Why

Abstract Thinking

I put a great deal of impetus on the mental aspect of health and fitness.  In my opinion the mechanical is basic and as simple as repeating the same task for 20 to 30 days resulting in the body developing a habit however if a worthwhile motive is not present we will not continue the process for a sustained period of time and the habit stops.  There must be a clear reason to follow through with change.   If people are going to truly commit they need to believe in their cause consequently the why must be more than a short term goal i.e.  I want to drop a few pounds, I have a dress/suit I want to wear.   Short term goals are valid reasons to eat right and exercise but they lack the substance to drive a long term life style change.



one way of having fun

Change is not easy and typically our minds resist it.  Albert Einstein wrote about thought having its own life.  For example most substances will be out of our system within 30days; nicotine leaves the system within 72 hrs. hence there is no clinical reason why a person should crave cigarettes after a week of being off the sticks, the same is true of alcohol, chocolate, and amphetamines yet all of these substances are responsible for a great deal of discomfort when the addict stops using.  Why?  Because the memory body knows what gives us pleasure and it does not want to be terminated.



Russel Stovers Chocolate Factory Kansas, USA



Let’s say you are the Thought that tells your body to eat chocolate, every time your physical being follows your direction, your body is relaxed, feels secure, and happy.  Guiding your body to eat chocolate is your purpose in life.  Then one day after being a loyal, faithful servant to your physical beings needs, you are shut out, ignored and no longer accepted.  The Thought becomes confused;    it does not want to die so it fights to be heard by stimulating the desire for chocolate.  So goes the struggle of reframing our thinking, the thoughts that have given us what we wanted and provided us with the feeling of being safe and secure will fight to stay a part of our mental being.   It takes a mental toughness to abolish old ways of thinking.

Bruce Lee Hong Kong

I believe the only hope we have of successfully changing our lifestyle is to change the way we view our capabilities and what we want our physical being to provide for us.  Knowing what we want from our physical being will allow new thoughts to be born and they will provide us with the same loyal service the unhealthy psyche faithfully delivered. 

The road to change is a series of building blocks.  Why is the motivator that leads us to learn more about the how?  Once we are motivated, educated, and actuated the process of change takes root; giving birth to a new physical and mental well being. 

Follow the white light to clearity

 Find your reason to change, believe in it and be tough minded enough to overcome the dying impulses of old thoughts and enjoy a rich, full, active, long, life.

Go have some fun

Geo

Toon Town Disney Ca.

Let’s Get High

By Saturday of last week I had exercised a total gym time of 745 minutes; tread mill, elliptical machine, stationary bike, and lifting weights for a daily average of 106 minutes, just under 64 minutes of cardio and 43 minutes a day of pushing iron.

Thinking about what may be

Saturday is my weigh in day, I look forward to it all week, it’s the goal post; the freedom to relax and do whatever I choose with no concern of weight gain. Typically if I show a Gain or a Push I won’t treat myself to anything special. This week I weighed in and the scales gave me my results; NO CHANGE, the week was a PUSH.

The weight scale has the ability to make my day or rain on my parade.  I have focused over the years to control my emotions; not get too high when the results are satisfactory and avoid despair when the outcome is not what I like. I do my best to stay emotionally balanced and grasp the results as nothing more than a hard fact of what my program has produced.  It was a break even week, with a pleasurable night out but I was thinking I would have seen a 500 to 700 gram/ 1lb to 1.5lb drop.

When I don’t see the results I believe I should I review my week’s food diary and look for areas I may have sabotaged myself.  This week the only red flag I could spot was possibly Thursdays quiz night; 3 light beers and (5) Brandy w/coffee.  The Push result put a wet blanket on my anticipated evening of fun; no going out on the town for me!

good friends, good food, good times

I have a new twitter account: www.twitter.com/samuifatman I opened it to post things like my weekly weigh in updates.

opening a can of whoop ass on fat

Sunday Morning is the start of my week, before I went to the gym I posted this tweet: I'm fighting with myself today, doubt and Q's regrd my progm. Hope I am not at a wall, still so far to go and feels like a battle w/o rest. I was feeling blue, tired, and frustrated. I was fighting the impulse to act out and binge. I grabbed my bag threw it in truck and headed for the gym, still not sure if I would get there. I managed to drive past a gauntlet of temptations and in the process commit myself to do what I knew I should and stay away from the things I shouldn’t. Once I arrived I relaxed in the sauna; melted some tension then headed to the weight room where I upped the pace and did 75 minutes of max weights; an incredible feeling to empty the tank and leave it all in the gym.  I huffed and puffed and pushed as hard as I could until I was unable to budge the bar. By the time I was done I was spent but I felt strong and balanced; muscles popping, back straight and pep in my step.  I returned home and tweeted this: did some quality gym time, broke a good sweat and mind feels right! attitude is the key to continued success. 

