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Category Archives: Inspirational

Slow Down To Speed Up

07 May

I recently had the misfortune opportunity to really see how much my lifestyle has changed. I had to listen to my body tell me I needed rest from 5k training. For an entire week, I did nothing but rest. (That drove me absolutely crazy!) No running, No weight training. Nothing…..

A few short months ago, that would have certainly spelled doom and destruction to my weight loss plan. This time, however, was different. Instead of mentally checking out for a week concerning all things weight-loss related, I found myself poring old food and exercise logs. I paid closer attention to what I was eating. After all weight-loss is 80% mental and 20% physical. How many times have I said that? Oddly enough, I was even more engaged in the process.

Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. That’s exactly what I was reminded up during my rest period. I was refreshed, rested, and amazingly I was more productive when I returned to working out.

If you’re not experiencing the results you think you should. Instead of simply trying harder, and continuing to do the same thing and expecting the same results (Isn’t that the definition of insanity?), slow down. Review your logs, identify areas on which you can improve and go from there.

Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up.

Hmmmmm… Seems like I mentioned something about that here and here

 
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Posted by on 05/07/2013 in Exercise, Inspirational, Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

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May’s Update

01 May

Okay, April has come and gone. Here’s the second set of pictures for the Monthly updates in pictures. I think this was a good idea.

Why? Well, for one I absolutely abhor taking these pictures. Why is that good? That means I’m uncomfortable and outside of my comfort zone.

Another reason it’s good is because it pushes me to work harder and be more accountable because I know I have to take another picture in four weeks.

Click to see May’s Monthly update.

fyi – Click on the picture to enlarge it.

 
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Posted by on 05/01/2013 in Exercise, Inspirational, Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

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Early This Morning – Repost

14 Apr

Had some technical difficulties with the post from Friday. As you all know, I’m training for my first 5k in May. Friday was the first “long” run. Here’s a video from Friday Morning.

 
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Posted by on 04/14/2013 in Exercise, Inspirational

 

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A Ten-Year Old

08 Apr

My wife & I watched our daughter compete yesterday at the state gymnastics meet. She had fun. She laughed, smiled. Not only did she compete she placed 1st on the beam, 2nd on the vault, 6th on the bars, 7th on the floor and 3rd all around. Out of all the gymnasts in her division in the state, she placed 3rd!! Not bad for just her second year of competitive gymnastics. What makes it more impressive is the journey she took to get there.

Quick recap:

At last year’s state meet, she left in tears at her performance. I vividly remember her coach telling her “It was okay. You did well this year. These girls were older and you held your own. You’re going to work hard and next year you’re going to come back and kill it at state. Why? Because you’re a beast.”

Well over the course of the year, I watched this ten-year old cry, fall endless times off the beam. (sometimes she got up immediately, other times she lay there a for a moment). I’ve watched her battle fear and self-doubt. Not just any kind of fear but the kind of fear that paralyzes you and doesn’t allow you to move forward. Each time I’d ask her the same question. “Do you want to quit?” Each time,with tears in her eyes, she responded “No.” Some times she responded quickly. Other times she had to think about it briefly.

I watched her decide to face her fears, take action, and finally overcome her fears. I watched her do back flip after back flip until she was able to do it herself.

She frequently met disappointment and frustration with an attitude of relentlessness.

So to see her standing on the podium yesterday brought unbelievable pride. Not because she placed so highly. More so because she learned that she can do anything she sets her mind to. She’s stronger than she knew was. She learned that fear isn’t real. She learned that if you keep fighting and working hard, good things will come.

empty_podium

Your goal is probably not to be a gymnast. However I’m sure that you’ll experience some of the same things she did while you’re pursuing your own goals and dreams.(weight loss related or anything else) When the road gets a little tough (and it will) remember the 9-year-old who left the state meet in tears. Through hard work, dedication, and refusing to quit, she became the 10-year-old who left the state meet a champion smiling ear to ear.

 
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Posted by on 04/08/2013 in Inspirational

 

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New Monthly Updates

03 Apr

new

Okay, I’ve been thinking how to make this blog more. More what you may ask? Just more in general. More helpful. More inspiring. More accountable for me.

