I’ve lost well over 100 pounds.  I wear a large shirt — the days of XXXXL are long gone.  I can fit into restaurant booths.  I don’t feel like I’m being gawked at every time I leave the house.  I’m already married, so I don’t need to worry about attracting the ladies.

So, why should I continue to lose weight?

I stepped on the scale for the first time in about a week today — it said 235.2 pounds.  I would’ve preferred it said 202 pounds, or 192 pounds, because my body would probably look how I’d want it to hovering between those weights.  I need to lose a solid 35 pounds.

But why should I?

I turned 28 last Friday.

My wife and I are staying in Myrtle Beach all this week to celebrate my birthday, as well as my wedding anniversary (which is today!).  I’ll let you decide which one of those we’re celebrating more.

I’ve been burning lots of calories playing with my kids in the pool/ocean 4-5 hours every day.  I plan on renting a surfboard for a day later on this week, too.  Surfing may seem like just a balancing act, but it requires an incredible amount of strength to keep getting up on that board time and time again.

Life has changed so much over the past few years.  I’m able to swim for hours.  I can haul heavy chairs from our condo to the beach below without trouble.  I throw my daughter several feet in the pool like she weighs nothing (45 pounds isn’t exactly chump change).  I chase after my ever-elusive 8-month old son on the beach, who’s getting very mobile these days.

I don’t take any of this for granted.  I tell my wife all the time, “Welp, this is something else I couldn’t have done 100 pounds ago.”