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I will be celebrating with family on July 4th. Enjoying good times with great people is something TheFatGuy loves. But, when my 4 brothers and their families get together it is one more eatfest I have to contend with for a day.

The eatfest centers around my 'Bubba' brother's love to cook out. He will have ribs, chicken, BBQ pork, and other meaty surprises for us. Then everyone will bring some favorite treats that include, special bite size chicken salad sandwiches from my mom & dad, dips, chips, desserts, and some drinking.  Holidays are one of those times that make it hard to stay on track with healthy eating and living.

SO, TheFatGuy thought he would throw together some tips to help him and you to stay on track this July 4th:

• Water is always at the top of TheFatGuy's list: start your day with plenty of water and keep it up. Drink at least a 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight and go up form there if you are out in the heat. Drink a big glass of water before you eat and drink water with your meal. And remember, don't drink your calories if you can avoid it!
• Bread, Chips, and such– These offer little true satisfaction. Refined carbohydrates will spike your insulin and have lots of calories. Choose to avoid or limit this category at your celebration.
• What to eat first– eating salad and veggies first will help you feel full sooner. This is a tough one for TheFatGuy as he loves to go for the ribs first!
• Small plates/eat slow– these 2 strategies can help you cut your caloric intake tremendously. Studies have shown that smaller plates and utensils do help cut intake. Taking your plate away from the serving area to eat slow and mingle with family and friends will help you. also.
• Desserts/refined sugar–  This again is a tough one for TheFatGuy. If at all possible, keep your dessert size small and MOVE AWAY FROM THE DESSERT TABLE! Use moderation here. AND, because TheFatGuy has a lot of problems with moderation, he will not be eating sugar at all. He gave up sugar this year other than the week of Camp Kemo. His 'all or nothing' thought process does not work well with doing sugar in 'moderation'.
• Everything else– Try to get your joy for the day from everything  the day has to offer other than food. Enjoy your family, friends, the national celebration, the games, the atmosphere and soak it all in without soaking in the calories. We, that have the control issue around food, have a tendency to make the eating the focus! Breath in everything else and enjoy it!

Basically, it all comes down to choices and knowing yourself. So to make it easier, make a plan now and structure your plan and choices now for the big 4th of July celebration.  Have a great Independence Day and wake up on the 5th Happy with the Choices You Made on the 4th!

TheFatGuy says, DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE! And remember, your alcohol drinks have calories!

Note to ME and YOU: Enjoy your day, family, friends and life with a plan that works for YOU!

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

I took several weeks off from blogging to help my wife and mother-in-law in Pickens and have a wonderful week at Camp Kemo with my very special Camp Kemo family. Now I am back and trying to get back in gear. This, my first post camp blog will be about the wonders of Camp Kemo. The second blog will be about the mindless eating TheFatGuy experienced!

So, what does a week at Camp Kemo do for ME? I experience a feeling of exhaustion, loving, & caring that is like no other feeling I have ever known. Camp Kemo is an 'all-in' experience for counselors from the time we arrive at camp on the 2nd Saturday in June at noon till we leave camp the following Saturday at about 130 PM. It is ALL CAMP KEMO 24 hours a day for 8 days. We eat (a lot), sleep (very little), and breath Camp Kemo for about 193.5 hours straight. Most  of us Speak and Live Camp Kemo all year long through song, photos, events, and more. It is a family reunion that seems to grow each year.

What is our focus at Camp Kemo? We do 2 things really well. First, we make sure EVERY camper has as much fun as possible the week of Camp Kemo. Second, we understand that every parent is trusting us with their child, their child with cancer! Knowing this, the counselors work to give every child a level of loving and caring that they will not see any place else outside of their own family. SO, our goal is to have the kids have 'the time of their life' and to give the parents/family a week to recharge (without worry) to continue their battle against the cancer their child is fighting.

TheFatGuy joined the Camp Kemo family 26 years ago in 1987. At the end of the first week in 1987 I told the co-founder of Camp Kemo, Linda Wells, I would keep coming back until they no longer wanted me to come. That first week of camp, with all of the amazing kids and memorable moments, I went back to Polly's sister's house to wait for Polly to pick me up to head back to Charleston. I sat on the steps in the shallow end of their pool motionless for over an hour as the memories of the week rolled over me like a nonstop tidal wave. I had no time during the week to process my feelings and the experience, but as my engines cooled down the flood of thoughts and emotion rolled out.

