Today’s stats: 10/31/2017
Begin Date: 10/16/2017
Starting Weight: 322.4 Today’s Weight : ? Total Weight Loss: +3.2
Days: 15 Average Weight loss: +.021
Actual days since journey began: 261
Due to running late today I did not get a chance to weigh myself. Todays post is mainly going to be about Halloween but also about how this ties into my weight loss journey.
Today is Halloween, my favorite holiday, but I am unable to really enjoy it this year. I really wanted this year to be the year I made a custom costume again. The last time I did it was back in 2000/2001. I won several costume contests then. I unfortunately haven’t done it since and I need to.
So whats holding me back? Time is one factor but the real factor is my weight. Why is that an issue ? Well to do a custom costume again have to take a body casting of my body to be able to make a statue to build clay onto and then cast. While I could do this with plaster it takes too long of standing completely still while the plaster bandages set up and harden. It really is too difficult to stand for 3 hours not moving my body wont take it.
The next best thing to make a body casting is smooth on which is a silicon molding compound. This compound you basically paint on and it hardens however it comes with a $400 price tag. With how much this costs I want to do it only once and then make the statue of myself which will become an armature for all future custom costume projects. Since I have to lose weight (it is not optional) there is no sense in doing one now as it will not represent my body within even a month of losing weight let alone dropping over 100lbs. I have held off doing a custom costume for this reason and relented to using store bought ones (which I am not a fan of as the selection sucks and so does the quality).
I used to make these costumes to compete in costume contests and I walked away with over $1500 in prizes and cash, some of which I still even still have and use today like my Coleman Fire and Ice special Bacardi Edition (which is no longer made). I now see what is out there and it seems like even less people than before are dressing up for Halloween. I think better more elaborate costumes would help to spark interest again in Halloween. The costumes I saw winning this year were store bought costumes. That simply did not happen back 8 years ago which goes to show less and less people are putting any effort into the holiday.
I think part of the reason less people are involved with Halloween is because the Holiday has been tromped on by Christmas. The Halloween stuff wasn’t on the shelves until late September. Then by the second week of October already all the Christmas stuff was up on the shelves. Each year the encroachment into Halloween gets worse. Also for some reason it has gotten a bad rap. In Australia letting your kids go out alone trick or treating is considered child abuse. I feel it is becoming the same thing here.
I think many parents don’t want their kids going out because they are scared they will be hurt , abducted or some other thing. I also wonder if it is a money/ time factor as well. And if the kids are so into technology they rather stay home and play a video game or watch movies then go out. Its just strange to me it used be to such a happy day as a child and now it seems like most people cannot be bothered with it. Its the one time of the year throughout the US it is all judgement free unless you are in a costume contest haha, bad pun, I know.
I digress, back to my weight. I have many characters I want to do such as say Robocop, Ironman, etc. but to do those characters you have to be slim and fit otherwise it will not look right. I honestly would love to be able to go to comic cons with different costumes I have made and compete. Most of all I would just like to experience that feeling again of being on stage in front of hundreds of people and being cheered on, and people asking where I got the costume from. I take pride in my artwork and crafting things so it really makes me happy.
It is a lot of work and that is why I have to lose the weight and keep it off. So that I can build these costumes and live a healthier life. I feel that a lot of time has been wasted. This fight with my weight has been going on since I was a kid and I can’t help but wonder if I would have done something about it in highschool if my life would have been better. I think the answer would be a resounding yes. I would have been more active and possibly met new people while I was out being active.
Now I am fighting aging and weight simultaneously along with my heart. This isn’t good and I know it. Tomorrow it has to stop for everything I want to accomplish in life I need health and energy and right now I have neither, I am constantly tired, been having stress headaches and my stomach feeling like crap with pain and cramps. I am hoping soon this will all end and I will begin feeling better but it is going to be one hell of a hard time getting there.
Every time I turn around though, there is just another reason why I need to do this, why I need to lose the weight as it really is making my life unfulfilling and that will lead to nothing but regret. My biggest fear is being the old man sitting there regretting everything all because I couldn’t get my health in line and my weight under control.
well with those final thoughts that is all I have to write for now.
Have a Safe and Happy Halloween