Thursday, May 30, 2019

May 30th, 2019 Time Slot

May 30th, 2019 Time Slot

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 added focus on gratitude during my morning foundation routine has made an exceptional difference. Feeling and expressing gratitude has always had its place along this road, but in a way where I would make and take an occasional pause for gratitude, usually, these were in the moment type acknowledgments. Giving gratitude reflection its own "time slot" in my personal morning routine, first thing upon waking is different--and much better for me.

The willingness to do things differently is sometimes a hard thing to find. It is, in my opinion, because I have a strong tendency to get set in my ways. I must be mindful of this dynamic. The roots of this setting seem to be firmly grounded in my deeply ingrained, yet counterproductive desire to go it alone--or figure it out--or the thoughts of, I know what to do, I just got to do it. These mental settings are all about the need to control. Letting go of this isn't and never has been easy for me. At the same time--when I have let go; closed my mouth and opened my eyes and ears, what I've received has helped shape and change things in dramatic ways.

In the areas of my life that have undergone a dramatic and positive transformation, it's almost exclusively a product of what I've learned from others who have what I want. Still, in other areas, I continue to hold the reigns tightly. Isn't that an interesting dynamic? It is for me. These patterns and grooves of our lives are not easy to give up. The grooves are created early and made stronger with each passing year and decade. Like many of us, it started young for me.

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

May 29th, 2019 Cool

May 29th, 2019 Cool

Yesterday was a 5-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, I enjoyed a good 30-minute walk in the park, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

I'm not sure how long the endorphin shot from a good walk is supposed to last, but for some reason, I've felt great today. I'm not going to try to figure it out; don't want to ruin it. I'll just live this wave of positive energy or natural chemicals or whatever it is floating around my brain.

I'm excited about something that's coming soon!! Very soon, you'll be able to get your very own "I'm Choosing Change" bracelets. On the inside of the bracelet, it says "Before Change Chooses Me." They're cool! These are not the leather variety I offered years ago. These new bracelets will be premium engraved rubber. As soon as they're available, I'll give you details on how to get yours!

I just finished a location broadcast at the library. We were there promoting the summer reading program and a free concert on the library lawn. It's a wonderful thing to be writing about an outdoor concert with sunshine and blue skies considering the weather pattern we've experienced lately.

The adult services librarian made my afternoon when she informed me that people come in "all the time" requesting my book. That felt great! I'm grateful. I hope something in there resonates deeply with whoever reads the story.
Click to enlarge












I like that they classify it as "weight loss- psychological aspects," --Isn't that the truth! I also liked that they listed me as a comedian. They were obviously not at my last show. What I didn't like, or found creepy, rather--was how my birth year was listed next to my name with a dash and a blank space, as if there's someone whose job it will be to fill in the year of my death someday in the very distant future (God willing).

I've survived this long, which didn't seem so likely years ago. The owners of the broadcasting company I work for recently found an old "lost" before pic. I can't remember if I've shared that here or not, recently...so here it is, in a bright orange custom sewn jacket and all of 500 pounds-plus.


















Dinner is in the oven and I'm getting ready to facilitate tonight's support group conference call. By the way, we're three weeks away from a new 8-week session. If you're interested in joining our support team, email me!

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

May 28th, 2019 The Power of PV

May 28th, 2019 The Power of PV

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.

Positive visualizations have played a big role for me from Day 1 at 505 pounds. What I visualize has changed over the years. The first six months or so, I was trying to visualize what I would look like at a healthy weight. The positive visualizations evolved from there. I remember a trip the family and I took to the amusement park years ago--and we rode everything, every coaster--things I was scared to death of riding--but I did anyway, because I finally fit--I was no longer the morbidly obese man sitting on the bench, sweating--and watching everyone else has the time of their lives. I fit on every ride we tried. And it felt amazing. I visualized that trip many times over the course of a year or so before it actually happened. Call it a goal, call it what you will--to me, the power of the positive visualization, in detail--imagining where--specifically--I want this road to go, has been critically important to my success.

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. The last five-plus years have taught me much more than the five years before it combined. I sometimes sit in wonder of what the next five years will bring.

I often encourage others to practice positive visualizations of where they want to go--and I mean, in every way, every sense. That practice 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.

And those visualizations were not always positive. 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.

Taking a break, closing your eyes, and imagining the possibilities in as much vivid detail as you can muster--makes 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, you can do it. I started dreaming about my transformation from Day 1.



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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Monday, May 27, 2019

May 27th, 2019 Let's Do This

May 27th, 2019 Let's Do This

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.

