How I wanted to bury my head and not even think about what happened on Friday in Newtown. There's no way I can come up with what to write in my little blog that will convey the emotions and sorrow that adequate convey how I am feeling, how we are all feeling, for the loss.
It is times like these where one's faith can give one the strength to cope. Should there be an underlying belief that our times on Earth are but a small fraction of the entire existence of our souls, then we can tell ourselves that those lost are truly in a better place now. And that when each of our times come, there will be a reunion of the most intensely emotional and loving nature. The precious lives that were taken from us on Friday are now basking in the love of the Creator and their cherished loved ones. I am of the belief that that is the case regardless of faith, or even lack of faith - that God truly loves ALL of His children, even those that don't believe in Him, and that our times on Earth are but a small chapter of our existences. There is an eternity to bask in the Love of our Creator, even if we don't recognize it now.
That is the only way I can cope with this horrific tragedy, all those that have come before, and those that are yet to happen. Not just the tragedies of such senseless violence, but all that happen in this realm of existence.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
turning 50
My best friend from grade school turned 50 yesterday.
I had to give it some thought because my own date with that milestone will be here soon enough. I recalled how it was much easier for me when I turned 40 than when I turned 30. Why? Because when I turned 30, I still had dreams and aspirations and was therefore disappointed that none of them had yet come to fruition. So how could turning 40 have been any easier when I still had not achieved any of those goals? Easy! Because by then I had gotten rid of my dreams and aspirations!
Which reminds me of a story I once read in Reader's Digest many, many years ago. It was a true story sent in by a reader:
A worker in a store was tasked with matching a paint chip color brought in by a customer. After numerous failed attempts to mix a new paint color that would pass muster with this very particular customer, the worker waited until the customer wasn't looking... and then painted the chip!
I had to give it some thought because my own date with that milestone will be here soon enough. I recalled how it was much easier for me when I turned 40 than when I turned 30. Why? Because when I turned 30, I still had dreams and aspirations and was therefore disappointed that none of them had yet come to fruition. So how could turning 40 have been any easier when I still had not achieved any of those goals? Easy! Because by then I had gotten rid of my dreams and aspirations!
Which reminds me of a story I once read in Reader's Digest many, many years ago. It was a true story sent in by a reader:
A worker in a store was tasked with matching a paint chip color brought in by a customer. After numerous failed attempts to mix a new paint color that would pass muster with this very particular customer, the worker waited until the customer wasn't looking... and then painted the chip!
Monday, December 3, 2012
oh boy, a quarterback controversy!!!
Ever since I started my nutritional cleanse and detox, particularly the initial 30-days, I've not been posting about my beloved 49ers. No dedicated posts about each game; all I can recall remarking about was the issue with the replacement refs. Which may actually come back and bite us (meaning the Niners) because the Seahawks are a threat to win the division still. Darn referee lockout!
I've been laying low here on this quarterback controversy matter. But here goes with some of my musings about the Smith vs. Kaepernick conundrum we find ourselves in:
Where to start? Well, first of all, for all those too young to remember the great Montana vs. Young battle and have been thinking that you'd like to know what a QB controversy feels like, here you go! Not at the same level, of course, being that both Joe Montana and Steve Young are in the Hall-of-Fame, but really, quarterback controversies are not all that fun. Sure, it's better to have too many good players than not enough, but it's one heck of a sticky situation to have to deal with.
You're dealing with human beings with human emotions, not just commodities. These are hyper-competitive athletes with pride that also happen to be very public personalities. They exist in fish tanks for all to see. That's why Coach Harbaugh has been trying walk a very narrow tightrope; he needs to make sure that his two quarterbacks are going to be able to perform their very best if and when they are called upon.
I am quite happy to see the outpouring of support for Alex Smith, especially in light of what he's been through with the 49ers. The hurdles he has faced since being drafted are well documented: different coaching staffs and different playbooks almost every single year, rosters that could use improvement, an injury that led one coach to question his toughness that later required surgery and a lost season, probably many more. And still Smith soldiered on and remained loyal to the Niners. And he was among the tops of the league in many categories this season no less!
His improvements could be traced to one man: Coach Jim Harbaugh. He built up Alex Smith's confidence and played to Smith's strengths. He, more than anyone else previous, was responsible for Smith no longer being seen as a bust, but a viable team leader and bona fide NFL starting quarterback.
Yet then again, there is 2nd-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He was drafted by the 49ers during Harbaugh's tenure; apparently he was Harbaugh's personal choice, selected by the team at his bequest. Kap is Harbaugh's guy. More of a gunslinger, more instinctual and willing to improvise, a stronger arm, more willingness to run and faster than Smith - he's like a wild Mustang with smarts!
So what to do? I can fully understand the contingent that prefers that Smith get back his starting job, lost in the first place only because he suffered a concussion. In a heart-warming way, people believe he should get the opportunity to complete his journey and maybe lead the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance and perhaps even a Super Bowl victory. A triumph of the greatest magnitude!
And it's not just about sentimentality - these Smith supporters would also argue that Smith has the necessary experience and skills to put the team over the top that Kap lacks at the moment. They see yesterday's loss as what would have been a victory had Smith been the starter.
On the other hand, I can recall that for many seasons, there has been an outcry for the Niners to get the speedy type of receivers that were fast enough to take the lid off of the coverage; that is, extend the field and make the long passing game an actual threat. Either Smith lacks the arm strength and accuracy, or he is not willing to pull the trigger because it's not in his personality. So even having the speed won't mean much if the quarterback won't make the corresponding throws.
Hence, Colin Kaepernick. He's got the arm and the willingness to throw it far downfield. He just lacks the experience right now. Plus, he's more natural at throwing passes that can be caught in stride - my gosh, I can recall countless times when Smith threw passes during broken plays where the ball didn't lead the receiver and were even at their feet.
Sooo... what choice would I make? If Kap were my guy, it would eventually stink for Smith either way. It would be a tough gig for him to know that unless he leads the team to a Super Bowl victory this year, he'd be out. There is no easy way to make the change. On the human and loyalty level, I'd have Smith start, but on a strictly football level, I believe that Kaepernick has the set of skills that I'd want for now and into the future. He'll just have to learn real fast this late into the season and I think he can. Thought he played pretty well yesterday, I really do. Some mistakes for sure, but mistakes were made by many, including the coaching staff. If they had to lose a game, yesterday's wasn't the worst one to lose. If Kap and the rest of the team can learn and improve upon it, things can still work out.
Projecting into the future even more, then, if Kap establishes himself, there is no way that Smith will want to remain with the 49ers as a backup. Therefore he'd want to move on, and after his latest starts where he was extraordinarily accurate and effective, well, he made one heck of a case for himself with other teams. Unless they wanted to take the chance that they would be able to outbid everyone else for his services should he be let go by the Niners, then he ought to be available for a trade - and he should be able to garner some great compensation. A high draft pick perhaps? But this is thinking way too far ahead. Let's see how this season goes. Alex may yet be the one who leads the 49ers to their 6th Lombardi trophy.
I've been laying low here on this quarterback controversy matter. But here goes with some of my musings about the Smith vs. Kaepernick conundrum we find ourselves in:
Where to start? Well, first of all, for all those too young to remember the great Montana vs. Young battle and have been thinking that you'd like to know what a QB controversy feels like, here you go! Not at the same level, of course, being that both Joe Montana and Steve Young are in the Hall-of-Fame, but really, quarterback controversies are not all that fun. Sure, it's better to have too many good players than not enough, but it's one heck of a sticky situation to have to deal with.
You're dealing with human beings with human emotions, not just commodities. These are hyper-competitive athletes with pride that also happen to be very public personalities. They exist in fish tanks for all to see. That's why Coach Harbaugh has been trying walk a very narrow tightrope; he needs to make sure that his two quarterbacks are going to be able to perform their very best if and when they are called upon.
I am quite happy to see the outpouring of support for Alex Smith, especially in light of what he's been through with the 49ers. The hurdles he has faced since being drafted are well documented: different coaching staffs and different playbooks almost every single year, rosters that could use improvement, an injury that led one coach to question his toughness that later required surgery and a lost season, probably many more. And still Smith soldiered on and remained loyal to the Niners. And he was among the tops of the league in many categories this season no less!
His improvements could be traced to one man: Coach Jim Harbaugh. He built up Alex Smith's confidence and played to Smith's strengths. He, more than anyone else previous, was responsible for Smith no longer being seen as a bust, but a viable team leader and bona fide NFL starting quarterback.
Yet then again, there is 2nd-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He was drafted by the 49ers during Harbaugh's tenure; apparently he was Harbaugh's personal choice, selected by the team at his bequest. Kap is Harbaugh's guy. More of a gunslinger, more instinctual and willing to improvise, a stronger arm, more willingness to run and faster than Smith - he's like a wild Mustang with smarts!
So what to do? I can fully understand the contingent that prefers that Smith get back his starting job, lost in the first place only because he suffered a concussion. In a heart-warming way, people believe he should get the opportunity to complete his journey and maybe lead the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance and perhaps even a Super Bowl victory. A triumph of the greatest magnitude!
And it's not just about sentimentality - these Smith supporters would also argue that Smith has the necessary experience and skills to put the team over the top that Kap lacks at the moment. They see yesterday's loss as what would have been a victory had Smith been the starter.
On the other hand, I can recall that for many seasons, there has been an outcry for the Niners to get the speedy type of receivers that were fast enough to take the lid off of the coverage; that is, extend the field and make the long passing game an actual threat. Either Smith lacks the arm strength and accuracy, or he is not willing to pull the trigger because it's not in his personality. So even having the speed won't mean much if the quarterback won't make the corresponding throws.
Hence, Colin Kaepernick. He's got the arm and the willingness to throw it far downfield. He just lacks the experience right now. Plus, he's more natural at throwing passes that can be caught in stride - my gosh, I can recall countless times when Smith threw passes during broken plays where the ball didn't lead the receiver and were even at their feet.
Sooo... what choice would I make? If Kap were my guy, it would eventually stink for Smith either way. It would be a tough gig for him to know that unless he leads the team to a Super Bowl victory this year, he'd be out. There is no easy way to make the change. On the human and loyalty level, I'd have Smith start, but on a strictly football level, I believe that Kaepernick has the set of skills that I'd want for now and into the future. He'll just have to learn real fast this late into the season and I think he can. Thought he played pretty well yesterday, I really do. Some mistakes for sure, but mistakes were made by many, including the coaching staff. If they had to lose a game, yesterday's wasn't the worst one to lose. If Kap and the rest of the team can learn and improve upon it, things can still work out.
