Let's Reverse Obesity with John Bukenas show

Let's Reverse Obesity with John Bukenas

Summary: This Podcast will document my journey to reverse obesity. My plan is to develop a group to educate, encourage, and support each other to reverse obesity.

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 026: Fears of Weightloss Surgery An Interview With Reeger Cortell | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 27:32

      This Week I talk with Reeger Cortell, FNP-C.  Reeger hosts The Weight Loss Surgery Podcast. This isn't the 1st time Reeger and I spoke.  Back on May 12th, 2014 Reeger interviewed me for episode 26. This is part 1 of a two part interview where Reeger and I take a walk through my thought process. Reeger is very easy to talk to and she asks some tough questions for me to answer. As I restart this journey the goal is to create and follow a positive mindset for success. This much I know: I have the knowledge about nutrition and exercise I have the tools to create a positive outcome I'm the only one who is responsible for my success or failure. A special thanks to Shehan and Laurie for your emails.  You Rock! Contact Me How to contact me with questions or comments If you have a computer with a microphone you can record a voice message right on the  Website. Leave a comment at the bottom of the show notes Follow me on twitter @johnbukenas Email me at John@letsreverseobesity.com (New) Let’s Reverse Obesity Facebook page.  http://facebook.com/letsreversobesity.com So if you have any questions or comments don’t be shy, take yourself outside of your comfort zone and say hi. Thank you for taking this journey with me.  I love it when you reach out and share your journey with me.   And If you haven’t, I just have one question, why not?  Please continue to take positive steps to take back your life. Legal Disclosure: Let’s Reverse Obesity.com and the Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast are meant for informational purposes and do not constitute medical, nutritional, dietary, therapeutic, or any other advice. Any information on this site or in the podcast reflects John’s or his guests views and experiences only. You should always consult with a medical doctor, nurse, or other certified health professional before starting any diet, exercise, or any kind of health plan.  

 025 Finding Answers The Struggle Continues | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 14:01

          Hello and welcome to the Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast. My name is John Bukenas and I have been losing and gaining weight for over 30 years.  Just last year I lost over 100 pounds.  And this year, I’ve gained it all back. I haven't produced a podcast in 331 days, or 10 months and 27 days, or 47 weeks and 2 days.  You get the picture, it’s been a long time. So what have I been doing?  Hiding. Hiding from myself, my friends, my family, hiding from you. But John, I see you on Facebook and twitter, You are posting all the time.  Was I posting or was I posing?  I was posing. Why was I hiding?  Because there was questions.  Those questions needed answers.  And I didn’t have any answers. In Episode 24 of this podcast I talked about lapse and relapse. I figured if I just talked about it I would correct the problem.  Well that didn’t work.  My issues got worse, my attitude got worse, and my life got worse. But i was use to this.  I’ve been allowing this life cycle for years. I just turn inward.  At the time, I thought it was weird to want to be by myself. Because I am my worst enemy.  When me and myself get together mayhem ensues.  We do everything we shouldn’t do.  We eat the wrong foods in the wrong amounts at the wrong times. It’s ok, no one is around.  Who’s gonna know? Well for one thing my clothes knew.  Because as I lost weight I threw all my bigger clothes away. Anyone with eyes knew I was up to my old tricks because I was getting bigger. See I live alone and me and myself we were on a tear.  If I couldn’t think of an excuse, myself had one.  Are you you wondering what I was doing while me and myself was creating mayhem?  I was just off in the distance.  He was yelling over. You know you shouldn't be doing that.  You are ruining all the work you have already done.  Then after the smoke cleared, when me and myself wore out.  I would come over and Woulda, Coulda, and Shoulda us.  I would really pour it on.  Just look at you.  Go ahead, look at you.  I don't think I have ever seen such a big pile of worthlessness and weakness.  You are a loser.  You have not one ounce of willpower. You know all about diet and exercise, you just spent a year losing over a hundred pounds and you’re going to put it all back on.  Just look at you.  You disgust me. Yea I was a real tool.  Me and myself hated I so we would just continue with the bad habits just for spite.  Hey I, look at this.  Me and myself are going to eat a bag full of Taco Bell and then eat a half gallon of ice cream for dessert. So I put the weight back on.  And you know what arthritis hates?  Excess weight.  So it was harder to do things.  Not just fun things, but life things like food shopping, cleaning and wash. But like everything on this journey I needed to do this.  I shouldn't have done it for this long.  Because it flushed out some issues. Issue Number 1.  I don't like myself. The reason I don't like myself is I’m horrible to me.  I wouldn't treat my worse enemy as bad as I treated myself.  It’s true, if others failed, I would console and comfort them, but me?  Oh no, failure was not an option. So it was like a snowball rolling down a hill.  The problems kept getting bigger and bigger. Issue Number 2.  I’m not perfect. There I said it.  I’m not perfect.  I make mistakes.  I have baggage.  I have a steamer trunk of issues from my past that still haunt me.  Most of those issues are self imposed but to me they are real. So when they finally invent that time machine I can go back and right all the wrongs.  Honestly, I thought Apple would have had the iMe machine out already but they're too busy making a watch computer that no one can see or work but that’s a topic for another podcast. So what was I going to do.  I couldn’t come on here and wah wah wah about my problems every week.  This is the Let’s reverse Obesity Podcast.  I’m still doing it!  Good Night everybody!!

