Friday Follow Friday

Twitter, do you tweet? I do, I tweet at @Rspnsblty199.

Each Friday a weekly ritual on Twitter is to give a shout out to other tweeters you follow so that those that follow you might connect with new folks of interest; this event is called Follow Friday and is used with the hash-tag #FF. Click on that hash-tag and you will see all the Follow Friday’s in the Twittersphere.

The list below (in random order) are those I follow close and share via my #FF shout-out on Fridays. They are weight-loss or fitness bloggers/tweeters like me. Some of them have achieved their goals and provide inspiration from the ‘It can be done‘ perspective. Some are engaged in the initial or middle phases of their missions to get healthy like myself and provide inspiration from the ‘I want & can do this‘ perspective. All have amazing stories to share and are well worth your time getting to know today and following tomorrow and beyond.

So don’t waste your time going over to that hollywood-gossip blog or watching youtube videos of  PSY – Gangham Style in Korean. Nope, invest your time getting to know people who can provide real value to your day, your lives; I give you, my Follow Friday’s…

@truth2beingfit

@uncoveringpam

@ALLTHEWEIGH

@joycecherrier

@YumYucky

@AskWifey

@KerriOlkjer

@tracy_simmons

@Kayezee71

@MeWaistingTime

@MizFitOnline

@bluigirlusa

@spunkysuzi

@breedlovehoops

@heliotropist

@FatGirlvsWorld

@CurvyFitGirl

@cannymonkey

@CarrieSinCA

@whoatemyblog

@stephmiller

@ryandonsullivan

@boutdrz

@VinnySlavin

@hermitpanda

 

My apologies to other I follow that I do not have on this list above. I love you too and will do another  twitter-blog crossover shout-out where I’ll spread more love.

Perfect, Um Maybe Not

A recent conversation on good food versus bad led to a colleague sharing the 10 foods she tries to eat more than any other. She claims to have read about these 10-Perfect foods from a men’s magazine. The authors claim was that these perfect foods do more to engage our metabolism, burn fat, reduce cholesterol and blood sugar, and aid our immune system. Here they are…

Almonds, Avocado, Bell Peppers, Eggs, Garlic, Grapefruit, Greek Yogurt, Green Tea, Quinoa, Swiss Chard

Now that list of claims are mighty fine claims indeed. Who doesn’t want those to be true for themselves?

Well, it would seem that all we need to do is eat these 10 foods and we’ll achieve them. No?

Obviously the answer is maybe, maybe not.

We seek answers in the form of perfect lists, routines, and methods. Seek knowledge, yes, get smart! But results come from why you do what you learn. I didn’t write that sentence willy-nilly, the order of action is natural and dare I say perfect.

Until we know why we want to get healthy (or achieve any change in life) it doesn’t matter what lists, routines, and methods we learn and use to do so. Knowing why gives us purpose, without purpose we inevitably will not complete what we start. Without knowing your purpose, and truly believing in it, you will not stay the course.

Once you know why, then figure out how to. If you then decide this list of ten if your how-to, good for you, chances are you will succeed. Not because this perfect list is the perfect how-to tool for you. Nope, rather you will succeed because you know why you want to use it.

Oh, the picture above is a salmon fillet I smoked once upon a time. My tribute to my disbelief that there is no meat on this list, in particular fish. Viva La Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha !

Fruit With My MBA

Yesterday I started classes for my MBA. To celebrate my beginning this journey I’ve committed to my wife sent me this treat, an Edible Arrangements arrangement to enjoy and share with my team at work. Being a NASCAR fan, she had it set in a race car vase. Quite delicious, certainly tastier than a dozen carnations would have been!

Oh I will look to her for more than tasty treats as I work through my classes. She works in the finance industry and holds a B.S. in Accounting and a MBA as well. Picking her brain and leveraging her experience as I work through this programs accounting & finance classes I’ll be taking is a no-brainer for me.

Thanks for the awesome feedback on my last post, My Visual Pyramid, Foundation Underway. Looking forward to adding blocks to this visual aid, actually hopeful I may achieve the right to add one to it tomorrow! Hope I didn’t jinx that.

I admit I need more blocks filled in on my foundation. All blocks are important. But to me these foundational blocks should represent those people and entities we embrace to gain support and strength from.

