New home for my thoughts/musings

Please go to Big Guy Tri if you really care about anything that I say. You have all been great, but my life has taken some new turns and this format/location is a better fit. This is a complete website, but I still have a blog page that will look very much like this one.

As you will see, the site deals with what I see as the four major parts of my rebooted life:

• My Faith Life ("soul food")
• My Mental Health ("brain food")
• My Nutritional Health ("food...food")
• My Physical Health (endurance sports)

Peace,
Jon

Prayer of St. Francis...time to pick it back up

I know it's been a LONG time, but it's time to finish it up. Stay tuned...gonna redo the last post, too.

I am a Clydesdale

Clydesdale Triathlete Vince Palko at the DC Marathon.

I hope I look and race like him someday.

Most avid runners/triathletes can tell you what a Clydesdale is. They'll say something like "the big guys." Technically, a Clydesdale is a male endurance athlete that weighs over 200 pounds. Generally, there is a division for 200-219 and one for 220+.

The American Clydesdale Horse Society defines its namesake as follows:


"Male or female, a Clydesdale should look handsome, weighty and powerful, so that the impression is given of quality and weight, rather than grossness and bulk."

Compliment taken and appreciated. I'm currently working to reduce the "grossness" by reducing the "bulk." I think it is good that I can embrace this because it allows me to still be "Big Papa Jon" while working towards my goal of optimum health.

Some people feel that it's ridiculous that there is a weight class in an endurance race. They say that there are already age classes...isn't that enough? Some people will say that there needs to be a different class because we aren't racing against the little guys that run 5 minute miles. We're racing against each other.

I say it's a matter of pride. I'm proud of being big. I look forward to the day when I can be proud of being big and fit.

There's one for you too, ladies. It's called Athena and it's 150 pounds and up.

The single most important piece of exercise gear that I own: RoadID

When I started exercising again I became very mindful of my safety. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that it's because people depend on me now...much more than before. Even people that are 6'5" tall and 280 pounds can get jumped, but accidents are totally nondiscrimanatory.

I live in a very busy congested and busy part of town. Metro buses go to and fro in front of my house every 10 minutes. I can be at Home Depot's front door in 4 minutes...walking. I can't even imaging the number of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles pass by me, behind me, or in front of me on a 4-mile run.

With that in mind, I started to research what I needed to do so that I am as prepared as possible to both avoid injury and, God forbid, that first responders have all of the information necessary should I not be able to communicate with them.

The very first thing that I did was order a RoadID. This ingenious little bracelet is perfect for everybody. All of their RoadIDs include a stainless-steel ID tag that can be used on multiple mounting applications. I own a black Sport, just like the picture to the right. That ID tag can be removed and added to a Shoe Pouch, a Shoe Tag, or an Ankle Band.

In addition to the RoadID Sport, they also have a swanky style called the WristID Elite that is on a rubberized watch-style band that could be worn all day, every day. The tag is a little different, but it has the same information available.

On the ID, you put your name, city, emergency contacts, any medical information, and any motivation that you may want for yourself. For those of you that have frequent contact information changes or that have complicated medical history, they also have and Interactive ID that directs the first responders and hospital personnel towards a 1-800 number or a website that contains all of your information.

Here's a comparison of the two types of ID:

The highlighted portion on the Interactive ID is not orange; it's just highlighted to show the difference. So, if you are a private person, someone who has frequently changing contact information, or someone that has extensive medical history, this is the ID for you. They only charge $9.99/year for the service. I think that we can all agree that is a very reasonable cost for the service provided.

In addition to their ID products, that have TONS of other road safety products. The one that I already used was the Firefly Supernova light. I was running behind the Target store by my house at about 10:30p (the only time that I'm free most days) and a car came around the corner. Being the cool-guy that he was, he only had on his fog lights, so he couldn't see me. He was coming right at me, so I started to get out of the way. About 25ft from hitting me, he swerved and slowed down. As he passed he shouted, "Nice light." I was sold.

I have formed a little relationship with them in order to help me continue to be able to pay for the races that keep me motivated as well as to be able to purchase exercise clothes as I continue to lose weight. If you or someone that you love exercises away from home, they need a RoadID. They are so inexpensive ($19.99 + $1.49 shipping) that you almost can't afford to NOT have one. They're safer than a piece of paper...what happens when that gets wet? I even wear mine at the gym. If I get injured and they call 911, they will be able to contact my wife immediatly and know that I have "NKA" (no known allergies).

If you order it after clicking through to the website through any of the links on this website, I get a small percentage of the purchase. I don't anticipate making a ton of money through this, but maybe I'll make enough to get a workout shirt or two per year. I've already gone from XXXL to XXL and now to XL. I'm halfway to my goal, so I'll get down to a size L at the very least.

So click and order...your friends and family (including me) will thank you.

