Bill Phillip's | Transformation

What I've done. When I go grocery shopping each week, I list only good foods to buy and I stick to that list. If any bad foods are bought that day, its because my wife bought them for her or my son. I ask them if they eat the bad foods to please not eat them around me. It works perfectly.

I threw away the alcohol in my house. I will throw away the diet/fitness magazine I just gotin the mail.

What ive done : Having the right food in the house and none of the wrong food, its worked!! What I could do: Stop just turning the tv on in the evening, which creates an environment im not in control of, too much negativity, violence and gossip.

not behind...just transferring from written journals to here... my environmental changes...I am in charge of the food shopping at our house so i get to control what we eat for the most part. Leaving sugar and processed foods in the stores for everyone else has helped me. I will be the one that will take home the fresh spinach and organic tomatoes and cage free eggs. I am not wasting money on junk so i can buy the good stuff. I have now ingrained into my psyche that it is okay to have cookie dough in the freezer and i can make a batch of them for my son to take back to his college. I can keep 3or 4 of them for myself and my husband on our FREE DAY and we are fine with that. I am also spending less and less time online and loving it. I am changing my "glued to computer" existence to one that includes grass and dirt and blue sky and meeting with other people face to face. wow...life in 3D! this transformation thing found me at a really good time...and is quite possibly a lifesaver, marriage saver...at the very least my life has been enriched and fortified by this commitment. thank you.

ight vs. Wrong environment. What have I done to make my environment for this transformation better and what else CAN I change about my environment to make it even better for my succuess in this journey. Well, Bill nailed the first one for me. I have had to do the same thing he does. Get all the junk food out of the house. I am a stay at home mom and am home with it ALL DAY LONG!!!!! No matter how much I try to tell myself that i have the will power to not have the junk, it doesn't happen. I give into one little bite here and there or I tell myself that it won't matter if I have just one treat that day, so I have had to learn that what I REALLY needed was the will power to just say no to having that junk in the house at all. It has truly made my life SO MUCH easier to just rid the house of the crappola. Now, what else can I do to change my environment to further my sucess? This is a harder question for me to answer. Continue to work harder at keeping my home clean and in order. I notice that when my home is clean and in order I am more active and have more energy and more of a desire to get up and get things done. When my home is a mess, I tend to get a slow start everyday, not shower until after 11am and I sit around watching TV or surfing the net. So, even though I have begun this change in keeping my home cleaner and more in order, I still need a lot of work on this, so that's what I will list as what else I CAN change. Amy

The environmental change I have already made is to clear out the cupboards, refrigerator, the pantry and my secret stash of Werther's Originals hidden in my closet. Soda is my worst culprit, also sugary foods in the middle of the night, so I have banned them from the house. I have found that if they are not there I will not go get any at 3 a.m., I will just go back to bed....YAY Timberly!! As I was going over this lesson, I realize the power of right environments can be utilized in every area of our lives. Since starting the transformation, I have made a goal list including the following areas: Health/Weight: To change doctors. I have never been comfortable with my physician but went to him because my husband liked him. I will choose a physician who believes in health as a top priority and be totally honest with that person and myself regarding the areas in myself unhealthiness has affected...Stay on top of getting yearly exams, blood screenings and med changes as needed. Emotional: I am making the change of only putting the right things into my mind....whether it's reading, watching television, conversations, or self talk. I WILL continue with this environment as it is improving the quality of my thinking....the old adage, "garbage in, garbage out" or "postivity in, positivity out" really works. Personal: I am making the change of making myself a priority...the way I look, the way I feel, what I want in my life and who I am as a person. This has been a hard environmental change...but this transition is going to be well worth it! Spiritual: We, as a family, have made a promise that we were starting back to church. We used to be very involved and when we moved back to my husband's hometown, we just got busy doing other things and for no reason in particular, (except maybe it being easier) we did not find a congregation to worship with. But we have found a congregation and are loving it!! Bill will be proud, but my mom is so proud!!!! Family: Definitely, we have changed! Our eating habits, our thinking about family exercise and our focus on health and wellness. And the reward is we have found so much more time together since we started this endeavor. Financial: As my body was in disarray, we had/have let our finances get so out of hand. It was like we just tried to ignore it and wanted the bad stuff to go away. Now, we are transforming our finances at the same time we do the rest of ourselves, mind, body and spirit. It is very difficult to truly take a look at where we are and adjust...just like it has been in all the other areas of our lives...I can't believe we let ourselves get to this point with our monies. Social: I decided early on that you have to make a conscious decision to surround yourself with positive and goal-oriented people, in your family and in your friends. This is so important in the transformation stage I think...it has helped me immensely. There are a couple other areas I need to really think about how changing environmental factors is going to affect me...those are in my work, and since we are remodeling our home...there for sure....I will think of it and add an addendum later. Environment is Important!!! til next time, tim

Purging the invironment...when traveling for my job I got to find a gym either in the hotel or in the area, money has to set aside for gym fee's if there is no gym at the hotel.....My biggest curse is the T.V. I have had to give my T.V. away, I don't own one. I have not had a televition since the O.J. Simpson trials....when I'am on the road if I turn the T.V. on, Iam doomed....I am a T.V. junkie, I love every second of it...the next thing I know it's 3:00 A.M. and I have to be at work...there goes the workout!!! No T.V.!!!!!!

You know, I learned as a youth to avoid tempting environments. Some how the lesson didn't seem to carry into adulthood. I'm greatful for the reminder to purge my environment and to allow temptations in on my terms (free day). CC

Environmental Change already made - Not keeping any junk food in my house or at work. No chocolate, pretzels, etc. This definitely helps me stick to my planned meals. There are no opportunities for unauthorized foods! Another change to make - Not going to certain restaurants unless it is my free day! I feel very torn when I go to a Mexican restaurant on a non-free day. It is so hard to pass up the chips and salsa. So, why torture myself? There are plenty of restaurants that give me lots of authorized options and if I go to the mexican restaurant on a free day, I can have what I want and not feel like I am missing out on something!!