Projecting into the future even more, then, if Kap establishes himself, there is no way that Smith will want to remain with the 49ers as a backup. Therefore he'd want to move on, and after his latest starts where he was extraordinarily accurate and effective, well, he made one heck of a case for himself with other teams. Unless they wanted to take the chance that they would be able to outbid everyone else for his services should he be let go by the Niners, then he ought to be available for a trade - and he should be able to garner some great compensation. A high draft pick perhaps? But this is thinking way too far ahead. Let's see how this season goes. Alex may yet be the one who leads the 49ers to their 6th Lombardi trophy.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Day 30 - cleansing and detox
Finally I get to report on my final day of this 30-day whole body nutritional cleansing and detox that I've been on. I hadn't posted daily to this blog since I first started the blog. Now I'll get to go back and post my random thoughts about football, Heart, and what-not.
My weight first thing this morning around 5 A.M. was 165 pounds - 14 pounds less than my starting weight of 179 pounds. The measurement around my belly was 38 inches from a starting measurement of 41 inches, and my waist and buttocks were each 2 inches less around than on my starting day.
It was nice to see that I hadn't gained much from 8 days ago, when I had finished the 2nd of my two consecutive 'cleanse' days. It seems now that if I actually want to begin losing more weight, I may have to have more 'cleanse' days. But I'm happy to see that my body holds steady on the 'shake' day routine. I was afraid that I'd gain some of what I had lost back. And of course the body works in mysterious ways so it probably isn't that simple. I could lose a little more, I could gain a little more while staying on the shake routine. I'll probably need to start exercising, perhaps some resistance training, and make other little changes too. Like I mentioned before, I would love to add some muscle, so losing weight would not be the goal then! I want to remake my body.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, it certainly doesn't stop here; I'd like to think that it starts here. I'm very happy with this system, it's not difficult to do, and I'll see where I am at the 2-month mark, the 3-month mark, the 6-month mark and so on.
If you don't know what I'm doing yet, here's a link to a video that explains it:
VIDEO
So until the next musing strikes, Aloha!
My weight first thing this morning around 5 A.M. was 165 pounds - 14 pounds less than my starting weight of 179 pounds. The measurement around my belly was 38 inches from a starting measurement of 41 inches, and my waist and buttocks were each 2 inches less around than on my starting day.
It was nice to see that I hadn't gained much from 8 days ago, when I had finished the 2nd of my two consecutive 'cleanse' days. It seems now that if I actually want to begin losing more weight, I may have to have more 'cleanse' days. But I'm happy to see that my body holds steady on the 'shake' day routine. I was afraid that I'd gain some of what I had lost back. And of course the body works in mysterious ways so it probably isn't that simple. I could lose a little more, I could gain a little more while staying on the shake routine. I'll probably need to start exercising, perhaps some resistance training, and make other little changes too. Like I mentioned before, I would love to add some muscle, so losing weight would not be the goal then! I want to remake my body.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, it certainly doesn't stop here; I'd like to think that it starts here. I'm very happy with this system, it's not difficult to do, and I'll see where I am at the 2-month mark, the 3-month mark, the 6-month mark and so on.
If you don't know what I'm doing yet, here's a link to a video that explains it:
VIDEO
So until the next musing strikes, Aloha!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Day 29 - cleansing and detox
Okay, tomorrow will be the last of my 30-days on this program - so I'll be weighing myself and taking the usual measurements. The only measurement that really matters to me is the one around my belly, although the one for my waist will be interesting to see too. And which one has made the visible difference that someone actually complimented me about? My neck!
What I'm a bit puzzled about are the results that others on this program are getting. Just within the first 30-days, a few of them were:
Down 20 lbs. and 25 total inches.
Down 30 lbs. and 50.3 total inches (in 3 1/2 weeks)
Down 11.8 lbs. and 13 total inches (in only 11 days)
Holy smokes!
What that says to me is I didn't have as much extra weight to lose, we're all different and have different responses to cleansing and detox, I'm not subtracting all the inches I've lost in my total, my eating habits to begin with weren't so off-base and... who knows? The bottom line is we're all different; I've been told by my cleanse coach that I'm actually doing pretty good and better than some others.
Although this is the initial 30-days, I've also learned that by sticking to the system, it's the first 90-days that are the key because that's when the cells will be truly regenerated (or something like that).
But I am very pleased with how I'm doing. I've lost plenty of weight and besides, it's not so much about weight loss but clearing out toxins and eating healthy. I don't need to take afternoon naps anymore (although I reserve that right!), and it's nice not having to worry about shopping for just the right foods or preparing as many meals.
What I'm a bit puzzled about are the results that others on this program are getting. Just within the first 30-days, a few of them were:
Down 20 lbs. and 25 total inches.
Down 30 lbs. and 50.3 total inches (in 3 1/2 weeks)
Down 11.8 lbs. and 13 total inches (in only 11 days)
Holy smokes!
What that says to me is I didn't have as much extra weight to lose, we're all different and have different responses to cleansing and detox, I'm not subtracting all the inches I've lost in my total, my eating habits to begin with weren't so off-base and... who knows? The bottom line is we're all different; I've been told by my cleanse coach that I'm actually doing pretty good and better than some others.
Although this is the initial 30-days, I've also learned that by sticking to the system, it's the first 90-days that are the key because that's when the cells will be truly regenerated (or something like that).
But I am very pleased with how I'm doing. I've lost plenty of weight and besides, it's not so much about weight loss but clearing out toxins and eating healthy. I don't need to take afternoon naps anymore (although I reserve that right!), and it's nice not having to worry about shopping for just the right foods or preparing as many meals.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Day 28 - cleansing and detox
As an adjunct to my cleansing and detox, I am slowly learning other things as I go along. Things that probably should have been obvious to me before, or at least to which I should have paid attention.
One I just learned today is: not all calories are created equally. You can read a label to see how many calories are in a certain product, but which calories are due to fats? Carbohydrates? Or proteins? So it's one thing to count calories, but another to see where those calories are coming from. Yes, I'm sure many of you already knew this, but from now on I'll be more aware whenever I read product labels.
Another thing is if your goal is weight loss, for example, once the body over several months gets used to a routine of food consumption, then it's a good idea to change it up every now and then to keep the body guessing. There's much more to it than that, but it's just the idea that struck me.
SHORT VIDEO
One I just learned today is: not all calories are created equally. You can read a label to see how many calories are in a certain product, but which calories are due to fats? Carbohydrates? Or proteins? So it's one thing to count calories, but another to see where those calories are coming from. Yes, I'm sure many of you already knew this, but from now on I'll be more aware whenever I read product labels.
Another thing is if your goal is weight loss, for example, once the body over several months gets used to a routine of food consumption, then it's a good idea to change it up every now and then to keep the body guessing. There's much more to it than that, but it's just the idea that struck me.
SHORT VIDEO
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Day 27 - cleansing and detox
Almost done with my first 30 days! Having already had my FOURTH and final cleanse day for the month, which I wrote about on 'Day 22' of this blog, I knew that my weight loss total probably peaked for this initial period (the 30-day cleansing and detox). From then on for the rest of the month I'd be having shake days (2 shakes and a meal).
So my final 30-day weight is yet to be determined. I'm expecting to gain a little bit back, but obviously the closer to 13-14 pounds lost, the better. Then I believe as long as stay with this program, I ought to stay at the same weight, that is, unless I start exercising to put on more muscle.
There are products made by this company that will aid in that, such as more specific protein powders which I can mix in with my daily shakes. And if I continue having occasional 'cleanse' days every now and then, I may release even more unwanted fat. I do like the idea of showing off some abdominal muscles whenever I feel like it - wouldn't that be a nice testament to how good the products and this system work? And if I should impress some ladies on the way...
Of course, as I've been writing, it's not all about releasing extra fat but rather feeling better and having more energy. One of these days I'll have my blood pressure taken by a nurse and also have my blood tested in a lab. Although no medical claims should ever be made about nutritional products, that will let me know for certain that this has been the way to go. And that's just for my needs; other people who have undergone toxic cleansing have done all kinds of good things for their health.
I'm noticing that even while riding my stationary bike, I am feeling stronger. I own an autoshifting LandRider bicycle (what can I say, I really like their infomercial!) and what felt like the most difficult gear before seems like only the 2nd or even 3rd most difficult gear now!
So my final 30-day weight is yet to be determined. I'm expecting to gain a little bit back, but obviously the closer to 13-14 pounds lost, the better. Then I believe as long as stay with this program, I ought to stay at the same weight, that is, unless I start exercising to put on more muscle.
There are products made by this company that will aid in that, such as more specific protein powders which I can mix in with my daily shakes. And if I continue having occasional 'cleanse' days every now and then, I may release even more unwanted fat. I do like the idea of showing off some abdominal muscles whenever I feel like it - wouldn't that be a nice testament to how good the products and this system work? And if I should impress some ladies on the way...
Of course, as I've been writing, it's not all about releasing extra fat but rather feeling better and having more energy. One of these days I'll have my blood pressure taken by a nurse and also have my blood tested in a lab. Although no medical claims should ever be made about nutritional products, that will let me know for certain that this has been the way to go. And that's just for my needs; other people who have undergone toxic cleansing have done all kinds of good things for their health.
I'm noticing that even while riding my stationary bike, I am feeling stronger. I own an autoshifting LandRider bicycle (what can I say, I really like their infomercial!) and what felt like the most difficult gear before seems like only the 2nd or even 3rd most difficult gear now!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Day 26 - cleansing and detox
Here's a summary of how I've done so far on this 30-day cleansing and detox:
As I mentioned in my last post, I've released 13 pounds. All without adding to my usual daily exercise regimen of 30-minutes on the stationary bicycle.
Although I still occasionally feel hungry during the day in between meals and pre-scheduled healthful snacks, it's easy enough to forget about by keeping busy. If I simply drink a glass of water, that's enough.
This feeling of hunger has gotten better as the weeks have gone by.
It's not a diet so much as it's simply changing my eating habits. With the products already designed for me, I don't have to think about what everything adds up to that I eat. I just cut down to one meal of regular food (still gotta keep it smart and low-calorie though... don't go crazy!) per day and two nutritious shakes for the other two.
I don't feel so tired when I wake up in the morning, and don't fight off having to take a nap in the afternoons (although a light nap of about 15-20 minutes might still occur). At least hour to hour-and-a-half naps don't rule my life anymore!
