You Too CAN Afford the Expense of Losing Weight

Me at 203 lbs. the day ending my last 24 Day Challenge; down from 245lbs.

Me at 203 lbs. the day ending my last 24 Day Challenge; down from 245lbs.

Since my wife and I happily became Advisors with AdvoCare the most frequent objection to trying the products has been “I can’t afford it”. And I get this objection because of my failures in properly explaining AdvoCare. I’ve trained many sales people in my 20 year sales career as owner of Total Broadcasting Service, radio advertising and video marketing; and with my previous employers. When someone tells you “they can’t afford” your product or service you are guilty of one of two things. Either you have failed to build in the mind of the customer enough value for your offering, or you have failed to show them how they CAN AFFORD your products or services.

My wife and I have enjoyed tremendous benefits from using some of AdvoCare’s more than 80 different products. The benefits are so great we’ve made them a priority in our regular spending. And that’s what potential customers need to do. They need to make their health and appearance a higher priority. And they need to do some simple math. As an AdvoCare Advisor-Distributor its my job to help them with both. So here we go…

According to a January 2013 Gallup Poll only 35.9% of Americans are a “normal” or healthy weight. Of the remaining 64.1% of you, 40.6% are obese. BTW- that’s about 1% higher than when First Lady Michelle Obama started her “Let’s Move” physical fitness campaign in 2008. So things are getting worse, not better (in more ways than one. But THAT’s another blog). That’s over 86-million Americans with considerable motivation to find the finances necessary to get into shape. And in case you were wondering, if you are 30-40 pounds heavier than when you graduated high school you are probably obese. And it’s costing you money.

Obesity leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. Obesity may not lead to arthritis and joint pain, but I can tell you from personal experience it does make such conditions worse. According to the website diabetes.org, they surveyed medication use and cost of 128 patients (75 women, 53 men). The average patient took between 4 and 5 medications per day. The monthly cost of these drugs ranged from $80 to $115. These estimates did not include the cost of syringes or home glucose monitoring supplies. These two items increased monthly drug costs by at least $55. Thus, the total estimated monthly drug cost for these patients ranged between $115 and $170. That’s over $1380 per year. Also, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) if you have blood pressure and are prescribed one of 18 different medicines you’re spending between $65-$195 per month, $780-$2340 per year. And how much do you spend on pain medicine, for aching backs and joints caused by your overweight?

AdvoCare AffordabilityWhen you do the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge you will spend no more than $7.91 per day and you’ll need to give up a few unhealthy food choices you’ve been making. When you give up morning coffee, fast food, soda, and maybe a breakfast sandwich or other daily snack you will be saving between $12-$15 per day, which is between $288- $360 over the entire 24 days of The Challenge. Add to your savings the fact that you will probably be eating less, and healthier, and THAT will also save you money.

Even when not on the Challenge my wife and I save money with AdvoCare products. For instance we drink Spark daily as a source for energy, mental clarity, and as a morning wake-up drink. We no longer drink coffee, which we used to drink daily. As Advisors with a 40% discount on the retail price of AdvoCare products we spend about $0.75 on each Spark drink or $1.50 per day. Compared to just a $3.00 latte; that saves us $45.00 per month. We were never “energy” – drink people, like Red Bull. But a lot of people are, and if you are…you’re spending over $4.50 on every drink. Spark contains no sugar and 21 vitamins and minerals and costs 1/3 of what you’re spending.

Spark is loaded with 21 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It contains no sugar. And it works!!!

Spark is loaded with 21 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It contains no sugar. And it works!!!

We also enjoy AdvoCare’s Meal Replacement Shakes daily at breakfast or lunch. We enjoy the chocolate flavor, as well as the mocha chocolate. Others like the Berry or Vanilla. The Shakes cost us $1.93 each meal. Any meal at any restaurant or fast-food sandwich is going to cost you at least $3.00. Yes, a bowl of Cheerios is a little cheaper. But it’s a lot less nutritious and far less filling. If you’re like me, when you eat a bowl of Cheerios or any other breakfast cereal you’re hungry again in an hour. That danish or donut you buy adds to your cost. Doesn’t it? And Meal Replacement Shakes contain:

Meal Replacement Shakes

* Only 220 calories
* Balanced meal for optimal nutrition and weight management
* 24 grams of easy-to-digest protein
* High in dietary fiber (5-6 grams)
* 50% of the Daily Value of calcium
* 26 vitamins and minerals
* 1:1 ratio of proteins to carbohydrates

And my family loves AdvoCare Snack and Meal bars. They have quite a variety. The new RAW flavor is a favorite. It’s a less-processed snack bar high in fiber and other nutrition. It’s great for eating on the run. And our cost is only $1.60 per bar. Snack Bar

I guess with the Snack and Meal bars, the Meal Replacement Shakes, and Spark my message is these are not expenses. They’re replacements for what you would otherwise spend your hard-earned money on and in most cases they’re far less expensive. So don’t think of AdvoCare as an additional expense. Think of it in most cases as a substitute expense, and less of it.

