I saw this post by Borne last night,

On July 4, 1776, 56 men, knowing that they were signing their death warrants, declared independence from tyranny. Because they would rather die on their feet, than live on their knees. We salute you, and we thank you and all who have come after you and fought for our freedom. Happy Birthday to the greatest country on earth and may God continue to bless The United States of America.

Freedom is never free. For years the idea of losing weight and getting healthy forever, sounded like bondage and slavery to me. There was so much that I would have to give up, all of the so called goodies and treats that I loved. The endless overeating. What I didn’t realize is that I was really giving up freedom to live.

I speak to people everyday that ask “How are you losing so much weight?”
My answer is, I post my scales daily, as I said that I would, until I reach 175 pounds. They ask again, “No what are you doing”, my answer is to repeat.

What I believe they are asking is, “What’s the quick fix, what’s the magic potion.” I am on a great eating program for me, but I had been on it several times before with no success. Because I, like most of the people that ask me the secret formula, really wasn’t willing to pay the price for my freedom from this life of obesity. You see I remember when I was only 10, 25, 50 pounds overweight. Only to get to 129 pounds overweight. I could have changed at any time. But I didn’t.
I put myself into slavery for one more bite. I succumbed to the tyranny of my desires for more than enough. The cost, potentially and probably, years off my life. That’s a high price and one that I will not pay.

I won’t lie, each day has it’s struggles, I want to “cheat”, I want to go back to my old ways of eating, but I will not. When I posted my weight to Facebook, I gave my word that I would persevere to 175 pounds. Who knows, I may go down further in my weight, that will be a conversation with my doctor. I will never return to the tyranny and lies that took me to 304 pounds.

My daughter Ashley, my wife Angie, and I watched the sunrise about a mile from where we live in Fernandina Beach Florida this morning.
I want more of that, not more brownies and cheeseburgers. I’ll probably have some of those foods again, but maybe not, I want whenever is best that will give me more freedom to live.

Freedom is never free and getting there seldom feels comfortable or safe.

Remember comfort and safety are overrated.

Get uncomfortable and take a chance and…

Press post then press forward.

It’s a relatively short word but packed with a massive amount of meaning. It should have a lot more letters and syllables.
The meaning that I assigned the word “hope”‘ in the picture of the scales when I looked down and saw the 304 pounds reading back in March earlier this year and the meaning of the word hope this morning when the scales read 237 pounds. Only a little over 3 months in time but light years apart in meaning.

Hope is so funny and fickle. When you have little or none, you want it so badly, just to hope again to believe that something is possible. When you are sure and have that thing, that dream, desire, “hope” that you have longed for as long as you can remember, hope is something that you want to give away, at least I do.

I “hoped” to be healthy and thin for so long that I actually had lost almost all hope. That’s how I felt when I looked down and saw 304 pounds, completely hopeless.
This morning when I looked down and saw 237 pounds I didn’t need hope any more, at least not much, I have certainty. Hope is not nearly as important when certainty arrives. Even though I still have over 60 pounds of fat to lose, I’m certain that I will get there.

I don’t write any of this to brag or boast, but to offer someone, maybe you, some hope. I sorely needed it that morning of 304 pounds.
I could write and talk about this forever. Let me suffice it to say, wherever you are, whatever your situation, no matter how hopeless it looks, no matter how hopeless you feel. It’s not hopeless.
I could get into all of the logistics and details of how to do this thing or that thing, but without hope, none of it will ever happen. It keeps you going, moving when others have given up.

For me, the answer to getting this weight off, was and is Extreme Accountability, posting my weight loss journey on Facebook everyday. A simple tweek, pushing post to a picture of my scales to Facebook, turned my hope into certainty. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.
Don’t lose hope, your answer may be as simple as mine, and right in front of you.
Keep hoping.

Remember comfort and safety are overrated.

Get uncomfortable and take a chance and…

Press post then press forward.

“There is no try or not try only do or not do.”
Says Master Yoda

“It won’t be easy or comfortable but it will be worth it.”
Says me
years after convincing myself that I had tried to lose weight. Really I was not losing weight, I agree with Master Yoda, there is only do or not do.

You and I get to choose, I choose to lose this weight forever, no more pretending to try.

Remember comfort and safety are overrated.

Get uncomfortable and take a chance and…

Press post then press forward.

This may come of no surprise to you but as I’ve walked through the last 107 days, very publicly, when I write these posts, I write them for the man or woman who may be just like I was, you want to change, you just don’t know what to do, and you’ve tried, “everything”. Your emotionally drained and you have just given up.
I’m talking to you, these posts are my way of shaking you, and saying, “there is still time, there is still hope, you are still alive so you do have a chance to overcome this addiction of overeating”.
I could write about how to make better food choices or the latest exercise that will result in weight loss, but you and I both know that’s not the problem. It’s never been the problem. Having a healthy eating program that is proven and you can stick to is important, but we both know it’s not the most important.
What’s important is that it’s up to me for me and it’s up to you for you.
You’ve always had the controls, it’s always been your choice. For goodness sake, will you please listen?
This isn’t just about getting into your “thin clothes”. This is about your life. How long will you ignore the warning, how long will you ignore your doctor and the people that love you.
I did for far too long, but I cannot change that, I can change today, I can take the step in front of me, and make better choices today.

This Extreme Accountability Challenge has become so much more than a way to be accountable to lose weight. Every day I wake up with something to say to the “old me”. To that person that wants to change, “you can”, “there is no magical diet that will rescue you”, “no personal trainer that will make sure you exercise enough”, it is within you to change.

This all begins with a decision and then every single decision that you make about food, whether you are home, on vacation, whether it’s your birthday, or any of a myriad of other places or times that have positioned you to make choices that resulted in weight gain.
If you struggle with your weight, I write these posts to you, I won’t stop.
It has always been your choice to change. It still is. Trust me, I was the worst of the worst, when it came to not sticking to a healthy eating plan.
Let me say this, you can do this, you can lose the weight and gain so much more, your health.
You can do this, I promise you can. Change now, not tomorrow, or even 5 minutes from now, change now.

It won’t be easy or comfortable but it will be worth it.

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

175 pounds here I come!!!