Let's Reverse Obesity with John Bukenas

In this episode I challenge you to venture outside your comfort zone.  It seems that every time I challenge myself positive things happen.  I also talk about starting the Lifestyle 180 Program from the Leanness Lifestyle University.  And I have listener feedback from my My Fitness Pal friend Toni.  I will also update you on my weight loss progress. What is the Definition of a Comfort Zone? Comfort zone - the temperature range (between 28 and 30 degrees Centigrade or 82.4 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit) at which the naked human body is able to maintain a heat balance without shivering or sweating. Not the definition I was looking for but I found that information interesting so I wanted to share. It can also mean a situation or position in which a person feels secure, comfortable, or in control. A person's personality can be described by his or her comfort zones. Highly successful persons may routinely step outside their comfort zones, to accomplish what they wish. A comfort zone is a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries. Such boundaries create an unfounded sense of security. A person who has established a comfort zone in a particular area of their life, will tend to stay within that zone without stepping outside of it. To step outside a comfort zone, a person must experiment with new and different behaviours, and then experience the new and different responses that then occur within their environment. Over time we develop habits, these habits turn into routines, daily routines.  We form these from past experiences.  Something we learned, something that worked or didn’t work in the past help us form these habits or routines.  As we go through life we might even forget why or how we come to have these habits but they make us comfortable. I’ll use myself as an example. And as I look back, every time I took myself outside my comfort zone, something positive happen. Sure it can be scary, We are in uncharted waters.  We know what we want to do, but sometimes our past experiences hold us back. Honestly, most of the negativity is in your head. It’s a reflexion of what you think of yourself. I am guilty of it.  I did it. Has your comfort zone got you in this condition and is it will keeping you there? I’m here to challenge you to go outside your comfort zone.  Make a lofty goal and then make a plan to reach it.  And when that plan doesn't work, figure out what went wrong, and make a new plan. Listener Feedback: I received a voicemail from my “My Fitness Pal” friend Toni. She has done an amazing job of losing weight and has set a goal of running a half marathon. She has asked me a question on what I think the medical community should be doing to help people suffering from obesity besides bariatric surgery? I want them to come up with an alternative, less invasive plan to deal with obesity. So what plan is that?  Right now are there any tried and true programs offered by the medical community? Well I’m not a doctor, or a therapist and I don’t play one on TV, but if you want to know what my plan would be to treat the problem not the symptoms. Weight gain is the symptom of something else. Is it emotional, physical, environmental? Everyone is different. You basically need a team.  You need a doctor, a therapist, a nutritionist, and a physical therapy trainer to diagnose and then set up treatment. The problem is no one seems to want to work together. Then we need the government to pressure the insurance companies to pay for these treatments. Stop hiding behind the term “experimental treatment” and Stop separating mental health from health insurance. Honestly, it’s one in the same. Trying to get the insurance company to cover the cost is like watching a magic act.  There is misdirection, sleight of hand and smoke and mirrors going on at the same time.

This weeks episode deals with a very sensitive topic.  Is it acceptable to make fun of or embarrass obese people until the taunting becomes so bad they only way to stop it is to lose weight? I read an article this week. A Case for Shaming Obese People, Tastefully I have a real problem with this article.  This article, and a bunch of articles about the same editorial, took one little snippet from the editorial and sensationalized that snippet as a call to action. “Let’s shame fat people into losing weight.” Hey everyone I hate to break the news to you this practice of shaming and discrimination doesn’t need to start because it has never stopped. I dealt with shaming in school I dealt with shaming in the workplace The point is I hated the fact I had to take that abuse. But did it motivate me to lose weight? NO! We only have two responses to an attack, fight or flight. I couldn’t fight anymore so I had to avoid the situation. Even now I have to deal with people, total strangers, who think it’s funny to say something to me about my weight in public. It’s never easy to deal with and I don’t want the public to get the idea that it would be an accepted practice. The original editorial was written by Daniel Callahan, Phd. the editorial Obesity: Chasing an Elusive Epidemic The editorial had some good points Right now the obesity epidemic is getting worse Nothing seems to be working to slow down the epidemic If we educate children and parents on obesity and build healthy habits at a young age it could start to reverse obesity in the future I agree with Dr. Callahan that we need to educate the children and the parents on diet and exercise.  We also need to educate the population in general it’s easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle than trying to lose a significant amount of weight. I’m not as hopeful that government or the medical community as a whole will do anything to help.  Not because they don’t want to, but because they don’t know how. I honestly feel we have been cast off by the medical community to fend for ourselves Your medical insurance will not cover the treatment of obesity.  They call it “Experimental Treatment” and it is not covered. Drug and alcohol abuse has a better treatment program. The answer is out there, the information is out there, all you need is motivation and the perseverance to not quit. I hope I motivated you to start living a healthier lifestyle or continue to keep living one. 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 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) I would love to listen to you! Listener Feedback (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 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,

