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New Year Resolution (without the “s”)

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Happy New Year Readers!
This is the beginning of the year 2026. A year that I am sure will bring many challenges to all of us.

Now, tell me:  What is a common activity that a lot of people (including me) do on New Year’s Eve?
Yes, you got it!

A NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS LIST

This is the time that we take to embrace a dozen of new habits that at the end will help us to become better human beings. How nice.  <insert sarcasm emoji here>

I don’t know about you people, but I usually get a very low score, at the end after checking all the things that I was supposed to do during the year. Let’s face it, you don’t put simple things in you NYR List, you might probably end like me at the end of the year.

Simple? No, no, no, a Resolution is more than a list of simple tasks. In fact, is very common to include things as hard as “Quit Smoking”, “Quit alcohol” or any other bad habit with decades of reinforcement.

This year I am going to try something different. I am going to aim to only ONE THING and one thing only. I am not saying that I won’t try to do other things, but this ONE THING is my whole list for the year. If I accomplish something it will be this. So, my mental focus will be mostly on this one task.

Ok, now what is this such important one liner?  IMPROVE MY HEALTH

Now what does this really means?  It means that I will be a great part of the day making choices that will make an impact on my health. And as you well know, there is a lot of room for improvement.

If you are thinking that the goal is too generic, I would have to agree. However everyday you are facing things that affect your health. So, the goal is to think and decide what is my trade for the things that don’t get me closer to my goal. Amazingly enough, when you have something that is can be reduced to binary (yes or no), deciding is not that hard. Thinking about the main goal all the time is very powerful. It will keep you in the right track and avoid errors either by commitment or by guilt, it doesn’t matter which, the important thing is that at the end, you win.

Today is January 1 of 2026.
A good day for starting something.

Time, keeps flowing like a river…

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time-rivers

If your knowledge of music from the 80’s is low, it should be hard for you to know what follows the title. So for the sake of our post, let’s imagine that you know the song “TIME” from the group “Alan Parsons Project”. Meaning that you know that the words “To The Sea” is at the end of our sentence.

Time, keeps flowing like a river… To the sea.  Nothing too mysterious or philosophical about this.  Time, ever moving (like the water of a river) have a final destination (the sea) that means the end of its cycle.  At this point the water from the river just like time is lost into something bigger.  Yes, time won’t stop to wait for us and if you want to use (drink) some of the water, you better do it while you can.  Because by the time (no pun intended) it gets to the sea, you won’t be able to drink it as it will be salty water.

Half of this post is done and you just got a longer version of “Time, you use it or you lose it”.  But don’t consider this as a lost of your “Time”, just a reminder that even a beautiful songs from Alan Parsons Project will tell you about this valuable resource and that is such a waste not to put it to good use.  Now for that purpose, let me show you a technique that I am using.

There are some things that I am struggling to give them time.  I was seeing weeks go by and by the end of each week, the amount of time used in each “Topic” was less.  So I got this idea of thinking of these things that I want to do as “Subjects” from a college class, where each subject have a number of credits (hours per week). The more the credits, the more important was time for the subject.

Going on with our example:    You want to follow up on your Language learning (Italian), you want to work on the good habit of reading, you want to go to the Gym and finally, you want to do some Meditation.  So based of the importance that you assign to your subjects, you end with:   Italian (2), Gym (4), Meditation (2), Reading (3). For the last step, assign to each task a date and a time AND give to that date and time the same respect that you would give to any subject of your college education. Always keep your selection in a visible place so you don’t forget and follow thru.  Remember that Clarity is Power, the more that you define your daily goals, the more chances that your brain engage in a way to make the time and remember not to skip these important “College Subjects”.

Thank you for reading and now go and work on your schedule.

Freepik-Tarea-39

To CheatDay or Not To CheatDay – That is the question

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pizza

If you’re on a diet, it’s probably a restrictive one. You’re sticking to your chosen plan, hoping for the same thing as everyone else, quick results that give you the motivation to keep going. The idea is to stay committed until you finally reach your goal.

