Friday, September 30, 2016

September 30th, 2016 Separate Power Source

September 30th, 2016 Separate Power Source

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget. I remained abstinent from refined sugar. I exceeded my daily water goal. I stayed in excellent contact with support connections and I had a great workout tonight at the gym.

I had a doctors visit this week. I received prescriptions for a sleep aid and for anxiety/panic attacks. Those episodes have subsided some, but still, occasionally, I feel it coming on. The sleeping aid might be too much. I woke this morning, late--and feeling horrible.

I quickly turned it around and into a productive day, but it wasn't easy.

The biggest thing for me to remember is, It's okay to have a day that doesn't go exactly how I envisioned and STILL take extraordinary care. Deciding the fundamental elements of my plan shall not be sacrificed, come what may, is by far one of the most important decisions I make each day.

Life will always contain stressful and emotional situations. They may change in shape and size and with consequences big and small, but they will always be a part of a balanced and normal life.

It was a scary revelation because I had decided, concretely, that I couldn't in any way, shape or form--lose weight successfully unless everything was smooth sailing, every day, every week and so on.

I accepted, as fact: When the rain starts pouring, I start eating.

This perspective afforded me an endless supply of excellent excuses for why "now isn't a good time." 

A "perfect time" is a myth. If I had waited for the perfect time, there's a good chance I wouldn't be alive today.

When someone asks me, what clicked on September 15th, 2008? It was truly the realization that if I was going to survive, I had to remain consistent come what may. I had to walk in the rain and not be afraid. I had to make an iron-clad decision that this time was going to be different from any other previous attempt.

No longer could I allow my resolve to be hard wired into the ups and downs of life. My resolve required a separate power source.

This realization that if I attached my consistency to the ups and downs of life, I might forever be stuck on a merry go round of yo-yo dieting, was profound.

Allowing myself to become the victim of life's circumstances time and time again, was super convenient. It didn't require me to get real or take responsibility for my extraordinary care because I was placing that responsibility on the randomness of life. I had to change my perspective or die young at over 500 pounds.

I decided to choose change before change chose me. Because one way or another, change was coming...and quickly.

This realization gave birth to my parallel streams philosophy.

For me, Day 1 was the start of my parallel streams philosophy, I just didn't know what to call it back then.

The "Life Stream" is everything happening in our day to day lives. The Life Stream includes the ups and downs, the challenges, the victories, the disappointments, The hectic schedules, the family dynamics, the workplace dynamics, the bills, the stress, the joys, the blessings, the expected and the unexpected, the good, the bad...It's life.

The "Fundamental Elements Stream" are comprised of the elements of my personal plan. I say "my" because our plans might be very different. Mine is customized to fit my personality, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses and sensitivities.

My fundamental elements stream includes my personal/spiritual morning "me time," the most peaceful five minutes of my entire day. My fundamental elements stream also includes maintaining the integrity of my calorie budget, remaining abstinent from refined sugar, logging everything in MyFitnessPal, photographing and tweeting, with description and calorie counts of everything I consume, every day, getting regular workouts and staying connected with one on one and group support interactions and of course, writing and publishing this blog, nightly--right before bed.

I've also referred to my fundamental elements as my "rails of support." I've set my accountability and support measures on high. When someone makes a comment in the direction of, "you're so strong" or "you must have amazing will power," I typically thank them and smile, but I know, truly, I'm not that strong and I don't have giant amounts of will power. What I have are solid rails of accountability and support--and I'm holding onto those rails, each day. They guide me, step by step.

The fundamental elements stream runs parallel, just below the life stream. The life stream is running in the foreground and the fundamental elements stream is running in the background--like a computer's anti-virus program.

I've written countless paragraphs within the archives of this blog all about the "life-stream" and the "fundamental elements stream" and how they must run parallel to one another without crossing.

If we allow life and all of the energy it takes to maneuver, to negatively affect our ability to maintain consistency in the daily elements of our extraordinary care, then it always will. The frustration of inconsistency will be a common theme if the life stream is allowed to dip down into the fundamental elements stream on a regular basis.

And if we get too carried away, making the fundamental elements all consuming, then we run the risk of it crossing up into our life stream. And that's when it isn't any fun and we dread what we're doing every day.

I've had several challenges of late where I really had to remember the power of this "parallel streams" philosophy. I've discovered, when life demands more attention, we don't have to let go of the elements giving us our success, but we can scale back the amount of energy it uses to operate.

We don't sacrifice the integrity of the elements, we just do what we can do. For me--on super busy days, I have three non-negotiable requirements: 1. Stay within my calorie budget  2. Hold my abstinence from sugar sacred 3. Send the accountability tweets and write this blog--even if it's just the tweets of the day.

Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:
































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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Thursday, September 29, 2016

September 29th, 2016 Into The Tilt

September 29th, 2016 Into The Tilt

Coming home from work today and seeing my grandson's smile, was just-it's the greatest thing. And it doesn't matter how the rest of my day has unfolded--his smile, his voice--it simply snaps me out of whatever state of mind dominates the moment.

I must admit, I didn't plan today very well at all. I made it work, but I wasn't as prepared as I am most days. Consequently, my food was somewhat out of sync. I tend to have a rhythm to my calorie budget. That familiar rhythm wasn't today.

I plan on making a grocery trip tomorrow to grab a few things that'll help me restore the rhythm!

I made a promise to myself to do a Facebook Live on my regular Facebook page this evening. I even stated a time, 8pm. In hindsight, I probably should have scheduled this a little earlier. It's as if the day was already tilted--so instead of correcting, I leaned into the tilt.

I'm still trying to figure out the Facebook Live thing. I get on there with a specific purpose and somehow, it gets distracting quickly. The purpose was to answer questions about the upcoming 8 week session of the weight loss teleconference support groups I do with Life Coach Kathleen and Life Coach Gerri. I answered some questions and it was fun, but not as focused as I envision those becoming. I'm kind of all over the place in certain points throughout the video. A shorter, more precise approach might be more effective, is what I'm saying. Maybe it'll answer some questions for you--or simply entertain...Because if you do have questions, you'll get the answers by sending them to me or Coach Kathleen. Her email: totalkathy@aol.com Mine: transformation.road@gmail.com



Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget (meaning I didn't exceed--actually, I was under by a little over 100 calories), I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I exceeded my daily water goal and I stayed connected with great support!

One of the great things about my plan is: Tomorrow morning starts anew. I'll have an opportunity to do things differently. I'll correct the tilt.

I learn from days like these. 

Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:






























Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

September 28th, 2016 Night Out

September 28th, 2016 Night Out

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I exceeded my daily water goal and I stayed connected with great support.

I also had a night out with Noah and Mom!
photo IMG_6191_zps8dcgqxas.jpg
Mom really enjoyed seeing Noah this evening. It was a great visit!

We dined at a different place. It was my first time at The Garage. I was impressed! I ordered last and asked several questions about the ingredients and preparation of everything. What I ordered earned my plan approval seal! No refined sugar, delicious and something different...it was a good experience.

After dinner, we took Noah to see his favorite Transformer in person! Oh my goodness, he was excited!
photo FullSizeRender 10_zpst24bgya8.jpg

Life Coach Kathleen Miles and I, with support from Life Coach Gerri Helms, have an opening for you in our next 8-week weight loss teleconference support group session beginning October 3rd and 4th. If you have questions about these small and exclusive groups, email me at transformation.road@gmail.com or Kathleen- totalkathy@aol.com

Here's the clickable links for each offering:
Monday Night Primary Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-october-3rd-monday-night-group 6pm Central/7pm Eastern/5pm Mountain/4pm Pacific

Monday Night One-On-One Premium Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-premium-group-october-3rd-800-pm-eastern 7:05pm Central/8:05pm Eastern/6:05pm Mountain/5:05pm Pacific

Tuesday Night Primary Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-october-4th-monday-night-group-800-pm-eastern

I'm letting the Tweets take it the rest of the way...

Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:


































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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September 28th, 2016 Night Out

September 28th, 2016 Night Out

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I exceeded my daily water goal and I stayed connected with great support.

I also had a night out with Noah and Mom!
photo IMG_6191_zps8dcgqxas.jpg
Mom really enjoyed seeing Noah this evening. It was a great visit!

We dined at a different place. It was my first time at The Garage. I was impressed! I ordered last and asked several questions about the ingredients and preparation of everything. What I ordered earned my plan approval seal! No refined sugar, delicious and something different...it was a good experience.

After dinner, we took Noah to see his favorite Transformer in person! Oh my goodness, he was excited!
photo FullSizeRender 10_zpst24bgya8.jpg

Life Coach Kathleen Miles and I have an opening for you in our next 8-week weight loss teleconference support group session beginning October 3rd and 4th. If you have questions about these small and exclusive groups, email me at transformation.road@gmail.com or Kathleen- totalkathy@aol.com

Here's the clickable links for each offering:
Monday Night Primary Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-october-3rd-monday-night-group 6pm Central/7pm Eastern/5pm Mountain/4pm Pacific

Monday Night One-On-One Premium Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-premium-group-october-3rd-800-pm-eastern 7:05pm Central/8:05pm Eastern/6:05pm Mountain/5:05pm Pacific

Tuesday Night Primary Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-october-4th-monday-night-group-800-pm-eastern

I'm letting the Tweets take it the rest of the way...

Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:


































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

September 27th, 2016 Progressing, Not Perfecting

September 27th, 2016 Progressing, Not Perfecting

Today was a day well planned. I had a plan and for the most part, I've hit the marks. I set some goals for today and by golly, I've reached the end of the day feeling well. One of the things I'm working on understanding about me is, how can I reach the end of the day when things don't go exactly according to my plan--and still feel well about it all? You see...

I'm really hard on myself sometimes, even though I don't recommend it to anyone else.

There's a fine line between holding oneself accountable and taking it too far. I think for me, I know I've gone too far when I start focusing 100% on what I'm not doing well and essentially ignoring all the good things I'm doing. There's always something positive to find, acknowledge and feel good about, and if we look closer, we can usually find numerous things in this category. But we don't see them or fully appreciate them if our thoughts are dominated by every single thing we perceive to be wrong with what we're doing.

I drink too much coffee. I don't get enough rest. I'm not the best time manager. I say yes way too often. Lately, I haven't maintained a consistent workout schedule. Those right there-- I get caught up with regularly--so much so, I miss the opportunity to learn and grow. Instead of focusing on workable solutions, I'm too tied up in being disappointed in my progress. Negative energy doesn't contribute very well to positive progress.

I'm working on acknowledging the good and progressing, not perfecting, the other areas or things.

Speaking of acknowledging the good...

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar for the 881st day in a row, I exceeded my daily water goal, I stayed connected with amazing support and I cofacilitated an absolutely powerful support group conference call--plus, I enjoyed a fabulous workout this evening--and the workout was in harmony with my very specific support stated goals for today.

If you're listening to my new podcast Transformation Planet, thank you for listening!!

And thank you for the wonderful feedback on Transformation Planet Episode 2 featuring Kathleen Miles. I've heard from several people today all about the podcast. I feel great about it--and it's going exceptionally well. It's available on iTunes, Google Play--and straight from PodBean.com Please subscribe, so each new episode will automatically show up on your device!

Here's a PodBean player of episode 2:


Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:




































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Posted by at 1 comment:

Monday, September 26, 2016

September 26th, 2016 A Good Thing

September 26th, 2016 A Good Thing

Today was a fantastic day. A fantastic day doesn't mean perfect or working exactly the way I want it to go. But I stood up, I protected what I needed and made some good choices along the way.

I waited and waited for my podcast to update and it didn't. So I fiddled with it until I figured out what I did wrong in the process. And now I know. That's a good thing.

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained abstinent from refined sugar, I stayed in contact with great support connections and I met my daily water goal.

This is episode 2 of Transformation Planet featuring Kathleen Miles from www.totalkathy.com

It's also available in iTunes and on Google Play for Android. Subscribe today and new episodes will automatically show up on your device!

Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:






























Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Posted by at 1 comment:

Sunday, September 25, 2016

September 25th, 2016 One More Thing

September 25th, 2016 One More Thing

I had a rare Sunday night booking for emcee/dj duties at a huge wedding. I don't do a lot of these, but occasionally, I get a call. This was the first time to do one on a Sunday night.

It's late--and as much as I want to write about this weekend, I must yield to better judgement and go to sleep.

I'm super excited about the release of Transformation Planet episode 2 featuring Kathleen Miles! It'll be released tomorrow night. I'm still trying to decide when the best time would be for a release day each week. Considering this weekend's schedule, Monday night worked better. I'll pick one that can be easily consistent.

I'll let the Tweets take it the rest of the way.

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget. I remained abstinent from refined sugar. I met my daily water goal and although it wasn't an intentional workout--my activity level was super high. Believe me, tonight was a workout! And I stayed connected with excellent support contacts!

Oh, one more thing...

The next 8-week session of the weight loss support groups I cofacilitate with Life Coach Kathleen and Life Coach Gerri, starts October 3rd and 4th. We have a spot for you. But don't wait, spaces are filling quickly!

