Lately...

So I've been so caught up with life that I've been neglecting my poor little blog here. I haven't lost too much weight, a couple of negligible pounds perhaps, but I have been much more active recently. I spent last weekend painting the house we're about to move to in Griffin, and that was a chore! I'm still not done, Kelly and I are going to go down and finish it up this weekend, and then it's going to be a long week packing, and somehow fitting in my school work as well. Blargh.

On another note, I have a (mandatory) blog on wordpress that I, of necessity, have to update a few times a week. It has a very tight focus on the inception and creation of my Brand Identity I'm working on in my Corporate ID class. If you're interested, check it out at www.matthewgherring.wordpress.com.

Sorry for the long time between posts, I'm trying to get everything settled on the homefront, and then I'll be more regular in my updates.

Holy Crap

Oh, see, it's already off the rails. Bad me. BAD. Okay, that's better. I'm really wanting to make a change, even more so since a friend on Facebook posted this picture... Man, to look like that again, sans the hideous early '90's shirt. So off I go to find a diet that doesn't consist of burgers and tacos. Any and all suggestions are appreciated, with one exception: No vegetarian/vegan diets. God made us omnivores for a reason, dammit.
Week of March 15th-
Weight lost: not a damn pound
Exercise: You're joking, right?

Damn, my attitude needs an adjustment.

Starting Point

This is me, right now. Taken in January, 2010. Weight: 420lbs.
My goal is to get down to 200lbs in two to three years. My immediate goal is to get myself back down into the the 300lb range.

McFattys

I have a four year old son. When we're out and about, Ashton loves to go to McDonalds to play on their playground, which is a lot of fun. Finding something healthy to eat at McDonalds, however, is like trying to get a quenching drink of water in the middle of the ocean. There's water everywhere, but actually drinking it has dire consequences. Does anyone have any tips for healthy eating at major fast food chains? Because I'm always on the go, and eating at home is almost out of the question some days. Not to mention that I'm often to lazy to set foot in the kitchen. It's sad, but true, and it's something I hope will change as I begin to exercise and motivate myself.

I'm looking for good, healthy recipes to cook that promote healthy living. No pretentious vegetarian dishes, though. I'm a meat eater through and through, and it's not a meal without at least a little of the good stuff on my plate. And seriously, right now I need a lot of calories, though less than I currently intake, or my body will go into protection mode and I'll lose muscle instead of fat. Fun times, right?

So, Where To Begin...

I used to be in shape. In High School, I played left tackle for our admittedly horrendous football team, the Pirates. I was about 205 and in the best shape of my life. And I hated myself. I thought I was fat, and I thought there was nothing I could do to ever be thin. Oh, to know then what I know now. See, no longer am I the 18 year old football player just over the crest of the 200's. Now I'm thirty-one, heading for thirty-two, and on the wrong side of 400lbs. I have my work cut out for me if I ever even want to see the number 2 as the first digit on my scale again.

And that is why I started this blog. Motivation, ranting, a little bit of whining, and a heaping helping of accountability. I want to lose this extra guy that's riding sidecar on my body. Screw that guy, he needs to find another location to reside, not along my midsection and the flabby spaces where my muscles used to be. I am vowing to no longer be a Jabba the Hutt stand-in, to start treating my body with a little respect, and to keep everyone informed of the goings on as I undertake this godawful task ahead of me. I did this to myself, though, and it's time to dig myself out of the trench. Want to follow along?