I'm not sure if it was the weight loss that caused my mind to think more clearly (gosh that sounds so new age'y) or if the weight loss was the catalyst that I needed to give me the permission to change....not really change but IMPROVE.
It really doesn't matter. The point is, I have changed my Stinkin' Thinkin'. And have made a conscience effort to analyze my patterns and look at those that have been negative, and damaging, and unproductive. I have also examined my relationships as well. Here's what I found.
I have had a horrible self-image for a very long time. A lot of that comes from many, many years of having individuals in my life who are filled with negative remarks about me. But my part in all of this is the accepting of their unkind comments and judgements. I fully accepted this as gospel truth.
Furthermore, I have put way to much effort into maintaining relationships with "friends" and associates who are happy to be kind and supportive to me when everything is great and they need my help. But as soon as I have any challenge or struggle, they have distanced themselves and been downright unkind.
The question that I had to ask was, "why am I trying to maintain relationships with people who like me so Conditionally". Love should be UNconditional. It is not healthy for me to put so much effort into receiving votes of approval.
I've realized that I am who I am. That is how God made me. Now that said, accepting mediocrity in oneself is never good either. But the motivation to IMPROVE needs to come from within. I've learned that looking for acceptance and approval from outside of myself and needing that approval to feel good about myself is destructive and counterproductive.
Realizing this, I knew that I needed to question and analyze why I am putting so much effort and stress into maintaining such tenuous relationships with people who view me as a marginal friend.
It has been a very good and helpful cleansing of my life. It has been very helpful and healthy to ask myself why I seek approval from others, especially those that I don't really like, or have treated me in an unkind way.
I have to say, I feel much, much better. I am more at peace and my self-image has improved considerably. Also through this, I have learned who the people are that genuinely love me for who I am, warts and all.
Much more to share soon.
Please subscribe if possible. It is helpful to know that someone is actually reading and following this.
Mike
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
ONE YEAR !!! Please subscribe as a gift to me :-)
It's been one year since I started the 30 day broth fast and so much has changed in my life. Really.
It is so difficult to know where to start.
Yes I have lost weight and continued to do so with no effort. I know, that sounds like some infomercial on TV but it really is true. As you may remember, I lost 30 pounds in 60 days, but after 4 months of just eating properly, I was convinced that I must have gained some weight. After all, don't most people just gain it back? At that 4 month weigh-in, I found out that I didn't gain weight but instead I found that I lost 10 more. And now that it has been one full year, I have kept it off with little effort.
I started to be more active too. Wait, not like "I better start exercising" but more like, "I feel good and I want to go out and do something". I find myself bounding up flights of stairs and I took a job as a waiter which keeps me running for a few hours every day. I lift plates, which of course aren't really that heavy, but it has increased my strength and my physique. My wife notices and truthfully I notice as well when I look in the mirror. I used to dread taking off my shirt but now I'm kind of proud of how I look. I don't know if I have ever been this fit... at least not for the last 25 years, perhaps more.
But that is only part of the changes that I have seen. There has been huge changes in my mental persona. More on that in the next posting.....
It is so difficult to know where to start.
Yes I have lost weight and continued to do so with no effort. I know, that sounds like some infomercial on TV but it really is true. As you may remember, I lost 30 pounds in 60 days, but after 4 months of just eating properly, I was convinced that I must have gained some weight. After all, don't most people just gain it back? At that 4 month weigh-in, I found out that I didn't gain weight but instead I found that I lost 10 more. And now that it has been one full year, I have kept it off with little effort.
I started to be more active too. Wait, not like "I better start exercising" but more like, "I feel good and I want to go out and do something". I find myself bounding up flights of stairs and I took a job as a waiter which keeps me running for a few hours every day. I lift plates, which of course aren't really that heavy, but it has increased my strength and my physique. My wife notices and truthfully I notice as well when I look in the mirror. I used to dread taking off my shirt but now I'm kind of proud of how I look. I don't know if I have ever been this fit... at least not for the last 25 years, perhaps more.
But that is only part of the changes that I have seen. There has been huge changes in my mental persona. More on that in the next posting.....
Thursday, September 25, 2014
How life changes
How life changes is pretty amazing
I have seen such a tremendous amount of changes in my life. I have lost a total of about 40 pounds (43 seems too exact and implies that I watch the scale with a frantic anxiety). In truth after losing the first 30, any additional was inconsequential. I think that right now, I am at a great size....for me. I'm not a big guy. I have a small bone structure, wear size 7 shoes, and am all of 5' 7" tall, 5' 8" with heels. ;-)
How life has changed for me. As ethereal as it may sound, this
I have seen such a tremendous amount of changes in my life. I have lost a total of about 40 pounds (43 seems too exact and implies that I watch the scale with a frantic anxiety). In truth after losing the first 30, any additional was inconsequential. I think that right now, I am at a great size....for me. I'm not a big guy. I have a small bone structure, wear size 7 shoes, and am all of 5' 7" tall, 5' 8" with heels. ;-)
How life has changed for me. As ethereal as it may sound, this
Thursday, August 28, 2014
300 days
Today marks 300 days since I finished my 30 day broth fast.
