Plan For The Past

Do you plan for the future? I don't.

The future can always change.

I can get hit by a car tomorrow and no matter how healthy I have been...it might not matter.

I plan for the past. It is the one thing in our life that is unchangeable so we better do everything we can to get it right the first time....there are no second chances.

At the end of the day isn't the past all that matters? Don't we want to look back on our lives and say..."I had a good one"?

Isn't it the past that we really want to be "long and happy" when all is said and done?

There is really only one way to plan for the past and that is to do things right in the present.

Every second that you do not do "right" in the present adds to the past in a negative way.

Focusing on the present to create a great past is all that matters. Do what is right NOW and you will have a happy past. The future will take care of itself.

To quote the late, great, Tennessee Williams:

"The future becomes the present, the present the past, and the past turns into everlasting regret if you don't plan for it".

Be healthy!

Alan

There Is No Time! What gives?

It is hard to get everything done in a day.

Now that I am doing this P90X program I am finding it almost impossible because, in addition the to the food preparation there is also the exercise. Once I add into that my Nutrition Courses at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition, my blog, my work, and household chores and I start thinking...something has to give. 

Sadly, I think we all get overwhelmed with day to day life and sooner or later something has to "give".

We tend to have a warped sense of priorities though. Taking care of everyone else. Our spouse, our kids, our boss, our dog, comes first, and then, if there is time left over, we take care of ourselves....but there is never time left over.

I strongly believe a paradigm shift is in order if you are not viewing yourself as priority number one. If you don't see yourself as number one then your health is what will suffer in almost every way imaginable.

Putting yourself first can be hard. Quite honestly I had to get up at 5AM this morning to do it, and that is not uncommon. I like to take care of myself FIRST so it is all out of the way.

I am not suggesting that we all get up at 5AM. That may not be who you are, but I am suggesting you find a way to make yourself number one.

Perhaps it means that there are other things that don't get done. People will survive. They may bitch but they will survive. 

Sometimes though, I just become more efficient. Something I spent three hours on gets done in an hour because I don't have the time. The end result is usually about the same.

I gave myself twenty minutes to do this blog, for instance. It may mean there are spelling errors. I am pretty sure you won't shoot me for it. 

So my words of wisdom for the day are: Make yourself number one!

Now if you will excuse me...I have six million things I have to get done today and my time is up.

Be healthy!

Alan

Are we all on the same cycle?

Each week I have a group of friends, primarily from outside of Canada, who report on their weight results for the week. It helps us to keep us in check...that is when we are doing well.

It seems to me, however,  that we may have found our own "cycle". We go up and down together in terms of motivation. Hey, females can get on the same menstrual cycle, I am convinced men do too...so why not the same weight loss cycle? Anything is possible.

When things are good, on Thursday mornings I see a whole bunch of messages about how people's weeks were. Since it is five hours earlier in the UK I look forward to reading these messages as soon as I get out of bed.

Yesterday morning...not a single person had posted a message. Nothing changed by evening so I sent a message looking for updates. I must admit I was just as guilty. I hadn't posted a message either.

My update message produced a couple of responses. One person had a great weight loss, and said where he wanted to get to in terms of weight but followed up his goal with the words "...and that's achievable if I don't tire of it". Another said "I'm quite bored". Others didn't respond at all or had more general postings on their facebook page that read "Glum glum glum... That's how I feel...".


What happened?! 


I too felt like I was off the track and only just pulled myself back in line when I started the P90X fitness program three days ago. We were super motivated as a group but we may also be slipping as a group. 


This is dangerous. Group condolences for slipping can lead us further down the wrong track.


In my humble opinion, boredom is the most dangerous state of mine. We all feel that way at times, but it can send us down the wrong path before we know it and the next thing we know we have undone months of hard work. 


If boredom is clicking in for you too, I suggest change. Just like I said in my blog a few days ago...you have to change something to kick start yourself. It might not even be your diet. It might be cleaning your house! Anything to make things feel "new" again.


If you don't change something, nothing will change....boredom has the highest conversion rate to fat of all things on the planet. I have scientifically tested this at least 100 million times.


So we need to re-motivate and get ourselves back on the right cycle.


The P90X program is doing it for me. What is going to do it for you?


DO NOT PUT OFF THIS QUESTION. If you are slipping you have worked way too hard to allow it to slide.


Be healthy!


Alan

Your going to get sick of hearing this

I have said it a million times before because I have experienced it a million times before but I really believe that when you are struggling you have to change something...anything, set a goal, and start by focusing on one day...one day only.

