Thursday, November 30, 2017

November 30th, 2017 Something Different

November 30th, 2017 Something Different

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed connected with good support.

We're looking forward to a wonderful 8-week session of A Better Weigh Accountability & Support Groups! I received an update today-- and as it stands now, Monday evening group is full except for the one-on-one mentoring/coaching package positions. Tuesday night late group (7pm Central/8pm Eastern) has one position available. We still have spots in the Tuesday early group and Tuesday Noon group with Coach Kathleen. The next session starts Monday and Tuesday, December 4th and 5th. If you're ready to join us, email me right away: transformation.road@gmail.com or betterweigh@outlook.com The regular fee is $120 for 8 weeks, an average of $15 per week or $2.14 a day--less than a premium coffee shop cup of coffee a day!

I facilitate these groups with Life Coach Kathleen and Jordan Burgess. The three of us work our own plans each and every day. The three of us have struggled in big ways and experienced success in big ways. Our mentoring/coaching comes from a place of experience. These groups are great for helping you fashion the plan that works best for you. But mostly, aside from the food and exercise part, it's about establishing accountability and support measures that work well. These groups have helped people do that and this group can help you too!

We have a secret/private Facebook group for members and weekly group mentoring/coaching conference calls. We have a few different options for the 8 week session... each member selects the weekly call that best fits their schedule. The fee for the regular group 8 week session is $120 total. We also have a more comprehensive one on one plan where Coach Kathleen and I work with you via phone each week. The "premium" one on one session is $200 for 8-weeks.

I'm super proud of the groups and how they've developed over the years. Jordan and Kathleen both started as members and now they're partners with me. Combined, the three of us have lost nearly 700 pounds. Our members are at all different stages. We have some in maintenance mode- and some just starting... we have members with 40 pounds to lose, and some with 100 or more pounds to lose. It's a dynamic and diverse group. What's so magical is how even though we all come from different walks of life--we can relate, and in those connections, we find the strongest kind of support. It's something different. If you're tired of trying the same thing over and over again, try something different--give this group your best and you'll be pleasantly surprised. This time can be different from any other experience!

Today's Accountability Tweets:


Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
at No comments:

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

November 29th, 2017 Was Enough

November 29th, 2017 Was Enough

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met today's water goal, and I stayed connected with good support.

Work today went well. I wasn't 100%, but close--and that was enough to have a fairly good day.














Today's Accountability Tweets:


Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
at No comments:

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

November 28th, 2017 Better

November 28th, 2017 Better

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my water goal, and I stayed connected with good support.

I feel much better. This wasn't the case this morning and throughout the day. The fever, nausea and general yuckiness didn't start improving until this evening. I didn't have much of an appetite early in the day--and really, was prepared to just be okay with a much smaller budget. Nausea went away--the fever went away, and my appetite came back in time for a good dinner.

This year has been tough with occasional bouts of flu-like symptoms--very unlike any other year in recent memory. I think there's a legitimate connection between the average of 6 times a week I visit the nursing center and the symptoms.

I'm looking forward to getting back to work in the morning. I've been off two days in a row. I'm certainly well rested, that's for sure.

Are you ready to join the accountability and support group I cofacilitate with Coach Kathleen Miles and Jordan Burgess? Our next session starts December 4th and 5th--next week!!! There's still time for you to sign up!



















All members share the same secret Facebook page for daily accountability and support interactions. As a member, you'll have spot support available via text or call as needed.

The regular 8-week group session fee is $120. The premium one-on-one package fee is $200 for the 8 weeks. If you need more information, email me right away! transformation.road@gmail.com 

Today's Accountability Tweets:


Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
at 2 comments:

Monday, November 27, 2017

November 27th, 2017 Under The Weather

November 27th, 2017 Under The Weather

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded today's water goal, and I stayed connected with support.

I woke up with fever and nausea this morning. I stayed home from work and felt crummy all day long. I slept a lot. I kept up my food plan very well despite not feeling my best. I'm hoping I feel better in the morning. I've had bouts with this same thing three or four times this year. Years previous, it was a very rare thing.

Today's Accountability Tweets:


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

Sunday, November 26, 2017

November 26th, 2017 Lights

November 26th, 2017 Lights

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with good support.

The next session for the weight loss accountability and support groups starts in a week! Will you join us? We have spaces available for the Tuesday Noon group with Coach Kathleen, plus the Tuesday night group at 5:50pm Central/6:50pm Eastern and 7pm Central/8pm Eastern. Find out what group mentoring/coaching is all about! Discover how being a part of an accountability and support team can make a difference! Email if you're interested: betterweigh@outlook.com or email me directly: transformation.road@gmail.com

Mom loves Christmas lights! We took the tour this evening before a quick dinner out. It was a good wrap on a long weekend!










































It's back to work tomorrow!