Lastly, most people get started on AdvoCare with the 24 Day Challenge. 24 Day ChallengeBut if you feel you can’t spend the $190 retail price (less with AdvoCare membership) then you can do it gradually. The first 10 days of the Challenge includes the Herbal Cleanse, Spark, and Omegaplex. Get those three outside the typical bundle and you only spend $76.40. Order the remaining Meal Replacement Shakes, MNS MAX, and additional Spark one week later when your next paycheck comes. You can do that for your health, your future, maybe your children. Right?

See? You can afford it.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Since June of 2012 to May 2013 Sonja is down OVER 40 lbs.

Since June of 2012 to May 2013 Sonja is down OVER 40 lbs.

Proper Weight for Height and Age

About 10 months ago I got on a weight loss program that actually worked. But a strange thing happened on my weight-loss and fitness journey. My end-results goal kept changing. And, it still does today.

I’ve lost 40 pounds in the past 10 months and am now at a weight I’ve not been since I was 21-22 years old. It never occurred to me that I would ever approach what actuaries call the “ideal weight” for a 6′ 1″ 49 year old man with a medium build. Interesting to note that prior to this weight loss I would have said I have a large build. Shortly I’ll share ONE suggested way of determining whether YOU have a small, medium or large build.

The link below takes you to  a site that helps you calculate the “ideal weight” for you.

Proper Weight for Height and Age.

At 20 yrs old I weighed maybe 195 lbs.

At 20 yrs old I weighed maybe 195 lbs.

In High School I was my full height and at graduation weighed 185-190. I played football and basketball, and was generally very active. I absolutely possessed a healthy, if not ideal weight at that time of my life. In the thirty years since that time I’ve worked-out with weights regularly, including religiously over the past ten years. So its fair to say I’ve added muscle and so I’ve added muscle weight. Subsequently I would expect my “ideal weight” to be somewhere at or near 200 lbs.  But as of this morning I hit a new low of 203 lbs. and am quite certain I could easily lose another 10-20 lbs. and maintain a healthy body. Now we’re talking about a better more solid, healthy, muscular body than when I was a high school athlete, or in college.

When I started on THIS weight loss program I honestly had a goal of losing 10-15 lbs. and getting under 230. I honestly thought that would be great for me since I was unwilling to give up the food and drink I liked, and I was unwilling to expand my workout routine beyond the 1 hour-5 day per week schedule I’d long-ago established. But I got that weight ten days into my Challenge. So, then after realizing how easy it was for me to lose weight I set my sites on what at the time I thought would be an “ideal weight”. I was 210 pounds when I married my bride at age 23 in 1987. My program got me to 211 only 3 months later, and there I sat for 3 more months (The holiday season), never reaching 210 on my scale. Still, at 211-213 lbs. I could look at myself and know that getting below 200 pounds for the first time since I was a teenager was not only possible but necessary. I wasn’t going to come this far and stop. Why would I? I thought, I have in my possession a vehicle that can give me what anyone and everyone would constitute an ideal weight and ideal body for a man my age. It’s not vanity. It’s practicality. I can be the best I can be.  Not someone else. Me. And I’m going to do it.

And here’s a big, big, big surprise for me and I’m betting for you too. I haven’t given up anything that I enjoy eating and drinking. Pizza is still my favorite and I usually have it once per week. I still eat my wife’s delicious spaghetti and pasta meals. A piled-high cheeseburger with bacon, ketchup, mustard, and mayo is still part of my life. And I still ONLY work-out for 1 hour every morning Monday-Friday. My point is…anyone can do this if they decide to do so.

When I was 245 pounds I thought, I’m not THAT bad. I’m just a big guy. I have a large physique. And something the actuarial tables never factor into weight is hat-size. I’m serious. The head is the heaviest portion of the human body. I got a 7 5/8 hat size. So I got a real big melon. I was fooling myself.

Now that I’m within 14 lbs. of what the Center for Disease Control considers the ideal weight for a 6′ 1″ man I wanted to know how to determine whether I was of small, medium, or large build. I know I am not “small”. I thought I was large. But now I’m not so sure. Ehow.com has this article that says to determine your build measure your wrists. The smaller the diameter, the smaller your bones are. Smaller bones are usually less dense and therefore lighter. Consider your frame size because it can affect your measurements; a person with a large frame might mistakenly think she’s overweight. For an approximate idea, if you wrap your thumb and index finger around your opposite wrist, you can estimate your frame size. If your fingers overlap, you have a small frame; if they barely touch, you have a medium frame; if they don’t touch, you have a large frame.

