For Starters

After turning 30 in May, I realized that my youth is fleeting and it's high time that I do something about the extra 40 pounds I was carrying around; instead of thinking, "I'll start next week", or "This Monday - so I'll binge today!" It was always so easy to lose the weight, that I took advantage, and never really grasped the depth of how much I had really gained. 

When I graduated high school, I was a svelte 189 pounds, and at 6'1 I looked and felt great. College brought on weight, and a few moves and family dynamics brought me up to 265 by December of 2003, a mere 3 years later. I went on diet after diet, doing things I'm not proud of to lose all of the weight, which I managed to keep off until I met my partner in 2005. 

Over the next few years, I gained and lost the same 30 pounds, until I didn't lose it ... and instead, gained 20 more. Topping the scale at my heaviest ever in February of 2012, a whopping 274 pounds, I quit my job to get away from bad influences and a desk. My plan was a good one, but I didn't stick to it. So when I still weighed 267 pounds in May, I decided to make a change. 

My best friend Allison, a teacher, began her summer vacation on June 26th. With her help of staying motivated and accountable, we plan on walking no fewer than 5-miles, 4 times per week. I didn't weigh myself at the start of this, but I did weigh 257.6 pounds on June 20th.

The goal is simple, and should be attainable without a lot of struggle. A total of 20 pounds lost by July 28th, a wedding I'm attending where I'll be around a large group of people that I haven't seen in well over a year - when I was even heavier than I am today.

Can I do it? We shall see!