Deliberate Planning
For a Long and Healthy Life
I have to plan?
February 7th, 2017
How do you want to spend your retired life?
Pick one.
Then plan and act accordingly … start now.
Growing Older …
it ain’t for sissies!
Refuse to go quietly …
Work at it.
Unless you are extremely fortunate …
A long and healthy life won’t just happen
automatically … it will take a little effort.
But, it’s relatively easy.
All you need is knowledge and some good habits.
This is not a critique.
This is a “heads up” from the voice of
experience.
Middle age is going to sneak up on you, and
you need to be ready for it.
If you jump on this right away, your adult
years will be a lot happier and a lot healthier.
Trust me on this one!
Topics for today
1. What knowledge?
2. What habits?
3. Status check on your assignment for March.
Knowledge is Good
Here are some random tidbits …
Embrace what makes sense to you.
Do what you think is best … it’s your life.
Good health is everything.
Carrying excess weight is not healthy.
Lack of physical fitness is not healthy.
You aren’t at serious risk right now.
But if you don’t get proactive …
You will be headed for trouble.
Proper Diet and ample exercise are the
fundamental things we can do to help
ensure a long and healthy life.
You have to do both …
Slim but weak doesn’t cut it.
Neither does strong but overweight.
36” waist is the absolute limit … Men
32” waist size limit … Women
If you hit these measurements, don’t
buy bigger pants …
Adjust your diet and exercise!
Weight gain = eating more calories
that you burn
Weight loss = burning more calories
than you eat
That’s the bottom line …
No magic tricks or shortcuts.
Choose your calories wisely ... Be logical!
Eat stuff that gives you the most nutritional value from
each calorie.
Fat: 1 gram = 9 calories
Alcohol: 1 gram = 7 calories
Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories
P.S. Sugar has no nutritional value … just calories (fuel).
It’s not a significant source of any essential vitamins or minerals.
P.P.S. Artificial sweeteners are safe in normal quantities.
Last Call for the exercise habit … BEFORE age 20
At age 20 … your daily BASIC caloric intake requirement
gets smaller
From 2,600 down to 2,400 calories a day
At age 40 your requirement reduces again
from 2,400 down to 2,200 calories a day
At age 60
from 2,200 dawn to 2,000 calories a day
When your pants start getting tight … make changes!
Time accelerates as you get older.
Your life will get VERY busy in your mid to late 20’s.
new career, spouse, kids, house and yard
(about the time your caloric intake requirements are decreasing!)
You won’t have time to add anything to your daily routine
… (like proper diet and exercise) you will be too busy.
You will start to gain weight.
However, if you are already in the habit of eating right
and exercising daily, you will be in good shape (literally).
Diet and exercise need to be a habit EARLY in your life …
Or … Your health could be in jeopardy as you get older.
Why should I worry about health when I’m older?
You think you are having fun now?
Wait until you retire … there is so much
more fun to be had.
No job, the kids are grown, the mortgage is paid off, you have
retirement income, lots of toys and grandkids to play with.
You will regret it if you are too overweight and too out of
shape to FULLY enjoy your retirement years.
Establish healthy habits NOW so that you will be alive
and in good health so you can really enjoy your adult life
and your retirement.
A long way off?
Nope … it will be here before you know it.
Trust me on this one.
Plan (and act) now!
You get to decide right now
what kind of shape you will be in when
you get older …
Which “body type” do you think will
spend more time in Doctor’s offices and
Hospitals?
Which “body type” do you think will
best be able to go skiing and play
baseball with the grandkids?
Which “body type” do you think will live
longer?
This … is not unreasonable (at all).
Start now and build up gradually.
Are you thinking about joining the USAF?
They have fitness standards (similar to CAP).
These are the minimum requirements:
MEN:
Less than 37 ½ “ waist
Push-ups at least 44 in 1 minute
Sit-ups at least 46 in 1 minute
1.5 Mile run under 13:14
WOMEN:
Less than 34 “ waist
Push-ups at least 27 in 1 minute
Sit-ups at least 42 in 1 minute
1.5 Mile run under 15:50
Meeting these minimum requirements earns you a score
of “Satisfactory” … you will be required to re-test in 6
months.
Habit
A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior
that is acquired through frequent repetition.
Habit
How long will it take to form a new habit?
It depends … on what you are doing now.
(21 to 30 days is a good ballpark estimate)
Minor lapses will occur.
But … if you keep at it, it will happen.
Daily repetition is the key.
Safe driving is a reasonable example.
Habit
If you get in the habit of exercising every day, it
will quickly stop being a chore, and will become a
natural part of your daily routine.
And more importantly, it will get a lot easier.
The secret is frequent (daily) repetition.
Habit
Same thing with following a healthy diet, you
won’t have to concentrate on it, it will become
second nature to you.
You will actually get used to it and enjoy it.
Again, the secret is frequent (daily) repetition.
Healthy plate … breakfast
Healthy plate … lunch
Healthy plate … dinner
Did you notice?
Each meal …
½ plate of fruits
or vegetables
¼ plate of lean
protein
¼ plate of grains
Healthy plate … NOT
But …
In
moderation
absolutely
nothing
wrong with a
Whataburger
(order the
small fries).
