Byline: Tim Bauer

“TinierTim” Bauer works in marketing as a professional storyteller who also teaches others to tell their stories. He is a father of two beautiful girls, aged 8 and 5. He lost his first 200 pounds in just 374 days and his greatest accomplishments include running his first triathlon 18 months to the day from starting his journey, having his weight loss described by his then 6 year old daughter as a “metamorphosis” (he’s a butterfly now) and the fact that his daughters are now able to sit in his lap without his belly getting in the way and wrap their arms completely around him. He blogs at TinierTim.com and can be found anywhere people are being Social @TinierTim including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Click here for Tim’s full bio

Giving Up 2.0

A couple of weeks ago, I took the time to write about Giving Up. If you haven’t read the article, I encourage you to do so. We received a couple comments with a negative reaction to the usage of the term. Debra, had this to say::

First of all, I want to say two things:

1) I love feedback like this. I’m so honored that I wrote something that made you think about how to frame things positively. Thank you for reading Debra.
2) I love words and their impact. I will never minimize the power of words. Words can start a war, create true love, destroy relationships and establish life long bonds. It is with words that we say promise to be with someone forever in a wedding. It is with words that our parents teach us. Words can be on occasion both therapeutic and destructive simultaneously.

Sometimes, I literally obsess over vernacular. As an aspiring writer, I adore words. Today, I want to talk about this phrase: Giving Up.

When Do I Get My Lightsaber?

“We must all either wear out or rust out, every one of us. My choice is to wear out.”
-Theodore Roosevelt

One of my favorite quotes from Tips of the Scale came from Dana from episode 5 who shared this brilliant thought:

There’s no doubt that preparation can be one of the most valuable skills and talents you can learn along your weight loss journey. That could mean preparing healthy meals or a workout plan, but today, we’re going to be addressing how to prepare yourself mentally against the trials and tribulations that come with attempted fat loss using the Stoic principle of The Inner Citadel.

Sometimes Giving Up is Ok

“Genius is the ability to put into effect what is in your mind. There’s no other definition of it.”
-F Scott. Fitzgerald.

Welcome back Stoic Students. Today we’re going to wax biographical. Today we’re going to talk about the gentler side of quitting.

The day I decided to change my life was the Fifth of November. Yes, really. Remember, remember the Fifth of November.

This change was so far overdue. I was consuming over 5500 calories per day. My life was out of control. I had given up not only physically but in life, in love, professionally, personally and spiritually. It was nothing short of an ephiphany that made me believe in myself again for the first time in years. I wanted to set a goal to achieve something that would demonstrate that I was fit, strong and healthy. I decided on a goal and publicly proclaimed on Facebook at over 400 pounds:

I was 31 at the time. I turn 35 in about 6 weeks. Spoiler alert: In 6 weeks, I will fail to reach my goal. But I am by no means a failure. Let’s get Stoic for a minute.

Consuming Failure.

“To be a Philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts nor even to found a school… it is to solve some of the problems of life, not just theortetically, but practically.” -Henry David Thoreau Last week we spoke about Stoicism as an introduction and talked about preparing for failure. Today is where the rubber … Read more

Drop Weight Like a Stoic

Come with me to a tough place.

You’ve carefully crafted a plan for success at something. Maybe you planned the perfect date with your sweetheart. The picnic basket is packed. The car is waxed. The drinks are chilled and you have your favorite book of poetry or your favorite Ginuwine record cued up (the only two sources of entertainment appropriate to a romantic picnic). You pick him or her up and she looks perfect. You’re wearing your favorite cologne and you even remembered deodorant. The only thing fresher than your clothes is your breath thanks to 15 minutes of tooth brushing and mouth washing. This date will be perfect.

You get in the car and it starts to rain. All your plans are for naught. The date, the evening and even Ginuwine’s Pony can’t make the torrential downpour get better.

You’ve failed. We’ve all been there.

When it comes to our weight loss, we almost always begin with the best of intentions and the brightest of goals. And we’re on point. Until we fail.

Maintenance the Monster

It’s the 400 pound elephant in the room. Trust me, as a former 400 pound object myself, I knew one day I would have to face the evil monster. So many have faced the giant but so few have had the wherewithal to take him down, myself included.

The first two times I faced him, I collapsed in exhaustion and succumbed to him. He is the dreaded experience for all current and former Scale Warriors. His name is Maintenance.

Growth begins in a place of deficiency.

Evidence is not required to make the statement that The “(Addiction) Anonymous” groups have been a powerful force for good in the fight against addictions ranging from obesity to substance abuse to pornography. Many experts have tried to analyze the success of these organizations in an effort to duplicate or at least understand the process. The first step in Alcoholics Anonymous looks like this:

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol– that our lives had become unmanageable.”

Today, I want to reflect on this point and look at it in the framework of obesity.

You Can Do This

I’ve been getting a lot of feedback lately from people reaching out for help. From day 1, I’ve always put myself out there as a free resource. I’ve never accepted a dollar for this help and I’ve refused to back any products for the purposes of advocating health. I get a potpourri of people reaching out for help:

housewives who let themselves go.
men whose girlfriends left.
people who heard about paleo.
fathers who want to see their children grow up.
girls who think I’m cute now (HELLOOOO LADIES).

I’ve received three in the last month asking me to tell them that they can do it. A darling woman whose heart yearns to serve her church on a welfare mission but needs to lose 200 pounds. A man who is a recent father and can’t bend down to pick up his daughter. A woman whose husband keeps telling her how beautiful she used to be.

I wanted to write a letter to every single person in the universe who wants to do anything. As a member of the online weight loss community that is Tips of the Scale, I am here to tell you, to declare to you, to promise you:

YOU CAN DO THIS.

Wonder Drug Sleep decreases Cancer Risk, Obesity (and improves sex!)

What if there was a product that could decrease obesity, improve cognitive function and memory, regulate hormone levels, increase sexual drive and performance and prolong the length and improve the quality of your life? Would you be interested in purchasing such a thing?

What if I had some to give away? I know that as a Tips of the Scale listener, you must be someone interested in health and longevity and today I’m proud to announce our backing of a fabulous new wonder drug on the market. The best part about it? It’s free and you have nearly unlimited supply of it already in your house. Today I’m going to tell you about it at the low low price of one click.

It’s called Sleep.