Be The Hero

Day 50: 4/12/2016

It's no secret that I'm a comic book fan. I wear Batman on my skin every day. I mostly wear some version of a comic book hero on my t-shirt everyday as well. I'm obsessed with certain characters more than others, sure.... but all in all, the reason that I love comic book heroes is that I connect with their struggle and lock in on what makes them amazing.

I've been thinking about the similarities between the comic book heroes that I love and the heroes that I know in this crazy real life we live in. I narrowed it down to these three things.

1. Courage: No, not just the jump in front of a punch, courage. It's that "no matter the obstacle, I'll take it on" type of courage. The obstacle can be one that they know is going to hurt them, or possibly take them out permanently.

2. Confidence: It's not confidence in a prideful way. It's that when the challenge is presented, the hero will have the courage to take it on with the attitude that they can do great things.

3. Determination: No matter what story arc you read, the hero is determined to be ready for the fight. They're determined to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of others.

I think about one my biggest heroes, and it's my mother. She may find it weird that I say that, but that's what makes her great. She thinks that what she does is not super. She maintains humility even though she has impacted the lives of thousands of people throughout her life as a teacher, mother, and friend. I've seen my mother take on whatever has come at her, and she stands tall before, and after the battle.

I want to be like my mom in the sense that I can look at the goals that I've set, and be so mentally strong that even though the end goal is daunting, I can stand tall, with confidence and know, that as long as I am determined to make things happen, I will stand taller and stronger at the end of this journey.

Mark my words.... When I hit my goal of weighing 200 lbs, I'll wear a cape for my after photos.

Believe it.

Progress In Chaos (This One has pics, so it DID happen)

Day 38: 3/31/2016

It happened. In the middle of some crazy rollercoaster "Life-ing". Injuries, illness (suck it, kidney stones) addiction to food, cravings, whining, rambling... blah blah blah, the point is, despite all of that, I have made progress.

If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that food is a thing in my life that I struggle with. I'm finally starting to accept that this isn't really going to be something that I do for a while. I have accepted that without the pain and struggle, the progress is short lived.

I think out of all the responses I get from my writing, the one I receive the most, and the response that means a lot to me, is that there are others that struggle with the same thing I do. My dedication to sharing has been a way for others to feel like they're not the crazy one. We're all crazy.

I want to make a challenge to anyone who is reading this. Do something for a minimum of 30 days, that is difficult for you. The reward, is you will find what you are made of. You will learn what your fight or flight triggers are.

I think what I feel most is relief. I'm capable of doing this. There are thousands of you who are reading each week, now. So I know that I'm not alone.

THANK YOU.

And now, even though it's not visible on me to lose 40 lbs, I figured it was only fair to share.

Here's Day 1

 

Here is Today -40 lbs

 

Accept Your Success (PSST... This post has measurement updates)

Day 35: 3/28/2016

Well, I did it. I skipped a day of blogging yesterday. It wasn't because I didn't want to. It wasn't even due to the Easter holiday. It was because I didn't have anything of value to say to myself. I was in the dumps, really.

I wasn't in the dumps because I felt unsuccessful. I was feeling down because I'm impatient. I WANT RESULTS NOW!!! For many people who go through a weight loss, or health journey, they want to see the end result immediately. I am guilty of this. I feel like if I chose not to eat the quarter pound cheeseburger, that means that I should LOSE a quarter pound. Of course this is flawed, but it's how I see things. I need to be able to accept the wins that I have, daily, weekly, and monthly. Gotham wasn't built in a day. Batman wasn't the best detective in the world in Batman Year One..... And I won't be fit and trim in the beginning either.

When I was younger, I was an athlete. I played many sports. I was good at some, and GREAT at others. If any of the readers of this blog played football with me back in the day, they may be able to vouch, I was mean, tough, and competitive. This mentality still bleeds into my life, today.

