Friday, December 28, 2007

New Beginnings...

"A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other." - Author Unknown

So, the new year is almost upon us. New Year's resolutions are on everyone's lips, the newspapers and news programs are talking about how to accomplish those resolutions, radio DJs are cracking jokes about breaking them before the new year has started...

80-85% of Americans that make resolutions for the new year fall out of keeping them within the first 30 days. I think it may have something to do with the non-focus of the resolutions and the half-hearted promise that is made in keeping them.

Do something different this year, try something new. Make a "Lifestyle Change" resolution instead. Have a goal, make a plan to reach that goal. Track your progress on the way to that goal. Be one of the 20% that succeeds in the new year...


"New Year's Day is every man's birthday." - Charles Lamb


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Monday, December 24, 2007

Childhood...

"Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons." - Author Unknown

Christmas eve is here. Can't wait for tomorrow morning, I am a little more excited than my son is for this time of year. Excited to see the looks on his and my wife's faces as they open presents. When I was younger, I anticipated anxiously to see what I had received from Santa - the joy of receiving was all my little heart could understand.

Now that I am older, I am understanding the other side of it - the giving side. I hope my gift to you over the past year has been encouragement, comfort, and maybe a little wisdom thrown in for good measure...

May you and yours have the merriest Christmas ever!


Happy Holidays from Matty, Brenda, Javan, & baby Vander Plow (no name yet)
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, December 14, 2007

Progess...

"He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away." - Raymond Hull


Sometimes we try to progress in ways that really cause us to regress. Like trying to fit into someone else's shoes or lifestyle, for example. We all run our own races and have our own lives. My problems and trials are different from your problems and trials. I have my own idea of what success is, and that may differ from what you perceive success as.

Wherever you are on your lifestyle journey, remember - the only person you are competing against is the person you used to be. If you can beat that person each and every day, that right there is progress.


"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." - Judy Garland



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now on sale!

Friday, December 07, 2007

Chances...

"If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance." - Andrea Boydston


Ever wish for a second chance at something? Guess what? Every day you wake up, you get a second chance. A chance to start over, a chance to begin anew. Fail today? Feel like a complete failure because you stumbled into that same trap you always fall into? Again, if you wake up breathing, you get another chance to try again.

Too many times we focus on the downside of life, the times we failed, the times when we were passed over, when we didn't catch a lucky break that we deserved or needed.

Buck up little camper, tomorrow's a new day filled with promise!


"Breath is Spirit. The act of breathing is living." - Author Unknown



Matty
http://www.iweighedmorethanjared.com/
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now on sale!

Friday, November 30, 2007

Hiding...

"Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power." - Clint Eastwood

Here's the deal:

The other night my son and I were in the van coming up to a red light, the vehicle next to us decided to run the light. Just so happened that a sheriff was on the opposite road and witnessed the whole ordeal. The light turned green and he made his turn, I was thinking that he was going to let it go. Next thing I see is bright flashing lights as he pulled the car over. Busted.

I relay that story to the fact that you always get found out, lies fall apart, falsities are brought to light. Sometimes people weave so many lies that they begin to believe them - I can look around at other overweight people and wonder that myself. Did these people just give up on life, believing the lie that they are trapped and doomed to be overweight the rest of their lives? Who gave them that Kool-Aid to drink?

I myself need to come clean, through secret snacking and intentional over-eating I have gained 25lbs over the past year. My pattern of nervous eating, frustration eating, stress eating has crept back into my life. I admit that, and that is the first step. It came to light for me when I had to go out to the used clothing stores to purchase some larger-in-the-waist pants (went from a 42 to a 44) but I didn't want to face it. The ordeal with the sheriff rang as an alarm bell in my head.

Self-respect and honesty are important to living a life of freedom, freedom from criticism and ridicule. Being forthright is more virtuous that anything else. So here I am.

Be honest with yourself, you won't regret it...

"Self-respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale. It cannot be fabricated out of public relations. It comes to us when we are alone, in quiet moments, in quiet places, when e suddenly realize that, knowing the good, we have done it; knowing the beautiful, we have served it; knowing the truth we have spoken it." - Whitney Griswold


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
(more honesty - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE buy my e-Book! It's on sale for $9.95!)

Friday, November 16, 2007

Limits...

"Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do." - Dr. Benjamin Spock

Limits. We all know our limits, we know how far we can go in pretty much any situation. But do we really? Dan Miller (www.48days.com) mentioned in one of his books a story about a high jumper. A high jumper never knows how good he/she is until they trip the bar. By tripping the bar, they know their limit at that point. They know what they need to work on to get past that barrier.

Have you tested your limits? Gone back to that restaurant that you used to go overboard at? Tasted that food that you previously couldn't get enough of? Have you stretched yourself in your exercise routine to see what your body can do?

If you fall and overeat or overexert yourself, you know your limit in that area and what you need to work on. Don't be afraid to test your limits, that's the only way you'll be able to grow...

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill


Matty V.
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now on sale!

Friday, November 09, 2007

Rest...

"We live in a very tense society. We are pulled apart... and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together.... I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude." - Helen Hayes


Rest. That's what I think my body needed this week. I came down with a head cold that my loving son decided he needed to share with me. I started the week doing my usual routine, feeling a little rundown but in overall good spirits. Then the cold hit. I felt like I was bogged down, like suddenly I was in a groggy fog - not feeling like doing anything. Housework has suffered, my exercise has ceased, just an overwhelming need to sleep and rest.

Sometimes I think we need that - a time to just relax and regroup. A refreshment comes with rest, a time of reflection and possibly strategy for the future. But this is not the same rest that is talked about in Proverbs:

"A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber." - Proverbs 6:10-11, NLT

The rest talked about above is that of laziness. The rest of recuperation and regeneration is different than that of lax laziness. Rest for a short time but then get back to the program. Rest is good for the body, mind, & soul in limited quantities. Any longer than that and it becomes a detriment to our spiritual, mental, & physical health...


"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." - John Muir


Matty V.
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now on sale!

Friday, November 02, 2007

Mediocrity...

"Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world." - Lily Tomlin

I heard somewhere that a rut is just a grave with the ends kicked out. Do you hate the "daily grind", the "rat race", the "hum drum existence"? In our weight loss journey, this is called a "plateau" - no weight gain/no weight loss. I hate it and I am sure those that experience it hate it as well.

We need to use this time, this feeling of mediocrity as a staging for daring to change - do something great, something challenging, something out of the ordinary. If we are not comfortable or like where we are in life, then we need to make a change. Dare to dream, dare to excel, dare to fly in the face of conformity and comfort.

I rally today to plan out a break from the mediocre. You and I were destined for more than that!



"Mediocrity is a hand-rail." - Charles Louis de Secondat


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now on sale!

Friday, October 26, 2007

Halloween...

"There is nothing that gives more assurance than a mask." - Colette

The above statement is true, we tend to be more confident hiding our "true" selves behind a mask or illusion for fear of being ridiculed. I've hidden behind many masks and illusions over the years, portraying myself as the "funny fat guy" or the "trusted 3rd wheel".

