A book you'll actually read

I stumbled upon these books because Amazon recommended them to me. I'm a little surprised I didn't hear about them sooner because Mark Driscoll is one of my favorite authors and preachers. I'm glad I found them though. The books are marketed as books you'll actually read because of their brevity.

I read the one titled "On who is God". It was brief, 82 pages I think but it was good. Part of it was excerpts from the other book I'm reading Vintage Jesus but it has enough original content to make it worth the purchase.

Great book overall. There are a few quotes in it that I'll highlight in another post.

Right now on Amazon the books qualify for a buy 3 get 1 free deal so you can get all 4 for $30 (free shipping).

ABYAR Website

Benefits

So like I mentioned earlier today my friend Kristy asked me to compile a list of benefits to losing weight and being health. I can't sleep tonight for some reason so I might as well see what I can churn out.

1. I don't think overweight people ever really view themselves as overweight. I'm mean sure we know/knew we had a few extra pounds we knew we needed to get our diet under control but still when I read those statistics about the majority of Americans being overweight somehow that number didn't include me. I was confused as to why seats were tight. It was weird that all at once manufacturers started making movie theater, roller coaster and airline seats two sizes too small all in the same couple of years. It was also weird that for some reason all clothing manufacturers starting making xxl's so small.

In a way it was good that I never let my weight damage my perceived value or self worth. It was bad that I never was able to see my self for who I really was both in what I really looked like on the outside but also who I was on the inside. It's sort of like those two things were hiding from each other.

2. I think my favorite thing about this process is the energy that I now have. It was a chore to get up and play with Nathan or to take a little walk to the park. Just the little things in life took so much energy. After all it's quite a bit of work lugging around that much weight.

Rarely do I lack the energy to do things now and if I do it generally means I either worked out very hard that day or I didn't get enough sleep the night before. My feet don't get tired, my legs don't get tired and I can literally go all day without a break. It's not uncommon for me to get up and go for a run (5 or so miles), to spend a few hours cutting the grass and other lawn work and still have the energy to spend time with the family. I don't say that to boast but just that I'm still amazed that I don't have the insatiable urge to rest but rather enjoy exerting myself beyond what I have before.

It's all about pushing limits.

3. The final benefit (for now) is health I can be proud of. My resting heart rate is about 54, I have excellent blood pressure and cholesterol. This link is the benefits of running but I believe it would apply to any kind of regular and strenuous exercise. Benefits of Running.

Health

My friend Kristy asked me about a month or so ago to compile a list of reasons that it's great to lose weight and get healthy. I promised I haven't forgotten but have been too lazy to sit down and write something up. However as I am currently reaching a few new milestones I realized I should write this thought down to share with others.

One of my goals when I started lifting weights was to one day be asked to give someone a spot in the weight room. If you don't know what that means I'll try to explain it. When someone is lifting free weights and attempting to do a weight that they have not done before or a weight that they aren't sure they will be able to do safely and with good form they will often find a random guy or girl in the weight room and ask them to "give them a spot" or be their spotter. The spotter is there in case something goes wrong or if the person lifting can't get the weight back up and on the rack.

Naturally when you look around the weight room you're looking for someone who can handle the weight. After all it might mean your safety. In my 18 months I've been in the weight room I've never been asked to give someone a spot. It doesn't happen that often anyway but it was a goal of mine. Today was my day. No big deal, no big story just a guy that was lifting on the bench press walked past two other guys to ask me if I'd give him a spot. That was a milestone for me.

I'm also approaching a new milestone in that today I weighed 201 lbs. My next major weight milestone is to weigh 199.

So that's what this entry is about. Setting realistic goals for yourself when attempting to live a healthier life. Whether you're just in it to get in better shape or to complete a race or triathalon or if you have lots of weight to lose setting goals, milestones that you'll place in the sand is important. Afterall how will you assess your progress if you don't know how far you've gotten or where you're going to begin with.

When I weighed in at 340 on April 1, 2007 I knew my first milestone. It was to get under 300 lbs. I knew I wouldn't stop there but I didn't allow myself to set my final goal weight. At that point in time it wasn't about weight loss as a collective whole, it was about 40 pounds. It's probably not a coincidence that Weight Watchers sets a 10% goal for their customers. The initial goal is to lose 10% of their current body weight. They are not allowed to set a goal weight until that 10% is lost. I recommend you do the same.

The amazing part was I was in a hurry to lose that weight so I lost it quickly. Then when I hit that goal I realized how attainable 40 lbs was so I decided to set my next goal at 250, 50 more pounds.

