I miss writing regular posts and I know I need to get back into the rhythm of writing and inspiring all of you again.  In a nutshell, I moved to Iowa from Ohio in 2009 to attend graduate school for a degree in Vedic Science at Maharishi University of Management.  After graduation I decided to stay in town to meditate for world peace at the Men’s Dome.

Boy, did that change my life! I’m now approaching the end of my 6-month commitment and plan to turn my focus on other things on my rapidly expanding plate in the new year

First, are you all aware that I have a new book coming out in January 2011?  It’s called Obstacle Illusions:  Transforming Adversity Into Success containing 25 bite-sized stories of the highs, lows and most embarrassing moments of  my life with lessons at the end of each chapter followed by interactive exercises to make your reading experience more meaningful as they pertain to your own life experiences. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for the free newsletter by going to my website and giving me your email address in the green box.  I have a new issue coming out VERY SOON!

Do you all remember about two or three years ago I embarked on a 30 day raw food diet? I took before-and-after pictures and described what it was like to completely change my way of eating and how I ended up losing weight and looking/feeling great?  That lasted 8 or 9 months and ended when I decided to go back to school.

While a raw food lifestyle was (and is) absolutely fabulous, I couldn’t maintain the lifestyle because I moved into a really small room on campus (i.e. no room to put my blender or counter space to prepare/clean meals) and went on their meal plan for the academic year.  There was just no way I could turn on the noisy Vitamix blender early in the morning to make my favorite green smoothies or prepare the meals on a tiny desk in a room without a refrigerator.  Prior to moving on campus, I was spending $400 to $500 a month on groceries that consisted mostly of fruits and vegetables.  The time and effort spent in washing and preparing the meals was tremendous and unfortunately it became unsustainable for me.

Fast forward a year and a half when out of the blue a friend introduced me to what I didn’t know at the time would be a life changing program that would forever change how I would take off weight and keep it off.

Have you ever heard of Isagenix?

This friend told me about this highly successful health and wellness company that specializes in creating top quality yet affordable products that help the entire body cleanse itself of accumulated toxins where the bonus is effortless weight loss.  At first I was skeptical because we know all about those companies that claim to help people lose weight only to gain it right back.  You’ve been there right?  Me too!

After doing some research I decided that I would give it a try so I started my Isagenix journey on Monday, December 6th.  I bought the 30-day cleanse program………and are you sitting down?

I’m on Day 14 (2 weeks) and have already lost a total of 11.5 pounds and trimmed 2.5 inches off my waist!

A skepic?  No longer!

It actually works!

The 30 day program consists of 11 days of deep cleansing where the toxins are found to be hiding in fat cells all over the body and are flushed out them out.  The remaining days are called “Shake and Meal” days where you drink 68 meal replacing shakes and 1 healthy mid-day meal to further cleanse the body.

Not only am I losing unwanted fat and toxins but I’m also saving money.  I’m still on campus (because of the meditation program) and the university charges me an average of $8 per meal.  The 30 day program only costs me an average of $3.  Can’t beat that!

It’s unbelievably do-able and I can’t wait to see what Day 30 will look like!  I took BEFORE pictures and will post them at the beginning of the new year when I end this program.

More information later – email me if you have any questions or want to try it out for the new year if your new year’s resolution is to really lose weight and keep it off.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised!!!  The company is offering free memberships for those who sign up before Dec 31st (the membership is like what you pay for Sam’s Club or Costco for the privilege of gaining access to buy discounted products).  Get in on it while there’s time!

Debra Poneman, co-author of "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul" and creator of "Yes to Success!"

And now the next thing I’m super excited to announce that my good friend Debra Poneman of Yes to Success! fame from the eighties that has spawned many of today’s bestselling superstars like Janet Attwood (NYT bestselling coauthor of The Passion Test), Marci Shimoff (#1 NYT bestselling author of Happy for No Reason) is relaunching her trademark seminar on the weekend of January 7 – 11, 2011 in Stokie, Illinois and I want you to come because I will be there!  In fact I will be one of her guest speakers!  YAY!

Debra doesn’t teach what’s fashionable.  She teaches what works.  She shares principles of creating success and happiness and prosperity and deep and lasting inner fulfillment that have changed the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world.  She helps people to break the boundaries that are holding them back from having, being and doing what their hearts desire – and knowing exactly what they were put on the earth to do.  She shows people how to prosper in every area of life and to live a life they truly love.

People say that after they take Debra’s seminar, they wake up every morning excited about life and ready to take on whatever comes their way.

Don’t hear about this from your friends when it’s over.  Sign up here and as Debra says, “If it doesn’t far exceed your expectations, I will give you 100% of your money back with no questions asked.”

Wow!  That’s a great guarantee if you ask my opinion!

And what’s more, Debra is providing sign language interpreters!  WOOT!

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First before I tell you about my latest and probably most ambitious experience, I just wanted to tell you that I’ve been a bit preoccupied with preparing for a keynote presentation next week in Las Vegas at a major aviation expo.  For the first time in my professional speaking career, I will be using PowerPoint complete with photos and videos.  Thankfully the man who invited me to be the speaker has been helping me with the technical aspects of video editing and incorporating them in my PowerPoint program.  It’s taking a lot of my time and focus these days to get it just right and I’m having fun learning as I go!

Click on brochure to see inside!

I am very grateful for the opportunity to go back to Las Vegas again in less than 12 months (last year I was there as a keynote speaker at the MGM Grand Hotel for the Risk Management and Patient Safety Institute).  I’m staying at the same hotel but the speaking gig is being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Go to this link if you’re curious about the aviation expo – it takes you right to the page where I’m featured as the keynote speaker.

I will be sharing my journey in overcoming obstacles on the way to becoming the world’s first deaf instrument rated pilot.  The audience will be primarily made of pilots so they’ll understand whatever jargon I choose to use throughout the 60 minute talk.  I’m pretty stoked about it!

The other thing is my preoccupation with going back to school.  I’ve been feeling a strong inner calling to expand my knowledge in the study of consciousness, a subject of which has fascinated me for years.

Ever since I began my raw food journey in September of last year, I’ve been experiencing incredible internal shifts, literally becoming a completely different person in a matter of months.  I’ve taken on new interests, thinking more outside the box and substantially increased my level of spiritual awareness.   More then ever, I want make the world a better place to be – not that I didn’t want to before, but I’ve gone deeper into the meaning and purpose of my life in ways I haven’t done before.   That, in turn, has caused my way of being to change.

In other words, I’m not going back to school to get an MBA or receive a traditional degree like everybody expects.  What I want to do is get a Masters in spiritual psychology at the University of Santa Monica.

Why am I wanting to go back to school so badly?