I started this P90X fitness regime and health plan and after only one day I felt better.

I am on day three now and I am already "not" perfect. I went out for dinner last night and had a burger and fries. That is not the point though. The point is that doing that first day has made me mentally "present" and feeling great.

I know I will succeed. A day of health can turn you around.

I have decided that since it is totally impractically to be perfect for 90 sequential days on this P90X plan, I have to change the focus ever so slightly to be perfect for 90 days but not necessarily 100% sequentially (as close as I can get though).

So, my aim is to be perfect ALMOST all the time and for every day I am not perfect I have to add one more day to the end of the 90 days.

The P90X program will not be done until I have completed 90 perfect days both exercise wise and food wise :-)

Really psyched! :-)

Be healthy!

Alan

Frickin Hard

I did day one of the P90X, ninety day, work out I promised to start yesterday and let me tell you it is frickin hard!  I woke up sore this morning, but still did the P90X exercises for Day 2 before writing this blog. Fortunately day 2 uses completely different muscles.

Muscle confusion is supposed to be the driving force behind the effectiveness of the P90X program.

On WW I switched back to the main program and counted the points for everything to see how they balance out, but on Day 1 they certainly didn't. I am allowed 38 points a day, plus any exercise points I earn, plus an extra 49 points to use throughout the week.

Yesterday I ate what they told me to and it added up to a whopping 66 points! When I subtract my 6 activity points I am still left with 60 points which means at the end of Day 1 I have used up 22 of my 49 allowable "extra" points for the week.

I am not too concerned though. First of all, I know a lot of those points were consumed with cheese. I was supposed to eat low fat cheese but only had regular.

That is correctable.

Secondly, when I look at what I actually ate, there is no sugar and few bad carbs so I am eating well.

My meal plan for the day was as follows:

Breakfast 

Mushroom Omelet
1 Cup Strawberries
1 Cup Cottage Cheese

Snacks throughout day

Protein Bar
Protein Shake
30 Pistachios ( I know...high in points but part of P90X program.)

Lunch

Chef Salad

Dinner

8 oz Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce
Asparagus
1 cup Brown Rice
2 cups red pepper soup (minimal points)

I am going to have faith that this program works and do it for 90 days. As you can see from above, although it is a lot of food, I am certainly not compromising my health, and it is supposed to be designed for weight loss.

We will see how it goes.

Wish me luck and be healthy!

Alan

IT IS DAY 90 OF MY 90 DAY JOURNEY!

It is Day 90 of the 90 Day countdown.

I wish I meant that I was at the end of the countdown but I am counting DOWN so it really means it is Day 1.

Today is the first day of the P90X workout and food plan I blogged about yesterday.

I decided to start today as I had to get the necessary food etc. in place first to do it right (which was no easy feat considering yesterday was a holiday and most of the stores were closed).

I have already had my breakfast which was a whopping 13 points on WW (I get 38 for the day) but I think it will not be too bad by day's end. We will see. I will definitely be using all the activity points and weekly optional points on this program.

Breakfast was a Mushroom Omelet (8 egg whites, 3/14 cups of mushrooms, green onions, tomato, and cheddar cheese) and 1 cup of strawberries with 1 cup of 1% cottage cheese. That is a heck of a lot of food for breakfast!

I'm still having coffee. The food plan for P90X is silent on coffee which I presume means I am not supposed to have it. I am going to try to reduce the amount I drink. How many million times have I said that?

I am going to mark my calendar off from day 90 to day 1 and put an "X" through each day I complete successfully.

If I do this right I am supposed to have an awesome body at the end...and be healthier to boot.

Real life still has to factor in though so will have to take that a day at a time and do the best I can. We have "food" engagements on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. I am in control of my choices Wednesday and Sunday though so I just have to be strong. I can't...and don't want...to stop life. I am really looking forward to dinner Wednesday night actually. We will be going out for dinner wit my ex's Mom and her man. I haven't seen them in years. Can't wait!

Wish me luck on my 7 millionth journey.

Be healthy!

Alan

Change Change Change Change Change

What else is new? I think the only thing I can manage to do consistently is change.

I not only need it I thrive on it.

So I am back from Mexico, the holiday is over, and it is back to being "on track'. The problem is that after the excitement of holiday eating getting back on track doesn't seem very exciting. If I am not excited...I am not motivated.