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at transformation.road@gmail.com or Kathleen at totalkathy@aol.com

Here are the sign up links:
Monday Night Primary Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-october-3rd-monday-night-group 6pm Central/7pm Eastern/5pm Mountain/4pm Pacific

Monday Night One-On-One Premium Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-premium-group-october-3rd-800-pm-eastern 7:05pm Central/8:05pm Eastern/6:05pm Mountain/5:05pm Pacific

Tuesday Night Primary Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-october-4th-monday-night-group-800-pm-eastern 7pm Central/8pm Eastern/6pm Mountain/5pm Pacific

Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:


































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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Saturday, September 24, 2016

September 24th, 2016 No Excuses

September 24th, 2016 No Excuses

Making sure I get up for the day with enough time to do my morning disciplines is crucial to the outcome of my day. That "me time" first thing, the meditation and prayer, followed by my fast #morningdeal before coffee--then my peaceful coffee time followed by catching up with messages, emails and other online things--just sets the tone. It does require a time commitment--but it's seriously made a profound difference since I started making it important at the start of my turnaround from relapse/regain, two and a half years ago. Today required a 7am alarm. Consequently, it'll also be the earliest bedtime on a Saturday night, in recent memory.

Today was nuts on the schedule. I did a 32 on-air break-plus 4 Facebook LIVE broadcast on two stations from four different new car dealers.

I packed some things to assist me in getting to a late lunch after the four-hour broadcast. Each dealer was giving away free food. By the third dealer, I found something I could enjoy that easily fit within my food plan. It was a food truck specializing in street tacos. I asked some key questions about the ingredients and serving sizes and quickly discovered the chicken tacos fit my plan just fine. They were fairly small--and two, with approximately 14g chips and fresh prepared salsa, checked in at a very low 266 cal (see Tweet below).

I made it home and enjoyed a victory cup of coffee before heading out to a wedding rehearsal for a wedding I'm scheduled to emcee tomorrow afternoon/evening.

A quick stop at the store-- a few items, then it was home for a small nap, finally. And that would have been wonderful--except I was activated for weather coverage. The nap was cut short.

I'm proud to say that through a busy day like this, I once again stayed connected via text to solid support, I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I met my water goal and I remained abstinent from refined sugar.

I can remember many times when a day like this would serve as an excuse to binge big time.

No excuses. Not anymore

I'm dropping in bed very early for me on a Saturday night.

Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:


































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Posted by at 1 comment:

Friday, September 23, 2016

September 23rd, 2016 Wasn't So Peachy

September 23rd, 2016 Wasn't So Peachy

I'm not sure what happened today. Going in, it didn't appear like it would become so tightly packed. My schedule was almost down to the minute. I really must watch myself--and make sure I'm taking care of me on a day like today. I didn't do horrible today, but it wasn't perfect. It's never perfect!! Perfection isn't my aim. Consistency is my aim. 

 What wasn't so peachy about today? I waited too long between breakfast and lunch. Not a big deal, as long as it's the exception and not the rule. And under an elevated stress, I really should have reached out for support more throughout the day. These things might seem small and insignificant, but I assure you--the consequences of allowing inconsistency to creep into the routine of my daily disciplines, are the kind of consequences that can quickly put me at risk for an epic unraveling. Will days like this happen? Of course! Can I be better prepared to handle them? Yes.

One of the things I look forward to each day, is the privilege of  reading some of the private writings of my friend and mentor, Gerri Helms. With her permission, I'm sharing a powerful excerpt from this morning's edition:

"Diets are external solutions, intended to bring one to a healthy body weight. I tried a lot of external solutions, but unfortunately, I’m someone who had too much internal garbage to apply the bandage of a diet and enjoy what they promised. My internal debris was such that I’d return to compulsive overeating again, and again to get that sense of relief I craved. Food promised to deliver it, but it wasn’t a long-lasting fix. Within a very short time, I’d need more food, just to exist."

 Let that soak in a little more. Wow. Seeking external solutions for internal debris...the bandage of a diet... Thank you Gerri!

She's good. She's real good.

I'm absolutely thrilled about the next eight-week session of the weight loss teleconference support groups I cofacilitate with Life Coach Kathleen and Life Coach Gerri. Current members always have first rights to their spot in these small and exclusive groups. Still, it looks like we'll have some openings for the sessions starting October 3rd and 4th. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at transformation.road@gmail.com or Kathleen at totalkathy@aol.com 
photo Better weigh October 2016_zps6xadycjm.jpg

Here's the clickable links for each offering:
Monday Night Primary Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-october-3rd-monday-night-group 6pm Central/7pm Eastern/5pm Mountain/4pm Pacific

Monday Night One-On-One Premium Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-premium-group-october-3rd-800-pm-eastern 7:05pm Central/8:05pm Eastern/6:05pm Mountain/5:05pm Pacific

Tuesday Night Primary Group: http://totalkathy.com/?event=a-new-weigh-october-4th-monday-night-group-800-pm-eastern

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget. I remained abstinent from refined sugar. I did have some support interactions (maybe not as much as I needed)--and it was great. And I met my daily water goal!

Today's Accountability Live-Tweet Stream:






























Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
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