Reprogramming the Human Operating System to Facilitate Weight Loss by Big Toe Buddha

The New-Humans Fitness Program incorporates high repetition/moderate weight workouts (for example bench pressing 70-75 lbs, fifteen times per set). You may be surprised about how effective a moderate to light weight, high-rep 90-minute program can be. Note that the New-Humans Fitness Program is an extreme diet and exercise program that has done wonders for me, but is definitely not for everyone. Consult your physician or trainer before trying any "lose weight fast!" program.

Here is an analysis of one of the three rotating exercise programs that I joyfully execute on a daily basis.

I was amazed to realize that in this single (one of three alternating) daily routines, I bench press over 13,200 pounds in a period of 80-90 minutes! This doesn't even include the energy expended for alternating the bench presses sets with sets of leg lifts, crunches, push ups and pull ups. This workout alone will total up to nearly 2 million pounds per year--and this is less than half of the workout routine.

Do I sweat a lot? 
You bet!  

Do I ever miss a workout? 
Very seldom. At the most, I missed five workouts in the last year due to a camping trip.

Do I ever NOT want to workout? 
No. Never! I have been on this daily program for over 19 months. Every night I look forward to my morning workout routine. As soon as my eyes open, I am excited to get up and get started. This is also a interruption-free time when I find inspiration for my projects and essays. It is a magnificent way to start the day.  Make sure to have a notebook and pen handy to jot down new ideas.

Obesity = Operating System Error!

It wasn't always this way. When I belonged to gyms in San Diego and Honolulu, I shined-on many days when I "should" have been working out, but "didn't want to,"  or "didn't feel like it."  

I was also easily tempted by good old American certified pepperoni pizza and the beer that made 'Bud wiser'. After all, if Big Time Athletes and hot rod NASCAR drivers could stuff their face and chug big mugs of beer on TV commercials, they must be OK right?

Not any more. I am not the least bit tempted to chow down junk food and I don't do it!  Actually, I turn away from those TV commercials during the games and races. Not to avoid temptation, but the greasy burgers and chicken parts are completely unappetizing and sort of 'gruesome' to watch. But most importantly, I directly associate fried food and beer with becoming an obese diabetic and that is a very powerful negative stimulus. But from a student of marketing's point of view, it is fascinating what fantastic motivational gimmicks corporations will invent and ram down our throats, just to get our a slice of our paychecks.  Forget the fact the obesity and diabetes are killing our friends and family. See my essays "Marketing is the Meaning of Life,"  "The Brainwashing of Society" and "Playing Chicken."  

How I Regained Control of My Operating System Program

So what has changed?  How did I take control of my program and fix the errors?   I have undergone what to me personally is a wondrous metamorphosis--not only in my body but my spiritual being. I have essentially re-programmed my operating system.

This transformation wasn't planned (at least not be me) and only now can I see how my new attitude about my physical body and mind/spirit took place.   Many of my methods are extreme, but keep in mind that I started at 245 lbs and am now down to 170, so extreme methods are being rewarded with extremely favorable results. Although I am sharing this with you here, please do what you think is right for yourself and well being. You should consults your physician before undertaking any of the diet, exercise, or motivational ideas presented on the New-Humans.com website.

This essay describes the realms that I am currently exploring   Note that this is an ongoing learning experience--there always seems to be some new aspect of the spirit/body program to decode, update and upgrade.

The Zen of Rewards:  Immediate Vs. Deferred Compensation

The New-Human Fitness Plan is based on stick twist exercises because I have found them to be incredibly effective way of sculpting away mid-section fat.  Many fitness experts maintain that target-site-specific-body sculpting is not possible.  In my essay, "Fast Twitch Fibers and Body Sculpting--are fitness enthusiasts missing out?". I argue that it is at least possible for the mid-section using stick twist exercises.

