What is your "Why"?

As many of you may know, I’ve had some struggles over the last 10 years or so. Well probably longer than that, but things went south when I lost my job at Qualcomm Inc. I’ve talked about my weight problem and my continued recovery from compulsive overeating. Yet a solution has presented itself.

Recently I started working on some stuff, and I had an epiphany. Now I’ve not had many of those. But this one came because of looking at my past and how I’d behaved in those times. Lets call it a review of things long gone. In my studies, I was asked what my “why” was. Why is it you want to change your life in this manner.

What if you knew why you did something? I’m not talking about bad habits here. I’m talking about the times you were successful at anything. What made that time, event or action different then all the other times that failed, maybe even at doing something you tried before?

Let’s take my 250-pound weight loss, yes I still have 250 or so to go, but I’m halfway there. Something I’d tried to do before but never had success for this long. I just took my 3rd year token, In 12 step parlance that means it has been 3 years since I have compulsively ate food. Something I’ve never done before. But have tried hundreds of times before. What changed?

How I thought about the weight loss.

I’ve always known that eating better would produce good results, but that had not helped. I know I was killing myself and my family was suffering due to my obesity. But that “fluffy emotional appeal” was not enough.

On October 22nd 2013, I found a why. Well started to anyway. When I stopped worrying about what I ate, and focused on why I ate, everything changed.

I dumped my “red food” list and forgot about my “banned food” list. I focused on what became my “Abstinence Statement” – To eat for the healthy purpose of nutrition. Whenever I saw anything I wanted to eat, I simply asked myself was it for nutrition or some other reason?

That simple shift has changed my relationship with food. I still get to eat whatever I want, I just don’t want the same things anymore.

What if I could apply this to other areas of my life?

What if the why for going to work was more than earning money?

Part of what drove this point home to me is this video I ran across. It's less than 4 minutes, done by a comedian named Michael Jr. Watch this video and then ask yourself some questions:

1. Is what I’m doing right now my purpose?
2. Could I get excited helping other achieve success?
3. Is my happiness based on what I do and have or is it based on the why I do it?

In the video, Michael’s audience member sang 2 very different versions of the same song. One was accurate and well balanced, the second was full of his own soul.

Can we find our “own soul” in whatever we do?

I Can only speak for me when I say, the times I’ve been at my best, is when I had a purpose that inspired me. I lost my inspiration at Qualcomm Inc years ago, and my job performance showed it.

Now because I’ve learned to “question with boldness” everything, I’m going to school and opening a business. My journey could not be more exciting. Sure I have challenges, but it’s not what happens to me that matters, but what I do that sets me apart in the eyes of man and more importantly God.

Set yourself apart, find your why!

Gregor - Back from the brink! From there and back again. A spiritual Hobbits journey.

Why is principle more important than winning?

In November we will elect a new President of the United States (POTUS). The Republican party is telling me I need to vote for Donald J Trump (DJT) to keep Hillary Clinton (HRC) out of office. There is always the question of whether the lesser of two evils, really is a lesser evil. I don’t know the future. The point of this post is not about telling you who to vote for. I believe in the principle that America is to be a Free country. Not cost less, but restriction limited. The founding principles all focused on giving the individual all of the freedom possible, with still having a cooperative environment. One where the powerful could not remove the welfare of the powerless.

So why do you think I must vote a certain way? To vote for a winner? So this is nothing more than a popularity contest. Sorry gang, in High school I didn’t vote for the popular class president, I voted for the one that would actually do something. Voting for a winner is not how to rule a country. The whole problem with “Voting for the winner” is that your principles are not even consulted. Wining is not a principle, it's a result.

Do you sometimes need to compromise your principles? No. Do you need to make compromises to get to an equitable end? Sure. Of the 57 founders of the 1791 Constitution, 15 of them were slave owners. Of those 15 at least 2 were against slavery and were unable, by law, to sell their slaves. So they were unwilling slave owners (G Washington and T Jefferson). So there were 13 staunch slave supporters who wanted their slaves to be counted as a citizen. Why? So they could ensure the existence of slavery. The slave owners knew they could control the higher population of the north, because their slaves would balance the representation.

