Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.
The pain started yesterday off and on. Then, I woke up in tremendous pain this morning. A toothache had set in and it was relentless. I took some ibuprofen and Tylenol and soon started feeling good enough to eat breakfast. But then, it came roaring back mid-morning. I left work early to find a dentist. I was lucky enough to get into one at noon. The exam and x-ray couldn't find any sign of infection or a cavity. The doctor suggested it might be pain created from sinus pressure. He prescribed a Zpack and sent me along--telling me if it gets worse to contact him directly over the weekend and we'd explore further. I skipped lunch today because the pain was too much. I was able to rest some this afternoon and as of this writing, the pain has subsided. I'm planning to prepare a dinner soon and get ready for my support group conference call tonight.
The more I move along this road, the more I learn. Making sure my mind is open and my perspective is in a positive place, is paramount to my continued growth. I have a lot to learn. I'm excited about learning more!
This is an important point: If we believe we already know it all, experienced it all, understand it all--then essentially we're hanging up a closed sign on our brain. Too many times we take great pride in knowing what we know and it can end up completely stunting our growth along this road. "I know what to do, I just gotta do it" is a phrase I once used all the time. But clearly, for almost twenty years I stayed near, at, or above 500 pounds--proof positive that I didn't know what to do. My belief that I knew what to do closed my brain to different perspectives and approaches.
If intelligence is a strong component of one's identity it can quickly become a trap. If not making progress is perceived as a moral and/or intellectual failure, then the desire to isolate and "figure this thing out" becomes stronger---and the hole gets deeper.
Morbid obesity and the multi-faceted contributors that create and support an unhealthy body weight are NOT moral or intellectual failures. I know many super-intelligent and incredibly amazing people who struggle with food addiction, compulsive overeating, and the resulting weight gain/body weight issues. I've been honored to work as a coach/mentor with some of the most intelligent people I've ever met; a doctor of psychology, lawyers, nurses, and many more. One of the biggest things that helped them break toward consistent positive progress was the ability to release the anchor of what they know and allow new perspectives and new practical/intentional actions into their day to day life.
One of the most important things I must do each morning is humbly admitting, I don't "got this." It isn't some kind of automatic thing where once I start doing okay--then it's all fixed and good. No. I ask for help. I lean on a daily practice of fundamental elements and I lean on support from others.
I have so much more to learn along this road. That learning process must never stop.
One of the big things I talk/write about/and encourage people to practice is positive visualizations.
The practice of positive visualizations has been a key component for me because if I can imagine it, visualize it, dream about it--see it in my mind's eye, then I start to believe it's possible. It's one of the most underrated things I've been doing since day 1. I say "underrated" because I don't give it enough credit. Positive visualizations support enthusiasm for the process and help us stay connected with our "why?" Why are we doing this?
But be careful because negative visualizations are powerful too.
During my relapse/regain, I had many visions of the gloom and doom in front of me if I continued spiraling out of control. My focus was finely tuned with fear of consequences from those days of chaos. And those consequences came in full force.
For me, it all goes back to: We get more of what we give the most energy and thought. We attract it. We either focus on what we fear or what we dream--or a mixture of both, I suppose. I've lived examples of both sides--the good and the not good, I've attracted a whole lot of both in my life. I'm blessed and grateful now--because the good far outweighs the other, but I must admit--there are many areas in my life where I could use a revamp of my own positive visualizations. I'm working on some of those, too.
The list of health improvements for me, as opposed to my 500-pound days, is a very long list. Recent lab results were better than I expected and a night and day difference.
The medical results are things I'd often use for my positive visualizations throughout my transformation.
Take a break, close your eyes, and imagine the possibilities in as much vivid detail as you can muster--it can really make a profound difference. Sometimes in the beginning or in the middle of it, it's hard to imagine life any different than the moment--but imagining, visualizing where you're headed helps bring it to life because it serves as a powerful reminder of why you're doing what you're doing--and it also helps you believe it's possible.
If you can dream it and believe it, you can do it. I started dreaming of believing in my transformation from Day 1.
Dreams come true.
Don't give up. Ever. Please.
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Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Practice, peace, and calm,
Sean
If you're interested in connecting via social media:
I accept friend requests on MyFitnessPal. My daily food logging diary is set to public.
MFP Username: SeanAAnderson
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Also--I'd love you to subscribe to my podcast Transformation Planet! You can find it in Apple Podcasts, in the Google Play store for Android, and listed wherever you find your favorite podcasts! If you haven't listened before, you'll find 20 episodes waiting for you!
Questions or comments? Send an email! transformation.road@gmail.com
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