iI'm on my own self-imposed mission. A little over a year ago I was in an accident that severely damaged my neck. I wrote this to Rikki September 7th of last year (I started 6WBMO on August 1st of 2003): ______________________________ Hi Rikki I want to thank you, and Dolores and everyone in the Michael Thurmond program. You are truly a Godsend! I am here because I have to be. Because I have to lose this weight. I have no choice. It's probably what motivates me not to cheat on this program and I've never felt better than I do right now. You see, I recently had a fall at work. Honestly, it scared me at the time knowing that I'd already damaged the disks in my neck (in January) and when I fell I hit my head on a box pushing my neck backwards. That was several days ago (I'd have to ask Deb about that, she knows when) and my 35 lb loss is what I credit for not being in excruciating pain right now. Thirty five pounds ago my Neurosurgeon said to me, "You need to lose 50 lbs now and I may still see you under the knife." I don't like knives, or needles, or hospitals for that matter! I don't even really like doctors but I can't take the pain either. It's too much. So is the painkillers and muscle relaxers which just dope me up and turn me into a zombie at times. Even with the drugs, I would get 3-4 hours of sleep at night and the only way I could sleep was lying flat on my back on a board at a 45 degree angle. When I would attempt to roll over is when I would wake up because of the pain it would cause. That was 35 lbs ago. Now, I barely get a few headaches if I move my head in certain directions. So, I say again, ...you guys are a Godsend, ...I mean that literally! Tell Michael God speed and know that I'm a walking billboard for you guys. My family and friends know and are interested in your program as well as people I work with so I believe a few will be coming your way soon. All my love and all my best, Jeb ______________________________ I have ruptured two disks and damaged a third in the area of C3, C4, C5, and C6 of my neck including debris and bone spurs. I also have an old injury with nerve damage in the area of L3, L4 in my lower back which makes one leg numb intermittently. At those times I kind of walk funny and forget about running. The reason I bring this up is because I am at the point now that I no longer have to fear working out since I have lost almost all of the stored fat which contributed to my medical problems and I can now concentrate on rehabilitating my posture and the support structure of my body. I am concentrating on protecting my back from further damage and to do that I need muscle. Greater muscle than I currently own. So, I started this Living Lean mission to study why the Michael Thurmond program works and how I can tweak the plan for greater muscle mass. It requires free weights and I have been amazed at what I have found while studying weight lifting techniques. Two characteristics about this program scream out as brilliant. 1. Michael Thurmond is a genius! He has taken all the best techniques for weight loss and healthy living and combined all those into one owners manual for the human body. All his techniques can be found elsewhere but sporadically sprinkled throughout literature and the net. He combines them all to form the complete system. 2. The 6 WBMO plan is the most "complete" customizable diet ever developed. There is a reason Living Lean is so open ended and incomplete, ...it is 'The Never Ending Story' and you are the one to decide in which direction you will take it. My story will tell the tale of greater muscle mass, defined abs, bigger guns, and more protection for my spine. That is what is most important to me, ...how about you? What's your story going to be

(IMLO = In My Layman's Opinion)
**I highly recommend massage therapy**
http://www.stillpointtherapy.com/body.htm
http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1946
-My original goal weight: 180, ...then 175, ...then 170, ...and oh, I give up!
-My lowest program weight: 159.5 Lbs
-Living lean - Ultimate Plan program member
-Old body style - B
-New body style - C (tested 01/11/04)

"There is no chance, no destiny, no fate,
can circumvent or hinder or control
the firm resolve of a determined soul." ...Ella Wheeler Wilcox

...its all about you!