We all could benefit from taking off our masks, tear down our illusions, and just contemplate our own person for a while. Get to know our "true" selves, learn to like our inadequacies, our quirks, the things that make us unique instead of trying to fit in with the world.

I feel the need to do this myself. I've been putting on heirs and have been trying to be something/someone I am not to try and fit in. But I can no longer deny who I am and if others cannot connect with me because of it - so be it.

We are all beautiful people on the inside and I have faith in knowing that if we truly believe that, the beauty on the inside will begin to emerge on the outside...


"When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,May luck be yours on Halloween." - Author Unknown


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now on sale!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Vanity...

"Vanity is so secure in the heart of man that everyone wants to be admired: even I who write this, and you who read this." - Blaise Pascal


Struggling with this myself. Vanity. Who would have thought that me, myself, I would be struggling with vanity? I guess I never had anything to be vain about appearance-wise. I was a 500+lb guy with a limited wardrobe and no real sense of style.

Now with losing almost half my bodyweight, I am seeking out the "hip" clothing from "cool" designers and clothing stores. I drool over getting deals on Polo, Nautica, American Eagle, & Hollister clothing. Sometimes I feel like a kid in a candy store when I see clothes in MY size.

I need to rein things in a bit. I am on this lifestyle journey for one reason - to get healthy and inspire others to do the same. I did not choose this change to be able to flaunt it, but rather to be a beacon to others that they too can change their lives for the better.

I need to teach myself this lesson, it's not just about me - it's about others as well...


"The surest cure for vanity is loneliness." - Thomas Wolfe

Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now on sale!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Persistence...

"There is no telling how many miles you will have to run while chasing a dream." - Author Unknown

I ran my first 8k race this past weekend. I have entered a few 5k races, I jog 5k 4 days a week, and I have even pushed my self a couple of times to hit 7k. 8k was a stretch for me, I was nervous and scared. They had different starting positions for those that could run a mile in 2min all the way to 10min. I run a mile in about 12min, which is better than last year.

By mile 3 my body wanted to quit. People were passing me, most of them were already on their way back to the finish line. Then the hill came. A steep hill down, cut across a few streets, a steep hill back up. My mind was screaming at me to stop. But my spirit persisted. My legs felt like jelly, but I persisted. People were passing me, but I persisted.

I ran 8k (5mi) in 63min 42sec, the fastest I have ever run before. My 7k jaunts took 70min, I smashed that to hell. I ended up 8th for my age group, and my family was there rooting for me at the end of the race. It was great.

I passed people along the way that quit running and walked. "Desperate house-moms", the "Macho-I-Was-In-The-Military-Back-In-The-Day-I-Can-Handle-8k" older guys, even teenagers. I passed teenagers that had given up. A 270lb fat guy passed teenagers in an 8k race???

Persistence is important, but it is good to know when to stop. The old adage "Winners never quit" is untrue. "Winners KNOW when to quit..."


"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday." - Author Unknown



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is now available!

Friday, October 05, 2007

Moving On...

"You can't unscramble eggs..." - Joel Osteen

I heard this while on my jog this morning, I was listening to Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen. The point he was making with the above quote is that you need to move through whatever pain, guilt, or whatever is holding you back. You can't continue to live in the past, remembering each and every time you fell down on your journey. You need to move on and start fresh, the past is the past.

Sometimes we find ourselves dwelling a little too long on things that have gotten us off track. We need to remember that each day is a new day, a time to start fresh. The chains of the past are broken, the future is ahead of us - full of promise and excitement.

I've been struggling with this for a little while now, not letting go of somethings that have been chaining me to the past. Today is different. I am choosing to move on and look forward to the excitement that awaits me and my family.

Tonight I am participating in the annual chili cook off here in town, my third year. I've used it to promote my speaking business and website. Now that my book is available, I will promote that as well. Hope I make an impression...


"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Journey" e-Book is on sale now!

Friday, September 28, 2007

Anniversaries...

"Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that." - Michael Leunig

My dearest Brenda,

11 years ago today you and I became husband and wife. It's been a strange and wonderful trip. We have had our share of good times and bad times over the years. I am thankful each day for you. I am thankful for finding someone that was able to look past the exterior and see into my heart.

Both of us have matured and our love for eachother has grown exponentially, founded in our faith in Jesus Christ.

I know this may sound odd, but sometimes secular musicians get some sentiments right in their music. I heard this lyric and it reminded me so much of us:

"Trust I seek and I find in you,
Each day for us something new,
Open minds for a different view,
And nothing else matters..."

I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that I don't want to experience any of it without you.

I can't offer you much in the way of gifts this year for our anniversary, but what I can offer is my undying love and the culmination of my efforts to live a healthier lifestyle.

Today is the day that I chose to release my book to the world. A book that without your love, support, & encouragement would never have been written. I dedicate it to you and my prayer is that others would be touched and inspired through it.

Thank you for loving me no matter what...

Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"Dead Man Walking: A Weight Loss Story" e-Book is now available!

Friday, September 21, 2007

Pity...

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." - M. Kathleen Casey


Ever been in a pity spiral? I can tell you that it can be a scary place. Sometimes you feel good about the "woe is me", but then you find it creeps into every fiber of your being. That's when the depression starts, thoughts of failure cloud over your mind. Sometimes it gets so intense that the only way out (at least the only way you can see through the cloud) is suicide.

I've been down that road a few times, and let me tell you - it is not a fun place to be. We all get down on ourselves, thinking that we aren't good enough or living up to our true potential. Sure we can trip up and fall into the pity pool and wallow in it for a bit. But we need to climb out as soon as possible, otherwise that pity pool will turn into a spiral and it will get harder and harder to get out.

When you feel like you've failed or given up, remind yourself that you are human - and that humans make mistakes. Think of the positive things that you have accomplished. Set new goals for a new day. Take a deep breath and tell yourself that this is a minor set-back, the race is not over. The journey has just begun...

"It's not easy taking my problems one at a time when they refuse to get in line." - Ashleigh Brilliant

Friday, September 14, 2007

Defeat...

"No one ever excused his way to success." - Dave Del Dotto


I was thinking about this the past couple of days. I guess it has become a theme this week, my audio podcast & video show also deal with this topic. Those thoughts that tend to creep into our minds, telling us that we are worthless or try to get us off task really can be pursuasive. I fought like hell this week with thoughts of sleeping in and not jogging or exercising, thoughts of defeat because I was unable to get out to walk before work because of traffic. Worries about personal & family problems, that voice telling me to just splurge and eat to make myself feel better.

If anything it would make things worse. Sometimes we fall into that self-defeat pit and quickly need to get out of it. The longer we wallow in it, the harder it is to see daylight and hope. We start believing these thoughts and that only pulls us down deeper.

If you get a negative thought, you need to replace it right away with a positive one. Have a bad experience? Train yourself to look for a positive in that negative. Life is a learning experience...


"Pessimism is an excuse for not trying and a guarantee to a personal failure." - Bill Clinton


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
A free sample chapter of my new book is available for download!