 024 Lapses and Relapse | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 23:13

In this episode I come back and talk about what has been going on since October 7, 2013.  That was the date of my last Podcast.  And what and who started me back down the right path to continuing my journey. Oct 7th was my last podcast. Since the...

 023: Getting by With a Little Help From My Friends | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:01:56

In this episode I will be talking about drawing strength and motivation from others. And I have a Health Coach.  And you know me, I turned a coaching call into an interview with my health coach Nancy Walters.  And I’m excited to introduce her to you. Well like I said I have a health coach Nancy Walters.  Nancy completely transformed her life.  Nancy lost 90 pounds and is one of the most amazing women I have ever met.  Nancy has an internal strength and drive that amazes me.  Honestly, Nancy is a bad ass.  And Nancy knows “The Struggle.” nancy has successfully made the journey, and reclaimed her life   Nancy gave up her career and went back to school to study about health and nutrition and now Nancy wants to help others reclaim their lives. One of the things Nancy does is check my food diary on My Fitness Pal.  Well I wasn’t as diligent as I should be in logging my food.  Nancy and I go into it in more detail in our talk later in the episode but what it boils down to is honesty. You have to be honest with yourself.  Because, that’s where the answers are. I’ve talked about this before in earlier episodes but “Why” is one of the simplest and most powerful questions.  Why wasn’t I logging my food?  It was because I didn’t want others to know what I was eating.  Plain and simple, but for the coaching to work I need to be honest.  If I’m not honest then I’m wasting my time and worse, I’m wasting Nancy’s time. So I made a simple post on my profile wall over on My Fitness Pal. “Well I made a promise to log ALL food that I eat. Even those cookies I ate at 3:00am when I was looking and no one was looking. It's not the same as a tree falling in the woods. If you eat and no one is around.... The calories still count.

 022: Reversing Obesity with Reflection and Resetting my Plan | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 23:33

In this episode I will be discussing a new weight loss hypnosis app available for your iPhone I will also give you an update of where I have been in the last month and my plans for the future. But first, I want to tell you that This episode is sponsored by Zen Runner.  Zen Runner has the Slow Runners Club podcast about runners who do not have the need for speed.  Zen and his co-host Eddie Marathon talk about their love of running.  They travel all over and run in events and they tell all these great stories about their travels.  I’ll tell you what, they make me want to run. Yes, it makes me want to run. Not that I can run, because of my knees, but it makes me want to run. You can also follow Zen on Facebook and Twitter. I want to thank Zen for his contribution to the show. How to Become a Show Sponsor Now I put my content out there and it's pay what you think it's worth. If it's worth nothing, then pay nothing. If you believe it's worth something and you're tight on cash, hey, take it for free. But if you want to make a financial contribution then I would be grateful for your support. So after the last episode I installed a neat donation widget on the website where you could donate if you want.  Now this is the first time I am mentioning this widget.  Well I get an email that someone made a donation, out of the blue.  It was Zen.  I was shocked, and humbled. So as things in my life goes, the widget I used all of a sudden disappeared off of my site.  I guess programer the stopped supporting the widget and it “Poof” just disappeared. So I went back and found a Pay Pal Buy Button so if you want, you can become a show producer too.  I will announce all producers on the show.  All you have to do is go to the right side bar there is a virtual tip jar and you can pick an option and make a donation. But Zen was the first show sponsor and you know what they say, “You never forget your first.” Weight Loss Hypnosis App Yes there is an App for that.  I found a weight loss hypnosis App for my iphone I have been using this for the past few weeks.  Now I’m not too sure on how effective it is for weight loss, but what I will tell you if you have issues falling asleep at night this App is for you.  Most nights when I try to go to sleep my head is swimming with information.  My brain will not shut down.  But when I listen to this App I go out like a light.  They also say that even though you are asleep, that your subconscious is still listening and is processing the information. There is a free version and a paid version.  I recommend the paid version.  It’s only $2.99 and it unlocks some features.  The free version has a bit of a lengthy intro you can disable with the paid version.  That is worth the $2.99, trust me. This is right from the App’s website: “By changing your subconscious thoughts, the Lose Weight with Hypnosis app helps you lose weight permanently and easily. Studies show that by adding hypnosis to a weight loss program, participants lost more weight than those who didn’t receive hypnosis. And they kept it off, even years later. After listening to this app for just 20 minutes daily for one to three weeks, you’ll begin to notice how much you enjoy eating healthy food and exercising. And before you know it, you aren’t even trying to lose weight — it just happens naturally.” Now I have to be honest.  I haven’t hit that “Enjoy healthy food and Exercising” phase yet, but I do listen to this every night and it puts me into a very deep sleep.  The only thing I did notice was the other day I heard a bell ring and I barked like dog for a minute, but besides that I do recommend the App. (The barking like a dog statement was a joke) So I’m sure many of you have been wondering what’s up with John?  He puts out 3 weekly episodes in a row and takes a month’s vacation. One of the things I need to do is communicate better with you.  If I can get a podcast out, then I need to write a blog post,