When I began this part of my journey, it seemed reasonable that if I wanted to lose my fat stomach, I should focus on exercises that would impact the abdominal region. Exercises with stick twists (along with crunches and leg lifts) seemed like an obvious methodology. After a only a few days, I noticed that there was something sort of magical about the way using the stick made me feel. It straightens your back and really strains the abdominals that are buried under layers of fat. In fact, I became so interested in exercise sticks that I started making a limited number of special sticks for my friends. You can check them out in our 
Spirit/Body Sculpting Stick Store. There are several essays and videos about stick exercises in the New-Humans Metamorphosis Club—no membership required. (link)

The point here is that I started feeling the results of the stick exercises after only a couple of days of workouts and that reinforcement encouraged me to carry on. It is a basic example of operant conditioning in which the effort of a task (in this case stick twisting) is matched by a reward (a slimmer waistline).

Another operant conditioning effect is the release of dopamine. “There is considerable evidence that dopamine participates in both reinforcement and aversive learning.”  (Source) and that "Dopamine plays a major role in the brain system that is responsible for reward-driven learning. Every type of reward that has been studied increases the level of dopamine transmission in the brain..." (Source)  After over a year and a half of daily workouts, my muscles seem to look forward to exercise,  By being consistent, my circulatory and storage systems for the components that will fuel the workout are ready, on schedule and dependable. Doing the first and the last repetition of stick twists and weight lifting is extremely pleasurable. There is no pain, only a rush of good sensations. It is this feedback along with achieving measurable improvements every day, that make each workout a centerpiece of my life.

After I complete my workout, my day is a success—no matter what happens afterwards. I refer of this uplifting physical and mental state as the 'Zen of Rewards'. Even if life's demands are way out of sync and you have burdensome problems to solve, your workout and diet regimen will put you in a healthy, creative frame of mind to solve those very problems and worries.

Change your program mindset so that you go for a run or walk every day and workout in the gym because it feels good, not because you feel that you have to or will feel guilty if you don't. That is the big difference. The results you achieve provide will positive reinforcement. Feeling thin again is a wonderful experience.

The Zen of Repetition and Meditation:  Workout Mantras

All of the exercises in the New-Humans Fitness Program are based upon low to moderate levels of exertion and high numbers of repetitions. Every exertion is matched by an intake of breath, every relaxation by an exhalation of breath. High reps keep your heart rate up and provide wholesome, aerobic training. But just as important, they offer an avenue to connect with and exercise your spirit.  Workout mantras take your mind off your worries, stop the world and let your spirit breathe. Walking or jogging or stick twists can be superb forms of meditation as you consistently time as you sync your mantra with your exertion.  Here is one of my favorites that I do daily when I jog at SeaCliff Beach in Aptos, CA.

The movement is smooth and continuous and the number of steps taken between exhales and inhales increases as you progress from walking to sprinting.  The point is that you sync your mantra to your left or right foot and stay consistent.  Exhales should be sharp and vigorous, while inhales are slow and relaxed allowing the lungs to expand naturally as much as possible, except when air must be sucked in during anaerobic sprints.

Action Mantra Breath

Left Step "Warm" Sharply Exhale
Right Step Silence Slowly Inhale

Left Step "Sun" Sharply Exhale
Right Step Silence Slowly Inhale

Left Step "Cool" Sharply Exhale
Right Step Silence Slowly Inhale

Left Step "Breeze" Sharply Exhale
Right Step Silence Slowly Inhale

...and start over

Soon you will find yourself sailing along in the warm sun and feeling the cool breeze on your face.  New insights and ideas will form spontaneously.  I carry a pen and slip of paper to write down the exceptionally inspirational thoughts.

The Zen of Control:  Always Be a Little Hungry

How we become overweight is ultra simple, if you eat more calories than your burn, your operating system brain/CPU executes an algorithm that directs myriad chemical reactions that convert, transport and store excess food in lipid cells...and we put on the pounds. Our fat storage system is an evolutionary adaptation that allows us to survive periods when food is scarce. But those of us that are fortunate enough to have refrigeration and the ability to store our perishables no longer need to employ the same strategy as hibernating bears. Fat  is remarkably heavy. After you have lost forty pounds, put a couple of 20 lb dumb bells in a back pack and tote it around for a day. That's the extra burden you used to carry 24/7. Lose a big chunk of fat and you will feel light as a feather.