Friday, September 07, 2007

Contentment

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." - Mohandas K. Gandhi


This week's episode of "The Fattening of America" deals with contentment. This is a really tough issue to deal with in today's society. I often find myself wishing and dreaming for a new car, new house, new video game hardware and the like. I know deep down that none of that stuff will satisfy me. We tend to compensate for poor self-image by acquiring things to make us look more important or to garner some feeling of envy from others.

Contentment is something that I struggle with daily. I need to keep telling myself that I need to be content with who I am first. I need to come to grips with my strengths, weaknesses, talents, & skills and tell myself that I am valuable.

Be content with WHO you are but never WHERE you are... There's a difference...


"You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy." - Eric Hoffer


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
A sample chapter of my book is available for download!

Friday, August 31, 2007

Mistakes...

"If you don't make mistakes, you're not working on hard enough problems. And that's a big mistake." - F. Wikzek


Mistakes are made daily. We forget things, we mis-type something, send a fax to the wrong number. Mistakes are meant to be learning tools, we should learn from and not dwell on mistakes. Each day is a new day, a new start, a clean slate. We should look at our past mistakes, learn from them what we can and move on.

Let's start fresh. A new month starts tomorrow, a new day is dawning. Let's discover life while making a few mistakes along the way...


"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." - John Powell


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

A sample chapter of my new book is available for download!

Friday, August 24, 2007

Determination...

"Go for it now. The future is promised to no one." - Wayne Dyer


Been listening to the album, "1984" by Van Halen. A highly energetic album filled with a lot of positive messages. I dare say that it is the best Van Halen album with "Diamond" Dave at the helm. One song that really gets my blood pumping isn't the commercial anthem, "Jump" that everyone associates with this album - but rather the song "I'll Wait".

The chorus of the song goes:

"I'll wait 'til your love comes down,
I'm coming straight for your heart.
No way you can stop me now,
As fine as you are..."

Determination. It's all about determination. He is going to get the girl, no matter what. Even though she may resist or think that he won't - he will. That's what we all need to focus on in our own lives, where is our determination? Where is our drive? How did we lose it? What will it take to get it back?

I fought with this concept this morning. My right ankle has been bothering me so I have been favoring it. I thought about cutting my job short this morning but pushed through. I thought about not biking this morning but pushed through. Thought about not exercising this morning but pushed through. Thought about cutting my morning walk short but pushed through.

Excuses were running through my mind on why I shouldn't continue. But then I flashed on watching the show "Fat March" and how several people had been making the same excuses for quitting the show. Some quit. Others pressed on. I wanted to press on. That's determination.


"If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance." - Andrea Boydston


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

PS- the much-anticipated book of mine is coming along great! You can download a sample chapter from my website's store! Enjoy!

Friday, August 17, 2007

Impatience...

"Experience has taught me this, that we undo ourselves by impatience. Misfortunes have their life and their limits, their sickness and their health." - Michel de Montaigne

The waiting game. We've all played it from time to time. Anticipation gives way to frustration. Fear of the unknown clouds our minds. I have struggled well with impatience, and have lost the battle many times. Our impulsiveness and "need it/want it/gotta have it" attitude tends to be our downfall.

Baking a cake takes patience. Painting a masterpiece takes patience. Raising a child takes patience. Starting a new lifestyle change takes patience.

When impatience starts to take control, sit back - take a deep breath and count backwards from ten. Meditate, keep your mind occupied, try not to dwell on the situation or problem causing the impatient reaction...


"One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life." - Chinese Proverb


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, August 10, 2007

Time...

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." - Carl Sandberg

It seems as though there aren't enough hours in the day to get things accomplished. We've compromised our health by giving in to our tiredness by visiting fast food restaurants or "preparing" instant meals. "But it's easier, no hassles" you tell yourself.

Think of it this way - in the time it takes to drive to a fast food restaurant and wait in the drive-thru (because you know there are others with a similar mindset) and finally drive home, you could have prepared a simple meal at home that would taste 100 times better than any fast food fare.

"But I don't have time to exercise" is another excuse I have heard lately. I think when people hear the word "exercise", they imagine some huge production that takes at least an hour to complete.

I submit this - can you find 10 or 15 minutes to walk around? Have a stressball at work? Squeeze that ball 20 times in each hand (10 reps/2 sets), there's your exercise. It doesn't have to be an involved process. 10 minutes of exercise is better than no exercise at all.

You can find the time to make a good meal or exercise, you must be committed to that end...


"Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow." - Denis Waitely


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, August 03, 2007

Results

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Author Unknown

On some of the previous episodes of "The Fattening of America", I shared from my garden. One episode focused on growth and how just like I weeded, water, & nurture the garden, we also need someone to nurture and grow us in our journey.

Then you start to see results. I am starting to see results in my garden in the form of tomatoes, peppers, and coming this fall - pumpkins. On our own journey, our results don't just include numbers on a scale. It could also include other things like things we can accomplish, clothes that fit better, or physical/mental/emotional changes.

Just because the needle on the scale isn't moving doesn't mean that you are failing. Sit down and make a list of accomplishments that don't include pounds lost. I'll bet you will feel good when you look over the list and see some of the results...


"Sometimes the path you're on is not as important as the direction you're heading." - Kevin Smith



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, July 27, 2007

Running...

"If you don't get lost, there's a chance you may never be found." ~Author Unknown


Was listening to a podcast from Joel Olsteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. The message was all about identity and who we are. How we shouldn't feel like we are competing with others by driving the better car, having a better job, being smarter - what have you.

We are each in our own race and we need to remember that. He made the analogy of someone's neighbor praying for an hour every day and they don't even go to church. How that would make someone have to "compete" or "out-do" that person in some way. I've found that I have been guilty of that, seeing some of the totals on the weight loss support group. Seeing some people's numbers going down and my own as stagnant. I want to whine and just say "to heck with it" or get a burning desire to try and "out-do" that person.

What I get is burned out and depressed. But thanks to Joel, I can actually encourage and praise those people for their efforts instead of being bitter. They have their race, I have mine. Their goal maybe closer than mine, but we will both see the finish line.

Neil, EXCELLENT JOB! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND KEEP ON INSPIRING OTHERS!


"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves." ~Henry David Thoreau


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, July 20, 2007

Moving On...

"The past is a good place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." - Author Unknown

Got back on my bike this week after a long hiatus. It felt good to get out there again. One thing I noticed this morning while riding was all the houses for sale. I counted at least a dozen in my neighborhood.

It's always good to move on, doesn't necessarily mean on to bigger & better things, but moving on to a better situation. Hanging onto the past doesn't allow you the opportunity to embrace the future with open arms. Whatever mistakes that were made in the past, learn from them and move on. If the row gets harder to hoe, don't wish for the times that were easier.

Grudges, now I have a hard time with this one, need to be set free and let go of. By holding grudges you are allowing the people that originally hurt you to continue to do so with the constant reminder in the back of your brain. You may not be able to forget, but you should be able to forgive.

Moving past the roadblocks in our journeys are imperative if we want to succeed. What may seem like Mt. Kilimanjaro now, may in reality be a simple mole hill when we look back on it when we have moved on.

