KingGator and Sons

In my last journal entry,I ranted about some of the negative comments out there so far. Well,let me go ahead and speak a little bit more about my health and size.Before I do however, let me say the following: I am not scared ofthis trail and WILL NOT QUIT! Blind people and cancer patients havewalked this trail, so I am not going to let something small like alittle fat stop me because things are “uncomfortable”. With allof that being said, I will speak openly and honestly about my health,size, and how I think this trail will help or hurt me as a whole.


Now, in terms of size, Iam 6 foot tall and 265lbs. The truth is that I am perfectly awarethat this is fat. I am perfectly aware that this is much fatter thanI want to be. However, this has not stopped me from training andfighting mixed martial arts before and it will NOT stop me fromhiking the Appalachian Trail. Do I have time to lose the weightbefore the trail? No, I do not. I do NOT want to wait another yeareither, because chances are, I still won't lose the weight. I needsomething extreme and this is it. I have watched plenty of “fat”people walk the trail on youtube. Plenty of people have told me thatit is possible as well. To be honest, I do think I will finish and Ido think it will take 50-80lbs of my weight away.


Now, my weight is frombeer, not eating, so eating little will be no problem. I have doneprison time before and if you ever have done the same, then you knowhow VERY LITTLE you get to eat in there. I typically only eat onetime per day in my regular life. In terms of mentally dealing with“doing without”, that is not a problem for me. I am from veryurban areas in life, so doing without and having nothing is nothingnew to me to keep it real.


Now, in terms ofinexperience, that is the only thing that concerns me in terms ofhealth. I worry about whether I will make a deadly or horriblemistake on the trail. There is no way to really practice for this inadvance for me. I have no choice but to learn as I go.


Now, I know I may need toquit smoking. I am quitting smoking on March 1, 2013 hopefully forthe rest of my life. I have heard some people say that this isn't thebest time to quit, because having that “release” may bebeneficial to me on the trail since I already smoke. I am not so sureabout that one. I think the possibility of getting down to 200lbs andquitting smoking is something that I have dreamed about. I trulybelieve that the trail can do it for me.


I have beat being shot...Ihave beat being stabbed....I have beaten Staph Infections...Somethingtells me that I will survive “hiking fat”. I am slightlyconcerned, but I refuse to let this stop me. If I let this stop menow, it will stop me forever. If it stops me with the AT, it willstop me with everything else in life. The truth is that I am the mostmentally strong person that I know....I am an ALPHA. This will be nodifferent.


Don't get me wrong, I amnot a know it all. I do want advice. I do NEED advice.


I look forward to thischallenge!


KING