In a previous post, I’m sure I explained why a diet isn’t a permanent solution. In fact, losing weight is secondary! The real goal is to make changes to your eating habits and activity level until they become a lifestyle. For example, take avocado, such a healthy food. It seems like a no-brainer to include it in your diet, right? Well, I don’t like avocados! But since I understand the benefits of this amazing fruit, I’m training my taste buds and slowly adding it to my meals. Now I can eat a quarter of an avocado without any problem. This way, you’re learning new choices that are good for you while letting go of the ones that aren’t.

Wait a second… all this talk and not a single mention of Cheat Day. Let’s dive into that now. A Cheat Day is simply a day when you indulge in foods that are outside your regular diet.

The question is… How important is it?  Do we need it at all? Can it work for everybody?

First, who is it for? It’s for people who can use it as a reward system. For example, if you hit your 10-pound goal this month, you get to enjoy a cheat day with up to three slices (slices, not pies!) of your favorite pizza. If that’s something you can look forward to with excitement, then a Cheat Day of Pizza is perfect for you.

Can it be any kind of food? Let me give an example. I plan to schedule a Cheat Day with the same 10-pound goal, and my cheat food is donuts. WRONG! That’s not a good choice. Why? Because donuts were the junk food that pushed me over the edge, like drugs to a junkie, booze to an alcoholic, or cigarettes to a smoker. Plus, donuts are ranked among the worst foods on the planet. Unlike pizza, the toll on your body is just too high.

Not everyone needs or benefits from a cheat day. If you don’t miss foods that aren’t part of your diet and feel better sticking to healthier choices, just keep it up and move forward.

Ok, to finish this post, I will include something that I saw online in more than one place.  The 5 Rules of a Cheat Day.

cheat-day

To be honest, I don’t like #4.  I will stay with Cheat Days for very special occasions. Or better yet, if you don’t need a Cheat Day, better.

I will see you on the next post.

To vegan, or not to vegan, that is the question.

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vegan

Ok, this week I will be taking a look at a very interesting and at the same time a controversial diet. And the reason why I’m saying this is because Vegan is a few steps further for the purpose of not feeding on animals.

Let’s start by looking at the word on the dictionary:

VeganDefinition
Definition of the word Vegan from Dictionary.Com

Yes, we already knew the first definition, but what about the next one? or the example below the third definition?  Seeing this encloses the word in something more than health.  Being Vegan comes with social implications.  And going back to the diet, you would not tell a vegetarian that she is cheating at her diet protocol if she drinks milk or has an omelet, right?  Well, a vegan person does not want cows to be milked and less to eat unborn chicks. So there you have it.  In a nutshell, no animals or animal-derived food or products (clothes, shoes) if you want to go the whole nine yards.

A very interesting point of the Vegan Diet is that is 100% Ok with a lot of forbidden food on many other diets. As long as it doesn’t come from an animal, we’re good.

If you can’t live without Bread, Pasta, Rice and the rest of Carb based food, maybe this Diet is for you. Take into consideration however that a big amount of vegetables will be mandatory to try to cover your daily quota of nutrients.  Just so you know, this is one of the big complaints about this diet.

If you are interested, you can continue right where I stopped.  Since I have the condition known as “Insulin Resistance”, I can’t go with a free pass on Carbohydrates, I must control my insulin spikes instead of increasing the frequency.  That is why a very low carb diet like the ketogenic diet is better for me.

It was very interesting, and a lot of people swear by the results of this diet. But as I already said, it is not aligned with the results that I am searching for.

So, I won’t be a Vegan.
In fact, not even an Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian (Milk and Eggs allowed).

But maybe you can…

It’s not what you KNOW… It’s what you can PROVE in Court!

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isnotwhatyouknow

No matter how much fiction a movie contains, there’s always a chance to pick up real-life lessons or useful insights that teach valuable things about life. And if the iconic phrase at the top of this post doesn’t ring a bell, it’s from the movie “Law Abiding Citizen”.

In this movie, the main character is determined to see two criminals convicted for killing his wife and young daughter. The DA, personally handling the case, strikes a deal: the full penalty for one of the accused and a third-degree charge for the other. Meaning death row for one and at most five years for the other. Clyde (Gerard Butler), heartbroken and tearful, pleads for the chance to testify and convince the jury of what he witnessed. The DA warns him of the risks and insists this outcome is a victory. Clyde disagrees and keeps fighting to bring justice to both offenders. That’s when the DA delivers the memorable line: “It’s not what you know… it’s what you can prove in court!”

