Monday, Monday...

Work out!
Had a great workout today! How do I know? I drenched my shirt in sweat. Not a dry spot anywhere. I even had to change my shirt in the van before I left because it was just too cold with that shirt on! That tells me that I really did something. And no, I didn't go into a sauna. It was all hard work.

As for my workout, I did my HIIT with a 10 minute warm up an cool down for a total of 37 minutes. I then hopped onto a exercise bike for 30 minutes to continue burning my fat off me.

Lunch
An hour later, I have a lunch of 3 celery sticks, half a cucumber, a small tomato and a small bowl of diced ham. I also have a Lao spicy chili pepper dip called Jeow Bong. We brought this back from Laos, and it makes all veggies THAT much more delicious. Oh, and I also have some natural honey habanero mustard for the ham. The mustard doesn't have any added chemicals, but I do need to limit myself as there is honey in the mustard. YES, I like it hot! But I do have to be careful that I'm not getting TOO many chili peppers as that can irritate my entire tract, so... go easy on the peppers, that includes me!

I've been thinking about carbs, and I think I'm going to keep them really limited as I am trying to lose weight. Perhaps, I'll offset my circuit training by adding more protein? We'll see how this works this week.

One month anniversary!
So, its been a month to the day, and I'm down 20 lbs. I was hoping for more, but as in life, there was a hiccup, which has now been resolved. I'm back on track and look forward to another 20 this month, but if not... I'm still headed down this new path. I'm going to be slim and belly free this year!

Enjoy the rest of monday, go take a walk, eat more salad, and less processed stuff, just go and...

DO SOMETHING!

Day 31 - Progress Report Time!

This week has been a whirlwind. From having a weight fluctuation when adding circuit training and my food, to putting my condo up for short sale, I've had quite an eventful week. The best part is that I'm back to my lowest weight again at 257.5 lbs. Here are some pics. At this point, I think its harder to see results as I'm just 'shrinking' inward. I still look similar, but clothes fit me smaller. And I have only 1 more hole on this belt before I have to replace it.

I lost the first few front views. I think they were named the same as other files. Anyhow, I'll have to make sure next week shows more... I apologize for the formatting. Its being a pain...

definitely slimmer

shirt almost fits normal!

side view looking better too

love handles definitely coming in as well as the crease

Today's update was short and sweet, but places me back where I want to be. Hopefully this week, I'll drop 3-5 lbs. We'll have to see how my lower back holds up. Its been bothering me, but I think its because I'm twisting when I sleep. I guess its time to strap me down...

So, have a great week guys, and I'll keep you all updated as the week progresses...

DO SOMETHING!

Been on a vacation, not really, but needed time off...

 

Sorry for the gap in blogs. I've been busy trying to save my condo from foreclosure, but apparently, now I have to short sale.  Anyhow, that's depressing news, and is only one hurdle in my 'track and field' of life. It will soon be over, and I will still be on my way. The important thing is that I'm still working out, de-stressing my life, and eating well.

It can be really tough when life throws a mini-tsunamis at us. We're unprepared. Surprised. Happy. Sad, Depressed! But its all temporary. If you can maintain constants in your life, such as working out, eating well, and getting a good night's rest, you can five into the wave, and just ride it out!

Circuit Training, Carbs, and Planks
So, part of what I've been struggling with over the past week is how circuit training and carbs have been affecting my diet/physique. As soon as I added circuit training, or doing weights with very little rest between exercises, I felt depleted in my work outs on HIIT/Cardio days. The good part is that I'm getting stronger and can feel the difference in my work outs.

For instance, I've been doing Planks. Planks require you to get on the ground on your elbows, as if you were going to do a push up. You rest on your elbows and balls of your feet. It sounds easy, but its not. You have to keep your back straight and do this for 60 seconds. Once you do this, turn to your side, and repeat with one elbow and the side of your feet. Then switch sides. Its not hard, but its not easy either. I haven't been able to do 60 seconds yet, but I am up to 40 seconds. You really have to contract your abs when you do this too. Feel how strong you are when you do this too. Anyhow, progress is happening...

Lunch
Todays' lunch is really simple. 3 egg whites, one yolk, mushrooms, garlic, and a serrano pepper, scrambled.  3 stalks of celery, a small bowl of raw green beans, and a small bowl of left overs from last night, 3 meatballs and brown rice. I also have my vitamins, some fish oil, and a cup of hot water.
Simple and it took only 10 minutes total.

