DURABLE DAD

 #54 Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure. -  Thomas Edison The New Food Pyramid A new visual providing dietary guidelines for Americans was released this month. It is definitely a move in the right direction. The old food pyramid is probably older than you realize (1992), but was drilled into our minds for quite some time. This old pyramid has effectively been flipped upside-down; protein and veggies have rightfully taken their place as the highest priority on your plate, while whole grains make up the smallest suggested portion of your diet.  I will state the obvious that this by no means solves our obesity epidemic. You could actually be quite healthy by following either one of these food pyramids. Neither one of them leaves any room for heavily processed, highly palatable foods which are the main culprit in a diet of excess. I do like that the new pyramid takes a stronger stance against sweets and (in the written guidelines) against alcoho...

 #53 1/2/2026 "I never knew words could be so confusing," Milo said. "Only when you use a lot to say a little," answered Tock. -  The Phantom Tollbooth What would have to happen in 2026 for you to look back on it and consider it a success ? Put things into realistic perspective. To achieve something new, you may have to let go of something else you have been doing. If there was an audience watching your life, what would they be yelling at the screen for you to do? How to Make a Goal Instead of a Flimsy Resolution For years the most common New Year's resolution that is made is one involving working out and/or losing weight. A noble decision, but one that is usually backed by very little planning or meaning. Having the holidays to reflect on the last year and look forward to the new year does lend itself well to making some new goals; let's do it right.  Make your goal very specific . I will continue to use weight loss as an example:  Exactly how much weight, ...

 #52  12/25/2025 Contentment is a wonderful cure for insomnia. David Murray Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We did it! One full year of weekly newsletters. I hope the fit tips, small challenges, and other information were helpful to many. I loved the feedback I received this past year whether it was topic suggestions or just a quick thanks for the info. I truly enjoy writing them and want to be as helpful as I can. I have personally enjoyed fitness and the benefits it brings for many years and I wish to share that with whoever is interested; it truly makes you more durable in all aspects of life. Please share with others and give me feedback anytime. I will likely continue the Durable Newsletter in 2026 with a less frequent schedule. I can guarantee you if I get topic suggestions or questions sent to me, they will get some attention. Thanks everyone, and let us keep improving ourselves this coming year.  Fit Tip: All Things in Moderation Enjoy the holidays. Food is mo...

 #51  12/19/2025 The best way to predict your future is to create it. Abraham Lincoln Fit Tip: Forget the Aesthetic Many, if not most, get into fitness in an effort to change their appearance . I do not think there is anything wrong with that as there are benefits such as increasing one's confidence. However, chasing the aesthetic should not be the only goal or the main objective. There are bigger and better reasons for working out and eating healthy. You have a responsibility to take care of the body you are given. You may also have kids or grandkids to chase around. Do you want to be the parent who plays soccer with your child or who pays to watch someone else practice with them? Do you want to finally travel to a sandy beach just to plop down and read a book, or are you gonna run in and swim in the ocean?  You might not be as interested in doing active things, but I assure you, you will be interested in getting up a flight of stairs by yourself as you age. Finding purp...

 #50  12/12/2025 When you complain, you make yourself a victim. Leave the situation, change the situation, or accept it. All else is madness. Eckhart Tolle Fit Tip: Read and Discern Food Labels  This fit tip was inspired by a bag of sugar that sat on my counter. In a big, pretty circle this literal sugar bag boasted "only 15 calories per serving." It's sugar! Yet, they know putting something like that in bold letters on the front makes it seem more innocent. Turn it around and you see it is indeed 15 calories per serving: serving size of one teaspoon. A single can of Mountain Dew contains over 11 teaspoons of sugar. A batch of holiday cookies (unfrosted) requires 72 teaspoons of sugar. It is ridiculous to think anyone is using only one teaspoon of sugar at a time, even if its just to sweeten their coffee.  I am not one who feels you need to understand every ingredient within every product in order to stay safe. The " if you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't e...