So I started thinking about what type of "change" would get me excited again.

Then it occurred to me. I already have it. I bought it over a year ago and it is sitting in my closet.

It is the P90X fitness and health program.

Basically it is intense...and I mean REALLY intense exercising (I like that) combined with a healthy eating plan. The healthy eating plan is by no means a starvation plan as I will be eating about 2400 calories a day, but it is a healthy, non-processed food, plan.

I will see how it goes but I think it will sync up with the WW plan too (provided I use all of my activity points which I usually do anyway).

It gives me a fresh and exciting start on life without "dieting".

The idea is that if you follow this program for 90 days your physique will be transformed.

I did it for 30 days once before. Long enough to believe in it and notice improvement but not long enough to complete it.

So this time...the challenge is on!

I am looking forward to this change.

I love it when something gets me exited again :-)

Be Healthy!

Alan

Fast Fasting

I just completed "Fast Fasting".

What is fast fasting? It is when you fast...fast!

How do you do that?

It is easy! You can do it too!

All you do is decide that you are going to fast for a day...and then give up half way through.

Simple! Fast....Fasting. :-)

Truth be told I just wasn't strong enough. Healthy eating will have to do for a while as Fasting just isn't where I am mentally.

Yesterday was an awesome day...we went to our good friends Sue and Ivan's for a movie night in their ginormous theatre room. We had homemade pizza (made with whole grain in the crust), Popcorn and my favourite kind of cookies...empire cookies (along with a few other kinds).

I ate way too many empire cookies but they are my favourite and Sue is SUCH a good cook/baker.

I have no regrets...but reality is here and I need to stay healthy. I have a night out Wednesday night (also looking forward to that) but there is absolutely no excuse for eating anything unhealthy the rest of the week. So I will be healthy.

Be healthy!

Alan

In The Heart Of Every Man...There's A Need To Question Who We Are...And What We Believe...

The words in the title of my blog are the first words of a song that have a lot of meaning for me. I think the word "man" is meant to be received in a "mankind" kind of way.

They are the first words of a song called "God Loves You" sung impeccably by Juno Award winner Deborah Klassen.

The song is about God...and it is a heartfelt song that is beautifully sung by a person who believes strongly in God's love for people.

Deborah has lead a very difficult life...a life that I am sure has caused her to question who she is and, at times, what she believes. Her life story can be read in the link below:

CLICK HERE FOR DEBORAH KLASSEN'S STORY

I am not suggesting we all go out there and find God. I have not found God and hope that no one pressures me to.

I am suggesting that we all search within ourselves for what we believe, and what we believe we are capable of, and go after it with the same conviction as Deborah.

The huge...and I mean HUGE...caveat is that we do not judge others in the process. It is what we believe for ourselves that matters.

It is important to keep in mind that embracing what others believe is paramount to living in harmony.

The song means a lot to me for two reasons:

1) The words in the title of this blog.

Unless we question who we are and what we believe we cannot hope to become what we believe. I will always question...and I will always strive to become what I believe I can be.

2) The background to my family's connection with this song and this incredible lady.

This is a bit of a long story, but one that I really hope is worth reading.

It began a few weeks prior to August 17th, 1996. My mother was terminally ill with Cancer and was nearing the end. She had never been particularly religious (as kids it was not uncommon for her to drop us off at church and pick us up afterward) but as she neared the end, she found peace when she listened to this song. She asked for it to be played a few times so she could hear it.

After her passing on August 17th, 1996, some members of the family wanted it played at her funeral. While no one objected to the song itself, we only had it available on CD and some felt playing a CD at a funeral was inappropriate.

So my sister Sondra tried to find the sheet music for the song in the hopes that we could find someone to sing it live at the funeral. It wouldn't be the "Deborah" version my Mom loved, but at least the words and the melody would be present.

She phoned the Producers of the album and after much investigation actually ended up speaking to Deborah Klassen herself. After hearing our family situation, Deborah, who lived hours away from us said "Why don't I just come and sing it at the funeral?".

She did just that. It was beautiful.

Her kindness touched us all...and even today...almost 15 years later, it brings me to tears to think of what she did for us.

She didn't have to do it. She did it because she believed in what she was doing with everything in her being. I believe it gave her as much pleasure as it gave us. It was truly healing.

She didn't push her beliefs on us when she was there...she was just who she was...without apology.

I want to be like Deborah. Not in a religious way but in a "strength of conviction" way.

