Rozey Thorn Trees

 I continue to be amazed by Goggins’ story of overcoming a traumatic childhood, poor academics, poverty, and obesity to fulfill his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL. It seems that at least in his case, he had the fortitude to turn his life of trauma into a power source to help him not only survive hell week, but also to do it triumphantly. The physical injuries and sheer torture of surviving, freezing cold ocean waters and brutal overwhelming feats of strength and endurance boggles my mind. Strangely enough, his stories are giving me serious incentive to pick up my pace with my own physical training and weight loss regimen; More importantly, I need to zero in on the various other weak areas of my life. To make  plan and achieve it! I did intense tread mill walking last night. My intent was to work out for at least an hour, but at about 44 minutes in, the digital screen warned me that I needed lubricant for the treadmill. I had walked intensely and achieved 2.7 miles distance, which is a b

 Goggins has an incredible story about how he became motivated to turn his life around from a morbidly obese failure into a lean mean fighting machine in just 3 months!  That is 100 lbs in just three months! That’s amazing! When he was at 215 lbs he was already able to do over 100 pull-ups, swim 2 miles, run 6 miles, and bike 20 miles daily! He’s a machine! He reached his goal weight of 191 lbs and passed his entrance exam right on schedule. That’s how badly he wanted it. It makes me rethink what real motivation means for myself in my current situation. I appreciate his example despite his unorthodox commitment to joining the military at the expense of his wife and kid. But I recognize that I mustn’t judge. Wha would be toxic and dangerous for the average person was what he needed for himself to overcome his life unfortunate circumstances that he blames no one but himself for. I’m at the part where he is on his second attempt to make it through the notorious Hell Week of Basic Underwat

 I clicked on a YouTube video put out by Dr. Anthony Chaffee, the Plant Free MD. He’s a proponent of a 100% plan free diet called the carnivore diet. He explains that our evolutionary Ancestors were meat eaters. If we eat a diet of only meat, dairy, and eggs, will achieve optimal health. A large number of plants are in fact, toxic to human beings because of poisons like lectin and cyanide. He claims that people would be surprised to find that the carnivore, diet heels, Ally of health problems, including allergies, asthma, skin conditions, even neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease. It didn’t take me long to discover that there’s a rabbit hole of videos and resources of doctors and patients and self acclaimed health experts who are promoting this diet. Honestly, I had no idea. Well, that’s not exactly true. Yes, I’ve heard the term carnivore diet before. I know someone who has lived his whole life not eating plants because vegetables made him gag since he was a kid. I heard a

 In David Goggin’s book,  Can’t Hurt Me , he writes about how each night he faced himself in his accountability mirror to face the reality of his past, present and future, to hold himself responsible for his struggles, not his abusers, not his bullies, not the system. He shaved his head the summer before his junior year to take on a new identity and become the person he knew he had been o become to earn respect.  This morning I looked in the mirror and smiled in celebration of finally meeting my weight goal of 210 lbs after a month of struggle. It feels great to shift down to the next goal of 205 lbs, then 200 after that…!

 Well, I tried intermittent fasting this past week. I’m still not a fan of it. I think it was helpful though! Last week Friday I stopped eating after 6:00 pm. The next morning I skipped breakfast, which wasn’t that big a deal because of sleeping in. I took my daughter to soccer practice with a healthy snack bag all ready for us at 10:00 am to eat in the car. 16 hours of fasting accomplished, no problem! I had a pretty big lunch and dinner plus healthy dessert. I made the rest of the day that put me at 10:45 PM my last time eating for the day. I figured that I’d give 16 hours another try anyway. After church, I ran errands and broke my fast when I got home again, no problem! However, on day three of my fasting experiment, I was not doing too well. I felt famished, slow and groggy all day, which hurt my productivity even after my meals I felt like I wasn’t recovered from a weekend of fasting intermittently. The rest of the week I ditched the 16+ hour plan. I would do it again when I know

 I started reading the book Ultra-Processed People  by Chris van Tulleken. His first chapter begins with his experience with a popular British frozen dessert that he discovered didn’t melt like he expected it should. I’m impressed and appalled by the science, history, and commercial reasons that he delves into to explain how and why society is fine with how far gone we’ve become in a brief period to accept the poor nutrition, weight gain, and disease that has resulted from our era of UPF. I’m hoping that this information will keep me motivated to sustain my healthy diet!

