Sluggishness

That's today's word - sluggishness. Had trouble sleeping - had trouble waking up - and was driving much of the day for work.

BUT...last night had a good dinner (some whole wheat pasta with some hearty sauce) - and peeked at the scale this morning (no more of that - only weighings on Mondays) - and am doing just fine. :)

Did have one small setback moment today. My weakness and downfall is snacking while on the road for work. I needed gas, and I stopped at a station.

This is where problems happen.

But on the bright side - I made better choices today. I was hungry though...I didn't pack enough in the car I guess. So instead of candy and pastries and hot dogs...

I got a small tuna sandwich and a small bag of lowfat beef jerky.

Now that's better.

In other news: PodPeople - keep your eyes open for another new segment: "The Voices Behind the Magic" - I'm submitting it to Lou tonight - it features a profile of (and sounds from) one of the talented voice artists behind the magic. If you enjoy - there will be more. :)

And thanks again to all my wonderful friends for supporting me. I can't wait to see how this explodes after Lou and Nathan mention it this weekend...I should have LOTS of visitors...and even more sponsors. (Right now, from various sources I'm earning $5 a lb. - which is fantastic! But we need more folks - I want a family flying on my dime!)

See you guys tomorrow!

(Editors note: and oh yeah - 40. That's the number of situps I did last night. It's a start)

370.3

What a staggering number.

That means I've re-gained almost all the weight I've ever lost.

It also means I'm way more likely to suffer things like premature death.

It's a frightening number - and half-marathon aside - it's a number I HAVE to do something about.

I already have minor hypertension, for which I'm on a low dose of medication. My family has a history of heart disease and stroke. Let's face it - this may be my last shot. I'm only 28. I shouldn't be this unhealthy - not to say that older people are allowed either.

Makes me wonder why I had the cheesecake last night afterall.

But so far, so good. Breakfast: one bowl Special K red berries. I'm packing a lunch since I'm in trial today. A nice sandwich with turkey and some low-fat, low-cal snacks (apple, etc) with it.

Dinner tonight will be some nice lean boneless pork chops and veggies. Or maybe a chickpea and fat-free feta salad.

Who knows?

What I DO know is that this has got to change.

As for exercise, I'm going to start some basics tonight - situps and leg lifts. Starting in week two or three, I'll hit the cardio machines. And who knows when, but I AM adding weights at some point.

Wow...what a number.

Time to change it.

The Last Meal

Not quite...but since tomorrow is the start of something big in my life - we decided to celebrate.

My best friend came over, and I cooked up some nice big NY Strip Steaks, some massive baked potatos, some veggies, and had a smaller sized cheesecake to share for dessert.

And strangely....

It all tasted kinda....eh.

Maybe I'm finally ready for this.

Tomorrow morning I weigh in. And we get that first, FRIGHTENING number.

A quick note on sponsorship:

I have THREE sponsors right now (I need more folks) - and the way I'm handling theirs is this: they've pledged a certain amount per pound I lose. I'm going to keep track from tomrrow (1/29) each week until March 1st. That will be a month. And then collect their pledges. Then it's their option. Keep sponsoring...or not.

Same goes for you. It's only a small commitment - and it could help improve the life of a child stricken with cancer - and frankly - it could help save mine.

I love you all for your help and encouragement. Keep it coming, please.

See you tomorrow.

The Dad Comes Through

I was shocked when I got the call...but it inspired me even more.

For years I've been attempting to get my parents to accompany the wife and I down to WDW for the holidays one December....(MouseFest anyone?)...and my father has been DEAD set against it.

"I'm not going to Orlando. I hate Orlando."

"But dad - the wife's never seen it at the holidays - and enjoying the parks together as adults will bring back all those wonderful memories from when I was a kid and you took me umpteen times!"

"I'm not going to Orlando."

I had about given up.

And then the phone rang.

"I want you to know your mother told me what you're planning. I'm exceptionally proud of you for wanting to get healthy - and for helping other people while you do it. And if you get fit enough to run in that half marathon - I will come to Walt Disney World to watch you run."

Wow.

Talk about a choked up moment.

