Determined To Succeed

Happy Hump Day! It’s Wednesday and the last full day of all things conference, Atlanta and not really knowing whether or not I am truly doing ok or badly. I’m not saying I am purposely going off the deep end with what I’ve been eating but I do know I haven’t worked out at all (something I know I absolutely should be doing) and I’ve been eating foods way out of my norm.

At this point I think I should say even though I am here in the South I have yet to have an authentic Southern meal. I know, I know. I keep griping about that and it’s just a happenstance of my hotel and its proximity to the convention hotel. Nonetheless, I have been eating a steady diet of what’s available in either my hotel or the convention hotel – some of it good and some of it bad.

For example, I started out my day with a grande (medium) Cafe Latte from Starbucks and a granola bar. OK, not so bad so far. Then, later on ( pushed having lunch until like 2:00 PM because the conference had a late dinner scheduled tonight) I had three medium slices of roast beef (absolutely delicious) and just two (I swear) mini egg roll thingies. For dinner, we were served roast beef, carrots and two pieces of boiled garlic shrimp. I do admit I had two rolls, also. But with no butter. And…OK…I will also admit I had a medium piece of red velvet cake (totally good and worth it).

You’re thinking “OK, that doesn’t sound too bad.” Right? Well, with me, the guy who can gain weight by looking at an egg roll funny and not exercising regularly and a couple of pounds come to visit and pretty sdoon, they’ll invite a few of their friends, too.

On the other hand the reason I don’t feel too terrible about all this eating is because I am walking my ass off at this convention. That is not a slam by any means, just a statement of fact so I hope that all that walking, talking, schmoozing and boozing (well, not so much boozing) is helping work off and balance out the calories I am ingesting.

What does all this mean? It means, in my new Zen way of not being all angry at myself for every little ounce I may or may not gain back during a trip, that I’m going to get home Thursday and immediately jump right back into my routine – my regular meals and my regular exercise regimine. And I can’t wait. It’s what we all should do once the insert-the-name-of-your-event-here is over and we’re back into our lives.

One really cool trhing is how many people are coming up to me introducing themselves and talking about their weight, asking me how I did it and what the secret recipe is. When I tell them there is none, that I lost weight with improving my diet and exercising, I can see their faces drop a little but not too bad. Then, I tell them how freaking hard it is for me, particularly in a convention/social setting and they instantly relate to how much of an ongoing thing this weight loss journey can be. That’s nifty. I hope people see they can do it.

But I so hope they have more will power than me, though. Why?

Because there’s a visit to my personal Mecca needing to be done – a trip to World of Coca-Cola. yep, you guessed it – not only does one of my Kryptonite foods hail from Atlanta it also is in close proximity to the convention. I so can’t wait. You will hear all about that tomorrow.

So stay tuned…and wish me luck surviving the temptation of ice-cold Co…oh, you know the rest.

All along this weight loss journey I’ve had my peaks and valleys, my highs and lows and my temptations and successes. And there have been some weekends I’ve had the will power to resist such foods and some where I haven’t. Some of my weaknesses have seemed consuming at times – my “need” for snacks, Chinese food and Coca-Cola, just to name a few. But as much as I sometimes dread the weekends for this eating I look forward to Mondays to start the week anew.

I look forward this week in particular to really hitting the gym hard and taking the further advice of the personal trainer, Jorge. Which means I’m going to focus every other day weight training and alternate days doing cardio changing all of it up as I go to make sure my body doesn’t freeze on a weight because it’s used to the workout.

I look forward to this week to really get back on track with eating well. I have to admit something here. Those weaknesses I spoke about earlier…one of them is the weekend, in general. For some strange reason I am so much better with being good during the week. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s because things seem so much more regimented. Work begins at nine, ends around five, you eat dinner, watch a few shows and then the next day starts.

But the weekend comes and then somehow my mind opens the floodgates. Maybe it’s running around doing errands, hanging with friends and not being on such a schedule makes me more susceptible to, uh, the suggestion of food. Argh!! Why can’t those floodgates close? I wish I knew.

Ah well. I wrote in one of my weight loss blogs once not to spend too much time dwelling in the past. I even used one of my favorite movies ever, Disney’s “The Lion King,” to illustrate how forgiving oneself of the past and focusing on nothing but the future is the way to find the potential in us all for success. So I do look forward to getting back to the routine of the week, the routine of mind over fatter (as I call it).