Feelings of sluggishness and lethargy are pretty much gone.
I can stand on my feet for longer periods of time. I used to always sit whenever I had the chance.
Brighter outlook in general.
That's all I can think of right now. I'm curious to see how things go as I continue with this program. How will I look in 60-days? 90-days? One year?
Thanks for reading!
As I mentioned in my last post, I've released 13 pounds. All without adding to my usual daily exercise regimen of 30-minutes on the stationary bicycle.
Although I still occasionally feel hungry during the day in between meals and pre-scheduled healthful snacks, it's easy enough to forget about by keeping busy. If I simply drink a glass of water, that's enough.
This feeling of hunger has gotten better as the weeks have gone by.
It's not a diet so much as it's simply changing my eating habits. With the products already designed for me, I don't have to think about what everything adds up to that I eat. I just cut down to one meal of regular food (still gotta keep it smart and low-calorie though... don't go crazy!) per day and two nutritious shakes for the other two.
I don't feel so tired when I wake up in the morning, and don't fight off having to take a nap in the afternoons (although a light nap of about 15-20 minutes might still occur). At least hour to hour-and-a-half naps don't rule my life anymore!
Feelings of sluggishness and lethargy are pretty much gone.
I can stand on my feet for longer periods of time. I used to always sit whenever I had the chance.
Brighter outlook in general.
That's all I can think of right now. I'm curious to see how things go as I continue with this program. How will I look in 60-days? 90-days? One year?
Thanks for reading!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Day 25 - cleansing and detox
While riding my stationary bike today, I remembered my cousin didn't say, "Oh, I know Robert!" She said, "Oh, I know Bob!" About both of them. Now, that's knowing them casually.
My cousin doesn't like to drop names, but I do. So I'll drop a name for her: Ben-Fong Torres. He's famous (or is that Almost Famous?) for being a rock journalist and author, being senior editor of Rolling Stone magazine near its inception. Lately, he's been a co-host for the annual Chinese New Year's parade in San Francisco among other things. They were friends back in high school.
I was going to mention on my blog about this special mural being created in San Francisco, but as it turns out, Ben (I've written him myself - I'd like to take credit for them re-connecting online - so I'll be casual and call him Ben) wrote about it on his website.
Right now, the part about the mural is the current entry but it's dated September 3, 2012 and is below the part about Clint Eastwood, should you find what I've written here, oh say, years from now...
Yes, my cousin is Rita Guzman. Funny though, for all the famous people she's known/knows, and all the famous people that Ben has known or still knows, they came to meet them separately. I would love to be a fly on the wall when they exchange tales from the last few decades, but she said they would talk about other things. Am I really that star-struck about famous celebrities? Oh well, that being said...
I have this other cousin (did I mention that I have 30 first cousins, on my father's side?) who was a young girl when the beautiful actress Tippi Hedren visited my cousins' parents' fish and flower store, and brought along her own little girl, Melanie Griffith! So while the adults were doing whatever they were doing, little Melanie Griffith was playing with my cousin! How cool is that? Of course, that was years ago, and I still haven't been able to see the photographs that were taken. Apparently, and I was too young to remember, my aunt and uncle had a rickshaw that they kept in the store and the two girls took some pictures in it.
I wonder if either Tippi or Melanie remembers that? If anyone knows them, pass this story along!
Well, I'm off on a tangent again since I'm supposed to be writing about my cleansing and detox. It's going fine! I'm over two-thirds through my first month and there's really not too much to write about. I still weigh 13 pounds less than the day I started, so that's pretty good. No more 'cleanse' days until after the 30-days are over - I'll have my next one in about two weeks.
With my added energy, I'm doing things that I wasn't up to doing before. I've been feeling sentimental lately and have been trying to add to my Facebook friends list by clicking the 'Add Friend' button on people I haven't seen for decades, including junior high. It's been quite pleasing that many of them have accepted, so they remember me! If you've been following me here, here's my Facebook page.
My cousin doesn't like to drop names, but I do. So I'll drop a name for her: Ben-Fong Torres. He's famous (or is that Almost Famous?) for being a rock journalist and author, being senior editor of Rolling Stone magazine near its inception. Lately, he's been a co-host for the annual Chinese New Year's parade in San Francisco among other things. They were friends back in high school.
I was going to mention on my blog about this special mural being created in San Francisco, but as it turns out, Ben (I've written him myself - I'd like to take credit for them re-connecting online - so I'll be casual and call him Ben) wrote about it on his website.
Right now, the part about the mural is the current entry but it's dated September 3, 2012 and is below the part about Clint Eastwood, should you find what I've written here, oh say, years from now...
Yes, my cousin is Rita Guzman. Funny though, for all the famous people she's known/knows, and all the famous people that Ben has known or still knows, they came to meet them separately. I would love to be a fly on the wall when they exchange tales from the last few decades, but she said they would talk about other things. Am I really that star-struck about famous celebrities? Oh well, that being said...
I have this other cousin (did I mention that I have 30 first cousins, on my father's side?) who was a young girl when the beautiful actress Tippi Hedren visited my cousins' parents' fish and flower store, and brought along her own little girl, Melanie Griffith! So while the adults were doing whatever they were doing, little Melanie Griffith was playing with my cousin! How cool is that? Of course, that was years ago, and I still haven't been able to see the photographs that were taken. Apparently, and I was too young to remember, my aunt and uncle had a rickshaw that they kept in the store and the two girls took some pictures in it.
I wonder if either Tippi or Melanie remembers that? If anyone knows them, pass this story along!
Well, I'm off on a tangent again since I'm supposed to be writing about my cleansing and detox. It's going fine! I'm over two-thirds through my first month and there's really not too much to write about. I still weigh 13 pounds less than the day I started, so that's pretty good. No more 'cleanse' days until after the 30-days are over - I'll have my next one in about two weeks.
With my added energy, I'm doing things that I wasn't up to doing before. I've been feeling sentimental lately and have been trying to add to my Facebook friends list by clicking the 'Add Friend' button on people I haven't seen for decades, including junior high. It's been quite pleasing that many of them have accepted, so they remember me! If you've been following me here, here's my Facebook page.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Day 24 - cleansing and detox
I got a call yesterday from a cousin (yet a different one), and we started to catch up with what each other was doing. She's led such an interesting life and has known a great number of celebrities: Sting, the late Jaco Pastorius, Robert Downey, Jr., and many more. She finds it amusing whenever I get all excited when she casually mentions the name of somebody famous. She doesn't "name drop" though; they just happen to be people she's known.
I remember describing the movie 'The Player' to her awhile ago and mentioned that it was directed by Robert Altman. And she responded, "Oh, I know Robert!" In fact, that's exactly what she said when I mentioned Robert Downey, Jr. in a later conversation. She also knew his father, and mostly knew Robert Jr. when he was a child.
My great excitement was telling her about how I've been losing weight and that our cousin could tell just by looking at my neck. I mentioned the cleansing I am doing and she knew all about cleansing and eating right. She went on to mention the very things that are a big part of the video I linked to in a recent post. How it is much more difficult to find food now that hasn't been subject to chemicals. I must admit that I found that video to be a bit of a shock piece when I first saw it, but really, the problem cannot be overstated and talking with my cousin helped reinforce that point.
She talked of buying organic and being aware of the things being fed our cattle, such as corn, things that have been genetically modified. I think that it's just so much easier to buy products that are manufactured safely so I don't have to shop for groceries that carefully.
(Looking online, I just found out that Robert Altman passed away in 2006.)
I remember describing the movie 'The Player' to her awhile ago and mentioned that it was directed by Robert Altman. And she responded, "Oh, I know Robert!" In fact, that's exactly what she said when I mentioned Robert Downey, Jr. in a later conversation. She also knew his father, and mostly knew Robert Jr. when he was a child.
My great excitement was telling her about how I've been losing weight and that our cousin could tell just by looking at my neck. I mentioned the cleansing I am doing and she knew all about cleansing and eating right. She went on to mention the very things that are a big part of the video I linked to in a recent post. How it is much more difficult to find food now that hasn't been subject to chemicals. I must admit that I found that video to be a bit of a shock piece when I first saw it, but really, the problem cannot be overstated and talking with my cousin helped reinforce that point.
She talked of buying organic and being aware of the things being fed our cattle, such as corn, things that have been genetically modified. I think that it's just so much easier to buy products that are manufactured safely so I don't have to shop for groceries that carefully.
(Looking online, I just found out that Robert Altman passed away in 2006.)
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Day 23 - cleansing and detox
I'm still riding high from yesterday's compliment about looking slimmer! It's one thing to see for myself that I'm losing weight by reading the weight scale, but to have someone notice who didn't even know I was doing anything different and without being asked, now that's something I'll never forget.
I woke up feeling happy, and yesterday I didn't even have a semblance of wanting to nap. Of course, now that I mention it I'll probably feel sleepy this afternoon. But even if I do, it's a marked improvement over what my life was like before. I'm trying to contain my excitement. :-)
After yesterday's post, I added the link to another video, this one being the creation of the particular group I have joined that is within the company that makes the products. After bad experiences with this kind of business before, it was especially important for me to not only find a company that felt right, but a group within it that I felt comfortable with.
What's also so great and different this time around is I now have visible results from using the product line instead of me having to somehow convince people that they should buy different supplements or supplements at all. Now I can show them actual results and with more energy too!
Yesterday being the day after my second of a two-day consecutive cleanse was an adjustment in that I was putting food into my stomach. I sort of cheated by eating a snack bar (a company nutritional one) right after having my morning meal replacement shake. It was very satisfying and delicious but consuming food like that did give me indigestion. For the foreseeable future, I won't be doing any 2-day cleanses; in fact, for this coming month, I only ordered enough 'cleanse' day product to do a cleanse once per two week period.
Although I should still be diligent in trying to eat smart during my one meal of regular food a day, but I guess I've done pretty well for allowing myself to eat to a full stomach. This program is not about depriving oneself entirely, just eating with a plan in mind. After the initial 30 days on this cleansing system is over, I'm going to be a little more flexible in what I eat, even going out to a restaurant every now and then. I will certainly let loose when Thanksgiving comes around! This system is really pretty simple of adhering to two shakes and a meal most every day.