One of the things requested in e-mails was more pictures. I’m working on that. In the mean time, what I’ve decided to do is post monthly updates in pictures. It’ll be a picture of me at the beginning of each month. The picture will be taken in the same clothes so you follow my progress monthly.

I chose a shirt that is painted on. (for the time being) Out of all my too big and loose-fitting shirts, why did I choose this one? Well, #1 I need the motivation to do more. #2 It would be difficult to see that I’m actually making progress in an already loose shirt. So I chose a shirt that was already a size smaller than what I wear and has shrunk quite a bit because I threw it in the dryer. Once again being vulnerable and forcing myself to be accountable. (Hey it worked the first time. So here goes!)

Click to see April’s Monthly update.

fyi – Click on the picture to enlarge it.

 
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Posted by on 04/03/2013 in Inspirational, Weight Loss

 

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Three Questions….

13 Mar

dI’ve been reflecting lately on how I’ve been able to finally turn the corner on my health. What made this time different? How was I able to keep going?

The answer to those questions(and many others) was answered in three questions I asked myself the first day I started. Unknowingly, the answer to these three questions shaped the foundation for my weight loss.

The first question I asked myself was “What do I want?” The question, at first glance, appears simple. However, it really required thought for me. What did I want? Did I just want to lose weight? Did I want to be healthier? It took about an hour to answer that question. Knowing what you want is essential. It begins to bring clarity to what you’re looking to accomplish.

With the answer to the first question in hand, I moved on to the second question. “Why do I want it?” When you figure out what you want and why you want it, you start to get an emotional tie. I’ve found that by having an emotional tie to what I wanted, a need to accomplish it was created. The need was so strong that I became almost obsessive over it. (I prefer the term laser focus.) That focus, obsessiveness, whatever you want to call it became the seeds of discipline that sprouted into a no excuses attitude.

Lastly, and maybe most important, I asked myself “What was I willing to give up to get what I wanted?” In my case, it was an hour of my day to exercise. I was willing to give up a couple of hours of sleep so I could exercise before going to work. I was willing to give up soda. You get the point.

Everything has a cost associated with it. You have to decide if what you want, why you want it, and the things you’ll have to give up (some temporarily I might add) are worth the cost. And if it’s worth it, are you willing to pay the cost.

For me, it was definitely worth it. And looking back on it, the price wasn’t nearly as expensive it appeared in the beginning.

 
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Posted by on 03/13/2013 in Inspirational, Weight Loss

 

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100 lbs lost….Not The End…Just A Milestone

19 Feb

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to write this blog entry. 100 lbs ago, my goal was to lose 100 lbs. Honestly, I didn’t think I could do it. I did think I could lose one pound though. I knew if I figured out how to lose one pound, I could just repeat that process 100 times over.

It has been an amazing journey so far. By no means am I finished. I’ve learned alot about myself. It definitely hasn’t been easy. There were days I wanted to quit. There were days I skipped workouts. There were days I didn’t make the best decisions.

People ask me how did I do it? How did I lose 100 (101 to be exact) lbs. I can answer that question a million different ways. There’s one answer that encompasses them all. I just kept showing up. I kept going daily. I kept going back to the gym. I kept making more good decisions than bad. I kept telling myself I can do it.

The key to success is being persisent and stubborn enough not to quit. That’s really all I did. I just kept going no matter what. No matter how I felt.

The rest I figured out along the way. Just keep going. Don’t quit. If you do that, you’ll accomplish all you set out to do.

 
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Posted by on 02/19/2013 in Inspirational, Uncategorized

 

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I Don’t Like New Year Resolutions

03 Jan

I like this time of year. Excitement abounds at the possibilities of the new year and what it holds. Futures seem brighter. Impossible things seem possible. It really is a magical time in my opinion. However, in copying the words of Charles Dickens – “It’s the best of times and it’s the worst of times.”

Why do I say that? Well, the best of times because of the possibility of the new year. The idea that this year can (and should) better than the last. The feeling that brighter days are within reach. The idea that this year can transform your life!

