I’m starting to think perhaps I should have titled these follow-up posts with “How I MIGHT Lose 20 lbs. in 30 Days…….” (Photo: Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie)
This morning (Sunday) I woke up an hour later than normal and for the first time since starting the “Tim Ferris Diet” almost 2 weeks ago, I absolutely, positively did not feel like cooking!
Almost as if I wanted to prolong the inevitable, I started by making a pot of coffee. Then like a mischievous child, my eyes involuntarily rolled over to the cabinet where I kept a box of cereal. I felt a lurch in my stomach.
No one will know, right?
I could simply fess up and say I “slipped.” And all will be forgiven.
Or will it?
Almost as if I was in a trance, I reached up in slow motion, opened the box and began to pour myself a bowl of Kashi’s. As I was doing that, warning bells were ricocheting off the walls inside my head. My stomach was flip-flopping like freshly caught fish.
OH NO! What was happening?!?
All sorts of thoughts rushed through me like a tornado that gave rise to feelings that I was out of alignment and a knowing that I was not maintaining my integrity because I was about to break a commitment.
DARN IT! Why do I have to be so aware of things?
I slowly and reluctantly poured the cereal back into the box and put it away. Then my whole body, mind and spirit galvanized into action and I made breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs (one whole egg, 1/4 cup of egg whites and a little bit of vanilla soy milk), lentil beans and mixed vegetables.
It was fine. And filling.
But looming ahead of me was the unpleasant chore of vigorously scrubbing the little red pan and washing the dishes. Tim Ferris, why didn’t you say something about THAT?
Part of the reason I think this happened was because for one thing, I had a bowl of delicious Kashi’s with frozen blueberries for breakfast yesterday (my “day off”) and not only enjoyed it but loved how easy and quick it was to clean up afterward. The American culture has certainly become conditioned to instant gratification, wouldn’t you say?
While I managed to skip two days of weighing myself on the scale Thursday and Friday (a world record!), when I weighed in over the weekend, it registered a disappointing 170 lbs. Good grief, I started this diet almost two weeks ago at 171.5!
WTH?
Whenever we do something for a certain outcome, if we’re making slow (or no progress at all), it’s so easy to get discouraged. That’s exactly what I’m experiencing right now and those feelings are probably what led me to think, “Screw this!”
Mind you, it’s not that having a bowl of cereal would have amounted to much of a flagrant violation or anything but that’s not the point, isn’t it? We both know that on a deeper level, with each “violation” committed, it becomes progressively harder to get back on track. That goes for anything in life.
It’s like going to the gym for several months and then suddenly you don’t go anymore. Months later, you start up again, 20 lbs. heavier. Has that ever happened to you? Believe me, it’s has more times than I care to admit. I’ve had an on-again, off-again love affair with the gym for years.
How about I give you an update on some numbers and then share some life lessons associated with this experiment?
End of Week #1: Weight 171.5, “Belly to Belly Measurement” 38 inches, Pant Size 34 inches.
End of Week #2: Weight 170.0, “Belly to Belly Measurement” 37 inches, Pant Size 34 inches (but feels somewhat “looser”)
Now, on a whole, as far as the numbers are concerned, nothing much seems to be happening on the surface but there’s a lot going on that can be considered positive:
- Increased energy throughout the day, especially during workouts
- Rarely take power naps, something I used to do almost every day
- Overall feeling of being “fit” (real or imagined?)
- Clothes feel better on me (real or imagined?)
- Inner knowing that my body appreciates the green vegetables which somehow leads me to walking with a little more of a skip
- Helping me remember the power of focus and how it is possible to keep going in the face of difficulties or discouragement
I’d say the program is having good influence on me even though it hasn’t been backed by hard numbers – yet. That’s good enough of a reason to continue, just to see what happens. (Photo: Vchera)
Last year when I was on my own (i.e. no specific diet – just watched what I ate and exercised regularly, etc.), at a certain point after a slow start, I saw my weight suddenly drop. So maybe this means my body is still adjusting to this new way of eating (all those beans!).
Another thing is that despite the fact that some people claimed to have gone on Tim Ferris’ diet for 30 days without any exercise at all (it said so in the title of his article), any kind of cardiovascular exercise is necessary if you want to burn fat around your waist. From what I’ve read in numerous health-related publications, it doesn’t really matter what form of cardiovascular workout you give yourself as long as you do it for at least 20 to 30 minutes without a break. Something about getting your blood circulated and giving your heart adequate exercise…….whatever…….
So what have I learned so far and how can you apply them to life in general?
