Winning The Battle. Despite Losing A War

 Hello:

Crazy huh? July is just about over. Man Time Flies.

Posting a video here about my weight loss journey. (I hate that term it has become such a cliche) over the last few months. Please keep in mind I misspoke some in the video. I did not really go back and correct the podcast. I believe the theme of what I meant runs through. I also think it is pretty self evident what my intent was at the times I misspoke. I know two moment refer to  "lost the war but I'm winning the battle" ...which I really meant the exact opposite. I guess it depend on how you look at it? I think I also misstated somethings about time meaning week instead of a day ?? At one juncture. I think it is evident what I was trying to say. If there are any questions let me know. I am definitely not perfect. Life is not perfect. I like it like that. The mistakes can be very beautiful at times. I will put something at the end here describing what I mean.

BTW I did not use any weight loss drugs, peptides or even and supplements to lose weight. I am not saying there is anything wrong with doing that. I do think you should be careful and try your best to make informed decisions. Anything in life that is worthwhile takes time, work and effort. 

Speaking of work, time and effort Thank You Mark Markowski A financial person I follow that has taught me way more about life than he ever has about finance. I am sure he would be proud for me to say that. 

Winning The Battle 

How Did This Come About?

I\ have not been happy about my weight for the better part of a year. I also had a friend who lost a lot of weight and he inspired me to get in better shape. 

The real trigger. I actually made a bet with some friends I could get down to 185 lbs by July 4th. I sincerely thought I could. That is high school weight. They were both like like 'no way.' It just didn't seem that unrealistic to me? Maybe I was a little glib. I reached 190. Which was a let down. I must tell you I feel some very good things came out of it.

I gladly paid the bet. Even though I lost, I felt really accomplished. 

So Is Losing Still Winning?

Absolutely not. I hate where we reward people for trying. If you lose..You lose!! That is why I was adamant about paying the bet, even though I think my friends would have probably let me off the hook. Maybe not Kyle...lol 

All said. - I feel great!! I learned a little about nutrition and what works for me. Life is a learning experience. Winning, losing, good things and mistakes...you can always gain knowledge and self enlightenment. Even more so if it pertain to a personal goal. 

How Did I Do It?

First off, everyone is different so this is not recommended advice about health or diet. This is just what worked, to some degree, for me. You should do your research and consult with a professional before making radical changes in your lifestyle pertaining to fitness or nutrition. 

CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO. I did cardio at least 1 hour a day. Often twice a day. This made things easy. If cardio can be considered easy. I was able to eat a lot of things I still enjoy, and continue to drop weight. 

I got online and did some rough calculating on 'daily calorie requirements.' A quick internet search and you can find daily calorie calculators without much effort. Main thing. Be honest with yourself. You must put in the right data to get a decent reading. 

All in all I came to the conclusion - That someone of my height, weight, gender and activity level needed a certain amount of calories daily.  I believe, activity level is where some make errors. You must be realistic about how active you are. A lot of us think we are way more active and eat better than we actually do. Once I found an estimated amount of calories I needed to lose weight but not starve I started there. 

Counting Calories. 

One good thing about restaurants now a days, they are decent at posting their nutritional info. If not, web searches can help you estimate most foods calories. Accuracy is not always great. I would almost always round up. If I had dueling information I went with the highest, at least when I was trying to be honest with myself. If you lie to yourself (by maybe being overly optimistic) it makes things harder. I was surprised by how easy this is to do. I think, due to many factors we have an unrealistic body image of ourselves. Thank you social media!!! 

I wasn't crazy about counting calories. I kept track to a certain degree. Often sitting down and totaling up the calories I consumed for the day, at the end of the day. I am certain other methods are better. This at least, did make me more aware of trying to maintain calorie limitations to help reach my goals. 

I came to the conclusion I could consume around up to 2,000 calories a day and still actually lose weight.  Keep in mind I was doing cardio (mostly stationary bike) for 1 or 2 hours a day.

I often skipped breakfast, except my coffee and creamer. I've experimented with this for years. If I eat early in the day I am just as hungry at lunch time as if I didn't eat a morning meal. I still have not been able to figure out why...lol?? 

I ate and still do consume a lot of bad food. I just kept counting the calories. In my job I often eat on the road and partake in a lot of fast food. I struggle with food prep, which would probably be ideal. I made sure I was aware of the calorie content. Burgers and fries can add up. The average combo can easily hit 1,000 to 1,200 calories for one meal.  I often skipped the fries, usually the drink even though I love them. If I could not keep it within the calories I allotted for myself things sometimes needed to be left off. You can actually be pretty flexible with this. What do you like more? I assumed the calories were more meaningful from the main items, bad as they were, than something deep fried or full of sugar. 

On the weekends I tried to eat better foods. I often did make 'top ramen' and other not so great stuff. I often include brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, and lots of veggies. I have always had to be careful with bad calories. I can sit and eat a bag of chips or multiple small chocolates without even trying. I usually don't even buy those things just to eliminate the temptation. The office is where I can get in trouble.    