The worst of times because of New Years Resolutions. Often times we make far-fetched resolutions. They’re done with good intentions. At least mine were. They were hard unrealistic to keep. Mine usually came from a place of guilt. Guilt because over indulgence from Thanksgiving through Christmas. (I’m only speaking of resolutions regarding weight loss.) Guilt combined with unrealistic resolutions,placed me directly behind the eight ball from the very beginning of the year. That’s why I don’t like New Year Resolutions.

They didn’t work for me. Honestly, my resolutions had a very short shelf life. By the end of February, they were all but forgotten.

The past two new years I haven’t made one resolution. I haven’t vowed to do anything. What I have done is set a vision of where I want to be 12 months later. Once I had the vision, I created a process that put me on the path to my vision. Along the way, I set goals to keep me focused.

This approach is by far more impactful for me. I was freed from the guilt of “messing up” on my resolutions. I was able to understand that the process was 12 months not one or two bad high calorie meals or two or three missed workouts. Most importantly I had the feeling of “everything would be okay.”

If you find yourself struggling with your weight loss resolutions early in the year, try my approach. I can’t guarantee it will work for you. I can guarantee that if you work for it and remember it’s a process, you’ll accomplish your goals!

Happy 2013!!

 
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Posted by on 01/03/2013 in Inspirational

 

Glancing Back and Looking Forward

01 Jan

hny

2012 is nearing an end. There have been many changes this year for me. New job, new city, new state. The last few months have been ridiculously crazy for me. Lots of travel, long work hours, figuring out how to squeeze exercise in all of that.

That’s when it hit me. I have truly gone from losing weight to being healthy and living healthier. When I started this blog, I was nervous about being so transparent. Honestly though it’s been one of the best things I could have done.

While I didn’t write as much towards the end of the year, I’ll be writing more, doing more with the blog in 2013. My goal is to grow the blog next year. (I’m not completely sure what that means.) So if you have any ideas on what you’d like to see. What I can do better or topics about which you’d like me to write, by all means email me, tweet me, facebook me, etc…

I’m excited about 2013. I’ve lost 101 lbs so far. I’ve set my goals for 2013 and will be pursuing them!! I hope you do the same! Your dreams and goals are definitely worth the chase!!

Thank you all for sharing this journey with me. Your e-mails, words of encouragement, questions, criticism have helped me tremendously. I appreciate you all so much!!

Here’s to a fantastic 2013. May it be filled with all your heart’s desires!!

-Antuan

 
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Posted by on 01/01/2013 in Inspirational, Weight Loss

 

The Guy In the Mirror

31 Oct

I was on the treadmill today. Early in the workout fatigue and thoughts of quitting appeared. I was already sleepy, drained and not wanting to be there. No doubt the rigors of the day had gotten to me. I pushed on for a few more minutes until the idea of quitting cutting the workout short (and cheating myself) seemed inevitable.

Then I glanced up and noticed a mirror in front of the treadmill. Immediately I met the eyes of the guy in the mirror. Amazingly the look in his eyes was the complete opposite of how I felt. I was tired, lacking focus and ready to quit. But the look in his eyes was one of resolve, encouragement, and perseverance. He even had a slight smile on his face!

I recognized him. He was familiar to me. In fact, I saw him when I first started my journey. My lungs were on fire but the guy in the mirror was running on the treadmill and smiling as if to say “Yup… You see it.. You’re running… Don’t you quit!”

Before I knew it 6 minutes had given way to 15. 15 minutes to 25. Thoughts of quitting were replaced with thoughts of how far I’d come. The guy in the mirror had a look of determination and pride in what he was doing. So much so I increased the speed and incline to levels I hadn’t done before. I didn’t know if I could do it but I did know that if I kept looking in the eyes of the guy in the mirror, I’d be able to run at those new levels.

Sure enough I did! I pushed myself for the last 10 minutes. I was out of breath, my lungs felt like they were about to give out. Sweat poured profusely. The only thing I could think was “I did it!” Another milestone. I wiped my face and threw the towel in the hamper.

I looked back in the mirror to see the guy in the mirror smiling and nodding in approval at me saying. I glanced in his eyes once more and said “I’ll see you tomorrow”.

 
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Posted by on 10/31/2012 in Exercise, Inspirational

 
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