Just an average loser

OK. So, I know I'm way behind on this realization - but how awesome is NBC's "The Biggest Loser"?

I know it's been on for like a gazillion seasons, but I just watched my first episode a few weeks ago. I blame Sonja Keith, my 501 LIFE editor. In the new May issue (which hits the streets today), Sonja has a great feature on 54-year-old Rick de Roque. Rick - a resident of Conway - was a contestant on season 10 of "The Biggest Loser."

Dude was and is a beast. Back in 2001, Rick tipped the scales at 420 pounds. After gastric bypass surgery, he dropped down to 320. As he says in the story, that's as far as he was able to drop on his own: "I tried to fix my stomach, but my head was the problem, and that’s where ‘The Biggest Loser’ came in."

Last night, Brittany and I started watching his season on Hulu. At the first weigh-in, Rick dominated the competition by losing 10 percent of his body weight. I've heard he gets kicked out pretty early in the show, but that wasn't the end of the line for him. Rick went on to finish strong in the at-home part of the competition, losing 102 additional pounds after he left the ranch. In all, he dropped 165 pounds. That's incredible.

"Only one could win the $250,000," Rick says in the 501 LIFE article. "But everyone on that show could have their life back. It was up to us."

What's keeping us from getting our lives back? Is it weight? Guilt? Pain?

When I left to work in Denver last September, I was hit with some pain. Brittany and I found out she was pregnant the day before I left. There were complications, and we ended up having a miscarriage. It sounds stupid to me, but I started finding some form of comfort in food. I ate worse than I ever have when I was in Denver. I didn't dare weigh myself because I didn't want to know how bad it was getting, but the fact that I had to buy several new pair of jeans was a definite indicator.

When I got home in February, I finally got the nerve to step on the scale. I weighed 200 pounds. I've never passed two bills. It was a scary moment for me. I joined a gym that Brittany was already a part of, and I also started eating smarter again. I say "smarter" because it's not always better. I still indulge from time to time, but I'm smarter about how I do it.

Anyway - I've lost 11 pounds since I've been home. I'm back down in the 180s. It doesn't sound like much compared to what Rick was able to do, but I feel like it's a win for me. I'm not done. I'd love to get back in the 170s and maybe even the 160s. We'll see. For now I'm just an average loser. Hopefully in the next year, I'll be my own "biggest loser."

If you're struggling with something you want to overcome, check out Rick's story. Granted, the dude had some serious help from NBC in overcoming his problem, but that doesn't make us any less obligated to try. You're help may be right around the corner, and you either don't see it or don't want to see it. I know that was my biggest problem.

Sometimes you have to let go of your pride and ask for help.

First this morning, in a LWG Update...

Wowza. I have not updated this thing in 18 months. There's several reasons for that, but none of them are legit. Mostly after my last post about Big, I just didn't want to see that again. Thus, I stayed away. Oh well. I think 18 months has been long enough. I'm a big boy now...?

So -- this morning in a LWG Update, I have a lot of things to tell you in short bulletized (I made up this word) form. I'll probably go into more details on some of these bullets over the next few weeks:

• May 2010 - Brittany and I graduated. Yay. That was a fun day. Kris Allen was at my graduation, so I guess that makes me cool? At least cooler than Brittany.
• Also in May 2010 - we bought a house. I repeat - we bought a freaking house. Buying a house is stressful, as most of you know, but it was so worth it. It all came together so fast, but we are extremely happy in our home.
• In a previous post from basically two years ago, I wrote about how well my internship at Today's THV was going. That was true. My internship did go extremely well. In fact, it even helped me land a job. In March 2010, I signed on as a morning producer for KTHV. It wasn't a long-lived endeavor. More on that at a later date.
• In August 2010, I flew down to Houston one day and left with a new job. Again, it wasn't a long-lived endeavor. It was simultaneously the hardest and most financially rewarding thing I've ever done. More on that later at a later date.
• September 2010 - thought I was going to be a Dad, but it didn't happen. Worst month of my life. Maybe more on that at a later date. Not sure if I can muster up the strength to write about that. Further proof that Brittany is stronger than me: http://bit.ly/dSCAs9
• February 2011 - after working in Denver (away from Brittany for six months), I came home for good! Like I've said, that all is a really long story. A few highs, a lot of lows, but it's part of our story, for better and worse. The ladies at 501 showed mercy upon my soul and hired me full time. As always - more on that at a later date.

So - that catches me up. I've got so much more to throw out there about all of these things in the next few weeks. I'm going to get better at this. I have to now. Writing is pretty much the only way I know how to express what's going on in my life (cliche). I'm pretty emotionally autistic.

Have a good day everyone. Talk to you later.

-Peace, Love and Hershey's Chocolate-