"People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results." - Albert Einstein
I was thinking communication recently. My youngest son turns 3 months today and we are beginning to understand his way of communicating with us. We have determined different cries mean different things. One cry means "I'm bored!" while another cry means "I'm in need of changing!". It took a little bit to understand what he wanted through this rudimentary form of communication but now that we understant him - we see instant results once we alay whatever the need is.
Communicating with yourself is important. Learning what makes you hungry, what hunger is for you, even what triggers you have for overeating or non-exercising are all important things to know in order to lose weight.
I kind of think we've been lulled into some sort of Pavlovian sense of having to eat meals at certain times of the day - even when we might not be hungry. Try this some time - fast for an entire day, drinking just water for a 24 hour period. Whenever you get a hunger pang - drink some water and wait to see if it goes away. If after 15 minutes or so it doesn't, take another glass of water. You will soon get to understand what a "false hunger" and "real hunger" pang feels like so you can better understand your body's need.
You may not need to eat until 9am or 10am or can go until 2pm to eat lunch. Once you understand your body, you will begin to see better results because you will be eating only when truly hungry and not when you're "supposed to"...
"The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed - it is a process of elimination." - Elbert Hubbard
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Mistakes...
Won a speech contest today. Based the speech on the topic of making mistakes. I've made plenty and expect to make many more over my lifetime. I learned a few things about mistakes:
1 - Everybody makes them (don't kid yourself)
2 - You need to learn from them (see examples below)
3 - Don't dwell on them (probably THE most important thing to remember)
The Apple LISA was a commercial flop. What did Apple learn? Enter the Apple Macintosh & Apple's OS X software (both have roots in the LISA computer)
The Ford Edsel was also a commercial flop. What did Ford learn? Enter 2 of the most popular Ford lines, the Mustang & the Taurus
Wilson Greatbatch developed the implantable pacemaker (including it's corrosion-resistant battery) years after he put in the wrong part into an external heart monitor.
I love speaking. I can't explain it. It was envigorating being up there and sharing the speech I had prepared. I need to develop this talent...
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
1 - Everybody makes them (don't kid yourself)
2 - You need to learn from them (see examples below)
3 - Don't dwell on them (probably THE most important thing to remember)
The Apple LISA was a commercial flop. What did Apple learn? Enter the Apple Macintosh & Apple's OS X software (both have roots in the LISA computer)
The Ford Edsel was also a commercial flop. What did Ford learn? Enter 2 of the most popular Ford lines, the Mustang & the Taurus
Wilson Greatbatch developed the implantable pacemaker (including it's corrosion-resistant battery) years after he put in the wrong part into an external heart monitor.
I love speaking. I can't explain it. It was envigorating being up there and sharing the speech I had prepared. I need to develop this talent...
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Courage
"Every man has his own courage, and is betrayed because he seeks in himself the courage of other persons." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
This past weekend I was watching some episodes of a television show and happened upon a little nugget that was hidden in amongst one of them.
In an exchange with two characters, one was telling the other that they had more courage than the other. They had the courage to be themselves. They had the courage getting out of bed knowing that they had to be themselves.
Of course the entire exchange was meant to be comedic in its intent, but there is a lot of truth in that exchange. Most of us are scared of being who we truly are. Afraid of what others think of us, conforming to what we think they find "acceptible".
Do you have the courage to be who you are? Or are you conforming to what the "world" wants?
"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
This past weekend I was watching some episodes of a television show and happened upon a little nugget that was hidden in amongst one of them.
In an exchange with two characters, one was telling the other that they had more courage than the other. They had the courage to be themselves. They had the courage getting out of bed knowing that they had to be themselves.
Of course the entire exchange was meant to be comedic in its intent, but there is a lot of truth in that exchange. Most of us are scared of being who we truly are. Afraid of what others think of us, conforming to what we think they find "acceptible".
Do you have the courage to be who you are? Or are you conforming to what the "world" wants?
"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Fear...
"Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them." - Brendan Francis
Fear can motivate. Fear can immobilize. We need to have a healthy respect for fear ONLY when it deserves such. I have been and still am afraid of many things - failure, abandonment, etc. but these fears do not deserve the respect that I give them. We need to grow past our fears in order to move towards where we want to be. One person was quoted that in order to succeed we need to double our failure rate. Those are interesting and yet true words. How can we achieve success if we do not fail?
Figure out what you are afraid of and see which ones deserve the respect and which ones are "paper-thin" that can be broken through to access the next level in your life.
"There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them." - Andre Gide
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Fear can motivate. Fear can immobilize. We need to have a healthy respect for fear ONLY when it deserves such. I have been and still am afraid of many things - failure, abandonment, etc. but these fears do not deserve the respect that I give them. We need to grow past our fears in order to move towards where we want to be. One person was quoted that in order to succeed we need to double our failure rate. Those are interesting and yet true words. How can we achieve success if we do not fail?
Figure out what you are afraid of and see which ones deserve the respect and which ones are "paper-thin" that can be broken through to access the next level in your life.
"There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them." - Andre Gide
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Assistance...
"It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little - do what you can." - Sydney Smith
I asked my oldest son if he would like to go to Home Depot with me to pick up some weedkiller. His response melted my heart and made me laugh at the same time, "I would be glad to assist you at the store..."
It was sweet, but also very poigniant at the same time. I know he couldn't do much but be company on the trip but at least he was willing to do that little part. Look around you today, how can you be of help to someone? Giving up your seat on the bus or subway. Help someone load their groceries into their vehicle. A tiny act of kindness can not only help others but also makes you feel good and uplifts your spirits. What kind of assistance can you give today??
"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something." - Author Unknown
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
I asked my oldest son if he would like to go to Home Depot with me to pick up some weedkiller. His response melted my heart and made me laugh at the same time, "I would be glad to assist you at the store..."
It was sweet, but also very poigniant at the same time. I know he couldn't do much but be company on the trip but at least he was willing to do that little part. Look around you today, how can you be of help to someone? Giving up your seat on the bus or subway. Help someone load their groceries into their vehicle. A tiny act of kindness can not only help others but also makes you feel good and uplifts your spirits. What kind of assistance can you give today??
"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something." - Author Unknown
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Words
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." - Proverbs
I whispered into my new son's ear last night. I try to do this every night. What do I whisper? Words of encouragement, words of strength, positive words. I grew up on negative words. Words like, "stupid", or "idiot", or "worthless". Those words were planted deep into my mind and the fruit from those words was bitter and hurtful.
I told my son that he was going to grow up strong and handsome and smart. I told him that both he and his brother were going to do far greater things than myself. I tell my older son that he can do anything he puts his mind to. I am planting positive seeds in the hopes of seeing better things come to fruition in both my children's lives.
What words are you planting in your daily life? Words of hope or words of despair?
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
I whispered into my new son's ear last night. I try to do this every night. What do I whisper? Words of encouragement, words of strength, positive words. I grew up on negative words. Words like, "stupid", or "idiot", or "worthless". Those words were planted deep into my mind and the fruit from those words was bitter and hurtful.
I told my son that he was going to grow up strong and handsome and smart. I told him that both he and his brother were going to do far greater things than myself. I tell my older son that he can do anything he puts his mind to. I am planting positive seeds in the hopes of seeing better things come to fruition in both my children's lives.
What words are you planting in your daily life? Words of hope or words of despair?
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Inner Strength
"When the world says, "Give up,"Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."" - Author Unknown
Sitting here looking at a photo that someone had taken last October of me running my first 8k race. That was a grueling time for me, there I was 34 years old and 280lbs running up and down hills around the city of Zeeland. Many racers were "professionals" looking for a quick win and accolades from the crowd. Others were teens that ran track or cross-country. There were even moms, looking for a time to chat and get a t-shirt (one pair of moms had matching shirts that said "Incredi-Moms" a play on the Disney/Pixar movie "The Incredibles").
