Failure is FANTASTIC!!! the ant CAN move that rubber tree!

I fail at things all the time. So do you! Come on, admit it!
Well let me say real quick, HAPPY EASTER!!! What a beautiful day it was too! It’s almost over, but I wanted to get this post in before the day ended…
Do you think that our mother’s (and most of us WERE born) had any fear or doubt that we would be born? Did they feel like a failure when the first PUSH didn’t produce a baby, or when the Doctor told some that they needed emergency surgery to deliver you?
I am pretty sure the answers to the questions really don't matter all that much, because as you all know from the fact that you are here reading this…feeling like a failure or the act of “failing” either in the intent or in the action, did not stop any of them, they still succeeded!!!
I am simply saying that failure is part of the process. I think we are supposed to fail, sometimes to keep us humble, and sometimes to make us appreciate success more. Failure is important!
Did you gain weight this week? Did you forget to work out? Did you eat too many Easter Eggs or Chocolate bunnies? (I had three eggs) You might have failed in the planning, but your goal is still attainable. Maybe it was getting too easy for you, or maybe you got too cocky about your plan. You have to make the choice now to get up and move forward. CONTINUE DOWN THE ROAD. This is merely a rest area on the way to your destination.
The other side of the choice I mentioned is to give up. Whatever your goal, Spiritual, Mental or Physical, giving up is something we all know a little bit about. If you aren’t where you need to be, it’s mostly because you don’t want to be, I’m just being honest, I know this because I gave up because I was lazy. I gave up because I didn’t trust that I could reach my goals.
So let’s all try and be supportive of our failures, celebrate them, THEY EXIST! ACKNOWLEDGE THEM! Throw them a party, and then move on!!! Failure is part of the Journey, and important part, because they make us take a close look at what we did to create them and because they make the reward that much sweeter when we get to our destination! (Take that anyway you want)
FAILURE IS FANTASTIC (say that the next time you fail, say it out loud and be proud to own it)!
HAPPY EASTER, GIVE THANKS FOR THE DAY AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR TO YOU! And come back and see me again!!!

Free Trees on Earthday!!!!

April 22nd is Earthday everyone. Wanna great way to make yourself feel good? Try planting a tree...You are helping save the planet, providing the earth with more oxygen and getting some exercise at the same time.
All day Friday, you can go to Lowe's and they are giving a free seedling to each customer, while supplies last. Rules and or purchases may apply.
Go get your tree and do your part!!!

Peace and Love!!

Something new to try!

You need to go to costco and get a box of Morningstar Farms Black Bean burgers!!! Holy Cow those suckers are good!!!!!

Plan fry them with some olive oil pam, and then eat them with a fresh mango salsa on a Nature's Own flat bun and the sandwich is 6 points...add a serving of mini tortilla chips and salsa and cup of steamed carrots for an awesome dinner that is only 9 points and will fill you way way up!!!

LONG, CRAPPY DAY...STRESSED OUT EATING...Forgiven!

I have been sitting here at this computer for over an hour now, trying to write about strawberries, black bean burgers, Smart Ones brand entrée’s and other food I love, and the good and the bad about them…but I just can’t do it. I had a very stressful day at work and it’s on my mind so I am going to blog about it so you all can see for yourselves the reasons that I over eat.
5:30 am…..Cooper is howling in his cage because he is awake, and now so am I.
6:00 am…..I get out of bed
6:30 am….I am outside watering the plants, eating my oatmeal, watching Copper play and smiling, knowing it is going to be a great day.
9:00 am…. I arrive at work to discover a customer waiting for me. This customer received a chemical service from me close to three weeks ago and came back, dissatisfied (after three weeks). She wanted a woman to style her hair (a usual Gaffney thing). There was more to this situation, but I feel like it would be unethical to go any further. Needless to say I did not start my work day out very well. I went and bought a four pack of yogurt and ate two granola bars and a banana.
12:00pm…I come back from my lunch break to discover that a very sweet coworker had been mistreated verbally by the manager of our salon’s bank.(this is the second time this week someone has been treated badly by this man, and I am not even slightly exaggerating) The girls I work with are all much younger than me(so I get overly protective of them), they are all also very tough and for the most part will not back down from anyone, but this bank manager had one in tears today and another shaking three days ago. This sets me on fire, to the point where I cannot function. Women being disrespected is completely unacceptable, especially in a professional manner. I wanted to break this man’s nose.
1:00 pm….stress and blood pressure is continuing to build.
2:00 pm….still angry but the girls are calming down and I am feeling a bit easier about using this man’s face as a punching bag.
3:00 pm….our district manager comes to diffuse the situation and is treated the same way by the manager of the bank.
4:00 pm…. I realize that I have no memory of any of the work I have done all day…
6:00 pm… I am home, exhausted mentally, tired and hungry, I eat 16 ounces of chicken, two wedges of laughing cow cheese, five slices of Canadian bacon, two granola bars, two yogurts, some whipped cream, a bag of popcorn, a whole can of peas and a whole can of carrots….
9:00 pm….sitting at laptop wanting to blog, but not feeling very proud of myself…I write some stuff, then I erase it, write some more, erase some more…
9:30 pm…. I kick myself in the butt (figuratively) and start typing this post to hold myself accountable.
I spent over fifteen hours today in unhealthy situations and wonder why I did so poorly with my food.
I stayed within my WW points, but that is not the point of the journey. My stress eating is part of the life I want to change.
I made the decision to blog this because I need to be held accountable for allowing the stress to take control today. The world is full of angry customers that don’t see your vision, or don’t realize what it means when they tell you they want a loose curl, or a body wave when what they really want is kinky perm ( sorry I had to get that out)! It is also full of impatient men that think women are ignorant and they know nothing and that men should be in charge (could be why I made a mistake on a deposit slip last night, I dunno)! I am going to get angry sometimes and I am going to be stressed sometimes. I also need to walk away from it, for my own health, and when I can’t walk away, I just need to smile and go to my happy place…I am open to suggestions here folks.
I guess my point is I am on this journey to better myself, to become the healthiest person I can become, both mentally and physically, and some of the roads I will be traveling are going to be tough, some will be smooth sailing. The key to making it to the next intersection is to stay on the road.
How do you handle your bad days? Do you stress eat, become a crazy person and scream and shout at everyone. Do you go to sleep? Do you take prisoners?
Let’s try to be more patient and understanding in these situations. Let’s also forgive ourselves when we go off plan, Betting on yourself is the ONLY way you can be sure that your bet is safe!
Love to all and better day tomorrow to me!

