Day 342 My New Blog Toy and About Time

Day 342

My New Blog Toy and About Time

Thank you for the wonderful support and the comments on yesterday's post. After twenty years of marriage and now having two teenage daughters, I'm certainly no stranger to that isle at Wal-Mart. The original picture found us actually purchasing some of those things, the “in-progress” was just trying to take the picture in the same spot. It's amazing how we can be so critical of ourselves no matter the success we've achieved. In looking at the “in-progress” picture, I couldn't help but mention to Irene how “that shirt makes me look heavier, I should have put on something different for the shot.” And it is a little big on me, but I've always tried to wear things that were baggy in an effort to cover up my weight. Funny that now it actually takes away a little from my transformation. I must wear things that fit right! Some habits are harder to break than others.

I hope you have a chance to click play on the audio player today. The Dominos Pizza Chocolate Lava Cake commercial is gone, replaced with a personalized message from me. Kind of an official introduction to this wonderful addition on the blog. (Myspace readers—I didn't put an audio player on the myspace version. You'll have to come over to the “global” version at www.losingweighteveryday.blogspot.com and by the way, myspace security will not let you just click that link, you'll have to type it into your browser, then bookmark it! I promise it will be worth the trouble) Like I said in the audio, I plan on using that player to interview bloggers and other special guest. The interviews will be fun, but mostly it'll be something different where I can occasionally speak on a certain subject or just be goofy. I love having it! I can't thank Gayle Williams enough for her hard work on this new feature. And thanks to Anson Williams (no relation to Gayle) for allowing me to use the studios of Team Radio to produce these audio features.

I got up early and had breakfast with Irene after she arrived home from another twelve hour shift. She's just not able to post everyday on her blog because of this crazy schedule, but she will often enough. And she's doing fantastic by the way! For breakfast I prepared another pizza. I know, I'm getting pizza crazy these days! But I just can't get over how filling and low calorie it can be! I used a different crust, this time it was Joseph's Flax Seed-Oat Bran-and Whole Wheat Pita. Each one has only 60 calories and they crisp up better than the Flat-Out flatbread I used last night. I had four egg whites, scrambled, an ounce of mozzarella, and tomato sauce plus the pita---all for only 175 calories. And I was full before it was gone. So much so, I recalculated the calories just to be sure. It sure felt like more than 175 calories worth of fullness. Irene and I had breakfast and coffee and a wonderful conversation before she retired to the bedroom, it was nice.

bbubblyb asked via a comment what kind hot dog rolls I used for those “Pizza Dogs” we prepared recently. The answer? Just your basic Wonder brand hot dog buns---110 calories each. Even the generic store brand of hot dog buns have the same calories—110. I'm happy your family loved them and I hope you found the 40 calorie hot dogs I used. I hope they're available where you live!

I enjoyed a killer workout tonight without ever leaving the house. That jump rope is turning out to be a very wise investment. I did 200 jumps. That may not sound like a bunch, but I promise you, I feel it like crazy. I was sweating heavily and my heart rate was on fire, it is a great workout. I can't do them all at one time, in one stretch—I'm not that good. But I can get through ten without messing up usually. Then I just do 20 sets. I'm also sore from the weight training yesterday. But it's a good sore, a hey this is working kind of sore.

The “Lose To Win” newsletter went out yesterday from Ponca City Medical Center. I wrote an article for this edition, so I was excited by it's release. I e-mailed some copies to those that requested and a few who didn't, and tonight I'm thinking---why not just copy and paste the text of the article here? It's a topic I've written about here on a couple of occasions:

How Long Is This Going To Take?

By Sean Anderson

We live in an instant society. Everything happens now. When something takes a little longer we get impatient. Surely there’s a way to make it go faster! When this impatient attitude is applied to weight loss, many people turn to diet pills or “miracle” products that promise quick results. I’ve done it before too! But I’ve learned along my own weight loss journey that there’s just no substitute for eating in a responsible way and exercising. Oh, you might get some temporary results with the latest fad diet, but none of us want temporary. We want fast and permanent results, a real solid change. And those come with consistent effort, a responsible diet and exercise plan, and the willingness to learn new habits. Losing weight isn’t an instant thing, it takes patience and consistency. The results may not be now, but the results will come.

Again, how long are we talking? At over 500 pounds it was very easy for me to get discouraged about the answer to that question. I allowed my impatience to ruin many weight loss attempts because I wanted the results now, and if we’re not getting what we want we get frustrated, and when we’re frustrated it makes it unnecessarily difficult to stay focused. But what I’ve learned in the past eleven months has proven to me that time doesn’t matter. If you allow yourself to get discouraged about the task at hand and the time it will take to accomplish your goal, then you’re putting your focus in the wrong place. Forget about time and just start making the changes you know must be made. Before you know it you’ll have made amazing strides toward your goal in surprisingly little time. Because guess what? Time doesn’t care if you do this or not. Time will keep moving with or without you. So how long is this going to take? As long as it needs. Because this isn’t something you’re doing for a couple of months. The changes in your mind and habits are changes that will be with you the rest of your life, these kind of changes are exactly what gives permanent results.

So how do we forget about time and still get results in a timely manner? One word: Consistency.
I’ve had a couple of people tell me that losing 201 pounds in eleven months is way too fast. Really? I’m eating a solid fifteen hundred calories everyday and exercising on a regular schedule. I’m consistent. My results may seem too fast to some, but those around me know exactly why they’ve come so fast. It’s consistency. In the past I would do well three days then bad for four. Pick it up on Monday and do well until Friday, then eat like a mad man on the weekend. This inconsistency severely crippled my results and it seemed like it was taking forever to get anywhere. If you would have asked how I was doing during one of those failed attempts, I would have replied “doing great, it’s a slow process, but I’m getting there.” It wasn’t until I became completely honest about my consistency issues that I was able to realize such dramatic results in so little time.

Forget about time and be consistent in your efforts to eat responsibly, exercise, and honestly change your mind and habits with these activities and like magic, you’ll also enjoy the most amazing transformation of mind, body, and health--in hardly anytime at all.

I really look forward to speaking again at another “Lose To Win” Seminar coming real soon. I wish you could be here! The hospital has just been incredible with their support of my efforts. It was really a magical timing thing for them to introduce this program right in the middle of the biggest transformation of my life. Being a part of it has been a real blessing. I run into people all the time that were a part of the program. Some have struggled and some have continued their weight loss success with wonderful results. The program really gave me a clear vision of what I want to become in the world of motivational speaking in regards to weight loss. It is without a doubt my future and I'm excited about the prospects!

I'm dropping in for some needed rest. The workout tonight has me plum beat and that bed is going to feel real good. Thank you for your support. Be sure to listen to the audio clip above, it's nearly five minutes in length by the way. Goodnight and...

Good Choices,
Sean