Race Report/My Story - 4th of July Spectacular 5K

This is what I posted on the Runner's World Forum about last weekend:

On Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 I weighed 348 pounds. I was at one of the lowest points in my life. Two weeks early I had asked my doctor to write a letter of medical necessity for me to join a bariatric program (weight loss) and gotten to read how I was at risk of all of these “co-morbidities” and was “non-cooperative” when it came to health choices. I had hit rock bottom enough times to say “enough is enough!”


As I stepped off the scale, I knew that I was going to be making radical changes in my life. I knew that I was going to lose weight…I just didn’t know how I was going to get healthy and stay healthy.

I’m 31 years old and have a 4.5 year old son. As a father, I have the opportunity to break the cycle of obesity in my family. So far so good…he’s active and healthy. He eats well. However, I know all too well how easy it is to change direction.

The first two weeks I lost a total of 19.6 pounds. Week 3: down 1.2. Now, I’m not saying that I was disappointed in losing 20.8 pounds in three weeks. What I realized that day was that someday my weight loss would stop. Someday in the future I would step on this scale and cross off that last pound. Someday I would hit a 36” (or whatever) waist, wear a Large Tall shirt, and not shrink anymore. What I needed was something upon which I could measure my health progress and motivate myself in perpetuity.

On April 28th, 2010 I was sitting at my desk at work praying. I had been racking my brain for something that I could do. There were ideas, but none of them hit home; none sounded interesting. I was praying to God for some kind of guidance: “Help me find some way to motivate myself for the rest of my life because this time, Father, I’m not failing.”

When I finished my prayer and looked up to start working again two slips of paper tacked to my office wall caught my eye. I had pinned them there a year or so earlier when I had subscribed to a daily bible verse email. After they started to pile up unread in my inbin, I unsubscribed, but I left those two verses up. There was just something from each one that grabbed my attention.

The first is Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

The second is a little longer, but it was the one that caused the initial “A-HA” moment. It comes from the first letter from Paul to the Corinthians:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1Co 9:24-27)

It hit me like a ton of bricks: run. I’ve never been a runner. Obviously, the 350 pounds for a prolonged period of time kind of put a dampen on that. Add to that the fact that I am 18 months post-op from a lateral release surgery on my right knee.

I searched online and came across the “Couch-to-5K” program (C25K). It looked to be right up my alley and ability level, so I started it on May 5th, 2010. Since then my weight loss, fitness level, motivation, and overall lifestyle have improved dramatically. I feel and look better than I ever have in my life…and I’m just getting started.

On Sunday, July 4th I ran my first 5K race. The 4th of July Spectacular 5K is run in Colerain Township just northwest of greater Cincinnati. My reason for choosing this event was their inclusion of a Clydesdale Division and the fact that it fell on my very last day of my C25K training.

I ran the race with a good friend who paced with me the whole time. We actually ran the route the week prior so that I’d know where the hills were and what to expect. It took me 38 minutes that time through.

It started with a mass downhill start at 8:00am. “Downhill start” sounded good to me at first, but then I saw all of the people that used it to set their pace. This is just another reason why I love, love, love my Garmin. It has been crucial to my success.

I wanted to beat 30 minutes, if possible. I knew that it would be hard, but I thought I could do it. Accordingly, I set out at a pace of 9:30-9:45/mile. It was evident early on that the heat and humidity would be an issue…even for an 8:00am start. Around mile 2 I started to feel it. I slowed my pace to 10:00/mile, hoping to make up the difference in the last half mile.

However, the one-two punch of the heat and humidity on the blacktop finally did me in and I slowed just before mile 3. It helped that my wife, son, and aunt were cheering me on for the last 2 tenths. My 4 year old actually came out and ran the end of the race with me. My aunt, who is battling brain cancer with Ali-like skill, was also a big push for me.

I finished with a time of 32:59 and was very pleased. Just like most runners, I’m sure, I started to beat myself up for walking for those 2-3 minutes or slowing to 12:00/mile going up the last hill. Then, I realized that I’m not training for the Olympics, Boston, or even The Flying Pig…I’m training for my life and I just met the first of many goals.

I signed up for my first 10K this morning. I’m training for the next 6 weeks and can’t wait to start. I had my stuff laid out and my alarm set for 5:00a (just like I have for the last month), but I slept through it. I’m very bummed. But, I’ll just start tonight instead. I’ve never run at night and then again in the morning, but you have to do everything for the first time once, right?

Some things I’ve learned for my first few races:
-Decide your pace…and then add 30 seconds to it. You can always bump it up later if you’re feeling good.
-Ask more friends to cheer you on. They’ll come. Have them spread out on the course…it helps.
-Don’t try to follow the uber hot girls in spanks. They are always too fast.

In the interest of legality:

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.


The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Biblica.

BPJ

Feel Lucky

This is a wonderful article that sums up how I feel about running. I'm doing it for my health, but also for my aunt Maria. More on that later.