 Penn writes about how he has discovered that fasting has become an important part of his healthy lifestyle: “ not eating used to mean, I would be headachy, ornery, panicked, and lethargic. Now not eating means I’m jacked up, happy, and focused. I love it.” Fasting 16+ hours daily In between 24 and 48 hours weekly has been a game changer for him. Not only does it help him maintain his target weight and manage his blood pressure better. It also gives him an energy boost.  In my teen years, I experimented with fasting, partly for health reasons and partly because it’s a part of the Christian faith that hardly anyone seems to practice anymore. I remember hating it. I felt miserable so I stopped doing it. There have been a couple of times as an adult. I considered fasting but thought better of it because I knew I would hate it, also because my wife highly discouraged it. Her strong opinion was that it’s not something one does without medical reasons and under medical supervision.  I like P

We put the girls to work processing a large bag of carrots so they don’t go to waste. I noticed about 3 cups of carrot peels leftover in a bowl. I thought about composting them but why do that if I can make carrot bread out of them! ChatGPT gave me three carrot peel recipes: the soup looks great. Regrettably, I went with the cake recipe (Bland!), but made up for it with a pretty good carrot juice smoothie: Carrot Peel Soup Recipe (WFPB) #### Ingredients: - 2.5 cups of carrot peels (make sure they’re thoroughly washed) - 1 onion, chopped - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1-2 potatoes (for thickness and creaminess), chopped - 4 cups vegetable broth (make sure it's low-sodium or homemade if you're following SOS-free) - 1 tsp turmeric (optional, adds flavor and anti-inflammatory benefits) - 1 tsp ground ginger (optional, for a bit of spice) - Salt-free seasoning to taste (e.g., nutritional yeast, herbs like thyme or rosemary) - Juice from half a lemon (for brightness) - Black pepper to t

 I ground up cocoa nibs yesterday. The powder was too fine for the drip coffee maker. I couldn’t find my Italian stovetop coffee maker, so I tried an Espresso maker tube gadget I like, but I couldn’t make it work. Turns out the powder dissolved into the water easily in my cup.  It tasted a bit bitter. It wasn’t bad with added maple syrup and coconut cream. I might experiment more with it this week with a different grind and if I find both my stovetop coffee maker and my mother-in-law’s Turkish coffee maker. I blame TikTok for my cocoa brewing curiosity.

 My wife is not adventurous with her food. She’s British is her excuse. She prefers not to know how I’ve prepared my meals and she doesn’t believe me when I say my meals are delicious. She’s tried my diet food. Usually she doesn’t get past the smell test. The fact that I’m mostly SOS-free doesn’t help.  Yesterday, she squirmed when I said my smoothie was delicious and asked if she wanted to know what was in it. No. But it was so delicious! Okay, but it better not be gross. Frozen fruit mix, coconut milk,… Okay. Peanuts, maple syrup, water, … Yes, and that’s it? Leafy greens, just a little. No, now it’s starting to turn. Beans. What! Beans. Beans?! What?! No, that’s so wrong! But it was so delicious! You’re so weird! Do you remember how everyone loved my sweet potato brownies? It’s the same concept. Ughhh…!

 Raymond Cronise’s No Exercise rule was an important part of Penn Jillette’s quick and successful weight loss program. It’s another unconventional rule in Penn’s book that rings true to me. Penn explains that exercise increases your appetite which increases your food intake which builds up muscle mass which slows down your weight loss. Walking, however, is an exception to the rule because it helps to keep your blood flowing and your digestion working smoothly.  I’ve been struggling getting to my next weight goal. I’ve been hovering between 212 and 215 for three weeks now. Before that I hovered between 225 and 220 for 6 weeks. I blogged before that I think it’s because of my over consumption of peanuts, cashews, nut butters, date bars, etc. So delicious! But those fatty-goodness nuggets are slowing me down!  I’m going to restrict myself to a handful a day of peanuts, cut out the nut butter, and maybe go back to logging every meal in MyFitnessPal to track my calories like I did the first

 Well, today I had a craving for peanut butter cookies because of a church picnic. I wasn’t tempted to eat any, but it occurred to me tonight that I could bake some that I could eat. Here’s ChatGPT’s recipe for WFPB Peanut Butter cookies that even my daughter and wife appreciated: To bake the WFPB peanut butter cookies in an air fryer, follow these adjusted instructions: ### WFPB Peanut Butter Cookies (Air Fryer Method) #### Ingredients: - **1 cup natural peanut butter** (no added oil, sugar, or salt) - **1/2 cup maple syrup** (or date syrup) - **1/2 cup oat flour**  - **1 tsp vanilla extract** - **1/2 tsp baking soda** - **1/4 tsp salt** (optional) - **1-2 tbsp plant-based milk** (optional, to adjust consistency) #### Instructions: 1. **Preheat the air fryer** to 325°F (160°C). Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper (you can cut the paper to fit the basket). 2. In a bowl, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until well combined. 3. Add the oat flour, baking

 I finished watching the 2023 Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut.” I really recommend it. It’s about how our gut microbes play a powerful role in our overall health. I’m fascinated with the idea that our mental and emotional health is closely influenced by our diet. The documentary explains how complex and unique each of our micro biomes are and how eating the same food or meal affects us differently in many kinds of ways including weight gain and loss. I’m particularly interested to know where my gut health falls in the spectrum of overall health. Unfortunately, it’s a relatively new branch of healthcare. There’s much more to learn still.