I did not beat myself up, Some weeks I actually gained weight. I did get discourages at times. Often knowing it was my behavior that led me to get off track.  I hit a serious plateau at just over 200 lbs for weeks. I just could not get under 200. That was a big mental jump once it finally happened. Even then I often would go up above it. I bought a scale. I and was so surprised how much weight you can gain and lose in a day sometimes. Water weight for someone my size could easily be 10 pounds in a 8 to 12 hour period. I would come home weighing 213 lbs in the evening then be around 207 lbs in the AM.  

I made a decision to change my lifestyle. I cut down on drinking. I was more conscious on what I was eating. I committed to doing the exercise. The exercise was never hard to me. You can adjust the tension of the pedals to make it as challenging or easy as you want. The time is the biggest factor. Deciding your health and welfare are worth the time, no matter what, made a huge difference. What is more important than your health?  

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I went from around 235 lbs to 190 in 4 to 5 months. Actually, for over a year I attempted top lose weight, I fluctuated a lot during the early period. It did not happen and stick until I made to decision to change my habits. 

MISTAKES

As far as mistakes go I want to put something on here this song:

Baby

A song by two brothers - Donnie and Joe Emerson. This is what I mean about not being being perfect.

Baby

For those who have followed me a bit,  this may isa repeat. Even more a repeating theme 

The tuning on this song is questionable and the beat is definitely off and out of time. The story goes - These two had a dream to make it in the music business. They recorded this song. In fact, they recorded a few songs and put out a 'self released record'. May years later the song made it into a movie scene for less than 2 minutes. That is where I (and countless others) heard it for the first time. To some degree it went viral. So, despite the flaws it became popular and has touched thousands of lives. The tune touches on love or deep feelings for another. A topic that has been popular for most of the human existence. A good one. We seem to still find mysterious. 

Sometimes a piece of art is popular because it is so bad. It becomes like watching a car wreck. This songs goes there to some degree but it is actually in a pretty serious moment in the movie. 

If you search 'Baby' in Celeste and Jessie Forever I am sure you can find it. I've posted on this one before. So I'll let you do the searching if it is honest interest for you. BTW, Celeste and Jesse Forever, is definitely an Active Amputee recommended movie. Chick flick for sure. You know love, life and  relationships is a lifelong subject full of mystery and awe to ponder about, :) 

Don't give up on your dreams. You never know how you may touch another person!!

#amput33 #LuvL1f3 

Bax In Sync Pt 1 - Keeping It Simple

Getting your life in sync is something I strive for all the time. What do I mean? Do things ever seem to just go smooth and effortlessly? Or do they seem like a hassle and always hard? Maybe something in-between? My belief is the more in sync you are the more smoothly things go, Another version of this is to be 'in the moment'. Not being in a rush to be somewhere except where you are at. We often think about what we are going to do or what happened already. The future is unsure and the past is gone. Instead we should be enjoying now. It is a shame we frequently do not. It is understandable though. Many things in our life contribute to this feeling. I hope to touch on some of them over the next few weeks and months.

How do we get in synch? Many people have a lot of different answers to this. There are tons of self improvement books out there that vary on the subject.  I would say your attitude and lifestyle can make a big difference in life feeling less erratic. I think keeping things less complicated is one way to attain better karma and peace in your life.

Many  a great song has been recorded using 2 to 3 chords. In fact, I would argue that most of the 'hits' out there over the years are 3 chord tunes. Some of the great unknown or deep cuts as well. Progressive music has its place. I have a huge appreciation for it. If I want to chill it is back to the simple songs for me. 

My prosthesis is basic. A good fitting socket, (that's the part your limb fits into), a pylon and a solid foot. If I get it wet, hear a noise or I beat the hell out of it, 99% of the time it is an easy fix or adjustment.  Then I am back in business. I usually don't have issues, because it is basic there are less things to go wrong or fail.

My place. A small space with a bed, a futon and one chair. Actually some bar stools as well. They came with the place so I kept them. :) As las long as it does not get cluttered it's a peaceful and relaxing abode. All my life many people have tried to give me things that they think I could use. I think they are trying to be nice or helpful. Really they are just pawning something off on you they no longer have a use for. I always try to say no. If they insist, I eventually throw it out or donate it somewhere. Occasionally I find it is useful, Clutter  gets me out if whack. Its extra stuff to organize and work around. It's my life not another person's to decide what is best for me. When your possessions start to possess you there is a problem.

I can prove it. We love our junk. There  is a reason that self storage is big business in this country.  Millions spent on useless crap people pay to store every year because they have an attachment to it for one reason or another. Not to mention garages all over the country cars can't fit into because they are full of junk. Usually an item has sentimental value or the feeling it is 'worth something' and it would be a waste to throw it out. The old saying "One mans trash..." comes to mind. Often it is on the 'I'm going to get to it list' for many of us. Yet it sits for months or years. Isn't it funny how good we typically feel when we clean and organize a space?  