I will not be defeated 

There is no denying the truth, endorphins are a great drug, they numb pain, stop binging, overcome stress and frustration, pump up the sex hormones and are a natural opiate that shines a bright light of optimism on the world around us.

feeling the love

The next time you are feeling blue, frustrated or have the urge to binge, go break a sweat, meditate, have a good laugh, make love, eat some spicy food, or get a massage and catch an endorphin high.  

Go have some fun

Geo

the little one always ready to smile

Minerals

This blog is a simple overview on minerals, their function and their food source.

Northern California Vineyard

A few facts regarding minerals that I found of interest:

I.                   Minerals consist of 4-5% of our body weight

II.                  Minerals have two primary functions

Road to nowhere?

A)     Building

1. Bones

2. Soft tissue                                                

3. Teeth

B)   Regulating

        1. Heart beat

        2. Nerve responses

        3. Blood clotting

        4. Blood movement

        III.           There are two types of minerals that the body requires

A)     Major or Macro

·      Calcium: builds bones and teeth, nerve and heart functioning, blood clotting, muscle contraction and relaxation. Source: Legumes, sardines, milk, and dairy, salmon, green vegetables, broccoli

·      Phosphorus: Helps in building bones and teeth, helps in transporting fat in the form of phospholipids, helps in maintaining acid/base balance, regulates use and release of energy. Source: Cereals, meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs.

·      Magnesium:  Bowel movements, nerves, muscle relaxation, teeth and bone structure.  Source: Whole grains, sea food, legumes, meat, dairy products.

·       Potassium: essential component of body fluids particularly inside the cells.  Source:  Melons, citrus fruits, potatoes, banana, meat, milk, legumes, fruits and vegetables.

·      Sodium: Needed for the body fluids to the outside of the cells. Source:  Table salt, baking powder, meat, sea food, cheese, vegetables, baking soda, processed food, milk.

B)     Trace

·      Iron: Red blood cells and myogobin in muscle cells, carries oxygen.  Source:  Egg yolk, nuts, and meat, liver, enriched whole grains, legumes.

·      Iodine:  Thyroid hormones cellular oxidation and growth, regulates energy metabolism.  Source:  iodized salt and sea food.

·      Selenium:  Acts as an antioxidant, decreases toxicity of heavy metals, red blood cell enzyme.  Source:  Poultry, fish, dairy, meats, grains.

·      Zinc: Component in enzymes, insulin, immunity, wound healing, taste, sexual maturation, protein synthesis.  Source:  Sea food, whole grains, meat.

·      Chromium:  Aids in the use of insulin.  Source:  Whole grains, cheese, nuts, brewer’s yeast, liver

·      Copper:  Component in enzymes, enzymes in skin pigmentation.  Source:  Nuts, organ meat, seeds, grains, legumes.

·       Fluoride:  Prevents tooth decay, part of teeth and bones.  Source:  fluorinated water, fish, tea.

Overview

What we see beyond the function of each mineral is a common denominator in the food sources where we can obtain the necessary minerals our body requires. 

Fish/ Sea food

Whole Grains

Beans

Meat

Cheese

Eggs

Milk

IMO too much information can be the same as too much of a good thing, so let’s keep it simple.  Drink and eat  your milk, meat and fish,  grains, eggs, greens and beans and you will grow strong stay healthy and live longer.

Redwoods make anyone look thinner.

Go have some fun.

Geo

Phoenix destroying a plate of pasta.

Tune In

Over the last few threads I have touched on the importance of accepting ourselves.  As I have stated before I do not believe that being fat, overweight and out of shape is anything to be proud of however I do not believe that being embarrassed, ashamed, or guilty is healthy either.  In my opinion self acceptance is the avenue to sustained personal development.   Having said this, it is impossible to honestly accept what we refuse to see.

