TRIPLE DIGITS

Sometimes in life you do things that you never thought you would: Talk to the prettiest girl in the room, jump out of a plane, sing the national anthem at a baseball game. The list can be varied, but in general there are things that people put in their minds which are almost understood as impossibilities. Number one on that list, for me, is losing over 100 pounds. As many times as I have tried to lose my weight, I have never gotten past 50 pounds. At that point, I would usually start to slip into my old ways, and things would just spiral down from there. I would usually gain it all back-- and more. Then I would try another diet, and the cycle felt like it would never end.  Well, this time it's different, and I think the quote, “Never, Never, Never Give Up” really fits this situation.

 

The day I did my first workout I weighed 370 pounds.

Today, I am 269 pounds. 

Hitting the triple digits has taken so much hard work, dedication and commitment to the idea that I can’t eat a rotation of pizza, chicken fingers, fettuccini alfredo and pancakes. Also, accepting that I am the only person responsible for what I do with my life is a huge part of my accomplishments. If I don’t work out, it's no one else’s fault but my own. If I eat too many chips at the restaurant, I can’t complain that the waiter is too good at his job, it's my fault for being a chips-and-salsa-eating machine. Ultimately, being responsible for your own actions and realizing how many positive things you can accomplish come from healthy choices.

 

I was trying to remember the last time I weighed this much, and I came to the conclusion that it had to be somewhere around the 8^th grade.  It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that all through high school I was bigger than I am now.  I don’t remember feeling that big, but that is part of the problem. I never really looked into the mirror and said “WOW I have really let myself go! Maybe I should do something about this.” Instead, I just made a goofy face and went on with my day thinking everything would be okay.

 

With every milestone I hit, I try to appreciate how far I have come with my workouts and overall health.  Sometimes, you forget how far you have come until you compare pictures, or visit someone you haven’t seen in a while to really get the full spectrum. But with every small goal achieved, the ultimate goal still looms. I realize that I have a lot of work left if I am serious about hitting my target number by July.