My third step to awesome.

These days I find more and more enjoyment out of discovering more ways to be me. I have long since said "Be the change you would like to see" and now I am doing just that. Considering Empires are not built over night its a journey. mainly a journey of self discovery and improvement but a journey all the same. I find myself searching for like minded people that are just tired of the Normal every day, the daily grind people to bounce ideas off of and have their ideas bounced off of me. all in the name of improving our lives and finding our own brand of happiness and contentment. the weight loss goals I set are coming along just fine, my morning walks are getting more invigorating. adding crunches and some other light exercises to start toning muscles are making the process just amazing as well, I suppose I am gonna have to find a scale soon just so I can report the progress I am making from 280lbs till now... maybe I will go buy one later.
so my third step, if I had to pick one is set some goals. ya I know that should have been set to begin with but this started out as a weight loss plan, and turned into an amazing journey. whether I had goals or not to start I have to say that although I have mentioned fix the finances, and straighten the diet out. these things are not goals they are part of the complete transformation of my life.
living better isn't a goal its just what I am doing, while I strive to achieve my goals.
Do not be afraid to dream. always reach for the stars, even if you fall short its one hell of a trip

second step to awesome.

reduce your expenses, pay off your debts, declutter your life, its easier than you think, really we do not need big screen televisions, brand new cars, or credit cards, hell we barely need banks... sure as hell don't require the debt they peddle...
Seriously if i asked you to crawl into my house begging to put you in debt would you? then why would you crawl into a bank begging for debt? their marketing is amazing. we as people crawl into their offices begging to make payments, and leave happy when they approve us.... get rid of it, trust me your life will improve. I got myself a truck shortly after returning from Iraq, was happy to have it, even tho I knew my credit wasn't great, the dealerships loan officer was more than happy to get me a loan... its been a source of stress and aggravation since. upside down on it years later all I can do is pay more per month and hope I get back on the right side of the value...hind sight is 20/20, I will never finance another thing in my life. I can show a little restraint and pay cash... may not be a brand spanking new vehicle or whatever I am purchasing but I will own it...
there are countless resources available to assist you by education, on how to eliminate your debt and stay out of debt... well worth the listen. more than worth the effort and life will almost immediately start to improve, please do not take my word for it, take the steps to prove it or debunk it yourself.
a few months back I started listening to Dave Ramsey, and his story, his lessons, his humor on how to get out of debt, stay out of debt and get ahead, no way is it an overnight fix, but it all makes perfect sense and just like stepping on the scale at 280 pounds.... I know better.
pay off debt, stay out of debt be happy and live a life to be proud of.

First Step to Awesome

Last Christmas I come back home feeling better than I had in a long time. Not only because I had a chance to see family, which in itself is rejuvenating,  but because I had just spent a week or more eating better food and exercising more, by default but more all the same.
I came back home and start to decline again. thinking I ate pretty healthy as it was I couldn't pin point the exact cause... so I started taking a mental inventory of what I ate, how often and the like.

Hopelessly addicted to Monster energy drinks I realized... I probably don't require 5-6 cans a day. sugar is a horrible way to stay awake... lucky for me they have Monster zero...

So at any rate, when I stepped on the scale I set out to change my life in order to better my physical condition, what I found and continue to find is amazing, but first things first... Change your diet. get excited about it. its only punishing to yourself if you believe it to be. Like I have posted previously I chose the South Beach Diet to make this radical change to healthy... since then I have been finding more diets that are not too different so the name itself is not really of big concern. Choosing to be healthier is the key to success.

The diet as it were stressed cutting out all unnatural sugars and most natural sugars as well. but Didn't once say go to bed hungry. as the diet progressed some natural sugars are added back in but moderately. I haven't missed them, in fact have began to see High Fructose Corn syrup for the poison it is... I feel better, like unbelievably better, My mind is clearer, my motivation and energy levels are through the roof (Think, the energy levels of a major sports team that just one the biggest game of the season). Ideas on how to better my life flood in, whether I want them or not. and the resources of like minded people out there are endless.

but it all begins with you. change your diet, start making positive changes and go.