Looking back on that time, I never quit. I was tired and suffering from "side-stitch" (dehydration causing pain in your sides) but I never quit. I knew if I had quit, I would not start again and I would be done. Teens that passed me, soon I passed as they had stopped and began to walk. They may have caught up and passed me - but I didn't stop to walk, they did.I am gathering strength from remembering that time. I didn't quit then, and I sure as hell am not going to quit now.
"The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running." - Author Unknown
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Sitting here looking at a photo that someone had taken last October of me running my first 8k race. That was a grueling time for me, there I was 34 years old and 280lbs running up and down hills around the city of Zeeland. Many racers were "professionals" looking for a quick win and accolades from the crowd. Others were teens that ran track or cross-country. There were even moms, looking for a time to chat and get a t-shirt (one pair of moms had matching shirts that said "Incredi-Moms" a play on the Disney/Pixar movie "The Incredibles").
Looking back on that time, I never quit. I was tired and suffering from "side-stitch" (dehydration causing pain in your sides) but I never quit. I knew if I had quit, I would not start again and I would be done. Teens that passed me, soon I passed as they had stopped and began to walk. They may have caught up and passed me - but I didn't stop to walk, they did.I am gathering strength from remembering that time. I didn't quit then, and I sure as hell am not going to quit now.
"The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running." - Author Unknown
MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
An Update & Today's Thought
Just an update, took some time off after the birth of my second son. Gave me some time to think about the weekly blogging and how I want to press forward. I've decided that I am changing the weekly blogs to Tuesdays because Fridays are already hectic with trying to post an audio Podcast and a webshow on YouTube. I think I will also break that up by posting the audio Podcasts on Wednesdays and leave the YouTube show to Fridays. Trying to do too much packed into one day has worn me out a bit. So, stay tuned each Tuesday for a new thought for the day...
"An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied. " - Arnold Glasow
There is another old saying that goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions..." which is true for the most part. We can talk all we want about what we plan to do with our lives, but it's when we actually sit down and put things to action that causes change to happen.
What is in your craw, deep down that you wished you could change? Write it down and then execute it.
"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." - Peter Marshall
Matty V
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
"An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied. " - Arnold Glasow
There is another old saying that goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions..." which is true for the most part. We can talk all we want about what we plan to do with our lives, but it's when we actually sit down and put things to action that causes change to happen.
What is in your craw, deep down that you wished you could change? Write it down and then execute it.
"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." - Peter Marshall
Matty V
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, May 16, 2008
Freedom...
"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you." - Dick Cheney
Freedom isn't free. It's not a right that everyone is entitled to. It's something that was fought for, died for, and unfortunately we as a country have taken much of it for granted. We have the freedom of choice of what to eat at any time of the day or night. From the fridge to the corner store, to even fast food restaurants open at all hours of the day or night. Freedom of choice, but it's up to us to make the right choices as far as our eating habits.
The more processed and preserved food we choose over making something from scratch, the more we perpetuate the cycle of obesity in our country and what we pass down to our children.
I am going to try harder to make better choices in what I eat and what I feed my family. Join with me to break this cycle in America!
"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Freedom isn't free. It's not a right that everyone is entitled to. It's something that was fought for, died for, and unfortunately we as a country have taken much of it for granted. We have the freedom of choice of what to eat at any time of the day or night. From the fridge to the corner store, to even fast food restaurants open at all hours of the day or night. Freedom of choice, but it's up to us to make the right choices as far as our eating habits.
The more processed and preserved food we choose over making something from scratch, the more we perpetuate the cycle of obesity in our country and what we pass down to our children.
I am going to try harder to make better choices in what I eat and what I feed my family. Join with me to break this cycle in America!
"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, May 09, 2008
Setbacks...
"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." - Arthur Golden
I've had some setbacks the past few weeks. Boy, can really bring you down, down to the ground and have you begging for mercy. But sometimes that's when break-throughs occur, some sort of enlightenment happens. Thomas Edison failed at creating a lightbulb over 10,000 times. But each time he was able to get back up and try again.
Reminds me of the movie, "Real Genius" starring Val Kilmer. His character's laser project failed spectacularly and thought he was at his absolute lowest. Then he had a break-through moment where everything seemed to click. He went back and solved the problems and succeeded (although to dire consequences - which were later rectified).
