21 day weigh in

As expected my weight loss was not as prolific this week but not as bad as I thought.  Weighed in down 4 more pounds for a total of 18 in 21 days.

My first main goal is to get to 330 lbs so I can use the wii balance board. I have been told I don't have to wait until then but I will just in case.

So, I am 4 pounds closer. Got to do better this week.

A Note To Each Major Sports Commissioner

To Bud Selig:  I know this wont be popular but you need to suspend Scott Cousins.  I am well aware that he didn't mean to injure Buster Posey BUT what he did has got to be against the rules and ended the season of another player.  A small suspension would be worth it to MLB.  Contrary to popular opinion, Cousins did not do the right thing.  Since Posey was not blocking the plate and Cousins had a clear path to the plate, there is nothing legal to interfering with a player trying to catch the ball.  He should have been called out for interference and kicked out of the game for the severity of the hit to Posey.  MLB should make it clear that collisions by runners on fielders NOT obstructing the path to the base is not going to be tolerated.  For years I have wondered why breaking up a double play is legal.  The runner is already out and therefor should have no impact on the rest of the play.  Anyway, now that we have seen this problem impact a team's playoff chances, maybe we can fix this problem and make it safer for players to field their positions.  I think it is important to say I don't think Cousins tried to injure him and he was doing what he was taught to do, BUT that is what needs to be changed (especially since kids and recreational ball players to this all the time that leads to injuries that have no place in the game!).

To Gary Bettman:  After seeing the Nathan Horton incident where he squirted and then threw his water bottle at a fan, I wonder out loud if the NHL shouldn't make squirting heckling fans ALLOWED by rule.  If a fan is close enough to a player to be squirted and is heckling such player, shouldn't the player have recourse?  Squirting said fan with WATER (ONLY) would be a harmless recourse from the usually vulgar (and sometimes horribly inappropriate) heckler.  Players are people too.  Just because they are athletes doesn't mean they should be treated so rudely.  Fans should be able to boo and cheer and yell but not in the face of a player especially after a loss.  In this case, Bruins players were being pelted by hand drums by the classless TB fans after a loss and then players are expected to walk through a tunnel of rude drunk fans yelling obscenities?  I do not condone the throwing of the bottle at all but the squirting seems like a suitable response to me.

To David Stern:  Your league has great athletes, exciting plays, and intriguing match-ups but your officiating appears to be horribly biased if not completely corrupt.  One thing you could do is start instituting fines for unsportsmanlike conduct and issuing points to refs for horrible calls.  The first fine needs to go to LeBron James.  The flop he took in the playoffs vs Derek Rose was a complete joke.  Made your refs look horrible and your game a joke.  Rose ended the game with 5 fouls and thus may have impacted the entire game because LeCheat decided to take a dive.  His wink can and should be used against him in a court of NBA and he should be fined severely.  While I have a bias against LeBron to begin with, I can't imagine anyone out side of the Divacs family thinking his actions were anything but disgusting.  Mr Stern, I know the NBA wants WahBron to win a title but should they have to earn it without to appearance of help from NBA refs?  Refs should be instituted points for calls that upon review are horribly wrong and the refs with the lowest points for the season (per game called) should be your playoff refs.  Thus, maybe refs would stop trying to help your favorite teams, Mr Stern and call games cleanly.  (PS points should be assigned by a panel of ex-players)

To Roger Goodell:  Last week it was reported that the St. Louis Rams gave $25K to the Joplin relief cause.  While it impressed my wife, it disgusted me.  I wonder out loud how much money and time would have been given by the Rams and Rams players had the league not been in a lockdown.  The NFL and NFL players have always been very generous with charity causes but right now everyone involved is being frugal with money until play resumes.  This note goes to DeMaurice Smith too.  You guys have got to get it done now.  In this economy, I am not the only person to find it disgusting that our government has to foot the bill for you all to bicker in court!  Why not hire an independent mediator (where is Joseph Wapner when you need him!) who arbitrates (BINDING ARBITRATION!!!!) and gets this impasse solved?  It is a crying shame that charities will suffer, regular everyday employees will lose jobs and money, and the US government will have to pay people to hear the case in court!  Folks, it is disgusting now!