Yet we needed a new country, stronger than the original articles of confederation. So a compromise was reached. In determining the number of representatives, slaves will only count as 3/5 of a person. So it takes 15 slaves to make 9 people in the census. This was the best compromise the Continental Congress could reach.

Note: Though rare, there were Caucasians who were slaves due to debt and such. They would be counted as 3/5 as well. The Constitution does not say “African” or Black or any designation besides salve. Race was not the issue.

So now my question to answer is, if I vote for a person who does not “hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Am I compromising my principles? Making a compromise, not compromising my principasl.

Or you may ask “What are principals anyway?” – They are what makes me who I am. They are the reason I’m still married to a wonderful woman for 30 years. They are what allows me to forgive others, keep me honest, they are what makes me the nice guy I am. Principals define my character. Modern life seems to have passed on principals as a defining benchmark. We hear phrases like “What does it matter!” or “They will do what I tell them!!” and cheer. Not me. I can’t.

What I would like to see are people who believe that each person can do what they feel is correct, as long as no harm comes to others. Of course often times people think “harm” is defined by a comment that makes another person uncomfortable, politically in-correct. But harm is defined by results not feelings. Is a person’s property forcibly removed, is a person’s progress impeded, or is a person denied the ability to voice their own views? All of our current candidates seem to fall under the oppressive side.

So failing to have a candidate (Yes Gary Johnson even you) who would look to enforce a person’s individual freedom, over the collective comfort, I’m stuck in a compromise. Not voting is an option. But that serves no purpose.

So I will vote for the person I believe will do the most to bring America back from it’s downward spiral to socialism. To start to turn the wheel away from “collective conscience” and back to individual freedom.

Individual freedom is where the most can be helped. This country rose from a terrible civil war to become the brightest light on the planet in the 1890s. All because of individual freedom. Despite the Democratic Party’s insistence on Jim Crowe laws, and the re-segregation of the military and American Internment of German-American during World War 1 by Woodrow Wilson. Despite the over regulation of the American economy in the 1930’s making a recession that lasted for 3 years in the rest of the world, take more than 13 years in America. We still prevailed despite our government imposed shackles.

If you want a world where people are not abused, where the most people are brought out of poverty, where schools can actually teach something that is useful to kids, making them smarter and capable of carrying us to the next technological breakthrough, then vote for principles not for a winner. At times they may be one in the same this does not seem to be one of those items.

Having a civil discussion based on facts is what real exchanges are about. There is the hard part - “based on facts.” We the people don’t seem to know what those are any more. We are constantly bombarded with half of the equation expressed as all fact. I’m always game for discussion, but if you start telling people how to vote directly, understand you are trying to be the oppressor.

When I vote, and I will. I will sleep well knowing I voted for the best choice I could make. If America wants to create our own Babylon and sell ourselves to slavery, all I can do is follow my principles. They will show me the correct path. Sadly, the path less chosen.

Gregor - Back from the brink! From there and back again. A spiritual Hobbits journey.

It's not the differences, but the similarities that matter.

On July 7th, 2016 a lone gunman in Dallas Texas executed a well thought out attack on primarily Peace Officers. during a peaceful protest proclaiming “Black Lives Matter” after some horrible incidents in other parts of the country earlier that week. Some people call this black on white violence, but I beg to differ. It was hate of Law Enforcement, not race that drove this.
The shooter’s parents spoke to The Blaze and described how this patriotic American who joined the US Army to protect his country, came home a changed man. He went off to websites and became obsessed with “Racial-Justice” to the point he planned this attack. Was it the fault of sites like “Black Live Matter” that this person turned to violence? No. It was the act of what had become an unbalanced person ruled by emotions.
The very concept of hyphenating the word “Justice” is actually insane. Justice: “the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments” is by definition “Impartial.” This country was created because of the partiality of King George of Great Britton.
When America declared her independence from the Kingdom of Great Briton, the 13 Separate colonies declared as one country, The United States of America.
Why have we wondered from that model? Being only an American? - Class Politics
If you read the Declaration of Independence there are a few things to notice:

1. The purpose of the declaration: “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
   
   Separation from one authority, establishing their own united authority.
   
