Hey fellow losers! I'm a 36 year old fat man working on becoming a 37 year old formerly fat man. I hope this doesn't come off as bragging, I just want to share my story in case there is another guy out there like me who could use some encouragement.
Last July 29th, I randomly stepped on the bathroom scale and saw it stop at a staggering 405. I'm a big guy. I've been a big guy my whole life. Size runs in the family on both sides. In my prime at about 20-21, I was 6'3, 260 pounds and measured 25% body fat in my college health class. All with admittedly no effort or exercise. I am naturally muscular. I wasn't ripped, but you could tell it was there. I was built like a linebacker, but I never played any sports. The coaches in both High School and College practically begged me to try out, but I never had the interest. Not bragging, just trying to paint a picture.
By the time I graduated college, I was just over 300 pounds. I kept putting on weight. 15+ years later and I was flirting with 400 lbs. My health was suffering. I couldn't breathe right, I couldn't sleep right. I was too big to comfortably or safely ride my motorcycle (a passion of mine since I was a kid). I always told myself: "at least your not as big as your dad". Then Dad started losing weight. I passed him up. For the first time, I couldn't say that. I made a decision that day, July 29, 2018, that I would fix this. I wouldn't just lose the weight, but I would get healthy. I would fix my body so that I could be a better husband to my wife and father to my three young sons (8, 8, and 10 if anyone is interested).
My problem: I'm a food addict. Junk food is my drug of choice. When I was angry or sad, I ate to feel better. When I was happy, I ate to celebrate. When I was bored, I ate to fill time. Some people turn to drugs or alcohol, I ate to get high. Like just about any other physical high, it is fleeting and takes more and more to get the same high. I was slowly eating myself to death. My go to was Flamin' Hot Cheetos. I would eat an entire full-size bag in one sitting. Sometimes multiple times a day.
This morning, I got on the scale at 308 pounds. I've dropped 97 pounds in 10 months. It is the lowest my weight has been in 15 years. I feel healthier than ever. I have more energy to spend time with my boys and more energy to spend time with my wife (nudge nudge, wink wink). I can honestly say that I have never felt better in my adult life.
It has not been easy. There is no magic secret to my weight loss. It is a simple math problem: calories in has to be less than calories out. How you manage that math problem is up to you. Keto, low-carb, fasting, whatever you do what works for you. For me it has been just keeping a food diary on the MyFitnessPal app, but it works. By simply watching the amounts of food I eat and making more healthy choices than unhealthy ones, I have averaged roughly 2 pounds lost per week for 10 months. I haven't had a sugary soda since last July. I eat more veggies. I don't really try to exercise or work out, per se, but I am much more active than before. I average about 7000 steps per day according to my smart watch. When i get bored and think I want a snack, I play with the boys or I work on hobby projects in my garage.
Over the past 10 months, I have completely changed my relationship with food. I have changed my diet, yes, but I have had to redefine what food is for me and why I needed to eat so much to begin with. By staying busy and picking up some new hobbies, I have been able to curb the bored snacking. Figuring out other ways to deal with the emotions that drove me to seek comfort at the bottom of a bag of Cheetos was the hard part and everyone has to find their own way to do that.
I am not focused on losing weight as much as I am gaining health. I have come to terms with my body and I know how I am built. I will never be skinny. I'm not sure it is genetically possible for me. My dad is over 6 feet tall and about 370 pounds now. All of my uncles are tall and stocky. Both of my grandfathers were over 6 feet tall and over 240 when they passed on. I may not ever be skinny, but I can be healthy. I don't have a goal weight. I'd like to get back to my 260 pound college build, but if I can, I'll keep going.
For you other food addicts and fat people out there trying to become former fat people. Keep at it. You can do it. It is simple but it is not easy. Find what works for you and stick with it. Focus more on your health than your weight. Don't beat yourself up for missing a goal. Make an unhealthy choice every once in a while, just make more healthy choices than not. Don't give up. Thanks for reading this, I hope it helps someone.
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from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2EKKovI
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