I strongly dislike Joe this morning.... :)

I want to first start off by saying go Shockers and KU!!!!  Also, what a great result for the US Men's soccer team on Tuesday night, getting only their second point EVER in Mexico in almost 30 attempts. Way to go boys!

Hope everyone is having an awesome week so far, the weather around here looks like its FINALLY starting to get better (knock on wood...).  I've been feeling a little down the last week or so, not sure why. Been working out still regularly, lost a couple more pounds (HOORAY!), but I just feel big as ever. I feel like my workouts aren't doing anything to help. I'm sure that I'm just being too hard on myself, and I know that this is going to be a process, but c'mon man! Let's start fitting into some smaller clothes, look a bit more slender, and LOSE MORE WEIGHT!!! This is just one of the many physical, emotional, and psychological obstacles I'm going to have to get through, in order o achieve my goals.  I'm done complaining about it now; complaining is not going to help any. Shout out to my cousin/ lil brother Joe, who has really encouraged me through al of this.  He gave me some tips on what I should be doing for workouts after I told him about how I was feeling.  I strongly dislike Joe this morning because my arms and chest are on fire! But I love him too, for knowing exactly what was going to get my fire lit again and feel better after a workout!  Thanks homie!

I've been debating taking a few cardio classes at the Y, one with an old co-worker and a Zumba class taught by a friend who was in show choir with me in college.  Obviously I'm weary of doing either, one because it is at FIVE IN THE FLIPPIN' MORNING!!!  The other, because it's Zumba.  Not even sure what that means..... We'll see. I have a day or so to decide.  If not, Brandi is going to be hounding me until I say yes or no. :)

15 years ago yesterday, my grandfather, Ramon Sanchez Sr passed away.  Yesterday was very emotional for me, and I'm sure, for my family as well.  Not a day goes by that I don't think about him, or wish that he was still with us.  He taught me so much about being a good person, and really was the first to teach me about being a man.  I'll never forget the things he taught me and will be passing those things on to my son, so that his legacy continues for generations to come.  My grandfather had lots of health issues, blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease.  My grandmother on my dad's side, Natalia, also passed away due to very similar issues, at an even younger age.  This scares me, a lot.  Not only do I have a history of health issues on both sides of my family, but I'm also allowing myself to live a lifestyle that is only going to accelerate these issues to attack me?  No sir, not this dude, not anymore.  If it is something that I can try and prevent, then by all means I will try.  Like I said in one of my earlier posts, the way I was living life previously was going to send me to an early grave. One, much like my grandparents’' that did not allow them to see some of their family's greatest achievements.  I don't want that. If I can prevent it, then I sure a heck am going to try!

I don't think you, as a reader, as a friend, realize how exciting it is for me to hear that you've started working out again because of this blog, or that you can't wait to hear what is next.  It's humbling, it truly is.  Again, thank you ALL for your support and encouragement. YOU are my motivation, as much as anything else to do well, to succeed. Have a wonderful Easter holiday with your family and friends, until next time!

                                                                                                                         Joel

I want to walk my daughter Izabel down the isle...

So I had something just about done, ready to post today, and I deleted it all! Weird, just didn't feel right.  I talked about my overall progress so far (I've lost 12 pounds!), thanked everyone for checking this blog out, I've had over 250 views.  That's amazing to me, but seriously, thanks to EVERYONE who has stopped to read and/or comment. It truly means a lot.  I looked over it, and decided I would go in a different direction. This post gets a little personal again, like I mentioned earlier, I want you all to know me, and my motivation to be healthy and lose weight.

