Here's to the Next 50!

As this week's weigh-in quickly approaches, it occurs to me that I never celebrated after hitting my 300-pound milestone last week. Actually, I did celebrate a bit, just not through the blog. At any rate, I hit 297 last Saturday, which put me down 49 pounds! I would assume by this point in the week, I have eclipsed the 50 pound mark and I am more motivated than ever. My workout routine and healthy eating has become so much a part of my day that I don't even think about it. It's as normal and routine as anything else, and I continue to be very excited about it. Case and point: a friend of mine asked me to join his fantasy baseball league this year and the draft was held Wednesday evening at a bar in Waverly. Since we began at 5:00 p.m., that meant I would eat supper at the bar, and I don't need to tell you what kind of a menu I had to choose from. Greasy burgers, fried pork sandwiches, tall beers, etc. With all of this tempting me, I stayed true and ate a beef fajita salad, and washed it down with a couple of diet Mountain Dews and some water It tasted fantastic, and I felt a heck of a lot better than I would have had I wrapped my lips around a fat cheeseburger and guzzled a few beers! For the record, my buddy has been working hard to get in shape and shed a few pounds as well. He had the salad and nixed the beer, too. Congrats, Alex!

And props to my beautiful wife, Mandi! She is closing in quickly on her goal weight, and continues to look and feel great. Mandi had the opportunity to visit and spend the day with her sister, Bridget, in Grand Island yesterday, and came home with a brand new wardrobe full of clothes her sister could no longer wear. Bridget has lost quite a bit of weight, too, but is built smaller than Mandi. So, she had lots of clothes that no longer fit her but were perfect for Mandi. I'm incredibly proud of her, and she continues to be my inspiration!

And congrats to all of the folks who are continuing to strive to live healthier lives. I know it's not an easy task, as I have attested to in the past. You are to be commended, and I wish you all the best as you continue to work for the next level! Take it one step at a time, be smart about it, don't give up, and you will get there!