Yikes!

"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." Proverbs 24:16

Now I know that the verse above is referencing the spiritual realm and not the physical, psychological, or mental but I couldn't think of a better principle to empower me for what I am about to say and what I am about to do regarding it:

I fell and I plan to get back up, refocus myself, and move forward.

When you adopt this attitude you are UNSTOPPABLE; you will win the victory, achieve your goal, be an over comer, and win at success!

Set a 1 year goal and then put into place 7 day goals and action plans.  Keep your eyes on the prize by doing those things which push you to your goal and avoid those things which will pull you from those goals.

Measure EVERYTHING in context of your 7 day and 1 year goals.  When you falter then immediately do a "course correction" and reestablish your fire to succeed!

Here are a few tips/suggestions that I am going to implement in the next 24 hours to STRENGTHEN my resolve:

I will write my 1 year physical goal on paper

I will write my next 7 day action plan & goal

I will put these written resolutions in a place that I will see them daily

I will be accountable to at least 5 people verbally that I see at least twice weekly

I will be accountable by posting my actions/results on Facebook

I will blog at least 3 times a week with my actions/results and future plans/insights

I will set a cellphone alarm at least once a day to remind me about my 1 year & 7 day goal

ONE BODY, ONE LIFE

Wendy's Chocolate Frosty...

...that's what these NatureRich Chocolate Energy Shakes taste like!  (No, I am not kidding!)  Again, here is how I recommend to make these for the BEST taste because let's face it...if it doesn't taste good you won't keep up with it.

Wendy's Chocolate Frosty Recipe
Get a Magic Bullet -- they are worth their weight in GOLD!
-Put 2 scoops of the chocolate shake into the Magic Bullet
-Add 5 large (or 6-7 small) ice cubes
-Pour in unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I use Blue Almond brand) until it reaches near the top of the container...with room enough to put the bladed bottom on the cup.

Blend for about 15 seconds, remove and shake (to get the ice back down to the blades), blend for another 10 seconds, remover and shake, blend for another 10 seconds...and VIOLA!

Consistency should be thick with little ice "grains" throughout which add a "little" crunch.  Enjoy within 15 minutes for the best consistency and taste.

13 Pounds in only 5 Days!!!

I was at the Lab this morning to have blood drawn (to measure post-kidney transplant levels) and I decided to step on the scale for the first time since I began 5 days ago...13 pounds (the amount of a heavy bowling ball) is completely GONE!  What a feeling!

I am wearing a T-Shirt today that just 6 little days ago I could not wear because my GUT would hang out the bottom (YUCK, right?).  Today it fits GREAT and it has put me in a great mood ;)

Yesterday I was in a bind as I went with some business partners to St. Cloud to speak at a meeting...no juicer, no ingredients, etc.  A friend of mine brought in organic cucumbers that he and his wife grow on their hobby farm.  Now, I usually do NOT like the taste of cucumbers...I always took them off my salads.  To eat a whole, raw, cucumber was quite a daunting thought to me BUT I did need something for "dinner".

Did I like the cucumber?  Although it wasn't as bad as I thought the answer is still no.  But do you know what I don't like even more?  BEING FAT!  NOT FITTING INTO MY CLOTHES!  BEING TIRED!  So the cucumber was cheerfully eaten and my body rejoiced :)  I am also very grateful to my friend who offered the cucumbers because not eating at all would have been even worse and temptation would have mounted.

Battle With Popcorn!!

$1 for a large bucket of popcorn and $1 for a large soda pop - what a deal!  My natural justification mechanisms kicked in with: skip the pop, get the popcorn, skip the salt and butter...and hey, it's not that bad.  It's almost better than a salad! ;)  Sound familiar?  And so the Battle with Popcorn went all the way to the location, at the location, and as I left the location...BUT I WON!!!

I wasn't noble in the victory as I had myself convinced that a "little" "air-popped" "unsalted" blah blah blah would actually be GOOD for me since I only had 430 calories today.  I was literally standing in line with my dollar in hand ready to make the purchase.  Would it have killed me?  No, but the THOUGHT that allowed the little exception, compounded over time, would bring me RIGHT back into fat pants!  It isn't the little single action that gets ANYONE it is the mental allowance, the THOUGHT, the philosophy that creates a broken system of standards that will absolutely kill you over time.  It's the Slight Edge (ala Jeff Olson).

I won tonight NOT by forgoing the popcorn, but by overcoming the thought that would have cracked the foundation of my persistence, my determination, my everything causing grand failure over time.  In that I celebrate a strong victory.  YOU can too!

Day 4 - complete success!  I look forward to day 5 with aggressive anticipation!

Hungry? Hardly!

I was at work today doing a call blitz having a good ol' time when I realized that it was already 3:30 pm and I didn't have my noon'ish lunch'ish chocolate shake!  WOW!  I literally had to force myself to take a break and drink one down (I knew I'd probably become a ravenous madman later if I didn't...eating everything in sight!).

I am excited that my body is adjusting so quickly to this program and the hunger is not an issue.  I remember from Journey I that as I gave my body proper nutrition that hunger literally never reared it's ugly head.  The way Dr. Angie explained it (paraphrasing) was that hunger was a signal given when the body was short on raw goods to "mine" for essential nutrition to accomplish what it needed to accomplish.  When the raw goods were healthy and chock full of great nutrition (opposed to dead, processed, salty, nasty, empty "food") then there was no need for the body to use the hunger signal to function.  I am experiencing that RIGHT NOW!  How cool is that!?

To see the nutritional label of the chocolate shake I recommend click HERE and then click on the VIEW LABEL link on the right-hand side.

Day Four and Feeling Great!

I woke up this morning and had a terrific, healthy chocolate shake along with the thought that "this is easier than I thought it would be!"  3 days behind me...42 ahead of me...I can (no, I WILL) do this!

42 days of pain for a lifetime of gain!  One body, one life.

Setting Up for Success FAIL!

Day Three Dinner:

Ok, I failed tonight as my busy, hectic day did not allow me time to get to the natural store to pick up the ingredients for my juicing so I replaced the juice with 1 serving of Dr. McDougall's Vegan Vegetable All Natural Soup (75 calories) and a handful of green beans.  Tomorrow I will shop and get right back on track.