 021: Cooking Up Tasty Habits with Kendra Kinnison The Habit Chef | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 50:44

This week I have a special guest.  I started listening to her podcast two weeks ago and I knew I had to introduce to you. I am very excited to introduce you to Kendra Kinnison.  Kendra is the Habit Chef. You can find her Habit Chef Podcast at Kendra Kinnison.com Kendra says, “To do more you must become more.” also a “Personal Habit Recipe is the key to a Life of Freedom and Purpose.” Actually, one of my listeners, Toni Sikkema, who has become a good friend, told me about your podcast.  And in passing, she sent me a text saying she was into the Habit Chef Podcast. Kendra used habits to change her own health. When I listened to Kendra’s podcast I immediately recognized how these habits could play a big role in weight loss. Some of Kendra's Podcast Topics: “Willpower is Worthless?” http://kendrakinnison.com/willpower-is-worthless/ “My Weakness is My Power? http://kendrakinnison.com/your-weakness-is-your-power/ “Learning How to Learn” http://kendrakinnison.com/hcp-019-learning-how-to-learn/ “Habit Snowball” http://kendrakinnison.com/episode3/ Kendra introduced me to the Lift App  Lift helps you track and achieve habits through data visualization, streaks, and community support. ... Get started on the web or download the App for iPhone or Android. My Progress: Third podcasts in as many weeks and I am eating a healthy breakfast and lunch and I did swim 3 days last week.  This week I’m adding drinking at least 64 oz of water a day to my Habit Snowball.  I also started a Private Let’s Reverse Obesity Facebook Group. So far I have seven members joined me.  If you would like to join us in this private group just message me on Facebook at facebook.com/john.bukenas The great thing is it’s the beginning of this group so we can build this together just the way we like it. Become a Show Producer If you would like to support the show financially without it costing you a penny I have a way.  On the right sidebar of the lets reverse obesity website there is a link to Amazon.com.  That is my affiliate link.  So if you were going to buy something from Amazon and you click my link to get there you get your products at the same low price and I earn a small commission on your purchase. Thank you for taking this journey with me.  I love it when you reach out and share your journey with me.  And If you haven’t, I just have one question, why not? Contact Me How to contact me with questions or comments Listener Feedback Line at 856-472-9833 If you have a computer with a microphone you can record a voice message right on the Let's Reverse Obesity Website. (Click the Send Voice Mail Tab on the Right Side of the Website) Leave a comment at the bottom of the show notes Follow me on twitter @johnbukenas Email me at John@letsreverseobesity.com (New) Let's Reverse Obesity Facebook page.  http://facebook.com/letsreversobesity.com So if you have any questions or comments don’t be shy, take yourself outside of your comfort zone and say hi. The Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast now has listeners in 46 countries worldwide! iTunes If you like the show and you haven't already could you do me a favor and use this link to go to iTunes, subscribe to this podcast and give me a review on what you think of the show. I have 24 reviews so far and they really help me move up in the rankings of other shows that deal with weight loss. Please don’t be shy.  I would love to say I’m up to 30 reviews by the next episode and you could help me reach that goal. The more positive reviews the show receives the higher the ranking in iTunes.  Which would make it easier for people who are looking for information, inspiration, and motivation to find us. (Me & You) Legal Disclosure: Let’s Reverse Obesity.com and the Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast are meant for informational purposes and do not constitute medical,

 020: Overcoming Excuses and Rationalizations | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 43:00

In this episode I discuss how excuses and rationalizations can be crippling your weight loss efforts.  And how you can overcome these obstacles. Also, there is now a private Let’s Reverse Obesity Facebook Group.  A place where we can motivate and su...

