“Hi Lisa!” I said, as I waved at her.

She looked at me, shocked. Her mouth even hung open for a moment. “Anthony? Is that really you? Oh my god, I didn’t recognize you! You’ve lost so much weight! I kept looking at you, wondering, ‘Is that Anthony?’”

“Well, I’ve dropped over 75 pounds since the last time I saw you,” I told her. I also told her that my plan is to drop another 15 to 30 pounds.

She looked me over and said, “I don’t think you need to. You look great! If you lost 30 more pounds, you’d look ‘manorexic.’”

“Manorexic?” I thought. “Is that really a word?” I have to admit, hearing this from an avid runner like Lisa is made me feel proud of myself.

The conversation we had that day was kind of funny. I kept trying to catch up with what was going on in her life, and she just kept saying how great I looked, asking how I had done it.

“Did you go on a diet?”

“Well, no.”

I tried to explain what I did do to her, but I could tell I quickly lost her. When most people think of losing weight, they think of dieting, exercising, or both.

Well, I didn’t do either. I simply changed my mind.

Try explaining that one to people.

That’s why I wrote this eBook. To tell you how you can do what I did – whether you want to lose 5, 10, even 30 pounds, or more.

In February, I was blogging about my 90 Day Experiment, in which I set a goal, and used it to learn more about myself. The result was that I knew I had to create a new website to reach more people.

My new website is an extension of this blog, and will allow me to help more people. I hope you’ll come by and check it out! I like to think of it as this blog on steroids.

I wasn’t doing research on cancer, but on a subject that came to me this morning as I was waking up. Anyway I found this, and thought it was so important, I wanted to share it with you, so you can share it with those you love.

“So I dug a little deeper. On the About.com Breast Cancer site, I read that your body absorbs turmeric 2,000 times better if you take it with black pepper and olive oil.

And then in the book Herbs Demystified by Holly Phaneuf, I read the following: “For more of the oil-soluble curcumin to be pulled out of the turmeric, try consuming it with a favorite healthy oil. Since curcumin isn’t water soluble, don’t expect to get much from turmeric tea.”

In the Planta Medica medical journal, I read:

“The medicinal properties of curcumin obtained from Curcuma longa L. cannot be utilised because of poor bioavailability due to its rapid metabolism in the liver and intestinal wall.”

When the researchers combined curcumin with piperine, they found that the piperine increased the bioavailabity of curcumin by 2,000% in humans. Piperine is an alkaloid that’s responsible for the pungency of black pepper.

Once I discovered that piperine made turmeric more powerful, I began looking for a ready-to-take supplement. And that’s when I stumbled upon my secret weapon – LifeExtension’s Super Curcumin with Bioperine. This supplement contains 95% curcumin, and it’s enhanced with 5mg of piperine.

I purchase it at my local health food store. On the Life Extension website it costs

$20.75, plus shipping.

But if you purchase it on the Amazon.com website, it only costs $15.75, with free shipping.”

As I said, I ran across this and don’t know anything more than what you see here, so I highly recommend that you do more research on curcumin, and it’s cancer fighting properties.

I’m not receiving a dime for posting this. I just think that this is something worth looking into!

Blessings,

Anthony

My intention at the beginning of the experiment was to write an eBook. I’ve written three. I’m starting a new project which I’ll be sharing with you in the very near future.

In the meantime, I want to thank you for your support, comments, and feedback!

Wishing you the very best life has to offer to you,

Anthony

As you read over your list, pause before each item and say to yourself, “Even though I _____________, I still deeply, and completely, love, accept and forgive myself.” For example: “Even though I don’t have a job, I still deeply, and completely, love, accept and forgive myself.” “Even though I’ve abused myself with alcohol, I still deeply, and completely, love, accept and forgive myself.” “Even though I’m 25 pounds overweight, I still deeply, and completely, love, accept and forgive myself.” “Even though I’m living with (cancer, arthritis, heart disease, etc.), I still deeply, and completely, love, accept and forgive myself.”

As you love, accept and forgive yourself through your list, breathe in deeply, feel your feelings, and let go of your guilt and shame. You’ve held onto them long enough.

You have no control over the past. Keeping yourself bound to what you’ve done in the past keeps you feeling powerless. Forgiving yourself empowers you. It increases your love of who you are, and frees you from the “chains” of the past, opening the door to a new future, and an extraordinary life.

What area of your life has people pleasing caused you to feel resentment, powerless, or made you feel like giving up?

Is your desire to be liked, to look nice, and put others before you really getting you what you want? Really?

Or could that energy be better used to increase your sense of deserving, joy, and self love?

I have a client named Thom. When Thom first came to see me, he had tears in his eyes from the start of our session. He was abused sexually as a child, and made to feel as though he didn’t matter. He hated life, he hated people, and most of all, he hated himself. You wouldn’t know it though. He was a “nice” guy. He was someone people easily took advantage of. He was a walking, talking victim.

Today was his fourth session with me. “I’m not a victim,” he told me. “I’m a person with past experiences. I wouldn’t wish those experiences on anyone, but what I’ve realized is that they made me who I am today.”

Now, that’s what I’m talking about!

What three actions could you take this week that would be pleasing to you? Take them.

I can’t begin to tell you how many of the people I work with who seem to have learned from an early age that pleasing others is a good way to receive validation or affection. By the time they come to see me it’s such a habit that when we talk about what they need to do, my suggestions have to go through a filter of thinking, “How can I do this for myself without letting others down?”

I know that I was guilty of this, especially in my twenties. I simply couldn’t imagine people I loved being able to take care of themselves and their own needs without me. What can I say? I was pretty arrogant.

I do my fair share of flying, enough to know that should the air bag come down for some reason, I’m supposed to put it on myself first, before worrying about the person next to me. My life changed for the better when I started taking care of myself first, and allowed people to take care of themselves.  I can tell you, their lives changed for the better as well.

This week, instead of thinking of how you can “earn” the love of others by pleasing them, practice healthy self love and look for ways to please yourself.

I know what’s going on. It’s called, “healthy self love.” That’s what the point of this blog has really been about.

What I love about Melanie’s story is that she’s extremely shy, and at the start of her 90 Day Experiment, she made the intention of making her beautiful handmade cards into a business, which she did. Recently, she had an opportunity to become a professional party planner, which she took advantage of. Now, she’s buying herself flowers.

I also want to acknowledge Marian Kramer, who made a comment on one of my posts that she’s hearing herself laugh again.

Laughter is the outward sign of inward hope. Healthy laughter is another sign of self love.

What sign(s) are you showing yourself? Let me know. I’d really love to hear your story.

You can read Melanie’s blog post by going here, http://pupkinstuff1027.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/something-for-me/.