Denial is probably one of the single most self imposed obstacles that stand in the way of reaching a personal best.   The effect of being in denial is like walking through life with blinders on; we just don’t see ourselves for who we really are.   What is worse about being in denial is when the truth faces us we typically externalize and place responsibility everywhere but where it belongs; on ourselves. 

As a Fat Man in Paradise, I have lived in denial and I understand what it is to ignore the obvious. When I think back to when I weighed 160kg/352lb I remember many of the messages telling me to put my house in order but I ignored my inner voice and behaved as if I weighed 165lb.   

Here are a few examples of messages sent and rationalized.

·         Breaking furniture:  I have lost count of how many chairs have collapsed under my girth.  typically I always wondered; why don’t people throw out”these old, cheap chairs?”  

·         Airplane seat too small:  The seats began to feel like a vice and bruising my hips, I was sure that the airlines were making them smaller to pack in more passengers.

·         Maternity extension for seat belt:  This one almost got me motivated when I saw that the strap was at its end and still not long enough but then I was sure the belt was shorter for the smaller seats.

·         Bar stool too small:  It took two stools for me to sit; shifting a cheek from one seat to the next.  I just couldn’t believe that the owner was so inconsiderate to buy chairs that only skinny people can sit in.

·         Restaurant booths too small: The table tops were installed wrong consequently I had to squeeze in.

·         Breaking toilet seats: All but impossible to find a plastic toilet seat that did not crack; just not making things like they used too.

·         Can’t tie shoe strings without sitting down:  The shoe laces aren’t as long as they use to be.

·         Refused access to rides:  max weight of 91kg/ 200lb is ridiculously low!  (and it is)

·         Refused access to vehicles:  What do you mean I have to pay for two?

I’ll stop at 9, they all send the same message; “you are too fat, drop some weight”. 

Our inner voices are talking to us all the time and typically they have a good message and if we don’t tune in and listen the signal to change is lost.    IMO we must own who we are; I am fat, I accept that I am fat and I accept that I can do the things that I need to do to get fit and healthy.  Armed with the truth we can move forward;   I intend to exchange my unhealthy behavior for a well balanced fun way of life.  I am not ashamed of who I am, I am not embarrassed by who I am and I do not feel guilty about who I am. I accept that the only person I can hold accountable is me.

Life is all about acceptance, accept yourself, and accept your greatness and be honest. Tune in to your higher self and follow your path to joy and happiness.

Go have some fun,

Geo 

Intention vs. Mechanism

I do a few small projects around the house; refinishing, digging, decorating, rearranging, and constructing.   With many of these projects I have no idea how to get started and or what the finished product should look like.  Sometimes I feel like I have gotten in way over my head such as when the supply company dumps a truck load of gravel or sand in the drive and I am the only person to move it or when I want to dig a pit and my whole body jars when I try to put my spade in the rock hard soil.  That’s when I ask myself, "how to eat an elephant" and I hit the project one shovel, one bucket, and one step at a time.

I typically enroll my boys into helping me with my handy work, and when we are done we stand back and admire our labor.   Last time I asked  them was it will power or the way you worked that got the jobs done?  I didn’t expect an answer but I wanted to make them think.  I asked each of them how they helped, they did the same job so the answer was the same.  The difference is in how they did the labor.  If it is moving sand the older boy may use a wheel barrel while the younger will use a bucket.  If it is sanding a table the older may employee an orbital sander, the younger will use a block and sand paper.  If it staining, the elder may try doing French finish while junior uses a brush. They never get to the finish line the same way hence the answer is 100% intention is what gets the job done. The how is not important, without the will nothing happens.

As a Fat Man in Paradise, I can testify that my program is an ever changing scheme of mechanisms and that without intention nothing happens.   The whole lot began with an idea; intention is what makes everything materialize.

I am frequently asked how I dropped my weight. I have gotten to the point where I simply answer; “watch what I eat and go to the gym”.  More times than not the reply will be;” Oh I wish I had time but”, or “I try to eat the right foods but”. 

