2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Happy 100 days!
Extreme Accountability Challenge!

100 Days, wow..
62.8 pounds gone forever
More to go

There is something about 100 days as a measure of time that makes me reflective. 100 days ago I was desperate, in despair about my weight, morbidly obese, frustrated, scared, disappointed, tired, hopeless, and at the end of myself. Time after time I had tried everything, I thought, to lose this weight. I was at the absolute breaking point, and exactly where I was supposed to be. Go figure.

I had finally come to the point that I would do anything to get this weight off. But I had this idea a few months before, that if I posted my scales daily to Facebook, the sheer terror of getting on the scales every morning would give me the courage and willpower through that accountability that I would do, what I always in my heart knew was necessary, to actually stick to a healthy eating program. I mean stick to it. No cheating, no cheat days, no diet vacation, pressing forward towards my goal weight, destination weight, of 175 pounds every single day.

A silly idea, crazy idea, embarrassing idea, and completely humbling idea. So it was an idea that probably would be lost forever, then my path crossed with Hyo Kim, the match that lit this fire, called the Extreme Accountability Challenge, Ironically while doing a week long webinar called, Life on Fire Challenge. Hyo Kim says to “post it now”. I did. Praying that someone, anyone, would join me, within minutes, Summers Duffy messaged me, he needed this too. Several more have joined what we call the Extreme Accountability Challenge. A lot of weight has been lost, never to be found again. I’m still a big boy, but on my way to 175 pounds.

This morning when I woke up, I had a conversation on my mind from yesterday. It was with a new friend that works 6 hours from me with the same insurance organization that I am with. He has a contagious personality that oozes of joy and infects everyone around him. I called him to check on him from an incident where he had his car stolen with his wallet, passport, and check book in it. It was at the worst possible time to happen, but while he told me about all that happened, the main words that I heard him say were, ” count it all joy”. That’s really why I called him, it was to catch some of his encouraging attitude. I did. I know that it’s selfish to admit. I was calling under the umbrella of, ” I’m checking on you,” but I knew even though he went through an awful ordeal, he would encourage me, he did.

As I reflect over the last 35 years of weight gain, and on again off again dieting, gaining to a whopping 304 pounds, I now count it all as joy.

This hopeless over weight 55 year old man has hope maybe for the first time, that I can be thin and healthy, I count all of you as joy, you were the ones that I was afraid of, that struck terror in my heart when I posted my weight, I’m thankful for you. I think about all of you each day and night as I make healthy decisions for permanent change.

Most of all I am thankful and count as joy, Angie, my loving and caring wife that endured my obesity, never giving up on me.

Wherever you are, whatever the struggle, count it all as joy you are exactly where you need to be.

Remember comfort and safety are overrated.
Get uncomfortable and take a chance and…
Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!

Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They’re just braver five minutes longer.
Ronald Reagan

I’m pretty sure when Ronald Reagan said those words he wasn’t referring to me or anyone else that had stuck to their diet and lost weight. I wanted to make sure, so I looked it up, he was speaking at The 1980 and 1981 Young American Medals for Bravery and Service Presentation December 22, 1982.

These were young people that did extraordinary acts of bravery. Real heros.

I’m no expert but acts of bravery tend to be situational. If something terrifies you or has beaten you over and over and you have to leave the confines of safety and comfort, remember yesterday their overrated, and you must take action that changes the course of that situation, well I think Ronald Reagan might even agree, that’s bravely.

I’m pretty sure you see where I’m going.

While losing weight may inherently be a selfish act, to have staying power to get ALL of the weight off, you have to work at this probably longer and harder than you thought you would. If you have any one that really loves you and cares for you, losing your weight is just as much for them as it is for you. Be brave 5 minutes longer.

In order to see this through to your healthiest and best self it’s going to take sacrifice, no bullets flying, but be brave 5 minutes longer.

During those times when you want just one more bite, and you know that you shouldn’t, be brave 5 minutes longer.
Be someone’s hero.

Safety and comfort are overrated.

Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!

Think about it. Although I for one love to be comfortable and safe, I seek it as I’m pretty sure most people do, when was the last time that something amazing happened in the context of safety and comfort? The most amazing things in life happen when safely and comfort is somehow given up or taken away.

From the very beginning, starting with Birth, the choice to have a child, certainly has risks, ask any mother that you know. From birth to the day that someone dies there is risk.

Learning to walk, ride a bicycle, interact with others, getting a job, getting married, starting a business, investing, and on, and on.

But sometimes when their is risk, there is reward. Sometimes it works out. Growing as a person and improving takes change, getting uncomfortable, and very often risk.

I didn’t give it much thought when I posted my scales to Facebook, I just knew it felt risky, what if I failed as I had dozens of times before at losing weight, what if I made an even bigger fool of myself than being 304 pounds made me. What if, what if, what if…

I almost didn’t consider the, what if it worked? What if the pull of the posting my scales daily to Facebook made me so determined to succeed that I actually lost weight, not some of it, as I had every other time that I lost weight in the past, but this time, all of it.

Guess what? It’s working, not because I’m special, or talented, or anything at all other than some guy that loves to eat, and cook, and spend time around the table with food and family and friends, and eat, and eat, and eat.

Knowing that I will face you this morning and every morning makes the food not as important. It really hasn’t changed my desire to eat. I still want to eat most of the time. I know that I will post my weight, not because I have to, no one is making me, but I made a commitment, and for me to not follow through would make me, dishonest. That pulls me away from the food.

Here’s some things that I’m doing to reduce the risk of failure.

I have a clear goal, 175 pounds.
I have a daily eating plan.
I have the commitment to post my scales daily to Facebook for everyone to see.
I also have a burning desire to see you succeed and have hope that you can get healthy too.

I’m not just winging this, it’s too important.

Maybe it’s time to take a risk, really if you have a clear goal, a plan to get there, commitment, and a burning desire to succeed, it might not be as risky as trying to stay comfortable and safe.

Press forward.

175 pounds here I come!!!