| Green, green, we love the green! | Week 7 of 12, Day 47 of 84
Well, being green for a week has now taken me from 215 to 208. Obviously, some of that is water weight, but I'm stoked to be heading in the right direction. This was also with enough flexibility to enjoy chocolate, red wine, and soy ice cream throughout ... it's amazing what you can do when you truly track your nutrition intake! Only two days until the start of my official BFL challenge ... I'm STOKED! I absolutely CAN'T WAIT.
Mimi - I wasn't an early morning breakfast person, either. Have you tried just having fruit, though? I tried it for a few weeks and after I realized how great it made me felt and what energy it gave me in the morning, I haven't stopped since then!
Buzz - Great run, and great news with the waistline. Isn't it hilarious how people treat the healthy lifestyle? Invariably I find it to be envy and almost wistful thinking - people know how their efforts have fallen short in the past, so they are envious of someone else taking control, and almost wistful that you WILL succeed so that they can have some solid evidence that what they did was valid. I started my first Body-for-LIFE challenge in August of 1999 and my parents STILL ask me, "So, do you still eat healthy and all that?" LOL. You'd think, after almost 5 years, they'd understand this is a new way of living for me.
Emma - that is a GREAT little blog. I know exactly what you mean. What drove me the entire 2000 challenge where I made my greatest gains was simply the thought that everything I put in my mouth would become part of my body. It's funny, because there was some junk in the breakroom and a co-worker was eating it. They looked at me and said, "Hey, this can't hurt me, can it?" I told them you can look at it two ways. You can say, I will eat whatever doesn't hurt me. Then, maybe sodas are okay, or maybe they're not. Maybe artificial sweeteners are fine, then again, maybe not ... who knows. OR ... you can say, not, "Will it hurt me" but rather, "How does this help me?" While there may be a raging debate concerning whether or not WOW! chips or Pringles can hurt us, how many people can really convince you that they will HELP your body?
Sue - okay, so it used to be PMS but now it's TOM ... I guess TOM is post-PMS, or is TOM all-inclusive of pre-, during-, and post-? You gals have to let us guys understand the acronyms a bit. I was on another board, and the ladies were talking about some guy named Tom and how irritating he is and how much they hate it when he visits and I'm thinking, "Why do so many people know Tom, and how can someone be so downright cruel?" Then it dawned on me ... TOM was an acronym for something else. LOL.
The Bjorklunds - sorry to hear about Sanieh's "foggy days" and hope those are resolved. Can't wait to see both of your pix ... especially the Get Lean "afters", I think it'll do some awesome things to that already ANIMALIAN physique! LOL!
Teri - you GO girl!
Andy - way to work HARD and keep it green!
Sharon - the eating part is the key. No one can maintain foods they dislike. The key is finding the right foods, then learning how to season or prepare them so you ENJOY them. Ultimately, your goal should be to find foods that you think are so tasty they could be a free meal even when they're not!
Nicole - you're right, many people can judge. Unfortunately, a lot of people look at a priest or a preacher and forget they're only human, like the rest of us. When they expose their human flaws - arrogance, judgement, envy, greed (the same flaws ALL of us must face at some time or another) many people feel that somehow God let them down, rather than just the person. It's really ironic that some people are turned away from this, when in fact it can be the greatest testimony to God's glory - that He loves us SO much that he gave us the choice to deny even Him!
I used to have the same concerns about judgement, and unfortunately, some churches are as you described. But there are also churches, like the one that I belong to, that aren't that way. The message isn't, "Did you know you're going to Hell?" But rather, "Have you heard the GREAT NEWS that you are SAVED?" See, salvation is a free gift that we only have to accept.
I do disagree about not truly knowing until you reach the other side. I, too, still harbor grains of doubt deep within me that sometimes try to chip away at my faith. However, that's what faith is ... if I based my religion on empirical evidence, on study and archaeology and science, then I'd always be in doubt. But when I chose to have faith and gave myself to Christ, I was filled with the Holy Spirit and blessed with a conviction that what I was doing is right. This touched me in a way I hadn't been touched, ever before. Living 27 years of my life as either an atheist or someone who believed in a "Higher Power" but didn't like the nuances or "rules" or various churches and denominations, being saved was a surprising transformation - surprising because I had to give up my earthly perceptions and become more humble than I've ever been in order to let Christ guide me. And it's still selfishness and pride that get in the way and interfere with my spiritual walk! We are our own worse enemy.
And above all else, while I am commissioned to spread the gospel (literally, the "good news") wherever I can, only God is allowed to judge. If I, as a Christian, pass judgement on anyone because they don't share my beliefs, then I am not spreading God's Word or setting Christ's example. God says we are all His children, and so I am brother to Jew and Muslim and any other person out there!
I'm glad you are focusing more on your spiritual beliefs. I pray you find all you hope for in your journey. Godspeed and God's blessings!
Everyone - keep it green! That's it for today, take care!
posted by Jeremy on 5/16/2003 7:33:21 AM | | Hey all | Week 7 of 12, Day 45 of 84
Just here to update my green squares. Just wanted to shout out, "HEY!!".
Oh, and, Mimi, do I know you? You look realllllly familiar. (I know, if I weren't a happily married Christian, it would sound like a pickup line). Seriously, it seems I've seen you before ...
Anyway, have a great day, everyone!
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy on 5/14/2003 4:35:04 PM | | Goood morning peeps! | Week 7 of 12, Day 45 of 84 cont...
Just enjoying my green streak. So far the scale has gone down every day. Had a killer workout last night, will post details. Wanted to do some shout outs!
