Dear Friends,

I am writing this letter because I know I have a calling on my life, and in order for me to fulfill that calling I need to lose weight. I turn 30 years old in a couple of months, and just getting dressed in the morning is wearing me out right now. I have struggled with my weight for most of my life, and it is time to do something about it.

My life

Both of my parents died before they were 50 years old due to health issues caused by excessive weight. My dad had a heart attack and my mother could not get the liver transplant that she needed because she was overweight. I do not believe that obesity is hereditary, but I do believe that parents pass down eating and exercise habits to their children. I currently weigh 432 pounds. The older I get, the more I realize that I am following in my parent’s footsteps. Over the years, I have tried many diets and hit the gym a few times, but I have only been somewhat successful before my routine falls apart. When I went to donate blood today, they told me that I was too big to get on the chair in the mobile unit. Whenever I have dinner at a restaurant, I have to ask for a table because I cannot fit into a booth. This is my life right now.

My plan

An opportunity is in front of me that could change my life forever. Just like the TV show, The Biggest Loser, my goal is to completely focus on weight loss without any distractions for an entire year. My weight loss goal is 200 pounds, and I will be working with three personal trainers and a nutritionist to help me reach that goal. The nutritionist will set up daily caloric intake and meal plans. The trainers will set up a workout plan that will have me in the gym for five to seven hours a day. Essentially, I am putting my life on hold for one year in order to save the rest of my life.

My need

In order for me to do this, I am asking for your support in several ways. I am asking for a financial commitment, but I am also asking for your prayers and support throughout the next year. I will need people to pray for me that I can be strong when workouts get tough or I feel like giving up. I will need people to work out with me and push me to the next level in many areas. Because this will become my full-time job, I also need $2000 a month to live on. This covers my basic living expenses and the food, vitamins, and supplements that are part of the program. I am looking for 100 people who will commit just $20 dollars a month, or who can donate any amount possible. You can donate online below, or mail a check directly to the address below. I will also use this website to post pictures and blog about my journey. I want the pictures and stories to motivate me and keep the people who are invested in my life updated on my progress. Thank you for any investment you can make into my life. I promise that it will not be wasted, and I will use it in the future through a long healthy life of helping people. I strongly feel like I could be more of a blessing for a longer time if there were less of me.

Gene Milstead

· 8317 Emerald Hills Way #306 · NRH, TX 76180 · 817-705-2727 ·

PayPal Donation

6/13/10

What Is Your Strategy To Get To The Top?

I had another huge week of overcoming obstacles both mentally and physically. I finally broke into the 300's by dropping 6 pounds this week. It was a tough week, but I was able to stay focused and keep my eyes on the prize.

You know it can be tough when you look at the big picture sometimes. I was thinking the other day that 260 pounds is a lot of weight. That is a huge mountain to climb, not too different than what it must be like to climb Mount Everest. Mount Everest is 29,092 feet above sea level. It has five camps along the way, which gives the climbers a chance to regroup and focus on the overall goal and to rest up and get ready for the next challenge that lies ahead of them. Also, if you want to climb Mount Everest you have to make plans in advance and strategize to make it happen. You do not wake up on a Monday and say, “Hey I think I am going to go and climb Mount Everest this weekend.” It takes strategy and a team of people to help make it happen. You have to put together a team who is going to help you get to the top.

What I have discovered with weight loss is that we have to do the exact same thing. If I look at my big challenge to lose 260 pounds to save my life it can get extremely discouraging sometimes. It can seem like an endless battle that I will never achieve. Five pounds a week, compared to 260, seems like it will never come and like it is not a big success when 5 pounds a week is actually really amazing. What I am doing is setting camps (goals) throughout my journey. My first goal was to get below 400 pounds. Now that I have achieved that my new goal is to get below 350 pounds. With setting goals along the way, it helps revive the overall goal and gives you a sense of achievement. No one will ever climb Mount Everest without stopping along the way to regroup and it is the same with weight loss. If you focus on the big picture and you try to do it without a plan you will not succeed.

We have to be focused on the next camp in our journey. That should be our only focus. I don't need to focus on a size 40 waist while I am still at a 50. I need to be focusing on a size 48 and then on a 46. It is easy to get discouraged when your camps are too far apart and you are starting to get malnourished because you have gone too long without rest or you end up going back to the bottom because you took on too much to handle. There is a lot we can learn from the journey to the top of Mount Everest that we can use in our every day life. Climbing that mountain is one of the toughest feats in the world. Living a healthy life is not nearly as tough and it can be done.

Surround yourself with a great team of people who have done it before you and want to see you succeed. Then put together a game plan and set up your camps along the way. And last but not least, use your experience to help others get to the top with you. It is life changing, and your experience will drive others to be better people and be more self conscious about their actions.

Love you guys and really hope that you got something out of this.

Gene
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousJune 18, 2010 at 4:09 AM

    Great word Gene. I am proud of you bro. Darin

    ReplyDelete

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