I want to believe in myself so strongly that I know and stand by my beliefs with strength and fortitude.

I want to be able to express my opinion but I also want to be ever so careful not to shove it down people's throats.

I can be intolerant. When people speak of God, I tend to clam up and freeze. I believe religious conflict and and attempts to force religion upon people have caused far too many deaths...so, at times, I judge religious people.

I do not think religion itself is bad. It can be healing for many and I believe faith based miracles are possible. It is what one may choose to do with their beliefs that can be damaging. What a non-relgious person chooses to do with their lack of belief can also be damaging. The other side of the equation is too often ignored.

As I age, I begin to realize that my intolerance is no better than that of a religious fanatic's. I need to just accept people for what they are and not interfere or judge their lives. I also need to be more confident in my belief in a "universal energy" rather than a specific God. We are all entitled to believe what we choose to believe without judgement from others.

I never want to stop questioning. I have been wrong so many times it would be outright foolish to decide I am unquestionably right about anything. I know, however, that if I had her strength of conviction I would be a lot further along down my road to nutrition and health.

So here is to Deborah and her strength. I only ever met her that one day, and I doubt I will ever take the same road she has taken (I refuse to say I will never take that road because that would mean that I am blinding myself to possibilities), but she has taken the road that is right for her...and that road proved to be a comfort to my mother, and a blessing to my family, when we needed it. For that I will be forever grateful.

What road are you on? Search your heart and question yourself. Do you believe in the path you are on? If so...then stick to your path...if not...there is no better day than today to begin a new journey.

Never stop questioning who you are and what you believe...and of course...be healthy!

Alan

Would I Lie To You? - I'M AFRAID THE ANSWER IS YES

I have lied to you.

Well...maybe LIED is a little strong. Perhaps "mislead" is a better word.

Remember last Friday when I said I was going to close my eyes and pretend I was in Mexico?

Truth be told...I actually WAS in Mexico. So when I said I was going to pretend I was sitting on my terrace looking out across the pool to the ocean...I actually was.

Why did I lie? For security reasons.

When we went to England and Scotland last summer I posted every day of my journey on the blog. I could do that because someone was running our B&B.

This time, however, our B&B/House was sitting empty and I didn't think it would be a very wise idea to post that I was away on vacation so anyone could rob me.

So forgive me...I lied to you.

I did have an absolutely amazing time. It was a last minute decision to go (we decided Monday afternoon we were leaving at 3:30AM Thursday morning) as we got a great deal with friends (yes...the friends I blogged about).

The trip was cheap, the resort was all inclusive, and there were no disappointments.

I did eat too much though..."all inclusive" can be a very dangerous thing. I usually go on 2 - 3 week vacations and this one was only for 7 days so I thought: How much damage can I really do in one week? I now know: About 12 pounds worth. Man I gain weight fast. I do know why though.

No worries. It is back to reality.

I am not going to freak out. I am going to be good today, I have a fun "Movie Night" with friends that I am not going to stress about tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will once again have fun, and then it is right back to healthy again.

Vacations are part of life, and this is a lifelong journey. So I am not going to go and get all worked up about the damage...just get back to REAL life.

Be healthy!

Alan

No Blog But You Still Have To Be Healthy! Explanation Tomorrow :-)

Good Friends Good Times

Jamie and I spent the day with amazing friends yesterday (not the kind that I blogged about earlier in the week).

It was such a great way to spend Valentine's Day. They were staying at a hotel about 25 km from us so we went out to their hotel and had lunch with them, then spent the afternoon with them, and then had dinner dinner with them. It was an awesome way to spend the day.

I was not good on the food front though and am feeling bloated this morning.

Oh well...no regrets...the day was definitely worth the cost. Sometimes it is.

Tomorrow our friends are coming our way so it will be one more day of socializing with good people.

We are so lucky to have good people in our lives.

On the food front I think it is going to be "one day at a time" until Thursday but I am feeling good and I know that although the road may have some bends to enable the enjoyment of beautiful scenery, I am on the right road to health and I WILL get to my destination.

Be healthy!

Alan

Happy Valentines Day!

Real real short blog today as I have to race out the door but just wanted to say Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

Whether you have a partner or not today is a day to cherish the people you love in your life.

Have a great one and try not to be TOO bad.

Love you!

Be healthy!

Alan

Drinking

I went out drinking with friends last night. I had fun but I don't know how my friends can call what they had "fun".

I always thought I drank a lot but I realized last night that there is drinking and then there is Drinking and then there is DRINKING!

