Losing 60 Pounds and a Huge Favor to Ask

UPDATE 2/21/14 — I wanted to post a quick update on this. I was overwhelmed with how many people contacted me for Mark’s address! The outpouring of kindness for Mark from people he has never even met was so beautiful! Thank you SO much for participating. Here is a note from Mark:

Dear Jessica,

I apologize for the delay in responding. I did not initially know the back story, which became the most wonderful birthday experience of my life.

I had no idea the source of all the wonderful cards I received. Lisa was unsure as well at first, she had asked many sources and when I first asked she wasn’t sure who had made such a huge impact. It has become quite clear it was through your amazing efforts and your sisters beautiful letter and your blog I only just saw today! I knew you had done something I just didn’t know the whole story, which is to say, you, telling a portion of my story to your blog readers from all over the world! I was curious why people unknown to me were not only sending fabulous birthday wishes but also wonderful words of encouragement and praise for my life changing efforts.

Due to a combination of local bad weather and circumstance I found myself at home alone the morning of my birthday. I awoke to the unbelievable stack of cards and spent several hours sitting in front of a fire reading card after card, needless to say I had to pause frequently to gather myself from the brink of total blubbering! I would stoke the fire just to make sure it wasn’t smoke in my eyes making them run!

I can never properly express my thanks for every single person who I’ve never met who took the time to give me the greatest gift any human can ever achieve LOVE!! Each letter required someone to take time out of their busy lives and share an expression of true love to another human they don’t even know! There is absolutely no greater gift!

I can only say from the top, bottom and every other part of my heart THANK YOU! To each and every one from my loving wife to our great friends to her sister and then all the amazing people who made a everlasting example of the power of human compassion for another! Please know I am forever great full to you all!

With much Love and appreciation,
Mark Clark

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Today, I want to share a personal story with you and I hope that you will jump in on the fun project I discuss at the end of this post.

My sister, Anne, emailed me yesterday about her dear friends Mark and Lisa and wanted to know if I’d be willing to help them by posting their story on my site.

Of course I would!

Not only because it’s my sister, but because these are two people who are extremely dear to Anne and her husband, Michael. While I have only met Mark and Lisa one time, I remember them as being very kind and gracious people, so I would love to help them out.

In addition to that, I personally know what it is like to struggle with my weight and deal with depression and dependency on food. I have many times turned to food, especially sweets, to help me feel better in times of stress, sadness, or insecurity. It it a torturous cycle and a battle that cannot truly be understood unless you have gone through it yourself. Sugar addiction is one of the worst things to deal with.

Over the years, I have learned to deal with these struggles and have implemented life-long changes that have improved my health, both mentally and physically. But, I feel that these are demons that are always there and always lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce if you let your guard down. Because of the personal connection I feel to Mark’s story, I was even more inclined to share here.

These are excerpts from the email that Anne sent me today:

Dear Jess,

This is a long email but something that is very important to me and I want to ask for your help. I want to do a favor for my friend Lisa, and wondered if maybe you could help me make it a really awesome favor.

You remember our friends, Mark and Lisa, in Dallas. When we went to Dallas to visit them 6-8 months ago, we were really concerned because Mark had gained a lot of weight. Due to the poor economy, they have been struggling financially for the past 4 years, barely making it, and we were concerned about Mark’s health, both physically and mentally. Mark is a very upbeat guy and would always put on a happy face, but he has struggled with depression and food was a comfort to him. 

When we were in Dallas over Christmas break last month, we visited them and I couldn’t believe the change in him!

He’s lost 60 pounds and when he started telling us about how he has lost weight, we were amazed. I am so proud of him.

He said he was on Facebook one day and, for some reason, clicked on one of those ads that we always completely ignore. He watched a few of the free videos and then decided he’d actually spend $49.99 on the program this ad was promoting. I think what he’s doing is basically a paleo-style diet.

In any case, this program resonated with Mark and when we visited with them for a couple of hours, the conversation kept coming back to the changes Mark has made.

What really struck us was the level of understanding and sincere commitment he has. He does not view this as a temporary thing. He said for the first time in his life, he realizes that he is a sugar addict and that he can never go back to eating the way he did before. He has actually educated himself about nutrition.  

He is diligent about label reading  and has achieved such a level of commitment that he is actually beyond temptation. He can tell you every food that sugar and corn hide in where you would never suspect it. Those are two “foods” that he now holds in disdain and plans to never eat again. He avoids them like the plague. 

Now, here is what I would love to have you help me with, if you are able.

Marks 50^th birthday is Feb 5^th and because they don’t have much expendable money, Lisa came up with a great idea to see if people near and far would be willing to send Mark a card for his birthday. Some people think a dollar in the card is fun so, if he gets 50 cards, he’d have 50 dollars (but the dollar is completely optional, just something a friend suggested). 

I sent Lisa a message yesterday to see how many cards she’s received and she’s bummed. And Lisa rarely gets bummed. She’s little miss sunshine. She has only received 10 cards. I was hoping that you could reach out to your readers and see if anyone would be willing to send Mark a birthday card (dollar totally optional) to encourage and congratulate him for making such a significant change in his life.

I just know he will cry like a baby if Lisa presents him with a bundle of warm, supportive wishes from people he doesn’t even know.

Love,
Anne

So, now that you have read their story, I would love to ask you for help.

Would you be willing to send Mark a card of encouragement for his birthday?

If so, please email me at deliciousobsessions(at)gmail(dot)com and I will give you the address of where to send the card.

With your help, we can make Mark’s birthday a little happier and brighter and perhaps fill him with the encouragement he needs to continue on his journey to health!

Thank you in advance for anyone who is willing to help!

Peace and Love,
Jessica