www.lovehandlesall.com

Couarge

If you attended Tuesday night's Bariatric Seminar, congratulations. You began the first step towards recovery by accepting where you are today and knowing a better future exists for you. Losing weight is as individual as we are as people.

If you are eligible for bariatric surgery  remember this surgery is only the beginning. If you are ineligible for the surgery, do not despair. You possessed the inner fortitude to attend the meeting. Believe in yourself that you can find an alternative route to living your life and conquering weight.

However you decide to lose your weight remain diligent and selfish in your quest. Involve your friends and family but make your own decisions in concert with your doctor's advice. Be brave. Be resolved. Be human. Choose to live. Discover yourself. Most importantly, be kind to yourself.

MS

Treading water...

With the closing of my family business, and my dad's battle against cancer, I find myself struggling to maintain balance. Dad was diagnosed seven weeks ago today. We announced our closing shortly afterwards; I have exercised once during that time.

More often then not I feel as if I am treading water in a sea of compulsive behavior. Pausing before I act is my saving grace. My mother's a rock. She has remained by his side daily as a steadfast reminder that two people's love for each other can run deeper than the dark waters of the Pacific Ocean.

I long to sit in salt water forgetting the realities I face: a father who may or may not survive his second round of chemotherapy and unemployment. The job search will resolve itself. I feel powerless against dad's cancer. My inner strength needs tapping. Distressing moments are an opportunity to drill deeper into your personal reservoir. When I drill will I discover humility, humor, humanity, strength, serenity? Or, like the wildcatters from long ago, will I tap a dry hole?

Hitting Bottom: 2nd Anniversary

My last post was written six weeks weeks ago a couple of days prior to my thirtieth birthday. I am having a difficult time putting into the words the emotions I feel over the last six weeks; let alone the last two years. Emotions experienced:

Tremendous growth. Evolving. Evolved. Falling in love. Falling out of love. Learning to love myself for who I am all faults included. Shopping for clothes off the rack. (The May ad for Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center show me wearing a size 46 suit. This picture was taken November of 2006. Today, that suit is six sizes too large. Who can imagine that I wear a 40R Suit or jacket?) Truimph. Fear. Anger. Doubt. Inner strength.

My father is undergoing his second round of chemotherapy. He was diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer several weeks ago. All my personal success matters little to me in the face of my dad's battle. His strength dwarf's my own battle. The battle's fought daily by cancer patients, and the victories won by cancer survivors, are remarkable. They lie in a bed, or infusion chair, hooked to toxic chemicals that kill the fast growing cancer cells. I was obese. But I did not have cancer. I had a difficult road to recovery but nothing as difficult as those who undergo chemotherapy.

Obesity is the most pervasive preventable epidemic facing America today. Yet how can people receive treatment for their obesity when gastric bypass surgery is not covered by insurance. Chemotherapy is covered by insurance. This year's Kentucky Derby had a new primary sponsor. Yum Brands, based in Kentucky, ran a series of ads during today's coverage highlighting their growing global position. Yum brands is expanding faster than McDonald's in some countries. Taco Bell sells over 2 Billion burritos a year to over 1 Billion customers. They touted the success of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut worldwide.

Fast food, in moderation, is tolerable. Companies like Yum Brands and McDonald's employ a great number of people. These corporations can help improve the decrease in obesity statistic through continued modifications in their menus. They have made some small changes but more needs to be done. If the fast food industry ignores their impact of the welfare of the world obesity will touch the lives of people living in countries never effected by obesity. The probability of developing cancer is seriously compounded with obesity. Eventually, insurance companies will need to cover the growing increase of cancer patients to combat the obese population unable to pay for their gastric bypass surgery.

Thirty...

My thirtieth birthday is here. The day has finally arrived.  To commemorate this moment in time I am doing volunteer work. Celebrate with me by donating thirty hours of your time. Volunteer work is a cornerstone of charity. Giving money is wonderful but giving time is giving of yourself. Have a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day!

MS

Evidence Now, Definition Later

After one month of working out on the Body for Life Challenge, with the help of my Gold's Gym trainer Champ, the work is starting to show. My legs were already strong from carrying so much weight but now they are slowing turning into hardened steel. The real changes are happening in my upper body. I never had much strength in my upper body. These workouts challenge me more than I ever expected. My upper torso is getting stronger. I lack the definition of the many of BFL Champions but this only a third of the way through the program.

Last year at this time, I was seventy-five pounds heavier wearing pants that were six inches larger. My shirts were still XL and my neck was 17+ inches. Now, some medium shirts hang off me. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this reality. Allowing yourself to embrace change, to be open to change, to achieve beyond your personal expectations will lead you down new roads. Embrace the unknown. Discover the impossible within yourself.

