Alright. Time to Get Around to It (what's a round toit?)

Shortly, I will be posting one of the ugliest pictures you will ever see. Me. Before I explain, a little background.

Growing up, I was a little guy. Not too tall. Not too big. That all changed when I turned 20. I remember vividly I weighed about 130 lbs in February 1996. By April 1996, I was 155 lbs. When I got married, the problem got worse.

See, like many people, when I turned 20, my active teenage lifestyle gave way to a more sedentary lifestyle. At the same time, my eating habits changed. It was much cheaper to eat crap than to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and whole wheat breads and pastas. It was like a perfect storm, only this time there was no ripped George Clooney and Marky Mark on the boat. Just Big Dave! Today, I'm at my heaviest. 242 lbs.

In my first post, I mentioned that I had originally set this BlogBQ to track my progress in regaining a healthy lifestyle and provide a place for friends and family to give me encouragement when I do well and h#ll when I don't.

Its not that I don't have plenty of motivation. I mean, look right. Those are two beautiful girls and I want to be a part of their life for a long time. I want to help them with their sports, to be there at their graduations, and witness their weddings. Most importantly, I want to provide a good example to them in thier lives of proper diet and exercise.

In addition, I'm supposed to be a leader to a bunch of 12-13 year old boys as their Scoutmaster. Part of the Scout Oath is to keep myself physically strong. Again, I need to provide an example to these boys. How can I expect them to live up to the teachings and standards of the Scout Oath and Law when I can't/won't do it myself. Couple that with the fact that I'm supposed to be leading a expedition to Philmont Scout Reservation next June. For those who don't know, Philmont is a Scout Ranch in the mountains of New Mexico. Our expedition will require 12 days of hiking in those mountains at elevations between 6,000 and 12,000 feet. Philmont has a weight maximum where they will not let you go if you are over it. I definately don't want to disappoint these boys by not being able to go. And, at my current fitness level, I would probably die somewhere up there and knowing these boys, they'd just leave me as bear food.

Finally, I want to do this for myself and my wife. While I'm not morbidly obese, I have become very prone to injuries and illnesses as well as poor mood and lack of energy. These things are affecting all aspects of my life: from work to my relationship with my wife.

So, its time. Its time to get back on the horse and get healthy again. I plan to join Pure Fitness down the street from my house as soon as I am financially able. I'm also going to develop healthy eating habits. To this end, I have set up an account at The Daily Plate(http://thedailyplate.com/users/profile/ASUDave01). I'll try to post what I eat during the day. I'll also keep you posted on my progress here with pictures.

I would encourage anyone who reads this BlogBQ, if you are not currently leading the healthiest lifestyle, take this opportunity to start. Set up a blog, or at the very least, post your Daily Plate Page. We can encourage each other. There are also some other great community sites that I will post in my links section.

Thanks for your help in this.

Happy Birthday, America!

Its hard to believe you are only 231 years old. You don't look a day over 230.

I love the 4th of July! Sure, its a day for BBQs, spending time with family, and trying to stay cool. But my favorite thing about Independence Day is what the holiday is all about. Celebrating America. Celebrating this God-blessed land of ours, with all her faults. Celebrating the freedoms we enjoy and those who have died, and continue to die, to protect those freedoms.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew that by signing the Declaration, they could be signing their death warrants. Yet they did it anyway. I firmly believe that these men, who were far from perfect, were inspired men. Whether they knew it or not. For what they signed and put into motion was the beginning of one of the greatest countries in the world. Through the years, millions of people from all over the world have sought her freedoms, protection, and aid.

For these reasons and more, I am proud to be an American! Is she perfect? Of course not. But as long as there are brave men and women who are ready to stand and fight to defend her and her citizens, as long as she stands ready at a moment's notice to send aid and comfort to those around the world who are starving, sick, or otherwise in need of help, I am proud to be an American.

God bless America!

PS I know this is 4 days late. So, sue me!

My BlogBQ

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not the type to be just sharing my feelings or thoughts or whatever to anyone who happens to cruise by. I'm usually a reserved, quiet sort of guy and it drives most people completely batty!

So, why start this blog? Ugh! The word "blog" just conjures up images of 20-something's sitting around Starbucks sipping their Venti Chai Latte listening to some Euro Indie musician. Either that, or some 15-year old girl who is crying because the dream-guy, Sky, at school didn't notice her new jeans. Or some politico trying desparately to "save" the world. I'm not any of those (although many will try to claim I'm the last one).

I'm not downing bloggers. I know that there are plenty of "normal" people who blog. My wife and quite a few of her family members all blog. Its a great way for people to keep in touch and share life events with each other. No, I don't have a problem with bloggers. Its just that, for me, until about a month ago, whenever someone mentioned the word blog, I pictured one of the afore-mentioned three types of people.

So, what is this, if not a blog? I don't know. I'd like to call it a BlogBQ. One of my favorite types of food is BBQ. But its not the food that I love as much as it is the event of a BBQ. To me, a good ol' fashioned BBQ is an event where friends and family come together, each bringing a side-dish, to enjoy each other's company and catch up on the news. That's what I envision for my BlogBQ. There are no set themes, no food assignments. Just bring your favorite side dish and I'll provide the main course....me.

The ironic thing is that my original purpose for starting this is to provide myself some motivation as I try to lose some weight. I'll still use it for that and post periodic updates on my progress. I expect you all to either give mad props for successes or chastise me for failures (or, more likely, for not posting at all). I'm counting on you.

Anyway, I'll try to post as often as I can. I usually don't have a whole lot to say and you will probably not get some serious touchy-feely posts or comments from me (see paragraph 1). But I will do my best. Who knows? Maybe this will provide some therapy for me to get me to open up or whatever. I know that's what my wife hope for. Right, Katy?