They decide that they are not going to smoke anymore and they don’t pick up another cigarette.

or

They decide that they are going to lose weight no matter what and they lose half of their body weight.

There are special powers enacted when you make a decision.

Sure you can make small changes over time and still see positive results but more often than not it is the person that fails to make a distinct and solid decision that gets caught in the roller coaster of success/fail.  This roller coaster is where so many find themselves never achieving their ultimate goal.

Did I say it would be easy?

Of Course It Won’t Be Easy!

There will always be challenges.

There will always be temptations.

There will always be a reason to just have one cigarette, or just skip the gym today, or just have one cookie.

But when you have made a decision, when you decide, nothing can stop you.

Not your work schedule.

Not your family.

Not your lack of income.

Not your jealous friends.

Nothing can stand in your way.

So if you really want something, make a decision, put your head down, and don’t stop until…

Why? Because it works.

Average weight loss on the first 21 day challenge was 5 pounds.

It doesn’t sound like much but if you do the math that would be 15 in two months if you continued eating similar to the 21 day eating plan.

Current 21 Day Challenge Dates

May 6 – 27

Watch these videos. Ignore any dates mentioned in these videos.

Download the Paleo Solution Food Matrix Below (Right Click and Save As)

thePaleoSolution_FoodMatrix

(from Rob Wolf.com)

Paleo-Diet-Food-List-PDF

(from ultimate paleo guide.com)

Current Challenge Prizes

Best three journals will be put in a drawing for the grand prize that includes

My Fit Wichita Member of the month for May (Black Tee-Shirt Award)

A one hour massage

More to come…

 Diet Log

 5/6/13

probiotic

apple

apple

grape fruit seed extract

fish oil

Almonds

lime

BCAAs

Apple

Beef, broccoli, garlic, salt, lime, organic beef seasoning (will put ingredients later)

pineapple

chicken, organic chicken seasoning (will put ingredients later)

5/7/13

probiotic

apple

grape fruit seed extract

fish oil

Chicken (left overs from 5/6)

Almonds

apple

Egg, coconut oil, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic

sweet potatoes, coconut oil, salt

apple

5/8/13

probiotic

apple

apple

grape fruit seed extract

fish oil

Almonds

spinach, avocado, lime, salt, pepper, almonds

Meal from client -

Meat ball Ground beef , Onions, cumin, potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes, and olive oil, salt, brussel sprouts, fresh lemon juice, bell pepper, egg plant, potatoes, Green beans, paprika

apple

Beef, broccoli, (seasoning) lime, coconut oil, salt

pineapple

fungus fighter supplement

5/9/13

probiotic

apple

grape fruit seed extract

fish oil

spinach, avocado, lime, salt, pepper, almonds, salmon

apple

apple

Chicken, seasoning

brussel sprouts, green, red, and onions, coconut oil

garlic, lime, salt

5/10/13

probiotic

apple

grape fruit seed extract

fish oil

spinach, avocado, lime, salt, pepper, and chicken, brussel sprouts, and peppers from previous.

apple

Bcaa

apple

almonds

Egg, coconut oil, broccoli, garlic

sweet potatoes, coconut oil, salt

beef broth

5/11/13

apple

probiotic

grape fruit seed extract

fish oil

spinach, lime, salt, pepper, almonds, salmon

Beef, broccoli, (seasoning) lime, coconut oil, salt

fungus fighter supplement

2 apples

pistachios

apple

5/12/13

apple

eggs, coconut oil, broccoli, garlic, avocado

apple

apple

grape fruit seed extract

fish oil

chicken, seasoning, lime

Brussels sprouts, butter salt, garlic powder

sweet potato, coconut oil

fungus fight supplement

sweet potato, coconut oil

lime

part of apple

5/13/13

two small apples

probiotic

chicken, seasoning

broccoli, carrots, cauliflower,, butter

fishoil, grapefruit seed extract

two small apples

Beef, lime, onion, carrot, garlic, coconut oil

sweet potato, coconut oil

Fungus Fight Supplement

Bone broth (ingredients listed later), carrots, celery, potatoes

5/14/13

fishoil, probiotic, grape fruit seed extract

Cabbage, broccoli, carrot, salmon, 2 avocados, lime, salt, pepper

apple

almonds

eggs, broccoli, garlic, coconut oil, hot sauce (ingredients later)

Bone broth from 5/13

sweet potatoes, coconut oil

fungus fighter supplement

5/15/13

probiotic

Fool me once, shame on you…

Below is a “sea salt” I purchased recently. I thought I was being smart by buying in bulk but come to find out I was trading a slight discount for something that is extremely hazardous in case of ingestion.  READ the labels (even on salt!)