 019: Why Are We Like This? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 34:03

Why are we the way we are? Why do we accept the unacceptable, and not except what is acceptable? Mistakes, failures, setbacks are all acceptable. what is not acceptable is quitting but we seem to accept quitting because it stops our failures. “We can’t fail if we don’t try.” But that’s false, We only fail when we don’t try.” This episode was inspired by my youngest daughter Jessica. She kept asking me “Why?” Have you ever played the “Why?” Game? Drives you crazy, but that is where the answers are. Why are you in the condition you are in? Why do you eat the way you do? Why don’t you like to exercise? Why do we do the things we do? And if we answer all our why questions honestly then we can then make a plan to correct the why. Why do we always try that new diet that promises a large weight loss in a short amount of time? So we can lose the weight and go back to our old lifestyle. You mean the old lifestyle that got you in this condition in the 1st place? Does that make sense? No it doesn’t We need to totally reinvent ourselves. How long will this take? A month? Six months? A Year? 5 Years? I don’t know about you, but this is how I lost weight in the past. I would pick a diet plan and start exercising like a madman. I would just start cold turkey. Restrict my calorie intake, change the way I ate, and added a exercise routine my body was not use to handling. Boy isn’t that a recipe for success or what? The reason we are all in the condition we are in is because of our lifestyle and the habits and rituals we have. So basic logic dictates, if our habits and rituals are the cause of our condition or disease, then recovery will only come through changing those habits and rituals. My Lifestyle before: Jumped out of bed at the last possible moment and got ready for work. No time to make a healthy breakfast, but there was a Dunkin Donuts on the way to work that I just had enough time to swing in and get a large coffee with cream and sugar and a cinnamon raisin bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. Or sometimes I would have my Bagel with butter. Or sometimes I couldn’t decide so I would order both. If I went to McDonald’s then my order was 2 Sausage McMuffins with egg a hash brown and a medium coke because I hate McDonald’s coffee. Lunch was fast food or at a diner. My area have some of the best Diner’s in the world. And Dinner was fast food because I didn’t feel like cooking. By the time I returned home I was exhausted. I would plop in front of the TV and mindlessly watch anything remotely interesting and even shows that were not. Right before bed I would eat ice cream or anything with sugar and refined carbs. I would repeat that same habit or ritual everyday. Ingesting large quantities of food that were high in sugar, fat, and refined carbs and expending no energy by exercising. My job at the time was an office job so I was basically sedentary. Anyone still wondering why I was 10 pounds away from 500 pounds? So this is where the why comes into the picture. The why’s give you the answers to the How. Old Habit: Poor Eating Why don’t you eat a healthier breakfast? Because I don’t have time. Why? Because I don’t get up early enough. Why? Because I’m tired. Why? Because I don’t go to bed early enough. Bingo! New Habit: Go to bed earlier, get up earlier, make and eat a healthier breakfast and pack a healthier lunch. I can do this exercise with every issue I have. And every issue about an issue. Exercise: Exercise is not a habit yet. Why? I am not a fan of exercising. I try to exercise 3 times a week but something always stops me. Why? Because I don’t make it a priority. Why? Because it is an unpleasant activity. Plus it’s boring Why? Because it creates uncomfort and pain. Why? Pain due to previous injuries. I can drill down until I can make a plan and create a habit where exercise is not an unpleasant activity. And that could take some time.

 018: Interview with Sean Webb from the I Am Podcast | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:14:13