Feel Lucky About Your Next Run at Runner's World

MapMyFitness.com

This website is great for anyone that walks, runs, bikes, hikes...whatever. By using a great web-based map system, you can create routes for your exercise/commutes. It shows elevation changes, mileage, and will provide turn-by-turn directions. They even have an iPhone and Droid App.

An added benefit for me is that it interacts with my new Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS watch. I can upload created routes to my watch or download routes that I've run onto the system. This will also allow me to create maps of my hikes in TN later this month.

Here's an example of a route that I'm running tomorrow:

And I ran...I ran so far away.

I signed up to recieve a daily bible verse from a website a year or so ago. Those emails grew to be a little annoying. However, during those few months there were two verses that caught my eye. Both resonated with me and earned a stick pin in my cubicle wall next to my computer.

The first was Psalm 119:105:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

That helps me to remember that God is not only a guide to my everyday decisions (lamp to my feet), but also helping me to see how those decision affect the future (light to my path).

The second was 1 Corinthians 9:24-29:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

At the time, I used it to motivate me at work. I was not yet diagnosed, nor was I being treated, for A.D.D. I was having an incredibly hard time concentrating at work and getting anytime accomplished. There were times where I would sit at my desk and just pray that I could get one thing done that day. This passage from 1 Corinthians spoke to my heart. I did not want to "run aimlessly" and "I beat my body and [made] it my slave" so that I could be the best I could be.

Later that year, my life changed as I sought treatment. These words morphed into something much more. They have become my rallying call. They have, to me, become literal. I want to win the prize. I do everything that I can to win the prize. Yes, it has vast spirtual implications in my life. However, it's so much more in my life.

When I made the decision to take a radical path towards improved health, my world was thrown upside down. I knew that I wanted to do this to become healthier; not to become smaller. The latter is obviously a byproduct of the former, but it is so hard to qualify in any other way, for me.

My bloodwork is great. My blood pressure is a rock-steady 120 over 72. I don't have diabetes, high cholestoral, or any of the other "comorbidities" associated with morbid obesity. What I am is overweight.

I needed something that would be my guidepost. I wanted to be able to say, "Yeah, I lost 130 pounds, but the really awesome thing is ..." beh. I didn't have anything. I prayed about it a lot. I couldn't measure "being able to squat down and play with my son." I prayed some more.

During one of my mini mind breaks at work, I was praying for guidance and looked up at the wall of my cube. There, having been pinned up a year earlier, was the passage from 1 Corinthians. In addition, I had highlighted the sentence, "Run in such a way as to get the prize."

I knew right then what I had to do: run. The one exercise that I always said I despised. I used to say, "The only reason that you'll see me running is to get away from a pit bull."

"I beat my body and make it my slave..."

All at once, I wanted to run. I don't know what it was, but I suspect it was the Holy Spirit. I found a running plan on the internet called Couch-to-5K. It's a nine-week plan that is proven to help a dedicated person run a 5K race with no previous running experience. The last time that I ran for fitness was for the 8th grade Presidential Fitness test. It took me 17 minutes to run a mile...

I am currently in the 5th week and can't believe it. Not only am I doing it, but I'm enjoying it.

I'm going to run a 5K race on the 4th of July. I'm going to run a 10K race in August. I'm going to do the Little Miami Triathlon on 10/3/10. Then, one year to the day after I started running, I'm going to run the Flying Pig Marathon.

One of my friends told me to "be realistic". "After all," he said, "there's nothing wrong with running a half marathon."

He's right; there isn't. But I'm running for a lasting crown...not something that's not "wrong." I may become injured and not meet my goal. I do have a history of knee and foot injuries. No matter what, I'm going to beat my body into submission, I'm not going to run aimlessly, and I'm going to win the prize.

"Yes, I lost 130 pounds, but you know what's really cool? I won the prize...and it's worth more than my lost weight in gold."

And I also signed my email address back up for the bible verse emails.

And we wonder what's wrong with America....The KFC Double Down Sandwich

I'm starting a new segment on my blog called, "And we wonder what's wrong with America..." I see so many thing anymore that just make me shake my head and wonder what the hell is going on.