Sodium Chloride (Salt) – Treated with Yellow Prussiate of Soda (YPS) aka Sodium ferrocyanide

Potential Acute Health Effects:
Extremely hazardous in case of ingestion. Hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of inhalation.
Potential Chronic Health Effects:
Extremely hazardous in case of ingestion. Hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of inhalation.
CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available.
DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available. The substance is toxic to blood, lungs, mucous membranes. Repeated or
prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage.

You hear this all the time.

I know alcohol is bad for me but… “everything in moderation”

I know these cookies are bad for me but.. “everything in moderation”

I know fill in the blank… but “everything in moderation”

I have no problem with this except for one little detail.

The definition of moderation!

According to Wikipedia moderation is “the process of eliminating or lessening extremes. It is used to ensure normality throughout the medium on which it is being conducted”.

You can easily see how the statement “everything in moderation” should be great for a fat loss program.

The concept is great and could keep you from hating your life.

But… many people eat garbage 99% of the time and don’t even know it.  The things people eat to lose weight like frozen weight loss dinners, diet shakes, diet soda, cheap yogurts, “healthy” whole grains, healthy cereals, skim milk, etc. many times are not healthy at all and often contain a whole list of ingredients that do not support your health and in many cases are probably detrimental!

So many people use the old stand by “everything in moderation” to take a break from the aforementioned list of garbage food to indulge in something even more heinous.

So am I saying never eat a cookie? No

Am I saying never eat some ice cream? No

So what are you saying?

First,

Find out what healthy food is.  Find someone that can help educate you in what real food is.

(Hint: if this expert is using the USDA recommendations to help guide you find another expert!)

Second, 

Eat healthy food most of the time.

Last,

If you want to eat food that is not healthy do so in moderation.

It is easy to say “everything in moderation” and then scarf down a cupcake, cookie, or have just one more tasty beverage, and that’s fine… If it is truly moderation and you are not using “everything in moderation” as a tool of convenience or using it to get you out of sticky situations like a trusty side kick.

“Holy fake food everywhere Batman!”

Do not add any supplements that you have not been taking for more than two weeks.

Prepare yourself

Click Here to view the most recent challenge here.

Below is the first 21 day challenge.

Keep in mind my goal is not weight loss:)

I ate a lot of bananas because I was trying to gain weight. Each banana has about 100 calories.

I was trying to add size as you can tell it worked!

I will not record water because that is all I will drink. If you drink anything else record ingredients.

1/28/2013 -

This day was spent traveling which means I ate what I could when I could. (a lot of fruit)  Probably won’t prepare meals until Wed.

Apple

Orange

Apple

Apple

Dissected Trail Mix (almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried apples, dried apricots, walnuts)

Spinach Salad(spinach leaves, carrots, broccoli, lemon, salmon

Banana

Apple

Eggs Mix (eggs, broccoli, green peppers, onion, celery, coconut oil, black pepper, salt,)

Banana

Lemon

1/29/2013

Eggs Mix (eggs, spinach, celery, salt, black pepper)

banana

Orange

orange

Cashew, Almond, Pistachio mix

Lettuce Wraps (beef, salt, pepper,oregano, cumin, onion, celery, iceberg lettuce, coconut oil)

Sweet potato, coconut oil

banana

banana

1/30/2013

eggs (avocado, broccoli, carrots, salt, pepper, Hot sauce-aged chili peppers, vinegar, salt, garlic powder)

banana

Cashew, Almond, Pistachio mix

Salad (spinach, avocado, carrots, lime)

Salad (mixed greens, carrots, broccoli, lime, Salmon)

Sweet Potato, cinnamon, coconut oil

Brussel spouts butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lime

banana

Pistachios

1/31/13

Pistachios

banana

banana

pistachios

Salad (Mix greens, carrots, broccoli, avocado, lime, lemon)

pistachios

orange

banana

banana

banana

Avocado Salad(avocado, green bell pepper, red onion, salt, pepper, lime)

Avocado Salad(avocado, green bell pepper, red onion, salt, pepper, lime)

Avocado Salad(avocado, green bell pepper, red onion, salt, pepper, carrots, tomatoes, lime)

Salad (mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, lemon, banana)

12/1/2013

banana

banana

Salad (mixed greens, salmon, carrots, green pepper, red onion, lemon)

banana

pistachios

banana

banana (that’s a lot of bananas! Only 125+ grams of sugar!)

