The Wheels Are In Motion

It's December 26th, about 7:00pm. We just bathed our children and got them to bed. I'm enjoying another glass of wine. Last night, I slept like crap...had to go out for a run today because I could just feel the negative energy building up with nowhere to go. Why? I've had two days of eating fudge, drinking cognac with eggnog, chips, queso, and who knows what else I could find to shovel in...if you count the cookout this evening, then it's really three days.

I'm done. My Christmas cheer has done cheered out.

Are you there yet? Are you at that point where you are ready to feel better, look better, and kick those bad habits in 2011? Are you ready for the best sleep you've ever had since you were 6? Are you ready for fresh, young skin and a rockin' bod that makes you feel good when you slide on your favorite pair of jeans? Are you ready to play with your kids at the park with energy and enthusiasm?

If you're ready to go, if you're ready to make yourself a priority, if you're done with the bull, then I want you to take some time this week to sit down and write yourself a love letter. This is important, so take the time. In your letter, give thanks to yourself for all of the bad things that you can't stand...be thankful for the warning signs that have pushed you to making this decision. Be happy that you have acid reflux, heart palpitations, and labored breathing. Be thankful for that belly you can't stand, the back fat, the underarm giggle. Be grateful for that pair of jeans you fit into four years ago that have been waiting patiently in the back of your closet for you to slim down. If you didn't have these things, then you might not be committed to living a healthier life in 2011. Be brutally honest in this letter, but make it one of acceptance, not one of self-loathing. Keep this letter in a place where you can take it out from time to time.

When it gets tough, and it absolutely will, you'll want to pull out this love letter to remind yourself why you're worth it.

The wheels are in motion....the switch has flipped. It's time to change your life.

I'll see you January 1st.

photo courtesy of Rhonda Layton, Beachbody Coach

Christmas 2010

Click to enlarge.

P90X: 90 Day Photos

Today is day 92. We were going to go through the end of this week and take photos on Monday, but since we've been moving (and moving is super-heavy manual labor), we probably won't be working out much this week in addition to moving.

I did six pullups this week. "Take the words, 'I can't', and replace them with, 'I presently struggle with'." This was the saying I heard during Day 1 by Tony Horton when I couldn't get up a single pullup without the assistance of a chair. I couldn't agree more.

Over the couse of the 90 days, I lost 10 pounds. Jason lost over 20. I'll be posting his photos soon, as well. On the left is day 1, on the right is day 90. We'll definitely be doing another round.

(click on photos to enlarge)

The HCG Diet

A week or so ago, we received a request to blog about the new HCG Diet. After researching it, we can see why we were asked to write on it. I asked Mariah if I could take the reins on this.

The HCG Diet was introduced by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons, a British endocrinologist in his book, Pounds And Inches. The manuscript he wrote was published in 1954. He hypothesized that the HCG (human chorionic gonadotrpin) was responsible for reprogramming the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that's responsible for controlling ones hunger. HCG is what registers on a pregnancy test to indicate whether or not a woman is pregnant. Dr. Simeons paired intake of this hormone with a 500 calorie-per-day diet. The primary audience for his work was the morbidly obese who suffered from pituitary gland problems.

HCG is produced in one of two ways: It is either extracted from the urine of a pregnant woman, or it is formed through genetic modification. The dieter then either ingests this in pill form, drop form, or takes it through injections (Dr. Simeons injected his patients). They pair this with a 500 calorie per day diet.

Is any of this making sense?

Any diet that requires starvation as a means of losing weight will inevitably be extremely successful in the short run. When we cut our calories that drastically, the pounds cannot help but fall off as we use so much more than 500 calories per day to live. But what do these people look like after 1 year? Two years? Five years?

What the body does is that it learns to compensate on what we give it. Giving our body too few calories over a long period of time actually changes our metabolism because our body is smart. It learns to work with what we feed it. After the metabolism is slowed, and the caloric intake increases back to what it once was, the body puts on weight. Micronutrients are missed, essential minerals are devoid, and the body is malnurished. The source of almost all disease is the lack of proper nutrition. Eating right cleans out the toxins that the body stores which lead to cancer, impaired immunity, gastrointestinal disorders, even problems with the nervous system.

