Like anything else, this can be taken to an extreme.  We are mortal, we are vulnerable, we do everything we can to avoid those facts, including deciding we're at fault when things we can't control affect us.I lived on the street when young; I was consequently raped twice and abducted at knifepoint on a separate occasion.  If I had not been living on the street, these things would probably not have happened to me (I am a woman, yes, we need sex too). These events were a terrible raw spot in my psyche until I could admit (about 30 years later) that my life choices had put me in the way of them.  I understand the healing power of knowing what part I play in my problems.  I would never mistake that power for being able somehow to prevent tragedy.  Were you suggesting that?  I don't think so; still, this is what I was inspired to say to you.  thanks for your blog! M

Amen brother!  This was an important article.  If I can add my two cents, I now look to other things for my reinforcement rather than the scale.  In addition to the looser clothes you mentioned; improved mood, more alert brain (big difference here), lower blood pressure (that's a fun number to watch), and needing less sleep (a big surprise).  A note on the sleeping less, at first I questioned how I could afford the time to exercise (over an hour daily, split between morning and evening so it doesn't become a chore).  After noticing that I was sleeping about the same amount of time less each day that I exercised, it started to make sense. You get back what you put into it (really more, if you count all the other benefits, many of them in the area of time). Some days I even recover more time from sleep than I am spending in exercise.  Very worth it.  I am guessing that one has to do enough exercise each day, and do it for enough weeks to notice this side effect. Also, think about all the years one may be adding to the end of their
life (unless they get hit by a car while jogging, of course).   Of course, there's a point of no return on this, not to mention the fact that too much exercise can compromise the immune system.  But once you add in all the other benefits such as the elevated mood and more alert brain, it's a winning proposition.  I feel like I get more done in less time (make fewer mistakes, process information quicker), and I certainly spend a lot less time walking around in a fog!  Plus, I cogitate over things I want to solve while I'm exercising, which makes the time fly. It makes sense all around.  I think people can find the time to exercise if they invest enough time and effort into it. 

Hi Peter,

The problem with creating a monitor without a chest strap is the sensors (aside from my writing, I have a great deal of experience with the development of medical devices). The chest strap picks up the electrical signals at the heart and relays them to the watch. In order to eliminate the chest strap, you must find a way to measure the heart rate both reliably and continuously at the watch. While it is possible to measure heart rate by taking your pulse on the arm (electronic blood pressure cuffs do this), it is much harder to do without using an inflated blood pressure cuff which is not something you can use continuously. I can think of ways it could be done, but (so far as I am aware), none of them could be powered by a watch battery.

I'm glad you enjoy my writing. Not that it matters, but I'm actually a man.

FWIW

Shannon

I agree, I hike in whatever I am wearing, I have hiked barefoot...only a mile and it was on gravel and it was awful but I did it and was happy doing it! Walking long distances is a natural task and should be carried out naturally.. ie in whatever you are wearing. I mostly only wear very flat shoes, some people call them ballerina flats but mine are made of courdoroy and have a very thin piece of foam on the bottom as a sole. so I am only about 1/4 inch off of the ground but they are so comfortable and keep me in touch with the earth so I feel sure on my feet, and its just enough padding soften any sharp obejects that would hurt my sole.

Hiked into and around Havasu canyon in penny loafers, worked fine, just the right amount of protection from abrasion.  Can't imagine doing such a thing in heavy hiking boots--foot always fighting the boot, can't feel the trail/rock/whatever beneath you.

So it seems the trick is to help the person find the truth where their belief resides. Since humans are as humans are, I suppose you would have to talk to both their head and heart to convince them. Ya know, when I was once in an inquisitive mood, I checked to see what people's deepest truth might be. Not surprisingly to me as a biologist, it pertained to survivel and was expressed as values. I figure you should always address things that way. You might be surprised what you can do with that. If you get bored, look at http://www.diver.net/seahunt. Look at the left if you are just tired and want to be refreshed some. Look at the right if you want a new thought or two.Enjoy

You are right of course, it's not easy to break free, but you don't have to do it all at once, or even completely.  Don't go for the "massive leap of consciousness", just make small incremental changes, exploring / trying out other options and looking for the better choices.  It is possible to live within the system on a limited basis, taking the good aspects and rejecting the bad.  This is ultimately what this web site is about, re-evaluating who you are and how you live.  Hopefully some of the other articles will help you find a better path.

I love this Shannon.  It describes exactly what one needs to succeed at any complex endeavor, but especially one where you will have to do some growing to get there.  It certainly applies to starting or running any sort of business.-robertw

Just wanted to tell you I think the article titled "Success is not an Option"  is excellent.   It helped
galvanize
my resolve to make the health changes written about in this article. I'm very deliberate and
determined about goals/things I decide to do, but needed a good pep
talk to get going on making
the health changes, as do many of us.  As a result of getting and
following the book (Burn The Fat Build Muscle), I have
received a constant unexpected boost of energy from following the
author's
suggestions. (esp. eating every three hours and doing consistent cardio
and
weight training exercises). After three weeks of doing most of this, my slightly elevated blood pressure has
dropped to normal and the mild chronic headaches that went along with
it are gone,
probably due to all the walking. My four weekly work days are 14 hours
long (due to long work hours and lots of traveling), so previous to this change my three days
"off" were half wasted trying to recover energy and sleep. If someone
had told me that I would now feel this peppy all the time, despite my schedule, by raising my
metabolism rate
through proper diet and exercise, I would have been skeptical.

So thanks for doing the blog. I think that if people will take your
health suggestions seriously (and try the book no matter where they get it
from), they will
be pleased with the energy gain, which is probably the
real hidden treasure of the starve fat feed muscle method.   Maybe you
will never know how many good changes your blog will
trigger in people's lives, but hopefully they will write and tell you. 
Perhaps only a fraction of the people will.  I really do appreciate the
blog, and this information came to me just at the right time.Anon

I have added a link from this article to: The Forty Acre House where pictures have now been added to the story.

Glad you like the "blog".  I actually enjoy writing it, it's just the term I object to because in my mind it is associated with poorly written low grade drivel that I often see on the internet.  I just don't want my low grade drivel to be associated with that of everyone else