Let's Dance

First off, I want to thank everyone for their awesome comments recently. It made my wife and I feel real good!

Also..... do not worry!

I did not forget about the "Missouri 60" which starts tomorrow!

I will go over some details on tomorrow's blog!

Get ready!

It is okay to cry

" Okay, so I wipe and clean him every two to three hours, or if I hear him cry, and then I feed him 30 ml of food every three hours. I clean his umbilical cord with a alcohol wipe every time I change him, and I hold his head secure!"

" Wow, you are asking a lot of questions. You are going to make a great daddy."

"Well, I made a promise....."

I have gone through a lot in 2009.

Putting my weight loss aside, this year I have seen my dad and wife in the hospital, I have had to take time off of work (In 10 years I have never taken a full week off!) and have dealt with a rough economy that scares me every day.

This week scared me the most!

My wife was going to get induced on Wednesday. She was supposed to go in Wednesday morning and have the baby by Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

My wife has had some issues with her back. The baby was on a nerve so it was hard for her to walk. I took two weeks off of work to help her around the house.

I worked hard, and she worked harder to get better. If you know anything about back pain, you know it is close to the worst pain ever.

So we went in on Wednesday and my wife got induced.

Maybe it is just my stupidity, but what I knew about labor is what I watched on TV. You know, the sweaty woman in stirrups, the husband/baby daddy coaching her to breath, and then a baby comes out.

Remember, I said stupidity!

My wife was having hard contractions until Thursday afternoon. For 36 hours, she was in pain.

Epidural and all, she was in pain.

For five hours she pushed. The baby was not moving. She was saying she had incredible pain in her pelvis. We realized the baby was stuck in her pelvis.

The doctor rushed in at 8:30pm to tell us that a C-Section is the best option.

Again, I am a guy. I am thinking it is just a little cut and the baby pops out.

When the doctor talks to you about the surgery for 30 minutes, you realize it is serious.

They rushed my wife to the operating room to have the surgery. They told me to wait outside and put on some scrubs.

Fifteen minutes later they got me and brought me to the O.R.

When I walked in, I saw a team of doctors around my wife. I sat right next to my wife.
I started to cry.

I do not cry often at all. I cried when I found out my father had cancer, and I cried at my wedding.
I was scared. Scared I was going to lose everyone. Scared for my family.

I cried on Thursday as well.

While sitting next to my wife, I heard the doctors talking:

"Move this part now, the baby is there." "He is stuck, I need you over there!"

My wife, who was being operated on only said one thing to me. She looked back at my face and said:

"It is okay to cry."

I am not a religious guy by any stretch of the imagination, but I talked to God at that moment. I told him that I would be the best father husband if my wife and baby were safe. I would sacrifice anything and do whatever I needed to for them.

Right after my talk, I heard a loud cry. It was a wonderful cry, one from a gorgeous little boy.

I went to meet him for the first time, and I still could not stop crying. He looked great! He was healthy and beautiful!

We all went to recovery where my wife looked relieved. I was relieved she made it through!

The nurse looked at us and said:

"Did you hear, Michael Jackson died."

I was sorry to hear that, but it was the last thing on my mind. My son had just been born.
Not like it is on TV every 12 seconds!

So now I have a beautiful baby boy. My wife is recovering and doing better every day. I am taking a little time off of work to take care of my wife and family, something I might not have done a few years ago.

Not only that, but my Dad is doing well also.

Yeah, 2009 is a great year!

Dad

Two years ago my wife and I got in one of our biggest fights.

We were wanting to have a child.

At 420 pounds, I needed to lose weight. There was no way in the world I could have a child nor take care of one!.

I remember my wife begging me to lose weight, and I wanted nothing to do with it.

It did not matter to me at the time.

I would still go out and get food at Taco Bell

I would get Chinese takeout

I would eat deep fried steaks at work

My wife saw how much I ate. It devastated her. She knew that it would not be to long before she was a widow.