Since 1987, Camp Kemo has always been a week that is the focus of my year. As one person put it this year, "the calendar is no longer January 1st to December 31st. It is one week of Camp Kemo and 51 weeks till the next Camp Kemo"! Through the highs and lows of career, life, and weight, Camp Kemo has always been a week that helped me 'clean out the baggage of life' and recharge/reboot my engine. The bottom line to TheFatGuy's week at Camp Kemo is it has ALWAYS had a positive impact on my life and how I live it. It has kept me 'in bounds' when I may have felt myself going 'out of bounds'.

TheFatGuy is thankful Camp Kemo found him in 1987! He is a much better person being part of this amazing week, this amazing family. SO, the exhaustive week of loving and caring is an exhaustion that sees TheFatGuy's tank empty out and refuel with a boat load of positive love and energy. It has positively impacted my life in more ways than anyone will ever know.  My one week investment in Camp Kemo each year pays off 52 weeks a year. What a deal!

Note to Me and YOU: My wish to all is you invest in something in your life that will help you appreciate and love life more each day; so you become a better YOU for the people you love in your life.

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

A dear friend of mine sent TheFatGuy the message below in November 2010.  I stumbled on it the other day and it made me think about things I was dealing with then and throughout my life. Several things you should know about this message and the poem included in it:

• First, It came at a great time for TheFatGuy. He was going through a lot in his life and on his journey. He had lost 150 pounds but was now dealing with the coming loss of his father-in-law and some other 'life' issues. The message from this friend came at a perfect time in 2010. Lesson: If you have a nugget of wisdom for someone, share it. It may be set aside or maybe, just maybe, it will be the perfect message at the right time.
• Second, you have to travel your road and not the road someone else wants you to travel.  You can have others help you build your path, but don't let them build it the way they want it built. And travel your journey the way YOU need to travel it.
• Key words to live by in this message: forgive (yourself & others), be kind, honest, frank, and give your best. Build, don't destroy.
• Last, at the end of the day, you have to answer to yourself and God. Anyone else's judgment of YOU does not carry any weight. You have to live with yourself at the end of the day. be true to YOU.

———————————————————————————————————————-

Hey Mike,
Right after I wrote on your wall, I just happened to read this poem that Mother Teresa wrote and I just had to share it with you. Why you specifically? Well, it struck me that you have lived and are living out this advice. You have consistently risen above and done the right thing even when it wasn't easy, even when you were essentially being persecuted. I'm thinking particularly about ——. Anyway, here is the poem…. hope you enjoy it. Thanks for continuing to inspire!

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.

I thank Katie for this heartfelt and timely message! Now you know how important that message was in 2010!

Note to ME and YOU: Be true to you. Thank anyone that helps you be true to you. Share your nuggets of wisdom.

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

The word, 'transformation', has been a recurring word/theme in TheFatGuy's life over the past few weeks (and in his personal journey over the past 3 years). He has seen transformation in the Charleston County School District (CCSD) through their commitment to Wellness and there rollout of Vision 2016 to better serve the students of our county. He has seen several individuals working on their own transformation. He has seen TheFatGuy transform into TheBEAST.

TheFatGuy has been blessed to be part of  CCSDs transformation on several levels. First he has been part of community meetings as a facilitator to gather information/feedback on the goals for our district that the school board has targeted for our students through 2016. This information was used to help the CCSD leadership and board with their decision making on strategies and funding this year and years to come. TheFatGuy's main wish is that they use this community input as the tool it was meant to be. That they use it to make solid decisions to best serve the needs of 45,000 students. Transformation is taking place in our district and it is happening before our eyes.

Second, CCSD has made a commitment to its staff, schools, and students to change the way they address wellness in the district. One of the driving forces in this effort was the untimely passing of a beloved CCSD employee,  Mark Cobb. He was someone who gave his ALL to his job and passed at the early age of 51 in May 2010. In honor of Mark, the district has worked hard to develop a Wellness Initiative to help all employees with their health, fitness, and wellness efforts. I was humbled and honored to help recognize the first recipient of the Mark Cobb Transformation Award. As part of this recognition I shared the stage with Mark's wife, Tammy, to recognize a teacher that not only embraced her own journey to health and fitness, she helped many others at her school start their journeys. TheFatGuy was truly overwhelmed to present this award to Lori Essenburg with Tammy Cobb on May 17th.

