Tag Archives: diets

Diets

Why are people addicted to junk food?

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 

Recently, I was a guest speaker to a group of high school seniors. One student asked me my thoughts of why people become addicted to junk food.

The following reply is my explanation of why there’s an obesity epidemic that plagues our present-day society.

You see, back in the early days, there was only one parent working which was typically the father. The mother stayed home bearing all the responsibilities of raising children and house work.

Most all meals were prepared by mom using fresh vegetables and fruits from the garden or the local grocery store. All meats and fish came from area farmers and lakes. Eggs and dairy came from grass-fed cattle and chickens.

Now, I’m not saying all of mom’s meals were completely healthy because there was a lot of flour and grease used for cooking back then. But, it still wasn’t processed foods.

Fast forward to present day, and our American society has drastically changed. Now you have both parents working to create better financial security. Mom and dad put in a full day’s work and cooking becomes too great a chore. It’s much easier to grab precooked processed foods on the way home.

Your kids probably have multiple activities after school like dance rehearsals, baseball practice, karate lessons and so on. Both parents are going in multiple directions trying to accommodate the needs of each child. “Honey, you get food for Billy, and I’ll grab something for Suzie. See y’all later tonight.”

Also, present-day children’s lunchboxes are filled with foods that come in wrappers, boxes and juice packets. All these are loaded with sodium and sugar. Read the labels and you’ll be upset with yourself.

Lastly, I told the group of high school seniors, when you were kids, how often did you attend birthday parties on the weekends? Because we live in such crowded cities along with multiple activities, kids will have tons of friends. Which is fine, but they are probably eating birthday cake and ice cream almost every weekend.

So, how do we change these destructive eating habits in our crazy busy parenting lives?

You already know the answer. You must grocery shop and meal plan for the entire week. This includes breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. Give your kids a variety of veggies, fruits and nut treats to find out which are their favorites.

Parents, I know you’re busy and tired, but you must take a step back and teach your kids a healthier diet. You’re setting them up for a better quality of life.

Diets, Fitness, Inspiration

What are you waiting for?

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, September 20, 2016 

Every one of us has goals or life experiences we would like to accomplish. But for some reason, we continue to give excuses that keep us from pursuing them. What are you waiting for?

Typical excuses include; my kids are too young, after kid’s college, when I retire, next year, I need more money, I’m too old, too fat, yada-yada-yada.

Listen, none of these are acceptable because real goals require small steps and planning. So really, the right time is now.

If you need more money for a purchase or dream vacation, then write down all of your spending. How much more money could you save by cooking instead of dining out or cutting back on alcohol and tobacco?

A friend of mine went through a divorce and became a single parent. The extra expense and responsibility of young kids forced him to give up drinking alcohol and cook balanced meals. He told me that for the first time, he was able to start a savings account.

Look in your closet. I’m sure there are clothes and shoes never or barely worn. So, stop buying more clothes and rotate your wardrobe more often. Ok, I know there’s a lot of people upset with me right now. Sorry, don’t let your spouses read this article.

The beauty of goal setting for losing weight and getting in better shape is that you can start immediately. You need to accept that you’ve been lazy and undisciplined, but don’t beat yourself up over it. We’ve all had our share of bad habits and self-destruction.

After work, before you go home, drive straight to the gym. Have your workout clothes and sneakers in your car. We all know that once we’re home, there are too many excuses that keep us from going to the gym. Don’t let those excuses have a chance.

If you don’t have a gym membership, then go for a walk, run or bike immediately after work. Once you’ve prepared and eaten dinner, you’ll become too lazy.

So what are you waiting for? Tomorrow is too late. Start the road for accomplishing goals today. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you. It’s your life and you deserve it. You’ve earned it.

Diets, Fitness, Inspiration

Keep it simple, stay consistent

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Through the years, there have been many people asking me for advice with diets, exercise and stress relief. I typically guide them in the proper direction, according to their situation.

So, I chose to combine all three categories and try to give some ideas that each of you might be able to take away.

Listen, the best advice is to keep your life as simple as possible and stay consistent.

There’s no secret, diets and exercising can add stress when you’re determined to change your life. But, don’t be so drastic because you’re probably setting yourself up for failure.

Don’t worry about elaborate dishes, casseroles and multi-foods. Just make a simple one protein, one carb and veggie dinner — something quick and easy. It really comes down to the seasoning to make it delicious.