Today's Accountability Tweets:


Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
at No comments:

Saturday, November 25, 2017

November 25th, 2017 Out Of The Ditch

November 25th, 2017 Out Of The Ditch

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed connected with good support.

Just a few pics from this weekend:
My little grandson Oliver

With mom on Thanksgiving

Both of my daughters are expecting little girls in the Spring!












































The following was written years ago during the beginning of my epic relapse/regain period. I'm sharing it tonight because I want you to know if you're struggling in the worst--there's hope. Please don't give up. If you're feeling stuck, please remember feelings are not facts. You're going to be un-stuck again, just hold on--and please please please, be kind to you. 

 From Christmas Eve 2012:
Pausing to reflect is important. Indeed, it is.  But only when the reflection is focused on the lessons learned in our struggles, the victories earned in our triumphs and the choices needed to move forward in a positive way.

 Pausing to reflect can be devastating if we're squarely focused on the negative consequences of our choices and actions.  It's like constantly analyzing where and why we swerved off the road.  If you're driving along and you skid off a slippery highway, finding yourself in a ditch, you might pause to thank God you survived.  You probably would spend a minimal amount of time thinking about what happened leading up to and creating the loss of control.  But then your main focus turns to what it must be in those moments: "How do we get out of this ditch?"

 When flashes of what to do now are clouded by constantly analyzing what went wrong, feeling bad about what happened and obsessing about how it could have been different, we become stuck.  Truly stuck.  Paralyzed by our thoughts, we sit and stew inside as the windows become covered until we can't see the road.  Soon, disoriented, we lose our sense of direction. We know we can't give up, because staying here will eventually kill us if we don't act.  Our basic instincts of survival demand we act and act now, if we hope to ever get out of here, we must act.  

 That's where I've been.  In that vehicle.  I'm not alone.  I have my hopes and dreams with me.  I have the best of intentions with me too.  I have family and friends who reach out and offer support and they believe in me 100%; they always have.  If I were more clear with them, revealing my location, they would find me and once again their support would be fully received as it once was in the best of times.  Instead, I sit here, feeling the sting of the cold as thoughts of my chosen consequences pierce me in every way I allow.

 I occasionally receive messages from people far and near who have read my blog, my book and facebook mini-blogs and they send some of the most incredibly positive stories about how my journey has affected them.  They're on the road, hands on the wheel and thanking me for inspiration they've gleaned from my experience.  Perhaps they haven't heard of my current dilemma.  Maybe they have and they're hoping it motivates me to act and act now.  I often find myself in tears while reading these, filled with happiness for them first, then reminding myself that this is all I want to do with my life; to be a positive light for others; to serve as an honest example of what's truly possible.  Then, I become overwhelmed with guilt, withdrawing into myself, hiding from the truths I must embrace to get me out of here.

 This isn't a pity party. This isn't a cry for sympathy.  This is the truth of where I am and it's a place I've kept myself by choice.  No, not the best choice(s), obviously, but it's my doing.  I'm responsible for me.

 I have little sympathy or compassion when I read about a blue-chip athlete who has it all going for him, yet self-destructs before he realizes his ultimate goals and dreams.  Or when they achieve incredible heights, only to fall quickly by way of their own horrible choices. Yet, I find myself in a similar place.

 If I'm not willing to give someone else sympathy and compassion in this situation, imagine what I'm doing to myself.  I must have compassion for myself, self-forgiveness and an eye for the clearer road ahead.  I have serious choices to make.  Good choices.  I have the tools readily available to emerge from this death trap and get back on the road to safety and positive leadership. 

 Oklahoma's own Vince Gill once sang "There's no future in the past," and oh my, how true that rings.  I can't go back in time and prevent what has happened, so why constantly obsess over the elements involved? I can move forward in a positive way, one choice at a time.  And when I'm in similar positions someday, I'll appreciate the experience I've gained, giving me the strength and insights to be okay.

 Someone I truly care about recently told me to just "be okay."  And it sent me in search of what that means.  It sounds so simple.  "No really. Just. be. okay."  I want to be okay.

 I think it means to appreciate the positive blessings, let go of the negatives and move forward in peace.  I think it means for me to have compassion for myself and others as I navigate the future in this direction, instead of wallowing in the maze of my past.  I think it means to stop trying to figure out how to undo what's already done, like it never happened--and make positive steps toward a future where the same mistakes are not repeated.  Just be okay. 

 That's where I am.  I'm working on being okay.  I'm reaching for the door handle leading out of this place.  The sun shines on the other side of this door.  Why would I choose to stay in the darkness?  There's fresh air out there, there's love, there's peace, there's family and friends...there's hope and promise.

 I've deflected every inquiry from family and friends about what I want for Christmas.  I simply want peace.  I simply want to be okay.  And this Christmas wish isn't something anyone else can give me.

 I'm here. I'm choosing to release myself from the imprisoning thoughts of yesterday.  I'm choosing to live today.

 I wish you the best Christmas wish I can, that you find peace, love and most of all, you find yourself being okay.