To those who follow my blog to follow my journey to good health, I will weigh in Monday or Tuesday.  Today the free app of the day on Amazon Appstore was Cardio Trainer Pro.  I am hoping to use this to help with my exercise regimen when I begin it.  Thanks to CP for alerting me to this!  I think I have been overeating so far this week, but my food choices have been very good, so I hope to better control portions and soon add some exercise.  I am nervous to get on the scale this week, but it will most likely be a good reminder to eat slower and watch portion control as well.

15 days in the books

Well, I had a bad weekend of eating.  Still eating the right foods but just eating too much.  Still haven't been able to add exercise either (which I expect to add after I have shed a few more pounds).  I was discouraged this weekend but realized I was still doing ok.

So, this leads in to the weigh in. Here are the results so far:


Day 7 weigh in: down 8 pounds
Day 11 wiegh in: down 3 pounds
Day 15 weigh in: down 3 pounds

15 day total: Down 14 pounds. 

I am happy with the results so far but I do need to be more diligent with my preparations.  That is my goal for the next 4 weeks.  Good preparation, good choices, and good thoughts.  Aiming for 5 lbs this week.  We shall see!  Thanks for following and keep up the comments, they really help!!

Week 1 is over

Well, week 1 is over.  I weighed myself lat Monday when I did the blood tests, and I weighed as much as I had ever weighed.  So, over the last week I have tried to eat better.  I am not jumping into a workout routine yet, but working to get my food choices fixed.

First I am focusing on sugar.  Since I am either diabetic or darn close to it, I figured it was most important to focus on learning how to eat like a diabetic.  This has gone well.  I am learning to check labels, use an app on my phone, and be smart about food choices.

My secondary focus is on calories.  Trying to make smart calorie decisions.

Both of these are dependent on having the right foods in the house.  So I have made an effort to bring in low sugar snacks and foods.

Well, I feel somewhat successful so far and the scale agrees.  I lost 8 pounds.  I am very happy with the 8 but it is a marathon and one can't get too amped up over the first 1000 feet!

More on the weight issue

I have to admit that tackling my weight problem had been very daunting.  The realization that I have got to this point is almost more difficult to deal with than the fact that I am where I am.  Maybe 200 lbs overweight.  I have always seen myself as overweight but never really seen myself for how overweight I have become.  Today, I struggle with exactly how bad it is for me at this weight.  I find the simple and important things to be nearly impossible.  I cant tie my shoes, I can't sleep without a machine, and I either pulled a muscle or got a cramp trying to scratch my foot.  Yeah, it is that embarrassingly bad.  I am almost a week into trying to change my lifestyle, and I am hopeful yet still ashamed.

The other day I was told by my personal physician that I am pre-diabetic.  I am dangerously close to being diabetic and thus I really have no more time to mess around.  I am trying to learn about good food choices, for both weight loss and blood sugar.  It isn't going to be fun at all, but I really have to do this.  After all the frustrations and fear that came with this week, I still struggle with good food choices.  So, in order to help myself remember why I am doing what I am doing, I am going to list some of the reasons I want to do this:

1.  I dont want to die.  I have 4 people who directly depend on me and a God who made me for a purpose.
2.  I would like to be able to tie my shoes without strain.  At my weight it is a very very tough thing to do and mighty embarrassing as well.
3.  I want to fit into seats.  Planes, sporting events, and heck just about any chair.
4.  I am sick of the embarrassment of breaking things.  In my life my weight has caused me to break a few chairs/seats and each time I am almost sick with embarrassment.
5.  Hygiene.  At my size, like tying a shoe, it is way harder to do.
6.  I want to play soccer and softball again.  I love them both and right now I just can't do it.  I would even love to ref or coach either, but that isn't happening at this weight.
7.  I have apnea and I would love to sleep without a machine to make sure I breathe ok.
8.  Clothing.  I want to have clothing last longer and fit better.
9.  I don't want to be diabetic or pre-diabetic.
10.  I teach my kids and students about making good choices and I want to be a good example of it. 