At 420 pounds, I did not care what anyone thought. I never had a bad self image. I really did not care if I was considered handsome or attractive.

I just wanted to eat.

I was just selfish!

That was until two doctors changed my life. One doctor told me that I would die within three months if I did not change my ways. He set me up for Gastric surgery, and recommended Weight Watchers. He heard about the amounts of food I ate, and he also saw how high my blood pressure was. At 217/135 I was a walking time bomb.

The other doctor told me that we could have a baby. It was up to me. I needed to lose the weight.

In early 2008 I decided to lose weight. It started out as a modest diet.

I lost 200 pounds quickly.

I dieted at first, then changed my life.

I talk about how I lost my weight for the love of my wife. I write about it almost every week!That is absolutely true.

At 9:40pm I also realized something else I will write about....

The reason I will keep the weight off.

Mixed Tape!

I have been swamped!!!!

Work has been crazy! I just got done with a sixteen hour day!

I will have another one of those tomorrow!

I am going to have some big news later this week as well.

Since I am short on time, I will just ramble a little bit!

1. I am so excited that people liked the Missouri 60 idea. I have seen some awesome pictures on blogs. Not only that, I like how so many people just want to better themselves in two months, without a prize.

Either way, I am emailing like crazy different companies. Come on, I am ready to review your product for contest prizes.

I will have more details within the week.

2. I saw the anonymous post I had.

I miss those.

I have not had a juicy one in a long time.

He/she is right. I never respond to any thread I put up on the WW or any board.I do not have time, I post and run!

I put up a fun comment on a board so people can go to my blog to get motivated.

With that being said, I also give out my email, and I never reject a Facebook friend. When I get emailed a question I always respond right away. I do love to help.

That is why I have an iPhone!

Here is what I did not understand about the comment. He/She got mad and said I never respond, then told me I was losing weight wrong.

If I am losing weight wrong, then how can I help others?

Do not worry, I help as many people as I can.

3. I did not comment on Tony's blog, but I am very proud of him!! It takes a lot of courage to admit what he did. I am all about courage. Tony is a great guy who writes from the heart. I look forward to reading his blog. A proud 100 pound loser!

Still, it does take a lot of courage to admit that you play competitive DDR. Thank you for coming out with that info!!!

4. Scales do not lie! Why do we keep on thinking they do. Salt, really!!

5. Dance Your Ass Off? Come on!

6. I loved talking about fiber before. Now, it is like everything has fiber in it, including yogurt. I feel dirty talking about it now.

7. Here is another great Tony. 200 pounds lost!!!!!!

8. Okay, I love Twitter! I did not want to , and my wife does not understand it, but I love it. You WILL know when I am eating an egg! Plus, I might have a few jokes for you. I will make the most of 140 characters!

That is all for now. Till the big news!

Result Driven!

I am not the smartest person in the world. That I will honestly admit.

I am also very stubborn and opinionated.

That is probably the biggest reason why I have been successful in this weight loss journey.

I am a results person. At work, at home, and on myself. It means nothing if I write or say something. It means everything if I do it!

I am not a fan of someone talking about IT! More about someone being about IT!

That is the whole purpose of my challenge, the Missouri 60.

I knew I could achieve the impossible, but did not know how. I would write down a goal, and would start it tomorrow.

Tomorrow never came.

So recently I have realized that today is a better day. I can do a lot of things today.

And with 60 today's, I can change my life!

I love doing this blog, but it would have no credibility if I did not have the pictures of my journey.

I see blogs with pictures of blogger's faces, foot, or leg. Yet, they do not show their transformation. They do not show where they started from, and where they are now.

With all that being said, the Missouri 60 is the easiest yet hardest challenge to do. Here is how you start.

1. You must take a picture! Getting on the scale or blogging about how you can do it means nothing. You need to stare at yourself and see where you are now.