 “BUT” cancels out intention; there are no “Buts” in successfully getting healthy and fit.   When intention is present the will power is there to decide what we want.  When we are clear about what we want then we can make a plan, follow the plan and do all the things we should and avoid doing the things we shouldn’t and we will get where we want to go. 

 The process may be daunting, but honestly it is just like eating an elephant; one bite at a time.

Go have some fun

Geo

Eating Fat is Good

I have to admit the whole which fat does what quagmire of information had me dazed and confused; Saturated, Unsaturated, Mono-unsaturated, Polyunsaturated, and Trans-fatty acids.   

Now that I have it understood, I am going to line it out nice and simple an “A” list which will be the fats/oils you want to buy/ eat, a “B” list of fats you want to limit or avoid and a “C” list that is not healthy and best to avoid.

The “A” list.

Polyunsaturated ***** yes

·         Safflower oil

·         Sunflower oil

·         Corn oil

·         Soybean oil

Mono-saturated*****yes

·         Olive oil

·         Canola oils                                                  

The “B” list

Saturated fats** ok in limited amounts

·         Coconut oil

·         Palm oil

·         Palm kernel oil

·         Butter

·         Cheese

·         Whole milk

·         Ice cream

·         Cream

·         Fatty meats

The “C” list

Trans-fatty acids* extreme limits or avoid

·         Fried food

·         Donuts

·         Cookies, high-calorie snack foods such as chips and candies

·         Sugary breakfast cereals

·         Crackers breads and pastas made with refined white flour instead of whole grains

·         Canned foods with large amounts of sodium or fat

·         Processed meats: hot dogs, bologna, sausage, ham, lunch meat frozen fish sticks.  These meats are frequently high in calories, saturated fats and sodium.

I am not touching free fatty acids, triglycerides, or phospholipids. The important thing to remember is we need to eat fats.  Fat is one of the three nutrients along with proteins and carbohydrates that provide energy (calories) to the body.  If carbohydrates and proteins were coffee, fat would be espresso.  Fats provide 9 calories per gram 2x+ more than carbohydrates and proteins.  The body requires fat to function; healthy skin and hair, blood pressure, blood clotting, growth and development and energy are all dependant on fat.

Fats have direct effects on cholesterol. Saturated fats tend to raise the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) if a food is 20% in saturated fat avoid or limit the amount you eat to a minimum.

Trans-fatty acids tend to be a double whammy, they raise the LDL and can lower the HDL (good cholesterol) so processed foods are to be eaten on a very limited basis.

In a nut shell, meat, fish, and poultry all provide us with fat and amino acids, a vital dietary need.  How we prepare these foods will also determine how much fat we consume. Dry cooking and steaming is very different from deep frying and has a very dissimilar effect on fat levels.

So what it comes down to is choice, from time to time we will want to eat a fast food or grab a snack pack, and that’s when we need to think before we act.  McDonalds and Burger King or Subway Sandwich,  Potato chips or peanuts, raisins or cookies, ice cream or apple, pork or chicken, salmon or mackerel.

 Fats are good, fats are needed, and too much of a good thing is harmful. Be wise, eat smart, and make the right choices.

Go have some fun.

Geo

Let’s get Naked.

I had a dear friend who was very skinny and we both loved winter but for very different reasons.  She loved winter because she could wear more clothes and it made her look bigger I liked it because I could wear more clothes to cover up and hide my fat.

Christmas Day 1995 Napa Ca., I was alone but not lonely, the weather was wet and I was nursing a sprained ankle staying warm next to a wood burning stove.    I don’t know why maybe because I was gimpy but I started to do a personal inventory and take a good look at myself.   I was enjoying my independence, I no longer missed the X and life on the hill, mentally, spiritually and financially I was happy and feeling positive but physically I was a mess.

That rainy December day I took an honest look in the mirror and for the first time in a long time I was able to see what others saw and a lot more.  I was rolling in blubber, my butt was huge, legs were sagging, my belly was like a big semi deflated tire and both arms were wings as they rested on a mound of fat that rolled into a large set of man breast.  I was shocked, amazed and dismayed.

I went looking for a scale, I searched and searched but I pegged every meter I stepped on.  To add insult to injury I had to pay a freight company to weigh me on an industrial scale. The operator kept adding plates until it leveled at just over163kg/ 360lb, talk about humiliating! I was grossly obese.  I was shocked, and disappointed; I knew better and I realized the time to change had come.

My Christmas present that year was an epiphany, the next morning I dug in my closet, blew the cob webs off my hiking boots, laced them up nice and tight to support my ankle and went for a walk. I took my first steps down a path of change and it all started with getting naked.     

 It’s good medicine to do a periodic visual exam, get naked and take a long look in the mirror, if you don’t like what you see do something about it.

 

Go have some fun

Geo

Take a Picture

Being fat, overweight and out of shape is not a condition that I believe anyone should be proud of.  The purpose of my blog is to promote health, fitness, emotional and mental well being.

I do not think that shame or guilt is a healthy emotion.  I am convinced that we have the ability to control our feelings and being happy or sad, guilty or shamed is a personal choice.  When I ran through the villages in Bali with my shirt off it was not uncommon for the natives to point at me and shout “big body”.  They meant no harm they were just stating the obvious and it was my choice to be angry, upset, embarrassed, ashamed or just accept the truth.  I was fat, I weighed130kg/ 285lbs and even though I had dropped nearly36kg/ 80lbs I was still a fat man and I was working on it.

Ridding the body of fat takes a lot of effort, focus and time yet fat people are about the only sector in the population that it is ok to ridicule when we are doing the things that need to be done to control our weight.  The heckling I took in Napa when I was obese made me feel like a masochist when I peddled a bike or crossed the road.  

 I think it has become okay to openly discriminate against overweight people.  Shouting: “have another doughnut” at an exercising fat person is neither acceptable nor constructive criticisms.   It is unconstructive to try and make overweight people feel disgraced about their looks.  In my opinion it is embarrassment that keeps fat people from going out and doing the things that will get the weight under control such as walking, swimming, cycling or joining a gym and that is tragic. 

 I was raised to be ashamed of being fat, which is why in most of my photos I am hiding.  My shame made me shy around cameras and I have huge gaps in my life with no pictorial records.  It has been a relatively short period of time that I have been able to control my emotions and stop being ashamed or embarrassed because I am fat.

Photo journals are great, I may not always be proud of what I see when I look at myself but I enjoy having a visual record of my escapades.  If you find yourself near a camera, smile big and know its all good and accept your greatness.  If you are too fat and want to drop the baggage, love yourself and do what is best for you and be happy to have your photo taken, In the long run you will never regret smiling for a camera.

Go have some fun

Geo

STAY!

Sometime I get to the gym parking lot and I am tempted to just blow it off and go have a shake.  Those are the times, I revert to baby steps and take my first small step by getting out of the car, and then while I am willing myself through the gate, I talk to myself and say: Stay! Stay Focused! Stay on track!  Stay motivated!  

It is so much more fun putting the girth on then it is taking it off.  I have found that the only way I can stay motivated is to put the focus on my limits.  My training has become a quest to know how far I can push myself and not break down.  When I was younger I wanted to know, who am I? I have the answer to that; A fat man in paradise. Now I want to know; how good am I?  How much iron can I push and how much stamina, durability and fitness do I contain within me?     This means my focus is on doing, keeping my eye on the prize and I owning my success and failures. 

I like to people watch and I have come to the conclusion that there are two types of people who come to the gym those that focus on the doughnut and the ones that focus on the hole. The people that focus on the doughnut come in ready to train, go to their equipment, and do their routine and a minimum of 45 to 60 minutes later are on their way.  The others who only see  the hole, come in and take 10 minutes to tune the television , change the settings on the a/c, inspect the equipment and then do a 3 to 5 minute routine, are out the door, done for the day, ready to go eat.

To be honest from time to time I am a hole watcher too, those are the times I hear myself saying:

·         “ If this happens, I’m going to”

·         ” I should  ”

Typically the” if’s” never seem to happen and  ” should” never gets done consequently whenever I catch myself using   ” if” or “should” I check to make sure I am Staying on Focus, Staying on Track and Staying Motivated. 

When the time comes that you are making plans and you catch yourself using” if” or “ should” STOP!  Reframe your intention and replace” If” with”I will” and “Should” with” I am”.    Stay focused, stay on track, stay motivated and your health and fitness will be exactly what you want it to be.

Go have some Fun,

Geo