Smiling, Happy Families!

Hi Mom's and Dad's....



Guess what? If your kids are smiling, healthy and happy, you're doing a good job!!! According to the great people at Parenting Magazine, the best parenting is done when your kids are fed and smiling.

I don't think it matters if you are rich or on welfare. I don't think it matters so much if you are in an alternative relationship or a traditional marriage. The point of good parenting is to provide a stable, loving, happy and healthy environment for your kids to grow up in. If your kids are happy, it seems you are doing your job right.

Parenting Magazine gives these five secrets for raising a Happy Family, and I couldn't agree more!

1. Happiness is basic, just ask your kids! ( your kids instinctively know you love them, and it is important to keep that relationship strong, do the things you know you should, regular sleeping schedules, don't force feed or scare kids into eating something they dont like, and don't ask your kids to do something you are too lazy to do yourself [I used to do that alot])!

2. Happiness changes over time! (your kids evolve, just like we do, what makes them happy today may not make them happy tomorrow, recognize this and dont get frustrated over it. Accept it and nurture it [how many musical instruments did you play in school, I played three before settling on singing]).

3. Happiness is contagious! (remember your mood rubs off on your kids, treat your self to a happy and healthy lifestyle and feed your kids good feelings as well as good food [ my parents never fought in front of me and don't argue too much around anyone, just sayin]).

4. Happiness can't be controlled! (you cannot control your kids, you can advise them and show them structure and discipline, but remember, they do not belong to you and you did not make them, you were blessed with the gift of raising them. Trying to control them could affect their overall happiness and your family's happiness as well)!

5. Happiness doesnt always make you happy! (Anxiety and stress as well as constant fear and worry are all parts of your life as a good parent. Understanding all of that and finding a healthy relaxing outlet for yourself, individually is key to your happiness, and will flow through to your children).



I think the world of Parenting Magazine and I love the article that inspired this post.I could only think of one thing to add that was not mentioned in the post...

The power of faith, and the power of smiling...

I promised myself that I would only make reference to religion in my blog and not bias toward one faith or denomination, but I do feel the happiest kids know their Creator.

Smile everyone, it is the easiest, cheapest, healthy thing you can do!



Love to all,

Rob!

We all loose pounds at different rates, next excuse please:)!!!

   I was discussing my weight loss in a group today, a group made up mostly of women, me and two other men. One of the women made a comment about men loosing weight quicker and easier than women…it bothered me for a couple of reasons.

   I do not loose weight easily. And I certainly do not loose it quickly. I also don’t like being made to feel like my results arent as good because I am a guy. I went to work after this discussion and asked my fellow workers what they thought about the rate at which women loose weight and the rate that men loose, I wanted to see if their ideas were similar to the group. The girls I work with, all fit and in great shape, agreed with the women that were trying to loose their “extra pounds”. So my theory that this myth exsists only in the weight loss circles, was wrong…EVERYONE THINKS MEN LOOSE WEIGHT EASIER AND QUICKER THAN WOMEN!!! UGH!!!

  I consulted the intenet websites that I trust for an investigation…Here are the results:

The rate at which human beings loose weight has been shown to differ from human to human. Men and women alike loose weight at fluctuating levels depending on their predispositon to enviroment, exercise routines, caloric intake and metabolic output. Men and women cannot acurately compare weight loss for  other reasons too. One reason being, most men are physically larger in frame than women.  Men and women should not compare fat loss by the number of pounds lost. They should, instead, compare weight loss by BMI (body mass index) or percentage of total body weight loss. Calculating body weight percentage will  more acurately show the results of the weight loss without the disappointment that comes from finding out that a man has lost more weight than a woman in the same time period.