2. Why this authority is needed? – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
   
   Rights not recognized by “Him” King George.
   
3. The result: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...”<

The idea of “unity” is not based on recognizing what is different among people, but what is the same. By promoting a “Separate but equal” mentality, we promote strife and cause division. Like Orwell’s “Animal Farm” some people end up more equal than others. If we were to focus on individual rights, real rights that are granted by the very status of being alive, not conjured rights supplied by force, we can agree on certain things.

Everybody is created by God or by happenstance to be equal. There is no qualifier based on race, ability or gender.

Each of us has the right to live, and we have the right to have liberty. Liberty is a sticky term because people confuse it with the freedom that some think is “cost-free” but it is not. Liberty is simply unencumbered in this case by the government, while freedom is a state of being. Not a thing granted.
In 1835 Texas won its independence from Mexico, the people referred to themselves as Texans, there was unity in purpose. And in 1845 they choose to become Americans by joining the still fledgling United States of America. They unified behind the ideals enshrined in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Many Texans had been Americans that left because of perceived oppression by the newly formed nation. Yet for their own freedom from the tyranny of Mexico, they choose to join the American Republic.
Why the history lesson? To show how unity really occurs. Not by the celebration of differences but the recognition of commonality. Not that we ought not to allow, even embrace our differences’! On the contrary, America in the late 1800s was the most inventive period anywhere in the world. Where great inventors like George Washington-Carver (Born into slavery 1861 in Missouri), Thomas Edison (Father Canadian, Mother 1st Generation American), Nikola Tesla (Serbian Immigrant), literally changed the course of culture and laid the groundwork for everything we have today.
It is much easier to go in the same direction when you look at what is the same. But we never hear about that. We are preached to about "Racial Justice" or "Social Justice.' How about just simple justice under law. Under the rock-solid principles not left to individual interpretation? So many want justice for themselves and oppression to others. When is your desire an infringement of another's rights? Is it an infringement of your rights when somebody says no to you? If you think it is, you don't know what a right is.
I contend if we started to vote for the principals, instead of the empty and false promises from either side that is what could unify us again. We can all agree on so many things.
Though I am no advocate of violence, I’ve come to agree with Robert A Heinlein, a 20th century Science Fiction Author. In “Starship Troopers” (December 1959), Mister Heinlein described voting as a violent act: “When you vote, you are exercising political authority, you're using force. And force, my friends, is violence. The supreme authority from which all other authorities are derived.” Markedly similar to Mao Tse-Tung’s" Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” (Problems of War and Strategy, November 1938) But different in the idea that the violence of voting is not directly harmful. But it can be indirectly harmful.
If we as individuals considered voting to be violent, hence used the same consideration before voting as we would before defending ourselves, our world or at least our country would be a far better place.

Progressives make an effort to hide that they think voting is a violent act, they couch it in terms to sound better, “Social Justice,” “Economic In-Equality” and any number of cute phrases to hide the idea of theft from one person to give to another. These are all acts of violence. Solely because they are backed by the power of the government whose only recourse is violence!
What does this have to do with a lone gunman that shot 12 peace officers on July 7th? If equality under the law was our driving force, and not making somebody else more equal than others, this whole thing could be solved in short order.
I will not take sides with Black Lives Matter, the Law Enforcement Community or with a loan sniper who struck innocents on the July 7th event killing 5 and injuring so many others. I will applaud the police officers (regardless of genetics) that protected the protest participants (regardless of genetics) with their live because it was the officers chosen duty to do so.
I ask you to look to principles versus emotions. To unity of purpose versus diversity of condition. I am an American. I’m not a Nordic-American, a White-American, a Christian-American or an obese-American. Though these terms all describe me accurately, the truth is I am simply an American. Anybody who wishes to come here, and values the principals governing this land is welcome to be an American too.
The sooner we ca stop the sub-division of culture, allow people to celebrate their lives as each sees fit, yet promote that all people have the right to “life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The sooner that we can stop this insanity of a division.
In America, you are not the sum of your genetics, but the total of your potential that matters. And "potential' can be changed. Our Constitution was designed to allow you to fill that potential to the reaches of your imagination. Can we stop imagining making another pay for history? Can we picture a free country that made this country as vibrant as the roaring '20s, a product of deregulation and reduced taxes during a worse recession than 1929?
To steal a tag line from the SyFy Channel ® – Imagine Greater.
Gregor - Back from the brink! From there and back again. A spiritual Hobbits journey.