 The next session of the accountability and support groups I cofacilitate with Life Coach Kathleen and Jordan Burgess starts December 4th and 5th. We have room for you on our team. If you're interested in details, email: betterweigh@outlook.com or send an email to my personal account: transformation.road@gmail.com




 











Today's Accountability Tweets:


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

Friday, November 24, 2017

November 24th, 2017 Special Opportunity

November 24th, 2017 Special Opportunity

There's a very special opportunity for you to join the support team I cofounded years ago with Life Coach Gerri Helms. Our next session starts December 4th & December 5th. We have space available--especially with our Tuesday early and late groups. If you're interested in discovering what a solid accountability and support team can do for your weight loss efforts--this is it! I'd love to have the opportunity to personally mentor you. The images below describe the group options and the One-On-One option.
Click Image To Enlarge

Click Image To Enlarge
































If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send that email now-- betterweigh@outlook.com or to my personal email: transformation.road@gmail.com

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, I enjoyed a fabulous cardio session at the YMCA, and I stayed well connected with good support.

I spent some quality time with my grandson Noah today. I watched him swim at the Y. He loves the water! I realized today--I need a bathing suit! The last one I used is way too big!! Noah is staying one more night with Po Po (that's what he calls me) on his Thanksgiving break.

Today's Accountability Tweets:


Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
at No comments:

Thursday, November 23, 2017

November 23rd, 2017 Key For Me

November 23rd, 2017 Key For Me

On a day like today, I do my best to maintain a food schedule like any other day. This is key for me and my plan. I enjoyed a normal breakfast, utilized a one-plate, no seconds--no refined sugar food plan for Thanksgiving dinner, and ended up having a late dinner. I like to be somewhere around 1,500 calories before dinner and tonight it was 1,501. Mission accomplished! But really--the key for me isn't just about maintaining a food schedule or eating pattern.

The biggest key for me is NOT making food the star of the show. What I mean is just that-- It's important for me to NOT make food solely responsible for whether or not I enjoy an experience like today's 20+ person family get-together. I cannot count the number of times I've entered a get-together like this completely obsessing about the food-- what will it be, how much will there be, and how much do I get to eat?? Shifting focus to the people and experiences directly in front of me helps change things. How much real enjoyment did I miss over the years because I was obsessed with the food? It's hard to have a meaningful experience when my brain is laser focused on that last piece of pie or getting another plate full before the buffet line gets cleared away.

I enjoyed a good meal. Everything on my plate was things I enjoy eating. I didn't leave the event feeling deprived or somehow disappointed. I left with the same peace and calm I carried into the event. And that right there is why I must make my plan important enough to defend each day, every day--especially on a day like today.

I stayed exceptionally connected with support today because giving and receiving support is essential.

I do what I do because I want one more day--one more on-plan day where I can hit the pillow knowing I took care of me and defended the boundaries of my plan, well. I know from experience how fast and easy it can all slip away. That practice I'm always writing about--it keeps me well.

Irene and Allen were wonderful hosts for our big celebration. I really appreciated their hospitality!

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, I enjoyed a nice twenty-five-minute walk and talk with my Uncle Keith and some of the kids, and I stayed exceptionally connected in support communications.

Today's Accountability Tweets:


Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
at No comments:

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

November 22nd, 2017 If I Could

November 22nd, 2017 If I Could

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded today's calorie budget, and I stayed connected with support.

The changing of the seasons from summer to fall was always a popular time for me to start weight loss attempts. Thanksgiving was never far away and it almost always signaled the beginning of the end. The only time it didn't stop my efforts cold, was when I started losing weight in the fall of 2008. My approach to that Thanksgiving was structured with a plan. I fully believed if I could maintain the integrity of that plan I could accomplish two things: I could enjoy Thanksgiving and stay on track beyond the special day. I made my plan important. I made me important. And for once in my life, Thanksgiving didn't signal the beginning of the end, it was the beginning of a new weight loss perspective.

Tomorrow will mark my 10th Thanksgiving along this transformation road and the 4th since starting recovery from relapse/regain. I have a plan and a set of non-negotiable elements ready to go. I've been in maintenance mode for over two years--and I promise, there's not a pie or a trigger food worth trading my peace and calm.

I'll indulge in several things... in conversation, in taking pictures, in giving hugs and catching up with loved ones. I'll focus on gratitude, giving thanks for my many blessings and expressing to people how much I appreciate them. It will be a great day because my focus will not be fixed on the buffet line. My focus will remain where it needs to be in order for me to have the most wonderful day possible.

I'll also continue my Thanksgiving tradition of making additional support contacts. I ramp it up on Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today's Accountability Tweets:


Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
at No comments:

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

November 21st, 2017 Tweets Only

November 21st, 2017 Tweets Only

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

It's a Tweets Only edition tonight!

Zzzzz :)

Today's Accountability Tweets:


Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
at No comments: