Why?

Good morning world.  This morning I am 70 pounds lighter than I was on January 3rd.  I am ahead of my planned schedule.  I'm not changing my schedule because I know the last pounds are harder than the first ones. 
Today I want to basically make a list.  A friend of mine asked me early in the process why I wanted to do this - to go on this journey.  Below are some of the reasons.  This is a list of both reasons why and things I want to be able to do or ways I want to live.  For those of you who have never struggled with your weight or your struggle has been 20 extra pounds many of these things may be things you've never thought about but they are things that at least I always have in the back of my mind.

1. I want to be able to walk up a couple flights of stairs and not be breathing heavier
2. I want to adjust the seat of my car according to leg room and comfort rather than belly room
3. I don't want to limit myself to cars with an adjustable steering wheel because I need it the highest to get in and out. (Side note - it's about time to move mine down a notch)
4. I want to be able to stay at a friends house without worrying about the type of bed I'm sleeping in and whether or not it will hold me.
5. I want to climb Spruce Mountain
6. I want to "save" or help as many people as I can find freedom (from whatever they need freedom from) and I will live longer and be able to relate to more people if I complete this journey.
7. Air travel
     a) I want to not have to use a seat belt extension on an airplane
     b) I don't want to be embarrassed by my size if another person has to sit beside me
     c) I don't want to be the "fat guy" passengers say made their flight uncomfortable when they get to their destination
     d) I want to be able to put my tray table down in front of me comfortably.
8. I don't want my weight to be a reason for my decisions (what chair to sit in, what activities to do, etc.)
9. Go down Spruce Lake's Zip Line
10. Be happy with how I look and feel
11. Buy clothes from a regular department store instead of a big and tall store (or big and tall section)
12. Buy clothes that don't need to be altered
13. I want to not have any questions about whether or not I should qualify for health or life insurance
14. I want to be able to lift what I should be able to lift, carry what I should be able to carry, etc without having to take a break or get help (this one is a little vague I know).
15. I want to walk into a room and turn heads, not because of my size but because of my incredible fashion sense. : )
16. I want to "rock" some songs in a worship or concert setting and not be out of breath
17. Shovel out my car in the winter without having to take a break

There are a few things I want to do in the process of getting to my goal weight or after I get there as well.  A few of them are above but here are a few more...

1. Complete a 5k race
2. Run a 5k race
3. Run "the hill" at Camp Hebron (it killed me this march when I walked it a couple times a day but I lost 11 pounds that week so I'm not complaining - I just want to conquer it)
4. Be a coach (officially or unofficially) to help others hit their goals and dreams
5. Run a 12:43 two mile run (something my high school soccer coach asked for every season and I was never able to do)
6. And in the back of my mind there are thoughts of 1/2 marathons, marathons, and triathlons but so far they are only in the back of my mind.

I've been encouraged to review my list and see what common themes are there as well as to see if there is a spiritual component or theme running through some or all of the list.  Those reflections are for a later post. 

For now, my summary is, I want to be happy, healthy, and live the abundant life God desires all his children to have.

Less of me.  More of Him.
Eric

Pressure and rest.

If you are a student of weight loss and/or watch The Biggest Loser with any regularity you've probably seen comments and discussion on how stress and rest affect weight loss.

This week I've struggled because I felt like maybe I was plateauing a bit.  Calories and activity level were good but the scales didn't show what I wanted it to.

This weekend was fairly active but I still didn't see any movement on the scales.  Generally the lowest weight of the day is seen in the morning.  The weekend was the first event we'd run in a while and we don't have our summer staff in yet so it makes the hours longer and for me the stress higher.  My quality of sleep was pretty decent but the quantity wasn't great.

This afternoon I came home, took a three hour nap, woke up refreshed and less stressed because of the event being over.

The results?  The event went fairly well and the numbers were lower this evening than this morning. 

So I can see that it appears to be true for me.  Well rested and free of pressure and stress and the numbers on the scale go down.  So then the question is, how do I live intentionally in a way that creates that type of atmosphere all the time?  Today's post is simply a question.  I'm hoping answers show up in posts to come.

So for today, a reminder I'm still on the journey.  Here's to stress free restful days and rolling back numbers as we go along.

Less of me.  More of Him.
Eric
Eric