06/22/17
Day 100 Extreme Accountability Challenge Starting weight 304 pounds Destination weight 175 pounds Total weight loss to date 62.8 pounds 66.2 pounds to go James 1:2-4 New International Version (NIV) 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! 100 Days, wow.. 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. 175 pounds here I come!!! |
