I'm Not a Hero

Over the past year, I have been losing weight and getting in better physical shape. As people have noticed, naturally, they have asked me how I am doing it. Many are now doing the same and calling me their “inspiration.” Many say “I wish I could do it, but I don't have the will power or determination that you do.” I am congratulated on my “ability to do what it takes.” I have been hailed somewhat as a hero and elevated to a super human level. I am none of that. All I did was make a decision. That’s all—just a simple decision. But, I was motivated to make that decision.

I have weighed over 200 pounds since 1978. Because I carried that weight for so many years, I was accustomed to it and could pretty much do what I wanted to. I did not actually start to “feel my weight” until I reached my fifties. For the previous fifteen years or so, I hovered around 250 pounds. As long as I stayed around that mark, I was fine with it. That changed on August 26, 2012.

Due to insurance changes at my place of employment, I had to choose a new primary care physician. I made an appointment to see him on August 26, 2012, to meet him and provide my health history so that my prescriptions could continue. What happens at every doctor's visit? They weigh you, take your blood pressure, take your temperature, ask you why you are there, and what medications you are taking. On this first visit, I stood on the scale and it read 271. “Wait! It is supposed to say 250. Something is wrong here. Let's do this again.” It still read 271. I did not see 271. I heard the robot from the “Lost in Space” TV show saying, “WARNING! WARNING! You are twenty-nine pounds away from three hundred.” That is what I heard and that is what motivated my decision to make a change. I made the decision before meeting the doctor. He didn't even suggest I lose weight. In fact, he was impressed enough with my health that he immediately took me off three medications that my previous doctor had me taking. (At my checkup a year later, he was proved right.)

So what did I decide? I decided to lose eighty-one pounds. How was I going to do it? I was going to eat less and become more physically active. Simple and easy, right? Actually, it was that simple, and it has been that easy. I did not embark on a strict diet or a vigorous exercise program. In fact, I haven't dieted or even changed the food I eat. I simply eat less of what I like to eat. After I lost thirty pounds, I began to get more physically active. No, I do not do a regular exercise routine. I hate exercise. I got enough of that when I did power lifting years ago. I started walking, mowing the lawn with a push mower, doing more of the physical chores around the house that I used to hire someone to do, parking further away from store entrances, taking the stairs, and other physical tasks. I do, however, have a gimmick.

That gimmick is myfitnesspal.com. It is a free program available on the web and and as an app for your smart phone (the two synchronize). I started using myfitnesspal on August 29, 2012. I entered my age, height, weight, chose my activity level, entered how much weight I wanted to lose, and how fast I wanted to lose it. I entered that I wanted to lose 1 ½ pounds per week. Myfitnesspal calculated that I needed to consume only 1,510 calories per day. The amount of calories I consumed could be increased with physical activity. I can track my food intake and physical activity with myfitnesspal. Their database of foods and physical activities is huge and growing everyday. All I have done this past 435 days or so is track everything I eat, log every physical activity, and do my very best not to exceed that net number of 1,510 calories per day – 10,750 calories per week. I may exceed my calorie intake a couple of days per week, but I have only exceeded the weekly total three or four times.

I now weigh less than I did when I got married in 1982 and wear the same size pants that I did then, as well. To date, I have lost fifty-five pounds. My goal is to weigh 190 pounds around August 26, 2014 – two years after I made my decision. I was fortunate in that, even though I was fat, my health was not bad enough to require a rapid weight loss. I'm glad. I have seen too many people lose over one hundred pounds in less than one year and gain most of it back in less than two. Because Myfitnesspal has become a habit, I will continue to log my foods and activities. I lost an average of one pound per week this first year. I'll be happy averaging losing 1 ½ pounds per month over this next ten months or so. My chances of keeping it off are very, very good.

Have I over simplified what I have done? I don't think so. I was motivated to make a decision. I can say to you, “If I can do it, you can do it” and that will be partially correct. You can do it, IF you get motivated. I could try to encourage you to make a lifestyle change as I did. I could tell you that you will feel better. I could tell you how easy it is. But, it will not register with you until you can find that one thing that will motivate you. I will tell you that diets do not work; but lifestyle changes do. You just need to find your motivation. The decision for you is there inside your head. You just need to find the motivation to do it.

Terry Hawkins, November 6, 2013

You Need Numbers 1 and 2 to keep Numbers 3 through 10.

Have you read the Bill of Rights, lately? Have you wondered about the order? Click the link below and read and pay attention to the order of they are listed. 

http://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/

By far and away, the right to free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of your own religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition are the most powerful rights we have and they are spelled out in the first amendment. The second amendment provides two ways to protect the rights of the first amendment - the ability of individual states to have an armed force to defend themselves and the right of individuals to have the ability to protect themselves. If you don't have the first two, you cannot stop the infringements against you or enforce your rights spelled out in the last eight.

The Bill of Rights does not give you these rights. They are yours and yours form the beginning - given by the Creator. The Bill of Rights mandates that a central government cannot infringe, step on, remove, alter, steal, take away, destroy, etc., etc., these rights from individuals or individual states. We can only lose our rights if we are willing give them up or they are taken by force. The second amendment is your tool to stop them from being taken by force. There is nothing to prevent your rights from being stolen if you willing allow it to happen. Yesterday, was just round one in the Congress. Don't get comfortable and careless. The other side is just regrouping for another charge.

You gonna fight or surrender?

Once upon a time, Representatives, Senators, Governors, and Presidents were chosen by the voting public to serve them.  They were to lead and govern by following specific criteria spelled out in documents called Constitutions.  They could earn re-election by the public for doing their tasks well, within the confines of the Constitutions, and governing with a humility of servitude.  The affiliation of political parties was so that a common philosophy of governing, again with the rules of Constitutions in mind, could help the voting public better choose those whom they wanted to serve them.

WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fairy tale is over.  Constitutions are ignored.  Those we elect do not serve; they strive to rule.  They do not govern; they intimidate you into submission.  Parties no longer express ideals, but rather express blame and build facades to lure you into their snares.  The role of earning a re-election has been replaced with the manipulation of laws and give-aways so that they can keep their jobs and their parties can rule.  The political system has become so flawed that service and governing is but a fairy tale and the ultimate goal of dominating and ruling is the reality.  Those who typically desire to seek these aforementioned offices are people of little or no honor.  People of honor do not wish to seek these offices for the corruptibility that follows and the intimidation into doing nothing and no chance for accomplishment that they will surely face.  Yes, there are exceptions but very few.  Very few.

WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Face the reality and seek to repel it.  You have the government and the leadership you are willing to accept.   If are willing to do nothing and not speak up, you have already given into fear or apathy.  Either way, you are willing to enslaved.