Tuesday, December 24, 2013

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Weight Loss Update: My weight has been fluctuating so much lately it is kinda crazy. Sometimes I can tell people I am down 48 pounds and sometimes it is 42-45, depending on when I weigh in. When I post on here, I go based off of the Medifast scale when I weigh in. As of this Tuesday morning I am down 42.7 pounds in 11 weeks. My weight is starting to maintain a little more than I want it to, but since we are in the Holiday Season and eating healthy isn't always easy, any weight loss is productive. I am finally starting to realize that I need to add more exercise to my program. I have been doing little by little everyday to work up to the Insanity program and I am officially starting that on January 6th after my first day of student teaching. I can't wait to get into that new routine.

When I looked up religious percentages in the United States, it says that about 80% of the US in Christian. It actually seems kinda low to me, but I checked multiple sources and that seems to be the finding among many. So how many people celebrate Christmas? 80%? 85? 90? The findings were incredible, but 95% of people celebrate Christmas. That means over 40 million people celebrate Christmas who are non-Christian, so my question to them is, "What do you celebrate?"

Do they celebrate so they get presents? Do they celebrate because everyone else is doing it? Do they celebrate because they feel weird if they don't?

This Christmas, I want us all to remember the true meaning of Christmas. If you have younger brothers/sisters, obviously they are excited about Santa Claus and presents but have we explained to them why we celebrate? Before we gather with family, do we pray for the time together or do we go right to opening gifts?

Obviously spending time with family is super important and I am not condoning people who celebrate with family even though they might not be religious. I am simply stating the numbers that there are millions of people who have no idea why they are celebrating. So go to Church with the family and hear the story of the Birth of Jesus. Understand that he is truly our savior and that tomorrow we celebrate the day he is born. Pray before you eat and thank God that everyone is able to be together. Some aren't so lucky.

Also, say a prayer to the troops who are abroad and can't be celebrating because they are busy fighting for our freedom. We wish them save travels home soon.

This Christmas I am also praying for some extended family members who are going through treatments and who aren't doing so well. I am praying anyone who is going through chemo treatments and fighting the battle with cancer. I am also praying for the Lefebvre family who needs special prayers over this holiday season. Even if you don't know them, please say a special prayer today for them.

Today and everyday I want to wish all of you the very best. I hope that no matter the struggles, that we can all take time today and tomorrow to celebrate what this holiday is really about. I speak for my family and the whole Hines family when I say that we all wish you a Merry Christmas. We will be spending Christmas Eve at church and then eating and celebrating at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We are all truly blessed to be able to have so many of us gather together.

Happy Holidays, I love you all

God Bless,

-J-

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Never Forget To Tell People How You Feel

Weight Loss Update: Today is day 70 of the diet. Although the weight is starting to come off slower, it is still coming off and that is still progress for me. I realized Insanity (like I mentioned before) was going to be much too hard after being a couch potato for so long. I have been doing little cardio workouts and once I start student teaching, I am going to come home and do insanity every day. I honestly can't wait to improve my body even more than I already have.

After 70 days I have lost 42.2 pounds which is right about half of what I wanted to lose!

The best is yet to come :) Just so everyone knows, this blog isn't as cheerful as usual. I am not trying to make your Tuesday miserable, I am simply letting you in to all aspects of my life. As always, I hope you enjoy my writing as much as I like writing to you.


For many of the people in the Rogers community, we know loss way too well. We have seen it through suicide and natural disaster. We have seen it through car accidents and illness and for many of the victims, it comes far too early.

Now I am not just writing for people from Rogers as most people have dealt with death before. You heart sinks. You think of the family and what they might be going through. You might cry. You might get angry. You might meet with your friends or you might say a little prayer. 