Once you look at your picture, look deeper. Are you the person that makes excuses:

"I do not have time to work out!"
"My boss is out to get me!"
"My wife doesn't support me"

Once you are looking at your picture, think about how you want to change. Maybe you want to get a promotion, have a better marriage, lose weight, save money, etc.

2.Write down all of your goals, but keep them to yourself. Remember, this is about results.

3. Now, you have 60 days to change your life. This is a commitment you are making to yourself. For 60 days you will not make any excuses. No holidays, outings, fights, or economy will stop you from your goals.

4. Once you hit a goal on your list, share it with people. Maybe it was to lose 5 pounds, or go on a romantic dinner with spouse, or have the courage to pass on a piece of your Dad's cake. Remember, this is about "Showing" not about "Telling"! Put on those new pants and tell people you can wear them now, or show friends a business card with your new title on it.

5. After 60 days, take another picture. Compare the pictures. I guarantee you will see a difference. Maybe not in weight, but in yourself.

I have had 60 people say they liked this challenge and were interested. I think more will come. With the economy the way it is, people can not afford to go and get "Free KFC" or "Value Meals". People need to get healthy and feel good about themselves.
I am going to write a list of people who have entered, and if people take it seriously, I will come up with cool prizes. I already sent out a few promotion letters to some companies. We will see.

Basically, who can transform their life the most in 60 days?

In the meantime, take a picture, and ask yourself one question:

"Isn't it time to Show Me!!"

Get ready for the longest post ever!

Maybe not!

More details on the Missouri 60 coming soon!

Missouri 60

Dear supporters of this blog and blogging community!

My name is Tony Posnanski. I have recently seen that people love challenges! Well, I do not have a problem with that. I have never done a challenge because they seem very confusing, but I am interested in doing one.

I am very new to being successful to weight loss, so I do apologize for my lack of confidence.

I have put my story out on the web to inspire others. I love to hear that people are getting healthy, losing weight, whatever the case may be.

In fact, even if people are not losing weight but feeling more confident makes me feel great!

I have come up with a challenge that I would like for people to join. It is not complicated, in fact, it is very simple. In fact, if no one joins, it is something I will do. Here it goes!

The Missouri 60

See, I am not cocky. I am not going to put my name in a contest or put links to my blog.

Nah, this contest is going to be for anyone that wants to better themselves.

First, why the name?

My boss came to me a couple of months back and told me he was not about excuses. He was all about results. He kept on telling me:

"See, I am from Missouri. Get it! Missouri! Show me what you can do, do not tell me about it!"

I figured out that Missouri is the "Show Me" state. He was not from Missouri, he just wanted results.

He is right. So many people want to say what they are going to do, very few put words into action.

I hate reading motivational quotes from people who have no motivation.

It is so empty and meaningless.

Don't quote Tony Robbins if you can not say no to a Big Mac.

I also took another picture of myself today:I have definitely gained a little muscle over the last couple of months. I have worked really hard at it. I have eaten right, worked out a good amount, and focused on being the best I can be.

This is the best I have ever looked. But.....

I can be so much better!

So here is the contest, the Missouri 60

1. Take a picture of yourself between now and June 30th
2. Take a picture of yourself 60 days after
3. Show yourself how great you can be!

Maybe this sounds silly, but who can change the most in 60 days? We all have different plans and goals. We all want to be the best.

I think I will improve the most in 60 days. With a baby on the way, and work being stressful, I will not make any excuses. I will make time for myself! I will be much better than the person I am above!

I do not think many people will do this, but if people have the courage to take this challenge, I will get prizes.

Just so you know, I would love people to do this for themselves!

I will pimp myself out to companies and review their stuff just so you can win cool prizes.

Something I am not a fan of, but, what is a contest without cool prizes anyway?

I will get a panel of people to judge who has the best change in 60 days. If you sign up, I will do the rest!

Either way, Israel called me out. I hope you take this challenge. I think you will beat me, as long as you do not drive by any Arby's.

