Being a single Dad is not easy but we made some serious progress today

I know it's Monday and Mondays usually suck but I want to focus on some pretty amazing progress being made by one, Mr. Gavin. I'm so thankful to have my kids in my life every single day. Many single Dad's don't have that and I know how lucky I am. At the same time, it does present a few challenges that have forced me to make unwanted changes in my life. One of those challenges is that I can no longer go walking in the mornings like I have been for years. This impacts my health, both emotionally and physically, as well as my weightloss. The kids can't stay home alone for a multitude of reasons, and that means I have to take them with me, everywhere I go. It's…

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I’m focusing on #selfcare and seeing my doctor this morning

As part of my focus on selfcare, I'm seeing my doctor this morning. For a long time, I avoided the doctor because I wasn't making myself a priority. I reached a point that by the time I realized I needed to go back, I was too afraid of what I might learn. When I did eventually return, I learned I had some work to do and that I needed to start making myself a priority or my health would continue to suffer. My health wasn't too bad but my numbers were out of whack and my weight was out of control. I needed to make some serious changes and the sooner the better. Long story short, I did just that. Since November of 2017, I've lost 40 lbs, my cholesterol…

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I hit a MAJOR weight loss milestone

I've got some news that I think is pretty goddamn amazing and I'm incredibly proud of myself. 2018 has been a year of accomplishing goals. These goals are more personal in nature and basically were that I wanted to bring my weight loss journey to a major milestone, as well as return to the dentist after a lengthy break. Coming into 2018, my weight hit an all-time high of 340+ lbs and I knew I needed to make a change. My ultimate goal was to bring my weight under 300 lbs before the end of the year and I worked as hard as I could to make that happen. Until the weather turned frigid, I walked an average of 81 miles a month at the track and that was quite…

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I made more weight loss progress today

For the past few days, it's been raining here in Northeast Ohio. The old me would have used that as an excuse to stay home and not go walking. The new me still wasn't excited about the idea of walking in the rain but I did anyway. This morning it was in the 50's (°F) and the rain made a chilly walk but I went. I keep seeing progress and that helps to keep me going. When I stood on the scale this morning, I saw the number 305 staring up at me. I'm officially down 35 lbs over the last six months or so. Slow and steady but sustainable. ☺ I'll probably be walking in the rain again today, depending on how hard it's raining. Anyway, I hope all…

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Weighing in: Better late than never

Weighing in is something I try to remember to do each week but clearly not always on a Wednesday. It simply involves standing on the scale and checking my weight loss progress. The whole point is to both hold myself accountable, while hopefully encouraging others to take better care of themselves. As you can see in the above image, I've been managing to steadily lose weight for a large portion of 2018. As of yesterday, I'm continuing my trend of weighing less than I have in almost two years now. I've been using the Nokia Body Cardio Smart Scale for about a year, courtesy of Nokia Health. ☺ I haven't weighed under 300 lbs since I first crossed that threshold during the summer of 2014. At my worst, I hit…

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3 reasons I’m feeling incredibly blessed today

It's no secret that my life is hard. It just is. It's no secret that I struggle at times. I just do. It's no secret that if it weren't for bad luck sometimes, we wouldnt have any luck at all. It's how I feel. Having said that, there are times where I feel extremely lucky or even blessed and today is one of those times. There are currently three reasons why I'm feeling so blessed right now..and here they are. Work Money's really tight since some recent changes to my income occurred. When I mean tight, I mean I can have less than $10 to my name at times. I'm not proud of that but it is what it is and I know I'm doing the best I can. I…

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I remain totally committed

It's a really hot say here in the Hall of Fame City. There was loose talk yesterday of canceling school because there's no a/c and the school essentially transforms into a giant kiln. Apparently, they opted not to cancel class and we sent the kids with extra water. I wasn't able to go walking until about 10:30 AM because Lizze has a standing appointment every Tuesday morning. It was definitely hot when I got to the park but not as bad as I had thought it would be. The humidity was only 50% and so it was more of a dry heat. I did just fine and finished up in time for lunch. ☺ I'm really finding myself committed to walking each day and I feel better since I've been…

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I’m going to practice some self-care and you should as well

I've been really stressed out lately and the last few times I went walking, I had the kids with me. Walking with the kids is not the same as walking without the kids. I need the time to myself in order to decompress and deal with my stress. I'm leaving to go walking in a little bit and I'll be doing it alone. It's gonna be just me and my earbuds. ☺ Look, folks, self-care is not easy, especially when your kids have so many demanding needs but it's incredibly important that we make it happen. Self-care isn't always the same thing for everyone. For me, it's writing, walking, running, hiking, eating better and trying to get more sleep. Those are my big self-care activities and they are hugely beneficial…

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