On the way to get new tires on the Buick...

I love this car!

I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We had a blast in San Diego and at Sea World, the kids loved seeing all the different sea life. It was great to be back together as a family and literally have nothing to worry about. It's too bad that the most stressful part of your day cannot always be what to have for dinner. We have been back home for a good month and it feels like it has taken this long to get back in to the groove.
This is probably the hardest time of year for me, there is just too much good food to eat! So far I have been able to maintain my weight and lose a couple more pounds. I feel better now than I have in a long time. I used to get head aches all the time, for anyone who has experienced that you know how bad it can be. I rarely get a headache now and I have found that if I do get one I can cure it by going to the gym. As long as I exercise my shoulders and back the headache usually goes away. You probably guessed that I only get one if I have been slacking!

The good ole days... haha

This gives you a pretty good perspective of where I started. This was in May about the time things started to change. I have a way better picture when we were at the lake but I cannot find it right now.

This just makes me laugh! I think this was close to my heaviest @ 220 lbs

The acceleration

It took a while for me to realize that what I was eating really did matter, no matter how much I worked out. In July Meg and I went to the local rodeo and had a blast. When we came out to our car after the rodeo was over there was a flyer stuck under the windshield wiper. It was advertising a weight loss challenge that some people were putting on. Meg was determined that "we" were going to do it. After a little persuasion I decided that it would be a good idea. It is a twelve week class and the winner walks away with cash! Get paid to lose weight, can't beat that. We were nine or so weeks into the program and Meg decided that she and the kids were going to Arizona to visit granny for a month. She was sad to not finish the challenge but there is still a chance that she could get second or third using her last weigh in, were crossing our fingers. I have started eating a lot better and am seeing some good results. I have gotten a lot of good information from doing the challenge. When Meg and the kids left I really kicked it in high gear. It wasn't even about the challenge anymore, now it is about impressing my wife! Now I am down to ONE WEEK!

Megan Rocks!

Once Megan started doing WW she always said "gosh, I can't believe how much I used to eat!" she was so good. She would still make cookies and have treats and good food, but instead of several cookies she would only have a couple. Instead of seconds at dinner she would have only one serving. I still hadn't gotten it. I was in the mind set that I would just work out extra hard at the Gym, which I did for quite a while. I still felt pretty good and strong but I was not seeing the same results as Meg. She always likes to say "It's much easier to eat yourself skinny than to exercise yourself skinny." It is so true! Meg has done so awesome, you know you have lost weight when your own cousin doesn't even recognize you...haha. Meg met her lifetime goal at weight watchers a couple months ago and has kept on ever since. I am so proud of her!

Working Out

Meg was mostly going to the gym in the mornings with her friends or just by herself. I would go after work but still was not that consistent with it. I was on and off for a while and managed to lose some weight but not enough to notice. One day Meg and I were walking on the treadmills and it was like I came to a realization for the first time in my life. It was that "it's all in your head". I am not sure why it hit me so hard this particular day, it's not like I didn't know it before. I actually felt angry with myself for how far I let my weight go. I realized that I could have full control over my body and that I was not going to make any more excuses for myself. Since then I have gained the self control and the discipline to eat healthy. I made an honest effort to get to the gym as often as I could and cranked up the cardio!

Trying to get motivated

Megan was well on her way, she was doing so good at Weight Watchers (WW) and I just could not get into it. I remember talking to Meg one day about food and eating. She told me "you just need to control yourself" which I had not done for the last 4 years. This really of hit me because I don't think I realized until then that I was out of control. Meg was like a rock, tracking her points and eating whatever she wanted. (as long as she didn't go over the pts.)

Meg's scare

One night Meg awoke to a very painful, suffocating feeling in her chest that persisted through most of the night. She was very scared and eventually ended up in the emergency room to try and figure out what was going on. We were worried that she was having a heart attack. Before all this happened Meg had started going to the gym. Still things seemed to be getting worse not better. These episodes that Megan was having eventually persuaded her to join Weight Watchers. She Had lost about 15 lbs before she joined and has lost a very significant amount of weight since. She no longer has this strange chest pain. I think they call it costiocongitis.... no idea how to spell that. I am so glad that Meg made the decision to make a change because she has been an inspiration to me and many other people.

The beginning...or the end

Megan will probably kill me for putting this picture up but oh well. This is our little family just after we had blessed our youngest. Meg and I were at our tipping points. We were both so uncomfortable with everything that we did. It is crazy how much wait can actually change a person and alter your personality. We would tell each other, oh...your not that fat. It was so easy for us to justify our situation and before you know it you can't hardly stand to see a picture of yourself. Meg made the first move, unfortunately it took me quite a while to come around.

Find a reason

I will start by thanking my beautiful wife Megan. It is because of her that I have been able to overcome myself. She is my inspiration 100%. If you know her you already know why. It's not only her appearance but also her attitude toward health and nutrition and life in general. Just ask her and she will tell you how it is. I am so lucky to have such a strong loving wife. I love you babe!