What the Health?! Mid-weigh check-in.

It's Tues, Feb 14th - Happy Valentines Day. I'm 45 days into my 90 day personal challenge to lose 30 lbs in 90 days. Last week I celebrated losing 22 total lbs. Today I have a confession to make. Find out why I'm pissed at myself...

Four Days of Fasting

No video today – I’ve been talking all day long and I prefer to just type. As I write this, I’ve been exactly 100 hours or 4 days, 4 hours without a morsel of food. The only things that have crossed my lips have been about 20 – 24 liters of Fiji Water and about 72 oz of fresh squeezed organic grapefruit juice – cut with 50% water.

Needless to say, I’m pretty hungry. In fact, a joke I often say to my girlfriend comes to mind -“I’m so hungry I could eat McDonald’s.” Yep, that’s a joke – and my sense of humor gets even more ridiculous the longer I go without food.

Today (Friday January 6^th) was incredible. I had three very important meetings that required over 4 ½ hours of non-stop speaking and high-level thought on my part. My business day didn’t end until almost 7pm – exceptionally late for a Friday. I will modestly admit that I performed “better than what I would consider my best.” Maybe I’m delusional as a result of virtually zero caloric intake for four days – or maybe it is the zero calorie intake that lit up my brain activity, concentrated my focus and amplified my motivation.

I call it survival mode. I believe that our ancestors possessed it and were closely connected to it. It’s nature’s self-preservation mode. If the human race didn’t possess the ability to go long periods of time without food, none of us would be here today. Think about it – how was life just a couple hundred years ago before there was transportation to ship food to stores at which we could conveniently buy it? Go back farther a couple of thousand years ago – long before modern farming practices and storage and preservation methods were discovered. What would a late frost or a drought or a flood do to the food supply? How about an ice age – or parasites – or wild animals? There are numerous ways that food supplies could have been devastated over large areas and long periods of time.

 It must be a God-given gift since the Bible references fasting for as long as “forty days and forty nights” in multiple instances. I see water fasting as a kind of “Baptism”- it washes away internal sins as it detoxifies your body.

I’ve done many water fasts – some as short as a day, others as long as a week. I’ve even done juice fasts for over 2 weeks. In retrospect, I can honestly say that I’ve done some of my most creative writing and thinking during periods of fasting. I also get unusual waves of clarity and energy during the fast – quite an anomaly considering the assumed lack of energy due to calorie deprivation. As I tap into new areas of gray matter, my intuition tells me that this anomaly is no coincidence.

Here’s my logic. If I had lived 10,000 years ago, life would have obviously been much different. Long before a short walk to the fridge or a phone call for pizza delivery existed, I would have had to have gotten off my butt and found food. This probably would have entailed a hunt or some foraging – maybe even some tree climbing. If food was scarce and competition was fierce, this would have been challenging. If I didn’t eat for a day or so and got more tired, lethargic and lazy, I would have quickly perished. I picture myself sitting under an orange tree with the fruit just out of reach and myself too weak and too tired to even shake the fruit loose, let alone climb the tree. There I would have died – and then become a meal for the vultures and the coyotes. Thank God it’s 2012!

My point is that the hungrier we get, the sharper our senses become – to help us survive and locate food. We have to be more alert, smarter, faster and stronger than our prey. I’m also referring to fruit too. Have you ever tried to climb a palm tree or crack open a coconut – I have – and believe me, it’s not an easy task!

In our modern society, things are much different. If we want to eat, all we have to do (in almost all cases) is pay for it. Paying for it is not always easy – especially in a tough economy. Therefore, our money-earning senses must become sharper. Have you ever heard the term “hungry for work”? There were actually two companies in my hometown that capitalized on this concept – “Starving Students Moving Co.” and “The Hungry Roofer.” They were both successful. I think the message implies that when someone is truly hungry, they are desperate, yet driven and determined enough to do exceptional work for the reward of – eating and surviving!