The truth is - It's not about guns - It's about control.

Our law makers are acting like little children, pretending to “Stand up” for civil rights by having a “Sit in” to take away those rights.  It is insane.  The “Gun control” issue is not about guns.  Those of you that think it is, are truly uninformed, no willfully ignorant is a better description. Because all you want is “common sense gun control.”  There are a few issues with the very concept of the “Leviathan” that is our government having common sense. 

The issue is simple, the progressive left does not want the responsibility of freedom, so they want to take it away from all of us.  That is really what is at issue here.  Our college kids scream for “Safe space” so they don’t have to hear offensive language. What they deem as offensive language.  That ladies and gentlemen is a direct attack on the first amendment.  Your speech can only be “free and unencumbered” as long as it falls in to what somebody else considers proper. 

That is not freedom that is tyranny.

The funny thing is, throughout history, constitutionalism has been the one protecting diversity and freedom.  The Progressives, since their very inception, has struggled to enforce control and homogeneity.  

If it were not for the Democratic Party, marriage licenses would not be needed for two persons to be married.  Originally it was instituted to keep Black Americans from marrying white people. Then it was used to keep homosexuals from entering in to a federal contract. Which we would not need it if were not for the progressive tax code.   In 2008, both then candidate Obama and Hillary Clinton thought that “traditional marriage was sacred, “but they changed their minds later.  Why?  No one cares.  

As a Christian man, in America, I may not agree with whatever gender fluid state people claim.  I also know it is not my job to police that.  Here is the real rub.  If the federal government forces various religions to act in support of something the church theology thinks is incorrect, the government has suddenly crossed in to dictating religious activities.  The mythical separation of Church and State the progressives scream about is suddenly gone.  Not because Christians forced their will upon the masses, but because pro-claimed atheists wanted it. 

That means if the masses change their minds, at some point, the government can be changed in the other direction.  At some point 30 years in the future, a radical Islam or Radical Christian group may come to power, using the same thought process that the Progressive want now, to change this county in to their definition of “righteous.” 

That is why the founding fathers made a document to restrict not the people, but the government. That is what makes our system so much better than everybody else’s, if we would actually follow it. By protecting the individual from the government, everybody gets protected.

Just like Spider Man, “With great power comes great responsibility.” (Actually derived from Luke 12:48 according to a speech by Stan Lee, creator of Spider man). Individual freedom is dependent on individual responsibility. If you make freedoms ‘collective’ that means the group can change them. 

So trying to take away firearms actually has nothing to do with guns.  Removing guns does not make you safer (More Guns Less Crime ).  Just last week Jo Cox was shot and killed in a country (Great Briton) that does not allow handguns to be sold.  Yet an insane man got one and killed her. (Jo Cox Killed. June 16th 2016}. 

Removing guns from the populace makes the populace easier to control.  Mao Tse Tung, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lennon, all gun grabbers, all genocidal maniacs.  

You see a law abiding citizen with a firearm is no danger.  Yet that same law abiding armed citizen could be your savior.

It takes intellectual dishonesty to want to “restrict freedoms” for the safety of others.  It has never worked in the long run.  It always ends badly.  In genocide. 

If you want freedom, real freedom.  You have to be able to tell the idiots that are verbally abusing you to go away.  You have to be responsible for your own safety. The police are not according to  the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS: Warren v District of Columbia). And then don’t associate with them.  You have that right.  But if you ask the government to protect you from the idiots, at some point you become the idiot that the rest of use needs protection from.  You become the oppressed.  Any government, not matter how noble, can only oppress.  It has no choice that is the only way it can influence “We the people.” 

Allowing a baker to choose not to serve somebody for any reason what so ever, guarantees you have the right to associate and do what you want.  If you force that baker to serve those they do not want, at some point, you will also be forced to do things you don’t agree with.  It’s the way of government, it is “Leviathan.”

