Seeking after...

What is Integrity?

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:11:00 +0000

We've all probably heard about people who have integrity. Or people living lives of integrity. But what does it really mean?

Being the engineering type, I of course look for the proper definition:

Integrity [in-teg-ri-tee] - adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty

I like the second definition from dictionary.com a little better: the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.

It all sounds pretty simple until I think about what it means to be whole or to adhere to principles. Don't you have to have something to compare to? Isn't it subjective then? And if integrity is subjective, can it be used as a measure of a person?

By my way of thinking, the real issue with integrity is what you use as your standard of comparison. Most people would say that as long you adhere to a consistent set of "good" principles, you have integrity. Or as long as you are consistent, then you can be said to have integrity.

It all comes down to what it means to be whole, entire, sound, undiminished when compared to something bigger than yourself. Some standard that isn't just "am I better than my neighbor."

And it has to be tested to be shown true. As Peter wrote in the New Testament:

For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. (1 Peter 2:19-20, New Living Translation)

Just "doing good" because you will be punished for doing bad doesn't show integrity. Intelligence, yes, but not necessarily integrity. Doing what you know to be right, especially in the face of options and pressure to not do it, reveals more of the wholeness and soundness of a person.

I bring all this up because I've been feeling a lot of pressure lately to compare myself, my life, and my family to others. I feel like there are things that I/we do that "don't measure up" to what others are doing. I feel pressure to go with the flow, so to speak.

And I have to keep coming back to what I believe, what I know, to be right and maintain my integrity as best I can. It isn't easy and I'm surely not perfect at it but I'm not giving up on it....

Speaking of not giving up, I stepped on the scale again this week. Here's what I saw:

240.5

Another half pound. Progress but still disappointing. I think it's time to kick it up a notch....

Here is this week's LiveStrong data.

Photo credit to contemplativechristian.

The Power of Will

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:40:00 +0000

Over the past few weeks I've been frustrated with my ongoing attempts to bring my weight down (again). After a few weeks of no discernable progress, I'm about ready to throw in the towel on this and see what minimal changes I can make and still maintain where I am.

Basically, how can I eat what I want and at least not gain any weight....

Now, I did say "about ready" and not "I'm going to", so don't give up on me yet.

At the root of all this is my desire to eat what I want. And I want food that isn't exactly good for me - cheeseburgers and chili fries for example. But why is that?

For me, I'm finding (again) that this sort of eating seems to give me some sort of comfort/solace/respite. It's harder to deal with "eating right" the more stress or anxiety or fatigue that I have at any given moment.

I know I'm not alone in this behavior and this isn't some deep insight special to me, but I find that I have to remind myself of this time and again. For me, staying on track with eating right (or at least eating better) is an exercise of will power. A series of articles over at one of my new favorite site, Art of Manliness, talks about will power - what it is, how we use it up, and how to conserve/improve it. Check out the articles here:

Part I - The Force of Greatness
Part II - How Your Willpower is Depleted
Part III - How to Strengten Your Willpower and 20 Ways to Conserve It

Thinking about it as something like this (finite and changeable) can help me to plan for the up times and the down times. Knowing what and when the stress or the fatigue are, I can work on preparing for them. And, like building muscle or strength, I can take some deliberate steps to get stronger. Especially around the things that test me the most (think chili fries again...)

More to come on this topic, I'm sure.

As for the weight thing, I finally got the scales to move this week. And, yes, in the direction that I want them to...

241.0

At least it's something. Not much when I look at 1 pound in almost a month. But progress nonetheless.

Here is this week's LiveStrong data: Week 6

That also adds to the tally for Love146 and TWLOHA. $12 each so far. I'm still looking for some other folks to make a pledge for one or both of these fine organizations. Every little bit helps...

Photo credit to The U.S. National Archives

Still Questing

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:12:00 +0000

Some how, trying to lose weight this time seems harder. I'm not sure why....

I'm shooting for 1.5lbs per week where I was doing 2lbs per week last time. That means that my daily budget for calories is higher now than it was when I hit the 240's last time (by nearly 500 calories a day - that's basically an extra meal!).

The thing is, I'm not hitting the 1.5lbs a week results even though I'm hitting the calorie budget reliably. So, I'm going to drop the budget some more. Probably by 250 / day (which should equate to 1/4lb a week). I'll experiment with that for a few weeks to see what the results look like....

Anyway, it should be obvious that this wasn't a great week for the numbers. And that is discouraging. Well, for me it is. The past few Friday's I've looked at the progress and told myself that this week will be the time to get increased physical activity. And so far, I've apparently been wrong about that.

Oh well, enough complaining about it. Here's this week's number from the scale:

242.0

Yup. No change from last week. Ugh.

But, I'm still resolved to continue my Quest for 200. It just might take a little longer and be more work. But the alternative is less attractive to me than putting in the work to get where I need to be.

To borrow from a quote I heard recently (can't recall the source at the moment):

A year from now you will wish you had started now.

How very true. Hey Future Me - I'm looking out for you, buddy....

EDIT: Here is the link to this week's LiveStrong data.

Photo credit to sheeron

What I'm reading

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:18:00 +0000

I like to read. I've been an avid reader for a long time. I used to pick up a book and consume every word in it as fast as I could. There were times that I would do nothing between the time I opened to page 1 and the time I finished the book other than read.

I've started and finished more than one book in a day (no, they were not Dr Seuss books...)

I tell you all that so you get a feel for how much I like to read. The time I have each day to read has diminished a good bit over the past several years. But I do find (that is, make) time to read the things that I deem "read-worthy." For example, after being turned on to George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" series by watching "Game of Thrones" on HBO (awesome series but don't watch it with kids in the room...), I got the 5 books currently out in the series and read them all in about 8 weeks (The books average over 800 pages each).

So, my love for reading is still there even if I don't indulge it in the same way as much any more. What I tend to do more of now are more like quick hits of reading. I probably read more short articles on-line than I do long pieces now. Also, when I do open a book, it's usually to read 10 - 25 pages.

So, back to the title, "What I'm reading"

Besides waiting very impatiently on the next "Song of Ice and Fire" book to come out (c'mon George....), I've got a few reading activities under way:

"Man's Search For Meaning" by Viktor E Frankl
I picked this book up at the suggestion of Brett McKay on The Art of Manliness site (and author of one of the books below). I'm just starting it but it looks like a pretty heady psych book about some of the things that drive (primarily) the male of our species to do much of what we do. Look forward to getting deeper into this one.

"Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred" by David Erik Nelson
This is a fun book about DIY that you can both involve your kids in and learn a lot of neat skills that can come in handy in other areas. Subtitled "Seriously geeky stuff to make with your kids", it gives you the how-to for a lot of different projects at the same time pointing out the skills you will be learning as you do them. Each project includes a set of suggested materials and tools an, often, things you can use if you don't have things in the list.

"Building a Discipling Culture" by Mike Breen
I got this book because it is being used in a men's group I joined last year. The group is built around this concept of "discipling" as laid out, and commanded, by Jesus in the New Testament. Breen's book describes what discipling is, how to work it into the culture of our daily lives, and a language and structure for it. It can be pretty dry at times as a stand alone book but using it to help lay the foundation of our small huddle is helping.

"The Art of Manliness - Manvotationals" by Brett and Kate McKay
As mentioned above, I am a visitor to the Art of Manliness web site that Brett and Kate McKay have. Their site is aimed at rediscovering and promoting what true "manliness" is all about. The primary focus being on character and substance, as opposed to mostly machismo and style. The Manvotationals book is a collection of writings and advise from the ages on 7 virtues of manhood: Manliness, Courage, Industry, Resolution, Self Reliance, Discipline, and Honor.

"Bringing Up Boys" by Dr. James Dobson
From one of the long-time experts in raising children, this title focuses on some of the specific, and sometimes unique, things associated with raising sons today. I've started this one on the recommendation of my wife who just finished it herself. I'm not much past the introduction so I don't have much to say about it yet but I've got high expectations.

So, how about you?
What are you currently reading (or recently finished reading)? How was it?

On to this week's weigh-in. It's been a tough week for making progress on the Quest for 200. Sleep has been hard to come by and that affects my resolve/will power during the day - mainly the evening time around and after dinner. I also think my caffeine to water ratio is out of whack. I need more of the latter and less of the former...

So, today's number from the scale is:

242.0

A whole pound. Well, it's better than last week but still below my target of 1.5 pounds each week. I need to get my daily activity level up again. That means not just hitting the stationary bike or running (if I ever start back) a couple of times a week. It means doing more than sitting all day at work, sitting in the car for my commute, and then sitting at home. Gotta put time in there to get 5 - 10 minute stretches for just walking around a few times a day.

We'll see how it goes....

UPDATE: Forgot to add the link for this week's LiveStrong data. Here it is...

Photo credit to Flickr user hddod

Just a little bit...

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

This week has been a bit frustrating with respect to diet and exercise. The scale gave me some kinda disappointing news and I felt like it had been a good week overall.

I came in pretty well under my daily goals for calories everyday. I even got on the bike for 45 - 60 minutes four times this week. And in the end, I saw very little movement on the scale:

243.0

Not even a pound. Ugh.

So I started looking for a reason. Well, actually, an excuse. I started thinking about how much sleep I've been getting (not much). I was thinking about how much I was on the bike (not enough). And even started down the path of thinking about how much fluid I must be retaining.

But when I pulled the data for the week from LiveStrong, I was faced with the real reason. And it's just like most times... the simplest thing is usually the answer.

Sprinkled throughout the data for each day are little servings of M&Ms, Mike & Ikes, and peanut M&Ms. But they don't contribute much to the daily totals and I still came in under the line, so what gives?

What gives is that I put in the 1/2 of a serving of candy when i first reached my hand in the bag and pulled out 10 pieces. But I didn't record the next 3 pieces.. or the 5 pieces I got fifteen minutes later... or the other 8 pieces right after dinner...

The point is, I justified not putting all those in because they were so small. But in the end, I didn't have 100 calories of Mike & Ike's that day. I had more like 300 or more by eating 30 calories at a time....

Again, ugh.

I know better than this. I've fought it before. Many times before. And it's time to get serious about it again if I really want to make progress.

What sorts of little things creep in and derail your progress?

Photo credit to Jenn and Tony Bot. (Definitely check out their photos over on flickr... Awesome stuff)

Taking Note

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:52:00 +0000

As I have been working on getting back on track in my Quest for 200, I realized that one absolutely key aspect of my previous successes in losing weight was zealously tracking what I ate. And I mean everything that I ate. As some of you know (and have heard me talk about way more than you wanted to hear...), I've been using LiveStrong.com to do this tracking.

I credit the time last year where I was gaining the weight back, in part, to not being habitual and brutally honest about taking note of my eating. So, as this year starts, I have been reflecting on how it is easy to observe things but often hard to take it all in. What does that mean? Well, for me, it means that I was always aware of what I was eating at the time but, without keeping track of it, I could easily "forget" about it later. This led to rationalizing each time I went to the fridge, or the drive-thru, with things like "It's just this one time" or "It's only a litte bit - it won't hurt me."

That's why I got back on the wagon with tracking everything, everyday in LiveStrong. It's also why I paid attention to something I was seeing among friends and others. Keeping a notebook or journal regularly. I've never been big on journalling (or really writing as the faithful readers here can attest....) so I was more interested in the pocket notebook idea. The idea being that you carry something to write on (and write with) that is easy enough to fit into a pocket. This way it is accessible and ready for you to scribble notes, ideas, sketchs, thoughts, whatever no matter where you are.

I chose to get a couple of small note books from the Field Notes line. Specifically, the County Fair 3 pack for my home state of South Carolina (picture at the top of the post.) I've been using it for almost 2 weeks and I love it. I'm amazed at all the things that I write down that I otherwise might have a) missed completely, or b) not recalled later on.

Now some of what I write down is not what you might call "important." But some of it is. And all of it, in some way, allows me to keep track of not just the past, but of the here and now. To quote the makers of Field Notes:

I'm not writing it down to remember it later, I'm writing it down to remember it now.

So, in the vein of keeping track of things, here is the number for this week:

243.8

Not a lot, but a little keeps adding up. I'll take it.

Here is the link to the data for Week 2: Week 2 LiveStrong Data

I got another supporter for the Love146 and TWLOHA causes this past week. That gives us $4 per pound lost ($2 for each cause) for a total so far of $12. Again, it doesn't look like a lot but the little keeps adding up.

It will add up faster if more people can add their "little" to it. If you want to help out either of these wonderful organizations (or both) please let me know and I can add you to the donor pool. Drop me a comment below or contact me through email, twitter (@scbubba), or facebook (http://facebook.com/scbubba).

Something bigger than you

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:28:00 +0000

I hold the belief that it can't be all about me. Some part of what I do each day/week/month should be devoted to something bigger than just me, and even my family. I don't mean just helping another person, although I definitely think we should do that too.