My fast is self imposed. It’s yet another test of my willpower. It’s a challenge – and I’m a sucker for a good challenge. It’s the ‘fastest’ route to accomplishing my goal of losing 30 pounds in 90 days. When I started fasting on Monday, January 2^nd, my goal was to make it until dinnertime on Friday before “breaking fast”. I chose not to eat tonight and opted to ‘breakfast’ in the morning. I look forward to two days of “sweeper salad” – by then my eight avocados will be ripe enough to eat. I will be in pure bliss when I take my first bite of one. Can’t wait!

For those of you considering attempting to water fast, I will warn you that it’s not for the weak. There are right and wrong ways to start and end a fast. If you do it wrong, the result could be the equivalent of shaking up a hornets’ nest inside your body. If you have medical conditions or are on medication, always consult your doctor. If you’re up for the personal challenge and journey – consult me.

Have a healthy, happy, hungry day.

WOW Me Now

"WOW Me Now" Campaign

Frantic, frustrated, stressed or depressed?

Dealing with unemployment or financial challenges?

Enduring divorce or loss of a loved one?

Feeling sick, tired or even suffering a health crisis?

Do you want to make changes to become healthier, happier and more successful?

Is this person you or do know someone else who would like to GRO?

 

Sean Donovan—Local author, speaker, life coach, health advocate and founder of Grassroots Reform Organization (GRO) is offering his Words of Wisdom “WOW” series events to individuals looking to bring more heath, happiness and success into their lives.

Experience life-changing enlightenment at a Words of Wisdom - “WOW” series event. Topics include: Healthy Happy Hour, Health = Wealth, Weight a Minute, Have a Heart, Stress Less, Attitude and Gratitude, Willpower Will Empower, Go Green and Make Green.

These informative and entertaining “WOW” sessions help people live better lives.

Support your own success or someone else’s by submitting a compelling letter of up to 500 words as to why you or that person deserves to be “WOW’d”.

Five people will GRO with one free Words of Wisdom “WOW” Summer Series event of their choice at MG on the Halifax.

The person with the most compelling letter will GRO with SeanDon’s entire eight part Words of Wisdom “WOW” Summer Series at MG on the Halifax (Valued at $150).

Criteria

· Individuals must be a resident of Volusia or Flagler counties.

· Individuals must be at least 18 years of age or older.

Instructions

· Individuals may submit letters on behalf of themselves or other individuals

· Please do not exceed 500 words in your letter

· All entries must be submitted by midnight Friday, July 1, 2011

· Email entries to Lea@Seandon.com

Recipe for Resolution

Happy New You - For those who made or want to make New Year’s resolutions, I have a special recipe to help you do it successfully. For the month of January, I will be posting my “Recipe for Resolution” on my blog and offering discounts on personal coaching packages. Whether you want to lose weight, find happiness, become more successful or just feel better – I will help you make 2011 the most positive, profitable and productive year of your life.

