Archives for May 2017

05/27/17

Day 74 Extreme Accountability Challenge

Starting weight 304 pounds

Destination weight 175 pounds
Total weight loss to date 52.0 pounds

77.0 pounds to go

I was listening to a podcast earlier this week and heard a sound clip of a Will Smith interview. He was talking about his work ethic. I love the metaphor that he used, “I am not afraid to die on a treadmill” He’s not willing to be out worked. Period.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doqS35FfcUE

That mindset explains a lot of his success.

For so many years, I was afraid to “die on the treadmill” in regards to controlling my weight.

So often I just drifted, no big changes, I just drifted all the way to 304 pounds. I bought into the lie that, “I couldn’t miss that taste” of food for God knows what occasion.

It’s how I drifted so far off course.

I think that life tests us everyday, whether it’s with weight or whatever, life is getting on the treadmill right beside you, challenging you to a test of endurance. Are you so focused and determined that you’re willing to “die on the treadmill” to get what you want?”

Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!

05/26/17

Day 73 Extreme Accountability Challenge

Starting weight 304 pounds
Destination weight 175 pounds
Total weight loss to date 52.0 pounds
77.0 pounds to go

Summer is approaching, the kids will be out of school soon, if not already, and thoughts of vacations, will be dominating our thinking. Rest for the weary. Most of us feel entitled to a break, we deserve it, right?

I love vacations, the thought of breaking free from the routine and regroup, time with family and friends, the endless flood of memories.

What about the plans that we made, what about staying the course? My thoughts turn to this, vacations like most special events, are normally filled with all sorts of food. You gotta eat! Well I’ve done my share of eating! Many of you reading this have probably done your share also. I’m not calling you out, I’m just saying.

When I started on this on this weight loss journey on March 15th, I committed that I wouldn’t cheat, my plan that I’m on, that John Davisson is coaching me through is simple, all I have to do is stick to it. While he never guarantees results, I know that there is no way that I won’t get to my goal, 175 pounds. My part, the hardest part, STICK TO THE PLAN! Ouch! The plan. simple, the sticking to it, not so much, but 73 days into the journey, I haven’t cheated once, I’m not boasting, just stating fact.The reason

1- I want to live and have life to the full with my dream date and wife of 31 years, Angie. She is worth it.
2- I want to make a difference in my children’s and future grandchildren’s lives, they are worth it.
3- If you’re reading this, there are no accidents, I want to encourage others, maybe you, that there is hope. You are worth it.
4- I have 10 lifetimes of hopes and dreams in this 55 year old body. I’ll need to be at maximum healthy capacity to see those dreams come true.

I will be enjoying my summer, and no, I won’t cheat. This is not forever, I will have some of my favorite foods again, but at a healthy 175 pounds, in moderation, and I’ll never go back to my old ways again.

What are you waiting for, take action, get healthy now, this is not a drill, you get to decide every day.

Now step away from that bag of potato chips slowly, and…

Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!

Day 72 Extreme Accountability Challenge
Starting weight 304 pounds
Destination weight 175 pounds
Total weight loss to date 51.6 pounds
77.4 pounds to go

Boundaries get our attention. Whether the boundaries are real or whether the boundaries are just in our mind, they serve a purpose. Boundaries stop us.

Growing up most of us learned to appreciate the boundaries that our parents warned us not to cross, they are intended to keep us safe.
The boundaries of the dangerous areas like when your parents said ” don’t play in the busy street”, that one makes sense.
We learn to respect these boundaries, they keep us safe.

But as we get older, what about the boundaries that we create in our mind, the boundaries of artificial safety that supposedly protect us from what we fear. Those boundaries don’t protect us or serve us. They make us feel safe but they are the boundaries that can destroy our futures.

These boundaries we often create so that we don’t have to face our fears. They ultimately hold us back from experiencing life abundantly.

Have you ever told yourself, I can’t do that because ” blank”. Question those boundaries, behind it may be something, the life, the hope, the dream that you’ve always wanted.

Losing weight was always on the other side of a boundary for me.

That boundary was, “in order to lose this weight I’m going to have to give this food that I love up, my bad habits of eating way more than I need.”

That wasn’t a boundary for my safety, it was a boundary for my comfort.

I know that sounds silly, but think about it, I have always had the ability to lose weight, so do you, but there was always an excuse, a boundary, that stopped me. Maybe a special occasion or whatever reason kept me from taking action. But the whole truth, I didn’t want to stop the behavior to cross that boundary, so I stayed safely with my overeating. Safely where I didn’t have to change, but where there is no safety at all, right smack dab in the middle of my obesity. Being comfortable can be the enemy of being our best.

When I created a new boundary, posting my scales daily to Facebook, this new boundary, not eating outside of the weight loss boundary, real safely occurred and the pounds began falling off. The accountability that this creates is powerful, and is moving me quickly to the safety of a healthy weight, where I can enjoy so much that my boundaries of comfort kept me from enjoying.

Ask yourself some serious question about your boundaries.

1-Is this boundary serving you or holding you back
2- Is this boundary one that you created to make yourself feel safety, but ultimately put you in long term danger.
3-Would crossing that boundary bring you freedom in some way
4- Are you trying to stay safe or comfortable?

Get uncomfortable and break through the artificial boundaries now, while you still can.

Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!

05/24/17
Day 71 Extreme Accountability Challenge
Starting weight 304 pounds
Destination weight 175 pounds
Total weight loss to date 49.8 pounds
79.2 pounds to go

When I started on this journey of posting my scales daily to Facebook, it was a little over a week after taking the picture of my scales at 304 pounds pictured above. I had this idea of posting my scales daily to Facebook for maximum accountability, but I was hesitating, not hesitating to change my eating habits, but hesitating to go “all in”. It took, as I’ve written about several times, Hyo Kim, giving me a push, to get accountability. I had been on dozens if not hundreds of weight loss plans, even the one that I am using now, I had used 3 or 4 times before. So something must have been wrong with the plans, right? Wrong!

My level of commitment was the problem, always had be, and potentially always would be if I didn’t face it head on.
Facing this giant that haunted me was scary.

Sometimes people comment to Extreme Accountability Challenge Participants that we are brave to do this. As for me, I can tell you it was scary, I don’t consider myself brave in posting my weight, humbling, to not be strong enough to get the job done without this public admission that I haven’t been able to get the weight off on my own.
But when I pushed post, this mountain got smaller, the mountain of willpower that I lacked, got a lot smaller. When I get tempted to cheat, or discouraged that it’s taking so long, this posting of my scales, gives me that extra strength that I never had before. The refrigerator is smaller, the fast food signs are dimmer, the only thing that I can clearly see is 175 pounds up in the distance. I will get there.

If you’re watching wanting the courage to join us, you’ll never have enough. I heard someone say that courage is just the willingness to take action despite the fear. Take action now
Join us, and…
Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!