We need your Help

I am overweight. The funny thing is being overweight has never had any real impact on my overall state of mind.  I mean, I still stay very active. I have been involved in one or two team sports a year almost all of my life and being overweight has never had a negative report on any of my annual physicals. I wake up next to the most beautiful woman in the world and I don’t look in the mirror and hate the guy I see.  I even keep up with my boys and have a great time. So for me, being overweight has not been a real issue. 

From time to time I look around and see other people or I read about obesity problems in our country and I start to wonder, what if I was my ideal weight? How would life be different?

I am no stranger to weight change.  I was a scrawny little guy until around 6^th grade.  I suddenly started packing on pounds and remember feeling terribly self conscience about it.  I also had muscle deficiency in my legs and started a workout program to build muscle and hopefully reduce some of the pain I experienced every night.  So I was introduced to a gym very early.

Over the next few years I began to grow but my weight stayed the same.  By 9^th grade I had shot up a foot, and returned to a slender boy with one exception. Crazy looking over sized legs! By High school I had stopped playing sports but starting hitting the gym with some good friends trying to get my upper body equally proportioned to my lower body.

I said all of that to say this; I am no stranger to exercise and diets. It seems like I have been on some type of program my whole life.  So how I become obese? There is no short answer. I will say that over time your body changes in such a subtle way that you hardly notice the change.  Then you see an old picture and all of a sudden you can’t believe your eyes.

So Stacey and I have started a journey. For one, we needed to figure out what got us here. Why are we overweight? We obviously have to change some behavioral things. Two, we have to make better decisions about how we treat our bodies. In other words, being more mindful of what we eat and what we do in terms of exercise and fitness.

I have lost at least 40 pounds or more at least 3 times before. I have always had success as long as I set my mind to it and planned it all out.  I have done it on a different diet each time. So I have no doubt that I can lose the weight. But this time there is a twist, a little extra motivation for me. We are going to lose the weight as couple. Stacey is going to make the life change right along with me.  Together we are going to reshape our bodies and chance some much needed habits that will lead us to a healthier, longing lasting life together.

So here is my request from you. Please hold us accountable.  Please ask how we are doing. We have a journey ahead and we need to prayer and accountability from as many people as possible. I would never announce a lady’s weight but I can tell you where I am.  About 12 days ago I logged my weight at 250 lbs. Today I logged in at 240. So 10 pounds in 11 days is very encouraging.

I also have a few of my personal goals for myself that I would like to share with you.

Drop 40 pounds by my 40^th b-day (30 more to go by March 9)

Lose 70 pounds overall (so 60 more)

Continue to run and hit the gym w/more frequency

Run a 5K (scheduled one on Feb 5^th w/ the boys and some great friends)

Run more 5k’s

Blog about it and pray for encouragement

So if you read this say a little prayer for us. As always, any journey we embark on is founded on prayer and the hope that God will see us through. Here is to a great 2012!

Blessing,

dave