As far as individuals go there are two, of many, that jump out at TheFatGuy over the past few weeks. One is a man he knows that has recommitted to his journey. TheFatGuy can tell, because he sees daily updates on Facebook showing the man's exercise stints at a local gym. TheFatGuy has talked with this man in the past about his journey and it is neat to quietly see the commitment that is emerging in someone else's journey. Also, TheFatGuy has a friend and fellow blogger that is in constant transformation. She has embraced her journey and her transformation is her journey and vice versa. At least it looks that way from TheFatGuy's point of view!  She seems to be constantly learning from life and passing on little nuggets of wisdom along the way.

Now for TheBEAST! TheFatGuy's transformation to TheBEAST has been a long time coming, or at least it seems like a long time. It is a not just a recommitment to his journey, it is a more focused and energized commitment to his personal health, fitness, and wellness. Now his journey is noted on his left shoulder! TheFatGuy

      TheFitGuy

            TheBEAST

What do all of these transformations have in common? Commitment, vision, knowledge, energy,  and a can-do attitude!

• Commitment to the transformation is key. In each case people fully committed to make a change, and in some cases a radical change. If you do not commit, then no other steps matter.
• Vision toward where you needed to go was also a common thread in these journeys. People developed a vision and started down the road toward that vision
• Knowledge was gathered along the way to travel the roads toward the vision. Knowledge about self and knowledge about the task at hand were key pieces to each transformation.
• Energy is seen in each instance. People develop a certain energy to move toward transformation and they harness that energy to get where they need to go.
• A Can-Do attitude is needed to make the transformation happen. Yes a positive Can-Do attitude can get you a long way down the road to transformation!  As TheFatGuy says, you choose your attitude each day regardless of your life circumstances. You will make good, sometimes great life choices with a positive attitude.

And now, you once again, know that YOU can transform your life at anytime!  I have been blessed to have it happen in my life and blessed to see it happen in many other situations.

Note to ME and YOU: Transformation can get you from where you don't want to be to where you want to go!

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

Yes, I made it to my 56th birthday this past Saturday. What does 56 mean? IN our world 56 is:

• The Atomic Number of Barium
• The number of times the word YEAH is used by Michael Stipe from the band R.E.M. in the song "Man on the Moon" or in the song "Lithium" by Nirvana. (Kinda weird!)
• The number of consecutive games in which New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio had a base hit in 1941, still a record.
• The number of signers of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776
• And I was born in 1956!

In TheFatGuy's world 56 is a number that sees HIM at the fittest and healthiest of his entire life. 56 is a number that represents his movement into, what HE calls, TheBEAST mode. He was embedded in being TheFatGuy in February 2009. He took TheFatGuy on his present journey on March 2, 2009 to becoming TheFitGuy and then into TheBEAST mode starting January 1, 2012. TheBEAST is working to learn and grow physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally every day. HE wants to become 'bigger'  in every way.

At 56, TheBEAST wants you to know YOU can change YOUR life at any time. YOU have control of YOU. I would not have imagined I could have changed my life this much prior to 2009. I did not know what feeling good really was like. I did not know what healthy meant. I only knew 7 drugs to keep TheFatGuy alive and to keep him from getting any worse than he was. I only knew how to 'try' to maintain poor health and manage extreme obesity. I had passed ALL of the bench marks that I should not have crossed; 30 years of age, 40 years of age, then 50 years of age. My weight continued up (275, 300, 325, 350, 360) while my health continued a steady slide.

I have changed my life in my 50s. According to many people I have talked to and known over the years, that should not have happened. At 50 plus I should have been just 'too damn old' to change for the better. I did change and I now know what 'better' feels like. It feels really great!

I committed to MY journey, TheFatGuy's journey on March 2, 2009. I continued on my journey until I discovered TheFitGuy in 2010. After a brief slide in 2011 TheBEAST came alive in 2012. From TheFatGuy to TheFitGuy to TheBEAST! TheBEAST has the blood pressure (112/68) and cholesterol ratio (1.7) of a lifelong athlete!

MY commitment to 'take care of me' paired with developing a strategy toward continued health and fitness have taken me on a fabulous journey. I know in my heart and soul that YOU can make whatever lifestyle change you want with a commitment to you! Take that first step toward 'taking care of you' and look toward that next step, that next goal, that next challenge you never thought possible. YOU CAN DO IT!