When exercising, find the one cardio you enjoy the most. For me, it’s riding my bicycle. I look forward to getting on my bike and enjoying the sunshine.

Most importantly, you must find a way to remove certain unnecessary stresses in your life.

You don’t have to be as extreme as I have been, but over the past few years, the following has made my life much easier and happy.

I downgraded my house to a small three-bedroom in a nice neighborhood. The extra money helped buy my son a car.

The yard is of moderate size, which is easy to maintain. I do all the yard work myself for the exercise and can complete it in less than an hour.

My social circle is very small, but I really spend most of my spare time doing hobbies I enjoy. You must find a hobby or interest to help feel accomplishments and relieve stress.

Years ago, I got rid of all my man toys. No more unnecessary expenses and responsibilities of a motorcycle, boat and sports car.

I cook six days out of the week with the types of meals described earlier. The one night a week we dine out, we cherish the elaborate meals of different restaurants.

Bottom line, write down all the stresses you face. I’m sure you’ll discover a lot of negative influences that aren’t necessary. Start the process of elimination to create a life of simplicity and consistency. You’ll feel much better — I promise.

Inspiration

Turn weaknesses into strengths

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, July 26, 2016 

We all have strengths and weaknesses in every category of life. This includes job experience, relationships, spiritual, self-confidence, diets and habits.

I can’t express strongly enough the importance of competition from childhood throughout adult life. You learn to gauge your strengths and weakness compared to others competing in the same event. When you lose, you discover your weaknesses. When you win, you’re rewarded for your strengths.

We all hate to expose our weaknesses because we’re afraid others will judge us unfairly. But you must learn to pick yourself up and target those weaknesses. It will only make strengths even stronger.

The most obvious example is the sport of boxing. It’s almost certain the outcome is determined by who can protect the body and counter punch. If you can’t do this better than your opponent, you’ll get knocked out.

The biggest discovery is when you can turn a weakness into your strongest asset.

Believe me, I have many weaknesses, and I really do my best to overcome them.

All my years in school and college, my weakest academic class was English. It always dropped my GPA, even though it was still moderately high. I hated writing papers because my grammar was embarrassingly poor.

My English teacher in high school was Mrs. Watts. I think she only passed me because I was dating her daughter. Come on now, that wasn’t my strategy. I really did like her daughter.

When The Galveston County Daily News asked me to become a columnist, I was scared to expose my writing weakness to sports editor James LaCombe. James became my mentor and helped edit my articles until I became a strong writer.

I now write almost daily and it’s become my biggest passion. I also write for a monthly magazine, have written a play and started a feature film.

It still amazes me that I used to hide behind my weakness, but now I’m most known for it.

What about you? I bet if you worked on your weaknesses at work, you’ll start making more money and get promotions.

Most people’s weaknesses are bad diets and poor exercise habits. Make a stance and do something about it. Your whole life will change — I promise.

Today is the day to accept your weaknesses, pour energy into them and become stronger than you could ever imagine.

Diets, Fitness, Inspiration

Flip your thinking to accomplish goals

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Probably, the most challenging component of losing weight is getting our diets in order. Americans are bombarded with fast-food marketing, large food portions and unlimited buffets.

So, as we are determined to lose weight, we continuously say to ourselves, “I’m not going to eat fast foods, fried foods, doughnuts or any unhealthy foods.” But what really happened is those particular foods salivate your brain, which in turn creates more cravings for them.

You must be more positive and proactive by saying, “I can’t wait for lunch to eat a grilled chicken or seared tuna salad with dark green crispy lettuce.” Keep repeating the desire for healthy foods and your body will want them.

The same goes to your workouts. Most people dread knowing they need to exercise after a day of work. You need to flip your thinking and get excited knowing the gym is a reward for a productive day.

In the morning, I lay out my gym clothes and charge my headphones. It’s my reminder that it’s another amazing day because I GET to exercise.

Let’s apply this type of positive thinking for all parts of life. You should wake up each morning excited knowing you have a job. You get to provide for your family and have a quality of life.

Once, my daughter Daylyn dropped an expensive bowl in the kitchen and it broke into many pieces. She looked at me with much concern. I thought about it for a moment and told her, “I didn’t like that old bowl anyway — good riddance.” We both laughed and cleaned it up together.

