1percent.today

11/29/2021

To those few that occasionally read this, my apologies at not being able to inspire you on your own health journey. I have used this as a personal blog with all of its ups and downs. At the moment, I feel like a failure in my weight loss journey. I'm 290lbs, 70 up from 220(started at 307+). I use food as a coping mechanism for the boredom in my life. That boredom is self imposed as I try to escape daily life, I've lived much outside of society away from friends and family, relationships, and happiness all trying to survive through life. Its tiring and full of failures, I'm done with failures. Its time to embrace life, seek help, get my weight and physical health in check while seeking help with mental health and do more than just keeping my head above water. My journey is never over, as long as I'm alive, it is also alive

10/23/2021

Have been about 90% on program, 100% is needed to stay in fat burn otherwise just a low calorie process. Fat burn allowed me to lose about 10lbs per month 1st go, avg states 1-2 pounds per week for an avg of 12 weeks, but everyone is different. And please stay on some type of maintenance diet after weight loss diet, no point of wasting all that time to get weight down...my mistake...even while diet I'm on has such a plan. and continue on.
Got home, wanted to toss something together quickly and head out to shop.
This is a prepackaged mix of veggies with tomato sauce, some frozen grilled chicken tossed in as well, cooked(heated) in pan and some feta cheese on top. Toast is keto bread, low fat margarine toasted in same pan with parmesan cheese and everything bagel seasoning and some more feta. (This is that 10% not on program, lol, live well and be in good health).

dinner is served.

10/15/2021

"Stop, challenge, choose." [Optavia]

"Mind the gap between stimulus and response" [The 7 Habits of Effective People]

Stimulated by fried food at convenience 🏪 (love chicken tenders & okra), stopped, considered my choice to lose weight, and left with nuts.

10/15/2021

10/14/2021

FMD done after 3 days, back on 5 & 1 program.
Feels good to be back here working on physical & mental health & wellness.

10/12/2021

Day 2 of FMD.
Got up before my alarm went off, no energy drinks so far today, energy up.
Hunger is absent, cravings gone.

10/12/2021

Well, 1st day of FMD ( Fast Mimicking Diet) done. Ate one fueling at 9am, another at 3pm and last at 9pm; about 330 calories for day. Now no food till 9am. Have done this in past, and the 300-400 calories spread out over day seems to be much easier than all at lunch.

10/11/2021

I feel like I keep circling this same topic, and I will continue to do so till I change myself in small steps just like 2 years ago. In the last two years, I've been able to see my life in-balance and then unbalanced(my "normal"). Too much sugar is consumed in my normal diet, and it has a negative affect on my health and life. I believe it causes inflammation in my body and in my brain affecting my outlook on daily life. My life is out of balance, all that causes more poor choices in diet and a lack to get motivated to do anything. All that negativity brings on depressed thoughts and the viciousness of more negative thoughts. It just becomes one self imposed prison of negativity all because of diet and its affects on body and brain.
I need to detox, I also need to be disciplined and dedicated to this while trying to secure myself against any more binges in junk food and excess sugars. Then take up ketosis type diet again. I'm going to try a FMD, and keep calories at about 300-400 per day of a few days, then shift back to diet. I can do this with diet program, just 3 fuelings per day(not something they prescribe doing though). FMD is from a book I've read before. This must be done, I must get back to a balanced life.