By the way my fat loss was just under half a pound this week…I am not discouraged for this type of loss, but I am going to try harder to loose a few more pounds in the upcoming week,  The woman that made the comment lost several pounds, btwJ

Have a great night!!!!Peace!

New Blog posts...

TruHealthQuest.com has a new post offering 7 helpful tips for fat loss...Check it out. And don't forget to look for Daniel's article in the upcoming issue of OnFitness Magazine, it hits stands on 05/01/2011!!!

Keep it up Daniel, you inspire me!!!

HERBS!!!

What are you planting this year?

I am planting a few new trees, some rose bushes, and some herbs. I have a beautiful rosemary bush given to my be a close friend and I have grown some fresh and some sweet basil... I might plant some tomatoes as I have been hit by the fresh salsa bug...

When you consider what to plant, what do you think about, Why do you chose the plants you choose?

I like to think I can save some money and add to my journey, by choosing herbs and veggies I can consume, as well as planting some fast growing trees for privacy and ground cover and the roses for beauty and scent. Living in the hot HOT South, i have been told that some plants can't withstand the climate. Needless to say, I am not a gardener, so I will take it slow and not go overboard this year.

Most roses do not do well in the climate I live in for several reasons, but I thought I would give em a try anyway.

What herbs do you like? I love Thyme, Basil and Rosemary. I have tried herbs before but am always disappointed with the bugs that I can never seem to keep off of them. The secret to a successful herb garden, I have been told, is Composting. I am going to try it starting today...the "black gold" of gardening is going to help my herbs (i will keep you posted on that)!

I have spent such a huge part of my life altering the flavors of my food with sugar sauces and salty rubs that I am just now beginning to learn how wonderful most food tastes naturally. I now want to try different flavors using herbs instead of the unhealthy dressings and alakaline tastes of salts.

If you have some ideas that can help, or some suggestions about some helpful herbs or veggies I should try, let me know.

I hope your day is going well, Get outside if you can and enjoy the sunshine!!!

Try some Rosemary at the main entrance to your home for luck.

just sayin!

Here is a link I thought you might find useful!!!

This is the link to the Mayo Clinic drug and supplement guide.
This link is important , I think, because there are so many drugs and supplements we are taking and it is in our best interest to know what we are putting into our body. The research does not stop with a description by the way which is why I have links to both the New England Journal of Medicine website and Mayo Clinic online on my blog.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DrugHerbIndex/METHOD=displayAlphaList&LISTTYPE=mcDrug&LETTER=a

Thermogenic???

What in the world is Geothermic?

I don’t know much about the word Geothermic. I assume the word has something to do with heat (thermal) and the earth (Geo)…GEOTHERMIC…makes sense, right?

   According to Websters.com the word Geothermal means “in relation to the internal heat of the Earth. The word Geothermic literally means “to create heat within the Earth”, interesting.

   Thermogenic is a related term for a similar idea, in relation to internal heat. In our bodies, Thermic effect of food (also commonly known simply as thermic effect when the context is known), or TEF in shorthand, is the increment in energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for storage and use.[)

   The theory behind Geothermics can be used within our bodies to help add lean muscle, and is best known to us through the phrase, “burning fat”. Ephedrine is a commonly used supplement to aid in fat burning, or Adipose-Thermo-genesis. But I believe that Thermogenics can be better reached through the food we eat.

   Thermogenic food is, in my opinion, a safer way to take advantage of our planet’s life giving natural resources, while not allowing us to absorb unknown chemicals and potential allergens that can cause problems for us later in life.

   Capsaicum, found in most hot peppers has thermogenic qualities; however, the foods with the highest thermogenics are Lean Meats like, chicken and turkey breast, most fish and shellfish and eggs. For you veggie heads, citrus fruit and green tea are also highly thermogenic. Oh and hot sauce too. (Thanks Jon)

Much like the planet we love and live on, our bodies have natural ways to induce healthy activity and become more efficient. Thermogenics promote healthy red blood cell production which can lead to quicker recovery times after injury.

  

  Keeping the above information in mind, let’s try and add more Thermogenic foods to our lifestyle. Let’s also try harder to boost the effects of these chemical releasing foods by making the choices we need to make in order to get up off the sofa, turn off the TV and become more active individuals.

 

  I Hope everyone has a great week and I also hope everyone makes an extra healthy tomorrow!

SMILE!!!!

ROB

(I hope if you're re-reading this, it makes more sense...)

How can I help you?!