In this episode: I will be talking about where I have been and the direction of this show in the future. I will also be talking to Sean Webb from the I Am Podcast.  Ladies and Gentlemen wait to you listen to Sean.  You will be saying to yourself, "It can't be this easy?" But it is. Imagine if there was a simple explanation for how your brain handles your emotions?  Well actually there is. No matter what I write in these notes I will not be able to describe Sean's teachings.  So what I will do is give you links so you can go see for yourself. If you have issues with emotional eating, binge eating, anger management and any other emotions I strongly recommend you check out Sean's Mind, Body, Spirit 101 course.  It's free and I believe it to be Step One in any fat reduction program. If you understand his Body, Mind, Spirit diagram and what makes up the emotions that are sabotaging your progress, your way of eating and exercise will become much easier to maintain.  Here is the First Video in the series. http://youtu.be/7pOuX3HeqLs John Where Have You Been? I guess you have wondered where I have been.  Maybe you thought I have given up?  If you are following me in real time it's been a month and a week since my last show.  If you discover this show later you won't realize there was a break in the show. The reason is because I needed to work through some issues and see what works.  To be honest I think I might have jumped the gun on starting this show and I will tell you why. I started this podcast to document my weight loss journey and for accountability. The funny thing was, as you know if you have been listening, is I hit many road blocks along the way and I had to research and troubleshoot my program. I had to learn to fail. I also had to learn that just because I failed or my plan failed I was not a failure. In episode 14 I talked about the 6 steps needed to make a change. Change does not always flow forward. At times you can move back and forth through these steps.  So this show, in my mind, started to become pressure. Because I am not perfect. Because I don't have all the answers. Because I needed to troubleshoot myself before I could tell you what was working and what was not, for me. So I had to rethink the format of this show. There are two totally different aspects to this show The information and news about reversing obesity. My personal struggle with obesity. So this is how I decided to handle the format of the show. To be honest I am borrowing the idea from Heather Robinson from the Half Size Me Podcast. The show that is "Let's Reverse Obesity" will be a weekly show available by Friday. The show will deal with information and news about obesity. I will also answer any questions or share and feedback and success stories I recieve from you. I will also from time to time interview people who I find and want to introduce to you. Like Holly Jordan Rose from the blog 300 pounds down. Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin who writes the blog Make Peace With Food and produces one of my favorite podcasts Win The Diet Wars And today Sean Webb from the I Am Podcast. This show will be produced weekly and ready for you by Friday. The show will be at least a 30 minute show. That is a promise. I will also start a audio blog. The audio blog will be about my journey. I will discuss my issues and how I am handling them. If I am struggling I will talk about what is going on. It will be about me and "The Struggle" that we are all going through. The audio blog will not have a set schedule. The audio blog will not have a set length. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.  I really appreciate you spending some time with me. And as always, I would love to hear about your progress. Contact Me How to contact me with questions or comments

 017: Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin Interview Coping Skills, Binge Eating, and Food Addition | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:08:03

In this episode I have the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin is a psychoanalyst and licensed psychotherapist who specializes in helping people stop dieting and start living their best lives. Dr. Nina's blog Make Peace With Food was named a Best Eating Disorder Blog by Healthline and nominated as Best Health Blog in 2012. Dr, Nina also has a podcast, and you know how I love a good podcast. Her Podcast Win The Diet Wars is on my must listen list. Hi everyone, I'm back.  I know you think I have been on vacation. But that's not true.  I have been working on episode 17 for 4 weeks.  In fact I have recorded 5 episodes.  But I didn't release them because after listening to them they didn't make sense.  There was something off. Things were going well, I was cruising on the Leanness University's Lifestyle 180 program.  I was doing great.  Then a series of life issues made the whole thing come off the tracks. I had 2 potential jobs fall through A relationship relapse, then collapse. There was a part of the Lifestyle 180 program that I deemed restrictive so I just shut down and quit. Yea it was a complete car wreck.  Then it hit me.  I don't know what to do with my feelings. My whole life when ever I had feelings I suppressed them. I suppressed them with food. Guys are not suppose to have feelings. We're tougher than that.  Feelings are for chicks! And when all those feelings started I had no Idea what to do and how to handle them.  I just wanted to eat.  So I thought, I must be a food addict.  There must be something in sugar and wheat that when I eat it, I can't stop eating it.  So I knew that's where I had to focus my efforts.  I was thinking about going to a 12 step program called food addicts anonymous.  I was researching how food addiction and binge eating were different if they were different at all.  The more I researched the more something just didn't feel right. Homework Assignment: Please listen to Dr. Nina's Podcast "The 'F' Word" Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.  I really appreciate you spending some time with me. And as always, I would love to hear about your progress. Contact Me How to contact me with questions or comments Listener Feedback Line at 856-472-9833 If you have a computer with a microphone you can record a voice message right on the Let's Reverse Obesity Website. (Click the Send Voice Mail Tab on the Right Side of the Website) Leave a comment at the bottom of the show notes Follow me on twitter @johnbukenas Email me at John@letsreverseobesity.com (New) Let's Reverse Obesity Facebook page. (New) Google+ Page So if you have any questions or comments don’t be shy, take yourself outside of your comfort zone and say hi. The Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast now has listeners in 37 countries worldwide! iTunes If you like the show and you haven't already could you do me a favor and use this link to go to iTunes, subscribe to this podcast and give me a review on what you think of the show. I now have 20 reviews so far Thank you to Shrink222 your review. The reviews really help  move the show up in the rankings of other shows that deal with weight loss. Please don’t be shy.  I would love to say I’m up to 20 reviews by the next episode and you could help me reach that goal. The more positive reviews the show receives the higher the ranking in iTunes.  Which would make it easier for people who are looking for information, inspiration, and motivation to find us. (Me & You) Legal Disclosure: Let’s Reverse Obesity.com and the Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast are meant for informational purposes and do not constitute medical, nutritional, dietary, therapeutic, or any other advice. Any information on this site or in the podcast reflects John’s or his guests views and experiences only. You should always consult with a medical doctor, nurse,

