When I was a boy. My dad had me out cutting trees on Saturdays when other boys were watching cartoons. I learned the value early, of very hard, difficult work.

Also, I was in every kind of Athletics imaginable. I played baseball. I played football. I ran track. And most especially I wrestled. Also, I learned and taught trampoline at Camp Cheerio summer camp. And I dabbled in the martial arts, even as a boy. So karate has literally been a lifetime Pursuit.

So it was only natural that my mother enjoyed seeing me eat. I was always skinny as a rail in high school. So she made sure to keep me nutritionally complete. She encouraged me not only to finish my plate but to finish everything on the table. She hated leftovers. And I gladly obliged her, and did not leave her any.

That mindset was great then when I was that active as a youngster. But that mindset and deeply trained appetite has been a very difficult thing to overcome, since I have realized that I have to, to trim down and continue to live healthy.

I’ve read a zillion articles on many different diets (exaggerating to make a point) . Only some form of low carb has ever worked for me.

Problem with the low carb diets is I can’t maintain them long term. So I am trying something different now!

This is the first serious calorie counting I have ever engaged in. It now must go into the computer, before it goes into me. And the computer has made this possible.

I have jiggled back and forth with my weight in recent years. And I want to make a more sustained weight loss progress. So, the Point and approach of this diet is to try more well balanced​ eating overall. To maintain a diet with far less calories, still with controlled carbs and drastically reduced amounts and portions.

I call this a “Discovery Diet.” Because the objective is to discard all the givens people say and learn what works best for me! I am 18 pounds lighter than a health wake up call, I experienced 3 weeks ago, and 37 pounds lighter than my all time high 7 years ago. (Laying down the booze was the foundation I needed make a change!)

So I think I am on the right track for me, with the help of God. Though I fully expect my plan to change over time.

The myfitnesspal app. is an Awesome tool! You can literally chart the nutritional content of everything that you eat. It takes the guesswork out of figuring out what is in, what you are actually putting in your body.

So with the assistance of this tool, I am trying to discover a new way of eating. A way maximizing what is good for my body; with my overall health and wellbeing the acid test for what I do, in continuing this diet.

I Believe by the grace of God, this will not only help me solve the problem that led to my recent Health scare. But more so it will allow me to accomplish some bigger goals I have in my #Shotokan martial arts teaching.

I hope that this brief article of how I am approaching my own better health diet. Will encourage you to form or be more steadfast, in your own!

Slam-

Sensei Tim, in between techniques.