Now its time for me to take care of business. Lots to do today, as everyday. It never ends when you're trying to build your own businesses. So, in the meantime, take that walk after dinner that you were 'thinking' about. Help your body digest and keep yourself fit...

DO SOMETHING!

Progress Report #2!!!

Oh man, its been a tough couple of days. Seems that you take a small break, it can turn into a large break!

So basically, Laura and I had a date night on thursday evening. We had Chinese food, and for some reason, that is like crack for me. I really love it. Such succulent and savory flavors. Its just good stuff. Salty too. But anyhow, I ate a few more bites that I wanted to and ended up feeling full. Not something I'm trying to do, but I let it go. Its only once a week that this happens. Or so I thought.

The next day, I'm in LA to help my friend Nardi move from one area of LA to another nice LOFT! I'd love to have the space he's living in. Its a nice place. So, I didn't work out because I thought we'd get a nice work out moving boxes, furniture, etc. Well, was I right! His sofa did not fit the elevator, and he lives on the 11th floor. So, you guessed it! We walked that damn sofa up 22 flights of stairs to get that thing up there. What a work out. We had to stop every other floor to stop to catch our breath and rest our arms. It was good fun. So afterwards, we go to Chinese, and as much as I wanted to order a salad, I just opted for MORE delicious Chinese food. I knew at that moment, I'd have to make up a day at the gym for this.

So now its saturday morning, and I'm stuffing envelopes at my in-laws, and the guys decide to hoop it up. So  I show up, shoot some hoops. a lot of hoops, actually. It felt like a good work out, at least half of my day. Famished, we headed to a little Asian Mart that fried up fish, so we selected some tilapia and mackerel, I love mackerel, good omegas and a great salty fishy taste. It just tastes of the sea. Such a nostalgic food. Anyhow, I digress...  So, I think, fried fish. Is this really on my menu? Grilled, ok, but fried... I guess its another day at the gym! Its been a great 2 days of being bad, but now its time to get back to it. So, after we eat, we become restless and decide to go back to another guy's house, they get beer and alcohol. something I've refrained from while working out these next 6 months. Well, one thing leads to the next, and I'm 3 brandys in, and wondering how I get this way around the guys??

Long story, short, its 3 days in the gym to make up for all this!!!

So the moral of the story is, its ok to fall off the wagon or cheat, but don't make a habit of it, and rectify the behavior immediately. I know it will be wednesday morning before I'm back to where I wanted to be on sunday. Its OK. It will happen. Because if it doesn't, you'll fall so far away from the tree, you'll be looking for a cab to the hospital.

relaxed - just is there...

flexed - lumpy shape showing??

side - flexed - belly is really pulling in

side - relaxed - belly just there...

So, here we are, at today. I went to the gym and did circuit training on the weights, and got a really good pump overall. That is a good example of being carb loaded. Muscles feel more full and bloated. Anyhow, we're off that, and onto this week.

I could have made more progress with a little more discipline, but I did what I was going to do, and that was have a nice meal or two. Next time I'll do my best to limit that to one night only!

Oh, one more thing, todays meal! I made some Kale, which I really love because it has such texture and shape. It tastes great, and makes you feel like you're eating something more substantial that it is. Good stuff. Anyhow, so a bit of oil in the wok, get it hot, then toss in the kale with a bit of garlic, and smashed lemon grass, if you have it. Wok it around. do this for a couple minutes, then toss in about 3 table spoons of water, cover and let steam up a bit. Add a bit of srichacha hot sauce, and then serve. I just ate about a head of Kale myself. Good stuff. I also had 2 small pieces of fish from the day prior, part of a vietnamese sandwich, and 3 onions with peanut butter. Its a weird snack, but my father taught it to me, so you can blame him! About 20 minutes after, I had half of a mango. It was good. Now, I just have small meal in a couple hours, and then i will fast until my next work out.

So, good luck tomorrow, cause its gonna be quite a monday. Happy Birthday Washington!

relaxed

flexed - shirt hangs more than last week

relaxed - shirt sticks out a lot

flexed - shirt come back in!!

So, my progress doesn't 'look' like much, but the shirt hangs more and clings to me less, which IS progress.  I hope this week goes a little more smoothly with consistency. I hope to have greater results this week. Until next time...

DO SOMETHING!

Batteries are EMPTY!

So, today I noticed my workout was draggin... And it took me a few minutes to figure it out.

I began to add high intensity circuit training to my schedule. Yesterday, was the first day, and I forgot to adjust my diet to accomodate that.

