"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."
-Henry VI, William Shakespeare
“Whoa whoa whoa, hey, that wasn’t me! Put down your suing pen, you bastards!”
-Continual Improvement (By Strategy!), John J. O’Sullivan
Welcome to the standard disclaimers post. It never hurts to be defensive in such a litigation-crazed society. Besides, it’s good to know what one isn’t in order to know who one is.
I’m going to post this once and refer back to it from time to time. I’ll likely also add to it as I see fit.
Okay, let’s get the legal mumbo-jumbo over with.
I am not a doctor.
I will never claim expert medical knowledge. I am not a doctor. I don’t even play one on TV! I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. I’m just a guy.
If you are about to begin a weight loss journey, be sure to get a check-up first. Ask your doctor about what your path should include. Ask about potential risks, things to avoid, etc.
Step away from Web MD. Don’t listen to your mother-in-law or blogging friend. Go to a doctor. They spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to get that knowledge. Take advantage of their med school loans.
When I started this process two years ago, I began it with a yearly checkup. I wanted the bad news upfront. I’m glad I did; it gave me a great baseline to measure from. If you were morbidly obese like me, have that mindset. You’re getting the good bad news: In a few years, you’ll love thinking about how far you have improved.
TL;DR: I am not a doctor, please do not sue me.
I am not a pharmacist.
I will occasionally discuss supplementation in this blog. I find dietary supplements to be extremely useful. When I do, I will approach the topic in two ways:
Lookups with scientific claims and data, and
Personal experience with taking different supplements.
Even though my standard methodology is to back up what I’m saying with well-regarded data, I am not making general claims of effectiveness. I do not guarantee that anything I’m taking will be as effective for you. I make no claims on any of it for anyone other than John J. O’Sullivan.
Some supplements may cause issues with prescription medications. Before you decide to try any supplements, be sure you do your due diligence. Talk to your doctor and/or pharmacist.
I am a supplementation enthusiast. I eat a literal “bowl full of pills” every morning. I believe that my supplement stack has helped nudge me further toward my health goals. I neither believe that they’re placebo, nor do I think that they are miracle pills. They are tools that—when used wisely—might help you.
Just because my stack has helped me doesn’t mean that it will help you. It doesn’t mean it won’t. I just don’t know.
TL;DR: I am not a pharmacist, please do not sue me.
I am not a dietician/nutritionist.
I do not follow a particular diet/dietary plan. I’m not on Atkins, or Keto, or intermittent fasting, or cabbage soup. I am not planning to release a dietary card game like Richard Simmons. I listen to what my body wants me to eat and then I eat it.
Usually that’s healthful and protein-laden. Sometimes it’s dark chocolate. Considering my fitness addiction, I have become well attuned at understanding what I need and I eat accordingly.
If I were to make The John J. O’Sullivan™ Diet, it would probably be this:
Be sure that you engage in regular exercise.
Eat a large breakfast and balanced meals for lunch and supper.
Snack consciously between meals, eating fruits and nuts for the most part. Avoid processed bullshit.
Don’t starve yourself. It works against you.
Be AOK with enjoying indulgent meals from time to time. Permanent denial will ensure that you will fail.
There you go. That will earn me exactly $0.00. It’s boring and standard. But if you wanted to know, there you are. #YoureWelcome
It is of my opinion that changing one’s diet alone is generally insufficient for long-term weight loss and overall health. Is that is mildly controversial? I’m not sure. I know many people who changed their dietary intake radically and have improved their lives immeasurably. But for me? I needed exercise first. Diet followed afterward.
But you know whose opinion is likely better than mine? Someone who went to school for this. A dietician/nutritionist will be able to work with you to develop an eating plan which will give you maximum health—while not driving you crazy.
TL;DR: I am neither a dietician nor a nutritionist. Please do not sue me.
I am not a personal trainer.
As I’ve mentioned previously, I am a nerd. I am proud to be a nerd. I believe that the nerd mindset encourages curiosity and wonder. It also includes a large dose of confirmation bias.