MS

"Mark, our eleventh hour Scout"

Procrastination is a dangerous co-conspirator towards living an unproductive uninspired life. Inaction defined me for so long my eleventh hour efforts were normal. The first time I ever heard the term "eleventh hour" was twenty years ago from one of the leaders conducting a board of review with my Scout troop. Our December Court of Honor was approaching. I eked in the final requirements for advancement to the next rank at the last minute barely qualifying for that last review prior to the banquet. "Mark, our eleventh hour Scout," was the greeting I heard from one of the dads.

I remember that phrase often. It forces me to evaluate the effort I am putting forth. More importantly, I am forced to evaluate the quality of the effort. I was diagnosed with ADD six years ago explaining my tendency towards procrastination. That diagnosis explains but does not condone inaction. Since I am aware of this tendency I should be more motivated to conquer it. Conquering a pattern of behavior is one the toughest obstacles we face. I conquered many learned patterns of behavior with food. I get my work done and am usually satisfied. My next goal is to no longer allow my ADD to define my inability to complete tasks the way I want when I want. Situations demand eleventh hour effort some times but that should never be the norm for an Eagle Scout who lives under the code of: "Be prepared."

Action will define the next thirty plus years. Nine more days to go. I know I am counting.

MS

Most Eligible Bachelor: The Results

The results are in, I am now the second most eligible bachelor in central Texas. This is an incremental win but a huge turning point in my journey.

If you learned about LoveHandlesAll.com from seeing me in an ad for Weight loss Surgery at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center or from the Waco Tribune Herald's Most Eligible Bachelor competition thank you for visiting.

Over three thousand people have visited this site the last few months. The bigger win for me is the hope that after visiting my site some of you will change your lives for the better after visiting. My life is dramatically different. And yet, I am still a flawed man living an imperfect life. My past informs my future decisions with 20/20 foresight.  Thank you.

MS

Available for Bookings

I am developing business partnerships with several national speaker's bureaus on a non-exclusive basis.  I have addressed crowds varying in size from 25-400 people. The length of the talk varies according to the venue and booking organization. My speech is perfect for the University lecture circuit.

Email me if you, or your group, are in need of a speaker.

MS

Getting recognized...

Last night, while hanging out with friends, a gaggle of women celebrating their friend's birthday recognized me. Apparently my picture is on the back of this month's Waco Today. I forgot that Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center was running the ad this month. It was either that or the pictures from the contest with the Tribune Herald.

My face instantly turned the same shade as the bottle of blush wine on their table. Being recognized is fine and good so long as people understand the message behind the advertising. Positive change can happen in our lives. Give yourself permission to be brave and receptive to change. The bad moments in our lives are opportunities to learn. I believe the bad times, and the good, are a prelude to better times ahead.

Free Will

Our daily battle of choices made or obligations neglected impact us for far longer than we realize positively or negatively. There is a famous proverb about a tidal wave crashing into a distant coastline obliterating everything all because a butterfly flapped its wings half way around the earth. 

I told some friends a story last night about my childhood babysitter, Mrs. Esther Reinke. She, Reinke, was our third grandmother. My memories of her are filled with laughter. She stayed with us when our parents went out for dinner or out of town and neither set of grandparents were available.  I loved spending time with her in the kitchen when she cooked. The smells still waft in my memories. I still crave her smashed potatoes. She was also a wonderful baker who often brought us homemade cookies. Chocolate chip for Scott, Oatmeal Raisin for Mom, Snicker doodles for Dad, and Sugar Cookies for me. I kept the sugar cookies in the freezer just like my grandmothers kept their Blonde Brownies and Hello Dollies. Those frozen cookies dunked in a glass of ice cold milk were heaven. The milk made the cookies dissolve in my mouth. I haven't thought about this in a long time.  Reinke loved my brother and I. Scott was a freshman in college when she died. I was in eighth grade. Mom and dad took me to visit Reinke at her nursing home the weekend before she passed. Reinke was lively, laughing, and happy to be alive. She had a heart of gold. I can't remember how old she was when she passed. Whatever her age, she died too young. 

I made a solemn promise to never to eat another Sugar Cookie at Reinke's funeral. This was an historic moment were I addressed life with 20/20 foresight. Looking back seventeen years later that promise should have been all encompassing: all cookies, sweets, and desserts. The implicit power of 20/20 hindsight teaches us from our past transgressions. These jewels of wisdom help us approach life with 20/20 foresight. One of my New Year's resolutions this was to identify and eliminate the gateway actions that lead me on self-destructive paths’. Foods high in sugar -- check! 

We are creatures imbrued with the divinity of free will. That decision then informed a path of action for me. I do not feel my choice to give up sugar cookies as anything more than sign of devotion to a special person in my life. Giving up all cookies and desserts would have been a healthier choice in the long run. Can you expect a thirteen year old kid to make that kind of sacrifice? Our actions, our choices (how we exercise this gift) will determine the ending we write for ourselves. I try to use the lessons learned in 20/20 hindsight to inform better decisions. Imagine a world where all decisions are made with 20/20 foresight. It is possible if you are willing to put the work toward the success. This is a theme we will explore at greater length in future essays.