Thanks Dad.

I love you too.

The Plan.....and Pledges

Wow - I've already recieved several e-mails congratulating me on my decision to do this. It really feels good to know that people are supporting my decision and believe in me. This is going to be a hard thing to do, really, and I feel truly blessed to have you guys here.

First - some voice news: You can now hear my voice (in addition to the MouseTunes Disney Podcast every week: www.mousetunes.com) as the official announcer of the Everything Disney Resorts Podcast. Diz Jensen asked me to do some intro tracks for them and apparently they really enjoy them. I really enjoy doing the work - and if you're a MouseTunes fan - look for the potential for a NEW segment soon. *omnious music*

Now - let's talk about how we're going to accomplish this goal. I say we because frankly - I couldn't do it without your support.

1. Diet. I'm going to be using the prinicipals of two major diet programs mixed together in a sense. Weight Watchers is a great program for meal planning and keeping track of what you eat - almost ANYTHING can be converted to points. Adding to that, I'll simply be calorie counting and eating whole foods where I can.

2. Exercise. This is where the other program comes in. Body-for-LIFE is a fantastically hard physical challenge - and right now I'm likely not up for it - but getting to the point where I'm doing 3 days a week hard cardio and 3 days a week hard weight traning will help me take off the fat and build muscle. Yes - if I'm going to run a half marathon eventually, I'll need stamina - but that'll come later. First learn stand - then learn fly - nature's rule, not mine.

3. Accountability and Monitoring. Weekly weigh-ins with monthly pictures right here on the blog. You guys tell me if I'm making a dent, okay?



Now - onto the pledge idea. First of all - I'm proud to say I have my first two pledges. Each have decided to pledge one dollar per pound lost to my cause. Likely what I'll do is do this on a monthly basis and give my supporters the option of doing another month after their first.

But here's the important part - you do not need to pledge money in order to support me.

Just post here.

E-mail me.

Post on the boards.

Let me know you're out there and you're checking up on me - even if you think I already know you care - knowing you're out there will help. Frankly - as my mother so intelligently pointed out - I don't want to let you guys down and embarass myself on the internet - so say hi - and keep me accountable. :)

T-Minus 4 days until weigh-in and the start of my race.....

Do you think I can do it?

The Intro

Because all good things need an intro....

GREETINGS BLOGPEOPLE!!!

You have either arrived because you've heard about this blog on a podcast or a webboard or in an e-mail from me. Thank you for coming.

Now: why are we here?

This blog serves two purposes.

1. It is an outlet for my voicework and disneyana addiction. :)

2. It is a source of inspiration regarding my health goals - and a way for you to help me.

I've decided to lose a lot of weight. I need to for my health (more about this if you want specifics in a future post). But also I want to help others and set some lofty goals.

So here they are:

By January 2009, I will be in good enough shape to run in the WDW Half Marathon.

And I will support Lou Mongello and the DWT tem in their efforts working to fulfill dreams for cancer patients.

How you ask? That's where YOU come in.

I need your support. Help me. Here's my side of the deal:

I promise to: a) diet and exercise in a health promoting way; b) update this space quite often (daily if I can) with my progress and other fun related stuff (including current weights and pictures); c) respond to any/all posts you make here.

Here's what you bring to the table:

a) Support. You all know me from MouseTunes and the boards and other places - reading this blog and hearing your comments will make a world of difference. I don't want to let you guys down on this - so let me hear you care!

b) Sponsorship. This is the fun one. If you're willing to pledge an amount per pound I lose (as much or little as you like) - I will set up some method of collecting on a monthly basis. You can pledge by the month, by the day, or just a one-time donation. ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE DREAM TEAM which will help a young person afflicted with cancer to see their dreams come true on a Disney World Vacation. I'd like to personally be responsible for at least ONE trip. YOU CAN BE A PART OF THIS.

So...what do you think?

Am I crazy? (probably)

Will you help? (I hope so!)

Okay guys - let's hear from you! If you're willing to support me - I will do an initial weigh-in and picture for reference on Monday 1/29 - and then the race starts!

Grizzpyre/Jonathan