Note to ME and YOU: You are never too old, never too far gone, to commit to YOU! Start your journey today!

TheFatGuyTheFitGuyTheBEAST

We all make choices in life and we make them every day. Our lives are filled with choices like:

• What do I wear today?
• What toothpaste do I use?
• Who do I date?
• What school to attend?
• and more……….

Choices have a LOT to do with the success or failure I have had and am having on my journey. Important choices I make every day include:

• What do I eat today?
• How much water do I drink?
• How often do I eat?
• Where do I eat when I go out?
• When do I workout and what do I do?

How do I deal with these questions? Well let's take them on:

• What do I eat today? I work to have healthy options available at home at all times and work my calorie based on eating 150-300 calories at a time for the most part. I build my eating choices based on having simple choices available starting first thing in the morning. An example might be Special K Protein Cereal with Silk for 120-175 calories or an omelet with 2 eggs/mushrooms and a little grated parmesan for 170 calories.
• How much water do I drink? I drink 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. I choose to start my day with 'at least' 20 ounces of water and go from there. By making a choice to start my day with water I know I will have a better chance of choosing to take in enough water throughout my day.
• How often do I eat? I always know I will eat a minimum of 5 times a day. I start with that in mind and go from there.  There are times I eat 7 times a day. I choose to eat about every 3 hours no more than 4 hours.
• Where do I eat when I go out? I like to eat! No question about it. I think differently about eating out now. If I am going to take in calories, I want them to be good calories that are well prepared.  The first step in choosing now starts with the thought "Where will I go to invest my calories when I go out?" I tell people that at restaurants all the time now. I am investing my caloric intake in 'your restaurant'!
• When do I workout and what do I do? I track my workouts on my log and schedule them at different times each day depending on my schedule. I plug them into my calendar to keep me on track and choose different routines based on time, location, and body parts I am working.  Recently, I chose to run with my brother, Walter, to better hone my running skills (TheFatGuy has never been a runner!).  Running is one of the last tools I am putting in TheFatguy's fitness arsenal.

The most important choice I make each day is 'MY ATTITUDE'! If TheFatGuy chooses a good attitude in the morning then he will likely make good choices, if he chooses a bad attitude for the day, he knows he will make bad choices! Bad choices make for a bad journey!

I want to leave you with a few important 'take aways'  about choices that I have learned from MY journey:

• Develop a simple framework for your daily choices.
  • Keep foods on hand that give you healthy simple choices.
  • Develop workout routines that can work anywhere. Start with doing what works for you and grow out from there. Hell just choose to 'move more' to start.
• Choose based on long term goals for your journey rather than short term gratification. This is a hard choice for TheFatGuy but getting easier every day.
  • Do I choose a protein bar or a candy bar?
  • Do I get off of my lazy butt and move more?
  • TheFatGuy chooses to invest in the long term decisions as much as possible. My life expectancy has gone from 64 years of age in 2009 to 96 years of age today! I think TheFatGuy is making good choices.
• One choice you must make each day is CHOOSE A GOOD ATTITUDE! Make this your first choice of the day.

Note to ME and YOU: Make the healthy choice the easy choice!

TheFatGuy,TheFitGuy,TheBEAST

Thanks to my brother, Walter, for making running an easier choice!

Am I TOO OLD? TheFatGuy of 2009 might say yes. I am too old and too tired to do anything significant in life. The answer from TheFitGuy would be NO, I am working on my health and fitness with life getting better each day. TheBEAST would say, "HELL NO! Are you calling ME OLD!?" I am a BEAST, I will be 56 this month and I am as young as I have ever felt!

The inspiration for this question comes from a dear friend almost, as she might put it, two decades younger than TheFatGuy. Her smile and writing are constant inspiration for many. She wrote a blog this week titled “I’m too old to die young now.” It is a great read that may lead you to some other great reads. Her name is Angie Mizzell and she is on her own journey exploring life.

There was a question and an answer that jumped out at me as I read her post. The Question was:

AM I GOOD ENOUGH? This question has been in TheFatGuy's mind a lot over his life. The many internal and external voices in his life have caused him to feel HE was not good enough to do some things HE might have done. Fortunately for HIM he is not a big shoulda, coulda, woulda person.

TheFatGuy started his journey with this Answer in mind: I DON'T CARE! It is also the answer that jumped out at ME in Angie's blog. I don’t care about:

• That internal voice that holds TheFatGuy back from becoming TheBEAST he wants to be.
• What people say. Those external critics and naysayers that have nothing positive to contribute.
•  My age!
• The shouda, coulda, wouldas
• ANYTHING that holds TheBEAST BACK!