Keep that in mind today, what roadblocks are in your way today? What do you need to change in order to move on?


"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us." - Alexander Graham Bell



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com (updated!)

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Experience...

I know this post is early, I am going on our second vacation as a family tomorrow so I won't be around - so enjoy!


"Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him." Aldous Huxley



This week's episode of "The Fattening of America" is titled, "Puttin' on the Foil", which is a reference to the movie "Slapshot" starring Paul Newman. The focus of the episode was a call-to-arms, calling us to "put on the foil" daily in order to be ready for the battle.

Gaining experience is one way to prepare for battle. Sure we all make mistakes in our lives, trial and error are ways to gain experience so that we can take that knowledge and integrate it into our databases for similar situations that may come up.

Someone once asked Thomas Edison how he felt about failing 10,000 times before finding a working solution to the lightbulb. Thomas replied that he did not fail 10,000 times but rather found that inventing his lightbulb took 10,000 steps.

My "diet" isn't a "diet" per se, it is rather a lifelong journey. And I will continue to battle on a daily basis, hence I too will have to remember to "put on the foil"...


"Experience is what causes a person to make new mistakes instead of old ones." - Author Unknown




Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com (updated!)

Friday, July 06, 2007

What fits you?

"Chase down your passion like it's the last bus of the night." - Glade Byron Addams


What fits you for exercise? Is jogging your bag? How about golf? We are all unique and have different likes, passions, dislikes. It's up to you to figure out what fits you in every area of your life. I enjoy getting up at 4am and jogging in the early morning. The rabbits in the yards, the dew on the grass, the quietness of the streets help me to focus on just being alive. I get some of my ideas during this time since there are no distractions to hinder my thought process.

I am beginning to understand what fits me and what doesn't. MLMs do not fit me. I recall a few months ago when a trusted friend/mentor tried to get me to join some crackpot MLM scheme. MLMs can be profitable business ideas but you have to have a certain personality to make it work. I do not fit the personality needed to make a venture like that work.

Broke my heart to have this person continually push me into handing over $274 that I didn't have. The huckster that came to his house to push this on me was a piece of work. Talking about how he has a Hummer and a BMW paid for, wears a Rolex watch, telling me that this fits in with Dave Ramsey and Robert Kyosaki's teachings on one side of his mouth and then asking me for a credit card number out the other side. All this before really explaining what the venture really was.

Found out through my own research that the money is made from getting people to get onboard under you. Think "pyramid scheme" and this is where the particular MLM model I was being sold.

Whether it's finding a new job, a new exercise program, lifestyle management, whatever it is - you need to find something that fits you. There is no cookie-cutter, end-all be-all that spells instant success that you can plug into. You are unique and it's up to you to find out what you're all about.


"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. " - Harold Whitman



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, June 29, 2007

Flaws...

"Certain flaws are necessary for the whole. It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks." - Goethe


I have a keen eye sometimes, I noticed things around me - returnable pop bottles/cans on the side of the road, weird junk, money. I've found all sorts of money lying in the street from time to time. Kinda hard to spot when you are always in a rush, but can be seen large as life if you slow down.

Lately I have been finding coins. Most are marred to almost being unrecognizable except from the size and color. I have a penny sitting here on my desk that looks like it's been through some rough times. The zinc center is starting to show around the edges and the coin's faces are throughly scratched up. But it still has value. Dollar bills can go through the wash, become covered in muck, even almost totally be burned - but they have value. Some of the extreme cases would need to be turned over to the treasury department for exchange, but as long as some part of the serial number is intact - it still is considered legal tender.

I relate that to our own lives. We are all marred in some way, but we still have value. It doesn't matter that we've gained 13lbs or got a divorce or slipped back into drinking or drugs. These are temporary situations. We are valuable to others, we are meant to help and support our fellow man. Look in the mirror and the person looking back at you has more value that you or anyone could ever think or imagine.

That's how we need to start looking at ourselves - we have worth, we are important...





"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without." - Confucius




Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, June 22, 2007

Posers...

"The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, side-stepping responsibility, and pushing their luck!" - Author Unknown

Was thinking about this on my daily walks. I have noticed that I see people on a semi-regular basis around town walking as well. They have usually started when the weather got nice and will probably stop when the cold weather starts. I coined that as "fair weather fitness", unlike die-hards like myself that are out in all sorts of weather (except thunderstorms, learned my lesson on that one).

I remember a scene in the movie, "SLC Punk!" where Matthew Lillard's character goes on a diatribe about posers:

Stevo: There were quite a few punks in the SLC back in '85, but there were equally as many posers. Posers were kids who would dress and act like punks but they did it for fashion. They were fools! They'd say sh*t like...
Poser: Anarchy in the U.K.!
Stevo: See what I mean? Posers. "Anarchy in the U.K." What the f*ck's that? It was a Sex Pistols thing. That's where they were from, they were British! They were allowed to go on about anarchy in the U.K. but what does that mean to us in Utah, America? That's all you ever hear from these trendy f*cks like [in really bad British accent]
Stevo: "Did you hear the new Smiths album? It's f*ckin' terriff'!" Stupid posers walking around Utah saying "terriff'" with a stupid English twang. [Grabs a poser with Union Jack patch]
Stevo: See what I mean? What's up with the England bullsh*t. Union Jack is a FAG! I used to know this girl who would only have sex with a guy if he had a stupid f*ckin' accent. So these a*sholes... and there are plenty of a*sholes in this general area would get her drunk and then put on some stupid f*ckin' accent and go to her and say
Stevo: [in really bad English accent]
Stevo: "'Ello misstress! You fancy a shag?" And there she'd be, f*ckin knees in the sky. It was sad, it made me sad! Girl had no self respect!

At the end of the movie he reflected on his own life after his friend died of a drug overdose and came to the conclusion that maybe he himself was a poser.

I've been a poser in a lot of situations, pretending to be something I'm not. I've been a skater poser, a card collecting poser, a Magic: The Gathering card playing poser. None of it was in my heart, I rather wore those things as trendy clothing trying to be liked or admired. It wasn't the true me.

Are you a poser in your weight loss journey? Good intentions don't get you very far. You need to be committed and true in your heart that this is what you want to do.

Don't be a "fair weather" exerciser, doing the exercise when it is convenient. Get into a routine and stick with it! Be like the postal service, "rain, snow, sleet, dead of night..."


"To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice." - Confucius


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, June 15, 2007

Skipping out...

"It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?" - Ronald Reagan


This week's episode of "The Fattening of America" I tackled some questions that were raised from the previous episode by some of my subscribers. I've skipped meals on purpose. I've skipped school on purpose. I've skipped exercise on purpose.

You know, I can tell when I skip exercise. I feel sluggish. Right now I am debating on whether or not to walk today. Have a lot of things on my mind and really don't feel like doing it. But I should. I need to get out there and do it even though I don't feel like it. I know deep down that I will feel better once I get out there into the sunshine with my tunes.

Don't skip out of your routine if you can help it. You will know that something is missing...

