I ate my twin.....

So, I graduated high school and weighed 173 lbs. Two weeks later (due to a low lottery number and preferring not to fight in the jungles of vietnam) I entered Air Force basic training, weighing in at 173 lbs. Today is August 28, 2010 and that was 38 years, 2 months, and 8 days ago, and the last time I weighed 173 lbs. When I got out of the air force in 1975 I weighed 195 lbs. When I moved back to Tacoma in 1982, as I was opening the Plush Pippin Pie Shop/Restaurant I weighed 216 lbs. Except for a brief drop to 242 lbs in 1997, when Fen Phen was "hot" I have always hovered at about 300 lbs. for the last 15-20 years. And now I am well above that... WELL ABOVE THAT! My doctors scale says 307 lbs., but my scale says 360 lbs. Somewhere in between is probably "real". BUT..... thanks to a friend and business colleague named Greg Peterson (might as well give him the credit) I am changing. [Greg is an accomplished IRONMAN, and a very very focused and planned guy. I like him and trust him alot] We were having a business meeting one day, August 9, 2010, and he had lunch brought in, turkey sandwiches and a small cup of tomato soup. I ate the soup and offered him the sandwich. Thanks to Greg being a direct kind of guy, he said, "Dan you need to eat that. In fact, you need to eat alot more than you do. The reason your body is like it is, is that you aren't eating enough of the right foods at the right times." I could go on about the conversation, and I have often read and thought about making a change, but somehow at that very moment, I listened to what Greg was telling me. Many of my friends and loved ones have said in very kind and polite ways, "Dad/Dano, take care of yourself, we want you around." I would always make a joke and pass it off. To them, I now know, I was scoffing and sounding like I had a deathwish, which could not be further from the truth! I love my life! But from what I hear, the next realm is supposed to be pretty good! (See, there I go... ;o) Anyway, Greg gave me three easy bits of advice; (1) Drink alot of water, and I happen to love water. (2) Stuff yourself at breakfast and lunch, and go easy at dinner. Eat alot of protein, stay off fats, sugars, and eat only good carbs, found in fruits and veggies. Avoid the bad carbs, white breads, etc. -and- (3) Sign up for a 5k (3.10685596 miles) and tell everyone in the world you are training for it. Walk 3x a week for 30 minutes, swim daily 30 full laps, and lift some weights to get your muscles working. And it all sounded so simple. And I have started, and its going pretty well. I am down about 16 lbs. So its been not quite 3 weeks and I am doing pretty good. I have a headcold I have nicnamed Katrina, so its helped not having any appetite really. But, when I saw Greg at a board meeting this week, he also said that my body is "detoxing" from years and years of eating all the wrong stuff. Maybe so. So, I am now signed up for the 5k "Turkey Trot" on the Saturday following Thanksgiving in Seattle. I am actually excited about it. I plan to run a 5k or who knows maybe a 1/2 marathon every 5-6 months. And in the meantime, train. Nothing crazy. My goal is to be 220 lbs by DEcember 31, 2011. So I have a year and four + months to make this a reality. I have nic named my endeavor TEAM DANO and inviting people to come, walk, run, cheer whoever is on TEAM DANO on! As you can tell, I am a pretty open guy. Mostly because I want to feel all eyes and ears on my plight. Its been too easy to lay back, and grow old and out of shape. But no more. From now on my humor will be directed at everything else in life, and not ME! (Just wait until you see the gory BEFORE and PROGRESSIVE pics I will be posting here... ugh!!) Like when people ask me how I have been, when I haven't seen them in a few years, I tell them, "I am well, but as you can see I ate my twin..." Which brings on a hardy laugh, and helps me let them know, "oh its ok, I am just an old fat guy, you can relax, I am still me..." But the truth is, its not me. Never has been. I have dispised this part of me. So, now, well, the world knows - I am outted - and so for me, for my family, caring friends, and for TEAM DANO, I am a new me. And thats just how it will be the last 20-35 years of my life. No more sugar and buttery stuff going into me, without the discipline to walk, run or swim it off. Ok, thats it for today, stay tuned for updates if you care too. Share your own story if you like. I will hold hands with anyone who wants to walk this path with me. ddd