Well, for one thing, I love the academic environment.  I really miss it.  I remember doing rather well in college during the 80′s.  I enjoy the challenge of taking on new subjects and learning about something that truly inspires my heart.  I don’t mind the discipline of studying, writing papers and taking written exams.  There’s nothing like the thrill of getting good grades and interacting with other students and professors on campus.

So it’s time for me to go back to school and I need your help.

My objective is to prove that regardless of the current economic situation, if you’re determined to achieve a goal despite the appearance of financial, logistical or other obstacles, there is never a better of a time to ask for assistance than right now.

When we are inspired to take action from the spirit, there is no need to “wait for the right time.”   As soon as I thought of the idea of writing a blog post about it, I went right to work.  My ego kept trying to tell me, “The economy is in bad shape, everyone is pinching pennies.  Wait until it recovers.”   From my perspective, that’s not abundant thinking.

Abundance is everywhere, regardless of the economic situation.  With God nothing is impossible.  He will provide the right people to appear on the way to our dreams.  Interestingly enough, God is my source, not people.

You’re probably thinking, “Whoa, hold it right there!  Well, Stephen, if God is your source, then why are you asking us for help?”

Good question, good question.

Let me challenge you to think outside the box for a moment.   God has always been your source.  Not your boss, not your paycheck, not your friends.  What happens is God uses people, places, things and circumstances to help those of us who are asking for it.  In other words, if you are inspired to help and you take action to do something, then that’s God working through you.  He’s inspired you.

God will put the desire in your heart if you are meant to contribute in some way.   Since we’re all given free will, obviously we make the final choice on what action we take but if we are listening and we take inspired action, that’s God using us to heed his call.  Does that make sense?

The University of Santa Monica is offering a 2 and 3 year Masters program in spiritual psychology.  Classes are taught one weekend a month for 9 months with a full week over the summer.  That means either I have to move there or commute from Ohio.

The biggest gravitational pull to this school is the fact that they provide interpreters for deaf students.  Without an interpreter in the classroom, I’d be lost.

Here’s where I need help from you (“Ask and You Shall Receive”)

1. If I decide to move to Santa Monica, I will need a place to stay – I’m looking for a potential roommate who is health conscious (into raw foods or something along those lines), a non smoker and a spiritual seeker.  Do you know anyone who has a room to rent in Santa Monica?
2. Are you aware of any government programs that offer financial assistance to students who want to go back to school for a Masters (or PhD)?
3. Are you aware of any scholarships or grants that I could look into?  Supposedly there are billions of dollars worth of scholarships just waiting to be taken.  In the past, I’ve found scholarships on FastWeb to be limited to those who are much younger than me in an undergraduate program.
4. I am estimating the cost to be about $25,000 for the first year.   I am required to send a deposit of $600 for the first semester (October).  Are you inspired to contribute?   Every little bit helps.  A PayPal button has been provided below for your convenience.  This is bold, I know but that’s okay!

When I come back from Las Vegas, I am setting up a dedicated “Help Stephen Return to School” page on this blog.  The moment I start receiving contributions for the purpose of attending this school, I will create something on the sidebar with an update of how much I’ve received so far.

If there’s anything I’ve learned from becoming the world’s first deaf instrument rated pilot, an award-winning Wall Street stockbroker and making scary decisions like quitting a six-figure career to become a motivational speaker and moving to three different states, it’s defying conventional ways of thinking, taking leaps of faith and asking for help.

I could not have accomplish any of the things I’ve done without other people coming into my life with the right resources at the right time.   We can’t do it alone.

That’s why I am sticking my neck out and asking you for help.

Update:  See Learning Life Lessons Through Mentor(s)

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Everyone I heard back from was in favor of it.   Some people said if I were to start a new blog specifically devoted to the raw food lifestyle, they’d become active subscribers.

Other people like Rhonda James said, “I think whether people want to admit it or not, they are constantly thinking about weight and health.  Slowly but surely everything you report about will start to “sink in” and you will be helping to change a lot of lives.”

Even though this blog appears to be about overcoming adversity because of the title, it is a personal development site covering a wide range of topics including health-related issues.

Think about it for a second – if we aren’t taking care of our bodies with the food we eat, what will happen?  We’ll get sick.  What happens when we get really sick (cancer, diabetics, etc.)?  We have to see the doctor or go to the hospital for treatment.  Think of my raw food journey as “preventive medicine.”

So while I am still thinking about creating a separate raw food blog, I am committed to sharing snippets of what I’ve learned right here at Adversity University for the time being.

You already know that 30 days after I started eating primarily fruits and vegetables, I lost an additional 10 lbs and trimmed another 2.5 inches off “belly to belly” measurements.

You also know from last week’s gratitude post that I’ve been feeling a sense of inner calm along with improved financial, emotional, physical and spiritual well being.

David Wolfe in his book “The Sunfood Diet Success System” was right when he said improvements in the way you eat tend to spread to other areas of your life because when you’re operating with higher energy, a sense of calm and a disciplined mind, you’re also developing better habits, making well informed decisions, improving interpersonal skills and aligning yourself with the Divine, among other things.

When I first started this journey in September 2008, I came in with virtually no knowledge other than what I heard in terms of extraordinary health benefits.   Most of my assumptions about the raw food lifestyle were, to my surprise, incorrect.

The first book I picked up (“The Raw Detox Diet” by Natalia Rose) cleared up many of the myths for me.   Even though it was specifically written for women, I highly recommend you get yourself a copy regardless of your gender.

Okay, let’s start by shattering commonly myths surrounding the raw food lifestyle:

Myth #1 – Raw Food is BORING!!!

The raw food eating lifestyle is boring because you’re constantly eating plain celery sticks, carrots or unappetizing green leafy vegetables like the way gorillas do.

NOT SO!

There is an incredible array of fruits and vegetables out there, many of which I’ve never heard of before.  The more I educate myself, the more I become aware of funny-sounding fruits and vegetables.  In fact, there are so many of them that it’d take several lifetimes to try every single one of them!

You can get creative and learn how to mix and match, create appetizing (and easy to create) dishes that will dazzle even the worst doubters.

While I’m certainly no raw food chef, I am making myself delicious, easy and appetizing meals like slathering raw almond butter on my celery sticks, making green smoothies for breakfast and creating an avocado/cherry tomato sandwich for lunch.    Nothing sophisticated but they’re all easy (and quick) to make!

As far as the green smoothie is concerned, it takes very little time to prepare.   All you need is a good blender, throw in spinach leafs, a peeled orange, 8 oz of water, a peeled mango, frozen strawberries and you’re in business!  You can try different ingredients in the blender.    The more variety, the more fun!