 016: You Got Peanut Butter in My Food Addiction | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 35:15

In this episode I begin to talk a long hard look at my food addiction.  Food addiction is as real as any other addiction.  I've used my addiction to relieve my emotions.  So I have never really felt my emotions.  I would use food to make me feel better...

 015: Interview with Holly Jordan Rose from 300 Pounds Down | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:05:41

In this episode I have an interview with Holly Jordan Rose from the blog 300 pounds down.com.  Holly is an amazing woman.  Holly is open and honest about every topic she writes about. I am a huge fan of Holly’s blog and I’m excited to introduce her to you. Holly also moderates a Facebook Christian weight loss support group called Weigh to Victory Holly and I talk about her weight loss journey. How Holly deals with her sugar addiction. Lee Jordan (Holly's Brother) can be found on twitter @30sectovictory Video of Lee Jordan's Journey http://youtu.be/KqJx9kvmilk Beth Jordan (Holly's Sister in Law)can be found on twitter @bethtrains4life Beth's website is http://www.crosstrainfitnessbybeth.com/ My Progress My last weigh in was 400.8 pounds, Right now I am at 389.5 pounds That’s a 11.3 pound total loss Still in the Lifestyle 180 program and things are getting for familiar. I still need to do a better job at weight training.  It still feels awkward. But my cravings are just about gone and the ones I have are controllable and I truly believe it’s because I have changed my way of eating from whole foods and eliminating sugar and gluten.  Now I know my friend Lainie is saying,  “I told you to do this months ago.” and Lainie was right, I just wasn’t ready to accept those restrictions, but I am now. I will not give in or give up. If you want to check out the Leanness Lifestyle University go to Let’s Reverse Obesity.com and click on the link and since I’m an affiliate you will get the same low price and I will receive a commission that helps with the costs of producing this podcast. Now do me a favor, if you are not 100% committed to losing weight don’t join.  It’s not for someone who is wishy washy.  This plan is not easy, it take commitment, but it is going to be so worth it.  But if you are ready, I highly recommend the Lifestyle 180 Program. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.  I really appreciate you spending some time with me. And as always, I would love to hear about your progress. Contact Me How to contact me with questions or comments Listener Feedback Line at 856-472-9833 If you have a computer with a microphone you can record a voice message right on the Let's Reverse Obesity Website. (Click the Send Voice Mail Tab on the Right Side of the Website) Leave a comment at the bottom of the show notes Follow me on twitter @johnbukenas Email me at John@letsreverseobesity.com (New) Let's Reverse Obesity Facebook page.  http://facebook.com/letsreversobesity.com So if you have any questions or comments don’t be shy, take yourself outside of your comfort zone and say hi. The Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast now has listeners in 31 countries worldwide! iTunes If you like the show and you haven't already could you do me a favor and use this link to go to iTunes, subscribe to this podcast and give me a review on what you think of the show. I have 13 reviews so far and they really help me move up in the rankings of other shows that deal with weight loss. Please don’t be shy.  I would love to say I’m up to 20 reviews by the next episode and you could help me reach that goal. The more positive reviews the show receives the higher the ranking in iTunes.  Which would make it easier for people who are looking for information, inspiration, and motivation to find us. (Me & You) Legal Disclosure: Let’s Reverse Obesity.com and the Let’s Reverse Obesity Podcast are meant for informational purposes and do not constitute medical, nutritional, dietary, therapeutic, or any other advice. Any information on this site or in the podcast reflects John’s or his guests views and experiences only. You should always consult with a medical doctor, nurse, or other certified health professional before starting any diet, exercise, or any kind of health plan.