I'm talking about finding something that matters to you but doesn't directly benefit you. All of the efforts are directed at making things better for people somehow. And do it for the long haul and not for just a few days or weeks.

I'm not trying to tell you what you should do or who you should help. Just giving you my thoughts on it.

Working to rescue victims of human trafficking and trying to end it is no small task and won't happen just because some people feel bad about it. It takes commitment and action. As many of you know, I've been a supporter of Love146 for a couple of years. Mainly through financial contributions and more recently by getting involved in trying to form a Task Force in my local area.

I'm doing this because I believe that Love146 and the work they are doing can make this world a better place in some small (and hopefully one day a very big) way.

I have also become a supporter for an organization called To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA). The story behind TWOLHA is very compelling and recommend you go read it yourself here (I'll wait....)

I tell you all of this so you will, hopefully, join me in trying to help folks who help make the world better. My quest is to lose at least 48 lbs this year. I'm pledging $2 per pound lost, $1 to each of these organizations. So, if I hit my goal Love146 will get $48 and TWLOHA will also get $48.

It doesn't sound like a lot and, honestly, I know it isn't. That's why I would like to ask you to also make a pledge of some sort to help out one or both of these fine groups. Any pledge amount is awesome. Last time, several folks pledged $1 per pound and a few made lump sum pledges. All in all, this community raised around $1400 for Love146.

I think we can do something like this again but not without your help. Let me know in the comments below, or on Facebook, or Twitter. Or any other means you can think of...

So, how was the first week on the Quest for 200? Let's take a look at the numbers....

245.0

That's about 2.5 lbs for the week. Better than I was expecting but not all together surprising. In the past, the 1st week or two always seem to have better than average results and then things settled into the slow and steady...

Several folks have said they were interested in using Livestrong like I do and wanted to know what I did/ate to get results. Since Livestrong lets me produce a report of my "diary" for the day or week, I'm going to be putting a link up with each weekly post for those that are interested in the data.

Here is the Week 1 data.

Thank again for following along and I hope that you will strongly consider donating to one of both of these great causes.

Photo credit to dixieroadrash

The Quest for 200

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:15:00 +0000

Alrighty then, let's get this thing started.

In the spirit of 80-60-40 and 210 in 2010, I'm kicking of "The Quest for 200" this year. What is that, you ask? (Let's pretend you asked that...)

It's my goal to get things back under control with respect to my weight and health. 2011 wasn't the best year for either of these areas as you can see from how it started to how it ended....

I want to be done with excuses and stop leaving so much to chance and circumstance. I was so successful the first time (in losing 105lbs) because I made S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-boxed) and then made the conscious choice each day to work towards them.

Sounds easy and hard at the same time. Well, it is.... But I made the decision that I like the future me as much as or even a little more than the current me. So I'm going to do what I can to make sure future me is getting the best opportunities.

Huh?

Think about it this way, if you knew that your actions/choices had a direct effect on someone else's life, how would you decide on what to do? Would it be any different than if you thought that the things you choose today wouldn't affect anyone?

Seriously, if the things you chose to eat meant that your wife/child/parent/sibling/friend could have medical problems or a lesser quality of life, would you make different choices? I definitely would consider my choices carefully.

And if I would look at it differently for other folks, why not for "future me"... Isn't the guy I'm going to be in 12 months (aka, future me) an important person in my life? Shouldn't I consider what my choices would do to that poor guy?

Ok, maybe this doesn't resonate with you, but it does with me. And I've been seriously neglecting "future me" in several areas. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty ticked off at "a year ago me" for what's he has done to me... :-)

So, here we go. I'm on a quest to to get below 200 lbs by the end of this year (2012) so the "me" in January 2013 will have better things in front of him (i.e., me).

I've met the criteria for S.M.A.R.T. goals with the Quest for 200. But my experience has shown that it isn't enough for me in this arena. I need to add accountability to the mix to be successful with this (no clue if I should make a new acronym or not...) So I'm going to be putting weekly posts up here with my progress so far. That means a weekly weigh-in with the numbers going on the blog.

I haven't decided on whether or not to tie this in with fund raising for either Love146.org or TWLOHA (two incredible organizations that work on causes near and dear to my heart), but I'm open to any suggestions from y'all (aka, my 3 loyal readers).

Here we go with this week's weigh-in:

246.6

That's 31 lbs above where I ended 2010. Not something I like or am proud of but it is reality at the moment.

I would love to hear about your goals this year and/or how you deal with reaching goals that take a while. What are you trying to achieve this year?

Photo credit to brianjmatis.

Second Chances...

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:22:00 +0000

Another year. One whole year gone by....

Amazing what kinds of things can happen, or not happen, in a year.

The last time I posted here, I had grand designs on 2011 and all that I would achieve. I was heady with the successes of my weight loss and charity fund raising. I was tearing it up. And I was gonna keep going...

Let's just say that 2011 was NOT a year of achieving my fitness and health goals. Not only did I not do the Cooper River Bridge Run, but I pretty much dropped out of running all together for the majority of the year. I allowed an aggravation (stress fracture of my foot) to become an excuse that lasted long after I had healed.

As for the USMC PFT, I started the pull-up workout by purchasing a bar that works in a doorway. I got it assembled and hung it up. Beyond that, not much there. No real progress on the sit-ups or push-ups either.

And then, to top it all off, I bailed out of the LiveStrong approach to losing weight that had been so successful for me before. In about March, I read "The 4 Hour Body" and liked the look of what it had in there about weight loss and muscle gain. I did pretty well for about 6 to 8 weeks with it and then found ways to "cheat" the program. Of course, I was only cheating myself....

By Thanksgiving 2011, I had gone from a low of 216 lbs (around Christmas 2010) to right at 240 lbs. Not the right direction....

So what does it mean now? It means I lost focus and need to get it back. My goal is still to get below 200 lbs. I'm targeting the end of 2012 for that. I should be able to average less than a pound a week to make that. I'm setting up my LiveStong account to count calories as if I was going to do 1.5 lbs per week to see how that works for a couple of months.

I'm disappointed in myself and I know that these set backs are not permanent. They don't define who I am or what I can do. I see my successes in the past and know what I am capable of.

So, as I start of 2012, I'm taking a second chance. We all get them. We don't all give them. And many of us won't take them.....

How was your 2011? Do you need to take a second chance?

Logo/image credit to Designhuone.net

That was then. This is now.