So, the yams and sweet potatoes that I didn't eat last night, would have really helped me power through the workout.

This is the fun and interesting part of experimenting with your own body. You can see the results quite quickly, and if better documented, I could figure out what amount my body requires exactly. But since I'm trying not to make things too 'scientific' and out of reach, I will just adjust my diet to add a more complex carbs to my day time meals. The reason I won't add it to my night time meal is that I want my body to concentrate on digesting fiber, leafy greens, and protein FIRST, then switch to fat while I'm sleeping... At least that's the plan.

I'll let you guys know how the next work outs go accordingly.

In the meantime, I've got to call HUD and try to save my condo from FORECLOSURE!

Falling Numbers & Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Michelle LaBelle! I mean, Zacheis!

Thanks for keeping up with my blog. It keeps me going when you guys comment and participate. Its not just for me, but more for you all! On that note, I've received some emails concerned about the way that I'm working out, eating, and dancing. Well, not so much on the dancing, but more on the eating and working out.

I know what I'm doing is a little different, and a more 'modern' or rather 'cave-modern' in approach. It makes a lot of sense when you put it together. Here is a link that explains more of what your body is doing. Please click here and read for 1 hot minute:
Interval Training Improves Your Endurance, Better Than Endurance Exercise!

Weigh Ins
Here are my numbers from my weigh-ins. Also, I don't normally weigh myself EVERY day because that would show too little results. I don't want to freak out every day that I don't lose, or may go up or down. I'm trying to build muscle as I lose fat, so the number WILL vary from day to day. There is a good example of this midway through my numbers. In the future, I will do my best to mark the date as well, so it can be better documented. Sooooooooooo, check them out...

276 - Jan 28th, 2011
273
271.5
270
267
265.5
269.5 ??? - I think I had too many peanuts and apples at night from our organic shopping experience...
265.5   - back on track
265
263.5
262
259
257.5 - Feb 15th, 2011

That is 18.5 lbs in 20 days. And I'm not starving myself. I'm just embracing hunger at the appropriate times, and resisting temptation. For instance, last night, my wife and I were VERY hungry after buying our car. We wanted to snack, but it was 9 at night. Although I stayed up another 3 hours, the time you could burn off the food, what good would it be to eat, and then sleep? Do I need energy for my dreams? More like fat for my body...

So we refrained. We resisted. And we felt the hunger. But what you need to realize is that hunger, that uncomfortable feeling in my stomach, is fat burning in action. Its my indicator. And so, I did not eat. And the results were that much better this morning! We have to befriend hunger. It is not an alarm bell that say, FILL ME UP WITH FOOD, PLEASE!!! Its not our enemy, but an ally! It tells us that we need to eat or not eat. We just need the brain to be in control of when we toss more logs into the fire! I know, its a fine line... but we can each learn our own bodies, and figure this out. But it all start with experimentation and one foot in front of the other...

So, what I've noticed is that the higher intensity I put out at the gym, not necessarily longer or more, but more INTENSITY, the more results show the next day. and the next, etc... Its a simple math equation:


Intense training and cardio + proper portions of healthy food - junk = healthier, slimmer YOU!

Off to the gym to...

DO SOMETHING!

Red Cabbage Salad with Mexican Quiche!

I've been wanting to share what I'm eating, but am not yet fully educated on what I should and shouldn't be eating. I've mostly been going off the basis that I need MORE veggies at every meal, and less protein and carbs. So, as I'm learning this, I'm sure I'll tweak things, but for now... here is today's lunch!

Red Cabbage Salad with Mexican Quiche

Red Cabbage Salad
The red cabbage salad needs to be prepared in advance, but if you like it crispy and fresh, you can make it the same day. First, you half a red cabbage in water and place it in the fridge. This helps de-gas the cabbage. Once you've done this, chop up the red cabbage, a small red onion, and squeeze a large lemon, or 2 small lemons into a separate dish. This is so you can pick out the seeds first, instead of picking them out of your teeth! Combine with 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar, and add white pepper to taste. I love the way this salad feels so light and healthy! It also seems to curb my appetite some. Maybe it has to do with the white pepper.

