Key Player

I would never take anything away from how I feel about my weight loss.  Anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight can tell you that you feel so much more confident in yourself, and it's always fun buying those smaller sized clothes.  When I look back on my journey it makes me feel so proud of myself, and more importantly I'm proud that I've stuck to that lifestyle for a solid two years now.  One of the hardest parts to think about with my weight loss story is how active my Dad was in all of it.

I mentioned it in my first blog, but my Dad was really the one who helped me make sure I could do whatever I wanted, even with my disability.  So when I went home for Spring break and said, "hey Dad, I really want to do something to lose some weight" he didn't question how I would get exercise, he went on Amazon that minute and bought me a stationary bike.  Granted he was probably tickled that he got to do some internet shopping (definitely his one of his favorite pass times), but there was never any doubt in his mind that I could do anything I set my mind to.  So it was me and my Dad in it together that summer, as it was my whole life.  He would get me on the stationary bike and sit with me while I killed myself trying to go a little further than I did the last time I rode, and he was yelling encouragements the whole time.  He never gave up on me.  Even if I wasn't sure I could do something he was there telling me to push just a little further.  I think he still is with me telling me to push a little further, just in a different way.

After I started to see results from all my hard work I really tried to pass my knowledge on to others...the first person was my Dad.  He had watched me so closely and played such a huge role in how I was feeling that I was only too happy to help him out.  This was right after my older sister got engaged, so I embarked with my Dad on his journey.  He would always say, "Chris I'm sheddin' for the weddin'!"  I couldn't wait to go home every Friday and find out what his weight loss was that week.  It got even better when we started having a race for who would reach their goal weight faster.  The most important thing was that my Dad not only got to see me succeed, but that I got to help him succeed too.

So yes, I get sad when I play my workout playlist and hear a song that brings up a memory of riding my bike in the garage with my Dad, but that only pushes me further.  I can't help but smile when I think about my Mom and Dad, and I know that they're so proud of me.  I'm about to graduate from college, I just got back from traveling to New Orleans without any of my family helping me, and I just interviewed for an amazing graduate school position.  Life can be sad, there's no denying that.  But as a very wise man used to tell me and my siblings "you can choose to be happy or you can choose not to be happy."  I try each and every day to choose happiness...