 I’m teaching myself and my children the concept of growth mindset. A child psychologist recommended that I do that to foster a culture of confidence:  “Having a growth mindset means believing that you can get better at anything if you keep trying, even when it’s hard. It’s like when you’re learning to ride a bike—at first, you might fall a lot, but if you keep practicing, you get better and better. The same goes for school, sports, or any new challenge. Instead of saying, ‘I can’t do this,’ you can say, ‘I can’t do this yet, but I will keep trying until I can!’ Mistakes are okay because they help you learn and grow stronger.” —ChatGPT Here’s the list of key Growth Mindset concepts that I want my family to become familiar with enough this school year that we can include in our discussions about school, home, and life: 1. Believing You Can Get Better: Knowing that you can get better at anything if you keep practicing and learning. 2. Liking Challenges: Seeing hard things as fun cha

 As Penn gets closer to his goal weight, he and his health coach negotiate how he’ll adjust his diet to sustain his weight. Part of Penn’s planning is determining when and how he would stray from his WFPB diet: ChatGPT summary of this is “ Penn Jillette's *Rare and Appropriate* guideline refers to his philosophy of occasionally straying from his strict whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet in a controlled and mindful way. After achieving his weight loss goals and transitioning to maintenance, Jillette developed this approach to allow for flexibility without derailing his progress.  The idea is that indulgences should be **rare**—not part of a regular routine—and **appropriate**—meaning these moments should be special, intentional, and truly worth it. For Jillette, this wasn’t about giving himself regular cheat days or allowing for random indulgences. Instead, he made sure that when he did go off-plan, it was for a meaningful occasion, such as a special celebration or a rare dining ex

I was ready to make these brownies late last night, but didn’t want to take time to look for this particular recipe.  Here’s the very similar ChatGPT’s version I used: ### Ingredients: - 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1½ cups mashed) - ½ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened) - ½ cup nut butter (almond, peanut, or cashew) - ¼ cup maple syrup (adjust for sweetness) - 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) - ½ tsp baking powder (optional for a slight lift) - Pinch of salt (optional) ### Instructions: 1. **Prepare the Sweet Potatoes**:    - Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small cubes.    - Boil, steam, or microwave them until soft (around 10-15 minutes for boiling).    - Mash them thoroughly until smooth. 2. **Preheat the Air Fryer**: Set your air fryer to 320°F (160°C) and let it preheat for a few minutes. 3. **Mix the Ingredients**:    - In a bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, cocoa powder, nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract (if using), baking powder (optional), and a pinch of salt.

 We had a family date night last night at a nice restaurant with Mom and Dad. The usual happened when I simply order a house salad with dressing on the side. I’m used to family and friends expressing amazement and concern that I’m just ordering a house salad with dressing on the side. I’m used to being impressed with the meal they ordered and happy for them getting to enjoy it, and I’m used to happily enjoying my healthy smoothie when I get home. It helps a lot to have friends and family rooting for me. My progress is real and energizing. Although they’re feeling sorry for me for missing out on the fine dining, they don’t know what I know—I’m actually feeling sorry for them a little for missing out on all the health benefits I’ve been experiencing! (I like Penn’s comment that it’s even okay not to order anything if you want to. Who cares? Haha. I’m not ready to do that yet.)

 I made tofu and vegetables stew in my Instant Pot DUO Mini pressure cooker last night for dinner. It took me about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients, 30 minutes for the Instant Pot to build up pressure using the Soup//Broth at High Pressure setting, 30 minutes to cook at high pressure, and about 5 minutes to quick release the pressure (with a towel over the vent to protect myself and my kitchen from steaming hot stew vapors spewing all over the place).  Ingredients 1. Tofu (200g): Approximately 144 calories (based on firm tofu). 2. Mushrooms (1 cup, 100g): Approximately 22 calories. 3. Split Peas (1/2 cup, 100g dried): Approximately 340 calories. 4. Carrots (1 medium, 75g): Approximately 30 calories. 5. Onion (1 small, 75g): Approximately 30 calories. 6. Wild Rice (1/4 cup, 50g): Approximately 90 calories. 7. Miso Paste (1 tablespoon): Approximately 35 calories. 8. Vegetable Broth (1.5 cups): Approximately 15 calories (depending on the brand). 9. Garlic (2 cloves, 6 g): Approximat

 Last night a nephew celebrated his birthday with family. There were very large cupcakes from Sam’s Club with frosting that looked like an additional 2/3rds height of the cupcake bread beneath it. My kids split them in half and ate them with mint chocolate chip ice cream. I had the forethought to drink a smoothie and eat some fruit before coming over to prevent temptation and hunger pangs. It was a very pleasant surprise to hear my sister express great surprise at my weight loss and fitness level. Felt really good! At the end of the party, when saying goodbye and more compliments were given, I put in a good word for the documentary Game Changers. Maybe they’ll be inspired enough to check it out and join me in my Fruitive Challenge. We’ll see…