1. The first and most important step in the resolution process is to make the conscious decision to change. Ignite the fire internally and set your desire into motion. Flip the switch that mentally turns on a new you. Decide to make immediate, definite, effective, lasting changes in your life. Commit to doing things differently - remember Einstein’s definition of insanity: “To continue doing things the same way, but expect different results.” Know that new effort and changed direction will take you to new destinations. Resolve to make change today. 
2. Change your vocabulary – permanently remove the following words: “Can’t, try, maybe, consider, and eventually” – and replace them with “Can, will, definitely, resolve, and now.” Be cognoscente of your language daily – are you speaking with empowering words or are you subconsciously limiting yourself with your own vernacular?  Change: “Maybe I’ll eventually consider trying to change, but right now I can’t.” To: “Now I will definitely resolve to change because I can do whatever I put my mind to.”
3. Create a mantra to repeat to yourself. Examples: “I will make every minute of every day productive in some kind of way” or “2011 is gonna be heaven” or maybe “I’m going to fit into my favorite jeans again.” Make a habit of saying this mantra throughout the day. This activity will keep you focused and motivated toward your resolution.
4. Imagine your life vividly 1, 5, 10 years from now and make mental and written notes as you see yourself. Use these notes to create a “dreams list” of all the things you would have in your life if time, money, fear, experience, location and all the normal limiting factors were not present in your life. Imagine how much easier it would be to make resolutions and create new dreams with a professional life coach on your 'team'. Visit my coaching page for more.
5. Forget about all of the things that you ‘have’ to do on a daily basis and think about all of the things that are truly important to you. Make a “priorities list” of the things most important in your life in the order of their importance (time and health should be tops on the list). It’s okay to be a little selfish here – this is YOUR list. My philosophy is that “If you put yourself as your own highest priority and maximize your own life first, then you will have abundant health, energy, love, success and money to share with others – plus, you get to lead them by example. The alternative is to neglect yourself, break down, get sick, lose your job, your energy, your youth, your vitality and then become a burden to those around you – as they will have to take care of you!” Here is an example of the top 5 things on my priorities list:
   1.      Health – maintaining optimum health, increasing energy, preventing disease and slowing aging so that I can live a long, productive life.
   2.      Time – making the absolute most of every day – making every minute productive in some kind of way.
   3.      Positivity – maintaining a positive attitude at all times – even in the face of adversity
   4.      Accomplishing Goals – reading and revising my to-do list, goals list and goals accomplished list daily - revising when necessary
   5.      Father - Be a great role model and provider for my daughter and future children. 
6. Take a good look at your schedule and calendar. Think about your daily routine and how you spend your time. Is your time allocation congruent with your priorities list? Many people I coach say that their health, GOD or family are their top priorities, but after a coaching session, they realize that their time is not indicative of their priorities – for instance, they realize that they spend 40 hours at work, another 10 hours getting ready for and traveling to work, 14 hours watching TV, 60 hours sleeping, 11 hours are spent goofing-off or time that cannot be accounted for. On their top priorities, they spent less than 2 hours working out or exercising, less than 4 hours of true quality time with the family and only 1 hour at church. My life-coaching can help you get your life in balance and find “extra” time to do the things that are high on your priority list.
7. Now that you have made the mental commitment, empowered your vocabulary, created a mantra, envisioned your dreams, listed your priorities and looked at your schedule – it’s time to set some realistic goals. Make each goal measurable and attainable with a completion date. Use smaller “stair-step” goals to reach larger ones – ex: if you want to lose 30 lbs by March 31, make a series of stair-step goals – I will lose 10 lbs by January 31, 10 more pounds by Feb 28^th, and 10 more pounds by March 31 to achieve my total goal of 30 pounds. Group your goals by personal, business, travel, family etc… List from short term to long term in each category. Most importantly, WRITE THEM DOWN.
8. Go back and review your dreams list and priorities and compare them to your goals list that you created yesterday. Ask yourself “Are my goals congruent with my priorities, dreams and how I actually spend my time?” Revaluate your goals, priorities and dreams in relation to one another and make additions, subtractions and changes in your timeline or order of importance if necessary. This area is a life coach's specialty – having a coach on your team or personal “board of directors” can be beneficial and profound.
9. Important step – read your goals list every day. Make your goals list a Word Document that is saved and resides prominently on the desktop of your computer. If you like paper better, print it out and tape it to the fridge or put it somewhere that you are sure to see it multiple times throughout the day. Form a habit of reading your goals list at least once a day – this will keep fire in your desire. 
10. Identify the difference between a goal and a task. A goal is a destination, a big picture dream, desire, want, need, etc… A task is something you do to reach a goal and is only a step on the staircase to the goal… The bigger the goal, the higher the staircase. Tasks are part of the plan of action that gets you to where you want to be.