This journey has shifted and game has changed. I have been saying that I just want to be healthier and live a longer life. That's bullshit. I am not ok with just doing it. I want to kick in the naughty bits. I want bad health to be the bleeding, cancerous pulp laying on the ground, wishing that it had a hold of me, but it can't. I want to win. I want to be the one at the end of the journey, looking back and crying that I was able to accomplish something great.

In my post on 3/19/2016, I posted some measurements of myself. This was so that I could hold myself accountable for my results. Well, here are my results compared to that post.

Weight: 356 lbs (-1.5 lbs)
Neck:17.5in (-.5in)
Right Bicep: 16in (-1.5in)
Left Bicep: 16in (-1in)
Waist: 50in (-0in)
Right Thigh: 27in (-4in)
Left Thigh: 27in (-3in)

10 inches lost!!!

Bullet Points...

Day 31: 3/24/2016

• I'll be doing measurements and weigh in tomorrow.
• I am looking into getting back into boxing for my new exercise
• I gave myself a cheat day today (Fish tacos, candy for my movie treat)
• The outpour of support in the last 24 hours, has astounded me.
• I'm looking for new ideas for breakfast. It needs to be easily prepped, holds well, and can be easily portable.

I saw this tonight with my beautiful wife. It was a good time.

30 Days In: Things Are Changing

Day 30: 3/23/2016

I made it 30 days into this journey and haven't dropped dead. Sure, that's a morbid way of looking at it, but that's me. This blog has maintained my interest in being healthy. I can honestly say, right behind the support of my wife, writing this blog has been the key to keeping me on point.

I have maintained the topic of my relationship with food throughout this blog. Today was a BIG eye opener in the way I see food. I actually did some research for today's post. I wanted to know how I was able to get myself from a nice 252 pounds in 2012, to an extra hefty 393 pounds in 3 years.

Below, you will find the nutritional value of some of the foods that I love to eat on the regular.

Vendor	Item	Calories	Cal from Fat	Fat (g)	Sat Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)
Arby's	Beef n Cheddar Classic	450	180	20	6	45	1280
Burger King	Whopper w/cheese	600	400	44	15	51	1260
Chik-Fil-A	Chicken Sandwich	430	150	17	4	38	1410
Chipotle	Chicken Burrito w/pinto beans, white rice, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, fajita veggies, red sauce	1305	554	61	20	127	2910
Culver's	Single ButterBurger w/cheese	460	N/A	25	10	40	710
Dominos	Medium (12") Hand tossed pizza (The Whole Pizza)	1720	648	72	28	200	4160
KFC	3 piece meal (breast, drumstick, thigh) w/mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuit	1040	520	57	17	64	3320
McDonalds	Big Mac	540	250	28	10	47	970
Olive Garden	Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce	640	200	22	7	85	1050
The Habit	Single Charburger	470	200	22	6	43	1140
Wendy's	Dave's Single	550	300	34	13	35	1180

I did all of this research on each "Vendor's" website. I think what this did for me is put into perspective what I used to consume. It wasn't uncommon for me to have multiple items on this list in one day.

Prior to having gastric bypass surgery, I weighed 530 pounds at my heaviest. I had routines that I stick to. I would leave my girlfriend's (now wife") house late at night to go home, on my way home I would stop at whatever food joint would be open at the time and ravage the menu as if I hadn't eaten all day. This could equal anything from 500 calories to 3000 calories (I'm serious)

This is what I looked like right before I was being wheeled into the O.R. (mind you, I lost around 50 lbs from my heaviest, prior to this photo) (July 5th, 2011)

This surgery was no joke. It was painful, I puked all the time, my hair started to fall out, my relationship with food was down to strict survival. If you asked me to eat a bite of a cheeseburger, I would have slapped you.

Not very long after that surgery, I looked like this after doing a mud run 5k with some friends.

I lost a part of me by allowing myself to consume food at an alarming rate. 

I'm not at the end of my journey. In fact, it's just beginning. I have zero doubt in my ability to achieve my goals. The next 30 days are going to incorporate some hefty fitness goals. 

I learned today, that I have readers in Canada, Sweden, Spain, and Portugal.

Thank you SO much for your time and your support.