"The time will come when winter will ask you what you were doing all summer." - Henry Clay



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, June 08, 2007

Fullness...

"You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy." - Eric Hoffer

My latest episode of "The Fattening of America" talks about being full. It's funny sometimes to think that the pharmaceutical companies has a multi-million dollar business in selling antacids, anti-diarhheals, and diet products. Helping to eliminate nature's fullness meter on the one hand and giving false hope of losing what the result of eliminating that signal (fat) on the other.

Does anyone really know what "full" is in their lives? What does it look like? What does it feel like? I think of the big corporate CEOs that make millions in bonuses each year while regular Joe's positions are eliminated. Honestly, what are you going to do with all of that money? Can't take it with you, and I would imagine that acquiring everything your heart desires would get awful boring and tedious after a while.

Read the book of Ecclesiastes sometime, Solomon did just that and found that nothing on this earth can ever satisfy in the long-term.

We need to be satisfied with who we are and what we have first. Then we can work to achieve greater goals in our lives. If we aren't satisfied with who we are(personally/emotionally/mentally/spiritually) - no amount of money in the world will fix that.

Like the freaky woman that constantly has plastic surgery out in California - she has become a grotesque because of her obssession.

"There must be more to life than having everything!" - Maurice Sendak


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, June 01, 2007

Pride...

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways." - Buddha

A lot of trouble these past two weeks. Took a song to bring some clarity to the situation. Funny how a book, slogan, article, or song can seem to pierce the darkness of thought and promote a new idea or possible reasoning.

My family has become addicted to a video game called, "Guitar Hero" - my son is getting to be a fanatic about it to the point of having his own cardboard guitar to jam on. Actually, it can be a good form of exercise, you have to stand up to play the guitar and with one hand working the fret buttons, the other hand working the strum & whammy bars, and your feet tapping away - that can add up to some serious calorie burning...

Anyway, among the songs on the "set list" is one by David Bowie called, "Ziggy Stardust". The song is a sad tale of a talented guitar player that let his pride over his ability get the best of him to the point of becoming so self-absorbed that his fans finally turned on him and ended his life.

I got to thinking, maybe my weight loss stall and loss of energy to reach goal is somehow pride-based? Maybe I got too big of a head about my accomplishment that I needed to get slapped back down to earth? The bible talks about pride and this verse caught my attention as I was preparing to blog:

"Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor." Proverbs 29:23 (NLT)

Maybe the events of the last two weeks have been God's way of tapping me on the shoulder telling me that it's not about me... It's about Him and His plan for my life...

Today is a new month, a start to a new weekend, a good day to start over again - with humility and understanding and trust. Trust that there is a plan, a plan to prosper me and my family, and give up the reins of my life to the one that needs to be in control...

"Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with Weird and Gilly,
The Spiders from Mars.
He played it left hand, but made it too far,
Became the special man, then we were Ziggy's Band..." - David Bowie, "Ziggy Stardust"


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Fear...

"You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith." - Mary Manin Morrissey

A friend of mine postulated the question to me on my fear of achieving my weight goal. I blew the question off as ridiculous, me, afraid of reaching my goal? As the words rolled over and over in my brain, it began to sink in. Maybe I am afraid of reaching my goal, maybe I am afraid of success. I have been at the bottom of the barrel all my life, how could I even attempt to think that I would be worthy of success?

It's not that unbelievable, I recount a few times where I could see that I deliberately sabotaged my eating/exercise. Why would I want to do that to myself?

These fears/negative feelings need to be pushed aside. We are all worthy of success. Success is not something that is just for those that think they deserve it. You and I are worth pursuing success, we can achieve success, it is reachable. It is within our grasp as long as we are COMMITTED to that goal.

"There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear." - George S. Patton

Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, May 18, 2007

Aftermath...Rebirth...

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." - Winston Churchill

My episode of "The Fattening of America" for this week deals with aftermath. I used the example of the tulips that litter our fair city. Last week they were arrayed in glorious splendiferous colors and now they are bare stems.

Maybe you've fallen off the wagon. Indulged a little too much. Got off track and are now dealing with the aftermath of those choices. Sure it's easy to feel guilty or have a "what's the use?" attitude, but it doesn't have to be that way.

The city isn't going to leave those stems all summer. They will be dug up and new flowers will be planted in their place. Just like that we need to remember to dig out the old stems in our journeys and plant new fresh ideas and perspectives.

A weird analogy - Think of the post-apocalyptic movies that are out ("The Road Warrior", "Phoenix the Warrior", "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome", etc.). After the bombs dropped and civilization was in dire straits - did the survivors give up? No, they adapted and learned to start anew. So must we.

"The only people who find what they are looking for in life are the fault finders." - Foster's Law


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, May 11, 2007

Simplicity

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

We tend to make mountains out of mole hills. We insist in making our lives as complicated as possible, piling on pressures and emotions and whatever else we can get our hands on.

People cannot believe my accomplishment is due to the 4 simple keys: Commitment, Portion Control, Exercise, & Accountability. Like there had to be something more, some special formula or piece of equipment. No gym membership required, no special equipment or diet.

I myself have gotten lost along the way. I have taken my eye off the prize. I've lost my way. That's why I am blogging about simplicity. I've made my own lifestyle so complicated that I think I may have burned myself out.

I am taking steps to remedy that. It'll take time, and thankfully, I have that luxury now because I have lost so much weight.

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.


"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo DaVinci


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, May 04, 2007

Indulgence...

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." - Oscar Wilde

I looked up the word 'indulge' in the dictionary to get the true meaning of the word. This is what I found:

indulge (in-duhlj): to yield to, satisfy, or gratify one's desires, feelings, etc.

In this lifestyle change it is quite alright to indulge from time to time. We all get cravings for different things from beef jerky or bottle of Coca-Cola to chocolate ice cream or chinese food. The thing of it is, we need to satisfy these cravings, otherwise they will grow into obsessions and cause either over-indulgence or bingeing.

I have been a 'victim' of this. I found myself at times constantly thinking about chinese food. Dreaming of it, it seemed to consume my entire being. At last I could take no more and I tried to mildy satisfy the craving (which by this time had grown into a full-blown obsession). Let me just say the night ended with massive guilt and a VERY sick stomach.

If it can fit into your lifestyle change, feel free to indulge once in a while. Obviously there are things that we cannot indulge because our self-control is not there or they are detrimental to our lifestyle. I know for a fact that I cannot eat at certain restaurants because I cannot control myself.

Above all, remember that you are on a lifestyle change and not a diet. Diets tend to be restrictive and unforgiving, lifestyle changes are flexible and more forgiving - as long as the commitment to keep on track is there.

"It's all right letting yourself go, as long as you can get yourself back." - Mick Jagger

Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 27, 2007

Pressure...

"When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." " - Author Unknown

A simple water bottle. Filled to capacity and left in a freezer. Pressure within the bottle became too much and it split. Ruined. Never again able to perform its task. Sometimes we can feel like that. Pressures of life seem to be unbearable. Then it all comes crashing down and we split open from it. Unable to see through it to the other side, we huddle in a corner and lick our wounds.

