Hamenopi

It's October! Today is the day! I am back on the Strict Keto train! Well, at least, I'm back to logging my food. Keeping myself accountable. All the events in September I used as an excuse. But that's okay. Cause the wagon waits. And I'm back on! Or so I thought. Morning started well with my awesome sous chef John Phillip and I making Fatty Eggs.  He loves his with a blend of shredded mexican cheese and grated parmesean (Which we pronounces Farma John Cheese).  Here's the breakdown of Fatty Eggs. After church, the kids voted on wings. It was also game day. Mistakes were made. Ha! Loaded Waffle fries apparently have a ton more carbs than I thought they did.  Still, I took my shots and kept on fighting while watching the Houston Texans do things unholy to the Tennesse Titans while nomming down my buffalo lemon pepper wings. Excellent wings! By the time we were done, we decided to discover... Disc...

Losing 100 pounds turns a few heads. It also raises quite a few questions like.. How? I've always struggled with that answer. How.. I mean, I didn't go on a strict diet or start a dogmatic routine at a gym. I just got tired of where I was and curious where I could go. I figured the product in front of me was just the sum of my actions multiplied by time. If I changed a few actions, replaced a few habits, over time my product would change. The things is... I didn't have time for the gym or exercise. I'm a husband and a father of 3 young kids who daily need help with homework, food, attention... Still something had to change. I figured the best way to find time was to record how I used the time I had. After a week I realized how ineffective I was with the time I had. With a few changes to my schedule, I found I had a lot more time than I thought. Not only was it less stressful, I also found I had more time to prepare better foods for my family. Those foods h...

Have you noticed the gym is a little less crowded already? Only days into the new year and many well intention resolutions are already fading fast. But is this even a surprise? How foolish are we to believe a few days of willpower can override a deep ingrained habit? Creatures Of Habit We are creatures of habit. We strive to find levels and routines we can protect, a place where we can stay. Kind of like a Hobbit Hole. The thing is, if change was easy, everyone would do it. It's not easy. It's uncomfortable. It takes time and effort and you're most likely going to fall down and get a little dirty along the way. What's more, without a map, you might as well be traveling through Mordor to get to your destination. You got to also be able to read the map. Accountability Partner That's why you need an accountability partner. Think of it as a Sam to your Frodo. Someone to help guide you along your adventure through weight-loss of whatever resolution you've d...

Once again, the year is new and resolutions are on the rise. Many sick of the old stand tall and declare change in the air. With defiance against old habits, they swear this year will be different. This year will be new! The bad part is, most resolutions are given up before they come to fruition. The goals die before given a chance to live. But how do we see our goal to the finish? The biggest way I lost 100 pounds and quit smoking was through accountability. I kept a journal and confided in people who wanted to see me succeed. Along the way, through trial and error, I learned tricks to help me succeed better. It has been an amazing journey. But the journey isn't over. As I ascend to my next peak, I realize mastery over the basics is crucial. That said, I'm looking to take in a few people for a wellness mastermind group. This is a group where your chances of success will multiply exponentially. Together we will share successes, failures, and will motivate each other along the ...

Do you start reading a book at Chapter 5? Chapter 5 may be where the hero wins but without Chapters 1-4, Chapter 5 loses context. Chapters 1-4 The shining sword the hero used to slay the dragon. You know, the weapon he found in Chapter 4. That's the reward for overcoming his final obstacle. The one which enabled him to face the dragon in the first face. The sturdy shield which saves his life during the epic battle. You know, the gift he received in Chapter 3. That's from saving another's life with the skills he learned in Chapter 2. The tome the hero reads which exposed the dragon's greatest weakness. You know, the book he discovered in Chapter 2. That's from relentlessly scouring the streets, seeking until the right information was revealed. The scared child afraid of the vile dragon. You know, the boy from Chapter 1. That was the hero. Chapter 5 You see chapter 5 is great. It the great victory. But Chapter 5 would have never happened without Chapters 1 - ...