But I didn't stop there. I started an exercise goal. I had started walking. Walking is great exercise but one thing is true about walking. It takes a long time. So as a goal I told myself I could start running my miles when I hit 275 lbs. That was a big deal for me. I wasn't really looking forward to running but was looking forward to finishing my miles faster.

When I started running I thought it would be fun to run a 5k. I started running at the end of August 2007 and set a goal to run the Toys for Tots 5k on Thanksgiving day. I wanted to finish it in under 30 minutes. My time was 28:43. I did it.

By the time all of these goals were accomplished I was getting close to my goal weight of 220. So as far as weight loss goes it was time to pursue that goal. But I had one other goal I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to be able to bench press my body weight. I was 235 when I benched pressed my body weight. Today I can't bench 235 and I was only able to do it for that one day, but I did it.

I was also able to add in some running time goals, some race goals, some strength goals, push up goals, all stuff I can work towards. That's the key, keep working, keep pressing, keep achieving. Success generates more success.

Fun with the news

PETA is nuts I tell you. They have requested Ben and Jerry's consider making breast milk ice cream. That's gonna go over like a lead balloon.

Truth?

I would like the whole story on this, is this true?

A Nation Divided

I was reading an article in Smithsonian magazine about previous party conventions. The contributors of the articles painted a picture of party conventions that featured debate, division and rally to certain causes. It made our current conventions seem like high school pep rallies compared to some of the stuff that was happening then. An interesting point was made about the divisions of the republican vs. democrat and their respective differences. Here you go.

Very interesting stuff.

As was pointed out in that article in recent history, my lifetime, there have been few democrat victories for the white house. In fact in my lifetime, if I subtract my toddler years, there has been exactly one democrat president, Bill "Party Boat" Clinton. I point that out to say that it's amazing to see the electoral college map and my memory of the first two presidential elections I've voted in. America is fairly evenly divided and while I know bipartisanship is paid lip service I'm not sure it's happening.

I'm certain it's certain issues that have so sharply divided us; gun control and abortion among others.

I mention this because I've been wondering lately how much I should let the ideologies of the different parties determine my vote. I think this is important because even if a candidate mentions their version of change how much change is really possible. Not only will they need the approval of those on the other side of the aisle of them but also of the ideas of their own party.

I think I'm pretty much decided who my vote will be going to on election day (actually before because I'll be on vacation and will be voting absentee) but there are still some things to be considered.

Ohio State Fans

You knew it was coming. You were perhaps the most overrated team coming into the season. Or at least a close second to Clemson and USC. At least this year you guys didn't win in an easy big ten all year only to have it handed to you in your bowl game. The heartbreak must be easier to take in September than it is in January.

USC fans... play somebody and then talk trash, which means you might be able to talk trash sometime in 2011.

College football

Sorry OSU fans (those words go so well together), but USC is going to absolutely destroy you on Saturday. Don't get me wrong I'm not USC fan but I've got USC 35 OSU 14, if you're lucky. And none of this crying about Beanie Wells, he wasn't going to help you out any.



Just to be fair:






So now for my final comments. Wow how about the ACC football? It was better when you guys just tried to stick to basketball. Big East, who?

Remind me again...

I'm sorry the first is so small, it's my one of my favorites in the book. I can't find the bigger versions online but know that these comics are a 9/11 tribute done by DC comics.

Polls are stupid (part one)

A college football team, East Carolina, starts off with a win over #17 ranked Virginia Tech on week one. The week one games most of the time are gimme games, glorified scrimmage, ECU SHOULD have been the team that got beat down in that one, it wasn't it won. Then week two ECU ROMPS West Virginia, a Big East powerhouse ranked #8 in the nation and had as high a ranking as #2 last year (I think VA. Tech did too). So ECU as far as I know is the only team in college football that has played and defeated two top 25 ranked opponents. The rankings game out today for AP top 25 and USA today poll- 14 and 20 respectively. That's a load of crap. They deserve at least a top 10 ranking if not higher.

I'm not a pirate fan, I can't even tell you where ECU is but they deserve better!

:EDIT: it's in Greenville, NC.

Wedding

I did my first of three weddings I have for this fall yesterday. I've known Audrie for most of her life. I first met her when she was about 4th or 5th grade. I saw her grow up and have seen her have a baby and now get married. It was the most special wedding I've ever been part of. Her and her new husband, Jeremy, really are very genuine and real with one another. They were most emotional about the ceremony and about getting married. It was obvious in many ways how special they are to one another and how special this day was. The vows they shared with one another were incredible.