A Breath of Life!

When I was a teenager, I loved to swim. Every time we went to the beach, I would always swim out to the buoys. When I would reach the buoys, I would get a deep breath and dive as deep and as fast as I could. I'd reach out with my hands, kick my feet, and hit the bottom. When I touched the bottom with my hands, Id push my body up, pull my feet underneath me, push off the bottom with my legs and reach for the top of the water and that exhilarating breath of air that waited on me. Man it brings back adrenaline just thinking about it. I think it was the summer before I turned fifteen. The family(mom and sisters) went to the beach. It was great time. Id made my usual trip out to dive, the water was around 20 ft give or take a few feet. I'd already hit the bottom a few times, then we had hot dog, chips, and cokes for lunch. I went back out, of course my mom made me wait 30 minutes. I hit the buoy, grabbed a deep breath, shot towards the bottom. At 6 feet tall, the bottom was only three of my body lengths, it wasn't that many swim strokes to the bottom. Here's the problem, I didn't get there as quick as I thought I should. So, I turned back towards the top, but I could find the top either. In my mind I thought I should be able to reach the top easily when I turned, but there was this thought, what if I turned sideways not up. I was scared, I was confused, turn around and I thought I was going to drown. In my mind I decided I had one last chance, I turned down hoping down was down. I swam as fast and as hard as I could swim. I put my hands out in front, kicked with my legs. I felt my hands hit that muddy sand, pushed with my arms, tucked my legs and shoved off as hard as I could and reached for the top. As I reached for the top, I had pushed so hard, I don't remember if I swam any more to get to the top. Of course, that could have been the lack of oxygen. I felt my hands bust through the to air, my head shot through the membrane that separated me from a fresh breath of air and I breathed. It was a life giving breath of air, it was everything I needed to survive. That breath took away my fear of drowning, my fear of dying, and it gave me life.

In my goal to lose 100lbs this year, I have felt just as if I was under that water again. Scared, afraid of drowning, confused, not knowing which way to go. This has all changed. A good friend over the summer began to tell me "if you want to lose weight, I know what can help you." It
was called Medifast. He had lost over 100lbs on this diet and was positive I could too!

It just so happens that my beautiful wife was able to secure me and her both the Medifast product. This was three weeks ago. I have received a new breath in this journey to lose weight, be healthier and gain a life of longevity.

As of week three, I have lost 25 lbs! I will not say that this journey will produce a 100lbs loss before January 1, 2011. However, it will produce losing 100lbs as long as I continue. It is fool proof. I eat 5 medifast meals a day 2-3 hrs apart and one lean and green meal every day. It simple for me, no counting calories, no counting points. I feel like I have had a deep breath of life breathed into me and it is AWESOME!

One thing I ask from you. If your reading this,and your a praying person, say a prayer for me. If you read my last post you will see that this has been a hard struggle for me. I need the Lord's help to get through this. I believe He's giving the tool to accomplish a healthier life, now I just need the fortitude to continue !



January weight 404

August 16, 2010 395

Today's weight 370

Total Loss for the year 34 lbs
Since medifast 25 lbs

Since medifast I have lost 2.5" in my chest, 2" in the neck, 3" in my stomach, 5" in my waist, 3.75" in hips, and 1" in my thigh

That's 17.25" in 3 weeks

If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good. Joshua 24:20

Week 15: Jason of all trades, Master of nothing

In my life I have been blessed to learn and do a lot of different things pretty well. To some extent, most of my family thinks I am a know at all. (especially T) They have a point, I am a little zealous about what I think to be right. Sorry fam, I'll do better. Let me give an example of all the things I am decent at. In high school, I played football, (received a scholarship to play in college), I was starter on the basketball team, I was in the band and played trombone ( made all the honor bands), I was a good student(made a 27 on my act), I was on the academic team, I was on the student council, I was member of the beta club. You see were I'm going, I was pretty decent at all the things in my life I have done. It sounds like I'm bragging but the story is about to change. I never, not one time, that I can ever remember have fullfilled my full potential at anything. I got a football scholarship, you would think I would be satisfied with that. The truth is I was a pretty decent player but I never was truly committed. I never devoted my self to the weight room, to the conditioning that could have made me great. This is hard for me to admit, but I was a good, Lazy player. I did what I had to do. Same way with basketball, never spent enough time, shooting, conditioning, preparing to be better, I averaged a double double, my senior year, but could have been dominant, I was lazy. I was a low B student, I made 100's on test and averaged 60 on homework( I never did it). One teacher told me that I was smarter than my older sister (she was salutatorian), but I was so lazy no one would ever know. I was a good trombone player, still play, but never made better than 2nd chair because I never practiced outside of class. At the honor bands I would always slide in around the middle of the group, I never practiced the music until the day I performed for the spot. Lazy, Lazy, Lazy. I could go on about these things, but the truth is I've never been as great as I thought I was. All these things translate into my life today. I'm overweight because I am too lazy to work at it. My spiritual life struggles because I at times, am too lazy to work at it. I have been so blessed that I can do pretty much anything, but I have never excelled, at anything. My rant tonight is to come clean, to repent, and to be real!

