I sure hope this was worth the wait.

Weight: 278
Mood: Lame

So I figured since it's been a full two weeks since my last post I'd go ahead and throw the world a bone and let you all know that I am in fact still alive and well. My weight has stayed pretty much exactly the same in these two weeks, and I've been fairly active as well.

I won't do any of you who read what I have to say the injustice of a pathetic excuse for my lack of writing. All I can offer is simply that life happens. Since my last post my weight has fluctuated as high as 282 and back down as low as 276. But all in all I have maintained and stayed the course as far as eating better and being more active.

In the past two weeks I've gone through some things that have stretched me in all aspects of my life. Physically, I've added resistance training and the use of hand weights to my exercise routine and this is pushing me and helping me to build strength. I have been pushed mentally in trying to exercise willpower when I'm on a road trip, as I've gone on two trips to Seattle in the span of five days. I am having to push myself to work out at a different time of day all the while adjusting to my still-new-feeling work schedule. I have also pushed myself emotionally, in trying to battle demons that I face from my past that have turned themselves into poor eating habits that I continue on an almost subconscious level. On top of all of this, I have a full time job as a wage slave AND I am a full time parent AND a full time Husband as well. So both figuratively and literally, my plate has been pretty full.

I have honestly missed writing to you. I know it has a positive effect on my progress. My first month where I only missed a handful of days I had an amazing and steady decrease in my overall size and a dramatic increase in my overall physical health. So far, just over two weeks into this month, I'm still just about where I was when I started. I know that there is probably a lot more to it than the fact that I'm not writing every day, but I know that having that time to reflect on how I did daily carried over into the next day and helped me to be more aware of the decisions I made as far as nutrition and exercise.

I appreciate everyone who has sent me emails encouraging me to start writing and to stay the course. I'm grateful for the support system I have in close friends and family. I even appreciate the advice that's given to me, even when I don't always ask for it. I will admit that I can be a stubborn person and it can be hard for me to be receptive to some of the constructive criticisms that people have to give me. I am a very blessed person in my life to have such good people who genuinely care about my health and well-being. Thank you all so much.

With that I will just briefly go into one thing that happened since my last post just to kind of let you all in on some of the details of my absence. The week after my steak dinner I was feeling pretty good about how I looked. I could actually see the difference in the mirror and notice that my belt fit looser, my t-shirts clung to my chest and muffin top less, I had more definition in my leg muscles, and overall I just felt better. So when I went to work, I was secretly hoping that I'd get a compliment or two about my appearance. The only problem with my plan is that I'm employed at the same place of business where my brother is employed.

Now before I continue I want to start out by saying I am completely stoked for my brother's amazing transformation. He has done so well to battle his own bulge and make himself fit and I dare say you would be hard pressed to find someone more proud of their sibling. He is an inspiration to me and I am so glad that I have him to reach out to for counsel and moral support as I work on my own transformation.

Needless to say, my brother looks good. I mean real good. And all of my co-workers have taken notice of this fact as well. So when I strolled in to work, feeling like my 25 pound loss is awesome and noticeable and all that, I was totally derailed from the awesome-train when the only things said to me were "Man, your brother looks good!" or "I can hardly recognize your brother!" Or "Oh my gosh your brother is amazing and he looks as though he is the manliest man ever and I can't help but think he has to be the epitome of cool and he just rocks my socks off!" (I added the last one, but you get the idea.)

All I heard that week was how awesome my brother was doing. And in the back of my mind, I was thinking "Well, what about me? Aren't I doing awesome? Am I not noticeably different?" So I was a little jealous for what my brother had. I told him all of this and we laughed about it and he understood me and stuff. It was just me going through an emo-kid phase and it showed me that I have to appreciate all of the positive things when they happen, because I might be the only person to notice them.

To sum up everything, I apologize. Not just to all of you, but to myself as well. I plan on continuing as I have been, and I look forward to the progress that I can foresee myself making in the near future. Thanks for sticking by me.