When I decided I wanted to be in good shape, I did what any nerd would do in the 1990s: I went to Borders Books and Music and bought a book. Much of what learned to do at the gym comes from the book Top Shape by Joyce L. Vedral. You can read it for free in the Internet Archive.
Unfortunately, we no longer have Borders Books and Music (RIP). Fortunately (or also unfortunately) now have the totality of human knowledge at our fingertips.
And also TikTok. Perhaps the Internet was a bad idea.
Through the years, I’ve taken those initial plans and mutated them as I’ve seen fit. As I began to lift heavier, the book’s circuit-training methodology didn’t work for me, so I adapted. By so doing, I’ve noticed slow-moving—but continual—results.
If you are a fitness newbie, do your research. But if you’re an older person like your host and this is your first foray into fitness, do yourself a favor and talk with a personal trainer. A trainer will be able to develop a plan for you which will balance your goals with your abilities. Most gyms have a personal training staff and the prices are generally not too crazy.
But I am not that person. I can suggest what works for me, but that may not work for you. A trainer can help. And then, go to your doctor to get a medical signoff.
Don’t ask me to train with you because I won’t. I prefer to work out alone. Phys Ed did a number on me. I hate working out with other people. The only person I’m competing with is the guy doing arm curls in the mirror. (That’s me, not some other guy who is also looking at the mirror.)
TL;DR: I am not a personal trainer. Please do not sue me.
I am not a psychologist/psychiatrist.
I have been completely open with my struggles with Major Depressive Disorder. It is something I don’t hide. I have been open with employers because I want there to be complete transparency. I tell family members and friends. If I have the opportunity to talk with others who are dealing with MDD, I can do so from a place of complete compassion and empathy.
When you are in the depths of a depressive episode, the last thing you need or want to do is come up with an excuse as to why you cannot leave your bed. Or why you’re convinced that you are going to lose your job. Or that you’re incompetent in some uniquely terrible way. Or whatever else.
What you want: Help when you need it. An understanding why you may be missing a day of work.
I don’t believe that depression is part of my personality. It is a cancer. I don’t think it’s a blessing or a superpower. Depression is something I will likely have to battle with from time to time for the rest of my life.
When I talk about mental illness—or some of the things I’ve learned from being mentally ill—I’m doing so as a fellow crazy person, not as a psychologist. Being “neurodiverse” has shown me some parts of my mind that I’d never have known about otherwise. Even so, I’d rather not have it to begin with.
If you are experiencing symptoms of depression or any other mental illness, DO NOT WAIT. If it’s really bad, get someone to take you to your local hospital’s emergency room. If you in a psychiatric crisis, call, text, or chat 988 to be connected to the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
I know that it may be difficult especially if you’re in the midst of a depressive episode. But know that there is help available. There is no shame in asking for help.
I am not that person. I can listen but I cannot treat. Get actual psychological help.
TL;DR: I am not a psychologist and/or psychiatrist. Please do not sue me.
I am not <insert expert type here>.
This Substack blog contains my own thoughts, observations, impressions, and ideas concerning my own continual reclamation process. Obviously, as I document my continual improvement, I will make claims that certain things helped me with this, that, or the other. Life is subjective by nature. I’m not offering prescriptions, just well-worn observations.
When I’m writing about something I did or went through, I’m doing so in a good-faith effort to share my experiences with others. The hope is that what I’ve discovered, observed, or done may be of some use or utility to others.
If I am an expert in anything, it’s being an expert in being John J. O’Sullivan. I am an expert in turning around bad habits and self-limiting behaviors in myself. I am highly knowledgeable in how to make me find pleasure in healthy actions. I am the foremost expert on the stupid things I’ve done in my life and the smart things I’ve done to counter them.
I hope that my writing is useful, engaging, and occasionally funny. And, by reading, I hope that you are encouraged in your own continual improvement (by strategy!).
TL;DR: Please do not sue me. I was in publishing for most of my career and we don’t have lawsuit-worthy amounts of money.