Lord, Family, Friends forgive me for my mediocrity.

Starting weight 404
Today's weight 383

total Loss 21 LBS

79 lbs to go


My flesh and my heart fail;But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalms 73:26 (NKJV)

Week 8: I haven't quit!

Well then, I have not posted in a few weeks. I was a little down about not losing anymore weight. I didn't want you to know that I havent followed through with the thoughts I have for success. Well I have been reenergized this week about eating right(at least better)! I have even went to bed hungry a couple of nights because I had over indulged during the day. That doesn't sound like fun, but I had to tell the spoiled little kid inside me no! I did it and with natural consequences I have chosen to eat right.

Starting Weight 404 lbs

Today's Weight 386 lbs

18 lbs down 4.5%


82 lbs down

Scripture:


And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Weak 5, still struggling

Quick report, Planning is the key. I haven't done any and man am I struggling. I'm down 2 lbs from the last post, but Ive gained a few this week. I could use a little prayer. I had some lofty goals for the gym, but com' on. My wife has developed a two day a week gym time with her and I starting this week, so this should help. As well no more traveling and a normal schedule for while.



Original weight 404



2-5-09 391

Down 13 lbs



Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me
Micah 7:7 (NKJV)

Week 3: More activity

Well I'll keeep it short and sweet this week. I didnt gain weight!I didn't Lose weight. I must be honest, the last two weeks have been very stressfull. I dont know about you, but I am an emotional eater and well, when stress occurs ,I eat, a lot. I sabotaged my self but Im setting some more active goals for this next week. If you want, you can Join me. Tomorrow I going to burn about 2000 calories playing competive football(Oklahoma Maddogs(my team) vs. Fort Worth Avengers in Fort Worth. Next week as well Im going to spend 10 hrs in the gym. My wife has been good to me, she filled our fridge full fruit and didnt buy a bunch of junk that I would normally eat. For a few weeks as well, I will post a little more about the activities and food Im intaking so as to have a little more accountability.

Starting Weight 404

Week 3 393

11 lbs down

89 lbs to go!

Scripture of the Week!
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you"-[this is] the Lord's declaration-"plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Week 2: Failure or Feedback!

The definition of failure is "a lack of success in or at something". When one encounters something that they have not succesfully accomplished, is it failure? In my past I would say yes, if you don't complete your task then you have failed. This seems black and white, but is it? Today when I stepped on the scales, instead of losing weight, I had gained weight. This really wasn't a surprise, but it was reality. So was this a failure? Did scales tell me today that I failed or did they give me feed back? A wise man told me once that you only fail when you quit. The scales only reflected the behaviors that accomplished in the last week. The scales didn't exactly say exactly what I ate, but the did tell me that what I did in the past 7 days did not achieve the desired results. Failure, I don't think so. Feedback is the truth, the scales don't lie. I must do different. This for me is when I need you! My friends, family, anyone that wants to input.

Dec 28, 2009 404 lbs

Jan 8, 2010 390 lbs

Jan 15, 2010 393 lbs

this week +3 lbs total -11 lbs

89 lbs to go


This weeks scripture
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Week 1 Results: Fat or Not!

As a Kid, I was always bigger than the rest. You know how kids will ask their parents what they did when they were little. Well, I never was little. As a 6 year old, I was 4’3” tall and weighed 68lbs.

If you don’t know, that is the average size of a 3rd grader(9 or 10 year old boy).

In the 6th grade, I was 5’10”.

As a freshman, I was 6’2” and weighed 215 lbs.

As a senior in high school, I was 6’5” and weighed about 270lbs.

Junior year (Graduation usher)

Freshman year in College

Stephanie's(baby sister) graduation. After my first year of College.

I weighed about 320 lbs

I think you can get the drift, I was a big Kid. Here’s a question for your? As you look at the pictures that I’ve posted do you see a fat kid? There is no doubt that today, I am fat, that’s why I am doing this challenge, but back then I was not fat. I grew up with such low self esteem due to the fact that people constantly called me fat because I wasn’t some little kid like they were. Most people don’t know that about me. Most of my friends then would assume that I like being the big guy. The truth is I wanted to be the little guy. At this point in my life, I don’t want to be the little guy, I’m comfortable being the big guy, I just want to be a smaller version of that guy.

That’s my goal, a 100lbs less of me!

Quote of the Week:
“people good at making excuses, are rarely good at anything else” Benjamin Franklin

Scripture of the Week:
The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;

But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich (Proverbs 13:4)

Starting Weight December 28, 2009 404 lbs

Today’s Weight January 8, 2010 390 lbs

14 lbs down 86 lbs to go!