Mom and I rescheduled our Memorial Day activities for this weekend instead of yesterday. Yesterday just wasn't a good fit for everyone. We still had our weekly outing and a good visit--we just kept it local.

Yesterday's broadcast was a successful one. In the words of the furniture store general manager, "the best we've had." It feels good being a big part of the marketing and promotion side of things for a big win like that.

I do feel some schedule fatigue of late. There really hasn't been a true day off in a while. I've decided to look at the schedule and make plans for some days off soon. I think that would be a good idea.

Today's schedule includes a forecast with a big red exclamation point. They use that when it's expected to be exceptionally severe. We'll see how that goes.

My morning routine is complete, my food is planned and packed, and I'm prepared for whatever this day brings. Let's do this.

DDWL Archived Excerpt from March 2010:
I woke up with a real attitude problem today. I didn't go straight to the floor for my sit-ups and then to my chair for the non-weighted squats. No, not this morning. I was severely upset with someone.

So I huffed and puffed my way to the kitchen to start the coffee, grabbed the eggs and pita bread, started cooking, and all the while with a big grumpy scowl on my face.

You know, promises were made to me---and when someone gives me their word, I trust that they'll keep it. The coffee tasted good. I prepared a breakfast taco with the pita using two scrambled whole eggs and salsa—no cheese.

You know what I mean?

When you count on someone to come through, live up to their part of the bargain, do what's right...and then they don't?

And then you have to see them every day---looking at you, yeah---look at them, they know you're disappointed...and they care. At least I think they do, or else they're really good at looking like they care.

Seriously---How much do I have to do for this guy to get a little cooperation in return? I've changed this guy's life in so many ways, flat-out saved him from certain early death and this is the appreciation he gives?

What an ungrateful lump.

He has so much potential---but if he doesn't get it together and really focus on important elements of his development, then I guess mediocrity and less than his best will be the nagging acceptable existence that he must live with---knowing what he could do, but not loving himself enough to do it---to be it---to claim what is right in front of his lazy, ungrateful hands.

Sorry I'm venting here---but you see--the schedule is set, we both know what needs to be done, what must be done---and then he doesn't give me 110%, not even 25%? Not acceptable.

Oh wow...it's frustrating, maddening sometimes really. Especially when the person that let you down...is you. 

Yeah---I had a pretty tough session with my thoughts last night. I've slipped into a comfort zone—where the workouts are never too much and the schedule is always flexible, regardless of the consequences---even if it means being inconsistent. You know how I feel about consistency. Without consistency---I wouldn't be where I am along this road.

I've come a very long way with consistency.

I can't stop being consistent now. I know what to do, I know how to do it, I know what I want, it's right there for the taking if I'm willing to put in the work.

OK—I'm done now. Done with this attitude problem. I'm ready to proceed---let's do this! Shall we? Oh, you bet we will---all the way my friend. All the way!

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Sunday, May 26, 2019

May 26th, 2019 Make Sure

May 26th, 2019 Make Sure

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.

Sunday was the first day in several lately without weather events. It was a nice break. Although, if weather determines your work schedule, you're always paying attention--just to make sure. Still, I took the day to just relax. It was needed.

I'm broadcasting today from a huge Memorial Day Sale at a furniture store, then this afternoon I'm picking up mom for our annual Memorial Day trip to our hometown. This day is specifically about remembering those lost while fighting for our country, but like many American's, we also make this day about remembering all of our loved ones we've lost. We'll be visiting the cemetery and placing flowers where most of our family rest in peace. 


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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Saturday, May 25, 2019

May 25th, 2019 Finding Our Spots

May 25th, 2019 Finding Our Spots

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

Another round of severe weather coverage filled my Saturday evening into the early morning hours. This weather pattern of late is absolutely relentless--the destruction with tornadoes in our state and record-setting flooding locally continues to make headlines beyond our borders. It's significant. I don't remember a stretch like this in the history of this area. If past patterns start to show, we should be getting into a hot and dry period soon. We could use warm and dry. The patterns, though, have changed, it seems.

I had a couple of location broadcasts early yesterday, one from a blood drive and one from the grocery store where we're booked at least once and sometimes twice a month. The grocery store broadcasts are always my favorite for a couple of reasons. Number one, it works very well. The store brings the deals and our broadcasts effectively publicize the event--often to record-setting numbers for this particular store. That always feels good, when it works very well. Secondly, it's an opportunity for me to work and shop at the same time. I always wait until near the end of the broadcast, between breaks, to do mine--and I always come away with some good deals.