The truth is we cannot do this alone. We need the expertise and knowledge of others, the encouragement and listening ears of others, the use of tools or facilities we do not posses to get the job done. It seems only fitting to be sure and honor them by earning the right to add them to the foundation of my purpose.

Who or what makes up your foundation?

 

 

 

My Visual Pyramid, Foundation Underway

Most days I believe I know why it is important for me to lose my excessively-excessive weight. Others, I choose to ignore the reasons, even though they are known to me.

I’ve learned many things about myself  in my 47+ years. One nugget is that I am a visual learner. As well I am a visual worker; I am my most productive at work, home or play when I can see what the situation is, can see the contribution needed of me, and can see progress being made. Yes, this is also why I prefer childrens books to novels; Suess me!

Time for me to wise up and leverage my visual strength in my mission to lose weight & get healthy. Above is what I have created for this purpose, it is my Visual Pyramid.

The concept is simple, to get to where I want to be (the pyramid top) I recently faced needing to lose 101 pounds (now 96 pounds). To get there, I have to build a better me; how I think & behave today will not (has not) allowed me to make real progress. Now that I can see what is before me, and I look for and refine what I need to do, for each pound of progress I will add a block to my Visual Pyramid.

Each block represents a reason for being better, for losing that pound, for getting healthier, for achieving this purpose.

Oh there are many many more than 101 reasons why I need to lose weight & get healthy, certainly I am happy I only need to build a pyramid of 101 blocks, and not 150, 200, or 102. Today I get to lay down the first 5 blocks Visual Pyramid and share their reasons…

Reason 101 – Family, they depend on me for many things; wisdom, guidance, support, and most of all love.

Reason 99 – Cathy, my wife. She is the love of my life and I desire to love her for may decades to come.

Reason 98 – The USA, I am a proud American. I’ve served this nation and always will through it’s think and thin times.

Reason 97 – Faith, that there is a greater purpose for the brief time we are given to live life.

Reason 96 – Knowledge, Tomorrow I embark on my Master’s Degree. I will hunger for knowledge to my last day.

 

There it is, the start of my Visual Pyramids foundation. I have many bricks to lay yet, but lay them I shall; I must!

 

 

Try New Stuff, Or Not?

Discussing diet tips-n-tricks with a few fellow weight loss warriors  at work recently. Nothing too deep, just casual chat to fill some time before a meeting about how to gut our competition. As is the norm with filler-chat at work the discussion took an odd turn. Someone decided to share their go-to food for getting through the day when temptation strikes.

Ready for this? Ok, here it is: Cottage cheese with chopped dill pickles (has to be dill, not sweet),  garlic-salt and black-pepper.

It was no shock that nobody at the table took out a pen to scribble that recipe down to share with the family that night. This sharing became contagious as another decided to share their go-to food for healthy hang-over relief.

Ready for this? Ok, here it is:  Turkey sausage links on a multi-grain bagel toast with orange marmalade and BBQ sauce.

Um, I’ve tried allot of hang-over remedies, that there would make me want to drink generously to wash it down; so perhaps it would work? the sharing continued, as another decided to share their go-to indulgence on their cheat-days, apparently her diet allows for a day of cheating.

Ready for this? Ok, here it is: Microwave buttered popcorn with a bag peanut m&ms tossed in then drizzled with nutella, shake the bag furiously and enjoy!

Wow, I couldn’t have thought up that combo no matter how drunk I got washing down the previous suggestion.

Not to be out done, I shared a combo that I used to eat as a kid. I couldn’t link it to being a go-to combo so I suppose I wasn’t conforming to the essence of the discussion.

Ready for this? Ok, here it is: Leftover Chinese food reheated in a skillet (this was per-microwave) and served over shredded wheat cereal (the big ones), but no milk!

It didn’t matter what the leftovers were, I wanted to add some crunch and bite back to them so my remedy was to put it on shredded wheat.

So there you go, some new combos for you to try this weekend. And by all means, please do share your fave & odd combos with the rest of us, who knows, we might just try them.

Bon-Appetit!

 

 

Rules, What Rules?

Life is full of rules, some good for us, some not good.

A majority of the rules that affect us, are those we create and impose on ourselves.

Rules can be complex and rigid, they can be simple and adaptable. Myself, I prefer the latter, although I admit that adaptable can work for or against me. Adapting to the point of abandoning without replacing with a new rule is just quitting.

Focus on what rules set the foundation for how you must behave in order to improve your life.