The easiest change for me was eliminating junk food from the house. I replaced those with lots of fresh fruits and veggies. When I feel like I didn’t get enough to eat in one of the 6 meals, I reach for the veggies. This really curbs my cravings. The hardest change was distancing myself from a negative family member. My interactions with her were causing my stress level to stay extremely high, and subsequently I would eat a lot of food to cope. This person was extremely happy when I was overweight. And when I managed to start losing weight, she constantly made negative comments about my weight, such as my stomach still being too flabby or my legs were still too big. She would constantly make comments at family gatherings about my ‘eating habits’ and often said, I would just gain all the weight back. So, enough was enough! We no longer speak.

The first step I have taken in creating a healthy environment is getting rid of junk food and beer in the house. One of the areas that I struggle with when it comes to eating unhealthy doesn't necessarily have to do with whether or not junk food is readily available. For me, it's more along the lines of idle hands. So, I've been trying hard to keep myself busy in the evenings so I don't have any urges. Another step I've taken is finding this site. I know if I have any weak moments, I can hop online and get reinspired by everyone here.

I have tried to limit the unhealthy food choices in our home or asked my husband to bring the junk he gets sometimes to the office with him so I am not tempted to eat it....lets be honest here so I won't eat it! I have made a point of coming here and surrounding myself with people that are going through their own personal transformations, learning through the forums and blogs.

I'm making healthier boundaries with people who aren't healthy for me. I'm going to make sure I have a water bottle with me at all times. I find I don't get enough for my body to function well. Did you know that when you get a headache or feel fuzzy brained, many times its dehydration? So when you get a headache drink water and wait a few min and see..before taking any medication for it. (LOL can't help it...gotta give my 2 cents! )

I am transforming my environment by making sure that I have the food I need and want to eat at work and by eliminating the types of food (even supposedly ok treats such as peanut butter that I have a hard time limiting). another thing I am working on is planning delicious meals ahead so I don't get bored and start to want to graze. I am also spending more time with friends who like to exercise and do outdoor things for fun.

Okay, the change i have made has been that my fiancee and I plan our dinners for the whole week. That way when we go to the supermarket, we buy only that food. It's cheaper and healthier. And the change I am making starting today is, I buy the fun size candy packs to satisfy my chocolate craving. I was eating 2 and 3 sometimes 4 packs a day. They are only 90 calories or so each but add them up and thats the amount in a meal with alot more fat. So I will only buy 1 8 pack for the week and have one a day. I am ready to reinvent myself even further.

The biggest and hardest right environment is the space between my ears. The physical environment doesn't seem to be a factor. I don't seem to have any particular cravings or temptations following BFL - something that hasn't happened on any other program I've tried before. So the family is free to have whatever they like around me - as long as they know, understand and accept that I'm moving in a different direction. We've had a few bumps in that area, but have managed to smooth it out. I suppose one "environment" I did clean ahead of time was to make it known to just about everyone I knew what my intentions were from the very beginning. In times past, I used to try a program but not make very much fanfare about it, so that when it failed (I failed) I didn't have to give many explanations. Being bold, this time, put me on the carpet, and there have been occasions where I got mentally weak about starting a workout, and the scarlet letter of my declaration pushed me through. Finally in terms of the right environment, I'm reminded of a saying I heard once "Show me your friends and I'll show you your life." Part of the right environment is getting on paths that are probably different than your past. We may have eaten alone at times before, but often we ate with people who enjoyed the same foods we did, who liked TV instead of exercise, who often complained about the effects of life, but did very little to change their ways or their environment or help themselves - we learned from each other and that is what got us here. Now we're breaking down those old ways, those old environments and creating new ones. Some of those changes are painful, but all of them are worth it.

Nope, not behind in my assignments, just now posting because this lesson has come to me from 4 different sources over this past week. To me that's a sign that this is an important message that I need to pay attention to! Not that I didn't believe Bill when he told us that basically we should rely on discipline to avoid a wrong choice versus relying on discipline to deal with the choice when it arises... 'cause I'm a Bill-believer, for sure. ;-) This concept though, was a bit of a revelation to me- that avoidance doesn't have to be labeled 'running away' or seen as a weakness. INSTEAD it's a choice and we're exercising our discipline earlier in the process; that is most definitely a STRENGTH. The other sources of this same message?.. an article from Dr. David Jeremiah explains how: " We need to guard against toxix practices. We must avoid toxic places, too." The Bible tells us in Corinthians 15:33 "Evil company corrupts good habits". From a daily message from Rick Warren: "Ignoring a temptation is far more effective than fighting it. This one time it is okay to run away." Message received; implementation in progress. ;-) ~Annie

One of the things I have done to build a healthy environment is drinking water, and have stopped buying pop. I used to go through a two liter of diet pepsi in a little over a day! I rarely drank water! But now, it's the first thing i have in the morning, and I fill up my water bottle as soon as I get to work. Another thing I can do to build a healthy environment is share this journey with my closest girl friends. Just like the great people in this community, they are some of my biggest supporters. So why not share this with them. Why not draw on their love and support to not only help me, and support me, but maybe, just maybe they will want to do this too! Wouldn't that be great? And not because I think they are out of shape, but because this is food for the soul. I think they would just love all the great folks here, the wonderful environment, and Bill's amazing goal to help us help ourselves. So tomorrow, I am going to invite them to visit this site, visit my profile.

I've made the positive change by getting rid of all junk, all sugar from my cabinets. I do not keep any junk in the house. I also cleaned my cluttered refrigerator. My next step is to clean the kitchen and keep it decluttered so I can feel good about cooking myself healthy meals, have the kitchen be a positive environment where I nourish my mind as well as my body.

I started looking around at my "environment". Sometimes when I was in certain places, I felt uneasy, uncomfortable. a bit of anxiety. As I walk into a room now, I survey it to see what is in there that could cause that. My office, a wreck. My goal over the next two weeks (it'll take that long) is to get all paperwork filed or shredded and everything logged into my accounting program. That alone will be huge. My bedroom, how sad is that! It is a cluttered mess. We have a huge desk in there and it is as bad as my office. Same thing, filed or shredded!, My master bathroom - it was painted dark burgundy and tan. Cluttered, cabinets falling apart, closet, full of clutter. This weekend I repainted it a really pretty sunny yellowish orange faux finish. Wow!! It is bright and cheerful! Now I will get it organized, fix the cabinets, sand and refinish them. That's my start. I am going to make my environment comfortable and HAPPY!

A big environmental thing for me is having water on hand, if it's not there I have noticed that I just go thirsty because I'm trying so hard to steer clear of pop. Another is the early morning prep for breakfast, old habits were to skip it - but now I make sure everything is ready and waiting for the mad dash out the door.

