So, let me give you guys a little background. I have been obese most of my life. From when I was six years old, and 120 lbs, to eighth grade when I weighed in at 300 lbs, I have been a big guy ALL of my life. But I wasn’t lazy. I played football, wrestled, and played baseball a couple years (Though I hate baseball, so it didn’t last too long). I was NOT your stereotypical fat and lazy person.

I worked for two years in a warehouse, working with metal roofing components and stacks of razor sharp sheet metal. At 300 lbs, I was climbing up the side of shelving units that went to the ceiling! But the work was mostly seasonal. Then I became a CNA at a Mental Hospital here in Washington, which in all honesty is a WAY harder job than being a warehouse worker. I LOVED working with people, and LOVED my job. I never faced the same situation two days in a row, and it kept me on my toes! Then I was injured by a patient, and things went down hill.

In the past couple of years, my past has come back to haunt me. Severe back pain, that almost led to an opiate addiction, leg pain and muscle spasms, inability to get around without losing my breath, things of this nature.

I smoked, from when I was seven until just this past year. Almost a pack and a half a day of cigarettes. Greatest thing I ever did was quit.

I’ve also quit drinking soda, something I used to feel I would be unable to survive without. Up until this past year, I used to drink a 2 liter bottle of Mountain Dew EVERY day, without fail! What a horrible habit that was! You know those things they talk about regretting in life? Mine is that I didn’t start on these problems sooner.

And now, I’m continuing my weight loss journey, hoping to lose at least another 200 lbs. Along the way I’ll be sharing tips and tricks that I learn, as well as sharing my favorite healthy foods. I’ll also try to include the equipment I’m using. Hopefully sometime in the future, another man (or woman) like me can use it to lose the weight they want to.

Either way, I hope you all stick with me on this journey, it’s going to be a long uphill battle, but I just have too much to live for.

Oh, and I want to apologize to anyone that has sent me an e-mail back in the past, if I never replied to you it’s because the e-mail said, “DO NOT REPLY” so I assumed I couldn’t >.> Learned that lesson yesterday. And yes, I know I can be such a dork sometimes.

CHIA SEEDS

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Chia? You mean like the Chia pets? YES! Exactly the same product! Who’d of known those little seeds for your pet were healthy as could be for you? Need some proof?

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3061/2

Why chia seeds rock:

A complete protein! If you’re a vegetarian, which I am not, you’ll LOVE chia seeds for it’s protein content. Contains full levels of ALL proteins your body needs.

Full of Omega Three Fatty Acids! You know, the healthy kind you normally get from fish? This is for people like me who aren’t the biggest fish fans and hate taking capsules the size of a frickin’ house. Get all that you need in a one ounce serving!

High in carbs, low in sugar! I know, that sounds like a contradiction. How can something be high in carbs, but low in sugar? Easy, have 11 of the 12 grams of carbs be fiber! Too many people these days are not eating enough fiber. This comes from the medical side, all of you people are full of crap. I mean literally, and these little suckers chocked full of that fiber will blast you out!

Also a good source of Calcium! Yeah, enough said.

They swell! Chia seeds have almost no taste. In all honesty, I compare them to eating sesame seeds for taste. That is until you add them to something. Then the magic of the chia seed happens and it absorbs the taste of whatever you put it in. I use mine in smoothies as a thickener, or in a poor man’s mocha to extend that rich creamy taste, but in a healthy way. (Recipes below)

So as you can see, these little buggers are fanfreakingtastic, and I can’t stop telling everyone about them! Now comes the fun part, the recipes. The most amazing thing about these bad boys is, they’re so easy to use!

Recipes:

Smoothy

10 oz your favorite fruit (I use a frozen Fruit Medley from Safeway, because I’m poor and I like variety)

5 oz water

3 Tbsp of chia seeds

A blender

This recipe is simple, put your fruit and water into the blender, blend those suckers up. Add your chia seeds, be sure to push them below the surface of your fruit and blend again. Let sit for a couple minutes, then enjoy the sweet goodness that is a kick ass energy drink. Forget the Guarana and added sugars of an energy drink, I’ll stick to nature’s candy and a smattering of rich protein.

Poor Man’s Mocha (My guilty pleasure)

1 cup coffee

2 Tbsp hot chocolate

cream to preference

3 Tbsp chia seeds

Another simple recipe. Make your coffee as you normally would, substituting any sugar with hot chocolate mix. Add cream to preference, then add the chia seeds. Be sure to stir them up well! Let sit for 3-5 minutes.

The cons to Chia Seeds:

I LOVE these little buggers, but there are some down sides to them.

Get stuck in teeth! I hope you’re handy with a toothpick, because these things get stuck in teeth sometimes. Not painful or anything like that, just an annoyance.

Texture throws some people off! I compare the texture to the little frog eyes in Tapioca pudding. It’s just a texture that some people don’t like.

Best place to buy:

Walmart.com offers the best deals on Chia Seeds, which fills me with conflict because I’m the guy who hates walmart. Bob’s Red Mill is the brand I use the most, as usually it is the cheapest. Remember folks, I am poor here.