I've got a little bit of a news flash for you. I'm not perfect. Neither me, nor any of the instructors or trainers at Rhino Fitness are perfect. In fact, we're all human, very human. We make mistakes, we injure ourselves by forgetting to stretch enough, we sometimes eat cake and ice cream, we miss workouts and guess what? We get sore. Sometimes REALLY, REALLY sore! And it's not necessarily because we push ourselves harder than most people, it's really because we are human and we get sore just like everyone else.

I'm telling you this because I want you to know that everything that you may be going through in your journey to better health and fitness, one of us or all of us have gone through the very same thing at one time or another. Maybe we are going through it right now. Did you slip up and overeat last weekend? It's happened to me. Did you miss two workouts in a row because life got in the way? Been there. How about just losing your motivation to get yourself out of bed early enough to drag yourself to the gym? Oh boy, I wish I had a dollar for each time that's happened to me.

If I have learned anything in the 30-plus years I have been in this game, I have learned that fitness truly is a journey. There is no end destination. You don't get to say, "Ok, I'm there, now I can stop." It's a non-stop drive, a never-ending expedition, constantly striving to improve oneself. And if you fall off the horse, you dust yourself off and get back on. Beating yourself up because you blew it at the buffet will accomplish nothing. You just have to commit to getting back to it.

You are human. You will make mistakes. You will slip up. You will get lazy and unmotivated. It's gonna happen (if it hasn't already). But know these things: We have all been there and we are here for you. Don't ever think that you can't talk to us about what you are going through because you think we wouldn't understand. Trust me, we do. Slipping up every once in awhile does not make you a "screw-up." Backsliding a little does not make you a failure. However, quitting does.

So, don't give up, don't stop what you're doing and most of all, if you need someone to talk to, don't forget we're here.

I never had trouble building muscle. It was always easy for me to pack on the lean pounds whenever I decided I needed to. It’s not that I’m bragging, it’s just a fact. I’m one of the lucky few who can gain muscular weight pretty easily.  When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I could gain an inch on my biceps by just growling at the barbell. Seriously. For a young , aspiring bodybuilder, it was very motivating.

Others are not so fortunate. I have a friend who was a competitive bodybuilder also and his chief complaint was that he couldn’t gain a lot of muscular bodyweight. However, he had really low body fat. Naturally. He never had to work too hard to keep his body fat low. As a result, he looked awesome when he competed. I know plenty of people who wish they had this problem. Including myself. You see, though I could build muscle by thinking about it, I had to work really, REALLY hard to keep the fat off.

My point to all of this is that each of us is our own person. We each possess different attributes. Some of us gain weight easily, some of us can’t gain it fast enough. Some of us have no trouble sticking to a healthy nutritious food plan, some of us can’t pass a junk food place without stopping in. There are the beautiful bodies you see on television, and then there’s reality.

Where do you fit in? I’m asking this question, not to antagonize you about your physical condition, but to help you appreciate who you are. You see, not everyone was meant to look like a celebrity, with a perfect body and flawless skin. The great majority of us live every day looking at our flaws in the mirror. And I am here to tell you that it is just fine. That’s right. It’s ok to be who you are. I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to improve your body and your health, I’m just saying you need to be realistic about what you are trying to achieve. If you are happy and feel fine once you reach a size 8 dress, then what’s wrong with that? If you are comfortable at a size 2, then that’s fine for you. Do you see what I am trying to say? I want you to be in the best health possible, but I don’t want you to try to reach for some goal that is unrealistic and unhealthy. As my wife and I say a lot, we were not all meant to be Barbie Dolls. Who would want to anyway? (Must be hard for her to walk with those tiny feet and those huge…umm…eyes.)

I believe we need to strive to strike that balance in our lives and ourselves where we can realistically live.

Stand up and look in the mirror. Think back to when you felt the healthiest. If that was too long ago, then decide for yourself where you would be happy. If you really want to go for the figure competitor body and truly believe that you can, then by all means, go for it. But if you would truly be happy and feel comfortable and healthy at 20% body fat, then that is what you should shoot for. If you need some help deciding what is healthy and realistic for you, give me a call and let’s see if we can figure it out.