09/26/2021

I've posted here about mental health, whether its an illness or disease, or something else, its still my mind. It may be mis-firing neurons, bad health, weight, diet, hereditary/genes, but through all of it, all that occurred in each session was still me. All my choices, all my decisions, for better or worse is all part of my time-line.
I know what is coming with each session, I know the pain, the disappointment, and disapproval. I know all of it and let it occur time and time again...why?...Because I feel powerless to change it.
Fortitude is like anything else. Its what athletes at the pro or Olympic level deal with. They have a dream(s) that gives them vision; they fight through all their depressed days, injury, illness, and pain. They fight because they have a time-line, they seek to conquer their weaknesses, and strive for perfection before the next game(s) and the goal is always Gold. They showcase Fortitude.
Your vision must be clear, your goal must be absolute, and there must always be a time-line constraint.
But my vision and goals are clouded by fantasy, false dreams, media, my own short comings, and my lack of faith in myself.
Through life, we must find resolve, we do by doing better, we must w**d out our own garden, we must fight to harden our resolve. We must be clear in vision and absolute in goals. Goals lead to Vision which illustrates the tasks within the constraint of a time-line to reach goals. This process ocurrs over and over as goals are reached and new goals sought-after making our vision more clear and highlighting more significant goals giving our life direction.

09/03/2021

This is me currently.

I started my weight loss journey just to lose weight and gain energy. I left the plan when I tightened up on all spending and switched to a bare minimum of weekly expenses going into covid not knowing how it would affect my job. I did well at 1st staying close to program, but as my physical health, weight, energy started to flux, so did my mental wellness. I never paid much attention to my mental health while on program, I had no depressed feelings, my energy stayed up, I felt well.

Its when I started to backpedal and pulled away from program all together that I really got hit, started eating more foods with higher sugar, more carbs, added back more weight. Started to feel different, my energy suffered, my breathing became more difficult. I had all these issues before program, just dealt with it so long, never really acknowledged it. Some headaches and what I guess was inflammation in certain areas of body. Then came depressed feelings, some of it was more clinical from the decreases in energy, some of it from diet, and some was emotional. It started a negative loop, the more depressed I got, the more I ate, the more my health suffered, the more my energy decreased, and so on.

Looking back on it now, and studying up on a keto diet, the program is considered to be keto-lite, or a conservative form of ketosis with more carbs to assist in mental functions. A keto diet has shown some benefits in mental wellness and decreasing depression (though a clinical study has not been conducted). I can't remember any depressed times while on program, so I personally agree with the suggestion that a keto diet has beneficial qualities.

All this leads up to me considering this program to be beneficial for both my physical health and my mental health and overall wellness. I never considered mental health as part of my weight loss journey but as it is affected by diet and affects my diet as I'm trying to eat healthy or I'm stuck in a negative loop, I now must acknowledge it as part of my journey as well. I suggest to any with physical and/or mental health issues, look online, put in the effort, seek how diet affects all aspects of your life, then make considerations to better your diet to better your life.

Through this journey so far, I lost about 87lbs, gained back about 57 through what I mentioned in this post, and now have my goals set for February 2022 as to be back down to 220lbs. And a further goal of 180lbs by July of 2020. My average loss was about 10lbs per month. The average for others on program has been 1-2lbs per week, and an average of 12 weeks on program. Each person pursues 100% on program differently, and your weight loss will always be the effort your wish to put into it. So here goes my effort, and it isn't just about weight loss any more, its my overall wellness...

07/12/2021

Its funny how much your weight impacts your life till some weight is lost then regained. All the small stuff. Holding your breath to tie shoes. Increased breathing just moving about. Stairs are the worst, and just a short time ago, was zipping up them. And just recently the air temp, 70 plus is unbearable, feels so much hotter even indoors with humidity about the same. I feel so much hotter with increased weight especially when trying to sleep at night. Why did I ever consider gaining some weight back not that big of a deal in the short term, what a joke on myself. I feel it daily, on my knees, my legs, my back, my breathing, everything and in every way. I simply got accustomed to my weight overtime, its was "normal," then I lost weight, then gained about 1/2 of it back going completely off program because of excuses I convinced myself of. Now I feel it differently than before, I have a different vision of what normal can be, it will take work and effort to get back to that point. Its like that statement, being overweight is hard, being healthy is hard, choose your hard. Only time will tell what that choice is, I'm aiming for the healthy one.

07/07/2021

Fb post 6-11-21, forgot to post this, have found it easier to type out in an app, then post here, have typed out here and then lost the entire post.