NOTE: The Book “Leviathan” was written in 1660, by Thomas Hobbs.  And was a treatise on the idea of “Common Wealth’s,” If you read Thomas Hobbs’ own words at the end of the book, he concludes that no 'sovereign' could actually handle the responsibilities of the office of Sovereign.  So though a nice work of fiction looking for a perfect society, the author acknowledges it is not possible with a central government, even though he proposes that at the beginning of the book.  The idea that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” has been demonstrated since the beginning of history.  The best answer is for there to be no absolute power, just finite power given by the consent of the governed.  Then individual freedom can exist.  

Gregor - Back from the brink! From there and back again. A spiritual Hobbits journey.

Why I will not be stoning anybody.

There are recordings/YouTube videos of people professing to be “Christian” either celebrating the tragedy in Orlando Sunday (June 12th), where 49 people were killed, or calling for more murders.  I would like it known that I believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know that God has a better way to live and it is outlined in the New Testament of the Bible.  Please do not quote scripture where “God said..” because invariably you would be taking things out of the context. Now if you would like to study the Bible and learn the whole truth, I’m game.  But if you are just trying to make a point that I’m intolerant because of what you think I believe.  Then look in the intolerance mirror.

“Well it’s all one book!” - Error number one.  It is a collection of 66 books written to different people at different times.  And yet amazingly these people who were miles and years apart, could bring the same basic message.  God is what you need.

“Exodus says to stone homosexuals!” – Yes, it also talks about stoning adulterers, rebellious children and non-believers.  At a time when God was trying to get His people setup for the Promised Land. The children of Abraham repeatedly did not follow God’s word and history is full or what happened because of that.

Jesus Himself had an opportunity to stone an adulteress (John 8:1-30), yet Jesus did not.  Why?

Not only did he not stone her, He forgave her and said “go forth and sin no more.” Here is the real difference between Christianity and most other religions.  Sometime after this, the adulterous woman had her sins paid for by the death of Jesus himself. So God’s justice was served.  A death was offered as penance.  Because of the value of the sacrifice, it was enough in God’s eyes to forgive every sin committed ever.

Through all of history, God’s people had to renounce sin, and commit to a His way.  Symbolized by circumcision in the Old Testament, and baptism in the New Testament.

If people think because I’m a Christian, I believe that the LGBT community should be killed, you are insane and obviously know nothing about me or Christianity specifically. Everything that people blame on religion/God is all because MAN has decided what God said, not what He actually said.
 
God does not need me to commit murder to spread or defend His Gospel.  He needs me to speak His Truth, and live my life as an example of the path God describes.

Every religious war in the last 2000 years, has been because people disagreed on how to serve God.  It has never been about God asking for the death of others.

Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to William S. Smith – “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants. It is its natural manure.”

I will never take up arms against anybody in the name of God.  He does not need my vigor and vim. But based on history, I may need to take up arms to maintain, or recapture the liberty that is the right of every individual.  There is a difference. If you can’t understand that freedom and liberty, the rights given by our Creator, are worth fighting for, then you are already a slave. Bought and paid for by the government you serve.

I will never force you to live a certain way, even if I or God disagrees with it.  I will share what I know if you are willing.  But if you’re not, I can do nothing. Only your willingness and God can change hearts.

Gregor - Back from the brink! From there and back again. A spiritual Hobbits journey.

An open Letter to Senator Ted Cruz

UPDATE:

February 23rd 2016:  Senator Cruz dismissed his communications director Rick Tyler for repeating false information.  Though I don't think I had anything to do with this, I applaud Senator Cruz for following his principals.  Mr Tyler acted foolishly.  I have no idea if Mr Tyler was involved in the incident in Iowa or the unconfirmed incidents in South Carolina.  Senator Cruz had more concern for what was correct and not what was normal.

Mr Trump accused Senator Cruz of overreacting.  It seems odd to me that the man famous for saying "Your Fired!" would question this action.  It seems to me Trump is manufacturing his hostility against his fellow candidates.  Trump accuses them of being liars and weak, yet offers no substance.  Though I applaud Trump's simplistic language, though I don't doubt Mr Trump's intelligence, I do have concerns over his constant bomb-blasting against everybody. I also wonder why his Obama-Style politics worked so far?  Because it's easy. Everybody wants to be angry, and Trump promotes that anger.  That leads to the dark side.  The Progressives run on anger, and they have managed to destroy this country over the last 110 years.