Enough about the movie! If you want to see more and find out what that phrase did to Clyde, go watch it. Now, let’s talk about how this relates to our weight loss goals.

I have a friend who is obese, like me, and finds losing weight very difficult, just as I do. He’s quite negative about fitness because he believes that for people like us, losing weight is far too hard and, more importantly, even if we manage to shed some pounds, we’ll soon gain it all back; possibly with extra weight on top of what we started. Although it’s a pessimistic way of thinking, I can’t help but see some truth in his opinion.

The fitness industry is living proof that my friend has a point. How many people do you know who start a diet to reach a goal, only for the pounds to return once the goal is met? As my friend noted, sometimes they come back with a vengeance.

What can we do?  Are we doomed to this vicious cycle of losing weight and gain it all back again and again?

Here I have an idea that can be useful to people like us.  And let me start by rephrasing our famous header:

IT’S NOT THE POUNDS THAT YOU LOSE, IT’S THE WEIGHT THAT YOU KEEP!

With that being said, let me tell you that it will be better to lose 10 pounds and keep them off that losing 20 pounds and gain them back in a couple of months.

Here’s the idea: imagine you lose 15 pounds in a month, no small feat, and now you’re at 200 pounds. Give yourself a couple of weeks to adjust to this new weight. During this time, keep a close eye on your 200 pounds, and if you notice a two-pound gain, take action to lose it and get back to your new base weight of 200 pounds.

I truly believe that after two weeks of fine-tuning, you’ll be ready to set, achieve, and maintain another weight loss goal.

Good Luck!

Watch TV to Lose Weight! Well… Sort Of

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mdibty

Ok, I get it, you won’t lose weight just by watching TV, but it can give you inspiration and ideas to complement or even change your diet plan. Right now, I’m watching an old show called “My Diet is Better Than Yours.” In this diet reality show, a group of contestants picks a diet and works with an expert in that plan—often the creator of it—as they compete to see who can lose the most weight.

This type of shows became more common after the success of the show called “The Biggest Loser”. Different procedure but same goal.

If you choose to watch any of these shows for inspiration, remember that results are different for everyone and that they typically only track weight in pounds. At TheHetaBlog, we value body fat percentage just as much as weight, so keep that in mind. And don’t forget, watching alone won’t make a difference, you have to take action! Stay alert for ideas you can adapt to your own goals. If nothing useful comes up, at least you’ll enjoy watching the contestants compete.

I’ll wrap up with one last thought: these programs are about as healthy and reliable as WWE is real fighting. So, even if you get some tips to guide your plan, take them with a grain of salt.

Happy Watching!

Start Your “Body TransMutation”

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Yes, I know what you are thinking.  What the hell is a Transmutation?

Let’s just say the term “transformation” feels overused, so I took it a step further and chose a term from biology that signifies a change so profound it could mean becoming an entirely different species. “Transmutation” suggests a shift at the molecular level, and if proof is needed for its accuracy, I can point to my diet plan, which changes the body’s primary fuel source from glucose to ketone bodies. Now, how’s that for a buzzword?

Now let’s talk about the changes that are coming in the following 26 weeks.

Right Now, I am what is called an Obese Type III. That is the classification that I get being 5′ 9″ and weighting 308 pounds and having 43.5% of Body Fat and with 55″ of abdominal width.

THERE ARE MANY CHANCES FOR IMPROVEMENT

But how about reducing a 25% of body weight
Control blood sugar enough to get out of the Prediabetic class
Reduce to a minimum my Sleep Apnea issue (this is a big one)
Get 4 sizes down on pants to a more common 40
Increase muscle mass while reducing fat
Get my basal insulin levels to a normal state (another big one)

So, starting next week (12/6), I will keep a journal of progress for this project.
I will sure make a way to share it online in case you want to look at results with more detail.

Follow me in my long travel to a healthier me.  🙂

Insulin Resistance… You Got to Understand THIS!!

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Dear Reader:

I’m not sure how far off your regular weight you might be. But if it’s a significant amount, and you’re dealing with a large abdomen while struggling to lose weight, it’s possible you could be experiencing something known as Insulin Resistance.

Ok, let’s begin with the standard definition.

Insulin resistance (IR) is a pathological condition in which cells fail to respond normally to the hormone insulin.