By the way, my best picture is my starting point. I have a uphill battle, just like I like it!

Let me know what you think about this in comments. If you are interested, let me know!

Fruits and Vegetables

I used to make apple pie.

I remember I would cut fresh apples, and then caramelize them with some brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon. Then I would roll out some dough and use that as the pie crust. I would top it
with powdered sugar and bake it to perfection.

I think about that apple pie every time someone gives me a suggestion on a fruit or a vegetable.

As you know, I have changed the way I eat, so I really eat fruits, vegetables, meats, and some dairy.

Eating like that really gives me options and I get to taste food that I have never been able to before.

But I will tell someone now that I want an apple. They always give me this type of answer:

"I love apples also! Have you ever tried it with Fat Free Cool Whip, a dash of cinnamon, a touch of maple syrup and three packets of Splenda. It tastes like an apple pie!!!"

This is where I have to be different now. I do not want something that tastes like something else. I do not want to fool myself anymore. If I wanted an apple pie I would make one.

A really good one! I do not want to dress up food anymore.

Which brings me to my next tip. One that helped me lose the weight:

Tony Tip #2- Learn to love fruits and vegetables.

I am not saying all of the time, or love all of them, but there should be a couple that you can eat in the raw. For me, I love the feel of holding an apple, or the accomplishment of peeling a mango. I like the taste of a fresh mushroom, or the crunch of a cucumber.

Weight loss is not only about losing weight nor getting healthy. It is about getting to know yourself, and learn just how strong of a person you are.

For me, I learned I am strong enough to pass on an apple pie.

Just an apple for me!

Weight Gain!

I can not wait to gain 9 pounds!!!

That baby is coming soon!

Why?

Let me see if I can word this the way I want to?

John from John is Fit is having a contest.

He is offering cash prizes (Like $400 cash) to people who promote his blog. I think you get one entry if you write about his blog. You can also get entries if you write about products he reviews or you put his blog on Digg or StumbleUpon (Which I have no earthly idea how to use properly!)

In a nutshell, he is offering money to promote his blog. Not a bad idea if you ask me. But.....

Now, if you know me, you know that I am going to write a catch here. Well, here is the catch.

John does not need to do this to promote his blog like this.

He is too great of a person for this!

Last year I was just starting to blog when John wrote me. He wanted to interview me for his website.

I was so honored!

John's website was the coolest weight loss site! He was like a celebrity to me! First off, he had a site that did not have the words blogspot or wordpress in it. It was a real website.

One that wanted to interview me!

He had reviews of cool products. Items that I have actually used in the past. items I have not seen reviewed on other blogs (Except for those stupid NURU exercise cards. Please stop the insanity!!!!!).

I was impressed.

Not only that, but after getting to know John, I realized he is probably the nicest person I have met online. He always gives support to people that need it. He promotes new weight loss blogs, and he gives really good tips on how to get your name out there.

The interview he did with me is one of my favorites. I liked the way he asked the questions and I loved how he arranged the pictures.

Not only that, I love the way he writes.

Since last year, John has not blogged that much. In fact, I believe he only has 19 posts in 2009, and most of them were in January and February.

I wish he would blog more because I enjoy reading his posts a lot.

John, if you are reading this, I think you are a great blogger! You have helped so many people lose weight and make better blogs. You are an inspiration to male and female bloggers. You have helped me become a better blogger, more than you will know!

So now John has a contest that he is giving away over $400 cash and prizes to promote his blog. I will promote your blog all day long! You deserve it!

I do not want to be entered into the contest though. I will never take money from a friend.

My Weight Watchers Success Story

So I have been answering a lot of emails lately about my weight loss and advice.

Funny thing is that I am getting better with advice. Even a little more confident!

Well, someone wrote to me and was really upset that she gained 4 pounds in a week. She wanted to quit Weight Watchers because it was not working for her.

I hate when people quit! Those are the people I want to help the most!

