It is rather simple.  I grew up in a small town.  Although the weather swings from perfect to either stupid cold or hot within just a few hours, I love the place.  I was temporarily laid off, and, as a result declared bankruptcy.  I returned my Benz (with six months remaining on the lease), and washed my hands of all my bills.  This will give me the chance to save up some cash to fix my JEEP and to save up for a few years to make a substantial down-payment for a house.  Life seems alright, for now.

I joined Tools To Life because, at my current weight, I have to do something, and it has to happen before I reach 30.  I do not weigh myself, and refuse to.  I would much rather rely on fitting into my clothes better.  Once that happens, I know I am on the right track!

I have been overweight all of my life.  I have been teased for just as long.  I guess it is a good thing I was able to take it for that long, because I am sure something drastic could have happened, otherwise.

I graduated from highschool in 1998 (barely).  Since then, I have been working for my dad rebuilding cylinder heads full time.  Prior to full-time employment, I have been rebuilding heads for four years and doing odd jobs including cleaning the shop since I was eight.

I had a girlfriend for four years.  Almost the best four years of my life.  The last year we were together, we had a son.  She was going to go to school in southern Ontario, so I bought a vehicle, my first ride!  (A 1998 JEEP Wrangler.)  By the middle of 2003, she broke up with me, allowing me to see my son whenever it suited her.  By the end of the year, she limited the amount of time I could spend with my son.  I would visit on the shortest of notices and for very short periods of time.  I hit a pole in November, 2003, and pretty much placed my JEEP on life support.  For the next few months, I would either take the bus or pay $25 for a cab, just to see my son for as little as half an hour.  By the middle of 2004, she was set to marry her new boyfriend (whom she was seeing behind my back for a few months before the break-up) and she wouldn't let me see my son at all, which to this day, is still pretty devastating.  I would have loved to fight for my rights, but, with all the payments I was making, there was just no way of securing a lawyer, let alone paying for his services.

Now that I am debt-free, I would love to fight for him, but I also want to spare him the confusion and anguish that come along with learning that the guy you have been calling dad, really is not.  I have been speaking to the ex here and there, and one evening, over a four hour discussion, made it known to her that I did not leave my son under my own will, that I was simply meeting her demands to make her happy.  I also told her that if I had the money, I would have fought for my rights, and the rights of my son.  Since then, things have been better betwen us.  There is no doubt in my mind that someday, she will allow me to see him face-to-face.

In my future, I see myself parking my JEEP in the driveway of my own house!  I am currently living with my parents, rent free!  I am taking this opportunity to save the money I need to modify my JEEP to my liking, and then saving for four or five years to make a substantial down-payment for a house.  I know that, by now, I should have been living on my own, but, you kinda get comfortable living at home for free.  If it weren't for the bankruptcy, I am completely sure that I would probably still live at home.  Here is one way that a bankruptcy can be a blessing in disguise!

I joined this site to gather all the help I can get to reach my health goals.  I currently weigh 300lbs. and I am 6'1" tall.  I guess I must have some sort of muscle under it all, because some people still do not believe me.  My weight goal is to weigh around 220lbs.