It’s kind of hard to believe the year is already almost a quarter over. Can you believe it? I can’t. But I know in my heart it has been time well-spent. Learning something new each and every day on my weight loss journey. And with each and every day comes the opportunity to start anew, just like Mondays…

Welcome to another Friday and another weekend filled with breaks in the routines of life.

Regular readers know I always worry about the weekends. For some reason I think having just more free time or being out and about makes me feel far more vulnerable to snacking and general bad eating. I do my best to keep in mind that weekends are just other days of the week and that I can control myself just as well. But sometimes that’s crap. When I’m out and about – at the mall especially – I just get cravings that seem uncontrollable.

Oh man, do I ever get the urge to visit Auntie Anne’s and get one of her delicious pretzels with gooey dips. Or at the food court, I could sample the foods of the continents. Who am I kidding? Sbarro, Panda Express and Subway are tempting, albeit mediocre, offerings but ones that I am oh-so-close to having when I’m there.

Or even driving down the street I pass my faves on the gauntlet – the Colornel, the Clown, The King and the Red-Haired Girl.  I feel myself drooling at the thought of a big-ass greasy burger, fries and 98-ounce Coca-Colas.

Sigh. Ok. Deep breath. I am within a hair’s breath of the battle of the final ten, the last ten pounds so I can’t be thinking about all that food stuff. I can’t. I have been asked so many times if I ever stumble on my weight loss journey. If I ever get tempted by foods and if I make mistakes and eat them and the answer is a resounding YES. Of course I do. As I say on my podcasts, I am human and I make mistakes on my own weight loss journey. But I make decisions every single day to be healthier and NOT have this or NOT have that so that I can inch ever-so-closer to re-reaching my 225-lb. goal.

So this morning, as I down my cup of coffee, I take another deep breath and head into the work of the weekend with my goal in sight. And that is such an awesome feeling. I head into this weekend tempted but strong. We are all in this together, and believe me when I tell you guys I am in it, too…

…the same temptations. The same stumbling blocks. The same pounds to lose. I DO know how you guys feel because on days like today I feel EXACTLY the same way.

It’s sad, indeed, when you wake up in the morning and the first thing you think about is what you’re going to have for dinner. I think that way sometimes, though. It’s not that I’m purposely starving myself or anything (not that I couldn’t stand to miss a meal, as they say) it’s just that I’m trying to be good and look forward to a healthier meal instead of the prospect of eating junk or ordering out.

When I saw the personal trainer the other day he promised he’d give me a list of suggested foods and meals for me to follow, and those combined with my exercise should help me lose weight. Since I’ll try anything once I said “O.K. lay it on me.” So yesterday I opened up my e-mail and there it was – a list of days with each day broken up into meals and what to have for each meal.

As I was looking over this list there wasn’t anything particularly peculiar about it. You know what I mean. The kind of peculiar that jumps up at ya’ and sends up a red flag and make you go “oh, c’mon! I’m not blending half an orange with grass from my front lawn with a dab of crushed red pepper for a ‘meal’ that’s supposed to fill me for the week.” Ok, maybe there was one thing – something called Metrix (a protein shake kind of thing) which I am replacing with yogurt. Other than that this list contained a good blend of carbs, fats and proteins broken down into meals and snacks that seemed to make sense. So I threw on my clothes and went shopping.

Don’t get me wrong. I have always eaten what I want, do eat what I want and will always eat what I want on my weight loss journey, but if I was going to try this personal trainer exercise routine I had to try his prescribed meal plan, too. So below, here is the plan I will be following (with a grain of salt, of course, and all puns intended) today:

Meal 1 Kashi Cereal or Special K (my preference is the Kashi “Warm Cinnamon” kind – very tasty)

Meal 2 Fruit (I bought strawberries, bananas, seedless oranges and clementines)

Meal 3 Chicken 6 oz., 1 cup rice, 3 cups broccoli

Meal 4 Metrix – Protein Shake (screw that. I’m having yogurt)

Meal 5 Chicken Cesar Salad, Sugar Free Jello with Cool Whip

So there it is. What Bill Ivory Larson is going to eat today. That, combined with my workout, should make me what John Candy was in “Stripes…” a lean, mean, fighting machine.” Well, theoretically, that is. Also, last night I made my lemon chicken recipe again and it was darn tasty. I added in some green pepper and fresh garlic this time for a little different flavor and made three portions so I could have one today for lunch and have another for dinner on the salad (or by itself).

