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Hey J.C! 2 can play at this game bra! I too choose to blog every day this week. Trouble is, I’m taking my family to the beach for 3 days starting Thursday. So I’ll give you one today and tomorrow and then I’ll try to send a message by telepathy from Treasure Island the rest of the week.
I think that I’m Gonna need spf plenty as my skin is as white as the bread I’ve given up. I’ll take plenty of walks with my beautiful bride whom I’ll be celebrating 17 years of wedded bliss. Hopefully I wont be scaring any small children along the way, throwing any snowbirds into cardiac arrest, or having to fight off any marine biologists trying to put me back in the water. Those guys and gals can be pretty relentless! There will be plenty of fruit and veggies not chips and cookies. I dont think seagulls like veggies anyway! There will not be under any circumstances any speedos or tongas(they hurt when you put them on backwards!)Don’t ask.
I’m so looking forward to some down time with the family. I dont think the diet will be a problem as I think I have a pretty good grip on this thing now. Besides. Rachel pinky promised me that see is going to start making good food choices with me. Thats alot for a 9 year old to do, but I’m confident she will do well. She has God in her corner, just like me and just like you. Thanks for the laughs and the blessings. Keep responding! In Christ...Marty G  

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I am going to attempt to blog basic life for 5 days straight. A somewhat feeble attempt at discipline. MONDAY 6:30am try to wake up 7am up ...wake up boys make lunch keep them moving feed fish 7:35 Find out van battery dead 7:40 take car for breakfast at school with boys 7:55 work on morning show at school until 8:20 go home look for wallet 8:55 YMCA for spinning class 10:50 home, phone calls, brunch frozen single serving lasagna, dishes,start laundry 1:15 back to school for conference 2:15 pick up boys,take home do homework 3:35 take boys to Fitkids at ymca 4:30 boys and I go to bank and to Yogurt naturally small cup no fat no sugar white chocolate 5:00 home, boys allowed ps2 time, I am invited to play and am promptly crushed by mad mod.5:20 continue laundry start dinner I have St. Joes single serving weight loss Barbecue chicken with rice. then bag myself by eating my sons pb&j that he did not eat for lunch.6:30pm half cup of coffee with creamer boys are in reading time I water garden.7:30-9:00 laundry,dishes cleaning and blogging with Shane.boys in bed at 9 I Should be in bed by 10:30 I hope. Thanks for your patience with this exercise.

Peace JC

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Sent the bride back to Nevada and southern Utah to visit her family for a week . She is having a great time. Lets see boys 7 and 9 and a dad who often does not act much older. What does it equal BEAUTIFUL CHAOS ! That’s all I can tell. It’s now time to start cleaning.

Peace
JC

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Have you ever worked in a building that was just so cold you have to go outside to warm up? For some reason our air conditioner at our house really started to work one night. I woke up in the morning and just had to get into the sun. I layed on the back deck and just let the heat from a beautiful morning slowly envelope me. It was such a awesome feeling that I could tell it was time for a conversation with the Dude of Dudes, The Big Mama the chairmen of the the BOARD of BOARDS and if none of them were listening at least the squirrel who was watching me might have been. So as I soak in this moment I put out the question” What can I do to help me along this weight loss project” I waited in the silence for the answer to show up. Listening to the rustle in the trees the blue jays and mockingbirds doing their thing. Then the answer hit me like a hammer......"Stop eating at McDonald’s at 11 O’Clock at night you moron” There it was and I will now follow that advice. The squirrel also told me to get a new pair of pajamas...I am on it.

Peace
JC

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Lets see if I can remember how to do this. Hello to all and may you be richly blessed. It’s been a while since I’ve blogged since life has been very busy of late. Our every day rat race can become very mundane if theres never any change of scenery or any new stimuli. I have found that a diet works in very much the same manner. We diet for a few weeks or months and our bodies say “ ok thats enough, I’m stopping now”. Hence we reach the point where 90% of diets fail. The metabolism slows down because it gets used to a certain routine, so our weight loss slows, we get discouraged and simply give up. We revert to our old eating patterns and all the work that we put forth to this point is pretty much moot. Right?..... WRONG!
It’s very simple. To fire up the furnace that is our metabolism, we have to introduce change every so often. I do what I like to call my “happy meal”. I diet all week with extra protiens, minimal carbs and portion control then on Sunday after church I have the one meal during the week that is full of reckless abandon! Sounds crazy but I have 30 less reasons to tell you that it works! An extra helping of this or that or a dessert not only cranks up the metabolisim but also does away with those extreme cravings that can break even the strongest of willpowers. Try it...It works! but make sure to be good the rest of the week though as too much of a good thing is never good in the long run. 

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Call it new math. Two months into the three-month Weight Loss Challenge, our group hits the midway point.

How so? Well, we at TBO.com and 4you have become so addicted to this group of folks, we offered them a chance to stay on for an extra month. They agreed, so the weight loss continues through the end of May.

Of course, we’re quite confident that the weight loss will continue for these six individuals past that date, too, as they continue to improve their health and fitness. If their progress so far is any indicator, there’s no question about that.