 014: Are You Ready For Change | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 36:18

NEDAwareness Week - February 24th to March 2nd This year's NEDAwareness Week theme is "Everybody Knows Somebody" because awareness of eating disorders is certainly spreading. Last year, NEDAwareness Week registrants spanned all 50 states and 30 other countries. We hope to have another record-breaking year in 2013, and have everyone commit to doing just one thing! The aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses - not choices - and it's important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder. NEDA asks everyone to do just one thing to help raise awareness and provide accurate information about eating disorders. NEDAwareness Week participants can choose from a huge range of ways to get involved: Distribute info pamphlets and put up posters, write one letter for Media Watchdogs, register as a Volunteer Speaker or host a Volunteer Speaker, post information on Facebook or arrange interactive and educational activities such as a meditation and yoga event, panel discussions, fashion shows, movie screenings, art exhibits and more. As an official NEDAwareness Week participant you can be involved in any way that works with your schedule, resources, community, and interests.These events and activities are vital to attracting public media attention - on local, national and international levels. National Eating Disorders Association Are You Ready For Change? I guess my first question is, “Are You Ready For This?” To lose weight you have to change.  Change your eating habits, change you exercise habits, change your basic perception of what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, and why you eat. I use to think that all I needed to do was figure out what I wanted and plan to “Git R Done.” But it’s not that simple. If everything was alright with your weight you wouldn't need to change, right? For the longest time I waited for that miracle pill, or maybe someone would come up with a procedure just to suck out all the fat and I wouldn't have to change a thing. Because I loved to eat, and I loved to eat high carbohydrate, high fat foods.  That’s the good stuff, right? Ice Cream tastes better than broccoli, Pizza tastes better than grilled chicken breast, and pudding tastes better than a cucumber.  There I said it. The problem is your body can’t burn all those calories, but the body is also like the government at tax time.  It want to hold on all those calories even if it doesn't need them. It turns these calories into fat.  And if the body is good at one thing, it’s storing calories as fat. So there comes a day that you look in a mirror or you look at a picture of yourself and say, “Oh my God, am I that fat?”  Of course the answer is yes.  “I need to go on a Diet.” So you want to change.  But do you know how? And did you know that there are basically Six Stages of Change? James Prochaska identified six stages which characterize any behavioral change. Understanding these six stages of change can help you achieve your goals. Step 1: Precontemplation: Precontemplation is the period you are in before you realize you need to change. When you tell yourself you are the healthiest fat person in the world It’s not an issue I can still do everything I want. I can still walk, run a little, work, play with the kids Yes I sweat a lot but I drink a lot of water so it has to go somewhere. Basically you are in denial. And that is not the river that runs through Egypt. You are living with a problem, but you refuse to acknowledge the problem Others can see the problem, but not you.  It’s not that bad, you can handle it. But then things start to happen. You can’t do everything you could do before. You can’t run anymore. You can’t play with the kids.

 013: Don’t be Afraid to Fail | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 21:18

In this episode I want you to embrace your failures. We all fail, and guess what, failure can be good if you refuse to let the failure define you. It’s time to rethink our thoughts. Avoid the negative self talk and stay positive. Everything before the “But” is B.S. And I will give you an update on my progress. I am a Failure! Failure is an odd thing.  I cannot think of one thing that people resist more, feel worse about, deny more or avoid like the plague; then failure. Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10000 ways that won't work.” Think about it, every time you have failed at something you have learned a lesson that may last a lifetime. Not only have you not made that mistake again but you have most likely have helped others not make the same mistake. So since you have, “Been there, done that” you have been able to move on and not make that mistake again.  That’s quite a feat! So why do we resist failure? When you do something for the first time, you will sometimes fail. When you are trying your hardest, you will sometimes fail. When you do everything right, you will sometimes fail. When you do something you’re afraid of or nervous about, you will sometimes fail. When you’re reaching beyond your comfort level, you will sometimes fail. When everyone is watching, you will sometimes fail. The greatest failures can lead to the greatest successes. If you embrace your failures as a learning tool. Always try your hardest no matter how many times you have tried and failed in the past. If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right - Henry Ford If you fail, own it! Failure is acceptable, denying the responsibility for failure will prevent you from doing an honest analyst of the failure. Don’t pass the buck Don’t make excuses Edit the process Review the steps that lead to the failure Look for where changes can be made in the process to avoid the failure. Make those changes Get back on the wagon Take those changes and try again Trust your process, don’t be afraid to fail again. Give it your 100% effort And if you fail again, start the process all over again No one wants or plans to fail. Failure happens more than we want to admit. If we quit every time we fail, we rob ourselves of the success we will never have. Time to Rethink Our Thoughts I don’t know about you, but I am my worst critic.  If I’m doing something and it’s not up to my satisfaction I can really beat myself up over the results. Even this Podcast.  There have been times when I have recorded and edited the whole episode and before I release it to you I give it one last listen.  And if I wouldn’t listen to it, I won’t make you listen.  I know I have scrapped at least 3 whole episodes because I don’t like the quality. I was the same way with my past weight loss plans.  If I didn’t have a perfect day I would really beat myself up and worse yet I would give myself an excuse to quit. Why did I eat that?  What is with you?  Don’t you have any willpower? No wonder you can’t lose weight.  You might as well except the fact you will always be this way because you are a failure. The you would give yourself permission to quit. Another scenario, you have been doing great on your weight loss plan.  You are eating healthy, exercising and that stupid scale will not move. What do I have to do to lose weight?  I’ve done everything right and I’m still not losing weight.  It must be me.  I just can’t lose weight.  My body holds onto fat like a pitbull on a spare tire.  It just won’t let go.  This is useless. Why Bother? It’s time to reframe our thoughts. Last episode I talked about instant gratification as a bad thing.  Well it also could be a good thing. We are suckers for instant gratification. Let’s face it, losing weight and getting in shape takes time. Instead of focusing on the scale,

