Hello everyone here at /r/loseit! Long time lurker, first time poster. Super nervous doing this but I hit a huge milestone today in my eyes and I wanted to share and maybe even see if my story can inspire others.
So I am a resolutioner/New Year's weight loss journey player.
A little background about myself: 28/M/293 starting out. I was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea at the beginning of the year as well as having high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I have had weight issues my entire adult life. I was a chubby kid that was bullied in high school for being gay, being overweight and being different. I hated myself for a very long time and I turned to food for comfort and because darn it, fried foods, pizza, tacos, etc. taste really good. I struggled with my weight in college and joined Weight Watchers throughout my 2013-2016 post-graduate life and lost 55 pounds but gained it all back when I moved out-of-state to pursue my career. It got worse in 2016. I lost my best friend to a drug overdose, I was working an overnight job I didn't like and I ballooned. I was able to get out of that job but I never could shake off my last few years of self-sabotage and just not feeling good enough.
I had enough in 2018. I was obese, I was miserable and I didn't want to end my life prematurely with the way I was eating. Whole pizzas, 20 piece nuggets with large French fries and a crispy chicken sandwich with diet cokes, eating till I couldn't feel feelings anymore, resigning myself to my fate as an obese man. I soon realized all this junk food was killing me and it was basically me telling myself: You're not good enough to be healthy. I was tired of this version of myself and I knew I had to make that change now or I am resigning myself to an early, painful and unhealthy death. The doctor visit really pushed me over the edge as I had to go do a sleep study and being diagnosed was the worst day of my life. But I knew it was a great start for me to get motivated.
I was always inspired by superheroes and all the movies I've seen. I even was inspired by a lot of cosplayers on Instagram and it looked like fun. I was always thinking that being a cosplayer was "not cool" and freaky for grown men to wear spandex and go to comic conventions. Inside, I wanted to be a superhero, my own superhero. Someone that was strong and could be inspiring to others and himself. I found a cosplayer on Instagram who was also a personal trainer (based in Australia, I'm in the US) and he offered a lot of guidance and support and I made a goal to save money up to be a client of his and to fight my weight loss villain once and for all.
I started on 1/1/19 at 293 and today, 95 days later, I'm down 40 POUNDS! I have been doing muscle workouts three days a week, cardio five-six times a week and managing my calories and macros through MyFitnessPal. I got interviewed about my weight loss journey by a cosplaying YouTube channel and I hope to share it to this subreddit when it comes out in a week or so. I've made so many amazing cosplayer friends through instagram and I even treated myself to my first pair of Superman boots and I'm looking to get measured for costumes towards the end of the summer when I lose more weight and go as Shazam for Halloween and go to my first con in costume next year.
It's been super helpful having this now fun goal to help motivate my weight loss. I can't wait to become part of the community even more and showcase my hard work and hopefully inspire people that they can do this, you can change your life. It is hard work, it is blood, sweat and tears but we only get one opportunity to dance on this earth and it was time for me to step up on stage and I may have two left feet, but I'm dancing through life now. I feel better than ever. I cannot wait for my doctor to see me in June and to get retested for everything and hopefully kick high blood pressure (and the medicine), my cholesterol and my sleep apnea off the stage.
My mantra this year is be your own hero and I really feel like I am. Thank you for allowing me to share.
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from loseit - Lose the Fat http://bit.ly/2U68rdm