Myth #2 – I’ll always be HUNGRY

Not if you eat every three hours (which is what we’re supposed to be doing anyway).   This is not about denying yourself anything.  Note:  There is fasting but that’s another whole subject for another article.  (Photo:  JeffreyWiden)

Without getting too technical, eating every three hours not only prevents hanger pangs from attacking you, but you it also keeps your metabolism running around the clock.  Believe it or not, this can actually help you lose weight.

Eating as consistently as possible (every 3 or 4 hours) also keeps your blood sugar levels stable (instead of the energy spiking and crashing).

Myth # 3 – I’ll be severely lacking protein, calcium, etc.

When I make my morning smoothie, not only do I get my protein, calcium and vitamins but I am also getting countless minerals, many of which have properties scientists are still trying to identify!

The key is to arm yourself with knowledge and then go forth and conquer the supermarkets!

Myth # 3 – Going Raw Will Prevent Me From Interacting in the Social World

Unless you’re a hermit, it’s impossible to not to go out in the world.  As a professional speaker, I travel, which means I can’t always make my green smoothies in the mornings or prepare my favorite raw dish.

So what do I do?

I adapt.

When I go out with friends to a restaurant, instead of just ordering “any ole thing,” I now look for the “healthiest” items on the menu and order them even if they’re not 100 percent raw.

Let’s say everyone in your group wants to go to McDonald’s for lunch – not exactly the healthiest of places but you can still order one of their salads and bring your own dressing.    See what I mean?

It just takes a little planning, that’s all.    If you’re going to a dinner party, you could always prepare your favorite raw dish and bring that along.   I stay in hotels throughout the year.   Your server can be asked to bring you a plate of fresh fruit or a melon for breakfast, etc.

Myth # 4 – Buying Fruits and Vegetables is EXPENSIVE

Not to bury my head in the stand on this one but while the total grocery bill may, in fact, be higher than your normal grocery bill, think of the long term ramifications.  (Photo:  Lab2112)

Think of how much you could potentially save on medical expenses if you kept eating the way most Americans do (i.e. fast food, meat, pasteurized dairy products, etc).

Personal development is very much part of the raw food journey because not only are you enhancing your state of being and getting healthier but you’re also telling yourself that you are WORTH the extra expense.

For instance, buying organic bananas versus regular bananas will cost you more money but aren’t you worth eating something that hasn’t been treated with chemicals and pesticides?

Myth # 5 – If I go Raw, I must go 100 Percent Raw!

While there are many people who have committed themselves to eating 100% raw fruits and vegetables, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to as well.

Really, it’s totally up to you how you go about doing this.  If you love chicken or beef and you still want to eat them, by golly, who’s going to stop you?  In fact, Natalina Rose (“The Raw Detox Diet”) and even  former talk show host Montel Williams said in his book “Living Well, 21 Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health and Feel Spectacular” that you do not and should not go 100 percent raw overnight.

Why are they saying this?

Because this journey is about YOU listening to YOUR body and making appropriate decisions at a pace you are comforable with.

I remember Montel telling his readers that every once in a while he’ll crave a hamburger from his favorite joint.  He goes for it and doesn’t feel guilty but he’s just careful not to make that a habit.

Natalina recommends that you ease yourself into the raw food routine and take your time with it.   The key is to go slow, give your body a chance to adjust (especially if you’ve led unhealthy eating habits throughout most of your life).   On the other hand, if you’ve maintained a relatively healthy diet over the years, you might be able to start with a higher portion of your diet in fruits and vegetables.

Natalia has a great chapter in her book to help you determine your personal “raw food transition number.”   In this chapter, she has 15 questions for you based on previous eating habits.  Then she gives hints on how to make the transition to raw food based on your score.  I found her little quiz very helpful and I think you will too.

As you gradually detoxify your body, you might end up wanting to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables to a higher percentage but that, of course, would be totally up to you.

Myth # 6 – I’ll Have to Count Calories, Carbs and Fat Grams, Which I HATE!

The beauty of this way of eating is that you NEVER have to worry about counting calories and other stuff again!  Instead of how many calories you are consuming, you’re now asking yourself a totally different question: Can my body break this down?

(Photo:  Charm and Poise)

If you had on one hand an avocado (which has 400 calories and 14 grams of fat) and a Power Bar on the other (which has 200 calories and 2 grams of fat), which one do you think most people would choose?

If you said the Power Bar, you were right.

According to Natalia, your body processes these two things very differently.  With the Power Bar, the body sees that and thinks, “that’s loaded with sugar and chemicals which I can’t break down.  This causes me to store fat and gain weight.”

On the other hand, your body sees the avocado and says, “I know exactly what to do with you.  I can break you down completely!”

Over a month ago, I would have chosen the Power Bar over the avocado because I would have erroneously made my decision on the wrong information.

Myth #7 – I’ll NEVER Have to Exercise AGAIN!

Not in my experience.  Certainly if you never exercised and ate nothing by raw fruit and vegetables, it’s plausible that you’d lose weight and/or improve your skin tone.  But I didn’t lose 4.5 inches around the waist over the summer by sitting on the couch!

I believe strongly that vigorous exercise goes hand in hand with any kind of diet.  As for myself, I go to the gym at least 5 times a week.  Most experts say 3 times a week is sufficient.

I usually start off with a cardiovascular workout (i.e. treadmill) for 30 minutes followed by weight training.  The results speak for themselves.

Myth #8 – Eating Raw Means I’ll Have to Buy Expensive Equipment

While I did buy myself a top of the line blender (Vita-Mix), if you can’t afford one, there’s no reason why you can’t start off with what you already have in your kitchen.

As you progress further and  become serious about turning this into a new lifestyle for yourself, you will probably want to upgrade to better equipment like the Vita-Mix blender.

In other words, you don’t necessarily have to rush out and buy high-end equipment.   While I did go out and buy a Vita-Mix blender (about $500),  I still haven’t bought a juicer or dehydrator and I don’t plan to for some time.

More on this in a future article.

Myth # 9 – I’ll NEVER BE ABLE TO EAT CHEESE AGAIN!!

For those who don’t know me, I LOVE cheese.  If I could, I would eat a whole slab of cheese for lunch AND dinner for the rest of my life if I knew it wouldn’t clog my arteries and give me a fatal heart attack!

Believe it or not, I am STILL eating cheese but it’s of the raw/unpasteurized kind.   Have you ever tried raw cheddar cheese?   Tastes just like the pasteurized version!  Unbelievable!

There are more myths but these are good enough for now.  They are based on my personal experience.

Until next time, have a great beginning of the week!

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Somehow I got sidetracked with speaking engagements, a week-long visit with my family in VA and other things.    I’m beginning to find myself in a comfortable groove once again at Adversity University but in a few short weeks, I’ll be off again to Texas for a keynote at Frito-Lay.  That’s okay, it’ll only be for a few days (last week of October).