I tend to drink too much when I am with friends, although I really haven't drunk that much in 2011, and I was reasonable last night.

Generally though I would say I fit in the middle category. These friends fit in the DRINKING category.

Fortunately I can write a bit about this without risk as my friends are from out of town, don't read this blog, and don't know any of you.

I hate to say this about friends, but to be honest, it was kind of sad. We were at a place with an open bar and they just couldn't stop. They drank until they started publicly insulting their spouses (both wives and husbands did this) and then just started ranting about how miserable their life is.

The really sad thing is that I know they won't wake up today and feel bad about what they have said. It happens so frequently it is normal to them. They will say "wasn't that a wild night out?" Like it was the best time in the world.

Alcohol has become what they perceive as their only route to happiness.

They are still friends...they are not bad people...but just like before...they are friends in moderation.

It really enforces in me that excess of anything can kill you. It makes me think about my own alcohol intake too.

I hope they find another road to happiness. This one doesn't appear to be making them happy.

Last night really makes me appreciate all of you even more. I know that you are the positive influences in my life. I won't say that they aren't true friends like you are, but friends are supposed to be there for you when you need them. I know you would be. I am not so sure about these friends.

It is not that they wouldn't be if they could be, but if these friends aren't drunk when I need them, they will be soon after, and then their opinions full of daggers will come out.

They need help...but they will never get it.

Aren't we lucky we are here to help each other?

Be healthy,

Alan

It's Bare All (well not really all) Day

Four months ago in my quest to work on my physique I made a commitment to post a picture of myself in shorts only every other month. The theory being that if I have to do this no matter what, it will help to keep my on track.

Well...today is the day I must keep that commitment. It is the 12th of February and the last post of me was on December 12th.

I actually took the pictures on the 9th but it is close enough.

Is there improvement? Well marginally I guess.

When one works out hard one wants instant results but sadly it is a slow process like everything else. In order to remind myself that I have done well even though there is just a slight improvement from December to February, I also posted my pic from last May. Quite a vast improvement from that one!

So...I will continue to work out and continue to post pics every other month.

Be healthy!

Alan

Me last May 15th - wouldn't let my face be shown with the pic even though this was still a vast improvement from where I had been

Me On December 11th

Me On February 9th

Me On February 9th

Are Plateaus real?

When someone stays the same weight forever and can't seem to drop any more pounds is it real?

I know it is real that they aren't dropping, but is it really real that they are doing everything they used to do or did they just get a little sloppy?

I know as time goes by the motivation to be as "good" as we once were subsides, and I know that I have plateaued before myself, but in my experience it really isn't "real".

When I plateau I may pretend I don't understand why I am losing weight but if I am honest with myself I know darn well why I am not losing weight...because I am not as careful as I used to be.

I have a perspective on this but it is a very sexist male perspective (although not negative to women) so I am hoping you can tell me if I am right or not.

The theory is supposed to be that there are two types of plateaus. Physical plateaus and emotional plateaus.

The physical ones are the real ones where your body temporarily stops responding and stays the same weight no matter what you do, and the emotional ones are the ones where you simply aren't doing whatever you used to do for whatever reason you may have.

Truthfully, I haven't met a man yet who truly gets physical plateaus. I am sure there are some out there who get them but I think for the most part if we eat right, and are honest about it, we lose weight.

Females on the other hand seem to get both. At least I hear woman talk about how they have been doing everything right but can't lose weight.

So tell me people. Am I right about this, or is the "physical plateau" really just an excuse for  inappropriate choices or sloppy portion control?

I really am curious as to what people think.

On the personal front I was down 2.8 pounds last night. I am not sure how to read it though. I couldn't get to WW for the prior two meetings so it is my first weigh-in in three weeks. On the one hand I know that I would have been up, probably three pounds last week which means I really lost 5.8 pounds. On the other hand, I fasted for three days (and I mean NO food) and had three colonics so it would be hard not to be down! Makes it all somewhat artificial.

We will have to see what next week brings.

I SURVIVED THE THREE DAY FAST! I am going to go eat now :-)

Be healthy!

Alan

The Universe Is Confusing Me!

I never thought the "coffee" scenario would raise so many questions.

People like my friend Kirstin swear her energy levels have drastically increased since getting off the caffeine while others question the necessity of getting off it at all.

If you have read my blog the last couple of days you will know I am flip flop flipping.