 12/5/2025  #49 More is lost by indecision than wrong decision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity. It will steal you blind. Marcus Tullius Cicero Fit Tip: Range of Motion When it comes to weight lifting I have changed my mind on the importance of form over the years. I have corrected my own form on many exercises and restarted and dropped weight just to get it "perfect". While proper form during exercise is important, don't put so much emphasis on it that you are scared to try anything new. Some imperfect squats and lunges are better than none at all. Doing zero squats and lunges will definitely hurt you , doing some less than ideal versions regularly will most likely just make you stronger and you will learn better form along the way. Learn by doing . One aspect of good form we should all agree on is using full range of motion . For example: when doing a pushup, you descend until your chest or belly taps the ground then push upward until your arms are fully straight...

 #48  11/28/25 Stop outsourcing your imagination to a screen. Ken Robinson Fit Tip: Schedule Your Workouts Schedule your workouts like you schedule everything else. Put it on the calendar or it will become the first thing to go as soon as anything comes up. Rarely do you skip dinner, brushing your teeth, or showering for days at a time, yet many will easily neglect their just as necessary workout. Make a backup plan in the event that you miss or skip a workout. If x happens I will do y.  If you are attempting the early morning workouts as I highly recommend, lay out your clothes ahead of time. This simple tip makes it so much easier to follow through with the plan. The same concept can be used for a workout at any time of day; basically you are attempting to eliminate any barriers to getting your planned exercise in. Whatever extra steps you can do ahead of time will not only save you the time and excuses later, it also prepares you mentally for the active work. That co...

 #47 11/21/2025 We are living in a war of attention. When I wake up in the morning I can be a consumer or a creator; if I reach for my phone, I'm a consumer. If I go to my journal I'm a creator. Andrew Huberman Fit Tip: Get Better Sleep Keep the same wake time and don't take naps. This will allow your body to have a strong enough sleep signal come bed time to fall asleep without much tossing and turning. I personally hate naps, but am not completely opposed to naps. However, the data I have seen suggests an effective nap is within the 20-30 minute range; shorter than I assume most nappers indulge in.  Have a nightly routine that encourages good sleep. Go to bed around the same time. Sleep in a dark , cool room . Finish dinner several hours before bedtime and don't eat again after dinner . Your sleeping position does not matter that much, unless you snore. Then, you should avoid sleeping on your back and experiment with mouth taping. If it's really bad, or you have...

 #46 11/14/2025 Cardio, nah bro, I prefer to call it heart gains.   Dom Mazzetti Fit Tip: Heart Rate Zones How important are heart rate zones as it pertains to your training? Not as important as the people selling you your smart watch will have you believe. Usually heart rate zones are broken into five zones ranging from rest/recovery to maximal/intense. Even the names different companies or apps use to distinguish between these five zones can be misleading. For example, many will label zone two as the fat burning zone leading many to believe that is where they must stay in order to get leaner when training. All training, in any heart rate zone doing any activity burns calories. There are of course varying rates at which this occurs, but don't be fooled into thinking that since you accidentally popped into zone 3 during your light jog that you missed out on some magical, fat-targeted cardio. Let us quickly go back to weight loss 101 : in order to lose excess fat, one must...

 #45  11/7/2025 Are you tired of being what you have allowed yourself to become?  Fit Tip: Breakfast We have often heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I believe this still holds true. But, I view  what you are eating for breakfast as the area of importance. You are literally 'breaking the fast' from your night of not eating and are ready to fuel yourself for the day. It is not important that you eat right away when you wake up; this should not be a rushed meal. Breakfast should be a quality, high-protein meal . It often does not look this way at all as we grab a piece of toast with peanut butter on our way out the door, or worse, a donut to compliment our sugar filled coffee-adjacent beverage. Even managing to eat an egg or two is not as much protein as you think (12 grams). If you start the day with cheap carbs and sugar you have set yourself up for a poor nutritional day overall as well as manipulated your cravings toward bad choices for the...

