Take That Turkey!

I survived Thanksgiving… and feel pretty good about it. I got out to play some squash while I was home and enjoyed a wonderful chicken dinner with home made cranberry sauce, the best dressing you ever had, some PEI potatoes and a home grown chicken. Family and Food are a great mix. So I came back to Moncton and got back into the routine of jogging (really it’s jog a bit-walk a bit, but I call it jogging) and you would be very proud of me because as I sit and type this and watch my Habs continue their run to the cup I am snacking. Not on Potato chips. Not on Pizza. Not even on something as delicious as the turkey sandwiches that you eat for a week after every holiday. No, I had a snack of veggies. Yep. Peppers, celery and carrots. And you know what!? I enjoyed it.

I had Greg over for supper tonight and we had a nice meal of chicken breast, corn and rice. We were having a great time of food and fellowship until…dessert. I have really cut back on desserts and after seeing the size of pumpkin roll that Greg ate I felt guilty. I was responsible for serving it to him, which really could make me responsible for him falling off this wagon which was probably really hard for him to climb up on in the first place. Sorry Greg. I owe you a walk.

Much Love,
Matt

P.S.- Is it really the high road when you point out that you are taking the high road? Just wondering.

Off To The Races

Yesterday I began my regiment… kind of. Before I go any farther though I want to make it clear that I am not using Herbal Magic. We simply went in for an assessment and they were gracious enough to do that for us. The next six months will be nothing but changing my diet and adding more activity to my days.

Like I said, I will be adding some more activity to my day. So yesterday I hit the gym. I ran a total of 2.9km and walked another 2.6km. I was feeling pretty good about myself. But that was just the warm up folks! Last evening we played ball hockey at the gym (everyone is invited, Monday’s from 7-9 at Moncton First Nazarene) for two hours and I worked up quite a sweat! You know it’s a good work out when you can hear your heart beat in your ears, your chest burn and you start hacking up something that has been sitting in your lungs for years. So yeah, I’m a little sore but all in all I feel great.

So here is where I fell short. My Mom and Dad came to visit on Saturday and it was great. The problem was is that Mom had baked me a bunch of chocolate chip cookies and trust me, my mother knows how to bake!! So I was left with a predicament. Do I not eat them and risk offending my mother or do I eat them all as fast as I can so I can get them out of the way, yet still enjoy them.

The cookies are gone. They were good.

I will close with a plea. Please encourage Greg. We had a potluck at church on Sunday and he had two heaping plates of food and he was also absent from all of yesterday’s activities. We’re all pulling for ya buddy.

Much Love,
Matt

Kick Off Video

Day 1 (Don't expect this everyday!)

And so it begins. Like millions before me and millions who will definitely follow, I have decided to take the initiative to drop some weight.  Not just a little weight, more like a lot of weight. Something to the tune of 100 lbs. of Matt.... I mean fat.

Now I want to make a few things very clear as I begin this journey. The first of which is I am not doing this because of any huge psychological drag, where I can't even go to the grocery store and look at all the beautiful people on the magazines, as I stack my Ruffles and Ding Dongs on the cashiers belt, and feel terrible about my current state.   I'm not slimming down so that I can look good in next summers bathing suit. Although I may stop swimming in the pool with my shirt on!  It's not an image thing.

I am doing this for my health and also because I have a great opportunity to put Pastor Greg Krauss to shame.  You see, I want to live and serve the Lord for as many years as I can, and the way that I am currently treating the temple He has given me is disgraceful. So basically I want to live past 30.

The other motivation is that Pastor Greg has joined me in this effort to drop some flab and will hopefully work as a great accountability partner for me and me for him.  We are very competitive people  and so this very easily lends itself to a challenge. I will leave you with this.... Matt Barbour does not lose competitions, he wins them... or he quits them because they are unfair. Amen.

Alright thats all for now. Cheer me on.

Love,

Matt