On the Run

So this might be a long one but I am going on vacation tonight and might actually skip next weeks blog and give you all a break! So hang in there.

Over the last couple weeks my body has been shocked, probed, and quite frankly been beaten up. With my weekly scale check in today, I can look at it two ways. One, my weight is up 2 pounds from last week. Last week I dropped almost 6 pounds in a week but under major duress, a 30+ hour fast and a colonoscopy. I am still 4 pounds under my last goal, and 12 pounds from the years goal. My coach thinks I’m doing so well that he would like me to try and go all the way to 250 pounds this year. I don’t remember the last time I was ever 250 pounds. I told him that I was not opposed to the idea obviously but let’s just get one goal accomplished at a time. I could also choose the route today to beat myself up and let myself go off the rails since by 1:30 today I’ll be on my way to the shore for a 10 day vacation. But probably to my wife’s dismay, I plan on sticking to my keto lifestyle as close as possible. We both have been working way too hard this summer and with my son’s wedding in January I want to look and feel as good as I can.

Well it did happen this past weekend. At my show on Friday night, I wore my size 40 jeans. Fuck the world. Still was not super comfortable wearing a form fitting extra large T-shirt, so I opted for the 2xl basically looks like I’m wearing a potato sack. (Pictured is the form fitting shirt) But that is OK because it kept my muffin top in check.I will just keep plugging away. The other non-scale victory that I noticed was that I am definitely on the last notch of my size 42 belt. I burned through that belt in less than a month or so. That is something that makes you feel good every time you tighten that on stage and pull your pants up.

I woke up on Saturday morning and after some coffee started digging through the closet and pulled out over 15 pair of tuxedo pants and about 10 jackets. I finally found the smallest ones, and even those needed suspenders. I looked good and felt good so I decided to text my barber to see if by some freak miracle he could get me in on a Saturday and he could. Everything was falling into place. The wedding was fantastic.

Sunday I sat by the pool for a couple hours, had two Arnold Palmer spiked –
And had a burger and a hotdog and actually had the bun. That’s how I broke my fast. I was starving. Somehow I still managed to stay in ketosis when I woke up on Monday morning.

Monday was business as usual and got back into the gym and actually did legs with Amber.  I did a lot of running around to get ready for the shore.

I had a meeting out in Chadds Ford at 1 PM on Tuesday. Guess what I usually do daily at 1 PM? Break my fast. So I ended up fasting till almost 4 PM well I got home. I was going to stop somewhere but traffic was starting to get bad and I just want to get home. Thought it might work out in my favor weight wise but no. Of course I walked into the meeting offers of pizza and hoagies and everything else that I had to say no to. I just didn’t want to even deal with trying to figure out the macros and sit there and pick up our food in front of people that I did not know. The meeting went great by the way in case you’re wondering. Just a long drive.

On Wednesday I manned up and call the vet for Pasquale. He hadn’t had A solid bowel movement in a few weeks of changing his litter box. Most mornings we would wake up to vomit and non digested food on the floor and for the last couple weeks has been screaming at the top of his lungs at various times of the day. For no reason. It turns out that most of the symptoms could be the signs of a stomach tumor. Even the vet did not think it was wise to spend $600 on tests to tell us when the cat was definitely uncomfortable and unhappy. The cat was pretty much with us for 16 1/2 years at this point. It’s very hard to think of a time before Pasquale was here even though I remember buying him at the pet store like it was yesterday. So Pasquale crossed the rainbow bridge Enjoying his other feline and doggy brothers and sisters. I will miss him very much. He will be the last cat that we’ve ever owned as a family.