The plan for last night's dinner involved grilling some petite sirloin and veggie kabobs (in the grocery basket)--but that plan quickly changed with the weather coverage activation. My backup plan worked well. I arrived at the station, assessed the situation and realized I had about forty-five minutes to get something for dinner. I ordered ingredients for chicken fajita crunchy tacos, to-go, from a Mexican place close to the studio. It was perfect. Once I got back to the studio, there wasn't much time to prepare the tacos--but I found some spots and made it work.












When things get challenging and plans change quickly, we find our spots. As long as the perspective is solutions-based, we can usually make things work out well for our plans. I'm fairly consistent with my solutions-based embrace when it comes to my food plan. Where I tend to gravitate toward the rationalization and circumstantial barrier side is with my exercise plans. Could I do something, anything, on days when the schedule gets nuts? Probably, most days--yes. That's honest. It doesn't have to be a full-on trip to the gym. A walk, a stair climbing workout (this-considering I work in a building with plenty of stairs), anything is better than nothing, yet often--I choose the perspective that I don't have the time and/or energy to focus on that side of things. I'm careful not to toss my food plan aside no matter the circumstance, but the exercise commitment is always the first to go.

That's my challenge of late--intentionally finding "my spots" on days where they're few and far between. They're there. But I must be willing to acknowledge them--then I must be willing to intentionally move on 'em.

More storms (80% chance late tonight) in the forecast--but, tomorrow looks great weather-wise, just in time for Memorial Day. I have a morning broadcast tomorrow from a big Memorial Day furniture store event--then, shortly after, I plan on picking up mom for a trip to Stillwater to see family and visit the graves of loved ones.

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Friday, May 24, 2019

May 24th, 2019 A Break

May 24th, 2019 A Break

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 flooding in this area has reached historic and record-setting levels. Everything that goes with that has happened; roads being completely washed away, a building literally falling into the earth, people and animals being rescued from rising waters, neighborhoods being evacuated, and tragically, loss of life. A lot of people are affected in this area.

The phones at the studio yesterday afternoon and evening were constantly lighting up when rumors of a water plant shutdown were running rampant across social media. We were able to go straight to the source and secure the City Manager for an in-studio LIVE interview last night where he confirmed, without room for speculation--the water plant was operating normally and would continue operating normally. It felt good to do something so perfectly aligned with our core mission as local broadcasters; to serve and inform our listeners.

For me, personally, I'm fine. This past week has meant a lot of extra work for many of us at the radio station, but it's been necessary and when you feel like what you're doing is making a positive difference in a horrible circumstance, it's all worth the effort.

As far as the specific effect on me and my plan, schedule, and otherwise--sure, it's presented some challenges, but I've managed. I've fallen behind in posting this blog at consistent times, and no workouts lately--just taking care of my food plan has been the thing and less sleep, which isn't necessarily a new challenge. I've had some late dinners lately--but again, not necessarily a new thing for me. The thing is this--when circumstances demand flexibility, we must adjust while maintaining certain boundaries--a simplification, if you will, where the plan--perhaps modified, isn't sacrificed. Excess food wouldn't change the weather or the schedule. So, we carry on and hope for the best--and the circumstances will improve because they always do.

The sun is shining brightly this morning. I'm getting ready for two back to back location broadcasts today, one at a big blood drive and the other at a grocery store's Memorial Weekend sale. I plan on donating blood during the broadcast, so that'll be good. I'm about to prepare a good breakfast and make my way into this day. More storms are expected to develop this afternoon and tonight, so there's that possibility for later. I hope not. This area could use a break.



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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Thursday, May 23, 2019

May 23rd, 2019 What We Thought

May 23rd, 2019 What We Thought

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.

I don't claim to know it all. So when I speak or write, it's coming from my personal experience. The learning along this road never stops. Occasionally, I'll get some direct questions, or in the case below, a request...

"Please Tell me some steps to eliminate "all or nothing" thinking."

I don't know if this is what you would call, steps--but here's my opinion:

All or nothing thinking comes from the self-imposed rules we create for our plan. These rules are developed from our lifetime of experience that has created our perception of what it means or what we believe is required to lose weight successfully.

What happens is this: We honor those old perceptions by creating our own set of rules- and maybe these rules are on paper or not- they can exist subconsciously, too... And then, when we do something that isn't in line with these old patterns of thinking- we feel like we've failed... When in reality, we haven't failed at all... But all or nothing thinking suggests we have- and then we get into the, "forget it, why bother" area of our brain.

"That would apply to the number on the scale not matching what we are expecting also, wouldn't it!?"

Yes- the idea is to embrace our plan... And since the scale takes into account about seven different things... We let the scale do what it does. We just embrace our plan and move forward. The scale will catch up. And after a while, if it doesn't, we can modify our plan if needed. The idea is to take the power away from the scale. It's about finding our peace and calm in the embrace of our plan, rather than from a number on the scale.