Mexican Quiche
Ok, so its not really a quiche, and someone is probably going to correct me on this. Maybe its a souffle? So I start off with the pan on medium and pour a half dollar of olive oil into the 8" pan. I add some garlie, 4 chopped mushrooms, 2 green onions, a fresh red jalapeno, and a touch of Sherry cooking wine. Why? because it cooks out the alcohol and leaves the mushrooms with this AMAZING flavor. I then added 3 slices of deli turkey sandwich meat. This is optional! I did it for the protein. Once this is all mixed up and cooking, spash a few table spoons of water into the pan, and cover for a minute. This allows the veggies and flavors to really set. At this point, lower the heat a touch, and add 4 egg whites. I also added 2 yolks for flavor. I'm not too concerned with the cholesterol since I'm working out every day. Cover this, and let it simmer until the egg begins to rise, nice and fluffy. sprinkle with sharp cheddar, if you like. Then chop fresh cilantro and 1/3 avocado to garnish. Sometimes we need a bit of that GOOD fat. I also toasted 2 corn tortillas to shovel this concoction into my mouth.

So how long did all this take? The cabbage salad took 10 minutes to make, the day before. I had 2 servings from a half a head of cabbage. I love this stuff, and I make it now at least once a week. And the Mexican Quiche took about 15 minutes, including washing the dishes. I used simple ingredients that occupy most people's fridge.

So there you have it, a meal that took very little time to prepare, but does not contain any hidden ingredients. It tastes great, and is packed with protein and veggies.


Vitamins
I also took my vitamins with this. I take a super potent multi-vitamin, Vitamin E, B-12, Beta Carotene, Copper/Zinc, Potassium, CoQ10, L-Carnitine, Vitamin C, and  Omega3/Flax/Borage Oil.

I also have some Calcium and Magnesium in the evening with a little more L-Carnitine and Omega3/Flax/Borage Oil.

The reason I'm taking all these supplements is that they are all good for my health, arrhythmia, and motility. Laura and I are working on a family, and at this late in the game, we need all the help we can get to have a healthy and happy baby! I know this seems like a lot of stuff, but I've never felt so healthy and strong in my life. My body feels strong like my gut isn't there! I have to constantly remind myself that my gut is still there. Its a great feeling...  AND I'm not even one month in! So many results? so little time? Its THAT easy!

WATER!
If you want to lose any kind of weight, or have great skin, or feel better, just drink some water! It seems to easy. And it is. But you have to continually fill that cup, mug, or water bottle with water! If you can afford it, go for some good bottled water, but maybe buy it in the large gallons. One can go through a lot of water bottles in one day, and its not my intention to motivate you guys to recycle more.
Let's recycle less, REUSE more

Please check back everyday, and I will do my best to share with you guys, the ease and virtues of healthy living! Thanks and much love!

-Ben

Here are some links to a few books that I reference often and really enjoy for my vitamin, health, and alternative cures. These 4 books are a staple in my library.


   

THE HEALING POWER OF VITAMINS, MINERALS and HERBS

Yay! Its SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! Time to check on my abs...

First off, I apologize to all you 'Scientific Method' people out there. YES, I did forget to take initial picture of my fat, bloated body. BUT, I do have a picture that is from 2 weeks before I started, and unfortunately, I'm not topless, so I apologize for that. (I also apologize for any grammatical errors, just in case any of you teachers are grading me on grammar!)

This photo was taken on 01-11-2011, by my friend Darren McKay, without my knowledge. This means, I'm NOT sucking in my gut. So, you can see, I'm about 6 months in, and the baby will be due in 3 months! jk

SO, back to our main event. I'm here today to show you guys my progress report. Just before this picture, I went to the gym. I did my HIIT training, then did 30 minutes on the bike at a level of 12. I'm doing this so I can also build up the endurance to go for long bike rides with my friend Randy Saldana and almost brother-in-law, Mark Francisco. Then I did some Planks and Side Planks for my abs, and then I left the gym. After a quick shower, we shot some pics.

To keep these pictures consistent, I will take the pics from the same location each time wearing the same clothes. Also, to keep the clothes from changing shape, I will not wash them, and they will only be used for pictures. This way, you can see truly, how my body is changing.

So... here we go world, I hope you're ready for me!

These pictures reflect my body weight from 276 lbs prior to Janary 28th, 2011. As of today, I now weight 262 lbs.

Front View- Relaxed

Front View - Flexed

My love handles have come in some compared to before

Side View - Relaxed

my stomach still appears to droop a bit, but nothing like before.

Side View - Flexed

my gut no longer DUNLOPS over my belt when I wear jeans.
I am also on a new belt notch! yay!

Muscular Front

you can see some muscles trying to peek out.

