Here we go!

Ok. Several unrelated people have recently told me that I should start a blog about my fitness journey. Since that is one of the ways God tells me to do things, I figured I needed to give it a try. I am clueless about all of this, so please be patient and bear with me.

I have struggled with my weight my whole life. In a society that focuses so much on appearances, I didn't feel like I belonged. I gave up on trying to fit in and instead focus on the kind of person I wanted to become (open, honest, compassionate, encouraging, funny). A noble goal. The problem with doing that though is what good is compassion if you let yourself go to the point that you are dead? I was looking at a heart attack or stroke coming over the horizon. A few years ago I almost lost my right foot to an infection. It was at that point that I was diagnosed with Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and High Cholesterol. This SHOULD have been a wake up call for me, but sadly it wasn't. I was in denial. I continued doing things the way I had always done them hoping somehow things would get better, but they only continued to get worse. 

A couple of years ago I started thinking that maybe it was time to make a change. I joined a gym. I went regularly, but things just weren't clicking for me. It was a nice facility, but something was just missing. I felt like they signed me up, gave me a tour, and cut me loose. I was just a number to them. I had no support. As a result, I wasn't seeing the changes I so desperately needed. The cycle began: go a couple months solid, not get any results, get frustrated, stop going for a month, feel guilty about not going, go back and start the cycle again. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. I was insane for the duration of my 2 year contract. Obviously I needed something more, but I was clueless as to what that was. 

Just over 4 months ago, I joined Hendrick Health Club. Instantly I discovered what had been missing: support. I could not tackle this giant alone. I needed people that would invest time and energy into fighting along side of me. I needed people that believed in me on the days that I didn't believe in myself, people that had knowledge about the things I was clueless about. With their help, I have armed myself with effective weapons in my "War on Fat." I have armed myself with knowledge (provided by my support team), determination (I have always been a fighter), and humor (which flavors every aspect of my life). In the past 4 months I have lost roughly 25 pounds, 5 inches to my waist, and almost 9% of my body fat. I have drastically reduced the dosages of the medications I am on, with an eye on totally eliminating them. I still have a ways to go, but at least now I'm on the right path.

In this blog, I plan to tell my story. Day to day observations of my continued battle, told with my brand of humor. If I am having fun and laughing, I will have the will to keep fighting. I do this to remain accountable and to chronicle the journey. There are many people you will meet in this story. God has blessed me richly with a great support team, each of which have played a large role in saving my life. My hope is that as I open up my life, that you will find some encouragement for yours. In that way, I will be faithfully passing on all that has been given to me, and bringing honor to those that have so touched my life.