Because the scale isn't always a direct reflection of our plan. Yet, many times, we allow that number to completely negate our plan- and discourage us- when truly, it wasn't our plan the scale was reflecting on any particular number it shows. Sometimes it is a direct reflection, not of our plan, but of how we're not honoring our plan. Self-honesty is critically important. If we're struggling with maintaining the integrity of the plan we've created, can we simplify our approach into something doable for where we are right now, then allow it to evolve as we accumulate consistency?

It is challenging- but it's completely possible, to simplify our plan. Throw out the preconceived notions, develop a plan where we can consistently hit these "new marks," --and we can feel great about it, instead of constantly feeling defeated because we're not living up to what we thought was required of us to be successful.

The smaller, simplified plan, is one that we can embrace. It's designed for our consistent progress- and it evolves in time. The more consistency we give this new, simplified list of "non-negotiable" elements, the better we feel... Because finally, we're able to focus on a plan we can feel good about-- and one that ultimately, gets us to where we're wanting to go along this road... And wasn't that the goal to begin with?

And when our brains start telling us things reminiscent of the old diet mentality- we must reach for support and a different perspective.

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

May 22nd, 2019 Willingness

May 22nd, 2019 Willingness

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.

As the storms continue and the flood waters continue to rise, the news stories keep coming--horrible stories of people losing their lives to flooding, mostly. The National Weather Service and the Transportation Department make urgent pleas for media to constantly remind drivers to never "try to make it," across standing water--"turn around, don't drown," is the mantra--and we (media) say it constantly, but still--some don't hear it or heed it, to tragic consequences. The more stories I see and report about on the air, the less I'm inclined to complain about how the weather has affected my schedule lately. I'm safe, I don't live anywhere near a flood-prone area, and we've dodged the most violent storms. I have a lot of reasons to be grateful.

I'm staying connected with my plan, with others, and with my job--and right now, that's been about the best I can do.

Irene (known as Nana to our grandkids), Allen, and Noah came over early yesterday afternoon for a little while. Their power was recently restored after a huge outage and they needed to retrieve their things from my freezer. Coming home to their visit was a blessing. Every time I see Noah or any of my grandkids, I notice how quickly they're growing. It's a reminder for me to make more time for spending time with them. Noah will be six years old in early July--and my goodness, that doesn't seem possible.

Too many times, I would minimize the importance of the day or moment.  The rationalizations would come fast and easy, ready to let me off the hook long enough to lose sight of the big picture.  The enormity of the “rest of my life” would indeed make the moment seem small and insignificant, but beware:  These moments where the integrity of our iron-clad decision is compromised are huge.  The choices we’re making create physical and mental consequences.  The mental impact comes first, the physical impact comes when these days and moments of “insignificance” are compounded over time.  Your transformation is too important.  The strength of your resolve in this day and moment is paramount.  And it's not the resolve to "just do it," because if you're like me--addiction doesn't work that way because will power isn't a good defense. Instead of "resolve," I like "willingness." The strength of your willingness to build the structure of "rails" around your plan is key. This is very important because you’re extremely important.


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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

May 21st, 2019 Aftermath

May 21st, 2019 Aftermath

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 aftermath of the storms here in Oklahoma continues to take its toll. Widespread flooding has affected thousands. The city where my youngest daughter and three of my grandkids live just had their power restored after more than 24 hours without electricity or water. I'm so glad it's been restored. The kids are doing fine. I offered for them to come to my place, but they were okay--and happy now that it's back on.

I didn't sleep well last night at all. It was a short night of rest. A tight schedule this afternoon didn't allow for a very long nap, either. I think a 30-minute nap is almost worse than no nap!

But--all things considered, it's been a really good day. The sun shone today. It was picture perfect weather, a huge contrast to yesterday's mess.

I'm going to bed early tonight. No threat of storms, so I'm seizing the opportunity! Good dinner tonight, by the way...


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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Monday, May 20, 2019

May 20th, 2019 Long Night

May 20th, 2019 Long Night

Yesterday was a 5-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, I enjoyed a good 30-minute elliptical workout, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

It's ten minutes until 11pm and I just got in from work. It's been a long night of weather coverage. We're experiencing significant flooding, however, we dodged the most severe storms in our state. Grateful for that!

My brain is done for the night. Looking forward to writing a long update blog post tomorrow. The alarm comes early in the morning, I'm hitting the pillow!