I know that I'm a Jonny-come-lately to this party. Unfortunately, it's a pretty small party.

~~~~~~~

Let's start with KFC's newest creation:

The "Double Down" is not your average sandwich. To quote their website:

This one-of-a-kind sandwich features two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe® or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce.

Oh wait...they offer a grilled one. Everything's alright then. Everyone knows that grilled chicken is good for you, right?

Well, here are the nutritional facts:
Sandwich                                      Calories    Fat (g)    Sodium (mg)
KFC Original Recipe® Double Down   540            32         1380
KFC Grilled Double Down                   460            23         1430

I don't have to really talk about the calories or fat, right? We all know that's bad. The sodium, however, is the lesser-known of the three evils. It is recommended that we keep our daily sodium intake under 2400mg. Notice that the GRILLED Double Down constitutes 67% of your daily sodium intake.

It's also very small. Pair that bad boy with some potato wedges (880mg) and a corn bread muffin (240mg), and the rest of that sodium will just float around in your blood with the 45g of fat and 220mg of cholesterol. And we wonder why the leading cause of death in America is heart disease.

Doesn't look quite as good now, does it?

A perspective on "enough": Wants, Needs, and Excess.

This weekend at VCC, we were blessed to have the President and CEO of Compassion International, Wess Stafford, as our guest speaker. Read our teaching pastor's blog about it by clicking here. It was an incredibly moving story.

What struck me the most is that we were talking about how $38/month can literally change the life of a child living in poverty. It is the difference between life and death, for many of them. We've all seen these commercials and many of us view them as a nuisance. I used to...until I heard and saw on video the stories of adults who were sponsored as children and have now grown up and are working on their Masters degrees. I heard the story of a little boy who had such a low self-worth that his first letter read simply, "You can see from my picture that I am not a good-looking boy." Twenty years later, he visited his sponsor on the way back from winning a medal at the Olympics.

The part about the $38/month that struck me the most is that I am paying $160/week to lose weight because I ate to excess.

Boom.

I could sponsor 17 kids for that. At what point did our society change so that America was no longer the land of the free, but the home of the obese? Think about this: because of my "stresses" and the availability of fatty, sugary, processed foods, I was able to eat my way to 350 pounds. At the same time, over 5,000 children under the age of five die in Africa every day due to malnutrition, disease and violence, almost all of them preventable.

Talk about perspective. These children don't get clean water, let alone food. They're lucky if they eat once per day. There were times in my twenties when I would binge eat by going through a drive-thru, eating while I drive, then going through another drive-thru when I was done with the food from the first.

I won't feel guilty...I didn't know. As I got older, I knew that there was suffering, but it's easy to ignore. "They're on the other side of the globe. I don't need to worry about it." Now, as I mature in my relationship with Christ, and as a father myself, my global view is also maturing.

What we have here on earth is not our's. If I have "enough" and someone else wants, who am I do buy more and more? Now, I know that God wants to bless us and that I shouldn't sell all of my possessions and move to South Africa. However, when making a purchase from now on, I will definitely ask myself, "Is this too much?"

Also, when I'm done with my program....I'll be sponsoring a couple of children.

The Xavier Fight Song...as played on the tuba.

Bum. Bum. Bum buh bum bum bum! Bum bum bum bum, bum, bum bum bum bum. Bum, bum, bum, bum bum bum. BUM BUM BUM BUM bum buh bum bum buh da buh bum. Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum buh bum buh bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum buh bum bum bum. bum, bum, bum bum bum bum. Bum, bum, bum, bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum. BUM buh BUM buh bum BUH DUH DUH DAH buh BUM BUM BUM BUM BUM buh BUM BUM BUM BUMP!

X!!!(duguhduguhduguhduguhduguhduguh) A!!! (duguhduguhduguhduguhduguhduguh)
V!!! (duguhduguhduguhduguhduguhduguh) I! E! R!

X!!!(duguhduguhduguhduguhduguhduguh) A!!! (duguhduguhduguhduguhduguhduguh)
V!!! (duguhduguhduguhduguhduguhduguh) I! E! R!

Bum. Bum. Bum buh bum bum bum! Bum bum bum bum, bum, bum bum bum bum. Bum, bum, bum, bum bum bum. BUM BUM BUM BUM bum buh bum bum buh da buh bum. Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum buh bum buh bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum buh bum bum bum. bum, bum, bum bum bum bum. Bum, bum, bum, bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum. BUM buh BUM buh bum BUH DUH DUH DAH buh BUM BUM BUM BUM BUM buh BUM BUM BUM BUMP!

Healthcare…one man’s opinion

I was, at one time, of the same mind as the current “Tea Party” movement. I’m not of opposite mind now, just a little off-center, if you will. I think that it has become as militant and obstinate as Obama’s Change Coalition. When so many people with access to so much information rely solely on partisan news sources and diatribe-laden chain e-mails, it’s no wonder our nation is so divided right now.