In This Episode: How a Positive Attitude is so important in meeting your weight loss Goals Why do we continue to overeat? And what can we do to stop. My Progress: Last week’s weight was 415 Today’s weight is 413 That a 2 pound loss I am still having issues with binge eating The difference is on how I handle my post binge. I no longer beat myself up post binge I analyze the facts without emotion and figure what I will do differently next time. I don’t starve myself or over exercise to make up for the binge It becomes an out of body experience. I feel at the time I’m powerless to do anything about it. Like an addict, I do it alone. As much as I want to control this I have to be honest, it still is a huge problem for me. If you have a problem with binge eating I highly recommend Alen Standish’s website and Podcast Quit Binge Eating.  Alen also has a free news letter he sends out on binge eating.  I listen to every episode. Attitude is Everything: I was found this wonderful website Coach Calorie.com is run by a husband and wife team Tony and Deanna Schober. They share their passion for living a healthy lifestyle. They write about health and fitness, and give you advice and tips to help you reach your ultimate goal of healthy and fit.  Tony is a certified personal trainer, and Deanna is a certified nutrition consultant, and an all-around health and fitness enthusiast. And it really hit home with me.  Because I see the change a positive attitude made in my weight loss mindset. Your attitude towards your diet and exercise program is monumental for your success. Having a self-defeating, negative attitude will give you a hundred reasons to give up and most of us only need one. A negative attitude is self-defeating, it focuses on diet and exercise as something you HAVE to do, it’s deprivation and maybe even a punishment. A negative attitude makes you want to give up because you never believed you could do it in the first place. A positive attitude keeps you focused on how great you feels and all the positives that eating healthy and exercising brings you. A positive attitude gives you reasons to continue. A positive attitude never questioned for a minute that you’re capable of success, even after a so-called failure. This is exactly why the mental aspect of health and fitness is so incredibly important. Positivity is essential to staying on track and changing your life for good. Negativity will pull you down until you can’t sustain your habits anymore. Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. - Oscar Wilde You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space. - Johnny Cash Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time. - George Bernard Shaw A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them. - John C. Maxwell So why do we keep overeating?  Why can’t we quit junk food? Is it simply because we lack willpower? Are there other factors? Is there factors that we are missing that help fuel the urge to overeat? “Junk Food” Listen to the name! Although fast food is widely criticized for its high calorie content and perceived poor quality, it is eaten by millions of people every year. Calorically rich and Nutrient sparse. Economically priced Speed and efficiency of service Brand familiarity Geared towards children. “Happy Meal” Toy inside Play place Your eating, but you're not giving the body what it needs. Your body is still craving vitamins and nutrients You ever find yourself bingeing on lean protein, bag of apples or salad? You’re giving the body what it wants.

On today's episode I will give you an update on my progress I will also be discussing setting weight loss goals. Talk about an USA Today Article - Weight-loss tips: 25 ways to lose weight, keep it off  My progress report:  Last week I weighed in at 416.3 This week my weight is 415.0 That's a 1.3  pound loss Any weight loss during the holiday season is a win for me. Now it’s time to recommit and get back to work. Setting Weight Loss Goals - USA Today Article Set a realistic weight-loss goals. One-half a pound to 2 pounds a week is about right. Goals should be S.M.A.R.T. SPECIFIC – To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions. Who: Who is involved? What: What do I want to accomplish? Where: Where will I exercise. When: Establish a time frame. Which: Identify requirements and constraints. Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. MEASURABLE – A goal without a measurable outcome is just a pipedream. Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. Define your goals in measurable amounts: ATTAINABLE – When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills and develop routines to reach them. A reachable goal is one you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want! REALISTIC & RATIONAL – To reach your goal, you will need a plan, a path and a vehicle for getting there. Your goals must make sense. When you share them with others, your goals should create excitement, draw support and encouragement. Your goals should just be out of reach, but not out of sight! You want to stretch to be your best, not strain after impossible dreams. Set goals you CAN and WILL achieve. Yes you will lose fast in the beginning. Don’t expect to keep up that pace. To Lose one pound you have to eats 3,500 calories less than you burn. 7,000 calories to lose 2 pounds. You can’t do it just by reducing calories. Information is Power Yes you can have success in the beginning by doing somethings. Cut out sugar Cut Back on Alcohol Stop eating fast food Walking or exercising everyday But if you do not educate yourself you will plateau, become frustrated, defeated and quit. Calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) Calories you need to maintain your bodily functions at rest Add your Activity Factor to calculate your Daily Energy Expenditure (Harris Benedict Equation) You know that if you are a 52 year old woman who is 5’ 3,” and weighs 198 pounds Your BMR is 1,568 calories If you have little to no exercise you need 1,882 calories daily to maintain your weight If you do a low intense exercise program 1 to 3 times a week you need 2,156 calories daily to maintain your weight If you do a medium intense exercise program 1 to 3 times a week you need 2,430 calories daily to maintain your weight. When I started this 2 years ago I was 49, 6’0” and weighed 490 pounds.  My BMR was a whopping 3,700 calories and with no activity I needed 4,400 calories just to maintain my weight.  What was I eating to gain weight...  Everything! Once you know it you can’t unknow it! It will be in the back of your mind. TIMELY & TANGIBLE – A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there is no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? „Someday will not work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe by July 31?, and then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal. Keep track of what you consume. Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, research shows. There are so many free websites and smartphone applications to help you track your calorie intake and exercise there is no reason not to be using one. My Fitness Pal