We don't start out to lose weight only to gain it back. And yet I did. Lost 87 lbs in about 8 months, then went off program, slowly gained back about 30 lbs, maintained that for over 6 months. Then slowly progressed to eating anything all the time, and have gained back another 20 lbs. I diffently feel it, feel less energetic, more sluggish, and just run down. This feeling is why I wanted to lose weight to begin with. At some point the food became more important than the health. Weird though, well not really per science, but have been on antibiotics for sinus infection and have lost my desire for sugary and salty foods, still desire carbs and fat though. Have been given sort of a reset in my colon-brain connection to the desires of my palate. This can also be done over time by sticking with a diet and changing the flora in the colon which is a 'brain' in itself.
I'm on this path of health to lose weight and maybe inspire others to do the same. There is no such thing as healty and overweight as much as we want it to be true, media outlets may tell us to accept ourselves as we are, but they don't tell us to accept our health as it is and to love our increased likelihood of becoming unhealthy. I want to be lean and healthy, I just lost my way, I will get back there, lose the weight and maintain it. I hope I gain some insight through this to help others or inspire others. Find a plan that suits YOU, and seek a healthy you.

P.S. Was not able to take advantage of the antibiotic reset, just down lately, emotionally off, and it has affected how I choose food, or my willingness to stay on program. We all have other aspects of our life that affects our diet. I do regret slipping so far from where I was, so much I forgot about in the short time of losing the weight.

I forgot about holding my breath to tie my shoes, how much of my life I sat idly by because of no energy, how much out of breath just going up some stairs or mild walking. I forgot about all this, it was just normal in so much of my life, but then losing that weight, I discovered a new normal. I want that normal back, with all its norms, the increase in energy, and better health.

05/15/2021

Been feeling not all there, and I know and realize I am yo-yo'ing on and off diet. I've been eating things I should not because it makes me feel better sometimes, all while trying to be a 'coach' for Optavia and inspire others to begin their own health journey. Its more of a health and wellness ambassador role, even though I don't seem to fill that role at moment in my own health journey. Have been also dealing with some joint issues, pain, and some mental fatigue issues. ..so like any normal person, seek out and search online. Inflammation.

Inflammation is that term I keep hearing about, especially through the pandemic. Its an immune response to an issue like a virus or infection, then an anti-inflammation response to heal the body. And the immune response to Inflammation in the body can release agents that can cause Inflammation within the immune system of the brain(it has its own immune system). Will be making a post in HWCoach for this issue. Just getting back on program will be my 1st step. But had no idea that body Inflammation could affect mental health linked to brain Inflammation. That off feeling I've been having.

04/27/2021

Have not been posting here lately as much, somewhat disappointed in myself. I have been yo-yo'ing on and off program, or not 100% when on program. I've dealt with weight issues and overeating since I was 10. I was the fat kid throughout school, then continued overweight till now. My issues with weight must be worked through, its a process, and with this program, I'm finally working on that, seeing life through new filters. Still buying my fuelings and flavors of home, my best weight loss option being mobile like I am driving truck. An on-the-go lifestyle doesn't leave much time prepping multiple meals per day.
My goal at moment as well is a focus on sleep and time management while at home. Sometimes like most, I focus on everything but sleep, then sleep the remaining time I have. Trying to put sleep first, then if I sleep less, doing other such in mourning time. Will see, accomplished or failed, will post.

04/12/2021

It starts with a moment on any given day, choosing to live differently, to be a different person, a better version of yourself.