I remember writing this back to her:

"Imagine you are a boxer and you get knocked down in the first round. You have ten seconds to get up. One side of the arena is rooting for you to get up. The other side wants you to stay down. Who do you listen to? It really does not matter! Why? Because you are the one in the ring. You are the one that will decide how the rest of the fight goes. So you gained four pounds. You are not knocked out, not by a long shot!"

I read that and thought about what I wrote. Maybe I should listen to myself!

I really should practice what I preach.

I have spent a lot of blog time upset that Weight Watchers will not give me the time of day. They have a 2009 contest that I have no chance of winning.

You know, losing weight quickly.

The truth is I believe in Weight Watchers.

It changed my thought process on food.
It changed how I look at things.
It changed my life!

I get so caught up that WW does not read my success story or that they do not consider me a writer that I do not see the most important thing!

I can help people! Just like I have done all along!

I love Weight Watchers. For someone who does not know how to lose weight or control portions, it is the best "Ten Bucks A Week" you will spend.

Not only will you get information and tracking tools, but there are so many great people who are members. People who are going through the same weight loss struggles.

Since I will not be on Weight Watchers website, I decided to thank them on theantijared.blogspot.com!

My whole goal is to inspire people to lose weight. If I lost over 200 pounds, then why couldn't you lose 20 or 30 pounds?

I made a little video in one try. It has stumbles and errors, but I want to thank Weight Watchers for what they have done for me. I have nothing bad to say about them, in fact, I would love more people to join!

If you like the video, pass it to someone who may not believe they can lose weight. I would love for as many people to see it as possible so they know that losing weight is possible!

Maybe they think they have no hope!

The truth is, many of us get knocked down in the first round!

Will you get up?

The AntiJared Super Spectacular Crazy Fun Mega 30 Day 8 minutes crazy Challenge Contest!

Here is my super spectacular contest! Ready!

See this picture

I will challenge myself to be better every day. The way I work out, the way I eat, the husband I am, and the worker I am.

Every day I will be better. If I lose this contest, I only lose to myself.

Good luck!

Girly Man!

Sometimes I wish I could be like Tony Horton. Point my finger at you and tell you that you can do it. Smile and happily yell "Feel the Burn."

Alas, I am no Tony Horton.

Why?

Because I am crazy.

So this week has been weird. My wife is feeling better, which is great! I took off a little time from work to take care of her, and I am so happy that she feels better.

Also this week I have gotten numerous emails about being "girly". You know, talking about the love for my wife, how I work out to pop music, how I voted for Clay Aiken twenty times, and how I love my puppy. They were not mean spirited emails, just little pop shots from peeps.

Usually this would not bother me. For some reason this week it did.

It is true, I danced to Kelly Clarkson at my wedding, and I love my little puppy. I do love my wife with all of my heart, and Lady Gaga blasts through my iPhone at the gym.

Here is why I was bothered:

I did not embrace the "girly" lifestyle 300%!

So today was "Fabulous Friday".

Holla!!!!!!!

I woke up and decided to watch The View.

Those girls make me laugh. They are very insightful!

Then I was going to have my wife braid my hair, but I realized that I did not have any hair.

Oh well, I tried.

I looked at my clothes and realized it was time for a new outfit.

SHOPPING!!!!!!!!

First off I was excited that I would not have to shop at Lane Bryant. I mean, I could finally get some clothes at the mall!

That's Huge! Literally!!!

So I first went to Dillard's and found this darling top! Purple is so definitely my color. I was shocked that I was able to fit into a medium.

Wow, good thing I did not turn all super girly last year.

Now as much as I wanted to get a new skirt, I realized that Capri's were the way to go.

I went to Macy's and picked up these. Yellow matches my bald head. They were a medium as well.

No Spanx for me Sister!!!

Oh yeah, you go girrrrl!

Now nothing says girly outfit like a fun pair of shoes. I decided to get these.

I am not a fan of the open toe, but red shows my frisky side.