Thank you Mr Cruz for not getting angry, or blaming, but just taking care of the problem.

Original Post:

Dear Senator Cruz,
I have a question, and if you can answer it honestly I’d appreciate it.  What has you campaign done in light of the false reports that did come out of your campaign in Iowa?

Though some may view this as old news.  I wanted to give you time to do something of meaning before I said anything. To my knowledge you have not.
There is no doubt, your campaign tweeted false information regarding Ben Carson, though you apologized to Doctor Carson, what have you done to keep this from happening again? Apologies are just words.  I fully expected a person who stands at the level of principal that you report, would have some action based on the problem.  Somebody in your campaign knowingly promoted false information.  They lied.

You are revered as a different politician.  When I look at a candidate I don’t look at just the individual running, I look at his staff.  If you allow this type of behavior in your campaign staff, then the same type of actions, or in-action, can be anticipated in your cabinet assuming you win the bid for President of the United States of America (POTUS).  I’ve spent the last 8 years looking forward to something different.  Are you that something different?  Or are you just a cleaner package of the same old stuff?

You have my attention on so many issues.  Your basic platform is the only one I can support most of.  Please let me know if holding you to the standard you proclaim is too much for you. Somebody in your staff should be held responsible for the false tweets, unless of course it was you, then that should be made clear as well.

Integrity is about what you do when you’re alone. Are you in charge of you staff, or is your staff in charge of you?  If it is the latter, then I guess you are just an Obama Remix. Please show me you are different.

Sincerely
Gregor Hinckley
San Diego California Voter.
A Constitutional Conservative.

Gregor - Back from the brink! From there and back again. A spiritual Hobbits journey.

Regarding Diet – In realty TV?

I Don’t like reality TV.  Survivor and other such games pit people against each other in an effort to subvert, confuse and remove people from the show. What makes “My Diet is Better Than your” different?  It’s not about the contestants really, it’s about the results for the contestants.  The show determines this week’s winner by who has lost a larger percentage of body weight.  The concept of percentage is important.  It’s like a golf handicap.  A 230-pound woman would have a lot of trouble losing 15 pounds in one week.  But to a 365-pound man, that is only 4.1%.  For the 230-pound woman that same 4.1% is 9.45 pounds. So it evens the field based on what each person’s condition. Still a lot of weight, but to a severely obese person, that is a safe amount. They have fitness challenges they have to meet.  Part of the competition is these folks will have to complete a half marathon at the end of the season.  These fitness challenges are mini-tests to make sure they will be physically capable of completing that event safely.  The contestants are medically monitored every week to be sure that they are not starving themselves.  Some have already seen great reduction in glucose levels.  Blood pressure, BMI and other easements are taken to ensure all is done in a healthy manner.

This relatively new “Reality” series on ABC is actually worth watching if you’re interested in changing your eating habits. Though in no way is what they are doing scientific, it is truly a competition between life style choices. There is nothing real in this “reality”.  We have 5 contestants who are from a broad spectrum of society.  I’m not sure what most of them do, because it’s not important to the show. At least 3 of them have fulltime jobs, one may be a homemaker with a child.  The others have not chosen to share what they do so I’ll leave that off.

The concept is simple, and it’s centered around the programs the contestants chose. Here are the life-style plans in the same order presented on ABC’s Website for My Diet is better than Yours:

