Why blog?

January 4th 2010....Why that day? What was so special about that day?

January 4, 2010 I decided to embark on what I am calling Operation 44.

Operation 44 is my goal to lose 100 pounds by my 44th Birthday (July 9th). I know that it was an ambitious goal and one that I have toyed with over the past 10 years. You see, I have battled my weight since college and have progressively gained more and more weight.

How Much weight did I pack on over the years? Well lets just say that on that fateful day in January I was somewhere north of 300 lbs. I dont really feel the need to give my starting weight....Let's just say for a guy 5' 11" tall I was pretty darn big.

Even with my initial goal of 100 lbs I will still need about 30 more to reach my ULTIMATE goal of getting to a weight I was at when I was 23 years old.

So why a blog?

I have found tremendous motivation these last few months from reading about other peoples journey's and I thought it was time to chronicle my own journey.

Several things pushed me over the edge and were the straws that broke the camel's back. Among these were the normal tight fitting clothes, the costant state of exhaustion, and the embarrassment of having to squeeze into a seat at a local sports arena. I STILL think that I cant be the only person who thinks the seats at the new Cedar Park Center are WAY to small , but I digress.

The point is I had come to a defining moment in my life. In the words of Red (Shawshank Redemption) "Get Busy living OR Get Busy dying"

My wife Rocky and Son Zach are my true inspiration and have been very supportive on my journey. I decided early on that my journey had to include a few things. 1. Public Accountability- I would simply tell everyone I know that I am on this journey....There is something about being accountable that is vital to successful weight loss. 2. Reward- If I reach my goal I needed a reward above and beyond living longer. That reward is POKER! I am entering the World Series of Poker in June. More on that later.

Just the Facts:

Month 1- January 4th- February 4th: 20.1 lbs Lost

Month 2- February 4th- March 4th 20.1 lbs Lost (40.2 lbs TOTAL)

Month 3- March 4th- April 4th 16.6 lbs Lost (56.8 lbs TOTAL)

Month 4- April 4th- May 4th 17.2 lbs Lost (74.0 lbs TOTAL)


I am starting my blog with just 26 lbs remaining until I reach my initial goal.

I will describe in later posts what I am doing to lose what has amounted to over 4 lbs. per week for the past 17+ weeks.

More to Come!!!