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Success is Two Steps Forward, One step Back

How failure can equal your success.

A favorite presupposition of mine helps me cope with life and thrive in all respects.

It assumes that, “There is no failure, only feedback.”

Whether this is a true statement or not doesn’t really matter. The important aspect is that you gain valuable insight from every situation, even if it doesn’t seem to go in your favor.

In other words, you grow stronger at every corner because your thoughts become your best ally instead of your worst enemy.

Taking two steps forward and one step back is a means of sustainable progress.

Sustainable progress.

You continually move forward. You recognize that there will be drawbacks, and there will be barriers.

Taking one step back allows to you recognize that which you might not have seen before.

My favorite exercise could seriously injure me.

I want strength, I crave it.

My name translates to “man, warrior, strong.” Is this my destiny?

Okay, I’ll stop BS’ing. But the reality is that my passion is of movement. Being able to physically exert a force beyond what I previously thought possible.

I can’t always save face, I can’t always succeed in the ways I want.

But I know that each step back is an experience that can take me forward.

Forward…to a reality of everlasting growth and success.

At least, that is the goal.

And this is the progress.

Don’t beat yourself up when you eat too much junk. Understand the take home message, listen to your body, and move forward.

Power of the Mind
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Social Stigma of Obesity – When Destroying Your Self-Esteem is NOT the Answer

Social stigma can be crippling for some people

Upon first seeing a person, we automatically process cues from their appearance. Social stigma exists in all societies, often as a means of control.

If we attribute stigma to a person, then we are de-valuing their humanity. We lower their status in relation to ours.

But the issue is that as individuals, we are all damaged in some way. Why is your stigma any less important than another?

Example of “good” social stigma…

  • Stealing and criminal behavior/actions are looked down upon
  • Young teens dressing up like ‘sexy’ adults is generally looked down upon

Examples of “bad” social stigma…

  • People with incurable sexually transmitted infections as seen as less-than-people, or tainted. In reality, nearly anyone is at risk of viral infections like herpes.
  • Obese people are immediately judged to be of poor control, sloths, and treated with less respect.

Social stigma of obesity is automatic, but we can rise above it

It is usually not until I have become humbled in some way that I realize my flaws and then grow beyond it. While my own physique is admired and even profitable, an obese physique is looked down upon.

I say to hell with social stigma of obesity.

We aren’t going to fix obesity by destroying self-esteem. We need to connect with people — to learn and understand individuals in society. Empathy, not just sympathy, can help us relate to others.

A Social Support System is required for sustained weight-loss and wellness

If your friends eat junk, chances are that you eat junk too.

Social support systems can be intimate, like with close friends and family, or it can be from strangers who give obese people the benefit of the doubt.

If you truly believe that we’re all in this together — and that obesity is a huge $$$ drain on society — then we have to take conscious steps to abolish the stigma of obesity.

Once and for all, make a stand against it.

My name is André and I do not tolerate fat jokes.

Power of the Mind
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How Skinny is Skinny Enough?

The balance between self-perception and reality.

I looked at the mirror today as I flexed, and I saw six individual-looking abdominal muscles. Of course, the Rectus Abdominus is a single muscle, but the six-pack appearance is widely desired.

My midsection is lean and muscular, but is it lean and muscular enough?

Acceptance of yourself now, while still seeking improvement.

My body is in the best shape that it has ever been, yet I still have goals of perfection.

I will never be self-deprecating in front of others when it comes to my body, because I have reached substantial physical achievement. Aside from my lean appearance, I have the actual functional strength to back it up. That’s f*cking awesome!

But I still want more…and that’s totally okay!

I just need to keep in mind that I accept myself as I am, no matter what. In fact, I’m proud of myself, no matter what.

And thats why it’s easy for me to stay lean and muscular in the first place.

You’ll never get confidence from your body alone. Self-esteem is such an internal concept that no matter how many times the opposite sex checks you out, you will only feel good about yourself if you care about yourself.

And if you care about yourself, then it’s easy to get in shape and stay healthy.

So spend some time appreciating your strengths today. Focus on your abilities, because I know you are unique and special in that way. Then add some extra abdominal exercises and eat an extra healthy meal. Slowly, you’ll build up to the ideal balance between reality and body image.

Once you get there, well…that’s the sweet spot.

And everyone else wishes they were there too.

Power of the Mind Weightloss Now
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Losing Weight Eating Healthy: Right now is enough

You don’t have to look forward…always.

The feeling of this chair, writing a blog on a computer, what comes next… the moment after this?