Someone recently asked me what I wanted to accomplish by losing weight. Was I not happy the way I was? Why do I have to be fit, why can't I just be happy the way I am, the 'way God made you?'  There's a lot of answers there, but I gave the same response I would give anyone.  There's a TON I want to accomplish (we'll get to that in a bit).  I am happy with WHO I am, but not with WHAT I am, overweight and unhealthy.  I don't have to be fit, no one does. But it is a choice that I am making, for myself, first and foremost, and also for my loved ones.  The next part made me think for a bit.  This person was right, God did make me, He made me in His image (Genesis 1:27).  But my personal opinion is that God did not create us to be fat and lazy people who have no desire to better themselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

My feeling is that I have not been living my life to its fullest potential.  Instead, I got into a 'comfort zone' which included laziness, being a boring person.  The worst and most frightening part of this to me, is that I was bringing my family right in with me to this horrible place.  They're supposed to look to ME for leadership and comfort, and I was taking them ALL to the path of an early grave.  I wanted to cry on Monday evening watching my 3 year old son, Armando, kicking the ball around at soccer practice.  I was so thankful that I was able to be out on the field with him, kicking the ball, and sharing in his joy.  Now, I would have been able to that whether I lost 12 pounds or not this last week, but it served as such a motivator to me, thinking about 5,10,15 years from now, (hopefully) watching him on his senior night in whatever sport or activity he participates in.  I want to be there!! I want to walk my daughter Izabel down the isle and give her hand to the man that God ( and to a lesser degree, me. HA!) has picked for her to spend her life with.  I want to retire, move to the farm, and grow old with Amber. I want to see grand babies, and be that 'grumpy old man' that tells kids to get of the grass, or turn that music down! I know now that I'm taking those steps to get there, it's a long road ahead, but I have no one but myself to blame.  I'm beyond that now, no time to be mad at myself for what I've done. It's time to move forward and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! Here's a few other things I want to do, and feel I can and will do with less weight and a healthier lifestyle:

• Get on a boat and be able to fish in peace, instead of feeling like it's going to flip over with any sudden move I make
• Fit better in a theater, arena, auditorium seat, and be able to not look like I'm stuck and need the jaws of life to get me out!
• Play with my little brother OJ in his basketball league and show I still have some skill in my game
• Run a 5k before the year is out
• I want to go to the gym and recognize and be recognized by random people and have 'gym talk' about workouts and getting 'ripped,' lol.
• Not get looked at by kids like a 'brown Shrek.' 
• I want the tattoo on my shoulder of a wooden cross to splinter from how buff I get! (Remember that, Lorena?)
• Participate in events and activities with my family, where weight is not going to come up as to whether or not I will be allowed to partake.
• Go swimming or walk around my house with my shirt off and not feel like a total slob, but with pride in what I have (hopefully) accomplished.

So much more I had in mind, but now can't think of them, but trust me, there are A LOT!!  I really, REALLY want to thank everyone for checking this blog out and leaving comments, and encouragement for me. It fuels me, knowing that I have so many great friends and family who want to see me do well.  I know you don't have to click the link and read, but you do. That means more to me than you'll know. Like I've always said, feel free to comment, share, criticize, and/or judge me. I'm game for whatever!  Finally, I've got Louisville over New Mexico and Kansas over Indiana, with Kansas winning the national title! Rock Chalk!

                                                                                                                                  JOEL

Amber, I'm so sorry for exposing you to my bad habits....

I've always been big. I was always the 'big guy.' When I was younger, I figured that was because I was so much taller than everyone else.  Being 'big' never bothered me before.  I was never teased or called names by people for being a fat kid, so I never really had an issue with my self esteem in school. I had lots of friends (still do, love y'all!), was pretty popular (I thought anyways), Things were pretty good as a young dude. I was the 'big guy!'

 I always knew I was overweight, but I stayed in pretty good shape.  Countless hours summer, fall, winter and spring of playing basketball, constantly trying to jump higher and score more than Derick, but also realizing that OJ, Joseph, and even Donnie were hot on my heels and there was NO WAY I was gonna give up that 'second best' spot up to anyone younger than me.  I lifted weights, played sports, summer construction jobs.  I was in pretty darn good shape. Would have been in MUCH better shape, had my eating habits not been terrible even then.  No one has time for a healthy meal as a teen in high school and young adult in college, right? I went to college at Butler in El Dorado on a music scholarship, and that's really where it got bad, FAST!

