Health Expert. Right now I’m going to reveal to you the 16 essential strategies that have enabled my clients to achieve these important goals. These simple strategies can be immediately implemented into your lifestyle with little sacrifice on your part (okay, if not eating artery clogging fast food burgers and fries is a big thing for you, then maybe you won’t look at that sacrifice as “easy,” but I guarantee you it will add quality years to your life). Why believe me? Because I have been training people for 14 years. Because I’ve seen people fail and others succeed. Because I’m the only person in San Diego who has 15 years of solid medical training, a NSCA CPT, and I am also a Certified Master Fitness Instructor through the Prestigious Coopers Institute. Because all of my Personal Training Clients are happy and getting good results. I am giving you this information because I’m tired of seeing people getting ripped off and wasting their time and energy on the latest “Miracle” diet or device. I’m tired of seeing slick marketers make a lot of money by selling people lies that won’t help them. So let’s get right into it. Read on to discover… 1. How to Stay Motivated.One of the biggest problems most people have is that they work out great for a couple of weeks, then just fade away. The people who stick with it are those who have these two things in common: * They don’t follow a set routine. Routines always become boring. They also set you up for repetitive stress injuries. They don’t work either. Your body quickly adapts to any routine and doesn’t need to change any more to keep up. * They get on an effective exercise program, so they get good results. The people who lose their motivation are the people who get frustrated because they are not getting good results. When you are getting good results, you will be so pumped that it’s actually hard to quit. A good fitness instructor will help you with both of these items. 2. Don’t make it so hard.Most people think of exercise as torture. They imagine that you must sweat and groan for hours every day to get in good shape. Not so, my friend! Two days per week of 30-minute low-intensity cardiovascular exercise (walking, jogging, biking, swimming); and two days per week of 30-minute light resistance training (using weights or resistance machines) is adequate in the beginning. As you become acclimated to the lifestyle shift, you can add more days and get improved results. But beware: if you try to do too much too fast, you may end up quitting altogether. If you’ve tried and failed doing it alone, then I suggest you get a training partner or personal trainer who will help you sustain your motivation. 3. Your exercise program needs only three things. If you skip any one of these three, your results will suffer. * Resistance Exercise. This will raise your metabolism and cause you to burn more calories all day, even when you are asleep at night. * Cardiovascular Exercise. Your heart rate during cardio exercise should be 60% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. The simple formula for calculating your 100% maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. If the intensity of your exercise increases your heart rate beyond 80%, slow it down a bit. If your heart rate isn’t at least 60%, quit loafing. Your personal trainer can supply you with a simple heart rate monitor you can wear during exercise so you always stay in your peak fat-burning range. * Proper Nutrition. A good, hard workout can burn maybe 300-500 calories in 30-45 minutes. It only takes one Big Mac to flush your entire workout down the toilet. 4. Don’t waste your time working small muscles with isolated movements.If you don’t enjoy doing resistance training or are pressed for time, concentrate on working the largest muscle groups with compound resistance movements. When I see overweight people doing wrist curls or lateral raises, I wonder why. It’s generally just a lack of understanding of how their bodies work. Most people want to lose fat and tone and firm their bodies. The way to do that is to use resistance (weights or machines) to train the large muscle groups. Men should be concentrating on legs, chest and back. Women should concentrate more on their legs and back. The best exercises for legs are lunges or squats (your personal trainer will show you the proper form and then monitor you during the exercise) and leg press. The best chest exercise is bench press, and the best back exercise is the seated row. All of these are compound movements, which means they incorporate multiple muscle groups. 5. Always, always, always stretch.Stretching improves flexibility, blood flow, muscle recovery, low back pain and a host of other things. Additionally, stretching can prevent injury, make you sleep better and improve your performance in all sports. Always stretch, but be certain not to stretch cold muscles. You should always warm up before stretching. However, it is very important that you know how to stretch. Never bounce! Your personal trainer will show you the proper execution and timing of your stretches. 6. Don’t do traditional sit-ups. Unless you are super athlete with an incredibly well-developed midsection, sit-ups can lead to a strained lower back and possibly lumbar injuries. But it gets worse. Rather than hitting your abdominal section, sit-ups can shift exercise tension to your hip flexors – which defeats the purpose. There is so much misinformation about how to strengthen, tone, and firm the midsection, it’s almost frightening. It is very difficult to learn proper abdominal exercise technique by reading about it or watching it demonstrated on a video. You need to do it with supervision and get feedback about your form from a knowledgeable source. And keep in mind that you use your abdominal muscles in almost every single movement you make. Strengthening your abdominal region is the single most effective way to prevent, or recover from, low back pain. 7. Set realistic, attainable goals.You must have tangible, quantifiable, short-term, and long-term goals for your fitness program so you can gauge your progress. It’s crucial to have a “baseline” before you begin, so you can measure success. Your personal trainer can give you a complete fitness analysis (you need this!) that will aid you and your trainer in developing a personalized fitness program, which addresses your particular needs. Having goals, particularly short-term goals, allows you to track your progress and keep motivated when times are tough and you don’t feel like exercising. Keeping a journal of your cardio and resistance training workouts, as well as tracking what you eat is truly a fitness success secret. Just remember that your goals should be realistic and attainable. The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable for you is to talk to a fitness professional – not to buy into the “hype” of infomercial’s, diet and fitness products that blatantly mislead. 