The Donate Your Weight Podcasts are back by popular demand and available on iTunes.
Here's what others have to say about the Podcast:
I have to share my little bit of a story.
I've known about podcasting for a couple of years - (I am in eMarketing) but until I took a job in another city and I started to do the "commute" thing (2 hour flight each way)
I have been what the media has determined is overweight, fat, obese, etc etc. Its important to note I lead an active lifestyle (I walk, surf, swim, etc) - have no health issues, and my weight hasn't changed but flutuate 5-10 lbs over the last 8 years.
Last time I went for my annual physical my doctor asked me if I didn't want to be thin and have I thought about gastric bypass surgery - I didn't really qualify but he would be happy to "diagnois" issues that would qualify me.
"You would be so pretty if you lost some weight" - how many of us have heard that?
So to kill time on my commute I decided to download some podcasts - I had tried that N system that they send you the food (I guess they call it food) so I figured I'd see if anyone had anything else to say on weight loss and ta da I found Donate your Weight!
I've been listening ever since and I even called in to the tele conference I've recommended the podcast and the site to several of my friends who are tired of the constant "battle"
I finished my relocation to a new city - its been 4 months (1 month of commuting) I've made some changes that just kind of evolved - I take the train to work vs. drive - I work in an area of the city that doesn't have any fast food within walking distance. I started thinking differently, looking at things differently, and I've noticed a change in my own self talk and slowly but surely I have started to "tune" out the media message and the negative things I say to myself.
I am now a faithful pod cast listener. I have dropped 26 lbs without denying myself anything or exhausting myself on spurts of exercise or fad diets.
Thanks for putting this podcast together!!
Melissa
I have to say that I have had a similar experience from having heard Sheri speak once. I was feeling that familiar fatigue with being back up again to my highest weight and ready to make a change, but determined to not do a 'diet' again. Diets eventually work, but it's true for me, too.. the process makes me feel deprived and resentful and wonder of wonders.. I've eventually gained it back with interest!
After hearing Sheri talk about the 'sigh' -- the cue that the body has had enough to eat, I was thrilled to find that I had a sigh too! I lost 10 lbs within the first month. Now I've been in more social situations and I've found a challenge in trying to keep aware of the sigh.. but I am paying better attention to myself to listen for it.
Thank you Sheri for sharing what has worked for you. What a brave, amazing thing you have done getting this network of support started up. Thank you for the podcasts.. I will try to get them onto my little Shuffle!
Julianne
Lately I've been on this "coming out" kick. No, it's not what you think. I'm not claiming a new sexual orientation, I'm talking about unleashing my inner dragon that's been locked in a parakeet cage for far too many years.
The best way to describe it is with pictures.
This lives inside me:
But for many years, this is how I've lived:
At the very least, I'd like to find a happy medium. So that's where massive activity comes in handy. I'm busting out of my small energy and into my large energy. Hula hooping and jumping on the trampoline while lip-synching punk rock wearing a feather boa helps me clear out the old and awaken the new (see video below or on YouTube). Of course, warrior workouts with Jaiya Figueras of Your Next Victory help too.
Unleash your inner dragon. Get Galvanized!
When you think about it, every musical act you know of is using the Master Mind principle whether they realize it or not. They are joining together as a team with a combined vision. You can use the same principle and make some truly rockin' things happen in your life.
Do you have a creative project you want to complete? Do you want to find a purpose for your life?
If so, I invite you to come over to my brand new page called Start a Master Mind Group.com. I'm offering 4 freebies to get you started so you can get a sense of what the Master Mind is all about.
There's nothing cool about holding back.
Yesterday was my birthday and I decided to have the best time ever and to do things that bring me joy. After all these years, my husband and I have finally surrendered to the fact that I won't grow out of my wildness anytime soon. So I had him shoot this video of me lip synching, hula hooping and jumping to Suspect Device with Naked Raygun (feat. Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers).
I've been living most of my 45 years trying to please others and "tone it down". Although Gal Vanized had an appearance in the 80's, during the height of the Punk Rock scene in Los Angeles and a brief stint of fun with the L.A. Derby Dolls, at other times, she went deeeeep into hiding. Today is her official re-birth day.