I heard Popeye say it more than once, "I yam what I yam." Good enough for me.

So, you've gained a few pounds, maybe more than a few. You decided that it is finally time to get rid of the extra weight. You decided that it is finally time to get back to your old healthy self. So you went on a diet. The checkout counter magazines, the daytime TV shows, even your friends tell you that you need to diet to get back into shape. I’m talking about the commercial diet plans such as Atkins for Life, The South Beach Diet, The DASH Diet, The Best Life Diet and others that are similar. Are you on one of these diets?

Well, if you are, I may have some bad news for you.

Diets don’t work. Plain and simple. But beyond that, they may be killing you. And I’m not joking.

Diets don’t work because they rely on restricted calories and reduced macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat). Simply put, the human body does not understand the concept of dieting. When a person restricts her calories, her body perceives this as starvation. When the body perceives starvation, it does what it’s supposed to do, and holds onto the fat. This is survival. So instead of getting leaner, the person who severely restricts her caloric intake will get fatter, or at the very least, stay fat.

Furthermore, current evidence suggests that these diets and similar plans, are severely lacking in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (“Prevalence of micronutrient deficiency in popular diet plans,” Jayson B. Calton, June 10, 2010) found that, “Six micronutrients (vitamin B7, vitamin D, vitamin E, chromium, iodine and molybdenum) were identified as consistently low or nonexistent in all four diet plans.” and, “These findings are significant and indicate that an individual following a popular diet plan as suggested, with food alone, has a high likelihood of becoming micronutrient deficient; a state shown to be scientifically linked to an increased risk for many dangerous and debilitating health conditions and diseases.”

So, while in the pursuit of better health, you may be putting your health at risk. Deficiencies in macro- and micronutrients are dangerous. Have you ever noticed when a person is on a diet, they are not the most pleasant person to be around? This is not just because they are miserable because they didn’t get to have that piece of cheesecake that they wanted. This is because their body is experiencing a shortage in the nutrients that it requires to remain healthy. These shortages can result in everything from mood swings to lack of energy and in some cases, severe lethargy and death. And all in the name of losing weight.

Do me and yourself and those around you a big favor. Don’t diet. There are much more intelligent and permanent ways to lose weight. Keeping the body in balance is the key to getting and staying healthy and fit. If you would like to know how, visit our website at www.MeetTheRhino.com or give us a call at 951-283-9473.

Father’s Day is less than a week away. If you are a father or you have a father or you have ever seen a TV show or movie mentioning Father’s Day, you know the clichés. Bad ties, socks, cheap aftershave are synonymous with Father’s Day. And we all know, but don’t want to admit, that all these get added to a never-used collection of items somewhere in the back of the closet, under the sink or in a corner of the garage. So, come June, everyone begins to think about what to get that special Dad in their life for Father’s Day. They spend countless hours trudging the malls and stores trying to resolve the issue, often to no avail. Well, I have an idea.

Why not give him something healthy. How about something that will make him feel better, both physically and mentally?

No, this is not quite as boring as it sounds. I’m not talking about buying dad an AED or cholesterol meds or something along those lines. A healthy gift is not necessarily something that will make Dad think to himself, “Gee, thanks. How quickly can I return this without hurting someone’s feelings?”

I’ve got a few ideas that will be fun but also encourage him to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Regardless of your dad’s age, it’s a good idea to keep him active. If he is not already, Father’s Day may be a good time to remind him to get himself off the couch and moving. Anything might work, like a new set of clubs, a new racquet or even a new pair of running shoes.

But what if Dad just isn’t the type to be involved in such sports?

"Think about giving your dad a few sessions at the gym with a personal trainer," says Armin Brott, author of numerous books about fatherhood including, "The New Father: a Dad's Guide to the First Year" and "Father for Life". A trainer might help your father learn about the benefits of fitness, and perhaps help him figure out a kind of exercise that he'll enjoy. Or if your dad is more of a homebody and reluctant to trek to the fitness club -- and you've got some siblings willing to chip in -- think about fitting up his basement with some new equipment, like a stationary bike or treadmill.