Assignment 7 & 8 really blend together for me: The environmental thing has been really hard for me. Not that I can't stop drinking, but finding things to fill time that don't revolve around the bar, it really is the center of all social things in a small town in midwest Wisconsin. I have just stayed home a lot, like last night, there was a band playing that I liked, but stayed home and read a book instead. However, it is a really lonely time for me. I've been a single mom for 18 years and my son is now at college. My dog was hit by a car in May, so I don't even have her here (not that I would have normally stayed home and hung out with my dog), and I'm not currently dating anyone, so I try to go out and see people whenever I can, or when my friends ask me to go do something, I almost always will (like horseback riding, or I'll call people to go for a walk, etc.)- but I still need to be around people more. I want to meet more people to do healthy, fun things with and have even put that on things like My Space page but have not connected with anyone in the area. So, that's what I'm doing towards the environmental change, continuing to try to find new people to connect with and finding things to do that do not revolve around cocktails.

Assignement 7 & 8 really blend together for me: The environmental thing has been really hard for me. Not that I can't stop drinking, but finding things to fill time that don't revolve around the bar, it really is the center of all social things in a small town in midwest Wisconsin. I have just stayed home a lot, like last night, there was a band playing that I liked, but stayed home and read a book instead. However, it is a really lonely time for me. I've been a single mom for 18 years and my son is now at college. My dog was hit by a car in May, so I don't even have her here (not that I would have normally stayed home and hung out with my dog), and I'm not currently dating anyone, so I try to go out and see people whenever I can, or when my friends ask me to go do something, I almost always will (like horseback riding, or I'll call people to go for a walk, etc.)- but I still need to be around people more. I want to meet more people to do healthy, fun things with and have even put that on things like My Space page but have not connected with anyone in the area. So, that's what I'm doing towards the environmental change, continuing to try to find new people to connect with and finding things to do that do not revolve around cocktails.

I stopped drinking beer and wine, and what made that possible was just not buying it. That was a 6lb decision! I don't particularly care for sugar or sweets...the issue is portion control of the healthy stuff I cook. I'm trying to eat the veggies FIRST...then I hope I'm too full for the rest!

I've gotten my husband to join me which helps so much. Watching him eat all the foods I was craving didn't help me stick to my eating plan. Also, I don't go to the grocery store, except on free day, so that I am not overly temped by the junk food there.

Discipline is not a matter of being “strong-willed enough” to do the right thing in the wrong environment; to me, discipline is what we should utilize to keep us out of the wrong environment to begin with". This is what I am printing out and this will give me the strength to quit smoking! I began this diet and excercise program to change my life so i can live long and be happy and enjoy my family. To quit smoking was one of my goals, and as of yet I have not achieved it. So with the help of these wise words, and yes we are doing acupuncture too, I know I can quit. That and I can honestly say I am ready...ready to no longer smoke! It will not be easy, not eating junk food is easy, lifting the weights over my head, walking until my legs burn so much is easier than not smoking...but I know I can do it and I know I WILL do it!

I know from experience that when it comes to food, if it's not there, I can't eat it. It's that simple....Thank you to all those who shared about cleaning up other environmental aspects of their lives, too - for me the toxic thoughts are the big challenge. It will help to see them in that light. If I don't allow myself to dwell on them, they can't weigh me down.

I was extreme in changing and controlling my environment. My mother lives with me and while she was away caring for a sick friend, I phoned the Salvation Army, had them cart out our couch and replaced it with an Olympic sized weight bench and 310 lbs. worth of weights! It's taken 3 years to get my family to accept that I can't eat like they do and that I must work out or I'll gain weight and feel miserable. Changing my environment meant parting with friends and family that were just too negative about the changes in me to deal with. By the way Bill, thank you so much for changing my life! I've lost 140 lbs. thanks to you and I'm no longer invisible in my own life!

I have made the biggest environmental change thus far in convincing my husband to join me on this transformation journey. This will be his first time ever with any type of eating/exercise regime. In the past, I would say that he was always my biggest obstacle, but now he is just as health conscious as I am and will read labels and "disapprove" of a food as quickly as I do! I know that this will make a huge difference in my overall success with the program. I've also been exercising 6 days a week following the original BFL program for the past 2 1/2 weeks. I am feeling better and my clothes are fitting better already!

If I know the environment I must be in is not as healthy as it should be, then I need to plan accordingly...pack my food, adjust my workout routine as needed but get it done. I am also putting myself in the right environment more often and at the right time, such as hitting the gym before work or just before lunch. I am also spending more time with the Lord seeking his word. I am reaching out to my fitness support group by phone if I am away from my "internet family for more than 3 days" or at least let them know if I will not have access to a system for a while. It's not so much a constant battle as it is a constant distraction. I went to the beach this weekend. It's easy to let the plan go, but I stuck with it. I took ADVANTAGE of my environment by running on the beach and swimming in the ocean. As for food, I stuck with authorized choices and supplemented with shakes and bars. This weekend was a success. The next 2 weeks will be super challenging since I will be out of the country for 2 weeks. I once again must plan and take advantage of my new environment. It will just be different, not bad.

As most here, tossing or not bringing the bad stuff home is very important. For me to add to that, I make sure I don't do the groceries without have eaten a healthy meal. So I can easily resist the temptation. This and having fruits etc around.

I don't keep junk food in the house... but I really haven't for years. I think what is affecting my transformation the most for me right now is that I have my positive affirmations hung all over the house to remind me of what I'm working towards.

A HUGE step that Ive taken is finally "opening myself up" and ASKING for help instead of hiding my head in the sand like an ostrich. Coming to THIS site and recieving such a warm welcome from POSITIVE PEOPLE has been a big step too! One thing I can improve on is preparing & planning my meals ahead of time.

Today I would like to dedicate any progress I make this year to the memory of Jonnae Tayor and to say what an inspiration and a profile in courage Jonnae and her family have been to me. It takes a lot to keep loving someone "Win or Lose". They won the spirt battle as a family.

Hi all, While my better half is on vacation I completed the assignment. Our environment is clear for Tranformation Take off! We are on track and clean of all junk or unhealthy foods.

My official start date is tomorrow but I've already toosed out all my bad eating habits, now planning my meals in advacnce. Not planning and packing food in advance is what has been my downfall in the recent past. No more. I've also made a commitment to myself to be very active in this community so that I am held accountable while helping others along the path as well.