Setbacks are times to step back and maybe take new look at an old problem...
"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." - Walt Disney
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
I've had some setbacks the past few weeks. Boy, can really bring you down, down to the ground and have you begging for mercy. But sometimes that's when break-throughs occur, some sort of enlightenment happens. Thomas Edison failed at creating a lightbulb over 10,000 times. But each time he was able to get back up and try again.
Reminds me of the movie, "Real Genius" starring Val Kilmer. His character's laser project failed spectacularly and thought he was at his absolute lowest. Then he had a break-through moment where everything seemed to click. He went back and solved the problems and succeeded (although to dire consequences - which were later rectified).
Setbacks are times to step back and maybe take new look at an old problem...
"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." - Walt Disney
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, May 02, 2008
Boredom...
"Grasp your opportunities, no matter how poor your health; nothing is worse for your health than boredom." - Mignon McLaughlin
I struggle with boredom and have been falling into old habits of eating when I am not hungry and just bored. There are plenty of things I could be doing, but rather don't have the gumption or energy to do them.
That's when I (and possibly yourself) need to take a stand and just find something to do. Something that engages our brains and our bodies, something that takes our pre-programmed synapses of eating mindlessly and transfers that energy to something more productive.
Join with me, won't you? Let's try hard to re-program our brains to better ourselves when we are bored...
"Boredom is an emptiness filled with insistence." - Leo Stein
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
I struggle with boredom and have been falling into old habits of eating when I am not hungry and just bored. There are plenty of things I could be doing, but rather don't have the gumption or energy to do them.
That's when I (and possibly yourself) need to take a stand and just find something to do. Something that engages our brains and our bodies, something that takes our pre-programmed synapses of eating mindlessly and transfers that energy to something more productive.
Join with me, won't you? Let's try hard to re-program our brains to better ourselves when we are bored...
"Boredom is an emptiness filled with insistence." - Leo Stein
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, April 25, 2008
Gratitude...
"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get." - Frank A. Clark
I was reading in the book, "A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul" and in it was a section on obstacles. One of the stories caught my attention and made me think. The gist of the story was that of a man walking down the street and noticing a friend with a forlorn look on his face. The man greeted his friend and ask how things were and instead of a quick dialogue it ended up to be a long diatribe of problems.
The friend said that he would donate $5k to the man's favorite charity if he knew of a place that he could go without problems. The man took his friend up on the offer and walked him down to the local cemetary. The dead, you see, have no problems.
Whatever problems or adversities you are facing today, be thankful for them. I know that sounds weird, but really - if you had no problems, then you wouldn't be growing. Problems prepare and stretch us...
"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." - Cynthia Ozick
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
I was reading in the book, "A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul" and in it was a section on obstacles. One of the stories caught my attention and made me think. The gist of the story was that of a man walking down the street and noticing a friend with a forlorn look on his face. The man greeted his friend and ask how things were and instead of a quick dialogue it ended up to be a long diatribe of problems.
The friend said that he would donate $5k to the man's favorite charity if he knew of a place that he could go without problems. The man took his friend up on the offer and walked him down to the local cemetary. The dead, you see, have no problems.
Whatever problems or adversities you are facing today, be thankful for them. I know that sounds weird, but really - if you had no problems, then you wouldn't be growing. Problems prepare and stretch us...
"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." - Cynthia Ozick
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, April 18, 2008
The Past...
"The one charm of the past is that it is the past." - Oscar Wilde
I love that quote. It's true, the past is the past. Although nothing can change it, we can learn from it and start from now to change the future.
I still get haunted by the past from time to time but when that happens I try to remember that whatever happened then cannot be changed. I can only deal with the here and now. Each day is a new day to learn from the past and press forward with that knowledge.
"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now." - Author Unknown
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
I love that quote. It's true, the past is the past. Although nothing can change it, we can learn from it and start from now to change the future.
