My Story…

28 Feb My Story…

Growing up, I was always the heavy kid.  My eating habits were bad and exercise was almost nonexistent.  I loved sitting in front of the TV to play video games and watch whatever might be on.  My story is like much of America today.  More and more of our children are overweight or obese.

As a grew, I felt God’s call on my life.  I began to prepare and went to Bible College and Seminary.  I met a wonderful girl and we married.  Our lives began.  Newly married.  Serving in churches.  Finishing up school.  Stress is a part of life, but for those in ministry, it can be suffocating.  I began to eat even more. 

By 2006, I reached the whopping weight of 260lbs.  At only 5’11, I knew something needed to change.  I had dieted and lost some weight before, but gained even more than I lost.  It had been that way much of my life.

My son starting taking martial arts and I really enjoyed seeing what was happening in his life.  One of the other parents invited me to try out a taekwondo class, and I was hooked.  However, have you ever seen a 260lb, 34 year-old ever try to kick and punch?  I thought I was going to die during those early days.  In fact, I whited out one night.  What does that mean?  That means that one night I got so exhausted I went blind.  Crazy… I cooled off and the sight came back, but that was scary.  It just cemented my need for change.  I kept at it and by 2009 I had worked my way down to the 240-245lb range.  Even though I was working out 5 times a week,  I was still eating horribly, so the weight was not coming off.  During this time, I watched as my Dad’s weight beat down his knees and back.  I came to the conclusion that if I didn’t lose the weight I would not be able to keep up with my job as a youth pastor and my family would only suffer as a result of my selfish behavior.  It was time to get serious.  I wanted to live to see my children grow up and begin their own lives.  I started dieting in the fall of 2009 and by the spring of 2010, I was down to 175lbs.  Since that time, I have put a few of those pounds back on in the form of muscle, but I am the healthiest I have ever been.

In addition to my taekwondo training, I started running in the fall of 2011.  At the age of 39, I ran my first 5K in September of 2011.  I ran the Little Rock Marathon on March 4, 2012.  From 260lbs to 26.2 miles, who would have thought it possible?  Not this guy.

 Discipline.  Dedication.  Drive.  …These are just a few of things that you need to change your life.  I hope that this blog can serve as a source of help and hope for those that are stuggling with their weight and health.  I desire to see God’s servants physically fit.  It is my hope that you can one day say, “I am The Healthy Pastor.”