I could go on and on, but for now this is my list.  My long-term goal is ALL 10 of these.  Thank you all so much who have expressed their support and also to those who are praying for me in this area.  While I hate getting so personal, I think this is the best way to hold myself accountable.  

Special thanks to a friend (who is also a doctor) for taking the time out at a recent family event to talk to me.  I am truly blessed to have so many people supportive of me through this time, and you were a great reminder that God continues to put people in my life to help me when I am doing what He wants me to do.

Also, to all of you who have posted or talked to me with encouragement, I thank you all.  For God has brought each of you into my life to be help to me in so many ways.  As i have said many times, I am frustrated with myself but very hopeful as I move forward.  That hope comes from God and is reinforced by the people he puts in my life.

For those who read my blog for sports and such.  I do promise I will throw some in often.  Don't give up on it, it will be here.

A personal call for help

I am obese. There is no sugar coating it although if it was sugar coated I would probably eat it.  I worry about my health every day yet I have yet to be able to fix it.

Being a Christian, I know I need to use God to overcome this but right now I am failing.  I am worried about all sorts of health issues yet I don't seem to be able to muster the initial push to get the ball rolling. 

So folks, I am going to try and ask you all to sign on to help me.  If you are willing to pledge your support of me by commenting below, I will ask you to help me by keeping me accountable.  Here is what I am asking for :

1 you will ask me for updates making it harder for me to give up.
2 if you see me, you will encourage me or point out suggestions to help
3 you will pray for me (or do whatever you do if prayer isn't your thing)

So, if you are willing to help, comment below here.  I will update the blog when there is information.  Thank you. 

Death of a Terrorist

As we all know, as of May 1, 2011 the world has one less terrorist in it's midst.  This news brough a flurry of emotion around the world.  In me, it also brought a flood of emotion.  I wasn't sure how to feel or what to even say.  Do I smile, cheer, cry, ...... I just wasn't sure.  All I knew was that this day was more about the death and ressurection of my savior to me than the death of a terrorist leader.  See, every day for me has to focus on the death and ressurection of my savior.  If it doesn't, I fall victim to my own sin.

For me, I couldn't help but be sad to hear of the death of a human being.  I know many people said he was pure evil or his actions made him more an inhumane being than a human being, but for me, he was still a child of my God, a person my God loved, and a person my savior died for.  I can't help to think that yesterday, Jesus wept.  I know it sounds flat out insane to say, but I think that is exactly how Jesus would have spent last night, if he was walking amounst us.

For me, I can't fathom the emotion that is going through the heads of all those more directly effected by 9/11 than I was.  I was like every other American, saddened, angered, and even a bit scared that day, but there were many others who went though so much more.  I don't pretend to be able to tell them how to feel or how to react.  I can only speak for myself.

I do think it important to note that I completely support what our country did here.  While I do not celebrate the outcome, I DO support the decision.  I am very glad none of our military was injured in this particular phase of the operation.  I am very thankful for the brave heroes who fight for our country every day.  His death is justice.

With that said, I go to the Bible:

New International Version (©1984)
Ezekiel 18:23
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

So for me, I wont be celebrating.  I wont be cheering.  I wont be happy.  For me, I just weep inside.  The people lost in the twin towers are not coming back now.  The heroes of flight 93 wont be walking back into the lives of their loved ones. Those who died at the Pentagon will not be returning either.  Parents don't get to unbury their kids.  Kids don't get that reassuring hug from the parent they lost.  For me, all that happened yesterday was that a man died who could have been one of the greatest witnesses for Him like Paul was.  For that reason, I just can't celebrate.  Sorry.