 
 First of all, let me begin by saying what a beautiful day in the deep south!!! It is HOT outside and a perfect day to be out enjoying the benefits of some great vitamin D filled sunshine! My daughter and I are enjoying the time together and will be sad when it's time to go home on Monday.
   So I have been doing this blog for a little over a week now and I am getting incredible feedback from it.
Apparently my friends and family are very interested in my journey toward a healthier life. I am a little concerned though for other people in my life, friends that read this blog or even strangers that may happen onto this page, that might become confused with some of my posts and might be wary of some of the posts. I also think that since so many people are looking at this site everyday, there may be a thirst for the knowledge I am gaining with each day of research and each experience I write about.
    I want all of you to know three things;
A. I am in no way a professional trainer, nutritionalist or teacher... I am a licensed cosmetologist and life long obese man that is tryng to change my life for the better through better eating habits, research, and exercise.
B. I am just as curious about food and its dangers and functions as you. I post what I learn from eating and from the websites I trust. I also want people to see how important little changes in your life can be and how quickly those little changes can become big ones.
C.  I have a ton of compassion and respect for everyone! I think we all need encouragement from time to time and that we all need respect all of the time and that without love, we will never move forward into the next realm of existence.
ok four things...
D. I am not on this journey alone, We are all going down this road together. What I am doing is probably very different than what you may be doing. The reason behind this blog was originally to keep myself accountable for my actions and to aid me in my fat loss management. This blog has, however, turned into something very different for me and alot of  the people that read it. It has become a source of balance. It has started to make a real difference in the way some of you perceive food, and I have been told it is even making some people take a step back, so they can look at their lives and assess what they are doing and how change might make their lives better.

   I want you all to feel free to ask me, through Email robirob1234@gmail.com, Myspace, Facebook or Twitter to research any subject concerning food based health and I will do my best to find out from the web sources and people who are trained to answer the questions. I want to learn too. So if you have info that you would like me to share with my readers about something you have learned, please let me know. I want to keep the blog flowing with new and exciting info about food, exercise, supplements, spiritual and mental health as well as compassion and love.

Having said all of that. I want you all to know that I am here too, if you ever need some encouragement on your own journey. I can try to help motivate and inspire you to join me in becoming the healthiest person I can be. Together we are going to change the world, for ourselves, our children and our planet!
Love to you all, now get back outside!!!!

Handle your function...don't let it get you down!

    I have been blogging about food, exercise and depression for most of my blogging career. One thing I have not really talked too much about is how to respond to negativity from other people.

   We cannot control what other people say and do. They are free to destroy us with their words and actions if they so choose. What , then are we to do? How can I possibly deal with the redneck calling me a Faggot for working in a hair salon with a bunch of women? How can I handle a client complaining to me when they don’t like their new style that I took the time to create just for them. How can I not be hurt when someone that says they are supporting my “journey”  tells total strangers that they are sick and tired of hearing me talk about how many points are in everything I eat? How, How, How? WOW!

   I am a magnificent person! I deserve to be happy. I have the same fundamental rights as everyone else on the planet and no one should abuse me, call me names, make fun of or criticize me (and I am not fooling anyone)!  The truth here is, we need people to hurt us. We need to see that most of time, when people do these horrible things, it is because they are trying to fill a void in their own lives. Maybe they are unhappy with their own job and are jealous because I am a licensed professional. They could be acting out because they are transferring their anger at their own situations onto me because I appear to be weaker. Remember, just like a dog smells fear, bullies sense insecurity.

  Maybe I should try and halt the negativity before it starts. When a client comes in upset, maybe I should smile at them first and show them my concern for their happiness instead of being frustrated with their choice to be unhappy. Maybe the next time I get called the F word, I will respond with  “think what you want , I get to hang out with hot chicks all day buddy, where do you work”? I should also learn to practice patience with the people that are not quite ready to take the “journey”. I don’t think this person was really unhappy with my excitement about my weight management, I truly believe she was unhappy with her choices with food that day. Then I need to let it all go. There is no use losing sleep over something I cannot control!

PLEASE NOTICE THE PATTERN I AM TRYING TO CREATE HERE!

1.       Smile

2.       Respond with humor if the situation allows

3.       Always be patient

4.       Forgive the person and rationalize the instance that caused the pain

5.       Free yourself of the wasted time.

  Try and use common sense instead of anger when someone hurts you. Be the bigger (hearted) person. Love others the way you were intended to love them. Set an example for our children, so that when they grow up they can set an example for their kids!

   Have a great night folks! And Smile before you fall asleep, maybe you’ll wake up smiling too!
(This post does not apply to bullying in our school system, or to children. This is my opinion of adults mistreating each other)

The reluctance in us

   What does the term reluctant mean to you? We know the definition of reluctant is “unwilling or disinclined”. Your personal definition might be very different. I feel like the word reluctant, means to hesitate. The word has its own identity to everyone. Most often the word has a negative connotation. Were you reluctant to read this article? I bet you were.

   What are your reasons for being unwilling or disinclined to eat healthier or to work out? I have asked myself this question over and over  again. For most of my life I have been reluctant to anything healthy, and I don’t know why. Sometime in my past I must have failed at something and it caused me so much grief that caused me to become the person I have become physically.

   Maybe I have a chemical imbalance, I know several people that have an imbalance and it can cause a plethora of emotional issues. I grew into the body of a man from that of a boy rather quickly, and everyone in my life found a way to let me know…”fat ass” or “tubby”, “fatso” and “porky” were just a few of the creative ways that some real jerks treated me (I have forgiven them all by the way). I guess the constant abuse from my fellow JR HIGH students made me just stop caring…I was just born lazy, probably.