Monday I committed to stopping coffee immediately. Tuesday I said I was drinking it but committed (promised actually) to stop drinking it February 20th.

Then the universe had to have its say.

I got delivered a gift of a bag of coffee from a friend who brought it home from Costa Rica for me. Is this the universe's way of telling me to keep drinking it?

I stated on Facebook that this time around I was going to try to ignore the universe, but as my friend Sue pointed out, "Ignoring the universe is a bad thing".

My dilemma is that I do want to stop drinking coffee but I actually really believe that you have to listen to the universe. I know some will think that is a little insane and perhaps it is...but it is no more insane than the million other beliefs there are out there.

The last time I tried to defy the universe was with my Mediterranean cruise. I kept booking it and the universe kept cancelling it. It took me three attempts to finally get the message. I think few would argue that I was not meant to go on that cruise. So many friends told me they had a bad feeling and were so relieved when I finally decided three attempts was enough and I was not going.

So...for me...the question now becomes...what exactly IS the universe trying to tell me?

Clearly the message is "don't stop" (well...not clearly...it might have just been a coincidental gift of a bag of coffee). If I listen to the universe I know I am doing yet ANOTHER flip flop...but I am going to listen to this.

It is not necessarily telling me that I shouldn't stop. Perhaps the message is just that I have enough to work on so stopping RIGHT NOW isn't a good idea.

Perhaps it is telling me to give moderation one more attempt.

So here is my NEW plan. I won't promise anything again because this is the third change in three days and soon I am going to be branded a liar. :-)

I am not going to stop drinking coffee YET. I am going to use this gift of coffee to try moderation one more time. So I am going to try drinking less coffee. If I haven't managed to get a handle on it by the time this gift of coffee is depleted, then I will stop. Unless of course the universe sends me another message.

So that my friends is the new plan.

Some of you have asked what the issue with coffee is anyway. I think there is good and bad but I found this article to be a relatively balanced review of the issue. The bottom line in my opinion is that excess of anything is not good. Points 16 and 17 in the link below are my greatest concern

Coffee Benefits and Risks

On another note I am still going strong with my fast. A little hungry but not too bad. Today is the last day. Food tomorrow! Yeah!!!!!

Be healthy!

Alan

Day 2 of Fast

Well the good news is I am doing well on the Fast. I didn't eat a thing yesterday. I was starving last night but am actually feeling fine right now.

The bad news is...I am not succeeding on the coffee front. I have one sitting in front of me right now.

Have you ever had a situation where you want to explain something but you can't? That is where I am right now. There is actually a reason why I went back to coffee. It is a reason that I did not become aware of until two hours after writing yesterday's blog, and that reason resulted in my making a conscious decision to delay the coffee thing.

I know I know...it sounds like an excuse...but I promise it really isn't...it is well thought out in consultation with my wonderful Colonic girl Stacey, although it has nothing to do with Colonics. The problem is I can't explain to you why until February 18th. I know that sounds bizarre...but you will understand in time.

I was going to re-commit to stopping the coffee on February 18th but we are going for a movie night with our good friends Sue, Ivan, and John on the 19th and I don't want to do that with a pounding withdrawal headache so coffee will stop on February 20th. I PROMISE! Please remind me and hold me to it.

I have decided that the Fast will be a three day one but a strict one. Thursday I will eat again. It doesn't seem so bad. I just have to keep telling myself there is only one more day to go.

You know what the best way to ensure you stick to a Fast is? Combine it with Colonics.

You may be be thinking: Don't talk about that....that is gross! But it is important to do them occasionally and if you are doing it in conjunction with a Fast, and you tell the person giving you the Colonics that you are...you can't cheat. If you do, it will become very evident during your Colonic session. So for me it is three days of Fasting and three days of Colonics.

That should clean me right out! LOL

I have said this before but I can't emphasize enough that if you are in the Toronto area (or even if your within an hour's drive) you should go to see Stacey for your Colonic at VitaLife Digestive Wellness Clinic. I promise you she is the best!

So we have covered Fasting, Coffee and Colonics...I think I covered enough for one Blog :-)

Be healthy!

Alan

It's Time For A Cleanse! Universe Be With Me.

I haven't done a cleanse for a long time.

No not the "shower" kind of cleanse (I do that daily) but the food kind of cleanse. Sometimes my cleanse is really a "fast" and sometimes it is a less severe approach where you are allowed raw fruits and vegetables.

I am going to see how it goes but starting today my plan is to do a real cleanse for a few days. No food other than some liquified beets, but lots of natural supplements to keep me going.