Holding Yourself Accountable is Critical
If you have a big goal like losing weight or overcoming your fears, it’s incredibly important to find yourself a person or mastermind group to hold you accountable because then you’re more than likely to stay on track and not let your rambunctious ego run amok. In my case, I announced to over 500 of you here about what I was attempting to do. Knowing that I’d have to report a “slip-up” to you was a powerful enough of a reason to put that cereal back in the cupboard. Interesting.
Having Patience and Faith Cannot Be Underestimated
We all want what we want right now and not a minute later. Sound familiar? Instant gratification. Sigh.
Like they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Keeping your vision alive while you go through the trials and tribulations are of paramount importance in keeping your dream alive. (Photo: Amundn)
In my case, I have in my mind 145 registering on the scale and feeling slim and fit with plenty of energy throughout the day. We all know how easy it is to give up when the “going gets tough.” Having a mental image of what you’d like at the end helps – a lot.
Wow, what a powerful lesson for me. Man, I keep thinking to myself, why can’t I experience a big drop on the scale like some of the people reporting their results on the Tim Ferris site?
That brings me to the next lesson……
Don’t Compare Yourself to the Success of Others
That’s a big one. My primary motivation for giving this experiment a try came from reading about other people’s success with it. I mentioned last week how my friend Ron “Buzzoodle” McDaniel lost 47 lbs from this experiment (it was over a period of several months, not just 30 days but STILL!).
Every time I jump on the bathroom scale and see those dismal numbers, I tend think to myself, “why can’t I experience a big drop like some of the others?”
It’s a huge reminder not to play the comparison game. I even wrote about this subject several months ago: Debilitating Habit of Comparing Yourself to Others.
The key is to pay attention to what’s happening to you.
Why?
Because we’re all made of different bodies, belief systems, abilities and background. To do so would be like trying to compare apples with oranges.
Nada.
When Life “Intervenes” You Must Learn How to Adapt and Make it Work
Since I haven’t been traveling lately, keeping myself on the straight and narrow has been easy because my office is at home. Everything I need is right here at my disposal. If I run out of something, all I have to do is visit the store and replenish.
But what happens when I’m invited to a dinner party or a friend asks me to join in for lunch at some restaurant? Now, all of a sudden it isn’t so simple anymore because the decision-making process is now thrown for a loop. Instead of just saying, “Sure, let’s go anywhere, I don’t care” like I used to, I now have to think differently. I try to come up with a better solution and suggest a healthier place like Chipotle (they have great burrito bowls without the flat bread – you can fill it with beans, chicken, peppers and lettuce without white rice).
When you’re heading toward a goal, no matter what it is, your decision-making process is based upon conscious choices about what you will do in response to outer influences. This is where people sometimes say, “Nothing I can do about it.” The fact is there IS something you can do about it. It’s just a matter of asserting yourself a little more.
Last week I spent the entire day in Youngstown (Ohio) to mentor a group of deaf kids as part of a summer program I am involved in. I knew they would be serving pizza for lunch. So what did I do? I made a portable chicken salad with beans on the side. Not only was it delicious but I stayed on track because of the willingness to adapt to the situation.
Tonight, I will be going to a church picnic where they’re serving hot dogs and probably lots of junk food. Do I stay home or do I go? Well, since I want to mingle among my fellow churchgoers, I prepared a bowl of chicken salad along with a container of lentil beans. Not so difficult, right?
It’s that simple – if you prepare yourself to counter life’s interventions by cultivating an attitude of adaptation, you can make it work. But it’s up to you.
If you do something long enough, it’s likely to become an integral part of your life. While I honestly don’t see myself eating beans three times a day forever (nor do I see myself scrubbing the little red pan every morning), I do foresee better eating habits along with improved food-related decisions.
Here’s what I think what will happen after this 30 day experiment is over:
- Increased awareness of good eating habits including but not limited to, incorporating beans at least once a day (hahaha), plenty of green leafy vegetables, lots of water and adding a mixture color to meals like blueberries, strawberries, etc.
- Serve moderate portions and not overdo things.
- Better decisions in how I respond to outside influences.
- Seek out ways to hold myself accountable anytime I want to change something I don’t like about myself.
So there we are, another two weeks to go. Thanks to all of you who are cheering me on this rather challenging but interesting odyssey!
Food for thought: Now, it’s your turn. What else do you think I could be learning from this experiment? Is there anything I might have left out? Have you tried changing a habit in 30 days as a result of reading about my experience? If so, please tell us about it. Let all of us hold YOU accountable for a change. Wink, wink!
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7:47 am on August 25th, 2008 1
Hi Stephen,
While I know you are not happy with the speed, it is moving in the right direction. That is great.
