Does something in your life want to make you eat more? I've been thinking alot about what it is that keeps people, who struggle with their weight, heavy.

I struggled with my weight for over 25 years, and I thought getting slim was hopeless. I had tried many diets, yo-yo'd up & down & joined countless gyms. ultimately I gave up (thinking to myself 'I'm not strong enough to lick my weight problem').

So, what was it that finally snapped inside me allowing me to make up my mind to do the effort required to drop 140 pounds of excess weight and keep all that weight off permanently?

That's what I want to discuss on tomorrow night's teleconference of The Fitness Race.

Tuesday May 6:
6:00 PT / 7:00 MT / 8:00 CT / 9:00 ET
Conference line: 712-421-6460
Conference Passcode: 897185*

We rode 25 miles through downtown Chicago at 2:00 A.M...

were we CRAZY???

I joined Arman Dolikian, an inspiring and svelt fitness race participant, and his wife Victoria, a member of The Fitness Race's Encouragment Team, in riding 25 miles through the streets of downtown Chicago after midnight this morning. We started by Lake Michigan at around 2:00 A.M. and finished at the same spot around 4:30 A.M.

We joined 10,000 bicyclists on Saturday night (really Sunday morning) for McDonald's L.A.T.E. Ride, benefiting Friends of the Parks. We enjoyed a 25-mile ride through Chicago’s neighborhoods and along the lakefront. We cycled past skyscrapers, heard "Opaah!" in Greek Town, cruised through the North Side, waved to onlookers, and watched the sun rise over Lake Michigan.

Here's my e-mail to Arman and Vicki after the ride...

================
Arman & Vicki

Congratulations on completing the Late Ride. Many thanks for encouraging me to do this ride on Friday morning Arman; I would not have done it otherwise. What an experience! Many streets blocked, cool neighborhoods with “encouragers” on the sidelines, great views of the city capped-off with a solemn & meditative run by the lake… all with 10,000 new friends.

Although very sleepy, finding the two of you at the end was just a priceless ending to an already rich incomparable morning.

Regards,

Mark

================
Arman's e-mail back to me...
================
Mark,

We had a great time on the all-night LATE ride downtown last night.

Vicki and I rode 32 miles (half of our metric century goal for next month)riding from about 1:30 AM to 4:30 AM. The weather was perfect and the ride itself was easy... flat terrain, and I barely got beyond "Level 2" exertion.

We averaged 10 miles/hour, slowed down by the crowdand a few bottlenecks in the path. I felt I could have ridden longer,so there was definitely reserve and a smile on our faces at the end.

We ran into you at the end of the ride, and experienced abeautiful sunrise over Lake Michigan.

Very fun time, and great memories.We will definitely do this again.It's now Sunday evening. Although the ride was great, the fatigue, and jetlag-like hangover from being up all night really got to me. We got home around 7:00A.M. Slept till 11:00 A.M., got up, went back to bed till 2:00 PM, and basically vegetated all day, lying around and watchingTV. The fatigue/long recovery time is troublesome.

Will see you all on Thursday at South Barrington Club for the next assessment.

Best regards,

Arman

================

McDonald's L.A.T.E. Ride is Chicago’s biggest charity bicycle ride! Proceeds from the event benefit Friends of the Parks, a 32-year-old not-for-profit parks advocacy group whose mission is to protect and improve Chicago’s parks and forest preserves in Cook County. This after-midnight ride has been around since 1989.

Formerly 313 Pound Financial Advisor...
Now A Grand Canyon Rock Climber

Who would believe this story? But it's true. I just returned from a two-week trip to the Grand Canyon where I participated with a group of 16 friends paddling nearly 200 miles down the Colorado River through the Grandest of Canyons.

The suprise was less that I could paddle & keep up on a trip like this, but rather, it was the side "expeditions" we took. Periodically throughout the trip we would hike down "slot canyons" and much of the time we would hike "up" these canyons. There were many times on these little adventures (sometimes lasting hours), where I would look up at a rock-climb (sometimes as much as 1/2 mile vertical climbing) and think... "I can't do this."