I know it is going to be a tough day. I am going to starve. I will probably starve tomorrow too, but then it will ease off. I have done it before so I know what to expect.

It has been quite a while though...so it is time.

The scariest thing about this cleanse isn't the cleanse itself. The scariest thing is going off the coffee.

I have done it before and it involves two or three days of major withdrawal headaches.

I know the logical thing is to slowly reduce your coffee until you are off of it but I have tried that so many times. I just can't do it. Moderation has never been my strong point.

This is a light week for me work-wise and otherwise so it is the week to do it.

I just hope that if I go through all of this and I get off the coffee...I can stay off of it. If I don't...then what was the point of all the headaches? I won't take medicinal drugs either so no ibuprofen or anything like that. The body has to do its thing and if I take drugs to suppress this it kind of defeats the purpose of cleansing. So I will suffer.

I actually don't believe coffee is bad for you...the jury is still kind of out on that one...but excess of anything IS bad and I don't drink a little coffee...I drink a lot.

So...it is time to stop.

I am drinking a cup now...my last cup. I'm scared.

Be healthy!

Alan.

How Much Do You Need To Lose? What Is In A Number?

We are "all over the board" with the first question aren't we?

Some of us need to lose a lot, some of us have lost a lot and are struggling to keep it off, some of us only need to lose ten pounds, some of us are stuck on a plateau, and some of us don't really need to lose anything...YET...but are worrying because the body is changing as we age.

I get all of these scenarios from people responding to my blog privately and publicly.

Sometimes I think that people feel "unworthy" of participating in the journey to health if they don't have enough to lose.

I remember I was at a WW meeting a while ago and a lady had lost something like ten pounds, and that was all she had to lose. She said she felt uncomfortable speaking at meetings because she listened to people who had lost twenty...fifty...seventy-five...and even over one hundred pounds constantly. In the scheme of things her journey, at least to her, seemed almost laughable.

I hope she knows how wrong she is.

We all have our own weird concepts of what is an "acceptable" weight loss. A friend of mine recently lost over 70 pounds...I was so happy for her but my first thought was...man I wish I could say I lost that much.

It is totally irrational and silly. I don't have seventy pounds to lose but somehow it seems like the more you can say you have lost the more successful you are. Please understand I am ECSTATIC for my friend...but I also need to learn to be ecstatic for the person who lost ten pounds ...and for the person who lost nothing but never gained. At the end of the day...it is all an incredible success. The person who stops themselves from gaining fifty pounds BEFORE it happens is no less successful than the person who lost fifty pounds.

Besides, weight is only part of the equation. Do we need to lose weight to improve our health? For many of us the answer is yes.

I think too often we ignore the other side of the equation though.

If we lose weight does that mean we are healthy? In my opinion...absolutely not.

Dont' get me wrong...we may be heathIER but not necessarily healthy. We may indeed be less prone to things like heart attack if we take the weight off, but does that mean we are less prone to other diseases? I don't think so.

I actually think there are an awful lot of thin people walking around thinking they are healthy because they are either naturally thin or because they have successfully lost weight.

In my humble opinion, most of us have two reasons for losing weight:

1) Vanity
2) Health

Most likely in that order. I am no exception. I don't like to admit it but vanity comes first. Look good...then feel good. It is just a reality. A sad reality perhaps...but a reality nonetheless.

If you can look at it in the other order...I salute you. :-)

So what the heck is my point? My point is that how much weight you are struggling with, at the end of the day, doesn't matter. What should matter is your health.

For my friend who has lost more than 70 pounds (actually more than 72) I am so very very very proud of you :-). I do not want to downplay what a huge success that us. Well done you!

Eat as healthy as you can and the weight loss will come. In the meantime...pamper the vanity in you. Go ahead and show your best qualities to the world.

We are all beautiful and we should flaunt it.

Here is to vanity!

Be healthy!

Alan

The Definition Of Insanity

I have heard this before...and you probably have to. It is the definition of insanity.

Before we get there though...let's take a second to see if you qualify as one of the "insane".

1) Are you eating the same things 90% of the time?
2) Are you doing the same exercises every day?
3) Are you following whatever program you are on, IN THE SAME WAY, religiously, every week without success?
4) Are you being good all week long and then excessively treating yourself every week right after stepping on the scale? (You have a whole week before you have to get on the scale again right?)
5) Does everything seem so repetitive?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then according to the completely uncertified "Dr. Alan" you are insane.

