Like a freight train barreling down the track with the word STROKE written along the side weight at start : 263.8
weight now: 243.8 I was looking at myself and thinking I could see the freight train barrelling down the track with the words STROKE written along the side. That's how I felt before, and it was time to do something about it. I didn't plan for weeks how I would do it, or mentally prepare for the workouts and dieting, I'm not dieting. I simply woke up one day and ordered a juicer and decided that it was the day to change my life. The juicer arrived three days later and I went forthwith to my local grocer where I stocked up on all that was colourful and leafy. It was time. I don't preach that everyone should do this, it's an individual thing and you have to be in a place in your life when you are ready. I was. You might not be like me, I was just tired all the time and tired of being tired. I was one bacon and eggs breakfast away from a heart attack. I knew I needed to do something and then it hit me. I need to feel full, want to feel full and I want what I consume to taste great. I could easily forgo all the junk, I've had enough. I've enjoyed every variation of junk anyone could ask for and I'm sick of it all. I'd be lying if I said I don't like certain things. I do look forward to a nice slice of pizza and that will come but not till I have a grip on what is happening inside my body and not letting my body have a grip on me. When I decide to ease back into everyday foods it will be with moderation. I already feel it is possible now but I want to make absolutely certain by establishing a healthy habitual good food regiment and exercise. Follow me if you too are sick of being fat and out of control, follow my journey, I hope it inspires you. Robert
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Who says eating healthy is boring? I never really ever believed that myself but I was never keen on drinking liquified grass. In fact I've seen other people do it but for me it was just not going to happen.
What I didn't realize is just how awesome it tasted (not grass, but the usual green suspects, like kale, broccoli, celery, etc, etc) when you juice in one nice tasting fruit into the mix. Take the drink on the last, for example. Mostly sweet potato, carrots, and celery, but I mixed in a quarter of a pineapple and a thin slice of ginger. Oh yeah, now we're talking! What a nice drink! If you want to give it a little more substance then drop in a tsp of chia, or protein powder. That will not only fill you but it will energize you all morning long. The green dink in the back is a nice mix of only green vegetables with another slice of pineapple just to make it not yucky, you see? Perfect. You have to pack them into sealed glass containers so the juice doesn't loose it's precious goodness through the day. Some say it's good for a couple of days but I like to make a fresh mix daily. Don't want to waste any of this potent life saver. I for one suggest that juicing is not for everyone. No, but if you are like me and are desperate and determined to change your body…go for it. Consult your doctor if you have any underlying health issues for certain, but if you can begin safely, you won't regret this. Follow me every other day as I post about my journey to better health. 
Alien drink!Is this an alien drink? Or a potent power packed life saver?
If you guessed the latter then you would be correct. On my continuing journey to better health I am discovering many new ways to juice the good stuff. My first week into it I was doing all the usual ugly stuff that had no really pleasant tastes, but as I move on down this road I am adding new things that amaze me! This drink shown above is todays recipe. 1/4 pineapple 10 strawberries one peeled sweet potato (raw, of course) one full head of broccoli (stems removed) One full bunch of spinach (Popeye was right!) four celery sticks and one cup of preprepared Chia Seeds I did up the chia seeds last night by mixing two tsp of seeds into a cup of water in a mason jar. Then this morning when I juiced up my ingredients I then poured it all into a large jug as my portion for the day. in short, I hate the taste of greens and I need to feel full all of the time, it's just the way i roll, so I added the pineapple and strawberries to give it some flavour and the chia seeds for the protein (full tummy feeling). Chia has a full tapioca texture and makes this drink, or any drink absolutely fun! So what does all this have to do with Art? I am an artist, as