After getting my new Friday outfit I put it on and whisked over to the gym.

At the gym I got a few stares. I just think people were jealous over my shoes.


I did legs today, and it was tough squating 350 pounds with heels, but I was able to do it.

Cardio was tough as well, but I made it through an hour on the StairMaster.

How you ladies do it I have no idea!

Then it was Lifetime movie time!!!It was the one with Deidre Hall and Meredith Baxter-Birney.

Okay, so maybe they all have those ladies in them.

It was the one about someone dying from a horrible disease.

I was sad! I ate a half a container of Fat Free Cottage Cheese during the flick!

Now I feel great that you all can officially call me girly! Now you can make fun of my sensitive ways!

By the way, did you notice that I worked out and ate well, just like I have for the last sixteen months. Just like I will for the rest of my life.

I'm just saying........

The same person!

These guys are very similar!

They both cried when they watched The Lion King
They both love their wife
They both are determined people
They both work a lot of hours
They both love watching sports

What makes them different???

The bigger Tony waited for things to happen. Tomorrow was going to be his day!
Bigger Tony talked about how he was going to succeed.
Bigger Tony made promises to get healthy.
Bigger Tony knew how to lose weight.

Smaller Tony has nothing to say. Actions speak louder than words.

Excuses do not make 200 pounds go away.

The 12 pound journey

At the beginning of my journey, every weigh in at Weight Watchers was a weight-loss bloggers dream.

"Down 10.6 pounds!"
"Down 9.3 pounds!"
"Down 9.1 pounds!"

Every time I would weigh in, the leader would say the same thing to me:

"That is great, but remember, you really should focus on losing 1 to 2 pounds a week."

The first time she said this, I ate more the following week so I would not lose so much. I have lost weight before, and I knew it would come off quick.

Truthfully, when you go from consuming 10,000 calories a day to 2500 calories a day, the pounds will flow off no matter what.

It was the fifth time that she told me this advice that I asked her this question:

"How much weight did you lose to become a leader?"

This was really none of my business, but I had to know. I mean, she probably lost like 100 pounds, and knew how hard it was to be obese.

"I lost twelve pounds, I was 155 at my heaviest."

When I went home that day, I told my wife this. I would be lying to you if I said I was not upset about this at the time.

Here I am, busting my hump to lose weight, and someone who lost twelve pounds is telling me what I am doing wrong. What does she know!!!

The reason I love my wife is because she gives me a different perspective on things. She listened to my rant, and then said:

"Twelve pounds is just as much as 200 pounds to some. Who are you to judge!"

I have been losing weight for over twenty years.

Throughout high school, I thought I was overweight.
During college, I was chubby.
After college, I was obese.

Lean Cuisines, Diet Cokes, Weight Watcher's Shakes, Snackwells, and "Low-Fat" anything was my main diet from 1989-2008. I have always known that grilled is healthier than fried, and eating late is not great, etc. Protein is better than carbs, and fat is.........scary!

Yet with all this information, I still gained tons of weight.

This information is second nature to me. There are some people who have not dealt with this their whole lives....

There are people that are so new to being overweight.
The ones that were football stars and cheerleaders in school.
The ones that could eat whatever they wanted, and still stayed skinny.
The ones that looked at the old me and said "I will NEVER look that that!"

Now the same ones might be overweight now, and have no idea how to lose the weight. They are scared, and look for any type of advice.

Confused that they do not look like their former selves.

What I learned is that every journey is special. Whether it is twelve pounds or 200 pounds, losing weight is difficult. Even though I knew every answer, I did not apply it until last year (Truly applied it).

I also realized the other day that when people go on forums, boards, or blogs and ask what people would consider "a stupid question" or "ridiculous advice", it is just people trying to help. Sometimes I wonder why people ask the same question over and over, but it is because they do not know. They want to change.

As irritated as I was with the leader at the time, she was trying to help, and I have a ton of respect for her.

Just like I respect any blogger who has the courage to put their lives out here!