Now think about that. No matter what the situation was, that bowl was not coming back. I decided to not ruin her day or give myself unnecessary stress. Daylyn loves to tell that story and will probably, one day, use the same scenario with her kids.

Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back, breathe deep and realize how incredible life is.

I can’t take back what happened yesterday, but I’ve got full control of what’s happening now.

Stay positive and be kind to all.

Inspiration

Don’t dread wearing a swimsuit in the summer

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Well, Memorial Day weekend has past and it’s the official start of seasonal hot Texas weather.

I’m sure there are many of you dreading outside activities knowing short clothing and swimsuits are required.

Look, you’ve probably dealt with this situation for many years, but relax; it’s only as embarrassing as you perceive it.

Here’s what I’ve come to realize and understand through my own life experiences.

Usually, young adults from their late teens through their 20s judge others’ bodies the most. This is probably due to the aftereffect of harshness and bullying throughout school years. They think everyone is looking at them when actually we don’t care.

Adults in their 30s become less critical because they’ve started a family and raising children takes full mental capacity. It seems like both mommy’s and daddy’s bodies change after childbirth, and it’s OK; you’re in this together.

Then comes the age of the 40s when you realize your body doesn’t respond like it did before.

The kids are grown, out of the house, and you’re possibly facing a divorce. It’s typically during these years when adults take drastic steps trying to create a better looking body.

Plastic surgeons live in mansions and drive fancy cars due to the panicking 40s generation.

Now, I can personally speak for the 50s age adults. Negative judging of others’ bodies is no longer a thought process. It’s easy to find beauty in everyone. We become more attracted to people for who they are, rather than physical appearance.

I know a lady who is physically drop-dead gorgeous, but once she starts speaking and judging others, she becomes quite unattractive in my eyes.

Sorry to categorize ages 60s and beyond, but it seems that all you talk about is body ailments. You try to outdo each other by who’s had the most joint replacements and surgeries.

Now that hurricane season is around the corner, I can hear you now — “Thar’s a storm brewing in the Gulf. I’m gonna have to board this darn house with these bad knees, back and shoulders.”

So really, don’t worry about what others are thinking because they aren’t thinking about you.

Wear whatever makes you comfortable and enjoy the coming summer months.

Diets, Inspiration

Today is the heaviest you’ll ever be

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, May 24, 2016

David Tepera

David Tepera

In previous articles, I’ve written about my 17-year-old son Dylan and his journey to gain muscle mass.

Lately, and almost daily, he’s receiving compliments from classmates and random people. This has been very rewarding and has fueled his ambition.

I told Dylan, “Just think about it, today is the smallest you’ll ever be. Each day, you’ll continue to get stronger and bigger.”

Now, how about you? If you’re on a mission to lose fat weight, then today is the heaviest you’ll be.

Don’t get discouraged by what the scale or mirror is reflecting. Just know tomorrow and beyond are days closer to your goal. Even if it’s ounces, each day is still less fat than previous.

Keep in mind, that if you’re also lifting weights, the scale will be discouraging. Muscle mass is much heavier than fat content.

The mirror doesn’t lie, so strip naked and take a real look. Jump up and down to find out what jiggles the most. Come on now, you know I’m not including reproductive parts.

Really, for most of us, all it takes is losing 8-10 pounds, and others will take notice. You, too, will receive multiple compliments which encourages your day and keeps the motivation.

I know, we should get in better shape for ourselves, but it’s still a cool feeling to hear it from others.

Just know, when people take notice of your changes, they’ll be asking questions about how you’re able to obtain it. All of sudden, you’ll become their motivator and expert.

I want you to be excited knowing that even though you’re probably not where you want to be, you’re still on your way to a healthier body.

Please don’t forget to encourage friends, family members and co-workers who are trying to improve their bodies.

Diets, Fitness, Inspiration

Use Christmas gifts for fitness motivation

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2015 

Oh yes, it’s Christmas holiday time and Santa’s bringing gifts with cheer.

There are many of you who will be receiving something in the arena of fitness. This could be anything from athletic clothes to exercise equipment.

My advice is to take whatever the gift may be and use it for motivation.

I often hear from people explaining how some new exercise gadget is really working, plus it’s made their muscles sore and helped lose weight.