Your rules should not be many, but for one person one or two rules will do, and another ten or so are necessary.  Your rules should reflect who you are when you are at your best for yourself and those closest to you. Your rules should be yours, not a list or rules promoted by others; those are their rules and while we can learn from each other we cannot be each other – be yourself!

My Rules…

1. Ask, otherwise I will not learn

2. Start, otherwise I will not finish

3. Believe, otherwise I will not stay the course

 

Your Rules…

1.

2.

3.

N…

 

 

Clues Only Kids Can Give

Yes, I weigh more than I should weigh, I’ve been saying that for too long now.

While I consider myself overweight, I didn’t realize how others see me until recently when I had to fix one of the drawers in our refrigerator.

I knew I was going to be there for several minutes so I chose to sit on a chair in front of the refrigerator while I leaned inside to work on the rails in the back.

While sitting there my son came into the kitchen and instead of asking if I needed help he asked what I was doing. He asked like this, “Hey Dad, how is your lunch today?”

Yeah, I got the clue; I’ve got a problem.

Factors For Triumph

Last night I was reading an article on an unexpected British feat of snatching victory from the jaws of certain defeat; they were out numbered, under supplied, wrought with fragile morale, not to mention had those factors been reversed they still would’ve faced an absurdly-extreme challenge.

But being British, surrender is not an option. So they looked for those factors that would increase their odds of triumph should they be able to control them.

Hmm, I’m obese, shouldn’t I look to take control of the factors of triumph?

1. Intelligence… The British put extreme effort into gathering intel on their enemy. They put equal effort into gathering every shred of knowledge on themselves; each man’s special skills and subsequent weaknesses. This vital intelligence became the basis of spectacularly successful plans, contingencies and counter-measures.

Hmm, I’m obese, shouldn’t I seek Intelligence on how to eat, exercise and behave healthy? On how to counteract temptations and emerge on top?

2. Conception… The British knew they couldn’t sit back and watch a fight drag on; if they did they’d lose strength, morale, and control. They conceived a variety of plans for each challenge and didn’t hesitate to order a change in plans when one stalled or lost ground.

Hmm, I’m obese, shouldn’t I conceive changes to my eating and exercise for when I plateau, see the scale unexpectedly go the wrong weigh, etc?

3. Equipment… The British secured every loaf of bread, piece of armor, loose bullet for the battle. Defeat was likely if they left any available tool of victory unused.

Hmm, I’m obese, shouldn’t I gather the support of friends & family, the healthy food, the work out clothes and equipment I have (or can afford to get) for my battle?

4. Morale… The British, man to man, knew all the knowledge, plans, and supplies in the world wouldn’t give them a guarantee of success if they couldn’t find the will to pull themselves together and stand up to the challenge no matter the odds, the risk, the reasons to accept the ease of surrender. As the battle dawned they looked to the reflections of their bayonets to peer into their own eyes, into the eyes of their fellow countrymen, to the sky for the eyes of God for the will they so desperately needed. And each answered with one voice, surrender is not an option!

Hmm, I’m obese, shouldn’t I shouldn’t I affirm my will to stand up to the challenge, to do what’s difficult, to believe that I can succeed?

Shouldn’t I believe surrender is not be an option?

Shouldn’t you?

Dinner In The Bag

Dinner as they say, is in the bag.

Ok, I am not certain who says that, or, if anyone has ever said it.

Marinading is a wondrous technique  and one worthy of spending some time learning how to do properly. It is also a useful tool for those trying to lose weight. We often complain we don’t have time to prepare dinner, so the drive-thru or delivery option is where we end up.

Guilty, been there done that.

But not doing that anymore. Please, don’t you go and do it anymore either.

Find a few minutes on the weekend, or during the week; a few minutes is all it takes to get your meat trimmed and into a large ziploc bag filled with your favorite spices and marinading liquids. Place that bag-of-bliss in the refrigerator and it will be there waiting and ready for you come dinner time.

Tonight, that bag of goodness there will make its way to the grill and 8-10 minutes later we will dine on a lean feast of beast.

What do you have planned for dinner tonight? Tomorrow night??

Ghosts And Shrimp

Went for a walk today, saw one house, just one; decorated for Halloween already. Seems a bit early but hey, better festive than not.

Dinner tonight, grilled shrimp kabobs. They were mighty tasty, mighty healthy!

Did you have a day filled with exercise & healthy eats?