Wishing Vs. Reality

The other day I was interviewed. This is how some of it went:

"So, do you have any low fat recipes to share?"

"Um, not really. I either grill fish or eat food raw."

"What holidays do you splurge? Christmas? Thanksgiving?"

"Um, I don't. I enjoy spending time with my family."

"What is your favorite "cheat" food"

"I do not have one."

I realized that I am different.

I wish sometimes I had those great answers.You know, the ones that everyone wants to hear.

Although I am a chef, and I know how to cook, I do not make spectacular recipes for myself.
And although I work a lot, and I have gone to the hospital twice this year for family, I have stayed on point. I work around delicious foods, including a 7 layer chocolate cake, yet it does not tempt me anymore. It can't! I do not stray from my eating. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and FF Dairy are the way for me.

Why?

Because I had 200 pounds to lose. Something most people should not ever have to deal with!

It is so hard for people to imagine. 200 pounds to lose? That is crazy!

When I weighed 300 pounds, it did not bother me.

Sure, I was slower, but I was still able to function like a normal person.

When I was 350 pounds, it did not bother me.

Okay, maybe I could only get pants at the Casual Male XL, but I was still able to walk around.

The seat belt was tight, but it fit!

420 pounds is where my life changed.

This is where everything around me was different. I could not sit in any type of chair, and I sweat for no reason.

I never went upstairs in my house, and I would not take a shower often because it was a lot of work.

I look back at it and I look at my life now. I look at myself in the mirror and I do not recognize myself.

I know it is me, yet it looks nothing like me. I see a confident mid 30's guy who is about to have a baby.

Sixteen months ago I saw a mid 30's guy who was about to have a heart attack.

I made this quick video just to say I wish I was like some people who fall off the wagon, then on, then off again. I wish I could lose six pounds one week, and gain three the next, and get back on plan.

The truth is I can't. I have to be consistent on this journey. I look at food now and realize it is fuel to me. I love life, not food.

I look at myself and see that I should not look like this. A 420 pound guy should not look like a 200 pound "in shape" guy after sixteen months. A guy who never played a sport in his life should not look like an athlete. I would be a liar if I told you it came from inconsistent behavior. Nope, hard work pays off!

I wish I had great answers like I do eat a hot dog, and I enjoy a sundae once in a while. I wish I only worked out for 10 minutes a day, three times a week. I wish I could tell you those things.

Actually, I take that all back! I do not wish for any of that! I am thankful for how far I have come. I might not be the poster boy for Weight Watchers with my answers, but I know I will not be 420 pounds ever again!

Challenge...I think?

The other day I got a message from my blogger friend Israel.

I like this guy a lot because he is not afraid to write how he feels on his blog.

Not only that, but his website is very nice.

Ahhhh, one day I would like a very nice website as well!

Anyway, he commented to me that we were in a challenge, although I did not know it.

I was confused!

He was telling me that he was going to catch up to my stats, and how I inspire him, and he was getting close.

All he had to say was the word challenge. He has no idea!

I am an incredibly competitive person. I always have been. When I do something, I go into it full force.

I also know that if I lose to someone, the other party did a damn good job, or I did not try at all.

The one thing that I regret throughout my transformation is being in a fun challenge.

I see you all doing these challenges with your blogger friends. Tracking points and rooting each other on. It sounds like fun.

I see blogger Carlos challenge blogger Bill for cigars, liquor, and other "man" goodies. I kind of wish I has someone come up to me and give me a "you got served" look. I wish I would have challenged others during the journey.

So after losing 200 pounds and transforming myself, I got my first challenge.

I love it!

I have no idea what the challenge entails, but I like the fact that someone wants to get healthy!

By the way Israel, since you wrote that message to me, I decided to start using the StairMaster, something I never thought I would do. Don't worry, I was only able to go on it for 10 minutes....the first day. Now after four days, I can do the full hour.

Good luck my friend!