When You're "Hot", You're Hot! Don't Stop!

After a full week of "plateauing" at 224.5, I finally broke through to 222.0. This makes my total weight loss -16.5 lbs. (just over one-third of my 42 pound weight loss goal) in 27 days (just over one-quarter fo the available time!

Which brings us to an important topic: What do you do when you get ahead of your goal?

Because here's what I usually do. I... s-l-o-w... d-o-w-n. I take it easy. I eat a brownie!

Which is interesting because our good friend, Jim Packard (a great guy and one of the most successful distributors in a company called Send Out Cards), just sent Andrea and I a full box of Send Out Cards brownies as a thank you gift a teleseminar we're conducting for his team next week.

And I have to tell ya... those brownies are calling my name.

Richard... Richard... eat me!

And my first thought is, Heck I'm ahead of schedule - I can eat one of those brownies! And if I at just one, what difference would it make? The answer is: It would stop my positive momentum. (Sorry, Jim! Thanks, but the brownies are going to have to wait.)

The lesson... whether you're selling or creating or dieting... is: When you're on a roll, keep rolling. Don't stop.

When you're hot, you're hot. Don't stop.

I'm Being Tested, But That Makes Life Interesting, Doesn't It?

I am clearly being "tested" by the big guy upstairs.

After working out really hard for the last three days and saying "NO" to every ounce of bad food and "yes" to salad, fruit, vegetables and water... I climbed on the scale this morning only to discover that I'd... gained... weight!

Only half a pound, mind you, but a gain nonetheless.

So, I'm being tested.

The test, of course, is to see if I have what it takes to persist. To stay the course in the face of dissappointment and discouragement. To keep on keepin' on.

And I have come to believe that it is THIS... the willingness to persist "for as long as it takes" (and perhaps this alone)... that makes ALL the difference in life.

So I'm going to stop writing about it (for the moment) and DO something about it.

I'm putting on my running shoes and heading with Andrea to the gym. Right now.

And, hey, Big Guy - if you're listening?

Go ahead. Test away.

When You Don's See Results, What Do You Do?

Can you spell P-L-A-T-E-A-U-?

I knew one was coming, and it has. After all, I couldn't continue to lose a pound a day forever (if I did, in eight months I'd disappear!)

I weighed in on Tuesady at 224... and weighed in Firdat at... 224. But here's the good news:

I did everything perfectly. I worked out everyday, and I worked out hard - and not so much as an unauthorized pumpkin seed passed my thin blue lips. Yet the results did not appear.

And this is an important lesson for us all, and not just when it comes to dieting: Sometimes you do everything right (your behaviors) and yet there's nothing to show for it (the results).

Right away, that is...

BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD STOP!!! IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD QUIT!!! In my case here (on this diet) it does not mean I should start eating cheesecake and drinking wine again, just because my body has decided to become stuborn and fight back.

And it's the same in every area of life, in everything you do:

- You can make three perfect sales calls, saying everything exactly right... and yet come away empty handed. But that doesn't mean you should stop making calls or change your approach.

- You can have seven conversations with your child about (fill in the blank) and feel like the message is falling on deaf ears. But that doesn't mean you should stop delivering the message.

- You can spend 2 months writing a new training program (like Andrea and I have) only to look at what you've created so far and wonder if the puzzle is ever going to come together the way you want. But that doesn't mean you should stop, wasting the time you've invested.

Because if you do quit, it's all for naught.

I'll see you here on Monday (Day 23) after climbing on the scale... changing NOTHING that I'm doing and simply persevering toward my goal. And the results WILL come.

They always do.

Day 17 - One Sixth of the Way There!

It doesn't feel like 16 days have past (this being the morning of day 17 on my 100 Day Challenge)... it feels more like 16 years! But not for the reason you think.

It's not because it's been a struggle and time has been moving s-l-o-w-l-y. It's because I've seen the future... a thin, happy, active future... and I can't wait for it to come!

Today I tipped the scale at 224... down an amazing 14.5 pounds in 16 days.

Now I KNOW there are some of you out there who must STILL THINK that I'm fasting or running myself into the ground. I swear, I'm not (just ask Mike & Lisa who will attest that I'm eating normally.) All I've done is to cut the "crap" out of my diet and my life.

- When given the choice between ice cream and carrots, I choose to be a "rabbit" rather than a ravenous "wolf".
- When give the choice between staying prone on the sofa or going to the gym, I choose to be a "lifter" rather than a "layer".
- When given the choice between saying yes or no to my immediate desires, I choose to "stay on track" rather than "derailing my progress".

And that will be a major topic during our January workshop: CHOICES.

Life is filled with choices. And every choice we make in life... EVERY CHOICE... either brings us closer to our goals, or takes us further away. Period. There are no "neutral" choices either. It's one or the other (we'll explain this in the workshop, too.)

Friday marks Day 20... and to celebrate I'll post my first "progress picture" on the blog. And even if you can't see much in the photo, my scale (and my heart) can feel the difference already.

So, until Friday, wish me luck - although, when you discover the discipline to make the right choices on a minute-by-minute basis, "luck" really isn't necessary, is it?

12 Pounds in 12 Days! And I'm Just Getting Started!

This is the second time in my life that I've experienced a 12 pound weight-change over a 12 day period. Unfortunately, the other time I gained 12 pounds! (I'm not kidding - it was a vacation in Cancun... and Andrea is my witness!)

