"That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased." ---Ralph Waldo Emerson
Since my weigh-in last Thursday, I have not been a very good boy. I have cheated on my program. Nothing too serious, but I do not want to step on the scale. I have been dealing with a wee-bit more stress than usual. I did not reach for tons of food or binge, but I did increase to around 2200 calories per day. However, the week is not lost as of yet. I may not do well in the weight loss challenge weigh-in on Thursday, but my own weigh-in on Sunday could tell a decent story. Honestly, I would be content to walk away from this week with no gain and be very happy.
Stress is a killer. Literally, it can just destroy your life. I do not like stress and I am unhappy when I feel stress. In my program I have dealt with stress with added exercise. However, I have been so busy that my exercise level has decreased slightly this week. However, in the morning it is back to a 3-mile hike on the path near the mountains. I have four days until my own Sunday morning weigh-in, I had better be good because I do not want a bad Sunday. ;-)
Stress causes whole body deterioration
9. January 2008 02:58
Stress, to put it bluntly, is bad for you. It can kill you, in fact. A study now reveals that stress causes deterioration in everything from your gums to your heart and can make you more susceptible to everything from the common cold to cancer.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2008/01/09/34154.aspx
"We fail because we don't strike the iron while it's hot. We don't take immediate action toward achieving what we want. We decide to wait until tomorrow, or next week, or even next month." ---Author Unknown
"The capacity of man himself is only revealed when, under stress and responsibility, he breaks through his educational shell, and he may then be a splendid surprise to himself no less than to this teachers." ---Harvey Cushing
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Weight Loss Challenge and Your Why
"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." ---Author Unknown
The heat is on. Thursday is here and it is time for my weekly weigh-in for the weight loss challenge at work. I overheard someone at work say someone in the challenge lost six pounds over the week. Great first week weight loss, wonder what mine will be considering I am not on a first week diet.
I have a strong why already. However, my why has grown even stronger for a couple of reasons. Remember, as Jillian Michaels and others say, your why has to be very specific. My additional why adding to my original why actually has time limits. Meaning, there is an actual time or a date that this why expires. This creates additional urgency. My added why is that I have a twelve-week weight loss challenge. In addition, in the latter part of September I am going to The Lion King Broadway play with a very beautiful and special person. Very strong why’s to motivate, challenge and propel me to more success.
Today at work, someone brought cake with cream cheese frosting and it looked very good. Especially, since I did not have time for lunch and was very hungry. However, I thought of the challenge and then of my special night in September. Is that one piece of cake going to taste better than being in the top tier of the challenge? Will the cake taste better than a night of feeling confident and enjoying someone’s company knowing you came into the night giving it your best effort? It absolutely would not and I was not tempted in the least.
I will update this on Thursday night with my weigh-in news.
UPDATE:
Officially, I weighed in with our company wellness coordinator and the tally is 3.2 pounds lost last week. I am very pleased with this number and it placed me right in the middle of the competition. Considering it is nowhere near a first week for me, I am right where I thought I would be, right where I wanted to be. This brings my current total to nearly 180 pounds lost. Everywhere I go people are asking me what I am eating. Almost as if my food is the secret. It is not the secret, because the food is normal food. It is the "why" that is the secret. If the "why" is powerful enough, the food choices are a no-brainer. As you get thinner, you develop a new and more powerful "why". When you reach goal, you develop a new and more powerful "why" for remaining thin and healthy.
Message for my Friend and Brother D. Niumatalolo. I know you read this blog my friend. I do not know where you came in on this weeks weigh-in, but if you are not top five... Get it moving my friend. You are the only one I will accept defeat from. In fact, a one-two finish would be great. You can do this and your beautiful wife and children need you until you are 90 years-old! You are a very passionate guy, now guide that passion into your program and blow us all away! ;-)
"Don't sacrifice your future for a momentary pleasure". ---Author Unknown
“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” ---T.E. Lawrence
The heat is on. Thursday is here and it is time for my weekly weigh-in for the weight loss challenge at work. I overheard someone at work say someone in the challenge lost six pounds over the week. Great first week weight loss, wonder what mine will be considering I am not on a first week diet.
I have a strong why already. However, my why has grown even stronger for a couple of reasons. Remember, as Jillian Michaels and others say, your why has to be very specific. My additional why adding to my original why actually has time limits. Meaning, there is an actual time or a date that this why expires. This creates additional urgency. My added why is that I have a twelve-week weight loss challenge. In addition, in the latter part of September I am going to The Lion King Broadway play with a very beautiful and special person. Very strong why’s to motivate, challenge and propel me to more success.