   The fact is folks, none of these things are true. I started very young to like food, I learned things about myself as I got older that I kept hidden from the world, as most of us do, and had trouble making friends as a kid, was picked on by older kids, as most of us were, and felt awkward in my own skin, as most of us will at some point. The difference between me and most other kids was, I never grew out of any of it. The combination of all of those issues that never went away caused me to turn to the only thing I could find to take solace in, food. Food would always be there for me, it would never tell any of my secrets, it would never turn its back on me, it triggered many feelings inside me, and it kind of made me high. I began to realize that I was gaining weight quickly. In my mind I was already fat, so why fight it.

   By the time I was a teenager I was a giant and turning to other things for the solace that food used to give me, I wasn’t as happy with food, it wasn’t enough to sustain me. I turned to drugs, I turned to loud music, and I turned to fast driving and lying to my parents and sleeping a lot. I was so lost in this cycle that I didn’t believe it would ever end. I also looked desperately for someone to blame.

   I was always reluctant to make any changes to my health because I didn’t believe it would ever work. I never ever thought it would make a difference. I did try taking pills to lose weight on two different occasions in my life. The side effects of these pills are still haunting me today and I gained the weight back quickly.

    We hesitate out of fear, we hesitate because we don’t believe, and we hesitate because we are already in despair. We are unwilling mostly because we are hard headed, but that’s for a different blog.

    Whatever  is causing you to hesitate is holding you back. Whether it’s going in the deep end of the pool, or asking for a little help from above, reluctance will not get you where you need to be physically, emotionally or spiritually.

   Let’s try to be more willing to do things to better our lives every time we think about it. Choose real butter instead of the partially Hydrogenated crap next time. Buy a new type of fruit. Wear a shirt that fits instead of an over sized one. Smile when someone insults you and be the bigger (hearted) person. Try saying no to dessert twice this week. Don’t add cheese to your salad, Pray tonight before you sleep,  forgive someone that has hurt you…There are literally thousands of choices we make each day that we can adjust to our new anti-reluctance philosophy. This wonderful new attitude can influence the rest of your life. It can also influence the people in your life. Remember when I said your smile is your first step to your next smile…let your smile be your choice, and choose the all around healthy choice!!

Finally, if all ask fails you in your new attitude toward unwillingness and disinclination, ask someone for help, you have family or friends and if you don't, quite frankly, you obviously have the internet and if your reading this....YOU HAVE ME!!!!!! reach out!

I love you all and can’t wait to blog again tomorrow!!! (I wasn’t even the slightest bit reluctant to type that last part either)!

busy week!

I am going to be on the road alot this weekend and may not get to post very much. Please comment on my posts and let me know how I am doing. Your feedback is the best way for me to know I am reaching you. Even if you comment anonymous, I will be glad to hear your thoughts. Im not just doing this for me, its for US!!
LOVE AND PEACE TO YOU ALL!!!

Eat your bananas and stop being scared of em!

I have heard from many people; friends, clients and family, that i need to be careful of how many bananas I eat...Ever since I was a kid (and used to pretend to eat bananas like a gorilla) I have loved this tropical and most yummy fruit. I dont get into fruit that takes alot of work to eat, cut, dice, core, grate, seed, or scrub.

   

    I have heard a ton of conflicting things about bananas and plantains and get a raised eyebrow every time I eat one at work. I decided to research this for myself and one way or another put an end to the fear of bananas!

   I want to try and always back up my posts with fact, and the two websites I trust the most are www.mayoclinic.com and www.nejm.org . I get most of the information I use to dispute rumors or give info about food from one or both of these sites.

   Bananas are dangerous! True, they can be very dangerous, If they are infested with spiders, and this happens in South America quite often, but the ones sold in the US are grown and inspected and should never have this problem, but give the banana your about to eat a good check over just to be safe. There are a few other risk to bananas for certain people, if you are in one of these groups talk to you doctor about bananas, IF YOU ARE ACTIVELY FIGHTING INFECTION TOO MUCH POTASSIUM CAN SLOW RED BLOOD CELL PRODUCTION!

   People suffering from type one diabetes should avoid eating bananas because they have been known to cause unsafe blood sugar spike (type 1 only).

   People suffering from Alcoholism should avoid more than the recommended daily allowance of bananas because, well to put it nicely, your liver and kidneys are mush anyway, and bananas are high in potassium and could cause you more problems.

   People with severe injuries such as burns and /or current broken bones should avoid bananas because potassium could affect the number of red blood cells that you need to aid in your recovery. PEOPLE WITH ACTIVE IMMUNO-DEFICIENCY should avoid bananas ONLY WHEN FIGHTING INFECTION.    

    Most other adults can eat (as both websites suggest) your recommended daily allowance of at least three servings of 4oz of fruit, ANY fruit including bananas. Studies show that a healthy middle aged man with no kidney or liver damage could eat up to eight servings of fruit per day including five servings of banana or plantain, seven times per week, without significantly altering his potassium levels.