Me at 203 lbs. the day of this blog's writing.

Me at 203 lbs. the day of this blog’s writing.

Based on this means of measurement I have a medium build. I’ve always known I had small arms. HA!

Cynics will read this blog and call it a vanity exercise. So be it. My sincere hope is that people can be inspired by a former fat guy who is now not only much much healthier but well on his way to what might be near perfect health for my age, height and size. Wish me luck….and join me.

Thanks for visting. Comments are welcome.

Read more: How to Figure My Ideal Weight for My Age | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7514339_figure-ideal-weight-age.html#ixzz2R8xMvCZW

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won't regret it.

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won’t regret it.

Why Network Marketing is an amazing tool – Robert Kiyosaki

Robert Kiyosaki is the author of the huge financial advice book, Rich Dad Poor Dad. His tale of common sense advice on getting ahead financially in life has inspired millions. In this video he explains why a network marketing business, like AdvoCare, is perhaps “the perfect business”. At the end of this video ignore the phone number & email address posted. You can contact us for whatever questions you may have. 

My wife and I chose AdvoCare as a direct-selling, or network marketing, business because it’s products are so wonderful. We also became Advisor Distributors because we saw a long-time friend and his wife build an incredible income through AdvoCare in only 3 years. Could you do the same? That’s entirely up to you. Just like any business, job, endeavor, what rewards you receive from Advocare will be in direct proportion to the amount of effort you put in over an extended period of time.

Contact us for friendly advice, with no commitment required.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won't regret it.

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won’t regret it.

US Housing Crisis – Negative Equity Infographic – Zillow

Peoria - My House from the Air

 

You think you got it tough? You think, how am I ever going to get out from under this crushing debt? You are not alone.

 

Click on this link for the Zillow Negative Equity Infographic. It shows in startling detail the percentage of homes by county throughout the U.S. that are Underwater and delinquent on payments.

 

US Housing Crisis – Negative Equity Infographic – Zillow.

 

At the peak of the housing crisis over 40% of homeowners owed more on their houses than the houses resale value. According to the most recent information (I could find) from September 2012 over 22% were still underwater. In a healthy housing market only 5% of homes are underwater, or have negative equity.

 

The effects on the economy are enormous. When a family has negative equity their ability to borrow money is extremely limited, preventing wanna-be entrepreneurs from using seed money from their homes, their largest investment, to start a new business. Families can’t refinance in order to take advantage of record low-interest rates. And they can’t sell their house and buy a new one because in most cases they won’t have money left over after the sale to use as down payment on the new home.

 

Snowcapped peaks are a backdrop to many Puget ...

 

In the Puget Sound 26% of King County homes are underwater and 10% are delinquent on their mortgage payments. In Snohomish County it’s 40% and 11%. Pierce County is the worst; 45% and 12%. Throughout the Puget Sound and south to Portland, OR not one county is below 21%. Most are above 30%.

 

Since a decade low of only 60% of Americans own homes we can then do some simple math to determine a majority, over 53%, either don’t own a home or have negative equity in the homes they do “own”. 

 

As someone who isn’t underwater on our home (in fact we have pretty descent equity) but is extremely familiar with the suffocation of debt let me tell you I can relate. A recent ABC News report indicates that a majority, 55%, of Americans have more credit card debt than money in savings. Sadly, I would be among the majority.

 

Getting out of debt is one of my families top priorities. And for this economy to flourish all Americans should make that a priority.

 

As an AdvoCare Advisor Distributor I’m happy to have the award-winning DebtBuster program provided to me for free by AdvoCare. The methods for getting out of debt are simple to understand and follow. If great nutrition, weight loss, muscle gain, and great financial opportunities are not enough to compel you to get happily involved in this great company perhaps the kind and generous help and advice AdvoCare provides FOR FREE to get the stress and suffocating burden of debt off your back will allow you to make this wise decision.

 

We’re following the DebtBuster program and we’re making more money thanks to AdvoCare. I invite you to contact me to learn more. And based on statistics…a majority of you need to do so.

 

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

 

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won't regret it.

Go to our website, read our story and try some AdvoCare. You won’t regret it.

 

 

 

Things I Want In Life

What I was reminded of last night while attending Vision Quest, a speaking presentation by Ron Reynolds, at the Hilton Hotel in Bellevue, Washington is something I have heard many times and even practiced at brief periods of my life. Like others Reynolds explained the seemingly magical benefits of writing down goals.

