Episode 1: Enough is enough!

Well, it hasn't been as long as I normally take in between blog posts, but I feel that this particular topic is important enough to break my routine. And, that is exactly what this blog is about. Breaking routines! Breaking bad habits and creating good habits.

For far too long, I have been neglecting my health and I've been in a state of self denial of how bad I've let myself become. I kept telling myself, "I'm still athletic," and, "I can still play volleyball. So I'm ok." But, it was never so evident of how inaccurate and naive those statements were as it was this last weekend. Due to my vast weight gain in the last 12 years (yes, since high school), I have not been able to keep many jeans or dress pants for very long. So when I was asked by some friends of mine to help them out with a weekend job they were hosting, I was happy to help out but weary that I was going to have to purchase some new black pants. I wasn't weary because I had to buy them, it was the size of the pants that I was dreading. Only this time, I had no idea how bad this trip to the store was going to hit me.

I have faced the fact that my pant size has hit a number that starts with a "4". But it has never had anything but a "0" following it. Until this past Saturday! I grabbed a size 40" off of the rack and proceeded to the fitting rooms. As I got the pants on and tried to latch the button, I realized that task was impossible without ruining the pants. So, back to the rack they went. I tried to find a size 42" with the right leg length. No such luck. However, I did find a size 44" with the correct length. I thought to myself, "Eh, so they'll be a little big." But, when I tried them on, they were a perfect fit. WHAT?! 44"?! I remember when I was in high school and bought size 34" just so they would be a little baggier. As I looked myself in the mirror, fighting back tears, I told myself, "Look what you've done to yourself!" I folded up the pants and took them to the cashier to buy them. Throughout the whole event that I was working that night, I couldn't help but be reminded every time I looked down that I was wearing a size 44". I told myself that night that I was going to change myself for the better. There couldn't have been a better eye opening experience for me than seeing that number on the tag. I will NEVER let my pant size increase, and I will do my absolute best to shrink my waistline and get healthy again.

I know, probably better than anyone, that talk is cheap. But I'm also not asking for everyone who reads this to just believe that I'm going to do this. I would rather show you all. Humbling myself by telling you all this is just a small step that I feel is necessary to help the jump start to my long journey. But I am serious about this weight loss and health journey. I want to be a better athlete! I want to be a better coach! I want to be a healthier son, brother, uncle, boyfriend, friend, etc! I want to watch my family grow! I am ready for this challenge. I'm ready to be the man that God wants me to be!

The reason I know I'm going to succeed this time is because I didn't talk this over with anyone first. No one was pumping me up and getting me excited about this. This time... it is all me. So, to everyone that is close to me, I hope you can understand why I kept it secret for a few days. I had to know that I was serious about this before I went on blabbing about it. But, you all are the greatest, and I know you will all show me nothing but love, and I thank you with all of my heart.

So, from here on out, this blog will no longer just be an update on day to day life, and catching up on what has gone on in the time between posts, but it will be an update on my progress on the path to a healthier life style. This is not just a choice, it's a complete life change. I am so excited for this! Thank you all for your love and support. I won't let you down this time.

Now for the weigh in. My official weight, the last time I weighed in was 283 pounds about 3 weeks ago. However, I think I'm slightly heavier. So, until I can get an official current weight, I'm rounding up to 290 pounds. I have a lot of work to do, and I'm excited for what the future holds. Thanks again!

Wish me luck,
-Trevor

One Year and Counting!

As always, it's been a while since I've posted anything on here. The biggest thing that has happened since the last time I wrote here was that my girlfriend, Jennifer, and I celebrated a year of being together. It's definitely my longest relationship, and it's been an eventful one. To celebrate we have gone to Pismo, CA for 3 days back in March, and the Jerrod Niemann/Chris Young/Miranda Lambert concert at the end of April. At the end end of May, we will conclude our celebrations with a couple baseball games in the bay area. We're going to watch the A's play the Giants in San Francisco and then a few days later, we will watch the Angels play the A's in Oakland. Being an A's fan, I am extremely excited for these games. We'll have a great time, no doubt.

As for the rest of what's going on, things are going well. The lawn business is growing slow but steadily, and it's been fun getting the experience of running that business. I look forward to future endeavors and other business opportunities that may come my way.

I'm sorry this post was so short. Hopefully next time there will be more happening. Thanks for reading and for your support.

Until next time...

Trevor Dean

Good Start to a New Year

So, I feel like a lot of events have happened since my last post on New Year's Eve. Looking back on things, there were really only a couple things that happened. But, they were some fun and exciting things. The first thing that happened was that my girlfriend Jennifer and I went to Las Vegas for a short vacation. We drove (which is always an adventure) to Vegas on the morning of the Super Bowl, and arrived in town about 2 hours before kickoff. This was her first trip to Vegas, so I knew it was going to be a good time seeing the city again, but through her eyes this time. We had such a good time while there. I told her before we left that when we leave, she's going to feel like we did so much, but at the same time feel like we didn't do much at all. Boy, was I right. We walked EVERYWHERE!!! Everywhere except Fremont Street. Like I said, it feel like we did a lot. We walked up and down The Strip looking at the different casinos and attractions along the sidewalks. We took the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris, and it was such an amazing view at the time we went. It was dusk, so when we got to the top of the tower, the casinos weren't lit up yet. But as time went on while we were up there and looking around, and watching the Bellagio Fountains from high in the sky, the casino lights started to come on. Seeing her face smile at that was a joy for me, because I love seeing her experience new things. She didn't get to see the lights on the night of the Super Bowl because we just stayed in the Excalibur to eat, watch the game, and do a little gambling. But seeing her light up like the lights of Vegas did, right before my eyes, is something that stuck with me. But that wasn't the only thing, or even the most excited I got when she saw something new. When we went to the Bellagio Fountains on the street level, it was such a great and fun time watching the shows. Even though I've seen it before, it's still amazing every time I come back to view it. She was so happy that we decided to go watch it on the street level, and so was I. From there, we jumped on "The Deuce" and headed down to Downtown: Fremont Street. It was great to see the the old strip and the light show, I just wish we would have gotten there a little earlier because the casinos were starting to shut down around midnight. Kinda weird to see stuff shut down in Vegas, but I guess it happens. The highlight for me was the show that we went and saw at Rio. We saw "The Rat Pack is Back." I love that era in music, and those guys pretty much ruled it. The guys impersonating Frank, Sammy, and Dino did an amazing job. We got really lucky, and got upgraded to a front and center table right at the middle of the stage, and it made all the difference in the world. The guys were so interactive with the crowd, and being in the front row, we were able to experience some of that interaction. Such an amazing show. We ate well too. We fell in love with this certain restaurant at Excalibur. It's called Buca di Beppo, and I'm pretty sure it's my favorite restaurant now. We loved it so much that we ate there 3 of the 4 nights we stayed in Vegas. I can't wait to have it again. We had such a great experience while we were there, and I was happy to get to spend the time with Jennifer. She needed the getaway, and Vegas treated her well. The second thing that happened in the last few months was that I got my first few clients for my lawn service business. I know I haven't made the big money yet, but it's all a growing process. Just a few months ago, I had no clients, and just 2 1/2 short months later and I have 3 clients with a few more on the way. Having my own business has been challenging and exciting, and I can only hope that it keeps growing to capacity. Thanks again to everyone who has given me support and encouragement. I can't do it without you guys. So, as I said, I felt like so much has happened, but there were really only a couple of highlights. But, I'm thankful for both of those highlights. I got to see my beautiful girlfriend experience something new, and my business has started it's journey of success (hopefully). Can't ask for much more! Until next time.... Trevor