The Permanent Mission Begins

Hi there. My name is Andrew. I am posting three photos of myself in different poses as a starting point and a visual reference for myself as I prepare to embark on a mission of weight loss and healthier lifestyle choices. What that precisely means at this point I cannot say. 

But I do have some goals:

1. Complete a Body-for-Life 12 week cycle to get me off to a good start, and to begin a new way of life 

2. Permanent weight loss, permanent fitness (no more up and down, starting and re-starting diets and workouts, no more eating as a result of stress, guilt, boredom, etc.)

3. Lose body fat and look better

4. Eat healthier and make healthier choices about what I put in my body

5. Be an example to my children that I can follow through with my health goals

6. Buy nice clothes in a reasonable size. No more Big and Tall

7. Be more active and my family such as taking walks with my wife, camping, hiking, 5K's, etc

8. Use weight loss as a catalyst to other improvements in my life such as more energy, more focus, a clearer mind, sleep better, and overall improved quality of life

8. Help others who might have similar goals. This is what BFL calls the Law of Universal Reciprocation

I am ready to make changes. I will begin on Thursday, January 1st, 2009, the first day of the New Year.

I will spend some time later perhaps recounting my weight history but I will say for now: I have been overweight for many years. When I was young, being overweight was difficult because we all know that kids can be cruel. I did manage to reach a decent weight of 185-200 lbs. in my very late teens and early 20's. But as I moved into my 30's I slowly began to gain weight. I have battled constantly with the guilt and negative energy associated with constant weight gain and loss, battled with my self-image, and lack of confidence. As I approach 40 (next year) I have decided that enough is enough! I am tired of being overweight and tired of the constant up and down that I fight in many areas of my life. It is my belief that much of the stress I deal with and the "low" periods are a direct result of what and how much I eat and what it is doing to my body. 

During this mission, I will be reading about what others have already done. I've already found some blogs that are really informative and inspiring. In particular, Mr. Low Body Fat's blog and Lynn's Weight-Loss Journey are two that I have provided me with a bit of a starting point and a realization that it can be done. I've also read the Body-for-Life book and been to their website. The BFL program seems sensible to me and I will be using that program as a starting point.

For those of you who are interested, I took the title of my blog from a song from one of my favorite groups. The Canadian rock group Rush has a song titled "Mission" on their Hold Your Fire album. It reminds me of what I'm doing and had me thinking about some of the blogs I've been reading and the missions that many people have already taken: 

Hold your fire,

Keep it burning bright

Hold the flame 'till the dream ignites

A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission

I hear their passionate music

Read the words that touch my heart

I gaze at their feverish pictures

The secrets that set them apart

When I feel the powerful visions

Their fire has made alive

I wish I had that instinct

I wish I had that drive

I will have that instinct and I will have that drive. I think that these lyrics are an appropriate end to this first blog. 

Talk with you soon.

T-Minus 13 days