To me prayer is something that I always do when I hear about a family going through a tough time. When Sandy Hook happened a year ago, the first thing I did was pray for the families. Pray for everyone in schools, that they will never have to experience something like that. Most times I do not tell the people who I am praying for that I am praying for them because I don't think that I need to. Prayers are my conversation with God and every night, for about 10-15 minutes, I get to sit and have a conversation with someone who does nothing but listen. I ask everyone who has passed to look down on me. I pray to Megan and ask her to always help me through the tough times in life. I pray for her family and the families of anyone who has experienced a death in their family. One thing that I never got to do before Megan passed was tell her how much she meant to me as a friend. We were planning on hanging out soon but our lives got in the way and I never got that opportunity to thank her for being the easiest person to talk to. It is because of Megan that I am the way I am today.

From February 20th, 2012 to today I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned to enjoy the present and to stay positive in life. 

To me, there is one thing that might be as important as praying and that is telling the people you care about that you love them. Say it early and say it often. I don't care if they are your parents, your brother, your sister, your best friend, your roommates, your classmates, your friends, or whoever else it is. If you care about them, let them know. Since the worst day of my life I have had a different impact on life. I stay positive for the most part. If I am tweeting, many times they have LOL or :) on them. If I am texting you, there is a chance that I am using smiley faces and/or exclamation points. I am doing that because I am that happy with how my life is going. When I call my mom and I am about to hang up, I always tell her I love her and the same when I am going to bed. I don't care that I am 22. If Cassidy falls asleep while we are texting (like she usually does) I always make sure that I send a "love you" text so that if anything were to happen, she would know how much she means to me. 

At the end of the day none of us know if we are going to be here for the next day. I am the biggest believer in the saying that, "Everything happens for a reason." I am not sure why car accidents and tornados have to happen. I am not sure why illness has to happen or why there isn't a cure to cancer, all I do know is that God has a plan. He isn't going to send you down a path that you can't make it through. It might be tough at times but he will be there to hold your hand and push you through. 

So as you are going to see your families this Christmas that you haven't seen for a while, don't forget to give them a hug and let them know how much you care. Much too often we don't know we are running out of time, until it is much too late. 

So from me to you, if you are reading this, you hold a special place in my heart. If you have experienced a loss or are going through a hard time, know that I am praying for you tonight and every night. 

I love you all.

-J-


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Weight Loss Update/My Bucket List

63 Days ago I started this crazy journey of weight loss. I was unhappy when I looked into the mirror and decided that I wanted to better myself. I got to Medifast today and a random girl who had seen me 9 weeks ago gave me a compliment, saying she wishes that I continue and that I look great. I don't even know this women's name but she already made my day and it isn't even noon yet. I was nervous to step on the scale this week. I was stranded at school last week and so my eating/drinking habits weren't as good as they have been over the course of 9 weeks. I hopped on the scale. The numbers went up and up and up..... Oh no I said out loud to the Medifast specialist, this isn't good. Then the numbers stabilized and then started moving back down to where I was used to them being. Finally it stops. "Whewwwwww, that was close," I say and the Medifast specialist laughed at me. I lost two more pounds this week. I didn't know if it was going to be possible with my circumstances this week but I made sure that I drank lots of water and ate healthy over the weekend because early in the week my diet choices weren't the best.

Total progress. 63 days, 40.2 pounds and counting.

I continue to ask for your support as we start moving to the new year. I am receiving more compliments day by day and I love it. Some people say they don't know if they should give people on a diet complements about how they look because they think it will send the wrong message. I can't speak for anyone else but for me the compliments keep me motivated and show that you notice and that you care enough about me to tell me that I look better than I did 63 days ago. Keep them coming :) Thank you for everyone who reads this. If you have someone who is struggling with weight loss feel free to send them the link to this blog. Ask them to contact me if they want general weight loss information or information on Medifast as well. Much like anything, people enjoy talking to others who are going through the same thing as them.