The six have lost a combined 107.5 pounds in two months, setting a record for the Challenge (see chart below). Last year’s best group dropped just short of 100 pounds in three months.

So keep up the great work, Challengers! We’re enjoying every lost pound of it.

THROUGH MARCH

Women Feb. 1 – March 31 – Pounds lost

Nancy Reese 212 - 196 - 16

Sonya Kennedy 225 - 204.5 - 21.5

Brenda Wiseman 211 - 198 - 13

Total women’s loss: 50.5 pounds

Men Feb. 1 – March 31 – Pounds lost

Marty Gonzalez 400 - 374 - 26

Dan Shelnutt 435 - 410 - 25

Jon Close 229 - 223 - 6

Total men’s loss: 57 pounds

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As I was building this lego airplane I was noticing how patience, persistence and prayer were working together. I was so thankful everyday I worked on it, that this little project was brought to me. It was a project where time stood still. Something that took me to what is called the gap or the void where you are so into what you are doing your entire presence becomes part of it. Unlike watching TV where it is a distraction and information is just shoveled AT you. Here was a place of oneness with it all. A Simple Lego Model plane! Now that I’ve seen once again my brain do this I’ve started to try this with my weight project. Letting myself just try to feel even more the walking, swimming, spinning and weight lifting, To enjoy eating right not just let it go unnoticed. If you have been to that spot and most of us have for at least brief periods there is nothing like it. So whether you find that spot or can create it with your family in music, art at work or at play in church or however I SAY GO FOR IT. I have lost another pound that makes six. Come on jump in the puddle that is life. I will now calm down.

Peace
JC

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I had that term bubble up in my cauldron of a brain and just had to write it . It looks so official who knows if it is really a term. It is and it has relevance to todays adventure. So my kids receive a pro-builder 600 piece lego airplane to build, after 15 minutes they call me into help. At this point they walk away I am sitting in the middle of a pile of legos. After 15 minutes of staring at directions and using a magnifying glass I realize I am having trouble with THE FIRST FOUR PIECES. Fascinated by what my brain is doing and my weird emotion frustration with this I continue on. A week or so later I finish this project and it is a truly satisfying experience. How is this connected to weight loss is in the next blog.

Peace
JC

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Who needs a molded wad of chocolate anyway? I mean there for kids right? Thats what I heard last sunday. I thought it was kinda funny to see the kids get absolutely zooty on sugar and in another life I probably would have eaten more marshmallow peeps than a marshmallow coyote. But alas Its that kind of rationale that got me into this mess in the first place. So I popped a couple of hard boiled easter eggs (protein with color) and felt the urge to tear into the ears of some poor unfortunate chocolate critter melt away.
The diet has been going great lately, but I’ve had to lay off the exercise as I tweaked my ankle (again). It’s swollen and it hurts all the time but in due time...Gods time...I’ll be crushing some monster workouts again. I must admit that I miss the feeling of well being that comes after a good workout but theres something to be said about the mental workout that come from having to push that plate away when the feeling of satiety starts to settle in. This change is 90% mental and 10% physical. So patience and perserverance are the items of the day. Next challenge? Atlanta Ga. for the weekend. No problem. Sargent Debbie will not let me slip up. I’ve...we’ve come this far and have so much to look forward to in our lives together. I can’t stop now. Theres way to much to live for....God knows. Blessings to you....In Christ...Marty G.  P.S. Rest in Peace John...I’ll Miss You

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Its so nice when you realize that we are nothing more than lumps of clay that the master molds and shapes to his liking. While not one of us is perfect, we are all masterpieces. It doesn’t matter if your overweight, underweight, crippled, blind , or deaf. In someones eyes we are all beautiful. In order to succeed in any challenge in life you have to do 3 things. 1st and above all trust God and know that He is in total control so let go and let God. 2nd, you have to love yourself enough to allow the victory that awaits you to unfold. Visualize it, believe it, and go get it. 3rd, be patient. Things worth waiting for don’t usually happen overnight. I think that I became desperate for the pounds to fall off in chunks as I have always been a very competitive person. I think also that I have focused too much on the word “challenge”. This is no longer a challenge against 5 other people, I don’t think it ever was. The real challenge for me is staying the course. My 5 co-losers are fantastic people and I wont spend my energy trying to compete with them because we all have similar challenges in life and are all in this together, so all I can say now is go team go!
So now after a beautiful weekend of fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ, I go into this final month of shared victory with my comrades with a firm grasp of I’m still large...but God is still in charge. Father mold me in any way you see fit. I accept it and cherish your will...In Christ...Marty G.

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So I am finally back in the swing of things. Spring Break is now a distant memory, a blur, a small page in our figurative autobiographies. Meanwhile, a late afternoon nap has resulted in a fleeting case of insomnia

Though the theme of the break was “Let the normal routine go”, I did not allow myself to fall off the wagon, and as a result, yet another 3-pound loss awaited me at the Bradon Weight Watchers meeting last Tuesday. 21 pounds during the challenge, and only 10 more to reach my goal by the end of the semester (I have been on Weight Watchers since January, and 39 pounds have come and gone since then).