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:18:00 +0000

As 2010 ends and 2011 begins, I'm looking back on this "journey of health" I began in September 2009. I was trying to figure out how much had changed between then and now. Here's a few highlights:

Weight

Then - 321lbs
Now - 216lbs

Waist size:

Then - 48in
Now - 36in

Shirt size:

Then - 3XL
Now - XL (a couple are L)

Exercise

Then - None
Now - Run 3 miles 3 times a week

Money raised for Love146

Then - $0
Now - Over $1400 (and counting)

It doesn't look like a lot when I type it out (well, except for the money for Love146!) but I gotta tell you it is HUGE. My everyday life is so very different now. From tying my shoes to playing with my kids (Nerf guns rule!) to exercising... it's like I'm a new person. It's so hard to describe to someone who hasn't been, effectively, held captive within their own body. The liberation is absolutely amazing!

So, where to go from here?

As far as weight goes, I'm targeting 200lbs. I want to be at or below the 200 mark by July 1. Doesn't seem so hard: less than 20lbs in 6 months. One thing will be different this time, though. I plan to start adding strength training into my schedule. Not body building stuff but I really need to get some muscle tone and strength back.

There was a time I could bench press around 350lbs. I'm not going for that kind of thing but I figure I should at least be able to bench my own body weight a few times. I also found out recently how bad off I was when I failed to even do one "regulation" pull-up.

So, I'm looking at a few things along with my weight target:

Run the Bridge (10K over the Cooper River bridge here in Charleston in the Spring)
Complete 100 consecutive push ups
Complete 200 consecutive sit-ups
Score 150pts on the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test (3 mile run in 27min, 10-12 pull-ups, 50+ sit-ups in 2 min).

I'm not necessarily shooting for July on all of these items. Obviously, the Bridge Run will happen before then but I don't know about the other yet. And I'm not joining the Corps but the USMC PFT is a daggum good measure of physical fitness so I figure it's a good goal to shoot for (300 is a perfect score on the PFT, by the way).

So, here's to a stronger and healthier 2011. If any of you have done these sorts of things before, I'd love to hear about your efforts and victories. Also, if there is anything that I can do to help anyone in their efforts or fitness goals (I'm no expert but I am willing to try to help) please let me know.

Happy New Year!

Photo credit to kconnors.

Weigh-In 66 and 67

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 15:41:00 +0000

Well, I'm down to one week left in the 210 in 2010 challenge and, as much as I hate to admit it, it's not looking good...

At the end of last week and then again this week the scale tells me the same thing

216.0

With the track record of the past month of so it just doesn't seem feasible to drop 6lbs in the next 7 days. That being said, I'm not gonna throw it ll out. I'm gonna stick to the plan because it's not just about this goal. It's about getting to a healthier life where I can enjoy the things that God has blessed me with.

Honestly, I want to be able to play with my kids and then, I want to be able to play with their kids one day.

So, whether or not I reach the 2010 goal, I am incredibly happy with how far I've come so far. And I'm looking forward to where I'm going from here.

Peace and good will to you. Merry Christmas!

Photo credit to Leah Gregg.

Weigh-In 65

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:30:00 +0000

No grand truths or profound insights this week (have there been any before?) just a reminder that there are people, perhaps in your town or city even, that are not looking forward to this day.

And I don't mean they have something difficult to do or they are tired or they have to go to a spouse's office party where they don't know most of the people.

I mean that they face slavery, cruelty, torture, and/or abuse today. They will face the very real choice between wanting to live or die today. In truth, that may be the only choice that is theirs today.

For about 27 million people in our world, today is one day closer to hell.

But you can help change that. Today, you can make a choice to do something about it. I'm asking that you make a choice today to help Love146 end child slavery and exploitation.

I'm asking that today be one day closer to the day where we don't have people in slavery any more. Will you help today?

You can learn more about the issue over here. And you can donate directly to Love146 right here.

Let's make today a great day....

Speaking of days, the number of days left in the year is ticking down. And I'm trying to get the number on the scale to do the same thing. This weekend I did manage to get it to

217.0

So, a little move back in the right direction. And with 3 more weigh-ins before 2010 ends, I gotta find a way to move it some more.

We shall see....

Photo credit to Clearly Ambiguous.

Weigh-In 64

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:19:00 +0000

I'm not a big fan of this time of year. I'm sure it's a culmination of things but the basic piece is that I just can't get excited about it.

Schedules and activities are everywhere and you are expected to be at or do everything. Nerves are thin and frayed. The concerns about finances and money seem amplified.

And depending on what sort of job/industry you are in, it can be the busy (or impossibly busy) season on top of everything else.

I don't want to sound like a Scrooge, but, to borrow a line from one of the greatest shows on TV, "I have an intense burning indifference!" (See the whole musical number here)

The oddest thing is that I love giving gifts and being generous (I think it is my Love Language) and I really do enjoy how happy my family is on and around Christmas.

I get the meaning behind Christmas - celebrating the wonderful and amazing gift that God gave to the world (that's all of us) in His son Jesus. And I am forever grateful for that and feel that it is worth celebrating. I just don't feel like that is what is happening.

I guess I'll chalk it up to some character flaw or idiosyncrasy.Everyone else seems to be just fine with it and happy as can be about it. So I'll just try and keep up...

I didn't weigh in on Friday like normal this past week. Everything has been off schedule, it seems, since right before Thanksgiving. So, I stepped up on the scale Sunday morning and it looked back at me with

218.0

Very disappointing to me. I'm down to the last 3 weeks of the year trying to hit the 210 in 2010 goal and everything that has been working to lose over 100lbs is suddenly not working for the last 8lbs. Very frustrating....

I will say that I have been a LOT hungrier the past couple of weeks but I have been doing a pretty good job of not indulging (with a small exception at the Chili Cook-Off Sunday night). I'm trying to figure out if that's a sign from my body that I'm not eating enough and I've slowed my metabolism down significantly.

I wish there was a dial or gauge somewhere that I could check to see what my "burn rate" is at any given time. That sure would help.

Peace to all of you. And good will to men (and women)...

Image credit to Topher208

Weigh-In 63

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:52:00 +0000

Happy (late) Thanksgiving to you! I hope you had a great holiday.

We shared the time with family, including 4 generations of aunts, uncles, and cousins on my Dad's side. It was great to reconnect with family and share some of the same old stories of when we were younger. It was also incredible to share the new stories about kids, and grand kids (not mine!), and people that weren't part of the family last year.

This brought me back to a theme I've been on before: Story.

