Faster

It’s Thursday. A cold January day in 2021. If you’re reading this, something brought you here. Maybe my Instagram, maybe you’re creeping me on the Internet, maybe Twitter, maybe you’ve known me for a long time, but you’re here. After seven years of writing this I know people have come and gone but I thank you for being here. As much as this is an outlet for me….  I can’t lie and say I don’t appreciate people reading.

As a writer, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to talk directly to you, but it seems like every movie and TV show I watch lately they turn and look at the camera and break character so the very least that I can do was show little verbal gratitude.

Speaking of writing , there is one of the most important piece of writing that I need right now in my life, I had to show strength me do something that I don’t always do very well, ask for help. Yes, I had to ask my friend Sara to help me with my resume.

She’s very technical, knows my industry, and has seen an awful lot of resumes. For some reason every time I opened up the word document with my resume, it made me dive into a massive funk. Feelings of not being good enough, feelings of why me, and for some odd reason even though 25 years of the band, my job at Digitalwave that I loved, even my job at CDNOW  – Which I got to do with so many of my Friends just made me look at that piece of paper and wonder where my life went, and why I just didn’t do better. Makes makes me feel like a failure.

Thankfully Sara stepped in to help me. My former company was about 50% remote. Lots of people in the bigger cities love going into the office, especially those who live closer to them. Sara was in the Long Island office. When I was hired my company asked us to get on social media and share things from the company. I think I was one of the only stupid people from my local office to do that. I’m glad I did or else I would’ve never met the Long Island branch of my company. Sara immediately followed my posts, Commented once in a while and made me feel like a teammate. I have never met Sara. At our last security conference I was so excited to meet a few members of her team who I got to know on WebEx Happy hours her office had that they would include me in. They included me in Flare Friday too. It’s amazing how you can have someone that you care about, cares about you, across these wires that you have never met. Sara plays Animal Crossing with my wife and I, she used my referral code to get a Peloton for her family, and even if it’s by marriage, at least she’s Italian –  LOL it just amazes me the goodness that is out there if you can weed through all the bullshit.

And above all of that what I really just wanted to say, ended up in a major paragraph, was don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s not weakness, it actually shows how strong of a person you are. We all need help from time to time.

Sooooo last week I posted about my 50th birthday in a few weeks. My wife decided she wanted to take me to Universal Orlando. It’s actually one of our favorite places in the world. I am a very big Harry Potter fan if you don’t already know. I become a little kid in there. I want to ride the rides over and over again. The last time I went there in September 2019. I was about 25 pounds or so lighter. And while 25 pounds on most people might not be the end of the world, when you’re already 6’1 – You carry a lot of your way in your midsection, the rides are not made for you. Maybe at Disney they are a little more weight challenged friendly but not at Universal. Especially all three major Harry Potter rides. We are not stupid either we usually go right to them, one, because we are excited and two, because it will erase the unspoken stress on me when I get there. Well most of my friends are amazing and understanding

I can’t help but remember a time where my college girlfriend and I were in Wildwood at one of the water parks, and I could not go down the water slide with her when I went up to the top. Here we are with one of those big round tubes and they made her go down without me. She was horrified. I was horrified. It wasn’t long after that I did not have a college girlfriend anymore. That has to be about 29 years ago and it’s still something that haunts me. I started this journey because I never want to feel like this again.  Humiliated.  Not good enough.

Last week, I didn’t know the night I post on my blog that we would book our trip. My friend Chris said he wanted to go I thought he was kidding, but later that night, he was booked too. Not the massive 50th birthday party that I would think I would have, (Thank you Covid) but I get to wake up in the morning on my 50th birthday and walk into the parks like a little kid. That sure is one hell of a way to stay young. Last week I made a joke that if everyone gave me a couple dollars on Venmo I would literally wear a Hufflepuff robe and play the part all day long in the park. I was half kidding, but within minutes of reading my blog my friend Kelly sent me a Venmo, It popped up on my watch when I was at the gym and I could not stop laughing. I should’ve realized if anyone would do it, she would. Later that night, my ring closing buddy Dallas Cowgirl Chad, sent me a little birthday present too. The robe is half paid for by them. So do I have to do it? LOL Chad said that if I didn’t get all of it that it would buy me my first couple birthday drinks. Or at least 4 butter beers 🙂 I wish I could say that I would just be the one embarrassing everyone in my little party but it takes a lot of embarrass the people that are coming with me. Now, my nieces and my sister later at night at dinner if I’m still wearing it might be embarrassed. You still have time to make a donation to the Franco Robe fund! My Venmo is @francosicilia – You’ll be on a very short small chat group that day with all the access to my silliness! Maybe an onlyfans is next LOL.

Sooooo let me stop being silly for a minute and reel this in. Over the last 10 days, I have lost 8 pounds. Any person in their right mind would be rejoicing. I am not in my right mind. Last time I did this with some longer fast in between the weight dropped off quicker. It’s not like that right now, it’s like my body realizes that I am older. It holds on to things. My brother who is trying very hard as well gets frustrated and I’m constantly telling him 2 pounds a week is healthy. 2 pounds a week will stay off. And here I am being a little bitch. But guess what I lost 8 pounds in 10 days. Amber has lost 6 and she’s pissed.  But this is working.  It’s healthy. And I have to remind myself that over and over again.

My diet has been consistent. My workouts have been consistent. Amber and I are doing a three day on, one day rest, gym rotation. Our actual gym work out I will put below. On my rest days, I just ride the bike at a low impact. Then we start all over again. We will do this for four weeks and then we will pick something else to do. Keep hitting my body in different directions. What time is it I will be in Florida for the week so will come back and restart.

My drinking has been very curved. I know that alcohol affects weight loss. I actually know how alcohol affects weight loss. I still love my whiskey. Sometimes I feel bad robbing Peter to pay Paul. I knew the flyers were on last night, and I knew I wanted to have a whiskey so I ate less throughout the day to make that happen. I did not want to go over my calories. I also know that you have to fuel the fire to burn the fat. So I have to try and stick with my only drinking on the weekends. No I do not have a problem, no I do not drink alone, I just like the damn taste of whiskey. This past week and I literally had one. They are not Covid pours either I am meticulously measuring 1.5 ounces into the cup. What a loser. LOL.

So it’s already Thursday and we’re going into the weekend. We go back into the gym tonight so we will actually be at the gym all weekend and Sunday will be my next rest day. Maybe it will be nice and will be able to go for a nice walk. I definitely need to keep more active.

My wife and I literally look like zombies in our kitchen with our phones out, our macros app open, trying to figure out what to eat and what to do. Once the first 10 pounds are gone, I will redo both our macros.

Well my first goal, is to make sure I get on all the rides in early February. This push forward will not end there…. Summer is coming, and if I don’t have gigs, I will definitely be shirtless somewhere, and I don’t want to scare anyone. Summer bodies are built in the winter. If you wait till May it’s way too late. #NOTANOTHERFATSUMMER

I am always here if you need help with keto, motivation, or just need a friend.

Luminous!

Franco