I'm certain that in my brain, I'm still thinking as a 313 pound guy, rather than the 140 pound lighter person I am now at 173 pounds. Step-by-step and lifting up over one rock and then the next, I made it fine through each of these climbs. What a sense of accomplishment and gratitude I feel for being able to do activities like this now.

When your resolve is there... you can accomplish your goal to be lighter & fitter, just as I have. Is there any question that you can do this too?

It rests with your belief.

Mark

Just in... I received this progress report by email from one of the fifteen participants in The Fitness Race. I'm looking for a couple of things in these e-mails from each participant:
1. Determination
2. Postitive attitude about future progress

In this e-mail, despite the fact that more than four pounds has been lost in four weeks, from the tone of this, I'm concerned about discouragement in this individual. The emails are in "reverse order" with my response at the top and the first email in the series at the bottom. Read them all & see what you think? Are you worried for this person?

LM,

Let’s focus on the future… you HAVE made progress. Now, how many pounds per week will you need to lose in order to reach your goal by the target date? That’s what I recommend in order to track your progress benchmarked against your goal.

It’s unlikely that weight training is having a significant impact, competition weight lifters feel lucky to gain one pound per month in muscle. So, the best bet is to focus on nutrition and pray for strength to re-examine what your daily calorie target should be & then contemplate if you have the resolve to stay below that number.

Would you like additional mentoring?

I’m here to help you reach your goals for the reasons that are important to you.

Best,

M
-------------------------
From: L M
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 4:38
To: Mark Little

Subject: Progress

Mark,

Thanks, but I don't feel like I'm making great progress. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I thought I would have lost more weight by now. The weights I have been using are adding to my weight, I'm sure. I just need the weight scale to go down so that I can feel like I'm really making a difference!

My benchmarking update is attached.

By the way, I really appreciated the quote you added to your email:
"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals"

I really needed to see that today!

Thanks,

LM
----- Original Message ----
From: Mark Little

L M,

You're doing great with your efforts to transform yourself, I am particularly impressed with your commitment to sticking with your goals.

Please send me the progress you've made thus far... benchmarked against your goals (using all the benchmarks you are tracking).

Mark

Mark M. Little
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals

---------------------

It is an important "next step" for the group to create a customized "Plan for discouragement" so they have a step-by-step process to follow for those inevitable times when things aren't going as well as hoped.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES... COME ON!!!!!!!!!
GREAT PROGRESS REPORT... READ THIS EMAIL FROM ONE PARTICIPANT OF THE FITNESS RACE TO ANOTHER (THIS IS PEER-ACCOUNTABILITY COACHING AT IT'S MOST INSPIRATIONAL).

DO YOU THINK THIS PERSON'S (QQ's) AFFIRMATION WILL ENCOURAGE ZC?

HINT: [YES!!!!!!!!]

-----------------------

From: QQ

Hi ZC,

I just want to congratulate you on the huge progress you made this past week!!!! You accomplished the following:
1. You lost 3 LBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Starting to track your food / calorie intake
3. Starting to track you conditioning
4. You worked out 3 times and plan to work out a 4th time on Saturday to reach your goal
5. You purchased a Heart Rate Monitor to begin to track your conditioning

I encourage you to continue the fantastic progress!! This coming week you have committed to finish writing your goals.

In Him,

QQ

THIS EMAIL FROM A FITNESS RACE PARTICIPANT POINTS OUT HOW WELL THESE FOLKS ARE MEASURING AND TRACKING. NOW KEEP IN MIND, THESE FOLKS HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THEIR WEIGHT FOR MANY YEARS AND ARE NOT USED TO TRACKING ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH EATING OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

THIS PERSON IS TRACKING AND TRAINING JUST LIKE THE WORLD'S TOP ATHLETES DO. IS IT ANY SURPRISE THAT THE ENTIRE GROUP IS SEEING PROGRESS WITH "INTENTIONALITY" LIKE THIS?