artists go we typically have very bad habits. Many artists I know don't take care of themselves as their days priority leans heavily towards painting, eating quickly and then painting again, of course. But in that process fast food becomes the norm. I ask you, when is fast food NOT the norm these days? So artists are just like everyone else in that regard. I want to change. I don't want to make fast food my norm. So over a month ago I did just that. I embarked on a journey to better health, and why? So I can paint more, of course! It is not lost on this artist how much fun can be had with the various colours of juicing. Green is very attractive, as is orange, turquoise, etc, etc. By mixing certain veggies and fruits I can come up with some pretty inspiring colour drinks, and that just sets my painting day off on a roll! :-) I'm not on a weight loss program or have it as a goal. It is, rather, a side effect which is happening very rapidly. Approx a pound per day. Since I only weigh myself once per week and this post is happening on a Monday my latest scale result will not be known until Wednesday. Stay tuned. Love to read your comments, either here in the comments or in your personal emails to me: [email protected] Robert McAffee 
Friend or foe of my body
To many of you this bottle of green juice looks like a simple yucky nasty green drink. I would have thought so too just four months ago. But as of a month ago this yucky bottle of green juice packed with broccoli, spinach, kale, one apple, four strawberries and a half lemon has become the military grade attack on everything that is already nasty and yucky inside this body of mine. I cannot say enough about how offensive the ingredients of bread, butter, cereal, burgers, fries, potatoes and the like are to my body and yours. I don't wish to expand on that here, but suffice to say that my body has undergone a dramatic change since I cut all that junk out and adopted a green/veggie/nuts/fruits intake. My skin is so much clearer. My weight has been dropping at a rate of about a pound a day and the best part is my energy level. Since the three days of caffein cleanse I have been liberated from it and now I thrive on the simple but powerful naturally occurring energy that my body gets from the whole foods I now consume. I've said it before, here again: I'm not in this to loose weight. It's not a diet. There is not a diet known to man that doesn't deprive and make you just want more of what you are trying to get away from. I'm not on a diet. I'm on a journey to change. I was one bacon and eggs meal away from a heart attack when I decided it had to change. Thank God it did. Follow my journey here on this blog. Please share your thoughts if you like. Robert McAffee 
The cost of junk food"I don't think I can juice everyday because fruits and veggies are very expensive."
That's what I hear and what I thought. Here's the math: Juicing works out to about $30.00-$40.00 per week per individual. Sounds like a lot. It is, but when you compare to your other way of eating, it is actually a big savings. When I worked in the big bank in Toronto my day usually started with a bowl of cereal, then on the way to the GO Train (our commuter service in Ontario) I would down a medium coffee and a bagel before I got to work. Even if I packed a lunch I would still do a coffee run at least twice per work day and another on the way home. Before I even got home to dinner with my family my daily food budget had already surpassed $12.00. That's $60.00 per week. Then you calculate your evening consumption and you have an average of $100.00 per week for one person. I know that's a bit on the general side but I'm certain that if you are reading this in your cubical at the office you are probably holding your second coffee of the day as we speak, right? Your coffee alone costs you $6.00 a day, if you are not a Starbucks regular, and that is $30.00 a week all by itself. I don't need to go into the specific benefits of veggie and fruit juice, but one of the big ones is liberation from coffee/tea. So on that point alone it pays for itself. A good juice mix with a dash of protein (powder/iron) is a great source of energy and sharpness like no other meal. You will not feel like taking a nap in the afternoon, you will feel like moving forward. A great feeling. Robert Lunch! To live for.
It was said to me recently that my friend wanted to start juicing but didn't like anything thicker than coffee. She was joking of course, I got that. It did make me think about it though.