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Sunday, May 19, 2019

May 19th, 2019 Much More Time

May 19th, 2019 Much More Time

Yesterday was a 5-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

Today's workout on the new elliptical at the RecPlex was fantastic. I must spend much more time at that place! Cutting it short tonight--dropping in bed!

Mom and I spent some time together this evening. Our weekly outing to dinner followed by a nice drive and conversation was a good one.

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Saturday, May 18, 2019

May 18th, 2019 Too Fast

May 18th, 2019 Too Fast

Yesterday was a 4-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I exceeded my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

This day, my goodness--long one. It started early with a location broadcast that was immediately canceled followed by covering weather at the studio--and then tonight, I did a last minute gig playing music for a wedding reception. The person the wedding party originally hired had to cancel at the last minute. I'm not a fan of eating dinner at midnight, but I did. I kept it simple--did a breakfast for dinner type thing. I'm usually better prepared. I did grab some cheese and a banana as a holdover--and was going to grab some almonds too, but the convenience store was out of every kind except flavored almonds with, you guessed it: refined sugar. I skipped the almonds.

The way back into town from the reception was dicey. I was driving on muddy roads in the middle of a thunderstorm. I almost lost control of the car. I wasn't driving fast--or at least I didn't think I was driving fast--but obviously, I was driving too fast for the conditions. I'm home, safe and sound. Grateful.

Super tired and headed to bed. No alarm will be set. I shall rest!

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Friday, May 17, 2019

May 17th, 2019 Separate Power Source

May 17th, 2019 Separate Power Source

Yesterday was a 5-star day: I maintained the integrity of my calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, I had a good elliptical workout at the RecPlex, and I stayed well connected with exceptional support.

If I had kept this diary prior to September 15th, 2008, it would have revealed someone desperate for some kind of life-saving solution.

One of the biggest and scariest thoughts I had back then centered around the idea that life will always contain stressful and emotional situations. These things 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 for the intentional actions of my daily practice required a separate power source.

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

I found out what happens when I plug my importance level/resolve back into the ups and downs of life. My lifestream and fundamental elements stream crossed one another, and it didn't take too long for these to tangle in such a way, I felt more lost than ever before--and regained 164 pounds of my initial 275-pound weight loss. 'member that?

The turnaround from relapse/regain had to start with untangling the two streams and then adding additional measures to keep them separate, including more traditional practices in recovery and stronger accountability/support tools.

Dr. Marty Lerner, PhD, one of the world's leading experts on food addiction recovery, foreshadowed this entire experience in his review of Transformation Road, printed on the very first page of the book. He wrote: "Although incorporating some suggestions that run contrary to some recovered food addicts, Sean's experiences are worth learning about and considering."

Important questions, in my opinion, are: Where are we plugged in? Do we have a separate power source? The ups and downs of life provide a constant flow of energy, but if we're relying on it as the controlling power source of our day to day practice, we might be in for a back and forth ride.

How do we plug into a separate, more consistent, "come what may," power source? It's really a spiritual question, isn't it? That part is up to you. It's all up to you, actually. But as far as the intentional actions designed to help maintain a separate power source, I'd say it starts with outlining a few non-negotiable things. Making a daily "foundational" mental/emotional practice important can be a major difference maker. Simplify when you need to simplify, but hold the line on the non-negotiable parts.

I've witnessed people who are experiencing consistent positive progress through some of the most challenging times of their lives; through chronic pain, major life changes, serious health challenges, and unexpected happenings--and every single one, I have no doubt--can relate to this "separate power source" idea. When they say, "this would have derailed me once upon a time," and now it isn't, they're clearly plugged into a separate power source. The natural up and down flow of life isn't responsible for their progress anymore. 

These people, they're not super-human. They're just like you and me. They just utilize a consistent "back-up generator" for those times when the constantly flowing power of life gets inconsistent or temporarily goes out. Don't give up.   

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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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

Thursday, May 16, 2019

May 16th, 2019 Zero Percent Chance

May 16th, 2019 Zero Percent Chance

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.

Our local RecPlex just installed brand new cardio equipment. Oh wow, it's good stuff! I made my way in this evening for a long-overdue round on the elliptical. This brand new elliptical is much more challenging! It was good. I kept listening to my most inspiring musical selections right into the grocery store after the workout--and I was groovin' up and down the aisles, feeling fantastic all over. In that mental and physical state, there's a zero percent chance of me selecting an off-plan item. It was a good reminder of how we can condition how we feel by what we do--what we "feed' our brain and bodies directly and powerfully affects our daily practice. Needed that.



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
My Twitter: SeanAAnderson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seananderson505
Instagram: SeanAAnderson
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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The Daily Diary of a Winning Loser. All rights reserved.