I still get haunted by the past from time to time but when that happens I try to remember that whatever happened then cannot be changed. I can only deal with the here and now. Each day is a new day to learn from the past and press forward with that knowledge.
"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now." - Author Unknown
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, April 11, 2008
Strength...
"The shortest answer is doing." - Lord Herbert
Where do you derive your strength? Is it in the accolade of others? In your abilities? In your desires? When the chips are down, the race is only half over, defeat is on the horizon - where do you find the strength to press on?
The accolades of others wane. Your abilities can be robbed of you in an instant. Your desires can often be false to what you really want. Is your strength in your sense of self-worth?
No one can rob you of your self-worth unless you give them the opportunity.
"All know the way; few actually walk it." - Bodhidharma
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Where do you derive your strength? Is it in the accolade of others? In your abilities? In your desires? When the chips are down, the race is only half over, defeat is on the horizon - where do you find the strength to press on?
The accolades of others wane. Your abilities can be robbed of you in an instant. Your desires can often be false to what you really want. Is your strength in your sense of self-worth?
No one can rob you of your self-worth unless you give them the opportunity.
"All know the way; few actually walk it." - Bodhidharma
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, April 04, 2008
Boldness...
"Put a grain of boldness into everything you do." - Baltasar Gracian
Ever dare to be bold? Dare to try something new even though you might fail? On this weight loss journey I have been bold plenty of times and I am always looking for more things to try. Some things stuck with me like running races while others weren't cohesive to my personality or interests.
You need to break out of your mold, step out of your comfort zone and dare to try things. I started with donating blood. Something simple. And it grew from there, 5k races, charity walks, chili cook-offs, speaking in public.
Try something different. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. How will you know if you don't try?
"Freedom lies in being bold." - Robert Frost
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Ever dare to be bold? Dare to try something new even though you might fail? On this weight loss journey I have been bold plenty of times and I am always looking for more things to try. Some things stuck with me like running races while others weren't cohesive to my personality or interests.
You need to break out of your mold, step out of your comfort zone and dare to try things. I started with donating blood. Something simple. And it grew from there, 5k races, charity walks, chili cook-offs, speaking in public.
Try something different. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. How will you know if you don't try?
"Freedom lies in being bold." - Robert Frost
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, March 28, 2008
Passion...
"Chase down your passion like it's the last bus of the night." - Glade Byron Addams
I've found that when it comes to doing something that matters, you need passion. You have to believe in what you are accomplishing. I think that's why so many people fail at losing weight, they don't have that passion that helps them to carry on through the stumbling blocks that are inevitable.
I recall a story that has been shared by both Dave Ramsey & Dan Miller about a study that was done in the 1960's. A group of men were paid a good wage to dig a ditch then asked to fill the ditch back in. This was all they were told to do. The next day, 40% of the workers didn't show up. The wage was doubled and they were told to dig a ditch and fill it back in. The next day, another 40% didn't show up. This comes to the conclusion that you have to have passion in what you are doing, otherwise your efforts are futile and in vain.
Come with me, join with me. Let's encourage one another and stoke the fire of passion in eachother's soul. You can succeed, I can succeed. We will overcome and become the victors we know we are!
"Follow your passion, and success will follow you." - Arthur Buddhold
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
I've found that when it comes to doing something that matters, you need passion. You have to believe in what you are accomplishing. I think that's why so many people fail at losing weight, they don't have that passion that helps them to carry on through the stumbling blocks that are inevitable.
I recall a story that has been shared by both Dave Ramsey & Dan Miller about a study that was done in the 1960's. A group of men were paid a good wage to dig a ditch then asked to fill the ditch back in. This was all they were told to do. The next day, 40% of the workers didn't show up. The wage was doubled and they were told to dig a ditch and fill it back in. The next day, another 40% didn't show up. This comes to the conclusion that you have to have passion in what you are doing, otherwise your efforts are futile and in vain.
Come with me, join with me. Let's encourage one another and stoke the fire of passion in eachother's soul. You can succeed, I can succeed. We will overcome and become the victors we know we are!
"Follow your passion, and success will follow you." - Arthur Buddhold
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, March 07, 2008
Appearance...