AM I GOOD ENOUGH? TheBEAST says, "HELL YES, and GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY! I DON'T CARE about negative comments that hold TheBEAST back from is journey. I DO CARE about ME, God, the people I love in my life, and traveling the journey I need to travel.

YOU need this attitude to start your journey. YOU need this attitude to accomplish the things you want to accomplish on your journey. Whether that be losing weight or dealing with any of life's many issues. YOU are good enough!

Note to ME and YOU: I AM GOOD ENOUGH to be the best ME I can be! And, I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT! And Thanks to Angie for her inspiration.

TheFatGuy,TheFitGuy,TheBEAST

We all deserve to be Wowed at least once each day. A WOW moment can make or break a day. I have had many WOW moments in my life and loved them all.

Saturday, Polly and TheFatGuy attended 'Celebration of Life 2012' in Manning, SC. It was a great event and an event to be Wowed by! TheFatGuy was asked to introduce the Master of Ceremonies, which was fun and easy for him to do. The MC for the event is someone TheFatGuy has  known for 13 years. His name is Craig King and he is a cancer survivor. Craig was diagnosed with bone cancer 13 years ago. He was a vibrant teenager at the time and then life happened. He was left dealing with bone cancer and wondering what the future might hold. Craig is fortunate to have a very strong mother and loving family to support him. The short version of his story is on May 2 , 2000 Craig was declared cancer free! He has been cancer free for the past 12 years. WOW!

I got to know Craig through Lasting Impressions, a teen support group for teens with cancer, and Camp Kemo. Craig, as all of us have a tendency to do,  fell in love with Camp Kemo 13 years ago and quickly moved into a counselor position at camp. Craig and TheFatGuy have become good friends over the years and have developed a mutual appreciation for each other's journeys.

Now on to TheFatGuy's introduction of Craig. I use to stress over public speaking and often over-prepared.  Now I pick a thought or focal point and just let it fly. As we arrived at the event Saturday, TheFatGuy put a few words on the back of one of his tickets. As he entered the event, pictures were taken, and a wonderful band was playing. The word WOW popped to mind. WOW moments are so much fun and most times something to celebrate. WOW would be TheFatGuy's focus! Here are the WOW moments he focused on:

• As I rose to start the event and introduction I said WOW, what a great band! Let's give them a big round of applause! And everyone applauded. I told them that WOW would be heard several more times before I was finished. (this turned out to be true times about 100)
• My second WOW moment  was about Camp Kemo. I did not want to talk extensively about Camp Kemo, since Craig and the Co-Founder of camp, Linda Wells, would give the crowd a great understanding of just a how special Camp Kemo is to ALL. So, I told the crowd that at the end of my first week at Camp 26 years ago, the main word that came to mind was WOW. That small word did the best job of explaining my feelings about my first camp experience. At the end of that week I went to my wife's sister house to wait for my wife to pick me up. I sat in their back yard pool for over an hour just thinking WOW, as I replayed my first week of Camp Kemo in my head.  After that week,  I told the co-founder that I would keep coming back to camp until they no longer wanted me. I guess things are going OK, since this is year 26 for TheFatGuy. WOW!
• And the word I started with to talk about Craig King was, you guessed it, WOW! Craig has taken the extreme negative of being diagnosed with bone cancer and turned it into a wonderful positive. He and his family (Team King) have been big supporters of Relay for Life over the past 12 years. On top of that,  Craig created the event 'Celebration of Life'  to raise funds for American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and Camp Kemo. He had the inaugural event in 2010 to recognize his 10 year anniversary of being CANCER FREE! WOW! This year was the second go round. Although Craig has a lengthy resume, I told the crowd it did not speak to the heart and soul of the person I know. I told them several things about Craig with the main focus being his role as Head Counselor of the Peanuts (5-6 year olds). Watching Craig as a counselor with those young kids is a continuous WOW moment. The smiles and caring seen between 'Mr. Craig' and the kids is priceless. And the fact that parents are so willing to entrust their child to him for a week is amazing at times. Seeing your child go to camp is tough; seeing your 5 your old with cancer go to camp is somewhere far beyond tough! Craig, as all counselors at Camp Kemo do, keeps 2 things at the top of his mind during the week of camp> 1. Make sure the kids have FUN!. 2. Make sure we do the 'best possible job' taking care of each child a parent has trusted us with during that week! Craig is top notch at these 2 things! WOW for Craig!