Leann - thanks for the heartfelt message. I agree, the transformation should take place on the inside. Just remember, you are the one who hates your appearance and the one who is judging yourself ... you said that you do not want to be judged on the way you look right now. Trust me, the people in this community have all been through those struggles or are undergoing them right now, so no one here is going to judge you on the way you look - you are the one judging yourself and making the physical appearance something difficult. That is part of the process - when you are comfortable with who you are, even now, when you feel you are not in shape, that is when you will start to see the process truly unfold. Losing weight will not gain that confidence back or make you stop hating your appearance - you have to love yourself first.
Alex - you are right, it is all in the mind. No, no miracle is going to happen tomorrow or the next day. When you are ready to create your own success, it will happen!
Andy - welcome! We look forward to you achieving your hardcore goal with that new found motivation!
Dianna - thanks ... I just call it like I see it! I've played those mind games with myself many times before. I'll be at 10% obsessed about some pinch of fat on my waist that has to go before I get into single digits, then I'm up at 20% and wondering why I was so trivial because now I can't even see my abs! LOL.
Chuck - please don't read LBM as muscle mass. That is the mistake I see oh, so many people make. Since Friday I've gone from 215 to 209. Do you think I've lost 6 pounds of muscle? I don't ... there are a LOT of water fluctuations there. Sure, you've lost strength, but I'd be more interested in the trend over 4 weeks than 1 or 2 ... and then even more over the 12 week trend. I'd wager a bet that you did NOT lose a pound of muscle ... I think the high intensity training/nutrition is emptying some glycogen out of your muscles and some water is going with it.
Erin - Erin, you're right. Unfortuntaely, sometimes it takes dramatic events to let us see how important life really is. I try to make sure I live each day as if it is the last - not because I'm fatalistic, but because I want my wife and children to truly know my love. I never want to be in a situation where I get stuck thinking, "Did I tell them I loved them? Did I show them?" if someone were suddenly taken away from me, or I them ... so I make sure I tell them and show them every day!
Mimi - you look terrific, what a great inspiration. I always love it when people such as yourself and Buzz set your own selves as your ultimate goals ... because physique transformation is truly about "becoming" yourself and finding your inner strengths, and you are your best motivator.
Yours in Christ,
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy on 5/14/2003 7:15:52 AM | | Oreo's kill? | Week 7 of 12, Day 44 of 84
This guy seems to think so! Might I recommend Paul Newman's versions as a healthy alternative? I think the mint-flavored ones put Oreos to shame, and, unlike Kraft, Paul donates all of his profits (after Uncle Sam) to charity.
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy on 5/13/2003 9:02:23 AM | | Kristin - avoid the "looks like" syndrome | Week 7 of 12, Day 44 of 84 cont...
Kristin,
You mentioned you saw, it looked like, etc for your legs. About the only objective, visual interpretation I know of is pictures, and then if they are properly spaced - 4 weeks if someone is making FAST changes and more like 12 weeks (hey, before/afters) for longer.
See, the problem with "looks like" is that our subconscious always uses that to its advantage. I used to struggle with this all the time. Let's take the reality - since I started DietPower and really focused on what I was eating, I've dropped from 215 to 209.5. Some of that was definitely water weight, but in general, the scale is going in the right direction for me. But, here's the catch, I still have my love handles, so guess what?? "Looks like" my love handles are getting bigger ... man, even though I was on target for calories yesterday, I should have stuck to chicken and spinach for dinner, not that chocolate and glass of wine I enjoyed! "Looks like" that wine might have gone straight to my gut, too ... yes, I know it was only 8 oz but good grief my pants "felt" more tight today.
See where I'm going with this? Our mind will play tricks on us and try to sabotage our progress. Why? Because of doubt. See, if you can truly tackle your transformation without the slightest bit of doubt, then you won't have that problem with the nagging little naysayer in the back of your mind. But I'll warrant you're not attacking it like that ... why? Because when you have NO doubt about your ability to succeed, you also create your success. If you are eating too many calories, what prompted that? I know when I slip and muck around, it's because I let the little shadow of doubt creep in. It's the old, well, I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it so I might as well be happy and do this or that conversation that takes place in our head. With 100% confidence, it's more like - I KNOW I'll be 180 on August 9th so I don't NEED to worry about slipping AT ALL.
You know, the game works both ways. I can guarantee, for me, I don't have 100% confidence of one thing - muscle. See, I know I can drop the fat and I know I can reach my target, but where I always feel like I can improve is in maintaining or even gaining muscle when leaning down. I've always preserved or lost a little lean mass, and this time I'm doing an entirely different approach, so I'm not 100% certain what to expect. So my mind will start playing the games like ... "Looks like" your biceps are getting smaller. "Looks like" your shoulders aren't as defined. "Looks like" your chest is deflating.
See, looks like just doesn't cut it. If you are taking measurements, watching the scale, measuring body fat, then you have something empirical - hard data - to follow. You can look at the change in weight, or the progress on the scale, and say ... "I am losing weight" or "My bodyfat is going down". But with the looks like syndrome, your legs will be beautifully sculpted and muscular after your heavy workout when you're drenched in sweat and feeling like you've conquered the world, and then on the weekend after you eat a meal of opportunity and feel a little bloated or like maybe you shouldn't have eaten it, suddenly it will look like your legs are losing muscle and adding fat and any other number of things.
I say, focus on hard data. Monitor the things that you can objectively monitor, and leave the "looks like" out of the equation. If you are progressing towards your goal, then that is all that matters. I can tell you with utmost confidence that I have NEVER experienced someone who exercises moderately and is either maintaining or dropping weight actually GAIN fat. In other words, I've never seen someone gain fat/lose muscle who was maintaining their weight or dropping it and exercising.
Hope this helps!
God bless you,
Jeremy
posted by Jeremy on 5/13/2003 7:55:00 AM |
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