I haven't had coffee or tea since I began my change journey. When I began I abstained only because I felt such drinks would defeat the purpose of my change in in take. For sure I did have with drawl symptoms big time. Sleepless at night and edgy during the day. By Day four I was in the clear. No symptoms, no nothing. I wouldn't say I was a ball of energy by that point but I was not craving caffein. it wasn't until the second week of my journey that i began to notice the true effects of not only caffein free but the fruits and vegetables I was now regularly consuming. It was my wife who asked me how I was feeling, late day, work done, (usually exhausted), I thought about it and honestly answered with: I'm fine, perfectly fine. And it was and is so true. I feel so fine and alert like never before in my life. You could not have the clarity of mind that I am enjoying now with any amount of coffee. You might get pumped, you might be more attentive but you might also have jitters and heart palpitations. If you are a daily coffee drinker you know what I mean. Those days when you just need an extra one or two to get you through. I don't feel that any longer. It's really remarkable. Follow my blog every other day as I update you on my progress. I'm hoping that this will help you. I don't sell a get well program or book. No, I just know I battled fatigue, tiredness, sickness and fat for so many years and today i feel liberated. I want to share this and hope that someone can benefit from my share/blog about it. Robert McAffee 
CHANGE YOUR LIFEdate: March 18, 2014
Weight at start: 263.8 Weight today: 246.8 I don't know what motivates you, everyone is different. what motivates me is real. Things, people and actions that are sincere and truthful. I am like you and everyone else in that I am hit with daily loose weight fast strategies and products and the fact remains, most do not work. If any of them do they certainly have limited results. This is almost always because they are not based in reality. An electronic vibrating belt is not going to change your life. A drink mix that you shake up and consume every day, even in various flavours is not going to motivate you or change your life. The reason why is because it is made up of ingredients that are so processed that what you get is so much less than you should be getting. The drink ail loose it's ouster in no time at all. A magic pill that when taken before every meal will decrease your appetite and make you want less food will only get stuck in your throat and in no time you will tire of the monster sized thing, even before you finish one full bottle of it. Most people I know who are on diet programs almost invariably still walk around with their large double double (even if they use sweeteners) to keep themselves alert and awake all day. The fact is that diet programs do more than loose a little weight. They usually deplete you of energy and the will to continue. I'm NOT on a diet. My goal is not to loose weight. No. My goal is to become healthy and in great shape. So I am now a full fledge and consistent juicer. I admit it. I thank God that I am blessed with a wonderful wife who, with nursing as her qualification, is my strongest advocate and motivator. I know she is selfless in her desire to see to it that I do well. So she has made well certain that I understand the importance of electrolytes, proteins, and utilizing the various colours of the food I consume. Thank you Tess for keeping me safe! Today I hoped up on the scale and I am very proud to say I have lost 17.8 pounds in just 23 days. No gym work out of any kind, just Juice. That leads me to my next point: You could not possibly imagine the energy I have enjoyed since about 4 days into juicing! That energy alone made me swear off caffein and I have not been through a drive through since. No craving, no desire, period. Now, my daily energy level is astounding. So, I signed up at my local gym. why? Why go to a gym if I have no goal to loose weight and am loosing weight anyway? The reason is BECAUSE I CAN! yes! I now have the energy to do 40 mn of walking every day. I now have the stamina to endure an elliptical for as much time, and my stamina is improving every day. So off the gym I go. Stay tuned for more developments on my road to Change and better health. Please add your comments to this blog if you are encouraged by my story. I want to know yours. Robert McAffee Eating myself to life!
Day 18
Weigh at start: 263.8 current weight: 249.7 Dealing with temptation Yesterday was a tough day. It's March break here in Canada and all the kids are doing things with their parents, or so they should be. I'm doing things with my kids, but what we are doing is taking a path that is a real temptation for me as I determine to change my health. We decided to spend a couple of days in Toronto. Booked a nice hotel room and did some touristy things. Along the patter were two of this cities biggest pot holes for people like me. We first went to the Eaton's Ctr where "The Eatery" offers the worlds best in culinary delights! So fresh and so yummy. All the salt and sugar any hungry man could ever want. Whats wrong with this picture? Nothing if you are my family out for a good time, and a good time they had. But I had to endure the wafts of cooking frying baking food all around me. It was torture. Yes, pretty rough. I countered this with premixed bottles of juice that my wife, Tess and I prepared before taking this trip. stored nicely in a cooler packed with ice, these fresh juices we made were full of flavour and powerfully satisfying taste pleasure. I was able to fill myself to the brim and feel full for hours non stop. That was key for me because my biggest weakness is not wanting taste but rather a full stomach. That is what I deal with most and satisfying that as well as accomplishing great taste, made the temptations subside. In the end, after two days of "doing battle" I successfully mdd it home again and did not break even once. Not only did I not break but I knew all along that I would not. That is remarkable. For me. The full flavour of the carefully selected juice was powerful enough to satisfy. Another remarkable thing is the ill effects that food court food had on my family. Tired, sleepy, no energy, wanting to crash. That speaks volumes. Still, here on day 18 of my Change, I have no craving for coffee or tea any more. That stopped four days in and my spirits are higher than I have felt since childhood. I ask you: Are you sick? Fed up of being a fatso? Are you tired of being tired? How about this, Are you ready for change? Stay with me. Follow my path. No diets. No fees, no multi level marketing scheme to take your money…just a convergence of desperation and determination. Are you there? Follow me as I go down that road. Stay tuned for follow up blogs right here. I'd love to know your story. how you are feeling. Your thoughts about you and your eating habits. It will help you and me to talk about it. Leave a comment on this blog. Let's chat. Now I'm going for my daily walk. :-) RM Dying, one bite at a time. What can two weeks of juicing do for you? Let me tell you. I have never felt so energetic. You'd be wrong to think I'm having a dark java each morning, that was my old routine. Since I decided to change the course of my body and what I consume I have been more energized than ever before. I grant you that the first three days of cold turkey no caffeine was pretty rough. Headaches, listlessness, pretty sloppy feeling. Then those feelings began to leave me with every trip to the washroom! The fruits and greens I was now doing as a pure cleanse absolutely flushed every trace of caffeine from my system.