Diet is the counterpoint to exercise. Diet involves not just selecting food items, but becoming conscious of their caloric content and matching calorie inputs vs. expenditures. You may have tried binge diets in the past but lost momentum and gave up and went back to stuffing your self or drinking six packs of beer. Like many people who have suffered with weight problems, I have gone on and off diet/exercise programs because they were either "too hard" or "no fun" and I eventually caved in to temptation. I have now been on the New-Humans Fitness Program for two years and I am absolutely convinced that I will stick with it through the Singularity when technological advances enable dramatic increases in human longevity.(link).  How does the New-Humans Fitness Program differ from others that claim a miracle cure for obesity?  The short answer is that it reprograms your operating system.

Caloric reduction has been associated with improved health and increased longevity in many organisms ranging from yeast to dogs and may apply to humans as well. Here I will share some tips on how I learned to say NO to stuffing myself. This is a key component of the behavior modification strategy that I am proposing, so please bear with me as I describe  this mundane example. In the evening, I always have a bowl of organic granola cereal about an hour after my spinach salad. This cereal is healthy and delicious, especially with a fruit of the day, like slices of fresh plum, apple, banana, blueberries and raisins.   You can buy this and other great cereals from Puritan's Pride (click image).


From Puritan's Website.  "Boulder Granola Original Boulder Granola-12 oz-Bag

From the Manufacturers Label: Unleash Your Inner Hippie! From the heart of groovy, granola-crunching Boulder, Colorado comes the most rockin primo granola ever! Boulder Granola is chock full of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support active bodies and active lifestyles. Organic, premium, scrumptious granola with the just-right blend of oats, nuts and seeds, and lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup for anytime enjoyment or snacking with milk, with yogurt, over ice cream or straight from the bag."

It is extremely tasty and very healthy with vitamins, fiber and bulk for smooth digestive flow.. So tasty, that I feel a temptation to not only finish off the bowl a MOMENTARY urge to not only finish it off, but to go for a refill. Alas I do not because II have reprogrammed my algorithm for satiation to the effect that I consciously slow down my intake and savor each spoonful. When I have finished about 80% of the bowl, I stop eating and leave the rest for my morning breakfast. The urge to eat more is gone only seconds after I stash the bowl for tomorrow.  I feel superb that I have managed my satiation program and that I have 'done the right thing'. Another example is during the morning I leave halves of apples, oranges or bananas for later in the day. I call this reprogramming "deferred compensation."

It is as if in the morning you can thank yourself for something done in the past, but feel the reward for doing so in the present. So you get a double bonus. First, you are pleased that you gave yourself a gift and second you are pleased that you didn't over-eat. Don't wait for the stretch receptors in the walls of your stomach to tell you that you are stuffed. Always stay a little hungry and reprogram your operating system to live in harmony with your physical body. I no longer have cravings for pizza and beer; no desire for anything but fruit, nuts and spinach salads, plus a daily protein milkshake made with prune and blueberry juice instead of milk, Available here direct from Amazon at a great price!

It's not like you can get fat just by touching or looking at food. You have to plan ahead to purchase and prepare it, then manually pick it up, put it in your mouth, chew and swallow. There are a lot of steps that have become automatic—so why consume food that is unhealthy and makes you fat?  Think of sunny days at the farm when eating spinach, feel the breeze on the leaves, listen to the workers singing folk songs. Enjoy every bite. Be patient, eat right and exercise every day. Just get started. Try the stick twist exercises using my handmade New-Humans Exercise Stick.

The New-Humans Exercise Sticks is very 
effective weight reduction tools and 
break down for easy transport.

Check out the New-Humans Metamorphosis Club for more information on exercise and diet.

Take charge of your operating system and get connected with your body and spirit. 

Get Reprogramming! 

Chek out the sequel....

Reprogramming the Human Operating System Part 2: Reward Credits by Big Toe Buddha

Remember to stay a little hungry,
Big Toe Buddha

This article may be reproduced as long as it is attributed to:

Ron S. Nolan, Ph.D.
www.new-humans.com
nolan@new-humans.com