Mark,

Attached is a workbook that details my food intake, exercise log, and weight loss tracking.

I averaged slightly less than a 1800 calorie per day intake which is on target.

I met my exercise goals for the week.

I lost 4.2 lbs last week which meets my goal.

I've also signed up for www.sparkpeople.com today.

I. F.

ANOTHER THING I HAVE ASKED EACH OF THE 15 PARTICIPANTS TO DO IS TO SEND A WEEKLY AFFIRMATION TO AN INDIVIDUAL THEY ARE COMMITTING TO "HOLD ACCOUNTABLE" AS A WAY OF HELPING EACH OTHER TO MAINTAIN THEIR COMMITMENTS TO THEMSELVES.

HERE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A WEEKLY AFFIRMATION I JUST RECEIVED...


Good morning LS,

Congratulations on living up to your agreements to yourself of exercise and water intake.

You lived up to your 2000 calorie diet as well with just one day of going over. And you have an immediate plan and positive attitude to stay below the 2000 calorie diet this week!

I enjoyed talking with you Saturday, you are affirming, insightful and encouraging to me.

I value you as a coaching partner. It was also great to "small talk" a little and begin to get to know each other better.

I am so excited and admire you for the obstacles you will and have overcome to reach your goals in August.

It takes someone with perseverance, motivation, resolve and such a positive attitude to do that, not to mention courage and hard work.

You exemplify all those things. I believe you can reach your goals and I am proud of your consistency, attitude and willingness to do the work, in the midst of a busy and stressful schedule...

One of the things that stands out to me this week is your resolve to learn to swim well and participate in the immersion swimming group.

I pray that this is a positive experience for you, that they help you well. This is a challenge for you and you are willing to do this for yourself. How exciting to see yourself accomplish this and then swim in the triathlon this August.

Hope your bike ride went well. You have added that on this week and that is exciting to know that you are moving toward your goals.

You have already said you have more energy and feel stronger. What long-term benefits we receive from following this plan.

Hope your dinner went well with your daughter! And hope you are blessed this week with peace and success.

RR

BY THE WAY...
FOR THOSE OF YOU FOLLOWING OUR GROUP'S ASTOUNDING PROGRESS TO TRANSFORM THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH & FITNESS, WHEN YOU SEE THE PHRASE:

"Congratulations on living up to your agreements to yourself"

ANYWHERE IN ONE OF THESE AFFIRMATION EMAILS...
THAT IS CODE LANGUAGE MEANING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HAS, INDEED, LIVED-UP TO ALL THEIR COMMITMENTS FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK.

THAT CODE PHRASE IS FOR MY BENEFIT IN SUPPORTING THE ENTIRE GROUP.

IF I DON'T SEE THAT PHRASE, IT'S AN ALERT TO ME TO GET MORE INVOLVED TO HELP THE INDIVIDUAL SET WEEKLY GOALS THEY ARE COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING.

EACH WEEK, I ASK EVERY PARTICIPANT TO SEND THEIR WEEKLY GOALS TO AT LEAST ONE OF THEIR PARTICIPANT PEERS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. SEE HOW WONDERFULLY CLEAR THIS WEEKLY GOAL IS THAT I JUST RECEIVED...

F & I,

Here are my commitments for the week beginning 4/30/07:
- Train 4 times for 40 minutes each,
with a the following taking place
- :17 miles on the stationary bike &
- jog/walk 2 miles in a single session.
- Lose 2.5 pounds
- My caloric intake will be less than 1741 calories.

Z G

P.S. I will schedule a peer group conference call for Sunday, 7:15 PM.

ALSO, I HOLD EACH OF THE 15 PARTICIPANT ACCOUNTABLE TO SCHEDULING A "PEER-COACHING ACCOUNTABILITY CALL" EVERY WEEK WITH TWO OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN "THE FITNESS RACE"

AREN'T THEY DOING A GREAT JOB IMPLEMENTING?