Last Sunday I was on a three hour drive to deliver paintings. I stopped in one of those highway stops, you know the ones with the massive coffee place that rhymes with Jimmies. At first I wondered how I would do, you know, thinking I could just run in and do my washroom stop and leave. But what about the smell? The aroma rather. Coffee!!! Actually, nothing happened. in fact when I was done with the boys room and walking past the coffee place all I could smell was the scent of donuts fried in cooking oil. It made me feel sick. It had been over two weeks since I last smelled it and it used to be the magnet that made me indulge day after day, like everyone else, currently standing in that line up, waiting for their fix. No. Nothing happened. In stead I just felt liberated and walked right on by. Right on past the other old weakness in my gastronomic past: the place with the little girl dressed in a red bonnet and dress who makes burgers. You know the place. I swear, my honest to goodness feeling was really sad. I looked at that long line up and felt like everyone of those people are who I was and they are killing themselves, one bite at a time. Look at all those bot bellies, those spare tires! Just like mine. Speaking of that spare tire/potbelly thing, I still have one but in this two weeks mine has lost 20% of it's mass. And speaking of Mass, my BMI (Body Mass Index) has been steadily improving as well. I have said from the outset that I'm not in this to loose weight. I am in this because I am sick of being tired and one bite away from death every single day. Never knowing which day would take me away from my wife and kids. That, my friends is motivation. I can't live like that anymore. I am more resolved now than ever to reach and maintain a healthy consumption. Oh, by the way, I began walking yesterday. More on that in a later post. Are you killing yourself one bite at a time? Have you given up? Stay with me friends. I'm the kind of guy who likes to tackle my problems head on and with passion. Stay with this blog, I pray it will help you to be encouraged to do the same. There is hope! You DON'T have to join a program or some get your money Multi Level Marketing scheme. Nope. You just have to use common sense. If you think you need some help there let me help you. Here's what you do: get in front of the ones you love. Stare them in the eyes. Ask yourself if you are ready to take the most precious thing away from them without notice at any time of day or night? If your answer is heck no? Then you are already on the right track to making your change. Stay with me here. Let my experience be yours. Make that change. Talk to me about it with a reply here and lets chat. Robert Food to live on |
The Artists JourneyThis is my blog page and it is where I get to be the opinionated man that I really am. The views are my own.
I invite your replies and comments, on my virtual welcome mat. 
This is me at Holly and Roy's cottage painting sketch canvases of Canoe Lake in the summer of 2011.
This sketch above became this finished painting below
 The Pine Tree Painter.How did I become known as the Pine Tree Painter? You could say I paint a lot of Pine Trees, that would be true. I paint a lot of other things too, but Pine Trees, Spruce Trees, Birch and others seem to be a continuous string in what i do. I just like the way they stand there like a custodian of the land. or a greeter to nature. So, I continue down the path with the Pine Tree Painter name on my head, It's ok. Archives
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