I always ask “were you doing any type of exercise before you bought the gadget?” The typical answer is “no.” So, this means it became your motivation.

For example, there’s an abundance of abdominal equipment that claim to give tighter abs and lose weight. And, when people do try them, they feel soreness and some benefit for the very first time.

Yes, this is exciting and great news that it’s working. But, again, my question is “when’s the last time you performed a situp?” It’s probably been years.

Did you know that if you would just lie down, put your feet under the couch and start doing situps that you might feel the same soreness? Plus, it wouldn’t cost any money.

My message is not to discourage or make you feel ignorant for spending money on possibly unnecessary exercise equipment, but really, just the opposite.

I want you to embrace whatever gift received or personally bought and use it as motivation.

I don’t care how odd the gadget may seem. Just get on it, put it on and use it to get your body in motion. Use it every day and make it a part of your daily routine.

What will follow is the habit of exercising. Then you’ll build confidence and start exploring other areas of fitness. Fitness, diet and exercising will become a way of life and the world will open new doors.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, now get excited for the new exercise toys and start changing your life.

Diets, Fitness, Inspiration

Just like in football, there’s a 2-minute warning in life

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, December 15, 2015

We are all familiar with the 2-minute warning in the game of football. It’s when there’s only 2 minutes left on the game clock in the second and fourth quarter.

This time period is critical because teams must strategize according to the score, especially the fourth quarter since it will determine a win or loss.

To me, we all receive a 2-minute warning in the game of life. How many of you have serious health issues, and your doctor has told you to change your lifestyle or a major surgery or even death will follow?

How about an abusive relationship in which the last episode was one too many?

Maybe your employer is not recognizing your qualifications and experience and keeps passing you on promotions and pay raises?

It’s possible, that under certain circumstances, it’s not wise to make a haste decision by quitting or walking away too soon. The quick results could be devastating.

Now it’s time to keep a cool head, a wise mind and put a winning strategy in place.

If it’s pertaining to your health, seek out professional help to not only change your diet and exercise regime, but for mental support as well.

If its relationship issues, then reach out to family and certain friends and put a plan in place to remove yourself. Some or most of the time children are involved and your decisions affects their well-being.

Of course, it’s possible higher authoritative help is needed. Just depends on individual circumstances.

When it comes to occupational changes, it might be time to update a resume, join LinkedIn and start networking with people in your field of choice.

Now, this is your 2-minute warning. Start strategizing, work on your plan and win this awesome but challenging game of life.

Life is too precious, and we all deserve the best life possible.

Diets, Fitness

Now is the time to start New Year’s resolutions

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Well, I hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving feast and all the tasty nondiet foods. Last week I gave you a pass to eat anything and as much as you want without any guilt.

Now, what typically happens to most people is you consider the holiday season and cold weather months as a time to blow off healthy diets.

You’re already trying to fool yourself that January will be different this time. This is a huge mistake in which you set yourself up for failure once again.

Be honest, this is the same destructive cycle you do every year. Snap out of it. It’s never worked, so why is this year different?

The truly best way to reach your 2016 diet and exercise goals is to start right now.

Developing habits and routine takes some time. If you get started now, then you’ll be in the zone by January to accomplish all those goals.

Yes, I know, there will be Christmas and office parties, family gatherings, and lots of homemade cookies and milk for Santa. But that’s even more reason to start now to improve diets and exercise.

The only way to battle through all the holiday calories is a consistent exercise program. Your biggest obstacle will be cleaning up your diet, but at least the party season will be over and excuses should stop.

Believe me, I understand the challenges. I made an eating fool of myself at Nanna’s house, but I started exercising the very next day. Oh my goodness, I was so sluggish and felt like a fat slob.

I went to the gym and walked 20 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on an eclipse machine, 30 minutes on a stationary bike and ended in the sauna.

Even though I didn’t feel like going back to the gym yet, I knew it’s time to start getting back on the path of a healthier lifestyle. It has taken a few days, but I’ve already made a commitment to make 2016 the best year ever.

Don’t wait until 2016 to make New Year’s resolutions. Make a promise to yourself to change your life now.

Allow the month of December for diet and exercise failures. You need this time to stumble while better habits are being formed. Start crawling, so when January comes, you’ll be running.

There’s a beautiful person staring back at you in the mirror. Fall in love with yourself, take care of that amazing body and make tomorrow the best day ever.