We all have a story. Some of us might have more than one story. We might not even know all of our story. There could be parts of the story that happened before we were even around or happened without us ever knowing about it. Or we may have just forgotten about some parts of it (for good or bad reasons).

In the mood of sharing stories with everyone, I mentioned that my right leg is about 1/2 inch shorter than my left leg (I'm not sure why this was relevant but it fit the conversation at the time so bear with me...). I passed it off as just one of those things. But my Dad was right there and said "And tell them why that leg is shorter..."

I just kinda looked at him and shrugged my shoulders. At which point, my father bean to tell a story that I had no memory of (even though I was the main character and point of the story).

As only Dad can, he spun the story of a 4 year old at a playground at the State Park in my hometown. This strapping lad had gotten a "for real and official" Batman costume, complete with cape, for his birthday and could not bear to part with it.

So, the scene is set with this 4 year old in full Batman regalia (don't forget the cape) at the playground. Enter our antagonist: The slide. But not just any slide. This monument to evil rose almost 12 feet off the ground with a ladder to rival that of a firetruck. It had the magnetic effect on a 4 year old boy that the Sirens had on the sailors in the Odyssey.

Step by step, inch by inch, the young Batman protege moved closer and started up the ladder. While the parents were right by the slide, they were in no way prepared for the next moments.

Standing atop the slide, surveying the playground as if it were the mean streets of Gotham City itself, the young man was filled with the confidence and power that only a utility belt and cape could bestow. Puffing up his chest (because that's what heroes do), he then leaped out into space to fly through his domain!

Wait... What?!?! "Batman can't fly!" I can hear some of you saying out there. Turns out, neither can a 4 year old boy, with or without a cape. What he can do, however, is hurtle to the ground from 12 feet up and manage to break his fall (so to speak) by getting one leg under him before the ground met him.

I don't recall those events at all. I don't remember the trip to the ER or being at the hospital. I don't even have recollection of the Batman costume. I do not remember the things that my Dad does about the even or the aftermath (like how I was worried that I had disappointed the real Batman with my failure to fly - C'mon! I was 4 years old!).

But my father remembers it. He recalls every anxious and agonizing second of my short lived flight. He has a memory of me laying on the ground screaming out. He also remembers picking me up and carrying me. Getting me help. But that's not the thing he keeps in his heart when he thinks of me. He doesn't define me by a slight limp or a medical bill that would have been hard to pay back then. My identity in his eyes is a beloved and cherished son.

And I believe that is how our heavenly Father sees us. Not the agony, exasperation, disappointment, anxiety, and pain. But as His beloved children. He knows our whole story, even if we don't, and loves us in spite of, and because of, the limp.

On to the numbers....

I was away from the "official scale" while we were traveling so I didn't get to weigh in until Mon morning. And I dutifully stepped up on the scale to see

218.0

All that good food and sharing stories over dessert caught up with me this week and I added a pound back. It's gonna be tough hitting the 210 in 2010 goal. I've got 33 days to drop these 8lbs to hit 210 before the new year. And this is one of the worst seasons for maintaining dietary discipline...

But we'll see how it goes. I appreciate all the encouragement and support this community has been giving me. Thank you all so much.

Peace.

Photo credit to squeakymarmot.

Weigh-In 62

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:30:00 +0000

As most of you know, I'm a supporter of an organization called Love146. Their mission is, quite simply, "The abolition of child sex slavery and exploitation. Nothing less." it's a cause I can really get behind because I can think of very few things that are worse than the enslavement, terrorization, and breaking of a child. It is, well, inhuman.

To date, my support has been in the form of donations, fund raising, and encouragement. Not the biggest contributions to the mission and I know it is greatly appreciated by the Love146 folks and the people they help. But, this problem is too wide spread for a few dedicated people to tackle and end on their own. Knowing that, Love146 has now started the Love146 TaskForce Community.

The TaskForce Community is " A collection of volunteers committed to ending child sex slavery and exploitation." It provides a ton of resources to help anyone, and I mean anyone, get involved in helping bring an end to this global (and local) horror.

"Task Force 101" gives an excellent overview of the concept of the Task Force, where some existing Task Forces are and what they are doing, and additional links of interest. The key, of course, is to find one near you and get involved. The site has a way to search for a Task Force by location.

Being a relatively new community, it may be that you can't find a Task Force near you. No worries, you can step up and start one! Don't be too scared by this concept. A Task Force is simply:

If you feel like this is something that you can do, then get over to the Love146 TaskForce Community site and JOIN NOW!

This was the 62nd week of working towards my weight loss (and fundraising) goals. I felt like I worked harder this week than some of the more recent weeks with respect to running and tracking my diet. So it was a little disheartening to step up and see:

217.0

Just half a pound for all that work. But, time and again, I look back and see that there may be a few things that I've been dismissing that are making a difference. For example, on the weeks where the math (calories in vs calories out) should be working in my favor but the scale isn't showing it (little or no loss or even a gain in weight), I find that my sleep patterns, especially just the amount of sleep most nights, is pretty bad. This week I probably averaged a little over 4 hours per night. I think that messes with the normal function and equilibrium of my body and brain. My observation over the past year plus points to that anyway.

With the short week for Thanksgiving upon us, I'm hoping that means I can slow it down a little and get back into a regular sleep pattern where I get enough, or at least some more, sleep.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Top photo: credit to millicent_bystander.
Bottom image: credit to Love146 TaskForce site

Weigh-In 61

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:06:00 +0000

Spiritual gifts seem to be getting a lot of discussion time lately. My church is undertaking an effort to go online with a set of tools to help people identify and use their gifts and talents. I've seen several web sites and books that are designed for this purpose as well. I've also heard a couple of messages in the past few weeks from pastors covering the topic.

The one that stood out to me the most was from Jeff Henderson who is a campus pastor for NorthPoint in Atlanta (he's out at Buckhead usually). In a sermon series about understanding God's plan for our lives, Jeff talks about "God's thumbprints on our lives." I think that is a very interesting way of talking about the talents and abilities that God has created us with.

Just talking about someone's abilities or even "God given talents" doesn't personalize it like the idea of having individual and unique marks placed on us by the our creator. I have these thumbprints and fingerprints on me where God personally and individually held me and made me for a purpose. He intentionally gave me the abilities I have. I didn't get them by happenstance or the roll of some dice (was that a Dungeons & Dragons reference?).

