Day 491 Grab Ahold--A Message For Struggling Friends and The Broken Cycle of Obesity

Day 491

Grab Ahold—A Message For Struggling Friends and The Broken Cycle of Obesity

Mondays are either really slow or really busy, there's usually no in between around here. Today was busy. I started the day with squats, push ups, and sit ups---enjoyed breakfast, a couple of whole eggs and a banana...and started drinking coffee. I was ready to roll! I can handle this pre-work exercise. It's not the only workout of the day, just a warm-up to my day. And seriously, it's only about twenty minutes, not a big deal. I should have started doing this a while back! I guess I've always had to “go” workout...to the trail, or the YMCA, and now the fitness room downstairs. Rarely would I stay in the house to workout, except for Sweatin' To The Oldies, but Melissa has shown me brutal exercises---and by “brutal,” I mean good—that do not even require me to put on shoes.

Where was I? Oh yeah...Busy Monday. I powered through and did some good work. I was proud of our team today. We made some good radio indeed. I honestly didn't feel like it, but we rose to the occasion anyway. It's the same when we struggle to get that exercise done. I can't tell you how many times I just haven't been in the mood to workout, but did anyway—and felt great because of the effort. I haven't been perfect, many times I've postponed or just flat out skipped working out, but there's never really a good reason. Working out in some form or fashion can only be a positive thing. It's a mood changer, lifter...those endorphins are powerful little things!

I've been thinking today about those friends that I know are struggling these days. They're struggling with their journey, and some are slowly losing their grip—others have completely lost their grip. And I really want to reach out to each one and explain to them that I understand. The struggle of being over 500 pounds for so long, with all of the ill effects of such enormous weight, wasn't enough to motivate me to change for nearly two decades. And just when I thought I was really changing, I'd slowly let it slip away---back into my 500 pound existence. I did that over and over until 491 days ago. So what changed?

I knew that this pattern would eventually leave me without any options, only an early death. After analyzing my self-destructive weight loss patterns, I realized that I never made it important enough. I never gave it the importance level it deserved. It was way too easy to rationalize bad choices with a really low importance level. Oh, it was life or death, but I never treated it that way until this time. Why didn't I? Because I don't like dramatics. I'm easy...hey, it's no big deal, right? YES, it is a very big deal. I've been called fanatical and obsessive about my calorie budget many times, but you know what else they can call me? Successful. If looking at my calorie budget like a life or death limit is considered fanatical and obsessive, then fine by me. I failed every other time because I wasn't. I was easy---I was full of excuses and rationalizations for why I couldn't or shouldn't stick to my plan. If you want success, you really have to be willing to get seriously dramatic with yourself and even a little fanatical and obsessive. This is too important. And guys, come on---this is no time to have a macho attitude. Let's get real and make this happen. It'll set you free.

I've written better blogs about this topic before. If you're struggling or not, I invite you to read the archives. It's by no means perfect---but I promise you this...the “iron clad decision” and “steel curtain zone” is a constant theme. Make that iron clad decision to lose the weight once and for all---and then defend that decision with a steel curtain zone against any emotion, circumstance, person, place, or thing that you feel is threatening. Your biggest threat is you. That's right, you're sleeping with the enemy. But when you become committed to this journey in every way, and that steel curtain zone is activated, you become a wonderful ally to yourself. Success along the way motivates for even greater results—and soon, you're on day 491.

Amber travels back to school in the morning and I know that she's going back with a renewed resolve about her. It doesn't take long in talking to her about her weight for her emotions to show in a raw fashion. Look what I've helped create. Through my horrible example all of these years, I've created another me. She has many identical experiences that I endured as a fat child, the painful ones—and she's stopping it right now. This is it. She's going to break free at 20 years old, not 37 and 38 like her dad is doing. Twenty years old. Her future kids will never know her as a morbidly obese person. This is the only thought that makes me feel better. This cycle of obesity ends right here and right now.

Thank you for reading. Your support is sincerely appreciated. Goodnight and...

Good Choices,
Sean