Tomorrow I see the trainer, Jorge, for a second time for what he says will be a workout designed to work different muscles than we did the other day. While I am not in too much pain I certainly still feel Tuesday in my abs and shoulders. I will get to tell him I followed his meal plan and he’s supposed to explain to me other meal/food options, too (which of course I will share with you and hopefully new visitors through Technorati – 95FDGWY5MY9P).

So, I am ready to start my day. I’ve got my cup of Kashi Cereal in hand (which really is very good. I’m not blowing smoke about that) and am ready to learn some new eating tricks today. Hopefully it will help. These last remaining twelve pounds are really starting to annoy the crap out of me.

Bah! I have a cold.

Like all colds it started with that drippy feeling in the back of the throat, followed by my throat feeling lumpy and a general feeling of fatigue. So I did the only thing that made sense – I took the day yesterday to rest. It may have only been mid-day but I crashed on my couch, falling asleep to the remake of “Planet of the Apes” on HBO.

When I awoke sometime in the early evening it was time to eat. I had had a grilled chicken salad for lunch so I was in need of food, at least something palatable in my groggy, stuffy haze that remotely sounded good. Then for some strange reason that old phrase hit me – “feed a cold, starve a fever.” But why in the hell would I WANT to feed a cold? I mean, to me, you feed a guest you want to stick around, not some stupid unwelcome visitor you want to leave asap. And not just any unwelcome visitor but the kind you wish wouldn’t be hit in the ass  by the doorknob on the way out.

So as I ate  my canned minestrone soup (totally not worth the calories) I looked up that old phrase. No one really knows its origins, but most accounts link it back to as early as 1574, when dictionary writer John Withals wrote “Fasting is a great remedie of feuer.” In those days, medical wisdom dictated that a drop in body temperature caused colds, while fevers produced a temperature spike.  So the rationale behind “feed a cold, starve a fever” may have been that eating food and drinking tonic helped the body generate warmth during a cold, while laying off the calories helped temper the inner heat during a fever.

But is it true?

“Colds usually last longer than fevers,” says Denise Snyder, a nutrition scientist and clinical trials manager at the Duke University School of Nursing. “You need to be consuming food so you can fight it off — especially fruit and vegetable juices and warm broths.”

Further, Scott Joy, MD, Chief of Clinical Services with Duke’s Division of General Internal Medicine, adds “Drinking plenty of fluids also makes a difference because it helps keep the secretions thinner and allows patients to get them out of their system lot quicker, alleviating symptoms such as a cough or nasal drainage.” Joy also doesn’t want patients to get hung up on unproven treatments. “It’s important to stress what we know makes a difference, which is getting plenty of rest.”

Dr. Joy, I couldn’t agree more, which is why I am heading right back to bed. But before I do I am putting a “beware of sick curmudgeon” sign in the ground outside directed at the common cold, H1N1, bronchitis and whatever stupid sicknesses are out there fighting and clawing their way inside my nasal passages, throat and head. In the meantime, what will I be eating?

Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, a dietitian and author, suggests “to help keep the sniffles and sneezes away, shop for nutrient-rich foods and beverages.” She recommends foods that are high in vitamins A, B, C, and E and in potassium, zinc, and magnesium. “Live and active cultures in yogurt also pack a punch, as well as folate found in 100 percent orange juice and spinach,” she says. “Load your shopping cart with immunity heroes to help maintain good health.”

Top 10 Cold Remedy Foods

• 100 percent orange juice
• Avocado
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Garlic
• Grapefruit
• Lean meat
• Yogurt

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, an internal medicine specialist and author, adds you should avoid foods that are high in sugar because they can decrease your immunity. “The sugar in a can of soda suppresses immune function by 30 percent for three hours.” “Avoid excess milk products if you are stuffy. Milk protein thickens mucous and makes it harder to drain.” Water, on the other hand, will help keep mucus thin and easier to clear.

Damn. No Coca-Cola for me for a few days.

And what of my cans of chicken soup hanging out in my pantry?

Chicken soup has been praised as a cold remedy since the time of the ancient Greeks. Twelfth-century Jewish physician Maimonides recommended chicken soup for treating colds. A well-known study done at the Nebraska Medical Center researched whether chicken soup works as a remedy to fight colds. The study found that chicken soup contains a number of substances with healing effects — and the researchers concluded that chicken soup actually does work (and not just for the soul).