"Things do not pass for what they are, but for what they seem. Most things are judged by their jackets." - Baltasar Gracian
Too many times do we judge books by their covers. I find myself guilty of this time and time again. Many times I find that I have grossly mis-judged someone, thinking one thing and finding out something totally different.
Out on my walks I like to people-watch. It has become one of my favorite pastimes. Once I even sat and wrote down descriptions of people that I saw, hoping that the descriptions would one day make it into a fiction novel I will write.
I've seen many, many overweight people in my journies. And every time I catch myself with some sort of "air" about them - some deep-seated disgust. I don't know them. I don't know their life. They could have health issues that caused the weight gain. They could have some problems at home that they thought food could solve. But I stand there, thinking like some others may think - "laziness, slovenly laziness".
That's one thing I still struggle with, self-loathing. I hate being overweight and yet this hate is not motivation to keep going. I need to find focus on something else. Self-loathing behavior is not healthy or a self-esteem builder.
I will try harder...
"Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration." - Niccolo Machiavelli
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Too many times do we judge books by their covers. I find myself guilty of this time and time again. Many times I find that I have grossly mis-judged someone, thinking one thing and finding out something totally different.
Out on my walks I like to people-watch. It has become one of my favorite pastimes. Once I even sat and wrote down descriptions of people that I saw, hoping that the descriptions would one day make it into a fiction novel I will write.
I've seen many, many overweight people in my journies. And every time I catch myself with some sort of "air" about them - some deep-seated disgust. I don't know them. I don't know their life. They could have health issues that caused the weight gain. They could have some problems at home that they thought food could solve. But I stand there, thinking like some others may think - "laziness, slovenly laziness".
That's one thing I still struggle with, self-loathing. I hate being overweight and yet this hate is not motivation to keep going. I need to find focus on something else. Self-loathing behavior is not healthy or a self-esteem builder.
I will try harder...
"Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration." - Niccolo Machiavelli
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, February 29, 2008
Impact Resistance...
"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not." - Author Unknown
This week I found a pair of sunglasses on the side of the road. They looked like they were alright so I picked them up. The arms of the sunglasses fell apart in my hands, someone had run them over with their car. All that was left intact was the lenses themselves. Neither was scratched, only one lens had a couple of chips around the rim.
Impact resistance. Something I wished I had. It's easy to get off-track when the perils and problems of life rear their ugly heads. I felt that way this month when I got in the car accident and was unable to exercise for a few weeks. The impact of that accident impacted more than my spine, it impacted who I was and the goal I was striving for.
I was angry and depressed, I used food as a stress-reliever. It had taken 30 years of training to develop that stress-coping skill, it won't unravel overnight. But I will continue to strive for impact resistance, reminding myself of that pair of sunglasses...
"Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right." - Henry Ford
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
This week I found a pair of sunglasses on the side of the road. They looked like they were alright so I picked them up. The arms of the sunglasses fell apart in my hands, someone had run them over with their car. All that was left intact was the lenses themselves. Neither was scratched, only one lens had a couple of chips around the rim.
Impact resistance. Something I wished I had. It's easy to get off-track when the perils and problems of life rear their ugly heads. I felt that way this month when I got in the car accident and was unable to exercise for a few weeks. The impact of that accident impacted more than my spine, it impacted who I was and the goal I was striving for.
I was angry and depressed, I used food as a stress-reliever. It had taken 30 years of training to develop that stress-coping skill, it won't unravel overnight. But I will continue to strive for impact resistance, reminding myself of that pair of sunglasses...
"Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right." - Henry Ford
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, February 22, 2008
Blame...
"Most people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions." - Author Unknown
A few weeks ago I was in a car accident. A head-on collision with another vehicle that totalled my van. It also totalled my back & neck in terms of muscle/nerve strain ("whiplash"), which in turn totalled my exercise program.
