Rick Barnes

Hope everyone had a wonderful week, enjoyed Veterans Day and stayed warm during this cooler weather. This is the end of week #24 of the inaugural LB Fit program and that means we just have one more week to go. I hate to say it but as far as weight loss, this past week has pretty much been the worst week of them all. I did something to my back the end of October that has not seemed to get any better and that has meant limited mobility to some extent. Gym exercise has become...

Week #22 is a wrap but not too much to report on the weight loss front. This past Saturday our company had a Fall Festival out at Camp Piney Woods. It was a lot of work by a handful of people to make it happen but we pulled it off and I believe everyone had a good time. We had lots of games for the kids, some bounce houses and a haunted hayride. The haunted hayride had 10 different stations with people dressed up as zombies, scary clowns, horror movie characters and more. My family...

Life is full of ups and downs. That is a given for most all of us. We have our highs and we have our lows. This past week was definitely a low for me. It was a fairly busy week and I had a lot going on. I think I let some of the stresses of the day to day get to me and I definitely ate several things that I had been avoiding. The week ended with our monthly weigh-in which was a little depressing. I was actually up 7 pounds from the previous month. It is kind of a wake -up when the...

My wife and I spent a nice relaxing weekend up at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. The first day up there we visited FDR State Park and went on a 3.5 mile nature hike. It was very peaceful in the woods and was quite a workout going up and down the mountainside; much different than walking a track for sure. While we were there we ate at several different restaurants but always made good healthy choices. I think I may have fell in love with Muscadine Jelly, though. First time...

Good day all you health conscious people out there. Another Friday is here and that of course means another Blog Entry. Frankly, I am not sure if anyone even reads my blogs other than a few people associated with the LBFit program, but that's o.k. These blogs give me a chance to reflect back over the past week and analyze what I have been doing right and what areas I may need to improve on, not to mention I get to talk about myself and who doesn't love to do that. The week started...

I was dreading this week as I was not feeling like I had accomplished much for the month of September as far as my fitness journey is concerned. I did start doing more walking in preparation for the 5K Pink Run and was trying to control what I ate. Our monthly check-in with Hannah was Friday and I was pleasantly relieved that I was down another 1/2 pound and 1 inch in the waist. I am planning to try some new recipes in the coming weeks and focusing more on exercise. I turn 50 on...

Knowledge is power and choosing what to do with that power is everything. What may you ask does this have to do with weight loss and leading a more fit lifestyle? Many of us go through life accepting things as they happen without questioning why or what could have been done differently. We are content that life goes on and things will hopefully get better. Knowing why something happened, what were the root causes, what can be done to change the outcome are all very important and useful...

Week #15 went by in a blur! I stayed so busy that it was over before I knew it. Saturday started off with a deep clean of the house, or at least the kitchen area. I went through all the cabinets and cleared out some clutter. It's amazing how quickly stuff can accumulate, but needless to say we worked our way from one end of the kitchen to the other and when it was all said and done, it looked so much better. Sunday and Monday were pretty uneventful as far as exercise goes, but Tuesday...

Hello everyone, I hope that you all had a safe and happy Labor Day weekend. My wife, youngest daughter and I enjoyed a weekend getaway in Orlando for Labor Day. It was sort of an anniversary trip as my wife and I just celebrated 31 years of marriage on August 26th. Even with the threat of Hurricane Dorian, it was a beautiful and fun weekend with plenty of walking. Saturday alone between Disney Springs and an unplanned trip to Epcot, we each logged over 21,000 steps which is about eight...

We are at the halfway point for the LB Fit program. It doesn't seem like it has been 12 weeks already. I can say that all the participants I have met seem to be doing well on the program and have really embraced a healthier lifestyle. I think some of us were a little outside our comfort zones when we had to do Facebook Live Q&A sessions last week, but it all went well and I think everyone did a great job. Last Friday was our monthly weigh-in and I was happy to be down 5.5 pounds...

We are nearing the halfway mark in the Live Better Fit program and it has definitely been an interesting journey. I have really struggled more than I wanted to, not only in the amount of exercise I have been getting but also in the foods that I have been eating. In its simplest form, living a better lifestyle boils down to choices. You must choose to work out, you must choose to eat differently, you must choose to avoid the stuff you know is bad for you. Unfortunately some of the...

They say time flies when you are having fun, so I must be having fun because it doesn't seem like we are already through week #10 of the LB Fit Program. I am continuing to work out at the YMCA with my trainers and watching what I eat, although sometimes it is more difficult on the weekends. I am keeping to a pretty set routine as far as food goes, and try to exercise daily. I enjoy getting outdoors, but this past week was a scorcher. I probably lost a pound or two just walking to my...