Muscular Side

Just so all of you know, this shirt was at the BOTTOM of my t-shirt pile. Its not something I wear. Its a shirt that I keep 'in case' I lose weight. Its a 'collector' shirt. Its something I bought because I wanted to support a charity, but they only had 'fitted' shirts. I have TOO many of these shirts. Its embarrassing how much of my wardrobe I do not wear because of this GAME I play with myself. So, I picked this shirt because it is light colored. It does not HIDE my rolls, far, man boobs, etc.

Now, another thing that I have not yet done on this blog, which I really wanted to talk about is what I'm doing for my eating plan, supplements, work outs, etc. I will address this one of the next blogs.

I also want to mention that I am not using any kind of diuretic or 'enhancement' supplements. Why? because I took too many in my teenage/college years, and now I have exacerbated my arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is basically an irregular heartbeat. So in addition to this, caffeine is out the window too. Anything I do, can trigger this. For those of you unfamiliar with this, arrhythmia is basically when your heart doubles in speed, and you have done nothing to cause this. Sometimes you can even see my shirt pulse... its scary. more for my wife and those around me because they are not used to it. But I have lived with this for over 16 years. But this means nothing. I could die from a blood clot that 'feels' just like it, so I have to be careful. I have to be serious about my health.

Tight Shirt Front - Relaxed

sexy!

Tight Shirt Front - Flexed

stomach comes in a bit when I flex, but not enough yet...

Tight Shirt - Side - Relaxed

sticks out!

Tight Shirt - Side - Flexed

not so bad... still man boob-a-licious though..











I'm only 34 years old. I have a condo I may have to short-sale or foreclose. We just saved my wife's house after 16 months of stressful negotiations. Our credit cards cost us 3k a month just to maintain, and we can't even pay that anymore! In the midst of all this last year, my wife was on sabbatical finishing her doctorate at HALF PAY. To offset her lack of pay, I took a job that I needed to get up at 4:30 to leave the house to then work a 10 hour day, then back onto the freeway for 2 hours in rush hour traffic. In the 2 hours that I did get to see my wife, I gobbled down dinner at 9 PM, had 2-3 beers, and tried to sleep while all that stuff in my stomach turned into fat. While I slept, I kept my wife up with my snoring and sleep apnea. And on top of this, we are newlyweds, and newly weds struggle and fight to find the rhythm in the marriage. ALL this was a recipe for an early death.

Then on Novemeber 4th, I received the greatest news. I was let go from that contract. And I was not sad, for I realized, I did not need their money, or the stress I was going through daily, making a 130 mile round trip commute in one of the busiest freeways in Socal, the 91 freeway. I was one of the crazies that drove 2 hours each way, everyday. And now, I was free to pursue my own endeavors, and life has never been better. But I did not change my health yet. It wasn't until Jan 28th, when my Dr. had to provide my HEALTH WAKE UP CALL.

Our mountains, are just molehills. Obviously, there are those out there who have it much worse, and they are a small percentage. I'm talking about the capable ones that are disguised as victims. Its time to stop.

PLEASE share my blog, and help me prove to me, you, our friends, and then the world that we can u-turn our lives. we just need to...

DO SOMETHING!

When are you due?

As all large overweight men know, there are jokes. lots of good jokes. And if anyone knows me, I 'think' I'm funny. Well, there are jokes, that aren't so funny, but we deal with them.

Are you pregnant?
when are you due?
nice man-boobs! etc...

I'm all for a good joke, but these jokes suck. I hate hearing them. I pretend I don't hear. I do what I can to hide myself, and yet, I still look... PREGGERS.

Again, I share these pics with you all to show you that I am a 'normal' fat American. This only serves as inspiration to change. I've never seen my six-pack, only my KEG. So, good bye to this guy, and hello to the new me...

Progress pics will be posted every sunday. I'm doing this so that I'm not scrutinizing what is happening day by day, but week by week. There should be more results to show as well.

In Puerto Rico sucking my gut in for a picture. You can see I'm bloated by my oversized calves. And yes,  great pair of man-boobs.

Triangle Shaped...






















Hoodies help hide the belly with your hands. NOT...

Here is a picture of my Grandfather(back left) and his brothers and sisters from back in the day. I don't know who the guy in the front is, but I think that's where I get my stature from... Then again, I just heard from my Aunt that he died from heart issues... oops!

Going for a walk to keep my systems in check.

(I apologize for the formatting, trying to understand this new format...)

DO SOMETHING!

Breathing into a fan...