For those interested in the numbers....I'm consistently under 140 pounds and have maintained this with little effort.
My mind is clearer....I know, that sounds like such a bunch of crap. People usually say such things in health food stores while holding a bottle for their favorite colonic, but it is true. I feel like I'm a new person. No, scratch that. I am a new person. I've re-done, re-thought, re-started, and repented of so many things in my life. I feel much, much better than I have at any point in my life. All because of the broth fast?? I'm not saying that this took place because of the broth fast, but it sure was the catalyst for these changes. My wife calls me Mike2.0.
More about this very soon. Many of you have read this blog, although sadly very few have "followed" or "subscribed". Throw some love my way and "Follow me"
For those interested in the numbers....I'm consistently under 140 pounds and have maintained this with little effort.
My mind is clearer....I know, that sounds like such a bunch of crap. People usually say such things in health food stores while holding a bottle for their favorite colonic, but it is true. I feel like I'm a new person. No, scratch that. I am a new person. I've re-done, re-thought, re-started, and repented of so many things in my life. I feel much, much better than I have at any point in my life. All because of the broth fast?? I'm not saying that this took place because of the broth fast, but it sure was the catalyst for these changes. My wife calls me Mike2.0.
More about this very soon. Many of you have read this blog, although sadly very few have "followed" or "subscribed". Throw some love my way and "Follow me"
6 Month Miracle
Hi Friends and Anyone who reads this,
On May 1st, 2014, I celebrated 6 months of keeping ALL of the weight off.
Quick recap, I lost a net 30 pounds in 60 days. The day that I mark as having "completed" my personal weight loss was November 1st. On that day I had lost all of the weight that I wanted. So, May 1st marks the date where I kept it all off for half a year.
Yahoo!! "And the crowd goes wild"...at least in my little head.
I still love telling this story. Since I travel a lot for my work as a consultant with schools and businesses to different locations all over the US, I find myself alone but easily meeting people. It's an easy thing to talk about. I find that it seems like new "friends" are happier to listen than share. Really many people are interested in weight loss.
30 day broth fast---The kick your ass but get it done weight loss method
I'll write more soon as so much has changed.
On May 1st, 2014, I celebrated 6 months of keeping ALL of the weight off.
Quick recap, I lost a net 30 pounds in 60 days. The day that I mark as having "completed" my personal weight loss was November 1st. On that day I had lost all of the weight that I wanted. So, May 1st marks the date where I kept it all off for half a year.
Yahoo!! "And the crowd goes wild"...at least in my little head.
I still love telling this story. Since I travel a lot for my work as a consultant with schools and businesses to different locations all over the US, I find myself alone but easily meeting people. It's an easy thing to talk about. I find that it seems like new "friends" are happier to listen than share. Really many people are interested in weight loss.
30 day broth fast---The kick your ass but get it done weight loss method
I'll write more soon as so much has changed.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
The Journey Continues --- Part 2
The Journey Continues --- Part 2
After spending about a week and a half on the road, I had a dear friend offer to allow me to stay in his home in Ocean City, NJ. This was a perfect location for me as 3 of the 4 schools with whom I would be working were within an hour drive from Ocean City.
Ocean City is November is not exactly a booming metropolis. It was very mellow and laid back. I liked my time there but found that most of the restaurants are seasonal thus limiting my choices significantly for food options. I did manage to find a great Chinese restaurant that made food from scratch and was willing to make great meals without starches, MSG, or even sugar. It was a very small restaurant with a total of only 3 tables. They were predominantly set up for "Take Out". I ate delicious spicy eggplant, duck, chicken and vegetables, etc. I think that I ate there 5-7 times while I was in town. The nice thing was that the food was healthy and good tasting and allowed me to stay within my diet.
As I was away for about two weeks at this point, I began to wonder about how much weight I had gained. I did not have access to a scale so it was really an unknown. I felt like I was eating a lot, especially a lot of nuts. I was eating properly, but I was quite sure that I had gained far more than 5 pounds. I told myself not to worry about it, but I did. After all that I had been through to lose this much weight, to just gain a great deal of it back was a disturbing idea for sure. I told myself that I would not weigh myself until I returned back to California. With only a week to go, I felt that I could wait until I returned to find out if this was successful.
We'll see.
After spending about a week and a half on the road, I had a dear friend offer to allow me to stay in his home in Ocean City, NJ. This was a perfect location for me as 3 of the 4 schools with whom I would be working were within an hour drive from Ocean City.