So what am I going to talk about today? I was looking back on my earlier blogs from last year and I wrote about my bucket list. I decided that today I am going to update my bucket list. As you will notice many of them will be sports related because well I'm obsessed. Some will be big, some will be small, and some may even seem impossible. If anyone can ever help me accomplish any of them I will have a special place in my heart for you. The following list is in no order at all. Number 30 is just as important as number 1. :)


1) Go Skydiving

2) Visit every state in the US

3) Get married (I already have my bride picked out, sorry ladies) :)

4) Get a teaching job

5) Have something I write get published in a newspaper

6) Raising kids the right away. This will be easy as I was raised with two amazing parents as role models

7) Attend a Super Bowl

8) Attend a Duke/North Carolina game at Cameron Indoor Stadium

9) Get my Master's degree

10) Coach my children's sports teams

11) Be able to travel to other countries just for fun

12) Catch a Walleye or some sort of trophy fish. (I have a fear of fish so this one is kinda odd)

13) Be "fit" enough to play with my kids in the yard as they grow up (Well on my way) :)

14) If I have a daughter....walk her down the aisle at her wedding

15) Go the Abbey Road and take a picture like the Beatles did

16) Go to TomorrowLand with Dom, Andrew, Tommy & Sam

17) Buy a brand new car

18) Buy a house for my future family

19) Earn some sort of recognition because of my career

20) Never stop learning (I would be a full time student if that was a career)

21) Write a book

22) Have a living room with 4 TV's so that I never have to miss a moment of the action during Saturday's and Sunday's

23) Attend all the weddings of my brothers

24) Graduate College at SJU (This one should probably have said first)

25) Own season tickets to the Twins or the Vikings for one season

26) Have a Harry Potter marathon and watch all 8 movies back-to-back (any takers?)

27) Leave a $100 tip for someone at a restaurant

28) Hit a Pick4 at Canterbury and have it pay out big

29) Fit into my jeans from high school (Kinda girly but important to me!)

30) When I leave this earth I want people to be proud to know me. My life already has tons of meaning and I want that to continue for the rest of my life. :)


Everyone have a good day :) Next week's blog will be about Christmas! 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Weight Loss Update/SJU Journey

Hello again. I usually write my blogs on Monday night and then post them on Tuesday after I get back from weighing in. I decided to write today's blog today mostly because I needed to gather my thoughts on what I was going to write about today. I hope that you enjoy!

Weight Loss Update: I just got home from the Medifast center and have just completed week 8 of my weight loss. I am now down 38 pounds in 56 days. Every month we do a Body Exam to look at my BMI and other things like that. My BMI is down and much of the weight I lost has been pure body fat. I am extremely happy with my progress and hope to continue to work on it. My goal is 87 so if you ever hear me say, "The Road to 87" that is what I am referring to. It is supposed to take me 44 weeks to get to 87 pounds and I am almost halfway there in 8 weeks!

Also, last week I posted that I was going to start the Insanity workout. After doing more reading about the Insanity workout I decided that I need to work my way up to that intense of the workout. I am going to do some other interval training workouts before I start Insanity. If any of you have any workouts that have been working out for you please let me know because I have been trying to find something to start!

Today's topic is my Journey at SJU. My journey started 3.5 years ago and in 2 weeks I will be done taking classes there. It feels like just yesterday that I was taking my campus visit. Saint John's was the only campus that I visited and once I got there I realized that it was where I wanted to be.

My Freshmen Year: I arrived with a truckload of stuff and got set up at my new "home." I met my Freshmen roommate who was Willie Versen. He was a great roommate. We had very different schedules. I would do all my homework during the day while Willie did his in the middle of the night with his friends. I would get up to go to work at Kennedy Community School and he would just be going to bed. Overall Willie was awesome and I am glad to have shared my freshmen experience with him. As far as classes go though, that was a different experience. I came from Senior Year at Rogers where I did the biggest senior slide imaginable. I make the joke that I did more homework in my first two weeks at SJU than I did my whole senior year but it might actually be close. The first couple of weeks at SJU kicked my butt. I dropped Calculus and thought that I had failed college. I was skipping class just because I could and highly considered transferring to the University of Minnesota to pursue journalism (For those of you who don't know, I love journalism and love to write as well.) I decided to stick out my freshmen year at SJU and it turned out to be the best decision of my life. I met some amazing people who I will call my friends for the rest of my life.