Sweet. I know what I’m having for lunch today. That is when I wake up from resting.

Good morning my friends. Whether you’ve been along for the ride since I began this blog or have just joined in I welcome you and want you to know you now have a place to relax, vent, cry, laugh, learn from and most of all share. We are all in this weight loss journey together and I am so proud to begin knowing each and every one of you.

Being on the Dr. Oz Show was an amazing experience and he asked me personally to blog for him and become a Wellness Warrior. That makes me both happy and proud. I hope I do a good job.

And thanks to the Dr. Oz Show and a subsequent appearance on FOX 5 News out of New York yesterday I have heard from so many wonderful people about their weight loss stories and there have been a few in just the one day since that have touched my heart. None more so than my new friend, Kelle, who talked about her fiancee, Fernando, and his untimely death due to complications from gastric bypass surgery.

Kelle lost her fiancée, Fernando, in 2008 from complications due to gastric bypass surgery. He weighed 411 when they found out they were expecting their son. Growing up an obese child he decided it was time to make a lifestyle change. Fernando felt he had to do it for their son, so that he would be around for his little boy, be able to run after him in the park, and just be healthy for his son and Kelle. Fernando also decided to have the surgery because nothing had worked for him. He was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes just 6 months prior to his death. He also went to a nutritionist, joined Weight Watchers, did sleep studies for his apnea but nothing worked. Unfortunately, the worst possible outcome happened and Fernando passed away at the age of 42.

Kelle’s son was 9-months-old when his father died and she wishes sometimes that he would have stayed the large man he was. “Although he was a big guy he had an even bigger heart,” Kelle said, “and when a life is lost and your laying there for your loved one to say your final good-byes it doesn’t matter what size you are.”

That is so true.

It is always hard for me to write about gastric bypass because, while I knew I would never have it for myself,  I know so many people who have had the surgery (or lap band surgery). I would also never be down on them for two reasons: because they are my friends and I love them and also because they made the decision to have their respective surgeries for themselves. They have gone on to lose weight and keep it off and be healthy and extend their lives because of it. For that, and their continued friendship, I am most grateful.

After reading Kelle’s letter I did some poking around this wonderful, new-fangled internet thingie and found out something very interesting. You type “gastric bypass mortality rate” into Google and you’ll get varying degrees of information and data, some of which is from the mid-2000s. I did however find one article from January 2010 which is interesting and does seem to go along with the other stats I found.

A study led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati concluded that while the benefits of gastric bypass surgery may far outweigh the health risks for most people who are morbidly obese (which is defined as having a body mass index of 40 or higher) the 30-day mortality from the surgery can range to as high as 2 percent in some studies . That means up to 1 in every 50 surgeries can result in complications and mortality.

I am so glad Kelle wrote me and told me her story. The first time I had ever heard of gastric bypass was because of my old boss’s friend. He was 400 lbs and he unfortunately died from complications of the surgery much like Fernando. That was when I decided if I was ever going to lose weight it would not be through surgery and why I absolutely believe that people can do it naturally. 42 is way too young to lose a loved one especially when he is a father. But he did what he felt he had to do for Kelle and his new son and that amounts to only one thing – love.

I struggle every day with weight loss. I really do. It’s hard to say I am going to resist the foods I love because I’m scared. I’m scared I might go back to having them in the amounts I used to and, therefore, will go back to being the weight I was. I struggle every day with portion control and saying no to a food today so I can have it as a treat later. I really do want to continue my weight loss. It is a struggle every single day. I get up. I crave certain foods. I crave the foods that I know are bad for me. And I have to resist every single day and not give into them. That is what I want this blog to do. Tell people that with a little resistance (and most of all self-love) they can achieve their goals.

Weight loss is a story we can all share and understand. In the days and months and years to come I hope you guys continue to share your stories with me. Sorry today’s blog was so long. But this journey we’re on is a long one. But it’s one that you can now do with the company of friends and loved ones by your side.

I will say it over and over…there’s a message in the “Star Wars” movies for and about everything, including weight loss.

In the (sub-standard) prequel films (Episodes I, II and III) Yoda, Obi Wan, Qui Gon and Mace Windu all talk about how this new upstart kid, Anakin, will bring balance to the Force. How he is supposed to help stop the Sith (the bad guys) and herald a new age of peaceful and benevolent order to the galaxy.

