Throwback Thursday - My First Post

So apparently Throwback Thursday is a thing.  If it's trending on the interwebs, I'm on top of it.  I thought I'd start with a reflection on my very first blog post from November 2009.

Am I being too ambitious?

I remember the first time I was called fat I was in second grade. I didn't quite know how to handle it. Since then, like many people in this world, I've struggled with my weight. I've been growing ever since. I've moved up the ranks through chubby, husky, chunky, overweight, fat, and obese. I now weigh nearly 300 pounds. I was up to 312, but I managed to drop back down to a svelte 296. It may not seem like a lot, but anyone my size can tell you 300 is a particularly nasty psychological barrier.

I realized today that to lose 100 pounds over the course of one year, I would have to lose, on average, less than two pounds a week. That's something I can do.

So over the course of the next year, I'll be writing about my experiences. I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing. I've tried WeightWatchers, going to the gym, and even SlimFast. Hopefully, this goal and this blog will keep me on track. I'd really like to weigh 196 pounds in one year.

Weight: 296
Pounds Left: 100
Days Left: 365

So here I am, five-and-a-half years later.  I'm 1,719 days past my goal and I've moved a net total of 4.1 pounds.  God that's depressing.  I wish I could write myself a letter.  Let's give it a shot.

Dear Andrew,

This is future you.  No I'm not skinny.  I weigh just four pounds less than you do.  Don't give up.  Come back here.  Seriously, sit down and read this.  It's going to be okay.

You're undertaking something big.  Something bigger than you've ever done before.  There will be bumps in the road, and you won't reach your destination on time.  But you will make amazing progress.  You'll discover a love for bicycling.  You'll learn what making good choices (and sometimes bad) does to how you feel.  You'll push yourself at the gym and at home.  You'll make new friends.  You'll get the support of everyone around you.  

Sure, you'll stall out.  Life will get in the way and you'll slip up.  You'll overeat, you'll go weeks without going to the gym, you'll let your blog lapse.  But every day is a chance to start fresh.

If I could give you just one piece of advice, I'd tell you to quit eating sugar.  It makes you hungrier.  Knock off the diet pop too.  It's just as bad as the regular.  Breakfast cereal is crap.  Scramble some eggs in the morning or find a recipe for something you can keep in the freezer and microwave.  

I'll leave you with one comment.  You're not being too ambitious.  Be bold, throw your cap over the wall.  Shoot for the moon!

Good luck.  You've got this.

You from the future.