I had long stretches of time where I made no progress. Then other times I would focus and eat fewer calories and make fast progress. Yesterday, I ate pizza (kids wanted it) so that is a step back but I do not get worried about individual days.
Try this for a week. Eat 10% smaller portions and exercise 10% longer and harder.
7:58 am on August 25th, 2008 2
@ Ron McDaniel:
Really? You had long stretches where there was no progress? Hmm…interesting. Well, that’s encouraging.
I like your suggestion of eating 10 percent smaller portions and exercise 10 percent harder. Hmmm…okay, so maybe that means starting off faster when running on the treadmill (I usually start off at 6.0 mph and gradually increase that to 7.0, sometimes 7.5 at the last two minutes of the 30 minute run). So I’ll start off at a higher speed and end at a higher speed? I’ll try that.
Thanks for the input. It was VERY helpful – I did not know you had long stretches of no progress at all. Makes me feel I’m not so alone or doing something wrong. Cheers!
10:03 am on August 25th, 2008 3
Hello Stephen,
Perhaps the fact that you did not lose much is possibly because you do cardiovascular exercises. The muscles weigh more than fat. Do you feel yourself more firmer than before? If so, then THAT may be a good progress in spite of weight numbers not showing what you expected.
10:06 am on August 25th, 2008 4
Stephen,
I loved this post so much I read it three times!
What first came to mind is that you are receiving great dividends from the “Tim Ferris diet”, though not in the form of the loss pounds you are aiming for. There are so many personal victories you are having. I was right with you with the box of cereal. It would have been so much easier to have the bowl of cereal, but you honored your commitment to yourself…to me that’s more powerful than pounds coming off because that ability will allow you to accomplish ANYTHING!
All of the insights you chronicled this morning are benefits of this diet. I agree that everyone has to find what works for them. Diet is I word I tend to run from because of my logical mind (when you stop the diet things will go back the same). I believe in lifestyle. Yet I hide behind that word “lifestyle” (which sounds good) because I haven’t adapted all the good principles of lifestyle that would allow me to be as healthy as possible. Following this journey has helped me to recommit to my own health.
So perhaps the true purpose of the “Tim Ferris diet” is to bring forth these insights but the “Stephen Hopson diet” (that has a proven track record of results with you) is the answer to produce the desired weight loss more easily and effortlessly , and in alignment with who you are.
I’ve written out my notes from this and now I’m off for my joy walk!
Sharmaine
10:16 am on August 25th, 2008 5
@ Sharmaine:
Wow, I’m so glad you enjoyed this one. Your comments really uplifted me because I felt the surge of energy coming from you. Is it possible that we were separated at birth somehow? LOL.
Yes, I agree with your points in every way – there’s a series of lessons emerging from this experiment, all of which are potentially life-changing. I, too, don’t care much for the word “diet” because of the notion that it’s temporary and “unworkable.” Lifestyle change is a better way of describing this trial.
I’m so glad you wrote some notes from this – what an honor. Thanks for telling me. Go and have a tremendous “joy walk”! The weather here is looking fantastic – cool temps, sunny skies. Oh, the last days of summers – I’m loving it.
10:21 am on August 25th, 2008 6
@ Nita:
You know something? I was at the church picnic yesterday telling someone about my experience so far with this trial and he said something similiar. He said:
“Body weight is being redistributed as a result of the exercising.”
I’ve heard that muscles can weigh more than fat and that even while the fat might be burning away, the muscles are now gaining strength and weight. That could be why the total weight hasn’t changed much b/c the body is “redistributing” itself.
Good point: “if so, then THAT may be a good progress in spite of weight numbers not showing.” Very good point!
Hmm..I feel better already – thanks to you!
11:01 am on August 25th, 2008 7
Two weeks..no inches..and only 1.5 pounds? It sounds like you’ve been following this diet pretty strictly and it really surprises me that you haven’t seen any physical changes (pounds/inches). I would agree with the “you gained muscle and muscle weighs more than fat” argument if you had lost any inches because muscle is also leaner than fat. It also seems unusual for you to be hitting a plateau the first two weeks of your new regiment. In my experience, the first couple of weeks are where you see the most change.
One thing that I can see that is good about this “diet” is that you’re eating the same things every day. That is a good way to train your body off of variety. If you eat the same foods day in and day out, your body will crave other foods less. However, I have to question any diet that makes you feel guilty about eating Kashi! Kashi is like the super food of the century. Maybe I could grasp this experiment as being a “lifestyle” change if I knew what the instructions after the first 30 days entailed. What do you do during month two? More beans and egg whites? So far…I’m not a fan
I’ll bring you the supplement guide I told you about for the “YOU on a diet” program. I think you’ll find it much more enjoyable and a lot less gassy! Maybe if you don’t find the success you’re looking for with this diet, you could make that program your experiment for next month:-) Today was my first day starting back on that plan (After gaining back about 12 pounds of the 30 I lost before the wedding).