No one tells you that college is where you get fat really fast if all you do is go to class, eat an all-you-can-eat lunch, go to class some more, just head back to that buffet for dinner.  OK, that's a lie.  Everyone on planet Earth told me that, but did I listen.....?  Sure didn't.  Freshman 15? Pshhh..... How about the freshman 50!!!!  Probably more, but minimum was 50.  Again, I didn't have any issue with it. When I looked at myself, I didn't see a fat person. I was still happy with my appearance, I wasn't being made fun of, things were still good.  I did start noticing that the clothes that were baggy on me before were starting to fit better, but hey, they still fit. No problem.  Sophomore year, I'm in show choir! Exercise 3 times a week for 2 hours, singing and dancing? I'm gonna lose the Fresh.50 AND the other 15 or so I put on over the summer, no problem! WRONG!! All the dancing in the world isn't gonna help you when you're eating seconds and thirds at lunch and dinner. Even after sophomore year, I didn't much of an issue with my appearance. I noticed it more, but I was still in decent shape. I could still run some full court basketball games, so things were still 'good.'  It's weird how the determining factor of my health was whether or not I could shoot the jump shot still or run a couple full court games.....

Long story short, I've gained somewhere between 75 and 100 pounds since I left high school, in the best shape of my life. I've graduated college, got married to the most amazing woman in the world, have 2 awesome kiddos, own a home, and have a job that I love going to every day. I sure would like to continue this great life I'm having, only with less of me, a lot less of me.  Both Amber and I have gained some weight since we were college sweethearts, going to class, winking and smiling at each other thru the mirrors in concert choir :) I've gained a TON more than her, but we both know we have, no denying that.  I feel 100% responsible for Amber gaining weight, because of my laziness. That's the whole reason I'm in this situation.  I'd MUCH rather sit and do nothing, than be active. Fast food, bad food, and laziness is a bad combination for someone like me who already is big. In fact, it's a deadly combo.  Amber, I'm so sorry for exposing you to my bad habits, and letting them consume our lives. I hope you can forgive me for this, and I'm going to spend the rest of our times together trying to make it up to you. I'm super proud of the hard work you're putting in now, you're yet another inspiration to me to get fit. I look forward to the rest of our days together.  Healthy days, of course!

Asking me why I want to lose weight and get healthy is like asking a fly trapped in a spider web why it's trying to escape. We all know what is going to happen to that fly once the spider shows up and sees it.  Same here, I'm trapped in a web of bad eating habits and laziness.  Add that to the fact I'm already way overweight, I AM GOING TO DIE. I realize that now.  Sucks it took me about 10 years after high school to realize it, but better late than never, right?

I never really smoked cigarettes heavily, but enough to consider myself a smoker. I quit that, so far so good.  No cravings, no real desire either. I joined the YMCA (again), going 4 times a week, started talking to a trainer about how to do things properly too. That has me pretty motivated to go and do things the 'right way.'  I'm eating healthier now, thanks to hours of web searching, and talking with my boss at work, who has given me tips on things I can eat and should be eating. I'm on a really good path right now and I can truly say that I've never been this motivated before. EVER. Last week I lost 5 pounds, which was awesome, I was pretty proud of myself, and even took an extra second or two looking at the mirror, saying "What's up you sexy  beast?!"

Over the next few weeks I'll write when there is something to write about, negative or positive. Pictures will soon follow too, I think. Once I figure out how to do them right... I'll send a link via Facebook and Twitter, so you know when it's out too. I've been pleasantly surprised to see how many people have read my first 2 posts and excited to see how many more people, if any, continue through this journey with me. I'm going to put as much of myself out there on this blog. The more you know about me,the harder it is going to be for me to make excuses if I start falling back, or to get encouragement from people. Maybe someone will get motivated because of my struggle and (hopefully) triumph.  I have a LONG road ahead of me, but with the support of all my closets friends and family, and God on my side, I will not fail. I cannot fail.  We all know what the alternative is for me, I don't want that, and am going to fight like hell to make sure it doesn't happen. Love you all, have an awesome week!

                                                                                                                             Joel

...My Delicious Journey...