• The Wellness Smackdown: A Vegan diet, in both content and philosophy.  Strictly vegan no dairy Includes meditation as well as moderate exercise. – Jovanka Ciares
• The “No Diet Plan”: A Thought/Lifestyle approach to fitness.  Not so much about the food in particular but more about learning the better choices and making them.  Uses all sorts of tools including using blue colored plates because that is unappetizing, purple bed sheets to sleep better and putting on red clothing to motivate yourself to work out harder. – Jay Cardiello
• Super Food Swap: The idea is to eat what you want, but healthier.  Making Mac and Cheese with Whole Grain Pasta and a cheese and cauliflower sauce reducing the calories. Exercise moderately.  – Dawn Jackson-Blatner
• The cLEAN MOMMA(sic) Plan: Focuses on getting exercise all the time.  Coining the term “Taskercise” because every action can be turned in to an exercise routine, and eating healthier. Less about restrictive eating than focusing on better choices. Carolyn Barnes
• The Wild Diet: Eat good organic and wild fed food.  Grain fed beef, wild fish, range free fowl.  Organic vegetables. The concept is based more on hunter-gatherer eating.  Exercise in short intense intervals, preferably outside in the sun, because sun is a nutrient too.  Drink your coffee, that’s OK - Do you like butter with that coffee? (I know I do) Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it.  Generally, a low carb diet, but depending on your genetics you may need a little more carb, women do need more than carbs than men. – Able James Companion Book The Wild Diet
• Strong, Safe and Sexy: A pescatarian (fish eater) food plan. Small amounts of dairy and eggs, if wild fed, are allowed.  But only wild caught aquatic/non-mammal creatures, sorry if you were looking for seal, otter and cetacean meat.  As with all of the coaches, this is based on a life-style change. – Jennifer Cassetta

So why am I writing this? It seems important to me to bring out good lifestyle plans. As many of you know I am morbidly obese.  Using the steps of Overeaters Anonymous and through a food plan, that I found out was very similar to the Wild Diet, I’ve lost 151 pounds.  I’ve not weight myself in a while.  So until I do, that is the last known true weight.  One of the joys of my new life is that food is no longer the obsession it used to be.  Eating bad food between meals has become a thing of the past.

There are a few good things about the show.

1. All of the coaches are promoting a lifestyle change, not a weight loss method.  Even though the show tracks percentage of weight lost as a major criterion, everybody on the show is constantly reminding the contestants, they are not on a diet, they are learning a new way to eat and exercise. A lifestyle.  Unlike some of the other weight loss shows that are all about the pounds, the rules and goals are focused on permanent change. 
2. Medically supervised.  Other shows have doctors, but it’s still all about the weight.  “My Diet..” is also emphasizing generally health by celebrating lowered blood pressure and glucose counts.  
3. The coaches are stressing choices.  Even the weird ones.  As of week 4: 2 of the above coaches have been dismissed. The Strong Safe and Sexy Coach – Jennifer – is the new kid on the block. We will learn the new second coach this week(01/22/2016 episode 5)
4. It is all about the positive.  So far… Some of the players have been encouraging each other on camera, not tearing each other down.  $50k is at stake, yet they seem to be coalescing more in to a team vs competitive.  Some of the contestants are very competitive, but none have gotten abusive. 

You will notice there are 6 coaches, and 5 players.  Two of the coaches have been let go.  Last week Carolyn Barnes was released, and to be honest was a bit of a bitch about it.  The previous Week Javanka Ciasres (Wellness Smackdown) was released and replaced with Jennifer Cassetta (Strong, Safe and Sexy). This coming week we learn who will replace Carolyn Barnes.

What I find interesting is that the real results will come from the coach that can inspire their player the best.  Javanka is gone because her player did not get the idea.  Carolyn is gone, not because her ideas were bad, but because she could not inspire the La’Tasha.

So I’m following this with the hope that real lifestyle change becomes the norm instead of loose weight then do it again.  America obesity has been on the rise since the advent of the food pyramid in 1959.  Every modification to that pyramid has been proven to be scientifically wrong.  So this little competition is using eating plans that are varied.  One of these plans may work for you.  Watch the show, see what looks good and do something.  I know Kurt (Player for Wild Diet) has inspired me to get back to my better eating habits.  I stopped weighing myself and I’m sure I’ve let some food back in that has slowed my weight loss.  But you know what, today is a new day.  Now is always the right time to eat like you mean it.

For me that means “Eating for the healthy purpose of nutrition” not to lose weight, but to be healthy.  The weight is a symptom of my compulsive disorder, not who I am.

Gregor - Back from the brink! From there and back again. A spiritual Hobbits journey.