I woke up feeling happy, and yesterday I didn't even have a semblance of wanting to nap. Of course, now that I mention it I'll probably feel sleepy this afternoon. But even if I do, it's a marked improvement over what my life was like before. I'm trying to contain my excitement. :-)
After yesterday's post, I added the link to another video, this one being the creation of the particular group I have joined that is within the company that makes the products. After bad experiences with this kind of business before, it was especially important for me to not only find a company that felt right, but a group within it that I felt comfortable with.
What's also so great and different this time around is I now have visible results from using the product line instead of me having to somehow convince people that they should buy different supplements or supplements at all. Now I can show them actual results and with more energy too!
Yesterday being the day after my second of a two-day consecutive cleanse was an adjustment in that I was putting food into my stomach. I sort of cheated by eating a snack bar (a company nutritional one) right after having my morning meal replacement shake. It was very satisfying and delicious but consuming food like that did give me indigestion. For the foreseeable future, I won't be doing any 2-day cleanses; in fact, for this coming month, I only ordered enough 'cleanse' day product to do a cleanse once per two week period.
Although I should still be diligent in trying to eat smart during my one meal of regular food a day, but I guess I've done pretty well for allowing myself to eat to a full stomach. This program is not about depriving oneself entirely, just eating with a plan in mind. After the initial 30 days on this cleansing system is over, I'm going to be a little more flexible in what I eat, even going out to a restaurant every now and then. I will certainly let loose when Thanksgiving comes around! This system is really pretty simple of adhering to two shakes and a meal most every day.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Day 22 - FOURTH CLEANSE DAY!
Oh boy, this morning someone noticed and complimented me on looking better! And it was simply because she noticed that I looked thinner in the neck!
I had an appointment with the dentist, and the receptionist asked if I was losing weight and gestured around to indicate around the neck area. I was wearing a jacket and standing behind a counter so she couldn't tell I was losing around the gut. I was pretty flabbergasted! That's something I'd never experienced before.
Yesterday was my second consecutive day on a 'cleanse' day, which consisted of mostly fluids and about a half dozen morsels of something to chew on: a healthful couple of chocolates that are infused with anti-oxidants and four healthy fortified chewable tablets, at different times of the day. It helped quell my hunger and also gave my body what it needed. Still, it's not advised to do a cleanse day for three days consecutively. I was just curious to see the difference it made to do it for two days in a row. Now I'm back to 'shake' days (one meal and two shakes per day, six out of seven days per week on average) until my 30-day cleanse is done.
****************
If you would like to learn more about the cleanse I'm doing and what it can do for you, here is a link to a SHORT VIDEO that explains how it works.
And if you would like to write to me, this is my Facebook email address.
archan8(at)facebook.com
I had an appointment with the dentist, and the receptionist asked if I was losing weight and gestured around to indicate around the neck area. I was wearing a jacket and standing behind a counter so she couldn't tell I was losing around the gut. I was pretty flabbergasted! That's something I'd never experienced before.
Yesterday was my second consecutive day on a 'cleanse' day, which consisted of mostly fluids and about a half dozen morsels of something to chew on: a healthful couple of chocolates that are infused with anti-oxidants and four healthy fortified chewable tablets, at different times of the day. It helped quell my hunger and also gave my body what it needed. Still, it's not advised to do a cleanse day for three days consecutively. I was just curious to see the difference it made to do it for two days in a row. Now I'm back to 'shake' days (one meal and two shakes per day, six out of seven days per week on average) until my 30-day cleanse is done.
****************
If you would like to learn more about the cleanse I'm doing and what it can do for you, here is a link to a SHORT VIDEO that explains how it works.
And if you would like to write to me, this is my Facebook email address.
archan8(at)facebook.com
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Day 21 - THIRD CLEANSE DAY!
Weighed myself first thing this morning - I've lost 4 more pounds over the past week!
When I started this cleanse and detox three weeks ago, I weighed 179 lbs. and this morning I weighed 166 lbs., so that's um... carry the two... 13 pounds total!
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I said that today I would do a second consecutive 'cleanse' day. I feel about the same as yesterday, so I'm not suffering twice as much, not that it's ever suffering. Of course, I long for some real food, but I'm finding it all worth it. :-)
I took the usual measurements (which I'll do tomorrow morning as well), and the most important measurement to me, around the abdomen or tummy area, is 3 inches less than when I started. And I've lost another inch from my waist, for a total of 2 inches less there than when I began. I'm curious to see how things look tomorrow since I'm doing a cleanse 2 days in a row.
My neck is even another quarter of an inch thinner around.
Throughout this cleanse and detox, what I haven't been doing is any strength training. It's not all about losing weight, just unhealthy weight. I would love to gain some solid lean muscle too, so I should start incorporating some workouts as well. The shakes that I am using to replace meals with are made from high-grade whey protein, and are full of balanced nutrients.
This nutritional cleansing and detox isn't meant necessarily to help one lose weight, nor even the additional bonuses of gaining energy and not needing to nap in the afternoon. Of course, it's certainly nice to have something as visual as slimming down to show people! But like I've mentioned before, there are other benefits to doing a safe and gentle cleansing such as this one, as you can probably imagine.
When I started this cleanse and detox three weeks ago, I weighed 179 lbs. and this morning I weighed 166 lbs., so that's um... carry the two... 13 pounds total!
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I said that today I would do a second consecutive 'cleanse' day. I feel about the same as yesterday, so I'm not suffering twice as much, not that it's ever suffering. Of course, I long for some real food, but I'm finding it all worth it. :-)
I took the usual measurements (which I'll do tomorrow morning as well), and the most important measurement to me, around the abdomen or tummy area, is 3 inches less than when I started. And I've lost another inch from my waist, for a total of 2 inches less there than when I began. I'm curious to see how things look tomorrow since I'm doing a cleanse 2 days in a row.
My neck is even another quarter of an inch thinner around.
Throughout this cleanse and detox, what I haven't been doing is any strength training. It's not all about losing weight, just unhealthy weight. I would love to gain some solid lean muscle too, so I should start incorporating some workouts as well. The shakes that I am using to replace meals with are made from high-grade whey protein, and are full of balanced nutrients.
This nutritional cleansing and detox isn't meant necessarily to help one lose weight, nor even the additional bonuses of gaining energy and not needing to nap in the afternoon. Of course, it's certainly nice to have something as visual as slimming down to show people! But like I've mentioned before, there are other benefits to doing a safe and gentle cleansing such as this one, as you can probably imagine.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Day 20 - cleansing and detox
Two-thirds done!
If you've been following these last 20 days of posts, you know that each day I've commented on how the previous day went. And yesterday went fine - not much to say.
Today, I'm going to comment on today and a little bit on tomorrow. I just got off the phone with my cleanse coach (again, not a formal designation - he's kind of a cheerleader and answers my questions). You see, today is my 3rd cleanse day on this 30-day nutritional cleansing and detox, doing one cleanse day at the end of each week. And really, it's quite gentle... there's been no actual starving or suffering, and getting what I think are pretty darn good results so far. But one of the suggestions I read in the instructions is to do two cleanse days on back-to-back days.
I ran the idea by my cleanse coach and he said that the best results come with having back-to-back cleanse days. That way the deeply rooted (or whatever terms he used) toxins get removed, and other cellular processes (my words) happen with the fat stores and what-not (you'd have to ask him)... well, in any case, things happen on the 2nd day of consecutive cleanse days that wouldn't happen on a regular schedule of cleanse days, which happen just once a week.
So I am determined to give it a try: following today's cleanse day with another one tomorrow.
We also discussed what I should be doing in the months after this one, and that depends on what my goals are. I have no idea how many pounds I would like to lose, only that I would like to slender down and lose my pot belly. Washboard abdominals would be a bonus if I'm dedicated enough to do that. But it seems I can look forward to weekly cleanses for awhile now. And having been through several already, I think I can handle that. They're not all that difficult.
If you've been following these last 20 days of posts, you know that each day I've commented on how the previous day went. And yesterday went fine - not much to say.
Today, I'm going to comment on today and a little bit on tomorrow. I just got off the phone with my cleanse coach (again, not a formal designation - he's kind of a cheerleader and answers my questions). You see, today is my 3rd cleanse day on this 30-day nutritional cleansing and detox, doing one cleanse day at the end of each week. And really, it's quite gentle... there's been no actual starving or suffering, and getting what I think are pretty darn good results so far. But one of the suggestions I read in the instructions is to do two cleanse days on back-to-back days.
I ran the idea by my cleanse coach and he said that the best results come with having back-to-back cleanse days. That way the deeply rooted (or whatever terms he used) toxins get removed, and other cellular processes (my words) happen with the fat stores and what-not (you'd have to ask him)... well, in any case, things happen on the 2nd day of consecutive cleanse days that wouldn't happen on a regular schedule of cleanse days, which happen just once a week.
So I am determined to give it a try: following today's cleanse day with another one tomorrow.
We also discussed what I should be doing in the months after this one, and that depends on what my goals are. I have no idea how many pounds I would like to lose, only that I would like to slender down and lose my pot belly. Washboard abdominals would be a bonus if I'm dedicated enough to do that. But it seems I can look forward to weekly cleanses for awhile now. And having been through several already, I think I can handle that. They're not all that difficult.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Day 19 - cleansing and detox
Although it's been carefully emphasized by this product line's company not to make any medical claims, which makes sense because once the boundaries of truth start getting stretched, who knows how far the claims will go? - that's been one of my goals: to get better results on my blood tests.
I figure as long as I am simply feeling better, then that must say a lot about my health. I don't know exactly why or how I am feeling more energy and don't need to take naps so much anymore. Even when I do doze off during the ball game or sports coverage, I've noticed that it is only for 15-20 minutes or so nowadays, a nice little cat nap. I used to go for an hour to an hour and a half in the afternoons, snoozing quite deeply away. Brief little naps aren't nearly as disruptive to my daily life.
I don't have children, and I hope it's not necessarily too late to start, but I'd always been worried that if I did ever have kids that I wouldn't have the energy to even be awake when they needed me, such as during the crawling-toddler ages when they can get into all kinds of trouble and need a watchful eye from whomever is there to make sure nothing bad happens. I had this fear that if I were the one watching over a young child I simply wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open. Now I feel I could stay awake if necessary!
Looking back, there was the dozing off during lectures in college (then again, I was majoring in Architectural Engineering which made for very long days and nights of studying and working on projects as it was), the ultimate fighting against the desire to sleep at the jobs I've had... as you can see by my preoccupation with sleeping and napping in these posts, it's been a big, BIG issue throughout my life. Not narcolepsy thank goodness, but always needing to catch up on sleep. It still is a pleasant escape for me though; I truly relish sleep. And if you've kept up with me on this blog, eating too!
