Filed under: Inspiration
I was driving down 400 west in Salt Lake City on my way to work. It’s warm today. You can smell the earth, even though I’m still quite ill, I’m feeling the first hints of spring creeping into my heart. It feels good.
I pull up to a stop light just as it turns from green to yellow. The bus in front of me stops, so I decide it’s a good thing for me to stop too.
Of course the bus blocks most of my forward vision, but out from behind the bus I see a guy running across the street in the crosswalk to beat the light. He was forty-ish, wearing khaki slacks and penny loafers. He moved with such ease–reaching the curve and returning to his normal gait. Not one thing special about it really…
But my mind can’t let it go. He moved so easily. He needed to go faster so he simply went faster. His body responded, he can do that. I’m certain I couldn’t. If I did, I’d be limping when I slowed down.
So I’m storing that away. I’m going to pull that out of my little chest of motivational thoughts that I have been acquiring–storing up so I will have something to give me strength when the brownie is in front of me and I am weak.
One of the “perks” at work is a soda fountain. I had talked myself into the fact that drinking copious amounts of Diet Coke would help me lose weight. Christine was adamant that I give it up entirely. Here’s a few emails of her trying to talk me into giving it up…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 11, 2010 5:11:47 PM MST
Filed under: Inspiration
Here’s a string of email from Christine just trying to get me to open the box…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: January 14, 2010 9:29:22 AM MST
Hey Doug –
The nutrients contained in the kit are very small 🙂 Trust me, it’s great value for the benefit it will provide your health. Don’t beat yourself up about overeating last night…the water drinking was excellent and is a start.
What did you eat during the day though? It’s important to eat a little something every couple of hours so you aren;t starving at night. Your body is obviously crying out for nutirents that it’s not getting…the shake, etc. will really help that issue!
Okay, we really need to talk on the phone so I can go over everything with you. The first step is to listen to the CD that is enclosed, CLEANSED FOR LIFE. Can you listen to that tonight and then call me?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not listen to the CD, I didn’t even open the box. I didn’t call her. I felt like darkness was all around me and I didn’t know the way out – I just wanted to know it would work.
After many texts I received this…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: January 17, 2010 11:35:04 AM MST
So call me when you get a chance so I know what you’re thinking. I would have to write a novel to explain why Isagenix will make a difference for you…much easier to explain on the phone. I just want you to know you are completely on the right track with the Isagenix…it will really help restore aborbable nutrients, good intestinal flora and enzymes and get rid of garbage that are hindering your cells and organs from functioning optimally, and keeping you trapped in an unhealthy cycle.
The neat thing is now that you have your package, you can use of every last drop of it and still get your money back if you don’t like it. Also keep in mind that that little box contains meal replacements – I think the equivalent of 72 meals – I’ll have to double check.
I am not sure what’s holding you back, but please call so I can address your concerns!
RIght now you are without a doubt highly acidic and craving bad things…this is the easiest way I have found (and quickest way) I know of to turn that around…you have nothing to lose (except some weight! by trying it. There is a reason we have thousands of physicians on board with Isagenix. There is a reason people asre able to successfully change and keep the weight off. Isagenix is a facilitator of lifestyle change. Period. It works.
-C
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not open the box. I did not call her to discuss my concerns. At this point I was sure she was just on my case because she was going to make so much money off of my fat.
I hated the thought that I needed help too. The fact that I simply didn’t have the self-motivation to keep my mouth shut (stop eating) and get my fat butt to the gym every morning. The box became the ultimate admission that I was weak and pathetic in my dark mind…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 18, 2010 12:24:45 PM MST
I’m a video guy. I work in motion graphics primarily. I tell people that if they’ve watch TV in Utah over the last 15 years, they’ve seen my work. I’m famous, it’s just nobody knows it.
One of the companies I’ve done work for over the years is Isagenix. I was working on a one minute piece for them that is a montage of doctors talking about their success losing weight, and the people that they refer to the program are all losing weight too. Then I go to the Isagenix web site.
They have a 100 lb., 200 lb., and 300 lb. club for people who have lost that much weight. I read their stories, and I’m inspired.
My client comes in and sees what I’m doing instead of working, and he mentions that Christine, an editor that I had met in December was a huge fan of Isagenix, and that I should call her – then he told me to get back to work. That was fair…
I call Christine and she tells me that she’s been thinking about me too – there was some connection there when we met – I was sick, and had been for weeks, fat, and miserable. She wanted to help, and thought Isagenix would be the thing…
You know how things feel when they are right – things just kind of come together. The universe aligns for your good. This felt like that – Isagenix just felt right.
Then my stupid head got involved.
I ordered product, and it arrived here at my house. It just sat in my office for three days. I couldn’t bring myself to open it. First of all it was $300 worth of product, and it was this tiny little box. But mostly…
You know I’m still not sure what my hang up was. It was a combination of several things I think…
1- I was sure I would start down this path and fail and/or
2- I would start down this path and succeed, go off of the products and gain it all back
3- But you know what? When I sit here at type this I realize that I had no hope. I had no faith in myself to be able to do this thing. I didn’t even know that I weighed over 400 pounds yet, but I just couldn’t summon the energy to even hope, have faith that I could do this. The weight had worked its way into my head, and sucked all the energy out of my life.
I realize now how much I would come home from work and lay down and watch TV. How did that even start? (I don’t watch TV, I watch Hulu, but you know what I mean, I was completely static because I was just so tired).
I had turned into one of “those” guys.
So Christine is on the phone, texting, emailing me just trying to get me to get a pair of scissors and open the stupid box. She was totally cool, I’m quite sure that she had no idea what to think, but she was very patient with me…
Finally, on day three, I committed. I opened the box…
My Isagenix site – in case you want to watch videos and check it out. I’m not writing this blog to sell you anything, but if you’re not familiar with the company, there’s a link.
Ok, I just looked at the site – I hate it. The videos are cramming crap down your throat and trying to sign you up to make money. Stupid. Lot’s of “the world is going to hell in a handbasket and we’re the solution” manipulative crap. I just wanted to be clear what I think of what you are about to see.
I have been buying larger clothes every time I go shopping for about 10 years now. I couldn’t even see it in the mirror, I still looked good. Well, as good as possible when your doppelganger is Shrek.
I’d watch the Biggest Loser, feel good about the fact that I wasn’t that “bad” off.
Friends all tell me I’m not fat, I’m just a big guy. I bought that too.
A doctor called me “morbidly obese” and I started going to a new doctor.
Then the standard resolution for 2010 – Lose some Weight. I go to the gym and jump on the scale so I know where I’m starting. The number staring back at me from the LED readout is stunning. Truly a wake up call.
401
That’s right. I’m now with the group on Biggest Loser. I’m one of them. I’ve gone to a place where I swore I never would go – I weigh over 400 pounds. It hurts me to even write it.
It’s pretty real now. I still slip back into the justifications, but for the most part when I see my reflection I’m seeing a Biggest Loser contestant.
It’s time to get serious.
Doug Losing Weight 