On todays episode I will give you and update on my progress and some listener feedback I will also be discussing Mindful Eating vs Mindless Eating. How Meditation can Calm the Savage Beast that is Your Primal Urge to Mindlessly Eat Mending Fences...

In This Episode I'm still working my plan from last week so I'll give you an update I had an Ahh ha moment And I have an interview with Alen Standish from Quit Binge Eating.com I started new healthy routines this week I got the idea from Daniel & Vanessa Hayes from Simple Life Together.com I planned my meals I made a Grocery list I went to the store and shopped from my list (Nothing that was not on the list accidently fell into the cart) Food was prepared so it was readily available I logged every meal on My Fitness Pal My gym bag was immediately repacked and set by the door Next time I went out of the apartment I put the gym bag back in my truck I stepped on the scale on Sunday morning and I was 427 I gained 9 pounds I didn't panic, I just went to work Every Morning, when I woke up I would consciously commit to my goals of following my new routine. And when I stepped back on the scale this morning I was 420 pounds. Although I still had very strong urges to Binge eat late at night - I was fighting them off, but the next one was worse than the last and I knew I had to find some way of making these urges lessen or go away or I'd be crying, "I fell of the wagon again." Honestly, we have heard that story enough on here already. I started researching how to stop binge eating That's when I had my Ah ha moment. It was binge eating that was what sabotaged my past diets And what make me want to binge? Dieting! I was stuck in a yo yo diet loop Diet, have success early, binge, feel like a failure, embarrassment, self hate, quit. That's why I was terrified of gastric bypass surgery.  If I had the surgery, I couldn't binge. In fact, if you listens to Episodes 1 through 4 of this podcast it's a diet failure mini series. That's when I found Alen Standish and his blog and podcast about his fight with binge eating. I contacted Alen and he agreed to come on the show and talk about his fight with Binge eating. Show Links: Quit Binge Eating Learn to Meditate Simple Life Together My Fitness Pal Listener Feedback (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 this post Follow me on twitter @johnbukenas Email me at John@letsreverseobesity.com (New) Let's Reverse Obesity Facebook page.  http://facebook.com/letsreversobesity.com Thank you if you went to iTunes and left a show review.  And 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.   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.

Show Notes for Episode 005: Starting and Maintaining Healthy Routines. In today's episode: Aspartame - What is it? Is it safe? And how much aspartame have we ingested already? Routines - Everyone has a routine. Are your routines healthy or are they sabotaging your progress? I'm starting a new monthly Podcast in January!  I'm real excited about the format Aspartame: Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981 It is one of the most studied food substances ever. Is it safe? Pro Aspartame:Aspartame.org - "Following the approval of aspartame, even more extensive further research has been conducted and will support its safety for the general population. In fact, aspartame has been tested for over three decades in over 200 studies, with the same result: Aspartame is safe." Con Aspartame:    - Aspartame: The REAL Story - "Obviously, despite a plethora of web sites reassuring the consumer that aspartame is not a dangerous product, the safety of this artificial sweetener should still be questioned. There are just as many web pages dedicated to informing the public about the danger of aspartame and its negative effects as there are in support of it. Most likely, scientists will never agree on whether or not it is truly dangerous. Perhaps the best way to approach aspartame would be to avoid it altogether, instead of risking one’s health just to cut back on a few calories." Dr. Russell Blaylock: Brought this controversy to my attention by an advertisement link on Facebook.  The link was titled, " Know these Warning Signs Protect your brain from Memory Loss, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Dementia."  My Grandfather was stricken with Alzheimer's and it was horrible to watch him suffer and die from this disease. So anytime I see an article on this subject I give it a read because even at 51 from time to time I have what I call "Senior Brain Lock Up,"  where I can see someone's face or a place in my mind, but there is a disconnect from my mind to my mouth.  This link is a 30 minute advertisement for Dr. Blaylock's Newsletter, but it has so much information that I listened to the whole 30 minutes. I went to You Tube.com and searched for more video's by Dr. Blaylock and found one that is an hour long and I also listened to the whole hour long presentation.  I think most of you will find this interesting too. Dr. Russell Blaylock talks about Excitotoxins in food In 1985, they found that aspartame converted  to formaldehyde (even while stored in the can or bottle), the National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) recommended to the FDA that “aspartame NOT be approved for use by people in soda.” Aspartame is lost at higher storage temperatures (especially above 86 degrees), causing an increase in the amount of formaldehyde in the beverage. An increased presence of formaldehyde in the body has been found to cause negative side effects such as “headaches, joint pain, memory loss, numbness, tinnitus, hearing loss, vision problems, weight gain, rashes, seizures, fatigue, muscle spasms or dizziness, asthma or chest tightness.” I have many of those side effects. Is it from consuming Aspartame?  There is no way to know for sure. So How much of this have we already consumed? Are we letting our children eat products that contain aspartame? Will we continue to consume Aspartame? I think I'm done. Routines: We all have them, but are yours sabotaging your weight loss progress? Having issues sticking to you weight loss and exercise program.  I know I am. It might be because I lack a healthy routine. I have a routine, I get up, get ready and go to my neighborhood Dunkin Donuts for coffee.  I don't want to make a half a pot of coffee just for one cup.  Then while I'm out for the day, I "try" and find a healthy lunch to eat. And when I come home for dinner who wants to cook for only one? So I tried, unsuccessfully,