So I wanted to talk a little bit about my thoughts on social media. I started my personal Instagram because a social media expert told me that I should break out my personal and professional stuff. In the beginning I used my photography studio Instagram as mine as well. How many stupid names was I going to have? I think my Instagram is the most honest and closest to my real life that I can get. My Snapchat is right up there. With Facebook I have so many moms and dads and brides the follow it no matter what name is on it, I feel like that is more of a business tool, no matter what. You want to on unfollow me on Facebook I could give two shits. I most likely will never know unless you start popping up as a suggested Friends again which has happened and has to be a Facebook glitch. Once you unfriend me, don’t try to friend me again because I will not accept it. You left for a reason and that is cool. I don’t take it personal. In the end I use Facebook to sell my products more than anything and I know how irritated I get when people try to sell me theirs on Facebook. That is why I have stopped inviting people to my pages and what not because I constantly get invited to so many per day that I just can’t keep up. Why anyone feels need to follow up their lalaroe or beachbody page.

But I do take some offense to do is when friends of mine unfollow my Instagram. What bothers you about my Instagram? I’ve been up and down over 4 1/2 years so chances are my success story will go in the opposite direction if you hang in there long enough. Do you not want to see me happy? I don’t get it. Sometimes people will unfollow my Instagram but remain friends with everything else. It does not work that way. If you un follow my Instagram, chances are I’m going to block you on Snapchat and unfriend you on Facebook and everywhere else. I don’t cross post very often. I keep my content separate and this fresh as possible. I have also been trying to not post as much either. But again, that is just me. I have been upfront and honest about my entire journey and in the end this is the Franco that lives in the real world. These are my struggles. If that is not something that you want to see, that is OK. But you can’t pick and choose, and lurk. This would be the profile to watch since ya know.  You are my friend.  But. Nope. Buhbye! (And before you ask, this is not for anyone special.  It’s been on my notepad to write about for a few weeks)

As of August 1st, my photo studio is closed. Not the business, just the studio. I just can’t cover the space, insurance and everything else that goes with it. I will be cleaning it out after vacation and figure out a game plan from there. It was time for sure.

So last Wednesday, the day after my colonoscopy I had to take a drug test for a potential employer. No big deal. I don’t do drugs. I get an email at the close of business on Friday pretty much making me feel like crap because I didn’t go. Thank God I saved my paperwork. I was like HELLO! I went. You paid for it. But of course the computers messed up, they lost it, the laps dog drank it. Whatever. I was supposed to wait for word that I needed to take it again and I said Fuck it and just went and did it Monday. So last night I found out that I not only passed the drug test twice and background check but that I got the job with Core BTS as an Inside Sales Architect and I start the 13th. It was a summer long process but finally worked out for me.

Those who have been here for awhile know that I have been trying to find work that would excite me, make me happy and challenge me for a few years now. I was thinking about my goals for 2018 and had to dig through my old blogs to find them.

http://souncomfortablynumb.com/2018/01/

These are in no certain order.
* Travel to 2 places that I have never been to.
* get stronger, lean my body out and lose 50lbs in 2018
* find a job that makes me happy
* look and FEEL the best that I can at Brandon (my son’s) wedding a year from yesterday!
* Get back in the helicopter and soar about Wildwood

So a little past the midway point of the year… I don’t think the traveling is happening unless my new job send me somewhere cool. I am definitely stronger, leaner and on my way to losing 50 lbs in 2018! Job that makes me happy? Hopefully after this being on the list for the last few years it comes to fruition. I think I will look just fine at Brandon’s wedding. I will be feeling no pain either 🙂 and heading to Wildwood so maybe that helicopter ride will have to just happen! I need some new photos from the air! Looks like I might have 90% of the 2018 goals within reach this year.

One of the best things and feelings ever was being able to unsubscribe, unfollow all these job sites that I was on. Fuck you monster.com. In the end it was a friend I’ve met through the band that is my new hero.  He advocated for me and opened the door for me.

Alright I have talked enough for this week. You are incredibly caught up with all things Franco this point. I have about two hours to pack and get my shit together. Yes I’m bringing my scale to the shore. Yes I’m going to have fun in moderation. But now that I got my official start date and paperwork, it is time to do a little celebrating.

Enjoy the summer.  It’s slipping by us fast.

Franco