An adjustable workout bench can also be a great Father's Day gift, and they are not only for guys keen on going shirtless at the beach. Strength training helps people stay healthy, especially as they get older. It allows seniors to stay more mobile and independent, and their increased agility reduces the risk of dangerous falls.

Then at the other end of the spectrum, we have new dads, who often find that the demands of fatherhood derail their longstanding exercise regimen. So think about some gifts that might allow a new father to exercise with his kids. While toddlers are pretty hopeless as squash partners, they may not mind being passengers. So Brott suggests that a jogging stroller is a great way for fathers to get back into shape while keeping an eye on their offspring. Similarly, Goldman, the author of "The Joy of Fatherhood: The First Twelve Months," recommends a bicycle with a child carrier; either a seat or a trailer.

Whatever you decide, remember, "Gifts that really matter are gifts of yourself rather than stuff," says Reed Schimmelfing, MSW, a therapist practicing in Northampton, Mass.  "After a few years, we don't remember who gave us a particular sweater or when or why. But if you and your dad go do something special together on Father's Day -- a road trip, or just some time together -- you'll both remember it for a long time."

Have you ever had one of those? Last week was a long, tough week, especially considering it was one day short because of the holiday. So what was the deal?

There really was nothing outstanding or spectacular about any day last week, just pretty much business as usual. I mean, I didn't get any earth-shattering news, or experience any horrible events. Just the same as any other week. But for some reason, by the time Thursday came around, I was ready to cash it in and go to bed for the rest of the week.

Today I woke up ready to go and take on the world. Completely different attitude from last week, so I got to thinking about this whole thing, and I think I figured it out (The clue is in this sentence). It was my attitude.

Last week, I entered the week on Tuesday thinking to myself, “Whoopee! Short week! Let’s get this over with and get on with the weekend! Hey, we’re almost there!” Then Wednesday hit, and with it, the reality that this week was not a whole lot shorter than any other. Besides, every day of this week, even if there was one less, demanded every bit of attention as usual. It was a kick in the face and I didn’t take it well. So my attitude went downhill from there, and I didn’t even realize it.

Well, that sucks. Yes it did. It really sucked. And I let it get to me. I think it was Stephen Covey who said, “10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.” Nothing could have proved that to be more true than last week. Basically it came down to this, last week sucked because I let it suck.

We can’t control the traffic on the freeway. We have no control over how many red lights we will hit on the way to work. We can’t keep the clown from cutting us off and then slowing down. Things like this happen. We have no way of controlling what happens to us. We do, however, have control over how we react to these things. And unfortunately, things like this have a way of snowballing.

You hit red lights all the way to your appointment. You decide to speed things up a little to make up for the lost time. You get stopped by a cop and get a ticket. Now, you’re even more late. You get to your appointment really late and your head is spinning. You can’t find your presentation in your briefcase. When you finally find it, you notice that the entire board room is staring at you in shock because of the way you thrashed through your briefcase, not to mention the “blankety-blanks” you muttered almost under your breath. So the presentation doesn’t go very well and you head back to your office. Your boss finds out about the failed presentation and bites your head off. Then you go home and take it all out on your kids and spouse. What a day! Sound familiar? And all because you hit all those read lights. Or was it?

Was it the series of red lights, or the way you let it get to you? Think about it, had you not let it get to you and added that dash of speed to your drive, you wouldn’t have gotten the ticket, you wouldn’t have been so late, you would have been in a better mood to find your presentation and it probably would have gone a whole lot better. See? Did you HAVE a lousy day or did you GIVE yourself a lousy day? Think about it.

I have re-evaluated my attitude and made this decision: I WILL have a great day, because I am in control of that. I realize that I cannot control circumstances, but I can and will control my reaction to those circumstances.

How about you?