Let's Reverse Obesity Episode 004 - Quitting Why do we quit our weight loss plan? Is our motivation external (for others) or internal (for Ourselves) When we feel like quitting our support group can be a savior. What, you don't have a support group, why? Try these sites: My Fitness Pal Lose it! Weight Watchers Spark People When you are fighting the same fight as others you become brothers and sisters in arms. Don't Quit... Recommit!  

Let's Reverse Obesity Episode 003 - Where the Rubber Hits the Road In this episode I will be reading listener feedback, yes! I have listeners! I will be talking about my challenges during the week How to relieve the pressure by giving myself a Permission to Cheat Meal I will be explaining how I put weightloss into easy layman’s terms. I want to also talk about how the scale becomes a de-motivator to weight loss Listener Feedback Line at 856-472-9833 Email: john @letsreverseobesity.com

This Episode I will be covering: 1. How I eased into my program this time instead of jumping in head first. 2. Also I have a Backslide Confession to tell you about 3. And the planning stage of my weight loss program, and how I plan to navigate the pitfalls of past failures so I don’t allow them to derail my future progress. I will be sharing my Goals, the goals I’m setting for myself and my plan of action to obtain those goals. 4. And I also want to talk about something I’m dealing with right now “the dreaded plateau.” I also battle my subconscious right on the show. Is the scale a big reason why people give up on weight loss after a month or two?  Can using a scale for accountability be deceiving and counterproductive your weight loss progress? Could NSV’s (Non Scale Victories) be a better measure of success? John’s Goals - My ultimate goal is to lose 200 pounds, but that’s going to take a very long time so I need to break my goal down into segments. I want to lose 25 pounds by November 22nd (Thanksgiving) and I want to weight 375 pounds by December 31st. I also want to walk in a 5k event in February. Action Plan - Plan all my meals 1 week ahead of time. Go to the gym every other day and walk at least 30 minutes and do weight training 3 times a week.   Check on my friends progress and daily. Cheering their successes and support their missteps so they can get back on track and reach out to my friends when I need support. Honestly log in my food intake and exercise progress even if it is not favorable.  Total disclosure.  I will update my weight once a week and I will do 1 podcast a week to talk about the week's issues, good or bad. foundation of my weight loss success has 4 elements. Diet Exercise Support Accountability Knowing how to bust through weight loss Plateaus. Calculate your BMR Way to contact John Email john@letsreverseobesity.com Listener voice mail 856-472-9833

Hello everyone and welcome to Let's Reverse Obesity the  Show about my journey and the journey of others on reversing obesity. I have been battling my weight my whole life.  Kinda like the song. I fought the fat and the fat won! Together as a community we can use every tool at our disposal to keep focused on our goal. Tools? What tools?  Well lets start with the internet, social media. We can use Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. There are fantastic Apps - My Fitness Pal, Lose it, Runkeeper If you are not on My Fitness Pal.com or Lose it.com right now you need to do that today!  It tracks your food intake, and your exercise.  There are groups for every type of person and amount of weight you need to lose. Dr. Mike Evans Video - 23 1/2 Hours Call me at 856-472-9833 or email me at john@letsreverseobesity.com Let’s come together here and motivate each other. Well that’s today’s show, hope you enjoyed it, if so please go to iTunes and subscribe to this podcast.  And if you could, take some time and please fill out a review on itunes. Goodbye everyone and have a great and healthy week!