There are many things about H.R.4872 that I like (and none of them involve the ridiculous politics that surround it). There are many things that I don’t like (including said politics). However, anyone that says that we don’t have a problem with the health care insurance industry is just plain misinformed, ignorant, or both.
Here’s what I like:

• No yearly or lifetime limit on benefits
• Offspring eligible until 26 on their parents’ plan
• Improved estimating and premium-determination via the Law of Large Numbers, including those with less health problems (i.e. healthy 20/30-somethings).
• Truly helps seniors by fixing some inherent and congressional-created problems with Medicare.
• Substantial and appropriate funding to fight health insurance fraud.

Here’s what I don’t like

• The piggy-backing of student loan reform.
• The executive order regarding abortion funding (I agree with it, but it’s reversible by the swipe of a pen by one individual with zero checks and balances).
• The reliance upon future congresses to enact certain items to help it reduce the deficit. This will not happen.
• The blatant disregard for pay-as-you-go in exchange for Robin Hooding the successful.

These aren’t exhaustive lists, but they hit the highlights. The first two “likes” are selfish.  One, my beautiful Aunt Maria is boxing brain cancer right now, and she’s beating the hell out of it. However, those treatments aren’t cheap. By eliminating the yearly/lifetime benefit caps, you take the handcuffs off of the doctors and let them find the best treatment for her without having to have a fundraiser every day. There is still a person cost, but there’s no wall.
Two, my brother is 21 years old and had to make a life decision this year based upon his inability to keep health insurance through my parents. This, I believe, will help him out tremendously.
As far as the dislikes go, here’s my take:
Student Loan reform should have been handled independently. It was rammed through with hardly any discussion and next to nobody realizes that the actions this past year federalize the three largest loans that an individual usually incurs:

• Home loans – the federal government backs a HUGE percentage of all mortgage securities now. Plus, we control a lot of the banks and the entire rating system.
• Car loans – two of the largest American auto manufactures now have their financing through the federally-overseen GMAC.
• Student Loans – by creating this uber lender, we have completed the trifecta of being owned by Uncle Sam

The executive order banning the use of federal funds for an abortion is a joke. How do you determine that? You won’t ever have an earmark that says “Abortion Funds.” However, there are going to be many programs that fund or support voluntary abortions of healthy fetuses getting federal money. Does this ban any money to any group that supports any facet of abortions? Absolutely not. A health-insurance company could direct private funds to abortion-related benefits and say that no federal funds go to this. It’s the same ploy used by the United Way. They say that you can direct “your” funds to a specific charity and by-pass a group like the Susan B. Komen Foundation (they do good work in some venues, but they are pro-choice). Everyone gets the same amount of money that they would; they just redirect the contributions from people that don’t earmark to the charities that received less earmarks.
I don’t think I have to say very much about building in dates for future congresses to do something. We all know it’s not going to happen. They know it’s not going to happen. But, when it doesn’t, each side can blame the other for the situation. I can’t believe that the Congressional Budget Office would release estimates based upon this kind of insanity.
I don’t make $250,000/year. I probably won’t ever make $250,000/year. So, this won’t cost me money. Right? Right? Wrong. Who invests in start ups? Who helps to fund new research? Who does this, this, this, this and this? The wealthy. I won’t go into the specifics, but rich people get very creative in ways to preserve their money. You can bet your ass that some money manager out there is going to have a shit-ton of clients when he figures out a way to shield them from this.
There’s so much left on this topic that it makes my headspin…but this is a start.
Oh…and Steve Driehaus? You are not who I thought you could be. Chabot 2010.

Pinch me…

If you read my blog, you know that I had planned on starting the Jewish Hospital-monitored Optifast 800 weigh loss program today. However, fate stepped in and offered me the opportunity of a lifetime. I will be starting the program a week from today, but read on for my (in my humble opinion) sound reasoning.

At 3:30p on Monday, March 22nd I received the following email from the president of Xavier University’s Pep Band:

Hey Guys,
    We are in need of a trombone and tuba players for Salt Lake City or for the women's round 2 game. Please let me know if you are available ASAP. Call me at 513-XXX-XXXX.

Salt Lake City: ($200...$50/day)
Leaving TOMORROW early afternoon... returning either Fri. or Sun (depending on game outcome).

Thanks, Michelle

That $50/day is a per diem, by the way, not a charge. So, I was being invited to go to Salt Lake City, UT to play with the XU Pep Band for the Xavier University Men’s Basketball team’s Sweet 16 and (hopefully) Elite 8 games.

After about 30 minutes of internal struggle about the weight loss program, I decided that I couldn’t pass this up. So, I’m currently typing this in the Starbucks inside of the Marriot – City Center in Salt Lake City, UT (or as a souvenir tee put it yesterday “SL,UT”).

We flew out of CVG on a chartered jet with the team, benefactors, and cheerleaders. That was a neat experience. There was minimal screening done and the plane was so cool. All of the seats were leather and business-class sized.

