- Nov 9, 2000
- 20,127
- 6
- 81
I really don't know where to start with this YAAWT (yet another attention whore thread), but I'll pick this as the start - I was a huge fatass. Jan. 1, 2005 I toppled the scale at 274 pounds. I am large boned and have a lot of muscle mass, but at 6'0" I was still morbidly obese. When I saw that reading on my scale, my heart sank. When I was in the Navy as a young man I was in good shape and I couldn't believe how far I'd sunk in the 13 years since I was discharged.
Last year I made my start at getting back in shape. But our decision to take a new job in another state put all that on hold. We basically ate fast food and snacks for a month and a half while we were packing in VA and waiting in TX to settle into our new house, and that was death to my diet. I got down to 238 by mid August, but by Christmas I was back up to 260 pounds.
So this last Jan. I began afresh. Rather than fad diets and ineffective exercise, I adopted a much more reasonable diet and workout plan. The diet was adapted from the Mayo Clinic diet plan. I entered my height and build and it told me to cut my caloric intake to 1500 to 1800 calories a day. And for exercise, I walk - ALOT. My new job is one where I work 12 hour shifts in a combined cycle power plant and I walk all day long. When I am on my days off, I do a vigorous aerobic bike ride on my stationary bike.
The exercise is easy for me, but the diet... that's tough. It was almost impossible at the beginning, 1500 calories is so little compared to what I used to take in daily. But then my wife started cooking new foods and it got a lot easier. We eat almost no beef and I'm about to grow gills and fins from all the fish I do eat now.
So, here it is almost 7 months from the first day of my second attempt at losing weight and 19 months from the first day of my first attempt and I am weighing in at 197 pounds. I feel great and I'm so excited to be close to my final goal of 185 pounds. I can't begin to tell you all how much better I feel physically and mentally. Buying clothes is an enjoyable experience now, and the selection is so much better than it was when I was obese.
It is possible guys. You hear so many stories about people starting and failing, but you have got to have perseverence and desire to do this. That and a partner to motivate you. My wife has been by my side through it all struggling right along next to me. She's post-menopausal due to a hysterectomy and she's gained weight as a result. To date she's lost 57 pounds and she looks fantastic! I'm a lucky man to have her. :heart:
I know this is a long post, but I wanted to share my success with the community I've been a part of for nearly 6 years. And maybe my story will help motivate someone else to get their health straight. If anyone wants to know any details I'll be happy to share. Thanks for reading. :beer: <-- ultra light beer of course
Christmas '04 at 274 lbs.
Christmas '05 at 260 lbs.
At 197 lbs.
Now at 177 lbs.
Last year I made my start at getting back in shape. But our decision to take a new job in another state put all that on hold. We basically ate fast food and snacks for a month and a half while we were packing in VA and waiting in TX to settle into our new house, and that was death to my diet. I got down to 238 by mid August, but by Christmas I was back up to 260 pounds.
So this last Jan. I began afresh. Rather than fad diets and ineffective exercise, I adopted a much more reasonable diet and workout plan. The diet was adapted from the Mayo Clinic diet plan. I entered my height and build and it told me to cut my caloric intake to 1500 to 1800 calories a day. And for exercise, I walk - ALOT. My new job is one where I work 12 hour shifts in a combined cycle power plant and I walk all day long. When I am on my days off, I do a vigorous aerobic bike ride on my stationary bike.
The exercise is easy for me, but the diet... that's tough. It was almost impossible at the beginning, 1500 calories is so little compared to what I used to take in daily. But then my wife started cooking new foods and it got a lot easier. We eat almost no beef and I'm about to grow gills and fins from all the fish I do eat now.
So, here it is almost 7 months from the first day of my second attempt at losing weight and 19 months from the first day of my first attempt and I am weighing in at 197 pounds. I feel great and I'm so excited to be close to my final goal of 185 pounds. I can't begin to tell you all how much better I feel physically and mentally. Buying clothes is an enjoyable experience now, and the selection is so much better than it was when I was obese.
It is possible guys. You hear so many stories about people starting and failing, but you have got to have perseverence and desire to do this. That and a partner to motivate you. My wife has been by my side through it all struggling right along next to me. She's post-menopausal due to a hysterectomy and she's gained weight as a result. To date she's lost 57 pounds and she looks fantastic! I'm a lucky man to have her. :heart:
I know this is a long post, but I wanted to share my success with the community I've been a part of for nearly 6 years. And maybe my story will help motivate someone else to get their health straight. If anyone wants to know any details I'll be happy to share. Thanks for reading. :beer: <-- ultra light beer of course
Christmas '04 at 274 lbs.
Christmas '05 at 260 lbs.
At 197 lbs.
Now at 177 lbs.