Well-To start off with most all of my time is spent on the road or up in the air on towers,making for the standerd road life.I was always eating fast food drinking soda,just junk food.Now I pack up snacks that are healthy to take on the road with me and I make sure to stop and eat at the right times.At lunch and dinner I always look for the heathy choice to eat.Now all I drink is water and protein drinks and on a very rare occasion I might treat my self to a rootbeer.I have really noticed that my diet is a major factor in my health and getting into shape. As far as furthering my success I continue to move forward open minded,trying to learn from others and grow.I have taken your advise and told others of what I am trying to do and have had a good response. Thank you

Preparing your environment with the right choices makes all the difference. It's easy when your life follows your daily routine or agenda...however life gets in the way, things don't always go as planned. Thats when it's easy to fold and eat the junk but if it's not inthe house, not an option then you can take a deep breath, remind yourself of your goal and take the time to get it right.

I use to work through my lunch hour at work. Now I dedicate my lunch hour to working out. This "change of environment" has helped reduce my stress level tremendously. If I have a luncheon for work or another responsibility to take care of -- I use vacation time to fit my work out in. This enables me to seek God in the early hours, and spend quality time with my family in the evenings. What environmental change can I introduce to support my progress for this transformation? Identifying some photos (that reinforce the physical transformation I'm going to achieve) and placing them where I will see them on a daily basis will give me that extra "push" that I need to excel.

Bill, Good one I was drinking about 8 can coke a day.So I made a change, now I'm drinking at least 10 cups of water and only 1 coke a day. Room for improvement yet. I don't wacth much t.v. at all any more, I traded it for reading and it's making a big difference.Junk food isin't a problem for me ,I don't eat hardly any. See I'm triing to gain a little healthy weight. Jerryb

This is HUGE!

Hi Bill, I too have found that I cannot control those in my family and what they choose to bring in the house. So..... instead of indulging with them I will go read a book in another room or soak in a nice hot bath while they eat whatever junk food they are indulging in. That way I don't see it so I don't want it. I then feel so proad of myself. I have taken my entire home environment very seriously since starting this challenge and Have thus redecorated almost every toom in my house. Each room is peacefful and warm and inviting. We don't worry about TV distraction as we have not had TV in our home for over 12 years. What I can do tommorrow is finish getting rid of clutter in some areas of my home. This help my mind be calmer and more able to relax. I will also move my meditation outside. Closer to nature and all that God has created. Annissa

wow This challenge is getting deeper and closer to home for me. I have just made a huge environmental change in who was on my so called friend list that brought me down instead of helping me to be my positive self. I can get depressed all by myself I sure don't need to be around people that say they are my friend and always bring me down. Also I have forgiven a few people that I didn't think I honestly had it in me to forgive. I thought forgiving was just a way of saying I'm sorry but continued to dell on the situation, I realize now that I can't honestly forgive unless I also forget the situation. I am learning to ;et go of the hurt and forgive, forget and move on. So many aspects of my life is changing for the better with my family, mainly my daughter. Things are so different all because I realized I had to change. GET*HER*DONE LINDA

One change I have made is in my music. I like all types of music; Jack Johnson to Pantera. But I have found that when I listen to heavy metal that my stress leval goes up (I'm keyed up when I listen). So I have really limited the type of music I listen to. If I can help my stress and recovery by enhancing my mood with music, then thats the plan!

My environment: When I accepted Christ many years ago my life went through a radical makeover. I gave up smoking, drinking, and long nights out on the town. I had children and gained weight and due to some medical issues I was on pain medication all the time. I thought my environment was clean, my kids tell me they don’t understand why I am over weight. I cook plain boring chicken breasts all the time and drink a gallon of water a day. I thought I was active and sporadically participated in exercise classes and stood on my feet all day. I have been on a diet for 20 years! Today, I attend church, Bible study, go to the gym regularly to train my body and visit the Transformation site as often as I am able. I use the EFL recipes and have added many spices to my meals. I have replaced dieting with healthy eating. My biggest environmental clean up is much less popcorn, I love hot fresh buttered popcorn- nightly, but not any more now I save it for my free day. I put my popcorn maker in the garage and I don’t have any kernels in the house. In the past couple of days I started on my next environmental clean up- my house-it’s toxic with all the clutter. I don’t want or need it; it is draining to see so much stuff.

It is amazing how you are encouraging us to change our environment in order to succeed in our transformation. Since starting this challenge, I have been working from the inside out trying to figure out the source of the discontent and unhappy life I was living. One of the reasons I found was the negative work environment I was involved. Once I identified it, it was clear to me I needed to move forward. One of the biggest environmental changes I have done in the past few weeks of my transformation was to change my work environment. In addition, I also implemented and started surrounding myself with new positive environments such as church, gym, and specially the transformation community. I have received an incredible amount of support from people on this site, and I believe that together we can help each other achieve our goals and be the change. Another environmental change that I can practice is to continue to connect with positive, spiritual, kind, healthy, and happy people.

My biggest environmental change I have made since starting my Transformation is flocking around people who support healthy living. Example...positive healthy people, at the gym, church, my dd's swiim team, etc. The most positive environmental change I am focusing on right now is routine. Actually a complete routine; From the time I open my eyes till I close them again. I have realized that fitting everyting in into a day cannot be done with a positive outlook IF a routine is not established. Yes, I may get everything accomplished but is it accomplished with pure joy or just squnched in to say, "CHECK, I've done it!" I feel this is one aspect that needs to be strengthened in my life for a total transformation that stays just that....transformed.

A couple of my environmental changes is for me not to keep cash in my purse. I won't be tempted to have a "quick" drive thru snack on my way to work. I am safe with no cash becasue I won't be tempted with my debit card otherwise my husband would see that I cheated. Also, at work I stock the TOP of my desk not in a drawer with grapes, carrots, celery, almonds, water bottles etc. This way I look at the food during my entire eight hour shift and grab a healthy snack. The change I am going to make in my environment TODAY is to start preparing recipes that are a little more complicated and not so boring (I can only eat so many chicken breats) - I will try different spices/seasonings and make sure I put the finished food in the individual serving sizes right away so I can pack my lunch quickly and KNOW I am in charge of what I put in my mouth. I am sure I have a long ways to go in more environmental changes and will keep thinking of other ways as well.