Inner child eyes.

Lately I have been reading more and more on life and how to experience it, simply because the more research I do on losing weight, links me further and further into a world I haven't seen since I was a young child looking at the world with awe and wonder.
As I get more and more energy I am happier, feel decades younger, and have a new found respect for life.
why would anyone spend their days as unhappy and miserable as they are and not try to change it, I found myself on a 8 year decline after my marriage failed. even major changes in my situation didn't help. simply because I was chasing the wrong rainbow i guess. Now I spend my time researching, learning, dreaming and rescheduling the priorities in my life.
Amazing to me that this started as a way to lower the number on the scale. My emotional health as well as my physical health has improved so much that I can't help but smile, giggle, laugh and enjoy my situation, even tho financially and geographically not one thing has changed, I just feel better all around.
I strongly suggest more people get on track and start doing what they want to do, the increase in energy and zest for life is almost guaranteed to make positive changes in your life.
My weight loss has slowed, I do not feel lighter than yesterday or the day before like I did when Phase 1 of the diet drops the most weight, but just by default I will be healthier just because I have more energy and desire to do more, to stop sitting on the shore watching the river run by. I want to get out there and float with it. to experience all that life and my imagination have to offer... I remember as a child how the world was there for me to conquer... by god I intend to complete that goal and if I never do... it was one hell of a fun journey. No More Excuses, No more Can't, No More short cuts, Everything worth having takes time energy and commitment I want to not only improve my life but the lives of all those I come in contact with.
Happy reading. again feel free to comment, add suggestions or take steps at improving your life and those around you.

More than walking.

So my interests in activity are increasing, but my knees and back are still saying.."um no!"
so given the fact that running and jumping are still not options (may never be) on top of my regular walks I am adding crunches into my daily activities and balancing beams in whatever shape they take.... parking blocks small walls along the sidewalk. I got carried away the other day and jumped around some and now my knees and left foot are screaming at me, but I won't let this discourage me.

Breakfast consisted of Greek yogurt, sugar free preserves to sweeten it, and about half a cup of natural granola and water.
been thinking Yoga would be a wonderful addition to my routine... flexibility would be an excellent means to help lose weight and prevent injury, Finding so many things that would be beneficial. so many easy things that do not require a huge time commitment and are low impact. I have given up on weighing myself for the time being, I refuse to be slave to a number I however judging my progress by my increases in energy levels, my clothes fitting better, and most importantly. How great I am feeling.
My goals are to start living the life I have, to celebrate the gift, to increase my activities as I can to successfully show the world that injuries and chronic conditions no longer control the quality of life I live.

Too Funny yet true

On the Movie Gladiator...

Up until things fell apart, Maximus Decimus Meridius was the highest ranking general in the Roman army. He won one decisive victory after another while expanding the empire.  Then in a few short days, he was stripped of his title, his family was brutally murdered, and he was sold into slavery far away from anything and everything he’d ever loved.
Imagine if at this point in the movie, Maximus turned to his fellow slaves and spent the last hour of the movie complaining about his bad luck: “I don’t deserve this, I’m not supposed to be here,” or “If only things were different, my life would be better,” or “why do they get to be free and I have to fight for my life?”  Or even worse, what if he just sat there and started crying?

Energy levels are climbing

Since I set out to lose some pounds I have seen not only an increase in how good my clothes fit, but I have seen a HUGE increase in my energy levels, I am sleeping better, and feel great. Deciding not to make excuses for myself anymore has been the best decision I have made in a long time. Sure my knees and back still ache from time to time. they are right there screaming at me to let me know I am over doing it, so all I am doing for that is scaling back my intensity and pushing on.
Even if I end up having to ice my knees or lay on the floor till the back spasms stop the increase in mental alertness and all around general happiness is so worth the effort.
I am starting to add crunches into my routine.  the skins getting a little lose and flabby and I have determined that in order to get past that I will have to add some other conditioning exercises. Advanced Parkour looks fun and amazing but baby steps. during my walk I found myself leaping up on short ledges along the route. and balancing on parking blocks. Kids seldom get fat when they play. And by God.... I WANT TO PLAY. Life is too short to let it pass you by, and as I work at it, and chronicle it here I find that it's a lot of fun just goofing around and being active.