Grocery shopping can be a similar experience. Most of us buy things we don't need. If we kept it basic we would be so much better off.  Way healthier for sure. Do we really need half the junk food we buy? They get us coming and going. Some of the items are junk we don't need to consume. Other items are sold as 'healthy' so you 'need' them to improve your life one way or another.  Most of the time a whole foods natural diet is all you need. The rest is just marketing and manipulation.

I could go on and on about different ways we make things way more complicated in our life The point is I believe we would be better served keeping our lives more simple. Less stress. Less needless decisions to waste energy on. More time to focus on ourselves our health and our happiness. 

By no means am I perfect or even good at the 'keep it simple' lifestyle, I will say that when I slow down and really think about what I really need, it usually makes a big difference in my happiness.

                         

Keeping It Simple

End Of Year

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Holiday season.

Things are very good for me. I just have been very busy.

I am still trying to figure out how to post videos to the Rumble platform. I would highly encourage you to use Rumble if possible. A lot of people that have been popular content providers on YouTube have either started posting on Rumble as well. Some have gone to Rumble exclusively.

HERE IS TO A SUCCESSFUL AND FULFILLING 2024.

Remember - "anything in life that is worthwhile takes TIME, WORK, AND EFFORT.

#amput33 #LuvLife

Moving My Media

 How goes it?

I am now located in Sarasota Florida! I am so glad to be here. This is where I went to high school. I’ve always enjoyed this area.It’s funny how things work out.

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I am in the process of moving my video platform to Rumble instead of YouTube.

Without getting into it too much, I am very disappointed in YouTube. They have censored many people over the last few years. A lot of times they use the guise of “misinformation” to shut people down, demonetize them, ban them and do other things that make getting their message out very hard. The problem is a lot of these things that were considered “misinformation” have ended up being true. 

I have disagreed with YouTube for a long time. There was just not much I could do about it in the past. 

Rumble is similar to YouTube, except they do not ban people. Freedom of speech is very important to me. It is something that this country was founded on. I obviously will still continue to use YouTube as I think it’s a great and innovative platform, I get a lot of my media, especially music from their site.

The videos I have shot in the past will continue to be there. In the future I’m going to attempt to post future vids from Rumble. Being a new site to me I will have to learn how to utilize their platform so it may take a minute to get up to speed.

This should not be a right or left position. Unfortunately, it has turned into that.For some reason many people today think if they don’t agree with someone, they don’t have a right to speak? The main argument out for this is ‘dangerous things’ can influence people to do bad things. This is possible. You must realize that Hollywood, romance novels, and many other types of media have a huge influence on people as well. For some reason, people usually don’t have an issue with thise forms of media. Unfortunately, that seems to be changing as well.

Overall, I think it’s insulting to think people can’t think for themselves & make their own minds. Who are any of us to decide what people can enjoy or be into as long as they don’t infringe on others. 

Just one more point to all this. When you absorb media, you should keep in mind who they get their revenue from. It’s impossible for certain media platforms not to have a bias due to who helps pay their bills often in the form of advertising. If defense contractors and pharmacy corporations pay your bills What do you think the messaging will be like? Or more importantly what information may be withheld? It’s pretty much a certainty that advertisers will not be spoken of badly on platforms they sponsor.

I have always pushed for people to think for themselves and do their own research. Questioning things is good. It is healthy to have a healthy skepticism. Once again, it seems people are often shamed for questioning thing anymore.

Remember to think for yourself.

#AttitudeIsEverything

Double Dose Of Vids

 A couple of videos that I put online but never added to the site.

A little more positive message that the last post. 

Who To Blame?

Basically both of these videos put the focus on taking ownership of your situation. In life there is really no one that is going to look out for your interest except yourself. 

This doesn’t mean you have to be mean or bitter. I sometimes think people believe they need to be ugly or have the right to be ugly to get what they want or need. The other end of the spectrum is you should not be a pushover when interacting transactionally with others.

Do You! Keep Your Word

We all have issues in our life. To be as productive and as happy as possible we must concentrate on the things we actually control. It is a total waste of time and energy to get upset with what we cannot control. So “No control let it go” should be our mantra in these situations. Always easier said than done…but practice makes perfect.

As always remember:  #AttitudeIsEverything

Amputees Are Liars

 I had a prosthetist recently tell me that he thinks “all amputees are liars” when he meets with them.

It is so hard for me to express how much this bothered me. I certainly don’t agree. In my Podcast I try to explain why some may get this impression.

#smput33 

#LuvLife #attitudeiseverything

#changes #blacksabbath

Checking In FRI NOV 4th

Song of the day Im Not In Love - 10cc Just happened to be playing from a playlist I'm streaming while packing. So many memories from when I was a kid with this tune. 

Moving sucks!! 

I do not have a ton of stuff. Still, even for a minimalist like me,  getting everything in one pickup truck load is quite challenging.

As you can see I have a helper. Milo the neighbor's dog came over to hang out for a bit.

Planning on being in Daytona sometime between between 3-9 am. It depends on when I get out of here. There's the Friday traffic to contend with as well. I am not yet sure if my landlord will leave the key out for me as I requested or if he wants to meet on person.