11. Mid month checkup – review your accomplishments so far this month. Are you happy with your progress? How many goals have you crossed off of your list? Have you read your goals list daily? Have you organized your priorities? Did you write down your dreams? Did you take a close look at your schedule and re-assess your time and how you spend it? If you are happy with your progress, then good for you – you are on your way to implementing powerful resolution. If you have room for improvement, then go back to step one and repeat – it’s never too late to start, but time is precious and there will only be one NOW. Focus your efforts on what you can control and do it today!
12. Create plans of action. Dreams are your thoughts, priorities are your world, goals are your destinations and the plan of action is the detailed series of tasks or the navigation system and roadmap that gets you to your destinations. Start with your top priority goals and make a detailed plan of action for each. Example: Top priority health goal may be to lose 30 pounds by March 31^st. Break this goal into more measurable and manageable stair-step goals – I will lose 10 lbs per month Jan, Feb and March. Plan of Action – Join the gym and workout a minimum of one hour per day there – exercise to include cardio (bike, treadmill and aerobics), nautilus and free weights. Stop eating fast food immediately and permanently. Take a 30 minute walk on my lunch break. Take a hot yoga class twice a week and visit the sauna on days that I don’t do yoga. Shop healthy – buy fresh organic fruits and veggies. Eat 6 to 8 healthy meals a day and consume portion sizes smaller than my fist. Limit couch time and TV watching to only one hour per night. Each of these tasks or mini-resolutions are part of a detailed plan of action that will lead you to accomplishing your bigger goal. Remember, the most important part of a plan of action is the ACTION!
13. Lucky #13 – My definition of Luck: “when chance meets opportunity - and you recognize it, and most importantly, capitalize on it”. Always keep your senses open and pay attention to the signs. Resolve to create your own luck daily! 
14. Review your plan(s) of action for your top goals and create a daily minute-by-minute schedule and incorporate time for your all of your new plan of action items. Using recipe #12’s weight loss goal and plan of action as an example: Monday, 6:15 am – wake up, read goals list, drink one liter of water, put on gym clothes. Monday, 7:00 am join the gym. Monday 7:10 to 8:30 am workout- stationary bike 20 minutes, nautilus equipment and free weights 40 minutes, sauna and stretch 20 minutes. Monday 8:30 to 9 – shower, drive to work, eat an apple on the way. Monday 10:30 am – eat a banana. Monday 12 noon – take a 20 minute walk, eat a prepared  salad from home on the picnic table outside of office. Monday 12:45 practice breathing exercises and rebound/stretch for 5 minutes. Monday 2:30pm – eat an avocado at my desk. Monday 5:30pm – stop at grocery store on the way home to buy fresh produce. Tuesday and Thursday 6:30-8pm – Hot Yoga. This is just a basic outline of a schedule for one plan of action – try to account for every minute of your day (even sleep time). The more detailed your schedule the better – the detail and practice of scheduling may seem excessive, but remember – you are forming new habits and taking control of your time, life and health so that you can reach your ultimate goals.  Stick to your schedule daily – remember to incorporate reading your goals list daily into your schedule. After approximately 21 days of doing this, you will find that the new items on your schedule will become new habits in your life. Your time (and health) are the two most important things in the world – give yourself 10% of your best time each and every day and you will find that the other 90% of your time will be exponentially more productive (you will even sleep better at night knowing that you lived your day to its fullest).
15. Delegation – form “partners”, advisors or “board members” to help you accomplish tasks that you are not necessarily good at. These advisors will also hold you accountable to your goals and commitments. 
16. Create a daily “to-do” list based on your plan of action items and schedule – read it along with your goals list every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep.
17. Create a “goals accomplished list” and a “to-done” list – when you complete a task or accomplish a goal, highlight it and cut it from your goals list or to-do list and then paste it over to the goals accomplished or to-done list.
18. Example – Dream list #1 is to be able to fit into your wedding dress or the bikini you wore on your honeymoon 15 years ago. Priority list #1 is Health. Goal #1 is to get into better shape by losing 20 pounds by January 31, 2011. Plan of Action – join Gold’s Gym, join Hot House Yoga, order TrimULean supplement on monthly autoship. Go to Golds Gym 3 days a week, Hot House Yoga 3 days a week, walk every morning Mon-Fri. Schedule – Monday, Jan 3^rd 5:15pm – go to Gold’s Gym after work and join. Monday, Jan 3^rd 7:30pm go online and order trimulean. Monday Jan 3^rd 10pm – read goals list and to-do list.
19. Checklist – create an excel spreadsheet and assign daily tasks and point values to each of your routine daily tasks. Check off each daily task as you do it. Example: Drink water quota, Eat an avocado, 45 minutes of cardio workout, take TrimULean supplement twice, 1 hour of family time…
20. Habits – it takes 21 days to form a new habit, but it takes a second of thought plus willpower to break an old or bad habit. Resolve to make positive change in your life. Remember Einstein's definition of insanity: "To continue doing the same things the same way, but expect different results".