Weekend Update or "Sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet".

Greetings Friends~

First of all I want to remind everyone that we have a weigh in coming up on Monday. Get out there this weekend and do SOMETHING that gets your blood pumping. Do that "Last Chance Workout" over the weekend and see how much better you feel when you get on the scale Monday morning. Who will drop below the yellow line this week? Stay tuned to see who gets voted off the island this week.... just kidding!

Secondly, please remember to get me your results (your current weight in whole numbers) no later than the end of the day Monday to avoid getting a zero on Tuesday's results post.

Now to the business at hand. Usually I try to let you know about me in a lighthearted way. Today I need to get serious for a moment. If you are offended or hurt by anything I say, please let me apologize in advance.

My name is Chip and I have type II diabetes. When the doctor first told me this almost two years ago, I was extremely upset and scared. This disease is nothing to fool around with. It is a debilitating illness which, if gone unchecked, will kill me....but not before I experience some horrible things like foot or leg amputation and blindness.

I immediately started dieting, began a full fledged workout program and started taking a handful of medications. After two months I had dropped about 30 pounds and my blood sugar level was almost back to normal. I wasn't going to let this disease kill me.

Then I hurt my knee(s) exercising. A series of trips to the doctor, x-rays, an MRI, physical therapy and several steroid shots later, my knees still throbbed and swelled everytime I moved.

The end result here.... I gave up. I went back to my old ways. Maybe if I ignore or deny it, then maybe it isn't real. And so, over the last year and a half, I have lost feeling in my feet and hands. My heart, kidneys, liver and eyes have been irreparably damaged.

This brings me to the present. Several members and followers have told me how inspired I am. How dedicated I am. While that may be true, it is not necessarily for the reasons that you might think. The real reason is that I have SEVERAL friends, co-workers and family members here that are going down the same road. I will tell you this. I love each and everyone of you more than words can describe and I do not want to lose a single one of you from my life.

So now you know my dirty little secret. Don't get me wrong, I would love to be that skinny guy from 5 years ago that is almost half the man I am now. The guy that was about 125 pounds lighter than me. Losing weight should be my main goal but it isn't. Not yet. It is merely a bonus from my effort that involves saving the lives of those that I love.

There are two types of fat, chunky, big boned, obese, rotund, "pretty faced" people here. Those such as myself that have type II diabetes and are dying..and those that will get it and die. If you are one of those that only needs to drop 20 pounds or so then maybe you will cheat this deadly disease. But there are only a couple of you here.

The rest of us are dying, know it, and choose to ignore it.

And if you think it can't happen to you, well, join the crowd.

Why am I telling you this? Because I love you. Because I want to save your life. And because I don't think you are taking this as seriously as you should. So, if you care for yourself...if you care for your family... get off your ass and whip this disease. We are lucky. This is curable (or at least controllable) through weight loss.

One last thing. If you don't know what your fasting blood sugar count is then give your doctor a call immediately to schedule a simple blood test.

Inspiration of the Day

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. - Louis Pasteur, 1822-1895, French Chemist

Shopping Tip

Stop by that local fruit stand or Farmer's Market where you can see a marvelous selection of healthy fruits and vegetables. Try something new or something that you like but haven't eaten lately. You may be surprised at how great it tastes.

Keep up the good work and remember this is One Step at a Time.

Happy Trails!