I loved that water bottle. But I nor anyone else should not equate our lives or our lifestyle journey to that bottle when the pressures of life get too great to cause a split or rift. Even after something devastating, we are still able to carry on, repair ourselves, get back on track, and become stronger.

No one is useless. The road may be filled with potholes, but as long as you keep your focus on putting one foot in front of the other, you will ultimately conquer. Don't let the pressures of today cloud your view of the prize...

"If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again." - Flavia Weedn

Friday, April 20, 2007

Leadership...

"A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not." - Author Unknown


After a talk and some reconciliation this week, I've come to realize that I am a leader. Call me the 'reluctant leader' of sorts because there are some areas where I would rather step back and follow than lead. But I learned that this is not an option for a leader. When you are a leader, you are leading by example in EVERY area of your life - and that is a hard thing for me to grasp.

I mean, I thought I saw myself more as a guide than a leader - but what is a guide? Someone who leads...

This whole concept of leadership is overwhelming. I cannot say that I have been "thrust" into it, rather through my life, experiences, and trials I have "grown" into it. Sometimes I wish I could just step back and not have all these eyes watching me, but deep down I have a feeling that this is something I was born to become. I struggle daily with it, battling my hardest against it, but I suppose I need to step aside and let it sink in - I am a leader.

Who knows? I may grow to enjoy it and grow other leaders along the way...

"Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders." - Tom Peters


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 13, 2007

Looking Within...

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves." - Henry David Thoreau


I am finally back on track after two weeks of what I can only call an annihilated sense of self. That stress I spoke about in last week's blog? I can only say (without pinning someone to the wall) that people really need to think about what they are going to say in reaction to situations. Emotions can bring out the worst in people and with something as impersonal as an email, we can say pretty much whatever we want without fear of immediate retaliation or reaction.

My character was pretty much assassinated in reaction to an email I sent to someone regarding no longer wanting to be involved in a project. I did my best to make the email as non-threatening or blaming as possible as the recipient was only a cog in the project. I guess I am candy-coating it when I say 'pretty much', I mean to say that I was devastatingly annihilated. Something that is going to take quite a while to get over.

Over the past two weeks I have taken what was said in that email as fact, that I was indeed all of those things mentioned - poor leader, insensitive, unforgiving, being unchristian. But that was my instinctive reactions taking over. I was headed into defense mode and as a result my will to continue to exercise and watch my eating habits began to fall apart.

It was today that I finally am back on track. I jogged the full 70min, biked my 25min, and exercised my 45min this morning and I feel like myself again. My eating will be back on track today and my attitude will change. I have come along way and I cannot let things like irrational and unfounded comments to rattle my resolve.

Sometimes I guess we need to have setbacks like these to realize our true strength and refocus our life goals.


"Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul." - Author Unknown


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 06, 2007

Setbacks...

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." - John Powell

Setbacks. We all have them. Some can be huge and painful, some can be seemingly insignificant but still weigh in on the back of your mind. Dwelling on them is the one trap that we all try to avoid but ultimately fall victim to.

I started a motivation group in response to inquiries after my speaking engagement for Holland Hospital. Initially I had 19 interested, one gave me a bum email address and not other contact info. Last week I emailed the group to see how the first month went. The only response I received was from someone that I could tell has not gotten to the 'crossroads' in his life to be committed to change. Here is the response I got:

"Matty,

Thanks for the update. I have just not been able to get myself motivated to begin a program of exercising and intake reduction. I really had good intentions, but so far I just have not made any lifestyle changes. I know that if I don’t loose some weight my Type II diabetes will only get worse and my life will end much sooner than it would if I could just get started..."

He sees the train coming but refuses to get off the track. Sometimes that's what setbacks can do to us mentally. We can see where we are going by dwelling on the setback, but we get too wrapped up in the guilt/shame/depression that we cannot motivate ourselves enough to get back on track.

I felt the exact same way earlier this week. I had some stress going on that really took a toll on my body and my eating habits. I finally told myself that I could not go off track anymore. The stress will still be there, but at least I can get back into routine and make some semblance of life again and press on. Not back up to full speed on my routine, but I have made some great strides by getting back into the swing of things.

We are all human. You, me, everyone. We all make mistakes, that is a part of life. We need to learn from them and move on, being bold to know that we will make more mistakes. That's what learning is all about.

"Just because you make mistakes doesn't mean you are one." - Author Unknown



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, March 30, 2007

Matty's Monthly Update - March 2007

Where to begin...

This last month was filled with a plethora of good times and bad times. All were growing experiences and I have learned a lot about myself and my capabilities.

I try to use these monthly updates as an encouragement tool, something for people to read and gain some strength or inspiration. Sometimes I feel as though I am gloating in a way. That has not and is not my intention. I do apologize if these updates feel that way from time to time.

I am glad to report that another 2lbs are off! That brings my current weight to 252lbs and the total lost to 258lbs. I keep reminding myself that the last 50 or so pounds tend to be the hardest to lose. I miss the months of losing 10-12-14lbs...

Here are some other highlights from the month:

* Won 1st place in my Toastmasters Club's International Speech Contest. I will be competing at the area contest next Saturday. From there if I win I will move to the division contest and on to the international contest where I would compete against winners from all over the world.
One contest at a time, though...

* Ran my first 5k race a couple of Fridays ago. 39min 12sec was my time, a lot faster than I thought I would do. Had a lot of fun and am planning on doing it again in May with the "Run for Habitat" 5k.

* "The Fattening of America" is starting to blow up on YouTube. I have 19 subscribers that tune in to my show every week and many more that view the episodes without subscribing. Many of my episodes so far have had over 300 views! Very exciting!

* Stage one of my triathlon training is completed. I now run 4.91mi (or 7.9k) in about 70min (14min mile). Next is biking 22.8mi in one trip...

If you haven't been to my website in a while, check it out (www.iweighedmorethanjared.com). I have added a few things, including a new sample chapter of the book I am writing on my weight loss adventures...



Thank you all once again for being a big part of my weight loss journey. You guys keep me honest!



Matty (www.iweighedmorethanjared.com)
510/252/210
(starting weight/current weight/goal weight)

* mini goal achieved - jog 7k by 03/31/07
* mini goal - 300lbs total lost by 09/30/07

Friday, March 23, 2007

The Future

"The future is always beginning now." - Mark Strand


I was listening to a poem by Jim Morrison this morning called,
"The Movie" and a portion of it goes as follows:

"The movie will begin in five moments
The mindless voice announced
All those unseated will await the next show.
We filed slowly, languidly into the hall
The auditorium was vast and silent
As we seated and were darkened, the voice continued.

The program for this evening is not new
You've seen this entertainment through and through
You've seen your birth your life and death
You might recall all of the rest
Did you have a good world when you died?
Enough to base a movie on?"

Make today a call to action. Is there something you've always wanted to do or see or experience? Have you been procrastinating over quitting smoking, getting on the health program, finding a new job? Don't wait one more minute, as the quote above states - the future is now. Step out onto that ledge, throw those arms in the air, and jump. Today is your day. Today is a day to shine. A new day, a new beginning. Make today count for something...