Motivational

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” - John R. Wooden

A nice dream...

One day I would like to vault over walls, dive through small openings, and essentially act like a wild monkey tearing through some trees. Parkour...a very interesting thing that's taking off all around the world. guess it helps having James Bond push it for you :) For the pain levels I experience due to Arthritis and my own defeatist attitude, I would love to be in this kind of shape again. so far from what I have found on it, the beginning steps. or workouts as it were appear to be realitively easy and might be something worth checking into, probably won't be making any land speed records in that either but the satisfaction enjoying life again maybe worth the effort. Any one interested?

SImple exercises to get you moving again

 Isometric Exercise

When you have arthritis, it's also important to do exercises that can boost your muscle strength. Well-built muscles provide joint protection which is crucial if you are suffering from arthritis However, given your condition, you probably can't imagine yourself lifting heavy weights to increase your muscle mass. Fortunately, there are isometric exercises that you can do instead. For instance, to strengthen your shoulder muscles, you can do the isometric shoulder raise. Start by standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Slightly bend your knees as well. Holding a light dumbbell in each hand, slowly raise both arms away from your sides until they are parallel to the floor. Hold the position for at least 10 seconds before lowering your arms again. 

Walking and Other Aerobic Exercises
Cardio or aerobic exercises should also be incorporated in your workout routine. When you engage in aerobic exercises, your body's organs automatically begin to function more efficiently. This leads to improved endurance, stronger bones and muscles and better sleep. If you have been experiencing depression, stress or sleeping difficulty due to your arthritis, then aerobic exercises can help you address these problems. Walking is perhaps the simplest aerobic exercise that you can do. All you need are a good pair of walking shoes to get started. Other low-impact aerobic workouts that you can do are swimming, cycling or dancing.

menu choices

One of the many menu choices I have enjoyed during my attempts to lose weight is found on the South beach diet website.

Moroccan Lemon Chicken With Summer Squash and Green Olives (Phase 1)
Description
While the ingredient list for this recipe may seem long, it largely features common pantry spices. When combined, these spices make up a version of ras al-hanut, an intriguing blend that is widely used on Moroccan-style meats and fish. If you prefer, look for prepared ras al-hanut or another Moroccan blend in the spice section of your supermarket. Mixed with a little extra-virgin olive oil, these spices make a wet rub that blackens while cooking, giving the chicken a rich, exotic taste.
Cooking tip: Use cutlets in place of chicken breasts if you want to avoid the pounding step. Turkey cutlets can also be used.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 lemon
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3/4 pound summer squash, thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup pitted green olives
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper to 1/4" thick.
In a small bowl, mix together cumin, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, allspice, salt, and cayenne. Finely grate zest from lemon into spice mixture. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from lemon and add to spice mixture. Add 3 teaspoons of the oil to spice mixture and stir to combine. Spread mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning, until blackened on the outside and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add onion slices and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits, 3 minutes. Add squash, olives, and 2 tablespoons water. Season lightly with additional salt and pepper; stir well. Cover and cook until squash is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Squeeze a little more lemon juice over chicken and vegetables, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm.
Nutritional information
Per serving:
264 calories
8 g fat (1 g sat)
6 g carbohydrate
41 g protein
2 g fiber
314 mg sodium

This recipe was cut and pasted directly from the south beach diet website, it is an explosion of flavor, very good eating, and exotic. Not something you would expect from "Diet food"

Veterans.

As I searched for groups, clubs, gyms, anything, it began to hit me. I am a US Army Veteran and the VA hospitals offer services for all kinds of sicknesses, disorders etc and I remembered they have a weight control program. So I got online and started to research the program (www.Move.va.gov). As I read more about the program I could see how any kind of support would contribute to a persons attempts to be healthier and thought to myself again. I know better, and the VA hospital is an hour away, I can do this on my own, without the assistance of Doctors, devices, and drugs. I do not yet require inpatient or out patient treatment to stop being so lazy. 