Ocean City is November is not exactly a booming metropolis. It was very mellow and laid back. I liked my time there but found that most of the restaurants are seasonal thus limiting my choices significantly for food options. I did manage to find a great Chinese restaurant that made food from scratch and was willing to make great meals without starches, MSG, or even sugar. It was a very small restaurant with a total of only 3 tables. They were predominantly set up for "Take Out". I ate delicious spicy eggplant, duck, chicken and vegetables, etc. I think that I ate there 5-7 times while I was in town. The nice thing was that the food was healthy and good tasting and allowed me to stay within my diet.
As I was away for about two weeks at this point, I began to wonder about how much weight I had gained. I did not have access to a scale so it was really an unknown. I felt like I was eating a lot, especially a lot of nuts. I was eating properly, but I was quite sure that I had gained far more than 5 pounds. I told myself not to worry about it, but I did. After all that I had been through to lose this much weight, to just gain a great deal of it back was a disturbing idea for sure. I told myself that I would not weigh myself until I returned back to California. With only a week to go, I felt that I could wait until I returned to find out if this was successful.
We'll see.
The Journey Continues Part 1
The Journey Continues --- Part 1
I know that I haven't written in a while, and wow do I have some updates for you.
So after I finished the second broth fast, I left for Chicago, Baltimore, Philly, and Ocean City, NJ. In total, I expected to be gone about 3 weeks.
The first thing that I needed to do was properly transition to a solid diet properly. Simply, I strictly stuck to nothing at all but nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and lentils for two full days. It was stressed to me the importance of this, and this time, I was committed to make this transition as smooth as possible. The last time it went ok but I would say that it was flawless, but I did not stick so closely to the recommended transition diet. That first time, I found that there was a little "rumbly in my tumbly" as Winnie-the-Pooh would say (stomach cramps). This time it went perfectly. Completely unremarkable.
Then the challenge came of eating well on the road. Dr. Saunders told me that if I ate properly, I could expect to see an increase of about 5 pounds. I really did not want to gain more than 5 pound. I lost a grand total of 35 and I was ok with a net loss of 30. That would give me a weight of 150 pounds which is a good weight for my height and bone structure.
In Chicagoland I found plenty of high quality, healthy choices. I had nice chicken, fish, and beef dishes and plenty of vegetarian options. I can't believe that I'm going to say this but I find myself drawn to good vegetarian options. That was not something that I expected to say. I was told that my taste buds would change and apparently they did.
After nearly a week in the beautiful town of Napersville, IL, I flew out to Baltimore to spend time with schools in southern Maryland, and 4 places in New Jersey. Eating on the road can be quite difficult, but doesn't have to be. At almost every restaurant there is some choice that fits my new eating plan. I can eat pretty much anything except starches and sugars. It's easier than one might think.
One thing I learned was that not all areas have readily accessible healthy food choices. It's there, it just was a bit harder to find. But I was determined to eat healthy food. I always found something.
I know that I haven't written in a while, and wow do I have some updates for you.
So after I finished the second broth fast, I left for Chicago, Baltimore, Philly, and Ocean City, NJ. In total, I expected to be gone about 3 weeks.
The first thing that I needed to do was properly transition to a solid diet properly. Simply, I strictly stuck to nothing at all but nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and lentils for two full days. It was stressed to me the importance of this, and this time, I was committed to make this transition as smooth as possible. The last time it went ok but I would say that it was flawless, but I did not stick so closely to the recommended transition diet. That first time, I found that there was a little "rumbly in my tumbly" as Winnie-the-Pooh would say (stomach cramps). This time it went perfectly. Completely unremarkable.
Then the challenge came of eating well on the road. Dr. Saunders told me that if I ate properly, I could expect to see an increase of about 5 pounds. I really did not want to gain more than 5 pound. I lost a grand total of 35 and I was ok with a net loss of 30. That would give me a weight of 150 pounds which is a good weight for my height and bone structure.
In Chicagoland I found plenty of high quality, healthy choices. I had nice chicken, fish, and beef dishes and plenty of vegetarian options. I can't believe that I'm going to say this but I find myself drawn to good vegetarian options. That was not something that I expected to say. I was told that my taste buds would change and apparently they did.
After nearly a week in the beautiful town of Napersville, IL, I flew out to Baltimore to spend time with schools in southern Maryland, and 4 places in New Jersey. Eating on the road can be quite difficult, but doesn't have to be. At almost every restaurant there is some choice that fits my new eating plan. I can eat pretty much anything except starches and sugars. It's easier than one might think.
One thing I learned was that not all areas have readily accessible healthy food choices. It's there, it just was a bit harder to find. But I was determined to eat healthy food. I always found something.
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