The normal response of cells to insulin is quite simple: insulin allows cells to absorb glucose from the blood. In other words, insulin is the hormone that transports blood sugar, or glucose, from the bloodstream into the cells. Under normal conditions, the pancreas releases a specific amount of insulin, which helps deliver the glucose from your last meal to your cells—essentially feeding them.

In insulin resistance, the cells resist or reject the effects of insulin. This condition usually develops over many years due to excessive carbohydrate intake. To compensate, the pancreas produces more insulin to overcome the resistance, nourish the cells, and maintain normal blood sugar levels, which is a top priority for the body.

You might wonder: If my pancreas can handle insulin resistance, why should I be concerned about it?

This vicious cycle can’t continue indefinitely without leading to harmful consequences. Over time, your cells become more resistant, forcing your pancreas to produce more insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. Eventually, your pancreas won’t be able to produce enough insulin to combat the resistance, and your blood sugar levels will begin to rise. At this point, maintaining normal blood sugar levels becomes much harder, and this condition is known as prediabetes.

You don’t need to be a genius to see where this is headed. Insulin resistance is essentially the precursor to Type 2 Diabetes. If you’ve ever wondered why the medical approach to treating Type 2 Diabetes often involves adding more insulin to your body (to support an overworked pancreas), now you know. Type 2 Diabetes is simply an advanced stage of insulin resistance.

Another important reason to avoid insulin resistance, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, is this: when insulin levels are high, the body won’t burn fat. Insulin is often referred to as “The Storage Hormone” for good reason. Glucose is either used by the body as fuel or stored as fat for future use.

In my recent blood test, my insulin levels were three times higher than the maximum normal range, but my blood glucose levels were normal. This happens because my pancreas is overworking, producing 300% more insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. If I don’t address this issue, I’ll likely end up with Type 2 Diabetes. Oh, and did I mention that losing fat is going to be incredibly difficult with my current insulin levels?

I’m confident you understand what insulin resistance is and the harm it can cause to your body. In the next post, we’ll discuss some steps you can take to address it.

Hint: Our diet helps combat this condition.

See you on the next post.

Ok, I screw up… Now what?

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Haagen-Dazs-Logo

I have to admit it, I was feeling low and gave in to temptation.    😦
Knowing that ice cream is packed with sugar, it’s a tough setback for a diet like the Ketogenic Diet, especially at the start.

The first question is, “What do you do?” and the answer is simple… YOU STOP! And don’t say it’s obvious, because for people like us, it’s not. It wasn’t logic that led you to break your diet, so why assume it will be logic that gets you back on track?

It’s pretty common to feel guilty after indulging in the forbidden fruit, uh, I mean, food. Just as common is the “What the hell, I’ll start again tomorrow” mindset. Avoid falling into that trap. When something goes wrong, don’t make it worse; learn from the experience and move forward.  If you notice your car has a flat tire before heading to the office, what do you do? You fix the tire and get on your way! You don’t pull out a knife, and slash the other three tires, right? But that’s essentially what you’re doing when you eat something you weren’t supposed to and decide to ruin the rest of the day.

Wait a minute! What about the learning part? Pay attention to the things that tripped you up. You were feeling a bit down (defenses low), and you walked right past that place selling your favorite “sin food.” Next thing you know, you’re stuffing your face. So, if I’m feeling down, I won’t go there, or I won’t go there alone. This is just a small example. You’ve got the key to your own control, use it!

Don’t feel bad for breaking your diet; feel good about the lesson you learned. However, in the case of Keto, breaking the diet with sugary foods can have significant consequences. The first is that you’ll fall out of Ketosis, and it might take a few days to get back on track.

That’s tough news, but I want to let you know that I have a plan to bounce back quickly. Stay tuned for more details in the next post!   🙂

Every Morning, This Should be FIRST!

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mwater

Clear and Simple, right after you wake up, the first thing that you should do is to reach for two 8 ounces glasses of water.

Here are some of the benefits of this old Japanese custom:

Rehydrates your body
Flushes out toxins and aids regular bowel movements
Alleviates Heartburn and Indigestion
Improves blood circulation

Is not common to get some many benefits out of one single change.

Wouldn’t be great if we could incorporate one healthy habit each month?
If you like the idea, this is a great place to start.