My Weight Loss Journey

Over the past year, I have been on a journey to lose weight. At times, the process has been hard and even difficult because, I LOVE FOOD.

However, I made a decision that I was going to lose weight, eat healthier and adapt a wellness lifestyle.

To share the story and the journey, I will need to take a few steps back and let you know what occurred and where I was that prompted me a change needed to occur.

Ever since the turn of the century (200-2007), I was constantly weighing in at 190-200. The weight would fluctuate but it remained constant. Every time my weight inched towards 200, I would adjust the diet a little to make sure that I was not over the 200 pound mark. To me, that was the "magic" number to avoid.

Well, last March (2007), my eating habits became a little more unhealthy and I was very stressed out. I started to gain weight and I really was not concerned about it much. I just wanted to survive what was going on. I wanted to make sure that my wife was healthy and that we found a town and church that we could work in that would help us create a healthy enviornment for our family.

God open the door for us to come to Zion in Ohio and we have been absolutely blessed. When we agreed to come to Ohio, I decided that I needed to make a few changes. Before, we made the official move, we were in town to secure housing, there was a conversation that occurred.

I was at the ALIVE musical festival and I was talking to Bernie (interim ym at Zion) and was having a very tasty but unhealthy meal and I said, "when I move into town next week, I am going to change my lifestyle.

We went back to Lafayette to finish packing and move week was stressful and fast food and pizza most nights. Cooking and messes were not priorities - packing was on the list. Anyways, at the end of move week, I stepped on the scale.

215 POUNDS

argh !!!!!!!

For those who do not know, I am 5'9" inches. I should not weigh that much. We moved to Ohio and my journey to lose weight began.

In July and August, I did not do too much different. The thing that did change was going to more of a routine for eating and not stress eating.

In September, my walking and drinking water came into play. We live downtown, so I began walking and walking alot. I would walk the kids to school and then church. I would make that trip a few times aday.

By Christmas, I had lost 22 pounds and was down to 193 pounds. I was happy that I was under the 200 pounds mark and for me, it was great because I did not seem to be altering much of my lifestyle.

As the calendar flipped and we entered into 2008, I decided that I was going to take the wellness challenge and really focus on five different aspects of my life. The one aspect that ties into my weight journey was my physical well-being.

5 Aspects of Well Being

Spiritual Well-Being
Physical Well-Being
Emotional Well-Being
Social and Interpersonal Well-Being
Vocational Well-Being

Thus, in January, I decided that I would increase my walking. I would increase my water intake. I would eliminate late night eating (as much as possible). I would choose smaller portions of food and when out eating, I would choose chicken over beef at times (REALLY HARD) and when we go for the pizza buffet - limit pizza and eat more salads. The other aspect is training. I have been working on abs to help with my back and neck problems - so exercising came on the table.

Well, I have hit a milestone. This year, I have lost 28 pounds. Add those to the 22 pounds that I lost last fall and ....

I have lost 50 pounds !!!!
I now weigh in at 165 pounds .....

I think losing 50 pounds is a pretty good accomplishment. The great thing for me is that it has been a constant loss. No spikes and not "huge" weeks. It has been slow and steady.

Last week, I emptied out my cloet and need to go and buy some clothes that fit. I did make a few purchases last week. In a sense, I do not have much of a before or after look. However, I will find a few inthe archives when I was at my heaviest and I will take a few now pics to put up. Maybe, I will even go and put on some of my old pants to show the waist loss.

Now, I am off to walk 1.5 miles up to the free clinic to work and then back 1.5 miles to pick up the boys and then to walk home. I am so glad that I feel comfortable enough to walk that far. Last year at this time, it would have not happened.