How 10 Guinness World Records Can Improve Your Life

As I was washing the dishes the other night, it occurred to me that I need to come up with a new weight loss plan. I was scrubbing the cake pan and bemoaning the fact that my bathroom scale had viciously turned on me earlier that day. I expected this from my hair brush but not my scale. I've been very conscientious about my diet lately. I only eat food that is good for me. Cheesecake, ice cream and pizza are under-rated nutritionally, in my opinion. A pizza with everything on it will have something from each level of the food pyramid. Start with a pizza with a whole grain crust and add cheese, meat and vegetables. You can even add some pineapple on it if you feel adventurous.

Anyways, for almost a year now, I have not been very successful losing weight. How about you? Are you trying to lose weight also? According to American Sports data, 63% of all Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0. Basically that means that there are many of us "in the same boat." I think that our "boat" is going to sink with all that extra weight unless we do something soon.

As we all know, there is no shortage of ways to lose weight. People have tried everything from the Grapefruit Diet to the Potato Chip Diet. Actually the last one is my own invention. I figure if I eat potato chips all morning and afternoon, I'll be too thirsty to eat at night. Instead, I'll just drink refreshing water with no calories. Well that didn't quite work out because I discovered that there was still room for water and M & M's.

The practical way of losing weight, of course, is to cut calories and increase exercise. I actually have done just that and boasted a significant weight loss for awhile. Unfortunately after a few months those chips and cookies started calling my name again. I tried changing my name; but, they found me anyways!!

But seriously, I decided that drastic times call for drastic measures. That's when I came up with the idea of losing weight by dancing or "Sweatin' To The Oldies" like Richard Simmons has been doing for almost 20 years. If it worked for him, then it could work for me. The idea of aerobic dancing is not necessarily extreme unless you're a marathon dancer. Marathon ballroom dancers became popular in the United States during the Depression when people would dance for days to win prizes. At this stage of the game, I would dance for a day if I could lose a pound.

I started thinking about other records and how some of the Guinness World records could be applied to improve the quality of my life-- and yours. Remember we're all in the same proverbial "boat" together. I imagine that you, too, are challenged by disorganization, procrastination, boredom, financial worries, "bad hair days"; not to mention, cats with attitudes and barking dogs next door.
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Following are some fun facts and suggestions how, you too, can apply different records found in the "Guinness Book of Records" to improve your life. Who knows? You may even set your own record.

Most Rubik Cubes Solved in One Hour The current record of 185 was set by David Calvo Vivas in Madrid, Spain last year on November 14th. This might be a fun feat to attempt if you are spatially and mathematically inclined. If not, then how about applying the speed and concentration of this act to cleaning your entire house and cooking a gourmet meal in one hour or less after your spouse calls at the last minute to inform you that she/he is bringing the boss home for dinner. It's going to take some quick moves especially if you only have hot dogs in the fridge and a messy house.

.Most M & M's Eaten in One Minute Using Chopsticks The record holder is John Muller of New York City who can proudly claim 27. I would definitely not recommend this to those of you who are trying to lose weight. However, if you are caring for a very young child, perhaps a two year old, who is fascinated with the fish tank,you may be amazed how fast you can remove objects that don't belong in there like Zotz Fizz Power Candy. If you can emulate the dexterity of Mr. Muller, you'll be well on your way to quickly removing anything your tyke may throw away in any receptacle.

Fastest Modelling Balloon Dog John Cassidy of the U.S.A. can magically produce a balloon dog sculpture in 6.5 seconds. Now this is a very good thing for anybody teaching children under 5 years old who have an attention span of 7 seconds. You will have to figure out what to do with the other half second to keep them in check. In my opinion,this man could become a millionaire if he opened up schools to teach this art.

Oldest Female Tandem Parachute Jump The record goes to Estrid Geertsen who on September 30th, 2004 at the age of 100 years and 60 days jumped from an airplane over Roskilde, Denmark. I wonder if she's related to Jack LaLanne. Jack is approaching 95 years of age and has a long list of extraordinary feats that he has accomplished: including towing boats while swimming and doing more than one thousand push-ups in 23 minutes thereby setting a record in 1956. The lesson to be learned here is if you're jumping out of airplanes or doing a thousand push-ups you won't have as much time to eat cheesecake. On second thought maybe I'll just marathon shop to avoid over-eating.

The Longest Hair was measured on a woman in China, by the name of Xie Qiuping. On May 8, 2004, her hair was 18 ft. and 5.54 inches long. This could be beneficial for many of us. Although washing that much hair could be time consuming; and, birds may be tempted to nest in it, the advantages would be well worth it. Hair that is 18 ft long would be a good cover up for those extra pounds, wrinkled clothes and smuggling your own snacks into movie theaters.

Largest Rubber Band Ball Joel Waul broke the record with a ball weighing 9,032 lbs, while measuring 6 feet and 7 inches tall. This is another good one to try and copy "as is". Just think, if you had that in your back yard, you would be the envy of the neighborhood. There's probably lots of people who would like to have such an interesting curiosity of their own, but lack the time to make one. As we've heard before: "if you build it, they will come." You could build a wall around it and charge admission to see it.. If they go to Kewaunee, Wisconsin to see the largest grandfather clock, standing 35 feet tall and 8 feet wide, then, they'll come to see your huge rubber band ball. With the economy the way it is, the extra income would come in handy.

Pumpkin Carving Fastest Time This honor goes to Stephen Clark of Orlando, Florida, who on July 23, 2006 carved a face onto a pumpkin in 24.03 seconds. This is another record that could translate to extra income, specifically at Halloween. Just set up shop near an elementary school on October 31st and you'll be amazed at how many procrastinators will seek your service.

Tallest Rideable Motorcycle Gregory Dunham of the U.S.A. constructed a rideable motorcycle that belongs in the same genre as the monster trucks. This bike is 11 feet 3 inches tall, 20 feet 4 inches long and weighs 6,500 pounds. I guarantee you if you ride a bike like this during rush hour, you'll get to your destination much faster. Cars will get out of your way. You could cut your commute time to work in half.

Highest Jump by a Dog If dogs ever learn how to play basketball, then a 60 lb. Greyhound dog by the name of "Cinderella May a Holly Grey," would be a star. Cindy a.k.a. "Soaring Cindy" or "C Dog" by her homies, holds the high jump record at 5 feet 8 inches at Grey Summit, Missouri on October 7, 2006. Her owners, Kate Long and Kathleen Conroy must be proud. Although I don't have a dog, my suggestion to all you dog owners is to start training your pets to perform exciting feats such as Cindy's marvels. Pitch a tent in your back yard and charge admission to see your wonder dog walk the tightrope. It's about time some of these pampered pets started earning their keep. It's also time to let them know who is boss. I wouldn't suggest trying to train your cats though. My advice is to be extra nice to your cats. I think that they're plotting to take over the world someday.

Longest Running TV Drama "Guiding Light" originally aired on June 30, 1952 and is still going strong. The joys of television are many!! If you enjoy dramas, there are many to be found, especially with the new reality shows. Others may enjoy something a little more light-hearted. Hopefully "The Simpsons" will be around as long as the "Guiding Light." They're well on their way with 20 years of adventures and laughs.

Let's always remember to take time to enjoy life. As the expression goes: "Live well! Laugh often! Love much! And if you have some extra time, possibly set a new Guinness World record.

If you'd like additional information about Guinness World Records visit their website: www.guinnessworldrecords.com

If you'd like more information on sports and health, visit: www.americansportsdata.com