I am who I am because I was created to be that way. Now, I may behave in a way other than in a way for which I was created. That is different than who I am and was create to be. But, when I look for God's thumbprints, I see the clues to who I am supposed to be and to what God's plan is for me. And, personally, I feel the love of from a parent and not the detachment of just "something created somewhere".

What are the "thumbprints" God has put on you and how are they clues to His plan for your life?

Speaking of who I am and who I am becoming, I weighed in this morning after running 3.5 miles. Really didn't think I would get to that distance when I started running a few months ago. Not the fastest guy on the block right now but faster will happen.

Anyway I stepped on the scale and saw

217.5

I'm closing in on the end of year goal (210lbs) so that we can maximize the contributions and pledges that you all have made. At present we have $420 in pledges/donations here. That gets matched for another $420. We have $315 from the Birthday Wish donations. And finally the $274 from the 80-60-40 campaign. That's $1429 that y'all have helped raise for Love146.

Awesome. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Now to bring it on home....

Photo credit to fazen.

Weigh-in 60

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 14:49:00 +0000

Well, this has been an interesting couple of weeks. I turned 40 two weeks ago. We had 6 sick people in the family in 3 days. We spent a day at the fair. My Mom got a new shoulder. My oldest got braces.

I hit the 100 lbs lost mark...

Yup. Stepped on to the scale this morning and saw

221.0

looking back at me.

Just thought I would let y'all know....

That still leaves 11lbs in the next 7 weeks to hit the 210 in 2010 goal. A wonderful friend gave me an incredible birthday gift of a donation to Love146 that put the total for this drive art $420. That means we have the matching funds for both donors and the current 210 in 2010 total is $840.00!

I love you guys and gals and how you have opened up your hearts to support Love146 and their efforts around the globe. You guys rock!

Weigh-In 59

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:29:00 +0000

Ugh.

The last 36 hours have been rough. First, my wife came down with some sort of stomach bug overnight and was pretty much laid up all day Thursday. I ran the kids around to some activities they had that evening. Once we got home, my middle daughter started complaining about her stomach hurting.

We got everyone to bed and then I started feeling pretty bad - aches, fever, shivering, stomach pain. Then is started...

We had 3 sick kids all needing help from mom and dad between 2:00 - 6:00am. Not pretty.

Needless to say, it makes for a rough morning to be sick and have to take care of the kids. Fortunately, my wife is feeling much better and the girls are too. Looks like it's just me still feeling bad.

But I did weigh in this morning (once I finally got up). The scale said...

223.0

That leaves me with 13lbs in the next 8 or so weeks to hit the 210 goal by the end of the year. Might be a whole lot easier if I stay sick for a few more days...

Photo credit to lynch.

Weigh-in 58

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:27:00 +0000

It's almost here.

I turn 40 years old next week. There. I said it. I'm not 39 again. I'm not "in the later part of my early 30's" or anything like that.

40. Hmmm, I guess it doesn't seem so bad after all. Considering there was a time I wondered if I would make it this far, I'd say it is pretty daggum good.

I am grateful for every one of those years and would like to ask you to help me make a birthday wish come true.

As those of you who know me or have read this blog before already know, I have been raising support for an organization called Love146. The vision of Love146 is, quite simply:

The abolition of child sex slavery and exploitation. Nothing less.

The mission of Love146 is also very simple:

Abolition and Restoration! We combat child sex slavery & exploitation with the unexpected and restore survivors with excellence.

(quotes from the official Love146 web site)

So, I close my eyes, blow out the candles, and make this birthday wish:

No one should be in bondage or in slavery, least of all children. When I look at my wonderful kids and think that there are boys and girls in the world TODAY that are in chains, being exploited, bought and sold, used and abused... I can't stand it. It breaks my heart and makes me angry.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Thanks to folks like the Love146 staff, people are becoming aware of the problem. And not just aware, but empowered to act. There is education, there is activism, and most importantly, there is action to find and free these children.

It doesn't stop there, either. Love146 has created programs (like the Round Home) to help restore love and life to the victims of sex slavery and exploitation.

It is my birthday wish that the abolition of slavery and the restoration of the victims is a reality in our lifetime. That the modern day slave trade is destroyed. That hearts and spirits are released from bondage along with bodies.

Please help if you can.

The weigh in....

All I can say is "ugh!" I didn't feel good about this week going in to it. Not really sure why. But I stepped on the scale this morning and...

224.0

Yup. Gained a pound this week. No idea how or why. I ran over 8 miles this week. I stayed under the 1650 calorie goal each day. Even on the days I ran.

I'll have to chalk it up to stress and lack of sleep this week. Life with a startup company, a family of 6, and an approaching 40th birthday can do that to you, I guess.

Onward to the future!

Photo credit to sergis blog

Weigh-In 57

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:48:00 +0000

You ever feel like you are right on the edge of something? You're looking over and seeing all of it laid out before you but you are still standing up there. Too far forward to just go back but not quite off the ledge yet.

There's this tension between letting go and falling into the new and holding on and staying safe with the old. It's almost like defying gravity, even if for only a second, and being in between the bonds of physical law and the freedom of flight.

I find myself in this tension on a regular basis lately. Sometimes it's a good thing to be "grounded" and only see over the edge. Temptation to sin or compromise my character are like this. There is that "gravity defying" moment where you have a last chance to decide to stand or fall. Ideally, you have some guardrails that can keep you safe before you get to the edge, but I think we've all been there before.

Other times, looking over the edge is as far as you get when something new comes along. How many times have you felt the draw, the calling, to move to something new but stayed in your comfort zone. Happy with the old or scared of changing, we stand on the edge - unable to really resist the pull on our hearts but unwilling to give up what we have or what we know to be familiar.

I think that tension is present in all of us. We are called to help others, to love people in all of their messed up and broken nature. We are caught between that pull and the desire to stay simple, to not get tied up in other people's mess or drama.

But when we just stand on the edge and look over, we miss out. We miss out on the opportunity to be a blessing and to be blessed. Every time I have felt called to help someone, I've had this tension. And every time I've decided to stay safe and comfortable I've had some level of regret.

Now, not every time that I decided to get involved did things turn out all nice and pretty. But I don't think it was the wrong choice to try to help. At a minimum, I learned things about myself and others. And generally, the experience has been good for all involved (even though the good sometimes takes years to be seen).

So, think about that next time you find your self defying gravity on the edge of a situation or decision. Discern what is holding you back and what is calling you forward. Don't let comfort and familiarity dictate your decisions. You just might find something pleasantly surprising when you let go....