8. Set exercise appointments with yourself.Use your day-timer to set appointments for exercise – and then stick to them. You wouldn’t miss a business meeting or client appointment, would you? So don’t miss your exercise appointment with yourself. Nothing is more important than your health. Nothing. Everything else will crumble around you if your health goes south. So make your exercise appointments a priority. If you find it difficult to keep these appointments, then consider hiring a personal trainer who will hold you to your commitment. When you have money invested, and someone waiting for you to show up – you are much more likely to actually show up! 9. Remember the benefits of exercise.Remember that feeling of euphoria you experienced after a particularly good work-out? You experienced that feeling because the most powerful “feel good” drug in the world – endorphins – were coursing through your veins. If there is a panacea, it’s exercise. Nothing feels better than the post-work-out high you experience after exercising. Revel in that feeling. Let it wash over you and truly experience it. Etch that feeling in your brain. It will fuel your motivation on those inevitable days when you just don’t feel like exercising. Being physically fit affects every single aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, love better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better, and live better! 10. Exercise correctly.So much time is wasted doing, at best, unproductive exercise, or at worst, dangerous exercise. Get educated on how to exercise correctly. And the absolute best way to do that is to hire a personal trainer to develop a program for you and then teach you what to do and how to do it right. Personal training does not have to be an ongoing process. You can hire a personal trainer for whatever length of time you need to learn the ropes. It could be five sessions, or it could be fifteen sessions. It’s completely up to you. But statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly, get better, faster results. And that’s what you want, right? Results! 11. Enjoy yourself.The most difficult thing is actually getting into your running shoes or going to the gym. But once you begin your work-out, relax and enjoy the process. Don’t fight it. Make exercise your personal time. When you are exercising you can focus completely on yourself. Yes, exercising can and should be somewhat rigorous (depending on your level of fitness), but it is just that investment which makes it supremely rewarding. As with anything, if you are in the moment, you can fully appreciate the experience and truly enjoy the process. 12. Americans eat too many carbohydrates for our lifestyles.I’m not advocating the high protein, high saturated fat diet that you hear so much about (frankly, its dangerous). But I am advocating minimizing your intake of bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and, of course, all sugary drinks. We are no longer an agrarian society participating in manual labor. Most of us are fairly sedentary throughout the day and therefore do not need the high levels of carbohydrates to sustain our energy. Additionally, carbohydrates are addictive. The more donuts you eat, the more you want. The bulk of your carbohydrates should come from vegetables and fruit. And those with high water content, such as cucumbers, grapefruit, tomatoes, cantaloupe, strawberries and even vegetable soups (watch out for high sodium), will fill you up nicely. By the way, numerous studies have conclusively proven that the quarter of the population eating the most vegetables get half the cancer of the quarter eating the least! 13. Deep-fried food has no nutritional value – none!Almost every food, whether it’s steak, chocolate or red wine, has some nutrients to contribute. But one thing is absolute: fried foods are garbage. Potato chips, French fries, onion rings, breaded chicken strips and all the rest of the deep-fried junk are pregnant with saturated fat and calories, and they contain almost zero nutritional value. If you’re trying to lose weight and/or reduce fat, simply eliminate fried foods completely from your diet. Yikes! That stuff is scary. 14. Never, ever skip breakfast.If you want to maximize your fitness results or fat-loss efforts, you’ve got to eat breakfast. Even if you don’t exercise at all – breakfast remains the most important meal of the day. Your breakfast should contain complete proteins and complex carbohydrates (if you’re trying to lose weight, you should eat the bulk of your complex carbohydrates at breakfast and lunch and only have vegetable carbohydrates at dinner). A great breakfast is oatmeal (not the pre-packaged, pre-sweetened kind) with a little honey and banana and a protein drink. Or try scrambled egg whites with Healthy Choice turkey sausage. 15. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water.Yes, I know that you’ve heard this over and over again. But there’s a reason for that – it’s the gospel truth! The recommended amount is approximately eight glasses, or 64 ounces, of water every day. When you are exercising, you need to drink even more. Over 75% of your body is water (even bone is more than 20% water). When you don’t drink enough water, and substitute diuretics like coffee, tea and caffeinated sodas, you dehydrate your body, your blood doesn’t flow properly, and your digestive system doesn’t operate smoothly (among other problems). Even a small deficit of water can radically affect how your body performs. Here’s a good rule of thumb: if you’re urine is a dark yellow and/or has a strong odor, you’re not drinking enough water. Drink up! 16. Eat regularly throughout the day.Fasting or overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight – in the short run, because the weight you lose is primarily water weight and lean muscle mass. In the long run, it has exactly the opposite effect you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it’s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by storing fat. Energy expenditures are fueled by your lean muscles. Therefore your body fat remains essentially the same and you lose vital fluids and muscle instead. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism becomes, and the less fat you burn. Instead of eating three big meals (or worse yet, one HUGE meal) eat five or six nutritionally balanced “snack/meals” each day. This keeps your metabolic furnace stoked, so you burn more at a faster rate. I know, it’s counter-intuitive, but it’s true!There you have it. 16 essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling better than you have in years – maybe ever! I realize that starting (or re-starting) a productive and effective health and fitness program is not easy. That’s why I encourage you to get help. If you’re sick, you go to the doctor. If you’ve got a tax problem, you see an accountant (or an attorney!). Have a toothache? You’re off to the dentist. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert? I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself – in your quality of life – by hiring a certified personal fitness trainer to educate you and help you get started (because the hardest part is just getting started and sustaining your motivation until fitness becomes habitual). Once you develop the habit, which can take as little as thirty days, your whole life will change for the better. If I can be of any assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to call me. I’m happy to speak with you and give you my recommendations without any sales pressure (I hate it when people try to “sell” me, so I wouldn’t try that on you). Please E-mail me to obtain any additional information you may need. Thank you. Best in Health,Rivak E. Hoffmanhttp://www.somagenesis.com