Hey Bill, Thank you so much for the words of wisdom. I have to say one thing I find myself self doing more of is drinking lots of water! which is excellent:)! Sprite soda was my best friend, so what I did was stock my house with tons of water and I limited the soda. I have to keep reminding myself to take my transformation proccess one day at a time. Thanks Jay

This is so huge for me. I have managed to avoided the sodas in my house and stick with water and limiting my television time to no more than 2 hours a day. I love TV. ~Nikki

I live in a home with some adult sugar addicts and so throwing out all the junk food isn't an option for me. However, I have designated one cubboard for the non-refrigerated junk food and on the front of that cubboard on a sticky note I wrote a quote from Champions,Body-For-Life, "NOTHING tastes as good as thin feels." When I read it I see myself as a successful champion and all temptation pales in comparison to my goal. By the way, though the rest of the family has not given up their sweet tooth, they have become a lot more conscious about what they eat and are making better choices, most of the time. ;-) Another way I have controlled my environment has been to keep connected to this site. The daily support and inspiration I receive here has been invaluable. My goal for improving my environment is to only listen to those thoughts that support the new and transformed me. I will no longer listen to negative, self talk and will affirm to myself the champion I am destined to be. My desire is that we may all BE in our own minds the champions we are destined to BE and therefor we will DO what all champions DO that we may all HAVE what Champions HAVE--Health, Happiness, Peace, and Joy!

It's been a very interesting journey for me. Once I saw my "before" picture, I was struck by the sadness of the woman in that picture. When I've gotten frustrated, I think of that woman, the woman I was and do not know. That has kept my focussed. Something shifted for me. The woman in that photo deserves more and deserves to be treated better than I've been treating her. So far, 31 days in, no cravings. I have been able to pass the vending machine at work and not blink. I am determined to change my life and not look back. I believe scheduling the times of day I'm going to have my meals has helped tremendously. I'm trying to never let myself go past the 3 hours mark or I get too hungry and open myself up for failure. Forward march!

I'm actually amazed how not so painful giving up my favourite snack was. I love crisps (potatoe chips in America) and so do all my family. Every weekly shopping basket would have a bumper 24 pack in it. That has stopped. Now if the teenagers want a bag of crisps i am happy to say 'there's some money you can walk to the local shop and buy a bag for yourself', i could argue with them to stop eating junk too but hey! these are teenagers i'm talking about, i can be forgiven for alittle bit of an easier life. You never know they might be inspired when they witness my transformation. So now my fruit bowl is standing big and proud in my kitchen and i am choosing to snack on fruit and enjoying it. The fruit is actually eaten before it starts to rot---that's a first.

Well, as usual, God's timing is perfect. I have 27 days left of the BFL challenge and the last four weeks have not been good. At first I had what I thought was a legit excuse to take a few days off - grandkids in the house, then traveling for business, more grandkids - it turned from a few days to a few weeks. So the last couple of days I've felt like a fat pig who can't get her little piglets in a row. Not a good thing. And part of it is, as Bill says, environment. My house was clear, then I bought junk "for the kids". To my credit, it's not all gone (i.e. I didn't pig out on it), but I did enough damage to bring my progress to a screeching halt. I must, I can, I WILL keep my physical environment clean. Oh, and also the other environment - the mental one - the one that beats us up with every perceived failure. I must, I can and I WILL keep my mental environme nt free of junk and filled with clean, encouraging thoughts! Thanks, Bill for a great lesson!

Ok, so here's the deal. I do great all day, but when I let my dogs out during the night, I get grabby. I reach for all the ugly food I have avoided during the day. The easier the better because, well, I'm half asleep. The solution was to either eliminate the dogs, or the junk food. The dogs are now gone. Just kidding, but the junk food is! Now my nocturnal choices are water or fruit. Neither one sounds all that great at that time of night. So I am learning to get through the nights knowing I won't die without a snack!

The most important change I have made to my environment so far is to write a few things down and post them in my bathroom and bedroom. "Respect you spouse" and "Pay attention." I have noticed a big difference in how I am treating my wife and child and amazing enough how my wife is treating me. For the future I am going to work on the junk food. With a 3 year old and 12 year old I am going to have to be creative. I have not been 100% good on the eating yet. Now that I have things set in motion for how I act I will focus more on proper eating.

How we react to our external environment will create us. Since starting this challenge I have removed all junk food and alcohol from my house. Knowing that the simple removal of junk food and alcohol only treats the symptoms I focus more effort on changing my reaction to the environment and empowering myself. I cannot control the environment outside my home but I can determine my reaction to it. To develop my growth I start my day by visualizing in detail my new life, then again in the afternoon and once more before going to bed. Visualization is my key “environmental change” in that is shapes my reaction to the environment. Most people don’t like change, me included. However, I will openly accept personal growth. That is really what this is all about for me NOT change but growth. I can change a few paint sizes by changing my environment but if I look deeper for the opportunities of personal growth along the way then I will make a transformation.

Bill - great point. I have eaten clean now for over 4 weeks. Typically I eat the same thing up till dinner. I vary my dinners a bit, but I have made some wonderful chocolate mouse with milk, shake mix, and fat free sugar free instant pudding that totally eliminates my cravings for sweets at night. I have also learned to keep TOXIC thought away from me. They could come from outside sources or within. I better off that way. But thank you for everything you are doing here and to all the people who participate and encourage others.

This is a great lessen Bill. The environment around us has a huge impact. I remember the day I took all the junk food out of the house. It was after I read the BFL book. Man did I have some junk in that pantry. Stuff I thought was good stuff. You know the fat free, low fat, health food that’s out there. Well, I pitch the lot, told my wife I was taking over the shopping duties. Wow, did she ever fight me for that, she didn’t even argue. Told her I was taking over the cooking duties as well. Bout time she said, the only reason I have a kitchen is that it came with the house. You could say ate out a lot. Another change I made was that I started hanging around at the YMCA. You know the kind of motley crew that hangs around those places. Following the routines in the BFL book, I was working out three times a week and cardio three times a week. I tried to start running with the YMCA running club but soon found that they were animals. I’ll have to give myself a little time with the new and improved self before I start hanging with those adrenaline junkies…. So I’ve defined the food and I’m hanging with a like group of people that share the active lifestyle. With that I’ve added a huge portion of the outdoors. I’m spending more time with self and strengthening my spirit. With a new diet full of nutritious food and good exercise I have a new zest for life. When you’re running a couple of miles it amazing what you can contemplate what you can break down and simplify. When I’m paddling in the surf my spirit soars. I thank God for the beauty, for all things natural. As my body becomes strong so has my spirit. I’m back at the beach surfing. I’m back in the water swimming and diving. I’m out on the water sailing. It has truly been an awakening. Bill I think you have something with this transformation thing; you should do something with this…. Thanks for all your help. Seacrow34

This blog came just in time. There are birthday cupcakes in my kitchen at this very moment that have seriously been calling my name all morning. I am going to throw them in the trash as soon as I finish this comment. My environment is a HUGE influence on me. One thing I have already done is to try to buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to have on hand. I prepare them ahead so they are easy to grab.