Now for this week's 210 in 2010 update:

Getting back to running has been great and looks to be paying dividends. I weighed this morning and saw

223.0

Good to see some of the old progress this week. Now to keep that pace as I have 13lbs to go in the 10 or so weeks left in the year...

Remember, we still need your help in raising funds for Love146. You can leave me a comment here, email me, hit me up on twitter or facebook, and now you can even help through a "birthday wish" thanks to the folks at causes.com. Thanks in advance for your support.

Photo credit to tuppus.

Weigh-in 56

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:04:00 +0000

I had breakfast this week with a good friend that I hadn't really connected with in over a month. When we get together, it's usually a good time. A couple of old boys shooting the breeze, talking about the families, moaning and groaning about work and all that.

We also usually carry the conversation into our spiritual lives as well. He and I have some of the same struggles and some of the same talents. We are also very different in several areas. But it makes for a good combination and some really good conversation.

In he context of our talking this week, I mentioned that I felt something I was missing was a tight knit band of men that would take an interest in each others lives and form a community of encouragement, support, and accountability.

He shared with me a ministry at Seacoast church here in Charleston that had the goal of establishing these communities for men. So next week I'm planning to attend my first Men's Wednesday at Seacoast. I'm really excited about it and am very interested to see what all it has in store.

I strongly encourage you to find a small group of people that you can be very open and honest with. A band of folks that you don't worry much about when it comes to judging, hurtful criticism, and back stabbing. Easier said than done, right?

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you are out there looking for some perfect people to get in a club with. You need to find some people that are messed up (like you and me are). That are scared (like we are). That mess things up and screw up at times (like you and I do).

Then you gotta love 'em. And give them the grace and compassion and respect that we all want. It's hard to do. And it just might hurt at times. But when you get there... it is so worth it.

One key thing to note - you can't do this as a hobby or just when it's convenient or easy. You are going to need to put in the time (abide, if you will) and, yes, some effort as well. This is where I've been failing with respect to this. Time to make some changes....

Speaking of changes, let's get to the numbers and see what changed.

First of all, the donation number has changed. We're up another $50 over last week's $224. That brings our current number to $274 on the way to at least $420 (to get all the matching funds).

Now, I hear you asking (or at least I hear the 2 people that read this each week asking): "What about the weigh in number?" Well....

225.0

Slowly but surely moving down. That leaves 15lbs to go by Dec 31, 2010. I have to get moving at more than one pound per week to hit the goal. I've started running again with the Couch To 5K program again. It's tough getting back in the habit but I'm still committed to doing the Bridge Run (10K) next year...

As always, please help out where you can. Even a couple of dollars can go a long way in helping Love146 and the fight to end human trafficking and modern day slavery. To learn more about giving, you can check this out.

Abolition!

Photo credit to barto.

Weigh-in 55

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:43:00 +0000

I had to have some work done on my car this week. And not just an oil change either. In the month of September I've put about $1200 into maintenance, routine and otherwise, on the car.

The key thing for this week, and the biggest chunk of that total amount, was that the car would just about not run at times. For those of you in Charleston you'll understand when I say that I almost didn't make it up the Ravanel bridge from Mount Pleasant Monday afternoon. I was a real popular guy on that up-slope at 25 mph, let me tell you.

So, after that little automotive incident I decided I had to do something about it. Up until then, it had seemed like a minor annoyance that the car rode a little rougher than before and didn't really have the same pep when you hit the gas. But this isn't a high performance machine we're talking about here. It's a Buick Century. You know, an "Old Man Car" as my kids like to say.

So, I took it in to get an O2 sensor replaced. That was what I figured it needed since the last shop said the computer had a code come up for a bad one. And I had already had the transmission serviced so that couldn't be the issue.

Well, during the diagnostic, the guys at the garage (different from the previous shop - that's a whole nuther story) came back with more news than I wanted to hear. The catalytic converter (part of the exhaust system for you non-car folks) was damaged and had stuff clogging it up. That explained the loss of power (severe back pressure on the engine) for sure. The O2 sensor did need to be replaced, and they put a new one in, but the catalytic converter was definitely THE thing causing problems.

Left alone, that problem could have led to severe engine damage that would have, along with possibly stranding me somewhere, cost me a pretty penny or two.

So this week I got to thinking about how often people (meaning ME) get themselves into situations like this with areas of their lives. You know, things were real good at one point but over time there was a gradual decline in power/happiness/intimacy/security/etc. The slight change isn't really enough to notice from day to day so it basically goes un-noticed until it gets pointed out - by someone outside who sees the big difference and not the little changes or, like my car, some thing catastrophic (or almost) happens to wake you up.

Unlike cars, people's lives can't always make a stop at the garage and have the bad stuff patched up in a few hours. No, the things that are usually damaged with people are relationships. And trust me, those are very hard to fix and they typically take a while.

I've been called out a couple of times in the last few weeks (even in the comments on this blog) about how I've let a few relationships gradual decline. And here I'm thinking I can just pop in a new O2 sensor to make it better when, in reality, it's closer to an engine failure than I would like to think...

I don't have any magic I can use or any super profound words for you on this. I just keep going back to John 15 where Jesus talks about "Abiding".

I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:9-17, NLT)

That is, spend the time and put in the effort and the relationship will be rewarding. It is about the quantity of time and not just "quality time." You don't create long term, deep relationships an hour a week or with a couple of posts on Facebook.

Nobody said it would be easy. But it is worth it in the end....

The numbers for this week:

The scale stared back at me this morning with

226.0

It feels good to have some measurable movement downward again.

And with some new pledges this week the total for "210 in 2010" is now at $224. That kicks in the first set of matching funds so we are at an overall amount of $434.

Just gotta get another $196 in pledges to unlock the next $210 in matches to get us headed toward $1000 for Love146.org and their great work.

If you want to join the cause, drop me a line in the comments below, send me an email (address is at the top of the sidebar on the right), or find me on facebook or twitter.

Keep those engines running smooth until next time...

Thanks to the morgueFile for cool (and free) photos like the one up at the top...

Fundraising Info

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:02:00 +0000

Ok, a rare mid-week post.

I stirred up some discussion over on facebook about the Love146.org cause and raising som funds for them as part of "210 in 2010". Many folks were asking about Love146 and how to donate or get involved. So I figured one place to put all the info might help.

Here goes:

The organization is Love146.org and you can find out all about them at http://Love146.org/

The quick scoop is that they are an organization dedicated to stopping human trafficking, getting victims out of slavery, and restoring their humanity once rescued.