Which reminds me of the personal ad I thought of years ago that would accurately describe who I am: My name is Arthur. I like to sleep and to eat, and I enjoy clothing and shelter.
I so hope that there's more to me than that, but that's me in a nutshell. Oh! - I like NFL football plus the NFL Draft - that's not boring, is it?
I figure as long as I am simply feeling better, then that must say a lot about my health. I don't know exactly why or how I am feeling more energy and don't need to take naps so much anymore. Even when I do doze off during the ball game or sports coverage, I've noticed that it is only for 15-20 minutes or so nowadays, a nice little cat nap. I used to go for an hour to an hour and a half in the afternoons, snoozing quite deeply away. Brief little naps aren't nearly as disruptive to my daily life.
I don't have children, and I hope it's not necessarily too late to start, but I'd always been worried that if I did ever have kids that I wouldn't have the energy to even be awake when they needed me, such as during the crawling-toddler ages when they can get into all kinds of trouble and need a watchful eye from whomever is there to make sure nothing bad happens. I had this fear that if I were the one watching over a young child I simply wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open. Now I feel I could stay awake if necessary!
Looking back, there was the dozing off during lectures in college (then again, I was majoring in Architectural Engineering which made for very long days and nights of studying and working on projects as it was), the ultimate fighting against the desire to sleep at the jobs I've had... as you can see by my preoccupation with sleeping and napping in these posts, it's been a big, BIG issue throughout my life. Not narcolepsy thank goodness, but always needing to catch up on sleep. It still is a pleasant escape for me though; I truly relish sleep. And if you've kept up with me on this blog, eating too!
Which reminds me of the personal ad I thought of years ago that would accurately describe who I am: My name is Arthur. I like to sleep and to eat, and I enjoy clothing and shelter.
I so hope that there's more to me than that, but that's me in a nutshell. Oh! - I like NFL football plus the NFL Draft - that's not boring, is it?
Monday, October 8, 2012
Day 18 - cleansing and detox
The last time I formally weighed myself was this past Thursday, early the morning after my 'Cleanse' day on Wednesday. I may have mentioned in an earlier post that I find that I weigh different at different times of the day. Apparently I am at my lightest in the early morning vs. later in the day.
When I weighed myself on Wednesday night just before going to sleep, I was the same as the previous week after my first cleanse. I don't know where the weight goes while I'm sleeping, but when I weighed myself Thursday morning so I could record it, I was 4 pounds lighter! I kept rubbing my eyes trying to focus them to make sure I was seeing correctly. Finally I decided that I was seeing accurately.
So that's what I posted: 8-9 pounds less than when I started this cleansing and detox! And I added that I measured 2-3 inches less around my stomach/abdomen. Looking back at my chart and totaling the inches lost by Thursday morning of last week, it would be about 6.5 inches.
I wonder if these numbers make sense because I've read that every 3 inches lost equates to a pound of weight or so. I must be measuring wrong or something. Or there is another explanation. I suppose in any case it's all very encouraging!
How much does it actually show? Not much, I don't think, although I did have 'Before' photos taken, so maybe it would be more apparent if I compared myself to 2 1/2 weeks ago. I do feel a nice subtle difference in how my pants fit, but I have a long ways to go yet.
When I weighed myself on Wednesday night just before going to sleep, I was the same as the previous week after my first cleanse. I don't know where the weight goes while I'm sleeping, but when I weighed myself Thursday morning so I could record it, I was 4 pounds lighter! I kept rubbing my eyes trying to focus them to make sure I was seeing correctly. Finally I decided that I was seeing accurately.
So that's what I posted: 8-9 pounds less than when I started this cleansing and detox! And I added that I measured 2-3 inches less around my stomach/abdomen. Looking back at my chart and totaling the inches lost by Thursday morning of last week, it would be about 6.5 inches.
I wonder if these numbers make sense because I've read that every 3 inches lost equates to a pound of weight or so. I must be measuring wrong or something. Or there is another explanation. I suppose in any case it's all very encouraging!
How much does it actually show? Not much, I don't think, although I did have 'Before' photos taken, so maybe it would be more apparent if I compared myself to 2 1/2 weeks ago. I do feel a nice subtle difference in how my pants fit, but I have a long ways to go yet.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Day 17 - cleansing and detox
It's nice how with this 30-day cleansing and detox program I'm on, when I do eat my one meal per day (I choose to have my meal for lunch and having the shakes for breakfast and dinner), the food tastes better. I don't have to add lots of flavor or anything, just very simple.
Yesterday, I had a lightly seasoned pre-made turkey patty, cooked and cut up over some brown rice with a simple salad of uncooked spinach, sliced tomatoes and a low-fat ranch dressing. Then some cantaloupe to finish up my meal. Like I mentioned before, I have no idea how much the calories add up to and I always eat enough to fill myself up, but at least I feel I'm eating smarter.
I suppose an advantage I have doing this over many other people is I don't have a fast-food addiction that I have to break, nor have I ever gotten dependent on drinking coffee or alcohol. I do believe that this detox and cleansing would be an excellent way for someone to break such dependencies, although it would be a lot more of a challenge to get over such addictions, especially during the first few days! Well worth the effort though.
As for smoking, that's hardly even worth mentioning... you've already broken that habit, haven't you? If you do smoke... hmmm... I wonder if this program would help you get over that urge too.
Yesterday, I had a lightly seasoned pre-made turkey patty, cooked and cut up over some brown rice with a simple salad of uncooked spinach, sliced tomatoes and a low-fat ranch dressing. Then some cantaloupe to finish up my meal. Like I mentioned before, I have no idea how much the calories add up to and I always eat enough to fill myself up, but at least I feel I'm eating smarter.
I suppose an advantage I have doing this over many other people is I don't have a fast-food addiction that I have to break, nor have I ever gotten dependent on drinking coffee or alcohol. I do believe that this detox and cleansing would be an excellent way for someone to break such dependencies, although it would be a lot more of a challenge to get over such addictions, especially during the first few days! Well worth the effort though.
As for smoking, that's hardly even worth mentioning... you've already broken that habit, haven't you? If you do smoke... hmmm... I wonder if this program would help you get over that urge too.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Day 16 - cleansing and detox
So what happens yesterday after writing that I wasn't afraid of needing a nap later? Right after I finished typing up yesterday's post, I was feeling so much energy that I rode an extra session on my stationary bicycle for 20 minutes! Then a little after that I had lunch... and a little after that I promptly dozed off in front of the television for a little while.
What I'm noticing is I'm able to do my usual bicycling sessions early each morning, but if I do an extra session later, I might end up falling asleep in front of the TV. I know, the simple answer would be: then don't watch television!
It seems though, that my body is still adjusting to being energized (after all, it's been becoming what it is/was prior to the toxic cleansing for decades) and at least I sometimes feel up to exercising twice a day. It is great in that I haven't been dead-tired like I used to be in the afternoons, and I think I could fight off needing an afternoon nap if I had to. Besides, dozing off while relaxing isn't the worst thing in the world. I was just frustrated that my afternoon naps were darn-near impossible to fight off and a daily need before starting this.
I also discovered that my weight is different at night compared to the morning. When I first started, I weighed and measured myself in the early morning. My weight somehow goes down during the night while I'm sleeping. I weighed around 175 pounds last night and 171 this morning. It's similar to how I'm half an inch taller first thing in the morning and by the afternoon to early evening I've 'settled' into my height. Hmmm... I'm a little taller and skinnier in the mornings then!
Overall, though, I'm happy to see that I still weigh about 8-9 pounds less than when I started!
What I'm noticing is I'm able to do my usual bicycling sessions early each morning, but if I do an extra session later, I might end up falling asleep in front of the TV. I know, the simple answer would be: then don't watch television!
It seems though, that my body is still adjusting to being energized (after all, it's been becoming what it is/was prior to the toxic cleansing for decades) and at least I sometimes feel up to exercising twice a day. It is great in that I haven't been dead-tired like I used to be in the afternoons, and I think I could fight off needing an afternoon nap if I had to. Besides, dozing off while relaxing isn't the worst thing in the world. I was just frustrated that my afternoon naps were darn-near impossible to fight off and a daily need before starting this.
I also discovered that my weight is different at night compared to the morning. When I first started, I weighed and measured myself in the early morning. My weight somehow goes down during the night while I'm sleeping. I weighed around 175 pounds last night and 171 this morning. It's similar to how I'm half an inch taller first thing in the morning and by the afternoon to early evening I've 'settled' into my height. Hmmm... I'm a little taller and skinnier in the mornings then!
Overall, though, I'm happy to see that I still weigh about 8-9 pounds less than when I started!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Day 15 - cleansing and detox
Last night was kind of unusual for me - I was sitting down watching television around 10 p.m. when I was sick of sitting down so I got up and went outside to take in some fresh air. Although I didn't walk around for more than just a little bit, I was actually content just to stand and enjoy the breeze and watch the clouds in the moonlit sky. I stood outside for maybe a half-hour.
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I am doing much better in preferring to stand instead of sitting down. I've been reading how much healthier it is to stand instead of sit, or better yet to stand instead of lay down, which has been a problem for many of my decades.
Then when I was ready to go to bed around midnight, I felt an energy, a buzz still going strong that would have to settle down before I could fall asleep, all without having taken any nap whatsoever during the afternoon. And this morning I woke up feeling more rested then before. I'm not afraid at all that I'll need a nap later today either.
I'd read that there would many benefits to this cleansing and detox besides the usual losing of inches and gaining energy, but it's exciting to see what is unfolding! Will I change to the point where I start doing things that have never appealed to me before? I highly doubt I'll start riding motorcycles... I'd still rather go birdwatching.
Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I am doing much better in preferring to stand instead of sitting down. I've been reading how much healthier it is to stand instead of sit, or better yet to stand instead of lay down, which has been a problem for many of my decades.
Then when I was ready to go to bed around midnight, I felt an energy, a buzz still going strong that would have to settle down before I could fall asleep, all without having taken any nap whatsoever during the afternoon. And this morning I woke up feeling more rested then before. I'm not afraid at all that I'll need a nap later today either.
I'd read that there would many benefits to this cleansing and detox besides the usual losing of inches and gaining energy, but it's exciting to see what is unfolding! Will I change to the point where I start doing things that have never appealed to me before? I highly doubt I'll start riding motorcycles... I'd still rather go birdwatching.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Day 14 - SECOND CLEANSE DAY!
