The end is near

Hello again. As we wrap up this program I want to thank each and every one of you for making this what it has been. The things I have witnessed have been amazing! Not only for myself but for the rest of you I have been very impressed how far we have all come in the twelve weeks. I know for me personally, I have changed for the better and am very thankful for this.( I'm sure Nicole is as well). I have not only changed my nutrition, workout effort, and mindfulness, but also spiritually. I have grown in so many ways it is almost mind boggling. One of the best experiences of my life was the Great Banquet. If you've never heard of it ask Nicole, Cindy, or myself and we can fill you in. The spiritual growth from this weekend event has definitely had a huge impact on my life. I would like to give a huge thanks to Chris for all he has done for us and motivating us when we have been needing it the most. Chris the things you've done for us have been truly amazing and I will always appreciate them. From the beginning when Joe said just do what Chris says may have been the best words I heard during the experience. The journey is far from over but I know we have been given the information and tools to help us carry on with the plan for a long road ahead of us. Keep your head up and take it a day at a time.

WOW

Anyone else out there ever have an experience that simply can't be put into words? If your answer was no you need the Great Banquet! In fact I would encourage anyone and everyone to go thru this experience. This past weekend introduced me to some amazing men who have been thru trials and tribulations most of us could never dream of. I'm not going to share their stories or mention their names but believe me they would blow your mind. I know everyone has their own story and each of us is unique in many ways. The men I bonded with this weekend all had a connection, their belief in Christ. I know from my experience my life will be forever changed. BTWG has been one of the best things of my life. Mind, body, and spirit are coming together....big changes still under way

And it continues

Hello again. Things are still a little rough on this end but I've learned I can't control them which I am working on accepting. The last week or two I pretty much sucked on workouts and meditation/yoga. My nutrition has had a couple of slip ups but it happens right? Thanks to my awesome wife for encouraging yoga this week. It wasn't as good of a yoga instructor as I am used to but it worked. She truly inspired me to continue on this journey. The changes I see her accomplishing are amazing. Having not seen several of the BTWG'ers for a few weeks until this past Saturday, I must say you are all looking great. The confidence and positive energy coming from you all is awesome. Keep up the good work everyone. Looking forward to my experience coming up this weekend(something else to be thankful for from Nicole) until next time

Off track

Hello again. The past two weeks have been a little more challenging for me. The email I received this week was a great reminder to break my mindset of hey I got this. For the most part I have been keeping up with my nutrition but my workouts have been slipping by the wayside. As some of you readers know Nicole and I have been going thru some pretty heavy family things recently. The prognosis is not the greatest on some things but we are managing the best we can. The lifestyle change we are on is a major factor in handling this and is providing me with the motivation to continue this process. I am seeing the bad habits that I once had and their results right in front of me. I will be forever thankful for this program and all of your support. Enough with the Debbie Downer thinking. Positive things have been happening for us in the last few weeks and I am sure it is due to some things from this process we are on. Our house is pending sale, which is a major stress relief for both of us. The power of prayer is amazing! Until next time thank you BTWG for the positivity(I hope Webster puts this in the next edition)

Half way

I've heard several people comment on being half way done with the program. Yes it is a 12 Weeks program, but to me this is only six weeks into my new life. The things I have learned and experienced are amazing and have already had a great impact on my life. I look forward to continuing my journey for many more years to come. The process has been difficult at times but nothing worth having ever comes easy or without sacrifice. To all of you in this "program" thank you. Each of you has made this amazing.

Struggling

This week has been by far the most challenging for me. It is no one else's fault but mine. The first few weeks were smooth sailing. This week was totally different. I did not use my time wisely and put other things first that should not have been. The day to day life smacked the crap out of me and I felt it. The lack of discipline I had this week was disappointing. I let the frustrations of life win. I took some time to reflect on what really matters today, and realized that I need to drop the drama and move on with what I can control. The other things that may seem major are not going to change my ability to continue to better myself for my family or stop me from doing my best. Yes, it sucks I will miss another Thanksgiving for the fourth year in a row, but I will not let this derail me from my ultimate goal. So what ever tries to get in my way don't mind the sound of my laughter I will not let you win. Now here's to a new day

Change

Change is not always easy. This has been an amazing journey so far as I am seeing and feeling the benefits already. In the past month I have accomplished several things I didn't think would be easy. My job has made things a little challenging and I have learned to embrace change and make things work. Before I began this journey I never was a big fan of change but now I see not all change is bad. As the journey continued in my professional life and personal life I will continue to take things one day at a time and achieve my goals.

Accomplishment

Tonight on the fourth out of five nights my sweet tooth kicked in something fierce. As I sat in our break room, the vending machine seemed to have a single shining light on a Snickers bar. It was as if the rest of the room was dark. As I pondered the thought of the candy bar, I thought again as how if I were to give in to the temptation how awful I would feel mentally and physically later on. So I turned away from the spotlighted snickers and had some almonds and strawberries instead! The process is still going strong!

Awesome dinner

Anyone interested in an amazing healthy shepherds pie should definitely try this. I am NOT a savy person in the kitchen by any means but I'm sure my wife can get you the details

Water!!!!!

So yesterday and tonight I drank over 400 ounces of fluid. Most was good old h2o with a few electrolyte boosts in the mix. I didn't realize how much better I feel NOT drinking Mt Dew until tonight. The benefits were very noticeable as I did not have the caffeine crash that I was used to. My energy levels are better without the, what I thought was a pick me up, caffeine and sugar. Another benefit is my performance at the gym and my cardio workouts! No more cramping during runs and increased all around energy. So like some of us have heard over and over "just do what Chris says". Until my next thought

Hell week

For those of you that don't know this week it is the best sucky week of your life. I have been going to PR for almost a year now and have heard hell week is no joke. The rumors were true it is no joke. The biggest obstacle for me was the mental aspect. Don't get me wrong the physical part was a challenge, but the mental side was tougher. There were a few times when I thought is this for real. I kept thinking No Excuses. The moral of this post is push thru and remember no excuses. Change is a process. Never give up

Struggles

As I dealt with some slip ups and struggles this weekend I reminded myself that change is a process. I have no excuse for them. Everyday there are challenges in everyone's life. The challenges are different for everyone when it comes to eating, exercising, or drinking, I am confident that I will overcome them. I will admit to giving in and take responsibility for my actions. After being "clean" for quite sometime now, I must not beat myself up for these actions. Getting back to the process is my main focus and I will achieve great things thru this process.

The journey begins

As I began this journey two weeks ago I never could have imagined the changes that would/will take place. So far I have accomplished giving up soda which is ashore accomplishment in my book. I used to drink between 4-6 Mt Dews a day and I have not had any in over three weeks! I am new to this blogging thing so bear with me if you can. I will try to update my success and struggles weekly. Here's to a new lifestyle