Oops.

While that prophecy misread did they (in Yoda speak – since Anakin does grow up to become Darth Vader), if you think about it there is and should be balance in our lives particularly as we struggle to achieve our weight loss goals.

Take yesterday for example. Even though it was raining, very windy and a generally blah day I had a great day. I had two successful meetings/talks, one of which was over lunch where I ate pretty well calorically (no more than about 900 calories for the whole she-bang). Then, I took my computer to the great Best Buy Geek Squad who helped me fix my on-going computer problem so that is now fixed. Lastly, I met with a great group of people last night and hopefully inspired them to lose weight.

However, my satellite TV went out (probably due to the wind/rain) and no one can come and fix it until Thursday. Bah. No Family Guy until then.

Over the weekend I struggled to be this “weekend food warrior” and ended up having way more (albeit delicious) food on Saturday than I wanted,  so I was much better Sunday and yesterday (and will be today, too).  Last week I was on a serious Coca-Cola binge but now I am on a serious water kick.

So you see, life has balance. It’s supposed to have balance. In the things we do and the things we eat. Everything a doctor tells you is true. A balanced diet is really the best way to eat. Not some whacked-out Taco Bell diet (who came up with that one).  If you eat badly one day it’s not a total weight loss journey failure. Just pick yourself up and get back on track the next day. That’s all. Bring your life back into balance. Have too many carbs? OK, balance it out with more proteins. You get the picture.

We are all human. I know I am and I make terrible food mistakes. I do. But I have learned along the way what at least most of my triggers are for food and how to disarm them. I know what my kryptonite foods are so I can make conscious choices about them. But I’ve brought my life into a wonderful new balance, one filled with knowledge, strength and determination.

That is what will make me continue to succeed on my weight loss journey and that is what will help you, too.  When you love yourself and know you are worth it you will have the keys to bring your lives into that same kind of new balance. And it is then you will be a weight loss success because then nothing will be in your way and your path will be in front of you unobstructed and clear.

And it is then we will all bring peace and order to our own individual galaxies.

Hello my friends and welcome to Sunday, December 27th, which just happens to be the last day of Christmas weekend and the first weekend of Kwanzaa. With most of us back to work tomorrow today is the last day to fit in the last remaining things we have to do, especially getting ready for New Year’s Eve/Day, getting some after Christmas/Boxing Day bargain shopping in or cleaning up from the weekend.

Sure, there are plenty of things to do to take up time in a day but it is most important to make and take the time to do what we need to do for ourselves. So I’m going to ask you a simple but tough question. Ready? What have you done for yourself the past few days? I know we’ve all had wonderful foods (and in my case a wee-bit too much food), spent time with family, friends, co-workers, etc., but what have you done just for you to help yourself on your weight loss journey?

Did you get up the past couple of days to work out and exercise? Did you eat a bit less before, after or during? Did you tell people you’re trying to lose weight and stick to it? I really hope so because no one is going to take care of you but you, especially in this weight loss journey.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not coming down hard on anyone because, as I have stated in the past, I am human, too, and am just as guilty about not working out when I should, eating badly and too much, etc. I am just here to remind you today that in all that needs to be done you should take some time out for yourself, maybe an hour, to work on your weight loss journey because that’s important, too.

Every journey has a beginning, we all know that. And while we will be walking this path for the rest of our lives (eating better and exercising to maintain a goal weight) there is a goal we’re trying to reach. We must all do what we need to do to get there. That’s why I say to tell everyone of your incredible courage in starting your journey. For support, understanding and a nudge when you need one.

Sure, today may be the first sunny day we’ve had in southern New Jersey in quite a long time and a great day to get out and enjoy but the first thing on my “to do” list was to get up and exercise. Now I can enjoy the rest of my “to do” list and only think about what foods I should or should not eat all day instead of wondering when I could possibly fit in a workout, too.

We are all here for each other along this path we’re taking, and there will be many who join us along the way. Maybe you’ve encountered some people who you’ve inspired to lose weight (which is awesome). But always remember one simple thing…

…the steps you take today, or any day, will get you that-much-closer to your goal of weight loss and we are all on this path together. So add YOU to your “to do” list.

YOU should always be the first thing on that piece of paper, notepad or Blackberry/IPhone task manager. After all, you are the most important thing in the world.