I, like you Bill make sure I don't have junk food in my house. 98% of everything in my home is organic, sprouted, fresh or frozen. My free day I buy in moderation the junk food. I need to get my accounitng office out of my home. It is a major distraction for working out, spending time in prayer and spending time with my husband. I WORK too much. It controls my life. I literally climb out of bed at 5:00 a.m and go straight to my desk and work until 10:00 or 11:00 at night. This is a major transformation area for me. Instead of over eating I over work.

The biggest most improved change for me is NO JUNK FOOD....I used to buy junk for the kids and in the past i would eventually eat THE WHOLE BOX all myself...The kids didnt even get any..HAHAHa...GROSS !....That was terrible....Now i buy junk only on my freeday..I DONT by a box of junk anymore I only buy 1 small individual pkg.....1serving .......I am trying to improve on not drinking SODA...Diet Pepsi is my weakness...But i am getting better...2 a day is what i am down to...I would love to omitt this habit permanently......be blessed not depressed, fancy face

I could ditto most of the above comments. A few drastic changes for me. 1. I cook only enough for the meal and leftovers for lunch the next day. 2. On my free day, I'm beginning to just eat more of my cravings like lots of bran/flax cereal or fruits. I'm starting to crave nutritious foods. 3. If I crave the chocolate I throw it away and don't feel guilty about wasting it in the trash. Most junk food disgusts me, because the fat content actually makes me sick the next day. 4. All my children like the recipes, so the food in my house is healthy. 5. I'm more physically active with my children. I prefer games and being outdoors to sitting and letting the TV suck my brain (as my sister says,"being a raisin head") A change I can make today is to eat more regularly. I have a hard time especially on non-work days to let time get away and go for 3-4 hours between meals and then only get 5 meals in. Then the next morning being overly hungry at my workout. Thanks for the great challenges. kennie

Well the first change for me is NO MORE JUNK FOOD WHEN I SHOP which helps me at home because when I am at home I have only goods things to eat and the second thing that I can do is to get rid of my FAT close because I have been keeping them as a catch in case this doesn't work. All that does is set me up for failure. A side note for everyone is I have turned my bathroom into my Positive room because I have been postering the wall with only positive messages so I can start my day right. If you have anything that works well for you please post it on my page so I can add you to my wall of hope. May your day transform others around you~

Yesterday I decided that I am not going to let life slip past me. I saw what I never want to see again and that is life lost in a instance. this challenge is not just about me it is about saving someone in the process. Making better decisions and helpping others to make life long healthy decisions so that they will be here for a long time to come.

An enviromental change that I have made so far is I have been watching less television and focusing more on my kids. I use to come home and heat up a pizza and sit in front of the T.V. for hours and since doing this competition I have found it amazing that I come home and I want to pick up my two little babaies and play with them for hours. I never would take them to the park or on a walk and now I look forward to doing those types of activities. I bought my "little bear" a set of his own little golf clubs so we can hit wiffle balls in our front yard. This challenge up to this point has made me look at and love the little things in life that I use to pass up. What environmental factor can I change today that will help with my success? It is what you talked about Mr. Phillips and that is getting rid of the foods on your free day after you have had them. I have a cupboard that is full of our treats and it is my free day haven. I do during the week will open up the cupboard and sneek an Oreo here and there and it has a mental strain on my day, like I have cheated myself. I am getting further in this challenge and I need every step to align just right so today after work I am cleaning the cupboard

About 2 years ago I took a new position at a new company and I soon found out the managment responsibilities were overwhelming. I was not able to set enough time aside for myself. I got to the point that I knew I could not last any longer without taking time to exercise, relax and have private time, so I made a career change so that my "environment" was condusive to the lifestyle I needed to get back to. Now, after months of worry I am carefree, fitter, happier and envolved in my own life so much more. My next move is to steady my work schedule more so that my existing "environment" will have more workout time consistency. I know the time of day, follow through and habits all wrapped up in my exercise program are very important to my success. This week I am going to "condition my environment" more to encompass this need.

The first thing I've done is cooked the right portion size. I usually cooked enough to feed an army, now there are no left overs. We all eat our portion and that is it. Also, I've been "stuffing" myself with inspirational, spiritual books. Also, I make sure before I go to bed...some type of physical activity was done on that day. Another thing, I don't drink all the diet coke I use to, ok. ONE a day, but now the rest of the day it's water or crystal lite. When one's mindset is right.....the rest of the world is right!

Mr. Phillips I will follow every instruction tou give, unless its breaking the LAW lol ! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and wisdom

I've change my environment by not going to bed on a day without exercising. I made it a priority in the last 3 weeks. I've learned to enjoy exercise by thinking that I'm priviliged by having the time to take care of my body and to get to know my own body. One of the things that I need to change in my environment in the near future, will be going to bed earlier. I have a full time, very demanding job plus three kids. It consumes my entire day and when I least expected it's close to midnight... It takes longer now that I have to cook dinner as soon as I get home, but that's the only way that my family and I can have a healthy meal... I'll learn to better manage my time as this transformation continues.

Bill, this is such a great reflective lesson. When I look at the times I have struggled it is usually an environmental issue. Some of the changes I have made: Instead of watching TV until I fall asleep, I have started reading inspirational books or ones that have been on my "to read" list for years. I have stopped buying bags of potato chips for the kids and encourage them to try my BFL meals whenever possible. I don't keep any alcoholic beverages in the garage fridge anymore. It was always tempting to have a glass of wine while relaxing on a quite summer night. Now it is stocked with water. I store my exercise mat at the foot of my bed instead of underneath. I remember to stretch before I workout that way. Even though I am not working except for one day a week in the summer, I am still getting up at 5:30 am to do my workouts because that is the time I will need to do them when school is back in session, only three weeks away!

