And so it begins...

Hello all!

Welcome to my new blog! If you have followed any of my previous blogs you know this blog will last about a couple of weeks and then fall on it's face once I get bored with it. Hopefully this will not be the case with this one but we shall see...

So by the title of this blog you can probably guess that this blog is going to be about health and you would be correct. This blog is going to be a journey of sorts for me. A weight loss journey. 

Lets start at the beginning, I have not always been a big guy. I never struggled with my weight when I was kid and I was a fairly active child. When I got out of high school I was actually at my skinniest weight of 225lbs:

This was most likely due to the fact that I was still  living at home and my mother is an avid health nut to this day. Also I had a lot to do when I was living at home. I worked a part time job and went to school full time while I also did community theater in my off time. 

Once I moved out on my own is when the trouble started for me. I was attending college full time and working part time but now I had bills that I was expected to pay and classes that I had to study for and still be able to make it in bright and early for my job. I turned to food as my de-stresser and I found out that I had a knack for cooking. 

I would buy calorie rich meals and not worry about the consequences because the food made the stress feel like it was going away little by little. As my stress went up my food consumption went up as well. I would try half-assedly a diet every now and then but my heart was not fully in it. 

Although I was never diagnosed with it I can assure you I was dealing with some severe depression. It effected my mood, my relationships, and even the way I looked at the world. I was living in Virginia and my typical day would consist of waking up at 4AM to get to work at 6AM. I would stop by McDonalds and buy two sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits and a third sandwich which would vacillate between a McGriddle or a steak, egg and cheese bagel.... I was not at a good point in my life. At my heaviest weight I was around 374lbs.

So... now that I have thouroughly depressed all of you it's time for the good news... Since I left Virginia and moved back home to Asheville, NC I have dropped 50lbs

BEFORE                                             AFTER        

I felt great with that weight off but my heart wasn't completely in it for myself. I can list a million and one reason why I have failed at losing weight in the past and short list of those include:

• Vanity
• To be noticed more
• To be desirable
• To have worth
• To be able to wear cool clothes

To all of you who have successfully lost weight you can see the red flags from a mile away. All of these reasons are superficial and ultimately for someone else. I wasn't ready to commit for myself.

Which brings us to the purpose of this blog... I would like.... if I may.... to take you on a strange journey... (If you get that we can be friends) But in all seriousness I am going to be going on a very large journey soon and I need support from friends, family, strangers, confidants, and anyone who has found themselves in the same boat I have been on so many times. 

I have always wanted to run in a Spartan Race/Mud Run but you have to be in some very good physical condition to do so. So this my pledge to you all but mostly to myself. In a year's time, I Zack (State Your Name) will be physically fit enough to run in and complete a Spartan Race/ Mud Run.

I hereby so decree it.