If you’ve been reading my responses to various comments on other articles I’ve written on this blog or have been following me on Twitter or you’re a Facebook friend of mine, you will have caught glimpses here and there about the progress I’ve been making with this new 30 day raw food experiment.

Well, today I’m going to purposefully keep this brief because what I want to do is show you the difference between the “Tim Ferris Diet” and the “Raw Food Lifestyle” using both visual and numerical evidence.  Then I’m going to invite you to tell me whether you’re interested in receiving weekly updates on this lifestyle because I’ve decided to extend the experiment for the rest of the year.    That’s how well it’s going!

If the interest from the Adversity University community turns out to be bigger than expected, I might even create a new raw food blog, separate from Adversity University and build a new community there.  We’ll see.

Now, if you recall, I started with the “Tim Ferris Diet” in August and managed to provide you with weekly updates.    Remember these?

Tim Ferris Diet Day 1

Day 1 (August 11, 2008)

• Weight:  171.5 lbs.
• Belly to Belly Measurement:  38 inches
• Pant Waist:  34 inches

Tim Ferris Diet Day 30/Raw Food Lifestyle Day 1

Day 30 (September 9, 2008)

• Weight:  166.5 lbs
• Belly to Belly Measurement:  36 inches
• Pant Waist:  34 inches (loose)

Raw Food Lifestyle Day 30

Day 30 (October 8, 2008)

• Weight:  156.5
• Belly to Belly Measurement:  34.5 inches
• Pants Size:  33 inches (comfortable) or 34 inches (need a belt for it’s very loose)

Summary:

• Total Weight Lost on the 30 Day Tim Ferris Diet:  5.0 lbs.
• Total Weight Lost on the 30 Day Raw Food Lifestyle:  10.0 lbs.

Total Weight Loss Since August 2008:  15 lbs.

• Total Loss of “Belly to Belly Measurement” with 30 Day Tim Ferris Diet:  2 inches
• Total Loss of “Belly to Belly Measurement” with 30 Day Raw Food Lifestyle:  2.5 inches

Total Loss of Belly to Belly Measurement since August 2008:  4.5 inches!

The numbers are very telling but those photos, DARN IT!  They say photos don’t lie but for some strange reason, what you see in the final photo isn’t what I really see in the mirror with my own naked eyes.    Probably has something to do with poor lighting.   I had to take several shots but none of them came out very well so I ended up settling for the one you see above.

I think you can still see dramatic differences.    But if you can’t, then rely on the above numbers and trust me when I tell you that a bunch people from my gym have come up to me the past few days saying that I looked dramatically better.   In fact, because of the marked overall improvement, two ladies have rushed to the bookstore and bought themselves a copy of “The Raw Food Detox Diet” book by Natalia Rose.

Before I turn this over to the AU community, do allow me to tell you what you’ll learn if I continue to provide you with updates between now and the end of the year.

Here’s what I’ll report once a week if you’re interested:

• Why this lifestyle can reverse your health and save you a fortune in future medical expenses
• How my raw food journey has NOTHING to do with animal rights or activism
• How things like Soy Milk actually causes mucus
• How raw/living foods contain enzymes that act like “house cleaners” and gets rid of excess waste left behind in the body
• Why exercise is a strong part of this journey (bet you thought you could just sit at home, huh?)
• Why “waste = weight”
• How you can continue to get massive amounts of protein, necessary fats, etc. from green leafy vegetables and fruits
• Why you will never again need supplements or vitamins
• What kind of equipment you need in the kitchen
• Photos of different meals I prepare and their recipes
• Recommended Raw Food Books
• Where to shop for certain items
• The myths of raw food living
• How Law of Attraction goes hand in hand with raw food living

Benefits I’ve experienced from the Raw Food Lifestyle:

• Loss of excess weight (10 lbs in one month versus 5 lbs with the Tim Ferris Diet)
• No flatulence (LOL)
• Have incredible energy – much more so than the Tim Ferris Diet
• Sleeping much better at night
• Drinking less and less coffee
• Am of the consciousness to ask myself “Will my body be able to break down what I’m about to eat?”
• Spending more time in the fruits and vegetable section of the supermarket
• Habits from this lifestyle are spilling over to every other area of my life (i.e. discipline, focus)
• Increased financial, spiritual, physical and emotional abundance
• Feeling less attracted to cooked food (considered “dead meat” – no live enzymes in them)
• Elimination of “certain bodily challenges” (Hint:  I no longer need Preparation H)
• Bursts of intense joy and happiness – One day I was driving to get groceries when suddenly I felt incredible joy for no reason!
• Increased feelings of gratitude – I’m thanking God multiple times a day.
• Shiny eyes (look at my eyes in the last photo – see if they seem brighter to you – I know they are in the mirror).

Okay, that’s enough.   Is this something you want me to continue updating you with?  Let me know!

Your turn.

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(continued from Week #3)

Today’s post is not what you expected – normally I post an interview in mid-week but I got a little sidetracked.

A week from today, I will be at Penn State Altoona for 3 presentations.    Then after that, I’m visiting my brother and his family in Virginia the rest of the week and weekend.    It’s an opportunity to connect with my mom and dad who are also planning to be there.   Therefore, I am taking a two week break from interviewing people.

I know many of you have been waiting to see the final results of the “Tim Ferris Diet.”   If you were extra alert and took took notice of today’s title, you’d already have some inkling about the results.

In the last update, I promised to post before and after photos.   That’s here too.  I also dropped hints that I’ll be starting a new 30 day experiment.   In fact, I’m already on Day 2 with absolutely phenomenal results – much better than the “Tim Ferris Diet.”  I’m not kidding!

Before I go any further, I thought I’d comment on the photo you see here.  It was taken at a lake not far from where I live.  Yesterday afternoon, I was soaking up the sun’s rays and inhaling nature’s beauty while admiring the crystal clear water – you can see algae floating just beneath the water’s surface.  For some strange reason, I hold utter fascination with clear water.  Interestingly enough, this was revealed during the reading I did with Akemi Gaines last week.   That was one thing that she could not have possibly known about me but was right on target.    Hmmmm……..

Anyway, rendezvousing with nature  has taken priority over writing blog posts and meeting self-imposed deadlines because there’s nothing more nurturing to the soul than soaking up nature’s beauty and basking in the warm sun.   Being in the midst of nature like that calms and reassures me.   It also helps me get centered.   Besides, I’m trying to absorb as much sun as I can before the Fall/Winter sets in.   Even though it’s already September, we’ve been blessed with a supply of nice warm, sunny days lately and I have every intention of taking advantage of them, wherever I happen to be.

Okay, let’s do it.  A final update on the “Tim Ferris Diet.”