Within the last year I have started watching more and more television. Since starting the my transformation I have stopped watching television, except for the occasional news broadcast when I want to catch up on current events. I realized if I started watching I would get stuck in front of the television for at least four hours. Nothing positive was coming out if this activity. Now when I get the urge to watch I go outside. If need be I get in my car and head to a park or a public place. This really helps. The other change I am making today is planning ahead for the week. If I do this I know I am well prepared for the week and it keeps me from making excuses when something comes up. If a friend calls and wants to get together I tell them when I have to eat and then we both can plan around. Rather than skip a meal or be forced into making an unhealthy meal choice.

About this Transformation Lesson #7. I will now toss everything unhealthy out after my Free Day or if we have a party or people over. I have a huge problem about throwing away food, but I know it's only a "mind" thing, something that I was taught as a child. Usually I try to get someone else to eat it, mostly my son, I ask him to finish the icecream or the cookies. Crazy! It's not good for me, and its not good for him. Why do I even ask him to do something that unhealthy? So from today, I will really throw it away, it's a promise. :)

This is amazing! Today I was cleaning out old junk from our apartment, and found this very old magazine and just happened to read this small letter in the magazine. It was about "being in the right environment" and I thought that I should share this here on Transformation. The first thing I see when I log in, is this "THE POWER OF RIGHT ENVIRONMENTS" Funny, huh? And I had several of these kind of "coincidences" this week :) OK, it's not the same as this transformation lesson #7, but it's related and it has a good point, so here I go: This lady in her 60s is about to move from one house, to another house in another city. She has a lot of things and a lot of furnitures, and she finds this old chest of drawers in her attic. She hasn't been using it for ages and its old and damaged, and really out of style. She almost throws it out, but then changes her mind, maybe she can paint it in a bright color and her grandchildren can use it for their toys. She moves to the new house and there is boxes and stuff everywhere, so she starts to clean out the hallway. She moves everything out, when she is almost done, there is only this old chest of drawers in the hallway left. And now she sees it in a different light, a different perspective. It looks just perfect to the new purple wallpapers and the dark wooden floor. The damage surface looks suddenly nice like an expensive antique, and the style and color is perfect to that room. It was like it was meant to be there, and she didn't have to repaint it or do anything. Now she keeps that chest of drawers in the hallway and its the first thing you see when you open the entry door. So the point with this story is: If you feel like "you are old, damaged, out of style, and has lost your color" :) - You are in the wrong environment!! Change your environment and you will be beautiful and shine!

Hi Bill. I’ve successfully eliminated all junk food from our household since beginning the challenge on July 7th. I like your suggestion of tossing any leftover junk at the end of free days. To avoid having to do that so far my free day treats have all been enjoyed by eating-out outside the household environment (during the week I seldom if ever eat out). Today (my free day) the environmental change I’m working on is restocking the frig and cupboards for next week. I precook and portion meat servings and stock the frig with fresh fruit and vegetables so meal prep is fast and efficient for the upcoming week. You're an inspiration. TY Steve

Because I easily conform to my envrionment, I must keep all junk food out of my apartment. That includes any ingredients that could possibly be combined to make anything unhealthy. Trust me, I have made some odd concoctions with cereal, marshmallow, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. I aim to make my home environment less conducive to a sedentary lifestyle of watching tv and more of an environment where I am more apt to be active. I already have a large smith machine and p-blocks in my living room, and I plan to rearrange the furniture so the focus of the room is on fitness. I will put up a mirror and some fitness posters, so that I can focus on correct form. I need to change the focus of my work environment. My job requires me to sit and monitor patients for long periods of time with out moving much. I am taking control of my condition by standing at the monitor, stretching, and taking longer bathroom brakes up to the third floor bathroom via the stairs. I am focusing on being as active as possible in a day.

Keeping only healthy food in our home is what I try to do but every so often I bring the kids favorite treats or snacks in and just stay clear of them. My trick to not eating the bad stuff is just to visualize that each bite sticks to by mid section like glue. It's a sure all cure for me! One of the biggest environmental changes we made as a family was when we moved into our new home 4 summers ago. On our main floor we purposely do not have a TV. This is the floor with our dining/kitchen/living room. When I am preparing foods my kids are in the kitchen helping or observing. Our living area is a place for toys, books, games and hanging out. We spend more time connecting as a family away from the TV this way. The kids tend to want to be nearby in the living room playing than upstairs in our family room watching TV. This was a huge environment change for us. Another thing we try to avoid is toxic things like horror movies or depressing sad things...we try to surround ourselves with funny & uplifting things. We also limit ourselves from people who are toxic and bring us down. No matter how much we want to help them and try to set an example we can't let ourselve get pulled into their toxicity or have them set an example for our children. Making that realization and seperation for our environment has been freeing.

Hello Bill i no longer buy the junk food and if it is in my house i ask that it be hidden so that i dont know where it is at. Also being that i work just about anywhere i keep a healthy variety of snacks along with packets of myoplex and protein shakes in my car. Also have case of water in my car at all times. As for my eating healthy i made sure to let everyone in my life know what i am doing and ask them to not invite me to eat the junk. My pastor actually went to the grocery store with me and had me pick healthier snacks. I was really relieved at that. Our Calvary BFL group starts officially this Saturday. So now i will be able to share what i have learned with others. Thank you Bill ~Holly

Hello Bill- I love this assignment and challenge. I am really learning alot about myself....Thank you...my first environmental change is keeping healthy snacks with me like almonds or shake in my purse or in my car so I can stay on course and also not to get tempted to eat bad food...my second environmental change is keeping up with all the assignments you set forth for us and actually completing them....I'm know to procrastinate so I'm really working on keeping up to date...Thanks again Bill....Vicky

Aloha Bill Thinking about my changed enviroment two item really stand out - they seem silly but they are so encouraging for me. Every night I write "Good Morning - Aloha-Happy Sunday" or something similar on a cute piece of paper and I leave it on a uncluttered countertop in the kitchen. When I get up in the morning there is a "Happy - Jump-Start" for my day and brings a smile to me. Another thing I have done is on the bathroom mirror I have posted an 8x10 piece of paper with colorful balloons and a single large plumeria flower (which symbolizes me) with adjectives of who I am all around them - at the top of the page is my purpose. I won't give myself a chance to lose sight of my goals. Much Aloha for all your help.