Reynolds is the Vice-President in charge of Distributor Development for AdvoCare. He’s an author and creator of the DebtBuster System.  He used to work with motivational speaker Jim Rohn

Jim-rohn-PASSES-AWAY

The Late Jim Rohn

as President of Jim Rohn Productions. On several occasions last night he quoted from one of my favorite authors, Richard Bach.

Cover of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

He quoted from Bach’s most famous book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. And he quoted from my favorite Bach book, Illusions, The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. He said, “You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it come true”. I’ve written goals before, with success. Perhaps you have to. I’m saddened by my foolishness, procrastination, and inability to focus and do something I know from experience and from education works. Writing down goals, and doing it regularly is perhaps the single most important self-improvement tool anyone can do. Just ask yourself, who’s more likely to be a success or overcome obstacles…a person with a written list of passionate goals, or a person just getting through life day-to-day? Isn’t the answer obvious?

So, following Reynolds advice and countless others I’ve finally made my “Things I Want in Life” list. I thought it would be too personal to share here as I do so many of my other thoughts. But after writing it I don’t feel it’s anything to be ashamed of; and making it public may make me more accountable and make the list that much more powerful. Don’t you think?

Here it is:

1. A house on a lake or river where I can regularly go fishing. 

This has been a dream of mine for years. Now it’s no longer a dream it’s a goal. Soon it will be a reality.

2. Freedom from debt.

Debt is suffocating. And it’s suffocating me and my family and my business too much right now.

3. Financial freedom.

This may seem to be simultaneous with #2; but it’s not. I’ve seldom had debt problems in my life. I’ve even less seldom had financial freedom. Though, it’s true, #2 will HELP achieve #3.

4. The respect of my children.

I hope I already have this. But at times I’m not sure. Two of my kids are adults. I want to be sure.

5. Respect of my wife.

See above.

6. To live until at least 80 years of age.

This may seem like a low target. But my family history suggests that it’s a rather lofty goal.

7. A home in a sunny place. 

Goal #1 is most important. And if we can get it in a sunny place Goal #7 is fulfilled. But then again, I’d settle for two homes.

8. A self-sustaining company.

My company Total Broadcasting Service as well as our Plan-B income, AdvoCare are both capable of achieving this goal for me. First one to the finish line wins. 🙂

9. Clothes that fit.

I’ve lost 35 pounds with the great help of AdvoCare, but our debt problems make buying new clothes impossible right now. So this is actually a pretty important and immediate goal.

10. An inheritance for my kids.

My Dad left me and my brother nothing, because he had nothing. My Mom will do likewise. I won’t do this to my kids.

11. A red 1965ish Ford Mustang Convertible.

What good is it to have financial freedom, Goal #3, if I can’t enjoy it with the occasional toy.

12. Lots of friends.

I am grateful for all my friends. I want more.

13. Time, money and ability to vacation with friends all over the world.

I’ve never travelled much. I want to do so.

14. Seahawk, Mariner, and Sonics season tickets.

Currently we have Seahawk tickets.

15. A vacation home in Wenatchee

Burch Mountain above Wenatchee, Washington

Burch Mountain above Wenatchee

I love Wenatchee. My wife…not so much. So a permanent home there seems unlikely. So I’ll settle for a vacation home there instead.

16. Ability, time and money to help family and friends any time any where. And their confidence that I will help them. 

I feel that I am currently hamstrung in any efforts to benefit people I love. And that hurts.

17. A college education for all my kids, fully paid for by me.

I didn’t get this when I was young. Ever since I have wanted to provide it for my kids. We began to do so with my oldest. She then dropped out and that was that. We have one more left to go. Fortunately she repeatedly talks of going to college and I don’t want to let her down.

18. Be a leader.

Hopefully I am. But I can do better.

19. To write and publish a book that will be read by others for years.

As evidenced by this blog I enjoy writing. I hope I’m good. I hope I get better.

20. A fishing boat.

21. My wife’s happiness, always.

22. A complete genealogical account of my families history.  

23. A historic memorabilia collection.

24. A safe, secure retirement.

25. A savings account. 

26. Ability to always find positive words in any situation.

27. A new pool table and time and ability to use it, preferably with friends.

28. Laser eye surgery.

29. Shoulder surgery.

30. To establish a truly worthwhile charity to address literacy. 

The list isn’t in any particular order of priority. I want it all, so there seems no need to have any order of priority. It is complete. I thought hard about adding to it. But, there is little else that comes to mind, or that I would write here.

Some of the list is superficial. Some of it is more “spiritual”, in a sense. But having finally written it down, I’m filled with confidence that everything on the list is bounding my direction at this very moment. So I’ll stop writing and get busy achieving.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

Call for Video Production Services: 425-687-0100

Call for Video Production Services: 425-687-0100

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