Today at work, someone brought cake with cream cheese frosting and it looked very good. Especially, since I did not have time for lunch and was very hungry. However, I thought of the challenge and then of my special night in September. Is that one piece of cake going to taste better than being in the top tier of the challenge? Will the cake taste better than a night of feeling confident and enjoying someone’s company knowing you came into the night giving it your best effort? It absolutely would not and I was not tempted in the least.
I will update this on Thursday night with my weigh-in news.
UPDATE:
Officially, I weighed in with our company wellness coordinator and the tally is 3.2 pounds lost last week. I am very pleased with this number and it placed me right in the middle of the competition. Considering it is nowhere near a first week for me, I am right where I thought I would be, right where I wanted to be. This brings my current total to nearly 180 pounds lost. Everywhere I go people are asking me what I am eating. Almost as if my food is the secret. It is not the secret, because the food is normal food. It is the "why" that is the secret. If the "why" is powerful enough, the food choices are a no-brainer. As you get thinner, you develop a new and more powerful "why". When you reach goal, you develop a new and more powerful "why" for remaining thin and healthy.
Message for my Friend and Brother D. Niumatalolo. I know you read this blog my friend. I do not know where you came in on this weeks weigh-in, but if you are not top five... Get it moving my friend. You are the only one I will accept defeat from. In fact, a one-two finish would be great. You can do this and your beautiful wife and children need you until you are 90 years-old! You are a very passionate guy, now guide that passion into your program and blow us all away! ;-)
"Don't sacrifice your future for a momentary pleasure". ---Author Unknown
“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” ---T.E. Lawrence
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Journey is the Happiness
"There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time." ---Og Mandino
Life can at times be very difficult. It can be full of heart-ache. I can tell you from personal experience that the above quote from Og Mandino is absolutely accurate. Much of my adult life has been spent living without the passion I so desired. It was hiding deep within me and I allowed my environment to assist me in keeping it hidden. Approximately a little over two years ago I decided that this would be the case no more. I will never again allow my environment to keep me living a life without passion. I will accomplish everything I set out to accomplish. I will surround myself with inspiring people with like-minded passion. Passion for living, for loving, for laughing, for caring and in all things with all people.
The journey is the happiness and happiness is now. There are many things I can point to and say, this has been terrible or I am so hurt, but who does this help? A couple of weeks ago I had a counselor that I have been working with say, I must say I have never seen anyone handle heartbreak as well as you have. If I am honest, which I am, I just said, it is the Lord that deserves the credit. Through him all things are possible.
Through great disappointment and enormous heartbreak can come enormous joy and love. Blessings come in many disguises and through the atonement you can overcome any difficulty. How did I overcome great heartache and all of the weight issues of the past? I simply focused on the blessings I do have and with great anticipation looked to the future of the blessings I will have. I have been given a great opportunity to design my life the way the Lord wants me to design it and the way I want to design it.
The weight continues to drop quickly. My mind, confidence and self-esteem are improving at warp speed. I am developing new friendships with inspiring people. I am surrounding myself with people of great integrity, great passion and those that desire to live life to its fullest. I have never looked to the future with such excitement as I do now. I have never been closer to my father-in-heaven and my children are benefiting from this transformation. Happiness is now and happiness is the journey.
"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again." ---Og Mandino
Life can at times be very difficult. It can be full of heart-ache. I can tell you from personal experience that the above quote from Og Mandino is absolutely accurate. Much of my adult life has been spent living without the passion I so desired. It was hiding deep within me and I allowed my environment to assist me in keeping it hidden. Approximately a little over two years ago I decided that this would be the case no more. I will never again allow my environment to keep me living a life without passion. I will accomplish everything I set out to accomplish. I will surround myself with inspiring people with like-minded passion. Passion for living, for loving, for laughing, for caring and in all things with all people.
The journey is the happiness and happiness is now. There are many things I can point to and say, this has been terrible or I am so hurt, but who does this help? A couple of weeks ago I had a counselor that I have been working with say, I must say I have never seen anyone handle heartbreak as well as you have. If I am honest, which I am, I just said, it is the Lord that deserves the credit. Through him all things are possible.
Through great disappointment and enormous heartbreak can come enormous joy and love. Blessings come in many disguises and through the atonement you can overcome any difficulty. How did I overcome great heartache and all of the weight issues of the past? I simply focused on the blessings I do have and with great anticipation looked to the future of the blessings I will have. I have been given a great opportunity to design my life the way the Lord wants me to design it and the way I want to design it.
The weight continues to drop quickly. My mind, confidence and self-esteem are improving at warp speed. I am developing new friendships with inspiring people. I am surrounding myself with people of great integrity, great passion and those that desire to live life to its fullest. I have never looked to the future with such excitement as I do now. I have never been closer to my father-in-heaven and my children are benefiting from this transformation. Happiness is now and happiness is the journey.