   Bananas are also a wonderful source of folic acid and fiber. Bananas do not cause necrotizing vasculitis and they help stop stomach flu. Bananas help maximize the benefits of workouts by naturally extending the effects of adrenaline and they help to release endorphins.

Bananas are also one of the top 5 foods that help reduce cholesterol.

Now go eat some bananas and have an awesome day!!!

Please visit mayoclinic.com and NEJM.org....they are great sites!

Thinking about some friends tonight

  This is way off subject, but this is important to me because it involves a child and some friends.

  Today I learned that some dear friends got bad news about their pregnancy. There are no words to say that can relay the message I want to send to this couple. I too had news similar to this once and it changed me forever. In fact it sent me further down the road to dispair that dropped me off at a place I never want to go again. My best friend and I have what we call comfortable silences, for the times when there are no words, but the comfort comes from knowing someone is there, in their corner, listening to them breath...This is one of those times.
  I pray that This child becomes healthy before his birth, and that he and his parents are given the opportunity to experience every happiness life has to offer.
  J and A...There is always hope!
Love to you both! 

Making the right choice at the corner sub shop

   Every restaurant has healthy choices,  Most Wednesday nights I can be found with a group of friends eating as some local restaurant. I love to eat, love to see my friends, and love to try new things.

   It is difficult to find healthy choices in a lot of the restaurants we choose to go to. This is a challenge for me and sometimes I choose not to go because I knew I would make poor choices. This is an example of how my food addiction was controlling me.

  The truth is most restaurants would rather try and accommodate your needs than lose your business. If they won’t accommodate you, they really don’t want your business anyway.

  Last night we went to a restaurant that served mostly Japanese, Cantonese, and Chinese food. I really wanted General Tso’s Chicken, but remembering my hard work and efforts to lose weight, My healthy alternative was grilled zucchini and onions, a huge plate of steamed edemame,  and a nice bowl of hot and sour soup. I kept the whole meal less than 10 WW points and enjoyed the company of about twenty friends, all of whom had better be reading this!!!

   There are healthy alternatives in every restaurant and sometimes asking for something to be cooked a certain way is all you need to do to eat healthy, even when many others at your table choose less healthy options. 

   Did you know that at Denny’s you can get egg whites in your breakfast skillet? Did you know Waffle House will cook anything on its menu exactly how you want it? Subway and most other sub shops offer healthier choices for bread and condiments and every sub can be transformed into a healthier salad and almost every fast food restaurant out there has healthy alternatives to French fries and chips on the menu. Most towns have great specialty food stores with a cafe in them that specifically want to keep us living longer. In Spartanburg, Garner's is and has been a staple for a long time, and they have amazing food!(Shout out)

We can do this if we put our minds to it. Let’s try and make healthy choices when we go out to eat. Spend time with your friends laughing, talking and tell crude jokes, not eating yourself sick.

Much love and happy dreams!

TODAY I AM EXCITED ABOUT…Depression?

    Today I am excited about Yard work actually. For those of you that know me, you know how much I HATE yard work; I hate mowing the lawn, planting, pruning, sweating, getting dirty, general movement, etc…

    Yesterday I spent my day off keeping busy and not lying around, I am getting pretty good about keeping my energy levels high by eating the right foods, and by doing everyday things like cleaning and laundry and blogging, instead of watching TV and sleeping. I also did yard work. YES, I did yard work, willingly! I mowed the lawn with a push mower (half of it) I did a little planting, I used the weed eater, and watered my plants, and I even perspired, profusely!!!

     I am excited about this, because I have never been motivated to do it before. I always put it off until eventually someone else would do it for me. I was too depressed to care.

     How often do you put something off, sleep in to avoid a workout, skip a healthy meal or just sit on the couch all day? I used to a lot of those activities (if you can call them that), and even worse, I did them all while gorging on junk food. I find that once I allow things to get bad with my health and weight, I get depressed. Dictionary.com defines depression as an area that is lower than the surrounding one. I found that interesting…It totally explains how it feels, to me anyway.

   I don’t quite know how one chemically gets depressed, I DO, however, know for a fact that once your brain becomes depressed, even if you are the healthiest of people, it will always and for the rest of your life, know how to find its way back into its depression, if it is allowed to. That is why so many people are on medication for mental illness. Depression and mental illness are dangerous parts of a vicious cycle in the lives of many overweight people. I think we eat to put sadness out of our minds, to repress and to prevent addressing real problems in our lives.

My experience with the back breaking yard work I did yesterday filled me with pride, over a job well done, a nice yard for Cooper (my coonhound) to play in, smells from my past and something I had yet to EVER know anything about…Endorphins.Dictionary.com defines Endorphins as any group of peptides occurring in the brain and other tissues of vertebrates, and resembling OPIATES, that react with the brain’s opiate receptors to raise the pain threshold. Well, broken down this means Endorphins are a bodily chemical that is released during physical activity that turn on your brain’s feel good emotions. They basically make you high, only naturally.