Sophomore year: Sophomore year was a completely different experience. I decided to live with Sam. Sam is my best friend and so I knew living with him was going to be a great time. I was dating Cassidy and still was poor (like all college students) so I was going home on the weekends to work and see Cassidy. Even now I barely ever drink. The one negative to not being at SJU on the weekends was the social aspect. I felt like I knew no one. I felt out of place. The good thing was that my classes were great. I was really enjoying my major and everyone in my classes. I made all my friends through my classes since I knew that I wouldn't be making them on parties on the weekends. Sophomore year was also the hardest year of my life. The night we lost Megan was the worst night of my life. I tried to go to class the next day but left halfway through. I emailed my teachers and gave myself the week off. For those of you who go to college, you know that taking a week off of school and trying to catch up is extremely difficult. I kept constant contact with my professors who were beyond amazing with understanding my situation and helping me out. They allowed me to makeup everything and keep me on track. It was then that I knew I made the right choice to attend SJU and to stay there through everything. When I got back on my feet Sam and I got an offer to move in with Sam's freshmen roommate Andrew and some of Andrew's golf buddies. Now I knew who they were but I barely knew anything about them. We decided to accept the offer and move in to the town homes for Junior year. I didn't know it then but it ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made.

Junior Year: Newly 21 with a new outlook on life I moved into the town homes in August of 2012. I still barely knew Andrew, Dom, or Tommy but I felt right at home. It was a whole new experience too. No more sharing rooms in the dorms and sharing a bathroom with 20 other guys. No more RA's (we had them but they were our neighbors and loved us). Nobody to watch over us, but us. The year at the townhouses was crazy. Being 21, going to the bar was a new experience. Sam and I were 21 the whole year so as we went to the bar more and more people started turning 21 and joining us. I was finally starting to meet some of these people that I never met on the weekends my first two years. These people didn't just become drinking buddies, they became friends outside of the bar. We did homework together in the library and went out for coffee. The roommates and I pulled pranks on each other and became more like brothers than anything. We played video games and watched sports. We argued like brothers but forgave each other 2 seconds later. I had the time of my life. I valued my time a lot more at school and decided to spend many more weekends at SJU, even though I would still come home more than most people. The roommates also accepted Cassidy like she was a part of the 446 family. Even today they talk about her all the time and it meant the world to me that they enjoyed hanging out with her and that she was accepted as one of us when she came to visit. Junior year was the best year of my college experience.

So here we are, Senior Year. I am writing this from Rogers because I now commute to school as many of you know. Once this semester is over I will be student teaching in the Monticello School District. This semester has been crazy. 22 credits was a lot to handle but I knew that living at home was going to help me focus more on my studies. Some days I leave for school at 8 and don't get back until 10:30 that night. It has been a crazy experience but I have loved every second of it. My favorite day of the semester so far was Tommie/Johnnie game. Johnnies FINALLY beat the Tommies in football and we got to storm the field. Storming the field and having an experience like that has always been on my bucket list so I was glad that I got to cross that off.

So for every professor and student at CSB/SJU I want to thank you. Thank you for making my college experience so great. Thanks for helping me through my classes and for being my friend. Thanks for holding the door open for me and giving me a smile as you walk by. It is people like you that let me know that I will be successful when we all graduate in May. I don't have time to list everyone but you know who you are. Whether we had a conversation at the bar or you were in one of my classes I love you all. I can't wait to see where the future take us all.

If you made it this far on my blog congratulations! This has taking me forever to write and I know it got a little wordy. I haven't decided on the topic for next week yet but when I know you will know.

