Numbers of Hope: 80-60-40

No, this isn't a book review of Max Lucado's popular book about numbers. Actually, it's not even a book review - Gasp!

This little post between book reviews is dealing with something else. Here's the breakdown:

For a lot of my adult and teen life, I have battled a weight problem. Standing just shy of 6 feet tall (I like to say that I'm 5' 12") I have been anywhere between 195lbs and 321lbs since I was old enough to drive. It wasn't a steady increase over the years either. There was plenty of yo-yo and roller coaster in my weight and fitness level in there.

But the reality of it is that the trend has been increasing year over year. And I have arrived at what I hope is the top number now: 321 pounds (146kg for those outside the US). It has to be the top end. If I go higher, I'm in trouble. Actually, I'm in trouble now. I have some family history of diabetes, my dad had a heart attack back in June, and I have a wife and 4 children that I'm not ready to let go of yet. As my friend Fred told me on Labor Day, "I want to start thinking about [my son's] children." And I feel God giving me increasingly less subtle nudges/shoves to take care of myself. I've learned that I should listen to what He has to say...

So, let's talk the hopeful numbers. In about 60 weeks, I will turn 40 years old. My goal is to lose at least 80lbs in those 60 weeks. So, 80lbs in the 60 weeks before I turn 40. 80-60-40. That works out to 1.33lbs per week on the average. It doesn't sound like much that way but here's a case where I really believe slow and steady wins the race.

My plan is pretty simple: Pray, eat reasonably, add exercise at least 3 days a week, and keep a food journal. I've started using the "My Plate" feature of the free LiveStrong.com site for tracking my daily meals. Just in two days of using it, I've been making different choices because I can see what I've already had and how I'm doing against my goal for the day. LiveStrong also has a way to search for different food items and make suggestions for healthier alternatives (based on calories, fat, carbs, etc).

Whew. Glad to have that out there. Now, why am I putting this out on the interwebs? Is it so I can boast next year? Is it some sort of demented pity/ego dysfunction mashup I am afflicted with? Is it just for attention? Maybe some or all of those reasons plays into it. But my stated reason is to have some accountability. Not necessarily from the 3 people a week who might stop by the blog, but at least from myself. By writing and recording it, I make it real. It's kind of a motivator for me. Maybe this is my "inciting incident". (I know what that is now thanks to Don Miller. But that's a post later this month....)

I'm considering joining the folks at ThisMustChange.org to try and raise money for the great causes they are helping. I probably will but I want to make sure I have my intentions right.

I will be posting progress reports. I'm shooting for at least weekly and we'll see how that goes.

I really will appreciate any prayers and support that you can give. This is a battle for me daily. I've lost weight before but never this much and never for a long time. If you think about it, add me to your list.

Well there it is. My numbers of hope: 80-60-40... Drop me a comment on here, or email me (seekingafter@scbubba.otherinbox.com), or find me on twitter @scbubba.

Credit for photo to pzado.