30 Day Experiment: Daily Friend Letter

30 Day Experiment: Daily Friend Letter

"Shall I compare thee to a summers day?" ...Probably not, but I think you're nice! ... One of the goals I set for myself this year was to stay better connected with my friends. With Texting, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Linkedin, blogging & Google+ you would think that would be easy, right? Well, if I just wanted to "like" a post or forward a tweet or ask for a reference than I believe there are certainly enough options at my disposal. It seems that all these awesome modes of staying "connected" have actually caused the opposite to occur in my life.

30 Day Experiment: No Second Helpings

30 Day Experiment: No Second Helpings

"But, if I can't have seconds, how do I overeat, get super bloated, burp all night and feel generally disgusting?" Over the years I have grown accustomed to the habit of asking for seconds or grabbing that extra handful of chips and on many occasions experienced the exact scenario described above.

30 Day Experiment: Save "Soda" Money

30 Day Experiment: Save "Soda" Money

Save on what is not important so you can invest in what is[/tweet] This lesson is something I seem to relearn over and over again. This need to "save" money always tends to follow the belief that I don't have enough. Whether I didn't have enough to pay my bills, to purchase that amazing trip to Australia and swim with the Great White Sharks or order that authentic Star Wars Han Solo DL-44 heavy blaster pistol (It was the side arm of choice for smugglers and bounty hunters alike) each caused me much stress.

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30 Day Experiment: Daily Checklist

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30 Day Experiment: Daily Checklist

"What gets measured accurately improves." I heard this simple phrase several years ago from my good friend Roger Seip, author of Train Your Brain for Success and have shared it many times to my clients, friends and anyone who would hear it.

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30 Day Experiment: 8 Hours of Sleep a Day

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30 Day Experiment: 8 Hours of Sleep a Day

Sometimes, in life, you just have to take one for the team... Well, being the team player I am and because I care about my readers I decided take this challenge head on!! Now, no one could blame me for sleeping on the job! Oh, the things I do for you all... So, when deciding to become a mini Rip Van Winkle I had to determine what the most accurate amount of hours were adequate for me considering my age and level of health.

30 Day Experiment: 12 Glasses of Water a Day

30 Day Experiment: 12 Glasses of Water a Day

"Why the hell is my skin so red & dry?" This question I pondered several months ago as I stared at myself in the mirror on a fine spring morning. My skin was unusually red and dry that day and I couldn't figure out what the issue was. Now, if I took a moment (at the time) to notice the many bottles of diet soda lining my recycling can, I shouldn't have had a problem coming up with a good answer.

30 Day Experiment: No Diet Soda

30 Day Experiment: No Diet Soda

You have to understand that what I have recently accomplished is a minor miracle!! Yes, yes it is true, I was able to successfully remove diet soda (all soda for that matter) from my day to day activities for over 30 days! I say this is miraculous because I cannot remember a time, in recent history, where I was strong enough to pass on the carbonated goodness of this aspartame laced and phenylalanine filled beverage of choice! With all the studies linking diet soda to so many various potential side effects it seems that it would make sense to just call it quits on my potassium benzoate and phosphoric acid craving. I mean, when you find out that, according to NaturalNews.com and PubMed.com aspartame eventually breaks down to formaldehyde in your liver you'd think it would be a no brainer, right?

30 Day Experiment: No Candy

30 Day Experiment: No Candy

"Hi, my name is David Shoup and I am a candyholic!" Apparently, I am not alone. According to Dr Mark Hyman evidence shows "that people can be biologically addicted to sugar in the same way we can be addicted to heroin, cocaine as sugar stimulates the brain’s reward centers through the neurotransmitter dopamine exactly like other addictive drugs." 

30 Day Experiment: Food Journal

30 Day Experiment: Food Journal

"I ate how much?!" This was my reaction after the first week of my 30 Day Experiment: Food Journal. I had no idea I ate so much until I spent a month diligently charting everything I was putting into my mouth. A bag of chips here, a cookie (or 4) there. It is amazing how often I found myself snacking between meals and not always the healthy kind of snacking. "It's okay, because I have a fast metabolism".

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30 Day Experiment: A Salad a Day (Revisited)

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30 Day Experiment: A Salad a Day (Revisited)

For my next installment of my 30 Day Experiment I chose to eat a salad every day for the entire month of April. I am not sure about you all, but for me, the thought of eating "rabbit food" everyday was a daunting task considering my propensity for foods consisting of meats and breads (ie: pizza, burgers, sandwiches etc...), where the only vegetables I ate with regularity were tomatoes and potatoes in the form of ketchup and french fries.

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30 Day Experiment: Love Letter to Myself

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30 Day Experiment: Love Letter to Myself

How do I love me? Let me count the ways.... I must admit that I, advocate for personal development and admirer of most things touchy-feely, at first felt a little narcissistic at the idea of taking time each evening to write a love letter to myself extolling my sometimes many accomplishments for the day. And to think I was going to commit an entire month to this practice. What an exercise in egoism, right?

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30 Day Experiment: No Facebook

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30 Day Experiment: No Facebook

I know what your thinking as you look at this title? " No Facebook, are you crazy? How could you not be on Facebook?" That was my first reaction when I made the commitment to spend an entire 30 day stretch of time away from the ultimate social network.

3 Facts About Reading Faster

3 Facts About Reading Faster

Anytime I mention to someone that I instruct professionals and students how to read smarter the inevitable question comes up: "Oh, you mean speed reading?" Rather than debate the difference I simply say, "Yes, and also how to be more discerning and deliberate in choosing what they read, when and how to read it along with techniques to maximize comprehension and retention so they are Reading Smart."

3 Commitments and 90 Days - Part 3

3 Commitments and 90 Days - Part 3

Like Richard said to Tommy in the classic comedy Tommy Boy, "You have derailed". I feel like Richard is talking directly to me with regards to my success in keeping to my commitments this past week. I started this adventure 2 weeks ago with the intention of dropping 28 pounds (Start Weight: 223) in preparation for my October 7th Chicago Marathon. After losing 4.5 lbs last week I am disappointed, but not surprised, to say I did not lose any weight this week. I am still 218.5 lbs and looking forward to turning around, what I consider an wildly unsuccessful week.

4 Keys to Busting Loose

4 Keys to Busting Loose

During the past several years I have been accumulating a great deal of research and have been attempting to parse out what the difference has been between those who succeed and those who simply suck during challenging times. I believe I have come up with something that may be beneficial to those of you who are interested. Here are my top 4 Keys that the most successful individuals and organizations follow to bust loose.

3 Commitments and 90 Days - Part 2

3 Commitments and 90 Days - Part 2

Welcome back to those who are following me on my journey to drop 28 lbs in 90 days! For those new to this blog, this is the second part in a 13-week series on my journey to health and wellness. Feel free to check out my 1st installment  3 Commitments in 90 Days to get more details. So, after one week I am 4 and 1/2 lbs closer to my target, weighing-in at 218.5 lbs (Previous weight was 223 lbs). Great news, right? Well, sure it's a good start, but like others who have started out fast, whether it be in fitness, business or sports, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish that matters." So, while I am pleased with the weight loss, I am cautiously optimistic since I still have another 12 weeks to go before I realize my goal.

Can I Have Some More Hours?

Can I Have Some More Hours?

We all have the same 24 hours in the day to make of, as we will, but how is it that some people are able to accomplish so much and others are scrambling to get the minimum required in any given day? How can some find the time to balance work, personal life, health, and family and still manage to take that vacation without stress or concern? What abilities do they have that I don’t?