As stated in an earlier video, I'm "gettin' too old for this B.S." and it's time to galvanize. Are you ready to get galvanized? Find out more at http://iamgalvanized.com
Lately I've had a few Master Mind meetings at Claire's restaurant at Long Beach Museum of Art with my friend Linda Saito. It has brought back memories of how I was a student of John Moynes at Long Beach City College and he hired me as the Public Relations Intern. I was working on The Viking Newspaper and still connected to the punk rock and art scene.
Computers were just beginning to be common. The Public Relations department just got the latest copy of DBase which was a database management program from the dark ages. Think pre-historic Outlook or ACT!. Green, blinking screen, an endless accordion of mailing labels attached to a dot matrix printer. You old school geeks know the drill.
So anyway, since I was already there, I decided to walk up to where I used to work and take some "behind the scenes" footage of the offices at Long Beach Museum of Art. The art is beautiful and the woodwork that accentuates this California Bungalow style home from the early 1900's is simply decadent. Take a little mental break and engage your creative side won't you?
When you think about it, every musical act you know of is using the Master Mind principle whether they realize it or not. They are joining together as a team with a combined vision. You can use the same principle and make some truly rockin' things happen in your life.
Do you have a creative project you want to complete? Do you want to find a purpose for your life?
If so, I invite you to come over to my brand new page called Start a Master Mind Group.com. I'm offering 4 freebies to get you started so you can get a sense of what the Master Mind is all about.
There's nothing cool about holding back.
Cynthia Lamb, spiritual counselor delivered a powerful speech at Agape Toastmasters describing some of the benefits she's enjoyed as a result of her 2 years of membership.
Cynthia started her speaking experience with lots of "ahs" and "ums" in a manner she describes as "all filler, no content". After using the manuals provided by Toastmasters she learned to be a competent leader and communicator. Toastmasters gave her the courage to pursue her larger goal which is to share a message of spiritual healing through forgiveness with an International audience.
She recently appeared on a panel of experts lead by Blog Talk Radio host, Michelle Ann Johnson titled "Conscious Kickstart" and did a very powerful presentation which included a guided process for forgiveness. She is kind enough to make this available to the world via this YouTube Video. If you need to heal a broken heart for any reason, you owe it to yourself to check this out.
Cynthia Lamb recently earned the highest award Toastmasters offers: Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) and to do it in 2 years is an exceptional feat.
Agape Toastmasters is that kind of place. I joined 2 years ago and I was shaky and hesitant in my first few speeches. I would get so nervous that sometimes I was practically incapacitated for an entire day. But with practice and support, I became stronger and stronger.
I have used the supportive, creative environment to work out some ideas for a character, (my alter ego) Gal Vanized. When I started Toastmasters I had 7 years of experience as a college instructor under my belt. Somehow I had convinced myself or been pressured to believe that I had to "tone it down" and "be professional". Which meant that pink wigs and punk rock gigs were out of the question.
To that I say, Why?
And this semester I've used music videos in my Introduction to Victimology class to highlight some of the songs that describe the abuse of power and control in our society that leads to crime and therefore victims.
I got bold enough one night to put on the pink wig in my Introduction to Domestic Violence class and tell my story of running away from an abuse filled home to find a better life. What Toastmasters did for me is give me the courage to say what I want to say, how I want to say it.
What will Toastmasters do for you? You'll never know unless you check it out for yourself. Toastmasters is an International, non-profit organization. "The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth."
Click here to find a club near you.
If you spend more time on the internet than you do watching T.V.; if you get a major chunk of your media input from YouTube, you have no doubt heard of Internet sensation Antoine Dodson.
Dodson (up until recently) lived in the projects in Huntsville, Alabama called Lincoln Park. One night, while he was minding his own business hanging out on Facebook, he heard his sister scream. He ran to her room and saw her struggling with a bed intruder, a man who was trying to rape her. The rapist was scared away before he was able to carry out his sexual assault.
