Introduction and Chapter One

INTRODUCTION

O

n April 21^st, 2011, “Erica,” the co-author of my first book, The Cat and the Comedian, died peacefully in my arms. It was also my 38^th birthday, so it was taken as a sign not to grieve, but to celebrate the 16 years of love and life we shared. For the past nine months, that love was needed more than ever; as that’s how long it had been since my best friend and father passed away. Life without him wasn’t the same, but without Erica, it would have been worse.

Now they were both gone, and I was broke, unemployed, and living with my mother in Temecula, California; also known as the middle of nowhere. My alcohol and marijuana consumption reached new heights. I stopped working out, and my diet consisted of everything under the sun, leading to the largest weight gain of my physical existence. I wasn’t dating, had no friends in the area, or the desire to socialize on any level. Additionally, writer’s block set in because the creative process behind The Cat and the Comedian was over. Though the feedback was positive when it was released in June of 2011, I was far from being in the right mindset to promote it. 

I’m not playing the victim game. I’m well aware we create our own realities. Still, this was a darkness I couldn’t seem to overcome, and wasn’t sure I even wanted to. Zero hope was seen on the horizon, and my mind was constantly clouded in a haze of anxiety, irritability, anger and depression. For well over two years, I wandered around like a ship without a destination.

Eventually, I got sick and tired of being sick and tired, and realized there was a chance to turn things around before it was too late. I became overwhelmed and infused with the desire to free my self from all vices, get to the root of my problems, and once and for all, achieve health and happiness on a mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual level.

As things gradually got better, I realized others could benefit from what I’d learned, and inspiration for No More Mr. Vice Guy was born. That said, the book represents my personal point of view only, and is not meant to be the truth for anyone but me. Additionally, I don’t feel I have “it” figured out or that I am done evolving on any level. Awareness wise, I remain open minded and skeptical, and I ask you to do the same in regards to the principles in this book. Don’t take my word that they work, find out firsthand!

CHAPTER ONE - ROCK BOTTOM BLUES

“H

ow the hell am I ever going to get out of this?” were the only words that rang through my head on a daily basis. Talk about a midlife crisis – holy shit! Living with my mother at age 38, broke, and no career options on the horizon. I wasn’t dating because I hated the way I looked due to my weight gain, which was from drinking and eating a ton, trying to escape the fact that I was living with my mother, broke, and had no career options on the horizon!!

The very concept of working made me sick. And technically, I wasn’t mentally capable of it anyway. To say I was depressed was the understatement of the century. I had major brain fog and couldn’t focus clearly in any way, shape, or form. My creative drive was non-existent, and I literally dreaded getting out of bed every morning. My sinuses were constantly congested. I had major blood sugar problems, daily headaches from hell, and horrific heartburn that wouldn’t quit. 

Making matters worse, death surrounded me in every direction. In the last year, I’d lost my father, my cat, and 5 friends from high school, including 2 ex-girlfriends.

This grim reality provided me with a harsh but much needed wake up call. Be next in line for a coffin, or turn my life around before it was too late. Though I obviously chose the latter, I did so in a very non-traditional way. At the time, I never felt or looked worse in my life, yet I refused to get checked out by a doctor or seen by a shrink. Had I done so, I’d have been diagnosed with God knows what, and the only cure offered would be…more drugs. Masking the problem was not the answer. That’s something I’d already done successfully for the majority of my life. I needed to get to the root cause. Not to mention, with my addictive nature, I needed to start pill popping like I needed a third nut.

My father went to his grave addicted to alcohol, gambling, excessive eating, and lots of other things. I loved him on many levels, but like any of us, he was far from perfect. It was time for me to shed the negative beliefs and habits that wore off on me as a result of being his official clone my entire life and replace them with ones that served me on a much better basis.  

I was determined to find out the truth about health and nutrition as well as the relationship between food and mood. My father and 4 of his best friends died of cancer. Did they have to? The conclusion I came to is that we have all, from a very young age, been bullshitted and brainwashed by multiple billion dollar industries into thinking the things we eat are fine, but in reality, they are the very things that contribute to poor health and lead to our ultimate, untimely demise. This is an epidemic. Everywhere I look, people are mindlessly eating the wrong kind of food because they don’t know any better.

However, diet is only part of the equation. Attitude and exercise also play huge roles, and fortunately, one hand washes the other the more you put them into action.

For the record, I’ve been living the lifestyle I describe in this book for 3 years now. I’m happy to report that my health has rebounded and I’ve achieved the clarity of consciousness I only dreamed of when living in Temecula. I now live on the beach in San Diego with a six-figure income, have lost 50 pounds, and am back to the same 30-inch waist I had in high school!

Headaches…gone. Mood swings…gone. Blood sugar problems…gone. Heartburn…gone. Depression…gone. How did I do it?

By giving up the vices that were holding me back from my ability to reach my unlimited potential.

However, to get to where I am now, I had to get WAY out of my comfort zone. I had to wake up, grow up, take responsibility, and make some major sacrifices.

For anyone reading this that has vices or addictions they want to shed make no mistake; reading this book or any other will do nothing for you unless you are ready and willing to make it happen. The change must come from within, and once it does, it’s no longer a struggle to give up the vice because it’s something you genuinely want to do. We can all be our own best friends or worst enemies. The choice is ours and ours alone.