Personal Development;Life Enhancement;Achievement
Posts tagged Dieting
Making Money Online and Writing Part 7
Aug 20th
“Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.” ~Victor Kiam
I’ve been procrastinating. There is no other way to say it. Some other time we can explore the causes and cures for procrastination. For today, I’ll say what I believe: the root cause is almost always fear combined with poorly designed goals. So, now I am back on track and I apologize to my future self that is depending upon me to create my dream life.
What have I been doing, when I wasn’t procrastinating, to move my life forward? I thought today I would split my actions into two categories: 1) Personal and 2) Business
Personal
- I have been dieting successfully alternating between Atkins, Carbohydrate Addicts and Protein Fasting. I am now at my lowest weight in many years and I got to throw away a complete wardrobe and buy a smaller size. Now that was exciting!
- I have been working at licensing a boat and trailer that I picked up for a song. This has been much more complex that I expected and has been an excellent time and energy waster.
- I have been looking at houses to buy. The market is still dropping so we may still rent another year, but I am really tired of renting!
- I have been reading lots of books. This is one of my favorite ways to escape something I’d rather not do.
- I have been looking at new cars to buy. I am a recovering car addict, at the peak of my illness I owned 13 simultaneously, but in my defense it is getting to be time for a new car.
Business
- I have been using twitter fairly well and am getting in the habit of 3 daily tweets and following people of interest. I broke 1600 followers this morning just before I wrote this blog entry.
- I have been putting together a new seminar series for entrepreneurs and small business owners. I expect this series to be very well received and I will start marketing it in just a few days.
- I have been working with my existing coaching clients.
- I have been working with my existing consulting client (just one at this time).
What Have I Been Putting Off (and why!)
This is a much more interesting list and will be the subject of my next blog entry.
Till next time faithful reader…Jack
“To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” ~Eva Young
And the Winner is…
Feb 9th
“You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” ~Napoleon Hill
Atkins. I have decided that I am going to use the Atkins Low-Carbohydrate diet as my mine dietary tool for getting back in shape. I used this diet successfully the last time that I got into decent shape and it worked well for me – with one glaring exception – previously I had a strong tendency for gout attacks while using this diet. I think I have this worked out now with the addition of some different supplementation.
For those of you familiar with Atkins, I will stay at the induction level of carbohydrate consumption until I am nearly at my ideal bodyweight of 195 pounds. Should this occasionally become too challenging, for example when I am on vacation with my family, then I will follow the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet. This is the diet from the Heller’s and is one of the few other diets that Dr, Atkins also felt had validity. I have also used the diet in the past. For me, I did not lose weight at any significant rate while following this diet, but I also never gained any weight – for me this is a good thing.
I am not choosing Atkins at random. I have tried many diets in the past. I have tried being a vegetarian. I managed this for 3 months and was enjoying it in some ways – until I developed an allergic reaction to soy and soy-containing products. I was using soy as my main source of protein and my body had eventually had enough and told me this in spectacular and unforgettable ways. No more vegetarianism for this boy.
I have tried the South Beach Diet. This is another one that allowed me to comfortably maintain my weight but did very little for helping me to lose weight. It is something that I can use once I get back in shape to stay that way.
I have tried calorie counting and all of it’s variations. I am not a good calorie counter – in fact it drives me crazy. When I can afford a professional chef that works for me and my family, then I will consider this one again and the chef can count the calories!
I will talk more about Atkins and low-carbohydrate dieting in future entries, probably once per week or so. I expect it to work very well indeed – as long as I do my part and keep my carb consumption under 20 grams.
Till next time…Jack
I book-ended this entry with quotes from Hill and Carnegie. Can any of you tell me the connection – there is more than one!
“Here is the prime condition of success: Concentrate your energy, thought and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun on one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it.” ~Andrew Carnegie
Your Plan for Success
Feb 2nd
“The first wealth is health”. ~Emerson
This is the year! After so many years of being out of shape, this is the year that I return to fitness. This is a big statement – a big goal. I have been out of shape, in varying degrees of terrible, ever since I quite smoking more than ten years ago. So how am I going to do this? What am I going to do to give myself the best possible chance of success with this goal? Excellent questions.
In fact, these questions are so excellent, that I am going to devote the next few blog entries to developing my plan for success right in front of your eyes. This will allow you to see all of the elements that I use to create a nearly unstoppable plan for succeeding at any goal – not just weight loss. You will get all of the steps that I use with my clients – without spending any money.
Let me start by restating my goal for health in 2009: I will return to my optimal bodyweight before the end of 2009. So, that is a fairly clear goal, but not quite explicit enough. Whenever possible, you should put a very measurable number on your goals. When I say very measurable, I mean a goal that clearly states ‘what by when”. So, let me restate my goal: I will return to 195 pounds of bodyweight by the morning of December 31st, 2009. Now that is a clear goal and gives my brain really simple things to remember.
Is this a reasonable goal? What will I do to achieve this? Why have I failed in the past? What exactly will I do differently this time? Wow! More great questions. Come back next time and we will continue the process of building a virtually unstoppable “Plan For Success”.
Till next time…Jack
“They claim red meat is bad for you. But I never saw a sick-looking tiger”. ~Chi Chi Rodriguez
Fasting Begins
Jan 12th
“I recently had my annual physical examination, which I get once every seven years, and when the nurse weighed me, I was shocked to discover how much stronger the Earth’s gravitational pull has become since 1990.” ~Dave Barry
I started fasting today. For the next few weeks, I am going to be dieting very strictly. I am going to alternate fasting – drinking just water and eating no food of any kind with protein fasting – eating just protein without carbohydrates or fats. I am not doing this for religious reasons – I am doing it because I am fed up with being out of shape. Actually, I have a long ways to go just to get to out of shape! Currently, I am obese and I just can’t stand it anymore. This is a great mental place for me to be!
I don’t recommend fasting, water or protein, to anyone. You need to know what you are doing and you need supervision. I have both. I will document the results of this fast here on my blog. For the record, it is starting today, Monday January 12th and I intend to continue it through Sunday, February 22nd. Once a week or so I will check in and let you know how I am doing and how I am feeling.
What are my biggest motivators for this diet? 1) Being around to achieve my dreams. 2) Having the energy, the physical vitality to achieve and enjoy my dreams. 3) Playing with my daughters. 4) Running and playing tennis again. Remember my goals for 2009? This is my “Fun” goal:I will run in the USA’s largest cross-country race: The Living History Farms Seven Miler. This race starts at 9am, Saturday November 21st, 2009 and I intend to be ready!
My bodyweight as I start this diet? 332 pounds. Wow, that was hard to admit!
Till next time…Jack
“Research conducted by University of California, Berkeley suggests there are major health benefits to caloric restriction. Benefits include a reduced risk of cancer, the slowing of the aging process and the potential to increase maximum life span. Currently, the reduction of caloric intake is the only proven method of increasing the lifespan of an organism. Dr. Joel Fuhrman maintains that pure water fasting can not only “detoxify” cells and “rejuvenate” organs, but can actually cure such diseases and conditions as cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colitis, psoriasis, lupus and some other autoimmune disorders when combined with a healthy diet. He believes that “Fasting is Nature’s Restorer.”"