Hey everyone, I just wanted to share my journey so far, and I'm proud of my current progress.
A week or two before Easter, I took a professional picture for work, and was disturbed by how large I appeared in the picture. I checked where I was on my scale, and found that I had grown to the heaviest I had ever let myself become, 265 pounds. Around that time a doctor informed me that I was on the edge of hypertension, and pre-diabetic. I also have been steadily snoring more and more, and am relatively confident that sleep apnea is effecting me more than ever. I am only 24 and 5' 10"-11", a relatively young guy for this situation.
Prior to this, I had floated slowly up towards the 240s, but I had not seen it so shockingly noticeable, and that motivated me to change something.
First, I considered why I was where I was. I generally haven't struggled with hunger, so I can't blame a voracious appetite. The truth of the cause is a combination of eating when bored, and a fairly sedentary lifestyle. I let myself get away, because I wasn't caring about it, even with a relatively healthy diet (heavily veggie and fruit focused, with an admitted excess of non-sugar carbs- but low on refined sugars and unhealthy fats).
So I decided to make changes.
- The first is to drink a gallon of water a day, which I have done at times in the past, and notably felt/feel healthier when I was and am doing so.
- The second is to eat once a day, after work. I had done this in my last two years of high school, and it was some of my healthiest weights. Given that hunger isn't something I particularly struggle with, this was a lot easier for me to do than most (especially as my stomach is filled with water throughout the work day).
- The third was to monitor my calories. Keeping track helps me know where and how I am progressing throughout any given day, and reminds me not to go overboard. I will note that as I usually try to eat until full, tracking calories has actually encouraged me to eat more in my one meal than less relatively often. I can get full on 500-700 calories, but aim for a minimum of 1000 and prefer closer to 1200. That said, the habit of calorie tracking is meant for long term sustainability when I reach a healthy weight. I am also taking a multi-vitamin every other day, and monitoring for any signs of malnourishment.
- Slowly and progressively increasing my physical activity. I usually try to exercise on a stationary bike for an hour 2-3 times a week now, and intend to make that 4 times a week long term, as well as add a half hour of strength training. For the first several weeks, however, I did not focus on exercising as a diet based approach is easier for me naturally.
With over 30 pound lost in about 2 months, I feel good about my prospects moving forward. My first and main goal is 190, and following that I am intending to get down to a healthier 160ish.
I feel blessed that this is working for me so far, and wish you all luck moving forward. Note than I am fortunate not to struggle with hunger, and to be a guy (for which weight loss is easier, compared to the average woman). I am young enough to change my lifestyle and routine more easily, and have access to quality food and an exercise bike. I am confident that anyone can get through weight struggles, and wish all of you aiming for it success and the support you need in any journey you might be on.
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