IMPORTANT NEWS!!! Obesity Strikes Youth Minister

Okay, I admit it. I am not a thin person. In fact, I am far from it. I am rather upset with myself, as I've let myself really go.

I grew up overweight. My mom was a really good cook, and I was always "A big kid". I never knew when to put down a bag of chips, the cookie jar, or when to stop putting slices of turkey on my sandwich. When I eat spaghetti, its covering the plate, and 3 inches high. 2 pieces of pizza is a snack for me. When I was in college, it was nothing for me to drink 7 or 8 cans of Dr. Pepper a day (if not more).

When my wife and I got married, we ate out a whole lot. Living a youth minister's life and a teacher's life didn't leave us a lot of time, and we justified eating out a whole lot. That didn't help my problem any.

When I lived in Houston, I was a little bit smaller than I am now. I was told one day that I was a slob by a friend of mine I was going to church with. She said "You couldn't put down those fries right now if you wanted to," as I stuffed my face with a large sized fry from Whattaburger (which by the way, is AWESOME). I washed that last bite down with my large sized Mr. Pibb (they don't really sell Dr. Pepper that much in Texas), and I looked at her in the face and said "Sure I can. No problem." I wrapped up the rest of my double cheeseburger, fries, and threw them and my Mr. Pibb away. I went home, threw out the bags of Doritoes, the Froot Loops, and the Dr. Peppers. I replaced them with apples, grapes, baked tortilla chips, and Diet Sprites and Water. I worked out 4 times a week. Over 6 months, I dropped 55 pounds.

And now, I'm back, with a little extra. Over the past 2-3 years, I've gained it all back, because I've allowed my lifestyle to change....eating fast food for lunch, eating unhealthy portion sizes, etc. So now comes the question....WHY ARE YOU TELLING ALL OF US THIS?

Well, this time last year, my family all said we were going to lose weight. My family has a terrible history of heart disease, with just about all the older people in my family having had a heart attack some time in their life. I'm well on my way. On Saturday, I cleaned out my closet and found TEN pairs of pants I couldn't even come close to getting into. Three sports coats, several shirts...and what's sad is that now, the larger stuff I have is getting tight on me.

So my wife told me the other night that she's worried about me. I'm breathing heavier, looking worse, and she knows the history of my family. That right there, well, it hurt. It hurt in a good and positive way.

Today, I weigh in at 250 pounds. I'm 6 foot 2 inches tall, wear a size 40 pants, and largest dress shirt without going to a big and tall shop. All of my t-shirts are 2XL, and some of those look bad on me.

My goal: By the end of the year, I will be at 185 pounds. My shirts will all be donated to a charitable cause, and the ten pair of pants I own still won't fit, because they'll be too big on me. I'll be able to shave my beard, because the only reason i have it is to cover the double chin.

I'll be able to do 50 push ups without stopping. I'll be able to run 5 miles straight without resting or slowing down. I'll be able to a whole session of aerobics or taebo without breaking. My dog will get tired before I do.

I say this here, so everyone will either know that I'm successful, or a failure. Making a public announcement such as this is scary, because all eyes will now be on me to see if I can do it, and with prayers and God's help, I know I can.

Ultimately, I want to live a long and useful life in God's kingdom here on earth. I can't do that if I don't care of this holy temple He blessed me with. Hold me accountable all! I'll see you all in 65 pounds!