So, now to the point of the blog… excited about Depression? Well to be perfectly honest I hate depression. Mental illness is a scary and tragic state that many, many people all over the world suffer from, including me. Depression has controlled me for a huge chunk of my life. It has held me captive, kept me miserable, and even suicidal. So for me to claim to be excited about it may be slightly misleading. I am excited because I believe that I now know how to keep depression from re-entering my life.

   Finding different ways to increase my physical activity, in order to release endorphins, is the best way for me to naturally keep myself from becoming depressed. I am not saying that it will work for everyone, but I think it is worth trying.

Let’s all try to get more active and stay focused on keeping ourselves happier, and healthier. I think it will help us reach our physical and mental goals, and the exercise wouldn’t hurt anyone. LEt's all get excited about Depression, Let's get excited about stomping it out of our lives forever!!!

Have a great night, and keep smiling!!!    

We are our own best "tipper"

When you go to a restaurant or to your stylist and they give you a service, do you tip them a standard amount, do you tip according to how happy you were with the service, do you tip according to a mental list of actions the associate takes to ensure yours happiness, or do you just not tip at all for whatever reason.

   People in the service industry are paid a number of different ways and it is almost always a little less than people working in other industries. They depend on the tips they receive from you. This ensures that they will do their best to satisfy you during the service. The companies they work for will enjoy a better reputation for good service and the team will enjoy more business and tips from new clients that have heard good things about whatever service their acquaintance received from you. Poor service yields little or no tips and continued poor service results in being terminated from the job completely.

  WOW! How often have you considered all of that before tipping anyone that you might tip? Here is another question. Have you ever considered your body as the client and your life choices as the service professional? I know I never have, until now! IT all works the same way. I am finding that with each day, the better choices I make in my life, whether they are sleeping to late, eating poorly or putting off paying a bill on time, my body finds a way to deny me something. I might be tired all day, or worried about the bill or regretful for eating the extra serving of food. I want t start viewing those poor feelings as my body not tipping me after a service. Essentially I depend on those tips for body and mind survival.

   Unlike most of us, I do not believe that our bodies will stiff us (so to speak) on a tip, if we do our best to satisfy it during the services we perform. We are going to receive valuable tips every time we do something to better ourselves, whether it is going to bed on time, meeting our exercise goals for the day or saying a prayer before bed. I promise we will be rewarded for everything we do that positively impacts our lives!

   Starting today let’s try to remember that our body is our client and to keep it happy and to keep it tipping us appropriately, we have to do our part by making better life choices. After all, the longer we deny our bodies the best we can give it, the quicker we will end up at the unemployment line!

Have a great day everyone!!!

VeMMA

This article is part of the Vemma website, to read more about free radicals and how antioxidants help combat them go to http:/www.Vemma.com/vemma/ or click on the link to the Vemma website on the right hand side of the blog.

Building a Solid Nutritional Foundation is
Vital to Your Overall Health

Nutritionists and doctors alike are beginning to discover that it doesn't matter how old you are, whether you're male or female, whether you have ailments or are as healthy as an ox...
You see, each and every day your body's 63 trillion cells are constantly being bombarded by unstable molecules called "free radicals."

When cells in your body encounter a free radical, the reaction can cause destruction in those cells.

Free radicals are responsible for many effects of aging. These unstable molecules lose electrons and "borrow" them from a healthy cell, destroying that cell in the process.
Then these electrons ricochet all over your body, damaging healthy cells from your bones, blood, skin, and even your internal organs. Free radicals eventually break into your cell membranes and destroy the DNA inside...





My cousin has a Vemma shirt on in alot of his pictures on Facebook and I was interested in what it's all about. This information is thrilling to me, not only because I know first hand the benefits of antioxidants, but because VeMMA could in fact be the worlds strongest! check it out! 

Emotional Eating

   We are so hard on ourselves, yet at the same time we enable ourselves to sooth our feelings, good or bad, with food. How do we recognize this and more importantly, how do we change?
   I dont think there is any type situation that an emotional eater can't justify as an excuse to eat.
There is an upside to realizing you are an emotional eater...You can make it a point to be more aware of your emotions, research some natural remedies if you feel your emotions are hurting you. there are seeral teas you can steep for a change in mood, there are exercises you can do that will instantly change your mood. But I am finding that when I become emotional and start thinking about food, I need to get up and do something to get my mind off of eating. This almost always works for me, and like I said at my WW meeting today, my house is the cleanest it has ever been!
   Emotional Eating isnt always an indication that you are sad or depressed. You can find yourself eating in celebration, I see people so happy that they loose weight each week that they go straight to Mcdonald's after the meeting...most of us celebrate holidays and birthdays, family reunions, and just everyday get togethers with tons of food. Let's all try and eat a little less during the sad moments in our lives and during our happiest moments and start talking more, holding hands more, lifting each other up, reconnecting and showing the love.
 Have a great night and have happy heart beats!