 012: Too Fat or Not Too Fat? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 37:56

In this episode of lets reverse obesity I want to talk about the Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie he was on the  Late Night with David Letterman show. Governors Christie’s appearance started a firestorm of controversy about the Governors ability to do his job because of his weight. I also want to talk about giving in to Instant Gratification and the remorse it brings. I also have an update on my weight loss progress. Governor Christie On David Letterman Gov Christie is a New Jersey guy, he love Bruce Springsteen and admitted that he is a fan of David Letterman.  So I’m sure he was excited about the appearance.  I’m sure he wanted to be entertaining.  It’s just natural, but for the many of you who do not know the Governor of the Great state of New Jersey Christopher James "Chris" Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician who is the 55th and current Governor of New Jersey, serving since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Christie became the first Republican to win a statewide election in New Jersey in 12 years. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Christie is the graduate of the University of Delaware and Seton Hall University School of Law. In 1987 Christie worked as a lawyer in private practice before he was elected as a Freeholder of Morris County, New Jersey, where he served from 1995 to 1998. In 1998 Christie registered as a lobbyist, working for the legal representation firm Dughi, Hewit & Palatucci. President George W. Bush appointed Christie as the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey in 2002, serving in that position until his resignation 2008. In January 2009, Christie filed as a candidate for Governor of New Jersey. He won the Republican Primary with 55% of the vote, and defeated incumbent Governor John Corzine, with 48% of the vote in the general election. Christie, who was seen as possible candidate in the 2012 Presidential Election but declined to run, delivered the keynote address at the 2012 Republican National Convention. http://youtu.be/EUay-MaIbmE Instant Gratification Some times instant gratification turns into regret. I was doing so well on my weight loss program.  I was at 409 pounds It was the lowest I had weighed in years. Saturday night was also my poker league. When we play poker there is food, and not the most healthiest food. I've been here before, I have been tripped up in the past. So this time I ate before I went to play poker and I really wanted stay on plan. It's like a prize fight.  In the early rounds I was doing well. I had my guard up.  I went for the roast pork without a roll, steered clear of the chips and the buffalo dip. But then I took my first hit.  The Tyson Honey Barbecue Wings. Well it is chicken, I'll only have three. Then I got knocked out of the tournament on the first hand of the final table.  I was a little depressed and annoyed, so who was there to comfort me? You guessed it Tyson Chicken Wings!  I ended up eating another seven, and a few brownies....  Ok a lot of brownies. Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday, I was invited to a party. I never made it to the gym. I wanted to make sure I was in control so I ate dinner before I went so I wasn't so hungry. The Fight starts as soon as I walk in the door.  The bell rings and round one begins. There was a hoagie tray and I took the roll off and ate the meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Not bad, then the appetizers came out.  You know what I don't even know what they were but they were good. Next thing I know I'm on the ropes and my opponent, binge eating, has me in the corner and I can't defend my self. After a horrible weekend of poor eating the scale is like your bookie after a bad weekend of gambling.  You know you have to face him, you don't want to face him, and you know it's going to cost you. I step on the scale. 414.6 pounds....  Are you kidding me! 5.6 pounds! In two days!

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