Apple

eggs (onions, garlic, carrots, salt, pepper, green pepper, celery, curry powder)

sweet potato

salad (lettuce, carrots, salmon, lemon, apple)

orange

orange

12/2/13

banana

orange

salad (lettuce, avocado, carrots, broccoli, lime)

Brussel spouts lime, salt, garlic powder

banana

banana

banana

Beef and Broccoli, green pepper, coconut oil

Sweet Potato, coconut oil

Lettuce

Carrots

onion

avocado

salmon

salt

lemon

celery

broccoli

banana

banana

12/3/13

banana

banana

eggs (broccoli, carrots, onions, garlic, curry powder, salt, pepper)

eggs ( carrots broccoli, cauliflower, onions)

apple

pistachios

avocado, lime, salt

avocado, carrots, lime, salt

2/4/13

mixed grees salad ( 2 avocados, carrots, salt, pepper, lime)

apple

pistachios

banana

apple

apple

banana

orange

orange

steak, mushrooms, onions, garlic, butter, salt, pepper

avocado, carrots, onions, limes, salt

sweet potatoes, butter

2/5/13

eggs onions, carrots, celery, butter, hot sauce from above

apple

orange

pistachios

orange

orange

orange (notice the sugar from oranges effects me in a worse and different way than banana)

salad (2 avocado, carrots, apple, lime)

banana

banana

banana (need some protein)

salad (avocado, salmon, pepper celery carrots, hot sauce)

pistachios

banana

eggs (carrots, broccoli, butter, pepper, red pepper, sweet potato)

2/6/13

apple

banana

avocado, carrots, lime x 2

banana

pistachios

banana

banana

Avocado, carrots, salt, pepper

eggs (green, red, yellow pepper, onion, celery, hot sauce)

2/7/13

Eggs (butter, carrots, broccoli)

Sweet Potato , butter

kale salad, avocado, salmon, salt, lemon

part of a cutie

3 banana

2 oranges

eggs ( broccoli, onion, garlic, coconut oil, salt)

Sweet potato (coconut oil, salt)

2/8/13

orange

banana

pistachios

orange

banana

salad (mix greens, kale, avocado, lemon, pepper)

banana

avocado, carrots, lemon, salt

banana

banana

Salad (mixed greens, 2 avocado, onion, lime)

orange

banana

eggs (Peppers, onion, salt, pepper, hot sauce)

2/9/13

banana

banana

apple

banana

orange

eggs (spinach, celery, hot sauce)

banana

Lettuce wraps (beef, onions, celery, lettuce, lime, hot sauce, carrots)

Sweet potato (coconut oil, salt)

banana

piece of meat, salt, and pepper

attempted fried bananas in coconut oil

apple

pistachios

2/10/13

banana, orange, banana

carrots

banana

banana

eggs ( red, yellow, green pepper, onion, salt, pepper, hot sauce)

sweet potato, coconut oil

banana

apple

pistachios

salad (mixed greens, kale, 2 avocado, salmon, lemon, salt, pepper)

3 banana

apple

2/11/13

apple

banana

pistachios

banana

2 apple w/ raw almond butter

orange

apple

banana

carrots and avocado, pepper, salt

banana

banana

banana

eggs, onion, green, red, yellow, peppers, coconut oil, hot sauce

sweet potatoes coconut oil salt

banana

pistachios

orange

2/12/13

eggs, broccoli, salt, hot sauce, coconut oil

banana

pistachios

banana

orange

sm apple

sm apple

Salad Wrap (beef, lettuce, mixed greens, onions, hot sauce, coconut oil, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper)

sm apple

brussel spouts, carrots, broccoli, coconut oil, avocado

sm apple

sm apple

2/13/13

Eggs (kale, butter, salt, hot sauce)

sm apple

banana

sm apple

banana

lettuce, 2 avocados, carrots, pepper, salt, lime)

3 banana (post workout)

apple

pistachios

cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, avocado, salt, pepper, lime

2 sweet potato, salt, coconut oil

apple

almonds

2/15/13

banana

eggs (kale, green yellow red pepper, onions, coconut oil)

banana

banana

avocado, carrots broccoli, almonds, salt, pepper

almonds

apple

eggs (broccoli, coconut oil, salt, hot sauce)

apple

brussel sprouts (butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper)

sweet potato (coconut oil, salt)

banana

2/15/13

eggs (broccoli, coconut oil, salt, pepper, hot sauce)

banana

banana

banana

salad (avocados, carrots, broccoli, lime, salt, pepper, lettuce)

4 bananas (post workout)

Eggs (avocado, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, salt, pepper, coconut oil)

Sweet Potato, coconut oil, salt

5 bananas:) (looks like 30 bananas a day diet w/eggs)

2/16/13

banana

eggs (coconut oil, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, salt, pepper)

banana

orange

2 banana

pistachios

banana

2 goji berries

banana

orange

banana

tilapia

carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, coco oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder

lemon

2/17/13

banana

eggs (onion, pepper, salt, coconut oil)

banana

pistachios, banana, banana, apple

apple

salad ( lettuce, avocado, lime, pepper, salt)

apple, banana

END

Honesty:  Below is a item that might be healthy but was not allowed on this challenge. Can you tell why?

