10/3/10

Full Disclosure

Alright, Alright. Let's get this out of the way. Yes, I realize that it's been over a month since the last time I posted. Yes, I realize that that leaves many of you in the dark in regards to my progress (or the lack thereof, for all you haters out there). I mean, there are very few who are granted access to the inner sanctum, and those that are, well, they're probably looking for the exits right about now. First off, let me apologize for my absenteeism as far as this blog goes. There is no excuse for me simply sitting on my ass and doing nothing. Much like sugarcoating things, sitting on my ass and doing nothing also got me into this predicament. Let's never speak of this again. Anyway, onto the goodness!

So, first thing's first. Let's talk about my progress. I can't lie to you guys, it's been a rough month as far as the dieting thing goes. A series of financial setbacks including, but not limited to: having to out my car in the shop, having to spring for a brand new battery for said car after it came out of said shop, and catching up on the bills after this whole automobile fiasco. Let's see, I ran out of my blood pressure medicine and went for a good week or two without. As a result of this series of unfortunate events, I started to get a little down and depressed and a bit stressed, as well. One of my worst problems is whenever I get stressed or agitated, I usually turn to food, which is probably not the best solution at this point. So, I've done some stumbling. Not huge stumbling, sir, but stumbling nonetheless. So, I hit a few fast food joints. It still ceases to be an everyday thing as it once was, and, granted, fast food every once in a while is still a huge improvement, but it still doesn't satisfy me. In all honesty, it reads like me making an excuse.

In that time of depression and discouragement and some-other-d-word-that-probably-fits-here-but-I-can't-think-of, I turned to the people I've always counted on for counsel and advice, my Bestie and fellow weight-loss blogger Casey () and, of course, my girlfriend, Summer. Let me tell you guys something, I am nothing without the support of my friends and family. If you're struggling with weight loss, or, really, anything else, I encourage you to open up to someone you're close to. In addition to getting some pretty sound advice from a fresh pair of eyes, it's great for de-stressing. I truly believe that it was the support and encouragement from those two, in addition to My Dad, My Two Moms, My Brothers, and, well, pretty much my entire family, that set me back on the right path. I am eternally grateful and humbled by it.

The good thing about all this is that, despite the rough patch I traversed, I still am making some great progress. Perfect example was today, in fact. I have a few shirts, really nice shirts, that I can't wear or have never worn because, well, they weren't made to have this much torso crammed into it. Today was different, however. I was curious to see exactly how much progress I had been making, and I needed some sort of visual reference. Still being at that stage where the only scales that will hold me exist at large animal clinics and recycling centers, I can't weigh myself at home, so I decided to see if any of the aforementioned shirts would fit. I am happy to say that I can fit into a 4XL shirt again, which, if you'll pardon my colorful invective, is fucking monumental. Now, it's still a bit snug around the gut region, but, it's not uncomfortable.

I gotta say, man, that was such a great motivator that I had to call my Mom and let her know. She was as elated as I was, and was almost moved to tears. Call me crazy, but I honestly didn't think it was that big of a deal, until I actually took a step back and realized that, aside from my work uniform, most of my wardrobe had been reduced to six or seven t-shirts. Now, I am not hating on t-shirts, but I only really had about two shirts that I really felt comfortable "dressing up" in. Now, with a few more weeks of working hard, I'll be able to add a few more options to that queue.

So, I guess the lesson of this long-overdue blog entry is that none of you should get discouraged by how far you have to go. You need only look behind you, and you'll see how far you've come. I did it, and trust me, it was a lot farther than I could have hoped for.

That about does 'er for this week, kids. I promise I won't wander off as severely as I did. Stay tuned to this space, and don't forget to comment!