  #44  10/31/2025 The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the art of living. Victor Frankyl Reminder: Muscle is not just for the athlete or bodybuilder. You need it. If you just made gaining some muscle your health goal instead of losing fat, you would probably be much more successful in your health journey.  Fit Tip: Stop Shaming Yourself Shame is a short term motivator and a long-term failing strategy. Acknowledge that you messed up and give yourself grace . "Wow, this is hard" is a fair thought that will go through our minds. "I suck" or "why can they do this and I can't?" are the type of thoughts that are not helpful. Giving yourself some grace is crucial to not giving up on the entire process . Instead of shaming yourself after a mistake, use the following 24 hours to reset. Do something healthy for yourself. Not an overcompensation like beating yourself up in the ...

 #42  10/17/2025 You can not make yourself feel something that you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings . - Pearl S. Buck Fit Tip: You Won't Always Enjoy It Those less familiar with regular exercise often think of their fit friends as robotic freaks who love working out. I will dispel that myth. Everyone should learn to enjoy the process and at least have some fun with exercise. Doing the exercise that you enjoy is important in order to keep doing it. Just know that you will not enjoy every workout. Nobody does. What you will always enjoy is completing a workout . Hold on to that feeling. Remember how good you felt having worked out the next time you are dragging your feet. Sauna Benefits If I have not yet mentioned the benefits of sauna use, I have failed you. Of all the 'extra-credit' health and wellness tools, the sauna is the powerhouse. It has real, measurable, significant benefits. Places like Finland have at least one sauna per ho...

 #43 10/24/2025 We don't think ourselves into a new way of acting, we act ourselves into a new way of thinking. -Larry Bossidy Fit Tip: Calories are the Least Important Benefit of Your Workout One benefit of exercise is burning some calories; helpful as we love to stuff our faces with more than is necessary. This calorie burn should not be the main reason for your workout, nor the most desired benefit from your workout. If you are working out with the calorie burn at top of mind, maybe you should just watch your diet closer. Do some fork set-downs instead of extra push-ups . Exercise is done to strengthen the body, to keep all systems working properly. We were built to move, so move it or lose it. Gain or at least keep your muscle mass. Hang on to that bone density as it is harder to keep later in life. Strengthen your heart and lungs. Become a more capable human who can more easily enjoy activities. Look forward to aging well rather than dreading breaking down. That is why we exer...

 #41  10/10/2025 Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't. Jerry Rice Fit Tip: Am I Making Progress? DO’s: Track your strength gains. Did you use a heavier weight? Were you able to do more reps with the same weight?  Pay attention to your form and technique. Maybe your weight and reps are not going up but your squat is deeper and more comfortable. This is still an improvement and a gain in strength. Evaluate your relationship with food. Are you implementing more whole foods and making healthier choices feel more like a natural part of your day? Watch your body composition slowly change in the mirror. Do this instead of watching the scale.  Is your mood and/or energy improving? With each small new healthy change you plan to implement, ask yourself, “Can I keep doing this for the rest of my life?” DONT’s Do not watch the scale too closely. Muscle weighs more than fat and while you may have plenty of weight to lose, the pounds ar...

 #40  10/3/2025 You are what you do, not what you say you'll do. -  Carl Jung Fit Tip: Recovery Let's talk recovery. Any good training plan has recovery as a consideration. We are familiar with the concept that you are "damaging" or stressing the muscles in the gym, and the growth that occurs is the repair that happens later. When you consider that concept, you see the importance of recovery from exercise. Proper recovery requires three main things: a carefully programmed workout routine that allows for rest, high quality sleep, and nutrition that supports the training. A carefully programmed workout routine can adjust with your lifestyle. It allows the muscles to recovery enough before the next big effort. You might workout 6 days in a row, but the routine must be different enough from day to day to allow recovery. Even if all you do is run, you know better than to do two hard runs back to back. If you do a full body workout in the gym, you might not be doing anythin...