Much love for your honesty!
PS. If you are allowed to eat “egg beaters”…They can be cooked in a microwaveable bowl. That might help cut back on your dishes
1:30 pm on August 25th, 2008 8
@ Jenni:
Actually Jenni, if you read my numbers closely, you would have seen that I’ve actually gone down an inch around the waist but the weight itself is minimal (although I did weigh at 169 this morning – go figure!).
I know it seems unusual to hit a plateau so early in the regiment but who knows? This is just as much of a mystery to me as it is to you!
As for eating Kashi, the diet itself isn’t making me feel anything – I myself make myself feel guilty! LOL. As for what instructions entail after 30 days, there aren’t any! All I know is what Tim Ferris did for 30 days and lost 20 lbs. What happens after that is up to the person. Of course, I plan to modify it somewhat while keeping much of the green stuff in my meals.
And to answer your question, no, there won’t be more beans but less. Perhaps once a day (dinner). I’ll probably go back to Kashi cereal with blueberries in the mornings. That’s what I was eating last year when I lost 20 lbs (can’t remember how long it took for that to happen – I think 3 months, but not sure).
Ok, I look forward to the “supplement guide” you were talking about. Hey, good idea! Maybe I could make the program you’re talking about the “next 30 day experiment kind of thing.” Yeah! I like that. Sounds interesting.
LOL on the egg beaters.
2:10 pm on August 25th, 2008 9
Stephen, you are making me want some ice cream right about now! And yet, I know that some Rice Dream will do the trick. Or better, some grapes.
Keep it up! I think you will learn a lot from this….
5:30 pm on August 25th, 2008 10
@ Tom Stine | Life Coach for Spiritual People:
Yes, definitely, I am learning so much. It NEVER even occurred to me that I’d end up writing some “life lessons” from this but I did! I love it when the spirit moves me to hit the keyboard when new ideas come up. From there, the words, ideas, thoughts, images just come flowing through. I love it when that happens. Seems to be occurring a lot lately, for which I am very grateful.
And so what’s with this ice cream thing, huh? LOL.
I’ve seen Rice Dream in the stores – what do you know about them? They seem to be, ah, shall I say “pricey” compared to soy (which I know costs more than regular milk).
6:19 pm on August 25th, 2008 11
I was inspired by “Skinny B–ch” by Freedman and Barnouim on a flight home from Italy. I do not follow everything but have incorporated many of their lifestyle vegan choices into my life. I did not notice much of anything happening till this month when my dress pants were too big by two sizes! I tried on my jeans that had not fit and now I’ve worn them for two days! Progress finally! Now I need new dress pants for my opening next week.
6:26 pm on August 25th, 2008 12
@ Robin Maria Pedrero:
Wow, that’s really cool! I’ve heard of “Skinny B**ch” before. I’ll have to go google it and find out more about it. Is it just for woman?
I have a friend who suggested I try a program she’s been on as another 30 day experiment after this is over but I’m curious about this one. Maybe I’ll give that a 30 day trial period too!
Thanks for gracing the page of this blog with your “lifestyle change” experience with that program and especially for telling me that you didn’t notice much of anything until this month when your dress pants were too big. Wow. That’s powerful.
I think I’m going to see the same thing happen to me. Congrats on finally achieving success! Your experience reminds me of what a subscriber said earlier (in another post) about paying attention not to the scale but to how your clothes feel on you. That seems to be the surest way of determining how far along you really are. I’m fascinated with that.
Thanks for your input – it gives me even more encouragement just to keep going because even though the scale isn’t showing much improvement, I DO feel better in my clothes. I was by the poolside earlier today and noticed how my stomach seemed to be a little smaller. And I don’t think I was imagining things. At least I hope not!
11:28 pm on August 26th, 2008 13
Stephen -
While I wish you were back to report that you had dropped some grand amount of body fat and feeling 10 years younger, (and after only two weeks!) part of me is glad to hear that your goal is causing you some degree of challenge.
After all, that’s what brick walls are there for isn’t it? To see how bad we want it? I think that you posting your progress here, publicly, for everyone to read and sticking with it in spite of results that are not as perfect as promised is a testament to your goal setting and determination.
One book I enjoyed is Keys to Progress by John Mccallum. It’s a book about weight training, getting in shape, etc – but not in a “how to” fashion. It’s very conversational, and is a collection of articles he wrote. I enjoyed it, and it inspired me towards my goals because it wasn’t over the top nor was it completely dry.
