Born in Washington, DC, I have lived most of my 49 years in Montgomery County, Maryland. My wife Allyn and I currently live in Gaithersburg while our children Anna and Andrew attend college at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK, my Alma Mater, and the place where Allyn and I met.

When I graduated high school I weighed 165 lbs and stayed close to that throughout college. Over my 26 years of marriage I have gained on average about 6 lbs a year - just 1/2 a pound a month - to my current weight of 315.  (I actually peaked at 326 lbs which I have gradually worked down over the past year or so.)

Severely fat feet, allergies, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and insulin resistance, along with my personality type (ENFP for those of you who study Myers-Briggs) and love of food, are all contributing factors to a lifestyle of inactivity and gradual, consistent weight gain. At the heart of it, as with most things in life, is my inability and unwillingness to focus on taking responsibility for and managing my own behavior.

This blog, and the Lose-A-Thon I am embarking on are tools that I hope will assist me in this effort.  Your participation, through reading, commenting, encouraging, and pledging, if you wish, are appreciated and will help encourage me in my effort.

Chris Saah