While I wouldn’t call it a failure, I definitely did NOT achieve what I set out to do.  Some of you thought losing 20 lbs. in 30 days would have been unhealthy anyway.  Others thought the diet was clogging my system with too many beans (LOL).

But everyone was supportive, which was awesome!

Now it’s my turn to share what I think really happened.   But first, let’s pull out the final numbers:

Day 1 ……………………………………………………………………Day 30

Weight:  171.5 lbs.                                               165 lbs.

Belly to Belly Measurement:  38 inches                36 inches

Pant Size:  34 inches (snug, almost tight)            33 (snug, almost tight)

Day 1 Photo

Day 30 Photo

It’s kind of hard to tell but if you look closely enough, you can see faint outlines of my abs straining to come through.

Interestingly enough, the photos don’t seem to jibe with the numbers but I did lose 6.5 lbs, took off 2 inches around the waist (“belly to belly” measurement) and tried on a pair of 33 inch pants to find it fitting snugly (rather than “tightly”).

Not bad, but not good enough.

While I did not lose the desired weight and am not yet ready to transit into pant size 33,” I would say this experiment was a moderate success for I learned a lot, gained measurable energy and made myself super conscious of my eating habits.  Not only that, but it prepared me for my new experiment, which I’ll tell you about in a moment.

Having touted the positive benefits of the “Tim Ferris Diet,” I also have some ideas why it didn’t go as well as anticipated.  Mind you, it doesn’t mean this diet doesn’t work – it does – but for some people.  When I first discovered it and read all those comments at Tim Ferri’s blog about how many people lost weight, I just had to give it a try.

I’m glad I did.

But like Alexandria said in her Facebook comment a few weeks ago, this was a diet very high in nutrient-rich fiber and high protein, much of which contained water-insoluble fibers, making it hard for the body to break down.

Eating beans 3 times a day along with mostly chicken and occasionally “grass-fed” beef was clogging my system.  Even though I noticed a measurable gain in energy (especially at the gym), I was retaining much of the weight because my body was having a difficult time breaking everything down.

Even though 30 days seems to be plenty of time to get used to the food I was eating, apparently, for me, it wasn’t long enough.  Perhaps I should have made it a 60 day experiment instead.  But I’m not going to do that because long before I discovered the “Tim Ferris Diet,” I had seriously been considering the raw/living food diet/lifestyle.   In fact, I’ve already started on that with even better results!  More on that in a separate post.

Let’s recap the lessons I learned:

• Anytime you start an experiment/project, find a way to hold yourself accountable.
• Having patience and faith is critical in anything you set your mind to.
• Don’t compare yourself to the success of others.
• When life intervenes, you must find a way to make it work.
• Use tools to sharpen your focus like a calendar to keep yourself inspired so that you can continually move toward the goal.
• When microwaving food, don’t use plastic containers – use microwavable glass/ceramic bowls (thanks to Nita and Jen Krejsa for alerting me to this)
• Never give up hope, especially when the going gets tough.
• Eat small portions at least every 3 hours to keep your metabolism going.
• Never let yourself go hungry because if you do it often enough, the body will go into survival mode and store away food, which turns to fat.  Plan it out so that snacks can be healthy and not last-minute-grab-a-bag-of-potato-chips kind of thing.

Ok, there you have it – the 30 day “Tim Ferris Diet” is officially over.

I’ve already begun turning a new page.  You won’t believe how dedicated I am to this new raw food/living food experiment.   Not only that, the results have been nothing short of phenomenal!

Stay tuned……

Food for thought:  What impact did this 30 day “Tim Ferris Diet” experiment have, if any, on you personally?

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(Continued from Week 2)

Well, it’s hard to believe I’ve only got one more week left of the “Tim Ferris Diet“!

Looking back, despite the changes I’ve made, especially in the mornings when I had to cook breakfast and clean up afterward, it really wasn’t all that bad.  Even when I absolutely did not feel like cooking, by forcing myself to go through with it, I was able to break through the initial resistance pretty easily.

All of you know from last week’s gratitude post that I received a terrific “encouragement card” from Chris and Lisa Cree (see photo).  As I mentioned, it caused tears of gratitude to flow and now it’s sitting on my desk, reminding me of the mantra “I am at my ideal weight.”

I know all of you are leaning forward, dying to know if this “Tim Ferris Diet” has generated incredible results for me.

I’m sitting here smiling, almost laughing because, well, 3 weeks have gone by…and…..

* I’ve managed to stick with it 6 days a week with 1 “day off.”

* I exercised almost every day (combination of running and weight training).

* Cooking breakfast and cleaning up afterward became slightly easier over time.

* Even on the “days off” (Saturdays), I never went wild with junk food.  In fact, pretty much the only thing that was different was instead of cooking breakfast, I’d have a bowl of Kashi’s with frozen blueberries.  Lunch and dinner on that day was usually spinach salad with chicken (but no beans).  For a snack, I’d grab fistfuls of my favorite peanut butter pretzels.  Despite not going “wild,” I always managed gained a few pounds the next day only to lose it the following Monday.   Strange if you ask me!

As I enter my fourth and final week, let’s have a look at the numbers once again:

Beginning of Week #1:

Weight:  171.5; Belly to Belly Measurement:  38 inches, Pant Waist Size:  34 inches

End of Week #3:

Weight:  166.0**; Belly to Belly Measurement:  36 inches, Pant Waist Size:  33 inches (snug fit)

**this was the weight last Friday, the lowest on the scale before going back up to 168 lbs over the weekend (probably due to the “day off”).

Results so far:

• Total Weight Loss:  5.5 lbs (3 weeks)
• Total Belly to Belly Waist Reduction:  2 inches (not too shabby!)
• Total Pant Size Reduction:  1 inch (just tried on a pair of 33 inch jeans and it felt “snug” but not tight like it did before the experiment)

With a week left, I am nowhere near the 20 lb. loss I was looking for.  But the numbers are telling.  I am gradually “trimming” down.  Does that mean I will continue with this “diet”?

Yes and no.

Here’s why:

1.  Yes, because I’ve gotten into the habit of incorporating green leafy vegetables, which is easy to throw together (salad) and is delicious.

2.  No, because I believe I will go back to eating a bowl of Kashi’s with blueberries since it’ll eliminate the ghastly clean up job afterward (but after seeing Tim Ferris YouTube video on how to cook without generating a pile of dirty dishes/pans, I am going to give that a try this week).

3.  No, because I’ve been contemplating the idea of eating raw food for 30 days anyway.  Before you start groaning and shouting “NOOOOOO!”, take a look at this guy, Anthony Anderson.  Look at his photo.  He went raw for 2 weeks and it not only defined his body but it also cleared his skin and gave him an incredible boost of energy, lifting him both spiritually and mentally.   Who doesn’t want that?