This is the plane that flew us from Cincinnati to Salt Lake City. The two people in the picture above are Joe Sunderman and Byron Larkin from 700 WLW. They are also each Xavier Basketball royalty. 

The inside of the Sun County 737. That’s Joe Sunderman’s head sticking up…he is a VERY tall man. He is also one of the nicest and most gracious people I have ever met.

Right before we landed in Salt Lake City, we were treated to an absolutely amazing view of the Wasatch Mountains.

We landed in Salt Lake City and taxied to a private terminal that was pretentiously named Million Air. After I stopped laughing my ass off, we descended the stairs-on-a-pickup truck (pretty cool), took 10 steps (no more), and got onto our charter bus from the much more aptly-named Le Bus.

I stowed my sousaphone in our private meeting room, got my stuff to my room, and went with some friends to dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen. (I had to try this place since Joe Boyd’s son recommends it so highly). The Chipotle Chicken Pizza was fantastic. So was the bread. We need one in Cincinnati.

Good night’s sleep and two hours in a Starbucks…good times. Apparently, we are headed to the Utah Olympic Park in Park City this afternoon. I’m not sold on it, so I may try to beg off and see the Temple Square and other areas. I know that I’m 30yo and can make my own decisions, but I want to respect the rules that the band has set forth…they have been very gracious.

Until next time…

Letter of Medical Necessity=A swift kick to the figs.

The degree of transparency with which I have approached this entire Free Jon project has been, well, freeing. So, with that in mind, I wanted to share the following text from my doctor's letter to my insurance company outlining the reasons why entering this program is medically necessary.

March 17, 2010

Re:         Jonathan Meyer
DOB:     5/14/79

Dear Sir or Madam:

This letter is in regards to Jonathan Meyer and in regards to medical necessity for weight loss treatment. The patient is 30 years old, he is 6'5" tall and weighs 347 pounds. This gives him a body mass index of 41.3 which qualifies him as being morbidly obese. His medical history is significant for sever sleep apnea which has been treated with CPAP for some time now. This patient has had ongoing long-term issues with his weight and has been recalcitrant to lifestyle modifications and diet modifications. Because of his severe weigh problem exercise is very difficult and challenging given shortness of breath and joint pain and his sleep apnea is ligel directly related to his morbid obesity. The patient is highly motivated to change his weight but, unfortunately, with attempts at weight loss to date he has been unsuccessful. I have recommened the patiet pursue medical weight loss management at the Jewish Hospital Weight Loss Center and he is, again, motivated and interested in pursuing this as an option. Given his morbid obesity, waiting for treatment any longer will just leave him open for severe co-morbidities including diabetes, coronary disease, osteoarthritis, hypertentions, stroke and kidney disease, as you know.

I would strongly recommend that the patient be considered for approval for insurance coverage of his morbid obesity and medical weight loss management.

Obviously, this was painful for me to read. I sat at my desk at work after opening the fax and struggled not to run to my car and drive as far away from my computer monitor as possible. Instead, I forwarded it to my health claims processor and post it here for all to see now. While I knew that I was morbidly obese, and that I went to my doctor for the express reason off asking for the diagnosis and letter, it was still incredibly hard to read. I want to say, "I'm not diabetic! There's not even any family history! I have great blood pressure!" The reality, however, is that I could be the first diabetic in my family and that it's an inevitability if I don't make some changes.

I wrote earlier that the Free* all-church journey at Vineyard Community Church (and 50 other churches in the greater Cincinnati area) has had a tremendous impact on me. This morning affirmed that even more. Our worship pastor, Charlie Hines, lead a song that spoke tremondous me to my heart:

I am free to run
I am free to dance
I am free to live for You
I am free

The reality is...I am not free to run. Not physically, at least. I can barely jog to the end of my driveway and back. Dance...again...not really. I just get so tired and suffer in pain so easily. I am free to live for God, that's for sure. I try harder and harder every day to be a "freedom fighter," as Dave Workman put it today.

I am training to be a freedom fighter. I am fighting for my life, at this point. I know that I will succeed...and finally be free.

Big Chairs

Sitting in the Jewish Hospital Weight Management Center…and there are lots of big chairs. Every doctor’s office waiting room in which I’ve ever waited has had the regular ol’ grey chairs that hurt my ass more than anything. At home, I sit on a couch or a love seat. At work, I have a big chair because it has to go up high enough to get me up to my raised desk (or that’s what I tell myself).
Here are a list of places that I cannot wait to visit and set my no-longer fat ass down in a chair:

• Bravo Restaurant – they glue their booth tables to the wall…not gut-friendly.
• Music Hall – this…this will be the best, I think.
• AirTran Air Plane – I may have to fly to and from Baltimore from Dayton ($49 each way) in a middle seat just for shits and giggles.
• Milford Retreat Center – I broke a chair there on my first Kairos. It will be a healing moment.