Today is December 3rd. Don't wait a month to start a "New Year's Resolution" Get started today and get a head start on your goals. I used to keep pushing mine off but look at me now :)

Thanks for reading, you all mean the world to me.

-J-





Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Weight Loss Update & What I Am Thankful For

A week since my last blog and first off I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who read my blog. It made me really happy that you guys shared it and posted on it as well. It makes writing the next one way easier. Over the weekend I went to the Badger/Gopher battle of the Axe. The result wasn't what I really wanted but it was still very fun to experience my first game at TCF. Great venue for a sporting event! I also went to Catching Fire and must say that I loved it. Jennifer Lawrence is an amazing actress and she might have a little piece of my heart. I am planning on reading the 3rd book over Christmas break. Overall I had a great weekend and can't wait for this long weekend of time with friends and family.

Last week was also my first post on my weight loss. Last week I was down 28.1 pounds in 42 days. Today is day 49 and I am happy to say that I am now down 32.5 Pounds! I tried really hard to eat really good this week because I know that I am going to cheat a little bit on Thanksgiving. 1 day out of 365 can't kill you....right? Speaking of Thanksgiving, Thursday is the big day and for me it is the best day out of the year. Better than my birthday, better than Christmas, better than anything. For me Thanksgiving involves going to my Grandparent's house with 100 family members and close family friends. Yes I said 100 and no I am not kidding. If you don't believe me, drive by my Grandparent's house on Thursday if you can make it down the street with all the cars lined up. It is a great day full of good food, family, football and cards. We have a card tournament with cash prizes and then the kids and adults who are able to go out and play football. It is such a fun game. The first thing I am thankful for is my huge family. They are my biggest support system and are always there for me. Some of them I only talk to once a year while others I see or talk to on a daily or weekly basis. All of them are important to me and I love them all. 

The next thing I am thankful for is my immediate family. Mom, Dad, Josh, Carter, and Cody are the 5 reasons why I am who I am today. Each of them have shaped by life in the most positive ways. My mom is my favorite person in the world. She always knows when something is wrong and she is my biggest support system. I couldn't live without her. My dad and I have had our moments but he is always there to tell me that he is proud of me. We are more alike than anyone realizes. Josh and I used to fight ALL the time but since we are both in college we talk almost daily. Usually about sports but some of our conversations I wouldn't trade for the world. The weekends that he is home from school are always my favorite. Carter is my little twin even though I am starting to realize that every day we are actually very different. Carter and his friends are always over after school playing NHL so Carter and I spend lots of time together competing. I love watching sports with him. Cody and I have a huge age difference so I feel more like a 2nd father than a brother to him in all honesty. We have very different interests but he says the funniest things at the best times and that is why I love him. 

My friends- College friends, high school friends, new friends, old friends, twitter friends, Facebook friends and anyone else who has called me a friend over the past 22 years, thank you. Thanks for all the memories and all the good times. The sporting events, the fights, the arguments, the late nights, the casino runs, the bar closings, the fantasy sport drafts and everything else we have done. You guys mean the world to me and I would never be able to thank all of you. Whether you say hi to me in the hall or have had a heart to heart with me, you are the people who keep me going in life. 

Alyssa Stringfellow- My best friend. I honestly don't know where I would be if I hadn't met Alyssa at Otsego Elementary in 5th grade. We have argued like brother and sister for years but she is always there to help me when I need her. She has found the perfect man for her and I couldn't be happier for her and Brandon. Thank you for always being honest with me, even when I wasn't always the happiest with what you had to say. 

Co-Workers- Brandy, Jeff, Autumn, Corrie, Melanie, Callie, Caroline, Kelsey, Jenna, Agu, and everyone else (too many to mention) Thank you for always providing me with some drama and some entertainment throughout the years. I haven't been able to watch Real World in a while but you guys are there to make sure I get enough drama in my life and always keep it interesting. 