For all of my friends who celebrate Christmas – Merry Christmas. And for all of my friends who don’t – Happy Friday to you. It’s overcast this morning in southern New Jersey today and a wintry mix and/or rain is expected later with a high of about 41 degrees.

You guys don’t usually get the weather forecast from me but I thought I’d be a bit different today and share with you my holiday wishes. You see this Christmas, as you know, will be a reflective time for me. As I take time to remember my mom, JoAnn, I think about her, Christmases past and Christmases yet-to-come. In my mind’s eye, when I see those future Christmases, I see a time when we have reached (or in my case re-reached) our ultimate weight loss goals.

Oh sure, we’re gonna indulge (as we should from time to time) in the foods of the season, much like the snow that blanketed the Northeast last weekend. But the trick is to prepare, both before and after, for the storms of food we face on the holidays themselves. We can do that by working out before and after and making sure we have our provisions. Not the bread and milk and waffles and such that people buy when the latest “storm of the century” is approaching. No, I mean things like fruits and other lower-calorie foods on which to snack.

I also mean forgiving yourself the couple of extra pounds you may gain during a holiday. Why? Why is that important? Two reasons.

One (and I remind myself of this one every single day) – you will re-lose that weight. In this weight loss journey of mine I know I will continue to eat the foods I want to eat. And, from time to time, my weight will show it. But I will forgive myself and also know the days during which I indulge are fewer and much further between than they used to be. That I’ve come such a long way I know what to do to take care of myself. That the pounds will come off and will stay off when I work out and watch my intake the rest of the time.

Two – If you do not let yourself have the foods you like every now and then you, I and everyone else will turn into grumpy old Scrooges. I certainly don’t want that. This may be different for everyone reading (and thanks to all those who do read me, especially my new friends in North America, Canada, Belgium, Serbia, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Thailand) but being miserable is no way to sustain a new way of life. Weight loss is a lifestyle we’ve chosen. This new lifestyle also has with it a reality component which states you will eat foods sometimes bad for you. Oh well. Enjoy them but get right back on track. One day will not derail you…unless you let it by continuing to eat the way you used to and slip back into your old comfortable patterns.

So you see, while today’s forecast calls for rain, my forecast calls for success. We are all on this weight loss journey together, no matter what part of the world you’re from. One of my wishes this holiday season is to touch the lives of and share weight loss stories with people from every part of the globe.  Another one is to re-lose this extra weight I’ve gained back (bah humbug) and be each other’s strength along the way.

This way, no matter where you are, your personal forecast is for sunny skies and a healthier and successful weight loss day.

Brrrrrr. It’s chilly this morning. Yesterday’s high was about twenty degrees warmer than it will be today and as I’m writing this it’s only about 33 degrees outside. That’s enough to make even the heartiest workout warrior hit the “snooze” button and crawl back under the covers to enjoy the warmth of their own bed.

However I am reminded of a movie quote (aren’t I always?) that seems to fit this urge to stay warm and safe in bed.

Did you guys see the Will Smith movie “I Am Legend?” It’s actually pretty good. It’s bleak and not the slam/bang action film the trailer made it out to be but it’s good. In it, Smith’s character, Robert Nevell is talking to Anna, the only other human survivor he has seen in years, about strength and the will (no pun intended) to keep looking for a cure.

“Bob Marley. He had this idea. It was kind of a virologist idea…When he was scheduled to perform at a peace rally, a gunman came to his house and shot him down. Two days later he walked out on that stage and sang. When they asked him why – He said, “The people, who were trying to make this world worse… are not taking a day off. How can I?”

I think about weight in the same way. I know it might be a stretch but the reason I exercise and workout and try to eat better every day is because the calories in foods don’t take a day off. They still work exactly the same way. So if I slack off and don’t exercise and I eat badly they will add back on the weight I worked hard to take off and keep off. I have to keep fighting no matter what…

…and no matter how cold it is outside.

And c’mon. Let’s face it. I’m not getting all sweaty outside. I get in my car and go to my gym and get all sweaty in a nice warm workout room. The only cold I face is the few feet from the car to the door and back. That’s all. I can’t and won’t cry about that.

Winter may be far from over but no matter the season, the location, the circumstance, the emotion, etc., keep going. Keep fighting. There are times I don’t want to get up, like today, but I will. I will be right there with you doing this.

This way, you and I both can say we are doing this fight. United and together.