• Barb and Rick Helmes’ house – ditto. Broke a chair there, too. Ironically, it is now in my living room, thanks to their giving spirit.
• Great American Ballpark Bleacher Seats – Again, full of irony. This is the only area in the ballpark without arms, but there are little lines separating the seats…grrr.

Game Changer

I went to the doctor this week for one reason and one reason only: to ask him to diagnose me as being morbidly obese. That’s incredibly depressing, let me assure you. It’s one thing to know it, but it’s another to be labeled.

The reason for this diagnosis is that I am entering the Jewish Hospital Weight Loss Program. The only way that I have any hope of getting help from my insurance company is for my doctor to tell me that I am endangering my life.

For the past few weeks, the Holy Spirit has been throwing things at me that cannot be ignored. The Free* series that my church has been going through was one of the first things that smacked me in the face. In my journal for the series, I wrote the following statement: “My inability to lose weight has made me believe that I cannot succeed in anything.”

Ouch.

Next, my pastor, Joe Boyd (author of the fantastic new book Between Two Kingdoms…it sold out on Amazon.com) talked about how his Biggest Loser scale told him that he was obese. He’s not big. I would kill to be his size. If he’s big…what am I?

Finally, one of my work friend’s neighbors, that is 35 years old, died in his sleep. He was perfectly healthy…what does that say for me?

I don’t want to leave a widow. I don’t want to miss my son growing into a man. I want to be able to join the AARP. I want to celebrate our 50th anniversary.

So, I’m going balls-to-the-wall. This program is meal-replacement shake based. 800 calories per day. It would be pretty average for me to lose 100 pounds by Christmas.

OMG (and that is a prayer). This process will also help my prayer life…no doubt.

This is going to get me blogging again for sure. I’ve missed it, but I needed some space. Now, I’m ready.

Vegetarian Adventure - Prep Week Two/Day One

Two days this week: today and Friday. Meal plan is as follows:

• Breakfast
• PB Sandwich
• Dunkin' Donuts Cinnamon Spice Coffee (awesome)
• Lunch
• Two of Chung's Frozen Vegetable Egg Rolls (without Sweet & Sour Sauce)
• A cup of Basmati rice (I know...it's Indian and the Egg Rolls are Chinese...get over it)
• Apple Sauce
• Dinner
• 3-egg Omelet w/ 2% cheese
• Broccoli

Still don't have a tasty spinach recipe for Friday. Help.

Jon & Amy's Washington, D.C. Trip: 1/20/10-1/24/10 - Google Maps

Amy and I are taking a trip (sans child) to D.C. to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Here is a map that I am making to highlight key places on our trip.

Jon & Amy's Washington, D.C. Trip: 1/20/10-1/24/10 - Google Maps

I’ll be blogging while we’re there so that my mom can show Sam what we do everyday. I’d love your suggestions for things to do.

Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-OH) has a great staff in D.C. and one of them put together an awesome day of tours on Thursday, including the White House! To end that day, I have secured a meeting with Rep. Driehaus to discuss (care)cincinnati.

Jen Ludwin Update: Unbelievable News

The most recent email recieved from my former colleague:

Greetings!



I know it has been awhile for an update, but the wait is worth it as I have some absolutely awesome news!

First of all, Jen has, as we all know, overcome some absolutely unbelievable odds. After close to 12 weeks of ICU, she is now BREATHING on her own and OUT of ICU! Two wonderful things. This also means she can finally talk. [Breathing and talking are two things I generally take for granted.] I would imagine that breathing on her own and talking are two things she is certainly enjoying now.


Jen has also had almost weekly reconstructive surgeries on her hands. Sandy Ludwin says, whereas Jen has lots more healing to go, she is progressing along the doctors’ expectations. The conversations now center on when she can move to the next space for healing as opposed to if she can move.


As always, the Ludwin family is most grateful for ALL support, both spiritually and otherwise. I know they are still shuttling back and forth between Columbus on a regular basis and can still use small meals or whatever food you can provide. See me if you can help in that way.


Once again, I see the power of prayer at work; keep those prayers coming!

My new toy (and tool) - Toshiba NB205 Netbook

As you probably know, one of the exciting things going on in my life right now is the founding and running of (care)cincinnati. Unfortunately, it is extremely hard to find time in my busy schedule to run this organization. I can't do it during work because...well...I'm getting paid to work. My employer is already very supportive and understanding, but that just wasn't an option.

I won't do it at home because I value my time with Sammy and Amy too much. I'm already away every Thursday night for Southwest Ohio Symphonic Band rehearsal and some Wednesday nights for Microsoft Office classes that I teach at The Healing Center. The last thing that I want to do is be unavailable even more. Not only is it inconsiderate, but we all really enjoy this time together. He'll never be four again.

So, the only time left is my lunch hour. However, if I stay at my desk, I can never get anything done. People come up to me all the time to talk or ask questions. My phone will ring and I will invariably answer it. Plus, I just can't clear my head of all of the work stuff to concentrate on the outreach stuff.