CHEESY ALERT! THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IS ABOUT CASSIDY SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ME BEING CHEESY STOP READING NOW :) 

The last person on my list is the most important person in my life. She is the reason I wake up with a smile in the morning and the reason that the smile is still there when I go to bed. For the past 3.5 years she has provided me with happiness that I didn't even know could exist. The love that I have for her is unlike any other that I have for any other person. I can't imagine my life without her. Anyone who talks to me or knows me at all knows that I have been planning on spending the rest of my life with her for sometime. We barely ever fight. We get in dumb arguments about who is smarter and little things like that but are laughing again two seconds later. Cassidy is an amazing, beautiful, intelligent woman and I can't believe I am so lucky. I thank God that someone like me was able to end up with someone like Cassidy. I pray to God every night that she never has to leave my side for as long we I live. Thank you for everything Cassidy. Nothing I could ever do or say could explain how thankful I am for you.

So there you have it, the list of the most important people in my life. As we celebrate Thanksgiving make sure that you reflect on what you are thankful for, no matter what it is. I hope all of you have an amazing Thanksgiving. 

Until next time,

-J- 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Update on Weight Loss/Back to Blogging

Hello Everyone!

It has been over a year since my last blog but I decided that since I was getting lots of support on my diet and lots of questions about my diet as well that I would start blogging to keep everyone up on my progress. Before I do that I would like to ask you to vote on the poll to the right so that I can see what everyone thinks about weight loss. You can select all that apply so don't be shy.

I am now a Senior at Saint John's University and time is flying by. I am finishing up my last semester of classes and then I will be student teaching in Monticello for the Spring semester. I will spend 8 weeks with the middle school students and then 8 weeks at the high school. I am looking forward to getting into the classroom! I am commuting from Rogers and so far it has been an adventure. Lots of miles on the road (Good thing those gas prices went down).

Cassidy and I have now been dating for over 3.5 years. Every day I find another reason why I want to spend the rest of my life with her and why she is an amazing person. She is a Sophomore down at the University of Minnesota. We will be attending the Gopher/Badger game this weekend and I couldn't be more excited! For all the sporting events I go to, this will be my first Gopher game at TCF Bank Stadium.

As I move forward I am hoping to try to write a couple days a week, but once a week for sure. The blog will be full of updates on my weight loss, random tidbits from me, and hopefully some information that you find useful enough to read. If you want more (many more) tidbits from me than follow me on Twitter @Jared_Hines27. I have become obsessed with Twitter and use it to express myself dozens of times a day. Also (if you haven't already) add me on Facebook and if you are really missing me I am on Google + too, even though I barely ever use it. If you never read my blog the first time you can go to the archive and read past posts. I was going to delete this blog and start over but I decided I like my old posts and the layout that this blog offers. I might change the name but we will see what happens.

Finally, I plan to blog again before next Thursday but the best holiday of the year is nearby. Thanksgiving for my family includes 100 of our family and friends enjoying food, friends, football and some family time together. We reflect on the people who can no longer be there with us and celebrate all day long. You think I am kidding when I say 100 but if you ask anyone on my Dad's side there is literally 100 people there. 102 last year if we are getting technical. But oh yeah I said I was going to talk about weight loss so I will do that now.

Today officially marks the 6th week of my Medifast diet. I will not tell you what my heaviest weight was right now but if you continue to read over the months you will eventually know. A couple friends know but they won't ruin the surprise for you :) The real important thing is that I got to a point where I was so disgusted with myself and how I looked that I decided I needed to change it. I called my Mom and said I needed the accountability that a program like Medifast provides me. Both my mom and dad have been very supportive financially as well as emotionally supporting and motivating me as well. Many of you have favorited tweets, liked Facebook statuses and texted or called me to tell me they were proud of me. I couldn't believe the amount of support I was receiving. Even if you don't think a Facebook like on my status is a big deal I want you to know that I am grateful for it and to have all of you in my life. So far here has been my progress:

Week 1-Down 6.9 pounds
Week 2-Down 7 pounds
1 Month-Down 8.2 pounds
Week 5-Down 2.9 pounds
Week 6-Down 3.1 pounds for a total of 28.1 Pounds in 42 days! The weight fluctuates throughout the day and the week as I have seen myself down to about the 30 pound mark. I am excited about my progress and strive to keep working towards that!