I started this odyssey tipping the scale at 238.5 and (to my scale's relief) climbed on today at only 226.5!. And while I'm not starving myself, I am exercising like a mad fool. And I hurt in places I didn't know I had - the 40-minute "Cardio-blast" class we've been taking at lunchtime will do that to you!

But I've also learned to "love-the-hurt"... know what I mean?

"Loving the hurt" means doing something "painful" (in my case, diet and exercise) and having that pain be a constant reminder that... while it hurts now... it's going to make you stronger later.

Of course, this applies to things other than diet and exercise. Telling someone you're sorry about something you said or did "hurts". But after the hurt passes (and it always does) you find yourself better for it.

So, why not make it a goal to "hurt" a little this weekend... WITHOUT BREAKING ANYTHING (and please don't sue me if you do!) All I'm suggesting is that growth requires discomfort... something Andrea and I will talk about a lot in our January workshop. So make a pledge to get out of your "comfort zone" over the next 48 hours.

Then love the hurt!

Mission Accomplished!

Okay, so "mission accomplished" might be a bit premature (like 92 days pre-mature, since I'm only 8 days into my 100 day challenge) but in terms of the immediate mission - staying strong and focused during our dinner with Mike & Lisa - I did good!

As I mentioned in my Friday blog, Lisa is an AMAZING cook... and Mike can pour wine with the best of them! So I was a little bit nervous that I would fall into my old eating habits and let loose.

But I didn't.

How? By keeping my motivating "reasons" in mind at all times and constantly repeating the mantra, "Nothing tastes as good as success is going to feel!" (sorry, Lisa).

And the proof is the pudding (don't worry, I'm not tempted by pudding). Because today's weigh-in put me at 229.0! That's -9.5 pounds after 8 days! Even better was my my reduction in Body Fat %, which dropped 2.2%!

You see, I'm not out to "lose a few pounds" here... I'm seeking a total physical T-R-A-N-S-F-O-R-M-A-T-I-O-N-! And transformation requires P-R-O-C-E-S-S. This is the process Andrea and I are going to teach in the January workshop... a "process" by which anyone can achieve breakthrough performance in ANY AREA of their life.

See you on Friday (and in 18 more days I'll let you see me when I post photos from my 25 day weigh in!)

Five Days Behind Me... Only 95 More to Go!

Well, there's good news and bad news this Friday morning.

The bad news is the economy. The good news is I'm losing pounds faster than the British Stock Exchange!

As you know, I started my 100 Day Challenge last Sunday at 238.5 pounds. Well, I climbed on the scale this morning and was thrilled to see... 231! Down 7.5 pounds in 5 days!

Now, admittedly, I was a bit "bloated" last weekend after a three-day "food fest" during which I stuffed myself silly. So I don't expect to continue dropping weight at this pace. But it was a boost, nonetheless!

For those of you who are wondering if I'm starving myself, the answer is: NO. I am exercising about an hour every day, and eating a decent 1,600-2,000 calories per day. So, if you're worried about me, don't - no animals will be harmed during this weight loss challenge, including ME!

Two of the 12 keys for achieving breakthrough performance (which we'll cover at the January workshop) are the power to "Commit" and the power to "Choose". I have made a commitment, but that commitment will get challenged greatly this weekend when Andrea and I go to our good friend's Mike & Lisa's for dinner! Lisa's cooking is to die for... and every minute will be a test!

(Note: Mike & Lisa own High Performers International, who is sponsoring our January workshop!)

So, come Monday moring (when I sit down here and start typing again) we'll see just how committed I really am. Stay tuned!

I'm Off and Running... and a Little Bit Scared!

Okay, the challenge has started!

Yesterday (Sunday, Oct. 5) marked the launch on my 100 Day Weight Loss Challenge with all the activities you'd expect - the initial weigh in... taking "before" photos... and abject horror.

Got on the scale to see the damage and was shocked to find out I'd let myself get back to nearly 240! (see scale photo for proof.)

Next, Andrea 'snuck up' on me and snapped a photo of me laying on the sofa reading the Sunday paper. After seeing it I realized I was starting none too soon. Gave serious thought to throwing the camera (and Andrea) out the window, but decided that Candor (being honest with oneself, which is one of the 12 Powers we'll be talking about in our workshop) is critical to success.

So here's the photo (shield your eyes if you're at all squeamish):

The good news is I had a great (1,700 calorie) day even though we didn't do much in the way of exercise. But that starts today, as we are off to the gym for cardio class in a few hours.

We'll keep you posted!

238.5 Pound Richard

P.S. The next weigh-in is on Friday!

The Official First Day is Sunday!

Well, I'm rapidly approaching the first day of my 100 Day Weight Loss Challenge, which is Sunday October 5th. This means that if I'm going to have a "last meal" of sorts it's going to have to be tonight or tomorrow (Friday, Saturday). Truth be told... knowing me... it will probably be both!

Now, as promised, I'm going to share everything I'm doing as I'm doing it - including the steps (something we call "The 12 Powers") from the workshop Andrea and I will be conducting here in Portland in January. But for right now, suffice it to say the first of the 12 powers (the Power of Clarity) is my initial focus.

I have a very clear vision of what I want to achieve (get my weight under 200 pounds for the first time in 11 years!) and from where I'm starting (I weighed in this morning at 236 pounds -yikes!) that will be QUITE a task... and quite a "breakthrough performance" when I achieve it.

Finally, some of you have written and asked if you can participate (I guess I'm not alone!) Well, I'd love it! Just type in the comments section of the blog!

In the meantime, there's one last ribeye that's go my name on it, and one last glass of cabernet that is dying to sipped!