04/12/2021

Fb Journal 4.4.21

My three day weekend now has become a half day. Got home Friday about lunch, was feeling fine then, called and made appointment for tax prep. Got ready, headed down there, made it on time. Stopped at a tractor dealership on way back to check on a pallet forks attachment and fuel cap. Then back home after one more stop at DG to get some un-diet 🙃 😅 such. Just really wanted some salsa and chips. Went back to town for parents, they wanted some Panda Express, got a plate as well. Came home, ate, watched some TV, with plans of going out to shop. Just started feeling different from rest of day, started feeling depressed. Gave up on shop, decided on more 📺, and eventually crashed in bed with clothes still on and no BiPap setup.
Saturday was on/off, in and out of bed, eventually got up about 5pm, went back to sleep about 9 or so, up this morning at 8am, took some old supplements to see if could bounce me out of my funk. Its noon on Sunday now and I seem normal, like I could go either way, get up and do what needs to be done or go back to bed and let dreams have it. Life is choices, diet and motion affects life, for the time I was on diet 100%, I was not depressed in any way, I was losing weight, becoming healthier, getting projects done...I came back to this side of my life for different reasons, but those reasons have become the taste of foods, the sweet, the spicy, the creamy, carbs, sugar, fats, spices. Like I've tried to say before, staying true to a diet is hard because its not what we know, its change. The other path is also hard, overweight, poor health, self-image, confidence, the little things that impact life, thoughts that come up and boil over, and then for some of us, its depressed feelings and poor mood. Its a choice of life and how we want to live that life, I want the path of diet and weight loss, the program is easy, staying on it and true to it goes for any program one may choose. That's the hard part of any diet, changing from how you ate before till how you need to eat now and going forward. This change in diet must become a lifestyle to then maintain the weight loss. I was happy on program, I want that back over this. Why do our brains have to be as they are, why must change be so hard to overcome? Maybe when I'm on the other side, back on program as a lifestyle years in, maybe I can answer that, maybe I can look back to this journey/journal and answer that.

04/02/2021

Fb journal 3.28.21

I see the "all things are hard, choose your hard," posters around fb alot. I'm starting to get it...

I've been overweight since I was a kid, and been struggling with my weight over that time. I have tried other programs, only have had success with Optavia. I have yet to embrace that success as a future for my life. I've seen my personal results and many countless others, and the countless ones that are still healthy years later. I guess its the idea of lifestyle that I have yet to fully take in.

Had a few bad weeks job wise, started with a night with about 2 hrs sleep, then running all day on energy drinks to stay alert. Then come bed time, I crash without setting up my BiPap machine(apnea, possibly weight related). Then becomes a cycle of energy drinks and crash all while trying to stay on schedule and within HOS rules that dictate our hours we drive and our sleep by default.

And it comes down to me breaking my goal above all other goals of health as number one and placing work in its place. Its also crashing at night without setting up machine that makes sleep less productive. When its all said and done, its maintenance and self-care over my life. Its my health which is diet and movement, its also sleep. And sleep is a BIG thing as it ties into appetite and production of many chemicals that help us regulate through out the day. I've noticed my appetite control is almost non-existent on days when I didn't sleep well the night before. This makes it difficult to stay on program as I tend to cheat with carb heavy foods that help me stay awake. The energy drinks mostly keep me focused and alert.

Sleep is as important as diet and motion in weight loss. When we try to side step sleep to get more done in day or crash at night without preparing for sleep, we are setting ourselves up for failure. This is all covered in the Habits of Health, but I'm seeing it first hand now through that filter as I have not before starting this program. This program is soooo much more than weight loss. Its a manual for a healthy life.

A manual for a healthy lifestyle, paced out habit by habit to create automatic responses that are easier to maintain. The light at the end of the tunnel keeps me going, its hope that I can conquer my bad habits simply by replacing them with better habits. I want more energy to have better use of time. I've been lethargic in much of my life, being fat and overweight is hard. Being healthy and choosing better habits is a different can of hard, its change. I know there is this better version of myself, I feel it, and want to meet him, want to see him in the mirror and say hello.

03/14/2021

Started with cereal fueling with a few nuts, then three more fuelings. Ate a Lean & Green for dinner and a smoothie later as last fueling of day. 6 meals spread out over day about 3 hours apart. This is the 5 & 1 weight loss plan, choose from about 60 fuelings for your daily 5 and use the guides provided to fix one Lean & Green meal. Multiple ideas for Lean & Green meals can be found on Pinterest, some recipes are created by the Culinary Institute of America.