P.S.
A healthy diet does NOT require eating
“healthy” at every single meal.
In fact, it would be good for you to eat some
of the “bad foods” that you really enjoy on
the weekends and especially on Holidays
and your Birthday (just don’t over do it).
This is life … it’s supposed to be enjoyable!
NOT poisonous … eat in moderation … enjoy!
(life is too short to do without pie, ice cream, and tacos)
What you eat is just as important as how much you eat
Pay attention to what you are eating.
Heart Doctors are beginning to think that a lot of heart disease is
being caused by food additives.
They aren’t toxic, but our body wasn’t designed to process them.
Read the ingredients label … if there are lots of ingredients that
you can’t pronounce … I wouldn’t eat that item very often.
For the most part, eat REAL
food like Grandma used to cook.
Daily Exercise
Muscle strength and aerobic fitness are
essential.
You need both (aerobic and strength)…
you need to exercise six days a week
Children and Adolescents (6-17 years old)
60 minutes or more of physical activity daily.
Moderate or vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity daily.
biking slowly, canoeing, ballroom dancing, general gardening, walking briskly, and water
aerobics.
Vigorous-intensity physical activity at least 3 days a week.
basketball, jumping rope, running or bicycling on hills, soccer, swimming laps, and
martial arts.
Muscle- and bone-strengthening physical activity at least 3 days a week.
lifting weights, push-ups, sit-ups, and working with resistance bands.
https://www.fitness.gov/be-active/physical-activity-guidelines-for-americans/
Adults (18-64 years old … NOT in the USAF)
Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (walking)
150 minutes each week (25 minutes x 6 days a week) …
for at least 10 (25 is a lot better) minutes at a time.
Strengthening activities, like push-ups, sit-ups and lifting
weights, at least 2 (3 is better) days a week.
https://www.fitness.gov/be-active/physical-activity-guidelines-for-americans/
Technique, not procedure …
Suggestion for Cadets:
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday… run 1 ½ miles
(the CAP 1 mile run will be piece of cake)
Monday Wednesday, and Friday … sit ups and push ups.
(the CAP Fitness tests will be REAL easy)
More Technique …
Suggestion for Cadets who are thinking of USAF:
Daily (6 days a week) … run 1 ½ miles under 13 minutes.
(work up to it gradually)
Monday Wednesday, and Friday …
46 sit ups in 1 minute
44 push ups in 1 minute.
(again, work up gradually)
Summary
Take away message
It’s all about diet and exercise … start tomorrow.
If you keep putting it off, middle age will sneak up
on you.
You will find yourself 40 years old, out of shape
and overweight … old age won’t be far behind.
It’s a LOT easier to get in shape now and stay in
shape, than to start exercising at age 40.
Do research … learn about diet and fitness.
Especially, learn the calorie content of the foods you like to eat.
Learn the calorie burn of the exercises you do every day.
Your weight is determined by calories eaten versus calories burned.
36” waist for men, 32” for women.
Half of each meal made of veggies (or fruit) … LEAN protein.
Aerobic activity of at least 25 minutes 6 days a week.
Strength training 3 days a week (on alternating days).
Figure out your own diet plan and fitness routine.
Each of us is slightly different.
Do whatever works for you … just do something.
Make sure it’s effective and enjoyable.
Don’t Quit …
Trust me … It ain’t that hard.
And … it will be well worth the effort.
Start slowly and effortlessly, then
slowly work your way up to
genuine fitness …
When you get to age 40 (which
will be here before you know it),
you will really be happy that you
did.
No diet or exercise plan is perfect
or timeless.
Supervise and review … make adjustments as
required.
Don’t prioritize your schedule.
Schedule your priorities!
If a full life is important to you, whip out
your cell phone and put exercise on your
daily calendar … starting tomorrow.
Any questions on
the acceleration of time
diet
exercise
the importance of fitness
Did we just do a “Risk Management” process?
Yep!
1. Identify Hazard
2. Assess Risk
3. Analyze Risk Control Measures
4. Make Control Decisions
5. Implement Risk Controls
6. Supervise and review
Or, Jim’s simple version:
Figure out what can hurt you and do something about it.
Status Check
In Preparation for March “Safety Day” Your Assignment
Was:
1. Identify which fitness activity has the greatest potential to cause
injury (no matter how minor the injury).
2. Identify which fitness activity has the potential to cause the most
severe injury.
3. Come up with some Risk Control Measures.
So … how are you doing?
Next Month, during the “Safety Briefing”
Be prepared to present and discuss your work.
A “formal briefing” is NOT required.
I will ask the questions (Number 1, 2, and 3).
Have one or more “spokesmen” ready to provide the answers to the
Squadron.
Any questions on this?
Did you sign the roster?
Thank you for your attention.
I’ll see you next month.
P.S. Don’t forget Valentine’s
Day is next Tuesday.
Mr. Cadet Commander
The last step in RM is:
Step 6. Supervise and review
Watch and see if your “risk controls” were effective.
You might consider delegating this task to
someone (or to a committee).