The Daily G.I.F.T. from The GratiDude

When I embraced Faith through Gratitude I quickly unzipped and took off my Fat Suit.

www.grateful4.org

Gratitude

Intention

First

Things

The G.I.F.T. Today

Grateful: for experiencing that awesome feeling of anticipating an old friend visiting! My Medicine Buddha Bro “The Gavinator” from Old School Santa Cruz(one of those ancient “pre-Internet” friends….oooooooh) is arriving. Sweep the floors and light the candles.

Intention-revel in the beauty in front of me all the time and drink it in with my breath….now.

First-sample day passes to Arslan

Things-groceries

Morning Meditation from The GratiDude

I was going to  put an image here of what fifty pounds of fat looks like, however the images of big yellow BLOBS are so disgusting and so hard to look at that I just can’t do it to myself nor to you.

If you’re curious, there are all sorts of photos of people holding different increments of yellow chunks of fat, and even one pound looks enormous when you consider carrying it around in your body.

For me, thinking back to about 14 years I was clocking the scale at a full fifty pounds more than I did this morning.

I soon realized I needed to make a big life move so as a professional drinker and an Irishman, I did the unthinkable and switched from beer to vodka .  

NOT quit alcohol, quit BEER! Damn beer….

The switch to vodka and a disciplined reduction of a bunch of carbs, and I was able to lose a quick twenty pounds in 3-4 months.  However, at 200 lbs.,  I was still a fat ass. 

It is understood that I couldn’t get into great shape and feel really great until I quit alcohol completely and that didn’t happen for quite some time after this initial weight loss.  

I walked away from alcohol in May of 2019 and within about three or four months after that, another ten pounds of fat melted off and I was down to about 175.  This is less than I weighed in my senior year at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, and I had the lowest body fat count of my adult life.

I was an even 170 today and I will fluctuate between 170 and 172 most days.

While not possessing intelligence in the same way a human brain does, scientists increasingly recognize that individual cells within our bodies exhibit a level of “cellular intelligence” by being able to respond to their environment, make decisions based on internal and external cues, communicate with other cells, and adapt to changing conditions, essentially acting autonomously to fulfill their specific functions within the body. 

Key points about cell intelligence:

Signal processing:

Cells can detect and interpret various signals from their surroundings, allowing them to adjust their behavior accordingly. 

Decision making:

Cells can make choices based on the information they receive, deciding to divide, differentiate, move, or repair themselves. 

Communication:

Cells communicate with each other through chemical signals, allowing for coordinated activity across tissues and organs. 

Adaptation:

Cells can adapt to their function depending on the environment, including changing nutrient availability or stress conditions.

Part of how I got here was learning from Dr. Joe Dispenza on the power of manifesting the body that I want through meditation and visualization. His book “Becoming Supernatural” is a great starting point for his teachings.

Dispenza, a chiropractor, lecturer, and researcher, weaves philosophical and spiritual exploration with scientific studies in neuroscience, epigenetics, neurocardiology, and quantum physics to examine the mind-body connection and body’s capacity for both physical and mental healing through the power of meditation and visualization.

Our body’s  connected and intelligent processes give your organism a goal and direction to shoot for by visualizing what you want your body to look like in the future.

And for many people, losing weight can be considered a spiritual challenge, as it often involves confronting deep-seated emotional issues around food, body image, self-worth, and the need for self-discipline, which can lead individuals to explore their inner selves and make significant lifestyle changes that go beyond just physical appearance. 

Key points to consider:

Emotional connection to food:

Overeating can be a coping mechanism for stress or negative emotions, so addressing these underlying issues can be a spiritual journey. 

Self-acceptance and self-love:

Losing weight can be about learning to love and accept oneself fully, going beyond physical appearance. 

Mindfulness and discipline:

The process of making healthy choices and sticking to a weight loss plan requires focus and conscious decision-making, which can be seen as a form of spiritual practice. Conscious Decision Making ONLY happens when an individual learns to stay connected to their breath and in so doing, develop greater thought awareness.

Body as a temple:

Some spiritual traditions view the body as a sacred vessel, so taking care of it through healthy eating and exercise can be seen as a spiritual act.