Day 510 I Can Smile Now and The Work

Day 510

I Can Smile Now and The Work

A blogging friend told me I needed to smile more. You know what? They’re right! I do need to smile more. I really do smile frequently---just sometimes, when I’m taking an “in-progress” picture, I think that a non-smile look will show the biggest contrast. I need therapy! The truth is simple: It doesn’t matter how big I smile, my 236 pound transformation is still undeniably incredible---I say that at the risk of sounding boastful. It’s all smiles. ;)

I often smiled in big before pictures, but I wasn’t really smiling inside. Those weren't "before" pictures back then, they were "sad reality" pictures. I never embraced my morbid obesity. It never made me smile. One genuine smile now is worth a million of those before picture smiles. It’s real now.

Today was a busy Saturday to say the least. I decided to skip the breakfast fare and go straight to a lunch type dish. It was a great move! I cut up some onion and green and red peppers, grilled six ounces of skinless chicken breast, and threw it all together for some amazing chicken fajita pitas. The chicken checked in at 165 calories, the 1.5 ounces of mozzarella was 120, the two pitas were 120 total---add another 30 calories for veggies and salsa, and the tasty looking chicken fajita pitas you see below came in at 435 calories. It was a wonderful lunch and a great calorie value! I easily could have eliminated the mozzarella for a count of 315, but that’s cool, I like the cheese. While I have plenty of Joseph’s Oat Bran, Flax Seed, and Whole Wheat pitas right now (thanks to a dear friend), I must search them out on the web and contact some grocery store managers about stocking this stuff. I love ‘em, can you tell?

After lunch it was time to start thinking about my workout. The YMCA was the plan, and what a wonderful plan it turned out to be. I hit the weight room first, doing exactly what Melissa has suggested---and a few extra lifts I like. I enjoy the butterfly press and the lat pulldown, I do!

After a weight room performance to feel proud about, I hit the stairs. Running stairs is very cool. After spending a lifetime avoiding stairs at all cost, it’s very cool to run up a few flights without feeling like sudden and imminent death is chasing me. I actually went up three and down three- four times for a total of twelve flights. I had to take a breather before heading to the treadmill for a run. OK…maybe not a run, but a nice walk/jog. Several have suggested I check out the couch to 5K plan and I think that’s a great idea! I need to increase my jogging endurance. The workout left me sweating like crazy and feeling incredible. It was so nice!

I headed home after the Y to shower and get ready for a busy evening. I don’t shower at the YMCA or anywhere but home for that matter, unless it’s a private shower. I’m way to shy and insecure to just walk into a shower room full of shower heads and start in scrubbing. Maybe someday I’ll be able to do that, but no---that someday may never come actually. Just being honest. A friend of mine recently recounted her experience in the Y locker room when she realized she had to get dressed in front of a packed room. She overcame her insecurities and did it! I’m proud of her, but I’m not there. Give me several months of weight training and skin removal surgery---and then maybe. I’m just ultra sensitive with these issues, I’ve always been that way. PE class was torture as the fat kid. Good thing PE came late in the day, because I never showered or changed clothes at school---ever!

I attended a wonderful health talk by Dr. Amy this evening at Melissa Walden’s house. The topic was all about The Work. It was an amazing discussion and learning experience. I’m looking forward to learning more about the work. We did a simple exercise that revealed to me that I’ve naturally put some of these ideas to work in the complete understanding and repaired relationship with my father. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that’s what I did to achieve complete forgiveness. "The Work" by Byron Katie is a masterpiece—it deserves more of my attention, and it’s going to get it! You can find out more about it at www.thework.com

I attended the health talk from 5:30 to 7:30 and then it was off to the Ponca Playhouse for their production of “Proof.” I put together some sound cues for this production and even had a credit in the program as “sound designer and operator,” OK---I’m not sure how much operating I did---But I’ll take it! Thank you! It was a fabulous production, expertly directed with a talented cast. It was powerful indeed.

I arrived home and touched base with both of my daughters, my mom, and a friend--all via telephone. Amber and Courtney are doing well. I wish I could encourage Amber to update her blog more frequently, it could really help make a difference for her like it has me. She knows this. I’m so proud of both of my girls. How lucky am I? Pretty darn lucky I tell ya!

Mom is once again struggling. She told me she was searching Web MD for different diets. I didn’t say anything, it was late. But mom---I know you read this everyday. You don’t have to search for anything. You have the power to do exactly what you’ve been doing and what I’ve done. Don’t search for a temporary means to lose weight. Just accept the simplicity of an all-natural progression of good choices and exercise. You must stop driving yourself nuts looking for the “magical” diet. I’m your son, you know this! Stop reading this blog like I’m your son, and start reading it like a roadmap to success written by someone else who has been wildly successful at losing weight. We’re two of a kind momma, we’re just like one another, you know this…and you can do this just like me. I know you can. I love you mom. Smile! ;)

Tonight, I laid my head to rest on a wonderful Saturday. This is the feeling I love. I said this from the very beginning: I’m going to feel good when my head hits the pillow because I’ll know that I did everything I needed to do to succeed today. This was a good day. It’s certainly something to smile about indeed. Thank you for reading. Good night and…

Good Choices,
Sean


Chicken Fajita Pitas. No recipe needed. Just chop, cook, mix, and enjoy!


Big Before picture---With my late Grandpa Roy Anderson. I know he’s so proud of me.


Ok---I just woke up. I look older first thing in the morning. ;)


When I smile, I like to smile big. This is the same big smile from the before picture on the left hand side bar of this blog. I’m silly sometimes.