Accept where you’ve been so you can embrace the changes that are coming. Pictured: Pops when he was alive. One of our only pics together. This was New Years Eve around 2005 I was close to a whopping 500lbs. How’d it get so far…I emotionally ate my way through everything I would go through, good or bad. I thought I was happy, but as you can see…I was miserable. I no longer live this way and to date have lost nearly 200 pounds. I still have a ways to go, but I’m going. I’m excited about life and living. Nothing and no one will stop me.

What does trimming the fat look like to you?

I’m learning that not only is it by definition not the same as “losing weight” but it also looks different.

I’ll explain:

• “Trimming the fat” is the idea that you have an “immediate result” goal set in mind with the road to getting there being a much shorter distance. A few days maybe even three weeks in the gym and a shift in diet will do the trick.
• “Losing weight” is also “goal oriented” however the distance is governed by weight, will power, body type and not simply a “jean” goal. The statement “Losing weight” in and of itself suggests that there is more to it than knocking off a few pounds so your butt can sit better or your abs look more defined. No honey, this here, yeah…this here is WAR, a journey, a road trip and on certain days some bullshit. This is a marriage, a commitment to your future self.

Why is this important?

Well in the spirit of keeping it real, I had a true experience and had to sat my tail down and evaluate what was going on with my body, my health & diet and my commitment. It was when I weighed in for the second time and things weren’t going in the direction I had hoped.

Yes! That’s exactly what I’m saying. I’d put on weight instead of taking it off, four pounds but hell I was shocked. Instantly I became miserable, pouting, mopping and dragging my head. I couldn’t believe that I was putting in all of this work going to the gym, eating well, speaking positively and I even walked up a damn Mountain. Well ok it was a hill, but nevertheless…I did it. You mean to tell me, that I’m going to work hard and Not play and still gain weight. Baaaaaaaaby, No! I had to figure out what was going on.

That’s when I came up with understanding the definition of what I am attempting to do. I want to lose weight, not drop a few pounds. Ok, ok, I’m confusing you; here we go, a better explanation. I hadn’t been managing my expectations well. And I also hadn’t done any studying on weight loss or weighing for that matter. What I found wasn’t so astounding but terribly helpful:

• Only weigh yourself on two different scales and never more than once a week
• Use an “Establishing Scale” (your personal holy grail that you weigh yourself on at home, doesn’t have to be fancy) This scale will only see your feet, no one else’s – You’ll get a more accurate number when weighing nude.
• Your second weigh-station should be your doctors visits, they keep a record of you weight and usually have a digital scale on hand
• Physicians Digital Scales are best for accurate decimals in weight
• Weigh yourself around the same time each week you weigh, after your morning routine is usually best.
• Though setting goals I important, the human body can experience dramatic weight loss in short amounts of time in some bodies but in others may take a longer time frame
• You Will Always Be Heavier in the morning
• The body can experience a 5 pound wait change over night

Blogger Renee Cloe, ACE Certified Personal Trainer writes;

“Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body’s water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don’t understand what’s happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto its water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water”

If you know me, this here made my life betta!!! I’d been doing everything but what I learned and I was driving myself crazy. And without reason. Yes, we want to see those numbers, cause numbers don’t lie, but I seem to be digging another scale that doesn’t lie and keeps me encouraged. My own dat gum eyes. I said “I knew it, I knew it” when I read Renee Cloe’ s closing statement on one particular blog entry;

“If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don’t be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It’s a matter of mind over scale.”

I’m gonna go with what she said! Lol. I was doing the work, eating right, taking my supplements. I was on the mark and I wasn’t going to allow some silly inanimate object to ruin my day. No ma’am. Not My day.

Keep encouraged and keep doing the work. Bets feeling ever!

Hey! Remember our goal setting list. Well, I met another goal, I walked up a beautiful highway here in Los Angeles, its an uphill climb and goes a few miles. It was so good to me. I felt like a Champion. What are some of your goals you’re meeting and want to share? Send them to me and I’ll get uhm up. Teamwork makes the dream work.

Oh, and consider this. Its now how quickly that we get to our goal, it matters more that we are healthy strong and able to make great use of our new found better life. Things are not always as they seem, but the WORK is real. And screw anyone that says different.

Take a look at this note from Facebooker: Dashama Konah

They say Chinese bamboo is the strongest and most flexible of all plants. The fascinating part about their evolution is when you plant their seed… Nothing can be seen sprout above the surface for up to 5 years sometimes. And then one day, out of the blue, and miraculously, it can shoot up to 200 feet tall!!! So the question is:: does it take 5 years to grow 200 feet tall or does it grow over night? What do you think? I see we are all like the bamboo plant. We work on ourselves and it can sometimes feel like we are not making much progress… And then one day– we look around and see how much we have grown! I see greatness in you.

Dashama Konah