Apart from being a dedicated Nichiren Buddhist, I have a science and maths background, and I love to know how and why things work. So I’ve been doing the maths behind my weight loss, and the numbers are almost unbelievable.
In the past three months, or to be more precise, 80 days, I have lost 12.5kg, or 1 stone 13.56 pound in old money. Now the accepted calorific value of each pound of body fat is 3500 calories, so by multiplying the number of pounds lost, assuming I have lost fat and not bone or muscle, we arrive at a staggering 98000 calories. Dividing the total by the number of days gives us an average of just over 1225 each day, every day, amazing.
Whilst the numbers are pretty staggering, it just shows why it is so difficult for people to lose weight. When you consider that running up stairs burns 30.7 calories per minute, to burn off that number of calories would entail doing that exercise continuously for over 2 days 3 hours. Burning them off on an exercise bike, peddling at a moderate pace (around 10.8 calories per minute), would take over 6 days 8 hours.
The only way I have managed to make this work for me, is by using the hunger pangs and the nagging temptations from my Dark Passenger, to build my determination. I have learned to enjoy the hunger pangs, which sounds a little masochistic. But if I am feeling hungry, my body is burning reserves, which means I am losing weight. This method works for me. Maybe I’m strange? But if you want to do it for yourself, and most people I speak to say that they would like to lose a little, you have to find a way to increase your determination to the point that it overcomes the stream of daily temptations to over eat.
You might have noticed that, apart from eating sensibly, I’ve been doing a lot of cycling too. Since May 1st, I have ridden over 500km and burned upwards of 18,000kcal, during which, I have climbed over 1km altitude wise. I still have a little way to go, but one of the great joys of this determined effort is the feeling of satisfaction each time I visit the scales.
It is said that patience is a virtue, and indeed that is a fact.
With details of the release of the 
In his writings, regarding Buddhist practice, Nichiren repeatedly emphasized the importance of the heart. 
The Lotus Sutra, which explains that all people can attain Buddhahood and that all people are Buddhas, embodies a spirit of supreme respect for human beings.
There is nothing better than getting out in the fresh air and sunshine. Today has been really beautiful, a striking contrast from most of the days this week, so a few hours down by the sea has done me a world of good. It’s all too easy to get depressed about the things that aren’t going quite the way we would like them to.
So getting out into the sunshine, instead of sitting in front of the PC, seemed like a very good idea. Walking along the prom from Branksome Chine to Sandbanks and back, taking in the sights and sounds of the seaside was just what I needed today. Having Steve and young Riley for company just made the trip all the better.
With my current struggle with The Dark Passenger continuing, this quotation from Daisaku Ikeda hit the proverbial nail squarely on the head …
The Dark Passenger is being rather vocal at the moment. My decision to deal with the current situation by letting things lie is giving him plenty of scope to come up with all manner of unhelpful thoughts.
They say that things are the darkest just before dawn, but I would suggest that this is not always the case. When people are under intense pressure, as we all are at the moment, that darkest moment can come at almost any point.
The Search For Enlightenment 
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