First Goal Down

This post is a long time coming…for me anyway.  In the past months since I’ve started this journey I have seen many hit their goals. I have given well deserved congratulations to people all while hoping my day would come soon. It was like they were having parties that I really wanted to be part of but just wasn’t at the level to be invited yet. Today though….today is my party, and you are all invited!

I have been fighting the same 5 to 7 pounds for the last 2 months. It was a frustrating wall that I could not get over.  My first goal seemed so far away, yet it was so close number wise. I even considered stopping the weight training to see if the scale would move below that 300 mark. I needed to see some progress for my sanity. I don’t want to be a prisoner of the scale, but I needed to hit my first goal. Just to know that I was on the right track and moving forward would do wonders for my mind and give me that extra something I needed to keep going. I had been stepping on the scale all week and watching the number drop every day… I knew I was close, I had to keep fighting.

Today I am proud to say, I hit my first goal. I am now officially below 300 pounds, weighing in at 298! Oh yeah…I stepped on the scale about 4 times to make sure it was right. I moved it around the floor to make sure I wasn’t on uneven ground. I even had my girlfriend come check it out to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Yes friends, all 4 times the scale read 298. To say I was happy was an understatement. My girlfriend gave me a hug and I walked into the bedroom with a little fist pump. Yeah…it was a good day.

To some 298 pounds is a goal they would someday like to achieve. To others 298 pounds is a goal they have blown past and never want to see again. Some have never even had the torturous experience of weighing that much, and for that I am glad. For me though, 298 pounds represents a new beginning of sorts, the start of working toward my next goal which is 270. I never want to see 300 pounds in reference to my weight again, and I won’t.

To all who have inspired me to move forward and break through the wall…THANK YOU! To anyone who is struggling to break through their own wall, I leave you with this:

“To be challenged is inevitable. To be defeated is optional…NEVER GIVE UP!”-Unknown

Follow Fridays?

For those few of you not using Twitter (I’m looking at you Patrick :note, he is now on twitter @Rspnsblty199), Follow Friday is a time to list people whom you think others should follow. We use the hash tag #FF or #FollowFriday proceeded by a list of names. The problem with this format is that because Twitter limits you to 140 characters, we tend to just get a bland list of people to follow without knowing why we should follow them.

So last week I tried to change that up a bit and started to give individual shout outs to people I think others should follow. I wanted others to know exactly why I thought they should follow these people. This is not a new concept and I don’t pretend to be a trend setter by any means, but I do think that this idea is not used often enough.

So, although today is not a Friday, I am summing up all the #FF’s I did last week and adding others that I just did not have time to mention. So without further ado, I present to you my Follow Friday list. Say hello and follow…:

#FF This tantalizing tweep hails from MO. Likes fitness, WOW and has a knock your socks off personality, say hi and follow @ahrdor

#FF With a great sense of humor, this tweep will make you smile at her blog http://tinyurl.com/2ayrk4e . Say hi and follow @FatGirlvsWorld

#FF A new name to my stream, he has proven to be a fascinating person. Hailing from www.urbanbacon.com say hi and follow @UrbanBacon

#FF Her story @ 263andcounting.com will inspire, her positive attitude will kick your lazy ass, say hi and follow @tidbits_of_tara

#FF He has a passion for technology and bacon with an ear for great music say hi and follow @iAmCloud

#FF Her savvy writing and flair for social media will leave you wanting more. Say hello and follow @jenncloud

#FF He will captivate you with his humor and bedazzle with his wit. Say hi and follow @nomorebacon and visit www.nomorebacon.com

#FF Geekdom, sports and technology pretty much some up this tweep. Visit http://bigdaddyshouse.tumblr.com say hi and follow @smartin73

#FF Armed with his camera and his blog (http://tinyurl.com/25u4pjp) @chrispugh will impress you through pictures as well as his tweets.

#FF take a scenic journey around southern UK through his captivating pictures, as @Cyclingsi shows off his passion for biking and hiking.

#FF She will help you trigger a passion for running at her site www.halfofjess.com, and astound you with her grand personality. Say hi and follow @HalfOfJess

#FF An advocate for eating organic, this cyclist and personal trainer will impress with his affectionate nature and love for the best sports teams :p. Say hi and follow @Lebrillesoleil

#FF Say hi and follow @MollyMFNitka, because her adventurous nature and bubbly personality are only topped by her sincere adoration for her followers.

#FF This monarch of weight loss has inspired a ton of us, with his humorous tweets and his affectionate yet bold blog (http://jackfit.blogspot.com). Say hi and follow @jacksht

#FF Named most influential tweep in St Louis, his informative tweets will enlighten you, while his humorous T-shirts will leave you asking “where’s mine”. Say hello and follow @RizzoTees (http://rizzotees.com).

#FF Common knowledge dictates that to be happy we should surround ourselves with happy people. That’s why following Brandon is good for you. Not only is he pleasurable to talk with, but an uplifting weight loss blogger as well. Say hi and follow @AHealthyDad

#FF  Not just another great blogger, this magnificent maiden give you something more. Check out her blog here www.fatgirlscanrun.com and follow her journey down the path to healthy...oh and to eat 500 fish sticks :p. Say hi and follow @fatGirlsCanRun

#FF Looking for a wondrous follower who will offer extreme amounts of inspiration? Say hello and follow @Brooklyn_1012

#FF  Another new follower to my stream, this gentleman is made of awesome and will add laughter to your day. Say hello and follow @slimminsam 

#FF Add a little sports knowledge to your life while being inspired by this fearless father of a 4 year old. Say hello and follow @jpnagan

OK, well that is all for now. I missed a ton of people, but if you like follow me @VinnySlavin and every Friday I will try to suggest more great tweeps to follow.