As TheFatGuy handed off the mike to Craig Saturday night, Craig said "WOW" and proceeded to tell everyone that WOW would be the word of the night, that instead of applause we would say WOW. Then we proceeded to practice saying WOW! WOW was definitely the right word for the evening, as we heard many stories of survival, Camp Kemo, God, and family!

This evening got TheFatGuy thinking about the WOW moments in his life and when they happened. For long stretches in his life, he did not have many, if any WOW moments.  Other times, TheFatGuy has had non-stop WOW moments. I started thinking about the when and why of my WOW moments.  Then it hit TheFatGuy! WOW moments happen all the time in life. WOW moments are happening all around us. The biggest thing that helps TheFatGuy have WOW moments is his own awareness, his ability to keep his eyes wide open and seeing the world for the WOW moments.

As I look back through my journey through life and TheFatGuy's present journey, I realize that WOW moments have continuously happened in MY life. What has changed over time is my ability to SEE the WOW moments. TheFatGuy always sees WOW moments now and is ALWAYS looking for WOW moments. AND those 2 things go together, looking and experiencing WOW moments go together. 

TheFatGuy's main take away from this is WE ALL DESERVE TO EXPERIENCE  WOW MOMENTS  each day. How do we do that? First, WE KEEP OUR EYES OPEN FOR WOW MOMENTS. Second, WE BUILD ON THESE WOW MOMENTS. We use the inspiration created by a WOW moment to help us create our own WOW moments. And we keep repeating this process till it just happens!

WOW moments make TheFatGuy's journey ROCK!

Note to ME and YOU: If you aren't seeing WOW moments, LOOK HARDER, OPEN YOUR EYES WIDE! AND, it doesn't hurt to gravitate toward and surround yourself with people that create WOW moments!

WOW! TheFatGuy,TheFItGuy,TheBEAST

TheFatGuy has been thinking about this question lately, 'What am I running from and what am I running toward?'  I guess since I have started actually running with my brother, Walter, recently it has come to the front of my mind. My journey is an endless marathon of sorts. It takes on different looks at different times. I felt I had to write about this feeling of 'running from and running toward things'. I needed to write it to make some sense of it. You may be able to help me here so let me know your thoughts about this post. It is one I am doing 'on the fly'.

Maybe I should list out the things TheFatGuy thinks he has run from or is running from in his life:

• The shy short chubby kid he was as a child
• The person that could not control alcohol in his 20s
• The obese out-of-control eater
• The procrastinator that puts some things off
• The person that feels inadequate at times
• The judgment of others
• Sometimes just life!

These items are things that have consumed TheFatGuy from time to time throughout his life. He invested a lot of time and energy in 'running from things'. Running from things is all too often counterproductive to living a fulfilled life; to having a journey he could embrace and celebrate. Why did he run from these things? I guess it is the old fight or flight mode. You either stand and fight or take flight! He did not understand other options were available.

He did not start understanding there were other options until he surrendered to alcohol in 1984. He battled with alcohol for 10 years and lost over and over again. He tried fleeing on several occasions only to find himself back in the fight of his life with that potent enemy! He came to understand that his continued 'fight or flight' alcohol battle was one bitter loss after another. Then with God's grace and guidance and the support of family he came to know the battle need not be fought. He came to understand the below prayer (Serenity Prayer):

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

He did not have to fight. He did not have to flee. He had to accept the fact that alcohol was not a battle he wanted or needed to fight. He did not need to run from alcohol, but accept the fact that it was something he could not have as part of his life. He had developed the wisdom to understand he could not maintain any relationship with alcohol. He needed to have the courage to change the things he could change in his life and the change that needed to happen was to stop the battles with alcohol.

The things TheFatGuy is running from are facts of life he needs to acknowledge and accept. He needs change what he can change and pray he has the wisdom to know what he can change and what he cannot change. Depending on your perspective, this could be an expanded version of 'fight or flight' with a focus on 'flight'.