It went well yesterday - I knew what to expect this time around since it was my second time doing it. The little snacks I'm allowed to eat helped to sate my desire to chew on something. Plus if I felt hungry, I simply told myself that I'd eat some real food the next day (today!).
As I did my first time on a cleanse day, I skipped my usual exercising on the stationary bike to conserve energy.
Anyway, what is all this leading up to? Well, it's the 2-week anniversary of me starting this program, so I weighed and measured myself. Granted, it was the morning after essentially fasting, but I was really pleased with the numbers.
First of all, I weigh 8-9 pounds less than when I started! I expect this to fluctuate bits here and there, but I should overall keep the extra weight off. It feels great not having as big a roll of flesh hanging over my waist band. Although now, I realize that I could stand to lose quite a bit more before I am fit and trim. I honestly had no idea how much my goal was in terms of how many pounds I wanted to shed. I'm a long way from having washboard abdominals.
My stomach measurement is 2-3 inches less, which is nice but again a long way to go. A nice start though! What surprised me is my neck measurement which has gone down half an inch.
What's also nice is I don't feel weak from starving myself trying lose weight. The shakes are highly nutritious and I'm convinced highly engineered. I wouldn't mind stuffing myself at a buffet, but that will never change. It is requiring some discipline to not eat anything and everything that tastes good, but I've always known to avoid certain kinds of foods.
And still, the best part of this detox is having more energy!
As I did my first time on a cleanse day, I skipped my usual exercising on the stationary bike to conserve energy.
Anyway, what is all this leading up to? Well, it's the 2-week anniversary of me starting this program, so I weighed and measured myself. Granted, it was the morning after essentially fasting, but I was really pleased with the numbers.
First of all, I weigh 8-9 pounds less than when I started! I expect this to fluctuate bits here and there, but I should overall keep the extra weight off. It feels great not having as big a roll of flesh hanging over my waist band. Although now, I realize that I could stand to lose quite a bit more before I am fit and trim. I honestly had no idea how much my goal was in terms of how many pounds I wanted to shed. I'm a long way from having washboard abdominals.
My stomach measurement is 2-3 inches less, which is nice but again a long way to go. A nice start though! What surprised me is my neck measurement which has gone down half an inch.
What's also nice is I don't feel weak from starving myself trying lose weight. The shakes are highly nutritious and I'm convinced highly engineered. I wouldn't mind stuffing myself at a buffet, but that will never change. It is requiring some discipline to not eat anything and everything that tastes good, but I've always known to avoid certain kinds of foods.
And still, the best part of this detox is having more energy!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Day 13 - cleansing and detox
So yesterday, I was feeling like another round on my stationary bicycle in the late afternoon. A 1/2 workout - just 15 minutes compared to the 30 minutes I do each morning. Afterwards I went to sit down on the arm of my couch to watch some television... and dozed off! Slightly though. I remember fading in and out and the next thing I knew, it was 20 minutes later!
Oh well, these things will happen too. At least I got some extra exercise in and didn't feel the need to actually lie down and nap for an hour or so. All in all, this is still an improvement over what I used to do most every day.
Another improvement I've had since starting this cleansing and detox program is I don't mind standing. What do I mean by that? Well, it used to be such an undesired option for me to stand if I could sit. And now, standing isn't so bad anymore. Hopefully this will continue to get better as I'm still a bit of a sitter. But lately if I'm just parked in a chair sitting down watching the game or something for a long period of time, I've felt the need to get up and pace around or stand. It's a restless energy I haven't felt in a long time.
Or I'll go outside and walk around barefoot on the concrete for brief periods. Have I mentioned the concept of 'Earthing' before? It's the exchanging of electrons between one's body and the Earth or something like that. Ever since I read it, I've been 'Earthing' including using a mat that I put at the end of my bed for my feet to be in contact with as I sleep. Besides walking around barefoot during the day too. The book makes a good argument that insulating one's feet from the Earth with shoes is unhealthy.
And while I'm at it, while people avoid sunlight altogether because they want to protect their skin, there are the health benefits of being outside and soaking in the rays that they are missing. From Vitamin D, primarily. Here's an interesting article about Vitamin D I just found: Vitamin D myths, facts and statistics.
Oh well, these things will happen too. At least I got some extra exercise in and didn't feel the need to actually lie down and nap for an hour or so. All in all, this is still an improvement over what I used to do most every day.
Another improvement I've had since starting this cleansing and detox program is I don't mind standing. What do I mean by that? Well, it used to be such an undesired option for me to stand if I could sit. And now, standing isn't so bad anymore. Hopefully this will continue to get better as I'm still a bit of a sitter. But lately if I'm just parked in a chair sitting down watching the game or something for a long period of time, I've felt the need to get up and pace around or stand. It's a restless energy I haven't felt in a long time.
Or I'll go outside and walk around barefoot on the concrete for brief periods. Have I mentioned the concept of 'Earthing' before? It's the exchanging of electrons between one's body and the Earth or something like that. Ever since I read it, I've been 'Earthing' including using a mat that I put at the end of my bed for my feet to be in contact with as I sleep. Besides walking around barefoot during the day too. The book makes a good argument that insulating one's feet from the Earth with shoes is unhealthy.
And while I'm at it, while people avoid sunlight altogether because they want to protect their skin, there are the health benefits of being outside and soaking in the rays that they are missing. From Vitamin D, primarily. Here's an interesting article about Vitamin D I just found: Vitamin D myths, facts and statistics.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Day 12 - cleansing and detox
I remember when I left my first job after college. It was at a small 5-person engineering firm in Modesto, California. I never really cared for engineering even when I was studying it, and I hadn't yet realized that some people liked their work. I didn't even think it was possible: work was work. One lives for one's time off.
On my last day, the principal for whom the firm was named shook my hand and wished me luck. And I can still picture the way he looked when he told me that he hoped that I would stick with engineering because it was "so fun!" If I hadn't seen how genuine he was when he said it, I wouldn't have believed it. He really meant it - engineering is fun.
Which got me thinking about how much of a disadvantage I must have been in when I was in college. What if all the other students in my classes actually enjoyed what they were studying? Was that possible? How much easier it was, then, for them to learn the material, do the assignments, and in most cases, excel at what they were doing!
Why do I bring this up? I've gone four or so days without needing, and I mean needing, a nap in the afternoon. It wasn't necessarily out of boredom, or lack of drive, or being lazy or depressed (although many of those things start working their way into the mix too); I was plain sleepy for what I am now convinced was some sort of chemical imbalance: this nutritional cleansing is clearing the toxins out of my body.
So it has me thinking about how much of a disadvantage I've been in all these years, actually decades, to all the people that haven't had this need to sleep and nap during daylight hours. Oh yes, of course, I've had my advantages and others have had their own sets of challenges that maybe I haven't had to face, but I'm starting to feel as if I have another six hours in the day to do something with; if I wasn't actually napping before, I didn't have much energy to do much of anything anyway. I'll have to start learning what it is I can accomplish now.
Like I mentioned before, my personality isn't going to suddenly transform from introvert to extrovert though. I'm no Type A, but I don't have to be a Type Zzzzzz anymore either.
On my last day, the principal for whom the firm was named shook my hand and wished me luck. And I can still picture the way he looked when he told me that he hoped that I would stick with engineering because it was "so fun!" If I hadn't seen how genuine he was when he said it, I wouldn't have believed it. He really meant it - engineering is fun.
Which got me thinking about how much of a disadvantage I must have been in when I was in college. What if all the other students in my classes actually enjoyed what they were studying? Was that possible? How much easier it was, then, for them to learn the material, do the assignments, and in most cases, excel at what they were doing!
Why do I bring this up? I've gone four or so days without needing, and I mean needing, a nap in the afternoon. It wasn't necessarily out of boredom, or lack of drive, or being lazy or depressed (although many of those things start working their way into the mix too); I was plain sleepy for what I am now convinced was some sort of chemical imbalance: this nutritional cleansing is clearing the toxins out of my body.
So it has me thinking about how much of a disadvantage I've been in all these years, actually decades, to all the people that haven't had this need to sleep and nap during daylight hours. Oh yes, of course, I've had my advantages and others have had their own sets of challenges that maybe I haven't had to face, but I'm starting to feel as if I have another six hours in the day to do something with; if I wasn't actually napping before, I didn't have much energy to do much of anything anyway. I'll have to start learning what it is I can accomplish now.
Like I mentioned before, my personality isn't going to suddenly transform from introvert to extrovert though. I'm no Type A, but I don't have to be a Type Zzzzzz anymore either.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Day 11 - cleansing and detox
I went another day without needing a nap yesterday! I can't tell you how monumental this is. I still have those moments in the afternoon where I can picture myself laying down, but now it's easier to resist. I'm feeling that all I have to do is keep busy or find something interesting to pay attention to and I'll get past the urge. Whereas before, I couldn't fight off the need for sleep.
I've read enough self-help books, or at least started to read or read most of these books, where I know what I should be doing to set and re-set my mind to think thoughts of accomplishment and what-not, but somehow the information never sunk in deeply enough to do much good. I'm feeling good enough now mentally and physically to re-read them now. I've started reading 'Psycho-Cybernetics' by Maxwell Maltz, M.D., F.I.C.S., again. It's about self-image psychology - kind of old-fashioned, but this time around I think the information will sink in more.
Yet it's the books about The Law of Attraction that have been making the biggest difference in my mindset, even before I started this new cleansing and detox program. I'd like to think that it was applying the Law of Attraction that led me to the concept of cleansing in the first place!
Besides more energy, I'm looking forward to going through my days feeling just plain happier. I've always been the drab, serious sort of person, and I actually woke up this morning feeling in a good mood. I don't want to paint a picture of me being depressed every single day until now - I have woken up feeling pretty good lots of times before, but if it's something a little different now, like I've fixed my body's chemistry somehow... how cool!
I'm anticipating ups and downs though. It's not like I'm feeling a continuous 'high' like I'm on drugs or anything - I still go through my oh-so-human emotions. But if feeling happy is less work and less about constant reminders and being aware of what I'm thinking and is simply there - it will lift such a dark cloud from my life.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Day 10 - cleansing and detox
Yesterday was pretty much 'napless.' I may have dozed off for a few minutes in front of the T.V. while watching the game in the early afternoon, but like the day before, I didn't feel the need to collapse on top of my bed and snooze.
In a way, each day will find me wondering if I'll need to fight off that sleepy feeling. It had become such a part of my life, I'm not sure what I'd do with myself if I wasn't sleepy.