Smile it's Tuesday

   The single most important thing I force myself to do everyday is to smile.
I have so much to be thankful for, I thank my God for life and the ability to reach out to you all. I am thankful for the motivation to work toward this weight loss goal, I wake up excited about the possibility of what my life will bring next EVERY DAY!!!! Way to much to list here, But my heart is full constantly of feeling I thought were gone from me forever. This Journey has just begun, so I dare not even try to imagine how good I will feel tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that...No matter what your situation might be, just forge a smile, and it will be your first step to the next smile!
   Try it!

Ronald McDonald and his Femme Fatale!

    I have spent alot of money at Mcdonald's over the years...ALOT of money!!!
I am not angry at Ronald over that, I am angry at myself. I would leave work every day and go straight to the drive thru. I would buy ten dollars worth of the worst food possible, load it down with catsup adn salt and eat myself sick!
    Today I am over Ronald. I no longer crave the 2-700 calorie, 45 grams of fat Big Macs I used to gorge on. I feel a little sad for the people that dont understand what that processed food is doing to them(I have a point to all of this). There is alot of disputed info about just how bad this food is for us, but I suspect the truth would make most of us sick to our stomach.

    Little Debbie is another crazy food that many of us love and think makes us happy. She is a dirty hooker that has stolen money from me for the past 30 years. All I think about when I remember her now is the oily film that coats your mouth after you eat one of her cakes.
    I have completely freed myself from the poor relationships I shared with Ron and Deb...I hope all of you can too.
    Snacking on yogurt and fruit, fat free granola bars, and popcorn freed me from Little Deb.
    Cooking the best possible food, finding fun and inventive alternatives to red meat, fatty foods and grocery shopping has freed me from Ron.
    This week I challenge all of you to eat out less, plan your meals in advance, shop with a strict list, don't settle for laziness in your attitude about food, and finally, I know that many people are saying it is hard to afford healthy food. I have said it myself and used the statement as an excuse to buy poor quality food that is full of hazardous chemicals and tons of sugar...Healthy food is expenseive, and organic food is outrageous, but the trick to this whole lifechange is...MODERATION. Eat until you are satisfied, not until you are stuffed. Your food will last longer and you will be able to afford to slowly integrate healthier choices into your pantry!( a trick from my friend Daniel....use a smaller plate at meals, you will be surprised how much less you will eat)
Have a GREAT day eveyone and we will talk again tomorrow!!!

Please check this blog out!

My friends Daniel is an amazing guy. His knowledge alone amazes me...He is a contributing writer for OnFitness Magazine and has a blog that has helped me look at things differently! He is super nice and super fit and a great role model!

check it out..... http://truhealthquest.com

The Journey

I have decided to log this story, and it is going to be a long one...
I have spent most of my life overweight and dealing with the horrible judgements, jokes and sneers that came with it (not only as a kid, but as an adult).
   My weight problems are deeply seeded, and emotional. They are controlling, sickening and deadly. I knew if i didnt do something, I was going to die. I was going to die sooner, not later.
   I had already developed dangerously high blood pressure and diabetes. I couldn't walk normally, run or play  with my daughter without becoming dangerously ill. My doctor warned me that the fat building around my heart and liver were causing those organs to literally shut down, even though my arteries were pumping my blood normally, the fat was constricting everything in my body and i was dying...Imagine hearing that..."You are dying"!
   I have survived cancer twice, depression from divorce and the loss of a child...I have survived being an  chemically addicted young adult and living with secrets that could hurt my loved ones...while this blog is not about that, it is important for you to know that after beating most of those obstacles, i was about to succumb to morbid obesity.
   On January 1st 2011, My mother called and made an offer that changed my life. She offered to take me to weight watchers and sign me up for the program, and asked me to give it a try...I did, reluctantly, and as of April 1, i have gone from 389 (down from406) to 338 pounds. My life has changed dramatically and i continue to loose most every week, and my diabetes and high blood pressure issues are resolved. I breath easier, i walk faster can run a little, and I am participating in a 5k walk/run this May...
  I have a ton of help, I am reading about health, learning about my body, learning natural ways to feel good, healthier ways to gain nutrition and interesting facts about my body and how it works, and why it responds to the things it responds too. I am using my own lisenced education in reflexology to benefit my health as well. Facebook, Twitter and Myspace are also huge tools as the community on each website turns out to be a support group on in its own way.
   This Journey is about to become more complex as I investigate my happiness health and lifestyle, and share it all with you in posts dedicated to inspiring you all to become as healthy as you can.
When i receive eye opening info, you will too! When I hear about a blog or a website that will help, so will you! I will still occasionally post about interesting art I see and want to discuss, but mostly this journey is about us, our constant search for a better life, and about me and my exciting, unbelievable transformation from dying, to LIVING!!! please sign up for Email alerts and join me!
Love to you all! Rob
 

Camille on her deathbed.......

I was reminded recently of my devotion to Claude Monet and his incredible Impressionist vision... How he has maintained artistic integrity and reinvented it simultaneously.

This particular piece is my mostg favorite painting in the world, and as it is a privately held piece, I suppose I will never lay eyes on it.

I plan on expressing my feelings on this painting in the next few days. Before I do, I would like you to look over the painting for yourself. Fall in love with this work, as I have.

Enjoy!