Getting serving sizes was one of our a main focus when we first started. To help avoid taking to much we use our measuring cups and measuring spoons as serving tools. I get giddy these days thinking about how much money we save not eating out. Not only to we save money but eating according to BFL is made 100% easier. We now pack a pinic and play with the kids in the park if we can't be home at meal time. My children know we do "free day" on sunday and many times have fun making sure mom and dad stay in-check. One trick that leaves my friends giggling is when I tell them- I have been known to spray cake or left over goodies with kitchen cleaner before throwing it in the trash. No way am I going to get into that leftover container after that! If I can't stop picking at left overs before the sever takes my plate away(on free day) I spill the pepper or salt or something unapealing to me over it. One last side-bar my children go to a wonderful school where the parents and teachers have implemented amazing rules about snacks and lunches. Children are to bring healthy snacks and lunches. No chips, candy, energy drinks,or soda allowed. We are asked to avoid packing sugary, refined carbohydrate foods. It is amazing how the children even police themselves. This is a public charter school! I encourage other parents to ask your school to cosider doing the same.

You hit the nail on the head with the metaphor about quitting smoking. My husband and I quit in 1994 and we detoxified our environment completely. We succeeded because we were viligent. In the same way, polluting foods are removed from our house on Sunday night. We did great with this until last Sunday when we got a bag of pretzels. I didn't have much on Sunday night, so there were lots left. I hated to waste them... so I thought, "No problem, here it is 5 weeks, haven't missed a day of exercise, been eating on plan -- no problem at all." But at the end of the day those pretzels were calling my name. It was frustrating because I gave in 2 nights in a row. I finally got wise and dumped the bag. So my change was to detox our environment on Sunday night and my resolve is to keep doing just that. Thanks, Bill. :)

What I have learned during my transformation is that my body craves things that will kill it. My enviornment is very important to my success. I remember a sunday school lesson that demonstrates this. This illustration takes two people. One stands on a table and the other on the floor. The one on the table trys to lift the one on the floor up on the table and the one on the floor trys to pull the person down off the table. Basically it is easier to pull someone down than it is to lift them up. The transformation web site is certainly a positve place to lift people up and it is not easy. Putting off temptations is an age old battle, I believe it dates back to Adam and Eve. So in summary do not eat the "Apple" (pie). Thanks for the great lesson!

To echo everyone else, I only keep healthy stuff in my immediate reach. Discipline and willpower are something I have developed through BFL, but why tempt myself? This is a change for me, as I used to make sure I stocked at least a few different kinds of Ben and Jerrys, to make sure, that, well, I had options. As far as a change I can make to my environment to help further my transformation.... I think I am going to do something about the TV in my room. I have never watched as much TV as I have in recent times, and I have such an amazing life outside of that box, why should I live vicariously through the lives of reality stars. My life is reality enough. So happy to change, I just finished BFL today, and the transformation challenge has my full attention!

Talk about right environments... get a whole group of Texas transformers together and see what happens. Ooooh, this is good stuff Bill. Thanks for following your vision. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I just came back from camping w my family today. I missed the community here while gone... I did good, but not great. I pre packed snacks and healthy foods, but still met temptations. So, I will not beat myself up, I do not have a free day tomorrow because of it. Changes I have made: I now pre pack my food for work which is completely opposite of my life before BFL & EFL. I also have moved my alarm clock so I have to get way out of bed to turn it off. Early AM's are soo hard for me. What I will do to add to my enviroment changes are 2 things: #1 is pack my gym bag and get in there in the am's again ( I am not able to run in my neighborhood like I was due to a recent back injury) #2 is move the junk food to 1 cabinet so I am not tempted by it. Thanks Bill. I LOVE BFL AND THIS COMMUNITY! Deb

ABsolutely BIll! I can tell you one thing we have done as a couple is to unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it,take ourselves out of certain peoples direct contact. Especially while we are trying to make major changes in our lives right now we just don't need the negativity or nay sayers to mock or say it can't be done! The unfortunate thing is Familiarity breeds contempt so I have found that when you start trying to make great changes its often times you family or siblings that might be those nay sayers. SO for now we remove ourselves from that environment. NOt their lives all together but certain situations and times when I know it would be open season on the goal setters! #2 ALso utilizing the EFL menu planners for us and the kids each week is not only keeping junk out of the house but the kids are eating better as well and for free day we plan our "treat" and then free day is OVER! 1 thing I will do tomorrow morning is to DECLUTTER my desk at work and my office. You can't think clearly and move towards goals with clutter. I will get organized and get to work on my financial transformation that I need so badly..............I Love this lesson.........Dude

I used to look at weights as some type of hostile "objects", as hostile as bath is supposed to appear to cats. Now, they are my new friends, So that is a tremendous enviromental change. Foodwise, I watch my portions. I tend to like salt though, my next step is to cut out salt and processed sugar (yeah, I went back) while keeping the natural sugar such as fruits to speed up my "deflating" LOL. . Also, increase green veggies in my food, about alcohol, I am not much of drinker, sodas are the ones that need to go and they are going. ....Some Executive Coaching Saint, I could give You a Biiig Hug. Thank you soooooooooo mUUch!!

I have also cleaned most of the junk out of the house, and the few things I allow in the house for the kids are in a "special" cabinet just for them - I stay out of it. I have also gotten into the habit of not carrying much cash with me. At work, most people are supportive of my desire to eat only my prepared foods, but there are a couple of friends who continue to try to sabotage by asking me to go out to lunch with them every day. Even when I say "no thanks", they still try to wear me down - "c'mon, it won't hurt this one time", "are you SURE you don't want to come? French fries are vegetables, you know" (one of them actually says this, and believes it!). So I've found if I don't have cash available, it makes it even easier to say no. And now, when I see those people walking toward my desk around lunchtime, I grab the phone and pretend I'm on an important call - it works!

Living in an RV full-time, I only buy what I should eat and the fridge is too small to accommodate much else...BUT...what do I do about my HUSBAND???? He's constantly tempting me!!! hahaha

I have never been a person who spends time at a health club...No