"And in today already walks tomorrow." - Samuel Taylor Coleridge


Matty
http://www.iweighedmorethanjared.com/

Friday, March 16, 2007

Ignorance...

"A little learning is a dangerous thing, but a lot of ignorance is just as bad." - Bob Edwards

Was out for a walk yesterday around noontime. I had walked all the way from downtown to my old high school (which is about 1.5mi) enjoying the sunshine and the warmth. It was time for the kids to head back to class as I passed groups of kids walking toward the school. I was crossing the street across from a group of guys, they were smiling and laughing while looking in my direction. I passed them and one of them said, "Hey there big fella", with the rest of the guys giggling like little school girls.

I acted like I didn't hear it and kept walking. Ignorance. I could have turned around and mentioned something to the effect that I am now actually half the man I once was. But it would have been lost on these kids. Sometimes I tend to believe Ron White when he says, "You can't fix stupid," but I was like those kids growing up.

We used to tease this one old guy that rode around on a rusted bike with the side baskets on the back, the ones that looked like wire saddlebags. Everytime we saw him we would shout out, "Hey Marvin Levineeeee!!!!!!!" Had no idea what the guy's name was, one of my friends just came up with the name. Everytime we would see him, we would shout that out. He would act all disgusted and shout back, "That's not my name!!!!!" Turned out the guy lived at a halfway house (or group home) and would travel around all day on his bike looking for returnables to get money for smokes.

Even as we get older we tend to get snarky or make snide comments about someone that is different from us or has something we envy. Reminds me of that car commercial where the little girl gets into the back of her mom's SUV after a birthday party and asks, "What does spoiled mean?" and the mom says, "Who called you that?" to which the little girl replied, "Nobody - they were calling you that." Or something to that effect.

Words hurt. Be careful how you use them...

"A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance." Saul Bellow


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, March 09, 2007

Nervousness...

"Nerves and butterflies are fine - they're a physical sign that you're mentally ready and eager. You have to get the butterflies to fly in formation, that's the trick." - Steve Bull


I blog from time to time about things that strike me that may apply not only to my own journey but also hopefully to you as well. A song popped into my head as a good thing to blog about today...

Michigan native Eminem has had a reputation as a loudmouth, pottymouth, bigmouth rapper. His songs are peppered with f-bombs, degredation towards women, scenes of abuse & neglect. But there is one song in his catalog that is worth checking out. Founded as the autobiography of his rise to stardom, "Lose Yourself" is filled with honesty, pain, excitement, regret, anger, power. He relays his nervousness in performing his first gig,

"His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgettin'
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He's chokin, how everybody's jokin now
The clock's run out, time's up over, bloah!
Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravity
Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked
He's so mad, but he won't give up that easy, no..."

It goes on to his determination to make it out of the trailerpark and provide a better life for his family. The chorus is powerful:

"You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo..."

One shot. One chance. He grabbed with both hands and ran with it. Something to think about when we are faced with a nervous situation. I used to find myself eating to assuage the butterflies. Now I am finding reflection and meditation to be the thing to calm me down. I had to use that technique last week when I spoke in front of the largest crowd I had to date. I was shaking on the inside, my palms were sweaty, I just kept reflecting on how far I had come and those people were there to hear my story - me, they came to hear me.

Once I got in front of the crowd - I was on fire. The nervousness went away and confidence returned. I owned that stage...

Worry, nervousness, fretting - three things that get us nowhere but down in the dumps. Climb out of that pit of despair and realize that we are all human.


"Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is to small to be made into a burden."
- Corrie ten Boom, "Clippings from My Notebook"


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, March 02, 2007

Matty's Monthly Update - February 2007

A new month awaits...

Outside the freezing snow is coming down, one of those days you wish you could just snuggle up at home under a warm blanket while sipping some hot coffee or tea.Sitting here at my desk I put together a "snowy day" mix of songs to listen to while working. Of course Led Zeppelin's "The Rain Song" is required as well as some moreobscure tunes from the likes Chuck Mangione (master of the flugelhorn) and The Smiths...

The past month has been a whirlwind of excitement and growth. Things are starting to happen at a fast pace and it is hard right now to get a grip on the wheel.Some highlights (if you hadn't heard about them before):

* First paying speaking engagement - Oakland CRC in Hamilton, MI. They heard me on JQ99fm and inquired about having me come out to speak.One of the comments I received was encouraging, "It wasn't just about your weight loss. Anyone in the audience could have taken something away from whatyou had to say and apply it to their own lives..."

* Featured on MacMedia Television's "Lakeshore Living" with Wendy Wigger - turns out the host of the program is the director of wellness at Priority Health.She is planning on contacting me in the future to come out and speak to their clients.

* Yet another article in the Holland Sentinel - promoting my speaking engagement at Herrick Library and also my fledgling business, 4:13 Fitness Concepts

* Featured on WZZM-13's "Real People" segment - promoting my speaking engagement at Herrick Library (www.wzzm13.com, click on "videos" and scroll down the list to find it)

* Speaking engagement at Herrick Library - around 127 people signed up to come in and hear me speak, about 80-90 showed up. The original venue was booked at leasta month prior and there was a waiting list. I spoke with the coordinator about it and she was able to get the auditorium at Herrick Library which can seat up to 200 people.I had a great response for a new venture I am starting called "Matty's Motivators", which is an email accountability program. 18 people have signed up so far, which I think is a great response!

* www.iweighedmorethanjared.com - the website is doing well, I am averaging about 30-50 visits a day and the contest for my book title continues on."Almost-Dead Man Walking: 4 Keys for Successful and Realistic Weight Loss" is the front-runner so far...

So many things, so many new opportunities to explore and expand.

I am truly happy to say that this month, despite some off days, I have ended a 2 month stall! I weighed in this morning at 254lbs, which is a 2lbs loss!

Continue to think of me as I solicit more speaking engagements from schools, businesses, civic groups, & churches. And don't forget tobookmark www.iweighedmorethanjared.com to keep track of more exciting stuff!

3 years and counting, with the rest of my life to go...

Matty V.
510/254/210
(starting weight/current weight/goal weight)
New Mini-Goals!Mini-Goal #1 - get my morning jog up 4.8mi by 03/31/07
Mini-Goal #2 - 300lbs total lost by 08/31/07

Friday, February 23, 2007

Passion...

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Harold Whitman




What drives you?

Someone once said that if you choose to make a career out of something you enjoy, you will never work another day in your life. I always dream of that. Doing something I enjoy and never dreading going to work like we all do some days.

Things are exploding around me. I was on the local public access channel for an interview the other day. Turns out the host is a director of wellness for a big health insurance company. She is interested in me coming out to speak to some of their clients on healthy living.

I have a seminar coming up that is sponsored by the local hospital, they had to change the venue because the event was maxed out with a waiting list for the venue they had originally selected.

I am going to be in the Zeeland Record, & the Holland Sentinel because of the seminar.

I am filling out a business license application for 4:13 Fitness Concepts, a business I am starting up to handle the speaking engagements.