I began to look at pictures from later last year, around December-ish, and I have to admit, although marginal, I am seeing a small difference in the way my clothes fit, the way that I look in other clothes, and it’s starting to become more of a necessity to wear a belt. The Carrollwood 5K was a great experience. The good news is, I finished in third place in my age group! The bad news is that there were only three winners in the particular group. Oh well, I’d rather be the last-placed finisher than the first-place quitter. And for more good news, 1:30 was dropped from the Gasparilla 5K to this one! But all the same, Marty and Jon had incredible times, and it was cool to see everyone there again.

All right, insomnia is starting to wear off.... good night everyone!

-Dan

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OK, she takes the calipers and grabs my fat and starts to measure. I swear it was at this moment I had this weired out of body experience. I am looking at us thinking is there any other life form in the universe that grab each others fat and measure it? They have this electronic gizmo that does it but it is not nearly as bizarre as the calipers nor as entertaining. So I’m trying weight training with Miss Yvette (sounds sort of bondage like) at the south Tampa Y. She is trying hard to turn around my lack of enthusiasm for weights. THIS IS WHAT THE WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE HAS DONE FOR ME pushed me in a new direction, whether I lose any weight or not it has provided me the impetus to re-challenge the way I think about what I can do. And not just with weight it trickles into other parts of your life which is an added bonus. Finally, I had the funnest colonoscopy today. Life… what can I say it"s over the top.....

Peace
JC

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Hello to all and may you be abundantly blessed. It’s a good thing that I’m a pretty level headed guy. I can roll with just about anything. Today I could relate to Jim Carrey in that scene in liar,liar where he beat himself up in the bathroom. If I had the nerve I probably wouldn’t have been so nice to myself.
Last week I went to lifestyles to work out and much to my delight the scale said that I was down a total of 24 lbs. SWEET! It gave me the inspiration to go off on a beast of a work out. Man! I felt great! Then I let my guard down a little. After all everyones telling me how good I look, My old clothes fit now etc, etc. Dinner at church on Sunday, well maybe a little extra helping of Hopes famous beans, how about an apple and a pear for dessert. Next thing I know that old familiar feeling of overeating is saying...Hello, I’ve missed you! Long story short, I went to the gym today and the scale told me the truth that I didn’t want to hear...2 1/2 pounds to the north. Maybe I’m being a little hard on myself, but this is the point that I’ve always had trouble with.
So now, I’ll be upset for today, but tomorrow, better choices, more intense workouts until those 2 1/2 pounds and all the others that have plagued me throughout my life are gone. I can see in my minds eye what I’ll look like and I want it bad. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He has brought me this far and I refuse, absolutely refuse to turn back now or ever. Pray for me and I’ll do likewise for you....In Christ...Marty… P.S. Its on now!

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Just to see everyone at the Carrollwood run was so nice. Tracie and Stacie Reece should win the “we love to get up early award “for coming along with mom. Anytime I see families doing stuff together I know the power is there, even if we are all half asleep. Thank you Nancy for being there ! Marty and the Senator they just keep bringing it on. You are so determined, reading and watching you guys make it happen keeps me going. Marty my wife sends her heartfelt thanks and blessings to your family. Senator you would not believe it but I found my key in the grass. Thanks for the help. Oh yes my boys Zack and Shane were there which always makes me happy (though they wanted to run by themselves). It’s amazing they can tourture each other no matter what time of day and really have a blast. Finally the folks at the trib. and TBO.com Marty, Patty and Victor you make us feel special no matter how much we are sweating. More fun to come.

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So here we are, 7 A.M. Monday morning. For those readers among us who are USF students, welcome back from Spring Break! (Pause for a collective groan). For those that are in Hillsborough County Schools, welcome to spring break (Pause for cheers), and for those that filled out an NCAA bracket, here’s to hoping more than 8 teams are still alive!

So Saturday Morning was a very uncharacteristically early morning. Not that I have anything against waking up early, but when the alarm clock rang me awake at 5:30, I’m surprised it survived the resulting assult. I have always found a sense of irony in the way we purchase and use alarm clocks, something that completely ruins our day (Or, at least the concept of making it a shorter one), and we voluntarily purchase these! Oh well, I guess they do their job, as they did this morning.

So onto why I was up at 5:30 Saturday Morning.... For the second time in as many months, I ran a 5K. My goal was simply to beat my previous 5K time from last month, 58 minutes and change. The biggest difference in the two runs was that this one would be on grass, with a few hills, but luckily not too many. I have to admit, my knees were not happy with the fact that they were asked to do something of this magnitude again, but by the time I coerced them into cooperating, I was on my second lap, and determined to make up time. When I made the final turn, the 1 mile fun-run was just about to start, but that was of very little concern to me, as all I wanted to do was see the final time, and there it was: 56 minutes and 45 seconds. I hoped for my legs, knees, and circulatory system to just hold on for about 100 more yards, and I will have another dream realized: Beating myself, even if I beat very few other people. The final time was 57:14, around 90 seconds faster than Gasparilla. In the spirit of the Rennaisance Festival happening across the street from me, that gets a “huzzah!”

So, off to the daily grind again. Best of luck for a great week, and until we meet again,

-DS

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