Don't stress. I am frequently insane (my partner would change the word "frequently" to "always" :-) )

What is insanity?

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

I know, I know...it's an old line...but it doesn't make it any less true.

Even if you are following whatever program you are on "to the letter", if your desired goal is not being achieved it may be because your body has figured out how to adapt to your predictable habits.

With most weight loss plans (including WW) you can make drastic changes to what and when you eat without going off plan.

Think about it...and make a change.

I truly believe that the most important thing in my life is change. If I don't change I don't succeed.

Sometimes though...boring IS what you need. If you lost weight when you were eating boring, and have gone off track, then returning to boring for a while is, in itself, a change. So don't hesitate to go there....but don't stay there forever...that would be boring.

Be healthy!

Alan

How Many "New Beginnings" Have You Had?

I feel like I am constantly saying "OK...today is a new beginning". Yesterday was a case in point.

I have been doing really well the past few days and am re-motivated but sometimes I think: "Am I ever going to get to the point where I not longer have to say that today I am starting again?".

After a while it starts to get a little "tired" and you start to wonder if you are nothing more than a broken record.

A friend of mine, however, made a really good point quite innocently yesterday. It changed my outlook on new beginnings.

She said that it is not the frequent "new beginnings" that you need to worry about. The time to worry is when you stop having new beginnings.

That really struck a chord with me. I realized that as long as I am having new beginnings my journey is continuing. When they stop...it likely means I have given up and lost the battle.

So here it to my friends brilliant words of wisdom, and here is to "new beginnings".

It is never too late to have them.

Be healthy!

Alan

Happy Lunisolar New Year!

Today is yet a another day that allows for a new beginning.

If the start of the traditional "western" New Year didn't go so well for you then today is the day to start again. Today is the start of the Lunisolar New Year, and contrary to popular believe it is not just Chinese. Nor is it simply a Lunar New Year it is a Lunisolar New Year which also factors in "season". So you will be happy to know that this is also the start of spring.

What does a New Year represent? It represents a new beginning.

What does Spring represent? It represents a new beginning.

What is going to happen today? We are going to have a new beginning.

I know, that like me, it may be your 28,000's new beginning. That doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is today.

Weight loss is easy right? I am sure I have lost at least seven thousand pounds over my lifetime. No problem!

The problem is I keep finding it again.

The key, I think, is to focus on your beliefs for strength. I don't care if you beliefs are in religion, or in the universe, or in your child that you want to live to see have Grandkids or Great Grandkids. Your belief can be in your stuffed bear if it works for you. Just believe in something and let it give you the strength for a new beginning.

I have decided, that for this Lunisolar New Year, which runs from today until January 22, 2012, my belief is going to be in my body.

My body is my temple. I am going to focus on that, it is going to give me strength and it is going to be the best year ever.

It is, after all, the year of the Rabbit and I am a Rabbit. I intend to take full advantage of every power that is on my side.

Be healthy!

Alan

What a difference ONE DAY makes

I felt really great yesterday. I had an incredibly good work out too.

It wasn't so much what I did yesterday (although I was good). It was what I did the day before.

What did I do? I ate healthy.

ONE DAY...I repeat....ONE DAY...turned everything around again.

I went from craving and eating the bad carbs and its associated gross feelings in the stomach afterward, to feeling fantastic and "slim and trim". Funny how you can FEEL slim and trim even when you aren't where you want to be.

So the message for today if you are struggling is ONE DAY.

Don't think beyond ONE DAY. Focus on getting though ONE DAY healthily, and when that is done....repeat.

Before you know it you will be feeling great.

You have my word.

Be healthy!

Alan

There is something about the first

It is February 1st today.

The start of a new month. The first of just about anything gets me going. It is a new beginning.

The first three weeks of my January were exceptionally good and then I derailed myself. I got myself back on track at the very end but I am considering today the official new beginning....again :-)

I am getting my calendar out yet again and marking off the days I track and the days I am good. I stopped doing the calendar last month on the same day I stopped being healthy. Go figure. :-)

I will play it by ear but I am guessing I won't be able to get to WW tomorrow. Huge snow storm coming tonight and they are saying there is little chance we will miss it. 20 - 30 cm of snow combined with strong and gusty winds. Fun wow! :-)

The blogs may be short this week ( I CAN HEAR YOU THINKING "THANK GOD"!). Its a bit of a crazy week.

Be healthy!

Alan