Moving Forward!

This week has been so much better than last week. Last week was painful emotionally, and I first thought picking back up on my exercise would be painful physically. However, that was not the case! For the first time since I started this journey in May, I had no pain while walking! I've been able to walk 5 miles without any trouble! The only reason I cut some of those walks "short" was because I had appointments and other places to be! First I want to thank my support group that I met last month, they have made such a positive difference in my life! I would love to share each of their names here, but I'm keeping their names private for now, since this is a journey we are working on together! I don't know where I would be without them! Secondly, I would like to thank Katrina & Pete Kepf for helping me on the second part of this journey which I will share a little later! Also so many others Courtney Bigelow, Tia Champagne, Richard Neal, Ruby Gettinger, and so many others! Every time I think about giving up, I've thought of the results and obstacles you all have overcome and starting to reach your goals! You all are heroes in my books! To push your body at it's weakest, to push through all of the mental barriers, and to push through criticism...that's amazing!

This past week I have stayed with the product many of these people have been using and shared with me, Shakeology and the Beach Body Challenge! I feel so much better, and I know it's making a difference! Today I am starting my three day cleanse so I will update you on the progress. Before I started Shakeology I was already losing weight, from May 1st to June 15th, I am down 31lbs. My first goal is to be near 280 by the end of July. Why? Well shortly after I started this journey I won tickets to the Awaken Now Conference from Life Today Ministries. The reason I want to be at this weight is because I have always had trouble getting below 280, plus I can get a new smaller outfit for that conference. Plus this will put me at my "brick wall weigh" by mid-summer, and with the momentum I've gained I should break through that barrier before summer is over, and be way into uncharted territory by the time the beautiful Fall weather begins! Say a prayer for me, I'm praying every step of the way! I've had a lot of negative people in my past and I had allowed those words and actions carry on with me...but no longer. I am reaching to achieve the life God has for me, and no other! I thank my mom and brother for taking this health journey with me. If we weren't buying the healthy foods and committing to it as a family, I wouldn't be able to be making the progress I am! Keep checking back on my posts, I will be adding more pictures, tips, and frustrations, and most importantly what works! I'm so committed to change, that I have decided to also become a Beach Body Coach. If you are not in shape OR you need to lose weight, I can give you some advice and help you find a program that will meet your needs! If you are interested, please e-mail me at chrisadmire@hotmail.com If you are not sure, just keep following my progress! I will never recommend something that I don't believe or know that works! Also be sure to watch this youtube video of my friend Richard Neal's Transformation!  Hopefully soon, I too will have my full story to share with you all!  Love you guys!

Pressing Through Pain and Discouragement!

Well my support group and I all officially weighed in on June 8th for our first weight loss weigh in. I was down eight pounds, coming in at 321 pounds. I had lost 28 lbs since the first of May up to that point. However, in the middle of our first weigh-in and our first weight loss weigh-in a tragedy came into my life, that I could have never imagine happening. On Tuesday June 4th I picked my mom up from work as usual, however instead of going for my morning routine walk, I came home and took a quick nap. I had been having trouble sleeping, and thought a little more rest in the morning would help me get back on track. When I woke up, I turned on the early evening news, and saw that a local woman had been abducted and was missing. My heart sank, because when they showed a model of the car, something about it struck a cord with me. Then I logged onto facebook and noticed someone from church mentioning an injustice and the need to pray. I knew something wasn't right and I turned the news again, to hear that the women had been killed. Then I text someone from church, and my greatest fear had been validated. My dear sweet friend Leona Swafford had been abducted and then murdered. The details that came out were horrific. I am close to four generations of the family and my heart was so overwhelmed. She is the last person I had visited with that Sunday and Wednesday before. I had just helped her with an an on her iPhone, I couldn't imagine the pain her kids were facing. Lee was one of those people you just fall in love with as soon as you meet! I love her and her family so much!

[Lee is on the right of me] Lee, her daughter, and I had the wonderful privilege back in January to be on the Glenn Beck show as he revealed his knew plans for his network and all that he was doing here in Texas. It was a highlight moment in my life. Now I was sitting trying to wrap my mind around it all. Life is so fragile, and I'm thankful for the time with her, but in another sense I felt so cheated, to have my time with her cut short. The killer remains on the lose, and we have had several more unrelated murders in the area.

During this time, my mind couldn't focus on working out. Though I wanted to channel my anger towards this murder into working out, I just couldn't. The funeral had to be prolonged because of the investigation, and so I prolonged my workouts. I stayed within my calorie intake during that time, but I didn't eat the best choices and didn't do well tracking them. I feared I would lose my vision, my heart was broken. However, after the funeral, I decided to push through and pick back up on my journey. Lee had never quit living, she lived life up to the end, and she wouldn't want any of us cowering in fear, I decided I had to move forward, and that's what I did. It wasn't easy, and I walk everywhere with my eyes wide open, looking over my shoulder everywhere I go. Not in fear of my life, my fear in my family having to suffer as Lee's family had. "The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy! I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." -John 10:10. Lee lived life, and I will too, it's one of the many promises we have from God! What can man do to me? As the song goes, he can only "Threaten me with heaven!" When I got back to walking, the school near me where I walk the track, started doing some renovations and the track has been blocked. I was discouraged at first, because I hadn't worried about spending money or wasting gas to go work out. So it pushed me to look for an alternative. I drove around the corner to a park, and found an even better walking trail. At first I didn't like having all the extra people walking, but there I have one lap that equals a mile rather than four times around an oval track. So a couple times around I can get several miles in! This helps break up the monotony! So I am back on my journey, feeling great, and I am determined to never let any form of pain or discouragement to keep me from living the life God has given me! Today is the 3rd weigh-in (second weight loss weigh-in). I am only down 3 pounds, but considering how much I had slowed down on my routine the week before, I am doing great. I now weigh 309 pounds. I have officially lost 31 pounds since the first of May! I realize now how much my weight struggles are directly related to how I've coped with trials and problems in my past (stress eating & comfort eating). When I walk now, I spend my time praying for Lee's family and friends, and that God will lead this man to surrender or will lead authorities to him. Nothing is hidden from God, and I know God is capable of comforting this family as well as working on this man at the same time! I entrust these things into His care, as well as my weight loss journey. I know this is the time, I leave my pain and problems in the past and find the life God has always desired for me to have! Nothings going to hold me down, I've got to keep on moving!