I had been praying about it for awhile and finally found a solution. If I can afford to purchase a laptop computer, I can work from the lunch/break room at my place of employment and, in addition, have all of the information in one central place. This seemed dead-in-the-water since I didn't have any money...until I remembered that I had just recieved a vested stock grant from my employer. If I sold a percentage of the shares, I would have enough money to buy the netbook (and needed stuff), register us as a not-for-profit corporation, gain our 501(c)3 status, and start fundraising.

It took me all of 5 minutes to find a buyer. In fact, 4 people offered to buy the stock. Later, Amy reminded me that the shares wouldn't be available in my portfolio until February; the buyer offered to pay me advance anyway. Awesome.

So, after much research, I settled on the Toshiba NB205. It has everything that I wanted (small size, large keyboard, Windows 7, and long battery life) and it was affordable. Best Buy had the best price and one was in-stock at our neighborhood store.

So, (care)cincinnati now has an office. I will start updating the website often, blogging about out activities on the website, and writing grant proposals to benefactors. I will be writing thank you's, requesting donations, organizing outings, and designing newsletters. I am so excited.

Anyone else have a netbook? Like it? Love it? Hate it? This sounds interesting: Hackintosh.

Jon's Vegetarian Adventure - Prep day 1 recap

So...it wasn't that bad. I think that it was the first time in...ever that I had a salad from a salad bar that did not contain bacon, turkey, ham, or chicken. I tried to like hard-boiled eggs...I don't. Here are some things that I learned from yesterday:

• Mixed veggies aren't that bad with a little balsmic vinegar and red pepper flakes
• Almost every soup known to man has beef/chicken stock or some kind of meat in it
• I hate hard-boiled eggs
• Little Caesar's Pizza is only good if there is pepperoni on it
• You don't get much indigestion when you don't eat meat, but you get more gas (apologies to my Durango)

The only stuff outside of my comfort zone were the mixed veggies and the eggs. So, we had a split decision. As I said yesterday, my goal for next week is to find a vegetarian dish that I enjoy containing spinach.

Vegetarian Adventure - Prep Week One

As I said in a previous post, I am going to spend the month of February 2010 as a vegetarian. More specifically, I am going to be a Lacto-ovo vegetarian. So, I will not be eating meat, poultry, and fish. This differs from other forms in that I will eat eggs, dairy and honey. For a good description of each, you can check out this page: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/tp/TypesofVeg.htm.

I found PETA's Vegetarian Starter Kit through a google search. They will mail it to you, but I try to keep my personal and contact info from fanatical groups. Although, anyone that can get Natalie Portman and Paul McCartney do make free appearances can't be all bad. My reasons for going veg are entirely different than what they have going on, but the recipes look good.

I would fill out the Pledge to be Veg, but (again) I don't want to be on their mailing list. I know that February is only 28 days, but I'll just eschew meat on the 30th and 31st of January, as well.

Today's menu is pretty innocuous:

• Breakfast: Peanut Butter Sandwich on whole grain/double fiber bread.
• Lunch: Tossed Salad with Balsamic Vinegar, hard-boiled eggs (which I hate, but provide good protein and fat), and a Thai Noodle Salad that they have here at work. If the Potato Soup doesn't have bacon in it, I may have a cup of that.
• Dinner: Little Ceasar's cheese pizza and Crazy Bread

The only departures from the norm for me on this are (1) no bacon or turkey on the salad and (2) no pepperoni on the pizza. Honestly, neither one of these are dealbreakers or especially tasty.

Next week: Tues & Thurs Veg. I'm going to push myself to find a recipe involving spinach that I enjoy.

Jon's Vegetarian Adventure

I saw a story on local media over the couple of weeks about a guy from Cincy that lost over 350 pounds over 3 years. Now, I don't have that to lose. If I did, I would be Jimminy Effin' Cricket. I do, however have about 1/3 of that to lose. He exercised...a lot. The biggest life change, however, was going vegetarian.

Those who know me know that I am a big fan of everything meat: bacon, beef, chicken, pork, bacon...all of it. However, even I am not so delerious as to think that this doesn't have an impact on my health and weight. So, I decided to have a controlled experiment.

Starting on February 1st, I will not eat any meat for 28 days. I will still eat EggBeaters, cheese, and all other animal products. I am not doing this for ethical reasons. God created all of the animals of the land, sea, and air for man's use, and I have no problem with cookin' up a good burger or chop.

Starting next week, I will spend 1 mire day per week not eating any meat. Then, on 2/1, I will cut it all out for 1 month. I want to do this for more than just health reasons, as well. Amy (my wife of 10 years) hates that I am so limited in what produce I will eat. So, I am hoping that these 28 days will provide a chance for me to find preparation methods for some of my least favorite vegetables that Amy, Sam (my 4-year-old), and I all enjoy.

I welcome you comments, recipes, and mockery on this blog's comment pages. Here is a list of my least favorite veggies:
-lima beans
-peas
-brussel sprouts
-cauliflower

Okay...I have about 20 more on this list, so let's just say that I only like corn, potatoes, baked beans, and iceberg. I will also eat soy beans and green beans, but I don't like it.

Bring it on...I need some inside info. What do you veggies and vegans enjoy?