Day 638 Goatee Gone, Cool Interview Request, and The Man Behind The Curtain

Day 638

Goatee Gone, Cool Interview Request, and The Man Behind The Curtain

This entire trip has been a wonderful experience! A big thank you to Gayle for filling in on the morning show this week! I'll be back in that KPNC studio chair come Thursday.

Kenz and I had a great workout today at a little trail behind the hospital. We both kept our own pace and listened to iPods---I forgot mine, but Kenz had an extra---it was all good! Afternoon time brought a wonderful lunch together. Kenz prepared some steak fajitas---wow, these were really good, and the picture below doesn't do them justice! Thanks Kenz!

I did it. I shaved off the goatee. It was very nice---and I'll go back and forth I'm sure. It was nice to see the progress in my facial transformation, that may have been slightly hidden before. Personally, I think it makes me look younger---and that's cool. I like it both ways, so I'm fine. It doesn't matter anyway---but I had to say something, simply because I made such a pointless big deal out of it recently---then chickened-out of shaving---today I did it!

We enjoyed dinner at Chili's, before heading to the airport to pick up Kenz's sister and adorable little niece. After dinner, we walked next door to the Marble Slab Creamery and enjoyed ice cream! How can we do this and somehow keep a handle on the calorie budget for me and the WW points budget for Kenz? Simple: Portion control and a little common sense.

My strategy at Chili's was very simple. I ordered water with lemon to start. Kenz is much more disciplined than me in the water department. She must have had 5 or 6 glasses before dinner. It was a wonderful part of her strategy. I ordered the 8 ounce sirloin, regular mashed potatoes--gravy on the side, and a 200 calorie ear of corn. I ditched the bread and enjoyed half the corn. It was a very nice meal, and the table conversation and company was of course---the best part.

Walking into Marble Slab, to me, an admitted food-addict with a special fondness of ice cream...OK--maybe "special fondness" is being too kind. Obsession, that's more accurate. Anyway...walking into this place was daring--but well planned. We didn't have to lose control here, not at all. And we didn't. The strategy was very simple: We ordered kiddie sized cups. Again, portion control wins every time. Well, we win---portion control is our home run hitter!

I was contacted today by a writer for AOL, requesting an interview for their AOL health and fitness website www.thatsfit.com I'm so excited! I was also contacted by another hospital today, requesting a speaking engagement--wow, both in the same day, that's very cool.

I traveled back into the archives and found this from 364 days ago. I usually go back a year, but somehow I jumped ahead a day---hmmm:

I often mention this blog address on my morning radio show. In the beginning I was so reluctant to share because I knew it would mean my listeners who didn't know would “discover” that I was huge! I would feel exposed, revealed, and completely vulnerable. I've always been very “real” on my show, but not about my weight or appearance. Of course some listeners, many in fact, have attended remote broadcast over the years, so they knew exactly what I looked like. But for some reason it was hard for me to say “I started at five hundred and five pounds” live, on the air, in a serious tone.

I didn't want to reveal the man behind the curtain. I've always been able to hide behind the microphone, allowing a personality free of insecurities about my appearance to flourish. Over the years listeners have told me that I seem different in person, well, that's why! You can't see me when I'm on the air. But at 505 pounds, you were actually getting the real Sean on the radio. That was and still is the real me. If we've never met and you haven't found any pictures, then I look like whatever your imagination wants my voice to look like. And I've discovered that our imaginations are always very kind too.

I can't tell you how many people I've met in my twenty year broadcasting career that, upon meeting me face to face, uncontrollably release a look that says wow, you look nothing like I imagined. And I've had some that have just said it out loud, “you look nothing like I pictured!” I understand they were never trying to be hurtful, they were just surprised. I knew that this journey would mean being completely open and honest with not only you, the blog reader, but with the radio listener. After I first revealed my starting weight, I had several listeners call and tell me that they would have never guessed in a million years that I weighed that much. They were very supportive and always kind. As my journey has progressed and the weight has dropped, my on-air personality and my public personality have come together in harmony. What you hear on the air is pretty much what you get in person these days. I now walk with my head held high, sporting a confidence usually reserved only for that studio microphone. It's indisputable evidence that my much slimmer appearance is just one of the changes, I've actually changed in so many more wonderful ways.

Thank you for reading. Goodnight and...

Good Choices,
Sean


The bayou doesn't mess around when it comes to wildlife. This snake was just hangin' in the yard yesterday.


Thank you Kenz for the wonderful lunch!



These pictures of our Monday night dinner from the lens of Kenz, turned out much better than the pics I snapped and shared. This was an amazing dinner!


This is that low-cal desert I talked about yesterday. Looks amazing, huh? It was, and less than 100 calories---very cool!


On our way to New Orleans this evening---for dinner, Marble Slab, and the airport to pick up Kenz's sister and niece.


Kenz kicking my butt in the water consumption department!


With Joan and C.J.--Kenz's mom and step-dad


My dinner. Kicked the garlic toast to the side, ordered regular mashed instead of loaded, drank water---and enjoyed!


Marble Slab---oh my goodness, it was good. These were actually the same size...one closer to the camera. Kiddie sized was the way to go here--perfect really!