Who am I? Who are you? Time to be Brutally Honest!

Name: Team Six Pack
Age: 27
Birthday: May 13th (That's right, I share a birthday with Stephen Colbert!)
Current Weight: 209lbs
Height: 5'9"

Weight on April 6, 2008 the day I decided to make a change: 275lbs.

Hello out there to whoever is reading.  I am writing this blog with the hope that if you're a follow dork like me and you've been struggling with your weight like I have my entire life you might be inspired or motivated to make a change as well.

It only takes one person to make a difference and it takes one step to start weight loss!!

Here's a little bit about me. I have been over weight my entire life. I don't remember a time when I was small. Genetics was not on my side, I was the only chubby child in my family. Growing up with two rail thin siblings was not easy. I was tipping the scales by the time I graduated high school close to 300 pounds. (5'9").

When I went to college my weight dropped drastically because my diet changed and being away from the large meals and junk food at my parents house helped. I transferred and went to a college in a large city and didn't have a car. So all that walking to get here and there brought my weight down even more. I think my smallest in college was 225.

Unfortunately, after I graduated I couldn't stay in that environment of constant walking and moved back into my parents house (in a suburb) to find a job and help get my feet back on the ground. I didn't even realize what I did to cause this, but in two years my weight jumped back up to 274lbs. None of my old "cool" jeans fit, and neither did my favorite shirt. I started buying knits that I could stretch out. I even said (out loud to a friend) at one point that I could never be skinny, I didn't think it was possible so I would just have to learn to be happy how I was. Looking back I have no idea why I was so self-defeating with out even trying, but I'm realizing now that negativity was just a very large part of my life and I hope to eliminate those feelings bit by bit.

This is me at a friends wedding in 2006 almost a year after I finished college.
I was a size 20-22. :(

I visited my doctor last April and shared my concerns about my weight and also my concerns for the future. If I didn't lose weight now what was going to happen to me? Would I always be like this? I was constantly reading articles about future health risks to myself if I remained the way I was. So that's what made me decide that I need to take control of my life and change my habits.

So I'm still in the middle of this crazy journey but I feel like I've made many steps to far. I feel better, healthier. I still doubt myself sometimes, but I will only look forward from now on. I won't ever revert back to how I used to be. My first goal was to lose 85 pounds and see how I look at that point and decide if I need more work. I've decided now after 65lbs of loss I can shoot for 100lbs or more. Wish me luck! I also want to live a healthier, natural and more active lifestyle.

This is me in June of 2009. I've lost 65lbs, and I'm a size 14-16!! :)

That's me rock climbing something I never dreamed of doing a year ago!
Never Stop Reaching for the Top!

This blog is going to be about what it takes to reach your fitness goals! I'm only halfway there, but I'll reach the top one day! I'm going to talk about what I've done so far with my diet and exercise to lose weight and what I'm going to continue doing to reach my full fitness potential. I hope maybe I can meet some folks with the same goals and we can all support each other!

So if you're reading this blog I want to hear from you... I want to know who you are! We can't kid ourselves about weight loss anymore, I did that for 26 years of my life. It's going to take hard work and determination, but I'm proof that it's not impossible!!