I've been going a bit off of the wagon pretty consistently as far as how much I'll eat at lunch; the food I think is pretty smart as far being healthy goes, but I haven't been hesitant to get a full stomach either.
Since before I started this cleansing, I've had what feels like a nerve problem with a tooth, so that's a bit of a literal headache that I've had to deal with. It feels pretty distinct from the headaches I've gotten from the detoxifying, though.
I was adding up how much it would cost to continue for another month after this one with enough shakes for 2 per day. Because I'd like to order enough of the other products that I want to continue, plus try some new ones, that it finally dawned on me to order 3/4 times the shakes that I am having right now. So half of next month I'll continue with a shake for breakfast and one for dinner, and half the days I'll have a normal breakfast (and lunch) and the one shake for dinner.
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A very dominant win by the 49ers today over the Jets, particularly score-wise. Yet, I couldn't help but wonder how effective the Niners would have been against the better teams. The Jets were without their star player Darrelle Revis, and had some very scary looking injuries to a couple of other players. The 49ers continued to show some of the worrisome parts of their game - settling for field goals instead of scoring touchdowns, for instance. Winning the turnover margin by such a decisive margin, the score should have been even more lopsided.
Oh well, it's nice to be nitpicky after a win instead of grabbing at straws looking for positives. The Niners do look awfully strong and competitive this year.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Day 9 - cleansing and detox
Yesterday was an eventful day: without having to fight off feeling sleepy and needing my usual afternoon nap, I didn't nap at all! This may seem small to most people but for me it's almost cataclysmic (but in a good way).
This feeling of sleepiness in the afternoons has made my life miserable. It's adversely affected me at school and at work. Truly, when I have afforded myself the luxury of taking a nap, I've slept so soundly and deeply that it's what I've imagined is the kind of sleep that most people get at night.
I've had people suggest that all I have to do is resist my afternoon nap, save all that sleepiness for the nighttime, and viola! The simple solution to all my sleep problems. Well... no, doesn't work that way. They could be the same people that suggest that I drink non-fat milk and thus solve my problems with lactose-intolerance. Nope again. But I digress...
As for yesterday's 'no need for a nap' afternoon, I hope that it eventually becomes my new daily routine. Time will tell, but if it's just easier for me to stay awake and alert throughout a typical day, that will be such a huge victory. Now I don't expect any of this to change my personality such as remake me into a dynamic, gregarious extrovert, but if I can just act and feel more alive and energized to do the things I like to do, what a plus that would be!
I also learned yesterday that some people on this program go back down to 1 meal replacement shake per typical day after they reach their weight-loss goals sometime after their first 30-day 'cleansing and detoxing' whereas others prefer to stay on the 2 shakes and 1 meal regimen for a longer period of time. I may stay with 2 shakes per day for at least a month longer. I'll see how I feel and look.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Day 8 - cleansing and detox
Alright, I survived my first cleanse day from 2 days ago and even went out for lunch with family and relatives yesterday (not as a reward or anything, but it had been planned before my cleansing and detox began). And yet today I felt compelled to measure my abdominal area - it was 1/2 to 1-inch less than before, depending on how much I did or didn't hold in my stomach for my 'Before' measurement. That seems about right; I don't feel like I've lost a great deal of weight, but my stomach does seem a little less hefty nonetheless.
I have a pair of pants that I haven't worn for years that I'm aiming to fit into: it's marked as being 32-inches around the waist, although from what I learned on my first day, my waist may well measure several inches more and still fit into what's labeled.
The important thing to me is that I have no spare tire hanging over the front, and ultimately, wouldn't it be fantastic to actually have washboard abdominals? I've never had those.
For exercise, I've been doing like I've been doing for over a year: 30 minutes on the stationary bike, which is just my road bike propped up on an exercise stand.
As I gain energy, I may do more - not just on the bike but other forms of exercise as well.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Day 7 - FIRST CLEANSE DAY!
It wasn't so bad, actually.
There were only a couple of times I had to fight off the thought that I was feeling hungry, so it wasn't an entire day spent thinking about food. Once was in the morning before I knew what to expect since it was my first 'cleanse' day, and then later in the evening after I had consumed my last nutritive drink.
I got the expected headache like I did on my first day of this program, but it wasn't nearly as bad. Still, I would recommend doing cleanse days on weekends or when one can spend the day at home, not so much because of the headache but to more easily follow the instructions of what to consume when.
Plus, have I mentioned using a water filter system like Brita? I hate to think that people are consuming so much purified water out of plastic bottles. Please use a system that filters tap water instead of adding to the mountains of plastic being manufactured for bottled water. Yet I do wonder if the plastic water filters themselves are recyclable. I'll have to look into what to do with the spent ones of those.
Overall, it was a day where I had frequent nutritive drinks and some supplements spread out every couple of hours or so. Which ended my first week on this 30-Day cleanse and detox regimen I am on... just over three more weeks to go!
Keep in mind that this is just the 30-Day cleanse part of a system; I intend to continue with meal replacement shakes twice a day from now on. Which will allow me to eat regular, though smart, meals once every day. I should be able to deal with that.
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My first week on this cleanse and detox coincidentally ended the same day, pending signatures, as the NFL referee lockout. Good thing I got my thoughts about it off my chest yesterday. Now, as anybody who has been following this knows, we all have to cut a little slack to the regular refs as they get back into the groove of officiating games. Remember, they didn't get a preseason so it will take awhile for them to get back up to speed.
I sure hope they've been staying sharp somehow by reading the rule book and making special note of any changes for this season. They'll be operating under a microscope - but even from the very first game they officiate, I can't imagine them being as bad and incompetent as the replacement refs were. I would also like to mention that the replacement refs were individuals so shouldn't all be considered at the same level of ability; some were better than others, so let's not be derisive of all of them.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Day 6 - cleansing and detox
Yesterday's 'shake' day was fine; not much to talk about there.
I wrote to my cleanse coach (nothing formal in that designation - he's helping to guide me through this process) and let him know that I'm still hovering around the original 4 or so pounds that I lost initially. He responded that I'm still way ahead of the curve and that I should really start 'releasing' the weight after my first cleanse day. Which is today. I'll report on how it goes tomorrow.
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Funny how I decided at some point to not comment after each 49ers game like I've been doing for a few seasons now while I'm doing this cleansing, yet a couple of posts ago I decided to write about the dreams I had the night before... how silly is that?
I still don't plan on posting my thoughts on the 49ers (bad loss to the Vikings, ahem) after each game (woefully ineffective) for these 4 weeks while I'm doing this cleansing, but I can't ignore what's going on in football in general:
"What the h*ll's going on out here?" (to quote the great Vince Lombardi).
These replacement refs should now be making everyone appreciate how good the regular refs are. The regular refs have the experience to know the rule book, know how to stick to their own guns rather than let the players and coaches influence their calls, maintain flow, and for the most part, MAKE THE RIGHT CALLS! Allowing for the occasional gaff, of course; at least they used to make only a few over several games instead of several of them per game, if not every quarter.
Some sports commentators were stating before Monday Night's game that none of these bad calls had directly cost a team a game. Wasn't it enough knowing that it could and probably would happen, instead of saying "it hasn't happened yet?" Well, now it has!
Speaking of that particular play, I've seen 'simultaneous possession' types of plays before, where two players are wrestling over the ball. Usually it looks like each has about 50 percent possession. In those cases, yes, the offense is to be awarded possession, sort of like in baseball how 'tie goes to the runner.' But what about cases such as on Monday Night's where one player has something like 80 percent or more of the ball? The Green Bay defender was hugging the ball whereas the Seattle player merely managed to be touching the ball. But nowhere having possession of it. So the refs award the ball to the offense? Is that all it takes - for the offensive player just to touch the ball with his hand? Ridiculous.
It occurred to me also that the first ref to run over and signal touchdown may have been supremely confused about which team was even on offense for that play. Perhaps he thought that Green Bay threw the ball, and when he saw that a Packer had caught it, signaled touchdown. Possible? I wouldn't doubt it.
Also considering that the NFL owners are for the most part all billionaires, sure, giving the regular refs a lucrative salary may seem exorbitant, but the owners have been willing to pay their players hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars to put a great product on the field. Why not be willing to pay generously for the integrity of the game?
Let me guess: these billionaire NFL owners are lousy tippers.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Day 5 - cleansing and detox
Another day in what is becoming pretty routine. Fortunately the shakes taste really good, like protein powders I used to drink such as MET-Rx. Very tasty - I could drink 10 times as much, just as I would enjoy eating 10 times the amount of the company's snack foods than I am allowed... but of course that would defeat the purpose.
Tomorrow is my first 'cleanse' day, which will be NO solid food from a regular meal. According to the instructions, I'll get to eat some chewable tablets and a special sort of energy chocolate. But besides those, just liquids. It's supposed to really clean out my system, hence the name. I'll do 4 of those this month; I hope my body is ready and primed for it.
Otherwise, these shake days I've gotten pretty accustomed to. Like I mentioned above, routine. My mealtimes are simpler now, and I even feel that going out for the occasional restaurant meal will be manageable. Maybe every two or three weeks ought to be okay.
In fact, the day after tomorrow I am going to meet some family and relatives at a Japanese restaurant. I'll just have some salmon over rice instead of a bento box that includes tempura. Maybe some sushi though - I'll try not to go crazy.
In any case, I'll be more careful than usual.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Day 4 - cleansing and detox
Not much to report today. Yesterday after writing my post, I did kind of cheat on my regular food meal. Although I had salmon, brown basmati rice, and vegetables, I ate maybe two servings! I have no idea how many calories that added up to; I'm hoping it didn't go too high.
So to augment what I've just written, I'm going to describe the series of dreams I had last night. Hey, it's MY blog, "I can do what I want!" (said in a Cartman from South Park voice.)
I don't always remember my dreams. If I had to guess, I'd say on average I'll remember several per month, usually within days of each other.
I can recall three parts from last night: The first took place in the local shopping center/large strip mall, Park 'N Shop. Although I was in the building (the store spaces ran into each other), I found myself in an enclosed quasi-wilderness. There were some bleachers.
As I was walking along, I noticed there was a grizzly bear wandering behind me. I started to run, but knew I couldn't outrun it nor hide, so I ran but without a desperate panic. I did glance over at it and even though it noticed me, it chose to leave me alone and ran past me. Over the course of this dream, whenever I saw it, it continued to leave me alone. Now, I wasn't completely at ease and calm - deep down I was absolutely heart-pounding terrified! Yet I felt somehow positive with a whatever happens, happens attitude.