Love146 is involved in main different areas of the abolition movement but one that really sets them apart is their dedication to the aftercare of victims. Their "Round Home" in the Philippines is a safe haven for survivors of child sexual exploitation and trafficking. It is"uniquely built and designed to facilitate the restoration and holistic health of every child entering its doors." (More info here)

As for how to get involved, it's pretty simple:

1) Let me know how much you wish to pledge/donate. This can be public or private - totally up to you. I won't be sharing names/info of the people pledging. Only the grand total of pledges. You can email me, send me a message on facebook, write or comment on my FB wall, @ or direct message me on twitter, or leave a comment on this blog.

2) Go to http://love146.org/donate/usa (this is for donating US dollars - to donate in other currencies go here) and make your donation directly to Love146.org before the end of the year.

There are a couple of optional steps:

3) Browse the online Love146 store and purchase some cool swag. This helps fund the cause and raise awareness - the cool factor is just a side benefit...

4) Become an abolitionist - visit http://love146.org/get-involved to find ways to get involved. You can also check out End Slavery Now to join the fight.

So there you are. If there is anything else you might like to know, please let me know and I'll do my best to help out.

See you on Friday...

Weigh-in 53 & 54

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 10:49:00 +0000

Encouragement. Accountability. Education.

These are some of the key things that come to mind when I think about a "community of believers." I use that phrase deliberately instead of saying "church" because, unfortunately, those two terms aren't always synonymous.

I attend a church where I often get education in the form of sermons or Bible study curriculum. I am finding that I am missing a good bit of the other two items I mentioned: regular encouragement in my faith and accountability.

I don't say this to lay a bunch of blame on this church or the folks attending or working there. Just about every church where I know people that attend have folks that say the same about those churches. I say this because I think there is A big hole left in the spiritual life of many people that their church just isn't filling.

I have had different "communities of believers" over the years. Most of the time these folks tied in with where I worked. That's mainly because my non-family time for most of the past 20 years has been spent working. It's a little sad, perhaps, but it's true.

I often got incredible encouragement from the folks in these small communities. We would have Bible studies but most of the time it was in the everyday interactions with each other that this really happened. Also because of these interactions we could feel comfortable sharing with and confronting each other when necessary.

That thought might scare some people but it is really a good thing. The people in my life that have had the most positive impact on me are those with whom I could share who I want to be. This allows them to help me through encouragement (there's that word again) and accountability. When they see me acting counter to what they know I want to be, they can offer insight and correction.

This comes from love and not from an authoritarian position or a "I'm better than you" kind of thing. It's a pretty rare thing, though, I'm finding...

Why am I writing about all this? With the switch to the small start-up company back in May I went to a schedule where I work at home or in a place like Starbucks most of the time. That tends to be somewhat isolating. Paired with a very small company, I don't have the same level of interactions that I used to have that helped build that community.

And I miss it. And I haven't found a good way to get it back...

On to the reason that most of you stopped by... the numbers.

We traveled last week so I didn't have access to my "official" scale for a weigh in. I did step on the scale this morning. The numbers were:

227.0

Half a pound in 2 weeks. 4lbs in about 6 weeks. Kinda discouraging compared to my earlier progress and my upcoming goal deadline (210 in 2010). Also a bummer when I feel like I've been doing well with the nutrition side of things (less than 1700 calories per day).

But, I've completely slipped off the running routine. I need to get back to regular exercise to make progress, I believe. Looking for tips and encouragement for running motivation.

We are up to $174 in pledges for Love146.org so far. Still trying to get to $210 and then to $420 to get the matching funds. Please give if you can. Every little bit helps and gets doubled.

Until next time...

Photo credit to slagheap.

Weigh in 52

noreply@blogger.com (Bubba) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:26:00 +0000

Yeah, I can't count it would seem. I know last week was #50 but this week marks the one year mark from when I started this whole deal. So that makes this the 52nd weigh in...

One year. Wow. So fast and yet so slow. Big changes and little ones too.

An example of a big change is the 90+ pounds I've lost in that year. Another big change in these 12 months is the move from the "steady as she goes", 40 hour work week of a government contractor back to the fast-paced, change on a dime, way over 40 hour week life of a start-up technology company.

Perhaps one of the biggest changes for me is what I've learned about the plight of some 27 million people that are enslaved today. The fact that, yes indeed, there are people in our advanced, enlightened world today that are held in shackles of slavery. Women, children, and men that are being used and abused daily and denied basic God-given rights.

A year ago I didn't know anything about the human trafficking going on. I didn't know that it was happening right under our noses here in the US and many times in plain sight.

As the summer of 2009 came to a close, I didn't know a thing about Love146.org and their work for abolition and restoration.

I didn't know anything about End Slavery Now and their New Underground Railroad.

I hadn't talked with John or Aaron a year ago to know about their hearts for ending modern day slavery.

In general, I didn't know anything about human trafficking and I was definitely not trying to do anything about it.

Now, a year later, I don't think I've done a whole lot but I'm in the process of doing something. With help from friends and strangers, we've raised several hundred dollars for the cause. I know it doesn't sound like much and, on its own isn't going to change the world.

But, to borrow a phrase, no raindrop ever feels like it is responsible for the flood. That is, very big things are often made up of lots of very small things. And a couple hundred dollars can turn into a huge resource if we can multiply it by getting more people involved.

And that's where you can help with some big changes for the upcoming year. Please find a few dollars that you can part with to help fight slavery. I'll help get you started on the multiplying part too.

If you can give at all, just let me know how much you can pledge to give to Love146.org this year. When I get to $210 in total pledges, I've got someone who will match it and multiply the total to $420.

If I can raise a total of $420 in pledges to Love146.org, then another wonderful person will multiply it again so that the $420 in pledges totals $840 that will go to fight slavery and help restore those freed from it.

So, please think hard about what you can do to help "the least of these" that are enslaved and suffering today. Leave me a comment on the blog, email me, talk to me on twitter, or hit me on facebook to let me know you can help and how much you can pledge.

Onward and downward. I weighed in today, of course. I've been getting wrapped around the axle a bit about only losing about 2 lbs in a month. I got used to the progress and now the plateau is eating at me.

So, in an effort to cut down on Friday morning disappointment, I had convinced myself that there wouldn't be much change this week. I stepped on the scale and saw

227.5

Wow! Wasn't expecting that. Dropping 2 pounds this week definitely exceeded my expectations. Here's hoping that the plateau is behind me now and it's back to heading down the hill again...

Photo credit to Scott Robinson.