For Starters

OK. So you guys are catching me at the very start of this thing. I am not sure where this is going but we will find out. I have always been a bit of a big guy. That is probably an understatement. at my largest that I weighed in at, I was 381 pounds. I was newly married and I knew my life had to change drastically and I took some pretty extreme measures (lap-band surgery). I'll save that story for another time. But just to let you know briefly where I am coming from and where I am going, this is my first post.

Honestly though, surgery aside, with the help of family I was able to get with a personal trainer who helped me with not just exercising but changing the way I live my life. We worked hard. And with his help I got my weight down to 231lbs and I ran my first Marathon in 2007 in Cleveland in, Ohio in 5:26:36. That was something I thought I would never do. Here was the problem though. I got frustrated that I wasn't losing anymore weight and I was never able to see myself as skinny. Even though I went from a 4XL to XL and even at times L, I always saw myself as the fat guy. It is who I believed I was. My life was disconnected.

I have been able to run 3 marathons since then. Disney World, Columbus and Akron. My weight ballooned back up. I even got back up to 280 at one point. Disney World and Columbus, although I finished, were very disappointing. I wept after both of them probably out of exhaustion and the realization how out of shape I was getting. I felt like it was confirming what I believed my whole life about myself. Akron was my comeback in the fall of 2011. It felt great. I finished in just under 6 hours. But my weight is still floating around 261 lbs (119kg) and I am back to wearing 2XL or hate to say even 3XL depending on the make.

I am realizing my health is connected to my relationships, my spirituality, my work and all aspects of my life. It is all connected. And when one part is out of whack, it puts the rest of my life out of whack. So welcome to my blog. My quest for physical, relational and spiritual health. Journey with me if you want. Share your story as we go. But if you have struggled your whole life with your weight and have seen how it affects the rest of your life, I feel your pain. I am there, but I am not staying there. I am 37 and am not getting younger. I have a 5 yr old son who is awesome and a supportive wife. This is for them as much as me. LOL, they don't even know I started this blog.

How This Blog Works:

1. Still figuring that out.

2. I will probably be overly personal and at times speak over emotionally. lol. But I want it to be honest.

3. Monday morning Weigh In's. Feel free to add your progress or struggle in with mine.

4. I am learning alot about eating vegetarian. I am not there yet although I have made it2.5 days now. Come either help teach me or learn what I am learning.

5. I live in Bangkok, Thailand so I may be referencing time that hasn't happened for you yet. Just know I am about 12 hours ahead and not a time traveler.

OK. That's it for now. My blog isn't completely set up but I will take it as it comes. Please feel free to follow along.

Did I mention the Bangkok Marathon is November 18th? Yeah, I'm doing that.