One Year Ago Today

M 40, 6’3” SW: 390 lbs. CW: 234 lbs.

One year ago today(January 9th, 2020) I was browsing the front few pages of Reddit, trying not to work, when I came across this.

Day 1? Starting your weight loss journey on Thursday, 09 January 2020? Start here!

After reading through it, and still not planning on trying to lose weight, I decided to download MyFitnessPal and actually try and track my calories for a couple of days, just to see what I was actually doing. I entered my breakfast, which I had already eaten, and then at lunch I started to enter the sandwich and chips that I was going to eat. As I entered it, I just remember getting more and more angry as I watched the calories climb.

That anger inadvertently started me on a diet that day. On my first day I only consuming 1667 calories as best I could figure. Since then I have progressed to a point where Monday - Friday I only try to consume between 1200 - 1300 calories, Saturday I am willing to go up to 1500, and Sunday up to 2000 while allowing myself sugary snacks/desserts on that day.

I still eat all the same foods, but just control the quantity. So I still get pizza, fried chicken, Szechuan Chicken, burritos… It does get hard on the limiting part.

One of the things I read in comments that helped was when one person mentioned they wanted a piece of cake and chose not to eat it. They said they just ran 45 minutes in effect. I started to think of calories as a bank account. I could spend them where I wanted to, but not go into debt.

Starting out I would go on a walk once a week for about 15 minutes. Now, on Tuesdays, I go on a 4 mile walk that has a good incline. On Thursdays, I ride the stationary bike for an hour. Sundays I go for a hike ranging from 4 to 10 miles. I must admit I do get pain in my hips and knees, but nothing I can’t overcome with wrapping my knees and taking some ibuprofen. It frequently is not easy to get out that door, or onto the bike to start, but I have never finished one and thought that I wish I had not done it. Some do not always get the same level of intensity, but I finish the exercise and try and do better the next time.

If I may be bold enough to offer some advice to anyone thinking of getting started or already in the process, which I still am.

• Be honest with yourself. Do your best to stay within the rules you set for yourself. For me, I weigh my food at every meal, and log it. Yes, it is annoying.

• Pay attention to all the times you grab a small piece of candy, nut, or chip/crisp... They add up.

• If you mess up from time to time, just own it and get back on track.

• Don’t drive yourself crazy weighing yourself everyday. I decided to only do it once a week. I do it the same place, wearing the same clothes, on the same scale, before eating anything in the morning to try and make it as consistent as possible.

I want to thank those that contributed in posting or commenting in that article, and those who have given me encouragement along the way.

Before and After

TLDR: Read an article a year ago, decided to see how many calories I ate in a day, got angry by lunch, lost 156 lbs. this past year. (Not easy, but definitely doable.)

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