05/14/17
Day 61 Extreme Accountability Challenge
Starting weight 304 pounds
Destination weight 175 pounds
Total weight loss to date 45.2 pounds
83.8 pounds to go

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Mom’s that are participating or following this Extreme Accountability Challenge. Congratulations to those of you getting healthier publicly or privately through this Extreme Accountability Challenge, your families need you.

When you mom’s gave birth to your children, your hearts and minds were probably filled with hopes and dreams for your newborn babies. We all want extraordinary lives for those that we love. This thought has been going through my mind as I’ve been on this public weight loss journey. I get asked, ” How in the world are you and so many of the participants of the Extreme Accountability Challenge losing so much weight so fast?”

I can’t speak for anyone else, we never tell anyone what to eat or how to exercise when they start participating in the Extreme Accountability Challenge, we just ask that they commit to posting their weight publicly to all of their Facebook friends until they reach their destination weight. Most everyone is just changing their eating habits and figuring it out as they go, that’s awesome my hat is off to everyone that has that discipline. I needed a more structured approach for me.

What I can address is my personal experience, there are about a zillion diets on the market, I’d tried most of them, and I failed, the diet didn’t fail.
But there was one that was different that I had tried several times, the operative word is tried, that was the one that my health coach, John Davisson, had helped me with. It was easy to understand and follow, It’s funny, publicly they say the average weight loss is “20 pounds over 12 weeks”. Well nobody told me but I knew that if I could stick to it 100%, no cheating, the weight would come off fast and healthy. Also along the way, John works with me on creating new healthier habits. So that like John, who’s kept his weight off for 10 years now, I will stay healthy for long life. I’m not suggesting anything to anyone, what someone does for weight loss is up to them. You can message John if you have questions. He’s the expert.

What’s different this time, the “secret sauce” why in less than 9 weeks I’ve lost 45 pounds, it’s accountability, Extreme Accountability. Yes I weigh everyday and neither my scales nor my body have exploded. So many people have said, “oh never weigh yourself daily”. Will someone tell me why? Could it be that if I overate the night before I might have to admit it and do something about it.
If you don’t believe tthat you should weigh yourself ddaily, then don’t, but for me it was the solution. And posting it for the World to see was just the accountability that I needed.
This is not average, this is extreme, don’t try this if you’re not ready. But check the pictures of my scales. Documentation beats conversation every single time. I’m weighing everyday and posting everyday. I love it!!

Sorry for the rant, happy Mother’s Day!

Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!

05/13/17
Day 60 Extreme Accountability Challenge Starting weight 304 pounds
Destination weight 175 pounds
Total weight loss to date 44.6 pounds
84.4 pounds to go

Day 60 Wow! Can you believe that I have been posting my scales daily for 60 days. Sometimes it seems like it was another lifetime almost that I was 304 pounds and beginning this journey and at times it seems like I just blinked and here I am 60 days into this. I’m down almost 45 pounds, and headed for a total weight loss of 129 pounds. Most likely 60 days from now I will be down another 30 to 40 pounds and seeing more results of the changes that I’ve made to my overall health and fitness, and the the results of this Extreme Accountability Challenge.

I’ve heard several times that when we are older and looking back on our lives the biggest regret that most people have is being afraid or for whatever reason during their lifetimes not being themselves. They spent so much time trying to be somebody they forgot to be themself.

That’s what part of this journey is for me and possibly for many of you that are posting your weight daily. The real you is fit, healthy, and vibrant. The person that waits for me and waits for you at your destination weight is the real you, it’s the one that your spouse, family, community, and the world most needs.
I for one will never return to this fat person that I became, the real me is still hiding under 84 pounds of fat, but not for long.

I can’t wait to meet the real you at your destination.

Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!

05/12/17
Day 59 Extreme Accountability Challenge Starting weight 304 pounds
Destination weight 175 pounds
Total weight loss to date 44.2 pounds
84.8 pounds to go

Today the scales moved enough for me to say goodbye to the 260’s. As my weight dropped into the 250’s, there is more of a sense of accomplishment than other days. I guess it’s because I see 10 pound intervals as barriers. It made me think about the barrier that weight has been for me for so many years. The feelings of helplessness regarding getting control of my weight once and for all. I really think that the helplessness centered around double mindedness. I wanted to be healthy, energetic, and thin at the same time that I wanted to eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. That was really my dilemma, two completely incompatible realities. I couldn’t have it both ways, something had to give.
I think that the battle that I’ve had with weight has parallels to other areas of struggle.
For change to take place for me, I had to get completely clear about the reality of my current situation and where I was likely headed. That clarity became vivid at 304 pounds and when I saw a picture of myself on Facebook shortly afterwards. I could pretend the problem didn’t exist but really who was I kidding?
Then I had to decide and take action regarding changing my behavior forever. I had to do something that would be so drastic that I would change. The drastic step for me was making a public declaration and posting a picture of my scales daily to Facebook for at least until I reached my goal, if not longer.

The outcome has been unbelievable even to me, this process changed my resolve in a way that I had only dreamed of in the past. What was absolutely terrifying in the beginning, became the most empowering thing that I’ve ever done. I cannot explain, even though I try. I think the only way to understand this is to experience it.
Although I still have a lot of weight to lose, this experience has created a burning desire. The desire to find another barrier and another extreme solution that is just as terrifying and step through that door to get on the other side of another barrier.

I would love to hear your comments of areas of struggle, barriers, where you only dream of one day overcoming those struggles. Please post them in the comments, maybe there’s an opportunity to step out in faith, to take a chance and reach a goal that has eluded you for your whole life. Putting it out there in a simple comment may be your first step to freedom.

Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!

05/11/17
Day 58 Extreme Accountability Challenge Starting weight 304 pounds
Destination weight 175 pounds
Total weight loss to date 43.4 pounds
85.6 pounds to go

Even when I was younger and thinner running was never my thing. It just seemed so boring to me. Especially long distances, stride after stride, what’s the point? Well I’m sure someone that loves running looks at it completely differently.
This process of losing 129 pounds, sometimes feels like what I imagine a marathon must feel like. I’m making amazing progress, not bragging, just saying, I’m dropping 3, 4, or 5 pounds every week. The weight is coming off fast. But the miles are long. I have to confess if it weren’t for the Extreme Accountability Challenge, I would have accepted a 20 or 30 pound weight loss and said “I did well, but I’m going back to eating whatever I want whenever I want.” That was how I used to think, that’s how you get to 304 pounds! My personal recipe for physical disaster.
Not this time, thanks to all of you that are posting your weight daily with me and for the countless others that comment, like, or just view these posts, it keeps me on course.

I have this hope, no this vision, that there will be countless others, that could not find a way to control their weight that will forever change because of what they see happening through this Extreme Accountability Challenge.
My prayer for you if you are like I was regarding eating, is that you will use this accountability to find life again, to be free from the addictive pull of overeating. Yep I said addictive. Food was my drug of choice for decades. Get well with us.

Press forward.

 

175 pounds here I come!!!