I've been reluctant to get back on the exercise journey, partially because I had fallen into old habits and had been using the car accident as an excuse. I checked the scale and it said I had gained 8lbs over the past few weeks. This is inaccurate, I couldn't have conceivably done so unless I stayed in bed all the time and ate 10,000 calories a day. I chalk most of the gain to salt, but I do believe that I had gained back at least 3lbs due to the lack of exercise.
Last night I finally looked in the mirror and said, "Dude, you need to get back on track. Stop using the car accident as a crutch or excuse. You need to do this not only for yourself, but for your supporters as well." So I did, although I am sore - it felt good to get back out on the road again. Today was my first full exercise/walking day, jogged 3.5mi walked 3.5mi and exercised for 30min.
It's easy to place the blame on something. I think that is the reason we are such a "sue-happy" society. We refuse to put the blame where it belongs - squarely on our shoulders.
Don't play the blame game. Go out and do something about it!
"Stubborness does have its helpful features. You always know what you are going to be thinking tomorrow." - Glen Beaman
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
A few weeks ago I was in a car accident. A head-on collision with another vehicle that totalled my van. It also totalled my back & neck in terms of muscle/nerve strain ("whiplash"), which in turn totalled my exercise program.
I've been reluctant to get back on the exercise journey, partially because I had fallen into old habits and had been using the car accident as an excuse. I checked the scale and it said I had gained 8lbs over the past few weeks. This is inaccurate, I couldn't have conceivably done so unless I stayed in bed all the time and ate 10,000 calories a day. I chalk most of the gain to salt, but I do believe that I had gained back at least 3lbs due to the lack of exercise.
Last night I finally looked in the mirror and said, "Dude, you need to get back on track. Stop using the car accident as a crutch or excuse. You need to do this not only for yourself, but for your supporters as well." So I did, although I am sore - it felt good to get back out on the road again. Today was my first full exercise/walking day, jogged 3.5mi walked 3.5mi and exercised for 30min.
It's easy to place the blame on something. I think that is the reason we are such a "sue-happy" society. We refuse to put the blame where it belongs - squarely on our shoulders.
Don't play the blame game. Go out and do something about it!
"Stubborness does have its helpful features. You always know what you are going to be thinking tomorrow." - Glen Beaman
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
Friday, February 15, 2008
Remembering...
"Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us." - Oscar Wilde
On the way to work I passed a marker on at street corner that marks the spot where someone had died. You see them all over the country now, little roadside altars to remind people of tragedies. Even in the bible people had created altars from rocks to mark special places, piles of rocks & whatnot so that others that passed by it would see it and remember the reason for it being there.
I kept a pair of my old jeans and an old shirt. I keep them as reminders of what once was and (God-willing) will not happen again. I keep them to refresh my memory, to remember when I used to be over 500lbs. Sometimes I put the stuff on and it really hits me on how big I really was.
We all need reminders in our lives, reminders of where we have been and also reminders of where we are headed. My mom and also a friend of mine had mentioned the recent Oprah episode with the author of the book "The Secret". I need to check on the concepts talked about the book about a "dream board" or something where you put together all the things you want in/from your life. Not a bad idea, kind of like a road map of where you want to go in your life...
"The existence of forgetting has never been proved: We only know that some things don't come to mind when we want them." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
On the way to work I passed a marker on at street corner that marks the spot where someone had died. You see them all over the country now, little roadside altars to remind people of tragedies. Even in the bible people had created altars from rocks to mark special places, piles of rocks & whatnot so that others that passed by it would see it and remember the reason for it being there.
I kept a pair of my old jeans and an old shirt. I keep them as reminders of what once was and (God-willing) will not happen again. I keep them to refresh my memory, to remember when I used to be over 500lbs. Sometimes I put the stuff on and it really hits me on how big I really was.
We all need reminders in our lives, reminders of where we have been and also reminders of where we are headed. My mom and also a friend of mine had mentioned the recent Oprah episode with the author of the book "The Secret". I need to check on the concepts talked about the book about a "dream board" or something where you put together all the things you want in/from your life. Not a bad idea, kind of like a road map of where you want to go in your life...
"The existence of forgetting has never been proved: We only know that some things don't come to mind when we want them." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com
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