"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again." ---Og Mandino
Monday, August 16, 2010
Quick Update
Thought I would post a photo (if it works) of me recently. The sun makes me look completely bald... hey I have a little stuff left on top. Well, here I am at 170 pounds lost and gaining momentum. Life is grand and the future looks bright, fun and challenging. I will surround myself with people that inspire me for the rest of my life. I am a blessed man and I am deeply grateful for my many blessings. I joined a weight loss challenge at work. It lasts for 12 weeks. I do not aim to compete, I aim to win. They will lose a great amount of weight the first two weeks, but unless their why is strong the others will falter during a twelve week process. Everything grand, great and worthwhile in life that we succeed in requires a strong why.
"The greatest gift that you could ever give to another is your own happiness, for when you are in a state of joy, happiness, or appreciation, you are fully connected to the Stream of pure, positive Source Energy that is truly who you are. And when you are in that state of connection, anything or anyone that you are holding as your object of attention benefits from your attention." ---Esther Hicks
"It's not your work to make anything happen. It's your work to dream it and let it happen. Law of Attraction will make it happen. In your joy, you create something, and then you maintain your vibrational harmony with it, and the Universe must find a way to bring it about. That's the promise of Law of Attraction." ---Abraham Hicks
Friday, August 13, 2010
Dog Days of Summer... Seriously!
Okay, time to rant! I am out on my walk/jog/climb... OKAY, it's more of a walk/faster walk/stumble type of thing. Anyways, I am on my favorite trail that heads up to the mountains and I am making good time. Look at me world, I am cruising right along on this 3-mile, beautiful paved trail. Then all of the sudden my heart starts beating extremely fast and I feel fear. Why you ask? Because it is 6:00am and not a person in sight and I hear this low growling and heavy breathing.
My deepest fears were realized it was this huge, obese, Rottweiler. Now, when I was younger I was attacked by a Rottweiler or Rottenweiler as I call them! First, who has a Rottenweiler and does not make sure they are chained like Godzilla or King Kong? Why has this obese Rottenweiler suddenly entered my world? I thought if I just slowly, quietly tip-toe away the stupid Rottenweiler will lose interest. Perfect plan right? Nope! Suddenly, the thing started barking and running straight at me. Man that thing was bouncing all over, it definitely needed a doggy bra and girdle or something. But I digress. This enormous, eating and killing animal was in full sprint headed towards me to chew off my butt.
I immediately get it on and start moving. I head straight eastward towards the mountains. I looked high into the mountains and wondered if some bird watcher was up there looking through his scope at the scene below and wondering to himself... wow, that guy running could really use a man-bra and a girdle. Oh yeah, come down off that mountain and say that to my face, you silly little bird-man! Again, I digress. So, I am in full sprint and armed with the knowledge that I can keep this full-sprint pace for a very long 15 or 20 seconds. Dang, I am going to be Rottenweiler breakfast. Then it came, the dreaded hill. I did my best and I was really moving up that hill like the red-goo rising in a Lava Lamp. Suddenly, as I neared the top of the hill I heard the Rottenweiler no more. I stopped and looked back, the Rottenweiler was exhausted. Actually, it looked like it needed a medical helicopter. It was panting so hard and looking at me with anger. So, I shouted some Rocky style slurs... You ain't so bad! You ain't nothin'!
It barked and continued the pursuit. Crap, more sprinting uphill. As I continued my sprint for preservation of life, suddenly the theme song for Chariots of Fire came into my head. Theme song blasting and two male creatures locked in a battle for survival. The dog wiggling and jiggling like Jello, me jiggling and wiggling like a large ball of flubber. I mean, me bouncing with massive pecs and my sexy taut six-pack. It was a race for the survival of the fattest, I mean fittest! Finally, at the top of the hill I looked back and the Rottenweiler was once again exhausted and turned back. Then suddenly the theme from Rocky came into my head and I started the Rocky dance, jumping etc. It was going great until an older couple walked by looking at me like I was on drugs.
"It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." ---Epictetus
"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness." ---Napoleon Hill
My deepest fears were realized it was this huge, obese, Rottweiler. Now, when I was younger I was attacked by a Rottweiler or Rottenweiler as I call them! First, who has a Rottenweiler and does not make sure they are chained like Godzilla or King Kong? Why has this obese Rottenweiler suddenly entered my world? I thought if I just slowly, quietly tip-toe away the stupid Rottenweiler will lose interest. Perfect plan right? Nope! Suddenly, the thing started barking and running straight at me. Man that thing was bouncing all over, it definitely needed a doggy bra and girdle or something. But I digress. This enormous, eating and killing animal was in full sprint headed towards me to chew off my butt.