About the AuthorExperience: 12 years and counting.

I’m not just your average trainer. Some trainers don’t look like trainers. Many lack the medical aptitude and experience to design and implement a safe and effective exercise program, and that’s a bad sign from the start. Some train their clients exactly as they train themselves. Many hurt their clients and send them back to their sedentary lifestyles.

Myself, I think “outside the box” and bring life to others. I don’t duplicate fitness programs and my training programs are constructive, not destructive. Each and every client I train has a unique experience. With the overwhelming, conflicting advertising and marketing campaigns in the health and fitness industry, the average consumer becomes confused and disoriented in their eating habits and exercise programs. I find it a personal challenge and responsibility to weed out the fact from the fiction. A hypothesis is only a guess until proven with real statistically proven hardcore research with large sampling. Solid facts also come from anecdotal experience and documented evidence over time.

Moreover, I have trained my mind and body for sports competition since age 13. I have learned how to incorporate my vast levels of knowledge in nutrition, resistance training, and sports-specific training techniques towards further achieving new goals and winning races.

18 years tenure as a board certified medical professional in General Medicine and Neuro-Ophthalmology gives me the expertise to analyze and evaluate metabolic and systemic medical factors that often complicate weight loss, weight gain, and metabolic problems. These factors seriously complicate the ability to lose weight, and most trainers do not have the knowledge to solve these dilemmas.

With my diverse background in both medicine and as a personal trainer, I can create a healthy, strong, high performance body, which will look awesome and perform to higher levels. My unique style as a fitness instructor coupled with my medical knowledge allows me to methodically design a safe, effective, and productive exercise program to suit your goals.

Here’s an overview of my experience and credentials:

National Strength and Conditioning Assoc.

Certified Personal Trainer Credential of Distinction

Coopers Institute of Aerobic Research

Master Fitness Specialist

American Academy of Health Fitness and Rehabilitation Professionals Medical Exercise Specialist

American Academy of Health Fitness and Rehabilitation Professionals Post Rehabilitation Conditioning Specialist

Member American Academy of Sports Medicine

Member National Strength and Conditioning Association

Member American Academy of Ophthalmology

Member Joint Commission of Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology

BS Biology University of Connecticut

Graduate Physician’s Asst Program

US Army Academy of Health Sciences Fort Sam Houston, TX
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