I wish you the best for your next week, and look forward to seeing more updates!
12:16 am on August 27th, 2008 14
Very interesting. I also started this experiment on 8/23/08. Last year I managed to lose 60lbs. on my own, but subsequently gained back about 22 lbs. Yuck! One thing I have learned though, is I personally have to exercise. When I weighed myself on the starting day, I was 180 lbs. I stepped on the scale today (shame on me cause I really should stay off for a week) and was surprised to see 175 lbs. Ok. Most will say “water weight”, but I am walking in the evenings for about 30 minutes. The thing that I do like about this plan is that it is filling. At first I wasn’t crazy about what seemed to be “boring” eating, I have learned that you have to be creative. I don’t know, I am still going to go for it and see what happens in 30 days. I am posting the progress on Tim’s site. Good Luck to you and I hope you get the results that you are looking for. By the way, Tim does have a video on Youtube where he shows you how to make breakfast in about three minutes in plastic bowls in the microwave with minimal clean up, cause he hates cleaning up;)
10:13 am on August 27th, 2008 15
@ Jeannie:
You too? How cool to have someone else in the same boat!
Yes, exercise is most definitely the key. It’s something a lot of us don’t want to do, especially at the beginning when we are the heaviest.
Wow, I’m truly excited to hear about your experience with this “Tim Ferris Diet.” Like you, I had a hard time staying off the scale but I did step on it yesterday and was very excited to see it drop from 171.5 to 167.0 I purposefully avoided the scale today because I wanted the new weight from yesterday to inspire and motivate me.
I didn’t know Tim had a video on YouTube about how to make the breakfast. Can you send me the link? I’d love to see it – and I”ll even post it in Update #3 next week.
Thanks so much for joining me in spirit on this journey. I have to say that now that I’m starting to see some great results, I’m even more motivated to go to the gym. That’s when the motivation starts to kick in when you see actual results!
10:39 am on August 27th, 2008 16
@ Sid Savara:
Actually, an interesting thing happened the day AFTER I posted my update. I hopped on the scale and was shocked to see it register at 167 – a loss of 3 lbs. overnight! The funny thing about it was I didn’t do anything different nor did I starve myself or anything at all. It must be that the body has gotten used to the new regiment and processing tremendous amount of protein. So that inspired me very much. I didn’t dare step on the scale this morning because I want to continue to be inspired by the latest weight (167).
You’re right – how bad do we want it? Absolutely. You’d be amazed how having razor sharp focus can truly help galvanize you into not only taking inspired but also disciplined action. That’s exactly what’s happening with this “new lifestyle change.”
Thanks for your continuing support. One thing I want to add is that I was at a meeting this morning. When I visited the bathroom to respond to Mother Nature, I caught myself in the mirror on the way out and was astonished to see a slimmer man standing in the reflection. It made me feel really good – in fact, I gave myself thumbs up (don’t worry, no one was in there with me).
10:40 am on August 27th, 2008 17
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd-7a_wdVZk
This is the link to the Tim Ferriss three minute breakfast.
Way to go on your weight lose. I too am going to go to the gym starting next week, as my work schedule (I travel some) won’t allow it this week.
It’s funny that Tim does actually like to cook, but hates to clean up. I would think with his money that he could have someone do that for him. On the other hand, I guess, it makes him seem more “real”. He appears practical/simple, kind of like his diet. The philosopy of “keep it simple” is something that I should apply to many things in my life! Sure would be easier.
10:55 am on August 27th, 2008 18
@ Jeannie:
Thanks a lot for that link – I’m sure others will enjoy it, especially because it is very relevant to this conversation. I rarely allow people to leave links inside the comment box unless it is directly applicable to the subject at hand.
I can’t wait to watch it because, as you already know, I HATE cleaning up after myself in the mornings. Just before I left for a very early meeting this morning, I spent a good ten to fifteen minutes scrubbing that darn pan! I had to do it because I wanted to get it over with. I did not want to walk back in to see it still in the sink, beckoning me to clean it. UGH.
I actually don’t mind cooking to be honest with you – it’s just once in a while I don’t feel like doing it especially if I have a very early morning appointment somewhere. But yes, you would think Tim would hire someone because he can probably afford it with the kind of income he probably makes these days (now that he’s a famous best-selling author in great demand all over the world). Go figure!
You bet – the philosophy of “keeping it simple” would definitely benefit me in the cleaning up after breakfast arena. Can’t wait to watch Tim’s video. I’ll re-post the link in my update next week. Thanks again for putting it in here.