Both the sugar and safflower oil were not allowed on the challenge. One participant admitted the mistake but completed the challenge anyway.  Sticking with something even though you had one slip up will make the difference between success and failure.  This participant lost about 6 pounds and all of her “holiday” weight in this 21 day challenge.

I want you to imagine your goal as a touchdown.

You have a football team and you have to score just one touchdown to achieve your goal.  Now is the other team going to let you score? Of course not, you will have to scratch and claw your way into the end zone. You will have to earn it.

One thing many people don’t realize while they are watching the game on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday is the work put in by the team before the big game.  You can’t just show up and expect to win.  There are plays to learn, strength to build, power to increase, in others words the team must prepare and plan prior to doing battle.

I see people make a similar mistake in regards to their weight loss battle.  They think that if they just show up to the workout (game) and go hard they are going to see results.  But there is not much that can be done on game day that will change the outcome of the game.  Sure you can (and should) play hard and give 100 percent, but it is the preparation away from the big game that will make all the difference.

Many people forget that even if you workout for an hour five days a week there are still 163 hours left in the week.  It is what you do in those 163 hours that will determine if you achieve your goal.  Are you planning your meals?  Are you shopping for and preparing those meals?  Are you getting enough sleep?  Are you taking in the correct nutrition?  Are you performing body regeneration exercises like foam rolling, massage, and stretching?

Instead of putting all of your focus on the workout focus on the rest of the day and those 23 hour will lead you to paydirt.  Now you just need to figure out your end zone dance.

nor·mal (adj) [nawr-muhl]

1. conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; notabnormal; regular; (natural).

2. serving to establish a standard.

nat·u·ral (adj)  [nach-er-uhl, nach-ruhl]

1. existing in or formed by nature ( opposed to artificial): anatural bridge.

2. based on the state of things in nature; constituted bynature: Growth is a natural process.

3. of or pertaining to nature or the universe: natural beauty.

More and more people today are leaving the natural category and joining the normal crowd.

Today around 70 percent of people in the United States are overweight.

It is not abnormal to be overweight and in fact it is pretty much the standard.

But being overweight is not natural.

Today more than 60 percent of people aged 45 or older are currently consuming at least one prescription drug a month.

Taking drugs is a way of life for many people.

But taking drugs in not natural.

There were more than 132 million physician visits for musculoskeletal symptoms in 2006.

Many people live in pain and experience pain every day.

But living in pain is not natural.

Living overweight, on medication, and in pain has become the norm.

But they are not natural.

Why are you overweight?

Why are you taking prescription drugs?

Why are you in pain?

These may seem like easy questions at first but are a bit more involved when you really start to think about the answers.

Here is an example.

Question: Why are you taking (fill in the blank) medication?

Answer: Because I have (fill in the blank symptom).

Question your doctor doesn’t care enough to ask and you don’t think to ask yourself: Why do you have (fill in the blank symptom)?

When we become overweight, have pain, or develop symptoms this is our body’sway of telling us that there is something wrong.

Now we can mask these signals with drugs, but chances are we will just make the problem worse if we don’t find the root cause.

People are quick to unload personal responsibility by blaming external reasons for their current situation.

It runs in my family, organic food cost too much, I don’t like sweating, I like to eat, it happens with old age, I work too much, I don’t have a job, just give me a pill, or any number of excuses don’t eliminate the fact that your health is 100 percent your responsibility.

Yes 100%!

Stop being normal and living overweight, in pain, and on drugs.  Be the minority that does the research and the work needed to find and fix the root cause of your problems.  Be Natural… 

When was the last time you saw an animal like this in nature?

 

No, I didn’t lose a bet.

This was not a religious act.

I was not a former alcoholic in need of an intervention.

So Why?

Well… I don’t know.

Maybe the challenge, I guess just to see if I could do it.

I don’t get out as much as I once did and after New Year’s 2010 I had already gone almost two months without any alcohol so I figured “what’s another 10 months?”