Truth be told, I’ve been considering going this route for quite some time but I love chicken too much to have given it serious thought.  However, after having gone on a 30 day experiment for the first time in my life and finding it fun, challenging and definitely life-changing, I’m curious to see what will happen at the end of 30 days of eating raw.  Will the results be more dramatic?  Or will it fail?

Think about it.  Every day I eat salad anyway.  The only thing I’d be eliminating would be chicken.   Is that too hard?  Well, not if I stay focused, perhaps substituting chicken with, say, flavored tofu like sundried tomato tofu!

While I have not yet made the decision to go raw, I’m pretty excited about the possibilities.  Meanwhile, I plan to finish up all the chicken stored away in the freezer.  Then on my “final day off” (Saturday, September 6th), I’ll decide whether to go raw or not.

A couple more lessons I’ve learned from this experiment:

Use a Tool to Help Sharpen Your Focus

I put a calendar up on the wall in the hallway and kept track of the numbers.  I found this to be a great motivator.

This was the method I used while at Merrill Lynch during the early 90′s to win sales trips (Bermuda, Mexico, Florida, etc) because it helped me stay the course and keep up with production quotas.

When your focus is razor-sharp, the fact of the matter is you’re less likely to fall off the wagon and stick with the routine.

Eating More Greens Led to Less Cravings and More Energy

Without getting technical (I’ll leave that to the food experts), the more green food I ate, the more energy I felt on most days.  Something having to do with photo-something.  Also, I found that I did not crave sweets even on my days off when I had a “license” to snack away.  The desire was simply not there.

In fact, I have a bag of candy sitting on my table (a thank you gift from the people who ran the deaf youth mentoring summer program), left unopened.  I think having more greens in my daily diet had something to do with that.

If you’re a food expert reading this, feel free to add your comments below and help all of us, including this one, understand what was happening.

Okay, that’s it folks!  One more week and I’ll be turning a new leaf with a new 30 day experiment.   Stay tuned for “before” and “after” photos!

It’ll be very interesting to see if the 30 day trial produced any “noticeable” results through the photos.

Continue to the final week #4

Food for Thought:  Any other thoughts you might be having to doing your own 30 day experiment?  Come on folks, let’s have fun with it.  It is possible to change a habit in 30 days.  You can do it!

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(Continued from Week 1)

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!

Continue to Week 3

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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Why?

Because everybody back “home” (Adversity University) was eagerly watching and waiting for the results!

Well, gosh, it’s been an interesting week for sure.

For one thing, I’ve never had to face so much cleaning up after breakfast.  For years, I started off the day with a very simple bowl of cereal followed by a couple cups of coffee.  Now I’m faced with a mountain of dirty dishes, utensils and a pan that seems to require vigorous amount of scrubbing to get the residue off the bottom!

At first it seemed like a chore but I’ve fallen into a routine now that I don’t mind taking a few extra minutes to clean up.  But to do this every single morning for the rest of my life?  I don’t think so.  Unless I hire a butler to do it for me, hmmm….now, that’s an idea!  (Photo:  Bathtub Junkie)

I did rather well in terms of sticking to the daily meals.  I followed Tim’s suggestions very closely and made sure I ate something every 3 hours (to keep my metabolism going).  Everything white was completely removed and I chugged down tremendous amount of water, literally making me pee every five seconds (a record!).

Throughout the week, I was like a kid eager to see how I was doing on the bathroom scale.  That was the only promise I broke.  My weight fluctuated very little, dropping 2 pounds on Friday only to shoot back up 4 overnight.  (Photo:  ElDave)

WTH?

Saturday was my “eat anything” day and contrary to what you might think, I did not go wild on junk food.  But I did have a bowl of cereal (Kashi with Soy milk) for breakfast, salad with chicken strips for lunch (plus one peanut butter/jelly “crust-less sandwich” – the kind that’s all white with peanut butter and jelly inside and stored in the freezer).  For dinner, I had another plate of salad with chicken strips (no beans).  Later on that night, I went to an event at church and nibbled on some junk food there.  When I got home, I gorged on peanut butter pretzels like there was no tomorrow.

On Sunday morning, I was disheartened to see I had gone up 4 pounds overnight, totally wiping out the meager weight loss I had the previous on Friday!  However, today it’s back down to where I was when I first started (171.0).

On Saturday, I began experiencing enormous amounts of……

Noxious odor.

Oh good Lord, it would not stop!  You want to get real about this?  All those beans…….three times a day.  (Photo:  susiesuez)

Something was bound to happen sooner or later!

Does that mean this so-called “life-style change” is not working?  Well, it would certainly look like it, right?  I mean, I’m right back to where I was when I first went on this thing.  And the funny thing is, I went to the gym every single day (took the weekend off though).  I truly did some heavy duty cardio and weight resistance training.

So, what gives?

Here are my thoughts after the first week:

1.  First of all, just when you think things aren’t “working out” is exactly when most people give up and say, “It isn’t working.”  Believe me, I am VERY TEMPTED to do just that.  But I made a 30-day commitment.  I made a promise to myself and to YOU (it’s that accountability factor).  Therefore, I will continue to follow this daily regiment for 3 more weeks.  I will continue to work out at least 3 times every week, if not every day.

2.  Even though the weight loss/gain was a wash, I just took a “belly to belly” measurement and was astounded to find that went down one inch!  It went from 38″ to 37.”    Hmmm … v-e-r-y interesting.

3.  Another thing I noticed was a slight thinning of my face.  Whenever you start eating better, you notice results in your face before you see them elsewhere.  Unfortunately, the belly area is the last to get smaller.  Another v-e-r-y interesting note.

4.  My friend, Ron “Buzzoodle” McDaniel,  who went on this exact same diet (lost 60 47 lbs (he corrected me – my mistake, see comments) over an extended period of time) said that since I was “thinner” with relatively good eating habits to begin with (I had started to transit to vegetarian food over the summer), it would probably take me longer to lose the weight versus someone who once wined and dined on nothing but junk food.   Pretty compelling case, don’t you think?

5.  One very positive result from this lifestyle change was a substantial increase in energy throughout the day.  With the exception of last Wednesday and Saturday (my day off), I did not feel like I needed a power nap, especially around 3 pm.   All of my workouts were more enjoyable even on the treadmill – something I usually don’t care much for – to the point where I ended up staying at the gym longer than normal because of this higher than expected amount of energy.  A big plus!

6.  Someone on Twitter suggested that perhaps the marked increase in pounds toward the end of the week was “water weight.”  No idea if water was the cause or not.