  Breathing Training for Children Prevent Your Child from Extra Illness and Future Dental and Airway Issues   Proper breathing and oral posture: All breathing, day and night, child or adult, should be done through the nose. Obviously we use our mouths to breathe often while speaking or singing, but even most mild to moderate exercise can performed while breathing through the nose. While the mouth is closed, the teeth should be in light contact and the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth. Normal breathing should not be seen or heard, and should involve a closed mouth. And the  Lord  God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his  nostrils  the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7   Corrective Exercises Meaningful Chewing: Reserve a few minutes at least one meal a day to focus on chewing. Chew a minimum of 15-20 chews or until food liquefies. Chew with lips together and close the jaw and pause 2 secon...

 #38 9/19/2025 Greatness, on the other hand, requires liberty and the drive to make the most of yourself . - Charlie Kirk Fit Tip: Pairing Exercises to Save Time One key element of resistance training is the rest period in between sets . This rest period often feels awkward to people coming from a different sport or who feel unproductive when pacing around while recovering. It is crucial to take this 1-2 minute rest period before moving on to the next set because that allows you to perform that second or third set with a degree of power that is actually beneficial to building muscle. With no recovery between sets, you have turned it into cardio and will not see as much strength and muscle gain. I do have one loophole for those trying to save a little time. You can strategically pair exercises that have no conflicting muscle groups . This can more easily be done in a full body type of workout, but also works in upper/lower body splits. For example: you can pair your close grip bench...

 #39 9/26/2025 Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. - Vince Lombardi Hey folks. Eat a salad, not because it's skinny people food, because it is good for you. You need some greens. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming . Fit Tip: Don't Get Overwhelmed There is a lot one can work on when it comes to improving your body. Choosing what type of exercise or workout to do can be overwhelming. Should I work on mobility before anything else since I'm bad at that? Maybe I should just ride the elliptical, I know how to do that. There are so many weight lifting moves where do I start? I am terrible at squatting so I should probably skip that for a while until I know what I'm doing, right? If questions like these cloud your mind, just get stronger . Getting stronger is always the best place to start, and always a great goal in general. You need muscle for all fitness goals. Stick to the basics of strength training , even if you ...

 #37 9/12/2025 Nothing will work unless you do. - Maya Angelou Fit Tip: Habits First In every fitness endeavor there is a starting point where the motivation is high. The large goals are set. Large goals that require doing twenty times the disciplined work one has historically done. Pause . One must first train away the old bad habits and develop good new habits. Small steps, repeated until they become just a part of everyday life . If you don't change the habits or attitudes that got you unhealthy in the first place, then you won't be able to keep it up in the long run. Innumerable weight loss attempts display this need for habit development. One might have a sustained period of motivation. They restrict calories and starve themselves while motivation is high, but after a few months they settle back into their old ways. Many desperately undergo gastric bypass to lose the weight they never could. They have some help before and during, but they never mastered their habits in the...

 #36 9/5/2025 Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. - James Clear Welcome back everyone. If you enjoy these newsletters and want an easy way to provide feedback, check them out on the online blog. https://durabledads.blogspot.com/ There you can leave comments and check out the previous newsletters. You can even search keywords for a topic you may have missed. Tell me what you appreciated and what you want to hear more about in the future.  Fit Tip: Health Budget  You might not have a literal line item on your budget for health and fitness, but I do believe in a general hierarchy of spending regarding fitness-related purchases. Rule #1 is to avoid justifying every purchase 'in the name of health.' Of course your health is important and of course it is worth investing in it. The reality is you can get pretty far without spending any money. Let me demonstrate: Health and Fitness that is Free: Walking Running Sunshine Gravity Not drinking sugar Do...