Monday, April 5, 2010

Make the choice...

I choose to live a life that is healthy and full of movement, I choose this for me as I choose this for anyone in my life and I choose this because I must. Having seen the wrong side of health for far too many years a decision was made to take control back away from something not in my control for too long and the way that I live now is a complete 180 from where I began when I started writing this blog. I go to the gym because it is a tool for my health, I eat the foods that I eat because its what I need to do in order to live life on my terms and I am a changed man from making these choices. Once upon a time there was a fella that had all but given up on any chance of ever doing half of the things that I do now and honestly had no idea what to do about a situation that was getting worse by the day yet here I am today 220 pounds lighter than I once was and in the best shape of my life.


Anyone can do this, yes that means you! Today I will go to the gym and I will do 45 to 60 minutes of cardio, I will lift weights for my shoulders, biceps, and back and I will do this not only because I have to but because I enjoy it. When I am done at the gym I will play in my yard with my daughter for a while and take a bike ride after dinner not because I have to or enjoy it though both are true but because I Can. In the not so distant past some of what I do now was but a pipe dream as I watched through the window at other people doing these remedial tasks and taking a ride on a bike was simply not a possibility at that weight or level of conditioning, to run around the yard with my daughter was an impossible thing and that bothered me immensely more than I let on because of pride. So today I do my cardio, I run with my little girl, I ride my bike and I live because I can and because its what I choose to do, I am not limited by the physical me any more.

Having lived life at 534 pounds, if you want to call it living, I can fully appreciate how I live today. Making my way down towards a healthy weight has become like a job to me and I will get there, I will be where I want to be with my weight and health and nobody can stop that, nobody but me that is. Making choices to do things that allow me to do things is how this whole thing works, I choose to eat the 4oz of turkey with dinner so that I can run in the yard with my daughter, I choose to drink nothing but green tea and water so that I can do 60 minutes of cardio training and not worry about a heart attack and I choose to do that cardio daily so that I am not limited by myself from doing anything that i want to do.

You can do this too, you can have everything that you want not because I say so but because its true and once upon a time I was on the other side of the equation reading a blog written by some other person that had lost a ton of weight thinking about how I couldn't do it, yet here I am, 220 pounds less of a man physically and 1000 time more the man that I was just two short years ago because of a choice to do something about it.

Ask yourself if its harder to miss out on all of the things that life offers or to put that cheeseburger down and move that ass just a little bit more, answer honestly and its not really a hard choice at all.

As Ever
Me

8 comments:

  1. lol love the photo of the sign!

    Great job man- hey finally caught that episode of Dr. Oz- you looked great!

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  2. I always feel like you're speaking directly to me. I'm missing a family get together in a few weeks because I just can't physically do the weekend that is planned. It pisses me off. It embarasses me. And what's worse everyone knows why I won't be there but are kind enough to keep their thoughts about it away from me. I'm on track though and I wont miss next years Thank you my friend for all your words that help me see the light.

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  3. I have been reading your blog for a while now and I do not belive that I have ever commented. I just wanted to let you know what an inspiratation that you have been. I understand that you were a "big" kid and we are struggling with this with our son now. he is 8 years old and 100 lbs. We have started watching portions with him and we walk with him daily. we are up to a mile a day and even went 2 miles on Saturday. He really seems to understand that what we are doing for health and sometimes before he thinks he will ask for seconds of something and then say, "oh yea, nevermind, portion control". I hope that we can get him back to a healthy weight and teach him good eating habits so when he gets into adulthood he can make good choices for himself. He has lost 3 lbs total and is down to 97 lbs at this point. I try not to stress weight loss with him, but I do want him to see the results of all his hard work. I guess my question to you is, what do you wish your parents would have done for you as a kid to help you in adulthood to stay healthy and make better choices?

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  4. Best blog post I have ever read.

    I am glad I found your blog. I still have a significant amount of weight to lose but I am inspired when I read your story and I know that I can do it too.

    The picture of the sign describes how I feel most days. I don't know where I am going but I know that I will be happy when I get there.

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  5. You were on Dr.OZ???? What date?

    Berrab do you have a link to the episode online?

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  6. This one is kind of a tear jerker... You are amazing Tony . Keep it up. I know of what you speak :)

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