7.  At one point, a woman named Alexandria Armstrong caught wind of a conversation I was having with Jim Bouchard on Facebook.   She poked her head in saying:

Sorry to be nosy Stephen – I’ve seen some of the interchanges between you and Jim …Re:  Body for Life, etc. and just want to lend my support.  As a trainer I know how difficult it is to set a fitness goal, (especially where weight loss  is involved!) and more importantly, reach it.  If you find yourself struggling……..

That was all I needed to hear.  First, I checked her FB profile and then when I found out that she was not only a fitness trainer but also Jim Bouchard’s husband, I immediately began firing off Facebook messages.  We went back and forth for almost an hour.

At one point, I told her about the “larger than expected gaseous day” to which she replied:

JEEZ – no wonder you have gas!  I just peeked at your blog, and you’re like a walking billboard for Beano. 

(That provoked raucous laughter from me)

Then she said:

You’re eating a lot of nutrient-rich high-fiber, high protein foods, which is great, but beans (as we all know, if you follow your “Blazing Saddles”), asparagus, nuts, flax, high fiber cereals, animal proteins and vitamin supplements are all flatulent-friendly.

Thought that ran through my mind:  Don’t I know that by now?  LOL

Adding just a little bit of those foods to your diet will affect your digestive system, but a diet comprised of them can wreak havoc, especially if you weren’t eating a lot of them previously…

Speaking of havoc…..

Now that we’re getting “up close and personal” as it were — are you having any trouble with bloating and constipation? All of the food sources above contain water-insoluble fibers, which can be hard for the body to break down, which also may be why you’re retaining some weight. I take it you’re probably not allowed any fruits on this plan, because of the calories and high-sugar content, yes?

YES – I was experiencing some bloating and constipation but those have trailed off a bit.

Your suspicions are probably all on point — your body is adjusting to several variables at once, so it would be safe to assume they’re all responsible in some way for many of your “symptoms”.    FYI – I’m always leery of “diets” in general, because “going on a diet” indicates that you will one day “go off it”.   My own philosophy revolves around the following points:

1. Portion size is key.
2. Eat several small meals a day (5-6), and try not to go more than three hours without food.
3. Eat a wide variety of foods, and include as many “colors” in your diet as possible, to maximize antioxidants, vitamins, etc.
4. Exercise.
5. Drink plenty of water.
6. Moderation in all things!

Well, I have to say a big THANKS to Alexandria Armstrong (check out her Facebook profile if you have a FB account – otherwise visit their martial arts website) for being so kind to lend me a supportive voice.

Verdict After Week #1

I am still not giving up on this.  I will continue to follow Tim and Alexandria’s suggestions, eat pretty much the same meals every day (boring I know but for now….) and exercise at least 3 times a week.

The only thing I will try my hardest not to do is step on the scale every morning.  But I can tell you right now that I will not succeed in that regard.  It’s the first thing on my mind upon waking up.   After responding to mother nature, the scale is right there, staring up at me in the face.   Oh, it’s so hypnotizing………..

The original post on this “life changing” situation generated some pretty interesting responses ranging from people who want to stop eating chocolate to those who want to curb their anger for the next 30 days.  Congratulations to everyone who felt inspired enough to step up to the plate and make a life-changing decision over the next 30 days.

They say it takes 30 days to change a habit.  Continue to Week 2.

Food for thought:  Can you make a 30 day commitment to change a habit that you want to get rid of?  Report it here so we can hold you accountable! 

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Like the puppy in the photo, I didn’t understand what was happening.

It wasn’t before long when I heard from Top Hosting Center (THC) that there was a corruption problem in the SQL database, which unfortunately meant that the original post had disappeared.  POOF.  They said I would have to rewrite it AGAIN.

By the way, THC absolutely rocks in the customer service department.  I got my answer about the disappearance within 15 minutes of sending them a top priority ticket.   They’ve consistently outperformed every hosting company I’ve ever had in the customer service area.  They are simply awesome.

Fortunately, Sharmaine Hobbs and Corinne Edwards came to the rescue by forwarding a copy of their emails with the original post.  I was then able to copy and re-post it with minimal fuss.  If you left a comment or wanted to, feel free to give it another go if you would like.

Needless to say, I’ve learned a lesson.  I am going to backup my posts so that I’m not at loss the next time something like this happens.  Because of this situation, my interview with Sharmaine Hobbs (originally to be posted late tonight for tomorrow morning’s delivery) will now be delayed a day or two.  I want to give everyone a chance to read and comment on this potentially life changing post.

A few months ago, Ron McDaniel of Buzzoodle invited me to a local networking event.  Up to that point, I hadn’t seen him in several months, maybe even a year, but the moment I saw him, I couldn’t believe how much weight he had lost.  Of course, I couldn’t help myself but comment on how great he was looking and asked how he did it.   He told me he would send me a link later that night.

That’s when I first heard of Tim Ferris’ popular article, “How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days Without Exercising.“  Although I read the entire post plus a couple hundred comments (as of this writing, he has over 1100 comments on that article alone!), I didn’t feel “compelled” to give it a try.

Probably because it would have required drastic – and I mean DRASTIC -  changes to my daily eating habits.  For example, no more cereal!  No more milk!  No more bread!  No more junk food! (Except once a week – more on that later).

Not only that, but I’d be eating beans for breakfast.  Yes, BEANS!  I mean, I’ve NEVHA had anything like that in the morning!   Then try adding raw carrots, broccoli or other veggies to that plate. . . .

Whoa, too much.

At the time I read that article, I was in the process of slowly transitioning to vegetarian food.  For someone my height (5′ 7″), having the scales tip at almost 180 lbs. was a bit over the line, not to mention my pants were getting tighter and tighter.

Not a good feeling.

What happens when you don’t feel good about your body?

That’s right, your self confidence takes a hit.

What else?

Right again, you don’t feel attractive.

Has that ever happened to you?

People who care enough about themselves usually go through something along those lines a few times in their life.

Well, friends, I was not exempt.

So earlier this summer, I began to increase the presence of green veggies and other kinds of raw vegetables, hoping to shed those unwanted pounds.

Although I did become more conscious of my eating habits, unfortunately, I didn’t cut back as much as I should have on certain things like…………cheese.

Gosh, I LOVE cheese.  I could eat a whole package if I allowed myself to!  (Photo credit:  reba627)

Three months after “going veggie,” my trusty scale tried to cheer me up this past weekend by telling me I lost 9 lbs in 3 months.

WHAT?!?!

Only a net weight loss of 9 lbs in 3 months?!?

Something wasn’t quite right.  I knew I could do better.  Last year I lost 20 lbs. in the same time period!  What went wrong?

That’s when I received a Ron’s email yesterday morning (Sunday), telling me just how much Tim Ferris’ diet radically changed his life in 30 days and beyond.   My mind did an immediate flashback to the networking event – I had completely forgotten about the diet and how it changed his life so drastically.