The second of last night's several dreams also took place at Park 'N Shop, but this time I was outside in the parking lot area. But it wasn't all parking lot as it is in real life - there was an outdoor plaza where people could sit and mingle. I was sitting out there with family and/or friends (I don't remember who). What I remember is I was being questioned by Nancy Grace about which stores were part of Park 'N Shop years ago. It felt like I was being interrogated for some reason.
She asked where the fountains used to be, and I couldn't say. All I could tell her was I remembered a shoe store, my favorite place to get shoes when I was a kid, Watkins Bootery.
The last dream I remember from last night took place in another part of town. I was meeting with two of my cousins and their late mother/my late aunt at a restaurant for breakfast. We were seated outside at a table under an umbrella; it was warm and the sun was worth shielding ourselves from. It took awhile for me to decide what I wanted to eat. I was about to order some hash browns and french fries when I woke up. Yes, I was dreaming about eating! Love the potatoes.
Besides that though, it was nice seeing my aunt again. I didn't even grow up seeing her all that often, but I remember her always being in a pleasant mood. It was a pleasant outing.
Of course, this is what I am able to describe - these dreams had other details and impressions, feelings that I can't quite put into words. Hmmm... a grizzly bear and being questioned by Nancy Grace. In case you're wondering, the grizzly was more frightening.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Day 3 - cleansing and detox
This cleansing isn't easy, but it's manageable. It's simple enough to follow, but the thing is, as I mentioned before: I like to eat. I LOVE to eat! I long to attack an all-you-can-eat buffet, for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. But that's always been the case. Maybe just two buffet meals in a day. How about once a week for one mass consumption meal?
I don't eat the most, and I certainly don't eat the fastest, but I like to savor every bite. I like the feeling of chewing food. That's why it's so helpful that this system has great tasting shakes and snacks yet also allows for one meal of 'real' food per day. But I'm still longing to 'pig out.'
I have to wonder though... if I did let myself loose now, how much I would be able to eat anyway... maybe my appetite is slowly shrinking. Maybe not.
Out of curiosity, I weighed myself this morning though I doubt it has that much meaning - it's only been three days. It was first thing in the morning before what I'm sure are the body's fluctuations of a typical day. Still, I'm down four or five pounds from my starting day. Of course I'm consuming a lot less. The real test will come at the end of the 30 days. How will I feel? How will I look? The mirror seems to show the same big gut. I've read that these products help eliminate the fat that directly surrounds the body's organs, not just what shows.
Referring back to yesterday's post, last night I didn't sleep for six hours straight as I did the night before. Time will tell for my energy levels and sleep patterns.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Day 2 - cleansing and detox
Much better - no more headaches. If the headaches only lasted the one day, then I'll be alright!
I plan on having my first 'cleanse' day this coming Wednesday. I learned from my cleanse coach that the very first day on this system (the 'shake' day two days ago) is actually more difficult for people than the first 'cleanse' day, which will be (very nearly) all liquids. Luckily there will be only four of those during this 30-Day cleanse and detox because I love to eat. If I ever went to Las Vegas, I wouldn't be excited about hitting the casinos - I'd anticipate hitting the buffets! ... even though I'm willing now to cut eating regular food down to only once per day (on 'shake' days). I think the benefits will be well worth it.
After this month, I may cheat a little more during my regular meals - gotta enjoy life to the fullest, right? This new nutrition lifestyle is not meant to be a test of willpower or deprivation. I just want to be smart and more careful about what I consume. The better I am, the better I'll look and feel.
I don't know how long or consistently it will last, but last night I slept 6 straight hours without waking up once (I usually wake up 2 or 3 times). I think I was sound asleep all the way from around 12:15 to 6:15. I hadn't done anything like that for as long as I can remember.
Because of my difficulty sleeping throughout my life, I've always needed naps whenever I could get them. My roommate in college said that he'd never seen anyone sleep so much. It would make such a difference if I find myself getting all the sleep I need during the night, and not so dependent on napping. Although I've always been in favor of a good siesta.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Day 1 - starting cleansing and detox
I thought I might as well start a little journal of what I go through while on the 30-Day nutritional cleansing I started yesterday (September 20, 2012).
The idea of doing a cleansing sounded really necessary for me since over the years I've been feeling more and more lethargic. Plus, I could really stand to lose my absolutely unfit looking pot-belly. I'd never seen myself before as being overweight or obese, but looking at my body profile in the mirror is pretty disturbing.
Besides having several pictures taken of myself to represent my 'Before' appearance, I also went ahead and took measurements of my main concerns: the abdomen and waist (some others as well). I'd never done that before and it was a real eye-opener.
For several years now, I've been purchasing my jeans with a 33-inch waist and figured that's what it actually measured. Not so bad I thought. Well, my tape showed 37"! And then I measured an even worse 41" around my stomach (abdomen, belly, etc.). Does the phrase 'muffin-top' apply to men too? Or is 'spare tire' more appropriate for guys?
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Now this is a nutritional cleansing so I won't be starving my body of the healthful nutrients it needs. Those I'll get with shakes and supplements. I've read about other cleansings that look far too extreme, diets of little more than fruit juices for weeks at a time. Nope, wouldn't care for that at all. This one allows some actual food once a day on 'shake' days (six days a week), and then primarily liquids on 'cleanse' days (one day a week).
What was yesterday (Day 1) like? An adjustment for sure. My body was used to consuming solid food for all three meals, whereas yesterday I had two nutritional shakes and a small meal instead, plus some minimal snacking on healthful snacks in between. And plenty of water.
One way I knew something was working was a negative side-effect I was told to expect: a pretty bad headache that got worse throughout the day. There is an explanation for that though - it's the result of my body removing toxins. This morning I felt better, and it's supposed to continue getting better as the days go by. Still, I am feeling a little trepidation about today, but if I get another headache I am confident that it's all part of the process of detoxifying my body. I should start feeling really good before long!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Game 2 - Lions vs. 49ers
Victory!
And not as nerve-wracking this week. I was afraid after last week that my heart would be pounding and my mind filled with anxiety during every game, but I guess it was just first game-of-the-season jitters.
It's human nature to complain and criticize, and this year's 49ers squad has been so good, I can't think of much to write about. I could go on and on about the great play of a lot of players, but really, how fun is that? I'll simply mention one name: Michael Crabtree. He certainly was dialed in last night.
One thing I've been wondering about is whether or not Coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens also alternates his players' lockers, defensive player next to offensive player next to defensive player and so on. As I understand, that is what Coach Jim Harbaugh has done in the 49ers locker room. It has done wonders in generating a sense of unity throughout the entire squad. They're all in this together and it is fantastic to see.
Which has made me look back to when John and Jim were growing up and sharing a bedroom; did they dream together of each eventually coaching an NFL team? Did they begin formulating their plans and bounce ideas off of each other as to the best ways to get the most out of their players? Or game-planning and strategizing? The Ravens and 49ers sure seem to be constructed the same way - and very well I might add!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
name that band
What do Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Dave Clark Five, and the J. Geils Band all have in common?
All were named after someone other than the lead singer. Or at least not the member most known as being the lead singer. Santana and Manfred Mann ('s Earth Band) are two others.
I wonder for how long the band that became U2 was known as the Larry Mullen Band?
Monday, September 10, 2012
Game 1 - 49ers vs. Packers
Wow - what a heart pounding game! And that's just wondering what crazy calls the "replacement" officials might come up with next.
I was internalizing what Coach Jim Harbaugh was expressing with his face, so if you saw what he looked like (hint: cartoonishly large mouth and spittle), then you know what I was experiencing.
Anyway, BIG, BIG WIN. To break such a barrier and come up victorious on the road against the Packers, something that the 49ers hadn't done since 1990 when Joe Montana was quarterback, is a huge achievement indeed. The superb coaching, the improving roster, there's kudos to be handed out all around.
There are so many names to go through, I'd feel remiss if I didn't name everybody, but I'd like to call out one player in particular: David Akers, the kicker. He tied the NFL record for longest field goal ever made - 63 yards! That's only ever been achieved 3 times before, and two of those were in mile-high Denver. Yes, Akers got a very fortuitous bounce off of the crossbar, so that could be his asterisk (not that asterisks are called for). Still, it was something else and somewhat easy to overlook with the incredible victory the Niners had.
I'm actually going into this season hoping that Akers kicks a career low number of field goals. Instead, I hope he sets a new NFL record for PATs (point after touchdowns). It would greatly behoove the team to score touchdowns this season instead of settling for field goals. But it's awfully nice knowing that the field goals will be there.
Next game: the home opener against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
the genius of Steven Wright
I wonder how many of you know of the comedian Steven Wright. He is of my generation, and is known for his very dry and droll humor, delivered in a particularly deadpan manner. No, really.
Not too long ago, I looked online to see if I could find any sites that listed some of his best lines. There are many such sites, and I read through one of them trying to find my favorite observations of his. Two really stood out and became my favorites. Unfortunately, I didn't bookmark the particular site, and I haven't found these two favorite lines anywhere else. So I'm paraphrasing what I remember of them here:
If humans evolved from monkeys and apes, then why are there still monkeys and apes?
Bullets bounce off of Superman's chest... so why does he duck when somebody throws a gun at him?
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
hunters and typos
Aauugh! I just realized that I had an awful typo in the subject line of my last post. I had 'humters' instead of 'hunters.' I've become so reliant on the red dotted line that appears below my misspellings, that I miss it because it doesn't work in subject lines.
I corrected it - but it must have stuck out like a sore thumb when it was there. Just terrible...
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
hunters and collectors
Wait a minute... did I really write about a song by Adele in my last post? No worries, I've written about my enjoyment of music by the Carpenters, John Denver, certainly ABBA, etc. in the past.
Still, today, I just may be upping my cool quotient a little bit. Or not. Depends on what you like and think is cool. Anyway, here are a couple of links to videos on YouTube that I recently discovered. To the very same song.
The first is performed by Neil Finn, of Crowded House and Split Enz fame. If you are a fan of Crowded House, you may know that the bass player's name is Nick Seymour. Well, he has a brother, Mark, who fronted an Australian band called Hunters and Collectors. Mark wrote a song that is quite fantastic:
Throw Your Arms Around Me (M. Seymour) - performed by Neil Finn
And here is another version:
Throw Your Arms Around Me - performed by Eddie Vedder and Mark Seymour
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