I immediately get it on and start moving. I head straight eastward towards the mountains. I looked high into the mountains and wondered if some bird watcher was up there looking through his scope at the scene below and wondering to himself... wow, that guy running could really use a man-bra and a girdle. Oh yeah, come down off that mountain and say that to my face, you silly little bird-man! Again, I digress. So, I am in full sprint and armed with the knowledge that I can keep this full-sprint pace for a very long 15 or 20 seconds. Dang, I am going to be Rottenweiler breakfast. Then it came, the dreaded hill. I did my best and I was really moving up that hill like the red-goo rising in a Lava Lamp. Suddenly, as I neared the top of the hill I heard the Rottenweiler no more. I stopped and looked back, the Rottenweiler was exhausted. Actually, it looked like it needed a medical helicopter. It was panting so hard and looking at me with anger. So, I shouted some Rocky style slurs... You ain't so bad! You ain't nothin'!
It barked and continued the pursuit. Crap, more sprinting uphill. As I continued my sprint for preservation of life, suddenly the theme song for Chariots of Fire came into my head. Theme song blasting and two male creatures locked in a battle for survival. The dog wiggling and jiggling like Jello, me jiggling and wiggling like a large ball of flubber. I mean, me bouncing with massive pecs and my sexy taut six-pack. It was a race for the survival of the fattest, I mean fittest! Finally, at the top of the hill I looked back and the Rottenweiler was once again exhausted and turned back. Then suddenly the theme from Rocky came into my head and I started the Rocky dance, jumping etc. It was going great until an older couple walked by looking at me like I was on drugs.
"It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." ---Epictetus
"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness." ---Napoleon Hill
Monday, August 2, 2010
The Sky is Not Falling
It has been a roller-coaster ride for the last two years. It is difficult to admit that you failed at something, especially something as important as a marriage. However, one must keep this in perspective. We are alive, we still like each other, we have two beautiful children, our extended families still like us both, we are closer to the Lord and the sun rose and settled today. In fact, it was a beautiful day. I really believe this is a good and positive thing.
On a more positive side, I had a strange but fun event happen at the convenience store a couple of hours ago. When you are 432 pounds you are used to being ignored or stared at, but when it comes to special attention, you basically are ignored. I stopped to get a Coke Zero and as I was walking towards the door to leave the convenience store, I glanced up and noticed a very attractive woman about 35 coming into the store. She entered and took approximately seven or eight steps into the store and we were in direct approach of each other, headed for a collision. Suddenly, she looks up and looks me right in the eyes. Now, for the past 22 1/2 years I have avoided eye contact with women like it was the plague. This time however, I looked back and something really weird happened. This woman smiled and turned around and walked back to the door and opened it for me. She looked me in the eyes again and said I come here all the time, have a great night. HUH?
Either I looked pathetically sad, disabled or she was intoxicated. Nevertheless, I smiled and said, then I'll see you later. HUH? Did I just flirt? I think the Lord had something to do with this for my morale, or perhaps a family member paid her to do this. No matter, I just laughed all the way home and realized that my troubles are minimal to what many people are experiencing right now. I know a few people that are suffering the excruciating pain of watching their child fight for their life with cancer. Now, that is a life-altering and painful experience.
Borrowing from my friend Wendy again:
"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." ---Bil Keane
"We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act." ---Swami Vivekananda
On a more positive side, I had a strange but fun event happen at the convenience store a couple of hours ago. When you are 432 pounds you are used to being ignored or stared at, but when it comes to special attention, you basically are ignored. I stopped to get a Coke Zero and as I was walking towards the door to leave the convenience store, I glanced up and noticed a very attractive woman about 35 coming into the store. She entered and took approximately seven or eight steps into the store and we were in direct approach of each other, headed for a collision. Suddenly, she looks up and looks me right in the eyes. Now, for the past 22 1/2 years I have avoided eye contact with women like it was the plague. This time however, I looked back and something really weird happened. This woman smiled and turned around and walked back to the door and opened it for me. She looked me in the eyes again and said I come here all the time, have a great night. HUH?
Either I looked pathetically sad, disabled or she was intoxicated. Nevertheless, I smiled and said, then I'll see you later. HUH? Did I just flirt? I think the Lord had something to do with this for my morale, or perhaps a family member paid her to do this. No matter, I just laughed all the way home and realized that my troubles are minimal to what many people are experiencing right now. I know a few people that are suffering the excruciating pain of watching their child fight for their life with cancer. Now, that is a life-altering and painful experience.
Borrowing from my friend Wendy again:
"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." ---Bil Keane
"We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act." ---Swami Vivekananda
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