When news cameras arrived at Dodson's doorstep, he was still angry, scared and worked up over the ordeal. He was very animated on camera and it was entertaining to watch. So entertaining that the Gregory Brothers, who are known for auto-tuning the news made a song of it and took it viral. At this point in time the Antoine Dodson Bed Intruder song has about 14.5 million views on YouTube. At one point, it was #3 on the iTunes popularity list.
Bed Intruder Song (Remix) (feat. Kelly Dodson) - Antoine Dodson
Today I heard a little bit of the story that put a twist on things for me. Dodson's sister has a 2-year old daughter. The daughter is aware of the trauma and tragedy and she is scared. She is scared for herself and she's scared for her mom.
I am currently teaching a class about Victimology at Long Beach City College and we talked about sexual abuse just last Thursday. We watched a video by Marilyn Van Derbur called "Once Can Hurt a Lifetime" and we talked about all the ways sexual abuse impacts the survivor. Here's what we came up with (click on image to enlarge):
Despite all these known consequences for sexual assault survivors, resources to help people are a very low priority on our list at voting time. The impact of lack of funding is evidenced by the closure of Sexual Assault Crisis Agency in Long Beach. For those who need support with overcoming the impact of sexual assault, a good place to start is RAINN (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network).
In class we also talked about some of the ways abusers wield power and control over others. Here's our list (click on image to enlarge):
We discussed how gaining personal power was a positive step to avoid falling prey to victimizers. If you want help to strengthen your mind, visit icreatehabits.com for a free hypnosis MP3 titled Create The Life You Want. Or, visit Start a Master Mind Group.com to find out how to use group energy to strengthen and improve yourself as a person.
Every musical act has influences. The Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest influenced each other. Punk bands from the U.K. influenced garage bands in Southern California and vice versa. Reggae and dub influenced each other.
What are your influences? That's what we talked about in Helping and Listening Skills this week. We came up with a great list and I liked it so much I took a picture of it.
I asked the students to tell me about the things that influence them. What do they value? Why do they do what they do; love what they love? This is the list they came up with:
Parents
Environment
-Friends
-Neighborhood
-Peers
-Religion
Culture
Schools
Food/Nutrition
Media
Mental Illness
Life Experience
-Observation
Socio-Economic Status ($$$)
Books
Music
Relationships
Friendships
Family
-Uncles
-Aunts
-Brothers
-Sisters
-etc.
Role Model
-Coach
-Minister
-Teacher
Law
Government
Health
Medication/Drugs
Language
Sleep
Fashion
Freedom
Travel
Pets
Sex
Arts
-Pictures
-Painting
-Dance
Entertainment
Perception
The point I want to make in this class is that you cannot know any of these things about yourself or anyone else unless you first learn how to listen.
A great Master Mind group is one that's committed to honoring and respecting each other and that includes listening unconditionally and without judgment. It is honoring a person to trust that they know what's best for their own life.
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When you think about it, every musical act you know of is using the Master Mind principle whether they realize it or not. They are joining together as a team with a combined vision. You can use the same principle and make some truly rockin' things happen in your life.
Do you have a creative project you want to complete? Do you want to find a purpose for your life?
If so, I invite you to come over to my brand new page called Start a Master Mind Group.com. I'm offering 4 freebies to get you started so you can get a sense of what the Master Mind is all about.
There's nothing cool about holding back.
I submitted an audition to Oprah on Sunday. I'm asking you to vote for me to get my OWN T.V. talk show.
In my audition, I tell Oprah I want to talk to roller derby girls. And I mean it. It's a fast growing sport that empowers women and it is fun to watch. In the 70's, everyone watched it and loved it. Let's get it back on T.V.
I want a show thats a mix between Soul Train and old school Oprah. You know, when she used to have real-life, everyday people on and they'd tell amazing stories and experience transformation before your eyes.
How about if we do transformative shows and mix it up with fun stuff like music and roller derby? That's what I want to do and you can help me by voting today. Vote early, vote often. Your opportunity to vote ends June 3.