Along with the amazing support you have given me, a lot of you have asked how I have dropped the weight so fast.

1) Medifast has been extremely helpful and their meals that they provide are packed with protein and low carbs and a little fat as well.

2) For my own meals that I provide for myself I try to always get a good amount of protein. 90% of the time it is chicken and then I put the grilled chicken in a salad, wrap, or eat it plain. I also am addicted to buffalo sauce and use that to my advantage since it isn't THAT bad for you.

3) I don't drink soda since I started my diet

4) I don't drink very often but I pretty much cut it out of my life for right now. An occasional beer/cocktail isn't going to kill but it isn't going to help.

5) I do jumping jacks/walk on the treadmill while I watch TV. Nothing extreme right now but I will continue to increase the workload as I continue.

6) Find veggies that you like. For me it is banana peppers, jalapeƱos, and celery. I eat celery more than anyone I know but it is good for me and better than cookies and chocolate.

7) Have someone to motivate you. I told the Medifast people to yell at me if I gain weight (so far so good) but my friends don't allow me to slip up and I love them for it. Have a friend text you or call you and have them ask what you ate. Make it someone you trust so you don't lie. Little things like this helps a ton!

8) There are going to be sometimes where you can't eat as healthy as you want to. Go to Chipotle if you have to but be conscious about it. When I went I had a bowl with brown rice, chicken, hot sauce, lettuce, and corn. Not the best for me but it isn't going to kill me. Better than McDonalds and as bad as I wanted Sour Cream and a tortilla I knew that I would hate myself for eating that after. It is all about being conscious about what you are intaking in your body.

9) Eat every 2.5-3 hours so that you are never STARVING and need a burger and fries. This used to be my downfall. I would wake up skip breakfast and eat a ton at lunch. Then I wouldn't eat until after my shift at Broadway Pizza and eat enough for two people. Eat every couple hours with little healthy snacks so at the actual meals you are not looking to eat everything in sight.

10)  I saved the best for last......Drink lots of water. So many people say this but it is actually so true. You can't drink enough. It makes you feel cleansed and is obviously 0 calories. Low carbs, high protein.

So there we have it. The first blog in 14 months. That wasn't so bad. Just a reminder to take the poll because I am curious what others thing about the toughness of weight loss. If anyone has any questions about the Medifast program, eating healthy, or anything else let me know. We are in this together. Remember when you eat better you feel better. In the past 6 weeks I have more energy and I sleep better. I look in the mirror and remember what I looked like 42 days ago. I still have a ways to go but I am off to a good start.

Finally, I want to advocate for "fat" people for a second.

You aren't fat you are beautiful, BUT you might be kinda unhealthy because of poor choices. Don't call yourself fat and don't let other people call you fat either. That used to be the worst. If you are around someone who is bigger and you are making fun of fat people just know that the "bigger" person is hurting inside. People used to point and say, "Look at that guy, he is HUGE" to someone other than me and then I would look down and realize that I was WAY bigger than that guy. Finally I got sick of it and started sticking up for those people. Some people are bigger and can't do anything about it. Some people make bad choices and eat unhealthy like I do. It doesn't make me worse than you. Making fun of fat people is a terrible thing to do and if you have a bigger friend, watch what you say about them. Even if you aren't making fun of them, you might be making them feel bad by making fun of someone else.

Until next week, we should remember to always treat people how we want to be treated. My mom used to say this to me and I got sick of hating it but it is so true. Hold a door open for someone this week. Even if they don't say thanks you know you did the right thing and can feel good about it.

Thanks for reading,

-J-