Because of the Serenity Prayer and life's lessons, TheFatGuy is becoming more and more focused on what he is running toward:

• Combating Childhood Obesity
• Wanting to share his story with anyone that will listen. He wants everyone to know they CAN change their lives at any time.
• Becoming TheBEAST he knows he can become to show people they can change
• Finding ways to enjoy life and the people and things he loves most in life
• God!
• Taking care of ME and becoming the best ME for the people in MY life

TheFatGuy has become more and more focused on things he is running toward and less focused on what he is running from in life. As a matter of fact, TheBEAST runs from nothing now. He is focused on running toward certain things in life and he is not concerned with running from anything! In some ways the things he was running from have become building blocks for the things he is running toward.

In his present journey TheFatGuy works each day to shed the 'baggage' in life or the things he ran from in the past. He works to deal with these things daily so the negative counterproductive running does not start. His focus is on what he is running toward and how he can get there. The paths of 'running from' and 'running toward' are two entirely different paths. That is why it is SO important for TheFatGuy to work on taking an ''honest" look at how things are going on a daily basis. Once, he starts 'running from' it takes him further away from what he wants to 'run toward'!

This may or may not make sense to you, but it is making sense to TheFatGuy now. Thanks for reading today!

Note to ME and YOU: Focus on what you are 'running toward' in your journey. Work to shed the daily baggage that starts you 'running away' from things and ultimately causes you to 'run away' from the journey YOU WANT!

TheFatGuy, TheFitGuy, TheBEAST

I had to see a neurosurgeon from 2006 to 2008. On my first visit to see him he walked into the room with my wife, Polly, and the first words out of his mouth were, "you're not a little guy, are you?"  After he spend a few moments with me, he stepped out to check something. I said to Polly, "that first statement he said did not take a brain surgeon to figure out!" I was somewhere over 330 pounds at the time. I was suffering from neck and shoulder pain with some loss of feeling in my left shoulder and arm. It is one thing I have not talked about much in my recovery.

My doctor identified a narrowing with a bone spur between my C5 and C6. He talked to me about various treatment and tests we needed to do. He also told me that the size of my neck with my weight would not make surgery easy if it came to that point. He said he could definitely do the surgery, but the size/weight would make it much more difficult. I thought, 'great, one more thing to worry about, to complicate my life and the things I was trying to do at that time in my life'.

Over 3 years I went through numerous tests and shots to hold off surgery. I had several epidural procedures to help with the pain and swelling. In late 2008 my doctor told me that I would be having my last epidural and the next step would be surgery! I was not happy with that news, but it still did not jar me to do something about my weight. I did not want to face the fact that losing weight would make surgery much easier and less risky with reduced tonnage on my body and neck. I did not think losing weight would help my situation that much although my doctor had told me it would.

And, as you know, I started MY journey on March 2, 2009. This was about 3 months after getting the verdict from my neurosurgeon there would be no more epidurals, but there would be surgery.  Over the course of my journey I did not think much about my neck, the pain, or the loss of feeling in my left arm/shoulder.

I did not think much about it till last week in my favorite Starbucks. I saw my neurosurgeon at the register ordering as I talked with my brother over coffee. I thought damn I have no neck, arm, or shoulder issues now. I have very little issues with loss of feeling. All of the weight loss, the diet change, and the exercise had improved my condition to the point that I had all but forgotten about my neck issues.

I stopped my neurosurgeon and introduced him to my brother. I told him about my story and present condition which he was happy to hear. Then, to MY surprise, I thanked him for being SO BLUNT with me in 2006. He held no punches back when he first walked in the room and said, "you're not a little guy, are you?"  He told ME on my first visit that MY weight would be an issue.

I tell you all this because I know the struggle with obesity is a tough. I know TheFatGuy had a very difficult time talking about his weight and hearing anything from anyone. I know it is hard for everyone  to talk about this deeply personal issue, even doctors! All of this brings TheFatGuy back to the fact that we are dealing with a NATIONAL EPIDEMIC with millions of very personal stories.

While I do not condone being cruel to people, I do condone honesty, even if blunt at times. That is why I thank my neurosurgeon for being SO BLUNT with ME on 2006 and I thank everyone who was honest with TheFatGuy about his weight issues. I may not have liked it at the time, but I may not be here right now if it not for some of the blunt honesty bouncing around in my head.

One thought I would leave you with: Would you be BLUNTLY HONEST with someone to save their life? I think that is what it comes down to for TheFatGuy.

Note to ME and YOU: Tough Love is a Tough Thing! Thank anyone who has the courage and love to tell you the truth, even if it hurts!

TheFatGuy, TheFitGuy, TheBEAST