Ron’s email was like a divine message: the timing is right for me to give this a try.  I had never done a 30 day experiment before, especially in a public way.  But others like Steve Pavlina had done several of them with very interesting results.  So I thought why not?

Before embarking on this little 30-day journey, I first had to make up some rules:

• Hold myself accountable by announcing to everyone on this blog what I was doing.  That way I’m less likely to fall off the wagon since I have so many people who are “expecting” to see results (so to speak).  That means posting a picture of my embarrassingly fat hairy belly for all to see.  ACK! ACK! ACK!
• Stick to Tim’s diet plan as closely as possible (I had to substitute chicken yesterday and will probably use lean turkey, both of which will take place of the grass-fed beef, unless I find one for sale around here).    The objective here is PROTEIN, which both turkey and chicken provide in abundance.
• Avoid anything white or starchy [i.e. any kind of bread (even "whole wheat"), cereal, potatoes, rice, fried food, etc.]
• Drink copious amounts of water – as much as possible – avoid all forms of carbonated drinks
• Even though Tim says you can lose 20 lbs. in 30 days without exercising, I will still go to the gym at least 3 times a week (after all, I’m paying almost $40 a month for a gym membership – might as well make it worth the money I pay, right?!?!?!)

After I made a mental note of these little rules, I then prayed for the strength to carry out this life-changing program for the next 30 days.  And here we are.  It’s the end of the first day of the so-called “Tim Ferris Diet Program.”

Here’s what happened:

When I woke up this morning, I first responded to mother nature (imperative) and then weighed myself (171.5 lbs), took a measurement of my belly (beginning and ending at the belly button – 38 inches) and as well as my waist (just below the belly button – 34 inches  – commonly known as “pant size.”).  This is something I will do at least once or twice a week (no need to get obsessed with the bathroom scale, right?).

My goal in 30 days?

• Weight:  145 lbs (that’s about “normal” for my height)
• “Belly Measurement”: 33 inches (belly button to belly button)
• Pants size:  31 inches (just below the belly button – I’d fit in all my old pants again!)

Breakfast (6:30 am)

Eggology pourable whites with one whole egg, black beans, mixed vegetables (asparagus and snow peas) and two cups of coffee with soy milk (goodbye cereal!)

I added two extra items not on Tim’s list:

1.  One teaspoon of Forti-Flax to the scrambled egg mixture (a source of Omega-3, fiber, amino acids, etc).  This was used instead of adding Flax Oil, a considerably more expensive alternative.  Both provide basically the same thing.  I have NO idea if this little addition will help me or not.

2.  One Allergy Multicap from TwinLabs (a multi-vitamin capsule)

Mid-Morning (9:30 am)

• Handful of Planter’s Lightly Salted Peanuts and a cup of hot green tea

Gym (10:00 am)

• 30 minutes on the treadmill (speed ranged from 6.0 to 7.0 mph, with gradual increases in speed)
• 25 minutes of weight training (today I focused on chest and biceps)

Lunch (1:00 pm)

1.  Chicken Strips

2.  Pinto Beans

3.  Mixed Vegetables (asparagus, snow peas)

4.  Copious amount of water

Mid-afternoon (3:00 pm)

Berry Smoothie (frozen blueberries, one scoop of whey protein powder, and 8 oz. water) NOTE:  This was not on Tim’s list either but since this is an experiment, I wanted to see how I felt overall when adding this in the mix.

Dinner (6:00 pm)

1.  Lentil Beans

2.  Spinach leaves with chicken strips, assorted vegetables and a smidgen of flavored vinegar (goodbye cheese!  ACK!)

Mid-Evening Snack (9:00 pm)

So-called experts caution people not to eat beyond a certain hour before going to bed.  There are a lot of reasons for this, which i won’t go into here, but if you look at Tim Ferris’s schedule, he eats dinner very late at night and has a late workout.  I prefer to visit the gym in the mornings (or at the very latest, afternoons).   Obviously he and I have very different schedules.  I’m an early morning riser while he’s not.

For the mid-evening snack tonight, I had probiotic yogurt and a handful of nuts along with a barry-less protein drink (just one scoop of whey protein powder mixed with 8 oz of water).

How did I feel throughout the day on my first try?

Well, I have to admit it was a bit interesting because, on the one hand, I experienced way more energy at the gym this morning.  Was it my imagination?  Or was it real?   Too early to tell.

While I was on the treadmill, I felt a “fat-burning” sensation in my belly that I normally don’t feel until I’m either running very fast or towards the end of the 30 minute run.  However, this morning, I felt that sensation at the very beginning, which tells me I was burning a lot of fuel.  It actually felt very good to run, which surprised me because I am not fond of running.

I have no idea which portion of my breakfast might have attributed to this “feel good run” but if I were to take a guess, it would have been the egg white mixture plus the black beans (both great sources of low fat protein).

There were two minor annoyances I experienced today.

The first was a dull, pounding on the right side of my head.  That usually  means a headache is coming on.  But it went away while I was working out, probably because I was circulating blood and oxygen throughout the brain.  But just after I was finished at the gym, the pounding came back.  It was no better or worst.

Thinking lunch would make it go away, I ate first but when that didn’t seem to resolve the problem, I took a couple of Excedrin.  Poof – it was gone in minutes!  Very strange.

In retrospect, I didn’t feel any of the sluggishness that I normally feel in the afternoons.  I had no desire for a power nap and that really surprised me.   I almost always need one around 3 pm.

The only other thing that bothered me was the slightly uncomfortable irritation in my stomach.  It remained persistent throughout most of the day.  It was more of an annoyance than pain but after eating dinner, that also went away.

It should be interesting to see how the rest of the week goes.  For the most part, I will repeat the meals I had today for the next 29 days.  The only variation will be when I run out of something like asparagus (it was wilting fast in the fridge so I had to eat that up first) and replace it with other vegetables.

Saturday will be “eat anything you want” day, giving me something “exciting” to look forward to. Experts say that when you load up on junk (or food you never eat), it somehow spikes up your metabolism, causing you to lose even more pounds.  Don’t ask – I don’t understand either!

I’m sure you have many questions, comments and thoughts, so I’ll stop here for now.  OH WAIT!  Aren’t I forgetting something?

Yes, yes, yes, you’ve been waiting to see that fat hairy belly I promised, huh?

Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

The next post about this new adventure will come a week from today (unless I have startling news beforehand).

Go ahead, scroll down!  You can look now…..

Photo Taken:  Monday August 11, 2008

Weight:  171.5
Belly to Belly Measurement:  38 inches
Waist Measurement (Pants Size):  34 inches

See Follow Up: Week #1, Week #2, Week #3, Week #4

Food for thought:  If you were to do a 30-day experiment on potentially life changing habit, would this be something you’d do?

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