Last week, I shared how by using simple accountability principles, I was able to identify certain key problem areas in my weight loss journey. By identifying them, I was able to increase my weight loss an extra pound a week. That is insane! What's more, I also was able to enjoy better brain food via books and get more well needed sleep. 1 stone, 3 birds. Another thing I noted was how I was just throwing away food. Leftovers accumulated in my fridge, tossed week's end for a fresh supply. Houston! We got a problem here! I'm here hemorrhaging food and money while complaining about the price of organic produce! It not something I could just bandage. Some were just small portions but others could be re-purposed into new meals with ingenuity. Come on! There has to be a better way! Luckily I was building my nutritional play book and found a few. I want to share them with you. Food Hacks Every week I was discarding Italian style ground beef to make room for Mexican style...

An interesting part of accounting is you can build a nutritional play book. You also end up learning a lot about yourself. One thing I found out is I'm far more likely to consume a ton of calories after 10 pm. 2 tons when watching TV with my wife at night. Popcorn appears. Wine appears. Chocolate appears. It's there. It's convenient. It's easy. So it's consumed. Mindless. Without Account. Destroyed Progress I started tracking and accounting for it. You know, the whole accountability part. I woke to a glaring hole in my diet, a devious deficiency in my nutritional strategy. I was a late night food druggie! No matter how good I did during the day, when I watched TV after 10, without thought I'd destroy all my work! Boob Tube Zombie If you're anything like me, 4 hours vanishes every time I look at a TV. I'm not even saying Binge watching from time is bad but when it's the norm, that's the issue. Last year, a decent sleep was the actual ...

Okay, so logging your food is tedious and boring. I get that. I feel you. I felt the same way. At first it is going to be tedious and boring. The gold is worth the dig. Risk out on it and you'll see. I just want to go over a few perk I found on my personal accountability journey I think may convince you to pick up your mental shovel and start sifting. The week you lost 5 pounds. You don't have to work to remember what you ate to get there. It's written down. The week you gain 5 pounds. You don't have to work to remember what you ate to get there. It's written down. You become more aware of the food you consume. You are able to assign nutritional and caloric values to food. You can review and begin learning what foods are a great fit for your goals and what foods are a bad fit for your goals. The Fun Stuff This is when you can start hacking the system in your favor. This is where the Nutritional Rubik's cube finally makes sense. This is where you rea...

I would eat healthy for 3 day in a row. I'd get my greens in and eat grilled chicken or fish. With Quinoa! I'd get ground turkey instead of beef for taco tuesday. I'd even make it a lettuce wrap instead of a tortilla! I was doing good! Then on the 3rd slam down a greasy 1000 calorie burger for lunch. Of course, on the 4th day I woke up full of regret and was certain I ruined my diet for the week. I was bloated and cranky and felt like a bleeding failure. So I did what any sane person would do, I gave up on my diet until next Monday. Giving Up I've wrote previously in my newsletter how lack of consistency wasn't my biggest problem but my perception of myself when I wasn't consistent was. I want to expand on that. When I tripped up in my diet, I mentally and emotionally started to sabotage myself. After a bad day, I woke up and saw myself as a failing fat guy who couldn't figure out how to lose weight. I'd step on that scale and see all the...

I advocate accountability groups and parters. In fact, I have a few of both. But the biggest game changer for me has been developing personal accountability. Before you run for the hills, let me break it down so you. Accountability is not punishment Accountability does not mean eating a snickers, feeling regret, then running to the gym for 3 hours of HIIT. It does not mean eating a reeses, hate crying yourself into the fetal position, then promising to fast the next three days. That's called punishing yourself! Punishment HIIT and Fasting have their place in health and nutrition but it shouldn't be punishment. Just like Snicker's and Reese's have places and it shouldn't be shame. That's driving down resentment road with your emotional brake lines cut. These stories don't have happy endings! Note: HIIT and fasting is not necessary for weight loss. Neither are Snickers and Reeses. I'm using hyperboles to compare and contrast. Accountabilit...