 Don't get me wrong, The program is an amazing display of the services that our country offers our Veterans, I can only pray that more of us take full advantage of these programs, we've earned them. My point is, in order to get into the VA hospital I would have to drive an hour and that alone would take the wind out my sails, by the time I got there, got organized with the proper people and started I would likely have been so discouraged by the ordeal it would never have worked.... yes I suppose I am a little stubborn at times, and prefer more of an instant gratification of my efforts. I started looking for a program more accessible and convenient closer to home. lucky for me I didn't find one, now all I can think is "guess I have to start one".

I am not trying to make money, I am trying to get Healthy, lose weight, hurt less and feel better about myself. I do not have Degrees in medicine, diet, or positive thinking. I am simply just a person with a goal. When I got out of the Army I found every excuse I could muster to take the short cut, to avoid causing myself to work a little. Humans are an amazing bunch, we can make things so efficient, so easy, and user friendly, make the speed of human interaction so fast that all I have to do is pick up the phone and call, or turn on my messengers and chat. Yes we have gotten so LAZY! that not only will we drive to the Convenience store around the corner, we will swing through the fast food restaurant and get our dinner, the whole time sitting on our back sides.
Everything we eat these days has sugar in them. why? so it tastes better? just how good does diabetes taste? Heart Disease from being over weight for too long leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Excuses are easy to find. its amazing how much time I didn't have to improve my health, yet found plenty of time to play online games, plenty of time to get all the tobacco, soda's, junk food, and comforts I desired. yet could not find an excuse to walk a mile more or less every day in the name of healthy living.
Simply stated, I no longer have minimum standards to reach like when I was in the service. I don't have to run timed runs, reach muscle failure, or risk further injury, in fact all I have to do, is take care of myself, feel good about myself, and not be a burden on anyone else in the process. the process which I am still going through, and will forever more, is about being healthy, happy and energetic, is about living a life that I would be proud to tell my Grand kids about, to accomplish more than my lazy self could find the time to do.
Life is an Adventure, Live it.

How I went about it.

When I set out to fix my diet, I chose the South Beach Diet, I have seen how it works on friends and family in the past and regardless of my thoughts and opinions on diets I had to do something. the first phase of the diet is definitely the harder of them, the restrictions although difficult are easily handled.


The exercise, like I mentioned previously had to be low impact. simply walking to begin with is the method I chose.  I started first walking as many laps as I could handle around a 1/3 mile route. I am now up to about 2 miles, and albeit I don't set any speed records I am at least moving and not sitting stagnant in front of the computer or TV. the facilities around where I live are not ideal and as much as I would love to have a nice gym or recreation center to go to, simply walking has allowed me to shed the pounds.

When diet and exercise are combined the results begin to show and honestly a slower more controlled burn of the excess weight is indeed a healthier option. there are no magic pills or devices that will lose the weight for you. simple diet and exercise do the most.

I have lost almost 20lbs

I stepped on the scale a few weeks ago and was simply disgusted with myself. "I know better than that" is all I could think to myself. I started looking into various methods to lose weight for a number of reasons.
1. I know better
2. Arthritis forming in my knees and hips would likely hurt less if I weighed less
3. Obstructive sleep apnea, which I also suffer from, has shown to be controllable with weight loss.
4. I was starting to experience unexplained pains in my chest
5.I love life, and want to be around to enjoy it with my daughter.

I have used an improved diet, low impact exercise such as walking, in 3-4 weeks I have shed 20lbs and feel a lot better.
I stepped on the scale and almost died, I was weighing in at 280lbs, now at 260lbs I feel much better.
I share my situation simply because I know there are people out there that have similar issues and hesitate to begin, I have to say I didn't start out with lots of money, so the diet couldn't be too extravagant, my knees, hips and back are in almost constant pain, so the heavy high impact exercise wasn't and isn't really an option. I just got off the couch and started, and things like this are always easier with people to support each other in reaching their goals. feel free to add comments, suggestions and enjoy the company of like minded people trying to improve the quality of their lives.