I posted this pic of Colossus because that's what I think I am. Invincible to the world. Don't we all? We all believe that we are ok. That this can't happen to me. But for me, my number has been called. I am receiving my sentence now. But I am determined, and I am working on my appeal. all day, everyday. One step at a time. Today is very sobering.

It looks like the dudes in white lab coats want me to sleep with a CPAP machine. That sucks. Imagine a turbo attached to your mouth. The air is WHOOSHED down your throat so fast, it feels as though you're being suffocated by air! how is that possible? and when you try to catch your breath, you actually end up sucking in another gulp of air before you can exhale. its not a comfortable feeling. Its just like drowning in air...

But according to my sleep study, it helps. So, for my wife, and all my unborn children, I will continue along that path so that I can live another day.

sigh...

Now I am going to look like this dude when I sleep...

Maybe Lamaze classes might help me?

Hee hee whoooo, Hee hee whoooo

Ok, going for a brisk walk! That should clear my mind and start my fat burning engine for the day. Then I'll make a nice salad and have some fruit to hold me over until lunch.

As sad as the day has started, it will not continue on that note.

DO SOMETHING!

Life is about changes...

For most of my life, I've been overweight, fat, or chubby... Whatever you want to call it. I've always known why, but never did anything about it... until now. But first, I'll tell you about my wake-up call. It started recently in the Dr.'s office on Jan 28th, 2011. My wife picked up a rotating dial thing-a-ma-bob that was on the wall. She asked me my height and weight. After lining up the dial, she handed it to me. OBESE, it said. WHAT??? I'm not obese, I'm just over-weight, right? As I stared at the dial, I realized what it was saying to me... You are not your 'image' you see in your head. You ARE fat! And not just FAT, but OBESE!

Well, it took a few minutes to set in. As that was simmer on a low boil in the background, the Dr came in, reviewed my info, and proceeded to tell me that my blood pressure is looking high in addition to other health issues. How can this be? I don't eat salt! I don't pig out on junk food or garbage anymore! What's the deal? At this point, I could only see the Dr's lips mouthing words I no longer was listening to.

I began to realize things... Things such as, you can't drink a 12 pack every other weekend and expect to get away with it. You can't eat all you want during the holidays and lose it later. Slowly, all my 'habits' surrounded me like ripples across a lake. I was surrounded with bad habits that I had believed were 'ok, because I'm still young'...

At that moment, I made a resolve. Health was number one. I felt like Alfie! But I'm not joking. Immediately, I went to the health store, bought a multi-vitamins, Veggies, fruits brown rice, and came home. I threw out the processed garbage in my house, and then proceeded to write on a piece of paper, to mark the occasion, that today was a new day. From today on forward, I am now a conquerer, not the conquered.

Now, I know it hasn't been that long since Jan 28th, but in that time, I've cut out alcohol, caffeine, processed sugars, and junk food. We now decorate our coffee table with fruit, so its always at hand. I hit the treadmill every other day for an hour, and on the other days, I walk and work out. It seems extreme, but its worth it.

I finally ALLOWED myself to be ok with changing my status from 'big guy' to 'healthy slim guy'... I can't stress enough how important this is. I never felt that I deserved to be 'slim'... I just felt it wasn't possible, so why not embrace what I was? A BIG guy... This was crucial for me, and I'm guessing that this is quite possibly a huge hurdle that many of us have as well.

So, to show where I was, and where I'm going, I am going to post pictures of me from the past couple years. As I show progress every week, I plan on posting a new picture. Why? To show you all that it can be done. And to show ME that it can be done. I need to be held accountable, and I'd like to share this journey with you along the way.

Cooling off in the wake of a waterfall in Laos.

You can't handle the heat and humidity in South East Asia if you're covered in insulation.

Looking like a Hawaiian singer named Izzy in this pic.

Hey, that's not me?!?

Happily married with lots of GOLD to show for it!

Before I close today's blog, I want to thank my parents and sister. They have been so supportive to me all these years that I didn't change. I never understood why they wanted me to be 'healthy' so bad... and now, I get it. And maybe part of that is because Laura and I are making plans for a family of our own. Its sobering to realized that you might not be around to see your childrens' future. It sounds dramatic, but it is. Our lives are as fragile, suffocating, and dangerous as we allow.

So, if anyone else is up for some change, join me in this journey to a healthier life. I also want to thanks my lovely wife for her willingness to change our recipes to match a healthier lifestyle.

I'll post a current pic of my progress this weekend.

Thanks for reading,

ben