That doesn’t matter right now, because I express wellness like a mural and share openly.

Fitness is in the Moment, and the Moment is Health.

But there’s a problem. “Food.”

The situation is appalling to the point of avoiding regular restaurant eating.

How they make you gain fat:

  • Manipulate taste while offering immediate reward at a tricky price.
  • Sugar, salt, and saturated fat and in exceedingly dangerous quantities

So there’s lots of danger in eating restaurant food 7 days a week.

Instead,

I present a better way.

Prepare your own food.

Example Meal Plan for Long Term Health and Leanness

1. Primary mealstuff: Complex carbohydrate with high protein and high fiber

  • examples: Quinoa, Brown Rice, Lentils, and Split Peas

Split Pea Nutrition

2. Plant based nutrition

  • Fruits (3 per day)
  • Vegetables (5 per day)
  • Nuts (2 per day)

3. Protein: necessary and often delicious

  • Wild Fish (the best protein because gives you tons of Omega-3 essential oils)
  • Protein powder (Whey or plant protein, good source of amino acids and immune boosters)
  • Minimal meat protein (puts more stress on the system, but highly athletic individuals may benefit more than average person)

4. Supplement: if you are deficient in a certain nutrient, can make a huge difference in your life

  • Most people need Omega-3 supplement.
  • Vitamin D is popular in the northern areas with less sun.
  • Probiotics aid digestion and immune system
  • Digestive Enzymes save the day in your gut.
  • Fiber mixture helps keep you regular.
  • Soy contains estrogrens that may or may not prevent male prostate enlargement or female breast cancer.
  • Biotin helps grow hair and nails.
  • HEMO-RAGE gets you completely jacked.

This moment brought to you by…

The smell of a gourmet restaurant in your own kitchen as home-made split pea soup simmers the senses. You may share, or you may not, but you’ve cooked at least 8 servings and can enjoy it for several days.

And if your coworkers label your lunch as “hippie food” or “paleo food” thats simply a reference to its nutritional health.

Ellison Fitness is getting ripped with little effort thanks to this.

Power of the Mind Time is Money Weightloss Now
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Fat Loss Mindset

Can you delay short term pleasure in order to gain long term satisfaction?

The hardest part of the day for me is night time. Since I work a long day, I often get home around 10 PM and am ready to snack and relax. Unless I need to prepare food for the next day, I typically am not in the mood to cook a meal. I just want some satisfaction.

Have healthy snacks readily available

I open my refrigerator and see a gallon container of Raw Kefir (freshly home-fermented in within the last few days), a gallon container of fermented Korean Kim Chi, and a big pot of healthy food that I cook a couple times a week. Then there’s my fruits, vegetables, liquid fish oil supplements, raw pickles, sauerkraut, applesauce, almond butter, etc.

Tonight, I drank my Raw Kefir for the protein and nutrients, had a sip of my fish oil (which is good since my raw Kefir contains plenty of fat-breakdown Lipase enzymes), and then some Kim Chi to boost my immune system. Since these foods are all low-calorie, low glycemic index, and heavily nutrient dense, I conveniently burn fat with a healthy metabolism.

Let’s just say, if I had ice cream in my freezer…I’d be screwed.

Take responsibility for your food

If you think your food is out of your hands, then I have to feel a little sorry. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors took responsibility for finding their food day in and day out. They created the division of labor, with the strong as hunters and the socially savvy as gatherers.

We do the same in modern society, except now large corporations such as McDonalds are your hunters, and the meat quality is putrid compared to our ancestors time.

Plan your meals

As soon as you finish your meal, you need to have a plan of what you’re eating for your next meal.

The best way to plan meals is you prepare your own food. A simple recipe I have created involves a whole grain or legume with a variety of vegetables, herbs, spices, and coconut oil. This food is full of fiber, nutrients, energy, and burns a ridiculous amount of fat.

Example recipe:

4 cups Lentils (slow carbs, fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals)

Kale (green), Onions (yellow), Red Peppers (red), Cauliflower (white), Carrots (orange) — see the theme? Diversity in nutrients.

Coconut oil (healthy Medium Chain Triglycerides for energy, metabolism, and oil for flavor)

Herbs, spices (Mrs. Dash is easy, awesome and sodium free)

Get the idea? You can make enough for six+ different meals, which ensures you have a healthy lunch and snack for the next three days.

You have to eat to lose weight

Food is your friend.

You just need to eat the right stuff. And in our urban jungle, that takes constant planning.

Power of the Mind Weightloss Now