I know a lot of thin people. I know nobody who has done the HCG diet, or any fad diet for that matter, who is thin. They lose weight, then gain back more than what they lost. And, they learned nothing. Thin people drink water, get sleep, exercise regularly, and eat nutritious foods in proper portion sizes throughout their day. If one can make it on 500 calories per day, then they certainly can learn to live a life where they eat 1200-1500 nutritionally dense calories daily.

Weight loss is something that has been around for years. Many profit unethically off of producing weight loss products, several of which are then taken off of the market by the FDA after-the-fact. There is not a magic pill. Starvation only makes the long-run problem worse. Fancy gimmicks are just that. If one wants to get thin, they must change their psychological relationship with food and change their unhealthy habits. There is no way around this. Got it? There is absolutely no way around this. Anything else is a waste of your money and time, and will ultimately leave you poorer, and probably heavier, in the long run. The yo-yo effect will only continue.

There are 40 posts in this blog dedicated to nutrition. You can follow this link to learn about eating healthy.

I wish you the best in your weight loss journey. Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was your body. It took years to gain the weight, thinking that it will come off quickly is unrealistic. In the movie, SuperSize Me, it took Morgan Spurlock only 30 days to gain 24.5 lbs on a McDonalds diet. It took him 14 months to lose that weight. This should be a clear indicator of the amount of time it takes one to lose weight in a healthy manner that stays off.

Best wishes on your road to health -
-Jason

If You Want To Get To The Castle...

This past weekend was one of our most difficult as parents.

Sunday night, when all my daughter wanted to do was get into her pajamas and watch Toy Story 3, all I wanted to do was lay there and hold her. It didn't matter that I'd seen the movie 5 times. It didn't matter that my daughter had given us absolute hell in the days preceeding, or that she had tested every boundary known to a strong-headed three year old. There was nowhere I wanted to be more than by her side, soaking her up.

"If you want to get to the castle, you've got to swim the moat."

This was a line that jumped out at me from the movie, "Eat, Pray, Love" - a movie I saw after our rough weekend.

In my very limited experience as a parent, I've become convinced that 90% of parenting is just showing up... Committing fully...Being there instead of choosing an escape.... Working through the tough times together as a team.... Recognizing when our child is testing our boundaries and involved in a power struggle...Choosing to be present, accountable, and receptive...practicing tough love...dishing out consequences and hugs, sometimes at the same time.

"I will go down with this ship. I won't put my arms up and surrender. There will be no white flag above my door."

I constantly recognize that everyone's a critic (myself included), and didn't do any better or worse at the toughest job known - growing children who become kind, sensitive, healthy, responsible adults that better society. Screw the critics...don't let us derail you. I fully believe with all of my heart that if Jay and I choose to be present, teach actively, love fully, and refuse to enable, then it all works itself out. Good triumphs. But, that's us. Everyone's different.

Maybe that's my naivity talking....maybe that's my attempt to control the outcome. I'm sure I'll have a different view during the teenage years. I've never endured the loss of a child or have been robbed of a life or a love. I equate it to the concept that the only way to arrive at C is to add A+B, but adding A+B doesn't guarantee the outcome of C. Some choose not to add at all.

"If you want to get to the castle..."

I feel that saying is true for so many other things....people want to get the body of their dreams without putting in the effort of a workout, people want to earn the A without going to class every day and studying every night, parents wanting to be close to their children when they're adults, but not having a clue as to how they grew up. It's so true, with the good comes the work. With the work comes the reward.

And so, as everyone was at my step-mom's annual tree-trimming gathering Sunday night, I watched as Kimber hung a few ornaments. When she asked to go upstairs, get into her pajamas, and asked me to lie down next to her while everyone else was downstairs enjoying the holiday spirit, sweet Kimber Elle and I had some badly needed mother/daughter bonding time alone.

I swam that mote. I didn't feel any guilt about being in the castle.

P90X: Week Twelve

Decent week. I can't believe it's coming to a close. Is this the cutest thing, or what? This is the Mason Twist from Ab Ripper X, Jet-style. He has his own yoga mat...he rolls it up and puts it away when he's finished.