Beyond the Blubber

[This post was written in November of 2008 prior to the start of my journey. Update to come...]

In my twenty-five years on earth, I have been severely overweight for the last seven of them. Over the years, I have limited myself in ways beyond comprehension. My lack of self confidence is evident in my every day life — a life where the simplest things often become giant obstacles. I have been lucky enough to cultivate friendships and relationships throughout my journey thus far, but I am ready to explore life as a fit individual. I want to take advantage of all that life offers instead of tip-toeing around the standard-sized chairs of the world.

I started my weight-loss journey at the beginning of December 2008 weighing a staggering 271 pounds, leaving zero traces of that high school ice hockey and softball athlete I used to be. Rather than gaining fifteen pounds during my freshman year in college, I gained over fifty.

My initial goal is to lose 81lbs by November 3, 2009 (my 26th birthday). My ultimate goal weight is 150lbs — a total loss of 121lbs. Finding the motivation to continually count calories and exercise won’t be easy, but the reward will be endless.

As for who I am beyond the fat: I’m a graphic and web designer living just outside of Boston with my lovely wife of three years. My interests include crayola crayons, Photoshop, constructing blanket tents, camping, vodka, and wearing sandals.

From the Archive:

My Weight-loss Game Plan – Figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B (12/04/08)
Baby Stepping – Easing into that ‘exercise thing’ (12/11/08)
Calculating Your BMR – Still trying to grasp caloric intake vs expenditure (12/13/08)
The 40-lb Mark – Exploring the effect of Fatorexia (04/05/09)
My Breaking Point – What hitting ‘rock bottom’ looks and feels like (06/18/09)
My First 5K – Not much of an account, but worth a mention (06/25/09)
A Summary & a Wish – Committing to the impossible can save your life (07/28/09)
My First 10K – Turning ‘the impossible’ into a reality (10/12/09)
Birthday Mission Accomplished – All those small steps really do lead to big changes (11/03/09)
Bod Pod Results – Overcoming tunnel vision (01/24/10)
100 Pounds Lost – Results can be achieved without perfection (01/10/10)
First Half Marathon Recap – An unexpected dream comes true (06/06/10)
Project Pushup: The Next Step – My mission to add some muscle (06/10/10)