Yesterday I talked about how I've started to work out, which is an important piece to losing weight.  I dont think I will have as much of a problem with that as I will with today's post, food!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE food (obviously, looking at me would be a dead give away)! I like eating, what can I say? I realize now though, that I can't eat what I want, when I want, for however long I want.  I couldn't do it in my teens, why the hell did I think I could do it now?!?!?!

 Changing my eating habits is going to be as big a task for me as any I've ever done.  To be honest, it's going to be a life changing event for me. Just like getting married, or having kids.  I had adjust to life when I got married and had kids.  Now, I must adjust to life, knowing that McDoubles and hot wings (just to name a few!) are things that I shouldn't have, and quite frankly, do not need. The faster I get that engrained in my head, the easier this whole process is going to be.

I think one of the coolest things going for not just me, but for my company I work for is that we're starting a wellness/weight loss 'shakedown'. I really like the idea of trying to get healthy and lose weight, but now, my co-workers are getting into the spirit as well.  It's kind of hard to be motivated to eat right when you have your grilled chicken salad, while your boss has Hog Wild, or a greasy burger from Moo-Ya (which is delicious, BTW..)  We'll be able to hold each other accountable for at least one meal, plus I work with a lot of competitive people, so everyone is going to want to win!

I know I said this yesterday, but I feel like I could write for days! Who knows, maybe this is just the thing that someone needs to get motivated themselves. If it means helping someone while trying to help myself, why not, right? My next entry is probably going to be the most personal, I'm going to talk about my delicious journey to where I am now, why I want to lose weight and get healthy, and what I hope to get out of this. Again, feel free to leave comments, advice, criticism. Whatever you'd like.  I'd like to get feedback from people. I'm dioing this in part, to hold myself accountable. I've always loved writing. And hey, even if I'm not the best at it, I still got you to read up to this point, right? lol, Holler!

                                                                                                                                           Joel

For now, it's the elliptical machine....

I've had so many things running through my head since the day I made that Facebook post back in January.  Good things, bad, things. Encouraging thoughts and not-so encouraging thoughts.  I'm tired. Tired of looking in the mirror every day and seeing what I see. I'm proud of WHO I am, and what I've accomplished in life. I'm proud to be a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, grandson, Christian, and of course, Mexican! What I'm not proud of, is being obese.  and WAY obese at that.  I'm not just a 20-30 pound overweight person, I'm a 50 pound + obese person.  It sucks.  The worst part of the whole thing is that I have no one but myself to blame.  It took me 28 years to do this damage to my body.  Now, I want to get rid of it all overnight!  If only it was that easy, right?  I'm trying to make a life change, not just a weight change. By far, the H.A.R.D.E.S.T!!!!! THING I'VE EVER HAD TO DO!

Since the end of January, I started working out at the YMCA about 3 or 4 times a week.  My first day back, I ran a half mile without stopping! The next day, my body reminded me what excess weight does to your body.  My shins hurt something fierce, and I could barely walk. Maybe I overdid it.  I was happy that I ran a half mile, but I would really like to walk after.  My shin-splits came back immediately, and there was not-so-encouraging thing #1....  Over the next week, I couldn't run more than 2 laps without my shins killing me, to the point where I thought my legs might break. Again, more bad news.  I tried new shoes, ace bandages, ice and heat after workouts, nothing worked.  The last thing I wanted to do was break my leg and put me out for even longer.  I remember a friend of mine from Colorado told me he did a lot of elliptical workouts starting out.  He also, was a big boy, but since has lost a TON of weight (great job Bryson, you're one of my inspirations to do this, BTW)! I started the elliptical since and have been doing that. It has been going pretty well, but I watch the timer too much!  I cover it, and try not to look at it, but as soon as I get my first peek, i'm ready to be done.  I'm such a weak-minded person, when it comes to working out.  I don't want to be, I really don't. Hopefully, I'll get used to it.  So, for now, it's the elliptical machine.

 That's it for now, I could write for days, I feel.  I'll post some more back stuff later today, I don't wanna bore anyone who decides to read this right off the bat!

                                                                                                                           Joel