I know what your are thinking “was it easy?”

Well that depends on how you define easy. I will give you a couple examples of just how easy it was.

The first situation was when my childhood friend got a job in another state.  He had a couple going away parties with some friends from high school.  The first get together was a BBQ and for the second we went to the bar. Now can you imagine just how easy it was to refrain from drinking in these two situations. First a BBQ and then the bar!

The next, and even better example, was when a was doing an internship in Kansas City this last summer. I had the opportunity to work with the original personal trainer in Kansas City.  He started training 25 years ago and you can imagine the type of people that were using personal training back then. Well he still trains a lot of the same people today and every once in awhile they give him something special. I was lucky and he got Crown Club tickets to not one but two Royals baseball games.

If you don’t know anything about the Crown Club seats at the Royals game let me explain… You sit right behind home plate, but before you go to the game you eat a buffet with all you can eat and drink(including alcohol), and every 15 minutes during the game a girl comes by and asks if you would like anything else(all free). I am going to summarize that again in case you missed it. You get all you can eat and drink for free while watching the Royals from basically the front row. Ez Peezy right.

So how did I do it?

Easy!

I decided I wasn’t going to drink and I didn’t. 

This is a pretty simple concept that can be used for weight loss or any other thing in your life.

If you want something, or in this case don’t want something, make a decision and stick to it.

Are you going to be tempted with things to pull you off track? Of Course.

People may be put off by your decision at first, but they will ultimately respect you more when you stick to your plan.

And more importantly you will respect yourself.

Here to a $2 buzz in 2012.

That’s right soda (or pop for the Kansans) you can not see!

What do you mean invisible soda?

How is that possible?

Well it is possible let me explain.

Back when I was in high school I played football like many kids my age and I can specifically remember a practice my freshman year in which I was dragging butt. My feet felt like they had bricks tied to them and I felt dead. I started to think about why I was so tired when we were doing the exact same things we did the day before when I wasn’t tired. The only thing I could think of was that day I had soda.

That was all it took and I decided soda pop (or anything with caffeine) was not for me. So I switch to lemonade and things without caffeine for about 3-4 years and then progressed to mostly just water.

Today soda is invisible to me.

When I go in the store I don’t even see it. They could be selling 12 bottles for a penny and I wouldn’t buy it. When I have a meal everyone I eat with knows I don’t drink anything but water so they don’t even offer anything else.

Oh well you must not like the taste of soda.

That’s quite a ridiculous statement seeing how most of us were raised drinking soda and they have a flavor for just about everyone. I like the taste of soda but I choose not to drink it because I know it is not good for me. The details we can discuss in another article but the moral of the story is this… Soda is Invisible to Me!

Just because it is in every single store you go into and it is so good once it hits your lips does not mean you have to drink it.

The same goes for every other thing that you know is bad for you but you continue to consume just because it is there, or someone offers it, or its a holiday, or whatever.

Make the choice to make just one thing you know is bad for you invisible. For me I had to step down from soda to lemonade and then water. You may chose to step down from cigarettes to toothpicks, or from wonder bread to whole wheat, or from commercial meats and eggs to free range and then organic.

Just because something is mainstream does not mean you have to participate.

Remember 70% of people are considered overweight.

I like being a minority,  join me!

And fitness is the exemplification of this concept.

I searched 99 cent fitness on Google and there was an actual site selling fitness for 99 cent.

Customers are bombarded with every different kind of weight loss gadget, pill, system, and gym membership you can think of and then some…

So why do so many people fall for these obvious shams.

In my opinion, it is because in the back of their minds there is a small part that believes they can actually get something for nothing.

This is the same reason the lottery is so successful.  Giving practically nothing and hoping for the world!

I don’t care what pill you buy, system you invest in, or diet you try to follow you still have to Do Work!

Whether that work if physical or mental you are going to have to change something about the way you have been living your life.

“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got”

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is Einstein’s definition of insanity.

Can you lose weight with some of the cheaper weight loss options.

Of course you can.

But my question to you is how many times are you going to invest in a $37 gym membership before you confess that it is not working.

Why not try something different?

Whatever you try, make sure you give it at least three months before you give up or try something different. Your body takes time to change and 12 weeks seems to be a good time frame for you to really start seeing a difference.

Many people want it yesterday and don’t want to stick to a program for a whole three months.

This concept has never made since to me.

You can either spend 3,6, or even 12 months making a change or spend the rest of you life jumping from one thing to another and never make any real progress.  Looking like this the whole time.