Am I excited? You bet. Am I scared? You bet. But I love speaking to people, I love being able to inspire others. I love the feeling of comforting those that need it. If I could make my life out of speaking to people around the world, that would be great.

I have to remember, one step at a time...


So tell me, what are you passionate about? No, really. Post a comment about what you are passionate about, I'd love to hear it!



"Follow your passion, and success will follow you." - Arthur Buddhold



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, February 16, 2007

Weakness...

"The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." - John Powell


Much like Dave Ramsey, the more I talk about losing weight and making a commitment I am doomed to re-learn the same lesson each and every day. Dave Ramsey is "doomed" to teach and counsel people on money and finances each and every day as a reminder.

We all make mistakes, we are all human. It's what we learn from our mistakes that makes us better. Thomas Edison was credited as stating that he did not make 10,000 mistakes while inventing the light bulb, but rather it took 10,000 steps to making a working lightbulb.

When you make a mistake, don't get upset. Take a deep breath, step back, and think about what you could learn from that mistake. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn.


"From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own." - Syrus


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, February 09, 2007

Adversity...

"If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience." - Robert Fulghum

Just got off the phone with someone that I know a little bit, not too closely but well enough to be able to chit-chat with. I could tell she was troubled and was asking me about my weight loss and about my involvement with Dave Ramsey.

I could hear the pain in her voice, I think she was getting to the crossroads where I was when I finally made the decision to change my life and lose weight. The vibe of the conversation was starting to weigh down on me, I wanted to help as much as I could and give as much encouragement as I could muster.

Sometimes it takes the weight of the world pushing down on you or the crashing down of the walls of your life to finally come back to the realization that what you were doing wasn't working. Dave Ramsey likes to call it having a "Prozac moment" when we teeter on the edge blissfully unaware of the danger.

Life is filled with adversity. It's how we deal with it and how we let it affect us that determines our future. I will be praying for her today...


"I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders." - Jewish Proverb

Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, February 02, 2007

Persistence

"If you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

Perserverance is weathering the storm, persistence is storming the castle. Sometimes we just need to press on and keep going though the current circumstances say "quit and give up now". i felt that way this week. Weigh in came back at 256lbs - no gain/no loss. Another month with no change really begins to grate or wear down one's motivation or drive.

But I continue on, making tweaks and changes to my lifestyle that will jumpstart or facilitate the weight loss again. Years ago I would have just given up, grabbed a quart of toffee ice cream and said "piss on it". But then again I did not have the drive nor the support that I do now.

Are you among the 9% of Americans that have stuck with their New Year's resolutions? Persistence and Perserverance go hand in hand. Today is your day to start over. Dust off that list of resolutions and try again. You can do it!

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas Alva Edison


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, January 26, 2007

Integrity...

"God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless." - Chester W. Nimitz

Had a bit of clarity today. I was getting ice and originally was going to set the trays aside. but instead I refilled them and put them back in the freezer. That was a sign of integrity. We need to remind ourselves of this wherever we are. I fail almost on a daily basis. I can remember going grocery shopping last week, we only had so much to spend and in doing a quick calculation, I had too much in the cart. I took some things out and instead of walking them back to their proper place, I just left them on a shelf. It would have taken me all of 2 minutes to go back and place the items back where I got them. But I didn't.

Integrity is important and we all need to think about that on a daily basis. What kind of an example am I going to present to others today? What kind of example am I going to portray to my wife, children, peers, co-workers?

I look back at this week and there are things that I wished I had done differently. Maybe this next week I will remember that and make a difference...



"Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good." - Author Unknown

Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, January 19, 2007

Don't give up...

"When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty." - Woody Allen


Overheard a conversation a while ago. "I'm not dieting any more. I am just going to watch what I eat and cut down. I'm not going to exercise either..."

See, that is the mentality that diets bring. A negative, beaten-down mentality.

What we (you and I) are attempting is a lifestyle change. This connotation has promise, flexibility, changeability. Don't let feelings of inadequacy or defeat permeate your mind. All it takes is a little poison to spoil your progress. You can overcome these feelings, it takes motivation, determination, & a positive mental picture.

We all have our off days. I've had a few off days this week but I refuse to let them spoil the accomplishment I have achieved. Over 200lbs in a little less than 3 years without medication or surgery is a HUGE accomplishment. Even maintaining a loss of 1lb a week is a HUGE accomplishment.

Look at your lifestyle change and see the positives. Talk to friends and co-workers. Smile. You are worth a lot more than you think!


"The one way to get thin is to re-establish a purpose in life." - Cyril Connolly, "The Unquiet Grave"

Friday, January 12, 2007

"A world without heroes..."

"Is like a world without sun
You can't look up to anyone
Without heroes

And a world without heroes
Is like a never ending race
Is like a time without a place
A pointless thing devoid of grace..." - "A World Without Heroes", Kiss



This was the second single that was released from the album,
"Music from the Elder", an ill-fated concept that turned out to
be the last straw for a few members of Kiss.

A very strong song, much like the first single, "I",with truth in its message. What would our world be like without heroes, someone to look up to, someone to strive to be like? We all have a hero, or maybe we have several heroes.

Could be someone historical, famous, infamous, or even someone not too well-known. Maybe we are a hero to someone. I know that I am a "hero" to several people. I haven't really done anything "heroic" other than stick with my commitment to lose weight and inspire others to do the same.

Who is your hero? More importantly, who looks to you as their hero?
Are you living a good example for that person (or persons)?


"Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they're really not. They're companions - the hero and the sidekick." - Laurence Shames

Friday, January 05, 2007

Making a difference...

"The shortest answer is doing." - Lord Herbert

I recently received this email from someone on the ASD newsgroup (alt.support.diet). I will treasure the words and use this as continued motivation that the choice I made almost 3 years ago was the right choice...


"Hi Matty,

I want to say "Thank you" for all the inspiration you provided to me in 2006. I think I mentioned I stumbled across your posts on alt.suport.diet when I first began my lifestyle change in January. When I read about your success losing 200 some pounds, I spent the better part of two hours reading your monthly updates in the newsgroup archives. I thought, if this fellow could lose so much, I surely could lose a measly 165 pounds. Well, now I've lost 110!

If you ever get down, as it appears from your posts you sometimes do, make a list of all the things you can do now that you couldn't do at 500 pounds. And not just the 'big' or 'important' things. Little things, like fitting into a diner booth or being able to bend over and touch your toes. Sleeping through the night. Eating without becoming bloated. The things you should rightly take for granted, but couldn't enjoy as the fat guy. I find this motivates me.

I understand the desire to change your entire life as the result of weight loss, since I am undergoing the same rethinking. I'm returning to school in the fall to get my degree. I hate my job, for much the same reason you probably hate writing insurance policies - it's a waist of time for someone with so much energy and so much to offer other people.

Best of luck with the book. It has the potential to be tremendously inspirational.

And thanks again, Matty.

Cordially,

(Name Withheld)"


Reaching people by living your life. Inspiring through doing. Making a difference.


Thanks, Neil...


"People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do." - Lewis Cass